"Listen up, people of Stone Village! Hand over half the Suanni flesh you obtained at once. Our villages are neighbors, and life in the Great Wilderness isn't easy. Everyone who sees it deserves a share."
Just then, the people of Bei Village outside shouted these words.
"That's right! Everyone who sees it deserves a share. Give us half, or don't blame us for getting rough! Our Sacrificial Spirit came along this time too. Does Stone Village really expect that half-dead willow tree to protect you?"
Another person from Bei Village called out from outside.
"You've gone too far!"
Shi Feihu spoke furiously.
Over the past few months, they had already clashed with the people of Bei Village several times, drawing blood.
Skinny Monkey's father, Shi Shoushan, had taken an arrow in the shoulder and nearly been killed, all because the people of Bei Village had broken the rules and entered Stone Village's Hunting Grounds.
The two villages had agreed on their respective Hunting Grounds long ago precisely to avoid such unnecessary trouble.
Bei Village had a youth named Bei Feng who struck with ruthless cruelty and had wounded many of Stone Village's young hunters with his arrows.
He had also stolen game that Stone Village had hunted.
Back then, Little One had stepped in decisively and taught that vicious youth a lesson. But he was kindhearted, and instead of seriously injuring the youth, he had captured him alive.
The people of Bei Village had been forced to compromise, returning the game and offering some weapons as compensation.
After that incident, Bei Village had settled down for a while, but the enmity between the two villages had only deepened.
Now, the people of Bei Village had once again grown red-eyed with greed over the Old Suanni's corpse. They had been plotting this for a long time.
When they saw the Green-Scaled Eagle return and lie flat on the ground, they thought their opportunity had arrived.
After all, the Bei Village Sacrificial Spirit wanted the Suanni's true blood, but feared the Green-Scaled Eagle.
As for the Willow Deity, the Sacrificial Spirit had never taken that half-dead willow tree seriously.
"And that crimson treasure horn-we want half of that too!"
Someone on Bei Village's side shouted again.
"You again, Bei Village! You're getting more and more shameless. Do you really think Stone Village is afraid of you?
"I already showed you mercy last time."
Shi Hao thought of the Suanni Treasure Body and the Li Fire Demon Bull's treasure horn they had risked their lives to bring back. These people wanted to take half with nothing more than a few words. They were truly mad.
"Little child, you don't understand. With so much of the Suanni Treasure Body and such an enormous Primordial Remnant's treasure horn, Stone Village can't keep them all. If word gets out, the powerful fighters from Little Solitary Mountain Town will come swarming here. When that happens, Stone Village will cease to exist.
"Your only choice now is to cooperate with Bei Village and give us half the treasures. Then we can settle this peacefully and keep the secret together."
A young man from Bei Village stepped forward and spoke coldly.
"Despicable and shameless!"
Shi Hao had never imagined these people could be so brazen. He was still young and did not understand what it meant to stop at nothing.
"By saying this, does Bei Village intend to fight Stone Village to the death?"
Village Chief Shi Yunfeng stepped forward, his expression grave. If this matter were exposed, Stone Village really might cease to exist.
"So what if we do? Shi Yunfeng, at this point, it all depends on your choice."
The Bei Village Chief stepped forward as well.
Their Sacrificial Spirit was unwilling to strike first and wanted them to lead the attack. As village chief, he was also unwilling to start a battle. Even if they won, many people would die.
If they could intimidate Stone Village into handing over half its spoils and get them for nothing, that would be ideal.
"Bei Liqing, have you truly gone mad? What kind of rosy dream are you indulging in?
"What you're doing now violates the rules of survival in the Great Wilderness. Life is hard for everyone, yet you're courting death!"
Shi Yunfeng spoke furiously.
"To tell you the truth, our Sacrificial Spirit is about to break through. The Suanni Treasure Body and the Li Fire Bull Demon's horn are supreme treasures that can take our Sacrificial Spirit a step further. So you can only blame Stone Village's bad timing. I'm doing this to survive too."
The Bei Village Chief sighed as he spoke.
"Prepare for battle!"
Shi Yunfeng shouted. There would be no peaceful resolution. Bei Village's Sacrificial Spirit was about to break through and had ordered its villagers to act. Since they enjoyed the Sacrificial Spirit's protection, they naturally had to do their part. Making their Sacrificial Spirit stronger would give them better lives as well.
"Little One, do you understand now? Either you die or I do. That is the law of survival in the Great Wilderness.
"A powerful enemy is at our gates, and you're the village's strongest fighter. Are you willing to join me in slaughtering these bandits?"
Xiao Tian rose. He could check in at any time, so there was no need to rush. He looked at Shi Hao and called out loudly.
He stood up too abruptly, and Shi Hao's clothes, which he had wrapped around his waist, fell off. In an instant, the wind chilled his bare backside. It was terribly awkward and rather spoiled his soaring, heroic air.
If you aren't embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to someone else.
Xiao Tian silently recited the Ten-Word Mantra.
"Yes!"
Shi Hao had just witnessed the bloodshed and brutality of Savage Beasts fighting in the wilderness today. He had barely returned home and had yet to enjoy the village's peace when those shameless people from Bei Village came bullying them at their doorstep again. His anger burned, and he could not understand it.
But now that he had heard Bei Village's Sacrificial Spirit was about to break through, and the village chief had given the order, it seemed today's battle could not be avoided.
Whoosh!
Just then, a Black Iron Arrow flew toward the Green-Scaled Eagle. Bei Village was still uncertain about the eagle's condition and wanted to make one final test.
Xiao Tian stepped forward, caught the arrow in one hand, and flung it back, piercing a Bei Village man straight through the space between his brows.
"I had a hand in seizing that Suanni Treasure Body and the Li Fire Demon Bull's treasure horn too. If you bandits want to steal my belongings, we'll see whether you live long enough to take them."
Xiao Tian spoke coldly, first branding his enemies as villains. Naturally, that placed him on the moral high ground and made him one of the victims. He would not need to feel the slightest guilt about killing them.
As soon as he finished speaking, he attacked, leaping into the Bei Village crowd. Every person struck by his fists or feet had their body twisted out of shape. He used only thirty percent of his strength, yet these people still could not withstand it.
Whoosh!
A dazzling mass of glowing points burst out of the bushes, hurtling toward Xiao Tian even faster than Bei Village's iron arrows and enveloping every part of his body.
Xiao Tian shrank his body to the size of a flea and instantly evaded the attack. "Shi Hao, that brat is yours. I'm going to slay Bei Village's Sacrificial Spirit.
"If you perform well enough, I'll start teaching you a powerful treasure technique tomorrow."
"Yes."
Shi Hao immediately answered earnestly in his childish voice.
"Bei Feng, so it really was you.
"This time, I won't hold back."
Shi Hao spotted the pale-faced Bei Feng in the grass. Shi Hao had taught him a lesson just half a month ago, yet here he was again. This brat struck viciously, unleashing deadly attacks without any provocation, simply because he wanted to steal Stone Village's game.
On Stone Village's side, Shi Feihu, Shi Feijiao, and the others had already nocked their arrows and begun exchanging shots with the people of Bei Village.
Every one of them was a master archer. Some could even draw a thousand-jin Dragon-Horn Bow. Iron arrows collided in midair, sending sparks flying.
Two azure moons appeared behind Xiao Tian. One sliced toward the forest where the Wolf-Companion Beast Sacrificial Spirit was hiding. The other swept around, cutting the heads off more than a dozen people from Bei Village.
Just as he had said, these people had come to steal his belongings, so he naturally would not show mercy. He had lived in this world for seven years, reminding himself every day that he must not lose his true self, but neither could he indulge in softhearted mercy. He could not face his enemies with the mindset of his previous life. Once he struck, he would simply send them to their deaths swiftly and decisively.
(End of chapter)
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