I can see the blood bar and my purity is extremely high

Chapter 598 Green Grass
On the desolate continent, human bodies are weak, and building houses is an extremely luxurious thing.

It cannot be said that no one has ever tried it.

However, after discovering that houses built of wood could not withstand attacks from ferocious beasts and were not warm enough in winter, no one tried to build houses on their own anymore.

More often, they chose to hide in natural caves or excavate semi-underground caves, as was the case in ancient times.

It's a bit of a coward.

But for humans who are powerless to fight against ferocious beasts, isn't this an effective solution?

Green Grass, who had gained immense strength after accidentally eating a strange fruit, had also entertained some unrealistic ideas.

Why do we humans have to live in caves?

The cave is cold and damp at night, sweltering in summer, and freezing in winter; one often experiences difficulty breathing when going deeper into the cave.

I wish I could create a better cave according to my own wishes.

After life dealt her blow after blow, Qingcao gave up on this "naive" idea.

Let it be a cave.

At least when ferocious beasts attack, they can withstand most of the attacks, and the tribesmen can escape through the underground caves they dug in advance, avoiding being killed.

For the past ten or twenty years, Qingcao has been leading her people to dig out all sorts of intricate escape routes.

These methods, which seem extremely backward and primitive to modern humans, have repeatedly fooled the beasts' hunting, allowing the people of the Qingcao tribe to live safely to this day.

This habit has continued to this day.

Especially after Qingcao discovered that her combat power was declining and her blood and qi were severely depleted, she often urged the clan members who did not need to work to continue digging.

Today, the Qingcao tribe has a total of seventeen escape routes leading to various directions and locations.

Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, which is no more impressive than this.

But Qingcao believes that this is not enough, far from enough.

To survive as long as possible, caution must be paramount; no amount of preparation is ever enough.

This was a lesson she learned when she was young, while hunting a ferocious rabbit.

If that brood of rabbits had been able to dig more escape routes, they wouldn't have been smoked out of their burrows and become a delicious dish for the Green Grass Tribe that evening.

"Grandma, winter seems to have come earlier than usual this year, and the weather is getting colder and colder."

In front of the campfire in the Green Grass Tribe, a man wrapped in thick animal hides couldn't help but shiver and said with a worried expression.

"The river is frozen over. Just now, Xiao Shitou and I went to catch fish. It took a lot of effort just to break through that thick ice. As a result, we haven't caught a single fish since sunrise until almost sunset."

"Grandmother" is the respectful title given to Qingcao by the people of the Qingcao tribe, derived from her age.

In this era, a tribe of this size was less a tribe and more like a slightly larger family.

People are busy making a living every day, and things like language art that are unrelated to survival basically don't exist.

If Xiaoshan becomes the tribal chief, the way the tribes call him might not change at all.

It's also possible that one day, on an ordinary day, some idle tribesman might come up with the word "chief" to refer to the person who has always led them.

The grass, nearly fifty years old, looked incredibly aged.

Her vital energy had deteriorated to the extreme; her upper body was hunched over, and her skin was as dry as tree bark.

"There's a shortage of prey this year, so everyone will probably have to cut back on food."

The sound of the grass was kind yet powerful, like that of a grandmother in the countryside.

He looks thin and frail, but he is incredibly energetic when it comes to farm work, and can walk dozens of miles of mountain roads without breaking a sweat.

She slowly lifted the animal skin covering her legs, gently draped it over the man's body, and patted his back.

"Grandmother, how can this be! Your health..."

The man immediately looked anxious and prepared to take off the animal skin and put it back on his grass.

No matter how hard he tried, the withered hand that looked like it couldn't even kill a chicken still gripped his wrist firmly, making him completely unable to move.

"Haha, Big Stone, your grandma isn't that fragile." Green Grass couldn't help but laugh. "No matter what, I'm a Beast Blood Warrior, much more resistant to the cold than you ordinary people."

Big Stone's face flushed red: "But you...but you now..."

"Alright! Be a good boy!"

Qingcao pretended to put on a stern face and interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

"I'm an old man, I can live for at least another ten years. You brat, try to outlive me before you try to show off!"

"I"

The large stone immediately drooped.

He is already twenty-five years old this year.

On Earth, this age would be nothing more than a greenhorn, a college graduate who has just entered society after only two years of graduation, a symbol of youth and exuberance.

On the desolate continent, Big Stone is already old enough to be a grandfather.

To be honest, he wasn't really confident he could live another ten years.

At least his parents, and his grandparents' parents, did not live to the age of thirty-five before they died due to various natural disasters and animal calamities.

Just as the big stone was lost in a state of despondency, contemplating life, several disheveled and dejected men and women walked in from outside the cave.

These people, regardless of gender, were dressed very thinly, simply wrapped in animal skins.

Their muscles were incredibly well-developed, comparable to those of bodybuilders on Earth, and they exuded a ferocious aura akin to that of wild beasts.

Judging from the crisscrossing patterns on their bodies, there is no doubt that they are the few Beast Blood Warriors who returned ahead of time.

"Grandmother."

The lead beast-blood warrior spoke in a low voice, his head unconsciously lowered, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"We...we failed to hunt again today. We didn't even see any ordinary wild animals."

It has been a month since I returned to my clan.

As usual, they would go out hunting before dawn and return just before sunset.

However, they didn't manage to bring back much of their prey.

Let alone increasing the tribe's food reserves for winter, even maintaining a balance between income and expenditure is a struggle.

Every beast-blooded warrior has a very large appetite.

As the temporary leader in Xiaoshan's absence, this Blood Warrior felt deeply guilty about his incompetence and the current state of his tribe's future.

The other beast warriors also lowered their heads, their faces showing shame.

“Don’t be too hard on your children. Hunting isn’t like fetching water from the river. Even the most experienced hunter doesn’t have a catch every day,” Green Grass gently comforted them. “Warm yourself up by the fire and have some hot water to warm up. The future of the tribe depends on you.” “Brother Bone, it’s not just you. We’ve been freezing by the river all day and haven’t caught a single fish. It’s like everything in the water is dead,” Big Stone said in a low voice. “It’s like the heavens are cursing us. We haven’t caught anything for two whole days!”

The burly man, nicknamed "Bone," pursed his lips tightly, forcing an awkward smile: "So, does that mean Little Flower and the others didn't...have it today either?"

Qingcao sighed and shook her head slightly: "Apart from the batch of fruit picked at the beginning of autumn, the rest have completely disappeared. Several orchards that were lush and thriving last year have not borne any fruit this year, and many have simply become dead trees."

Bone's face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The bone spear he was clutching tightly in his hand suddenly fell to the side.

"It's over. It's over!" Bone cried, his face contorted with despair. "Little Mountain and the others have been gone for a month and haven't come back yet. The tribe's food supply is completely insufficient for the winter, and we can't get any more food. How are we going to get through this winter?!"

"We...we'll go hunting tonight too!" the female beast warrior said through gritted teeth.

"Don't even think about it!"

Green Grass suddenly widened its eyes, and a blazing light flashed in its old, cloudy eyes, as if the temperature at the cold cave entrance had risen.

She was like a tigress in her twilight years.

Even though it is already past its prime, its majesty remains.

"Vine, what did I tell you? Did I say that the forest at night is extremely dangerous and you are absolutely not allowed to go there! This is a lesson learned through countless bloodshed and the experience gained by countless tribesmen with their lives. Do you think you can get away with anything just because you have some strength?!"

"We can't let our people starve to death!" A sense of grievance appeared in the vine's eyes, but it remained stubborn.

"This is absurd! This is suicide!" Green Grass shouted sternly. "Every Beastblood Warrior is crucial to the tribe; it concerns the tribe's future! Do you think you only have one life? If you die, it's all over, but without your fighting power, there will be fewer prey in the future. What will happen to the rest of the tribe? Have you thought about that?!"

"I"

The vine opened its mouth, tears welling up in its eyes.

Are we really going to just stand by and watch our people freeze and starve to death because of lack of food and clothing?

There's really no other way.
At this moment, all was silent.

The only sound was the crackling of the burning wood in the fire.

The last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the night, and the last glimmer of light belonging to the sky disappeared on the horizon.

The sky darkened, but the bonfire continued to burn brightly.

“This year’s situation is very unusual. It’s possible that a powerful beast has come to our vicinity to make its den, scaring away other wild animals and weaker beasts. This is not your fault.”

Qingcao's breath softened slightly, and the burning heat in his eyes gradually subsided, returning to its cloudy appearance.

"I had them chop more firewood, and everyone is tightening their belts to keep the fire burning brighter; maybe it will be warmer than usual. As for whether we can survive the winter, that's up to fate."

Listening to the comforting words from the grass and the faint laughter of children coming from the depths of the cave, the beast warriors became even more silent.

His expression grew increasingly distressed.

If a bigger fire could solve the problems of hunger and cold, would winter still be so unbearable?
If you don't eat enough ferocious beast meat to activate your blood circulation and keep warm, the freezing winter, which feels like being scraped by a knife, can freeze you to death!

"I think the chances are better if I go out and try my luck at night."

The vine's words shattered this impending agreement; she still insisted on her own ideas.

“Even if it’s more dangerous at night, at least we can see the prey, instead of being helpless in the face of an empty forest! If we can rely on experience to spend the night in the wild, we can definitely try hunting in the wild!”

"I'd rather believe in myself than in fate. Even if we do die, we still have Xiaoshan, Uncle Hunter Bow, and the others. They're much stronger than us. The tribe will never..."

As the grass's eyes gradually sharpened, the vines' voice grew softer and softer until it finally fell silent.

"Small hill? Hunting bow?"

The grass's voice turned cold, and a barely perceptible trace of sorrow flashed in its sharp, knife-like eyes.

"Stop deceiving yourselves! They've been dead for a long time, and you, as beast-blooded warriors and hunters, should know that perfectly well!"

"Xiaoshan isn't an unreasonable person. If they hadn't gained anything, or if the gains weren't what they expected, they should have come back long ago!"

But they didn't!

“Since the day you parted, it has been a full thirty-one days and nights since you returned to your clan. You should all know what this means!”

Silence fell over the cave entrance once again.

Yes, they all knew the dangers of the night, and they all knew how low the chances were of returning safely after such a long absence from the tribe.

But they are unwilling to think about it, nor are they willing to believe in that direction.

As long as Xiaoshan and the others haven't returned, there is still a glimmer of hope, however small it may be.

Now, that hope has been ruthlessly shattered by the grass, and all the beast warriors are forced to face the bleak reality that is about to unfold, along with the dripping blood.

Seeing their expressions, Qingcao couldn't help but sigh.

Xiaoshan led half of the beast warriors to fight for the tribe, their chances of survival slim. How could she, as a mother, not feel heartbroken?
Didn't she also want to escape?

But she can't.

Because she was the chief of the tribe, a grandmother who bore heavy responsibilities.

She must remain calm and lead her people to struggle to survive in this perilous world.

Just as Qingcao was about to say something to comfort and encourage the group of beast-blood warriors, a chill suddenly shot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.

An indescribable sense of crisis welled up in her heart, as if some great terror was about to unfold in the next second!
"Go! Quickly take your people and leave! Now!"

The moment Qingcao gave the order, a deafening roar exploded in the night sky.

An extremely terrifying and ferocious aura swept across, instantly locking onto the small cave.

The beast-blooded warriors' expressions all changed drastically.

Bone jumped up from the ground, picked up his gun, and was about to walk forward when he was thrown into the cave by a great force.

It's grass!
Her cloudy eyes were gradually replaced by a blazing flame, her hunched back straightened at that moment, and an astonishing aura erupted from her body.

It was no less than a small mountain!
"Lead your people and leave quickly! Take as much dried meat as you can, and discard the heavy tools! After I die, my bones will become the new leader, guiding the people on their journey!"

Qingcao, whose appearance had inexplicably regained some of her youthful charm, removed the bone bow from her body. The beast patterns on her body burst forth with a fiery red, and she drew an arrow from her quiver and nocked it on the string.

In an instant, the bow was fully drawn.

Intense heat rose continuously from the cold cave entrance, making the place feel unbearably hot and scorching.

The bow is fully drawn.

An arrow was shot out, its bone tip bursting into flames as it arced through the air and disappeared into the darkness.

An even more ferocious roar than before erupted, filled with indescribable rage.

Qingcao turned and roared at the still-dazed group, "Hurry up and leave! They're coming soon! If you don't leave now, nobody will be able to leave!"

(End of this chapter)