214: Chapter 214 The Old Village Chief

The night was deep.

In this primitive world, there was no such thing as a lamp; there were only a few piles of fire suppressed near the village entrance and along the fences.

The flames were small; no one dared to let them burn too brightly.

The village chief said that fire could repel beasts, but it could also attract even more terrifying things.

Li Taiping sat in the earthen hut, his back against the wall.

The room was not large, containing only a straw mat, a stone pot with a cracked edge, and half a bundle of dry firewood in the corner.

This was an empty hut.

There were quite a few empty huts in the village; it wasn't that no one had lived in them, but that those who had were all gone.

Occasionally, muffled weeping could be heard from outside, only to stop quickly.

In a place like this, crying for too long was not safe; the sound would attract the things of the night.

Li Taiping looked toward the gap in the door.

At the very back of the village, that small earthen hut had not extinguished its light.

Li Jun sat on the threshold, cradling a small wooden puppet in his arms.

The puppet was carved very uglily; it had a large head, a small body, and two eyes that were uneven.

He just held it like that.

He didn't cry, nor did he move. His heart was as dead as an extinguished lamp; at such a young age, he was already forced to experience despair.

His father hadn't returned, his mother hadn't returned, and his younger sister hadn't returned either.

The hunting party and the gathering party had all perished in the forest overnight.

If Li Taiping hadn't casually slain that saber-toothed tiger, Li Jun wouldn't even be sitting there.

A family of four, nearly wiped out by this forest.

Li Taiping was silent for a moment.

This wasn't just one person's tragedy; this was something that could happen in Black Wood Village every day.

The people living here relied entirely on their toughness to survive.

When they died, no one had the time to grieve slowly, because tomorrow they still had to find food, repair the fences, and defend against fierce beasts.

"This dungeon is truly inhuman."

Li Taiping muttered to himself.

His stomach growled again.

He looked down at himself; a mortal body was truly troublesome.

It got hungry, tired, sleepy, and could even be shaken by a tiger's roar.

If Xia Zhi's Swordsmanship Mastery was still usable, he would probably have to experience primitive survival tonight as well.

Footsteps sounded from outside.

Very light.

They stopped at the door.

Li Taiping didn't move.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open.

The village chief stood outside the door, holding half a piece of roasted meat.

The meat was roasted until it was charred black, with bloodstains still visible on the edges.

"There's no salt in the village."

The village chief set the meat down.

"It can fill your stomach."

Li Taiping took it and took a bite.

It was very tough, but it was better than the tasteless bird legs.

"Thanks."

The village chief sat at the doorway without entering the room.

He looked at the fire outside.

"Li Jun's father was one of the best hunters in the village."

Li Taiping didn't speak.

The village chief continued, "His mother knew how to identify herbs and had saved many people. His younger sister was only ten-something years old; she ran like a little rabbit."

Li Taiping's chewing slowed for a moment. A younger sister in her teens?

Li Jun looked only seven or eight years old; he was the older brother?

He didn't make a sound.

The village chief raised his hand and rubbed his face. "This morning, they were still alive."

The scene fell silent just like that.

After a while, Li Taiping asked, "What do you want to say?"

The village chief looked at him. "Don't go into the forest tomorrow."

"Why?"

"The beast herd's escape tonight was not right."

The village chief gripped his walking stick tightly.

"They looked like they were running for their lives."

Li Taiping's eyes flickered.

He had noticed this too.

Those fierce beasts had bite wounds, drag marks, and black slime on them.

The village chief lowered his voice.

"The old priest said there might be remnants of the black tide emerging from the riverbank."

"Remnants of the black tide?"

"Not the main body of the black tide."

The village chief said, "It's just the filthy stuff left underground after the black tide receded. It usually stays submerged, but once it surfaces, it contaminates beasts and also contaminates people."

"What happens to people who are contaminated?"

The village chief didn't answer immediately.

He looked toward the center of the village.

There was a circular platform made of black stones there.

The platform was not high, and it was surrounded by bone fragments and dried straw ropes.

That was the altar.

"They will turn into things that cannot be named."

Li Taiping raised an eyebrow.

"Cannot be named?"

"If you say it, you will be heard."

The village chief stood up.

"Young man, you saved Little Jun, and I don't want to watch you die."

"Don't go near the riverbank, and don't go near the altar."

After saying this, he turned and left.

Li Taiping watched his receding figure.

The old man only said half of what he meant, which was a bit infuriating; Li Taiping ground his teeth, nearly going up to punch this old geezer.