Chapter 455 (1/2)

Cooperation

Shao Xuan finally understood what Duo Kang meant when he met the Mountain Wind tribe.

The agreed meeting location was at a valley. There was not much dense vegetation around, trees weren’t very tall.

The Flaming Horn and Taihe people found a place to rest first. Duo Kang instructed his people to bring boulders over that could be used as seats and weapons. This wasn’t something the Taihe people could do.

‘You think you’re so great because you’re strong?!’ thought the Taihe people privately.

The Mountain Wind tribe did not make them wait long. After Shao Xuan carried a few boulders and sat for a bit, he heard sharp but short cries. They sounded like a bird.

The Flaming Horn and Taihe people looked up when they heard this.

“They’re here!” said Zheng Luo.

Shao Xuan didn’t understand why everyone looked at the sky until he realised there were several people on the steep mountain walls. The number of silhouettes increased, then they jumped.

Poof---

It sounded like an umbrella opening.

Every person who leapt opened their wings-- not real wings, they were wearing something that looked like wings.

Shao Xuan watched as they manned their ‘wings’ with full agility in changing directions. They were coming straight towards the ground, then when they were close, flapped their wings forcefully twice and landed gracefully.

Shao Xuan thought their totem would be a bird with spread wings. However, on their things, he saw that their totemic symbol was a bird with no wings.

A peculiar tribe.

When he studied their wings in close range, as an experienced hunter, Shao Xuan could tell that they were made of leather. They were very exquisitely made, a special type of clothing that still allowed for flexibility and agility.

He wondered how they made these. The leather had been processed so the wings looked like they were made of a flexible membrane. No feathers were used, other than a few who used feathers as decoration.

When they landed, the Mountain Wind people kept their wings. Now, it just looked like a very weird cape on their backs.

In the part, Shao Xuan had seen the Feather tribe rearing birds but this was different. The Mountain Wind people FELT like they were birds-- or more specifically, they claimed their ancestors were bird people with no wings. The legends denoted that their ancestors had always searched for wings, therefore did their best in making themselves a pair.

Duo Kang said the Mountain Wind people had been wearing this since a long, long time ago.

To be able to make a costume that wasn’t clumsy and very flexible, allowing for graceful movements in the air, was genius!

Perhaps due to Shao Xuan’s intense stare, the Mountain Wind’s chief furrowed his brows when he saw Shao Xuan. “Where’s Wacha?”

“He’s resting back at the tribe.” Zheng Luo did not tell him about Wacha’s current health condition.

Both the Taihe and Mountain Wind people knew that Wacha, leader of the Flaming Horn salt mine guards, was severely injured. However, they did not know that not only did he live, he was mostly recovered too.

Out of the people from the three tribes, there were familiar ones who guarded the mines and also foreign faces. But it was not the time for small talk. The Mountain Wind chief only took one look at Shao Xuan then looked away. He thought Shao Xuan was probably Zheng Luo’s nephew or something.

“I called all of you today for a very important discussion. We, Mountain Wind, have already decided to fight and take back the mines. What are your decisions? Do you intend to work with us?” asked the Mountain Wind chief.

Zheng Luo and the Taihe’s chief gave each other a look. Sitting on the boulder, Zheng Luo said slowly, “About the salt mines... we will take it back, naturally. They took something belonging to the Flaming Horn tribe and chased out our people. This is a crime that would not go unpunished.” Then, his tone changed. “But, you Mountain Wind people have not been telling the whole truth.”

This was what Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo had discussed. If the Mountain Wind people were bold enough to return to the salt mines to investigate, the ones they sent definitely wouldn’t be idiots. If they had lost so many people, it was impossible that they learned nothing from the excursion. Mountain Wind was keeping information from Flaming Horn and Taihe.

The Mountain Wind chief’s expression changed slightly but he did not retort, nor did he reply. He was just silent. That implied that Zheng Luo was right. He looked at the Taihe people.