The Fragrant Flower market was called a market, but it was surrounded by green walls that stood several meters tall. People moved about on the streets, and the buildings were lined up one after another. It was quite a large city, which was uncommon in the Mist province. It gathered countless villages and tribes within a range of several hundred kilometers for trade.
After the group of merchants led by Gold earrings entered the city, they were like a droplet of water that had merged into a lake, vanishing very quickly. Only a dozen or so days later did they emerge again.
Gold earrings was still at the forefront. He had changed into a brand new set of clothes, and his hair and beard had been combed again. He was in high spirits. This was definitely not just because he had gotten a good night's sleep and a hot bath in the city, but also because he had benefited far more from this trip than he had anticipated.
That "flowery cloth bag" of unknown function had actually been sold for a high price of a hundred taels of gold during the monthly Fragrant Flower Market's auction. Right now, it was placed heavily in the bag beside him. Up until now, he still hadn't figured out what that flowery cloth bag was used for. He had only announced at the auction that it contained precious ancient treasures, and that even the most powerful experts with the sharpest swords wouldn't be able to damage it in the slightest.
When he thought up to there, he could not help but feel some regret. If he had known this earlier, he would have definitely sold it for an even higher price. However, none of the people who wanted to buy the bag were people he could afford to offend. If he were in Goldie fort, then so be it, but in the Fragrant Flower market, he was afraid of stirring up trouble, or there would most likely be problems on the way back.
Just losing the item would already be considered lucky, but he probably would not even be able to keep his life. If he casually tossed the corpse into the forest, all the wolves, tigers, leopards, snakes, insects, rats, and ants within a few kilometers would be drawn over by the smell of blood. In just a few hours, not even bones would remain.
At the very least, he could return with peace of mind now. Although he had brought quite a lot of gold and silver with him, he could deal with all the people who regarded gold and silver with importance. Even if he could not deal with them, he still had the name of Goldie fort. He basically would not fall out with someone over some gold and silver. There were obviously many people who did not even regard Goldie fort with importance, but these people would never regard gold and silver with importance.
Gold earrings had been a merchant for many years and had thought through these matters very thoroughly. His only regret was that the stone egg had not been sold. It was still in his bag. After all, not all businesses would be successful. At his age, he was used to this kind of failure. It would not affect his good mood.
He called out to the team behind him, "Boys, don't be so quiet. Sing for me!"
"Alright! Uncle Bao! "
The team's morale was high, and the shortest and most capable guy was singing at the top of his lungs, "Hey, hey, hey, we're barefooted after walking through the mountains and the sea! If you meet a mountain, you will step on it. If you meet water, you will wash your muddy feet! You won't look back even if you hit the ceiling, hey hey hey! "
The loud and clear song resounded through the sky. Everyone's face was brimming with joy, and the whole team began to sing. Having traveled the ancient paths for many years, they did not have to worry about running into any powerful daemonic beasts. Instead, the song could alarm them and deter the wild beasts.
Although the Mist province was known as a land of wilderness, the common people who grew up in the wilderness were renowned for their ability to sing and dance. They had not been brought up by the teachings of etiquette, so they were not bound by etiquette either. They were closer to the carefree and natural nature of ancient people dancing around bonfires. Whether they were men or women, young or old, they could all sing a few songs. From a certain perspective, this was their civilization and legacy.
However, this cheerful atmosphere came to a screeching halt on the evening of the fourth day. As soon as they crossed over a mountain stream, the surrounding vegetation grew thicker. The towering trees that had grown for who knew how many millennia listened to their singing silently.
Suddenly, Gold earrings sensed that something was amiss. The forest was rather eerily quiet. The docile pack animal beneath him shook its head uneasily. He waved his hand, wanting to stop the singing and listen carefully.
Swish!
A rock pierced the throat of the loudest young man, stopping the singing first.
"It's a powerful enemy!" Gold earrings immediately made a judgement. With his martial arts and his vigilance, he actually failed to see which tree the rock had come from. With a swish, he drew his blade and called out at the top of his lungs, "Gold's here!"
This was a method for merchants from Goldie fort to display their identities. There was no one within several hundred kilometers who did not know about it. However, the loud voice seemed to lose its original penetrative nature. A heavy murderousness spread out with the night mist, approaching the merchant group step by step. The pack animals all neighed in fear. They either had no idea, or they did not care.
"We're from Goldie fort. Which cave or village do you come from? Come out and talk to us. If you want money or goods, we can negotiate!"
Pairs of jade-green eyes lit up in the dark forest. The leaves rustled, and figures emerged one by one. Gold earrings's face immediately changed. He blurted out, "The Bone Eating tribe!"
The figures only seemed half human, while the other half seemed like beasts. They were well-built and furry. Their arms were long and drooping, and their fingers were all sharp claws. A pair of sharp teeth protruded from their lips. Even when they hunched over, they were still taller than regular people. The sturdiest monster extended its scarlet tongue and licked its nose. It said in a hoarse, unpleasant voice, "I want people!"
With that, it lunged over with a fierce gust of wind. Gold earrings swung his blade and landed on its shoulder, but it felt like he had struck the extremely tough hide of a rhinoceros. It only left behind a scratch, and he was pushed to the ground viciously.
Even he was like that, so his subordinates were even worse off. They were all subdued in a single clash. They did not seem to have any intentions of killing, but when Gold earrings thought of the rumours regarding the Bone Eating tribe, his heart sank.
However, this was no longer a situation that a martial artist like him could deal with. Even true "shamans" might not necessarily be able to escape alive, as these monsters were "shamans".
The pack beasts were directly slain, producing miserable wails. Their bags were ripped apart, and pieces of gold tumbled into the bushes, but they failed to draw a second glance from these monsters. What they wanted were people!
The Bone Eating tribe specialised in hunting their own kind and feeding on humans, not for filling their bellies, but to strengthen themselves through shaman arts. The more people they ate, the more powerful they would become, and their appearance and temperament would become more and more twisted and cruel. However, in the jungle where the strong were revered, no one would place importance on appearance and morality over strength.
Regular barbarians were completely powerless against shaman tribes like that. The group of merchants were pressed to the side of the road, lined up in a row. Just Now, the monster who had said "I want people" began to choose. He grabbed one of Gold earrings's earrings and ripped off the entire ear, tossing it into his mouth and chewing it. "The meat's too tough!"
After choosing for a while, he finally chose the youngest one. He grabbed him and bit down on his neck, sucking hard. Only when he had sucked enough did he begin to chew away. The other monsters chose their targets too, lunging over to eat. For a moment, there was only the sound of chewing in the forest.
Unlike their crude and vicious appearances, they ate extremely meticulously. None of the flesh or blood went to waste. Before every droplet of blood hit the ground, they would suck it clean. Even the bones were forcefully chewed and swallowed.
Gold earrings, who had been determined to be "too tough", managed to avoid the first round of the banquet by luck. As he gazed at this nightmarish sight, his body stiffened, unable to move. There was a flash from the corner of his eye, and he saw a ring of scarlet light flash in the bushes. The stone egg that had been determined to be a regular rock was currently glowing slightly as if something was about to break out of its shell.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
