Ermao earnestly translated the child Li Wenli’s question, but everyone failed to pay attention until San Mao raised his volume for the third time, prompting the Clan Leader to finally catch on.
Facing the interrogation from the Celestial God, he frantically and clumsily babbled out an explanation.
The child attentively listened, blinking, occasionally sneaking a bite of Honey, while other children couldn’t help but mimic the chewing, their eyes filled with greed and envy.
"The Clan Leader said that since they couldn’t find the door to the Celestial’s Home, they resorted to climbing over the wall, thinking the old man was a Celestial God, which is why they carried him away; it was only when the Celestial God came chasing after them that they realized they had the wrong person, and we’re here to apologize tonight," explained Ermao.
The child’s Mandarin wasn’t very standard, but Bai Junjun still understood it.
Combining the child’s words with the sight of this bunch of stark-naked people made them seem even more atypical than the legends suggested.
And the fact that there were people who could speak Mandarin within the Fire-Swallowing Tribe indicated that they must have encountered people from other places.
They’re not simply going to eat everyone they meet.
Moreover, Bai Junjun was also curious about their stories and didn’t hesitate to nod her head: "You mentioned earlier that someone was sick; we can go take a look. However, let me be frank—if you’re planning a diversionary tactic, don’t blame me if I show no mercy."
"What is a diversionary tactic?" the child asked with a tilted head.
Li Wenli couldn’t help but smirk: "A diversionary tactic means tricking us to go treat the sick while you sneak into our home."
The child shook his head: "We wouldn’t do such a thing; we genuinely want to invite the Celestial God to help treat the sickness."
Although the crowd didn’t understand what they were saying, their eyes were filled with sincere hope, which seemed genuine.
Li Wenli and Bai Junjun could only nod their heads in agreement.
Thus, these people joyfully lifted their weapons, singing and dancing as they led the way.
Li Wenli and Bai Junjun left the jungle amid the sound of gongs and drums, and when they passed the Dune where they rescued Mr. Dan He earlier today, people gathered around them and danced once more at the same spot.
Both were utterly baffled.
The child said with a laugh: "This is our welcoming ceremony."
"..." Bai Junjun glanced at the child’s loose-fitting leaf skirt, barely able to express her thoughts.
It’s all well and good to welcome, but it would be better not to fall apart. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be her feeling awkward.
But the concern... no, what Bai Junjun dreaded did not occur.
Their leaf garb was exceptionally secure, without a hint of a problem.
After the dance was over, they proceeded onwards, almost every time they reached the top of a Hill, these people would dance again, and eventually, Li Wenli and Bai Junjun became numb to it, letting them carry on.
Finally, after climbing over the fourth Dune, a new verdant jungle loomed ahead, greener and more lush than the area where Bai Junjun was situated.
Not long after entering, the Shadows of tree houses could be seen, but these were very rudimentary compared to the Stilted Buildings on Witch Ancestor Mountain.
From within the tree houses, various cries and groans echoed continuously, all sounding feeble and reeking of death.
The child, anxious, tugged at Bai Junjun, leading them to his mother’s tree house.
Among a bunch of stark-naked people, Bai Junjun finally saw someone relatively normal. Although their clothes were ragged, at least there was fabric covering most parts aside from their lower legs and arms.
But at this moment, her exposed arms and legs were covered in red bumps and there were even traces of blood at her mouth and nose, and her body temperature was frighteningly high.
Bai Junjun frowned: "It’s dengue fever."
"?" The child and the Fire-Swallowing Tribe members did not understand what that meant.