frightfiction Chapter 308 For the Tribe (9)
Chapter 308 For the Tribe (9)
They arrived at the Cangbei tribe close to noon, meaning they had been waiting for them for about five hours since the orcs came to deliver the message.
Jingli didn't know what the tribal chief had to do every day, but if he considered Jingli's situation very important, those five hours must have been extremely difficult for him.
Walking on the smoothest road in the village, the air was filled with the smell of cooking fires.
This is encouraging, as it shows that the orcs have mastered the use of fire and are no longer in a completely primitive state.
Along the way, humanoid or half-beast orcs would cast friendly glances at Jingli, and the bolder ones would even greet him and invite him to dine with them.
Jingli politely declined, explaining that she needed to find Zhi. The other person even kindly gave her directions so that she could find him more quickly.
Jingli has a good memory, and while Qingfeng was showing him around the tribe, 6058 quietly drew a map based on the information he had obtained. The three of them soon arrived outside the Zhidi Cave.
A fire was lit at the cave entrance, and Qingfeng and several sub-adults were busy roasting meat, while several beastmen, including Zhi and Meng, sat on the ground nearby, watching them work.
Seeing Jingli approaching, Zhi waved to her, signaling her to come over.
Yuan Maomao smelled the aroma, poked her cat head out, and was taken aback. Her eyes softened even more: "Yuan is here too."
Jingli sat opposite Zhi and released Yuan Xiaomao.
Yuan Xiaomao didn't run around. Instead, she grabbed Jingli's clothes, sniffed them from left to right, looked at Jingli, and then easily jumped between Jingli's crossed legs.
"Qingfeng said your name is Jingli."
Knowing that he should speak, Jingli nodded.
Meng had already taken out a bowl made of fruit shells and filled it with juice for him.
"I'm so glad you could come."
Knowing to continue the way.
It means that I'm very happy that Jingli chose to stay in the tribe.
When Zhi looked at him, his gaze wasn't as pure as when he looked at the cubs. Although he was smiling, he had the air of an old fox in human society, quite different from the straightforward beastmen.
Jingli became even more vigilant.
Intelligent beings will exhibit a similar state after gaining experience; of course, it is also possible that the other party's identity is questionable.
However, as of now, Keiri tends to believe that the other side is not an enemy camp.
If that's the case, there's really no need for him to maintain the status quo and struggle to support the Cangbei tribe. They wouldn't remain at the current stage where they only know how to use fire and make crude stone tools.
Jingli simply smiled and said, "Your transformations seem to be different from ours."
"Mmm," Qingfeng had just finished grilling a piece of meat. His hand transformed into a beast claw, holding a huge stone slab in the middle, and he sat down next to Jingli. "Our clan's cubs can transform into human form shortly after birth, unlike you. They have to come ashore first."
Jingli had a good impression of this slightly loud and boisterous little Asian adult and took a piece of meat that the other person had torn off.
"So, Yuan will be able to take human form soon?"
As he spoke, he tasted it.
It was surprisingly delicious.
The meat was fresh enough with little fishy smell, and the orc who cooked it was very experienced, so there was no situation where the outside was burnt while the inside was still raw.
The taste is simple, made with fruits and herbs, and the authentic, natural flavor, combined with the most basic cooking methods, fully activates the wild deliciousness.
Jingli couldn't help but take two more bites, until he felt the kitten's paws scratching him, then he tore off some more and fed it to the kitten.
Qingfeng was so happy that the food she shared was liked that she didn't even hear what Jingli asked before happily running off to grill meat.
Zhi apologized, saying, "Qingfeng is still young and acts on impulse. Just as you said, Yuan is about to take human form. If we hadn't met you, we might have missed the cub's transformation period."
Jingli nodded again.
The transformed Yuan Mao Mao should be quite similar to Chun Qi, who came with him.
"Qingfeng is a master at cooking in our tribe. He can always make delicious meat from some sour fruits and pungent grasses. Recently, he has been trying to roast leaves and soil balls. He succeeded while he was away for a few days. We can try it today."
A beastman named Zhang, who was next to Meng, chimed in. Jingli noticed a clear change in Meng's expression; he seemed somewhat proud.
Zhi opened his mouth and said, "Qingfeng is a cub of the Meng family."
Jingli nodded calmly, but was surprised by Zhi's keen insight. He had only glanced at Meng once, and Zhi had already discerned his thoughts.
Orcs should not be underestimated, whether in terms of strength or intelligence.
At the same time, he also had his own doubts.
So far, most of the orcs he has seen are male, and the few females he has seen are rather petite, and they do not seem to belong to the Flying Tiger Clan.
6058 sensed something and responded, "[That is indeed strange. Normally, the development of primitive worlds begins with matriarchal societies, because when resources are plentiful, reproduction is the most important thing for living beings. Even if the leader of a tribe is male, there should be no shortage of females.]"
However, judging from the current situation, things have not turned out that way.
However, since there was no suitable angle to delve deeper, Jingli didn't ask any more questions. She ate her grilled meat while concentrating on listening to the other person speak.
“At dawn we will take Yuan to the Tree of Life to receive blessings, and after that Yuan will be able to take human form.”
"it is good."
Jingli didn't understand these things, but since he was an outsider, he just agreed.
The smaller sub-adults who were barbecuing with Qingfeng brought over some more meat. The little guys ate as they grilled, and were already full before they even came over. After bringing all the food over, they turned into beasts and started playing in the open space.
The adult beastmen around the campfire (except for Jingli and Yuan Maomao) were quiet for a while. After exchanging a glance, Jingli clearly sensed that the other party was about to get down to business.
Jingli scooped the round-bellied kitten into her arms and gently stroked its back, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.
“Jingli, the covering you’re wearing is quite interesting.”
After a long pause, Zhi finally spoke.
Jingli's expression remained unchanged: "Well, unlike you, I only have scales, not fur."
“Hmm,” Zhi took a sip of juice, “some intruders have similar coverings.”
The atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Zhi put down the nutshell: "Meng told me that you can manipulate natural forces, such as thorns growing and heavenly fire burning. Invaders have also used these methods."
“Besides that, you also have those strange things, very sharp and hard, protective shells that are even stronger than fur.”
"If it weren't for the scales that were clearly visible during the battle, Meng wouldn't have let you go."