Chapter 188 – Bird breeding (1/2)
Edited by Ilesyt
The travel team moved on along the route as planned.
After leaving the regions of the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, the travel team walked further for another six days, during which they passed through some small-scale markets or some medium-scale tribes in the central area and exchanged some things.
Shao Xuan marked every place along the way on the map he drew by himself, even the characteristics of every tribe being marked on the map.
As he had to hurry on with the journey, he didn’t exchange too many things, only in traded for some typical tribal items or small light souvenirs.
Certainly, on the way through some desolate mountains and woods, the team also ran into some wild animals and even ferocious beasts. The amount of ferocious beasts was relatively less than regular wild animals. Someone of the travel team pointed to the map and told Shao Xuan the position of most ferocious beasts, which was right in the direction of the old location of the Flaming Horns tribe where Shao Xuan intended to go.
It’s said that few human tribes lived there. It was a vast mountainous jungle with ferocious beasts wandering around and various other unexpected dangers. That’s the last place where all the travelers would go.
Shao Xuan had planned to take a look there. On this journey, he should go and see the old haunt of the Flaming Horns tribe and the secrets of this former location which the ancestors kept thinking about, as well as finding out what the “roots” from Lao He’s words was.
Since their target was in different directions, Shao Xuan would separate from the travel team.
“Do you really want to leave the team? It’s dangerous on your own.” After knowing Shao Xuan was going to leave, Yu tried to persuade him.
“I rarely go out of the tribe, so I want to look around. After seeing enough, I’ll catch up to you along the route.” Shao Xuan said.
Throughout the journey, Shao Xuan had drawn a map of part of the central area based on what he knew. Although there were still many places where the travel team didn’t go, the areas of these places on the animal skin volume were still reserved. Shao Xuan wasn’t in a hurry. He would just take his time to finish the map.
After saying goodbye to the travel team, Shao Xuan headed in the direction of the old haunt of the Flaming Horns tribe, where Lao He had told him. This time, he traveled alone. In order to hurry on with the journey, he would let Chacha carry him on his back for some a while if the landscape was difficutl.
One day passed by.
Shao Xuan looked at the map on hand. Based on the map, the region nearby was the territory of the “Lu” tribe. Usually when approaching a tribe’s territory, Shao Xuan would remind Chacha to watch out, as these tribes had very strict precautions.
They should be people of the Lu tribe. Yet Shao Xuan didn’t know why they were so cautious. Anyway, Shao Xuan had to be vigilant against them.
Rustle.
Sounds of friction against some tree branches and leaves resounded, as well as the pounding sound of footsteps coming close at a fast speed, which didn’t sound like human movements.
Shao Xuan jumped to a tree and intended to look from above. Though people of the travel team told Shao Xuan that the Lu tribe would not impose great threat, Shao Xuan still had to be careful. If they were not friendly, he would call Chacha to get ready for assistance.
Da~ Da~ Da~ Da~
The sound of footsteps came closer, so quickly that Shao Xuan couldn’t see clearly what it looked like. But from the movements of the tree branches, he could tell that it was tall and big.
With the sound of footsteps approaching, Shao Xuan hid behind the thick tree branches, looking out from the gaps between the leaves.
Dadadada~~Da~da~
It stopped for a while when passing through the tree where Shao Xuan hid himself, and then turned back.
With the knife handle in hand, Shao Xuan wondered if it had found him. The trees around were not tall, so Shao Xuan chose this tree, which was relatively suitable to hide his body.
While thinking, Shao Xuan saw the tree branches below being pulled open. He lowered his head and saw a big bird head right in front of him, with a fruit in its mouth. The fruit belonged to this tree.
Obviously, this bird was just looking for the fruit, not Shao Xuan, but saw him hiding inside when it pulled open the tree branches to eat the fruit.
One man, one bird, looking at eachother.
The place where Shao Xuan hid was at least 5 meters high from the ground, while this bird head was less than one meter away from Shao Xuan, which showed the height of this big bird.
Remembering Ah-Guang’s phorusrhacos, Shao Xuan always guarded against this kind of big birds. After the tree branches were pulled open, Shao Xuan took the stone knife in hand and intended to give the bird a slash.
Nevertheless, before Shao Xuan took actions, that bird quacked with a scream, turned around and ran away immediately, without caring about the fruit chips falling out of its mouth.
Shao Xuan was left speechless.
What’s the use of even having such an enormous size?
If it were Ah-Guang‘s phorusrhacos, which used its head as a hoe, it would probably peck at Shao Xuan immediately. But this bird looked more surprised than Shao Xuan, and escaped in panic and fear, as if a little white rabbit ran across a big bad wolf.
Shao Xuan pushed aside the tree branches and looked at the bird running away like wind.
Like Ah-Guang’s phorusrhacos, it couldn’t fly, as its upper limbs had become vestigial. Also its body looked fatter than Ah-Guang’s bird, whose lower limbs were relatively larger and fleshy.
Whoosh~~