In primitive tribes, cannibalism is not a rare phenomenon; it is mentioned in many literary works and documentaries. Until the latter half of the last century, many tribes around the world still practiced cannibalism. The concept of morality only exists in civilized society. Before civilization, the primary task of mankind was to survive. In the face of survival, especially the survival of the entire species, morality is utterly insignificant.
Despite knowing all this, witnessing such a cruel scene firsthand was still hard to accept, even for Petru, who had dealt with those savage tribes in Africa.
Qingmu shifted his gaze back to the Crow in the tree and found that Crow had hopped onto another branch and was looking in another direction. It spread one wing, brushed it overhead, and shook its body. Qingmu saw it repeating this action repeatedly and understood that it was telling them that it had made a new discovery.
He followed the Crow's gaze and found that the area was blocked by a gnarled, large tree; he wondered what was inside.
"What did the Boss Coal see?" Su Huilan had obviously also noticed the Crow's unusual behavior.
Qingmu said, " Petru, can you see what's behind that big tree on their left? I can't see it from this angle."
Petru said, "I can't see it either... Oh, wait..." He adjusted the muzzle of his gun, "Guess what I saw?"
"What?"
"A shoe, the Pathfinder's!"
"..." Qingmu and Su Huilan immediately understood that there was someone there, and it was a modern person.
Unfortunately, the large rock protruding from the cliff was too small, and they couldn't find a better vantage point to observe more.
"It looks like someone's been captured," Petru said. "Should we rescue them?"
Qingmu said, "Save them! Of course we must save them."
Su Huilan also said, "Rescue them first, and find out what happened."
Petru said, "Alright then, have your bird come back and report. If it's just those five, I can kill them right here."
Less than a kilometer away, and with such a commanding position, it was an excellent sniping spot. Primitive people wouldn't know of a sniper's presence; when someone was shot in the head, those nearby wouldn't be able to react correctly, they would only scream.
However, the fact that they could gather here means that their tribe is not far from here. The sound of a sniper rifle can be heard very far, and if five people are killed at the same time, there will inevitably be gaps in between. It is hard to say what the consequences would be if they sounded the alarm.
The Crow is still perched on that tree, not returning to report the news, which contradicts their initial agreement.
"What happened? Why isn't the Boss Coal coming back?" Su Huilan asked.
"There must be something going on there that requires it to keep an eye on things," Qingmu said gravely.
"Alright, let's sneak over," Su Huilan said. " Petru will stay here to provide fire support. Avoid firing unless absolutely necessary to prevent the gunfire from attracting more savages. Let's figure out the situation first."
Petru took out the walkie-talkie, tested it, then put it back in his bag, saying, "There's likely strong electromagnetic interference throughout the island. Remember our established communication method; we'll have to rely on body language from now on."
Qingmu said, "Well, you'll still be in charge of the tactics. Fire when you feel it's necessary."
Petru, with a dry blade of grass in his mouth, smiled but said nothing. He knew that Qingmu's words meant he had already opened his back to him.
Su Huilan suddenly said, " Hanran, stay here. We need help here too."
Just as Hanran was about to follow them, she heard Su Huilan's words and meowed reluctantly.
Su Huilan squatted down, patting the Hanran back, and laughed, " The Boss Coal is charging ahead, and you're covering the rear. This kind of teamwork is a perfect match."
Qingmu knew that Su Huilan was still worried about Petru, but he thought it was better to let Hanran stay. In case something unexpected happened, Hanran could indeed lend Petru a helping hand.
He said, " Hanran, you stay here. If anything happens before we get there, you can catch up and send us a message."
With Hanran helplessness, he walked over to Petru, stood on the rock, and looked in the direction of the Crow, reminding one of Simba from The Lion.
Petru didn't seem to care about Su Huilan's good intentions. He lay down on the ground and reached out to stroke the cat's head. "Haha, now it's just the two of us for company! Look at your yellow fur and my red fur, we're the real pair!"
The cat let out a weak meow, lay down on the rock, and kept its eyes fixed on the distant woods.
Qingmu and Su Huilan climbed down the cliff and headed into the valley. Although they were anxious, they dared not go too fast because of the potential traps in the mountains.
Upon entering the valley, they discovered that the situation was quite different from what they had imagined. There were clear signs of human habitation; some trees had been felled, and there were traces of fire on the ground.
Su Huilan found it increasingly strange. "Judging from these traces, there are quite a few wild men here."
"You're right, there's more than one tribe here. Look—" Qingmu crouched down under a tree, "There are signs of a large-scale battle here. There are no large wild animals on the island, so it couldn't have been hunting. This area is their sensitive zone; we need to be careful."
The two continued walking cautiously forward. After a short while, Qingmu gestured for Su Huilan to be quiet and listened carefully. Then he grabbed Su Huilan's hand and hid behind a clump of bushes nearby.
Soon, the sound of rustling footsteps could be heard from ahead.
Qingmu saw a group of savages walking in formation through the gaps in the bushes. Their attire was the same as what he had seen through the telescope earlier: feathered headdresses, grass skirts around their waists, and bare torsos.
The fact that they weren't wearing animal skins confirms the assumption that there were no large animals on the island, so it's obvious what was roasting on the fire.
Most of these people carried wooden spears or sticks on their shoulders, and the leader carried a bow and arrows on his back, with a knife at his waist. The knife was similar in shape to a common curved knife, but it was unclear whether it was made of iron, as such a primitive tribe should not have iron tools.
The group also consisted of five people, but Qingmu was certain they weren't the five the Crow had been watching over by the fire, because one of them had two dangling breasts that swayed as she walked, clearly indicating she was a woman.
Qingmu could sense that these people possessed considerable Mental Power, at least stronger than ordinary people, perhaps slightly weaker than Petru. However, they clearly lacked the ability to conceal or control their power, leaving it exposed to the air like perfume on a Paris woman. It seemed that these people were born with such strong Mental Power, taking it for granted and requiring no further cultivation, as their ancestors had lived within a powerful mental energy field for generations.
Qingmu originally intended to hypnotize them, as their skill level was no match for his, and he wouldn't care even if several times more people came.
But when he tried it, he discovered that they seemed to be truly immune to Mental Power. Their consciousness seemed to feel nothing when subjected to Qingmu's strong mental interference, and he couldn't hypnotize them quickly at all.
Su Huilan and Qingmu had the same idea, but they clearly encountered the same situation.
They exchanged a wry smile. Yes, these people had lived from birth in a powerful mental energy field that covered tens of square kilometers, or even more. If they were so easily hypnotized, they would have gone mad long ago!
As the savages swaggered past, the savage leader suddenly stopped, sniffed hard, then turned abruptly, looking suspiciously at the bushes where they were hiding.