Chapter 354

"Who are you people!"

Qi Bai jumped down from the cart. "We’re beastmen from Beizhou, out here for trade. We need a place to shelter from the snowstorm."

The man looked past Qi Bai toward the people behind him. After confirming there weren’t too many in their group, he finally said, “Wait here.”

Qi Bai observed the beastmen at the mouth of the valley. Among their beast forms were goats, cattle, and horses. They didn’t look like members of a single tribe.

Soon, an old beastman wrapped in thick animal pelts came out, leaning on a cane.

Qi Bai said respectfully, “By the Beast God above, we only seek temporary shelter. We will leave as soon as the snowstorm passes. We hope the elder can grant us this convenience.”

Heiyao’s group had come a long way to reach this place. Night had already fallen, and there was no telling where the next shelter might be. No matter what, they couldn’t leave.

“Of course,” the old beastman replied, surprisingly agreeable. He stepped aside and said, “The Huli Mountains are the backbone of the grasslands. They will protect any kind and good-hearted beastman who passes through.”

The old beastman had spotted the giant wolf at the front of the group — a beast form so large and imposing, there wasn’t another like it on the entire grassland.

Though the locals had numbers on their side, they were clearly just ordinary horned beastmen — no match for the elite warriors in Qi Bai’s group.

The elder knew very well: whoever these people were, they were not to be provoked. Since they were still behaving courteously, it was best to go along with them and avoid conflict.

Qi Bai nodded toward the old beastman. “Thank you, Elder.”

The group followed the entrance into the valley. Along both sides of the valley were large and small natural caves, already occupied by many beastmen, who were huddled near fires, shivering in fear. When they saw Lang Ze and the others dragging carts inside, they looked on with a mix of fear and curiosity.

Qi Bai quickly realized his guess had been right — these beastmen weren’t natives of this mountain range. Like them, they had been temporarily trapped here by the snowstorm.

However, a trace of doubt flashed through Qi Bai’s eyes. In such bitter cold, why hadn’t these people found a place to spend the winter? Why were they risking travel across the grasslands?

All the caves in the valley were already occupied. Mo Lan, the white wolf, swept his deep blue eyes across the valley and eventually headed toward a spot on the outer edge.

The beastmen huddled in a nearby cave panicked. The giant wolf must be coming to take their shelter. Without the cave to keep warm, they would surely freeze to death.

But just as everyone held their breath, assuming those beastmen were doomed, the giant wolf simply passed them by and stopped at a depression in the rock beside the cave, not intending to fight for space at all.

The old beastman who had followed Heiyao’s group breathed a long sigh of relief and slowly returned to his own cave.

They parked the carts close together to block the wind and preserve warmth. Qi Bai retrieved some wooden planks from the back of the last cart and handed them out to the others.

These planks had been stripped from decommissioned carts. In this frozen landscape, usable firewood was hard to come by.

Qi Bai quickly estimated how many planks were left in the cart and said to Lang Zhan and Lang Ji, who were waiting in line, “I saw some trees on the mountain just now. In a bit, take some people up and chop some firewood.”

Lang Ji nodded in agreement, but Lang Zhan looked absentminded.

Lang Ze noticed immediately. “Something wrong?”

Lang Zhan frowned. “I think I recognize these tribes.”

Qi Bai was only momentarily surprised by this.

After all, Yinyue was a grassland tribe. It wasn’t strange for them to run into familiar clans here.

“Tribes with established territory don’t migrate in winter,” Lang Ze added, thinking of what they had seen along the way and how these people were so wary of Heiyao. “Something must have happened on the grasslands.”

When Lang Zhan saw the elders of the three clans, all of them looked at him with disbelief.

Lang Zhan had once served as the vice-captain of Yinyue’s hunting team. He frequently led patrols around their territory, so he was familiar with many tribal leaders and priests.

Earlier, he had found the elder at the valley entrance vaguely familiar. Now, seeing the others in the valley, he was certain.

Yinyue had once controlled vast lands, with many small tribes bordering their territory — including the Gela, Tuohe, and Muzi clans, who were now gathered before them.

Just as Lang Zhan could recognize them, they too recognized him.

The Tuohe chieftain exclaimed emotionally, “By the Beast God! Yinyue — the guardians of the grasslands — you’re still alive!”

The Gela and Muzi chieftains also looked overjoyed, their reactions clearly genuine.

Upon hearing the tribe names, Lang Ze remembered them as well.

Though he had been young when he left the grasslands, Lang Shun had always groomed him to be the next chieftain, often telling him stories about the tribes around them. These clans had certainly been mentioned before.

Lang Ze, now confident, chatted briefly with them and then invited the elders to sit by the fire.

Lang Ze asked, “Did something happen to your lands? Why migrate in such a harsh winter?”

Four people had come: the chieftains of Gela, Tuohe, and Muzi, along with the sole priest among the three clans.

The old Muzi priest was over a hundred years old. His back was hunched, hands trembling, and his eyes were clouded, nearly white.

“The wind direction on the grasslands has changed… The scent of war has spread across the continent. And now… they’re coming toward the grasslands…”

“I can smell the stench of blood…”

A fierce wind howled through the valley, shrieking like ghosts.

The priest’s voice was hoarse and trembling. Qi Bai felt a chill run down his back.

The Tuohe chieftain — the same elder who had met them at the valley entrance — sighed deeply.

“The ghosts of the grasslands have returned once again. They wander and raid beastman tribes, worse than ever before. The grasslands are no longer safe. We have to leave.”

“They’re not just killing and looting,” the Tuohe chieftain suddenly seemed to remember something and looked up sharply, “They… they’re looking for someone…”

Leaving Heiyao’s temporary camp, the three chieftains were still weighed down with heavy thoughts.

They had hoped the powerful Yinyue would return to protect the grasslands. But now, it seemed the ghosts’ target might be Heiyao themselves.

By the fire, Qi Bai frowned deeply.

Ever since they entered the grasslands, they’d sensed something was wrong. Along the way, they had already encountered two tribal ruins buried under the snow. Thinking back now, none of it had been a coincidence.

The grasslands were the only path from Beast God City to Beizhou. To have people aggressively searching for someone here, at this time — the timing and location were too perfect to be a coincidence.

Clearly, it was aimed at them.

But weren’t the ghosts of the grasslands the Egu tribe? Hadn’t City of Ten Thousand Bones already become Songwu City? Why had the ghosts reappeared?

“Even if Wangu was destroyed, the Egu tribe might not have been completely wiped out.”

Back then, Lang Shuo had been able to lead a group of Yinyue beastmen to escape. Who was to say that all the Egu had remained behind in Wangu?

“Don’t forget,” Lang Ze added, “In Wangu City, we only saw Egu and Lie Shi beastmen.”

Qi Bai’s heart sank. That’s right — of the four tribes Cang Shen Si could mobilize, they had never seen the Jian Hu or Hao Xiong appear. It was as if those two tribes had vanished into thin air.

And now, they were standing in the grasslands — the very place those tribes once roamed. With the Yinyue tribe gone, nothing was holding them back anymore.

Outside, the enemy likely had already laid a massive trap — just waiting for them to step into it.

“Go call Hu Qiao and Lang Ji.”

Lang Zhan turned to fetch them and soon brought both over.

“The Hong Chai tribe has now deployed a force they’ve kept hidden for years. Crossing the grasslands will be a perilous journey.”

But they were already here — there was no turning back. They had no choice but to push through.

“Our group’s goal is too obvious. The enemy likely already has us in their sights,” Lang Ze said to Hu Qiao and Lang Ji. “Take two people with you. Go ahead of us to the city. Mobilize the army. Put the entire city on alert.”

Lang Ji and Hu Qiao thumped their chests in unison. “Yes!”

Qi Bai added, “Your safety is the

most important.”

Traveling with the main group meant they could encounter enemies at any moment. But traveling alone on the snowfields was just as dangerous. Either route was a gamble with death — but Heiyao had no choice but to face both.

Hu Qiao clenched his fists. “Don’t worry. Finding paths is my specialty. I’ll get this guy safely back to the city.”

Lang Ji glanced sideways at Hu Qiao but said nothing. So what if he was good at finding paths? No one on the grasslands could match a Yinyue beastman.

Qi Bai chuckled and shook his head.

Hu Qiao and Lang Ji — one was the best at scouting and navigating, the other a seasoned general skilled in every kind of warfare. They were the perfect pair — yet always seemed oddly out of sync.

The snowstorm lasted two days and nights. On the third night after they entered the Huli Mountains, it finally stopped.

Though the snow had delayed their advance, it wasn’t all bad. With snow up to dozens of centimeters deep, all traces of Heiyao’s movements were now completely covered.

After the snow stopped, Hu Qiao and Lang Ji set out. Heiyao’s group would also resume their journey.

Qi Bai looked at the still-confused people in the valley and said to the three chieftains:

“Head north. Migrate to Heiyao City.”

---

Sacred Mountain Market.

News of the disturbance in Heiyao City had quickly spread at the market. But after a divine envoy from the temple personally came to explain that it had been a misunderstanding, people’s attention shifted elsewhere.

This divine envoy had come to the market to distribute rewards to each city.

Based on how many offerings each city had contributed to the Beast God, the central temple would grant rewards — most commonly salt. That’s also why no one traded salt at the Sacred Mountain Market. Competing with the temple would be asking for trouble.

After loading the salt into animal-hide sacks and tying them up, Ni Li looked once more toward Heiyao’s camp, then turned and led the Yi people away from Sacred Mountain.

They weren’t the only ones leaving. Many other cities also departed at the same time.

No one noticed that in one corner of the market, a cloaked group of beastmen entered the Songwu camp.

Ji and Zhao bowed respectfully. “Divine Commander.”

The guards stepped aside to make way for the cloaked figure. When the hood came off, it was revealed to be Fu Shen Si.

“Have you noticed anything unusual at Sacred Mountain these days?”

Ji replied, “Many warriors have left the mountain.”

“Do you know why?”

Ji and Zhao exchanged glances and answered, “It might be related to Heiyao City.”

Fu Shen Si smirked. “Not bad — at least you're not completely useless. Take all the warriors of Songwu, head to the grasslands. Do not participate in any wars. Just get there and wait for my orders.”