Chapter 1181: Fierce Beast Takes the Lead

The Danque Tribe was shrouded in anger.

Tribesmen being slaughtered and taken as barbarian slaves was no different from provoking the Danque Tribe's prestige.

The Tie Shugu Tribe was a third-grade tribe in the "Vermilion Bird" mountain realm, with medium strength, not of the same lineage as the Danque Tribe, and acted with cruelty and greed, so there were often frictions and battles in daily life.

But previously, battles were battles, slaughter was slaughter; they would not be like today, wantonly slaughtering the people of small tribes and taking Danque Tribe members as "barbarian slaves."

This was a highly "humiliating" act.

It also touched the Danque Tribe's bottom line.

Everyone in the Danque Tribe was discussing killing the thieves of the Tie Shugu Tribe, an eye for an eye, blood for blood.

Dan Zhu was the same.

He sympathized with the victims and was equally furious at the shameless and cruel Tie Shugu Tribe.

But this matter was not his to intervene in.

His father had never allowed him to engage in external warfare, slaughter, or battles with other tribes.

Dan Zhu was willing but powerless.

But Mo Hua called him over and whispered to him: "Dan Zhu..."

After this period of friendship, Mo Hua was already very familiar with this young master Dan Zhu.

He could directly call Dan Zhu by his name without having to call him Young Master, and Dan Zhu also directly addressed Mo Hua respectfully as "Sir."

Mo Hua said, "Go find the Great Chieftain and volunteer to lead the expedition to punish the Tie Shugu wandering tribe."

Dan Zhu was startled.

It wasn't that he didn't want to do this, but it was unlikely.

Dan Zhu said helplessly: "I've tried before, wanting to ask my father to let me go out to fight and punish some thieves, but I was refused by my father every time. Father said my duty is to cultivate wholeheartedly and not to meddle in these worldly affairs, lest I encounter accidents..."

Or, be plotted against.

After all, Dan Zhu's talent of "Foundation Establishment at ten, Golden Core at twenty" could be called heaven-favored and was terrifying.

In the entire mountain realm, there were plenty of people who wanted Dan Zhu dead.

Not just the Danque Tribe's enemies, but even allies, and even within the Danque Tribe, there was no lack of people who were jealous and wary of Dan Zhu's talent and wanted to put him to death.

The Great Chieftain knew this very well.

So previously, no matter what happened, the Great Chieftain never allowed Dan Zhu to leave the Danque Tribe's sphere of influence.

Dan Zhu understood this in his heart.

Mo Hua said, "It's fine, if you go this time, the Great Chieftain will definitely agree."

Dan Zhu was skeptical, "Really?"

Mo Hua nodded indifferently: "That's right."

Dan Zhu was still a bit hesitant.

But he still trusted Mo Hua's words.

And deep down, he also wanted to personally kill the enemy and seek justice for the Danque tribesmen who had died.

Anyway, going for a trip wouldn't be a loss; at most, he would be scolded by his father again and refused once.

Dan Zhu went alone to ask the Great Chieftain for instructions.

Half a day later, Dan Zhu returned and saw Mo Hua, his expression subtle, even a bit shocked:

"Father... he actually agreed..."

Mo Hua's expression was calm, not surprised.

Dan Zhu sighed: "Sir, you were really accurate."

Then he was a bit confused, "Why did you know that Father would agree to let me lead the troops to punish the Tie Shugu Tribe this time?"

Mo Hua silently looked at Dan Zhu and thought:

Because your father also knows that sooner or later, you brothers will slaughter each other.

Protecting you so much will only harm you in the end.

It's better to let you out to gain experience.

If you can survive these trials, avoid all kinds of hostility, danger, and murderous intent from the outside world, and still grow up.

He might really consider entrusting the position of Chieftain to you, his youngest son.

Even if he doesn't entrust the position of Chieftain, if brothers fight for power in the future, Dan Zhu, having experienced the wind and rain, will also have some ability to protect himself.

If Dan Zhu cannot survive the wind and rain and dies outside, at least he dies for the tribe, which is much better than dying at the hands of his own brother in internal strife.

Of course, that's easy to say, but this decision was still not easy to make.

Letting his most beloved youngest son bear risks, and even death.

The Great Chieftain's heart must also have had heavy hesitation and pain.

If Dan Zhu hadn't gone to beg him, the Great Chieftain would never have made this decision on his own.

Now that Dan Zhu had gone to beg him, it meant that Dan Zhu was walking toward his own fate and would welcome the wind and rain of the future.

No matter how reluctant the Great Chieftain was, he had to be ruthless.

Of course, Mo Hua couldn't say this clearly; he could only repeat the old tune:

"All of this is the revelation of the God Lord. Your fate should have this journey."

Dan Zhu looked at Mo Hua strangely.

Sometimes, he really couldn't tell if this young and handsome "Shaman Sir" was exceptionally intelligent and proficient in human nature, or if he was truly a "charlatan"...

His words were sometimes intelligent and wise, with reason and evidence.

Sometimes they were vague and mystical, making people unable to make head or tail of them.

Mo Hua paused for a moment and asked again: "When you went to beg the Great Chieftain, was the Third Young Master there?"

Dan Zhu nodded.

Mo Hua said: "His expression wasn't good, right?"

Dan Zhu said: "Yes, when I asked to fight, Third Brother seemed a bit surprised, and when Father agreed, Third Brother's expression was very ugly."

Mo Hua looked at Dan Zhu and sighed in his heart.

Dan Zhu was indeed sharp-minded.

He sensed many things instinctively, only he was unwilling from the bottom of his heart to think of others in a bad light.

Mo Hua didn't say much more, but said: "Gather some men, set off tonight, and go overnight to punish the Tie Shugu wandering tribe."

Dan Zhu asked: "How many men should I gather?"

He really had very little experience in leading troops to fight.

Mo Hua said meaningfully: "The more the better."

Dan Zhu was stunned, "We are punishing a wandering tribe of the Tie Shugu Tribe; they don't have many people, do we need so many?"

Mo Hua nodded and said firmly: "Believe me, take everyone you can."

Seeing Mo Hua's solemn expression, Dan Zhu knew that the Shaman Sir must know more than he did. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded:

"Okay, I'll listen to Sir."

Dan Zhu went down to gather troops, and by evening, the manpower was ready.

The total manpower, including Dan Zhu, Mo Hua, and two Golden Core guardian elders, Bashan and Elder Bachuan.

Besides this, there was a barbarian force of about a hundred people, all at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

The Great Wilderness was different from the Dao Court.

The Dao Court forbade the raising of "private soldiers," otherwise it would be an attempt at rebellion.

But here in the Great Wilderness, every tribe had its own "barbarian soldiers."

Each tribe was equivalent to an independent "clan," fighting and warring with each other, with many conflicts. If they didn't raise barbarian soldiers, they would sooner or later be annexed and become slaves to others.

It could be said that the Great Wilderness was a place where everyone was a soldier.

It was just that some tribes were too weak, had no barbarian soldiers, no weapons, and no formations; the "soldiers" they raised were not much different from ordinary barbarian cultivators.

For example, small second-grade tribes like Jin Wutu and Ulu were like this.

But the Danque Tribe was different; the Danque Tribe's barbarian soldiers were very strong.

These barbarian soldiers following Dan Zhu on the expedition were all fully armored and armed; although the barbarian armor couldn't be considered very good, one could see a clearly different murderous aura.

A hundred or so was not a large number, but it wasn't small either.

And they were all at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

In the Danque Tribe, this was almost the elite of the elite.

After all, those above that, Golden Core barbarian cultivators, would become elders or at least commanders and would no longer be ordinary "barbarian soldiers."

Therefore, the overall combat power of this barbarian force was actually very strong.

Even Dan Zhu himself couldn't gather such a team.

Half of these barbarian soldiers were Dan Zhu's own men, while the other half were bestowed upon Dan Zhu by the Great Chieftain.

And besides these barbarian soldiers, the Great Chieftain also "bestowed" another person upon Dan Zhu.

This person was a mid-Golden Core barbarian general named Lord Chifeng.

With red hair and a body full of scars, he was just like his name, a vanguard "barbarian general" who had once followed the Great Chieftain to conquer tribes large and small and had been through a hundred battles.

A barbarian general was also a type of commander.

Those with high cultivation who could command barbarian soldiers could be called commanders, but only those who had established merit and received rewards could be called "barbarian generals."

Lord Chifeng was the Great Chieftain's confidant barbarian general; now that he was following Dan Zhu on the expedition, it could be seen how much the Great Chieftain favored Dan Zhu.

And all of this added up to the total manpower for the expedition to punish the Tie Shugu wandering tribe.

Chasing the Tie Shugu wandering tribe itself shouldn't involve too many people. Too many people would be cumbersome; this hundred elites was just right—strong in frontal combat and convenient for marching and maneuvering.

The barbarian soldiers gathered, and they met each other.

Barbarian General Lord Chifeng saluted Dan Zhu.

He was the Great Chieftain's confidant, so naturally, he had had some interactions with Dan Zhu, the young master.

The two guardian elders, Bashan and Elder Bachuan, saluted Barbarian General Lord Chifeng.

Their cultivation was a level lower, their status was lower, and their combat merits were even less than Lord Chifeng's, so their attitude was very respectful.

As for Mo Hua, he was like an "outsider."

Lord Chifeng did not salute him.

And he didn't pay any attention to Lord Chifeng either.

Within the Danque Tribe, many people actually didn't take Mo Hua, this "shaman," seriously.

Because anyone with a discerning eye could see that Mo Hua, this "fake," couldn't possibly be a real shaman.

He was just a "pretty boy" who borrowed Dan Zhu's status to climb up and was swindling people.

Out of respect for the Great Chieftain's prestige, everyone just kept their mouths shut.

But Lord Chifeng, a barbarian general with mid-Golden Core cultivation and solid combat merits, whom even Dan Zhu had to respect a few points, naturally wouldn't take Mo Hua seriously.

That he could "ignore" Mo Hua was already the highest "courtesy" he could give.

Not just Lord Chifeng, but even the two Golden Core guardian elders beside Dan Zhu, Bashan and Elder Bachuan, harbored doubts and resentment toward Mo Hua.

Originally, the two of them were the confidants of Young Master Dan Zhu.

But once Mo Hua came, their status was completely gone.

Mo Hua was like a "sycophant" who "bewitched the young master."

Yet their young master was obedient to this pretty boy, which made them all feel dissatisfied.

Mo Hua was naturally aware of these little emotions and exclusions, but he didn't care at all, acting completely at ease.

The barbarian soldiers gathered, and the group set off in a grand manner, leaving the Danque main tribe and heading straight to the northwest.

And at the same time that Dan Zhu led the barbarian soldiers through the red Vermilion Bird gate and left the Danque Tribe.

On a pavilion in the main tribe, Danque Tribe Third Young Master Dan Bie was watching this scene with a complex expression.

He felt that his younger brother had become different.

He was deep-minded and could also roughly feel that the path between them as brothers had ultimately reached a fork in the road.

This younger brother he had sincerely cared for since childhood had grown up and had also become a huge "threat."

In Dan Bie's eyes, there was some conflict and pain.

A moment later, the remaining warmth in his heart was also strangled bit by bit, and finally, it cooled down completely.

Dan Bie's expression gradually became cold.

On the other side, the sturdy and sturdy Great Chieftain also stood on a high platform, watching his youngest son leave.

This was his youngest son Dan Zhu's first time leading troops to fight.

Dan Zhu was a genius of cultivation.

But leading troops to fight was another matter.

In the history of the entire Danque Tribe, and even the Great Wilderness, there was no lack of young heroes, peerless geniuses with strange talents who were highly anticipated, who had died on the spot during their first battle on the battlefield.

Fate is cruel, and sometimes, even absurd.

When alive, there are all sorts of differences, distinguishing between mediocre talents and geniuses.

But when it is time to die, everyone dies the same.

Great Chieftain Dan Lie, who had fought on the battlefield for many years, knew this better than anyone.

Many of the brothers who fought alongside him back then had better talent, stronger cultivation, and higher intelligence than him, yet without exception, they all ended up with their heads and bodies in different places on the battlefield.

Some even died inexplicably.

Only he, this "big guy" who seemed mediocre, survived in the end and even became the Great Chieftain.

Therefore, he had not dared to easily let Dan Zhu take risks before.

It is true that Dan Zhu has high talent.

But once on the battlefield of conquest, you would have no idea what terrible things you would face.

Bright blades, dark arrows, evil arts, ghost arts, miasma, rot poison, curses, divine punishment...

The most terrifying were certain treacherous curse arts.

According to the ancestors, this type of curse art involves the ethereal causality and cannot be comprehended by anyone other than high-level people and strange people who understand the principles within.

If one is "cursed" to death in terms of causality, then any fatal factor with a probability will be magnified to the maximum.

A blade might suddenly break your hand.

An arrow might suddenly hit your eye.

A long spear might accidentally pierce your chest.

Poison will invade your heart pulse, causing you to suffer qi deviation and die.

Miasma will confuse your spiritual sense, making you seek your own death.

Some dangers that could have been avoided will "line up" beside you to kill you.

Your luck will be reduced to zero.

In the surrounding environment, any factor that could cause your death will suddenly descend to kill you.

And on the battlefield, where blades have no eyes and there are countless dangers, it is the best place for "causal curse killing."

Of course, causal curse art is a type of forbidden art, and very few people can learn it.

Learning this type of curse art requires paying the cost of decades, and even hundreds of years, of time and effort.

Casting this type of curse art also requires paying an extremely high cost.

Ordinary cultivators are not even worthy of being "cursed" to death.

But as the most astonishing genius of the Danque Tribe in thousands of years, Foundation Establishment at ten and Golden Core at twenty, presumably many tribes would be willing to pay a high cost for this, and it could even be said they would spare no expense.

Therefore, the Great Chieftain had never dared to let Dan Zhu out before.

But now, he had no choice.

The situation had become very sharp, and there were many things that he, the Great Chieftain, could not control...

The Great Chieftain looked far away, looking at his beloved youngest son Dan Zhu in the barbarian soldier queue, his heart filled with emotion.

Afterward, his gaze moved slightly, and naturally, he looked at Mo Hua beside Dan Zhu again.

The Great Chieftain's brow gradually furrowed deeper.

The reason he let Dan Zhu go to punish the Tie Shugu Tribe, besides letting Dan Zhu gain experience, was one of the most important reasons because of this "Shaman Sir" who acted sophisticated and deep, but was actually younger than Dan Zhu.

Because of this "Shaman Sir," he would agree to let Dan Zhu go out to gain experience.

But what he worried about most was precisely this "Shaman Sir."

This Shaman Sir often stayed with Dan Zhu, instilling some "rebellious" remarks in Dan Zhu, saying some charlatan words about "all beings are equal," not knowing what he was plotting.

Dan Zhu, however, believed them all.

According to the Great Chieftain's meaning, such a strange person who "deceived the public with evil words" and incited his son should naturally be killed to eliminate the disaster.

But the Great Chieftain didn't quite dare to act rashly.

Because this seemingly charlatan "Shaman Sir" had indeed pointed out his unknown heart's secrets that day.

Moreover, when this Shaman Sir stood with Dan Zhu.

In the Great Chieftain's mind, he couldn't help but recall a prophecy that the Danque ancestor had exhausted his heart's blood to obtain a long time ago:

"Fierce beast takes the lead, Vermilion Bird revives."

The Great Chieftain muttered this sentence, his gaze solemn.

He still didn't quite understand; the current situation of the Great Wilderness, with the Dao Court pressing on the border, the Royal Court fighting, the tribes being centrifugal, and dangers lurking everywhere, was a sign of "decline in the final years," how could the Vermilion Bird "revive"?

Also, what did "fierce beast" taking the lead mean?

Wasn't a fierce beast an ancient beast that brought disaster?

A fierce beast taking the lead has always brought about a great catastrophe that shatters heaven and earth; how could there be a "revival"?

Moreover...

The Great Chieftain looked at Mo Hua, who had a face like white jade and delicate features, beside Dan Zhu, and couldn't figure it out no matter how he thought about it.

"Where is the fierce beast? Where is the fierce beast?"

The Danque Tribe's young master, the first genius favored by heaven, Dan Zhu, with the Great Chieftain's permission, personally went out to punish the enemy.

This caused quite a stir within the Danque Tribe.

In the open and in the dark, many pairs of eyes were staring at Dan Zhu.

Many people were discussing it in secret, and there were also many people hiding different intentions, not knowing what they were plotting.

Dan Zhu's mood was also not calm.

This was his first time leaving the Danque Tribe, leading troops to fight alone, to punish the enemy.

Excitement, hot-bloodedness, anxiety, unease, and nervousness were all mixed together, very complex.

Only looking at Mo Hua, who was calm beside him, Dan Zhu seemed to be infected unconsciously, his mood gradually stabilized, and he even revealed a bit of the calm demeanor similar to Mo Hua's.

Barbarian General Lord Chifeng watched this scene silently from behind, his gaze revealing a trace of surprise.

Afterward, the group marched, and there was no more talk along the way.

Dan Zhu, Mo Hua, and the others, leading a hundred elite barbarian soldiers, followed the direction and kept heading northwest.

After traveling for about two hours, the night was already deep, and they arrived at a small tribe's station in a remote barren mountain northwest of the Danque Tribe.

This was a station for a small tribe within the Danque Tribe.

Only at this time, it had already become a ruin.

The camp had collapsed, there were ashes everywhere, the ground was full of severed limbs, and the fishy smell was pungent.

The useless elderly and children were killed, the young men and women who could be barbarian slaves were abducted, and all property was looted.

Seeing this evil act with their own eyes, everyone in the Danque Tribe was filled with anger.

Mo Hua's gaze was also cold.

Especially thinking of those dead children.

He was a "teacher" of the Great Wilderness; these dead children should have all received his teaching and grown up to be talented.

Only, besides the anger, Mo Hua suddenly felt a bit unusual in his heart.

He seemed to feel a sense of familiarity that he couldn't quite put his finger on from this matter... ===== CHAPTER 1182 =====