The sun rose.
It seemed to be another day similar to yesterday, but for some people on the grassland, it was different.
For example, the people of the Feng tribe who wanted to exchange things with the traveling team were thinking about what to take and what to exchange. For example, the people who had been guarding against the sky could rest today. Usually, there would be big birds flying over and taking away their livestock, but today, there was a bigger bird in the sky instead of those figures that usually gave them headaches. Another example was an old man who lived in the wanderer area of the Feng tribe.
For Old He, today was a special day. Every year on this day, he would come to the top of the mountain, facing a direction, praying and singing.
He didn't know when it started, but his ancestors had set such a rule. Every year on this day, he would come here to pray and sing, to remember the words that had been passed down from a long time ago, as well as the name of the tribe that no one knew. Old He was also used to coming here every year at this time to inherit the will of his ancestors and fulfill their wishes.
Every time this happened, that magical dream would appear in Old He's mind. Every detail was very clear, including the rising flames and the two horns surrounded by flames. It seemed to be the same as what his ancestors had said. Sometimes, he couldn't even tell whether it was a dream or reality, his imagination or reality.
Did the tribe still exist? Every time he had such doubts, he would stand here praying and singing to strengthen his beliefs.
Many wanderers didn't understand his behavior, and some people would pity him, but he didn't care. He just insisted and liked to sing like this. Every time, he would forget all the depression and troubles, throw away other worries, and sing for a whole day here.
Today, as in previous years, he went up the mountain with a straw bag filled with barbecue and a kettle.
The mountains in the territory of the Feng tribe were not high. This was already the highest place. He wanted to go to the top of a higher mountain, but it was not the territory of the Feng tribe. He would probably be killed as an intruder before he could reach the top, not to mention that it was not the territory of the Feng tribe.
Standing on the top of the green mountain, Old He took a deep breath, and just like in previous years, he sang loudly.
His singing spread from the top of the mountain to other places. Some people nearby also heard it, but they didn't care at all. Every day, there would be people singing. As for what they were singing and how well they were singing, they did not care at all and continued to do their own things.
"Since the beginning of the world, our ancestors have been here. When the tribe rose, hunting was the priority. As the spring warmed up, the ice and snow disappeared. The birds and beasts jumped happily, and the birds sang and the beasts roared. The hunters went far away …"
Old He stood alone on the top of the mountain, facing one direction. As he sang, he suddenly heard a second voice. Someone had joined him in singing the same song as him. The song he sang was the Hunting Song passed down from his ancestors, and it was the only song he knew. He hadn't even learned the songs the people of the Feng tribe often sang.
Because he only knew this song, Old He often sang it when everyone sang. Even if some people around him didn't know how to sing, they could still sing a few lines with him. However, for some reason, the songs sung by others and by Old He were obviously the same, but they gave people a completely different feeling. The former sang as if they were mourning, and the more they sang, the more sorrowful they became. On the other hand, the more the latter sang, the more high-pitched and in high spirits.
Perhaps only the people of the Yanjiao tribe could sing such a sad song so heroically.
Therefore, at first, when Old He heard someone singing with him, he just thought it was someone nearby. He didn't turn around, but still stood there and continued to sing.
But soon, he found that the other party could actually sing such a long song. Not only that, the other party sang better than him. As for why he could recognize it, was there a need to ask? The other party's singing was not as sad as the others' at all. On the contrary, it made Old He feel more excited. Obviously, some of the tones were different from what he remembered, but Old He had a feeling that this was how the song should be sung.
The other party was right behind him. Old He wanted to turn around and see who it was, and ask where it was from. However, Old He didn't look back. He had to finish singing this song, or it would be disrespectful to his ancestors.
"… In order to hunt, you travel day and day, deep into the mountain. You come back from hunting with no empty baggage. You have the ability to recognize the tracks of beasts …"
As he sang, Old He was immersed in that wonderful state again. He saw a pair of flaming horns, which seemed to be close at hand, but couldn't be touched. He always felt that it was still a little bit away.
After singing the whole "Hunting Song", Old He still hadn't recovered from that state. After waiting for about half an hour, Old He gradually came back to his senses. Thinking of the person who had just sung with him, Old He turned around and saw a young man he had never seen before.
"Hey, which family are you from? Why are you here? "Old He asked.
"Huh?" Shao Xuan was even more puzzled, "Have you seen someone like me?"
"Who are you? What's your name? "Old He drank some water and asked.
"My name is Shao Xuan." After thinking for a while, Shao Xuan added, "I'm from the Yanjiao tribe."
Old He glanced at Shao Xuan, and his eyes seemed to say: You said nonsense.
After drinking water and resting for a while, Old He called Shao Xuan, "No matter where you're from, come and sing with me again."
Shao Xuan, "…" That's it?
After experiencing Yan Shuo's strong and excited reaction, Shao Xuan really didn't know how to deal with such a calm person. So, he went over and sang with Old He again.
After singing for the second time, Old He sat on the ground and rested for a while.
"Where are you from?" Old He asked at this time.
"I came here with the traveling team over there." Shao Xuan answered.
"Hey? You're not afraid of danger. Those traveling teams don't have good tempers. You should have met good people this time. "Old He said.
"Why did you have to face that direction when you were singing?" Shao Xuan asked.
"You don't know?!" Old He looked at Shao Xuan with reproachful eyes, "That's the old land of our tribe! Remember, don't forget it in the future! "
After chatting with Old He for a while, Shao Xuan knew the reason why Old He came here to sing.
It seemed that every person in the Yanjiao tribe was very persistent. They lived in their own way and kept the beliefs in their hearts.
Old He's son was gone, his daughter-in-law ran away, and his wife stayed at home to take care of his sick grandson. It was the only day in a year that Old He would come here to sing. Last year, he also came here with his grandson. Unfortunately, his grandson was seriously ill these days, so Old He came here alone. When he sang, he also prayed to his ancestors, hoping that they would bless his little grandson so that he could recover. Many people on the prairie got sick and died.
After resting for a while, Old He began to sing again. He also pulled Shao Xuan to sing with him. He always felt that when he sang with Shao Xuan, it was particularly exciting. It was a kind of blood-boiling passion, like a hunting warrior who was about to go to war.
Shao Xuan sang with the old man over and over again.
The sun rose and gradually began to set before Old He really stopped singing.
After singing, it was time to go back.
Old He went down the mountain with Shao Xuan. He also asked Shao Xuan about his next plan. When he heard that Shao Xuan wanted to go to the central region, Old He didn't agree.
"It's too far and too dangerous. You're just a boy with no ability. How can you go to the central region with those travelers? The central region is more dangerous than other places. I advise you to go back to where you used to live. Maybe you can't live well, but at least you can stay alive. Only when you're alive can you have hope. You look quite strong, so I guess you must have a good life … If you really can't find a place to stay, you can stay with me. Life on the grassland is difficult, but it's much better than those drifting around. "Old He persuaded.
"It's all right. Don't worry. I can protect myself." Shao Xuan said.
"Young man, don't think that you can run around just because you're strong. Although we're strong, we're still very weak compared to those totem warriors."
"But I'm a totem warrior."
"… What?"
"I said, I'm a totem warrior, and an intermediate one … Hey, be careful!"
Before Shao Xuan finished his words, he saw the old man's foot twist and roll down the mountain. If Shao Xuan hadn't quickly caught him, Old He would have probably rolled farther, and even hit those protruding stones.
Old He was carried back from the mountain by Shao Xuan. His foot was sprained, but fortunately, there were no other injuries.
Old He's wife was taking care of her grandson at home. When she saw Shao Xuan carrying the old man back, she hurriedly went up to check on his injury.
"It's all right. It's just a sprained foot. Hey, Shao Xuan, hurry up. Where were we? Go on! Who else is in the tribe? What did the Shaman teach you? " Old He didn't answer his wife's question, nor did he care about the injury on his foot. He just let Shao Xuan continue talking about the Yanjiao tribe.
After putting Old He on the wooden bed and applying medicine, Shao Xuan said, "I thought you already knew. You were so calm."
"How would I know that you really came from the Yanjiao tribe? I thought you were a wanderer." Speaking of this, Old He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had misunderstood.
In the past, when several tribes on the grassland had friendly exchanges, he would go with them and see wanderers like him. They would tell each other their troubles, then come back and continue their lives.
Everyone hoped that one day they could return to the tribe, but generation after generation, from birth to death, this wish was not realized.
Old He once thought that maybe this was the end of his life. His grandfather, his grandfather's grandfather, and some of his ancestors had all lived on the grassland, helping the tribes here. He didn't know how long they had lived here. The only thing he still had was the words passed down from generation to generation, the things he needed to know.
"Because we have lived here for a long time, we are good people, we are strong, and we work hard. The people of the tribe are a little lenient with us, like the people of the Feng tribe. Sometimes they even let me help with the herding. So, don't worry, we can still hold on! Wait for the day when the tribe comes back! "
"You know how to herd?" Shao Xuan asked.
"Yes, I've been doing this for a long time."
"Do you know how to raise those animals?" Shao Xuan asked again.
"Of course I know how to. Those of us who live on the grassland all know how to do it. "
Shao Xuan thought to himself, "What a talent." If it were the people on the other side of the river, the animals would be in the pot.
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