Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 145 has become the target of public criticism.
In less than half a day, Chen Ye saw Qiqi Gesang appear before him with twenty barbarians.

Of the twenty people, only six had mastered the art of witchcraft, and because their ancestral spirits were severely damaged, their abilities were not much stronger than those of ordinary people.

However, this proportion is already extremely high. Among the people of the Central Plains, how many mortals know magic?

The witchcraft of the Northern Frontier people cannot grant immortality, and their power is borrowed. But precisely because of this, the number of Northern Frontier people who can perform witchcraft far exceeds that of cultivators.

Chen Ye didn't care about the number of people or whether he won or lost. He only needed the tribes in the northern frontier to accept the existence of Fengdu City.

However, time was too tight, and Geluchi was too far from Fengdu City, so they had to set off immediately, and at full speed.

Fortunately, the people of the northern frontier had no shortage of horses. There were only about thirty living people in the entire city of Fengdu, but nearly forty horses.

Twenty people going out, one person with two horses shouldn't have a problem.

The only problem is that Qiqigesang doesn't have a suitable mount. She is too tall and ordinary horses can't support her weight. They would fall behind after riding for half a day and slow down the horse.

"Sect Master, I can run; I can keep up."

Qiqi Gesang's words stunned Chen Ye. Even if you are tall, you can't possibly catch up with a galloping horse on two legs, can you? Besides, riding a horse takes half a day. How can a person have that kind of stamina?

However, judging from the expressions of the other people, they all seemed to be used to it.

Qiqigesang explained, "Sect Master, I was born taller than others, and I have a smell. Most livestock are too scared to move when they get close to me, so I have been able to walk on my own two legs since I was a child."

"smell?"

Chen Ye's senses were much more acute than those of ordinary people, and he didn't sense any special smell on Qiqi Gesang.

"This is probably a matter of bloodline," Chen Ye asked. "Were your parents also so tall?"

When Qiqigesang heard Chen Ye's question, a look of sadness appeared on his face. He lowered his head and explained, "I am an orphan who was found and I have never seen my parents."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye immediately felt that Qiqi Gesang was worth nurturing. He possessed a special bloodline and was an orphan. When his tribe suffered a great calamity, he survived but had a deep-seated hatred for the enemy.

This is practically a script for the chosen one.

“Even if you can run, I can’t let you run all the way to the deer-cutting pond. You’ll have to come with me.”

"With the sect leader?" Qiqi Gesang still didn't understand what that meant.

She can't even ride a horse by herself, so how can she share a ride with someone else?
But she immediately understood what Chen Ye meant.

Chen Ye called out, and a giant black bird descended from the sky, several times larger than the largest bison Qiqigesang had ever seen.

Chen Ye helped Black Whirlwind put on its saddle, then said to Qiqi Gesang, "Get on, we're about to set off."

Qiqi Gesang approached the Black Whirlwind with trepidation. In the past, whenever she got close to the livestock, the cattle and sheep would be terrified into going mad. She was afraid that this giant bird would be the same. If this monster went berserk, it might knock Chen Ye to the ground, which would be a terrible sin.

Seeing Qiqi Gesang's uneasy appearance, Black Whirlwind let out a displeased croak and glared at her fiercely.

When Qiqigesang saw it, he wasn't afraid; instead, he became curious. Was this bird really not afraid of his own scent?
As they got closer, Qiqigesang couldn't help but reach out and touch Black Whirlwind's neck. The thick feathers were very tough, but they felt very comfortable to the touch.

This was the first time Qiqigesang had felt the temperature of an animal.

Children who grow up in northern Xinjiang are forbidden from riding horses from a young age; even getting too close will frighten away the flock of sheep. This condition has long been considered an omen of misfortune for Qiqigesang.

If it weren't for the priests of the Liman tribe being willing to take care of her, she would probably have been thrown out of the tribe and starved to death long ago.

I never thought I would ever be able to get close to any animal like other people, but I never expected to be able to ride such a magnificent bird.

However, having never ridden a horse in his life, let alone a bird, Qiqigesang clumsily tiptoed for a long time but still couldn't climb onto Black Whirlwind's back.

Chen Ye couldn't stand it, so he grabbed her hand and easily pulled the female giant onto Black Whirlwind's back.

"Sit tight!"

Chen Ye said something, and then Black Whirlwind flapped its wings powerfully, carrying the two of them into the sky.

Even though Qiqigesang is much heavier than the average person, the Black Whirlwind is no longer the little crow with a crooked head it used to be. After being fed with beast blood pills for a long time, its size has doubled, and its carrying capacity has naturally increased significantly.

Unfortunately, he couldn't learn the spell to block the wind. As soon as he flew into the sky, Chen Ye was hit in the face by a strong north wind.

But Qiqigesang was so excited that he shouted like a child, seemingly forgetting that Chen Ye was there. Even though he opened his mouth and his mouth was full of air, he still couldn't help but make funny "waaaaa" noises.

Chen Ye recalled how he used to stare at the fan with his mouth open when he was a child in his previous life, and he also remembered the excitement he felt when Su Chunyi took him flying into the sky for the first time.

People always yearn for the sky, wanting to fly into that boundless freedom.

The people of the northern frontier were no different from those of the Central Plains, and ordinary people were no different from this female giant.

However, Qiqigesang was still a bit reserved. After shouting a few words in his excitement, he realized what was happening, quickly shut his mouth, and nervously lowered his head.

Chen Ye patted Black Whirlwind on the neck, telling him to slow down and wait for the people chasing on horseback below. Then he said to the reserved Qiqigesang, "Now that you have some free time, tell me about this deer hunting festival. Has your Liman tribe ever participated in a deer hunting festival before?"

Upon hearing Chen Ye's question, Qiqigesang quickly replied, "Yes, yes, when Chief Suhe was still alive, we would participate in the Deer Hunting Festival every year, and we would always win. Chief Suhe was the most powerful tribal leader. Every time we participated, we would send at least five hundred people, most of whom were warriors who could perform witchcraft, and the most intelligent one, Toya Lier, who could solve the most difficult puzzles every time."

"A riddle? The deer hunt includes a riddle-solving test?"

Chen Ye thought that gatherings of people from the northern frontier were simply about getting together to drink and eat meat in large bowls, wrestling, hunting, and seeing who was the best.

Why is there a puzzle to solve? What kind of puzzle is it?
"The people of the Northern Frontier respect not only warriors, but also wise men. Warriors can drive away hungry wolves, and wise men can guide us to avoid wind and snow. However, the riddle is different every year. It is set by the High Priest, and no one can know it in advance."

"And who is this high priest?" Chen Ye asked curiously. Qiqigesang explained, "The high priest is the first person to worship the ancestral spirits. Legend has it that he has lived for a thousand years and is a legend worshipped by all the people of the Northern Frontier. As long as he is alive, the people of the Northern Frontier will be able to survive forever no matter what disasters they encounter."

Having lived for a thousand years, Chen Ye could only think of cultivators who had achieved success in their cultivation, and then he couldn't help but think of the Nirvana Sect.

Hopefully, this high priest isn't a demon from the Nirvana Sect in disguise, or we'll be in trouble.

However, according to the Venerable One, by making such a grand show of force, the Nirvana Sect has completely severed ties with the five righteous sects. Zhang Qi's sword strike should have already wiped out most of the sect's backbone, and they will then send disciples to continue hunting down these demons.

The remaining disciples of the Nirvana Sect are now less than one-tenth of their original number, and they will likely hide away to lick their wounds until Zhang Qi ascends to immortality or until the next millennium. It is precisely because of this that Chen Ye was able to brazenly build Fengdu City above the underground palace, seizing the ginseng fruit without any concern for the Nirvana Sect's retaliation.

However, this high priest must have some secrets, and Chen Ye must be prepared.

Chen Ye thought of a few solutions, then asked, "Besides the riddles, what else is there to compete in at this deer hunting competition?"

Qiqigesang continued to explain: "The deer hunting competition is usually divided into three events. The first day is a gladiatorial contest. Each tribe will send up to three warriors to participate in the contest until the last one wins."

"What are the rules of this gladiatorial combat?" Chen Ye asked.

"Aside from the rule that outsiders cannot interfere, there are no other rules. Killing all the warriors of other tribes or forcing them to admit defeat is considered a victory."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye frowned and asked doubtfully, "Won't this create enmity?"

If it's just about winning or losing, that's fine. But if it involves killing someone outright, how can you guarantee that there won't be any retaliation when you get back?

Deer hunting gatherings were likely held by various tribes to avoid escalating conflicts, reduce losses to an acceptable level, and resolve disputes and fights.

If people die right from the start, wouldn't that just escalate the conflict?
Qiqi Gesang explained, "They all swore an oath to the ancestral spirits, taking full responsibility for their own lives. No one dares to break the oath, and no one will seek revenge afterward."

Chen Ye didn't think this reason was sufficient. Perhaps the people of the Northern Frontier respected their ancestral spirits, but the standard for judging what constitutes retaliation after an event was too broad. If all conflicts could truly be resolved, there probably wouldn't be tribal wars in the Northern Frontier.

"And what about the second day? What will we compete in?"

"The next day, the high priest would present a riddle, which would be solved by the wise men of each tribe. Sometimes it was a riddle, sometimes a treasure map, and it was different every year, but there could only be one winner."

Chen Ye asked curiously, "If it's a riddle, haven't you ever tried to get everyone to guess it correctly?"

Qiqigesang shook his head and said with admiration, "I have participated in several deer hunting parties, and even the riddles are only solved by Toya Lier."

"So impressive? I'd really like to get to know this Toya Lier."

Qiqigesang's face darkened, and he whispered, "Toya Lier has probably died in that disaster as well."

Chen Ye laughed and said, "It's alright, I'll go back and look for him, maybe he's still here."

It's likely that such a clever person wouldn't have joined Su He's rebellion, and thus wouldn't have been banished by Chen Ye.

If there really is such a clever person, it would be good to ask her to help with the miscellaneous affairs of Fengdu City, so that I can save time to focus on my cultivation.

The Yellow Springs Sect only protects the barbarians of Fengdu City; they don't intend to rule these mortals. Chen Ye is more than happy to have someone share these troublesome matters.

Hearing Chen Ye's words, Qiqi Gesang felt a bit expectant and couldn't help but ask, "Sect Master, what's the difference between a person who dies and becomes a ghost and a person who is alive?"

Chen Ye thought about it carefully, then said, "The senses of ghosts are different from those of humans. They cannot taste anything, nor feel warmth; they only have memories of their past lives. They seem free and unrestrained, but their souls are actually dissipating every moment, sustained only by a single will. If they leave Fengdu, they will quickly and completely dissipate."

“Wandering spirits have no physical form and are completely controlled by their emotions. If they are stimulated, they are prone to losing their rationality and becoming completely out-of-control vengeful ghosts. But living people are different. Living people can experience all the beauty of life, can cultivate themselves, can seek longevity, and have the opportunity to transcend the world.”

Qiqigesang said excitedly, "Does becoming a clan leader mean becoming an ancestral spirit? I heard the elders say that if you can become a hero of the tribe, you might become an ancestral spirit to be worshipped and thus gain eternal life. But, don't ghosts have any other way out? Are they destined to remain like this forever?"

Chen Ye fell silent after being asked by Qiqi Gesang.

The spirits of the dead cannot remain in Fengdu City forever.

The number of dead souls in this world will increase until one day Fengdu can no longer contain them all.

However, there is no such thing as reincarnation in this world, and Chen Ye did not know how to make these wandering souls reincarnate as humans.

We can't just do something like the demonic possession, eating the baby in someone else's womb and stealing their body.

How was the cycle of reincarnation established in the first place?
Chen Ye shook his head. These things were not what he should be thinking about now. Fengdu City hadn't even been built yet, so why think about things so far ahead?

Chen Ye then asked Qiqi Gesang, "Let's talk about this deer hunting event first. The first day is a gladiatorial contest, the second day is a mystery-solving session, so what about the third day?"

"The third day is the deer hunt. The high priest will summon the nine-colored divine deer, which will transform into the appearance of a sika deer. Then, all the tribes will hunt together, and whoever can capture the transformed nine-colored deer will be the biggest winner. However, this hunt does not restrict any means. Often, the fighting will start first, and then the hunt will begin. Strong tribes will send hundreds of people, while weaker tribes will unite together, but the bloodshed will definitely be fierce."

Qiqigesang couldn't help but say to Chen Ye, "Sect Master, with only twenty of us, we're afraid we'll only be used as bait. We'll be caught in the middle by other tribes and then all die by the Deer-Cutting Pond."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye smiled slightly and said, "No need to worry, we're not vying for first place. We just need to let the other tribes know the name Fengdu Huangquan. I don't want to steal the limelight from others."

Qiqigesang said worriedly, "Sect Leader, Fengdu City is built on the golden tent of Chief Suhe. Other tribes will regard you as Chief Suhe's successor. This grassland is rich in water and grass, and Chief Suhe has always been the victor. I'm afraid they won't let us go so easily."

Chen Ye said in surprise, "They can still hold me responsible for their feud with Su He? What if I told them that I killed Su He?"

Qiqigesang said helplessly, "Then we will take this opportunity to challenge you even more. Suhe has always been the most powerful tribal leader. Everyone wants to surpass him, seize his land and prestige, and become a legend of the ancestral spirit."

Chen Ye: ...

Before they even got to know the other tribal leaders, they immediately became the target of everyone's hatred.

Sure enough, cause and effect are cyclical; to swallow this ginseng fruit, one must go through those eighty-one tribulations.

(End of this chapter)