I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 445 – Cao Geng Discovered the Flying Snake Tribe Shaman’s secret
In snowy weather, Cao Geng was unwilling to go out. Just last winter, his experience searching for food outside with several tribe members in the bitter cold left a deep impression on him. The frostbite marks on his body and face still bore witness to that ordeal.
Of course, things rarely went as he hoped. Whether in his original tribe or this stronger current tribe, his words seldom carried much weight. The next day, he emerged from the cave, trudging through snow nearly covering his ankles, heading towards a distant destination.
Their first task was to find some green grass that the solitary horned monster liked before continuing toward a prominent faraway tribe. This round trip would require a long journey.
Just thinking about it made Cao Geng feel highly reluctant. Yet, he marched with the larger group with unusual vigor. At the same time, he prepared himself for the possibility of frostbitten hands and face.
However, this time, a mysterious turn of events unfolded. The Second Leader of the Tengshe Tribe, traveling with them, presented a white substance obtained through prayers to the sky god by the shaman. This substance, when applied to their skin, acted as a shield against the biting cold, a miracle they couldn’t comprehend.
As they rubbed this magical substance onto their hands and faces, marveling at the shaman’s greatness and the sky god’s kindness, Cao Geng couldn’t help but feel doubtful. He seemed to have seen this substance before.
In the past, when their tribe cooked meat soup in clay pots, a layer of white substance sometimes formed on top when the soup cooled. It looked very similar to what he was applying now. He tasted a bit and found it smooth and similar in taste.
Despite his growing doubts, Cao Geng was determined to push them aside. He recognized the vast difference between what was cooked in clay pots and what was obtained through prayers to the sky god. Yet, the resemblance was uncanny, and it left him with a lingering sense of unease.
With these thoughts in mind, the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe led them to dig up the grass that the solitary-horned monsters loved before heading toward the tribe.
For this year, the story of waiting under the tree ends here. First, because the food stored in Cao Geng’s original tribe was not enough for them to survive the winter here. Second, the tribe had a tradition of gathering together during winter.
If the food in the tribe were insufficient, they would follow the shaman’s plan and lead an attack on the tribe they had discovered earlier…
The day after Cao Geng returned to the tribe with the Second Leader of the Flying Snake Tribe, he found himself back in the snowy field. Many others stood beside him, not to attack another tribe but for the annual ritual in which the shaman prayed to the sky god for something extremely useful that greatly benefited the tribe.
Cao Geng, who had never experienced anything like this before, was deeply reverent of the occasion.
It was a communication with the sky god in snowy weather like this!
And that white substance, bestowed by the sky god, was very effective.
This wait lasted until the sky was almost dark, and the shaman prayed to the sky god all day before finally opening the blocked cave for them.
While everyone else looked at the white substance stored inside skull caps and gifts from the sky god, Cao Geng’s attention was mainly on the substance’s odor.
This smell was somewhat familiar, reminiscent of burnt meat.
In his thoughts, the layer of oil that sometimes appeared on cooled meat soup came to mind again, causing his heart to tremble suddenly…
In the flickering light of the bonfire, the shaman of the Flying Snake tribe appeared extremely tired and mysterious, accepting the crowd’s admiration and worship.
The north wind blew, lifting snowflakes over the high walls and filling the air with coldness.
However powerful it might be, it could only be displayed outside. Inside the houses, it wouldn’t affect them.
Because of the cold weather, there was more moisture inside the bathhouse, a vast expanse of white, surreal as if in a dream or fairyland.
Han Cheng enjoyed this scene most, especially with Bai Xue, his little wife, by his side.
The two genders bathed together, always thorough and clean, inside and out, truly clean.
Bathing was tiring. With her red face, Bai Xue came out of the bathhouse and lay down on the kang in the room, and Han Cheng quickly fell asleep.
But Bai Xue, with her red face, seemed quite energetic.
When Han Cheng woke up from his dream, the outside was still as dim as before he went to sleep.
The house was quiet, with no sound in the courtyard, and for a while, he couldn’t tell what time it was.
After being stunned, he looked at the heated bed and saw no trace of Bai Xue. Han Cheng shook his head and smiled. This little wife was indeed too diligent; without asking, he knew she had gone to weave cloth again.
After thinking for a while, Han Cheng’s thoughts returned to the Green Tribe.
According to his estimation, the Green Tribe should have reached its breaking point by now. Why hadn’t they arrived at this critical time? Could there have been another unexpected event?
Thinking randomly like this, what had been confident now felt somewhat uncertain.
While he worried endlessly, the leader of the Green Tribe led his people, trudging through the snow, shivering, and heading straight for the Bluebird Tribe.
They were shivering, partly because their bellies lacked food and partly because they had no extra fur; it had all been exchanged for salt with that kind of tribe.
Except for what everyone was wrapped in, there was nothing left.
Some people in previous years had taken some originally wrapped animal skins and exchanged them for salt even in order to exchange them for a little more salt.
The leader of the Green Tribe put his frozen and numb hands to his mouth and sighed. Looking back at the people behind him with blue faces and lips, he fell into regret once again.
The last time he traded for salt, he shouldn’t have gone himself!
Of course, thinking about it at this time was useless. It was better to think about how to approach that practical, wealthy tribe and borrow food from them.
Borrowing food from that wealthy tribe was the only solution the leader of the Green Tribe could think of to solve the current dilemma.
It was fortunate that this nearby tribe was wealthy; otherwise, he wouldn’t have had the courage to think about it this way.
After all, food was essential for every tribe, especially in winter.
The leader of the Green Tribe was very uneasy, worried that this trip might be in vain and that the tribe might not lend them food.
However, this unease diminished significantly when he thought of the kind and generous Divine Child.
The Divine Child should agree…