Chapter 862: Chapter 30 Internal Turmoil
Yan Shi pulled out a map from his bosom, squatted down, and spread the map on the ground, saying, "I don’t have any good ideas, but to head to the Death Mountain Range, we must pass through the Tian Yuan Clan. Within the territory of the Tian Yuan Clan, the four major races are primarily gathered. You should know about them. They are the Winged Tribe, the Dwarf Clan, the Elf Clan, and the Beast Man Clan. Among them, the Elf Clan and the Winged Tribe are peace-loving and in tune with nature. Our Pu Yan people have always had good relations with the elves and the winged people, so there should be no problem passing through their territory. Although the Dwarf Clan can be a bit hot-headed, they are kind-hearted and straightforward, so there also shouldn’t be much issue. The troublesome part is the territory of the Beast Man Clan, whose xenophobia is not much worse than our Pu Yan people, and they are naturally brutal, relying on hunting wild beasts in the forest for a living."
Xuan Yue said, "Aren’t they practically beasts themselves? How can they still hunt wild beasts?"
Yan Shi glanced at her and replied, "You don’t understand the Beast Man Clan. So-called beastmen are essentially wild beasts that have the ability to think and possess intelligence and in some aspects are similar to humans. Within the Beast Man Clan, there are many races as well, with the Lion Man, Tiger Man, Panther Man, Wolf Man, and Bear Man being the five leading tribes. There are also smaller tribes that, because of their special abilities, are not bullied, such as the Centaur Tribe, proficient in archery, and the mysterious Dark Demon Clan."
Ah Dai exclaimed in surprise, "What? There are members of the Dark Demon Clan among the Beast Man Clan?"
Yan Shi nodded gravely and said, "Yes, although the Dark Demon Clan is hunted by all humans on the continent, they are not discriminated against within the territory of the Tian Yuan Clan. That’s why they can survive there. Yet, their movements are still very secretive, and even the other races of Beast Men hardly see them. The Dark Demon Clan may be few in number, but their offensive power is extremely formidable. We can only hope that we don’t encounter them. They hold a transcendent status within the Beast Man Clan, and no tribe would dare to target them. Besides the races I’ve mentioned, there are many smaller tribes within the Beast Man Clan, and those tribes are very weak. Even the more formidable wild beasts without thinking capacity can kill them. Thus, the wild beasts in those forests and these weaker tribes are the prey of the Beast Man’s larger tribes."
"Wow, they even prey on members of their own tribes!" Yue Ji exclaimed in shock.
Yan Shi said, "Yes, that’s why I would say Beast Men are quite ferocious. Their territory lies across the Tian Yuan Clan, and is also the essential route we must take to reach the Death Mountain Range. When the time comes, we’ll try to get help from our friends in the Elf Clan and the Winged Tribe. It’s best not to get into conflict with the Beast Men; they are numerous and not something we can handle."
The others looked at each other, none having anticipated encountering so many difficulties even before entering the Death Mountain Range. Ah Dai asked, "Yan Shi, big brother, what if we get into a conflict with the Beast Man Clan?"
A glint of cold light flashed in Yan Shi’s eyes as he replied, "We’ll have to play it by ear. If there are few of them, we’ll fight our way through; if there are many, we can only run."
Xuan Yue said, "If only we could grow wings like the Winged People and just fly over."
Yue Ji shot her a disdainful look and said, "Aren’t you a magician? If you knew how to use Wind Magic for flying, you could carry all of us over."
Xuan Yue said contemptuously, "Don’t speak if you don’t understand. Do you think using Wind Magic to fly is that easy? Just flying by oneself is very difficult, let alone carrying so many people. I bet even Byinlog, the Wind Magician of the Empire of Sunset City, can’t do it. You’re such a magic novice."
Furious, Yue Ji stood up and said, "Who are you calling a magic novice? If you dare, don’t use magic and I won’t use my longbow. Let’s see who’s better."
Xuan Yue, no less defiant, stood up proudly, gazing up at Yue Ji who was half a head taller and said, "I’m not scared of you! You can come after me once you’ve beaten Ah Dai. Ah Dai, teach her a lesson for me."
Moon Scar quickly pulled his sister back, frowning and saying, "Enough, stop arguing. We have so many difficulties ahead of us; let’s get through those first. We’re all on the same side; let’s not ruin the harmony. Yan Shi, big brother, we’ve never been to the Tian Yuan Clan before and are unfamiliar with it. From what you’ve said, it’s likely we’ll conflict with the Beast Man Clan."
Yan Shi nodded and said, "You could say that. Although the Elf Clan and the Winged Tribe love peace, the likelihood they will help us is not high. After all, they are all part of the Tian Yuan Clan and won’t easily offend the Beast Man Clan. Beast Men are very proud. When we reach their border, we’ll just speed up and try not to face them head-on." He sighed before continuing, "The most complicated place on the continent has to be the Federation, especially the Tian Yuan Clan. There are so many forces there, it’s not easy to deal with!"
Wan Li said, "If all else fails, we can just go around."
Yan Shi shook his head and said, "Taking a detour is too troublesome, and we can’t guarantee we won’t encounter problems in other races’ territories. Besides, since we are embarking on an adventure, we shouldn’t be afraid of difficulties."
"What are you guys talking about? Why didn’t you wake me?" Yan Li ran over groggily, stretching and asking.
Miao Fei chuckled and said, "You sure can sleep!"
