Chapter 32 – Path of Glory (2/2)

In fact, the situation inside the room was not as miserable as people imagined.

Old Ke had a vicious mouth, but he was very patient when teaching Shao Xuan his skills. Also, he was never stingy with stone cores.

For a single afternoon, Shao Xuan had used five stone cores. Aside from the one that he brought, the other four all came from old Ke’s own stash. They were all of fine quality, so Shao Xuan even felt a little extravagant that he used such fine stones for practicing. Although old Ke didn’t mind it, but Shao Xuan himself felt a little ashamed.

Every day when he returned from old Ke’s place to his own cabin, Shao Xuan would feel sourness and stabbing pain all over his body. The pain in his muscles grew more and more intense, and it was hard for him just to set up a stone pot and light the fire. Especially the part between his thumb and index finger hurt even more with burning pain. He tried a few times before he could successfully set up the pot.

Something good must be thoroughly tempered. Shao Xuan felt that it was not the stone cores that got hammered, but himself. However, at night he slept safe and sound. And after a night’s recover, he would feel refreshed in the morning, as if the pain in the muscles was nothing but an illusion.

He did not know whether it was because of the totemic power, or because of the other ability in his body.

Early the next morning, Shao Xuan planned to go to the training ground like normal. Yesterday he had found a place where there were quite a few fine stones. He could carve some stone cores out for practicing, so that old Ke could save his own. He would hate to waste too many of old Ke’s stones.

As he was walking, Shao Xuan realized that there was something irregular. People were not so active normally, but this morning, almost all of them got up early, and they were moving in the same direction.

After thinking for a bit, Shao Xuan suddenly tapped on his forehead.

He almost forgot that today was the day that Lang Ga and the others went out for the hunting mission!

Shao Xuan changed his direction and joined the stream of people together with Caesar.

There was a path from the mountain foot to the mountaintop, which was almost a straight up path. It was higher than the other places in the surroundings and no one would build a house there. Hunting teams would walk on that path when they took off, as well as when they returned, so they would not interfere the other residents of the tribe.

As time went by, the path was given another special meaning. People in the tribe called it the “Path of Glory”.

The tribesmen had complicated emotions as if they were seeing troops off before they went to war. Pride, gloom, and hope. They did now know whether their families would remain intact when the hunting team returned. They did not know whether their families would bring back enough food when the hunting team returned.

Most of the people gathering along the Path of Glory were relatives of the warriors that were going on the mission. And they varied from kids to eldely. When the hunting team returns, the same people would gather here again to greet them back. Of course they would have different feelings that time.

However, aside from seeing off and welcoming back the hunting teams, to those warriors in the hunting team, there was another meaning for this path. That was a confirmation and acknowledgement of their personal strength. If Shao Xuan could summarize based on his understanding, the path would be a “Pride Road” to many of the warriors.

After the end of a hunting mission, it was absolutely clear who gets how much food. It was like an open chart for one’s processions. The wealthy people would have no lack of reputation, status and women. Those were all worthy of flaunting.

“Here they come!” someone shouted out.

Shao Xuan looked at that direction.

There were about two hundred people walking down the mountain. At the very front was the leader of the hunting team that Shao Xuan recognized from the ritual ceremony that night. Not only the leader, Shao Xuan had seen the ones following him before. They were dancing by the fire pit.

All people walking down the mountain had a feeling of generals at war, regardless of their expressions. Some were smiling and some were quite serious.

At the rear of the team among all tall and strong warriors, those few kids with limited height were pretty obvious and easily noticed. The Chief’s first grandson, Mao, was also among them. Fei, who had showed off his ability in front of Shao Xuan was also in the team.

“Hey, who are those kids?”

“They surely are strong and skillful since they can go on the first hunting mission.”

“Those are the top warriors from the newly-awakened warriors this year.”

“Hey, is that Mao? He deserves to be the first grandson of our Chief!”

…

People were discussing heatedly.

Sai’s father pointed out Fei and other kids in the troops and said to Sai, “Look for yourself! You are almost the same age, and you awakened with them in the same year. Now they are in the first hunting mission already, and you? Where are you now?”

Sai apparently was not convinced by his father’s judgement, “I can do the same if you lived up in the mountain!”