Chapter 189: Leaving the Clan

Despite the three-month-long ordeal in Qiyang County, some had miraculously survived the massacre and the conflagration that ensued before the bandits left. Some were simply fortunate, others skilled, while still others, like Dongge's family, managed to hide until the very end and escape the inferno.

At present, these survivors had all flocked to the mountains surrounding Qiyang.

It took six days for Shen Lie and Chen Dashan to reach the inner circle with their group. For most people, it was a treacherous journey filled with endless anxiety.

Lacking the necessary skills, even finding companionship was no easy feat. One could never be sure if their travel companion would stab them in the back when the situation turned dire. Even strangers who were forced to band together had to remain wary. Just as Dongge and his companions, who had joined a group of about forty or fifty people two days prior, had encountered trouble.

They had tagged along because the other group was larger, and they dared not approach them. However, they didn't seem like villains, so they decided to follow from a safe distance, drawing closer when they sensed danger and retreating when it subsided.

The group seemed to view them as no threat and even believed their presence would bolster their numbers against the bandits. Seeing that they were generally well-behaved, they tacitly allowed them to follow.

Suddenly, chaos erupted. From one moment to the next, a wolf appeared in front of them, and two children were knocked down by another in a different direction.

Screams, pandemonium, cries of pain, and wails filled the air. Amidst the sudden turmoil, a group of around forty or fifty people, seemingly a clan, scrambled to protect their kin. The young and strong shielded their family members, but the wolves had infiltrated their ranks. In the heat of the moment, they couldn't distinguish relatives from strangers, grabbing anyone they could to push them towards the wolves.

Dongge and his father and brother were momentarily stunned but quickly regained their composure. As they fought off the wolves charging at them, they also had to protect the women in their family, wary of their fellow travelers resorting to similar tactics.

In times like these, where trust was already scarce, people dared not test the limits of human nature.

No one knew how many wolves there were; in the chaos, their vicious roars seemed overwhelming, leaving everyone too preoccupied with saving themselves and their families to spare a glance.

A new group arrived amidst the melee. Logically, with dozens of people engaging the wolves, the best course of action would have been to take advantage of the confusion and escape immediately. Yet, surprisingly, this new party hesitated only briefly before ten strong young men joined the battle against the wolves.

From the corner of his eye, Dong Ge'er saw his father and two brothers encircling a wolf. Though he felt a surge of emotion, he couldn't divert his attention from the fight. The wolves' sudden attack sent shivers down their spines, stretching each passing moment into an eternity. In reality, the clash lasted no more than a few minutes.

The addition of the unexpected help must have tipped the balance. The pack's leader let out a howl, and all the wolves turned tail and fled into the woods.

Dong Ge'er's father trembled as he looked at his wife and daughter. Seeing that they had only been frightened, with no visible injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief.

While these two families heaved a collective sigh, the group that had just fought the wolves now found themselves in a tense standoff.

A young woman was pushed forward, barely saved by her husband from certain death. She survived but had fallen and crashed into a wolf. In its evasion, the wolf clawed her face. The woman clutched her face, gasping in pain. Her husband pulled away her hand, revealing three bloody claw marks on her left cheek – one shallow, the other two tearing through flesh. The sight was horrifying.

Tears streamed down the young wife's face, reflecting a mix of pain, relief from near-death, and perhaps sorrow for her disfigured face. Her sobs echoed those of the child beside her. The grandmother, trembling, seized a discarded machete and lunged at a middle-aged man in a fit of rage.

The man fled, while the others in the tribe cried out in shock and anger.

"Third Sister-in-law! Put down the knife!" This voice, resonant with authority, belonged to the bearded patriarch.

The woman ignored him, continuing to chase after the middle-aged man while shouting, "Gan Laowu, you beast! You pushed my daughter-in-law in front of the wolf! You think our third branch is powerless! How could you do such a thing? Why didn't you go and die yourself? I'll kill you!"

Gan Laowu still ran, while the young husband, staring at his wife's bloodied face, turned around, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the fleeing figure. He called out again, "Mother, stop chasing!"

The woman barely managed to halt her steps as she turned to look at him. The man had already released his arrow, followed swiftly by another.

As the arrows were shot one after another amidst the clan's cries, one pierced Gan Laowu's right leg, and the other struck his right hand.

The young man drew a third arrow, his hand trembling slightly as he aimed at the howling Gan Laowu.

The Gan family's fifth branch wailed, and the clan was stunned, soon replaced by a collective outrage from the elders.

The young wife, still covering her face, didn't react immediately but tears fell even more profusely. "Second Brother."

She grabbed the man's arm and pressed it downward, shaking her head at Gan Erlang.

The woman who had been chasing after Gan Laowu also regained her senses and immediately shielded her son. "What? Gan Laowu can use my daughter-in-law's life to save himself from the wolf, but my Erlang isn't allowed to avenge his wife? If he doesn't avenge her, then he's no man!"

The Clan Head's eyes darkened with rage. "That's his fifth uncle!"

"So what if it's his fifth uncle? Is that how uncles behave? Using seniority to bully others? What if it was your granddaughter-in-law that he pushed? Would you still turn a blind eye?"

As she spoke, she glared at Old Fifth Gan with contempt. "Your wife and daughter-in-law were there too. Why did you find it so easy to lay your hands on my daughter-in-law?"

"Our second son was in the front line protecting everyone, and this is how you treat his wife from behind?"

More than half of the clan members remained silent. The rest, who were likely peers or elders to the woman, argued that one couldn't simply strike an elder. If there was an issue with Old Fifth, it should be handled by the clan.

Gan Erlang's trembling hands stilled; they no longer shook as he sneered, "Then I truly cannot afford to stay in such a family. If I were to charge ahead one day, how would I know who might harm my mother, wife, and children from behind?"

Among the dozen or so young men who had previously lent a hand, two stepped forward and stood beside Gan Erlang. "Brother Gan."

Only then did Gan Erlang spare them a glance and greet them with a bow. "Brother Feng, thank you for your assistance earlier."

This man surnamed Feng was none other than the elder and younger brothers of Liu Family's second branch, Feng Liu. It was sheer coincidence that the Feng clan was also making their way towards the inner circle to avoid the mountain bandits. Through twists and turns, they had ended up here and witnessed the wolves fighting with humans. Ordinarily, they would have mind their own business, but Feng Eldest Brother and Feng Second Brother recognized a familiar face.

It was Gan Erlang, the brother-in-law of Shi Eldest Brother, who, like them, had gone into the mountains with Shen Lie to learn hunting before the New Year.

Originally from different villages, they had never crossed paths before. But having studied hunting together under Shen Lie, they had become acquaintances and spent a considerable amount of time together. It would be inappropriate for them to stand idly by now. Moreover, the wolf pack numbered less than twenty, while there were two or three dozen able-bodied men on the other side. With their assistance, the situation could still be managed. Thus, after leaving enough people to protect their own families, they called upon their cousins and rushed over to help.

Seeing that GannErLang's family was clearly being bullied by their clansmen, the two brothers stepped forward, providing an indirect show of support for GannErLang.

Feng DaLang shook his head and said, "It's no big deal."

He then glanced at Gann's elders and tactfully asked GannErLang, "Do you need our help, Brother Gann?"

GannErLang looked at his fellow clansmen, then at his wife, whose face was already swollen. He glanced at his mother and young daughter before turning to Feng's clan. Swallowing hard, he said, "Are you going into the inner circle, Brother Feng?"

Feng DaLang nodded. "It's too chaotic out here. We're not daring to leave the hunt. We plan to seek refuge in the inner circle."

Upon hearing that they were heading for the inner circle as well, GannErLang suggested, "Would it be possible for you to take my family with you? My mother, wife, and daughter."

Feng DaLang wasn't surprised by the request but didn't immediately agree. "I'll have to discuss this with my grandfather and uncles first."

The Gann Clan's chief and GannErLang's uncles were already furious and shouted at GannErLang.

But GannErLang pretended not to hear them. He bowed to Feng DaLang. "Please help me plead our case. You've seen the situation just now. In such circumstances, we can't afford to stay with our clansmen anymore. I might not be able to protect my mother and family alone. Brother Feng, you know that I've learned some archery and hunting skills, and I've improved quite a bit in the past year. I won't be a burden to your clan."

Feng DaLang, having trained together, was well aware of this. He nodded and said, "Brother Gan, please wait a moment."

No matter how the Gan family patriarch or the uncles tried to persuade or cajole, using either threats or kindness, their determination to leave was unwavering. Even Gan DaLang's mother remained silent about her son's near-excommunication from the clan.

Leaving the clan at this time was a significant matter. But a family was only a family if it protected its members. The fact that they had used her son and were now willing to sacrifice his wife without anyone speaking up for justice – such a family was better left behind.

The Fengs didn't concern themselves with how the Gan clan perceived them. They had witnessed and heard everything that transpired. Most importantly, Feng DaLang mentioned that Gan DaLang had learned his craft alongside the Feng brothers in Ten Li Village.

Their younger generation of Fengs all carried bows and arrows, having trained extensively in hunting. Could one have too many skilled archers?

Of course not!

Moreover, it was a matter of helping others. Elder Feng and a few uncles immediately agreed.

Before Feng Da Lang could even approach Gan Er Lang, the latter had already pulled his mother, wife, and daughter along, picked up their belongings, and turned to leave. Despite the Old Clan Head's shouting behind them that they were betraying their ancestors by leaving today, they didn't look back.

The eldest son of the fifth branch cursed fiercely, "Can't we still live without him?"

Gan Lao Wu howled in pain, still furious. He spat, "Who needs descendants who abandon their ancestors?"

He panted in pain, yet still found the strength to defend himself, "That was just a startled pull! How could I have aimed at my own uncle? Beast! Beast! What am I to do with this arrow? It hurts so much!"

Silenced by the elder's furious command to be quiet, he ceased his complaints and resumed his howls. However, most of the clan members felt a sense of gloom, especially when they recalled the time they encountered a pack of wolves at the beginning of their journey. Several wolves were taken down by Gan ErLang's bamboo arrows. Though they didn't understand why those arrows were so effective then, seeing Gan ErLang leave like this, those who had scolded him earlier now regretted their words, though it was too late for apologies.

The Dong family watched the scene unfold in silence. They gathered clothes, bedding, hoes, and axes from the nearby deserted villages and hurriedly tried to catch up with the Feng family. As soon as the Dong family left, the other family that had temporarily joined them also followed.

The faces of the Gan clan darkened even more.

The Feng family glanced at Dong GeEr's group, and Feng DaLang softly asked who was following Gan ErLang. Upon learning that the person was unknown but had been trailing them for two or three days without causing trouble and had even lent a hand when needed, the Feng family didn't object, as long as they kept a safe distance.

Feng ErLang had already gathered some herbs from the roadside, washed them with water from a bamboo tube, and handed them to Gan ErLang, saying, "Brother Gan, these are blood-staunching herbs that Shen Lie taught us to recognize. Crush them and apply them to your sister-in-law's wound."

Gan ErLang was about to search for these herbs himself, but Feng ErLang beat him to it. He hastily expressed his gratitude and took them. His mother had already retrieved a small stone mortar from home and used a wooden pestle to grind the herbs, which she then applied to her daughter-in-law's injury.

In the Feng family's formation, young and strong individuals led and brought up the rear, with Gan ErLang now added to the latter group. Meanwhile, in the central column of elders, women, and children, there were now the three Gan family members: the grandmother, mother, and granddaughter.

A dozen people followed at the tail of the procession.

The remaining Gan family, feeling ashamed to follow but wanting to, hesitated for a moment. After an unspoken discussion, they helped Gan LaoWu remove the two bamboo arrows from his body and, choosing a slightly different direction from the Fengs, set off on their own path.

Over ten days had passed since Shen Lie last escorted Sang Luo out of the valley. Thanks to her ability to find food, everyone relied heavily on her, and she was content to stay as well. With Shen An and Shen Ning managing things in the valley, apart from one brief visit to check on them when she delivered supplies, she hadn't returned there yet.

Shen Lie and Chen Dashan took turns leading expeditions, and she only accompanied Shen Lie. The rest of the time, she managed their home outside the valley. Not just Sang Luo, but the other families outside the mountain also contributed. Although they didn't build wooden walls, they constructed bamboo fences for vegetable gardens, compost pits, and even chicken coops and rabbit hutches near the caves. Occasionally, they would catch live animals and raise them. At first glance, these six households appeared no different from Zhou Lazi's group or the residents who had settled in the inner circle of the mountains.

Today, it was Shen Lie's turn to lead, so naturally, Sang Luo joined the outing. They no longer dared venture too far from the village, as long as they could find sustenance within the inner circle. Thus, they no longer focused solely on exploring the direction towards the Zhou family. Instead, they converged at a midpoint between the Zhou family and the outer village before venturing into any unexplored areas.

It was an ordinary day, and neither Shen Lie, Sang Luo, nor Shi Dalang, who accompanied them, expected such a thrilling surprise while cleaning their prey by the stream. Imagine the astonishment of Feng Da and Feng Er, who were actually younger than Shen Lie, as they greeted him with the enthusiasm of meeting a long-lost brother. And Ganniang's delight upon seeing her actual brother-in-law, Shi Dalang.

As the Feng brothers enthusiastically called out to Shen Lie and Ganniang addressed Shi Dalang as her brother-in-law, Dong Ge, lagging behind the Feng family, burst with excitement. Despite his small stature, he dashed forward swiftly, his voice echoing loudly and his emotions overflowing: "Sang Lady! Sang Lady!"

This enthusiastic outburst stunned the entire Feng clan, all turning to look. Even Feng Da, Feng Er, and Ganniang were bewildered.

Wait, who is this?

Shen Lie was utterly dumbfounded. Who was calling Ah Luo?

San Luo turned to follow the sound and saw a figure rushing toward her. His clothes were ill-fitting, and his hairstyle was even more distinctive than that of a beggar's. From a distance, as he ran, he swept his bizarre hair aside, revealing a face just recognizable amidst the chaos. "I, I am Dong Ge! Dong Ge from Dong Fu Lou!"