The Fifth Section: Snow Beast Disaster

  Yu Xue became a strange existence in the Zhe department. At this time, Sangzhu finally gave birth to another son. Ah Mu'er was overjoyed and named him A Mu Tie. Yu Yan loved her younger brother and stuck less to Yu Xue, helping her mother take care of her little brother every day. After giving birth, Sangzhu's body wasn't very good, so she gradually let Yu Xue do the heavy chores. Although Yu Xue was young, she had great strength and did a great job, equivalent to several adults. She could finish a day's work in just a few hours. With the remaining time, she would carry a bow and arrow on her back, holding that sickle in her hand, and run very fast on the grassland without riding a horse. She hunted everywhere, looking for some wild game to supplement Sangzhu's body.

  The tribespeople often caught glimpses of the little girl's figure flashing by in the distance, only to vanish suddenly. Thinking about her strange behavior on a daily basis, they grew more and more fearful of her, and no one dared to speak to her. Fortunately, Mongolians had always respected brave warriors, and seeing that she was skilled with bow and horse, and possessed extraordinary strength, even though she was just a little girl, not even a strong man could compare to her; also, as the tribe leader's adopted daughter, the tribe leader often praised her in front of everyone, saying that she was a blessing from heaven, and he loved her dearly. As a result, every tribesperson respected her, and when they saw her, they would all bow, treating her like an adult, and gradually no one dared to speak ill of her behind her back.

  Yu Xue ran further and further, and the hills and valleys on the edge of Shen Mountain had all been explored. Firstly, to get to know some medicinal herbs, secondly, to find some rare treasures and strange fruits, and to hunt some wild game to nourish her family. The tribespeople would see Yu Xue returning in the evening, carrying a bulging leather bag and holding some wild game in her hand. At first, Yu Xue was afraid of surprising everyone, so she only hunted small animals like rabbits and yellow sheep. Later on, seeing that the tribespeople had gotten used to it, she became bolder and also wanted to practice her knife skills, so she specifically looked for fierce beasts.

  At that time, there were many wild animals, especially near the Divine Mountain. The Divine Mountain stretched for thousands of miles, with ravines and gullies crisscrossing, some mountain streams were so deep that they seemed bottomless, and sunlight could not reach them all year round, unknown to how many strange beasts were hidden inside. Over time, there were always strange and mysterious things happening. Although the Zhe tribe only migrated back and forth on the grassy plains at the foot of the Divine Mountain, after all, it was on the edge of the Divine Mountain, and large groups of wild animals often appeared. Fierce beasts ran out of the mountains in packs. Leopards, bears, were frequently seen. Tigers came out in groups! The most feared were wolves, a loud howl would bring a big pack, only as small as calves. The tribe therefore organized young and strong men, armed with strong bows and curved knives, patrolling day and night around the campsite, while the elderly, women, and children usually stayed near the campsite during peacetime. When herding, they were also organized, divided into several directions, surrounding the campsite, everyone gathered together to herd. When fierce beasts approached, they tried their best to scare them away first, only hunting them down when necessary. Otherwise, the beasts would remember the hatred and never give up. Although precautions were taken so strictly, there were still occasional injuries from wild animals. Children were often dragged away, and by the time they were found, nothing was left. Wolves were the most cunning, hiding in the grass, waiting for humans or animals to pass by, then jumping out with a single bite, making it impossible to guard against. Therefore, when herding, the tribe members rode horses to patrol around, constantly shouting loudly and waving long horse whips to hit the grass, hoping to scare away wild animals. However, the sheep flock still suffered heavy losses every year.

  In this case, Yuxue dared to deal with the fierce beasts, and couldn't help but make her tribespeople admire her. At first, she specifically targeted some lone jackals. Seeing that it was no big deal, she took care of them in a flash, and with increased boldness, she ran to the mountain valleys where wild beasts roamed. She had plenty of energy, was highly skilled, and had precise knife techniques. After several rounds, the fierce beasts didn't want their territory anymore, and fled deep into the mountains. She didn't chase after them, but instead collected her spoils of war and returned to the tribe. As she gradually approached the direction of the tribe, there were fewer and fewer wild beasts; it was as if they also knew that there was a nemesis here. And so Yuxue expanded her range again. As a result, the surroundings of the tribe became much safer.

  At first, the tribespeople were amazed when she brought back a few wolf corpses. Amur couldn't help but let her, only reminding her to be careful. Next, she brought back tiger and leopard corpses, enough to leave the tribespeople speechless.

  It was already pitch black, but she still hadn't returned. Ah Mu'er and his wife were anxious to the point of jumping up and down, and they took people to go look for her. Just as they left their quarters, they saw her coming back! With a small mountain-like pile of things on her shoulders, she was running quickly towards them. In the dark night, her tribespeople couldn't see clearly, but when they got closer, they only saw her throw that pile of things to the ground and laughingly say:

  "Let's worry Dad! Today, I ran a bit further and bumped into this guy. Who let it come to provoke me? Just right to bring it back for Dad to drink!" The crowd lit up with torches and found that it was a large brown bear. This male bear weighed about 700 or 800 catties, in its prime, with shiny fur and extremely sharp claws. Even Ah Mu'er dropped his jaw to the ground and couldn't speak for a long time. It took four strong men to lift it back, but no one knew where Yu Xue got the strength from, carrying it quickly without getting red-faced or panting!

  Aemu'er drank mare's milk wine that night and ate roasted bear paws that were fragrant and dripping with oil, telling his tribesmen:

  "My family's Jade Snow is young in years, but can be called the first brave warrior of our clan!"

  Some young people in the clan were unhappy and, fueled by wine, challenged Yuxue. Yuxue smiled slightly and said:

  "This title of First Brave Warrior, I didn't dare to accept it in the first place. Everyone doesn't have to take it seriously." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left.

  Everyone saw that she was young, but her actions and words had the style of a master; her expression was kind, but it made people feel profound and unpredictable, like looking up at a high mountain, making one involuntarily stop in their tracks. For a moment, everyone was stunned, and no one dared to challenge her to a fight again. A few young people discussed in private, saying that Yuxue would not only be the first brave warrior of the tribe but also the first beauty, and possibly even the first beauty of the grasslands. It turned out that Yuxue had been practicing her skills tirelessly for years, with a tall and slender figure, far surpassing her peers in height. She was practicing immortal cultivation methods, so her temperament was naturally extraordinary. Originally, she already had a beautiful face, and on top of that, she had the rare snow-white skin among Mongolian girls. Although young, she already had a hint of being an absolute beauty.

  The news soon spread throughout the tribe. The tribal chief, upon learning of this, sternly warned the tribespeople not to mention the first beauty or discuss Yu Xue's appearance. There is no wall that does not leak wind; if outsiders were to find out, it would be disastrous for the tribe. Such things are not uncommon on the grasslands. Often a small tribe would produce a beautiful woman, and then families from the east and west would come asking for her hand in marriage. With only one beauty to give, giving her to one family would offend another. In the end, they would find an excuse, and before long, the tribe would be annihilated. The tribal chief's words struck fear into the hearts of the tribespeople, who from then on did not dare mention it again.

  Yu Xue didn't know any of this. Apart from a few people at home, she was used to being alone and independent. Although she was kind to her relatives, she rarely spoke to them. When others paid their respects to her, she would smile and return the courtesy before walking away.

  It's just the beginning of winter, and the weather is abnormally cold. Several heavy snowfalls have occurred one after another, with accumulated snow reaching a thickness of about one foot. A large number of cattle and sheep have frozen to death. Then came several blizzards, making the situation increasingly severe, resulting in a rare snow disaster. Fortunately, before winter, the tribal leader had gathered the tribe together in a sheltered valley to avoid the wind, so there were no casualties. The cattle and sheep also rushed to nearby sheepfolds, huddled together for warmth, eating dry hay stored for the winter. Now the outside snow is three feet deep, and the tribespeople are trapped in the campsite, unable to go out, but they spend their days drinking wine and eating meat, which is quite enjoyable.

  The animals on the grassland suffered a disaster. A large number of herbivores died, and the remaining carnivores lost their food source, one by one became emaciated, with eyes emitting a dim green light, as soon as they had companions fall down, they would rush up to divide and devour them.

  As the climate got colder, more and more ferocious beasts began to appear around the campsite. Their hungry eyes closely followed the tribe's cattle and sheep, with long streams of saliva flowing from their mouths. All the tribespeople were mobilized. Amur divided the young and strong men in the tribe into two teams. One team guarded the people near the campsite; the other team, which had more people, guarded the livestock. Everyone took turns day and night. However, there were already over a thousand tribespeople now, and the number of livestock had also increased significantly over the years. The campsite was too big, and even with constant patrols, there were always gaps. Some starving wild beasts would sneak in during the daytime, using the tents as cover to slip into the campsite, and whether they saw people or animals, they would pounce and run away with their prey; if that didn't work, taking a few bites was also good! Therefore, every household left their elderly, weak, women, and children inside the tents, sealing all sides tightly and waiting with knives at the ready. The middle of the night was even more terrifying, with wolf howls filling the entire grassland. The cattle and sheep also knew that disaster was imminent, huddling together in a tight group and trembling with fear. The patrol team held torches, having just chased away beasts on one side, only to hear the sound of cattle and horses wailing on the other side. One night was spent rushing about in exhaustion. By the time it was morning and they switched shifts, everyone was exhausted and had red eyes.

  Yu Xue was not idle either. Since the wild beasts sneaked into the camp during the day, she held a sickle and stood beside the chief's tent in the center of the camp. At this time, her hearing and vision were exceptionally sharp, and any movement within the camp could not escape her notice. As long as there was a slight sound of wild animal footsteps, she would rush over and kill it with one knife. It was the same at night. While meditating, she divided her attention to pay attention to any abnormalities, and as soon as something unusual happened, she got up.

  The sky is getting darker and the clouds are pressing down low, looks like another blizzard is coming.

  At one year old, Amu Tie had a low fever during the day. These past few days he has been irritable. Everyone was too busy and Yu Xue didn't notice either. It wasn't until nightfall that Amu Tie's whole body became scorching hot with a high fever. Only after Yu Xue killed several wolves that snuck into the camp did she realize it. The tribe leader went to patrol the sheepfold tonight. The three women took turns holding and comforting Amu Tie, seeing his crying gradually subside, but his breathing was urgent, suddenly they all became anxious. Yu Xue secretly gave him a bit of true energy, not daring to give too much, afraid that the child couldn't withstand it. It seemed like he got better for a moment, but afterwards it was still the same. By the second half of the night, Amu Tie's face started turning greenish-blue. His nostrils flared, already showing signs of convulsions. Sang Zhu hugged him and began to cry.

  Yu Xue thought for a moment and said to Sangzhu:

  "Mom, don't cry, I have an idea. First, use warm water to apply to my brother's forehead, and then I'll go find Dad and we'll talk about it later."

  Shangzhu Liu Shen had no master. Yu Yan hastily said: "Sister, don't worry, I'm here. Just be careful."

  Jade Snow nodded and exited the tent. A blizzard pounced on her face. She took a deep breath, gripping the sickle in her hand tightly.