Section 3, the returning hunting party

The tall figure of Fusong, with a head full of coarse, unruly hair and a beard, stood in the open space in front of the village gate, feeling an indescribable sense of anxiety and frustration

Tian Hao silently observed her for a long time, confirming that the target was indeed in a deep sleep, before finally stretching his legs and taking out another piece of meat from his fur robe

On the opposite side, the soundly sleeping Tian Shuang turned over, uttering indistinct words from her dreams

He recalled the wooden bowl that had been placed outside the cabin during the day. Apart from the fallen snow, it contained nothing else

Fusong parted the dense crowd with his strong and powerful arms. As he approached the stretcher, he felt a slight unsteadiness in his steps. Lifting the heavy animal hide, he saw a gruesome gash on the left side of Tianfeng's chest, where the entire muscle layer had been torn apart, exposing two ribs that were broken in the middle.

The gate made of thick logs has been opened, and a procession slowly approaching from the distant mountains gradually comes into the villagers' view

The bewildered Tian Shuang was startled awake by the cold wind and a loud noise, instinctively tightening the fur robe around her. She looked at Tian Hao with a confused expression and asked, "Elder brother, what happened?"

He does not believe that his outburst of anger can be heard by the two siblings in the room

Two stretchers lay flat under the eaves of the observation platform, in a spot free of snow. Tianfeng and Xuping were lying on them, barely clinging to life. The former's left arm was twisted starting from the shoulder, clearly having been wrenched off by some immense force. The latter's injuries were also extremely severe, but they were both covered with thick animal skins, making it difficult to discern their specific conditions. However, they were both trembling, perhaps due to the cold or the pain caused by the movement of their wounds

In the middle of the night, the door made of thick wooden planks was pushed open from the outside. A howling cold wind rushed in, scattering the ash that covered the surface of the still-burning firewood. The cold air brought in more oxygen, and the dim embers immediately brightened, casting a clear red light that illuminated the intruder's face.

The sun rose from the eastern horizon as usual

The frozen meat had already softened within the robe, yet it remained cold. Tianhao opened his mouth and, using his strong jaw muscles, tore the meat apart and chewed it slowly

That is his current sister, at least nominally speaking

Ping Jun swiftly scanned the two siblings with a fierce gaze, fixating on Tian Hao for a full five seconds. He then turned around and strode out, slamming the door with a loud "bang".

As the leader of the Rock Fortress, he rushed over immediately after receiving the news

The host's memory informed Tianhao that the visitor was named Pingjun, who was his direct supervisor and one of the "Ten Leaders" in the village

They have come... They are back! They are back!

The procession drew closer, and it became clear that there were several makeshift litters made of branches within the group. Although it was still unclear who was being carried back on them, the villagers felt as if their hearts were tightly gripped by an invisible giant hand, causing a profound sense of anxiety.

A height of around 1.9 meters is considered short among the northern barbarian tribes where the average height exceeds 2 meters. The unwashed deer skin robe is as filthy as that of others in the Rock Fortress. The intruder, in his forties, is quite robust; his arms, exposed from the front of the short skin robe, are muscular, yet he hunches his back, lacking the strength and majesty expected of a man. Particularly striking are his eyes, which constantly dart beneath his disheveled hair, filled with coldness and resentment, as well as unabashed disappointment. The intruder, in his forties, is quite robust; his arms, exposed from the front of the short skin robe, are muscular, yet he hunches his back, lacking the strength and majesty expected of a man. Particularly striking are his eyes, which constantly dart beneath his disheveled hair, filled with coldness and resentment, as well as unabashed disappointment.

Without considering factors such as bodily absorption, taste, and flavor, the energy and nutrients contained in raw meat are significantly greater than those in cooked meat

The entrance of the village, cluttered with old wooden stakes, was instantly surrounded by hundreds of men and women from the clan, leaving no room for water to flow through

The parasitic subject I have chosen is neither a white person nor a black person; his body is indeed very frail, but for now, it is the best outcome.

The wind howling outside emits a heart-stopping roar. It seems to be a devil searching for food in the darkness, wantonly depriving souls.

A young man, around sixteen years old, tall and thin, in the midst of development yet somewhat malnourished, with several pieces of animal skin wrapped around his waist, was running quickly from the direction of the watchtower at the village entrance, shouting excitedly.

He saw Tianhao, who almost woke up immediately, and Tianshuang, who was half-awake with eyes barely open, twisting his body on the pile of animal skins

If both I and Tian Shuang were to die, the one who would benefit the most would be Ping Jun

Despite being splashed with a bit of seawater, the taste of the raw meat was still quite terrible. Tianhao was not picky about food; he thought this fast meal was acceptable. He took the last piece of meat he had brought back from the leather pouch and stuffed it into the firewood pile. He gathered the hay placed in the corner of the room, leaned against it, and an indescribable sense of relaxation and comfort spread from his back, quickly extending to every corner of his body

Xuping's injuries are more severe: his abdomen is almost completely torn apart, with wounds extending outward in up to six gaps, and a piece of flesh the size of a palm is missing from the center.

The logic of the civilized era made Tian Haoming understand that in this world, as long as there are interests, conflicts will arise. The reason humans resort to the most brutal means against their own kind is that they can derive benefits that are exclusive to their individual selves from it

Although Tianhao's level of integration is low, his auditory and visual senses are particularly sharp

As for the stretcher, Fusong was well aware that the hunters of the Rock Fortress would not resort to such a thing unless they had sustained injuries that were impossible to bear.

In times of food scarcity, the distribution principles within the tribe cannot be described as average or fair. Priority is given to strong and able-bodied adult men, followed by women identified by the shaman as having a "high fertility rate". Under the premise of ensuring the continuation of the tribe's bloodline, the elderly who have lost their ability to work are the first to be consumed, followed by weak children and women

The corners of the mouth slowly curve upward, revealing a cold smile

That was the hunting team sent out last week. When they departed, there were a total of fifty-seven individuals, all of whom were the strongest and most experienced hunters in the village, but now the number of those who have returned does not match up clearly.

Half an hour later, the hunting team finally entered the village

Ping Jun's "Ten Heads" intends to starve himself and Tian Shuang to death

Tian Hao lay there motionless and calmly replied, "It's nothing, just sleep!"

Thick clouds obscured the sunlight, creating a fearsome and repulsive haze in the sky. The cold brought by the night could not be dispelled, remaining on the frozen and snowbound ground, deeply penetrating the earth, solidifying the originally soft soil into the hardest substance comparable to metal

The management model of various tribes among the northern barbarians is quite similar, with the "Ten Leaders" resembling the responsibilities of staff members in a civil affairs office or household registration police in civilized times. Typically, one Ten Leader is elected from every three households; if the number of households is insufficient, additional households may be added, with four or even five households being possible. Within their jurisdiction, all matters, big and small, must be approved by the Ten Leader. They are directly accountable to the next higher level, the "Hundred Leaders," which corresponds to grassroots officials within the tribe. Within their jurisdiction, all matters, big and small, must be approved by the Ten Leader. They are directly accountable to the next higher level, the "Hundred Leaders," which corresponds to grassroots officials within the tribe

The hunters who entered the village appeared dazed, their faces a shade of gray. They sequentially overturned the stretchers, and several rigid corpses lay piled on the cold, snowy ground, resembling bizarrely colored pieces of wood

Life is also a form of integration

Oh my! Where are the others? Where are the others?

How could even Tianfeng be injured

Night gradually deepened

... ...

In the distance, there came a series of low, mournful wails, the sound of metal striking hard objects, and the anguished cries of someone in their final moments.

The cries were filled with a distinct sense of surprise, yet there was no trace of joy; instead, there was more panic and tension. The man hurriedly crossed the main road in the center of the village, rushing into the wooden house where the leader resided at the fastest speed. Along the way, the doors and windows of each house were pushed open, revealing faces that had been startled awake from their dreams by the piercing cries, appearing lost and somewhat bewildered. After a brief moment of observation, people began to emerge from their respective homes, whispering to each other as they continuously gathered towards the village entrance. Along the way, the doors and windows of each house were pushed open, revealing faces that had been startled awake from their dreams by the piercing cries, appearing lost and somewhat bewildered. After a brief moment of observation, people began to emerge from their respective homes, whispering to each other as they continuously gathered towards the village entrance.

Since they could be abandoned at any moment, there is no need to waste more meat on the weak who might be considered food. As the leader of ten, Pingjun has ample excuses and reasons for refusing to allocate food to the two siblings.

Forty-three individuals, all tall and robust men and women in their prime. The garments made of animal hides give them a strong and rugged appearance, and their silhouettes, exceeding two meters in height, stand out prominently against the snowy expanse, creating a strong visual impact. They carry massive bows made of hardwood and bear heavy wooden spears, their faces displaying signs of fatigue and exhaustion, as if even lifting their feet from the snow to take a step forward feels arduous, with dark, frozen bloodstains marking their bodies

Under normal circumstances, this is indeed the case

Where is Ahua?

He is not a barbarian who feeds on raw flesh and drinks blood. However, his current physical condition requires a substantial amount of nutrition. Fusion is like this; if the initial fusion time is insufficient, one must spend multiple times the amount of time and nutrition to make up for it. Tianhao himself does not know how long this situation will last

He can obtain more meat

It is no longer possible to ascertain exactly when this custom was left behind. Through the memories of the host whose body was forcibly taken, Tian Hao learned that every winter, some villagers in the settlement are consumed in this manner. As an essential supplement, when spring arrives and the snow melts, it is necessary to rob more people from neighboring villages.

... ...

The code, surprisingly, has not yet starved these two little bastards!

The elderly woman seen at the village entrance must have already been killed

The sound of cursing was very low; in this extremely cold deep night, the curses that Pingjun deliberately suppressed were quickly swallowed by the wind and snow

Although this is an era completely unfamiliar to Tianhao

The flickering flames cast a glow on Tian Shuang's sleeping profile. Although her skin was stained with dirt, it was evident that she was of East Asian descent, with black hair and eyes of the same color. All of this gradually calmed the racing nerves of Tian Hao.