Chapter 868: Did You Eat Today?

The group sped along.

The scenery on both sides gradually changed; the sugarcane fields receded, replaced by low thickets of shrubs.

After about an hour and a half, they stepped onto a deep‑green ridge— the hill wasn't high, but it stretched on endlessly.

After walking for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Cai Tong raised his hand and pointed: "The hunting ground of the Madu Society lies ahead."

The group looked ahead; before them was a broad hillside, its summit bearing a charred plain, the ground blackened, with several burnt tree trunks lying haphazardly.

Beyond the plain stretched an even wider meadow, the grass thin and scattered, with a few patches of exposed yellow earth where it had been trampled.

At the meadow's edge, a man with loose hair squatted beside a half‑sun‑dried deer hide.

Cai Tong turned and glanced at the group: "He is Elder Ma Li'an."

Having spoken, he shouted something in a tone none of them had ever heard before.

Ma Li'an rose, lifted his head, and looked at the group.

He was tall, his upper body exposed, strong muscles bulging beneath his skin.

His deep brown eyes were gloomy; both cheeks were covered with uneven old scars, giving him the appearance of a mountain boar at first glance.

Tuan Tuan suddenly threw herself into Luo Zhenjiang's arms.

Luo Zhenjiang hurriedly tightened his hold on her and said softly, "Don't be afraid, Uncle Luo is here."

"I'm not scared," Tuan Tuan shook her head, "Uncle Luo, his face must have hurt a lot when it was injured, how pitiful."

Luo Zhenjiang felt a pang of tenderness in his heart: "My little Tuan Tuan, why are you so kind?"

If it had been another child, even if they hadn't been frightened to tears, they might have been mocked as an ugly freak.

Only you could think about whether he was in pain then.

Luo Zhenjiang bowed his head and kissed the top of Tuan Tuan's hair: "Good child."

The group dismounted, tethered their horses to a tree, and walked toward Ma Li'an.

Xiao Ze clasped his fists and said, "Elder, a pleasure to meet you."

Cai Tong hurriedly translated for Ma Li'an: "Elder, they are the Jingcheng people I mentioned to you."

He raised his hand and indicated: "This is His Highness the Seventh Prince, Xiao Ze."

Ma Li'an glanced up and down at Xiao Ze, slightly bowed his head, and placed his right palm, palm down, on his chest.

Cai Tong's eyes lit up: "Your Highness, the Madu Society's gift means they bear no ill will toward you."

"It seems Elder Ma will not speak rudely like Elder Lin Jia."

Xiao Ze nodded: "Then that's good."

Ma Li'an lowered his hand, pointed at several large stones beneath the tree, and turned to walk away on his own.

The group understood, followed him to the tree, and each found a spot on the stones to sit.

Tuan Tuan, eyes full of curiosity, looked around and pointed, "Uncle Cai, what is that?"

Cai Tong glanced and said, "That's deer hide; the Red‑haired Barbarians and the island's indigenous tribes collect this."

"I want to see it!"

Luo Zhenjiang scooped her up and said, "Come, Uncle will take you."

Xiao Ze smiled at their departing silhouettes, then turned to Ma Li'an: "Elder…"

Ma Li'an expressionlessly waved his hand, cutting off his words.

He muttered something incoherent to Cai Tong.

Cai Tong replied, and Ma Li'an twisted the corner of his mouth, showing a disdainful expression.

Cai Tong's brows furrowed.

Xiao Ningxun said, "Mr. Cai, it's fine to speak."

Xiao Ningchen interjected, "Right, speak plainly. I don't believe his words could be as harsh as Elder Lin Jia's."

Cai Tong sighed: "He asked you how many firearms you brought, how many cannons."

Everyone was stunned.

Cai Tong continued: "I told him you hadn't brought any, and this is how he reacted."

He paused: "The scar on his face was caused by a Red‑haired Barbarian's firearm."

The group suddenly understood.

Cai Tong paused: "There are many Taiyuan Natives; the Madu Society is the largest among the Highland Tribes."

"My father told me that when the first Han settlers came en masse to cultivate sugarcane fields, they clashed with the local natives."

"Later the natives were forced to retreat into the mountains."

"After the Red‑haired Barbarians arrived, the Highland Tribes fought them fiercest, but ultimately could not match their firearms and cannons."

Xiao Ningxun understood: "So they have no expectations of the Han for the Imperial Court; whether Red‑haired Barbarians or Han, to them they are all invaders."

Cai Tong slowly nodded: "Exactly."

Xiao Er glanced at the scar on Ma Li'an's face: "They fought hard back then."

Feng Zhou grew anxious: "Then what do we do? Lin Jiang still hopes the Imperial Court will come, but they have no such intention!"

The group exchanged glances and fell silent.

Suddenly, some sounds came from the forest.

From all directions, it seemed something was gathering toward here.

Ma Li'an sprang up, ran to the tree, grabbed a bow and arrow, nocked an arrow, and aimed toward the forest's depths.

"Don't shoot arrows! Don't shoot arrows! The deer are here to see me!" Tuan Tuan waved her little hands and shouted loudly.

Everyone stood up and looked back.

Tuan Tuan held aloft the token of the White Deer Division, a pristine ivory‑like antler glimmering faintly in the sunlight.

In the next moment, a doe emerged from the forest.

It poked its head out, its nostrils twitching lightly, its hooves stepping on dry leaves, making a faint rustling sound.

Immediately after, a second and third deer also came out, following behind the doe, stopping in the clearing, tilting their heads to look at Tuan Tuan.

The light brown fur flickered in the dappled tree shadows, the white spots on its body like scattered petals, spreading from the spine down to the belly.

Soon, more deer emerged from deep within the forest.

Some had fuzzy antlers, some were slender; at a glance they were still fawns, one after another, they slowly encircled the clearing.

Their brown eyes reflected the shifting gleam on the antlers, as if drawn to that pure white antler.

Tuan Tuan sat on Luo Zhenjiang's shoulder, holding aloft the antler and gently turning it.

The deer herd's gaze followed her movements slowly.

Tuan Tuan grinned: "You guys came! Have you eaten your fill today?"

Ma Li'an stared, dumbfounded.