Chapter 1, The Tengu Eats the Moon

Lu Qiuyuan murmured softly: "Lu Fei, he has become a father, how quickly time passes by"

Behind the young man stood a man and a woman in their fifties, who were none other than Lu Fei's parents

Two natural disasters followed one after another, causing great harm to humanity

The war lasted for ten years, and the world experienced a drought for ten years as well. More than one hundred seventy ethnic groups on the land of Huaxia were exterminated by this war, leaving only about one hundred twenty ethnic groups, all of whom were valiant and skilled in battle

Lu Mingjie is sixty-seven years old this year, the eldest son of Lu Qiuyuan. He is still relatively strong and primarily responsible for taking care of Lu Qiuyuan

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years have passed. The withdrawal of the human race has brought them relative stability; as long as they do not enter the mountains and forests, the beast race generally will not take the initiative to invade

Thus, over the course of twenty years, droughts and floods have frequently erupted, adding a touch of brutality to the already chaotic final years of the wilderness.

The following year, floods ravaged the land, inciting both divine wrath and public outrage

Lu Mingjie stood on the second floor and glanced a few times, then turned to Lu Qiuyuan and said, "Dad, it is someone from the Lu Fei family who has come over carrying a child"

Among the three, the youngest appears to be in his twenties, handsome in appearance, and of good character, holding a newborn baby in his arms

However, during this tumultuous era of competing clans, a legendary story rapidly spread across the land of China, thus becoming renowned throughout the ages and celebrated overseas

Pingxi Village is located between Canglu Mountain and the Nu River, with mountains at the back and water in front, providing fertile land. It is home to more than 800 residents, all of whom share the surname Lu. They migrated here 1,200 years ago and have since settled in this area, continuing to thrive through generations.

A gentle breeze wafted in, the cold air of the Nu River enveloping Lu Qiuyuan, as if it were transporting him back to the past

At that moment, a gap suddenly appeared in the round moon in the sky, causing Lu Qiuyuan's body to tremble. His slightly squinted eyes widened abruptly, and his lips quivered incessantly

In the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the war among the three tribes of humans, beasts, and birds has escalated into a heated phase lasting for two thousand years. Hundreds of races have fought desperately for food and water sources, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties over three years, culminating in the devastating War of the Great Drought that shocked future generations

Tonight, once again, the orange-yellow full moon hangs high in the sky, illuminating the waters of the Nu River in a silvery sheen

Among them, the losses suffered by the Beast Tribe and the Winged Tribe were the most severe, while the Water Tribe and the Human Tribe fared relatively better, yet were also forced to leave

Behind the wooden chair, Lu Qiuyuan's son, Lu Mingjie, stood quietly beside him. Seeing the cold wind approaching, he could not help but advise, "Dad, it's getting chilly, let's go back inside"

Lu Mingjie said: "Look in that direction, it seems that the woman from the Lu family is giving birth."

As a result, the wars among the hundred tribes gradually diminished. Apart from the conflicts that were necessary for the competition over food, the tribes coexisted harmoniously in their daily lives, with occasional friction being a rare occurrence

Lu Qiuyuan fell silent for a moment and said softly, "Just in time, I also want to take a look at the newborn child"

This battle was fought to the point where the heavens darkened and the earth trembled, the sun and moon appeared dim, the entire realm mourned, and the rivers ran dry

In those years, during the War of Drought, when disasters were frequent, the ancestors of the Lu family, in order to avoid the calamity of bloodshed, resolutely led more than sixty family members away from the Yellow River basin. They undertook a long journey to the foot of Canglu Mountain by the Nu River, and over the course of a thousand years, their descendants increased to more than eight hundred, becoming a prominent clan in the vicinity.

Gently turning his head, Lu Qiuyuan asked, "Whose child is crying?"

After enduring a decade of severe drought, the people of the hundred tribes are once again suffering from the devastation of floods, lasting another ten years

In order to prevent incursions from the Beast and Wing races, the Human race has established fences in the surrounding areas. Although these fences cannot effectively block the attacks from the Beast race, they can serve as a warning mechanism

At this moment, the torch had approached the wooden building. Moments later, three adults brought a newly born infant to the second floor, respectfully greeting and saluting Lu Qiuyuan.

Time slowly slips away, and I do not know how long has passed. The full moon in the sky gradually disappears, leaving only the pitch-black night.

Lu Mingjie noticed something unusual about his father and quickly asked, "Dad, what’s wrong?"

Currently, Pingxi Village has as many as 300 wooden houses arranged in a circle, resembling a wooden castle. In the center stands a two-story wooden building, home to the clan leader Lu Qiuyuan of the Lu family, who is now 93 years old and has reached his twilight years

Lu Mingjie said: "Lu Fei is already twenty-three years old this year. His woman is from the neighboring village, the Zhou family, and she is very beautiful. It is said that Lu Fei took her away from someone else."

Lu Qiuyuan chuckled, "That kid is really quite bold. But that makes sense; beautiful women must be pursued aggressively, otherwise there is simply no hope."

Lu Mingjie smiled and was about to say something when suddenly torches lit up in the northwest corner of Pingxi Village, and a few people hurriedly walked this way

As the patriarch of the Lu clan, 93-year-old Lu Qiuyuan is not only highly respected and knowledgeable but also proficient in music theory. He is regarded as a talented individual within a radius of a thousand miles and is deeply admired by his clansmen

Lu Qiuyuan nodded slightly, his expression quite peculiar, remaining completely still, entirely lost in thought

They were forced to migrate, their communities dispersed, leaving the mountains and arriving in the plains, where they began farming and hunting, no longer competing for territory with the Beast Tribe and the Feather Tribe

This year, Lu Qiuyuan's health has significantly declined, and he is no longer able to get out of bed. He can only sit on a wooden chair, gazing at the mountains and the moon all day, waiting for the summons of the divine.

Lu Qiuyuan remained noncommittal, shifting his gaze to the full moon, his dim eyes revealing a hint of parting sorrow

Lu Qiuyuan sat quietly on the wooden building, gazing at the distant mountains. Under the night sky, it resembled a wild beast, intently watching Canglu Mountain.

Lu Qiuyuan said nothing and raised his hand to point at the sky

The night is dreamlike, and time has drifted away

At that moment, a sudden cry of a baby came from the northwest corner of Pingxi Village, causing a stir throughout the village and awakening Lu Qiuyuan, who was deep in thought

In the following millennium, various ethnic groups developed independently, with their populations increasingly growing. Their territories appeared increasingly insufficient, and the demand for food became ever greater, leading to the imminent outbreak of a new conflict over resources

Gazing at the distant mountains, Lu Qiuyuan said: "Born in autumn, dying in autumn, the full moon hangs high illuminating the nine provinces. Coming to seek, leaving to seek, for whom do we seek in our coming and going? Mingjie, my time is limited, just let me see this last full moon."

In the final years of the primordial era, the world faced a great drought, and the various clans fought fiercely, all for the sake of water sources

Upon hearing this, Lu Mingjie showed a hint of worry on his aged face and said softly, "Then let’s watch a little longer. Once the wind picks up, we will go inside."

Lu Mingjie raised his head in response, just in time to see the crescent moon with a gap, and he exclaimed, "The celestial dog devours the moon"

Unknowingly, it has already reached the third watch of the night