"Hurry, don't fall behind!"
"The clansmen ahead are fighting a bloody battle, waiting for our support!"
"Stay close! It's easy to get lost in night combat, especially for newcomers. Be careful!"
…
Walking on the mountain path back to the village, from time to time, teams of five rushed past Fang Yuan.
"Did something happen?" In the short distance of less than five hundred meters, Fang Yuan had already seen thirteen waves of groups.
He fell into thought, but the memories of five hundred years were too long and complicated. Though Fang Yuan had never stopped trying to remember since his rebirth, many memories were still shrouded in thick fog. Forcing recollection only led to getting lost in the fog, and it wasn't worth the effort.
Only some vivid memories, like a crystal pearl necklace, ran through his past life of five hundred years.
Clearly, what was happening now wasn't in that pearl necklace of memories.
Life in Gu Yue Village was too long ago, just the beginning of the beginning. And besides…
"Maybe it never happened in my past life, and it changed because of my actions," he thought.
As he walked and thought, Fang Yuan unknowingly arrived at the north gate of the village.
Just then, another group was about to set off.
"Huh?" Spotting Fang Yuan, one of them stopped abruptly. "Fang Yuan, why are you still here?"
"What's up?" Fang Yuan looked up. The speaker was none other than his former classmate, Gu Yue Chi Cheng.
Chi Cheng frowned: "Ah, you mean you don't know? A small beast tide has formed near the village. If we don't deal with it, it'll gradually grow into a large beast tide, and then it'll destroy the village at the foot of the mountain. Our village would be in trouble without those mortal slaves."
"Oh, is that so?" A flicker passed through Fang Yuan's eyes.
Reminded, he recalled that there seemed to be something like this in his memory.
In this world, human survival is difficult. Beast tides occur every few years. Humans need resources and living space. So do beasts and insects!
Explaining beast tides as a war between humans and beasts might make it easier to understand.
Take Qing Mao Mountain, for example. Every three years, a large wolf tide would strike all the villages.
"Based on the timeline, the real wolf tide should break out next year. But this current small beast tide stems from this. The wolf packs keep growing, compressing the living space of other beast groups. Over time, when it reaches a limit, migration occurs. The migrating beasts then affect other groups."
"Through this mutual influence, there's a chance that the effect amplifies, causing simultaneous migration of many groups and forming a beast tide. If we don't control the situation in time, the tide will only grow. Though it doesn't yet threaten the existence of Gu Yue Village, if left unchecked, the village's strength will weaken."
"Wait! If that's the case… Hehehehe." Fang Yuan's eyes suddenly flashed with sharp light, but he quickly lowered his eyelids to hide the change.
Seeing Fang Yuan silent, Chi Cheng continued: "Currently, the Internal Affairs Hall and External Affairs Hall have issued mobilization orders and emergency missions. Fang Yuan, don't think you can slack off. Your group left in the morning; you have to go too. However…"
At this point, Chi Cheng deliberately drew out his tone: "The beast tide is fraught with danger, with all kinds of beasts prowling. Night combat is especially more dangerous than daytime. You're just a first-rank Gu Master, not like us second-ranks. Be careful. Hehehe!"
As he spoke, he puffed out his chest and stroked his belt. His belt was no longer green for first-rank, but red for second-rank Gu Master. On the iron plate at the front was engraved the word "two".
Not long ago, with the help of his grandfather Chi Lian, Gu Yue Chi Cheng had successfully advanced to second-rank.
"I just heard about this. But, in that case…" Fang Yuan suddenly smiled. "Then I'll go with you all. Once we reach the front lines, I'll separate and rejoin my group."
"What? Hmph, who wants to take you with us!" Chi Cheng crossed his arms and curled his lips disdainfully.
Fang Yuan said calmly: "Clan rules: a lone Gu Master must merge into the nearest group and has the obligation to continue fighting. Chi Cheng, you don't know even that?"
"You!" Chi Cheng glared, about to flare up.
"That's right," Chi Shan, who had been silent, spoke up.
He was close to two meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, bare-chested with muscles as hard as iron. His fiery red skin seemed to radiate heat.
Without a doubt, he was the leader of this group.
Hearing him speak, even Chi Cheng, as the heir of the Chi lineage, had to shut his mouth.
Chi Shan looked at Fang Yuan expressionlessly and continued: "We're leaving. Follow us."
His voice was low, his words curt, with an air that brooked no argument.
Fang Yuan shrugged nonchalantly, agreeing.
Chi Cheng snorted coldly, looking at Fang Yuan with ill intent, and emphasized sarcastically: "You better keep up!"
Fang Yuan didn't reply.
"Hmph, what's he acting all high and mighty for? Just a first-rank Gu Master," Chi Cheng muttered angrily, but due to Chi Shan's authority, he didn't dare cause trouble.
Immediately, the group of six set off from the gate, rushing down the mountain path.
Gu Yue Chi Shan led the way. He was large, but his speed was not slow. Besides him and Chi Cheng, the other team members were two men and one woman, all with indifferent expressions.