Chapter 897: Chapter 37 Batron Festival
Yan Shi stood up. The Yalai tribesman was sturdy but much shorter than Yan Shi, and involuntarily took a step back at the sight of him. Yan Shi said, "Brother, we’re just passing through. May I ask, where have all the people here gone? Could it be they’ve all gone to herd the livestock?"
The Yalai tribesman had recovered from his surprise, grinned, and said, "Put what to pasture today? Don’t you know? Today is our Yalai tribe’s Batron Festival. The celebration is about to start, and everyone has run off to celebrate, so of course, there’s no one around. We’ve gathered together with several nearby tribes over there. I just came back to get something—otherwise, you wouldn’t see a single person. The celebration is about to begin. Outsiders, do you want to come and have a look? It’s going to be very lively."
The group gathered around, and Ah Dai asked, "Big brother, what is the Batron Festival?"
The man replied, "You don’t know that? Batron, in our ancient Yalai language, means warrior. So, this festival is also called the Festival of Warriors. Each tribe will select warriors from amongst their own to participate in today’s celebrations. Are you going or not? I must hurry over. The Batron Festival happens once a year and is one of our Yalai tribe’s most important festivals."
Xuan Yue jumped excitedly, "Let’s go, let’s go, we want to see it too. Please lead the way."
On seeing Xuan Yue’s pretty face, the Yalai tribesman’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "You’re really beautiful, little girl! My name is Tubari, welcome to join our festival."
Yan Shi and Yan Li exchanged glances. They had long heard that the Yalai’s Batron Festival was very interesting, the largest celebration of the Yalai, and since they had encountered it, it seemed fine to go and have a look, not to mention they had been intending to buy horses from the Yalai people. "Big brother, then please lead the way. Us outsiders attending your celebration, won’t we be causing you any trouble?"
Tubari laughed heartily and said, "How could you? Our Yalai tribe loves making friends the most. Since you have come here, you are our friends." At that moment, distant sound of deep horn blows traveled through the air, and his expression changed as he said, "We must hurry over. The celebration is starting soon." With that, he beckoned the four of them and ran swiftly towards the east.
The four exchanged looks and hurriedly followed. The most excited among them was Xuan Yue, always brimming with curiosity for new things.
Following Tubari through the herds of cattle and sheep, they suddenly beheld an incredibly magnificent sight. The location of the oasis was elevated, so they hadn’t noticed it until they passed through the herds. Once they did, they saw Yalai tribesmen scattered as far as the eye could see, divided into three large groups, all simply dressed. Many young Yalai men were shirtless, shouting continuously. Most of the people were on tall, large horses, their faces beaming with excitement. In the middle of the Yalai tribesmen was a large open field surrounded by bonfires, each roasting a whole cow or sheep, and waves of meaty aroma kept wafting over, making Ah Dai and the others’ mouths water.
Tubari said, "Let’s go over. It’s about to start. I belong to the Northern Tribe, over to the north. The other two are the Southern and Eastern Tribes. Although our three tribes are not the most powerful within the Yalai, we are closely related and occupy this oasis, so our life is quite good." Saying this, he led everyone to the northern side among the Yalai people. The Yalai did not show much surprise at their arrival. Seeing them, everyone had a genuine smile and welcomed them warmly.
Horn calls sounded out, and the tens of thousands of Yalai people fell silent all at once. From the northern, eastern, and southern Yalai tribes, groups of fast horses burst forth, charging toward the center with incredible speed. Just as the three groups of horses seemed about to collide, the riders simultaneously pulled back on the reins, and the horses reared up almost in unison, halting amidst the neighing. Their exquisite equestrian skills were breathtaking. Ah Dai thought it was no wonder that everyone said the Yalai light cavalry was so formidable.
Yan Li rubbed his palms together, eager to give it a try. In the Pu Yan tribe, he was renowned for his horsemanship, and upon seeing these skilled Yalai horsemen, he became irresistibly itchy.
The three groups of horses gathered in the center of the field, and the surrounding Yalai people yelled all at once, the atmosphere incredibly lively. The leaders of the three groups were all stout men in their forties, who held their scimitars high and shouted something together with their riders.
After a while, the shouting ceased, and the leader on the northern side yelled out, "Brothers and sisters, today is our Yalai tribe’s annual Batron Festival, the day our warriors are born. A year of toil has passed, and our Yalai tribe has produced many new warriors, ..."
Tubari explained to the four of them, "This is our chieftain. Among these three tribes, our tribe is the most powerful. The Batron Festival is divided into two parts: the first involves various competitions, and eventually, the warriors of each tribe will be selected. The second part is a complete revelry. Only today do we Yalai not work or herd, allowing everyone to rejoice to their heart’s content. The competitions primarily consist of three events: horsemanship, wrestling, and archery. Are you interested in participating?"
