Taihe and Wind only appeared on the third day after Yanjiao's arrival. By then, the snow on the ground was already five metres high.
The snowstorm had stopped for a day but now it was starting again. It seemed to be even worse than the first day.
The cold wind blew like a knife, blowing on his face and causing him to feel pain. Even the Flaming Horn warriors, who boasted of their tough skin and tough muscles, were not willing to go out unless it was their turn to guard. They all stayed in the cave to rest.
There was little firewood in the cave so other than cooking porridge, they used it sparingly. When the snow stopped yesterday, Zheng Luo brought some people to the salt mines. Other than the two caves blocked by rocks and thick snow, the Fox and Shen caves were heavily guarded. It would be difficult to steal anything from there. He did not want to waste his strength so he returned after observing for a while.
When Zheng Luo heard that Taihe and Mountain Wind had finally arrived, he was holding the first fire crystal he dug out, excited.
Before they dug it out, he and the others had felt the presence of the fire crystal. It was proof that there was a fire crystal below but because it was buried too deep and because of the salt mines, they did not notice it. Now they were finally close. They had worked so hard to dig it out, of course they could not stay calm.
"Taihe's people?" When he heard the report, Zheng Luo looked away from the fingernail-sized fire crystal in his hand and calmed himself down.
He reluctantly climbed out of the hole and handed the fire crystal to Duo Kang. "You guys keep digging. I'll go check on them. I wonder how they're doing now."
"Don't worry, Chief, I'll keep an eye on them!" Duo Kang carefully took the fire crystal, so happy his mouth was about to split. Their efforts were worth it. Their gloomy mood had dissipated.
Shao Xuan was deep in thought but Zheng Luo's sudden appearance brought him back to reality.
"Taihe and Mountain Wind are here?" Shao Xuan stood up from the rock and followed Zheng Luo out to take a look.
Zheng Luo glanced at Shao Xuan but did not ask. For the past two days, Shao Xuan had been acting strangely. He would sit there for most of the day. If no one called him, he would just sit there. No one knew what he was thinking. He had asked once, but Shao Xuan had told him that he was just trying to sense something. Once the results are out, I will definitely inform everyone.
Arriving at the entrance of the cave, he saw the leaders of Taihe and Mountain Wind each leading about twenty people. None of them looked too good, and there was still snow stuck to their bodies.
Taihe and Mountain Wind's leaders relaxed when they saw Zheng Luo. They smiled bitterly. "You're really lucky to have come early. Otherwise, you'd end up like us."
While they were waiting here, the two leaders had already learned from the Yanjiao soldiers in the cave that the Yanjiao troops had arrived early on the day of the change. They had just arrived when a snowstorm struck. Unlike them, when they were in the salt flats, the weather changed and there were casualties along the way.
This kind of weather was something they had never encountered before. Not to mention them, even their ancestors had never encountered such weather. Not only were there unnecessary casualties, but the journey was also seriously delayed. They could have arrived yesterday morning, but they were delayed by another day, and that was the result of rushing through the night. After the change, it was difficult to travel on the salt flats, especially with the thick snow and cold weather. No one could adapt.
Zheng Luo did not explain whether they were lucky or not. He asked about the two tribes and found out that although there were casualties, there were not many. Both tribes were not in good health, especially the people from Mountain Wind. The place where they lived was warmer than the Flaming Horn tribe's. The winter wind was blocked by the mountains next to them. Even if it snowed, it was just for show. They had never encountered a situation like this before. Mountain Wind's casualties were more serious than Taihe's, so it was no wonder that their leader's face was so dark.
"How's the cave?" asked Zheng Luo. When he brought people over, both sides of the cave had collapsed but all they had to do was throw the rocks away. "If there's a need, we Yanjiao can help move the rocks too."
But Zheng Luo's words made the two leaders' faces even darker. They looked like they wanted to bite someone, their teeth chattering clearly.
"Don't mention it! Those bastards from the Fox and Shen tribes, they poured salt poison into the cave! "The Feng Shan chief roared angrily.
Salt poison was a kind of green-gray salt rock found in the mines. It couldn't be used to make salt. It wasn't able to poison people to death, but after it was boiled, the smell would be pungent, and people would feel dizzy if they smelled it too much. Therefore, generally speaking, the soldiers guarding the mines would bury the salt rock far away if they found it.
Although there was not much salt poison, there was still a certain amount accumulated over the years. The Fox people dug out the poisonous salt rocks and cooked them in batches. The first three pots were poured into the Mountain Wind's cave. Who asked them to have such a deep grudge with them? If Mountain Wind did not investigate again, things would not have turned out this way.
The fourth to sixth pots were poured into the Taihe cave. The Taihe people were better at using herbs, something the Fox people were wary of. Finally, it was Yanjiao's turn. But due to the change in weather, they changed their plans and did not have time to pour the last of the salt poison into the cave. So when the Yanjiao people entered the cave, although they lost a lot of things, they did not have to deal with the salt poison.
After boiling, the salt poison would melt in water. If it was boiled again, it would become a viscous liquid. When it was splashed on the ground, it would seep into the salt mine. Once it dried, it would stay with the salt mine. Unless that layer was removed, it would not be pleasant.
In this weather, the snow was howling and the temperature was unprecedentedly low. They finally made it to the mines without having to fight but there was nowhere to hide.
The two chiefs of the Taihe and Mountain Wind tribes arrived at the salt mines at about the same time. They came over to check on the Flaming Horn tribe. They didn't expect the Flaming Horn tribe to come early and live a good life. At least compared to the other two tribes, it was pretty good. They did not ask for much. They just wanted to find a place to hide from the cold and rest. Everyone in the team was walking in a daze. If they fought the Fox and Shen tribes now, they would be in big trouble.
After hearing about the situation, Zheng Luo pursed his lips. He did not know Yanjiao was so lucky. The Fox people must have been behind the salt poison. If not for the change, their cave would have been affected too. Not only would they have to face the collapse of the cave, even if they went in, they would be suffocated to death.
How cunning!
"Come over. It'll be a bit crowded but the cave can fit all of you. Right, do you have any firewood in your cave? Bring some over, "said Zheng Luo.
Hearing Zheng Luo's agreement, the two chiefs relaxed. "I'll ask around. We'll bring it over if there's any."
The salt poison on the ground had already seeped into the salt mines underground. It would take a long time to get rid of it. With the weather like this, it was best to hide in the Flaming Horn tribe for a while.
Zheng Luo told the warriors in the cave to make room for them. Don't take up too much space. Taihe and Mountain Wind were allies now. Helping them was helping themselves.
Not long after, the Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs came over with their own people. Looking at the Flaming Horn people's state of mind, then looking at the despondent faces of their own people, the two chiefs felt terrible. His hatred for the Fox and Shen tribes deepened as well.
It was a bit crowded to fit three thousand people in one cave. If not for the fact that the cave had two levels and each level was dug deep, it would not have fit so many people. There was an empty path on the left side of the cave entrance. That way, it would be convenient to come and go. Even if there was an emergency, it would not be delayed. That way, the cave was practically packed.
Taihe and Mountain Wind had brought some firewood over. They had their own stash too. Since Fox's men had not taken all of it, they brought it over.
But there was not much firewood. No one knew how long this weather would last. They had to use it sparingly. Other than cooking, they could not light a fire. Luckily, the Yanjiao people had glowing crystals to light up the cave so it was not pitch black.
There were too many people and the cave was too deep. With less air, it would be even more difficult to breathe. Of course, they had considered this problem when they dug the salt cave, so there were several vents in the cave. However, when the Flaming Horns first came in, they blocked a few of the vents because of the cold wind. Now that there were so many people, it was difficult to breathe, so the blocked vents were opened again. Two of them were blocked because of the blizzard. It took some effort to open them.
Even so, the cave was still stuffy. But the advantage of squeezing so many people together was warmth.
But …
"What's that smell?"
"Who's farting?!"
"Hey, bro, have you stepped on animal dung before?"
…
Who had the time to shower and clean up after rushing all the way here? There was a lot of dirt on their bodies too, and this was the result of being washed away by the snow. Now that they were resting in the cave, with the poor air flow, the stench of sweat, feet, farts and all sorts of weird smells mixed together.
But even so, this was much better than salt poisoning. This was what the Taihe and Mountain Wind people thought. After the weather changed, this was the most comfortable time for them.
The Yanjiao and Taihe people were more familiar with each other. They huddled together and started chatting. Although they quarreled in the tribe, they had always been partners. Now that they were in the same boat, they felt like fellow sufferers. Someone started cursing the Fox and Shen people and it resonated. Even the Mountain Wind people, who had been quiet since entering the cave, joined in the commotion. They hurled out vulgarities that were unique to their respective tribes.
The Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs were brought over by Zheng Luo to see the fire crystals. Now that the existence of the fire crystals was confirmed, the two chiefs felt less gloomy.
The three chiefs picked up their tools and started digging for the crystals. They were in a bad mood but they could not find anyone to fight. They could only turn their anger and frustration into motivation.
Digging out more Fire Crystals would also allow the warriors to recover quickly.
Outside the cave, the snow that was five metres high in the morning was now a metre higher. The snow was still falling, showing no signs of stopping.
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