After everything was over, the vines slowly retracted, leaving only more than fifty pale skeletons on the ground, with all the flesh and blood vanished.
"Thank the Vine God for destroying the enemies!"
Jiang Xuan sincerely thanked the Ancient Vine.
Had it not been for the Ancient Vine's intervention, it would have been the people of the Vine Tribe lying on the ground now.
"Thank the Vine God."
The others also bowed to the Ancient Vine.
Those Wanderers witnessed the miracle performed by the Ancient Vine and developed a fervent belief in it, which enhanced their sense of belonging to the Vine Tribe.
Above the Ancient Vine, green light flickered and gradually receded, returning to its usual state, with only the green leaves rustling in the breeze.
In the sunlight, a giant dragonfly nonchalantly clung to one of the Ancient Vine's tendrils, wings folded, resting beneath the green leaves.
After a long time, everyone stood up.
Gou Teng asked, "Chief, what should we do with these bones?"
Jiang Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Hang all the skulls on the trees in the southern forest, and bury the other bones in a pit."
"Moreover, collect all the weapons they left behind and move them to the bamboo house."
Hanging the skulls on trees outside the tribe serves as a powerful deterrent for outsiders who come to the Vine Tribe later.
But the Vine Tribe is currently too weak and can only use this method to intimidate.
Those weapons, on the other hand, are great assets that can significantly replenish the tribe's armaments.
After all, making primitive weapons is very time-consuming.
Upon receiving Jiang Xuan's instructions, everyone in the Vine Tribe immediately got busy.
They first dug a large pit to bury all the bones except the skulls, and then split into groups to hang more than fifty skulls on the tree branches in the southern forest of the tribe.
As for the weapons, clothing, and personal belongings left by the Mosquito Tribe Hunting Team, they were all moved to the bamboo house and would be distributed later by Jiang Xuan.
By the time they finished these tasks, it was already nearing dusk.
In the southern forest of the Vine Tribe, more than fifty ghastly white skulls hung from the tree branches, swaying with the wind, looking very frightening at first glance.
At night, Jiang Xuan and four others gathered around the fire pit in the bamboo house to discuss the distribution of those weapons.
Jiang Xuan said, "Though we killed those people with the help of the Vine God today, no one knows how many more of them there are or when they might attack again."
Jiang Xuan looked around and said, "Therefore, I suggest giving each of those Wanderers a weapon for self-defense."
Chi Shao nodded and said, "I agree. The Wanderers performed quite bravely today."
The tribe admires strength; brave individuals always earn respect. If the Wanderers had begged for mercy today, Chi Shao would have looked down on them.
"I agree as well."
"Agreed."
"I'll follow the chief's decision."
The three youngsters also voiced their agreement.
Jiang Xuan said, "Good, since everyone agrees, Gou Teng, call the Wanderers over to get their weapons."
"I'll go now."
Gou Teng immediately got up, lit a torch, went to the Wanderers' bamboo house, and conveyed the chief's message to them.
Gan Song was quite excited because it meant they had officially gained recognition from the Vine Tribe. The other Wanderers were also very excited.
Led by Gou Teng, the twelve Wanderers followed him into the large bamboo house.
In the bamboo house, Jiang Xuan stood up and told the Wanderers, "As I said before, as long as you are loyal to the tribe, the tribe will not treat you poorly."
"Today, you all were very brave, and the tribe has decided to reward each of you with a weapon."
Gan Song expressed his gratitude excitedly, "Thank you, Chief."
The Wanderers' eyes sparkled as they looked at the pile of weapons on the ground.
Jiang Xuan pointed at the weapons on the ground and said, "Pick whichever weapon you want, remember, only one each."
The weapons left behind by the Mosquito Tribe Hunting Team numbered over a hundred, as most Warriors had two or three weapons, such as long spears, short spears, Stone Knives or Bone Knives, and bows and arrows.
Jiang Xuan and the four others had already chosen once from these weapons and took the best ones because as Warriors, having better weapons maximizes their combat effectiveness.
The rest of these weapons were mostly intact, as they were hunting team weapons, and both the material and craftsmanship were relatively good.
Seeing so many weapons to choose from, the Wanderers beamed with joy.
Some preferred spears, others preferred knives, and some liked bows and arrows. Choosing a weapon they liked would allow them to unleash greater combat power.
"One at a time!"
Jiang Xuan prevented the Wanderers from scrambling and asked them to line up and choose one by one.
Under Jiang Xuan's influence, the Wanderers had to restrain their excitement and choose one by one.
Gan Song chose a Bone Knife because, with only one arm, a Stone Spear was not very handy for him, making a shorter and more flexible Bone Knife a good choice.
Other Wanderers also each selected a weapon they fancied, each filled with joy.
"Alright, since everyone has chosen, go to sleep. Work well from now on, and the tribe will certainly not treat you poorly."
"Thank you, Chief."
Gan Song expressed his gratitude again and then led the Wanderers back to sleep.
Many Wanderers didn't sleep well that night because so much had happened, greatly impacting their thoughts.
But they all shared one consensus: staying in the Vine Tribe was the right choice.
After the Wanderers left, Jiang Xuan thought for a while and said to the four, "I've decided to dig another tunnel in the bamboo house where the Wanderers reside, so they can quickly escape to the foot of Stone Mountain in case of danger."
"Also, it would be best to set some traps in the forests on both sides of the tribe. Even if they don't harm the enemy, they can at least alert us and prevent a rushed response like today."
Chi Shao said, "We follow your command, Chief."
The three youngsters nodded in agreement, having grown to trust and admire Jiang Xuan greatly after so many events.
Whatever the Chief said, they would do.
"Alright, let's do it. Gou Teng, tomorrow you lead the Wanderers to dig the tunnel, and the others will come with me to set the traps."
After these matters were settled, Jiang Xuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The food in the Pottery Cauldron was already cooked, and the five took their bowls and chopsticks to fill their stomachs, chatted for a while, and then went to sleep.
...
South of the Vine Tribe, and about a three-day journey from it, amidst a range of mountains, was a newly settled tribe known as the Mosquito Tribe.
Where the Mosquito Tribe resided, there was also a marshland, vaster and wider than the marshland where Jiang Xuan encountered the Whip Tree.
Insects love damp environments; naturally, the Mosquito Tribe, which takes the Bird-beaked Mosquito as its totem, also prefers such places.
The food in the marshland was more abundant, and with the Bird-beaked Mosquito guarding it, they didn't have to worry about insect attacks. Such a place was very suitable for their habitation.
The Mosquito Tribe's houses were different from those of other tribes.
Due to their very humid environment, they couldn't live directly on the ground, so they invented a house similar to a stilt house.
This building was constructed along a mountain, with one side against the slope where a fire pit could be placed, while the other three sides were suspended, supported by pillars and stones, leaving the damp ground, making it more comfortable to live.
Of course, the houses built by the Mosquito Tribe were very primitive and crude, incomparable to those exquisite stilt houses, although their function was similar.
At this moment, inside a central stilted wooden house of the Mosquito Tribe, the atmosphere was extremely tense due to three Bird-beaked Mosquitoes that had escaped from the Vine Tribe!