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Another night arrived, the wind howled relentlessly, and the surroundings were cold and chilly. Even the moonlight seemed a few shades grayer.
Yu Bai moved the remaining firewood and charcoal into the house, then stepped out of the courtyard.
Moments later, the sound of scooping water could be heard.
Huo Duo’er’s dark, deep eyes peered beyond the firelight, trying his best to make out the dim figure crouching in the night.
Yu Bai dipped a pig-bristle brush into the water and brushed his teeth. Tilting his neck slightly, he gargled and spat the water out with a gurgling sound.
Wiping the water off the corners of his lips, he shivered and quickly returned to the house, shutting the wooden door tightly behind him.
As soon as he turned around, he immediately met Huo Duo’er’s “gaze.”
He ran a hand through his loose hair. “What is it?”
Huo Duo’er asked, “What was Bai doing just now?”
Yu Bai explained gently, “Brushing my teeth. Just like how other orcs use twigs to freshen their mouths, but a toothbrush made from pig bristles is more convenient for cleaning.”
The pig bristles he used for the toothbrush were given to him by A’Li, so he added, “Next time, I’ll try to trade for more pig bristles from A’Li and the others, and make a toothbrush for you too.”
After speaking, he paused for a moment and softly added, “If you’d like to try it.”
Huo Duo’er nodded and replied in a deep voice, “I want to try.”
Yu Bai’s closed lips curved into a slight smile as he hugged his animal blanket and lay down on the bed.
The night wind howled fiercely. Although the roof had been repaired, providing some shelter, Yu Bai still found it too cold to sleep.
The temperature was dropping. He wrapped all his animal hides around himself, but after tossing and turning several times, the chill seeped into him. In just a short while, he caught a cold and had to sit up, coughing while still clutching his blankets.
The suppressed coughing sounds startled Huo Duo’er awake. Worried, he gazed at the dim figure in the darkness. “Bai?”
This little sub-female’s body always seemed fragile.
Soft rustling sounds followed as Yu Bai got out of bed, scooped some hot water from the pot over the fire, blew on it to cool it down, and slowly drank.
Clearing his hoarse throat, he murmured, “It’s nothing serious.”
Then, he pulled out a few dried medicinal herbs, chewing and keeping them in his mouth.
Adding a few more logs to the fire, the flames blazed higher, and the warmth quickly spread near the bed.
These days, the temperature fluctuates drastically between day and night. His body was sensitive, and if he wasn’t careful, he would immediately feel unwell.
Before winter arrived, he needed to find a way to trade for at least two more pieces of animal hide and stockpile more firewood.
With these plans in mind, Yu Bai turned his back to the firelight, pulling the animal hide tightly around himself.
In a muffled voice, he said, “I’m going to sleep. Huo Duo’er, you should sleep too.”
Feeling unwell, he didn’t want to talk much and was also slightly avoiding further conversation.
Huo Duo’er sensed his low spirits. His Adam’s apple moved slightly as he said, “Bai, if you need any help, just call me.”
After a long pause, Yu Bai gave a muffled “Mm” in response.
—
The next day, the sky was clear and cloudless. Around the tribe, yellowed leaves covered the ground, adding a touch of desolate autumn stillness to the wilderness.
Yu Bai waited until the sun was up before preparing to head out.
In the early morning, he gathered five bird eggs. He gave three to Huo Duo’er, ate one himself, and kept the last one with him, planning to eat it later if he got hungry while out.
Huo Duo’er tilted his head, listening closely. His eyes shifted slightly as he tried his best to focus on the dim figure. “Bai, are you going out?”
Yu Bai carefully applied some insect-repelling herbs to his hands, feet, and face. Then, he let down his hair, which almost completely covered his cheeks and brows.
He told Huo Duo’er that he was going out to collect firewood and look for useful supplies.
Without hesitation, Huo Duo’er said, “I’ll go with you.”
Yu Bai tilted his head up to examine him, his gaze pausing on the intricate patterns of scars and markings on his muscular arm.
“Huo Duo’er, although your injury is almost healed, it is still inconvenient for you to move.”
Huo Duo’er replied firmly, “Bai, I’m stronger than you. I can’t just let you take care of me all the time.”
Yu Bai was still hesitating when he noticed Huo Duo’er stepping closer to him.
Surprised, he asked, “You can see now?”
Huo Duo’er shook his head slightly. “I can only see a blurry shadow.”
In the end, neither of them backed down, and Yu Bai agreed to let him come along.
Before heading out, he asked Huo Duo’er to squat down. Taking the remaining insect-repelling herbs, he squeezed out a generous amount of juice and carefully applied it to Huo Duo’er’s exposed skin.
Holding the crushed herbs in his hand, Yu Bai stretched his arm upward. “Lower your head a bit more…”
Huo Duo’er bent slightly, lowering his head. Soon, he felt soft, warm fingers gently pressing herb juice onto the back of his neck.
The sub-female’s hands were small. There wasn’t much force behind the touch, yet Huo Duo’er’s heartbeat pounded out of control with each careful stroke of those fingers.
“What’s wrong?” Yu Bai noticed the slight tension in the muscles under his palm and quickly asked, “Did I touch a wound?”
Huo Duo’er replied in a low voice, “No.”
Once they were ready to leave, Yu Bai placed a wooden stick into Huo Duo’er’s palm, letting him grip it.
Holding the other end of the stick, Yu Bai walked ahead to lead the way, making sure to avoid uneven terrain as much as possible.
If they couldn’t go around an obstacle, he would give Huo Duo’er a verbal warning.
During the day, the deep autumn wind blew in waves, carrying a hint of chill.
The sunlight cast a bright and dry glow over the surroundings. Nearby, there were shelters and houses built from stone or wood, and the uneven dirt ground was layered with rotting leaves and fallen fruit.
Yu Bai led Huo Duo’er through the tribe, their footsteps crunching softly against the brittle leaves.
Under a tree, a group of orcs sat weaving hemp. Their grayish eyes lifted, first landing on Yu Bai before shifting to the tall figure behind him. Their expressions were filled with curiosity and astonishment.
“That giant orc actually woke up.”
“That sub-female really managed to save a giant who was that badly injured.”
Yu Bai lowered his head slightly, as if he hadn’t heard the murmuring around him. In the orc tribe, he was considered quite small. With his long hair covering most of his face, no one could clearly see his expression.
What he didn’t see, however, was the icy look on Huo Duo’er’s face. His gaze swept over the group beneath the tree, and their chatter gradually died down.
On this vast, untamed land, the law of survival was simple—only the strong thrived. In the presence of absolute power, weaker orc had no choice but to retreat.
As Yu Bai led Huo Duo’er forward with the wooden stick, the orcs exchanged glances before finally exhaling in relief.
The orcs recalled the sharp gaze of the giant warrior and dared not discuss Yu Bai any further. Instead, they silently continued weaving their hemp ropes.
—
Yu Bai led Huo Duo’er along for more than two quarters of an hour before arriving at a mountain ridge where the orcs often gathered firewood.
Most of the easily accessible resources around the tribe had already been collected. With the dwindling supplies, they needed to venture deeper into the wilderness.
Crossing a riverbank, they startled a flock of mountain birds that had been drinking water. The birds screeched sharply, flapping their wings as they scattered into the sky.
Catching his breath, Yu Bai looked around and noticed a large number of fallen branches and logs on the opposite bank. That would make gathering firewood much easier.
He picked up another stick in his free hand, just in case they encountered small wild animals along the way.
However, as they reached the base of the mountain ridge, Yu Bai’s entire body stiffened, as if nailed to the ground. He didn’t dare take another step forward with Huo Duo’er.
Behind the tree canopies, two black jackals stared at him.
A cold sweat broke out instantly across Yu Bai’s back, and his grip on the wooden stick became damp from his clammy palms.
He pressed his lips together and was about to speak—
But before he could, the black jackals suddenly tucked their tails between their legs and bolted into the withered grass, disappearing into the distance.
Yu Bai, his legs weak, staggered back a few steps.
Huo Duo’er reached out to steady him. “Bai, are you alright?”
Yu Bai shook his head and lifted his arm to wipe the cold sweat from his neck.
Still shaken, Yu Bai said, “There were two black jackals hiding behind the treetops just now. Luckily, they ran away.”
After speaking, he frowned in confusion. “Why did they run as soon as they saw us?”
Huo Duo’er reached out, his palm searching until it landed on Yu Bai’s shoulder. He gave a light pat.
“Don’t worry.”
Yu Bai turned around and looked up at the giant behind him.
He had to admit, compared to being alone in the mountains, Huo Duo’er’s presence made him feel safe.
Taking a deep breath, he relaxed and told Huo Duo’er to stay put while he went to gather fallen wood. Using vines, he tied the bundles securely.
One bundle after another, Yu Bai collected all the available firewood in the area, stacking them into small mounds.
While gathering, he unexpectedly stumbled upon broken eggshells hidden in the grass.
Sniffing the remnants of egg fluid, he carefully searched further and was surprised to find two nests full of wild bird eggs.
The eggs felt cool to the touch—there were more than twenty of them.
Yu Bai quickly tore off a handful of vines and wove a makeshift basket, carefully placing the wild bird eggs inside.
“Huo Duo’er, I found wild chicken eggs!”
Chicken eggs were highly nutritious and much larger than bird eggs. If they rationed them properly, these eggs could last for several days.
The tribe primarily ate reared boar meat, and Yu Bai had grown used to it. But now, having stumbled upon a new ingredient, he couldn’t help but swallow in anticipation as he spoke.
Carrying the basket of eggs, he walked over to Huo Duo’er with a bright smile. Mid-step, he suddenly paused, realizing how dirty his hands were. He quickly clapped the dust off them.
“I think I might’ve gathered too much firewood.”
He glanced guiltily at Huo Duo’er. “I might need your help.”
The piles of wood were quite heavy. With his build and strength, moving just one stack back to the stone house would take him over ten trips.
If they worked together, they could reduce the number of trips significantly.
Huo Duo’er shook his head slightly, his unfocused gaze seeming to “look” at the mountain-like piles of firewood.
“Is that enough?”
Yu Bai nodded. “Yes, if we store it properly, it should last us through the winter.”
Just as Yu Bai finished speaking, he suddenly noticed Huo Duo’er lifting his tattooed arm.
The giant murmured in a low voice, and the intricate totem patterns covering his arm seemed to shift. The colors deepened, as if pulling Yu Bai’s gaze into them.
Then, the ground trembled. Something was moving—fast. There were sounds beneath them.
Yu Bai’s eyes widened as he stared at the tattoos on Huo Duo’er’s hand, which seemed to come alive. A chill ran down his spine as he realized that something was approaching them.
Before he could react, vines and tree roots surged from the undergrowth, twisting and winding toward them. They coiled tightly around the firewood, binding it into a massive bundle.
The forest fell into an eerie silence. Even the birds had stopped chirping.
Yu Bai took a long moment to recover, his heart pounding wildly.
He stared at the vines, following them to their source—Huo Duo’er’s tattooed arm. It was as if he had just witnessed something beyond reason.
“T-This… what is this…?”
“The power of the giant tribe.”
Huo Duo’er’s deep voice responded as the muscles on his arm tensed. The vines, now tightly wrapped around the massive pile of firewood, moved effortlessly under his control.
Yu Bai sucked in a sharp breath, too stunned to speak for a long time.
Huo Duo’er, pulling the massive pile of firewood behind him like a mountain, gently shook the other end of the wooden stick, which Yu Bai was holding.
“Bai, the wind’s picking up. Let’s head back.”
—
As they returned to the tribe, with Huo Duo’er dragging the giant pile of firewood, the orcs working around the area paused in their tasks, turning to stare.
Their faces were filled with shock, and their pointed ears drooped as if they had seen something impossible.
The giant tribe, also known as the Mountain God tribe, was a mysterious group that never lived among other tribes.
The bloodline of the giant tribe carried the power of the Mountain God, but not every giant of their kind possessed this power.
Only the strongest among them could wield the Mountain God’s strength to hunt, protect their land, and perform other feats of strength. However…
“Sang, that giant orc actually used the Mountain God’s power to carry firewood…”
“…This giant is so strange.”
As they walked further away, Yu Bai finally spoke up.
“Huo Duo’er, they seem to be talking about you.”
Huo Duo’er responded calmly, “Don’t mind them.”
Yu Bai fell silent for a moment.
He sighed, “Your strength is incredible.”
After saying that, he glanced back at the massive pile of wood, still being moved effortlessly by Huo Duo’er’s tattooed arm. The sight sent a shiver down his spine.
But when his gaze met Huo Duo’er’s, though his eyes were blind, the warmth and reassurance in them made him feel at ease.
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