"Su Ming, you …" the elder said instinctively. Yet when he saw the red in Su Ming's eyes, the exhaustion on Su Ming's body, and the silent determination on his face, he could no longer speak, because he could also feel the terrible price behind Su Ming's determination.
In his eyes, Su Ming was like an arrow that had left its bow. That arrow brought with it a shocking sharpness. No one could stop it if it was not stained with blood!
"Elder … I'm back," Su Ming said softly, just like how he usually did when he returned from a trip.
The elder looked at Su Ming. There was relief in his eyes, reluctance to part, uncertainty, and a complicated look that Su Ming could not recognize.
"You want to fight for the tribe?" the elder asked softly after a long while.
Su Ming nodded his head silently.
"Even if you die, you're willing?" The elder was silent for a moment before he spoke again.
"Everyone will die one day. If I die in the battle to protect my home, then I will have no regrets!" Su Ming's calm words voiced his thoughts.
"Alright, Su Ming, I won't stop you. Since this is your choice, then I'll give you the chance to fight for the tribe!" The elder closed his eyes as if he was hesitating. After a while, he opened them abruptly and a determined look appeared on his face.
He knew that he could no longer stop Su Ming, or else he did not know what other crazy things this child would do. When the elder saw Su Ming's tragic state, his heart ached for him, but he was also relieved.
It was at this point that the assembled Tribe members suddenly went silent. Their gazes came to rest on a group of people who had just entered the Tribe.
The tribe leader walked in front. Behind him were the Head of the Guards, Shan Hen, Bei Ling, and the other powerful Berserkers at the sixth and seventh level of the Blood Solidification Realm. They walked back with exhaustion and blood on their bodies.
When they left, there were clearly more of them, but now, there were fewer of them. Many of them had wounds on their bodies, especially Bei Ling. His face was pale and there was a large amount of blood on his chest.
Each of them held a human head that was no longer bleeding in their hands. Their return caused the tribe members to cheer excitedly. They spread out, allowing these people to walk towards the elder.
Bei Ling saw Su Ming, but at that moment, he was no longer as aloof as before. Instead, he remained silent and followed behind his father. It was as if his jealousy was nothing compared to the survival of his tribe.
If the tribe was gone, if the clansmen died, what was there to be jealous of …
"Elder, we've already split up the people from Black Mountain Tribe to search for them and killed them all. Now … it should be safe outside. We can move!" The group of people walked in front of the elder. The tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe tossed the two heads in his hands to the side and spoke in a low voice. His words were filled with the stench of blood.
The people behind him also tossed the heads away. Their silence was filled with killing intent.
Su Ming stood beside the elder and looked at the tribe leader and the others quietly. He saw the fatigue on their bodies and the sorrow hidden under the bloodlust and slaughter.
It was not difficult for him to imagine that when the elder came back and the tribe members were preparing to move, they must have been ambushed by Black Mountain Tribe for the first time. That battle was devastating, causing the tribe members to be unable to move. Only after the first battle was over did the elder order them to clear out the remaining people from Black Mountain Tribe. Only then could they move safely.
After all, most of the tribe members were normal people. There were many women and children among them. They had to be protected. They were the future and hope of the tribe.
The elder nodded and swept his gaze across all the tribe members. At that moment, all the members of the tribe, be it men or women, the elderly or the young, were looking at him. Their gazes were filled with reliance and hope.
"Tribe members …" the elder spoke softly. His words traveled through the area and fell into the ears of all the tribe members.
"We don't want to leave our homes … We don't want to leave this land that we've lived in for generations. We don't want to rely on Wind Stream Tribe … But for the continuation of Dark Mountain Tribe, we … must do this!
"We want to live! We will live!
"We will tell our descendants and tell ourselves that one day, we can still return to this place. We can still create our own home. On that day … we will return all the humiliation we suffered to Black Mountain Tribe!
"I have the confidence, but do you … have the confidence?!" the elder shouted loudly.
All the tribe members let out muffled roars in the midst of their sorrow. That roar shook the sky. Perhaps there were not many people in Dark Mountain Tribe, but that roar was the strongest roar of all of them.
"One day … Dark Mountain Tribe will return … Now, let's move!" The elder closed his eyes. He did not want anyone to not see the sorrow in his eyes. He swung his arm, and immediately, all the members of Dark Mountain Tribe, who had gathered together, supported each other. Under the protection of the Berserkers, they slowly moved away from the land that they had lived in for generations. They left the land that they had lived in for generations and moved towards the unknown.
The long line of people slowly left the abandoned tribe. Behind them, there was still faint black smoke rising from Dark Mountain Tribe. The ground was filled with ruins, and it gave off a desolate and sorrowful air.
Sobs came from the crowd. They belonged to the La Sus who had yet to grow up, the women who were afraid, and all the members of Dark Mountain Tribe.
The men in the tribe protected their families and carried the confused children. As tears fell from their eyes, they quietly moved forward. Some of the older La Sus also held the hands of their families in fear. They cried and turned their heads back to look.
They looked at the familiar scene of the past, as if they wanted to turn this scene into something that would last forever and bury it deep within their memories. They were afraid that they would forget, afraid that they would never remember … the way home.
Every single one of them could not help but turn their heads back to look at the tribe they had left, at the home of the past …
There was an old man in the crowd. His name was Nan Song. His expression was calm, as if he had seen through the passage of time. At that moment, he carried a simple bag on his back and stood quietly in the crowd. He did not stand out at all.
It was noon and the sunlight was not strong. The snow on the ground shone with a silver light that pierced the eyes. Yet no matter how bright the light was, it could not stop the members of the tribe from turning their heads back and feeling the sadness of parting.
Their home was getting further and further away. The outline of the tribe gradually became indistinct. They could only see faint black smoke rising into the sky and the ruins of the tribe. Yet the beauty of the tribe had been carved into the hearts of all the members of the tribe. They … would never forget it. They would not be willing to forget it.
Su Ming turned around. Everything about the tribe had also been Branded into his memories. His childhood, his happiness, and his growth were all there. He was familiar with every single corner of that place, and he could not forget every single piece of land. Everything about that place … was imprinted in his mind, and it would exist for his entire life.
Unless it was absolutely necessary, no one would want to leave their home. No one would want to leave their familiar home. No one would want to go to the unfamiliar Wind Stream and become a subordinate.
Yet this was the only way. It was the only way for Dark Mountain Tribe not to be destroyed and for them to continue growing. This path was very, very long. The journey would be bumpy, but they had to … continue walking down this path.
The danger had not ended. On the contrary, the real danger had just begun. Previously, Dark Mountain Tribe had relied on the tribe to fend off the first wave of attacks from Black Mountain Tribe. Yet now, during the process of migration, the crowd was pulled into long lines. Most of them were normal members of the tribe. They had no way of fighting back against the Berserkers.
This migration was bound to not be peaceful …
Once Dark Mountain Tribe fell, what awaited them would be the deaths of all their Berserkers. All the men would be slaughtered, including the child La Su. All the men would die … The only ones who would survive would be the women of Dark Mountain Tribe. They would be herded into Black Mountain Tribe and turned into objects that were like property. Their only purpose was to carry on the family line for the people of Black Mountain Tribe, to make Black Mountain Tribe stronger, and to sacrifice the rest of their lives in humiliation.
It was impossible for the migration of hundreds of people to be quick, especially when there were a large number of La Sus and women besides the men. In the cold winter, their cries gradually lessened. Silence replaced everything else.
They did not know where their future lay. Perhaps Wind Stream was their only hope … but no one knew whether they could make it to Wind Stream Tribe alive …
How many people would die in the process? How many of them would never see their family again? They did not know …
There were quite a number of young people in the crowd. They did not possess Berserker Bodies and rarely contributed to the tribe. Most of them just liked playing around. However, since there were Berserkers who had died in battle in their families before, as long as their actions were not too out of line, no one paid any attention to them.
At that moment, the dozen or so young people looked around in the crowd with fear and dread. They wished that they could go to Wind Stream right away.
The Berserkers of Dark Mountain Tribe surrounded the long line of people. They looked tired but determined as they protected the tribe quietly. Occasionally, they would go up to help the weaker elderly. Right at the front of the line was the tribe leader of Dark Mountain Tribe. He had a determined look on his face as he walked cautiously. There were also a few Berserkers following behind him. All of them were on high alert.
The two sides and the back were all the same. The elder walked at the very back. He held the white bone staff in his hands and walked solemnly, paying attention to his surroundings at all times. Bei Ling held Chen Xin's hand and walked quietly on the right side of the line. His face was pale and the blood on his chest had increased, but he did not care.
Lei Chen, Wu La, and the other Berserkers in the tribe followed closely behind them, always on high alert.
The Head of the Guards and Shan Hen followed quietly on the left and right sides of the line. They had great responsibilities. The Head of the Guards' right hand was still holding onto his bow. If there was even the slightest movement, he would immediately draw his bow and shoot! Behind him, there was an old man in the crowd. He looked at the Head of the Guards with a calm gaze.
Su Ming knew that old man. It was Nan Song from the herb storage!
Shan Hen's face was as cold as ever. No one knew what he was thinking. No one noticed the complicated look that flashed briefly in his narrowed eyes.
Su Ming followed the migrating people from the tribe and listened to their cries. Their cries gradually turned into silence, and his heart clenched in pain. He looked at the familiar faces and saw their fear, and he clenched his fists.
"Protect the tribe. Fight for the tribe!" Su Ming mumbled. He was on the right side of the crowd. Not too far ahead of him was Shan Hen.
He did not choose this position. It was given to him by the elder when the tribe was migrating. In Su Ming's arms was a little girl of about five or six years old. The girl's name was Tong Tong. She was already asleep, but there were tears on her eyelashes.
Her father died in battle. Her mother also died last night. She was the only one left.
"Ma … Pa … Pi Pi …" The little girl's body trembled in her sleep as if she was in a nightmare. As tears fell from her eyes, she clutched tightly onto Su Ming's clothes.
Su Ming knew that Pi Pi was the little girl's pet. It was very cute and was often carried in her arms.
"Be good, Tong Tong …" Su Ming patted her back gently. Sorrow appeared in his eyes. He felt as if he had grown up in an instant …
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