Hei Fengnian could not understand why Shi Da Hu had recovered so quickly.
He had originally planned to kill Shi Da Hu, shake the Great Lake Village villagers' resolve, and leave them without a pillar to lean on. That would make it easier to exploit and annex them.
He had not expected Shi Da Hu to survive.
But it did not matter. At worst, he would simply kill him outright this time.
Holding an axe, Hei Fengnian swept his gaze coldly over Shi Da Hu and the villagers.
"News from the major tribes says that the disaster years have arrived, and they will only grow worse. Even the major tribes may disappear. Small villages like yours can only survive by merging with our Black Mountain Tribe."
"I'll give you one last chance. Either submit to our Black Mountain Tribe and hand over the required food every month, or we'll take action by force—kill the men and carry off the women!"
The undisguised threat reached the ears of everyone in Great Lake Village.
Shi Da Hu raised his weapon and cursed furiously, "You bandits! You don't want to merge and coexist at all—you clearly want to exploit us! Do you take us for fools?"
Hei Fengnian sneered. "So what if I do? The strong devour the weak. That is the law of the world. Since you refuse, then die!"
He swung his axe and ordered the people behind him, "Attack! Kill every resister! Leave none alive!"
The faces of the Great Lake Village villagers changed abruptly.
Though the other side had only a little over twenty people, they were extremely powerful—enough to crush their entire village.
Just as a great battle was about to erupt, an angry shout came from the horizon.
"Stop!"
The furious rebuke exploded beneath the vault of