Polishing Runes Before Battle

Shen Can was woken up from his sleep.

Huo Tang stood in the Ancestral Temple, reeking of medicinal soup, his expression extremely grim.

"Plague worms that can possess people."

"The entire tribe is silent, like walking corpses."

Hearing Huo Tang's description, Shen Can felt a prickle of unease.

Hadn't the plague already passed?

The millet shoots below the mountain were already green.

Everything was vibrant and full of life. Why wasn't it over yet?

"Where is the Fu Shan Tribe?"

Shen Can rummaged through the map and finally found the location of this tribe.

The area where the Blazing Flame Tribe was founded was on the outskirts of the southern side of the Giant Peak Mountain Range.

Despite being on the outskirts, it was still a mountainous terrain.

The mountains outside the Giant Peak Range stood one after another, with relatively flat areas divided into small sections in between.

It looked like a vast expanse of mountains stretching as far as the eye could see.

Nearby tribes didn't know the exact extent of the Giant Peak Mountain Range, but due to the towering and majestic mountains stretching east to west, they simply called it the Giant Peak.

Along the east-west line of the Giant Peak Mountain Range, there were many tribes like the Blazing Flame Tribe.

The Fu Shan Tribe was located three hundred li northeast of the Blazing Flame Tribe, even deeper into the Giant Peak Mountain Range.

"The tribal records mention plague worms that can directly control desolate beasts, but I've never heard of ones that control people," Huo Xian said with a wry smile. "Could it be that a powerful desolate beast died in the Giant Peak Mountain Range, giving rise to such plague worms?"

Three hundred li wasn't really that far. Even without wings, once they broke out, they would eventually reach the Blazing Flame Tribe.

At this moment, Huo Tang spoke, "When the heavy rain stopped, I sent Huo Shan to check on the surrounding tribes. At that time, the Fu Shan Tribe was still normal. Since no one collected the bodies drowned in the floodwaters in the deep mountains, the plague worms likely came from the mountains."

Huo Xian remained silent, continuously searching through the tribal records, hoping to find some enlightenment.

However, the tribe's poverty became apparent at this critical moment. After a thorough search, Huo Xian spoke with disappointment, "There are no detailed records, only mentions of plague worms that control the movement of desolate beasts."

"Then we should dig wide trenches outside the tribe, pour beast oil into them, and when they are trapped, ignite the beast oil and burn them all," Huo Xian suggested.

Digging pits to create traps was also a common hunting method.

"Old tribal elder, how much plague medicine do we still have in the tribe?"

Huo Xian answered without hesitation, "Enough for half a year."

Hearing that there was enough medicine, Huo Tang's heart eased slightly.

At this point, Shen Can spoke, "Tribe leader, if the Fu Shan Tribe is truly infected by the plague worms, then it's not just our tribe's problem."

In Shen Can's opinion, in such a situation, it would be best for everyone to unite.

However, in Huo Tang's view, the possibility of tribal alliances was slim. Even though the tribe's strength had improved considerably, he still leaned towards self-defense. If they tried to unite with others, not only would they lack the absolute strength to do so, but even if they could unite, it would be difficult to be of one mind. As for seeking help from the Shanghuang Tribe, perhaps the Shanghuang Tribe would be delighted to see other tribes suffer.

Seeing this, Shen Can didn't argue further. The tribe leader would lead the people to resist the possessed plague worms, while his task was to ensure the survival of his tribesmen as much as possible. Protecting the tribe was also protecting himself.

Before long, Huo Tang hurried off to make arrangements for the tribesmen. Shen Can followed Huo Xian and also began to get busy.

One by one, witch medicines were prepared and placed in wooden frames for later use.

As he worked, Shen Can's thoughts began to wander. He was now a proper witch doctor, and although he wasn't yet skilled, he had at least mastered witchcraft. For dealing with plague worms, witch medicine was only a preventative measure; witchcraft was the means to eliminate them. The tribal records only had a few dozen words, but in Shen Can's opinion, the fewer the words, the more serious the matter. He had to urgently think of a solution. The Blazing Flame Tribe was his home. If his home was gone, where could he go with his current strength? Would he abandon the Blazing Flame Tribe and become a Temple Guardian in another tribe? Don't be ridiculous. If you went to another tribe, do you think you'd be treated as a person? Even though they were all humans, in the eyes of many tribes, people from other tribes were actually slaves and sacrifices.

If you went, they would likely be overjoyed and love you wholeheartedly.

In reality, their value is less than that of women and children.

Someone with his physique and less-than-ideal talent probably wouldn't even qualify as a sacrifice.

[Deduce Plague Dispelling Witchcraft]

While working, Shen Can began his deduction.

[Although you are a low-tier shaman, you have comprehended witchcraft for over a thousand years and understand that the key to witchcraft is capturing that wisp of spiritual light.]

[You dare to imagine and dare to act, boiling witch medicine and mixing it with beast blood to create ink. Using the witch script from the Lingyu Water Control Art as a framework, you integrate them into a practical witch rune.]

[You spent three years drawing runes, all of which failed. Stubborn seeds never lose heart. Starting from the materials that could carry the witch rune, you discovered after seven years that Mountain-Cleaving Kui hide was the best carrier. You repeatedly followed your own ideas, wanting to fuse the profound spiritual light in the witch script with the witch medicine. Failing again and again, you finally managed to fuse a witch rune and witch medicine ink together. The moment this witch rune took shape, it emitted a red light, and a medicinal aroma instantly surged out before being reabsorbed. Only then did you realize that a hundred years had passed.]

[Congratulations, you have deduced your first witch rune: the Plague Dispelling Rune.]

In the ear cave, Huo Xian looked at the dazed Shen Can and got up to drape a hemp robe over him.

"Crash!"

Suddenly, Shen Can's hand trembled, scattering the medicinal herbs he was holding.

Just as Huo Xian was about to speak, he saw Shen Can quickly get up and walk out, carrying back his own pottery bowl for meals and a blood goblet.

"A-Can, what are you doing?"

"Master, I suddenly had an inspiration."

Shen Can poured a prepared batch of witch medicine into the pottery bowl and placed it on the stove to boil.

Under Huo Xian's surprised gaze, the boiling medicinal soup was poured into beast blood to make ink. He then fetched a piece of Kui hide from outside, dipped it in the medicinal ink, and began to write.

"This..."

Huo Xian was a bit bewildered.

Actually, he had experienced something similar to Shen Can's current state before.

Everyone had been young once, full of ideas when young and not thinking things through.

Recalling it now, it must have been over forty years ago, when he was still studying Witch Doctor arts with the previous generation of Temple Guardians.

At that time, he had thought that so-called witch runes were written, so why couldn't he try it?

What if he was a genius?

He tried.

The result was no. His talent lay in making medicinal balls.

Huo Xian didn't disturb Shen Can, even making his movements when preparing medicinal ingredients lighter.

Shen Can finished writing the witch script and put down his brush. A medicinal fragrance emanated from the characters.

"Master, take a look?"

Huo Xian glanced at it and felt it was quite mystical.

Could A-Can truly have talent in the path of runes?

"You try it, old sir?" Shen Can handed the brush to Huo Xian.

Looking at Shen Can's eager eyes, Huo Xian took the brush and began to write.

The ink mixed with witch medicine and beast blood would carry a medicinal scent and the fishy smell of desolate beasts no matter who wrote with it.

However, to write with mystical power depended on the person.

Huo Xian lifted his brush and finished the strokes. He found that while there was a medicinal scent, it was only similar in form to what Shen Can had drawn; the divine charm was greatly lacking.

The aura, however, was indeed similar to his medicinal balls.

"I'm getting old, old."

Huo Xian put down the brush. "It seems, A-Can, your talent in witchcraft is far greater than I, this old man, imagined. Although I don't know what this is, I can feel it has divine charm, and it might actually work."

"Ancestors' blessings."

Shen Can could tell that Huo Xian didn't truly grasp the power of the witch rune, but he still spoke to encourage him.

It made sense, really. If you just drew a rune and claimed it was real, who would believe you?

The tribe didn't even have any traditions related to that.

Unless the ancestors appeared and directly transmitted their power to you.

Shen Can went out and selected a good quality Mountain-Cleaving Kui hide. He cut it into pieces with a knife, dipped them in the prepared medicinal ink, and began drawing Plague Dispelling Runes.

Seeing Shen Can's actions, Huo Xian didn't stop him. He thought Shen Can's witch runes were pretty much the same as making medicinal balls.

It was just about making medicinal balls and preparing medicine; he could complete it with or without Shen Can's help, and he didn't want to discourage Shen Can if he had an idea.

The inside of the ear canal grew quiet, with only the occasional crackling sound of the lamp wick burning.

After drawing five in a row, Shen Can felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He stopped his brush and rubbed his temples.

He realized it was likely due to the excessive consumption of his mental energy.

"Go rest if you're tired. The medicine can't be prepared in just one day."

A few days later.

Shen Can received even more definitive news.

The Fu Shan Tribe was completely wiped out.

Huo Shan had discovered over a dozen desolate beast skeletons within their tribe.

They were from the Giant Peak Mountain Range, and along the way, their rotting flesh had corroded the soil and rocks, leaving behind traces of foul, decaying stench.

As for why the Fu Shan Tribe hadn't noticed, no one knew anymore.

After the Plague Worms had gnawed the desolate beasts dry, they had turned the entire Fu Shan Tribe into a new breeding ground.

After a period of gestation, the attached Plague Worms divided into several groups from the Fu Shan Tribe and began to venture out. One of these groups was heading in the direction of the Blazing Flame Tribe.