The earthen “strainer” fell on his forehead, and after the impact, the ash inside that had not yet been completely blown away spilled out, covering Han Cheng’s head and face.
His head throbbed slightly, and the ash also blinded one eye.
Caught off guard by such an attack, Han Cheng instinctively shut his eyes and turned his head.
Then, by some unfortunate coincidence, his head plunged into the Kongming lantern, instantly plunging the surroundings into a dim haze.
“What the hell is this!”
Han Cheng shouted, reflexively scratching at his head with both hands, trying to rid himself of this thing that had attacked him.
After his hands touched it, the panic in his heart lessened significantly; through the sensation, he had already figured out what this was.
Wasn't this supposed to be more precise?
When he was about to show off, this thing had to drop in unexpectedly—wasn't that intentionally sabotaging him?
In anger, Han Cheng wanted to throw this disrespectful object and stomp on it for relief.
However, seeing Shitou’s astonished expression, which had contorted into disbelief, he forcibly held back his impulse.
He grumpily shoved the Kongming lantern into Shitou’s hands and quickly used the back of his clean right hand to wipe at his left eye, which stung from the ash.
The thunderous cheers gradually subsided, and the courtyard returned to calm, quieter than when they watched the lantern soar.
The area where Han Cheng and the others stood was far from dark, even in the dark surroundings; a pile of fire provided illumination.
Initially, this bright light was meant to allow people to see their movements clearly, but now…
The sight of the Divine Child, with black ash smeared on his forehead, bent over and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand left everyone gaping.
The abrupt shift in the scene was so sudden that even primitive people would struggle to comprehend it, resulting in jaws dropping all around.
After a while, as some began to snap back to reality, many started stifling laughter.
Though they knew that finding humor in this situation was somewhat inappropriate, they couldn’t help but want to laugh at the sight of the Divine Child atop the wall.
The fear they had previously felt towards him due to the ascension of the Kongming lantern had dissipated considerably.
The Divine Child was still the clever and wise figure who didn’t carry himself with excessive arrogance, not someone lofty and fearsome who made them feel they couldn't approach.
Realizing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and more smiles appeared.
After rubbing his eyes with spit, Han Cheng finally relieved the discomfort.
He glanced at the others with red eyes, trying to suppress their laughter. Even with his thick skin, he felt a bit overwhelmed by the embarrassment.
“Alright, go on! Disperse!”
He waved irritably, urging everyone to disperse and return to sleep.
The few lines he had prepared to say were now stuck in his throat.
Everyone followed his instruction and returned to their homes, laughter lingering.
Han Cheng felt extremely frustrated; just glancing at the expressions of those who looked like they were trying to hold in laughter like they were constipated told him that his mishap tonight would become a hot topic for them in the near future.
What’s so funny about this?
Wasn’t it just a bump on the head from a Kongming lantern and then sticking his head inside? Did it deserve such merriment?
A group of primitive people with a laugh threshold so low it was infuriating.
The Divine Child, covered in black ash, grumbled indignantly to himself.
Turning around, he saw Shitou holding the Kongming lantern and giggling, further fueling his anger.
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even make this Kongming lantern!”
“Also, why didn’t you lend me a hand when you were standing so close? And you still have the nerve to laugh now?”
In a fit of anger, Han Cheng quickly vented his frustration on Shitou, slapping him twice on the back of the head.
However, rather than wiping the smile off Shitou’s face, the slaps only made him grin even wider.
This guy is hopeless...
After defining Shitou in such a way, Han Cheng huffed as he descended the ladder from the wall and headed toward his living quarters.
He didn’t want to be around these shameless guys who couldn’t understand what the Divine Child was thinking or what he needed.
Sunlight scattered on the ground, warming the earth that had just experienced a cold winter, gradually stirring the dormant life back to activity.
Standing in the ditch with his outer garments removed, Han Cheng held a bone shovel, continuously scooping the loosened soil.
Once he finished shoveling the soil, the little flower bed he had dug out on his own would finally be complete, and he could start stacking stones.
Footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard, and Han Cheng turned to see Shitou running back with a face full of excitement.
His excitement stemmed from the several long worms he was holding.
Since Han Cheng sent the Kongming lantern made of snake skin soaring into the sky, the snakes near the tribe had been having a rough time.
They had become timid; there was no escaping as soon as they were spotted.
Among them, Shitou, the next shaman not focused on his duties, had become the most enthusiastic, practically becoming the bane of snakes.
Shitou was determined to craft even larger Kongming lanterns, ideally big enough for people to sit in.
Han Cheng was excited as well. Unlike Shitou’s lofty aspirations of reaching the heavens, he was delighted to taste the delicate snake meat soon.
As Shitou accumulated the snake skins, the foundation for the little flower bed grew, gradually increasing.
Ultimately, it emerged from the ground and continued to rise.
During this time, the green willows by the river began to sprout buds as tiny as rice grains, unfurling slowly.
Various barely formed flower buds started to bloom, releasing bursts of fragrance, enticing the noisy flower thieves of the Green Sparrow tribe to come over and “push their backs” to help them complete their reproductive endeavors.
Swallows returned to their nests perched on the ropes, chirping noisily like musical notes on a staff, discussing how to build their love nests.
The visibly pregnant Bai Xue carefully removed her long-preserved silkworm eggs and placed them in a basket lined with tender mulberry leaves, allowing the warm sunlight to awaken these dormant little lives.
The land of the Green Sparrow tribe was continuously expanding, with the newly turned earth stretching lazily under the warm sun, waiting for seeds to foster new life...
Meanwhile, the trade caravan far from the tribe was also busy, led by deer accompanied by dogs, who were armed and carrying goods and stones, and continuing toward the next tribe.