Aztec Civilization: Destiny to Conquer America!

Chapter 2124 - 1549: If You’re a Warrior, Come Fight One-on-One!

In August, the White Mountain Black Water is at its humid rainy season. The summer rainfall lasting three months has left the entire Heilongjiang River system at a dangerously high flood level. With spring ice jam floods, summer floods, and winter freeze-up, the river’s navigation conditions have never been good. Apart from the poor navigation, traversing the dense forests of the Outer Northeast is also a hassle, with rain forming puddles and swamps everywhere where one might easily step into and get stuck.Undoubtedly, the Outer Northeast Forest Sea at this time is a muddy landscape. Though it appears there are countless routes in the forest sea, in fact, only the sparse woodland around the rivers, and the swampy paths trodden by herds, are the best choices for various tribes to hunt, fish, and ride for long travels.

However, the best choice isn’t necessarily safe. Because the wolves and tigers in the forest sea aren’t terrifying. The most terrifying thing is the beast-like other tribes in the forest sea, those who walk the same paths but meet as default enemies!

"Damn it! This rain keeps drizzling, the entire forest is soaking wet, and the bowstrings are as soft as a rag! It’s hard to shoot a bird during the day, and at night you can’t find dry wood to make fire... Pah! Where did the herd of deer we saw on the mountain go?"

The chieftain of the Du’erbi Tribe, Wudou Wen, has a robust figure, like a beast of the forest. At this moment, he is wrapped in a fur robe, carrying a heavy bow, leading a mountain horse, and trekking barefoot along the river path. Behind him, more than thirty strong men from the tribe, all wrapped in fur robes, carrying hunting bows and arrows.

For such a large hunting party, there are actually too many people involved; it would be more efficient to split into two teams. But in recent years, the forest hasn’t been safe, with regularly encountering southward tribes. If the numbers were fewer, they’d be devoured in one bite. It’s better to stay together like this, so when faced with a small tribe, they might instead devour them whole.

"Where are the dogs?! Let the dogs smell again, where did the deer go?!

"Bear Head... It just rained, the dogs can’t smell anything. We have to search along the river; the deer have to drink sometime, we will meet them eventually."

"Meet your wild dreams! Damned deer herd, been searching for six or seven days. The footprints found a few days ago clearly went in this direction, why can’t we see them? Could it be they encountered some wandering tiger or wolf pack and were driven and scared away?..."

Chieftain Wudou Wen frowned, looking irritated, like an unhappy brown bear. In fact, in Man Language, "Wudou Wen" means "male bear." As the chieftain of the Shengshu Jurchen Tribe, clearly he is the best warrior in the tribe. Although he can’t hunt a Northeastern tiger, he can still hunt a black bear alone.

Unfortunately, in this vast forest sea, hunting is both a skill and a matter of luck, relying on the favor of the heavens. Hunting parties that go out often spend nine out of ten days hungry while tracking prey. Deer herd doesn’t move slowly and are quite clever. Tracking these beasts is the hardest part of the hunt.

Generally, tracking prey relies mainly on a dog’s sense of smell and hearing, and then on the experienced hunters to observe the direction of footprints and freshness of droppings. Therefore, rain is the worst for hunting because when it rains, dogs can’t smell anything, rendering them useless. What hunters like most is the early winter snow. After snowfall, footprints leave no hiding place for prey. The cold also keeps the caught prey from spoiling easily, allowing meat to be stored longer.

So for the Shengshu Jurchen Tribe, who rely on fishing and hunting in the forest sea, August is warm but not a good time. Only the early snow in October is the best hunting season! By November, the deep winter turns urine into ice, and it’s too cold. The ordinary tribe’s fur robes can’t withstand it, forcing them to huddle in camps, enduring together through hardship.

"Chieftain, there are bean sprouts in the forest here! Stop for a while and cut more to feed the horses! They are hungry... People can eat some too, cooked with mushrooms..."

"Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating! Just like the Nu’er Ha in the mountain..."

Chieftain Wudou Wen cursed a few words, his stomach also growled. This alternating hunger and hunting days are truly hard to endure. Really hope to encounter a bear or tiger that doesn’t run, even if someone gets hurt, or they lose a hunter, to exchange it for four or five hundred pounds of meat would be worth it. Unfortunately, the tigers in the mountain forest have learned to avoid groups of hunters, only occasionally could a blind bear be encountered.

"Rest here! You, you, you, a few of you, take the horses to the river to drink. Wild Boar, you take a few more people, cut these bean sprouts, and gather some wild vegetables and mushrooms. A few Divine Archers, follow me to shoot a couple of birds, we’ll stew them in the stone pot later. And those handling the dogs, spread out to keep watch on both ends of the forest!..."

With Chieftain Wudou Wen’s command, the hunting party of more than thirty people began to orderly busy themselves. Eight people fed the horses, fifteen worked in the forest, five held bows and arrows looking up at trees. The remaining six scouts with dogs split into two teams, walking along the river to the eastern and western ends. As they walked, the hunting dogs on the east suddenly stopped and first barked shortly, then howled wildly!

"Awoo!... Awooo awooo!!..."

"!! Some prey? No! This sound... people? Many people! Many enemies! Right in the forest!!..."