The slightly better scenario would be that the two sides have a skirmish, making a point but not causing too much impact on the tribe.
The worst-case scenario is that the Crow Tribe and the Jackal Tribe discover the truth, temporarily join forces, and attack the Vine Tribe.
However, Jiang Xuan has already consulted the Divine Vine in advance. Now possessing the strength of a medium-sized tribe’s totem pattern, it should be able to withstand the attacks from these two tribes.
"Ah, overthinking is useless; better to get some sleep first."
Speculation is always just speculation, because nobody knows how many surprises reality will bring.
The next day, Jiang Xuan got up early to inspect the defenses around the tribe.
The Vine Tribe has dug numerous tunnels, including those surrounding the forest around the tribe.
Around the Vine Tribe, there are two layers of defense: one line of defense made of dangerous plants, and another with various traps and hidden sentries.
Among them, after over a year of planting, the dangerous plants have begun to take shape.
The fastest-growing ones are Cage Vine and Head-Biting Flower.
The propagated Cage Vine has already grown into a web of vines, with a growth speed that’s astonishing.
These vine webs usually spread across the ground and coexist with other plants; if you don’t look closely, they are nearly invisible.
However, once prey steps into it, the Cage Vine will instantly spring up, trapping the prey securely, and will inject paralyzing spikes into the prey, leaving it unable to resist.
Back then, Jiang Xuan suffered from the Cage Vine, so he has the deepest impression of this dangerous plant.
The Cage Vine covers a large area, yet the people of the Vine Tribe can freely enter and exit, not because the Cage Vine recognizes people, but because they have dug a long tunnel, passing underground through the Cage Vine growth area.
The opening of the tunnel is quite concealed and camouflaged; it’s difficult to find for those not from the Vine Tribe.
Beside the tunnel, there are hidden sentries from the Vine Tribe tasked with rotating guard duty daily. In case of emergency, they will blow horns.
Upon Jiang Xuan’s arrival, a spot covered in thorns suddenly opened, and two people emerged from inside.
It turns out that there’s a large pit dug here, with wooden sticks woven into a barrier at the top covered with many living thorns. To enter or exit, one only needs to lift the barrier.
Jiang Xuan asked, "Have you noticed anything unusual?"
One of the sentries replied, "No, apart from occasional animals wandering in, we haven’t seen anyone from other tribes."
Jiang Xuan nodded and continued, "Thank you for your hard work."
"It’s not hard work; during rainy days, we have beast hides to shelter us, food is delivered on time, and while everyone else is busy, we are resting here all day, we almost feel embarrassed."
Jiang Xuan sternly stated, "You shouldn’t feel embarrassed, because you are guarding the entire tribe’s safety. What you are doing is very important; if enemies come, only you can signal the tribe in time. Remember?"
The two sentries nodded quickly. After Jiang Xuan’s explanation, they finally understood the significance of their role here.
"Alright, continue watching here. I’ll go check other places."
After Jiang Xuan left, the two sentries climbed back into the pit, and the thorns covered them again, blending into the environment. If one didn’t know there were people here, it would be hard to find this pit.