Chapter 896: Chapter 36: The Battle of the Sorcerers_5
Yan Li somewhat grumpily said, "Just eating steamed buns is too boring, if only we had some meat." Back when he was in the Pu Yan Clan, he couldn’t be happy without meat every day.
Yan Shi glanced at him and said, "Don’t make such a fuss, let’s go. We’ll continue our journey until we find a tribe of the Federation, then we can rest properly."
Everyone stood up, and Xuan Yue took a coat from the Phoenix’s Blood, draped it over her head to block the scorching sun, and called out to Ah Dai, "Dai Dai, come and carry me. I’ll block the sun for you. How about that? It’s mutually beneficial."
Ah Dai muttered something under his breath, but eventually reluctantly crouched in front of Xuan Yue. Xuan Yue smiled faintly, leaning on Ah Dai’s back, her chest, just beginning to develop, pressed against Ah Dai’s firm muscles. Ah Dai’s face heated up as he hooked Xuan Yue’s legs and hurried after the Yan brothers.
After determining their directions, the four of them headed southwest until sunset fell in the west, and they finally found an oasis on the prairie. It was a small lake, only a few dozen square kilometers in size, surrounded by a large number of dark-skinned humans, whose appearances were the exact opposite of the Elf Clan; they were generally ugly with rough skin, but the males were quite muscular.
Hundreds of tents were set up around the oasis, and hundreds of cattle and sheep, driven by the tribe’s people, were enjoying the natural grassland bestowed upon them by the heavens.
Xuan Yue exclaimed in surprise, "This place is bustling! There are so many cattle and sheep. Can they manage them all?"
Yan Shi smiled and said, "Of course they can manage. The Federation Clan has always lived a nomadic life. Although they are the largest clan in the Federation, they are also the poorest. They just manage to be self-sufficient. They often exchange their cattle and sheep with other clans for essential goods. An oasis like this is the best habitat for the Federation Clan. Only near an oasis do they not have to worry about water. You know, on the vast prairie, no water means no life."
Ah Dai said, "Brother Yan Shi, you seem very familiar with the Federation Clan!"
Yan Li laughed and said, "A small part of our Pu Yan territory borders the Federation Clan. In the Federation, only the Federation people’s generosity and a few clans from the Tian Yuan Clan have some contact with us. These Federation people occasionally come to our territory to exchange food and various items for cattle and sheep, of course, we’re familiar. Come on, let’s go over there, buy some milk tea and beef. I don’t want to eat dry food anymore." With that, he strode towards the oasis nearby.
Xuan Yue, pulling Ah Dai, said, "Come on, let’s go over too. Those tents look interesting. Let’s rent one to stay in."
Ah Dai scratched his head and said, "Didn’t you say we’re not exactly flush with cash? Let’s try to save a bit."
Xuan Yue pouted, complaining, "I’ve never been short of money, humph, it’s annoying not to be able to have some fun with things I like." Saying this, she proudly chased after Yan Li.
Ah Dai, taken aback, watched Xuan Yue’s playful complaint, feeling as though he was letting her down, and intuitively said, "If you want to stay, let’s stay. We’ll figure out the money issue later."
Yan Shi looked at them with a smile, remembering his deceased wife, which made his heart sour.
The warmth in Xuan Yue’s heart surged as she looked at Ah Dai’s honest face and smiled, "Let’s see how it goes."
Soon, the four of them arrived near the oasis. Although the lake’s water couldn’t compare to that of Elf Lake, it was still quite clear. Approaching the water, they all ran to the lakeside and simultaneously plunged their hands into it. The cool lake water washed away their fatigue, and stimulated by the fresh water, all four felt invigorated.
After cleaning up, Yan Li sat comfortably by the lakeside and looked around. The numerous Federation people who had been there just a while ago had vanished. He said, "This is strange, I haven’t seen a single person. This oasis is too quiet."
Xuan Yue pointed at the large number of cattle and sheep not far off and asked, "Could they have all gone herding?"
Yan Shi shook his head and said, "That shouldn’t be it; generally, only the adults go herding. The elderly and children would stay at home. But don’t you feel it? It’s unusually quiet here, as if there’s no one in the surrounding tents. We saw quite a few Federation people as we were coming here, so where have they all disappeared to now? I don’t understand what’s going on."
Just then, a burly Federation man suddenly appeared from somewhere and excitedly ran towards the northeast. Upon seeing the four, he paused and stopped to ask, "Who are you?"
