Chapter 322

Grey Feather Grandma shook her head and placed the fingernail in the palm of her hand.

The fingernail began to melt and deform, and in an instant it turned into a translucent white bone ring the size of a finger ring!

The bone ring felt warm and smooth, its surface bearing natural spiral patterns.

Everyone stared in amazement, and Tuan Tuan exclaimed again, "Grandma! You're so amazing!"

Grey Feather Grandma smiled and handed it to Tuan Tuan: "Put it on, child."

Tuan Tuan took it, slipped it onto her finger, but it was too large to stay on.

She suddenly remembered something, pulled a chain from around her neck, revealing the wolf fang that Jifeng had given her.

She untied the chain, intending to thread the bone ring onto it as well.

Grey Feather Grandma saw the wolf fang, and her pupils narrowed sharply.

She extended her slightly trembling hand and lifted the wolf fang.

"That child actually gave this to you," she said in a hoarse voice. "This wolf fang was taken when he hunted the White Wolf King; it is his most treasured possession."

She carefully fastened the chain for Tuan Tuan and personally placed it back around her neck.

Tuan Tuan smiled sweetly: "Thank you, Grandma!"

Grey Feather Grandma gazed deeply at Tuan Tuan: "Child, the eagles in the sky have lost their way. The wolves below have bloodshot eyes. Dark clouds seek to cover the sun."

"Now that you have come, the wind over the grassland has changed direction. Child, go do what you wish."

Her words left everyone looking at each other, faces blank with confusion.

Grey Feather Grandma said no more, rose slowly, walked to the tent flap, and lifted the curtain.

A few understood, stood up, bid farewell to Grey Feather Grandma, and stepped out of the felt tent.

Harichagē looked at them and asked, "Where are you going?"

Qing Qing replied, "Baihe Tribe."

"Baihe Tribe? That's still far away. I'll go say goodbye to father and mother; you wait for me a moment." After speaking, she turned and left.

Xiao Ningxun asked, "Qing Qing, who exactly is this Grey Feather Grandma?"

"She was the previous Grand Witch, and a legend of the grassland; I never expected to meet her here."

Qing Qing looked at Tuan Tuan: "I'm so glad I found you, Tuan Tuan. I've never even heard of the bone ring Grey Feather Grandma gave you."

Tuan Tuan touched her small chest where the bone ring hung and said, "Grey Feather Grandma is really kind!"

They walked back to the carriage; moments later, Harichagē slung a bundle over his shoulder, led Black Cloud over, and asked, "Shall we go?"

Xiao Ran nodded, "Let's go!"

Lu Qi and Harichagē swung onto their horses, the others boarded the carriage, and the party continued deeper into the grassland.

The carriage moved across the boundless grassland, like a small boat drifting on green waves.

Harichagē rode ahead to lead, traveling about two hours before a stretch of continuous felt tents appeared on the horizon, nearly twice the size of the Biklie Tribe's camp.

Thin smoke curled from the tent tops; the vast camp was oddly quiet.

"Huh?" Harichagē muttered, puzzled, "That's odd, why can't I hear any horse whinnies?"

Qing Qing lifted the carriage curtain and looked out, frowning: "This is Wulan Tribe."

"The finest warhorses on the grassland, seven out of every ten miles come from this tribe. Their Red Flame Horses are the mounts of Royal Court cavalry."

Tuan Tuan gasped, "Wow, they're impressive!"

"More than impressive," Qing Qing paused, "The chief of Wulan Tribe, Suhe, is Jifeng's sworn brother."

"Sworn brother? What's that?" Tuan Tuan perched by the window, "What is it?"

"It means a sworn brother."

"The two are closer than blood brothers; they swore an oath to the Eternal Heaven."

"At this time of year in past years," Harichagē stretched his body on the horse and looked around.

"The Wulan pastures should be filled with Red Flame Horses, looking like a sea of fire from afar. Why today…?"

He had not finished speaking.

A mournful horse whinny rang out.

The sound was hoarse and broken, nothing like a healthy steed's whinny, more like a dying wail.

Soon after came more painful snorts from the horses, mixed with many people's shouts.

Lu Qi said gravely, "Something's happened."

The group quickened their pace and crossed the grass slope.

The scene before them made everyone gasp in cold shock.

At the bottom of the slope lay an open pasture, normally a place for herds to gallop, now strewn haphazardly with lying horses.

These horses bore crimson coats, the famed Red Flame Horses of Wulan Tribe.

But now they all lay limp; some could barely stand, their four hooves trembling, breathing heavily.

Their eyes were clouded, intermittently emitting cries of pain.

Many herders gathered around the herd; some knelt, cradling horse necks and weeping, others held water buckets to give the horses drink, but the horses lacked the strength even to lift their heads.

An elderly man in shamanic robes crouched beside a fallen horse, chanting and sprinkling something, while the horse convulsed, on the brink of death.

In the center of the pasture, a towering man with a straight back, clad in an indigo chief's robe, stared at the scene, his face heavy with grief.

Qing Qing whispered, "He is Chief Suhe."

As soon as the words fell, the convulsing Red Flame Horse suddenly kicked wildly with its four hooves, emitting a painful wail.

A youth held its head, tears and snot smearing his face: "Hong Guo! Don't die! I still want to take you to eat the best grass!"

Chief Suhe closed his eyes, unable to watch any longer.

"Eternal Heaven!" he whispered to the sky, "Are you about to destroy my Wulan Tribe?"

How did the horse end up like this? Is it sick?

Tuan Tuan sprang forward on her short legs, tap-tap-tap down the slope, and Xiao Er hurriedly chased after her.

"Tuan Tuan, slow down!" Xiao Ningxun shouted, and together with the others he also ran after her.

The sudden intrusion of several people drew the herdsmen's attention.

Several young men rose with reddened eyes, their hands gripping the hilts of their knives at their waists.

Ha Ri Cha Gai hurried forward and quickly said a few sentences in the steppe language.

Those few people's expressions eased a little, but they remained wary, watching them.

Tuan Tuan ran straight to the nearest scarlet-flame horse.

That horse lay on its side on the ground, its belly heaving violently, eyes half-open.

Tuan Tuan crouched, reached out her small hand, and gently touched the horse's neck.

Scalding.

"Good horse!" she pressed her cheek to the horse's ear and whispered, "What's wrong with you?"

The horse laboriously lifted its eyelids and looked at Tuan Tuan.

From its throat came a few weak, trembling snorts.

Tuan Tuan's little face slowly scrunched up.

She stood up and ran over to another horse that was still standing.

That horse barely stood, its legs weak; seeing Tuan Tuan approach, it did not dodge but lowered its head and nudged her shoulder with its nose.

Tuan Tuan stroked its drooping neck and said, "Horse, horse, did you also eat that? Where is it?"

The horse leaned close to her ear and let out a few snorts.

Tuan Tuan lifted her gaze to the edge of the pasture, where several wooden troughs held stacks of brown salt bricks.

She pointed at the trough and shouted, "The horse says it's bitter, the taste is off!"

"What?" the herdsmen all failed to understand.

But Tuan Tuan had already run toward the trough, and several people hurried after her.

Ha Ri Cha Gai hurried to explain to the herdsmen gathering around.

Tuan Tuan tiptoed, clung to the edge of the trough, and brought her little nose close to sniff.

She turned her head to Xiao Ningxun: "Third Brother, the horse says it has no strength without salt, but this salt is bitter and makes them feel awful."

Xiao Ningxun's expression turned icy.

He bent down, broke off a small piece of salt brick, pinched it between his fingertips, then brought it to his nose to smell: "This salt is problematic."

"Impossible!" an old man protested angrily, "These salt bricks are dug from the old mine; we've been eating this very salt for generations!"