Chapter 325: Return to the Snow Tiger Tribe

She was instantly overjoyed, let out an excited long whistle, then turned and, together with the Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warriors, attacked the several huge scorpions behind.

At this moment, the opposing side seemed to finally see the Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warriors; the pursuer's movement halted immediately, then retreated while protecting a male in the middle.

The Black Wolf Shaman protected by the Black Wolf Beastmen halted retreat, sat cross-legged on the ground.

In a flash of yellow shamanic power, it turned into a light mist that enveloped the Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warriors and Yuan Lang and the others ahead.

The male protected in the middle by the Scorpion Beastmen, seeing this thin mist of shamanic power, his expression changed slightly; he pressed his black-red lips tightly, his grayish face full of gloom.

"Retreat first." The hoarse sound was like fingernails scraping back and forth on bark.

They vaguely guessed that the pure-human Yuan Lang also stopped Teng Qian and the others who still wanted to pursue.

Thus they watched the group of Scorpion Beastmen gradually disappear into the night forest.

A Black Wolf Beastman Warrior beside them walked over, full of gratitude: "Thank you so much, Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warriors."

Speaking, they bowed to Yuan Lang and the others to express thanks.

Looking at the Beastman Warrior before him who was about the same age as Yuan Qi, Yuan Lang quickly stepped aside: "Uncle, no need for courtesy; we came out hunting this time and just happened to run into you."

After saying that, they walked toward the Black Wolf Shaman who was resting in the rear.

The Black Wolf Shaman, whose face was somewhat pale, saw Yuan Lang and was also somewhat surprised; this Beastman Warrior still left quite an impression on them.

Previously, when discussing matters in the Snow Tiger Tribe, she and Wu Yue were both present.

"Is that Yuan Lang? Are you out hunting?"

Yuan Lang looked embarrassed as she scratched her head: "We chased a ferocious beast to the vicinity; hearing a sound over here, we waited here, not expecting to run into you."

The Black Wolf Shaman nodded: "I heard from Tiger that last year's salt exchange was your doing, right?"

Yuan Lang nodded: "Yes."

The Black Wolf Shaman sighed: "Then you surely know who these people are, right?"

Yuan Lang pressed her lips, frowned, and said: "I know."

The Black Wolf Shaman looked toward the direction where the Beastmen disappeared: "Ever since leaving the Snow Tiger Tribe, I've been targeted by these people and have been constantly hunted."

"Originally I wanted to return to the Snow Tiger Tribe to seek help, but they seemed to have noticed our intention and have been blocking us all along."

A Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warrior beside them hesitated for a moment, then looked at Yuan Lang: "You haven't seen the tribesmen we sent to seek help, have you?"

Yuan Lang's gaze deepened: "Rescue? You mean the two Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warriors?"

The Black Wolf Shaman and several Beastman Warriors' eyes lit up simultaneously: "Yes, have they already reached the Snow Tiger Tribe?"

Yuan Lang's Teng Qian and the others behind her couldn't help touching their noses, truly not knowing what to say; the people sent to seek help were actually killed in the very tribe that was supposed to rescue them—saying this out loud is really…

Yuan Lang shook her head: "They were killed."

His voice was very calm, but the words he spoke made the bodies of the several Black Wolf Beastmen opposite tense up suddenly.

"They were probably killed by those who were pursuing you; the pure-human male protected in the middle just now is a shaman, right?"

Although Yuan Lang asked that, her gaze was firmly certain as she looked at the Black Wolf Shaman.

The Black Wolf Shaman nodded: "The one who released the gu worms into the Flying Eagle Tribe should be him."

Yuan Lang continued: "Not only your two Beastman Warriors, but our tribe's Shaman Disciple was also killed, and two Half-Beasts suffered severe injuries, nearly meeting the Beast God."

The Black Wolf Shaman instantly rose from the ground: "You're saying those people have actually all pursued to the Snow Tiger Tribe?"

Yuan Lang nodded: "It should have split into two groups; some went to pursue the two tribesmen you sent for help, while another group continued to pursue you."

The Black Wolf Shaman's face darkened: "I said before, when they pursued us a few days ago, why didn't they stay that close?"

He regretted deeply at this moment; if he had known that the gu shaman wasn't present, he would have certainly struck first to kill those remaining Beastmen.

Only fewer than ten Beastman Warriors remained to protect the Black Wolf Shaman.

Moreover, those Beastman Warriors from outside the forest might still be watching them from the shadows; if we just let them be now…

Yuan Lang glanced at the Black Wolf Shaman; this exhausted shaman probably doesn't have much time left to live.

The Black Wolf Shaman, whom Yuan Lang thought had little time left to live, looked toward the direction the Scorpion Beastmen retreated, his eyes extremely gloomy.

"You had better return to the tribe with us first."

The Black Wolf Shaman nodded: "Now we can only do this…"

Just as his words fell, a black shadow leapt from the basket behind Yuan Lang; before anyone could react, it swung its claws and pounced on the Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warrior standing at the outermost edge.

Everyone's hearts tightened; the middle-aged Black Wolf Beastman Warrior beside them moved to attack the black shadow, but Yuan Lang grabbed his arm: "Don't move."

At that moment, the outermost Beastman Warrior let out a painful howl, followed by a triumphant call full of pride.

Only then did everyone see the black lump's appearance—it was a fluffy, chubby little beast.

But at this moment, the little beast straightened its body, its plump rear sitting on the ground, one forepaw on its hips, the other forepaw's sharp claw still impaled with a black-red worm.

At this moment, the worm was struggling while emitting a hissing sound.

Seeing this, the little beast's dark eyes flashed with disdain; the forepaw on its hips extended, flicked the worm's tail, and the worm actually spun several rounds around the little beast's claw as a center.

Tongzi looked at the people still dazed over there, pursed his lips, and let out an "ao" cry.

"Brothers, do you have any sense? Haven't you seen this thing before?"

"Ao ao ao!" While calling, it also swayed the worm on its sharp claw; several Beastman Warriors, including the Black Wolf Shaman, could even see pride in its little eyes.

Everyone looked at Yuan Lang in unison: "That's a gu worm, right?"

Yuan Lang's stiff face: "... Probably..."

"What are you asking me for?"

"It seems like I know!"

"He now also doubts, is this awesome little beast really the one he brought back?"

Thinking this, the Beastman's eyes narrowed slightly, and he walked straight toward the plump furball.

Tongzi, with his basically invisible waist on his hips, raised his little chin standing there, extended the claw bearing the gu worm toward Yuan Lang: "Ao ao!"

"I don't eat it; you eat it yourself."

Tongzi instantly felt bad upon hearing that, looking at the black‑red‑black‑red gu worm in his hand that still emitted a strange smell…

He instantly rubbed his little fingers, killed it, then grabbed a nearby leaf to wipe the finger stained with the worm's bodily fluid.

Yuan Lang, who had just walked up beside him, seeing this, his eyes full of disdain almost spilling over, untied the bamboo flask at his side, coldly looking at the furball and said: "Stick out your paw, it's filthy."

Tongzi's small black‑bean‑like eyes glared: "Ao ao!"

I, Tongzi, am the meritorious official who killed the gu worm! Shouldn't I be beloved? Why is what I got instead contempt?

The little beast's accusatory gaze is really obvious, too bad he's facing not the fur lover Wu Yue but Yuan Lang.

"Paw!" the beastman's gaze was indifferent, lacking any of the soft gentleness he shows when facing Wu Yue.

Tongzi, feeling wronged, stretched out his chubby paw…

Indeed, men are all big pig's trotters, they call you treasure when they need you, and when they don't need you you're just a weed.

The furball's tail, which had been proudly swaying, now drooped.

On the other side, the beastman warrior whose neck had been scratched by the little furball also had his bleeding stopped under the black wolf shaman's treatment, his gaze fiery as he stared at the furball, his eyes full of longing.

The black wolf shaman walked over with a smile like a wolf granny, squatted beside the little furball who was washing his chubby paws, and said: "What kind of beast is this little guy?"

He looked like an old man just casually asking.

Yuan Lang glanced at him: "I don't know, Wu Yue gave it to me."

The black wolf shaman's eyes lit up upon hearing that: "Any more? Give me one too."

He had just finished speaking, before Yuan Lang could respond, the little furball jumped up waving its two wet paws: "Ao ao ao… ao ao ao ao!"

"I, such a special beast, am one of a kind—what do you mean 'give you another one'?"

"Do you think I'm a chicken awaiting slaughter at a roadside stall?"

"But…"

Some babbling Tongzi completely forgot his current state.

So after he had been "ao ao ao" for a while, the black wolf shaman looked at Yuan Lang with a bewildered face: "What did he say?"

Yuan Lang amusedly looked at Tongzi, who was a bit dazed from the black wolf shaman's remark, and said: "I don't know either."

After the injured beastman warrior regained some consciousness, everyone dared not linger and headed straight for the Snow Tiger Tribe.

There wasn't much distance to begin with; by morning they had already arrived at the gate of the Snow Tiger Tribe.

The Snow Tiger chieftain, who was leading the beastfolk to prepare for a hunt, looked at Yuan Lang and the disheveled black wolf shaman and the black wolf tribe beastfolk, somewhat bewildered.

"You… what's the situation?"

The black wolf shaman wearily waved his hand: "Let's talk inside the tiger's cave."

Having said that, he very familiarly headed toward Xuehu Wu's cave.

At this moment Xuehu Wu was brewing shamanic medicine for Shilin and another half‑beast warrior; seeing the somewhat disheveled black wolf shaman, he was still somewhat surprised: "How come you're back again?"

The black wolf shaman plopped down in his grass hut, rolled his eyes irritably: "You say that like you despise me—should I just leave?"

Xuehu Wu gave him a smile: "Take your time, I won't see you off."

Black wolf shaman: "…"

The stinking tiger is really unlikable.

He sighed deeply: "I haven't even gone back yet."

Having said that, he then recounted everything that had happened after leaving the Snow Tiger Tribe.

Xuehu Wu felt a chill, thinking of Ye Duo who had been captured and killed a few days ago, seemingly guessing the plans of these forest‑outside tribes.

He solemnly said: "It seems these forest‑outside tribes have set their sights on us old-timers and the shamans' disciples in our tribe."

Having said that, he looked at the black wolf shaman: "If they kill us, the tribe will basically fall apart."

"Did you get a clear look at that gu shaman's appearance?"

Xuehu Wu suddenly asked.

The black wolf shaman shook his head: "That person was very cautious, always hiding among the beastfolk."

"His lips were black‑red, his complexion bluish‑gray."

A low, resonant voice sounded at the cave entrance; the two shamans turned to look, and the speaker was Yuan Lang.

Behind the Snow Tiger chieftain followed Wu Yue and the lightly injured half‑beast warrior; the four of them were standing at the cave mouth.

Xuehu Wu waved: "What are you doing standing there? Come in."

After several people entered the cave, he looked at Yuan Lang: "Did you see that gu shaman?"

"Perhaps because we appeared suddenly, they hadn't had time to protect that gu shaman; I saw his face, just as I said just now."

Upon hearing that, Wu Yue instantly recalled an old cartoon she'd seen, the Shaman King's Faust VIII...

However, this gu shaman really isn't as likable as Faust VIII.

The black wolf shaman pursed his lips: "Indeed, those gu shamans all look weird and strange."

"You'd better keep quiet; if the old eagle hears, be careful he'll poison you."

Upon hearing that, the black wolf shaman still retorted: "He's a poison shaman, not a gu shaman."

Xuehu Wu glanced at him, threw him a Ye Cai Zi, then turned his head to the silent half‑beast warrior beside him.

"What exactly happened that night?"

The half‑beast warrior respectfully sat kneeling on the grass mat: "Because that day I and Shilin were taking turns guarding Ye Duo; just when I went to relieve Shilin for rest, the bodies of two Black Wolf tribe beast warriors suddenly smashed into the area near Ye Duo."

I and Shilin were about to call the patrolling tribespeople over, but the moment we opened our mouths, we felt something enter our mouths, and the next instant we couldn't make a sound.

He said this, touching his throat, still seeming a bit frightened.

He swallowed, then said: "After that, many beastfolk with scorpion tails appeared, attacking us while our bodies were numb."

Their leader was a pure human male wrapped entirely in Beastfolk bao guo.

"A pure human male wrapped entirely in Beastfolk bao guo?"

It must be that poison shaman.

「Ye Duo was scared, so she shouted that she was a Shaman Disciple, and in the end she was also taken away by those Beastfolk, but... 」

They scratched their head and said: 「When they came, we couldn't smell anything on them at all, but just before losing consciousness, I seemed to see something crawl onto them from the ground and then disappear. 」

Everyone fell silent all of a sudden; such methods, I'm afraid, must be that poison shaman.

「Really troublesome. 」 the Black Wolf Shaman sighed.

They have been away from the tribe for a long time; if they don't go back, there will surely be some commotion in the tribe.

For the tribe, a Shaman's deterrence is very important.

Xuehu Wu nodded, then said to the Beastman Warrior: 「Alright, go back and heal your wounds. 」

The Beastman Warrior retreated from the cave very respectfully, knowing that what comes next is not something they can hear.

「Host, the Gu worms that the Half-Beast just mentioned are very fast, and their exteriors carry a kind of slime; touching the skin causes paralysis, they are very formidable. 」

Tongzi's voice suddenly rang in Wu Yue's mind, and her fingers also seemed to be touched by something fluffy.

She lowered her head to look, and indeed it was the chubby Tongzi, but right now its small furry face was full of grievance as it looked at itself.