Chapter 163 – The closure (1/2)

Translated by Joycelyn

The two moons distanced from one another, the earth was covered with glimmering lights at night.

Just then, a silhouette ran out from among the woods. With half of his face stained with blood, it seems that he had suffered a blow.

He felt that his vision was getting blurrier every second the blood seeped into his eyes, but he didn’t wipe it off as his head felt way too painful to be bothered.

What was he doing here?

That’s right, they were here to kill, to kill the Drumming tribe, and then take the water moonstone from them!

To Invade, kill, steal the treasured stones…..

What else seems to be there?

His thoughts ran around as he walked.

Puddles of different depths filled the ground, and every step on the puddles could be heard clearly within the surrounding, accompanied with splashes of mud that reflected the moonlight.

Until he walked to a riverstream, the last bit of his consciousness stopped his feet before he dropped into the river.

Staring blankly at the river in front of him, gradually he started remembering some things, the things that were told before the invasion happened at the tribe.

“When the river rises, quickly retreat! Once the river is rising, you must not go near the bordering rivers and streams around the Drumming tribe, you must remember….”

The river in front of him was not over 10 meters wide. This wasn’t counted as any big river, it could even be said that this was a stream in another stream, however indeed, the river surface was rising.

Once the river rises, you must not go near the rivers….must not go near…..

Remembering this made him alert instantly, quickly stepping back.

But he only took a step back when suddenly a silhouette rushed out from the river.

A large snout burst open, trying to bite towards him. The snout was covered in hard scales. Huge jaws with a set of thick conical teeths that made people shudder. There were even meat pieces between its teeth, the smell of blood was still lingering in its mouth.

This was the last scene he saw, the next second he was bitten and was pulled into the waters. The conical teeth at that moment pierced through his internal organs instantly. He was killed even before he was dragged in.

The other crocodiles in the river headed towards the body, they bit into the ‘food’, rolled away, tearing the ‘food’ into eight clean pieces then swallowing them whole.

……

There were many similar situations around the Drumming tribe. The invaders who still remained in the Drumming tribe ran away immediately, hoping they could keep their lives. If they were any slower in running away, they would all be annihilated by the Drumming tribe’s warriors and even the adult crocodiles who returned. Becoming the crocodiles’ food in the end either way.

The baby crocodiles that had been calling out for the past few days had finally stopped. Some even went into the river to join the adult crocodiles to clear out the ‘trash’.

For the Drumming tribe, these crocodiles were ‘treasured fish’, but to others, they were a nightmare.

Shao Xuan stood rooted to the ground. Looking at one crocodile after another pass by from the side.

These crocodiles, that had returned from the main river, the biggest was also above 10 meters, the smallest not less than 3 meters. Some swam through the river, some just walked on the wetlands, although not very fast. However, each and every one of them emitted a murderous aura, those eyes were similar to the Drumming tribe’s, emanating a fierce glint.

When the departed crocodiles returned, the Drumming tribe was filled with excitement. Their arrival had meant that it was the end of this battle for this year. In the Drumming tribe’s territory, the best protectors were after all them.

These crocodiles would not hurt the Drumming tribe members. Even when they were not breathing anymore, they still will not bite them. As for the other tribes, they didn’t have the same fortune. They were all treated as food and dealt with, eaten with brutality.

Shao Xuan being an outsider of the tribe, he wouldn’t dare run around in the tribe now. He stood together with the Drumming tribe members, and a few steps away was even the tribe’s Shaman.

An over 15 meter long crocodile came out from Shao Xuan’s side, probably realising that Shao Xuan was different. Closing in, it opened its mouth facing towards Shao Xuan, and even let out a low growl from its throat. He was doubting Shao Xuan’s identity. Those cold eyes were filled with killing intent, like it could bite down mercilessly at any moment.

But after the Shaman said a few words that Shao Xuan could not understand to it, the crocodile left.

“Put this on.” The Shaman passed a bone token over to Shao Xuan. On it was the Drumming tribe’s totem pattern.

Shao Xuan took it over. With this, he could go anywhere and the crocodiles would not treat him as an enemy. Also, only the Shaman had these tokens. It was temporary, and unlike the chief’s token, this one couldn’t be fabricated anywhere.

When the moon light vanished and the sun came out, in the Drumming tribe’s territory, there was not a single invader alive.

Shao Xuan brought Chen Jia along, many large and small crocodiles could be seen in many of the rivers on the way. They were rolling around in the rivers, tearing apart the already disfigured bodies, staining the river blood red. Whether it was Chen Jia or other children from the Drumming tribe or even 2-3 year old kids, they did not feel that this scene was strange at all. There were even some cheering at the side. They were not naturally indifferent to this, but it was because they were used to it.

Chen Jia sped up when he was close to his home, not even bothering about his water moonstones. Shao Xuan helped him carry his rattan basket, he did not mind it either as he just wanted to see if his mum and dad were safely home.