In the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng climbed the wooden ladder to the top of the wall and looked around the outskirts of the tribe.
The surrounding area remained monotonous white, with everything covered by cold wind and snow, losing its original color.
Standing there, he noticed the distant horizon was still calm and unchanged, with no signs of people appearing.
This made Han Cheng's heart tighten a bit.
The trade caravan had already been gone for a while, and based on their usual schedule, they should have returned by now. Yet, there was still no sign of them.
Like a late spring snowstorm, this unexpected cold snap had come at the worst possible time.
If the weather had turned bad before the trade caravan left, Han Cheng could have warned them not to go, but now the caravan had already left the tribe.
He could only hope there wouldn’t be any accidents.
Han Cheng gazed at the blinding white snow in the distance, feeling the biting air as he quietly muttered.
After all, sometimes the strong can be surprisingly fragile, and even the smallest accident could cause a vibrant life to disappear without a trace.
He decided to wait a little longer. If the trade caravan didn’t return by nightfall, he would take people out to meet them.
After staying on the wall for a while, Han Cheng rubbed his face, which had grown numb from the cold, and instructed those in the small house near the wall to report immediately if the caravan returned. Then, he descended the ladder.
Once back inside the warm house, his ears and face, numbed by the cold, began to redden and warm up.
Sitting on the wooden stool, Han Cheng considered the dangers the trade caravan might face and what they would need to do if they had to go search for them. After some thought, he decided to consult the shaman about the matter.
The shaman was just as worried as Han Cheng about the caravan. After all, it consisted of twenty strong adults armed with bronze weapons and with so many deer.
If anything happened to them, the loss to the tribe would be immense.
After explaining his decision to go out and meet the caravan, the shaman immediately agreed.
The shaman rarely disagreed with Han Cheng’s decisions.
After making the decision, they began notifying the tribe's people and preparing food, fodder, and other necessary supplies for the journey.
Once these arrangements were made, the tribe's atmosphere became tense.
Everyone knew the trade caravan might be in danger due to the sudden blizzard.
While anxious, people worked quickly to prepare supplies.
They wanted to get everything ready so the tribe could set off sooner to find and meet the caravan in case anything happened.
These were their people, and they didn’t want to see them in danger, nor could they ignore them.
The tribe would even search for lost dogs, let alone a trade caravan!
The high-ranking members of the Green Sparrow Tribe—Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Brother, and Gu—had all come, each volunteering to lead groups to search for and welcome the caravan home.
Han Cheng listed some of the dangers the trade caravan might encounter: avalanches, attacks by starving wild animals, lack of food, getting trapped in snow, or even being killed by other tribes lacking food who might ambush them unexpectedly.
As these potential dangers were brought up, the eyes of the high-ranking tribe members turned red.
For such matters, they were undoubtedly unable to accept it.
A few of them clenched their fists tightly, breathing heavily, and requested permission from Han Cheng.
If they encountered an avalanche, they would dig through the snow; if attacked by a pack of wild animals, they would kill the beasts; and if any tribe dared to kill members of the trade caravan, they would kill everyone in that tribe and feed them to the beasts!
These were their people, the ones they had shared Green Sparrow wine with, the people of their tribe. They would not allow outsiders to harm their caravan!
Seeing their reaction, Han Cheng secretly sniffed and realized he had made the situation sound too dire.
He immediately shifted his tone: "This is just a possibility. Another possibility is that the snowstorm has delayed the trade caravan and is moving slower than expected.
They are all very strong, equipped with powerful bows and sharp bronze spears. There are few animals or people that can harm them..."
After these words were spoken, the group calmed down a bit.
They then made arrangements. If the caravan had not returned by nightfall, the Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother would lead a group to meet them the following morning.
A group of forty, equipped with food and weapons.
Also going would be Shitou, the now adult shaman-to-be.
He was sent because few people in the tribe could read a map.
Before the caravan left, Mao informed Han Cheng of their route, and with the simple map in hand, it would have been much easier to locate them during this era.
Regarding maps, Han Cheng was the most skilled in the tribe, but the others didn’t want him to go, as he was the Divine Child, with a high status and an irreplaceable role in the tribe. So, in the end, the task fell to Shitou.
Anxiety and worry spread throughout the Green Sparrow Tribe. Many people climbed the walls repeatedly, gazing into the distance, hoping the caravan would return.
However, there was still no sign of the trade caravan by nightfall.
This made everyone anxious, and that night, many had difficulty sleeping.
The following day, the tribe was already bustling with activity, and some of the young people who usually liked to sleep in had gotten up.
After breakfast, the Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Brother, along with the team they had selected the previous day, took their weapons, led the deer, and set off on sleds.
"Divine Child, I want to go too…"
Seeing the Eldest Senior Brother and the others leaving through the tribe's gates, many others, moved by the urgency of the situation, spoke up eagerly and sincerely, hoping to join the search.
Looking at these people, who were willing to go and risk danger for their fellow tribe members, Han Cheng smiled.
The years of relatively comfortable living had not made the tribe's people selfish.
They had no fear when their kin were in danger and needed help, even faced with thick snow and biting cold. All they thought about was finding their people as quickly as possible.
Han Cheng, of course, did not agree. With Eldest Senior Brother and the others already going, there was no need for anyone else to venture out.
After all, someone had to stay behind to guard the tribe.