Chapter 876: The Emaciated Xuanyuan

When spring had not yet arrived, but the temperature was gradually warming, the Xuanyuan party, already as disheveled as wandering savages, finally reached Huaxia. By this time, they had gone too long without sufficient food; the food they had brought for their journey to Kongtong Mountain was essentially for a one-way trip.

If they had set out closer to spring, when all things were reviving, their manpower and the weapons in their hands—not to mention anything else—would have had no trouble hunting even one or two bears. But in this season, prey was truly too scarce, so scarce that they could not even bear to let mice go.

The robust Xuanyuan had now grown so thin he was unrecognizable. Along the way, whenever he caught prey, he would not enjoy it alone but would share it with his Soldiers; this was what a qualified Tribal Chief should do.

If there was not enough meat, they ate tree bark, Grass, and moss. As long as it was something edible, they did not let it go along the way, and it was only in this way that their group managed to persist until they entered the territory of Huaxia.

Once they entered the territory of Huaxia, they were only a few days' journey from the familiar Huaxia City. This meant that as long as they persisted through these few days, they would be able to obtain enough food, have a full meal, and get a good night's sleep.

As an ally of the Xuanyuan Tribe, Huaxia could naturally provide them with food; even if it were a loan, it would be no problem. Moreover, Xuanyuan also carried the answer that Baifeng wanted to know.

If they were lucky, they might even encounter a Huaxia hunting party on the road, which could give them a little help in advance, allowing them to complete this final stretch of the road more smoothly.

It was just that they probably could not have imagined that Huaxia hunters almost never went out to hunt in Winter because it was too dangerous and the returns were too low. Even in spring, the frequency of them going out to hunt was relatively low, because it was the breeding season for various animals, and they had to ensure they did not kill beasts that were pregnant.

Geng walked outside every day, wanting to grasp the news of spring's arrival at the first opportunity. However, the moisture in the soil still made him somewhat worried. The Dahe had already begun to thaw gradually, indicating that spring was not far off; if a rain or Snow could come, that would be best.

After several days of walking, Xuanyuan finally arrived at the foot of Huaxia City. Now, he felt that every step he took, his legs were difficult to lift. Some Soldiers had already fainted while walking; this was a sign of having gone too long without eating enough food.

At the city gate, they called for the Huaxia Soldiers to open it, but they were so weak they had no strength left, and even wanting to shout with force made them feel dizzy.

The Soldiers on the city wall only saw a large number of savages at the foot of the city, looking like wandering savages, and their bodies appeared extremely weak. He called out, asking who they were and what they were there for, but heard no response.

The Squad leader guarding the city arranged for two people to go down and take a look, to ask carefully.

Thus, two Soldiers holding Spears passed through the city gate and cautiously approached this group of savages. Looking at their attire, it was thick fur, and the quality was not bad, but they could not recognize it; they had never seen it before.

Xuanyuan only felt dizzy and his vision blurred, especially during this short wait at the foot of Huaxia City. He used his Sword to lean on the solid ground of Huaxia for support.

Seeing the Huaxia Soldiers cautiously coming over, he raised his head and waved: "I am Xuanyuan!"

When the two Soldiers heard it was Xuanyuan, they were also greatly shocked. When they stepped closer and looked, the features were indeed similar, but he was just too thin; from a distance, they really could not recognize him. Thus, they hurriedly held their Spears upright, stepped forward to support Xuanyuan, and shouted toward the city wall: "It is Tribal Chief Xuanyuan who has come!"

Xuanyuan gently pushed away the Soldier's arm: "I am fine. Help support my tribesmen behind me; they have not eaten for too long and are too weak."

The two Soldiers also felt that perhaps Xuanyuan needed to save face, so they hurriedly went to the back to help up someone who was already sitting on the ground and could not get up. However, the person was so thin they did not weigh much, so one simply held their Weapon while the other carried them on their back.

When the people on the city wall heard that Xuanyuan had arrived, they hurriedly sent someone to report it, arranged for an ox cart, and the Squad leader went down to the city gate to welcome Xuanyuan.

This was considered allowing Xuanyuan to enter the city; only then could Xuanyuan walk. Otherwise, if Huaxia had not agreed, Xuanyuan could only wait outside the city. He was the Tribal Chief of the Xuanyuan Tribe, not the Tribal Chief of Huaxia; he did not have the authority to enter someone else's city gate without permission.

They prepared several ox carts, but there were too many people from the Xuanyuan Tribe to fit, so Xuanyuan let the weakest Soldiers ride the carts, while those who were still able walked.

When Baifeng heard that Xuanyuan had arrived and that he seemed to have suffered greatly and was thin beyond measure, he immediately had people prepare a reception room, food, and some water boiled with Maltose.

The Soldiers of the Xuanyuan Tribe were now arranged with ease, as they all knew where they should be placed. However, they still had to wait for notification first; these guards had no authority and could not leave their posts without permission, so only one Soldier accompanied them.

Fortunately, the people taking over soon waited halfway. A Ministry of Rites Official quickly directed where these people should go, and Xuanyuan also successfully boarded an ox cart, separating from his tribesmen.

Upon arriving at a familiar place, Xuanyuan's stomach had already begun to growl. Along the way, the person from the Ministry of Rites did not remain idle, chatting with Xuanyuan: "Tribal Chief Xuanyuan, this journey has not been easy; there is no prey in Winter."

Xuanyuan did not hide it either; after all, in his current state, there was nothing to hide: "That's right, Winter is too difficult. No matter how good the hunter or how good the Weapon, if there is no prey in the mountains and forests, don't we still have to starve?"

When they reached the entrance of the reception room, the person from the Ministry of Rites even supported Xuanyuan. Seeing Xuanyuan's weak appearance, the guards felt there was no need to collect his Weapon, but Xuanyuan still took the initiative to place his Sword with the guards.

As soon as he entered the door, Baifeng stepped forward to welcome him warmly, but Xuanyuan's appearance still gave Baifeng a big shock. He was truly so thin he was almost unrecognizable; even after returning to the Xuanyuan Tribe, it would take a long time to recover. And his hair and beard were now incredibly messy.

Baifeng did not say much and immediately had people bring the food up. A stomach that had not eaten for too long could not immediately eat anything too greasy or difficult to digest, so he first served a bowl of thick porridge mixed with millet and rice. Xuanyuan did not say a word and gulped it down in seconds. It looked like it was far from enough, but Baifeng still let him drink a cup of sugar water first; this was the most effective way to relieve fatigue.