Chapter 5, the state of a savage life

Without agriculture or animal husbandry, relying solely on fishing, hunting, and naturally growing wild vegetables and mountain fruits, while also needing to guard against the incursions of powerful wild beasts and raids from other tribes, it is indeed no easy task to sustain a population of over a thousand people

Chen Xun lay on the back of Zong Ya, allowing him to carry him into the village with uneven steps.

Do not mention other savage and exotic species; even a single black-scaled cunning beast can crush the entire stone fortress to dust

The hut is rudimentary, with four walls that let in the wind. Aside from a clay stove, a stone bed covered with animal skins, and a few chipped pottery jars, there is nothing else. Yet, this is where Chen Xun finds refuge amidst the pythons and in this desolate mountain wilderness.

However, it should be noted that not only outsiders but even the children of the Wumang tribe must be self-sufficient by the age of thirteen or fourteen

What can I do?" Chen Xun said

No matter how slim the opportunity may be, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, Chen Xun still harbors some expectations

The silk manuscript of the "Western Wilderness Classic" and the ancestral diagram of the Wu Gong were both obtained inadvertently; the records of the Wumang tribe are primarily written on thinly shaved animal skins treated with saltpeter, using a pen dipped in a type of black tree sap found in the mountains; moreover, the tortoise shells inscribed with the seal script of the Wumang are considered "sacred objects" in Wumang.

With a population of over a thousand, it can only be considered a small village compared to densely populated areas on Earth, yet it is quite a sizable settlement on the northern slope of Mangya Ridge

Chen Xun shook his head with a bitter smile, opening the item that Zongya had given him, only to find yet another Black Python Pill.

Only rare witch medicines like the Python Dan, which can develop human potential and refine bloodlines, require the secret techniques passed down by the Python tribe for their refinement

In the village, there are children of all genders running around naked; those aged eight or nine and above are considered youths in the Wumang community. They either accompany women and the elderly to gather wild fruits, vegetables, and grains outside the village, or they diligently practice under the guidance of the remaining warriors.

What exactly is the Soul Festival and how is it related to the *Picture* book? Chen Xun could not ascertain this; he was inexplicably brought from Earth to this realm, which had nothing to do with the ancestral barbaric bloodline inherited from the Wumang tribe. How could he possibly gain the recognition of the ancestral spirit of the Wumang and attain enlightenment of the barbaric soul?

The initial stage of barbaric martial cultivation primarily focuses on tempering the body and strengthening one's vital energy. It is only after gaining insight into the barbaric spirit that one truly takes the first step into the realm of barbaric martial cultivation.

If he cannot escape from Mangya Ridge, Chen Xun thought that his best option for staying in the Wumang tribe would be to become a shaman. Recently, he has also been learning the preparation of shamanic medicines from his grandfather.

Chen Xun now has a large appetite, and he cannot use the python pill as food. After returning, he spent a good part of the day weaving a medicine basket without eating anything. At this moment, seeing the greasy wild boar meat, his stomach felt even hungrier, and he took it and began to devour it voraciously.

That place is the office, which serves as a venue for clan discussions and rituals. It is also the ancestral hall and public warehouse of the Wumang tribe. Usually, it is inhabited by the clan elder and the underage direct descendant, Zongya.

Zongya is practicing barbaric martial arts, currently at a critical stage of breaking through to the third level and advancing to intermediate barbaric martial arts. This black python pill was provided to him by his grandfather, Zong Tusheng.

Chen Xun can only develop his potential, strengthen his body, and expend great energy through various means that push the limits of his physical capabilities

Seeing the crowd lifting the giant beast, the children running around naked in the stockade and the young martial artists all rushed out in a frenzy, treading on the muddy slope washed away by the flood, surrounding the cunning beast while running and shouting, singing what to Chen Xun sounded like a cacophony of barbaric songs

After consuming all the roe deer meat, he discarded the medicine basket at night to save a bit of effort; otherwise, to avoid delaying his future trips to the mountain for gathering herbs, he would have to weave another medicine basket from mountain vines at this moment

Seeing Chen Xun with his head down in silence, Zong Ya also understood that he was preoccupied with some thoughts related to the picture book. He leaned out to look outside the door and noticed that no one was passing by this shack, and then he told Chen Xun

Although Chen Xun had not practiced the secret arts of barbaric martial arts, he had learned some superficial principles from Zong Ya.

Grandfather said that all things possess a spirit, and that the human race across the eight wildernesses is all descended from divine and demonic lineages, originating from a single source. Grandfather said, this is an opportunity that you are entitled to, whether it can be realized or not, one must at least try to find out.

Yesterday, there was a heavy rain, and there are no drainage facilities in the village, resulting in a muddy landscape with standing water everywhere

As Chen Xun ascended the stone ridge in front of the stockade, he could see the situation within the walls of the gorge stockade. Hundreds of low earthen houses and wooden cabins were scattered in disarray, with several tall stone halls surrounding an open square at the center

Fortunately, during these three years, Chen Xun learned the barbarian language under the guidance of his grandfather, and he was also able to identify thirty to forty types of medicinal herbs from Mangya Ridge, which became his means of survival in the village

The stone fortress of the Wumang tribe is built in a steep canyon between two mountain ridges, surrounded by the chaos caused by yesterday's flood; however, the fortress walls made of giant stones stand seven to eight meters high, preventing the flood from rushing into the village

In addition to resisting the mountain floods rushing down from the hills, the stockade walls are built high and thick, primarily to guard against wild beasts from the deep mountains and raids from other tribes

Grandfather said that when he has some free time, he will specifically talk to you about this matter, so please do not mention that I have already informed you. Zongya was afraid of being scolded by Grandfather, and additionally instructed Chen Xun.

As an outsider, Chen Xun cannot practice the secret arts of the Black Python. Even if he stays to become a shaman, and even if he can improve and modify ordinary shamanic medicines based on what he learned on Earth, in the end, he can only be an ordinary shaman

Chen Xun is not qualified to be a mainstay; every time he follows the python Manwu to fish and hunt, the food he receives is still very limited, far from sufficient to meet the consumption required by his unique cultivation method.

After living in the office stone house for several months, with the help of Zongya, he found a piece of vacant land near the office stone house, where he cut down trees to build his own hut

Thinking about whether there will be another opportunity in this life to walk out of the Mangya Ridge mountains and see the outside world, whether there is a faint chance to return to Earth and reunite with loved ones, Chen Xun's heart is also filled with melancholy

"I am not a member of the Python tribe, so how could I possibly gain the recognition of the Python ancestral spirit?" Chen Xun said with a bitter smile

After taking the black python pill that Zong Sang gave him, apart from the terrifying scars on his body, which would take a few days to shed, Chen Xun had actually recovered quite a bit.

These animal skin medical books were all shown to him by his grandfather, Zongtu

Survival in the wilderness is exceptionally difficult

The Wumang clan was once a renowned and powerful family in the Mangya Ridge, surrounded by over a dozen stone fortresses and a population of twenty to thirty thousand clansmen. They even established cities on the wasteland south of Mangya Ridge. However, thirty years ago, with the death of the last Wumang Tianman, the clan rapidly declined, leaving behind a remnant group that was driven to a remote stone fortress in the mountains north of Mangya Ridge, struggling to survive.

Sitting down on the stone bed covered with animal skins, Chen Xun noticed that Zong Ya was somewhat restless. Knowing that the Soul Sacrifice Beast Feast was a rare grand ceremony for the Python Tribe, and that Zong Ya still had the curiosity of youth, he urged him to come to the stone hall to help

Do not mention Mangyaling anymore; it is the myriad of barbaric tribes surrounding Tushan that possess the blood of the primordial barbarians. However, due to the inheritance over tens of thousands of years, the primordial barbarian blood within the vast majority of the tribes has become diluted.

Aren't you really okay? Zongya had long wanted to run over to see Grandpa, Uncle, and the others from Nanliao discussing the matter of the soul sacrifice, but he was also worried about the injuries Chen Xun had sustained.

Under the leadership of the fierce warrior, adult men leave the village to hunt in the mountains, usually taking several days to achieve any results; women and the elderly gather fruits and wild vegetables near the village

Although there are endless prey in the depths of Mangya Ridge, it also signifies greater dangers

In the initial months at the python, Chen Xun lived in the stone house office with Zong Tu and Zong Ya.

Chen Xun had prepared the medicine basket when Zong Ya came to the hut to find him, handing him a large piece of roasted wild boar meat that was oozing with juices.

Even Zongya was only able to barely recognize all the barbaric characters under the relentless beating of the ancestral figure's stick; however, asking him to learn the preparation of witchcraft medicine would be no different than asking him to hang himself with a rope from the stone beam.

Just now, during the meeting at the Stone Hall, the elder said that you have made a significant contribution this time and should be accepted into the clan. In the end, Uncle Nanliao and the others reluctantly agreed to allow you to participate in the soul ceremony in three days. If you are to receive the ancestral spirits' recognition during the worship, you will be taught the martial skills of the Mán people

The hut built of stone and wood has water accumulated to a depth of half a foot

... ...

Chen Xun knew that Zong Ya did not speak much, but his character was straightforward; once he gave something away, he would never take it back. This also caused him some headaches, so he could only keep this Wumang Dan close to him for the time being

I have nothing else to attend to here, you should quickly go find Grandpa, perhaps he has something to instruct you on

Although Chen Xun's strength and physical condition are comparable to the initial stages of the second or third level of barbarian martial arts, the initial stage barbarian warriors of the Wumang tribe, in addition to their robust physiques, are also proficient in the techniques of bow and spear combat

Do you really want to spend your entire life as a shaman in the village

Zongya scratched his head, unsure of how to explain it to Chen Xun, and simply relayed his grandfather's original words to him

The mid-level barbarian warriors who have attained enlightenment of the barbarian spirit are, in Chen Xun's eyes, comparable to killing machines; they are the core and main force of the Wumang tribe, deeply rooted in the depths of Mangya Ridge, engaged in fishing and hunting.

At the age of fourteen, a young python like Zongya is already considered an adult in the village, and is expected to take on more responsibilities. He must leave the village early with the warriors to fish and hunt everywhere, and even participate in the bloody battles between tribes over hunting grounds

Zongya was lying on a stone bed covered with animal skin blankets, holding his head in his hands. He noticed a few scrolls of animal skin books scattered at the head of the bed, all detailing the methods of potion-making for sorcery. Just seeing these made his head ache, yet he was surprised to find Chen Xun reading them with great interest. He turned over and asked:

When the physical body has been tempered to the point of being reborn and having its blood and marrow transformed, the Barbarian Warrior will be able to condense the first drop of True Barbarian Blood within, thus advancing to become a Heavenly Barbarian with formidable martial prowess, dominating the wilderness.

However, in Chen Xun's heart, all of this was filled with warmth; this was the place that had sheltered him and provided for his livelihood for the past three years

Only by awakening the barbaric soul can one truly activate the mysterious power of the primal barbaric blood, refining the muscles, bones, skin, and flesh

In the village, there are more than 300 able-bodied men, and over 100 who practice martial skills. However, there are very few who have the patience to recognize all 500 to 600 barbarian characters and can identify 20 to 30 herbs used in the refining of the Black Python Pill.

"Alright, if you have any matters, just have someone call for me; this is for you." Zongya took out a small leather pouch from his bosom, handed it to Chen Xun, and turned to leave the hut

Shizhai stands alone at the mouth of the gorge, effectively sealing off the road leading into the mountains through this passage, designating the deep mountains to the south as a hunting area for the Wumang tribe

He walked in a fluster, forgetting to lower his head as he exited the shack. With a loud "bang," he collided with the door frame, nearly causing Chen Xun's shabby and dilapidated shack to collapse.

At this moment, reflecting on it brings a sense of dread; had this black fox survived and emerged from the mountains, the Wumang Stone Fortress would likely have been the first place to be drenched in its blood.

... ...

Although the medicinal herbs and stones naturally formed at Mangya Ridge are entirely different from those on Earth, Chen Xun believes that some pharmacological properties are still interconnected. This is also an advantage for him in studying and refining witchcraft medicine in the U Mang.