Chapter 7: Traces of Civilization

Gao Yang thought for a moment and decided to take Custod with him; this way, if anything happened, there would be someone to send a message. Thus, without further hesitation, Gao Yang quickly ran along the tire tracks with Custod.

Gao Yang found himself at a loss, helplessly watching the chief die before his eyes. This left him extremely agitated. After panting heavily and pacing in place for a few moments, Gao Yang could no longer endure it. He let out a loud roar and sprinted in the direction where the leopard had vanished.

Kusto, you stay to help Dad and Daba Li, while I go with the white child to find those white people

It is quite common for prey to be taken away; when they have painstakingly tracked down their prey, they find that the incapacitated prey has already been consumed by lions or hyenas, and at such times, they can only return empty-handed

Gao Yang, in a state of despair, said: "This is not right, it shouldn't be like this. There must be a way, there must be a way to save you. Let me think, don't speak, let me think carefully."

The distance was too close, and the situation was extremely dangerous. The leopard opened its mouth and emitted a low growl. The chief stood less than two meters away from the leopard, arms outstretched, slowly backing away, while the others, including Gao Yang, were also slowly retreating.

As the chief slowly retreated, the leopard suddenly released the antelope beneath its claws and, like a flash of lightning, pounced towards the chief

After three years of being together day and night, Gao Yang's feelings for the chieftain were very deep. Just a moment ago, everything was fine, but in the blink of an eye, he could only watch helplessly as the chieftain passed away. Although Gao Yang gritted his teeth with all his might, tears still fell uncontrollably.

After the roar, Gao Yang did not have time to explain anything to the confused Xiaoba Li and Kusto, and turned to run back to the chief's side at a faster pace

It is quite simple to discern the direction of a vehicle's movement from the tire tracks on the grass, and it is also evident that the tracks were left not long ago. If luck is on our side, we may find the convoy in no time

"Both of you be quiet, I will go by myself. Listen, if you hear gunfire, run quickly. Do you know what gunfire sounds like? Chief, you have heard gunfire, haven't you? If you hear it, leave this place and do not wait for my return. If you do not hear gunfire, wait for me here, but be careful. Do you all understand?"

It is very dangerous to compete for food with a hungry leopard, even if this leopard is old and weak, especially at such a nearly face-to-face distance. The explosive power of a quadruped animal is beyond human imagination. Even if there are five people, they should not provoke the leopard at this moment. They can only retreat to a safe distance and then approach together, which may allow them to scare the leopard away safely

Gao Yang lowered his head and followed the traces left by the leopard, running swiftly. The leopard had been struck several times, and the drops of blood from its wounds provided him with very clear markers.

The large-bodied leopard tilted its head and lunged at the chief's throat with its mouth open, seizing the chief and refusing to let go. Fortunately, the chief managed to protect his neck in time, preventing the leopard from biting through his throat.

As a carnivorous animal, the mouth and claws of a leopard carry a multitude of bacteria and viruses. Whether bitten by its teeth or scratched by its sharp claws, regardless of the size of the wound, it is absolutely fatal if there are no antibiotics available

Gao Yang knew that catching up to the leopard would be of no use, yet he still wanted to find that damned leopard, to kill it and avenge the chief. Only in this way could he feel a little better.

The chieftain was somewhat moved, and after a brief moment of hesitation, he finally nodded.

The marks appearing on the grass are tire tracks, or rather, tire imprints, and it is evident that they were not left by a single vehicle, but rather by a convoy of at least four or five vehicles. This long-lost trace left Gao Yang momentarily unable to believe his eyes

Gao Yang fell to the back, and he saw very clearly that it was a leopard that pounced on the antelope. However, at that moment, the chief and the leopard were almost face to face. Regardless of whether the chief intended to or not, a situation had arisen where he was competing with the leopard for the prey

The chief timely protected his throat, preventing the leopard from biting through it; however, the leopard's long canine teeth left two deep puncture wounds on the right rear side of the chief's neck, from which blood was oozing. In addition, the leopard also left a row of deep bite marks on the chief's right arm

As the chief approached the antelope, suddenly a figure leaped out from the grass nearby and brought the large antelope down to the ground

When Gao Yang was excited to tell the chieftain that he had found a way to save him, he did not know how to express what he had discovered, as there was no term for tire tracks in the language of the Akuri tribe

At this moment, Cousteau exclaimed excitedly: "White child, I will go with you; if anything happens, I can help you."

The chieftain shook his head and reached out to grab the excited Gao Yang, "Do not go, you do not know what kind of people they are, they are very evil, you will lose your life."

"White child, there is no way out, the death brought by the leopard, no one can escape it"

I have discovered a trace that can lead to white people, white people like me. They have, um, strange herbs there that can save you and Daba Li. You must not leave here; wait for me while I go find those white people

In the midst of misfortune, it is a small blessing that the leopard did not bite through the chief's throat, nor did it sever the chief's major artery. As long as he can receive at least the most basic surgical intervention, the chief could stop the bleeding. However, at present, the chief can only slowly succumb to death due to excessive blood loss. Even if he is fortunate and the bleeding stops on its own, the subsequent risk of wound infection will still subject the chief to a prolonged period of suffering before he ultimately dies

Gao Yang brushed aside the chief's hand and smiled, saying, "If I am not back by this time tomorrow, you all can return on your own. Don't worry, chief, you know I am just like them; I will be fine."

Upon hearing the chief's words, Gaoyang recalled that Daba Li, the chief's eldest son, had also been injured by the leopard. This also meant that Daba Li was very likely to suffer from an infection and subsequently die

I had forgotten that you are also a peculiar white person, well then, you may go, let Cousteau accompany you, and you must be careful.

Gao Yang quickly understood why the usually elusive leopard dared to confront the five of them. This leopard was quite old, its hunting abilities significantly diminished, and it was now extremely emaciated from hunger. The immobile large antelope presented a fatal attraction to the aging leopard. The starving old leopard was unwilling to give up this food within reach

White child, stop, we cannot go now, we must take care of father and Daba Li

The chief also knew that his life would not be long. He pushed away the raised hand, slowly stood up from the ground, shook his head at the raised hand, and said in a hoarse voice: "Do not cry anymore, I am already very old. We all will have this day. Daba Li, if you are not dead, you will be the chief. If you are also dead, then let Xiao Ba Li be the chief. Alright, do not cry anymore. Let us take care of the great antelope, eat something here, and then take the meat home."

Gao Yang was filled with anger and anxiety, a chill settling in his heart. The leopard, being one of the top predators in Africa, had bitten its prey on the neck, leaving almost no chance of survival.

The chieftain covered his neck with one hand, blood continuously oozing through his fingers. Several people were already so frightened that they stood there in a daze, shouting. Only Gao Yang remained relatively calm; he ran to the chieftain's side, reached out to pry open the chieftain's hand that was covering his neck, and took a glance at the chieftain's injury

No, you run slower than I do. My name is Cheetah. I will go with the white child, and you stay here to protect the injured father and Daba Li. You are stronger than I am

The speaker is the youngest Cousteau, who is only about fourteen or fifteen years old. He is less open-minded about life and death than his brothers. After finishing his words, he finally begins to cry out loud

The chieftain had lost quite a bit of blood, his face filled with sorrow, and he wobbled as he sat down again

Seeing the chief being knocked to the ground, Gaoyang let out a loud roar, tightly gripping the hunting knife in his hand as he lunged forward. The three men in front of him also thrust their spears forward. After being struck, the leopard released its grip on the chief and lunged forward again, leaving deep five claw marks on one man's thigh before finally turning to flee.

Although he was deeply worried, Gao Yang only jogged along the tire tracks, not daring to exert himself too much. He had to control his pace to avoid burning out, knowing that he had already run dozens of kilometers today without eating anything

Dad, you will not die, you definitely will not die, wow

Gao Yang inhaled sharply, reaching out to cover the wound on the chief's neck. His mind became a chaotic mess as he desperately thought of ways to save the chief's life. However, the more he thought, the more anxious he became, for from any perspective, it was clear that the chief was doomed.

Chief, do not leave here, you all wait for me here, you and Daba Li are saved, I have discovered...

Custod's speed was much faster than Gaoyang's, to the extent that Gaoyang had to frequently call Custod back to prevent the distance between them from widening too much. In the language of the Akuri tribe, 'Bali' means lion, while 'Custod' means cheetah. True to their names, although Custod was the youngest, he indeed ran the fastest.

At this moment, Xiaobali and Kustuo finally understood what had happened and learned that the chief and Daba Li were saved, which naturally filled everyone with excitement

The shouts and footsteps behind him jolted Gao Yang out of his momentary daze, as if an electric current had passed through him. After involuntarily shivering, Gao Yang suddenly turned around and shouted hoarsely at the small Bali and Custod who were closely following him: "Go back, hurry back"

Not long after he started running, just about three to five minutes later, Gao Yang, who had been running with his head down, suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stared blankly at the marks on the grass that should not have appeared but had suddenly emerged, his mind a complete blank

The chieftain had just enough time to retract his outstretched arms and protect his neck before being knocked to the ground by the leopard