"Screee!"
The Green Scaled Eagle, watching from nearby, was so excited that its feathers trembled.
It could feel that the life force within the three eggs had become more powerful and noble than ever before.
It immediately prostrated itself on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to the Willow Tree, its eyes full of gratitude.
"Go on."
Ye Xuan waved a hand and smiled calmly.
"Go into the Great Wilderness and catch some fresh prey. Bring it back to nourish your children and add something to the village's meal."
The Green Scaled Eagle gave an excited cry, spread its wings, and soared into the sky.
It was brimming with energy now, eager to catch every Fierce Beast on the mountain and repay the favor.
Night fell.
The aroma of meat filled Stone Village, along with cheerful laughter.
But mixed in with the laughter were bursts of miserable wailing.
"Smack! Smack! Smack!"
"Waaah! I won't do it again! Dad, I was wrong!"
"Grandpa, stop hitting me! My butt's going to split open!"
In one corner of the threshing ground.
The Little Rascals, who had just thought of themselves as heroes, were now bent over their parents' knees, their pants pulled down as the soles of shoes came down on their bottoms.
They had sneaked into the Great Wilderness and provoked a Green Scaled Eagle, nearly getting themselves killed.
There was no escaping this beating.
Though Shi Yunfeng's heart ached, he steeled himself and used a small wooden stick to "loosen the skin" on Little Shi Hao.
"That'll teach you to run off! That'll teach you to show off!"
"Grandpa Chief, I was wrong... Waaah..."
Little Shi Hao lay across Shi Yunfeng's lap, crying, yet he still couldn't help staring at the pot of Suanni meat simmering nearby.
Ye Xuan sat not far away, holding a golden, glistening roasted Suanni leg. He munched away happily as he watched the scene.
Desolate Heaven Emperor getting spanked.
What a sight.
If he could record this and auction it off Above the Heavens someday, he could probably trade it for several Quasi-Immortal Emperor weapons.
"This is childhood."
Ye Xuan sighed and took a big bite of meat.
Delicious.
The next few days were rather peaceful.
Ye Xuan settled in Stone Village. Every day, he either cultivated beside the Willow Deity or instructed the village's Little Rascals.
One day, the setting sun was as red as blood, staining the endless mountain ranges of the Great Wilderness a deep crimson.
Evenings in Stone Village should have been the liveliest time of day.
Usually, the hunting party would return with the carcasses of enormous Fierce Beasts slung over their shoulders, singing ancient chants as the children cheered them home.
The village women would set up their big pots and boil water, preparing to welcome their menfolk.
But today, a deathly silence hung over the village entrance.
The wind blew in from the forest. It brought no smell of game, only a blood scent that made one's heart tremble.
"They're back! The hunting party's back!"
Pi Hou, keeping watch from atop the earthen platform, suddenly shouted. But there was no joy in his voice—only terror, and even a hint of tears.
"Come quick! Uncle Lin Hu and the others... They're covered in blood!"
His shout jolted the entire village awake.
Shi Yunfeng's hand trembled as he prepared medicine, and the spoon fell into the pot.
Ye Xuan, who had been sitting cross-legged beneath the Willow Tree, comprehending the Suanni Treasure Art, abruptly opened his eyes.
A cold glint flashed as his Double Pupils opened and closed.
"Something's happened."
Ye Xuan stood up and, with a flicker of his figure, appeared at the village entrance.
The sight before him made his expression darken instantly.
The hunting party had returned.
But they hadn't come home in triumph. They were fleeing for their lives.
Not one of the dozen or so burly men could stand up straight.
They supported one another, or were carried on their backs, shuffling into the village one step at a time.
Every one of them was wounded. Blood had soaked through their hide clothes and dripped from their trouser legs, leaving vivid red streaks across the yellow earth.
At the front was Shi Linhu, captain of the hunting party.
This tough man, who could usually lift a thousand-jin boulder with one hand, was now as pale as paper, his lips cracked and purple.
His left arm hung limply at his side. It was clearly broken.
Even more horrifying, a black iron arrow was embedded in his back.
The arrowhead had sunk deep into his flesh, with only half the shaft exposed, trembling slightly with each breath.
It was the Wolf Fang Poison Arrow unique to Bei Village.
"Linhu!"
Shi Yunfeng hurried over, leaning on his cane. When he saw what had happened, his aged eyes instantly reddened.
"W-what happened? Who did this?!"
When Shi Linhu saw the clan chief, the taut string inside him finally snapped.
His legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed. Two clansmen beside him hurriedly held him up.
"Clan chief..."
Shi Linhu's voice was hoarse, as though his throat were full of sand.
"The prey... It's all gone."
"And Fei Jiao and Meng Zi... Their arms..."
Shi Linhu squeezed his eyes shut in pain and pointed to the stretcher behind him.
Two unconscious men lay there. Their entire right arms were twisted at an unnatural angle, their bones clearly smashed to pieces. Someone had broken them with brutal force.
In the Great Wilderness, losing an arm meant losing one's livelihood.
"Outrageous!"
Shi Yunfeng trembled with anger and slammed his cane against the ground.
"Treat the wounded first! Quickly! Bring the ancestral Purple Cloud Powder! And the rest of the Suanni blood!"
The village fell into chaos.
Women cried out as they rushed to their men, while the children burst into frightened wails.
Ye Xuan stood among the crowd without a word.
He walked behind Shi Linhu and looked at the iron arrow.
He reached out and gripped the shaft.
"Bear with it."
Ye Xuan spoke softly.
"Mm." Shi Linhu clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Pfft!"
Ye Xuan exerted force with his wrist, and the barbed poison arrow came free in an instant.
A spray of black blood burst out.
Green light shone at Ye Xuan's fingertips. It was the life force of the Willow Deity Method.
He pressed his hand against the wound. The green light flowed into it, instantly stopping the bleeding and forcing out the remaining poison.
Shi Linhu grunted. His complexion improved slightly.
"Tell me. What happened?"
Ye Xuan tossed aside the bloodstained iron arrow. His tone was calm, but those who knew him understood that this was the calm before the storm.
Shi Linhu took a few ragged breaths. Fury blazed in his eyes, and his teeth ground together.
"It was Bei Village! Those bastards!"
"We'd hunted a Unicorn Dragon Beast and were on our way back. Who knew the people from Bei Village had already ambushed us along the route we had to take?"
"They outnumbered us and immediately tried to steal our prey."
"That little brat Bei Feng..." At the name, Shi Linhu's eyes seemed ready to spit fire. "He was vicious! Absolutely vicious!"
"He could've killed us with one shot, but he didn't!"
"He held a bow and toyed with us like a cat playing with mice, aiming only for our joints! Our tendons in our hands and feet!"
"Fei Jiao couldn't take it anymore and charged at him, ready to fight. That brat shot him through the shoulder. Then the chief of Bei Village actually had their Sacrificial Spirit attack!"
"Their Sacrificial Spirit?" Shi Yunfeng's heart lurched.
"Yes, that old Bei!" Shi Linhu said in despair. "It stayed hidden and released only a single wave of pressure. We couldn't move at all. We could only watch as Fei Jiao and the others had their arms crippled..."
"They stole our prey and said... They said everyone from Stone Village was a coward, and they'd beat us up every time they saw us from now on."
"If we hadn't needed to return and warn you, we would've fought them to the death!"
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