In the forest outside the trading point, a group of people was waiting on a path that had been opened up in the forest.
An eagle flew past in the sky.
The traveling teams looked at the Yanjiao people curiously. They didn't know why these Yanjiao people were here, but looking at the eagle in the sky, those who were familiar with the trading point knew that the Yanjiao people must be here for something important. Otherwise, this eagle wouldn't have appeared here.
The traveling teams were curious, but they didn't want to be implicated. If something really happened and a fight broke out, they wouldn't even have time to cry if they were accidentally injured. Therefore, some of the teams only glanced in that direction a few times before taking a detour.
Shao Xuan sat on the back of the eagle and looked in a direction in the distance.
He'd heard the conversation between Yi Si and Yi Zong in the cave that day. There hadn't been anyone else at the cave entrance at that time, so he'd moved the people who had been guarding the cave entrance away. Shao Xuan was very curious about the Founder Shaman Seal that Yi Zong had mentioned, because it hadn't been recorded in the Yanjiao ancestors' notes. Of course, it could also be that the Yanjiao tribe had been through multiple migrations, and the tools used to pass it down were limited, so it couldn't be passed down to this day.
Shao Xuan's ability to come to this world clearly had something to do with the Founder Shaman Seal. However, Shao Xuan still couldn't figure out why the Founder Shaman Seal had appeared on him. Perhaps it was because of that stone, or perhaps it was because of something else.
And now, he'd brought a team of Yanjiao warriors here to wait for the person that Yi Zong had been waiting for all this time.
After Yi Zong had spoken to Yi Si that day, he'd told Shao Xuan that the person he'd been waiting for was coming. Yi Zong hadn't been willing to say much all this time because he'd been waiting for this day.
Shao Xuan looked ahead and focused his gaze. He raised his hand and patted Chacha, indicating for it to fly over.
A little further away from the trading point, a tall figure was shuttling through the forest. Because his body was much larger than a normal person's, the gaps between the trees in the forest were not enough for him to walk through. Therefore, even though he tried his best to walk through the open space, he still couldn't avoid bumping into branches or tree trunks.
However, that person didn't care. He directly broke the tree in front of him and raised his large hand to push aside some vines and branches. His entire person looked very clumsy, but his movements didn't seem to be slow. His footsteps were very hurried. Some of the small beasts in the surroundings had already fled upon hearing the sound.
In the forest, there were many bloodstains on that person's greenish-gray skin. There were many wounds from sharp and blunt weapons.
That person raised his hand to wipe the sweat and blood off his face. His beast-like eyes stared straight ahead as he ran quickly. While running, that person would also intentionally use his hands to block the branches that were pushed away and bounced back to prevent those branches from hitting behind him.
Suddenly, the green-gray figure paused, and the killing intent in his eyes soared. He raised his head and stared at the sky, one hand shielding his back.
Whoosh —
A giant eagle flew across the sky and circled above the forest. Then, a figure jumped down from above and landed on the grass not far from that person with a bang. The ground instantly caved in, forming a pit with a diameter of more than a meter. Bits of grass flew everywhere.
Shao Xuan looked at the person not far away. The other party was a half-beastman about the same size as Grasshopper. Probably because of the long journey, his body was thinner than Grasshopper's. His gloomy eyes stared vigilantly at Shao Xuan. The muscles all over his body were as tense as stone. Some of the wounds were so deep that bones could be seen. However, the other party didn't seem to feel it, and his movements weren't hindered.
Shao Xuan took a step forward.
Crack, crack, crack, crack —
Many bone spurs protruded from the other party's back, trembling as they made sounds. This was a warning and also a threat. His originally ferocious appearance became even more ferocious. The other party turned sideways, one hand with sharp claws in front of his body in a defensive posture, and the other hand behind his back.
"Grasshopper?" Shao Xuan looked at the half-beastman slave not far away and called out.
Grasshopper stared at Shao Xuan with his beast-like eyes, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes.
Although the other party didn't admit it, judging from the other party's reaction, it should be him. Shao Xuan moved his eyes away from Grasshopper and looked at a place ten steps away. There was a slightly bigger tree there. It couldn't be compared with the towering ancient trees in the hunting ground, but it was still as thick as a person.
"Grasshopper?"
There was no response from the other side. Shao Xuan wasn't in a hurry, and waited quietly. After a few breaths, a short and thin figure walked out from behind the tree. There were many stripes on his bare skin, like the camouflage of a beast. It was suitable for sneak attacks in the forest.
The short and thin figure walked quickly to Grasshopper's side like a shadow. The running sound wasn't loud, like the flapping of an insect's wings.
"Who are you?" Grasshopper asked.
Shao Xuan didn't answer directly, but raised his hand and threw a jade stone over there. It was the jade stone used by Yi Zong for divination. It was also the certificate given by Yi Zong before Shao Xuan came to pick him up.
The short and thin Grasshopper caught the jade stone and looked at it carefully. His vigilant face relaxed a little, and a little joy appeared on his face.
Grasshopper, who was standing next to Grasshopper, didn't hide his excitement. "Master's divination stone!"
Shao Xuan looked around again. "Just the two of you? Where are the other eight people? " He could recognize the two slaves according to Yi Zong's description, but Yi Zong said that he had sent ten slaves to escort, and now he only saw Grasshopper and Grasshopper.
"No." The joy on Grasshopper's face faded.
Of the ten slaves, only the two of them were left alive. If they had waited a little longer, Grasshopper might not have survived. They had encountered too many dangers along the way. They didn't have the ability to predict good or bad luck like the Yi family, so it was naturally much more difficult.
Even Yi Si, who didn't know divination, could make judgments based on the environment. Therefore, although Yi Si and Grasshopper were only master and servant, it was much easier for them than for Grasshopper and Grasshopper. Grasshopper and Grasshopper were complete strangers to this continent. They didn't understand the language, so it was even more difficult for them.
"Where's your little master?" Shao Xuan looked at Grasshopper and asked.
Grasshopper looked at Shao Xuan and then at Grasshopper, but didn't move. He wasn't very smart. It was Grasshopper who made decisions between them. If they encountered an irresistible danger, Grasshopper and not Grasshopper would be the one to stay behind as a meat shield. If Grasshopper was alive, he could take the little master further away. But if Grasshopper was alive, he would probably be killed soon. This was also the reason why Grasshopper had more injuries.
"Greetings to the little master." Grasshopper didn't let down his guard against Shao Xuan.
Shao Xuan didn't care. He could feel a life force behind Grasshopper. As long as he was sure the little master was alive, it was fine.
"Follow me." Shao Xuan turned and walked back to the tribe.
Grasshopper looked at Grasshopper. Grasshopper followed him, so he also followed.
On Grasshopper's back, there was something woven from vines. It looked like a shell. Inside the shell, there was a basket with a baby in it.
It was Yi Zong's half-year-old son.
It wasn't easy to bring a half-year-old baby from the Royal City to here.
Shao Xuan brought Grasshopper and Grasshopper to the cave where Yi Zong was locked up. For several days, Yi Zong had been doing divination. No one knew what he saw, but they saw more and more white hair on Yi Zong's temples.
Yi Zong's eyes were red, and his hands trembled as he took his son. There were some secret recipes that were specially made for long journeys. They could be fed to babies, and they could also let them sleep after eating without affecting the journey. Therefore, when they arrived in front of Yi Zong, the baby, who was protected by the slaves, was still sleeping peacefully.
When Yi Zong left the Yi family, his son hadn't been born yet. However, before he left, he did a divination once. After discussing it with his wife, he made a few plans. If something happened to the Yi family, he would send the child away.
The other members of the Yi family didn't know that Yi Zong, who had reached a bottleneck in his divination, actually did a divination before leaving the Yi family. Moreover, it was a very successful divination. Everyone else thought that Yi Zong left to train to break through his bottleneck, but only his trusted aides knew that Yi Zong had other plans.
Now, his baby son had been secretly sent away. As for the Yi family, Yi Zong's newborn son had "disappeared" during the Yi family's turmoil.
However, Yi Zong hadn't decided where to send the child at the time. He only made the decision after the battle with Yi Xiang. He had been looking for the safest place to send his newborn son away from the Yi family's turmoil. After all, it was very difficult for such a young child to survive in the chaos of the Yi family. However, Yi Zong didn't expect that in the end, the safest place would be here.
At first, Grasshopper and Grasshopper didn't know where to send their young master. They could only follow their master's instructions in their minds until they met Shao Xuan.
This was also why Yi Zong had negotiated with Yanjiao to "trade a life for a life".
Yi Zong was the only one who had participated in the hunt back then. The child was innocent, but to many people, no matter who it was, was innocent. They had always insisted on eliminating the root of the problem. In order to make Yanjiao accept his son, Yi Zong had decided to use up his lifespan and almost all of his life's energy in advance to plan for Yanjiao's expansion!
This was the greatest sincerity he could show to Yanjiao. This condition was hard for the higher-ups of the Yanjiao tribe to reject!
Yanjiao's elders, chiefs, and shamans had all agreed to Yi Zong's conditions. As long as he didn't do anything that would harm Yanjiao's interests, they would allow Yi Zong's son to live on Yanjiao's territory.
Yi Zong handed his son to Yi Si, who was standing next to him. "Please!"
In Yanjiao's territory, the only person Yi Zong truly trusted was Yi Si. Even though Yi Si had left the Yi family, Yi Si was still a member of the Yi family, a member of the main branch of the Yi family!
Yi Si reluctantly took over this "burden". He felt that his life in the future would not be as carefree as it used to be. As a stay-at-home dad, he had to take care of the lives of eight slaves.
"Didn't you say you haven't named him yet? Have you thought of a name yet? "Yi Si asked.
Yi Zong's eyes flashed like a firefly in the dark night. He said word by word, "Ce, my son's name is Ce!"
Yi Si's eyelids twitched. He stared at Yi Zong.
In the Yi family's dictionary, Ce was a staff.
What did Yi Zong mean by this name?
Who was the one who wanted the staff, and who was the one who held it?
Yi Si felt that Yi Zong was playing a very big game of chess. This game of chess was not targeted at Yanjiao, but at the Yi family!
What exactly had Yi Zong seen in his divination over the past few days? Yi Si could not get an answer from Yi Zong.
After arranging Yi Ce and the eight slaves, Yi Zong began to fulfill his promise to Yanjiao. Yi Zong knew that the more benefits he brought to Yanjiao, the better Yi Ce's life in Yanjiao would be. Just like Yi Si, he would become an "ordinary person" living in Yanjiao's territory.
Yi Zong did not understand why he trusted Yanjiao's promises so much. Perhaps it was Shao Xuan's Ancestor Shaman Seal that eliminated all his worries.
Rumor had it that the Yi family's ancestor was the first person to be taught how to control a fire seed by the "Ancestor". The Yi family's fire seed was the second fire seed in the world to be controlled by a human being! That was why the Yi family's fire seed had the same white color as the Ancestor's fire seed!
For the next ten days, Yi Zong did not stop.
Yi Zong told Yanjiao where to dig wells, where to build tall buildings, and where to dig cellars. He even told Yanjiao about the severe natural disasters that might occur at some point in the future. He did not sleep or rest for ten days and nights. Even Yanjiao's people advised him to rest. Unfortunately, Yi Zong did not stop. He was like a torch that emitted its last light, trying his best to finish what he wanted to do before the flame burned out.
However, there was a limit to one's strength. After ten days, Yi Zong had turned from a high-spirited young man into an old man with one foot in the grave. His hair was white, and his face was like tree bark.
"You will fulfill your promise, right?" Yi Zong asked the Yanjiao's people as he sat in a wooden house on the mountain that Yanjiao's people had arranged for him.
"We will." Guigou did not say much and only answered seriously. He did not like Yi Zong, but he had to admit that he admired Yi Zong.
Yi Zong looked at Shao Xuan. When he saw Shao Xuan nod, he finally relaxed.
Yi Zong did not have much time left. He wanted to talk to Yi Si in his last moments.
After the Yanjiao's people left the wooden house, Yi Zong said, "I think I understand why Yi Xiang is doing this."
Yi Si looked at Yi Zong in surprise. He did not understand why Yi Zong would think that.
"The Yi family has been sick for a long time. They are sick to the core, "Yi Zong said slowly in his old voice. The Yi family was sick. They were no longer the Yi family at their peak. That was why Yi Xiang did not care, did not care, and even wanted to destroy them. It had nothing to do with the grudges that everyone thought they had. Since they were a bunch of trash, what harm was there in destroying them? That was probably what Yi Xiang was thinking. As for why Yi Xiang waited until now to act, perhaps he was waiting for an opportunity.
Within the Yi family, the main branch and side branches were drifting apart. The difference in thinking was getting bigger. This time, with the main branch severely damaged, the side branches would not let go of this opportunity. They would enter a civil war that would be triggered by external forces.
Before he left the Yi family, Yi Zong had divined that there would be a crisis. Even if Yi Zong was stuck at a bottleneck, he was still the most outstanding member of the Yi family in his generation.
However, between returning to the Yi family to quell the civil war and helping Yi Ce settle down, Yi Zong chose the latter.
"Ridiculous! Pathetic! "
Yi Zong did not expect that the safest place he found, the last escape route, would be the Yanjiao tribe that the Yi family had always looked down on.
The Yi family, who had always been known for their good eyesight, was actually so blind!
The Yi family did not know when it started, but they had been blinded by vanity. They had become blind! For petty profits, they had used the skills passed down by their ancestors to make cheap schemes.
Yi Si, who did not have the ability to perform divination, was actually the smartest person in the Yi family. He was the first to avoid the storm. When the storm formed, he had already left and found the safest place.
Blind!
How blind!
"When our ancestors divined the world, did they predict the Yi family's current situation? I know that there can be no construction without destruction. The Yi family needs a new beginning. "
The current Yi family was like an old house that had been in disrepair for a long time. It could not withstand the wind and rain and could collapse at any time. Instead of spending time repairing it bit by bit, it was better to tear it down and rebuild it.
Yi Zong raised his withered fingers and held Yi Ce's small, white hand.
"The Yi family's vision should not be limited to a mere Royal City, nor should it stop at a piece of land. We should be like the once glorious ancestors of the Yi family. We should see the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, observe the life and death of plants, trees, water, and stones, and observe the emptiness of the world. The Yi family should see the world! The world! "
Yi Zong roared with all his might. This was his last venting before his death. Every word seemed to be filled with blood.
Yi Si's heart also ached when he heard this. How could he not know the current state of the Yi family? If he had not been so disappointed, why would he have left his tribe and come here to seek survival?
Two lines of tears flowed down Yi Zong's withered face.
If he could wake more people up with this strategy, everything he had done would not have been in vain. His only regret was that he would not be able to see that day.
Yi Zong looked at Yi Si. "If possible, I hope he can follow that person."
"That's very difficult." Yi Si understood that Yi Zong wanted Yi Ce to follow Shao Xuan. Just like in the Yi family's records, the Yi family's ancestors were the first to follow and control the fire seed. The person closest to the ancestors would always be the one who benefited the most. If the Yi family's ancestors had the ambition to rule, the throne of the Royal City might not have been the Ji family's!
"I'll try my best." Yi Zong sounded disappointed.
"If Yi Ce's talent is ordinary, how can he do what you want him to do?" Yi Si asked. He was not cursing. The Yi family's talent was very different. Even if the father was powerful, the son might not be. For example, Yi Si's grandfather and his grandfather's grandfather were very powerful, but unfortunately, each generation was weaker than the last. Yi Si's father was an ordinary person. When it came to Yi Si, he did not even have the ability to perform divination. If not for his other skills, he would have starved to death long ago. Yi Zong was the genius of their generation, but Yi Ce's talent might not be the same. Even if Yi Si's divination skills were strong, he could not predict Yi Ce's future.
"He can!" Yi Zong's gaze was resolute.
Yi Si did not know why Yi Zong was so sure. Perhaps Yi Zong saw something in his divination, or perhaps it was Yi Zong's own obsession. Yi Si could not see clearly and could not guess accurately.
The more outstanding a member of the Yi family was, the more abilities they had, and the harder it was to predict. This was why outsiders thought that the Yi family was full of crazy people when they looked at the Yi family.
Yi Zong did not say anything else. He pulled his bony fingers out of Yi Ce's small white hands and staggered to the door of the wooden house. He rejected Zhui and Grey Horse's help and leaned against the door frame to sit down. He looked at Shao Xuan standing not far away.
He saw the figure behind Shao Xuan. It was the white figure that appeared with the Founder Shaman Seal during the battle with Yi Xiang.
Yi Zong smiled and closed his eyes.
In the distance, the sun set and tired birds returned to their nests.
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