Western Wilderness, Frog Tribe.
The Witch prayed to the water vat for five days straight, and each time the water level decreased, he instantly refilled it.
Yet, after five days, not only did it not rain, not a single cloud appeared in the sky.
The Totem God of the Frog Tribe remained as unresponsive as ever.
He felt completely hopeless.
The Witch walked out of the stone house, gazing at the parched land, the dried-up Divine Lake, and blowing dry winds, feeling as though he himself had been dried to a crisp.
He slowly walked to the edge of the Divine Lake, sat under a big tree, and stared blankly at the lake.
Beside the Divine Lake, a giant frog croaked mournfully, then stretched its limbs straight, its body convulsing constantly until it soon died.
The Witch felt a pang in his heart but was too powerless to bury the giant frog.
At some point, Huo Meng sat beside the Witch, speaking in a deep voice:
"Witch, if we continue to stay here, the entire tribe will perish. Only by migrating can we grasp a slim chance of survival."
"When will we migrate?" The Witch’s voice was weary.
"Is everything prepared?"
"Then... let’s migrate..."
Uttering this sentence seemed to drain his strength, and the Witch leaned against the tree, closing his eyes slowly.
Huo Meng, however, had no time to dwell on sorrow. He rose immediately, gathered all the Frog Tribe people for the final preparations before migration.
That night, none in the Frog Tribe slept well, not knowing what fate lay in wait on the migration path.
The next day, at dawn, all the Frog Tribe members gathered, bringing everything they could carry, ready to set off.
Accompanying them were one-fifth of the giant frogs, ones that were more drought-resistant and could travel long distances.
As for the rest of the giant frogs, they could only remain here.
Huo Meng took a final look around the tribe, imprinting every plant and stone deeply in his mind.
Then, he turned resolutely and shouted, "Move out!"
The accompanying giant frogs let out loud croaks and followed Huo Meng as they hopped away.
The Witch sat atop a bluish giant frog’s back, forcing himself not to look back again.
A group of over five hundred people, along with over a hundred giant frogs, left the tribe where they had lived for years, moving south.
"Ribbit ribbit ribbit..."
Behind them, the giant frogs left behind seemed to understand their awaiting fate, croaking frantically in the Divine Lake but did not follow.
Southern Wilderness, Vine Tribe.
Gou Teng pondered for three days before finally deciding to seek out Jiang Xuan to hear his opinion.
"Chief, should I marry Fu Ling?"
In the courtyard, Gou Teng relayed his situation with Fu Ling, anxiously awaiting Jiang Xuan’s reply.
Jiang Xuan smiled and said, "Let me ask you, do you like her?"
"Perhaps, a bit. She’s quite pretty and capable."
"How do you feel when you’re with her?"
"I can’t quite say, but chatting feels nice enough."
"Do you miss her when you don’t see her?"
Gou Teng was silent for a moment, then nodded, "Yes."
"Then what are you hesitating for? At some point, you’ll have to settle down. Being able to marry someone you like is very fortunate."
Tribe members mature early; in other tribes, someone like Gou Teng would have settled down long ago.
Jiang Xuan wouldn’t stubbornly insist he wait until eighteen because the constitution of tribespeople differs entirely from that of people in Jiang Xuan’s past life, so past life notions can’t apply blindly.
Gaining Jiang Xuan’s support, Gou Teng suddenly felt much more confident.
"Since the chief agrees, I’ll have Fu Ling move in and live with me."
Jiang Xuan nodded, "Getting married is good. I’ll have the tribe send you some pottery, clothes, and food."
"Additionally, I’ll ask the Witch to officiate a ceremony for you at the altar, witnessing your union under the Vine God."
Joining as one symbolizes two different plants entwining, historically considered a good omen.
Upon hearing he could hold a ceremony before the altar, witnessed by the Vine God, Gou Teng was overwhelmed with excitement.
"Of course, when the tribe has the capacity, I hope every couple can hold a ceremony at the altar."
"Then... I’ll go prepare..."
Finished speaking, Gou Teng hurried off; this matter held immense significance for him.
Jiang Xuan chuckled, then sought out Chi Shao to discuss the ceremony arrangements.
The Vine Tribe was established by the original five founders, and now that Gou Teng was getting married, he certainly couldn’t be neglected.
Moreover, Jiang Xuan hoped that after marrying, Gou Teng could draw strength from Fu Ling to overcome psychological shadows.
When Jiang Xuan informed Chi Shao of this, she readily agreed.
In her view, Gou Teng, Shi Qiu, Nan Xing were just like Jiang Xuan, her brothers, and now that a brother was getting married, she was naturally delighted as a sister.
Chi Shao then laughed and asked, "Xuan, Gou Teng is getting married, when will you? From what I hear, a tribesperson named Dong Kui often visits you."
"Ah? I...the tribe isn’t settled yet, I haven’t thought about it yet..."
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