Chapter 1662 Barbarian Rite
Whenever Lord Blood Savage returned to the Jianghe Tribe, the color of his body would gradually restore to a bronze tone, rather than that terrifying sanguine hue.
Moreover, Lord Blood Savage’s large, round eyes would reveal an innocent, almost childlike gaze, brimming with curiosity about many things.
Indeed, just as the Saintess had said, the great man was the reincarnation of a Witch God, still completely ignorant of the world.
To his own tribe, he was like the nourishing spring rain; sometimes, he would even play happily with the little barbarians.
The tribe’s newborn little barbarians showed no fear towards Lord Blood Savage; the cheekier ones even stood on his tall shoulders, vying for spots with the Divine Hound and competing with the Divine Hound over who could urinate further.
Towards enemy tribes, he struck like devastating thunderbolts. In less than ten years, the once opposing Suyue Tribe was utterly erased from history. Its members fled, died, or surrendered. Even the Suyue Tribe’s Saintess was carried back by Lord Blood Savage to serve as a foot-warming concubine.
This low-ranking concubine endured frequent bullying from Jiang Nv. Suyue became thoroughly submissive; perhaps battered into fear by Lord Blood Savage’s brutal force, or perhaps utterly conquered by the great man. Regardless, she dared not—and did not—cause any trouble. The Jianghe Tribe prospered ever more rapidly.
Under the support of such formidable martial might, the tribe’s reach extended deep into distant wild domains. Lord Blood Savage’s power also earned him renewed reverence from many tribes within the wilderness.
On more than one occasion, mighty Desolate Beasts, large as small hills, intruded into the Jianghe Tribe’s territory. Without exception, the great man slew them in the wilderness, wielding a shield in one hand and a hammer in the other.
The most ferocious battle lasted a full three years. Through the great man’s relentless assault and indomitable spirit of Battle Heaven and Earth, the powerful Desolate Beast was steadily ground down and killed in the wild.
Throughout those three entire years, Jiang Nv and Suyue were restless day and night, keeping watch from the Sacred Mountain, gazing anxiously at the distant battlefield shrouded in rolling clouds of war.
Now, the Jianghe Tribe realized that Suyue truly had been conquered by the great man, or perhaps truly awed by his godlike valor. Her heart now belonged to him completely. Consequently, they began treating her somewhat better.
The great man finally triumphed over that immensely powerful Desolate Beast, which might only have been passing through originally. He severed the Desolate Beast’s head, bathed in its brain matter, and hung its skull atop the peak of the Sacred Mountain.
By this time, the Jianghe Tribe had essentially gained dominion over the nearby Barbarian Cave Tribes.
A century passed. The Jianghe Tribe flourished, becoming overwhelmingly powerful. None of the Barbarian Cave Tribes within tens of thousands of miles dared to disobey.
Since the destruction of the Suyue Tribe, the Jianghe Tribe itself had no enemies. Nevertheless, Lord Blood Savage would periodically journey forth to patrol. Regardless of affiliation, the treatment was uniform: all were summarily subdued.
Affiliated tribes protested to the main tribe.
The Saintess paid no heed. The affiliated tribes could only swallow their grievances.
Later, the Saintess proclaimed publicly that Lord Blood Savage was the juvenile form of the Upper Void Witch God, possessing the bloodline of a Witch King. His visits to barbarian tribes were joyous occasions, and none may resist. Thus, everyone understood that Lord Blood Savage's actions were lawful and legitimate.
The Saintess designated this the "Barbarian Rite."
Later still, at the Saintess’s request, Lord Blood Savage agreed to narrow the scope of the "Barbarian Rite." He ceased taking both men and women, spared the elderly and children, and only took the able-bodied.
As a result, the Barbarian Rite evolved into a grand festival for the Jianghe Tribe. Barbarian women from the cave tribes all hoped "Saint King" would be their first barbarian man, considering it a supreme honor. It was said that some barbarian women waited a full twenty years for a visit from the Saint King...
This was a peculiar custom.
And its peculiarities extended beyond just this.
Each Barbarian Rite coincided with the Jianghe Cave Tribe's "Flower Dog Festival."
Whenever the Saint King visited, he always brought the Divine Hound. To cater to the Divine Hound’s needs, the barbarian cave tribes went to great lengths to raise all manner of wolfhounds for its... pleasure.
Furthermore, unlike the Saint King who fathered no offspring, the Divine Hound did sire descendants. Its progeny matured slowly, but upon reaching adulthood, they inevitably mutated, developing many strange and bizarre abilities. Each was immensely powerful, some even surpassing the Divine Hound itself, becoming the most loyal guardians of their tribe.
Truthfully, the Barbarian Rite was the most sacred coming-of-age ritual aspired to by barbarian women, while the Flower Dog Festival became the truly most cherished festival among the barbarian tribes. Any tribe able to secure "success" from the Divine Hound considered it a godsend blessing.
The Jianghe Tribe had no enemies left, yet Sun Hao could never remain idle. Every year, he would set aside a considerable amount of time to venture deep into the untamed wilds with Border Collie, exploring uncharted territories, slaying particularly powerful Desolate Beasts, and leaving behind those manageable by his Warriors for them to hone their skills against.
Time passed slowly amidst the Jianghe Tribe's prosperity and growing dominance.
Under Jiang Nv’s guidance, Sun Hao gradually learned much. Yet, his memory remained poor; many things required Jiang Nv and Suyue to teach him over and over again.
Uncounted years went by. The Jianghe Cave Tribe became the mightiest barbarian tribe beyond the Ten Thousand Extinctions Ancient Graveyard, its fame spreading ever wider. The Barbarian Rite and Flower Dog Festival quietly gained popularity among the barbarian cave tribes.
Generation after generation of Barbarian Warriors matured. Perhaps influenced by the Brute King’s aura, or because the Brute King, despite fathering no children, subtly enhanced the physical constitution of the barbarians, wave upon wave of exceptionally powerful Warriors emerged from within the Jianghe Tribe.
These formidable Barbarian Warriors collectively addressed Sun Hao as "Barbarian Father," the Saintess as "Barbarian Matriarch," and Suyue as "Little Barbarian Matriarch."
This was the most glorious period of the Jianghe Tribe. Their formidable reach extended to the shores of Lake Shentu, pushing deep into the Six Desolate Plains. Within that vast, immeasurably deep desolate land filled with Desolate Qi, they ventured farther and farther.
Had this momentum continued, with the Saintess’s wise guidance and the invincible Saint King’s strength, the Jianghe Tribe might indeed have become the mightiest tribe among the Six Desolations—without rival.
However, as the Jianghe Tribe rapidly expanded outward and time flowed on, cracks began to appear in its most powerful core.
Little Barbarian Matriarch Suyue slowly grew old.
Sun Hao remained bewildered and ignorant. Even after so many, many years, he was still forgetful, still unable to remember many things, still unaware of many things. His large, round eyes held simplicity and fierceness, but never sadness. He did not understand emotions and had never truly felt pain.
Suyue’s aging struck him as odd. Her clinging dependence on him puzzled him. He even roughly spanked her buttocks, recalling how he had subdued her when she used to fight like a wildcat.
He spanked her buttocks, and she wore a blissful smile.
But one day, to his confusion, no matter how he spanked her, Suyue no longer woke up.
Sun Hao did not know why.
It was very, very strange.
No tears welled in his eyes, only a trace of bewilderment. Amid the mournful songs of the Jianghe Tribe's Barbarian Warriors, Sun Hao lit the tall funeral pyre built for Suyue—said to carry her spirit skyward.
For some inexplicable reason, Sun Hao, who had never felt much before, experienced an unusual stirring in his heart.
That same year, he and Border Collie plunged deep into the wilderness. They slaughtered for three whole months, annihilating a powerful Desolate Beast nest, and only then did that unusual feeling ease slightly.
Returning to the barbarian tribe, he found no Suyue waiting to greet him.
Jiang Nv chose another little barbarian mother for him. Yet, for some reason, Sun Hao felt absolutely no inclination towards her.
Many, many more years passed.
Jiang Nv, too, gradually grew old. Sun Hao sensed her deepening dependence on him, and for reasons unknown, an unprecedented feeling of anxiety rose in his heart.
On the Sacred Mountain, Sun Hao often grew restless. He would frequently pick up the increasingly frail Jiang Nv and pace about aimlessly, at a loss.
One day, Jiang Nv caressed Sun Hao’s face deeply: "My husband, He'er... I cannot last. I must leave..."
Sun Hao, still bewildered: "Oh? Leaving? Where are you going? When will you return?"
Jiang Nv murmured softly: "I... cannot return. Like Suyue, I will not return."
Sun Hao had already forgotten who Suyue was. He buzzed: "He'er, who is Suyue? She sounds somewhat familiar."
Tears flowed from Jiang Nv’s eyes: "Suyue, He'er... we are but passing guests in your life, my husband. After some time... just as you forgot Suyue... you will forget He'er too..."
Sun Hao’s giant frame trembled faintly: "How could I forget He'er?"
Jiang Nv’s hand, stroking his face, grew weaker and weaker, slowly drooping to her side. She murmured: "Meeting you, husband... was the greatest happiness of my life... I truly hope... you will remember... me..."