Volcanic Age

In the distant past, the Southern Jungles suffered a defeat at the Central Plains' hands and were forced to come under the latter's rule. A rebellion sparked years later, and it resulted in the disappearance of the Central Plains' previous dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty replaced the previous dynasty, and laws prohibiting the traditions and customs of the Southern Jungles were made. The Southern Jungles' books, civilization, and history were then eradicated.

The Ming Dynasty then distributed the Four Books and Five Classics to teach Confucianism as well as spread Buddhism and Daoism. However, these were nothing more than superficial orders.

The Southern Jungles were so barren and had nothing of merit except for manpower, meaning that the Ming Dynasty didn't actually pay much attention to them.

With the lack of supervision, the officials they had dispatched became obsessed with satisfying their own selfish desires, so the Southern Jungles eventually became a lawless land.

The law of the jungle reigned supreme over the lawless land, and barbarians ran rampant like the Cannibal Tribe[1].

However, there were still a few regions with morality and ethics; one of them was the Qinghua region.

***

Somewhere in the Southern Jungles' Qinghua Region…

Loud murmurs echoed beyond the wall. The wall was constructed with aged trees and boasted the thickness of a stone wall, but the murmurs behind it reverberated loud and clear, a testament to the commotion behind the wall.

Thud, thud. Creeeeeak.

The massive gate that stood to stop all invasion was pushed open.

It was so large, so it moved rather slowly.

"What? Is that really the Lord?"

"More importantly, who are they?"

The return of the missing Toho warranted his own commotion, but the commotion became even more cacophonous when the people behind the wall spotted unfamiliar figures next to the Toho.

"Brother Ye!" someone exclaimed and ran forward as if his feet were on fire. The figure had abandoned everything and made a mad dash toward the entrance upon hearing of the Toho's survival.

However, he wasn't a member of the Toho's family but an advisor with whom he had formed a blood brotherhood, Yuan Cai.

"Oh, so you've come back safely, you bastard!" Yuan Cai hugged Ye Li with tears in his eyes.

"Brother Yuan!" Ye Li greeted warmly. Clearly, he was happy as well.

They hugged for a moment, rejoicing at Ye Li's return. Ye Li then remembered that the search party was staring at them from behind.

"Oh, I need to get it together. I'm so sorry that you had to watch grown men in their thirties embracing each other like this."

"What the hell is going on? Who are they?"

Yuan Cai finally discovered the presence of the strange visitors.

"Let's go inside first. I'll explain everything inside."

***

Those who weren't part of the Southern Jungles' major tribes were divided into two groups—those who had been conquered and those resisting against the conquerors.

Qinghua represented the latter, and their Toho, Ye Li, was more famous than the search party had expected.

"Why was someone like you in the middle of the Cannibal Tribe?" Zhou Xuchuan asked, and his expression revealed his confusion.

It was strange that a Toho was imprisoned in an enemy prison. At first, Zhou Xuchuan had assumed that he had been stabbed in the back, but now that they were in Qinghua, it seemed that it couldn't be further from the truth.

The reaction of the residents at his return was enough for anyone to know that he was extremely popular.

"It's because we were too weak," Ye Li said, laughing bitterly before explaining the situation in a nutshell.

The Qinghua local militia was capable of opposing the major tribes of the Southern Jungles, but their situation wasn't that great. Never mind obtaining an advantage, they were actually getting pushed back due to their lack of strength.

Thus, the militia decided to find either those who had been exploited by the major tribes and were dissatisfied with them or those willing and capable of opposing them.

"It's an important task, so I thought it'd be better for me, the Toho, to go in person to move the hearts of those people. My soldiers opposed it, however, asking if I was crazy. And that brings us here..."

Yuan Cai sighed deeply.

"Either way, were they really exterminated?" Yuan Cai asked. He was shocked when he heard that Ye Li, who had been waiting for his death, had received help from the people of the Central Plains.

It was understandable, as the Cannibal Tribe was one of the major tribes of the Southern Jungles and had been a problem since ancient times. They were few in number, but each and every member of the tribe was an excellent warrior and hunter.

They roamed the jungle as if it were their home, and their skill with their blades and poison needles was just terrifying.

More importantly, they were cannibals. However, not just one or two, but an entire tribe of those demons notorious even within the Great Forest was slaughtered.

"Whether you believe it or not isn't important. We should be rewarded for saving the Toho," Tang Hui said, tapping a finger on the table.

"Oh dear, I've been so rude to the benefactors. I'm so sorry. It wasn't that I was suspicious; I was just genuinely surprised. I apologize if I offended you."

"Our group is a little short on time, so we're a bit sensitive when it comes to time. I'd appreciate it if you'd understand," Zhou Xuchuan remarked.

"Of course." Yuan Cai nodded.

"Then, let's get straight to the point," Zhou Xuchuan said, "Do you know the whereabouts of the famous physician from the Central Plains?"

"Yes," Yuan Cai answered without a moment's hesitation.

"Great!" Duan Hecheng exclaimed with clenched fists, and he even laughed.

However, it was still too early to be excited. Considering Yuan Cai's ugly face, there was definitely something amiss.

"Where is he?"

"He's in the Land of Ten Thousand Poisons."

"Tsk." Zhou Xuchuan clicked his tongue.

Tang Hui and Tang Lian's faces became ugly as well—no, their faces became more than ugly—they looked horribly distorted.

"Huh?" Ye Li was so shocked that he gasped.

Sensing the strange atmosphere, Duan Hecheng noticed something amiss and asked, "Is there a problem?"

"It's the worst-case scenario," Tang Hui replied with a frown and pressed her temples with her fingers. Her jet-black hair flowed down like silk between her fingers, and the sight showcased her alluring beauty.

"Is it a dangerous place?"

"It's a cursed place," Zhou Xuchuan muttered in a grim voice.

***

The birthplace of poison and the cursed land—the Land of Ten Thousand Poisons. It was unknown when it appeared, as it had already existed even in the ancient records.

The only thing known about it was that there were ten thousand—if not countless poisons within the Land of Ten Thousand Poisons. Those poisons were so potent that they forbid the entry of just about anyone.

The Land of Ten Thousand Poisons was like a private hell that no one could access—a forest within the Great Forest.

Even the Poisonblood Valley, a forbidden region within the Central Plains, was nothing but a tiny park compared to the infamous Land of Ten Thousand Poisons.

"As always, it's still a horrifying place."

There was hell beyond the fast-moving river.

The large trees beyond the river were so large that they defied common sense, and they were so densely packed that it was impossible to see or examine what was beyond them.

The sight of them alone would send a shiver down the spines of just about anyone; that was how creepy and ominous they were from across the river.

Rumor had it that the existence of the Land of Ten Thousand Poisons was the reason the Southern Jungles became a paradise of poison, and the sight before them seemed to verify the veracity of that rumor.

"What is it?" a man responded to the presence of the people behind him.

"The temple was attacked."

"Was it the Qinghua militia? There must have been quite a few deaths," the man snorted.

"No. The Cannibal Tribe was destroyed."

"What…?" The man's face stiffened. His eyes became as big as lanterns, and his breathing came to a halt. His expression was a mixture of disbelief and shock. "What are you talking about?! How could the Cannibal Tribe be destroyed?"

Without a doubt, the Cannibal Tribe was powerful. They were a great force even among the major tribes, and the fact that they were uncontrollable cannibalistic lunatics made everyone reluctant to get involved with them.

Still, both sides had been able to work with each other through the High Priest. In other words, if it weren't for the High Priest, both sides wouldn't be able to speak to each other at all.

"There were more than one or two witnesses, and the news must have spread throughout the forest by now."

"How is that possible—the High Priest, what happened to the High Priest?"

The High Priest of the Cannibal Tribe was one of the strongest men in the Southern Jungles.

He wasn't a martial artist, but he was stronger than a Harmony Realm expert. He was such a monster that even the Great Warriors of the Southern Jungles were afraid of him.

"He was found dead on the altar."

"Who was it?" The man's eyes widened fiercely.

"Who attacked the temple?"

"That's… there were no survivors of the tribe left inside the temple, so—argh!"

The man's hand disappeared, and it reappeared to grab the informant by the throat.

"Be thankful that you still have some work left to do. Otherwise, you'd be dead by now."

"Argh… thank—ugh!"

The man suppressed his anger and let go of his subordinate's throat.

"Cough, cough… I-It hasn't been confirmed yet, but there are rumors that the attackers were the martial artists of the Central Plains."

"I knew it. One of the One Hundred Experts Under Heaven must have come down here, then," the man remarked and pondered quietly over it.

The informant took deep breaths and rubbed both sides of his neck, where a handprint burned red.

"I don't know who that bastard is, but I'm going to kill him," the man said, and his voice dripped with thick, killing intent.

Things have gotten annoying.

The Cannibal Tribe's influence among the major tribes of the Southern Jungles was greater than anyone would expect. To make matters worse, the entire tribe itself had been annihilated rather than just a few deaths.

The loss of the High Priest—one of the Great Warriors of the Southern Jungles, was a major loss. Of course, the deaths of the warriors beneath him were considered massive losses as well.

"Convene a meeting between the tribes."

The unknown threat was concerning, but the more important matter at hand was the significant decrease in their power.

The major tribes of the Southern Jungles had used pure strength to rule the Great Forest and commit all kinds of atrocities.

They raped women as they pleased and either slaughtered children in front of their parents or murdered the parents in front of their children. In addition, they'd steal food or throw each other's food to the beasts of the Great Forest.

Their barbaric acts so far had unsurprisingly garnered a ton of dissatisfaction among the masses. The common people were simply suppressing their dissatisfaction in fury in front of a greater power.

Once the major tribes were weakened, even just a bit…

***

"There's going to be war."

There was an uproar all over the Southern Jungles.

"The Cannibal Tribe was annihilated."

One of the main tribes of the Southern Jungles—the Cannibal Tribe had been annihilated. In addition, their chief, and a monster of the Southern Jungles, the High Priest of the Cannibal Tribe, was killed as well.

His death sent waves throughout the Southern Jungles.

"That monster is dead? Is that true?"

"Yes. I heard that the major tribes are sending their warriors to raid the Cannibal Tribe's temple."

"It really isn't a rumor? Is it the truth?"

"I mean, just who in the world could have killed that monster?"

The Southern Jungles were shaken by the news of the Cannibal Tribe's destruction. The waves created by the event spread to all parts of the forest, including the Qinghua region, which had been fighting the major tribes for the longest time now.

The harsh environment, the dense vegetation, and the fact that there was poison all over meant that the news spread slower than expected, but it was still fast. It provided the significant influence of the Cannibal Tribe in the Southern Jungles.

"The attackers are apparently from the Central Plains."

"Huh? The Central Plains?"

"Wait, do you mean to say that the Central Plains sent troops here?"

"Of course not. They're martial artists from the Central Plains."

"Ah… I just don't understand this at all."

The Central Plains' waters were as muddy and as deep as the Southern Jungles' waters. They had to have been busy with their own affairs, so it didn't make sense for them to interfere with the affairs of the Southern Jungles.

"I heard that they came here to look for someone…"

"Who?"

"I don't know, but I have a rough idea of why they clashed with the Cannibal Tribe."

"Doesn't the territory of those maneaters extend all the way to the Central Plains? It's not strange for them to clash."

The Cannibal Tribe never discriminated against people. They'd eat even the elderly and the weak. Thus, it wasn't strange for them to attack the people of the Central Plains the moment they entered the former's territory.

While the Southern Jungles were in turmoil, Ye Li took advantage of the void in the major tribes' power to send a message and an appeal to the forces throughout the Southern Jungles.

"Descendants of the Great Yu and the Great Viet, hear thee. How long do you plan on giving everything up to those barbarians?!"

Originally, no one paid attention to his speech, but the situation had changed drastically, so their hearts were moved. More than anything, their eyes lit up the moment they heard that Central Plains martial artists were in Qinghua.

1. the cannibalistic tribe is the Cannibal Tribe. Hope this clears things up ☜

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