Sleepless Night

Chili Mu possessed Immortal Child Potential, and the news soon spread throughout the entire stockade. Everyone was plunged into delirious joy.

It had to be understood that White Dog Stockade existed not because of the Hunting Team, nor because of White Dog, but because someone from the stockade had entered Skull Mountain and become a cultivator.

To become a cultivator, one needed an Immortal root. Those who possessed one were exceedingly rare. Every year, Skull Mountain sent people to inspect the Eighteen Villages, and one important task was to search for spirit children with Immortal Child Potential.

It had been over sixty years since Man Xiongmu was discovered to possess Immortal Child Potential. In all those sixty-odd years, White Dog Stockade had not produced a single person with Immortal Child Potential.

In fact, this was the norm. Even in a large stockade like Crimson Blood Stockade, with over a thousand people, it was difficult for someone with an Immortal root to appear even once in a hundred years.

Crimson Blood Stockade now had three people on the mountain. That was an exceedingly rare occurrence.

Among the Eighteen Villages under Skull Mountain's jurisdiction, White Dog Stockade was the smallest. The largest had more than ten thousand people. Altogether, the Eighteen Villages had a population of nearly one hundred thousand.

Within a thousand-li radius, there were only one hundred thousand people. The most fundamental reason was that surviving in this Savage Jungle was simply too difficult.

Whether it was ferocious birds and fierce beasts or demons and ghosts, any of them could bring total disaster upon these stockades.

At its peak, White Dog Stockade had also numbered over a thousand people, but a single Demon Calamity could leave the stockade suffering heavy casualties.

This was the fate of the people of Southern Border...

Although Skull Mountain had cultivators, they regarded the Eighteen Villages merely as one of the resources within their territory, using them to recruit spirit children with Immortal roots. Thus, they provided only limited protection.

Only the cultivators born in the Eighteen Villages would offer more help to the ordinary people in the stockades.

With Chili Mu possessing Immortal Child Potential, together with Man Xiongmu, White Dog Stockade would be able to secure a higher standing on Skull Mountain. With the protection of two cultivators, the stockade would surely enter a period of rapid development over the next several decades.

This sent the entire stockade into a frenzy. Whether it was the slaying of the python that was nearly a demon, Man Xiongmu's arrival after becoming a Patrol Envoy, or Chili Mu possessing Immortal Child Potential, each was a joyous occasion for the entire stockade.

One joyous event after another sent the entire stockade boiling.

Even the Chieftain brought out his treasured Horn Wine. Food was scarce in the stockade, and even maize was precious; only in years of abundant harvest would some be taken to brew wine.

Most of the wine brewed this way was sealed and stored inside ox horns. Yet now, the Chieftain brought out every horn of wine he had treasured over the years, cooked the python meat, and began a lively bonfire feast.

The Patrol Envoy's arrival meant they no longer had to worry about the Hundred Beast Yin Spirits at night. They could sing and dance before the bonfire to their hearts' content, enjoying fine wine and delicious food.

When night fell, the yin wind raged, the Hundred Beast Yin Souls prowled through the darkness, and the roars of fierce beasts rang to the heavens, filling ordinary people with a terror that rose from the depths of their souls.

However, Man Xiongmu took a black pennant the size of a palm from his robes. It was covered in densely packed Blood Incantations.

He tossed the black pennant into the night sky. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a huge banner floating in midair, its black fabric thrashing violently in the yin wind.

Yet when the Hundred Beast Yin Souls saw the banner from afar, they immediately detoured around it, not daring to approach at all.

Everyone in the stockade witnessed this scene. Though they knew full well that Man Xiongmu was one of their own, many still knelt and bowed in awe.

Such methods were like those of an immortal or a demon. Even the Hundred Beast Yin Souls had to retreat before them—how could anyone not feel awe?

The bonfire blazed. After Man Xiongmu used the banner, there was a brief silence, but soon a thunderous cheer erupted, and the atmosphere once again grew scorching hot.

Even the usually calm and rational Guxiong Mu drank until his face was flushed crimson. The reason his father had named him Guxiong back then was that he hoped his son would grow into a fine man like Man Xiongmu, who had once been taken into Skull Mountain.

Although he had not become a cultivator, he had led the clansmen in hunting through the jungle, ensuring they no longer went hungry.

As the wine took hold, his eyes reddened. Looking at Man Xiongmu, he seemed to remember his own father...

The Chieftain pulled Man Xiongmu over to drink with him as well. The two had been close playmates in childhood. Since Man Xiongmu had gone up the mountain, he had descended only a handful of times over the decades, and each visit had been hurried.

Only now, after becoming a Patrol Envoy, did he have the qualifications to remain in a stockade for an extended period.

As they drank, the two reminisced about the past. The Chieftain's aged face glowed red in the firelight.

"Man Xiong, this may be the last time we meet. I'm too old now. I can already feel my ancestors calling me."

"But now that you've become a Patrol Envoy, and Chili possesses Immortal Child Potential, the stockade will surely grow better and better."

"Now I can finally rest easy..."

Man Xiongmu looked at the aged face of his childhood companion. He wanted to offer some words of comfort, but he could not force a single one out.

Birth, aging, illness, and death were the Principle of Heaven's Will for mortals. Only those with Immortal roots had the right to become cultivators and Seize Life from Heaven.

Remembering the carefree days of his childhood in the stockade, as well as the cruel life after arriving at Skull Mountain, he abruptly drained a mouthful of wine and cursed under his breath. No one knew what he was cursing.

"Drink! Drink!"

Laughter and merriment, furious curses and tears—every aspect of mortal life, strange and uninhibited, filled the entire stockade.

Even Chili Mu's grandfather was helped to the bonfire. Someone carried over a bamboo chair so the old man could sit and enjoy the fine wine and food.

The old man took a sip from his cup. Watching Chili Mu chase White Dragon around the bonfire in playful pursuit, his gaze gradually grew hazy.

"My child, Chili possesses Immortal Child Potential. Before this, I had always worried that if I were gone while she was still so young, how could she survive?"

"But now I can finally rest easy!"

He sipped the wine in tiny mouthfuls. At some point, his face grew redder and redder, as if he had returned to his youth.

He looked at Man Xiongmu and the Chieftain, at the drunken Guxiong Mu, at Chili Mu and White Dragon, at the other clansmen, and at the blazing bonfire. Then he let out a murmur: "How wonderful!"

"This wine is truly wonderful..."

The whole night was filled with revelry. Everyone vented their hearts' content, and many became drunk. They had not even drunk that much. Perhaps it was the atmosphere—people became drunk without the wine.

But when dawn began to break, Chili Mu carried Wu Tian to her grandfather. Her little face was flushed, and after making merry all night, she was somewhat tired as well. Tugging at her grandfather's sleeve, she said, "Grandpa, Grandpa, I'm tired. Let's go home..."

But she called several times, and the old man did not answer.

Wu Tian curled up in the little girl's arms. Through the wind, he had already sensed that the old man had long since stopped breathing. Even his body had grown somewhat cold.

At first, Chili Mu did not realize it. But when her grandfather remained motionless, she seemed to understand what had happened.

At some point, two streams of clear tears rolled from her eyes and shattered against Wu Tian's snow-white fur.

"White Dragon, Grandpa just fell asleep, right?"

"He must be too tired. Let's take him home."

"Grandpa, you must be too tired. Let's go home, okay?"

Feeling the cold tears fall onto his body, Wu Tian gently rubbed his head against the little girl's chest.

"Woof, woof~"