Chapter Sixty-Four: The Moonstone Tribe

“Oh? What happened? Brother Yadair, please tell us,” Sun Licheng said, genuinely intrigued.

According to Yadair, the small tribe was known as Moonstone Tribe, with fewer than three hundred members living in a secluded mountain valley. In that valley, there was a deep cavern, inside which flowed an underground river. The water was sweet, and there were plenty of cold-water fish, so the Moonstone Tribe not only fetched water and fished there frequently but also held their most important rituals in the cave.

However, some time ago, a strange sound began emanating from the cave. They sent people to investigate, but not only did the scouts find nothing, they mysteriously fainted inside. This frightened the tribe. Given their small numbers, they dared not pursue the matter further.

During the recent great battle, Moonstone Tribe had sent their strongest fighters. When the war ended, they returned home alongside the Moon God Tribe. During their journey, someone mentioned the incident, and Yadair remembered it clearly.

“So that’s the situation. Thank you so much, Brother Yadair,” Sun Licheng said sincerely. He didn’t think much of the matter itself, but Yadair had gone to the trouble of informing him, and he was truly grateful.

“I’m here to trade with Silvermoon Tribe. On my way back, I can take you there. How about it? Do you have time?” Yadair laughed heartily and continued his invitation.

Sun Licheng naturally agreed. Refusing would be squandering Yadair’s goodwill. Moreover, Sun Licheng had his own thoughts: Silvermoon Tribe was thriving and might soon lessen their support of him. By connecting with more tribes, he could expand his network, which would benefit both his personal ambitions and his quest for the Earth God.

Even in this primitive society, the goblins were efficient traders. Soon, Yadair was ready to lead his team home.

This time, Kristina insisted on coming along. After some thought, Sun Licheng consented. In these times, it was rare for a young woman to travel far, and since he judged the task not overly dangerous, he decided to let her join for a bit of adventure.

With Sun Licheng’s carriage, the Moon God Tribe’s caravan made excellent time, returning home in less than four days.

Compared to Silvermoon Tribe, Moon God Tribe was a larger community, with nearly two thousand people by Sun Licheng’s estimate. Their numbers gave them a better standard of living, though Silvermoon Tribe, thanks to their salt and bronze trade, had recently surpassed them in prosperity.

Meeting the Moon God Tribe’s chieftain—Yadair’s mother—Sun Licheng immediately saw where Yadair’s hearty nature came from. The elder matriarch was kindly and sincere. When she heard that Sun Licheng was seeking out mysterious places nearby, she willingly offered her help.

In return for this kindness, Sun Licheng offered to teach them the art of metal smelting.

The Moon God Tribe was delighted by this outcome. They’d long coveted the profits Silvermoon Tribe made from bronze trade, and at the very least, this would satisfy their own needs.

“Don’t worry, Sun Licheng. As long as you teach us how to smelt metal, I’ll send you some slaves,” the elder chieftain declared boldly when she heard Sun Licheng was interested in buying a few.

This generous gesture greatly improved Sun Licheng’s opinion of the Moon God Tribe.

After staying two days with them, Yadair led Sun Licheng to the Moonstone Tribe.

“How destitute they are!” Sun Licheng sighed as he entered Moonstone Tribe.

Nestled in a remote valley, if Silvermoon Tribe had once been poor, then Moonstone Tribe was utterly impoverished. The weather was far from warm; in the chilly morning air, the children ran about naked, their noses running, sucking on dirty fingers as they curiously crowded around Sun Licheng and his companions.

“Welcome to Moonstone Tribe. Please, come inside and rest,” the Moonstone chieftain called out, hurrying over just as Sun Licheng was sharing strips of dried meat with the children.

Inside the dilapidated council hall, the aged chieftain boiled water over a small fire in a battered clay pot.

The tribe’s leader, a burly goblin, offered them some berries. He was blind in one eye, his head wrapped with a ragged animal pelt.

“That injury came from the recent war. At least he survived. But only four or five of their warriors returned; they suffered heavy losses,” Yadair whispered to Sun Licheng, noticing his confusion.

Sun Licheng suddenly understood. He glanced at the elder matriarch and realized she was younger than Eve of Silvermoon Tribe yet looked far older, clearly worn down by hardship.

“Could you send someone to guide me to the cave?” Sun Licheng asked after a while.

“That… the cave is dangerous. It’s best we don’t go,” the one-eyed chieftain replied, clearly reluctant. It seemed the war had cost him not just an eye but much of his courage.

“How about this: if you send someone to guide me to the cave, I’ll give your tribe some food. Yadair can vouch for me and arrange delivery. What do you say?” Sun Licheng offered.

“All right, we’ll send someone soon,” the elder matriarch agreed before the chieftain could speak. They were in desperate need of food.

Soon, a young goblin led Sun Licheng’s group out. Before leaving, Sun Licheng did his utmost to persuade Kristina to stay behind. Whatever was in that cave, he didn’t want her at risk—a mishap could seriously jeopardize his relationship with Silvermoon Tribe, something he could not afford.

Guided by their escort, they walked for about an hour before reaching the cave entrance. Here, the guide took his leave.

“Sun Licheng, are you sure you don’t want me to go down with you?” Vol asked, hefting a bronze battle-axe.

“Thank you, Brother Yadair, but I’ll manage alone. Besides, too many people would only make things harder—and more dangerous—in there,” Sun Licheng replied with a smile, waving him off.

Yadair frowned thoughtfully, then nodded. “Very well. Be careful. We’ll wait for your good news at Moonstone Tribe.” He patted Sun Licheng’s shoulder encouragingly.

Once Yadair and the guide were gone, Sun Licheng breathed a sigh of relief. He carried too many secrets and didn’t want the goblins to discover them. He didn’t entirely trust these faith-driven people.

“Wolf King, stand guard outside. If anything happens, howl into the cave,” Sun Licheng commanded, before entering the cavern with Dogmeat.

Inside, the cave wasn’t large, but it was very deep. The stone walls were damp, and from below, he could hear the faint sound of flowing water.

As Sun Licheng and Dogmeat ventured in, everything seemed peaceful. He found no sign of danger.

“Could Moonstone Tribe have made a mistake?” he wondered. But he quickly dismissed the thought—the tribe had lived here for generations and knew every inch of the land; they couldn’t be wrong.

Determined, Sun Licheng told Dogmeat to wait aside, then strained his ears to listen. At last, he heard a faint, unnatural sound, like something sliding over stone—a subtle, real presence.

“A monster?” Sun Licheng thought, his heart tightening as he slowly drew his Battleblade. In this moment, the weapon was his most trusted companion.

The deeper he went, the wider the cave grew. Massive stalactites stretched from ceiling to floor, making the already dim light even gloomier.

Finally, he reached the bottom of the cave—a vast chamber with an underground river about a meter wide flowing through it. Flashes of white darted through the water—cold-water fish, and not small ones, by the look of it.

Surveying the thick stone pillars around him, Sun Licheng scratched his head. If a monster were hiding here, it would be hard to find.

Just then, Dogmeat began to whine, his body tensed, red eyes trained on a stone pillar, casting a bright beam of light.

In the glow, a large shadow appeared on the wall.

Looking closer, Sun Licheng saw a thick tail swaying slowly beside the pillar.

“A giant snake!” A chill ran through him as he gripped his blade even tighter.