I'm involved in poverty alleviation in a primitive tribe.

The soldiers who stayed behind are asked to keep an eye on the shrimp traps while fetching water, and to hand over the shrimp they take out to Zhi. Zhi has already promised Jiang Ning that she will make shrimp powder for her.

Give the cliff vine to Furong and tell her to check if the soil in the wooden bucket is dry and to remember to water it.

Jiang Ning sat on Baiya's back. She had made a harness-style leash, which she would put on Baiya when she went out. It had grown too big now, and Jiang Ning couldn't hold it anymore when it ran. She made a leash to prevent it from falling off.

To make it as comfortable as possible, she made it out of soft animal hide and took it off whenever she needed to rest.

As the weather gets hotter, Baiya starts to shed. When it runs, it looks like a dandelion waving in the wind, with its fur flying everywhere. Sometimes it even gets Jiang Ning's mouth full of fur.

After traveling downstream along the Tianlang River for several days, the river became wider and the current became calmer, and the originally turbulent water gradually became gentle.

In the woods by the sea.

Hongyue raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop. He stared intently at the sky, which was once blue but was now covered by thick clouds; it had started raining sometime earlier.

On the sea, large fish thrash and leap from time to time, while fierce birds of prey fearlessly dart through the clouds in the sky, sometimes diving into the sea and sometimes circling in the sky.

Rain was falling from the sky, but they did not retreat; their feathers were not afraid of getting wet. Every now and then, a fierce bird would dive into the sea, snatch a large fish, and fly back into the sky.

In this chaotic moment, the ocean and the sky seemed to intertwine, creating a unique scene.

Occasionally, even enormous sea monsters leap out of the water and swallow whole a ferocious bird of prey that is flying low over the sea in search of food.

In the distance, some enormous, unidentified creatures could be faintly seen, stretching their long necks out of the water, ready to devour the birds of prey. These behemoths seemed to be the rulers of the ocean, and their presence made the sea even more dangerous.

On this unusual night, they needed to be extra careful. The threat of ferocious birds and the unpredictable nature of the ocean both put them in danger.

Hongyue quickly made a decision, ordering everyone to find a cave to hide in in order to avoid potential dangers.

This time, they weren't so lucky to find an empty cave, and inside was a sleeping beast.

The hunting party members were preparing to slaughter it for dinner when they saw so many people. It immediately ran away, as there was another exit behind its cave.

The nights here are noisy. Besides the incessant rain, the sea roars in the distance, and waves crash against the rocks on the shore.

The next morning, the hunting party emerged from the cave. The rain had long since stopped, and the air was filled with a fresh, moist scent. Everything around them was damp, as if shrouded in a layer of mist.

The earth, washed clean by the rain, looked exceptionally fresh. Glistening water droplets clung to the leaves of nearby leaves, sparkling like jewels. In the distance, flower petals, laden with dew, appeared exceptionally vibrant.

"Looks like we'll have to wait here a few more days. It just rained, so we can't collect the salt." Hongyue looked at a puddle not far away, but her mood wasn't very good; she was even a little annoyed.

Jiang Ning had always been curious about where the tribe got its salt, so she couldn't help but ask, "Why is that?"

"The salt here is right by the water. After it rained, the sea level rose, and the salt turned into water. It will take a few days before it comes out again," Qingpan explained to her.

"Let's go take a look first," Hongyue decided, and the group headed towards the salt-collecting area.

They left the woods and headed towards the coast, without riding the Sky Wolf. In such an environment, riding a Sky Wolf would make them too conspicuous, easily spotted by the fierce birds of prey, and thus become targets.

The closer they got to the shore, the sparser the surrounding vegetation became. The group remained on high alert, gripping their weapons tightly, ready to respond to any sudden danger.

The sea breeze gradually picked up, carrying a slightly salty smell and a cool, moist sensation. The group slowly approached the shore and saw the place where salt was extracted.

It was a large, relatively high-lying shallow beach where the brine shimmered in the sunlight. Surprisingly, the sand here wasn't yellow, but black.

"Our salt comes from here. Normally, the salt here can be collected directly, but after it rains, we have to wait a few days," Hongyue explained to Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning had always assumed there would be some natural salt mines here, but it turned out that the salt the tribe usually used was simply made by evaporating seawater. No wonder it was yellowish and astringent; she had assumed that's normal for salt here.

I couldn't help but ask the system in my mind, "Can I eat this kind of salt directly?"

"Whether it's edible or not, you've been eating it for so many years, don't you think it's too late to ask this now?" the system replied quietly.

"..."

“That’s true.” Jiang Ning was somewhat speechless.

"The black sand on the ground is volcanic sand. The salt here is crystallized from seawater after it has been filtered through layers of volcanic sand. Although the color and taste aren't great, it's perfectly fine for daily consumption," the system explained seriously, no longer teasing her.

"If you don't like the taste, you can filter it with something and it will be snow-white salt."

"That's good." Jiang Ning was very content.

Turning to Hongyue, he asked, "So what do we do now?"

Just as Hongyue was about to answer, a voice came from the side: "Watch out from the sky!"

Along with the sound, a sharp arrow was also shot out.

Looking up, I was surprised to see a strange, ferocious bird.

It slightly folded its wings and swooped down, its sharp claws gleaming coldly. One could imagine the consequences of being scratched by its claws.

Red Moon quickly picked up its bow and arrow, but missed its target; Red Moon dodged too quickly.

Everyone was well aware of the threat posed by this strange, skeletal bird. They gathered together, forming a circle, ready to deal with its attack.

The last thing a hunting party wants to encounter is a bird of prey, especially on such a barren beach. Without the cover of trees and hills, the hunting party has no way to hide, while the bird of prey can easily spot them from high above.

Once a person is caught by a ferocious bird and lifted into the sky, they are practically beyond saving.

The strange, skeletal bird seemed to sense everyone's vigilance. It circled in the air a few times, then suddenly accelerated and swooped down towards the red moon again.

Red Moon quickly adjusted his position, preparing to continue firing. However, the strange, skeletal bird seemed to have anticipated his movements; it suddenly changed direction and attacked the others.

The others reacted quickly, aiming their bows and arrows at the strange, skeletal bird.

This strange, skeletal bird seemed unafraid of their attacks. It nimbly dodged their blows, occasionally letting out a sharp, piercing cry. Jiang Ning even felt a pain in her ears.

"Retreat! Don't fight it!" Seeing this, Hongyue immediately commanded everyone to retreat into the forest, as the terrain there was unfavorable to them.