"Uncle Xivide," Little Ghost called out.
The burly man at the head of the warriors spotted Liduhong, and his eyes immediately reddened. His lips trembled as he cried excitedly, "Little Ghost!"
As the powerfully built man stroked Little Ghost's head, bean-sized tears began pattering down uncontrollably. The warriors around him were all wiping their eyes, their faces filled with grief. Xivide gazed at Liduhong with deep affection. He was the Clan Leader's trusted confidant and had doted on Liduhong since the boy was small. To Liduhong, Xivide was like family.
Liduhong, who had stayed so strong these past days, could no longer hold back his tears either. "Elder Kit died too, and Big Brother Colin is missing." The more the little fellow thought about it, the sadder he became, and he sobbed pitifully. They had already made generous allowances for the hardships of this migration, but reality had proved even crueler than they had anticipated.
The grief in the warriors' eyes deepened. Elder Kit held an exalted position in the clan, and everyone respected him greatly. Colin, meanwhile, had been one of the finest of the younger generation, a potential successor to Elder Ba Fu. Both had been important figures in the village.
"Don't be afraid, Little Ghost! I'll protect you!" Xivide's voice was choked with emotion, but utterly firm. Gradually regaining his composure, he looked around, and astonishment involuntarily appeared on his face.
"Little Ghost, how did you get here?" Xivide could not help asking. He saw not a single warrior. Everywhere he looked, there were only children. This was impossible! Without warriors escorting them, these children, who had no ability to protect themselves, could never have traveled through the Jungle for so long and emerged unscathed. The warriors around him soon noticed this too, and expressions of disbelief