Chapter 5, Ominous Appearance

I hope such a welcome can intimidate the other party, forcing the scoundrels of the Snow Wolf Tribe to leave quickly

In fact, just as Chang'an had departed, the leader of the Snow Wolf Tribe arrived in grand fashion with a group of people.

What a beautiful and well-behaved good child

At this moment, one must transform into a half-beast, engaging in a contest of martial skills with weapons. In the orc's armory, even in the height of summer, an eerie chill pervades the air. The items hanging within are imbued with a metallic scent, each a genuine weapon capable of surpassing mere claws and fangs.

The children were not yet of the age to follow out for hunting, having never seen blood before, and were momentarily stunned by the sight. Chang'an seized this opportunity, leaped up, and grabbed the little beastman's head, biting down on his ear. The little beastman began to cry loudly, thinking that his ear was about to be bitten off

Chang'an straddled his neck, pressing a small saw against his throat, gripping the tender down on his head, and said in a hoarse voice: "If there is another time, I will cut your throat!"

He was confused and did not quite understand what these people were doing. He only had a gut feeling that they meant no good, so he fixed his gaze fiercely on the hands of those people that were lingering around Zheyan's waist and hips. Silently protected by Zheyan, he moved forward, thinking to himself: "If only I had a knife, I would chop you all up."

Even a half-invalid like Zheyan, who usually never leaves the house, was required to lead the way out to Chang'an.

Of course, Chang'an did not have such great strength and could not pierce through, but it still drew blood on the spot

While the orcs' transformation into beasts is indeed powerful, it becomes disadvantageous when they encounter larger opponents with sharper teeth

Since the beginning of the records from Chang'an, Zheyan has continuously informed him that there is a person named "Hua Yi" who has silver beast patterns on his hands and saved his life. In the future, when he encounters him, he must repay him no matter what.

However, he does not even have a knife for chopping firewood, and he has gone to great lengths to secretly hide even the small saw blades. At home, Zheyan never allows him to do such rough work as chopping firewood, as if firmly believing that he has noble blood, and that even a seemingly frail sub-beast can become some kind of master craftsman.

One must live well, Zheyan thought, as he reached out to press his hand against his chest

Just now, a small orc, relying on his ability to transform, brought a group of little lackeys to trouble Chang'an. However, although Chang'an usually does not like to talk or cry, his temper is not as good as it seems.

In Chang'an, a solitary figure moved skillfully and quietly into the forest, his small feet treading softly on the ground. He evaded the fierce beasts within the woods and navigated through dense thickets that towered above him, arriving at the training grounds of the warrior hunters

At this thought, Chang'an felt that standing here with these people was rather dull, so he gently tugged at Zheyan's hand and whispered, "I need to urinate"

Although the wise words still remain, his eyes have long ceased to function properly. Even from a slight distance, he can hardly make out a person. Through layer upon layer of people, a fleeting glance is all it takes, and how could he possibly recognize that half-witted young lad who once helped him hunt down a prey in those days?

He touched a large sabre, which was nearly one zhang long, arrogantly lying in the center of the armory. With an iron handle and a thick spine, it felt cold and eerie to the touch. On the back of the blade, there was a small, uncleaned bloodstain, resembling a ferocious beast.

It is unfortunate that, from this perspective, the fate between Chang'an and this lifesaver has not yet arrived. The first time was because he was too young to remember, and the second time, the other party came to his door, yet they ended up missing each other.

Strangely, this little fellow in Chang'an, who does not even possess the shortest and thinnest of knives, stands among them without the slightest discomfort

He still has to raise Chang'an

The leader of the Vulture Tribe is rather unimpressive. On the other side of Yufeng Mountain, there is not as much snow as on the side of the Snow Wolf Tribe. The Vulture Tribe is located in a valley, where the snow and ice melt early each year, giving way to the warmth of spring and blooming flowers. Both the game and food resources are significantly better than those on the Snow Wolf side.

His palm touched the cold iron hilt of the knife, and a chill coursed through his body. However, Chang'an seemed to have encountered something delightful, becoming extremely excited, with a hint of flushed pink appearing on his cheeks. He lingered on the hilt for a long time, rubbing against it reluctantly, then stood up and walked around it three or four times before turning his attention to other things

Chang'an has been sent to the carpenter as an apprentice for more than two months. The carpenter does not indulge him like Zheyan; instead, he enjoys directing him to do this and that every day, teaching him nothing.

He plunged a small saw blade, stolen from a carpenter, into the hand of the little beastman, delivering a sudden and lethal blow

He was unable to control himself and transformed into a beast, rampaging and clawing, intent on throwing Chang'an down. Chang'an was tossed about, feeling dizzy and on the verge of vomiting, yet he possessed a reckless determination, holding on tightly, riding on the little beast's neck, biting its ear, refusing to let go.

The Snow Wolf Leader had long been eyeing that territory, but was hindered by the prior agreement between the two tribes to not interfere with each other. He had always been racking his brains to find a pretext to start a war and seize that land for himself. Now, however, he has come up with a rotten idea of gradual encroachment—marriage.

However, he had no strength in his hands, and before long, he was panting and sweating profusely. Yet, it seemed as if this was the most enjoyable game he had ever played in Chang'an, and the more exhausted he became, the more excited he felt.

How could Chang'an be so short? From his perspective looking up, how could he not see those adults secretly doing something they thought was hidden?

In the end, he picked up the shortest and lightest, already discarded and rusted blade, and skillfully climbed out of the window. In the training ground of the courtyard, he began to mimic the movements of the person he had been secretly observing, performing with a semblance of skill.

In the tribe, there are some individuals who hold a disdain for philosophical sayings, particularly the three wives of the leader, which naturally influences the next generation. None of the children are willing to play with Chang'an, and behind his back, they concoct various unpleasant remarks, sometimes even throwing stones at him.

Chang'an emerged from the grass, circled twice in the area where people usually trained, and suddenly, for some unknown reason, developed a bold and audacious idea, panting as it squeezed through the window into the armory

The little orc and his small followers did not take such a sickly little sub-beast seriously. While the little orc was pushing Chang'an backward by poking his shoulder and cursing with the derogatory phrases he had learned from adults, Chang'an unexpectedly retaliated.

The leader of the vultures was well aware of his wolfish ambitions, but since the two tribes had been on good terms for a long time, it was impossible to refuse them even as guests. Therefore, as if facing a formidable enemy, throughout that entire day, no one in the vulture tribe was allowed to attend to any serious matters. All able-bodied men, whether they were sub-beasts or beastmen, had to go out to welcome them, putting on a show of a grand reception.

He arrived at the place with boundless enthusiasm and hope, only to find that not a single person was there. It was then that he remembered that everyone had gone to welcome the Snow Wolf Tribe, which made him even more disappointed

Fortunately, Zheyan noticed the injury at the corner of his mouth, but out of guilt, he did not ask. The man protected Xiao Chang'an with his only arm, walking at the back of the crowd. When someone inappropriately reached out to touch him, he silently endured it, not making a sound, as if fearing that the child might find out.

Chang'an nodded slightly, smiling at him without reservation, and nimbly slipped out of the crowd, running away in a flash

Chang'an had just gotten into a fight, and Zheyan could see that the child's mouth was swollen. This child was naturally prone to injuries and did not take well to them; even a slight bump could easily leave him covered in bruises.

The neck is not so easily severed, yet the little orc, who was pressed to the ground, truly believed that this fellow was capable of such an act

The little orc's ears are a weakness, and soon blood began to flow profusely. In pain, he rolled on the ground, exposing his belly

At that moment, suddenly, someone nearby exclaimed "Eh," and a figure stumbled at the foot of Chang'an, falling to the ground along with his sword. However, he did not appear flustered; instead, maintaining his position on the ground, he turned his head and discovered a middle-aged orc standing there with a small basket on his back, clearly not a member of the tribe

Chang'an sat beside the large sabre for a while, and a look of deep envy appeared on his usually pale face, which rarely saw the color of blood. He even reached out his hand and grasped the long handle of the sabre, but his hand was too small; he could barely wrap it around a section, let alone lift the hefty weapon.

Only after his adversaries dispersed in a rush did Chang'an circle behind the large tree. With a loud splash, he emptied his stomach, feeling a sharp pain in the bruise at the corner of his mouth. Nevertheless, he still felt a sense of relief in his heart... He was just a bit afraid of being scolded by Zheyan.

Once again, Chang'an seized the opportunity— the belly of the orc is its weakest point, and it must never be exposed to the enemy. Chang'an curled his body and fiercely struck with his bony kneecap. The little orc let out a howl of pain, emitting a pitiful whimper from its throat, completely at a loss against Chang'an.

Moreover, the carpenter's work truly cannot pique the interest of a six-year-old boy. However, upon realizing that this is for his own good, Chang'an silently accepted it. He felt that learning these things was not a bad idea after all. The only trouble was that he could not frequently go up the mountain to watch people practice their swordsmanship.

Zhe Yan glanced at him and found that as soon as this little thing met his gaze, it immediately dodged away, clearly unable to fabricate a lie convincingly. He then smiled gently, tapped him on the forehead, and instructed, "You can play, but don't run too far, don't get into fights with others, come home by yourself in the evening, and do it early. Do you understand?"

Zheyan felt a tightness in his chest, bent over, and began to cough softly. Every time he coughed violently, he always sensed a fishy taste in his throat, suspecting that he had contracted some illness. Therefore, he never dared to cough in front of Chang'an, fearing that he might transmit it to him—he could only hurriedly send him to the carpenter.

However, they are still completely dominated by that incompetent leader, impoverished to the point of being destitute, and even afraid to bring a few beastly men from the leader's side back to their own homes, displaying a complete lack of ambition.

The children had never seen such a desperate fight, and thus, from this point on, Chang'an miraculously achieved a victory of one against ten, winning a great triumph!