Chapter 172 – A totem tattoo is not like this
Translated by Joycelyn
Li originally believed that all he needed was one strike; in a direct face off, he could beat someone to waste. However he had never thought that the present Yan Shuo had actually burst out with explosive power different from the past, even the speed of wielding his knife was a lot faster. This forced Li to bring out the stone knife hanging by his waist to block.
Ping ping ping ping!
Sounds of stone knives colliding travelled through the area where the wanderers lived.
However, no one from the surrounding approached, they all stood afar, spectating.
Wanderers being killed off was no surprise; they had no strength, and no support from the tribes. Even the people who got along well with Yan Shuo and his family, or those who had received help from Yan Shuo before, were not willing to incur the wrath of a slave master.
Only, the thing that made everyone surprised was something that looked like totem patterns appearing on Yan Shuo’s face; they weren’t there before, they had appeared during the battle. They didn’t seem to be drawn on deliberately, it was different from those liars who pretended to be totem warriors.
Although, compared to totem warriors, the pattern was lighter, but it had still made the people who were spectating become shocked.
The explosive power of the stone knives meeting caused debris from the knife to disperse; some hitting Li’s face and causing a tingling pain. Then looking at Yan Shuo, his face also had a few blood stained scars that were cut by the debris too; however, he felt like nothing he had ever experienced before, he became even braver.
Feeling that his wrist was getting numb, the killing intent in Li’s eyes grew stronger. Luckily he came today, who knows exactly what kind of method Yan Shuo had used to increase his strength, if Li had waited longer, Yan Shuo have become even stronger. At that time, if Li wanted to kill him off, it would be difficult.
Fortunately, the Yan Shuo now, although his strength had increased, it was still not enough.
Ping!
The material used for the two’s stone knives were not of very good quality, and added with the explosive strength of Yan Shuo, after one fierce strike after another; in the end, the two stone knives broke into pieces.
The knife in Li’s hand was the first one to break apart, the knife in Yan Shuo’s hand had also obvious cracks. It only needed just one more strike before the stone knife would break apart as well.
Both the knives couldn’t be used anymore.
The two people, who just now had countless exchanges, split up.
The surrounding wanderers spectating were startled, after all, wanderers did not have much strength, and Li was someone who had received power from a slave master. But Yan Shuo, who was always low key, was actually that strong!
This wasn’t right, normally when they went into the mountains with Yan Shuo, they had also never thought of Yan Shuo being so strong. His strength was only different today. The short burst of explosive power just now was also strange, Yan Shuo’s face actually had totem patterns emerging!
After Yan Shuo had stopped, he had only felt a moment of soreness in his two arms. He had never exploded out like this before, even when he was in the most dangerous situations, this sensation had never happened. It was like there was a well of power within his body. Just now, he had unconsciously focused his power in one point and exploded, resulting in the continuous knife strikes.
Looking at the broken knife pieces, Yan Shuo felt excitement welling up in his heart. He believed that if he were given more time, he would become even stronger. Even Li would not be his opponent!
Li’s eyes were hazy, looking over at Yan Shuo, who was resting both his arms on his knees and taking big rough breaths, his heart had enforced his decision of ending Yan Shuo’s life today.
Li abruptly threw the broken knife in his hand at Yan Shuo’s direction, but was dodged with Yan Shuo turning sideways.
Peng! Ka!
Half of the wooden hut had fallen when it was stabbed by the broken knife.
Within the house, Yan Shuo’s wife hugged her children, her face filled with worry as the three of them refused to utter even a peep. The one year old child in her arms had looked fixedly at his father outside with his eyes wide open, not seemingly knowing what had happened, or understanding what was fear.
As Li met with stares from the three within the hut, the sly mocking intent in his eyes became deeper. He would not spare any life within Yan Shuo’s house.
“Yo, what is this?” A light floating voice travelled over to them.
Yan Shuo looked over, both fists tightening. He still had a chance as he faced Li, but against this new person, he held no confidence.
And the originally furious Li, when hearing this voice, had immediately put on a complementing smile as he spoke, “Why have you come?”
The newcomer was wearing a piece of clothing that was similar to snakeskin, his jacket being slightly longer, along with a tail that was added on as a belt behind. His body was also wrapped with a living snake that was as thick as an adult’s thigh. Those snake eyes, that were seemingly emotionless, were staring at the surrounding people.
Those who received it’s stare, all felt that their scalp tingle in fright.
This new person was also a slave, but his rank was higher than Li by a level. Quite often, a slave master could not bother themselves with trivial matters and would usually hand them down to people of a lower level to do. And Li was such a person, belonging to this type of people.
“You’re really trash who can’t even take care of a wanderer, why do I still need you.” That person slowly said.
Li started sweating from his forehead, he nervously skittled over, squeezing out a smile as he tried to find a reason so as to cover his mistake, “Chief, this Yan Shuo, I am unsure what has happened to him that he obtained totem tattoo, allowing his strength to greatly increase.”
The person who casually teased the enormous snake on him lifted his eyes, swept over Yan Shuo with a glance and lightly hmphed. As if he had seen a horrible joke he disgustingly said, “Totem tattoo? Is this how a totem tattoo is?”
While talking, that person had lifted his hand up, the snake already sliding off from him.
And on that person’s body, from his neck to his arms, his two legs, and so on, appeared a clear tattoo. Those tattoo lines looked like rings that linked together, forming a chain.
That person was elated as the wanderers who were spectating had increased even more, thinking back to when he also once was a wanderer. But he followed a slave master soon, got promoted, and thus had received even more power. Only those at his level really had their slave master’s brand.
Not every slave would have the qualifications to get branded, only those who were given responsibilities by their slave masters would have the qualifications. Slaves such as Li still did not have the right as of yet.
To the tattooless wanderers, totem tattoos were just like an extravagant hope. Even if it was not considered a totem tattoo, these other tattoos worked just as fine. They represented power. Some wanderers, when they saw the brand mark on that person’s body, their eyes flashed with their inner struggles. No matter what kind of brand or mark, it was all proof of power, and that was what they strongly wished to have, power.
Maybe, becoming a slave was not a bad idea after all? It was only a little bit more tiring, and maybe one day, they could climb up to the standard of receiving a mark?
Not caring how the others thought, Yan Shuo vigilantly glared at that person in front of him. This guy was strong enough that Yan Shuo knew that he could not defeat him. His opponent was even openly showing off his killing intent for him to understand that this conflict would not be avoided.
Yan Shuo will die.
Not only himself, but his wife and children in the house behind him as well.
Run?
It was impossible to get away as he was being eyed by these slaves, and so it is impossible to run.
Yet, Yan Shuo was not willing to submit, if there was still the Flaming Horns tribe, how would these slaves dare bully them? How well do these slave masters treat the travel teams? And towards the wanderers themselves, how are they treated?
He was completely unwilling to give up. It had not been easy to gain this glimpse of hope. Yet now he had to give up his life.
One of Yan Shuo’s hands moved to his back, making a few signs for his wife in the house. This was a familiar way of communicating for them. He will try to hold these people in front, giving a chance for his wife to take his children and flee.
Yet, Yan Shuo, whose back was facing the house, did not know that the woman inside was already full of tears, hugging tightly onto her children. In one hand she held onto a stone spear. She did not plan on fleeing. She could not outrun them, so then why not die together. Even if she made it, she was also unable to provide for her children. She did not have the strength to hunt like Yan Shuo.
That slave master moved towards Yan Shuo, step by step, not worrying that Yan Shuo might run away, because he can’t get away. At the same time, he had also wanted to show to the wanderers the distance between them. He really enjoyed the feeling he received from the stares of the spectators.
Seeing the faint unknown tattoo on Yan Shuo’s face, the slave spoke with a tone of instructing someone, “Something like this is not a real totem tattoo.”
At the end of his speech his speed suddenly accelerated, his fingers became claws as they grasped towards Yan Shuo’s neck.
Yan Shuo had felt that his opponent was still around ten steps away from him, but in the blink of an eye he had arrived before him.
At that moment, Yan Shuo felt suffocated, as if the hand was actually choking his neck tightly.
But, when that hand’s distance from Yan Shuo was not even half a palm apart, it had stopped. It was forcefully being held back by someone.
The slave grasping towards Yan Shuo had only felt a shadow flash past. The hand that had originally stretched out to grab Yan Shuo’s neck, his arm was suddenly grabbed on by someone.
Looking up, that slave’s pupils contracted, as if he were seeing something unthinkable.
Li and the surrounding wanderers were also shocked and dazed. Their sight moved from the face of the guy who had just appeared to Yan Shuo’s face, then once again looked at the newcomer, then to Yan Shuo once more. They continuously looked back and forth, and in the end came up with the same conclusion:
The totem patterns on their faces are the same!
It! Is! The! Same!
“Then you tell me, a real totem tattoo, what is it like?” With a steady voice, Shao Xuan asked as he grabbed onto that person’s arm.
Obviously, his tone was very peaceful, but when the others heard it, they felt like a bucket of ice had just poured over them.
This is a real totem tattoo, it is exactly the same as Yan Shuo’s tattoo! But unlike Yan Shuo’s faint patterns, these were very clear tattoos that were filled with life.
A Tribe!
This is what anyone who saw this scene would think in their hearts.
Shao Xuan did not bother with the others. He casually flinged that person he held onto away, waited for him to stand up steadily, then slowly walked towards that person step by step, just like what that person had done to Yan Shuo in the beginning.
The places where each of Shao Xuan steps had been were left with a deep foot print. After each step, the gravel and dust on the ground would tremble.
“No…..”
Just when that person wanted to say something, Shao Xuan suddenly accelerated. In the blink of an eye, he was right before that person. Although his hand had not held onto any weapons, his hand was as hard and st.u.r.dy as a stone axe, fiercely slashing down onto that person.
Due to the activation of the totem tattoos, the flame-like totem patterns stretched to his elbows, meaning his strike was incomparably fearsome.
That person simply had no time to talk or be surprised, he could only instinctively raise his arms to above his head, intending to block the incoming menacing blow.
A bang resounded in the air!
That person failed to shoulder Shao Xuan’s explosive strike, both his legs were unable to endure the violent force. After bending, he proceeded to kneel on the ground, when his knees collided against the ground, the ground was carved out with a deep mark. His two arms, in this strike’s short moment, gave out a resounding sound of bones breaking.
The snake that came with the slave, shot towards Shao Xuan, its mouth wide open, revealing its two long fangs. These fangs held a highly toxic poison.
But Shao Xuan treated the beast like he had not seen it, not even reacting to that snake’s attack.
Yan Shuo was anxious to the point that he wanted to rush over, but from the sky, a shadow glided down then flew up again, taking along the snake they had felt was extremely dangerous.
Li lifted his head to look up in the sky, and was welcomed with the snake’s blood dripping all over his face.
Pa!
The snake’s head was thrown down.
Li could not bother to wipe off the snake blood off of his face, as he was looking at the snake’s head that had rolled over to his feet. He felt his legs getting soft as he suddenly felt like he had no strength over his whole body.
Hu!
A shadow that was even taller than a person shook its wings, before landing on the ground. The snake that was usually rampant like it was n.o.body’s business, had quickly lost it’s head, and all that was left was it’s body that was being torn apart by the large bird at the moment.
The sharp claws of the bird easily tore the snake’s body apart, opening up its belly, with the snake’s blood splashing everywhere.
Probably because Chacha had experienced the humiliation of being pulled to the ground from the sky by a snake before, it became the animal that Chacha hated the most. When tearing it apart, he had not felt any pity for it.
Yan Shuo looked at the young man who had just saved him, the totem patterns on the other’s arm were exactly the same as yesterday night, when the tattoos had appeared on his arms!!
Then looking at that large bird that had just landed, on the claws that were tearing the snake, a clear cut pattern entered Yan Shuo’s sight, making him take in a heavy breath.
A tribe’s totem…..
The Flaming Horns tribe’s totem……
Yan Shuo could feel all of his blood in his whole body boiling up, his body trembling. Looking back at the young man whom he had just first met today, he saw him walking over to him step by step.
Shao Xuan came before Yan Shuo, his mouth turning into a smile as he said, “Let me introduce myself, hailing from the Flaming Horns Tribe, I am Shao Xuan.”