Chapter 8: The Water-Marked Flame Wolf Python
1426 Words
It took Wu Xiaoming a long while to shake off that uneasy feeling. Eventually, the black shadow disappeared.
They had caught over three hundred fish, each weighing around five to six thousand pounds, with five of them likely exceeding ten thousand pounds. Wu Xiaoming initially thought it would be a strenuous task to transport the fish back home, but to his surprise, Uncle Di and the adult warriors easily carried a fish each on their shoulders, dragging another one with their hands. Even the girls like Chang'e could carry a fish while jumping around happily. "Right, I forgot we are primitive people," he thought to himself, "This is truly a race of superhumans!"
Processing the fish meat used up almost all of their salt reserves, meaning they'd have to go digging for rock salt the next day. It wasn't until nightfall that they finally finished processing all the fish.
Large bonfires were set up, each with a massive fish roasting over it, with tribe members constantly turning them. Wu Xiaoming prepared ten large pots of fish soup using fish heads and other parts. The air was filled with the delicious aroma of fish soup and roasted fish. Everyone danced around the bonfires in high spirits, celebrating their bounty.
Wu Xiaoming had taught the tribe the song "Good Day" to improve their celebratory singing, which he had found unbearable.
The joyful drums beat out the year's celebrations
Beautiful dances bring daily merriment
The sun paints today with vibrant colors
The flowers of life are our smiles
Ah,
Today is a good day
Everything we wish for comes true
Today is a good day
We open our doors and welcome the spring breeze
Ah,
The lanterns outside show red splendor
Lovely songs convey deep affection
The moon paints tomorrow's days bright
A beautiful world is in our hearts
Ah,
Today is a good day
Precious time cannot be wasted
Tomorrow is another good day
We thrive in this golden age
Today is a good day
Everything we wish for comes true
Tomorrow is another good day
Precious time cannot be wasted
Today and tomorrow are good days
We thrive in this golden age
This song, "Good Day," was something Wu Xiaoming had taught the tribe because their singing was unbearable. He had to teach them the few songs he remembered from his previous life, or their celebrations would always be filled with dreadful noises.
"Ah-choo!" Wu Xiaoming groggily opened his eyes to see a delicate hand holding a piece of animal fur, tickling his nose. Annoyed by the prank, he decided to play along. He grabbed Chang'e and pulled her into his embrace, enjoying the softness until he accidentally touched her sensitive spot.
"Ah!" Chang'e squealed, quickly breaking free and hiding behind her mother, who was still asleep, her face flushed as she peeked at him.
"Little rascal, let’s see if you dare tease me again. If you do, I'll eat you up," Wu Xiaoming joked, quoting an advertisement from his previous life.
After a breakfast of fish porridge, Wu Xiaoming left seven people to continue fishing, instructing them to stay away from the river if they saw any danger. He then led the rest of the tribe to dig for rock salt. As they left the cave and walked for about ten minutes, they saw a large herd of about two hundred deer drinking by the river.
"Emperor, should we hunt these deer first?" Uncle Di's whisper reached Wu Xiaoming's ears. Wu Xiaoming nodded.
Ten warriors quietly surrounded the herd, while Wu Xiaoming and Uncle Di led the women and children to encircle the deer from behind in a fan shape. "Remember, everyone, when we start, make as much noise as possible to drive the deer into the traps," Wu Xiaoming instructed. The women and children nodded in agreement.
Once everyone was in position, Wu Xiaoming shouted, "Go!" The women and children began yelling loudly, scaring the deer, who bolted in the direction of the traps. Along the way, more warriors appeared to drive the deer forward. Within thirty to forty seconds, the deer were falling into the traps one by one, leaving only about ten that veered off and charged at Wu Xiaoming and his group. "Scatter!" Wu Xiaoming shouted, and the tribe members stepped aside, letting the panicked deer run past.
Seeing the deer writhing in the traps, everyone cheered. The fishing group heard the commotion and joined in the celebration.
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" they chanted, their voices echoing through the area.
After counting, they realized they had caught 185 deer, each weighing around two thousand pounds, amounting to over 370,000 pounds of meat. The tribe looked at Wu Xiaoming with reverence, including Uncle Di, who had never seen such a large haul from so little effort.
Wu Xiaoming called for silence, "Everyone, quiet down. The fishing group will transport the deer back home while the rest of us continue to dig for salt."
When Wu Xiaoming and the others returned with the salt, they found the traps had been reset, and the deer were being skinned and butchered. Wu Xiaoming joined in the work, and once finished, they resumed fishing. Winter was approaching, and that morning Wu Xiaoming noticed the ground covered in frost.
As Wu Xiaoming and Dong pulled another fish from the river, they suddenly heard screams. He turned to see three tribe members, including Chang'e, thrown about a meter from the riverbank. His heart tightened with fear.
"Let go!" Wu Xiaoming shouted as he rushed over. Two figures moved faster than him, lifting the dazed tribe members and quickly retreating from the river. Wu Xiaoming followed, carrying the terrified Chang'e.
In the river, a massive creature's scales created giant waves. "Roar!" A thunderous roar, like that of a dragon or tiger, shook the ground, causing Wu Xiaoming and the others to fall. He held Chang'e tightly, watching the river.
The tribe lay prostrate, not daring to make a sound. "What is this?" Wu Xiaoming wondered as he watched the waves without seeing the creature.
Suddenly, the sky darkened, and a huge bolt of lightning split the night. Thunder rumbled, creating a terrifying atmosphere. Clouds thickened, and lightning flashed repeatedly. A massive bolt struck the river, causing huge waves and a surge of steam, obscuring their view.
As the steam cleared, another bolt struck, followed by more. In total, thirty-five bolts hit the river, causing the clouds to grow thicker and the sky darker. Continuous thunder and lightning filled the air.
"Roar!" The creature's roar was deafening, shaking the ground. A bright silver orb, the size of a basketball, rose from the river, illuminating the area. The orb shot into the sky, colliding with a massive lightning bolt, creating a dazzling spectacle.
The orb, now dimmed, slowly descended back into the river, causing a huge splash as it disappeared. Wu Xiaoming felt a sense of wonder, suspecting that something incredible lay within the river, similar to the tribulation in cultivation novels from his past life.
As he observed, the river split, and a massive water chain emerged, glowing red hot like a heated iron rod. The chain coiled, revealing a colossal wolf-headed snake with a ten-meter-long horn on its head, glaring down at them.
"This world is insane! Such creatures exist?" Wu Xiaoming thought, "This beast can be in water and on land, and it's enormous. I feel like an ant compared to it."
The beast consumed all their fish in one gulp and glared at them, as if to say, "I took your catch, don't you dare complain." Wu Xiaoming got the message loud and clear.
"You're the boss. No one will complain," Wu Xiaoming thought, hoping the creature would leave soon. The wolf-headed snake looked at him, seemingly understanding, then smashed the mud wall and quickly disappeared into the forest.
It took over an hour for Wu Xiaoming and the tribe to regain their composure. They then noticed that Wu Xiaoming had been holding Chang'e tightly, pressing her to the ground in a rather compromising position.
Seeing the amused looks from the tribe, Wu Xiaoming quickly stood up, helping Chang'e to her feet, ignoring her blushing face. "Let's go home," he said, brushing off the dirt.
"Yes, let's go home," the tribe echoed, laughing and cheering, relieved to have survived.
"Hmph! I'm not talking to you guys anymore, what were you all thinking?" Chang'e huffed and ran towards the cave, her face red. Wu Xiaoming laughed, "Looks like this little girl has feelings for me."
- Writer
