The savages uttered a few words, and then the five savages dispersed into an arc, each holding a spear or a stick, while the savage leader drew his scimitar.
Sunlight filtering through the dense foliage shone on the blade, reflecting a dazzling white light. It was indeed an iron knife, crafted using modern techniques, and certainly not something one would expect from a primitive tribe.
Qingmu saw that the savage captain was still blowing his nose incessantly, and knew that he had smelled an unfamiliar scent, but he didn't know whether it was coming from himself or from Su Huilan.
He glanced at Su Huilan and suddenly remembered that her hypnotic ability was a kind of Fragrant Hypnosis Technique that stimulated the olfactory nerve center of the brain. Although these savages' consciousnesses were unaffected by external mental interference, this stimulation was objectively real, and their brain structure was not different from that of ordinary people. Therefore, they must have smelled this strange fragrance. Of course, ordinary people would never associate a faint fragrance with anything, but this savage captain was obviously very sensitive and experienced; he probably realized that this scent had never appeared on the island before.
Qingmu didn't know the savages' fighting strength. Without his Mental Power working, it would be difficult for him and Su Huilan to handle five savages on their own. Of course, they had guns, but if they fired, would it alert the group of savages warming themselves by the fire ahead, potentially harming the kidnapped hostages?
The hostage was their only way to learn the truth, and he was very likely a member of the expedition team. He felt he couldn't risk putting him in danger. Although Petru was on the mountain monitoring them and could shoot at any time, given his personality, he might not take the hostage's safety seriously. Unless there were special circumstances, he wouldn't rashly fire before Qingmu and Su Huilan gave the signal.
Qingmu took out the dagger he had hidden on his body, then winked at Su Huilan and pointed to the gun on her body, meaning: I'll go first, and if I'm in danger, you can shoot.
Su Huilan understood his meaning, nodded to him, silently raised the muzzle of her submachine gun, and gripped the safety of the bolt with her left hand, ready to jump out and fire at any moment.
Just as the savages cautiously approached, Qingmu was preparing to charge out and fight, a gunshot rang out from the woods ahead, and the flock of birds perched in the trees scattered and fled.
The gunshots were terrifying in the silent woods. Several savages jumped up in fright. Except for the captain, the rest of them sat down on the ground and then frantically rolled and scrambled to find a place to hide.
Then, a second shot rang out.
Qingmu recognized the direction of the sound as their destination.
Who fired the shot?
The foot they saw on the mountain, wearing a pathfinder's shoe, must have belonged to a modern human who had been grabbed by a savage. Because that spot was within the savage's field of vision, the savage wouldn't have ignored it unless the person was bound or injured and unable to resist.
Could it be that person who fired the shot after breaking free of the ropes?
Qingmu thought it was unlikely. Judging from the reactions of these savages, they were genuinely afraid and must have witnessed the power of guns. So, when savages captured a modern person, they couldn't possibly have left without searching for weapons, especially guns.
Did a savage accidentally discharge the gun while playing with it? That's possible.
But the third gunshot that followed made Qingmu deny this guess. The third gunshot came from the mountain, and because it was farther away, it was not as loud as the two shots fired by Xianqiang.
Qingmu was almost certain that Petru had fired the shot. Petru wouldn't fire without reason; something must have happened.
The savage captain was much calmer than his men. After looking around for a while and confirming that the danger was not there, he started yelling. The rest of the savages then gathered around him again and obeyed his commands.
At that moment, Petru fired another shot from the mountain.
This time, the savages did not panic. The savage captain looked solemn, pointed in the direction from which the gunshots came, and then mumbled a few more words.
The savage group split into two teams. One of them ran back the way they had come, making howling noises as he ran. Before long, the man disappeared from sight, but the howling continued to echo from the forest. From the other side of the mountain, howling noises also rose and fell, one after another, without end, carrying for an unknown distance.
Qingmu knew they were relaying a message that a large number of savages would arrive soon. But the guy was running too fast, and he couldn't stop him, so he had no choice but to let him go.
The remaining four savages, led by their captain, ran towards the valley ahead. Qingmu and Su Huilan exchanged a glance and then followed in the direction the four savages were heading.
They maintained a safe distance from the savages, and with the savages leading the way, they no longer needed to worry about traps; they simply followed the savages' footprints.
After chasing for a while, the savages ahead stopped. Qingmu smelled the faint aroma of smoke and roasted meat, knowing that they had arrived at their intended destination.
Qingmu and Su Huilan quietly approached. At that moment, the savages were in a state of shock and did not notice the followers behind them.
The branches on the fire had burned out, leaving only embers. The rising ash smoke blackened the meat roasting on the rack, but the shape of human limbs was still discernible, especially one of the arms hanging down.
Five bodies lay scattered on the ground, one of them right next to the fire, probably the first one to be shot.
The hostages captured by the savages had disappeared. Qingmu searched the surrounding trees but couldn't find the Boss Coal.
The savage captain yelled at the corpses scattered on the ground. Suddenly, the only female savage rushed over, grabbed one of the bodies, and shook it violently, muttering something incoherently, her voice trembling with sobs. The savage captain patted her back, and she turned her head, her bloodshot eyes filled with sorrow and anger, which were then overwhelmed by resentment and intense killing intent.
Qingmu guessed that the person lying on the ground was her relative, perhaps her husband, brother, or even her child.
The woman rose from the ground, raised her spear, and swung her large, drooping black breasts, howling angrily. The savages around her were also inspired by her actions, and they followed suit, raising their bows and spears and shouting the avengers' declaration in their language.
Only their captain remained calm, his cold eyes warily scanning his surroundings.
However, even though he had experienced the power of guns firsthand, he would never have imagined that such a weapon could travel a thousand kilometers and kill him across an entire valley.
A bullet flew from outside the forest, without a whistling sound or dazzling light, as if the hand of death had suddenly appeared in the void, shattering the savage captain's skull between his eyebrows with a soft thud and burrowing into his brain.
As his body leaned back and he fell to the ground with a thud, people heard the gunshots coming from the distant mountains. Across the dense forest and secluded valley, the sound echoed, like the laughter of death itself, ethereal and mysterious.