Chapter 308: Mana Reaction
Riding a horse was not a comfortable affair, especially without a saddle or stirrups. One had to rely almost entirely on clamping their buttocks and legs tight to command the horse.
Ordinary people couldn’t master riding in such a short time. Fortunately, the Deer Tribe had quite a few King-Chosen Warriors. Having cultivated Blood Qi, they possessed superior control over their bodies.
Like Zi, they learned to ride very quickly. Although not very skilled, in this primitive era, they were sufficient to serve as scouts.
Zi and two King-Chosen Warriors, a group of three, soon arrived near the Kam Tribe.
The fire had just been extinguished, leaving the Kam Tribe in a state of devastation. Since the Kam Tribe’s houses were mostly thatched huts, and they had stored a large amount of hay for the winter, nearly half the tribe had been reduced to ruins.
The Kam Tribe’s Chief, Kasku, was furious. Fortunately, the tribe members reacted in time, and most escaped. However, the gooseberries accumulated over several years were destroyed in a flash, and vast amounts of grain and livestock were burned to ashes. The loss was immeasurable.
Since cultivating Blood Qi, Zi’s eyesight had become extremely keen. She dismounted, covered herself in mud, and cautiously crawled closer to the Kam Tribe’s settlement.
The grief in the hearts of the Kam people was congealing, and the seeds of vengeance were burning. More and more Kam tribe members gathered around Kasku, weeping and roaring.
“We hospitably entertained Duan of the Deer Tribe and selflessly taught him the skills of the Kam people. How did he repay us? He set fire to the entire Kam Tribe! He burned our most precious epic murals to ash, and hundreds of Kam people died in this fire. We must have revenge!”
Kasku’s words galvanized all the Kam people. Turning hatred into strength, they picked up weapons, strapped on rations, and followed Kasku south.
Several fast-running Kam people had already set off ahead, seemingly to scout the situation of the Deer Tribe.
Zi slowly retreated, mounted her horse, and sent one King-Chosen Warrior back to report the news. The other King-Chosen Warrior followed her to tail the Kam people.
In just over half a day, Deer learned of the Kam people’s movements.
“We have to think of a way to lure the Kam people into the trap area!”
Deer said. They had already dug continuous deep pits, covered them with branches and haystacks, and spread a thin layer of soil on top.
“Why don’t I take some men with slings to harass the Kam people first, then pretend to be defeated and lure them here? You guys lead men to lie in ambush here and trap them in the pit area.”
Deer’s eyes lit up, but he also said with a trace of worry, “If you can successfully lure them into the continuous deep pits, and we swarm them, we will definitely win. The only problem is, can you lure all the Kam people over!”
Duan patted his chest and said, “I’ve already thought of a plan. Just give me forty of the fastest-running tribe members and two King-Chosen Warriors, and I guarantee I’ll lure the Kam people into the trap!”
Deer consulted with the chiefs of the other tribes and finally agreed to Duan’s proposal, giving him forty of the fastest runners.
Duan frowned. He recognized a few of them; they were okay at short sprints but not good at long distances.
“Chiefs, I need people who can run long distances, not short sprints. Let the tribe members run a distance together. Whoever runs fast stays with me.”
Finally, Duan rode his horse, leading forty male tribe members who were fastest at long-distance running, and headed north with the King-Chosen Warrior who had brought the news.
Duan led the group halfway and met up with Zi first, then said:
“You guys take people and pretend to ambush here. Wait until I lure the Kam Tribe people here, fire two rounds of slings, and then run for your lives.
“The Kam Tribe people might be suspicious when I first lure them. But seeing so many of you fail in an ambush, they will definitely think you are the majority of the Deer Tribe’s young and strong members. Then we can lead them, stripped of their vigilance, into the real trap.”
A hint of surprise appeared in Zi’s cold eyes. She hadn’t expected Duan’s thinking to be so meticulous.
They followed Duan’s arrangement. A group of people lay in ambush on a mound, while Duan went alone to provoke the Kam people. There were over six hundred young and strong Kam people coming for revenge. When they saw Duan provoking them, their eyes nearly split with rage.
Many roared and were about to rush forward.
Kasku narrowed his eyes and stared at Duan. He raised a two-handed stone axe and threw it with force. The stone axe swirled toward Duan, who turned his horse around and ran for his life.
“Don’t let Duan escape! Slaughter him!” a Kam man roared.
Kasku waved his hand and shouted, “Rims, take fifty men and follow him. Don’t be impulsive. If you encounter danger, blow the horn!”
The Kam man named Rims took fifty men with bows and stone axes and chased after him. In the blink of an eye, they reached the hill where the Deer Tribe members were lying in ambush.
Zi and her people appeared suddenly, throwing stones with slings to attack this group of Kam people, catching them off guard. They then simply charged down with spears.
Seeing this, Duan also turned back and dismounted. Four King-Chosen Warriors led forty people and quickly killed thirteen or fourteen Kam people. The woo-woo sound of a horn rang out.
At this moment, Kasku arrived with the main Kam force. They had no formation. Since their own people were mixed with Duan’s group, they couldn’t shoot arrows, so they simply roared and swarmed up.
Seeing this, Duan hurriedly shouted, “Run quickly! We can’t beat them!”
The forty tribe members skilled in long-distance running threw their spears backward one after another and fled in a panic.
Four tribe members couldn’t escape in time and were killed on the spot. Zi, Duan, and the other two King-Chosen Warriors mounted their horses, harassing the enemy with bows and slings while retreating.
The chase lasted for the better part of the day. Two tribe members accidentally tripped and were killed on the spot by the Kam people.
The others kited the Kam people, slowly approaching the real trap. Unknowingly, the chasing Kam people gradually became exhausted.
“Put in more effort! The Deer Tribe’s strong men are just these few. Kill them, and the rest are just the old, weak, sick, and disabled!”
Kasku roared and rushed into the trap area.
Deer and the others lying in ambush on the side waited patiently on the ground. Covered in mud, they were hard to recognize in the afterglow of the setting sunset.
Duan led his people, carefully observing the markers to run through the trap field. Thump!
Kasku fell into a deep pit trap.
Other Kam tribe members fell into traps one after another. The remaining majority of the Kam people were bewildered and uncertain. Deer waited no longer and led the crowd to rush out with stone spears raised.
Jumping up from both flanks, they attacked the Kam people’s sides first. The battle lasted until dark. Blood flowed over the ground. Only a few of the invading Kam people escaped; the rest were all killed.
The tribe members of the six tribes of the Luca Grassland cheered and hugged each other. As the bloody aura gradually rose, Ace keenly sensed something different. In this environment, there seemed to be a faint Mana reaction!
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