Chief, don't hit me in the face

Chapter 19: Hey, the most important thing for a family is to stay together!

The forest was thick with moisture! While retreating, Xia Ye loaded an arrow into his crossbow, but after a quick glance at the earth ghosts, he decisively abandoned the idea and drew his sword to meet them head-on. The earth ghosts bore a resemblance to humans, standing about one meter tall, with gaunt limbs, sparse body hair, and deeply wrinkled, dark gray skin. Having lived in underground caverns for years, they were caked in dirt and even covered with large patches of ugly moss-like growths. Roar! A roar squeezed from the earth ghost’s throat, but because it was hoarse and shrill, it lacked any sense of intimidation; paired with its physique, it actually came across as comical. The most agile Earth Ghost darted forward, leaping high into the air and swinging its stone axe down toward Xia Ye’s head. Xia Ye gripped his dog-leg knife, swung his arm with all his might, and slashed viciously at it. ! Crack! The curved blade sliced through the stone axe’s wooden handle before swiftly striking the Earth Demon’s skull. Crack! The sound of shattering bone echoed as the force of the blow forced the Earth Demon’s eyeballs out of their sockets and distorted its facial features. Splatter! Blood mixed with white brain matter splattered across the ground. Squeak! The Earth Ghost screamed and, taking advantage of the moment when Xia Ye’s curved sword was embedded in its skull, launched a fierce, all-out attack. For a moment, the forest was filled with the Earth Demon’s heavy panting and menacing roars. Undaunted, Xia Ye withdrew his blade and thrust out with his left foot. Thud! The Earth Demon impaled on the scimitar was kicked away, knocking over another in the process. Xia Ye flipped her wrist and slashed at yet another, cutting more than an inch deep into its shoulder. Ssssh! Blood spurted out, staining the afternoon forest with a touch of death. Earth Ghosts could wield weapons—though these were limited to wooden clubs and stone axes—and posed little threat in terms of lethality. Their greatest danger lay in the toxin secreted in their saliva; if a prey was bitten too many times and the toxin entered the bloodstream, it would cause dizziness and paralysis, leaving the victim defenseless. The tribespeople called these creatures “Earth Ghosts”; they weren’t even considered savages or barbarians, but rather regarded as a kind of inferior beast. However, in Xia Ye’s view, the Earth Ghosts were a subspecies on the evolutionary branch of humanity. They’re basically dwarves—they have no sense of modesty, yet they still know to wear a grass skirt. To withstand the harsh natural environment, they learned to dig burrows and live underground. To better hide, evade danger, and hunt—coupled with exposure to sunlight—melanin naturally accumulated in their skin in ever-greater amounts. Earth Ghosts are omnivorous, with a preference for meat; if they cannot catch prey, they can survive by gnawing on tree bark, grass roots, and chewing insects. Perhaps to ensure the survival of their species, over the course of these long ages, their reproductive cycle has changed, shortening to three months. For any species, nature determines the direction of evolution! A scrawny Earth Ghost pounced on Xia Ye just as he was felling its brother, biting down on his hind leg. Yet despite its sharp teeth, it couldn’t pierce his leather armor. The other one, however, was much smarter—it darted out like a hunting dog and lunged for his neck. Xia Ye swung his left fist like a battering ram, smashing it into the earth ghost’s face. Boom! The earth ghost’s features contorted; amid a spray of shattered teeth and blood from its nose, it tumbled backward. Before it hit the ground, Xia Ye seized the moment and slashed at its neck with his blade. Crack! The neck bones snapped, and a head rolled away. Looking at the Earth Demon, whose eyes remained wide open in death, Xia Ye felt a wave of nausea rise in his stomach. He wanted to vomit—this was really no different from killing a human: shattered muscle tissue, crimson blood flowing freely, and piercing, agonized screams… The battle raged on, and the Earth Ghosts’ screams grew increasingly frantic—their casualties were simply too heavy. “I have to kill that father!” Xia Ye glanced around and saw the strongest earth ghost circling the perimeter, waiting for an opportunity to strike. It was this creature that had thrown the rocks that had struck him several times. Earth Ghosts are incredibly prolific—a single litter can produce seven or eight young. Combined with their omnivorous diet and high survival rate, this has led to a massive population; they’re nothing short of a disaster. The litter Xia Ye was facing had survived the Beast Tide and still had seven members left—a clear testament to their formidable vitality. Roar! Seeing that Xia Ye was about to charge at him, the Earth Ghost father backed away while howling, signaling the other Earth Ghosts to ambush him. Squeak! An Earth Ghost that had been slashed launched a death charge, clinging desperately to Xia Ye’s right hand and tearing at it relentlessly, preventing him from swinging his sword freely. The other Earth Ghosts immediately charged, closing the distance in an instant. Xia Ye stared at their huge yellow fangs and could even smell the stench emanating from their mouths. Unfazed, Xia Ye swung his right arm in a wide arc, smashing it into the fastest-running Earth Demon, then lashed out with his left leg like a steel whip, slamming it viciously into the second one. Crack! The second Earth Demon’s arm snapped and was torn off. Xia Ye quickly crouched down, his left hand swiftly drawing a survival dagger from his boot leg, which he plunged into the neck of the one clinging to his arm. The bronze dagger was razor-sharp; it sliced through the flesh, and with a forceful slash, Xia Ye severed its windpipe before flinging the blade away with all his might. Thud! The corpse was flung aside, and his now-free right hand swung the dagger with all his might at an earth demon. Thud! The blade sank into the flesh. The blow was so powerful and the cut so deep that Xia Ye couldn’t pull it out immediately—and another earless creature charged at him. “Tsk!” Xia Ye let go and gripped the hilt of Sijige, the sword at his waist. Whoosh! A flash of bronze-colored blade light burst forth, blindingly bright, followed by a torrent of blood spraying into the air, like a妖艳 red spider lily—blooming! Blossoming! Exuding a foul stench! The earless earth demon met a gruesome end, sliced in two by a single stroke, its entrails spilling all over the ground with a clatter, filling the air with a foul stench. “What a blade!” Looking at the “Song of the Four Seasons,” from which blood dripped without congealing—though unsharpened, it was incredibly sharp—Xia Ye couldn’t help but praise it. This was undoubtedly one of the finest weapons of this era. Seeing his children all killed in the blink of an eye, the strongest father’s face was etched with terror, and he immediately turned and fled. As long as it remained alive, it could produce another litter. Xia Ye sheathed his sword, quickly gripped his tactical axe, and pulled it from its mount. Then, stepping forward with his left foot, he leaned back, pulled his right arm back, and stretched his body—as fluid and powerful as a fully drawn longbow—before hurling it with all his might! Whoosh! The tactical axe shot forward, tearing through several green leaves and branches in its path, and with a loud thud, slammed into the Earth Demon father’s chest. Thud! The Earth Ghost Father collapsed to the ground, his entire head buried in a pile of rotting leaves. The battle was over. Aside from the agonized wails escaping the throats of a few critically wounded, dying figures, tranquility returned to the forest—though the thick crimson hue of blood lent the air a grim, menacing atmosphere. Inhale! Exhale! Xia Ye took a deep breath and looked around—severed limbs and bodies lay strewn everywhere. The entire nest of Earth Ghosts had been wiped out! After delivering the finishing blows to each of the Earth Ghosts clinging to their last breath, Xia Ye walked over to the Earth Ghost father, stepped on the corpse, and pulled out the tactical axe that had severed even the spine. “Well, the most important thing for a family is to stay together!” Xia Ye wiped the blood off his weapon. There was no point in cleaning up the battlefield—the Earth Ghosts were dirt poor, with nothing but a grass skirt to their name. Their flesh was sour-tasting, and with their hideous appearance, not even a starving tribesman would touch them. Setting off once more, Xia Ye was in high spirits, planning to use the Earth Ghosts to gain combat experience. Of course, if he encountered a large group of fifteen or more, he’d run as far away as possible. “Equipment is so important!” Brushing the grass clippings off his leather armor and examining the mud and blood caked on it, Xia Ye couldn’t help but reflect. The armor was pockmarked with claw and tooth marks, and in some places had even been bitten through. Without it, even if he’d wiped out this wave of Earth Ghosts, he would’ve been injured, which would’ve set back his future hunting expeditions. Towering trees stood on Qipan Mountain, their canopies forming a cloud-like canopy, causing darkness to fall much earlier. The forest at night was dangerous, so Xia Ye didn’t risk pressing on. Instead, he set up a makeshift camp on a windswept slope near a mountain stream. After padding the ground with leaves and whittling a dozen or so finger-thick sticks for later use, Xia Ye unfurled the marching tent. Due to limited materials, the tent Xia Ye had Mo Wu Heng make was the simplest kind: several pieces of soft animal hide sewn together into a large cylinder, with holes punched every ten centimeters along the edge. To set it up, hemp rope threaded through the holes was tied to wooden stakes driven into the ground for support; then, by pulling the rope at the top, a tent with a triangular interior was erected. Covering it with a blanket was enough to spend a warm night in the forest during the chilly early spring. After gathering some dry twigs and lighting a campfire, a wave of warmth immediately washed over him. Xia Ye took off his gloves, rubbed his hands together, and walked toward the mountain stream carrying his water bottle and lunchbox, looking for wild mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and other mountain delicacies along the way. The stream was clear and icy cold, with small fish swimming about. Xia Ye washed his hands and face, filled his water bottle, and returned. Soon, the bronze lunchbox was perched over the campfire, and he began rinsing a bronze plate thinner than a fingernail—bare and utterly devoid of any aesthetic appeal. “Once we’ve established a tribe and recruited artisans, I’ll definitely have them engrave some patterns of birds and beasts on this copper plate!” Xia Ye was making plans for the future. When he had requested this bronze plate be made, Mo Wu Heng was quite puzzled and couldn’t guess its purpose. In fact, the answer was simple: in those days, there were no iron utensils yet, so they had no choice but to use a bronze plate for grilling. Heated stones would do in a pinch, but Xia Ye didn’t want to be lugging them around. Soon, the bronze plate set over the campfire was heated through. He took out the smoked ham wrapped in lotus leaves, drew his survival knife, sliced off a few pieces as thin as cicada wings, and placed them on top. Sizzle! As the smoked ham hit the heat, it immediately curled up, and as the fat began to ooze out, a rich, meaty aroma filled the air. Whoa! Xia Ye took a deep breath, and his mouth instantly filled with saliva. Xia Ye whittled two twigs into makeshift chopsticks, picked up a piece, blew on it to cool it slightly, and popped it into his mouth. Despite the scorching heat, the flavor was indescribably delicious. “If only I had some chili powder and sauce.” Xia Ye still hadn’t found any chili peppers. When the opportunity arose, he planned to head south to look for them. In fact, the cooking methods of this era were downright crude—it was either steaming, boiling, or stewing in a pot. A variety of seasonings? Delicacies from different culinary traditions? None of that existed! “Historically, chili peppers were introduced to China from Mexico in the late Ming Dynasty; black pepper came during the Tang Dynasty; and as for cumin—I can’t quite recall—but I think it only grows in the Hexi Corridor!” Xia Ye muttered to himself, craving a cup of coffee. He’d been working hard to collect all kinds of spices, but since he’d been bedridden for years, he rarely had the chance to go out. There were still some he hadn’t found, but he’d already started cultivating a few varieties in his utopian paradise. “Once I have my own tribe, I’ll make a fortune selling spices, won’t I?” Xia Ye was about to roast a few mushrooms when he suddenly heard a thud coming from the dense forest to his right. He grabbed his crossbow, drew the string, nocked an arrow, and aimed in that direction.