Chapter 147

Chapter 147

This was the first time his father had talked to him so seriously and sincerely. Xue Tuan felt a moment of hesitation, and felt conflicted inside.

But before long, Xue Tuan composed himself. Ordinary reasons could no longer persuade his father, so he decided to settle for the next best thing.

Xue Tuan stood up and walked over to Rong Shan's side. He half-crouched down, reached out with both hands to hold Rong Shan's hands, looked up at him and said:

"Dad, how about this: I'll first follow the group to the old Rockball Sparrow tribe to check out the situation. If new salty snow has already appeared there, then we won't need to continue past the snow mountain."

"If the team decides to cross the mountain and the dangers are still unclear, then I'll return to the tribe..."

"Besides, haven't you always encouraged young beastmen to go out and gain experience? I'm all grown up now, and I think this is a perfect opportunity!"

Xue Tuan looked pleadingly at his fathers, then glanced at his grandfather, whom he had privately got on his side, hoping Hui Qiong would help speak up for him.

"Rong Shan, just let the little one go," Hui Qiong said cheerfully. "I swear on my life, I won't let him come to any harm."

"Father!"

"Grandpa!"

As soon as Hui Qiong finished speaking, two voices of disapproval were heard. Especially Xue Tuan, who almost glared at Hui Qiong, his brows furrowed.

After these words, Zhong Yan also received a sharp look from Xue Tuan: I never taught you to say things like that!

Rong Shan: "Zhong Yan, you..."

Only Hui Qiong just kept on smiling, very satisfied with what Zhong Yan had said.

Hui Qiong continued: "See, the little one cares so much about my life, he definitely wouldn't take risks with his own life either."

Xue Tuan quickly chimed in, nodding earnestly and promising he would never act alone, would stay with everyone at all times, and wouldn't engage in any dangerous behavior...

He was practically on the verge of swearing an oath himself when Feng Yan finally gave in. He looked at Rong Shan, as if he'd made up his mind, and said: "Rong Shan, I'll go along on this trip."

Hearing this, Rong Shan looked at Feng Yan and saw sheer determination in his eyes. Rong Shan looked down, nodded, and said: "Alright, you go. With you there, I'll feel more at ease."

Then Feng Yan looked seriously at Xue Tuan: "Then, depending on the situation, you'll return with A Rong and the others. The Rockball Sparrows will turn back after guiding the team to their old tribe..."

This was the promise Feng Yan and the others had made to the Rockball Sparrow chieftain. For the Rockball Sparrow tribe, the command "Do not cross the snow mountain" was practically engraved in their minds from childhood. Therefore, Feng Yan and the others never intended to make the Rockball Sparrows break their own tribal rules.

Since even Feng Yan said so, Rong Shan naturally had no more reason to object.

He had long known that no matter what he and Feng Yan said, their precious child was determined to go. He had merely been holding onto a sliver of hope, trying one last time to dissuade him.

Hearing his father say this, Xue Tuan's face lit up with surprise. He hadn't expected his father to go too... And, his fathers had actually agreed to let him go along?!

"Hehe, thank you, Dad, Father!" Xue Tuan gave his fathers a tight hug. His efforts hadn't been in vain after all!

Only Bing Qiu pouted, resentful of why Xue Tuan had so many things going on and why it had to coincide so perfectly—he really wanted to go too!!

Xue Tuan patted Bing Qiu's shoulder smugly, saying in a patronizing tone: "Don't be sad, brother. I'll bring back something fun for you."

These were the words Bing Qiu used to say to Xue Tuan every time he went out before. Now it was Xue Tuan's turn to say them.

"You'd better bring me something back!" Bing Qiu gritted his teeth, looking at the overly excited Xue Tuan before him: You'd better come back safely and bring me back *anything*!

Over the next few days, the Mountain Water Tribe quickly decided on the team members for the expedition and began preparing all the necessary supplies.

They were people who, even after repeated emphasis by the chief and the Priests on the dangers of the mission, still volunteered to participate. If Feng Yan, Rong Shan, or the others saw even a hint of hesitation, the person would be directly rejected.

Furthermore, after joining, Feng Yan even agreed that they could change their minds at any time. However, once they left the tribe, they would be responsible for their own choices and must fulfill their duties properly. That was the spirit of a true Mountain Water Tribe beastman.

During the selection process, a surprisingly large number of beastmen were willing to participate. Many felt that after enjoying the stable life the tribe had provided for so many years, it was time to give back. This was their chance to contribute to the tribe.

The tribe was facing difficulties, and the beastmen didn't want to just sit idly by.

Because of this, the management initially even reached a point where they needed to screen applicants. In the end, only those with strong abilities or "special skills" were selected.

So when Xue Tuan learned that Sha Hu and Xiao Shu had also been chosen, he was both pleasantly surprised and not entirely shocked.

Xue Tuan went up and patted Sha Hu and Xiao Shu on the shoulders, saying happily: "You two are amazing!" Bringing honor to their batch of similarly aged youths!

Xiao Shu smiled shyly, then said with a hint of pride: "Of course!"

Sha Hu, on the other hand, practically stuck his nose in the air, walking with a swagger.

Sha Hu and Xiao Shu were only slightly older than Xue Tuan, having entered adulthood a step ahead of him.

Apart from their families, these two spent the most time with Xue Tuan. Influenced by him since childhood, even if they only learned some "superficial knowledge," they had already surpassed many others.

Besides that, they each genuinely had their own strengths. They had long passed Grandpa Hui Qiong's training program for the young ones, proving they possessed qualified wilderness survival skills and self-defense capabilities.

Furthermore, during their last training expedition, Sha Hu and Xiao Shu had also earned Grandpa Hui Qiong's favor.

Xiao Shu, with his exceptional sense of smell, had helped them avoid danger several times. His olfactory ability was different from other beastmen; he could detect special scents that ordinary beastmen couldn't.

For example, if there were highly dangerous beasts nearby, Xiao Shu could provide an early warning.

Sha Hu also possessed a rather unique physique and tenacious willpower. When their squad was once trapped in a cave, Sha Hu wasn't the fattest or strongest in the group, yet he was the one who held out until the very end.

After everyone else had almost lost consciousness, he persisted in giving each person water and food. It wasn't until the beastmen secretly observing the squad estimated the time, fearing a real disaster, that they came to rescue them.

Strangely enough, Sha Hu was perhaps, besides Zhong Yan, the biggest eater among their group. But he was definitely not the one whose physique would make everyone think his body fat could sustain him for that long.

Usually, everyone liked to tease him, calling him a very agile "little fatty," but no one had thought about it in that context.

Only beastmen who had heard about Sha Hu's story would inexplicably feel that if Sha Hu could join their squad, it might actually be a good thing?

Because if there ever came a day when supplies ran out completely, Sha Hu would likely be the one who could rely on his own flesh and blood to hold out the longest, waiting for others to come rescue them.

After greeting Sha Hu and Xiao Shu, Xue Tuan hurried off to find Grandpa Mushi.

He had commissioned Grandpa Mushi to make a weapon, which had taken almost over a year and was fortunately completed just in time.

"Grandpa, I've come to pick up the item." The workshop area was now very large, with open sections in the front and areas partitioned off by stone walls.

If you didn't know the way, you could easily get lost. Fortunately, Wood Lion Elder and some other team leaders had their own separate work areas. Xue Tuan quickly found where Elder Grandpa was.

"Xue Tuan's here? Perfect timing, come over and try it out." Mu Shi turned around, saw Xue Tuan, and quickly pulled him inside.

Mu Shi naturally also knew that Xue Tuan and Zhong Yan would be participating in this mission. Today, he had specifically made final adjustments to the completed weapon, ensuring it was in optimal condition.

In a corner of this room stood several specially made wooden posts, allowing beastmen to test various newly crafted tools.

Mu Shi said: "Come, see if this 'compound crossbow' we made is what you had in mind."

Elder Mushi led Xue Tuan to a wooden table and introduced the weapon lying upon it.

On the table lay a sturdy, exquisite compound crossbow. The crossbow's stock was made of hard elm wood, while the trigger mechanism was forged in the iron workshop managed by Uncle An Tu.

For the limbs, fish glue had to be evenly brushed onto the limb base, then attached with horn plates from fierce beasts, followed by more glue and layers of beast sinew, built up step by step.

After all this, it still needed to be air-dried in a cool place for several months before it could be used. Completing this compound crossbow was truly no easy task.

Xue Tuan picked up the compound crossbow; it was heavy and solid.

If he hadn't been training his strength over the past few years, it would have been hard to say whether he could steadily lift it. Thanks to his training, he hadn't disgraced the Arctic Fox family.

"Use this." Mu Shi handed Xue Tuan a special arrow. This was just to test its power for now; they'd save the other arrows.

This type of arrow was shorter and heavier than those used for bows, capable of inflicting more damage.

Xue Tuan slowly cranked the winch, then raised the compound crossbow to aim at a distant wooden stake. The three-edged arrowhead gleamed faintly with a cold light.

*Click!* Xue Tuan curled his finger and squeezed the trigger!

With a *whoosh*, the arrow shot forth, instantly striking the distant wooden stake!

The stake was pierced clean through, the arrowhead bursting out the other side, the shaft firmly embedded in the wood.

Mu Shi didn't seem surprised, nodding in satisfaction before turning to Xue Tuan with a smile. "Well?"

"Wow! Amazing! Thank you, Grandpa!" Xue Tuan was astonished. His memory told him that in this period, the compound crossbow was a formidable long-range weapon, but this was his first time using one.

After personally trying it, he hadn't expected it to be so powerful! And this was just a single arrow; if multiple were fired, the effect would be even more devastating!

Over the years, the beastmen had continuously refined and improved their techniques. This crossbow was only half the size of his usual bow, but upon closer inspection, from tip to tail, from material selection to craftsmanship, it was nearly flawless—a true masterpiece representing the pinnacle of the Mountain Water Tribe's skill.

"You guys are incredible..." Xue Tuan praised repeatedly, unable to put down the crossbow.

Mu Shi observed all of Xue Tuan's expressions. Before, no matter what "masterpiece" they created in their own eyes, Xue Tuan had always offered praise without much extra reaction, as if everything was within his expectations.

But this time, Elder Mushi clearly saw immense surprise and astonishment on Xue Tuan's face, suggesting that this compound crossbow had truly delighted him.

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