Shi Village is located in the vast mountains, surrounded by high peaks and valleys, and towering mountains.
In the early morning, the morning glow is brilliant, like scattered gold, bathing people in warmth.
A group of children, ranging from four or five years old to teenagers, numbering several dozen, were exercising in the open space in front of the village, facing the morning glow. Their tender faces were full of seriousness, the older children were full of vigor, and the younger ones were also doing the exercises in a very good manner.
A middle-aged man with a physique as strong as a tiger or leopard, wearing animal skin clothes, with bronze skin and loose black hair, his bright eyes swept over every child, and he was instructing them seriously.
"When the sun rises, everything begins, and the vitality is at its peak. Although we can't eat the clouds and eat the air as the legend says, it is also very beneficial to face the clouds and strengthen the body, which can replenish the vitality of the human body. A day's plan starts in the morning. Get up early every day and work hard to strengthen your muscles and bones, activate blood circulation and strengthen your tendons. Only then will you have the capital to survive in this vast mountain range in the future." The middle-aged man standing in front and directing a group of children said with a serious face, and then shouted: "Do you understand?"
"I understand!" A group of children responded loudly with full energy.
There are many prehistoric creatures in the mountains. Sometimes there are huge wings that cover the sky and fly across, casting large shadows on the ground. There are also wild beasts standing on the peaks, swallowing the moon and howling. There are also various poisonous insects lurking around, which is extremely terrifying.
"I understand." A little kid who was obviously distracted and a beat slow called out in a baby voice.
This was a very young child, only about one or two years old, who had just learned to walk a few months ago and was also exercising. Obviously, he had come here on his own and mixed in with the older children. He clearly shouldn't be in this group.
"Hehehe!" The little guy made sounds and waved his tender little arms vigorously, imitating the actions of the older children. However, he was too young, his movements were crooked, and his steps were unsteady and swaying. In addition, the white milk stains left at the corners of his mouth made people laugh.
A group of older kids looked at him, making faces and grimacing, which lightened the originally serious morning exercise atmosphere a lot.
The little one was very fair and pretty, with big black eyes that moved around, and the whole person looked like a white porcelain doll, very cute, with childish movements, babbling, and a naive look. This made some old people who were sitting cross-legged on huge rocks in another area and swallowing heavenly essence smile.
Even those tall and sturdy adult men with naked upper bodies and shiny and bulging tendons all looked over with smiles. They were the strongest people in the village, the most important force for hunting and protecting the village, and they were all training their bodies. Some held white bone clubs made from the bones of unknown giant beasts, and some held broadswords made of black metal, swinging them vigorously, making thunderous sounds.
The living environment is extremely harsh, with many wild beasts and poisonous insects. For food and survival, many men died prematurely in the wilderness before they reached adulthood. To survive, the only way is to strengthen yourself. Working hard in the morning is a habit that everyone has developed since childhood, whether they are adults, the elderly or children.
"Focus!" the middle-aged man who was in charge of supervising and guiding the children to practice shouted loudly. The group of children quickly got serious and continued to practice in the soft and brilliant morning glow.
"Huh... ah, I'm tired." The little one sighed and sat down on the ground, watching the older children exercising. But after a while, he was distracted, stood up, staggered, and rushed to a jumping five-colored bird not far away. As a result, he stumbled and fell several times, but he didn't cry. He got up angrily and groaned and chased after it.
"Okay, let's wrap up!"
With a loud shout, all the children cheered, rubbed their sore hands and feet, and then dispersed and rushed to their homes to have breakfast.
The old people all laughed and stood up from the boulders. The adults who were as strong as tigers laughed and scolded their children, and hurried back to their homes with bone clubs and broadswords in hand.
Shi Village is not very big, with a total population of more than 300 people, including men, women, young and old. The houses are all built with huge stones, simple and natural.
At the entrance of the village there is a huge lightning-struck tree, with a diameter of more than ten meters. At this time, the only willow branch on the trunk has obscured its glow in the morning glow and has become ordinary.
"Oh, there is earth dragon meat. Give me a piece!"
These children were very lively and active. They were not very well behaved even when eating. Many of them came out of their homes holding ceramic bowls and gathered together.
There are lush vegetation and numerous ferocious beasts around Shi Village, but as it is guarding the mountains, the villagers' food is relatively not abundant. There are only some coarse wheat cakes, wild fruits, and a small amount of meat in the children's bowls.
In fact, food shortage has always been a serious problem for Shicun. The mountains are very dangerous, and those beasts and birds are too powerful and terrifying. Every time you go hunting, someone may lose their life.
If given a choice, the villagers would not go into the mountains, because going into the mountains means there might be bloodshed and sacrifice.
Food is extremely precious to them and cannot be wasted. Every child understands this from an early age: hunger, food, hunting, life, and blood are all connected.
At the head of the village is the courtyard of the old patriarch Shi Yunfeng, which is built of huge stones and is next to a huge charred willow tree. In front of the stove in the courtyard, white juice is boiling in a pottery pot, and the milk aroma is fragrant. He is boiling animal milk, and from time to time he puts some herbs in it and stirs it slowly with a wooden spoon.
Soon, the old man called out, "Little one, come and eat."
The little one lost his parents when he was half a year old. He grew up drinking milk from wild animals. Now he is one year and a few months old. If he were an ordinary child, he would have been weaned long ago, but he still eats with relish and refuses to stop. He is often teased by older children.
"Ah, huh... I can't run anymore." He had been chasing the five-colored bird relentlessly and was already out of breath. At this moment, he sat down on the ground.
"It's time for the little one to drink milk!" a group of older kids started to make a noise.
"You bunch of little monkeys, you were all his age." The old patriarch scolded with a smile.
"We weren't still breastfeeding when we were one and a half years old, hehe."
Faced with the older children's teasing, the little one smiled innocently, his big black eyes narrowed into crescent shapes, and he didn't care at all. He sat in front of the clay pot, scooped milk with a wooden spoon, and ate it very sweetly.
After breakfast, several elderly people in the village came together to the courtyard of the patriarch Shi Yunfeng. Although their hair and beards were already white, they were still full of energy and vigor.
"Something seems a little strange recently. There are always big guys passing by late at night. The noise is really too loud. Something must have happened deep in this mountain range."
"Well, I was startled awake several times last night, and my skin and bones were cold. It must be that some ancient beast or insect passed by here."
Several elderly people spoke one after another, some frowning and some thinking deeply, discussing some recent danger signs and feeling that something unusual was happening.
"I think something extraordinary may have happened in the depths of the wilderness, which has attracted the attention of some ancient species in the surrounding areas, and they have all rushed over." The old patriarch Shi Yunfeng said after thinking about it.
"Could there be a treasure in the mountain?" An old man's eyes suddenly widened, his hair and beard stood up, and he looked shocked.
The others also showed strange expressions and their eyes were burning, but they soon extinguished the fire in their eyes. That kind of thing was not something they could get. It was far away in the deepest part of the mountains and no one could get in.
Over the years, no one has been able to get in and out alive. All kinds of powerful species roam the mountains. Even if all the people in Shi Village rush in together, not even a wave will be created.
"Chief, we haven't been into the mountains for some time." Just then, a sturdy adult man walked into the yard. He was the leader of the hunting team and would be the next chief of Shi Village.
"Things have been a bit unsettled lately." The old patriarch Shi Yunfeng frowned.
"But there is really not much food left." Shi Linhu said. He was very tall, more than two meters tall, carrying a broadsword weighing more than three hundred kilograms on his back. He was as strong as a human bear, with bronze muscles all over his body, like snakes and pythons swimming around.
"The kids need to grow and can't let them starve. We have to think of some way." An old man said.
"Although it's not peaceful at night, there's nothing unusual during the day. I'll take some people out. It should be fine if we're careful," said Shi Linhu.
Finally, dozens of young and middle-aged men gathered at the entrance of the village and, led by clan leader Shi Yunfeng, came to the lightning-struck tree nearby and prayed earnestly to the old willow tree.
"Spirit of sacrifice, please bless our people and let the children hunt juicy prey and return safely. We will worship and provide for you with a pious heart for generations to come."