In August, White Mountain and Black Water was in the damp grip of the rainy season. Three straight months of summer rain had left the entire Heilongjiang river system swollen high in flood. Spring ice runs, summer floods, winter freeze-ups—the Heilongjiang had never been good for navigation. And besides the terrible waterways, travel through the dense forests of the Outer Northeast was extremely troublesome as well. Everywhere were puddles and marshes formed by the rain; one careless step, and your foot sank in.
Without question, the forest sea of the Outer Northeast at this time of year was a muddy land of difficult passage. There seemed to be countless routes through the woods, but in truth, only the sparse woodland along the rivers, only the marshland beast trails trampled out by herds, were the best choices for the various tribes to hunt, fish, and ride long distances.
Yet the best choice was often not necessarily safe. Because the wolves, jackals, tigers, and leopards in the forest sea were not frightening. The most frightening thing was the other tribes in the forest sea, beastlike as wild animals—people who walked the same roads, yet treated one another as enemies by default the moment they met!
"Motherfucking bastard! This rain keeps drizzling on and off, the whole forest's damp as shit, and the bowstrings are soft as balls! Can barely shoot a bird in the daytime, and at night we can't even find dry firewood to start a fire... Pah! Where the hell did that herd of deer we saw on the mountain go?"
Duo'er Tribe chieftain Uduwen was powerfully built, like a wild beast of the forest. At this moment, wrapped in a fur robe, carrying a heavy bow on his back and leading a Mountain Horse, he was trudging barefoot along