Chapter 162: Altering Fate
Chapter 162: Altering Fate
“People of the North Mountain.”
The North Mountain was where Nuo had previously lived. He’d used this identity during his last visit to communicate with those inside.
“North Mountain has become outsider territory now.”
After hearing Nuo’s reply, the people inside fell silent before responding after a long pause.
“But I remain a child of the circular mountain.”
Within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, all wildmen worshipped the mountains. Only plains-dwelling tribespeople called them wildmen. In truth, their civilization originated deep within the mountains, while the plains tribes were merely descendants of those who’d first ventured outward. These departed kin gained power, built tribal societies, then enslaved their former brethren – branding them as wildmen.
“Come in.”
After brief discussion, the inhabitants agreed to admit Nuo into the valley.
A wildman clad in animal hide emerged from the cave to guide him. The canyon entrance bristled with traps and natural poison mists – without guidance, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to survive the passage.
“Nuo?”
A wildman with blue facial markings exclaimed upon entering the valley.
“Hai!”
Nuo’s face lit up at seeing his old friend. Unlike tribespeople, wildmen endured brutal conditions – fending off both external tribes and internal threats like fierce beasts, disease, and starvation. In the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, wildmen faced constant danger, their average lifespan barely reaching twenty years.
“Did tribespeople conquer North Mountain?”
The presence of a familiar face eased tensions, allowing conversation to flow.
“Three hundred sun-moons since its fall. Surviving required great skill.”
Nuo avoided mentioning his time with You Qiong tribe. To wildmen, former tribal slaves lost their status as pure mountain folk, inviting suspicion.
“Survival’s what matters against tribespeople.” The unspoken truth hung clear – wildmen couldn’t resist tribal incursions. Losing homelands meant retreating deeper into the mountains.
The Great Wasteland.
Zuo Meng traversed desolate mountains in simple cloth garments.
Compared to tribal territories, ninety-eight percent of this world remained untamed wilderness. Here roamed primordial beasts – recently Zuo Meng encountered a rhinoceros the size of a hill, and sky-blotting birds dwarfing even Chaos Era’s legendary Kunpeng.
No human traces remained as Zuo Meng journeyed beyond tribal lands.
To mankind, this was forbidden realm.
“Quiet.”
Feeling the threads of fate, Zuo Meng patted his mountainous steed – a black rock-like leonine creature, fiercest predator in these lands. It had attacked immediately when Zuo Meng entered its domain, only to end up captured as his mount.
Originally planning to depart after crossing this region, Zuo Meng paused as fate rippled. Through destiny’s river, he glimpsed countless branching possibilities.
The sage flicked his fingers, sending two commands swirling into fate’s current.
“A protagonist needs purpose.”
“Some resources might help.”
Zuo Meng tapped the giant beast’s skull, extracting a blood droplet that vanished into fate’s flow – a “hard-earned” gift awaiting Nuo, the fated protagonist.
Fate’s threads shimmered as Nuo’s destined aura intensified, world’s mandate settling upon him.
Within the canyon.
Nuo abandoned his original plan to secretly obtain blue flowers.
“I bring something to give mountain folk hope against the tribes.”
Meeting Hai had shifted Nuo’s priorities from personal survival to collective change – an inexplicable impulse he couldn’t rationalize.
Why should mountain folk endure oppression?
Why celebrate mere survival after losing homelands?
Mountain folk aren’t inferior! Memories of Da Feng tribe’s young lord sneering flashed through Nuo’s mind, the resentment magnified mysteriously. Resolve crystallized – he’d become their savior. With this decision, clarity flooded Nuo’s mind, unlocking previously incomprehensible knowledge.
“What’s this?”
Hai and others crowded around Nuo’s writings, though none could read.
“Tribespeople’s cultivation methods.”
Nuo shared only partial knowledge, reserving advanced techniques as future rewards. Fate’s pressure had matured him far beyond the youth who’d fled You Qiong tribe.
“What’s cultivation?”
“You know characters?”
Their amazement focused on literacy rather than cultivation’s significance.
“I’ll teach you. With writing comes cultivation, then true foothold in these mountains.” Nuo deflected questions about his learning, offering purposeful evasion.
The simple wildmen readily agreed.
Life couldn’t worsen anyway.
“We’ll learn.”
“First, gather blue flowers for me.”
Nuo discovered leading people brought efficiency, not burden. Previously time-consuming tasks now completed in afternoons.
The Cave.
As honored guest, Nuo received private quarters.
“Never imagined gathering materials this fast. Only possible in Ten Thousand Great Mountains.” You Qiong tribe’s bloodline warriors needed three months minimum for such collections – some waiting two years.