I Steal the Ancestors' Sacrifices to Nourish Myself-Chapter 42 - 13: Preliminary Tribe System and the Witch Blade of Upper Lingyu Division

Chapter 42: Chapter 13: Preliminary Tribe System and the Witch Blade of Upper Lingyu Division

[The Sacrificial Master has extracted two hundred and thirty-three years of lifespan from the Tier One Alien Species Mountain-Splitting Kui.]

As Shen Can collected the blood and partitioned the Kui meat for offering to the Ancestral Temple, the children carrying stalks of millet were summoned into the Ancestral Temple, where they placed bundles of millet on the altar.

Informing the ancestors that after disaster, the tribe has welcomed a harvest, and they still live on.

After the ancestral worship, the other prey were directly placed on the grill.

In front of the bonfire, a whole Mountain-Splitting Kui was placed on the grill, sizzling with oil and fat.

Huo Chang used a blade to cut the Kui meat, slicing off the most succulent parts of the meat to serve Shen Can.

"Acan, the tribe has not lacked food or clothing from disaster till now, your contributions are invaluable."

The clansmen sitting around the bonfire nodded, without the Witch’s leadership, the tribe would not have grown so much.

From using Witch Talismans to heal plagues to advocating for martial arts training, from hunting with witch medicine to eliminating pests, from cultivating herbs to taming wild beasts, Shen Can has been driving all these endeavors behind the scenes.

The changes in the Clan Division have been felt by everyone.

After dividing the roasted meat among the clansmen sitting in a circle around the bonfire, Huo Chang said, "Take it and distribute it among the clansmen."

Two clansmen carried the roasted Kui meat as they walked into the distance, causing a group of children to chase after them.

"It’s been a year since the flood disaster, the tribe’s grain harvest is abundant, we’ve overcome the most difficult times."

Huo Chang held a clay pot filled with roasted meat, looking around, "All tribal matters have been subdivided even more meticulously, taking advantage of this opportunity for everyone to understand the management of various affairs within the tribe."

Surrounding the bonfire were clansmen of both genders, all of whom were martial artists, forming the preliminary institutional system of the Blazing Flame Tribe.

The three Clan Elders have more manpower under their command and more detailed duties divided.

Under the command of Elder Huo Yuo, he oversees the clan’s treasury and the tribe’s youth martial arts training, with the chief instructor for martial arts being Huo Qii. (A failed Celestial Vein aspirant, one of Shen Can’s martial arts experiment subjects)

Elder Huo Yun commands numerous people, including Director of Agriculture Huo Yun, Beast Steward Huo Yaan, Ceramics Steward Huo Yoi, War-Arms Stewards Huo Shi and Huo Xin.

Among the two War-Arms Stewards, Huo Shi is a blacksmith, and Huo Xin is one of the few female martial artists in the tribe, responsible for crafting armor and arrowheads.

Under Huo Shan, there are four Soldier Captains.

Soldier Captain Huo Hou is responsible for conveying and scouting information, leading a team of only twenty or so clansmen, all of whom are swift and nimble.

Soldier Captains Huo Yaan, Huo Yui, and Huo Ning were previously promoted Mountain-Opening Realm Martial Artists, equivalent to tribe’s guardian soldiers, taking turns going out for hunting training, exploring terrain, and understanding the environment.

The newly promoted Celestial Vein Huo Kui has not been assigned a position, becoming a hidden force of the tribe.

In addition to these, the tribe has clearly established a Library Cave and Medicine Garden, managed by Shen Can and Huo Xian.

Children within the tribe, besides martial arts training, also learn additional knowledge in the Library Cave.

Under this ongoing system, the clan’s over three thousand people engage in martial arts training, with the majority working in farming and crafting, everyone has a role except the little children.

This time’s abundant harvest is just the beginning; the road ahead for the tribe is long.

As the weather gets colder, it’s the best time for hunting and gathering firewood again.

On the second day of the tribal sacrifice, the clansmen started their new busy routine.

Two months passed, and the weather turned sharply cold.

Within the Ancestral Temple, the cave’s area has been expanded to more than double its previous size, and it has been connected with adjacent caves.

Inside one cave, there are over twenty wooden bows of varying designs, ranging in power from the strength of Thirty-Five Desolates to Forty-Three Desolates.

Most were previously collected from various tribes, some with new bowstrings replaced.

Shen Can casually picked up the bow with the strongest draw strength, the bowstring of beast sinew was as thick as a finger, easily pulled into a full moon shape as he grasped it with both hands.

Sacrificial Master: Shen Can

Martial Arts Realm: Mountain Opening (Power of Forty-Nine Desolates)

As one of his two major experiment subjects, Huo Shan has also long been able to draw this bow with the Power of Forty-Three Desolates.

Shen Can estimated Huo Shan’s true strength to be about the same as his own now.

After soaking in Tier Three Beast Blood last time, Huo Qii currently possesses the Power of Forty Desolates.

Shen Can has been recording the cultivation consumption and improvement between the two, with Huo Qii lagging a significant distance behind Huo Shan.

As for the comparison between him and Huo Shan, it is incomparable; he rose from a regular martial artist, while Huo Shan had already possessed the Power of Thirty-Five Desolates when Shen Can was still an ordinary martial artist.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any stronger bows within the Bow Race anymore, nor can they be crafted, requiring Tier Three Materials or High-tier Ore, and more time.

Within the Ancestral Temple Cave, the firepit crackled, permeating with steam from the clay pot on top.

"Cough, cough..." The cold weather intensified Huo Xian’s coughing.

"Acan, has Atang’s news arrived today?"

Cold weather is optimal for hunting, and within the tribe, three teams of one hundred martial artists have taken turns hunting outside for quite some time.

According to established rules, if not returning from hunting, they would send messages back every two to three days, depending on distance.

Due to previous experiences of catching Tier Three Monster Fish, Huo Chang set sights again on Tier Three Water Beast.

"Messages come back every two days, yesterday we received word, the Clan Leader has discovered a wounded Tier Three Water Beast, and is in the process of encircling the hunt, with Mafei Powder on hand success should be soon."

...

Great Wild Marsh, western shore.

The wetlands are dense with mud pits, and the large lake is connected.

In the valley formed by the submerged mountains, the water flowed gently, accompanied by strange cries.

"Splash!"

Amidst the exploding waves, a peculiar water beast appeared, its eyes resembling those of a horse, its body like a serpent with a profound pattern, and six legs underneath, drawing the surrounding water vapor into mist, gathering above the valley.

This bizarre-looking water beast was covered in wounds; the wound on its abdomen extended to its tail, occasionally flashing with a sheen.

On a small hill by the shore, Huo Chang carefully observed the emerging water beast.

This beast was in a severely injured state; the area on its tail that shimmered seemed to be a weapon embedded within its body, as observed over several days.

This water beast had long become as timid as a frightened bird, not daring to venture deep into the wetlands to fish, only eating small fish.

This valley connected to the wetland, making it impossible to drain the water as they did last time.

After careful observation, Huo Chang employed a ’diversion’ method, arranging for the clan to draw a waterway from the back of the valley.

Five zhang wide and two zhang deep, it was dug for three li, where a large pond was excavated.

The reason for digging such a long artificial river was mainly because this was the edge of the wetland, with plenty of mud and water, while the water beast had legs beneath its body.

With a distance of three li dug, even if the water beast climbed ashore, there would be time to intercept it in shallow water.

The pond entrance had boulders piled, waiting to seal the entrance when the water beast entered.

After the artificial river was completed, the clan hunted the Mountain-Splitting Kui from the mountain forest and threw it into the artificial river.

Letting it struggle in the water, its wounds stained the river with blood, attracting many small fang-bearing fish to tear at it.

Even so, the water beast did not dare to take a bite.

Huo Chang was in no hurry, throwing an injured Mountain-Splitting Kui into the water every day or two.

After seven days of this, the water beast finally could no longer resist.

"Splash!" The serpentine body leapt from the water, biting the Mountain-Splitting Kui, swallowing along with the small fish gathering for food.

With a roll in the water, half of the Mountain-Splitting Kui was swallowed.

At the same time, Huo Chang had already ordered that half of a Mountain-Splitting Kui carcass and beast blood be thrown in from the far end of the artificial river.

"It’s coming, it’s coming."

On the small hill beside the artificial river, people watched the waves in the river from afar, seeing the water beast smelling the blood entering the pond.

Simultaneously, Huo Chang, guarding by the pond, pushed the boulders to seal the gap.

"Throw the Mafei Powder!"

The other clan members, covered in mud and hidden outside the pond, hurled pottery jugs at the water beast with a series of crashes.

As Huo Chang blocked the gap, the water beast, gnawing on Mountain-Splitting Kui flesh, sensed danger, a cloud of black light rising from its body as the surrounding waters began to surge.

But just as quickly, the Mafei Powder rained down like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

The broken jars’ pasty liquid spilled over most of its body.

And its whole body was covered in wounds.

Splash!

The water beast struggled violently, black light emanating from its entire body as its six feet under quickly paddled, trying to break through the water’s surface dragging its wounds.

But as soon as the light sparked up, its massive body wavered slightly and then collapsed half-submerged in the water.

"Hehe, Acan’s medicine works wonders."

"Just dig a ditch and drain some water. I think we should relocate near this wetland and specialize in capturing wild beasts in the water."

"Sounds good to me."

"What are you waiting for? Can’t you see the beast blood is flowing out? Hurry up and dismantle it."

"Clan Leader, aren’t we taking this wild beast back alive?" Huo Yui was a bit surprised.

"No, it’s too far. This water beast can climb ashore and has divine techniques; bringing it back would be too dangerous."

"Dismantle it here, extract the blood."

Saying that, Huo Chang walked up to the water beast, pried open its mouth, and drove the ironwood spear into its skull through its mouth.

...

Two days later.

All parts of the Tier Three Water Beast were now displayed in the Ancestral Temple.

"Acan, this water beast is similar to the Plague Beast we saw before, with the ability to emit black light from its body."

Huo Chang brought back everything, even digging out the soil drenched with beast blood.

There was also a broken blade with Witch Runes on it.

Shen Can regretted not personally slaying the wild beast, but obtaining this broken blade made up for that regret.

The Witch Runes on the broken blade were serpentine, very familiar to him.

The half-foot of the blade remained, with over a dozen Witch Runes that had altered from their initial forms, four of which he had yet to deduce.

"Upper Lingyu Division."