050 Clash

In the silent night, the harsh sounds of quacking and bleating continued relentlessly, filled with agony and piercing screams.

Those perched in the trees felt their scalps tingle from the intensity.

From the sounds alone, one could tell how fierce the struggle was.

Caught in the midst of the chaos that sparked this battle, they were immensely relieved that neither the flock of sheep nor the geese could climb trees, so these creatures paid them no mind.

Otherwise, the few of them would never have been able to withstand the rampaging beasts. Falling would have meant being quickly overwhelmed.

Lin Yan had long detected the scent of blood growing stronger—the casualties must have been significant.

By the latter half of the night, the sounds of combat gradually faded, yet no one dared to descend and see who had emerged victorious.

They dared not make a sound, quietly waiting for dawn.

Throughout the night, the entire group remained awake, enduring the ordeal.

At first light, through the gaps in the leaves, they caught sight of the gruesome scene below.

Flesh was torn and mangled, severed limbs scattered everywhere, the air thick with the stench of blood and carnage.

The once white geese had become blood-stained, while the sheep were utterly annihilated; not a single intact carcass remained.

The group held their breath, watching as the geese slowly stirred, their quacks unceasing. As sunlight spilled down, they waded into the water.

Black Earth lowered his voice: “The geese have gone into the water. The smell of blood is strong and will attract other predators. We need to leave quickly.”

“Yes, yes, let’s hurry,” Old Black snapped back to reality. “Such a large-scale slaughter—since the geese don’t eat meat, the corpses will soon draw carnivores. Then we won’t be able to leave.”

Without hesitation, the group slid down the trees, seizing intact goose eggs and the bodies of geese and sheep as they fled at full speed.

They dared not pause along the way, running for hours until they passed through a thicket of reeds before allowing themselves a breath.

Panting filled the air. Lin Yan was carried by Black Earth, passively escaping, her cheeks stung raw by branches and leaves.

She had only heard tales of the ferocity of wild beasts; this was her first time witnessing it firsthand.

Both geese and sheep were herbivores, yet their battle was so brutal—imagine how much worse it would be if carnivores were involved.

Still, the geese’s fighting prowess was undeniably strong.

Not only did they outnumber the sheep, but each individual was also formidable.

From her vantage point in the tree, she had seen a goose single-handedly bring down a sheep. The ferocity was breathtaking.

Its sharp beak clamped onto the sheep’s neck, refusing to let go.

Amid the chaos, the geese swarmed to encircle and attack the sheep, unleashing astonishing combat power in an instant.

If anyone dared to provoke that flock again, caution would be paramount.

Glancing at the baskets and sacks in everyone’s hands, though they had been focused on survival, they had still managed to snatch a fair share.

Everyone was disheveled; several had even lost their straw sandals, but no one cared.

After a brief rest, Black Earth said, “We’re almost home. Let’s recover and keep moving.”

“Good, I want to go back quickly. It’s too dangerous outside—we nearly lost our lives,” Bai Song was the first to respond.

Old Black added, “The geese didn’t chase us. The remaining path is easier; we can walk instead of running.”

“Indeed, we escaped disaster. We must be more careful in the future. Fortunately, Lin Yan reacted quickly and warned us in time, so we avoided the sheep,” someone remarked.

Shi Wen said, “Without the geese holding them off, we wouldn’t stand a chance against the sheep. That little black lamb came over alone, but the herd will surely blame us.”

...

As they walked, the group recounted the harrowing events of the night.

That night was intensely thrilling—the fight between the geese and sheep gave them a chance to escape.

Back in the city, people had been anxiously awaiting their return since early morning.

Upon seeing the group, they rushed forward.

Ye Zi led, unable to stop worrying. Having done nothing for days, she had just been waiting here.

“Hua Hong, why are you all so disheveled? What happened? Is anyone hurt?” she asked.

Since acquiring hemp rope, the hunting team had always returned with bountiful catches and smiles on their faces.

Today was different—over a dozen people with torn clothes, faces and bodies marked with wounds, and missing their straw sandals.

Hua Hong hurriedly replied, “Nothing serious. Everyone came back safely.”

“You don’t look like it. Did you fight?” Ye Zi scanned them again. “Where are your sandals?”

Hua Hong looked down at her bare foot. “Lost them while running. Let’s go home; everyone’s exhausted.”

“Come to my place. I’ve made food and have been waiting for you,” Ye Zi warmly invited everyone to her home.

Black Earth said, “No thanks. After running all that way, everyone just wants to go home.”

He distributed the spoils among the group, and soon everyone parted ways.

Before long, word spread through the city that the group had returned. Many went to the homes of those who had been out to inquire.

Their night spent away, returning so ragged, had sparked everyone’s curiosity.

At Bai Song’s home, his mother Bai Yun scrutinized her son several times. “What happened? Is Lin Yan hurt?”

Bai Chen kept a close eye on his elder brother, deeply worried about Lin Yan.

“She’s fine, no injuries,” Bai Song feigned sorrow. “Mother, sister, you only care about Lin Yan and not me.”

“You look fine. No wounds,” Bai Yun bluntly saw through him. “Now tell me, what exactly happened?”

Bai Song recalled the day and night’s harrowing ordeal, still shaken. “It was terrifying. We rushed over and encountered a huge snake. Luckily, Lin Yan warned me in time, so I wasn’t bitten. We found the geese and waited a long time. After the geese went into the water, we…”

“Wait, how did Lin Yan spot the snake?” Bai Chen interrupted, curious. It sounded as if Lin Yan had special abilities to sense it without seeing.

“You asked the key question,” Bai Song gave Bai Chen a thumbs-up. “That’s the biggest takeaway. Lin Yan taught us how to cultivate spiritual power. She said once developed, spiritual power lets you sense everything around you, and when mastered, it can be used offensively.”

Bai Chen hurriedly asked, “How do you cultivate spiritual power? It sounds amazing. Did Lin Yan use it to detect the snake?”

“Yes, much sharper than eyesight. She knew the snake was nearby from several meters away. Not only that, her hearing is very keen. We didn’t notice the sheep approaching, but she heard them first. The situation was urgent. Lin Yan said cultivating spiritual power relies on concentration and meditation, and she plans to practice it gradually once we’re back.”

“Concentration and meditation?” Bai Chen’s eyes showed puzzlement. Since attending Lin Yan’s lessons, she had discovered a wondrous, profound world.

Bai Song scratched his head. “I don’t understand it fully either. We’ll ask Lin Yan tomorrow. Since she can cultivate it, she must know more than we do.”

Bai Yun smiled at them. “We’ll discuss that later. First, tell me how you escaped after encountering the sheep last night.”

Bai Song continued recounting the night’s peril, causing Bai Yun and Bai Chen’s faces to darken with worry.