Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

"This is a life-or-death battle. If we don't seek change, we'll only be seeking death!"

----

The crowd began to discuss the matter, and with Shan's encouragement, two viewpoints that had been brewing were finally brought to the forefront and began to clash fiercely.

……

"It seems the time is almost up." Shan Xu pressed his palms down twice, silencing the murmurs of the crowd. "Since words alone are no longer sufficient to resolve this..."

"You two, with the witness of our ancestors, shall determine right and wrong in this matter."

Shan grasped the ram's head wooden staff, and with a gentle pull, he pulled it out of the ground, causing Zhang Renfeng's eyebrows to twitch.

He brandished the ram's head staff, swung it through the air, and announced, "I will restart the 'Green Grass Ritual'!"

Chapter 659: My power as the King of the Tall Trees is limitless!

"What is the Green Grass Ceremony?" Xiaomei saw the group of young people celebrating and cheering nearby, and then looked at the troubled expressions on Silverfrost and the Chief's faces, and had a bad feeling. "Don't tell me it's just that you and Flying Eagle take off your weapons, fight hand in hand in front of everyone. Whoever wins, we'll do it their way."

"..."

"..."

The two looked at each other, Silver Frost gave a wry smile, and the chief sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I'm sorry..." The chief's expression was somewhat stiff. He shrugged, just like the people outside, to show his helplessness. "Aside from some minor details of the ceremony, that's basically it."

"Seriously? No way?" Xiaomei exclaimed. "How can there be such an old-fashioned plot? Trial of combat and stuff like that? Even knight novels aren't popular these days!"

"Who says that? Even today, cowboys can duel like knights of the past if they disagree. It's just that guns these days are different from those back then; once they're drawn, one of them is guaranteed to die," Mike said, half-jokingly. "Freedom and honor are all on that one bullet."

"The cowboys will fight over the most trivial things... even a few cents in a card game," Xiaomei continued to complain. "For something as important as the lives of two thousand people in the tribe, instead of analyzing and deliberating repeatedly, they decide what to do based on the outcome of a fight between two people. Isn't that absurd?"

“This is a tribal tradition,” Silverfrost sighed. “Whether it’s absurd or not… there’s nothing we can do. Ever since the High Tree existed, this is how we’ve handled any unsolvable problems. The tribe still exists, so… they probably think it’s okay.”

Rather than a tradition, it's more accurate to say it's a local belief in Takagi; they genuinely believe that the faces etched on the tree bark possess the power to judge justice. Just as a knight who chooses trial by combat believes that the gods have temporarily lent their power to the victor.

The outcome of the grass-planting ceremony must be 100% accepted, with no further objections allowed.

Just now, the young people cheered and jumped for joy, naturally knowing that this method of judgment was undoubtedly most advantageous to them—Flying Eagle was in his twenties, young and strong, precisely the "young" stage in the saying "a fist has the upper hand in its youth." The chief was certainly big enough and had rich combat experience, but after all, he was over forty years old, and his physical functions were declining.

In a fierce physical confrontation, he could not possibly be a match for Flying Eagle.

While Xiaomei and Mike were still complaining about the absurdity of the rule, Zhang Renfeng had already started coming up with ideas.

"Can I have someone else take my place?" He suddenly had an idea. "I'll go up and fight for you. As compensation, let the others who want to challenge me go up one by one. Flying Eagle can be last."

"I defeated them all, won the challenges, and they were all convinced of my superiority. Isn't that a way to resolve the dilemma?"

"...You're just itching for a fight, aren't you?" Xiaomei muttered as she raised her hand and lightly slapped Zhang Renfeng's hand. "Back in Mingdeng City, didn't you just fight so many people? Aren't you satisfied yet?"

Zhang Renfeng smiled sheepishly, "Those fancy pillows wrapped in iron are all useless. I crave a more worthy opponent."

"For example, that Flying Eagle, I can tell he was trained by his father... His gait, posture, and presence are all excellent..."

Yinshuang shuddered as she recalled her experience in Dover Hill and how Zhang Renfeng wielded a solid, armless Venus statue to slaughter everyone.

"Thank you for your kindness, Zhang, but I'm afraid it won't work." The chief also smiled wryly. "This ceremony must be performed one-on-one by the two parties involved, namely me and Flying Eagle. No one can be substituted."

"Then there's nothing we can do." Zhang Renfeng sighed, then said, "Do you remember where we met?"

“How could I forget?” the chief said. “The docks of Saint Quintak.”

“That’s right. Back then, you were fighting up there while I was giving instructions down here… It’ll be the same this time.” Zhang Renfeng patted his shoulder and instructed him, “Hold on through the first round, and once I figure out his moves, we’ll find an opportunity to counterattack.”

When Zhang Renfeng said this, he was actually a little unsure of himself.

Although he hadn't witnessed Flying Eagle's actual combat abilities, he had a strong premonition that he was definitely no weaker than those underground boxers from the docks. His physique, footwork, breathing, and his well-built body all spoke for themselves. Whether the Chief could survive the first round, or even maintain the ability to retaliate afterward, was still unknown.

Even if he were confident that he could see through Eagle's moves, would he be guaranteed to win even if he told the chief and gave him an open-book test?

not necessarily.

But for now, we can only take it one step at a time.

----

After a brief warm-up, the two changed into lighter clothes suitable for running and exerting force, and walked to the foot of the tall tree.

Shan brought out a bowl of oil made with bear fat and various ground herbal seeds. He dipped his thumb in it and applied it to his forehead.

"These grass stems hold within them hundreds of dawns."

“Our great-grandfather chewed its roots,”

“Our grandmother’s grandmother used to weave its stem,”

"And their breath is passing through our throats right now!"

"The Green Grass Ceremony has begun... From this moment on, the two of you will present your wills to the Tall Tree without reservation."

"Many of our ancestors, please bear witness!"

……

A strong wind blew, causing the forest to sway and rustle. The wind brushed against everyone's bodies, including the three outsiders.

Zhang Renfeng experienced an unprecedented feeling, as if he were "connected" to this forest, sharing the same breath and the same heartbeat.

"...King of the Tall Trees." The chief cleared his mind of all distractions and slowly rose. "I am ready."

“Me too,” Flying Eagle said in a deep voice.

"Very good." Shan waved his wooden cane. "Go prepare the horses."

"A horse?!" The two of them looked surprised at the same time.

"With a formidable enemy at hand, fighting among your own people is utterly meaningless. You are all invaluable talents of Gaoshu, and I do not wish for this ceremony to end like before, with the scattered bones, teeth, and blood of the defeated," Shan said slowly. "Therefore, I have temporarily modified the rules of this year's Green Grass Ceremony."

Upon hearing this, everyone, including the two contestants, was so shocked that they were speechless.

Then, an extremely heated discussion broke out.

"Father, is this alright?!" Flying Eagle couldn't help but exclaim, "The Green Grass Ceremony has been going on for hundreds of years..."

"My power as the King of the Tall Trees is limitless," Flash said calmly. "This is the revised version."

"According to the hummingbird's intelligence, the area north of the tall trees has not yet been encircled. A large herd of bison is active on the grasslands to the north."

“Each of you will lead a team, departing from different directions, to track their tracks and hunt a bison. Bring back all the useful parts of the bison.”

"Whoever finishes first will win."

Chapter 660: You really are a genius!

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar.

Native American tribes have always relied on hunting for survival.

The men formed small teams to hunt deer and elk with elm longbows and flint arrows, and set traps to catch hares and porcupines. In autumn, when bear fat was plentiful, experienced hunters would ambush black bears with spears. They would also build fish weirs (a type of wooden fence) in the streams, use bone hooks and hemp lines to fish for trout, and at night use pine resin torches to attract schools of fish, which they would then catch with nets. Women and children would carry bark baskets to collect pine nuts, hazelnuts, bracken roots, and echinacea and birch polypore.

They resembled an ancient hunter-gatherer civilization, a mode of survival predating even agricultural civilization.

Of course, the High Tree tribe today does not rely entirely on hunting and gathering for survival.

They also began raising small animals, such as wild ducks and turkeys, which were fed with insects and leftover grains in hedgerow enclosures. On the edge of the forest, they also cultivated small "Three Sisters Fields," planting corn, beans, and pumpkins, which grew well using ash-fertilized soil as nutrients.

But hunting is an instinct that almost every adult male in every tribe must learn. They learn it from a young age; it's an essential skill, just like eating and drinking. To these nearly two thousand witnesses, the King of the Tall Trees' recent change was similar to "whoever finishes their meal first will be rewarded with a little red flower."

Outrageous.

Leaving a big spectrum!

But as Flash said, as the King of the Tall Trees, he has the right to interpret the outcome in every way.

The rules had been set, and Flying Eagle hesitated only slightly before beckoning to his trusted men, "Black Rock, Bear Claw, you two come with me, go get a few guns, quick!"

The chief instinctively glanced at Zhang Renfeng. Without saying much, Zhang Renfeng turned and left to lead his Turkmen warhorse.

----

Emerging from the forest, the vast grasslands stretching to the horizon, the distant rolling hills, and the horizon divided by emerald green and azure blue present a completely different scene.

Upon seeing the beautiful scenery, Zhang Renfeng's pupils involuntarily dilated, and he took a deep breath. The world was so vast, and the song "Chilige," which he had memorized by rote in his childhood, suddenly popped into his mind. He never expected it to be so fitting for the occasion, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"If it weren't for the war, if one day everything were over, coming here to retire might be a good choice."

"Want to retire?" the chief chuckled.

“I’m only human, I’ll get old eventually.” Zhang Renfeng shook his head. “But that’s all in the future, for now…”

On the other side of the jungle, Flying Eagle and his men had already set off on horseback, choosing a direction and heading off.

"Let me catch a bison for you first, then we'll talk."

……

After galloping across the grassland for a while without seeing any trace of the army, the chieftain seemed to notice something and signaled Zhang Renfeng to slow down. Then, he first jumped off his horse, half-squatted down, and felt around on the grass. He then dipped his finger in some soil, put it under his nose, and sniffed it briefly.

"Any leads?" Zhang Renfeng was completely helpless in this regard, so he could only ask this question.

"I suppose so... There aren't many large animals on the grasslands, but it seems a herd of bison has been here, which is good news." The chief mounted his horse. "Let's continue."

"No need to dismount?" Zhang Renfeng asked in surprise. "When you were hunting bears before, didn't you have to dismount and sneak over after finding the tracks?"

"Grizzly bears are solitary animals and very dangerous. By sneaking up, we can minimize the disturbance and pinpoint their location before they spot us, allowing us to launch an attack first. Similarly, small animals like foxes, squirrels, and beavers are much more alert and will run away at the slightest sound."

"But bison are different. They are very large and are herd animals. Once they start running, it is impossible for an ordinary person to catch up with them on foot. You have to ride a horse. On horseback, you can only kill them with a large-caliber weapon to shoot them in the head and make them suffer less."

The chief began to explain the deeper meaning of the competition to Zhang Renfeng: "The two young men on Flying Eagle's side are both excellent at searching for prey tracks. There's no doubt they'll find the bison herd quickly. With their skills, hunting a bison would be a piece of cake for them."

"However, the real focus of the assessment comes after that."

"And then?" Zhang Renfeng asked suspiciously.

“Do you remember what Flash said?” the chieftain reminded him, “Let’s bring the ‘useful parts’ back to the High Tree.”

"It's just taking some meat off," Zhang Renfeng said matter-of-factly.

“That’s not the case.” The chief shook his head and said seriously, “In fact, the survival and development of our tribe is inseparable from the bison.”

“Bison hides can be made into clothing and tents, which are good for keeping warm. If there are any left over, they can be used to trade furs, which is also a major source of trade between the tribe and the outside world.”

"Bison meat goes without saying; it's plentiful and filling, making it a good staple food. Once dried, it can be stored for a long time."

“Buffalo horns can be made into wine glasses, gunpowder boxes, and horns; buffalo bones are used to make arrowheads and knives; and even the bones that are completely useless can be ground into powder and used as fertilizer for the Three Sisters Fields. We’ve tried it, and the yield is quite good.”

"The stomach of the buffalo becomes a water sac, its hair is woven into ropes used in daily life, and its tendons are used as sewing thread... In short, the buffalo is a treasure trove. It is practically the most perfect animal, nourishing generations of our ancestors, until we... Hunting buffalo should be an activity filled with reverence, and I suppose Shan considered this when choosing this topic?"

“You mean…” Zhang Renfeng narrowed his eyes.

“The fact that it’s full of treasures means that we have to unload these ‘treasures’ from the bison, and that process alone will take a lot of time. So you see, I’m not in a hurry at all.” The chief revealed a sly smile. “Don’t be fooled by how quickly those three young men found it; just unloading it will take a long time. It’s hard work.”

"But I don't have this problem."

The chief pointed at Zhang Renfeng, "With you here, we can just move the whole cow back, that's all. It's a treasure trove, so let's just move this treasure mountain back to the camp. Skipping the steps of taking the meat, horns, and tendons will save us a lot of time."

……

……

……

“I saw a North American bison once when I was in Rongma Town. Those things are really heavy,” Zhang Renfeng finally said after a long pause. “The last one I encountered weighed a full 1.5 tons. I did manage to lift it, but what happened next…”

“That’s already a behemoth among bison,” the chief explained to him. “A typical bison that grows to 1.3 tons is considered the largest in the herd. An average adult bison weighs about 4 or 500 kilograms, so you should be fine.”

The chief himself chuckled at these words. An ordinary person, upon hearing such a number, would probably faint on the spot. But to Zhang Renfeng, 500 kilograms seemed to be nothing more than a slightly heavy sack.

Zhang Renfeng stared in disbelief for a long time, then gave him a thumbs up, "Hey, you really are a genius."

The chief laughed heartily on horseback.

Chapter 661: Bison and US Dollars

Following the tracks for a while, they still didn't find a large herd of bison, which was completely different from what the chief had expected, causing him to frown. Even a layman like Zhang Renfeng could see that there were many mixed tracks of large animal footprints on the grassland, but not a single bison.

Alarm bells began to ring in Zhang Renfeng's mind. He keenly sensed that today's inspection seemed to have a deeper meaning.

He suggested, "Shall we walk a little further?"

“If we go any further…” the chief hesitated, “we’ll get closer and closer to the train station, and if we’re unlucky, we might run right into the army’s advance camp.”