pertwk Chapter 79 Ancestral God
Chapter 79 Ancestral God
"Brother! She said her tribe was attacked by wild beasts and she wants to ask the ancestral god for protection to help drive them away!" Xuan'er raised her pretty little face and looked up at Cai Xuan on the high platform.
"What ancestral god?" Cai Xuan asked.
Xuan'er turned around and chattered a few words to the wild woman.
The savage woman looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, at the figure on the platform, and responded excitedly.
After listening, Xuan'er turned to Cai Xuan and said, "Brother, the Ancestral Gods are powerful beings who guard the various tribes of Xuanhuang. In this world, countless weak tribes worship extraordinary beings, offering their harvests and prey as sacrifices in exchange for the other party's protection. These worshipped beings are the Ancestral Gods that the tribespeople believe in, equivalent to the divine ancestors who protect their tribes."
"She said this place is called Xuanhuang?" Cai Xuan's heart skipped a beat.
"Yes."
Xuan'er nodded. "She said this is the Xuanhuang Great Land, scattered with countless tribes of all sizes. She comes from the Mangye Tribe, a weak tribe without any powerful backing. Because they couldn't afford enough offerings to their ancestral god, they were constantly without protection and frequently harassed by wild beasts, so the tribe had to keep migrating for refuge. This time, they had just migrated here when they were attacked by wild beasts. She escaped with her life, trying to find help from nearby tribes, but she got lost and fainted by the lake, which is how we rescued her."
"What are wild beasts?" Cai Xuan asked again.
Xuan'er communicated with the female savage again. Upon hearing the word "wild beast," the female savage instantly tensed up, her eyes surging with extreme terror. She frantically gestured with her hands and feet, rapidly recounting the various dangers.
After listening, Xuan'er replied, "They divide wild beasts into ferocious beasts, wild beasts, and demonic beasts, collectively calling them 'fierce beasts,' each one more powerful than the last. Ferocious beasts are ordinary wild animals from the mountains and forests; wild beasts can absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making them much stronger than ferocious beasts; and demonic beasts are equivalent to cultivators, extremely terrifying."
"Oh, I see!"
Cai Xuan nodded knowingly, then noticed Xuan'er's unusual behavior and asked in confusion, "How come you can suddenly understand what she's saying?"
"The 'Tai Xu Xin Yuan' technique I cultivate allows me to communicate with others through thought." Xuan'er tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I don't know why, but after hearing what she said, I suddenly understood how to say it."
"Your technique is quite good."
Cai Xuan praised Xuan'er, then turned to Xi'er and the others, saying, "You should learn this technique from Xuan'er. If you encounter someone whose language you don't understand, you can use it to communicate. Not only should you learn from Xuan'er, but you can also learn from each other. You don't need to learn anything too advanced; just some practical and basic methods will suffice. For example, when we go out, we always need to light a fire to cook things, so learning Xin'er's fire technique would be good, otherwise we wouldn't know how to start a fire. If we can't find water, we can use Shu'er's water magic to condense water."
The children listened and thought it made a lot of sense, so they all nodded in agreement.
It was already late, and the night was deep; it was definitely not the right time to go to the tribe of the wild women.
Cai Xuan looked at the trembling female savage kneeling on the ground, then at Xi'er and the others, and instructed, "Xuan'er, take her to the weapon-refining room for the night and get her some food. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow."
"good!"
Xuan'er responded and stepped forward to help the wild woman up, chattering away for a few moments.
The savage woman showed gratitude and nodded repeatedly, following Xuan'er towards the weapon-refining room.
Cai Xuan stood on the platform, gazing at the dark night sky in the distance, his brows slightly furrowed. The desolate land... tribes... ancestral gods... wild beasts... This world was far larger and more complex than he had imagined.
Cai Xuan took a deep breath, turned around, and went into the house.
Let's talk about these things tomorrow!
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Cai Xuan was awakened by a rustling sound. Opening his eyes, he listened and realized the sound was coming from outside, like someone moving around softly, or perhaps moving something.
He put on his clothes, pushed open the door, and went out.
In the morning light, the savage woman knelt on the platform, before whom lay a makeshift altar made of several stones, upon which rested a few leaves, some water, and some unidentified wild fruits. She clasped her hands together, muttered incantations, and repeatedly bowed in prayer towards the direction of the house.
Cai Xuan was stunned for a moment, then realized that she was worshipping the "ancestral god".
I guess I saw them cultivating yesterday and mistook them for powerful beings, so I wanted to ask for their protection.
Cai Xuan walked over, squatted down, and asked gently, "What are you doing?"
The savage woman looked up and saw that it was Cai Xuan. A hint of awe and gratitude flashed in her eyes, and she rattled off a string of words. She pointed to the vast mountains and forests in the distance, then to her chest, gesturing with her hands. Her expression shifted between sadness and anxiety, and her eyes filled with tears.
Cai Xuan couldn't understand a single word, but judging from her expression, she could roughly guess what was going on. Her tribe was still being attacked by wild beasts, and she was anxious to return, but she was afraid that going back alone would be futile, so she wanted to ask them for help.
"Get up first."
Cai Xuan reached out to help her up. The female savage stood up, flattered, and lowered her head, not daring to meet his gaze.
At this moment, Xi'er and the others also woke up one after another. The little ones yawned and came out of the house. Seeing the female savage kneeling on the platform, they curiously gathered around her.
"Brother, why is she kneeling again?" Xi'er asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Perhaps they are praying for the safety of their people!"
Cai Xuan turned to Xuan'er and said, "Xuan'er, tell her not to rush, we'll pack up and leave soon."
Xuan'er nodded and stepped forward, chattering away to the savage woman. The savage woman's eyes lit up, her face showing disbelief. Her knees buckled, and she knelt down again, kowtowing repeatedly with words of gratitude, her devotion uttered with utmost sincerity.
Cai Xuan said no more and turned to go to the kitchen to cook breakfast.
Time was of the essence, so he didn't prepare any complicated dishes, only a large pot of Nine-Ox Divine Power Potatoes and Wild Beef Porridge. The little ones ate quickly, and even the savage woman received a bowl of porridge. She held the warm bowl tightly in her hands, her fingertips trembling slightly. As she swallowed the hot porridge, a warm sensation spread throughout her body, but hot tears unexpectedly streamed down her face. She ate while silently weeping, unsure whether she was moved by the long-lost warmth or saddened by the plight of her tribesmen.
After finishing his meal, Cai Xuan prepared some dry rations for the journey and began to prepare for his trip.
He carried a bamboo basket, water, and dry rations, wore leather armor, a short knife, and held a spear; Xi'er bravely carried a long axe, also wearing leather armor, carrying a basket, water, and dry rations; the younger ones all wore leather armor, carried baskets, water, and dry rations, and held weapons. This was practically their essential equipment for any trip.
Cai Xuan didn't know where the female savage tribe was, and worried that he wouldn't be able to return home that night and that there would be no one to take care of his family, so he left Shu'er and Xin'er behind.
Xin'er was very unhappy because she also wanted to go out with her older brothers and sisters, but there was no way around it; someone had to stay home. Otherwise, what if a vicious creature came to harm her two unborn sisters?
The female savage looked at the small figures of Xi'er, Yun'er, Xuan'er, and Ling'er with a puzzled expression.
Could such small children possibly defeat wild beasts? But she had no other choice but to place her hopes on them.
"Lead the way," Cai Xuan said to the savage woman.
The savage woman began to speak anxiously in her own language. Through Xuan'er's translation, they learned that she didn't know where she was or how to get back to the tribe. They first led her along the mountain path they had previously cleared to the lake where she had been found. Upon arriving there, the savage woman finally knew the way and immediately led the way, hurrying forward, clearly eager to return home.
Cai Xuan and Xi'er followed behind her, passing through dense forests, over rolling hills, and across babbling streams. The surroundings were overgrown with weeds, the woods were deep and secluded, and the desolate mountains and wilderness exuded a primitive and dangerous aura.
After walking for about an hour, the savage woman suddenly quickened her pace, almost running towards a ridge ahead.
Cai Xuan led Xi'er and the others to follow, and after crossing the mountain ridge, the scene before them instantly made everyone's hearts sink.
At the foot of the mountain, a dilapidated camp lay in ruins, reduced to charred wasteland. The makeshift thatched huts had been trampled and overturned, crushed into mud, and the ground was littered with broken pottery jars and torn animal hides—a scene of utter devastation. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning and a faint stench of blood.
Several fierce birds circled low in the sky, their wings sweeping across the sky, emitting sharp and piercing cries.
Witnessing the devastation of her homeland, the savage woman let out a heart-wrenching wail, stumbled down the hillside, and frantically searched through the ruins, calling out the names of her people.
Cai Xuan's heart sank, and he quickly followed with Xi'er and the others.
This tribal camp was small, and the remaining traces revealed that the people here lived in extreme poverty and poverty. There were no decent houses, only dilapidated huts built from branches, dry grass, and animal hides. Everywhere there were traces of wild beasts ravaging the area; many huts had been trampled flat by giant hooves, and the mud, grass, and debris were mixed together, a shocking sight.
Xuan'er quickly walked to the heartbroken savage woman's side and gently inquired about her condition to comfort her.
The savage woman, tears streaming down her face, choked out her words in broken sentences, each one filled with despair and grief.
After listening, Xuan'er returned to Cai Xuan and said, "Brother, she said that her tribe originally had more than fifty people, but after being attacked by wild beasts several times, they suffered heavy casualties. This time, when the wild beasts attacked again, she was sent out to find people to rescue them, and the remaining tribesmen hid in caves overnight. Now they don't know if they are safe."
Cai Xuan remained silent for a moment, then walked up to the female savage, knelt down, looked into her eyes, and said, "Take us to the cave where you are hiding. Perhaps you still have some of your people alive."
After Xuan'er relayed her meaning, the savage woman trembled, suddenly looked up, and a faint but stubborn flame of hope rekindled in her lifeless eyes.
She hurriedly wiped away her tears, pointed forcefully towards the valley to the north, and without saying a word, turned and ran.
Cai Xuan and Xi'er followed closely, and half an hour later, the female savage led them to a valley. The valley was flanked by steep cliffs, with only a narrow crevice through which one could enter, making it extremely secluded.
The savage woman slipped into the crevice and whispered a few times into the depths.
After a moment of silence, a few faint yet extremely delightful responses came from deep within the crevice of the rock.
The savage woman wept with joy and turned back to wave frantically at Cai Xuan.
Without further hesitation, Cai Xuan led Xi'er and the others inside. Behind the crevice was a small natural cave. Deep inside the cave, more than ten ragged, emaciated people huddled together, including an elderly man, a frail woman, and several bewildered children.
Upon seeing Cai Xuan and his group of strangers, the crowd was initially alarmed and became wary.
Upon seeing the returning savage woman, their tense minds suddenly relaxed, and the joy and relief of surviving the ordeal instantly filled their haggard faces.