The Portal of Wonderland

Chapter 140 - The Tribe of the Heavenly Wolf

Bowing to Sand Sun from a distance, Sand Girl caught a fleeting glimpse of Shi Mu sitting beside her father. She stood on her tiptoes, then sprang into the center of the square with a single step, moving lightly and gracefully, like a swallow. The people watching clapped and shouted out encouragements for her to continue.

The musicians on both sides began to play stringed instruments and drums. Loud and melodious music resounded over the land.

As Sand Girl was dancing, the clear sounds of silver rings flowed with her pace as her slim figure kept moving with the music. Her skirt floated in the air, and the scene of her dancing in her red dress resembled an blooming flower, especially when her smiles blossomed as she tilted her head and concealed her large bright eyes under her beautiful eyebrows.

As the drum boomed, the red skirt was expanding and contracting according to her fluent movements. Her body looked just like an opening azalea flower, so bright and attractive that it was beyond description.

When the music finally stopped, the train of the skirt, which she was holding, suddenly fanned apart, like a rising sun, outshining the stars in the sky and casting shadows onto all where were there.

The barbarians burst out in applause, especially the young men, whose eyes were shining greedily as they gazed at Sang Girl as if they were drunk.

“Brave Warrior Mu, how do you like my daughter’s dance?” Sand Sun stroked his short beard, full of pride for his daughter.

“Sand Girl was did very well, and I have never seen such a beautiful dance.” Shi Mu praised sincerely.

Sand Sun laughed loudly, raising his bowl of wine and drinking it all in one gulp.

It was the the ceremony for the Raven God, but it also belonged to the tribesmen, who had worked hard for another year.

All the tribesmen were wishing happiness to each other, and drinking happily. There were young men and women walking into the square, singing and dancing, while accompanied by musics of the barbarian style. Many people were already drunk, their faces red...

The revelry ended late at night. In the big tent, Sand Star was drunk and unconscious, but Sand Girl was still sober, just a little red-faced, apparently having drank alot as well. She was tirelessly taking care of her drunk brother.

After she had taken Sand Star into the inner room and wrapped him in a fur blanket, she headed to the other room, where the lamps were still glowing. Sand Sun and Shi Mu were having a jovial conversation.

Sand Girl stared at the light blankly, sinking into some thoughts. Then she suddenly blushed and turned to another room.

At the same time, in the lit room, Sand Sun sat, knee by knee, with Shi Mu.

Though they had both drank a lot of strong wine, yet they were only slightly red-faced and did not seem to be drunk.

“Shaman Sand, I want to thank you and your people for your cordial treatment. I felt the warmth of the Flying Raven tribe, but I still have important personal affairs to deal with, so I will leave here tomorrow. I simply wanted to bid farewell to you first.” Shi Mu finally clarified his intention for coming after chatting for a bit.

“Brave warrior Mu, I can guess that you are not an ordinary man and that you must have very important things to do, so I will not urge you to stay. You must intend to go to the Poisonous Snake Tribe, right?” Sand Sun did not show any surprise, but only sighed lightly and asked him.

Shi Mu nodded solemnly.

“From here to there is more than five thousand kilometers, and you will have to cross the black desert, which starts a mere fifteen kilometers away from our village. This desert is very large, taking even the strongest man more than three days to get across. Besides, there are many poisonous sand scorpions. They can bite you before you know it. ” Sand Sun warned him, “But the sand scorpions are afraid of Fragrant Roebucks. They will avoid approaching you once they smell a Roebucks, because there is a fragrant ball in each of the male Roebucks, which sends out a certain kind of fragrance. Take the fragrant ball with you to keep the scorpions away. I will ask my daughter to be your guide tomorrow and the two of you can find and kill a Roebuck.” Sand Sun added after some thought.

“Thank you, Shaman Sand.” Shi Mu replied gratefully, feeling the warmth in Sand Sun’s words.

At the same time, the tent’s door rustled softly.

“Is that Sand Girl? Come in.” Sand Sun looked at the door and frowned.

The door curtain was opened, and Sand Girl stepped in, her face a little pale. She had a serving tray in her hands.

There were two cups and a teapot on the tray. But somehow water had been spilt on it. Sand Girl’s hand was scalded red.

“Father, brother Mu, this is tea of the sand chestnut, which can neutralize the effects of the alcohol.” Sand Girl placed the tray on the table, glanced at Shi Mu, and quickly left the tent.

Sand Sun remained silent, a slight frown on his face.

Shi Mu also sighed in his mind, and then bid Sand Sun goodbye and left without drinking any tea.

……

Early the next morning, when Shi Mu had just got up, there was someone outside his tent.

He walked out of his tent and saw many people standing outside. Sand Girl, Sand Star, and several dozen other young barbarians, who he had gotten along well with these past few days.

“Brother Mu, I had heard a lot of things about you from my father. Recently, the climate in the desert has been changing a lot, and the number of Fragrant Roebucks has decreased, so it may be difficult to catch a male one. We are all here to help you.” Sand Girl said, her head lowered. She was not looking as natural as usual.

“Consider this our send-off party for you.” Sand Star said, with a simple smile.

Shi Mu mind went blank when he saw the honest and kind-hearted faces of the barbarians. Quite a complex feeling welled up in his mind as he recalled the hospitable entertainment he had enjoyed these past few days.

“Well… Thank you!” He smiled, knowing that, at this moment, a simple, genuine smile was better than flowery words.

After they had made all the preparations, they left the tribe and went out hunting.

On a high platform in the tribe, Sand Sun and a hefty barbarian with golden curly hair stood, watching the receding forms shoulder by shoulder, and following them with their eyes until the figures receded into small black spots near the horizon.

Eventually, even the black spots themselves disappeared from their view.

“It seemed that Sand Girl has quite a good opinion of Mu. Why not try to persuade him to stay here?” The barbarian with golden hair turned his head as he said this.

Sand Sun forced a smile and, shaking his head, said, “I also would prefer for him to stay here, but it is impossible. Shi Mu cannot be an ordinary person and he has quite a bit of ability. He must be a key person of some big tribe. How could he want to stay in our poor tribe?”

“If so, why did you let your daughter accompany him to hunt the fragrant Roebuck? It will only make her more sad in the future.” The man with golden hair asked, full of confusion.

“Rest assured. She is very strong-willed, even stronger than many of the males in our tribe. She can deal with it.” Sand Sun sighed and replied.

“The Holy War has lasted for several years, but the big tribes seem to have gotten nothing but losses.” The golden-haired barbarian changed the topic as he saw it was too sad for Sand Sun to go on.

“War will only bring death and sadness. It will never bring people any happiness.” Sand Sun cast his sorrowful eyes to the horizon. Apparently, he did not agree with the Holy War, led by the Belligerent Barbarians

“Well, I heard that there were some scouts seen near our tribe, and you know that wild wolves can be more terrifying than tigers. We must pay attention.” The golden-haired barbarian suddenly thought of something and said.

“OK, I will let our people know and order them be careful when they are outside of our tribe. It would be best not to invite trouble on ourselves.” Sand Sun frowned and nodded.

After chatting for a while, the two stood up and began to get down the platform when they suddenly saw a billow of smoke and dust in the distance. It looked like a dragon was flying straight towards their tribe.

“It is….” The golden-haired barbarian trembled as a bad premonition crept up in his heart.

Sand Sun strained his eyes to see what was out ther. His eyesight was much better than the golden-haired man. Soon, he figured out it was dozens of horsemen running in the dust, followed by more many foot soldiers. A flag with a savage black wolf head on it was floating vigorously in the wind, held by one horseman in the front.

“Oh No! It’s the men of the Heavenly Wolf Tribe!” Sand Sun cried in a serious voice.

The golden-haired barbarian’s face became grave, as if he had just heard the worst news in the world.

“Hun Han, rally our people, right now! We will soon have some uninvited guests.” Sand Sun’s voice was still serious and he wore a gloomy face.

The golden-haired barbarian nodded and jumped down the platform.

As clarion call sounded out, and the tribe fell into a mess as they panicked.

After a while, all the adult males had assembled outside the tents, weapons in their hands. They had about a hundred and fifty people, and most of their weapons were made of bone or stone. Only a few of them had weapons made of iron.

Before long, the dust had approached them.

The first of the wolf-riders stopped in front of them, as their huge wolves roared threateningly. After them, there were more than a hundred soldiers, all glaring at the people of the Flying Raven Tribe.

The riders of the wolves were surrounded by the aura of totem energy. Apparently, they were all Totem warriors.

In front of the people of the Flying Raven Tribe, Sand Sun wore a most gloomy expression as he saw the scene.

The only other two Totem Warriors in their tribe, Hu Han and another barbarian wearing a golden earring on his right earlobe, were standing at his side.

“Sand Sun, have you become a sand rat in the desert these years, hidden in your nest and not daring to go outside?” A lanky barbarian, with fierce and treacherous eyes, urged his wolf to step forward, and spoke with a sardonic sneer.

The power of his Totem was much stronger than the others’, revealing his consummate stage of the Houtian realm strength.

Sand Sun stepped forward, with a black wooden stick in his hand, and spoke loudly:” Fei Du, you hideous wolf, what have you come to our tribe for?”

The barbarian sneered again when he glanced at Sand Sun, and said, ” I am in no mood to catch up with you. In fact, we are acting according to the instructions of the Great Shaman, in order to crush the humans. Now I requisition a thousand kilograms of rice, ten jugs of your best wine, and the best ten horses in your tribe; all in the name of the Holy War!”

Just as his voice fell, all the people of the Flying Raven Tribe, standing behind Sand Sun, wielded their weapons and roared loudly.

The Flying Raven Tribe was not wealthy. In fact, they lived quite an impoverished life. Even if they could bring out the requested stuff, it would cost them all they had.

“This, so-called, Holy War was started by you Belligerent Barbarians. It has nothing to do with us Peaceful Barbarians. We will not lay our fingers on the spoils of your war, so equally, keep away from our stuff! You will not take anything from us!” One young barbarian, in the front of the crowd, shouted angrily.

A fierce light shone in Fei Du’s eyes and he raised the whip, seizing one arm of the young barbarian with lightening speed, and attempted to drag him out.

In no time, Sand Sun’s figure darted forward, and a black beam shot up and cut the whip in Fei Du’s hand in half.

The young barbarian’s body slumped heavily to the ground and two of his tribesmen hastily stepped up to help him.