The wind carried with it the fragrance of the grains. Those with a good sense of smell would notice that as time passed, the fragrance of the grains in the air grew thicker.
More and more birds flew over. Some of them had already started pecking at the fields nearby, but they were quickly caught and killed by the guards.
The people from the other side of the sea had experienced the harvest of the Thousand Grain Gold and were already mentally prepared. But the others were different. Although they had been told a few days ago about the possibility of this happening, it was not as intense as witnessing it with their own eyes.
Especially the Drumming tribesmen who came to help. They were still puzzled. It was just harvesting grains, was there a need to mobilize so many people? Now, as they looked at the dense flock of birds gathering around them, they felt their scalps twitch.
Thank goodness we didn't farm! The Drumming tribesmen all thought at the same time.
Whether it was the wanderers hiding in the caves or the Yanjiao tribesmen on the mountain, they all saw the birds flapping their wings outside the house. Although most of them were not fearsome beasts, there were too many of them. They were everywhere outside.
Old Ke heard the sounds of the traps he set outside, accompanied by the chirping of the birds. Caesar and the other fearsome beasts were busy at the top and bottom of the mountain. Soon, their mouths were full of bird feathers.
But the strange thing was, the flock of birds only flew around the edges of the fields. They did not come close to the center of the Thousand Grain Gold field. This scene was especially obvious when looking down from the sky.
"Why don't the birds fly over there?" Wu He looked at the situation below and asked his six companions.
"They know that it's the most dangerous place. After all, the Yanjiao tribesmen guarding there are the strongest in the fields. I heard that the Yanjiao tribesmen often hunt fearsome beasts. They must have a strong killing intent. Maybe the birds have sensed it too," one of them guessed.
"No, I feel that there must be something there that can make those birds afraid." Another person expressed his different opinion.
"Something dangerous?" the first person sneered. "Are you talking about a king beast? If there was a king beast there, there wouldn't be so many Yanjiao tribesmen. It can't be a king beast! "
Wu He agreed. He had personally experienced the king beast incident and knew that the rumors were not as exaggerated as they seemed. The Yanjiao tribesmen would not send so many people to guard a place where a king beast appeared.
"Then, what could be the reason?" the others did not understand.
"Maybe the Yanjiao tribesmen made some medicine to repel the birds?" someone suddenly said.
The others paused. Thinking about it this way, it was really possible.
"Speaking of which, none of the fearsome beasts that the Yanjiao tamed are here!" Wu He scanned the area again. He found out that the giant mountain eagle that chased after them only flew between the forest and the trading point. At most, it went to the mountain in the core residential area of the Flaming Horn tribe. It didn't fly to the Flaming Horn's farmlands even once.
"That has to be it!" Thinking about it this way, the others felt that this should be the closest to the truth. They knew that in the fields of some slave owners, there were times when they would use some medicine to expel pests and birds, but those prescriptions had always been in the hands of very few people and would not be easily spread out. If the Yanjiao tribe could get the seeds from Ji Ju, then perhaps they also had the medicine to repel the insects?
"No wonder the long-winged birds don't want to go near that place." Wu He nodded. He agreed with that guess.
Fortunately, the long-winged birds were their beast-slaves. Even if they were unwilling, they would do as they were told. They just had to be careful when the time came. The medicine was only effective against insects, so it shouldn't have much of an effect on humans.
"Come, take some medicine first." One person took out a small wooden bottle from the cloth bag he carried with him. After opening it, he distributed the pills to the others.
These pills were not specific to any particular medicine, but they could serve as a buffer. Even if they were poisoned, as long as they were treated in time, they would be fine. They were just going to steal a handful of grains. They weren't going to eat poison, so they would be fine.
"Quick, get ready. I feel that the Yanjiao people are about to make a move!" Wu He said.
When the others heard this, they quickly gathered their thoughts and focused on what was happening below.
In the Thousand Grain Gold field, Shao Xuan quickly glanced to the left. It looked peaceful, but no one dared to go near it. There wasn't even a flying insect.
There was a big bat there.
It had been resting on the mountain two days ago, but since last night, the bat leader had been in the field. Even during the day, which it hated, it didn't leave the field. However, it no longer hung on the tallest leaves. Instead, it was hanging on the lower leaves of the Thousand Grain Gold plants.
Because every Thousand Grain Gold plant was very big, the leaves on the top spread out. Even if they were long and narrow, when there were so many of them, they could cover some of Yang Guang's vision.
The bat leader hung in the shadows. If one didn't see it resting there with their own eyes, as long as they didn't look in that direction, it would be hard to notice its presence. At least, the guards outside the Thousand Grain Gold field didn't notice anything strange.
Patter, patter —
On the heavy grain ears, grape-sized grains of the Thousand Grain Gold swayed and collided with each other. The grains didn't have any obvious changes on the outside, but on the inside, they were slowly maturing.
Shao Xuan's eyes flashed. He suddenly blew the wooden whistle in his mouth.
The slightly long whistle wasn't loud. Instead, it sounded calm. But after this whistle, the air seemed to tighten. The atmosphere became tense and stagnant.
This was the whistle for everyone to get ready.
"Whoosh!"
A sharp and hurried whistle followed. It was like the sound of a starting gun. The people who were waiting in all directions instantly shot out like arrows leaving the bow, heading straight for the valley that had been allocated beforehand.
This was indeed more like a battle, a battle where every second mattered.
The scythe made of animal bones easily cut through the tall stalks of Thousand Grain Gold. The people behind him quickly collected the Thousand Grain Gold and put them into large bags made of animal skin.
Because there were too many Thousand Grain Gold planted this time, the survival rate was much higher than the first time. Therefore, they didn't have time to cut the grains individually. They cut them all together. After they were done, they would find a place to deal with them. Otherwise, the surrounding birds would cause a lot of trouble.
Everyone's assigned area and route had been planned beforehand. They wouldn't bump into each other while cutting, and they wouldn't take the same route. They would try their best to save as much time as possible.
Except for one place.
Shao Xuan didn't let anyone near the bat leader's area. That was the biggest variable. As long as they didn't provoke it, the harvest could be completed smoothly. If someone accidentally went over and provoked the bat leader, it would be more troublesome than being attacked by a flock of birds.
At the same time, the surrounding flocks of birds that didn't dare to come near seemed to be fighting for their lives. They screeched and rushed over.
Looking down from the sky, they could see a flock of birds forming an encirclement. They were closing in on Yanjiao's most heavily guarded field.
"This is our chance!" Wu He and the others were excited. The blood in their bodies seemed to boil.
Under the insistence of Wu He and the others, the long-winged bird could only reluctantly make a "coo" sound and then slowly fly towards that direction.
As the flock of birds neared, the bat leader, hidden in the shadows of the Thousand Grain Gold Valley, opened its blood-red eyes.
Whoosh —
The wings wrapped around its body spread open. There was a slight sound of wind. In such a noisy environment, the sound of the wind didn't even cause a ripple. No one would hear it.
But the moment it spread its wings, the flock of birds that were closing in on it suddenly stopped. It was as if someone had pressed the pause button.
A strong, murderous aura came out of the Thousand Grain Gold, especially in the air. The aura was directed at the birds that were flying close to it.
The Yanjiao warriors who were busy harvesting the Thousand Grain Gold Valley were shocked by this sudden aura. The scythes in their hands almost fell out of their hands.
A beast!
After hunting for so many times, they could naturally tell whether it was a human or a beast.
No, this wasn't a normal beast. This was much stronger than the beasts they had seen before!
The air was thick with the smell of blood. There wasn't a drop of blood in sight, nor was there any smell of blood. But it felt like they were in a bloody fog!
At this moment, all the shouts, arrows, horns, bones, metal, and birdsong seemed to have been frightened and came to an abrupt end.
Hiss —
The sound was like the sound of air rushing past. It wasn't loud, but everyone in the field heard it.
This voice made everyone's hair stand on end. It was as if there was a bloody fang that was ready to move, a massacre about to happen.
Under the noontime Yang Guang, the field seemed to be cut off from Yang Guang. They couldn't feel the slightest bit of warmth. There was only a chill that made them shiver, and their teeth chattered.
In the air, Wu He and the others were still far away, but they could feel the strange aura.
Wu He shuddered and almost fell off his long-winged bird.
Not only the seven of them, but the seven long-winged birds also stopped flying forward like the other birds. If it weren't for their masters wanting to go over, they would have retreated a long time ago. The rhythm of their flapping wings also became chaotic, so much so that they rose and fell, almost causing the frightened people to fall off their backs.
"W-w-w-what is that?" One of them stuttered. They had been through a lot. Even if they didn't have the ability to distinguish auras like the Yanjiao, they could still sense that there was a dangerous creature there. They just didn't know if it was a human or a beast.
"Why do I have a … bad premonition?" Another person said.
"What's there? A human? Or a beast? "
"Could it really be a king beast?"
"Impossible!" Wu He immediately denied it. Then he said with uncertainty, "It shouldn't be. It definitely isn't the one that appeared last time! "
If it wasn't a king beast, then what was the source of that powerful aura?
What secrets were the Yanjiao hiding?
"The Yanjiao are really cunning!" Someone said through gritted teeth.
The others felt the same way. The Yanjiao had a lot of secrets, but they didn't dare to rashly investigate.
"What do we do?" The other six looked to Wu He. Wu He's words sometimes made people want to beat him up, but some of his decisions were right. At times like this, they believed in Wu He's decision.
Wu He solemnly looked down and said, "Continue to wait! Those birds won't give up so easily. As long as they keep moving, then what Yanjiao is hiding is definitely not a king beast! "
Even if there were tempting food in the area where a king beast appeared, normal beasts and ferocious beasts wouldn't dare to approach. However, the birds stopped for a moment, then began to pace back and forth, as if preparing for another attack.
"No! It really isn't a king beast! "The person next to Wu He was overjoyed.
For them, as long as it wasn't a king beast, then it was worth the risk. If it was a king beast, then they would leave without another word. No matter what secrets Yanjiao had, no matter what treasures there were, they would leave immediately! Just like when the king stoneworm appeared in the forest outside the trading point, Wu He threw down his cup and left. They would do the same.
But there was no king beast now, right? So what if it was risky? They had taken more risks since they were young than the grains they ate!
The seven of them once again paid attention to the situation below, waiting for the movements of the birds to decide when to make their move.
In the Thousand Grain Gold field, the soldiers harvesting the crops had paused when the powerful aura appeared. However, Shao Xuan quickly reminded them to return to their task. No matter what danger there was, as long as the Great Elder was here, everything would be fine.
After the incident with the king beast, the people of Yanjiao trusted Shao Xuan very much. Even if something happened, they wouldn't blame Shao Xuan. The Great Elder's motive was always for Yanjiao's good.
"Xuan, those birds are flying over again!" Ao pulled his bow and aimed an arrow at the sky. The flock of birds was too large. Even someone with good archery skills couldn't face such a large number of birds calmly.
"Wait. Don't shoot for now. Pay attention to that side." Shao Xuan pointed his chin in the direction of the bat leader. The bat leader was starting to get angry. That was just a warning. After all, it was daytime and it didn't like to go out in the day.
Flying beasts didn't like bows and arrows. Forget about the other fields, it was better not to shoot at the Thousand Grain Gold field and the surrounding fields. After all, the bat leader might fly out at any time. If someone accidentally shot and angered the bat leader, this already busy harvest operation would be even more difficult to succeed.
Ao thought about it and agreed. He put down his bow and focused on the bat leader's position. He and Shao Xuan didn't participate in the harvest operation directly. Instead, they stared at the bat leader. After all, no one knew what the bat leader was going to do. If something happened, they would be able to react immediately. In times of danger, those with high status and power would definitely be the ones to take the lead.
The smell of blood in the air was getting thicker and thicker. If it wasn't for the valley around them, everyone would have thought that they were in a killing field.
Some of the warriors' arms were shaking as they waved their sickles. This wasn't because they were timid. It was a psychological and physiological reaction. They were nervous. Under such strong pressure, they could still maintain their normal harvesting and not pull out their sickles to defend themselves. This was already very good.
The speed of the flock of birds slowed down. Some birds started to retreat, some hesitated, and some continued to approach boldly, heading straight for the swaying golden grains.
The birds that approached didn't immediately rush down even when they were above the Thousand Grain Gold field. However, these birds that had gathered gradually blocked Yang Guang from above.
Just as the flock of birds above finally decided to swoop down, and the surrounding birds that were watching also spread their wings and prepared to shoot down.
Whoosh —
A black shadow flew out from the shadows of the valley, brushing past the golden grains and heading up. As it rushed up, invisible and inaudible sound waves were emitted.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The closest flying bird was directly turned into a cloud of blood mist. It didn't even have the time to let out a final cry of shock.
When that figure charged towards the densest flock of birds, a blood-red color, accompanied by a series of explosions, spread out in the air like a crimson disc.
The flock of birds that blocked Yang Guang's view was replaced by a bloody mist. Under Yang Guang's gaze, the mist spread out and landed on the field.
If before, it was only because of the strong aura that made people feel like they could smell blood, then now, it was real blood!
The people harvesting below, whether they were on the Thousand Grain Gold field or the other fields nearby, the Drumming warriors who came to help, the sentries on the watchtowers, etc., all saw the horrifying scene above the field.
The bat leader's attack was only aimed at the flock of birds, but the people harvesting in the field were also affected. They had to stop what they were doing and cover their ears, feeling like their heads were being pierced by thousands of needles. Those who were further away were better off, but those who were closer to the thousand-grain gold fields suffered the most. However, they were the strongest among the people in charge of harvesting. As long as the bat leader didn't target them, they could still handle it. They just felt uncomfortable.
Ao clenched his bow tightly and looked up. He didn't care about the bloody mist falling on the ground, only focused on the battle above. No, it couldn't be called a battle. It was a one-sided massacre. A flock of birds lured by food and an enraged half-king beast. It was obvious who was stronger.
There was a heavy grain hanging from Shao Xuan's head. The bloody mist from above covered the grains in a layer of red.
Shao Xuan plucked a grain and wiped away the layer of blood on it with his finger, revealing the golden shell underneath. The Thousand Grain Gold's shell seemed to shine even brighter.
Shao Xuan thought back to when he first found the nutrients needed for the growth of the Thousand Grain Gold. He looked at the golden grain in his hand.
Perhaps the growth and ripening of the Thousand Grain Gold was destined to be accompanied by blood. This was a golden light born from blood.
In the sky, the explosions no longer continued, but the bat leader did not seem to intend to let go of the birds that had angered it. It still did not stop chasing them, but this time it used its sharp claws and fangs.
After the bloody mist, there would always be some shredded bird corpses. Some of the bird corpses were so shriveled that there wasn't even a drop of blood left. Some of them were even incomplete. It was obvious that the bat above was very cruel.
The flock of birds seemed to have been woken up and scattered in all directions.
Of course, there were still some bold ones. While the bat leader was chasing other birds, they went to the Thousand Grain Gold field, thinking that they could achieve their goal. Unfortunately, the Yanjiao people were already there.
The harvesting continued. The people in the sky and on the ground were also busy. Wu He and the others, who had been avoiding the bat leader's attack, saw their chance to attack. The Yanjiao people and the terrifying bat didn't notice them!
"Chance!"
"Go!"
"Quick, quick, quick. Grab a handful before the grains are all gone!"
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