221374
220668Chapter 246 - Lighting up the fire pit
Translated by Lesyt Team
Edited by Ilesyt
When Shao Xuan arrived at the old haunt with Ao and the others, they saw that the broken stones and waste had been taken away. The weeds had been removed and even some dangerous plants in the surrounding forest had been cut.
The beasts had run away, some which had failed to escape were cooked.
The fire pit had been rebuilt and its size was nearly double that of the original one on the side of the river.
As long as the fire source was still under the ground, the fire pit could be rebuilt.
The fire source, a part of the fire seed, had been left when the ancestors had to leave hurriedly. Perhaps the ancestors had to leave quickly because of some sudden natural disaster, but unexpectedly this tribe had been gone from here for nearly a thousand year. Over the past millenium, the fire seed hadn’t been brought back here.
If you want to migrate and take along the fire seed completely, it takes a very long time, just like on the other side of the river, the Shaman had spent a long time praying and worshiping and putting in a lot of effore before he could completely remove the fire seed from the fire pit.
Fortunately, the fire source hadn’t been damaged much when they returned.
Although the fire pit was rebuilt now, the fire seed hadn’t been put in yet.
The Shaman had to hold the ceremony first and put the fire seed in the fire pit to connect it with the the fire source.
The people near the fire pit were cutting down some trees to build houses. The strong totem warriors were carrying stones.
The Shaman stayed in the carriage.
When Shao Xuan came back, Gui Ze jumped down from the carriage, holding some processed herbs.
“What’s up?” Shao Xuan glanced at the carriage and asked Gui Ze.
“The Shaman is in a bad mood.” Gui Ze sighed.
They finally returned and then they saw the old haunt had been devastated. That was why he was upset. And as the shaman, he was used to writing down what he saw and how he felt on the Shaman Volumes, which could be passed down.
Shao Xuan knocked at the door frame of the carriage.
“Come in.” His voice didn’t betray his mood.
That meant this old man was unhappy.
As he expected, when he came in, he saw the Shaman writing on an animal skin roll.
“What happened?” The Shaman didn’t raise his head and asked.
Shao Xuan told him briefly.
“What Ao did is right. We still need some some time.” The Shaman said, and then asked, “Can you make a similar stone pillar?”
“Yes, but it will take some time. It is not easy to find some stones and I have to spend some time chiseling it. Should I go find some now?”
Looking at the broken stone pillar, Shao Xuan felt upset. Two years ago, he had once sat near the pillar that was considered a landmark.
The Shaman shook his head, and said, “No, wait. You should do that after the fire seed has been put into the fire pit. First, the tribe has to go and meet up with those wanderers who will return here.”
When the fire seed is lit in the old haunt again, the wanderers will also return. This was what Old He had told Shao Xuan.
“When will the ritual ceremony be held?” Shao Xuan asked.
“Tomorrow evening.”
It was time, and everyone prepared for the ceremony like they did before. They washed away the stains on their bodies and clothes with water and took out their ritual costumes.
But this time they skipped some steps and didn’t do much as they did when preparing for the ceremony in the beginning of the year. They only prepared for the lighting of the fire seed in the fire pit.
The next evening.
After cleaning, the people of the Flaming Horns tribe gathered around the fire pit in their ritual clothes, including the wanderers who joined the team later. The wanderers of the other tribes only stayed near, but didn’t join them.
In a ceremony, the more important figures stood closer to the fire pit. In the old land, they also obeyed this rule.
Shao Xuan was one of those staying closest to the fire pit, the only intermediate totem warrior.
The carriage where the fire seed was placed was beside them and they all became quiet and solemn.
The wanderers a little far away from them stared at that, but didn’t dare to say anything.
This place was different from the mountain where they had stayed. Now they were not at the top of the mountain. Looking around, they noticed there were many mountains in the distance and they were in a lower and unnoticeable place surrounded by trees.
Everyone was silent. The Shaman stepped on the carriage carefully. After a moment, he came down from the carriage with a flame in his hand. The size of the flame doubled and it was leaping in his hand.
As the Shaman was getting closer and closer to the fire pit, another flame rose in the fire pit. Then six fire lines extended in different directions with the flame at the core. Each fire line went through the crowd in the surrounding area and spread.
The closer the Shaman got, the brighter the flame in the fire pit became, and the six fire lines became thicker.
When the Shaman walked into the fire pit and put the fire seed in centre, a flame rose to the sky, like a high tower pointing to the sky. It was very noticeable in such a dark evening.
After returning from the fire pit, the Shaman knelt down on the ground together with the others to worship the flame and welcome the lighting.
In the fire pit, the fire pillar rapidly became thicker and it spread to the whole fire pit. The leaping flames cast a fiery glow on the mountains in the distance.
Moreover, the flames in the fire pit spread in six directions along the fire lines.
Each fire line was like a fuse, which helped the fire spread from the fire pit to the remote areas. The rising flames from the fire lines on the ground were like some huge and powerful warriors that cut the black sky into six parts. The whole picture looked very overwhelming and beyond description.
The wanderers at the edge felt their bodies shaking and they were very shocked. The atmosphere scared them and they got goose bumps. They had never seen such a scene.
This was the power of the fire seed and it was very amazing.
Only such a fire seed could drive away ferocious beasts.
Only such a fire seed could protect the tribe in this forest so that they could settle here.
Shao Xuan fixed his eyes on the amazing change of the fire seed in the fire pit. He felt the totem power in his body become active and moving with the rising flames.
The totem flame in his mind had been erraticly floating about without a root before, but now it was rooted and supported. It was stable and became bigger.
Since the fire seed connected with the fire source, Shao Xuan had felt excited and energetic. The totem in his mind had been in excitement. The totem power in his body was stimulated, as if it was going to rush out of his pores. The totem pattern on his body was also clearer.
His heart was beating fast and strongly.
His blood was boiling.
He could no longer control his emotions.
“Aaah~~!!”
Ao was still kneeling down on the ground, but his upper body was standing straight up. He raised his face and looked at the “flame tower”, which was so high that he couldn’t see its top. He was so excited that his voice was coarse.
It seemed that he was releasing his emotions or calling for something.
His stimulated totem power seemed to be rushing out through his skin as his blood was boiling.
The ritual clothes on his body reflected the light of the flame and were scratched by the air flow near the totem warriors. There were many holes and tears in them.
His legs on the ground were impacted by the air flow. The broken stones and dust were flying. The flying dust was very quickly swallowed up by the flame.
Following Ao, the team leaders, the group leaders, and the other warriors all shouted. Their voice echoed in the forest, which was lit up by the fire.
They had never felt so proud.
Everyone in the Flaming Horns tribe felt proud of being a member of this tribe. The honor dated back to nearly a thousand years ago.
They could feel the invisible power which made each of their blood vessels, muscle, and bones work together. They were united in spirit.
Shao Xuan glanced at the fire pit and heard the shouts near him. His eyes showed his pleasure and he shouted with them to share the excitement.
The Shaman looked at the fire seed and the rising flames in the fire pit. He saw the familiar two horns totem and then tears appeared in his eyes.
We are still powerful. We have never been forgotten. We still have the honor, though we come back a little late.
At the same time, in the Wan Shi tribe, the shaman of the Wan Shi tribe, and the chief, Fu ji, looked at their shrinking fire seed. They looked upset.
Besides those of the Wan Shi tirbe, those of the other tribes had the same feeling, especially those big tribes in the central region.
Their fire seeds in the fire pits had also shaken because of the powerful fire seed.
Which?
In the central region, besides the few powerful tribes, who else could do so?
Many were thinking about it.
Farther away from the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, the shaman of the Mang tribe was standing on a high hill. Looking at the vast green forest and looking in a certain direction, he said with a wry smile, “The savages really come back.”
On the vast plateau, in the Feng tribe.
Old He looked at his much clearer totem patterns. His dry face filled with wrinkles was shivering. He looked to a direction and knelt down. Tears dripped into the grass and seeped into the soil.
So many years had gone, and he finally saw their return.
Old He told his wife and grandchild to drop to the ground on their knees. After some time, he rose when his totem pattern gradually disappeared.
His wife had intended to help Old He get up, but she was pushed away. Old He was energetic and strong now. Although he was inferior to the totem warriors, he was much stronger now, and he could even carry heavy water baskets.
Seeing Old He so excited that he was till shivering, she asked with worry, “How do you feel?”
Old He straightened his back, held his little grandson, who had grown much taller, and said firmly, “I am hungry!”
His wife: “...”
“Pack the things. We are going back home.” Old He said. He had seen people of the Flaming Horns tribe in other tribes during the trading times of the grassland tribe. And they had agreed that if their fire seed was lit again in the old land, they would go back together as a group.