Chapter 54 – Stone worm below the mountain (2/2)

Could you be stronger than the ancestors?

No, you couldn’t!

Also, new hunting routes could not be established easily nor freely. Unless you think the old route was not good?

It didn’t make any sense! You dare doubt the ancestors? Do you have a death wish?!

…

People in the tribe had a peculiar, stubborn attitude towards things that were passed down by the ancestors. Even though some of the decisions were not quite suitable in Shao Xuan’s eyes, however people in the tribe respected them as sacred rules.

Except for the loyalty towards the totem, people in the tribe had reverence and immense trust for the ancestors which went beyond Shao Xuan’s imagination. Even if the ancestors climbed out of their graves and claimed that there was only one moon in the sky, people in the tribe would nod and agree without any second thought.

That was also the result achieved by all those years of brainwashing education from the Shamans. Generations after generations, the same ideas were passed down.

When the group leaders were out on a mission, they always thought that they could only face their ancestors with integrity if they went on the pre-existing routes. It was also considered as the respect towards the ancestors that established the hunting routes. Looking at the names on the list at the entrance of the cave, those leaders shared similar thoughts.

After entering the cave and starting a bonfire, warriors in the hunting group did not walk any deeper inside. According to old habits, they would spend the night near the entrance and then head inside early tomorrow morning. Going through the cave would cost some time, for it was not a straight route.

“How come there is a cave that connects both sides of the mountain?” Shao Xuan asked Lang Ga when they were resting beside the bonfire.

“This cave was already there when our ancestors first came here. It’s said that a giant king stone worm lives in this mountain, and all the curvy paths in the cave were drilled out by it.” Lang Ga said.

“Stone worm?!” Shao Xuan was stunned, for the round passage was at least ten meters high. Also, Mai and the others had mentioned that aside from the passage that connected both sides of the mountain, there were lots of other passages that went up or down. Who could’ve imagined that a cave and passages of such scale were drilled out by a stone worm?!

How big would it be?

The stone worms that Shao Xuan used as fishing baits could never be compared with it!

However, it was a story from the ancestors who established this hunting route, and it remains to be confirmed whether there really was a stone worm.

“Then… have any of our ancestors seen the stone worm below the mountain?” Shao Xuan asked. It had been many years since the first hunting group came, even if the warriors were only using the cave as a passage, someone should have seen the stone worm, right?

“I don’t think anyone has seen it.” Seeing that Shao Xuan was still in doubt, Lang Ga explained more, “But if you listen carefully, you can hear the sound created by the King Stone Worm.”

Shao Xuan listened carefully, and there were indeed some whirring sounds. However, they weren’t necessarily caused by the stone worm. Since there were lots of caves and holes, when wind blew inside from one hole and went out through the other holes, it would also create such sounds.

Although his heart was filled with doubts, Shao Xuan figured he would not get another answer seeing Lang Ga’s attitude. Instead of arguing with those stubborn people, Shao Xuan changed the subject, “So what’s on the other side of the mountain? Are there any differences?”

As expected, Lang Ga’s attention soon was shifted.

“Differences? In fact, the biggest difference is that there are lot of giant birds on the other side.” Lang Ga stretched out his arms to gesticulate. Although Lang Ga’s arms were limited in length, judging from his exaggerated facial expression, Shao Xuan knew that the birds must be quite big.