The Portal of Wonderland

Sha Jiao and others were looking for their loved ones with grieved expressions on their faces.

The environment of the wasteland was extremely nasty. It had made the barbarian children develop a strong and firm character. And, shedding tears was considered to be a shame. But, everyone’s faces were drenched in tears owing to the uncontrollable pain in their hearts.

Shi Mu walked over to them. He wanted to say some comforting words. But, he couldn’t speak anything.

Words seemed to be powerless at this moment.

“Father… Father…”

Suddenly, a burst of mournful cries echoed. It was Sha Jiao’s voice.

Shi Mu’s vision brightened. He then looked in the direction where the voice had come from.

It was the central square of the tribe. It was the altar where the sacrificial ceremony and the bonfire party had been held the last evening.

However, the central square had changed beyond recognition. The statue of the Raven God had also been smashed into pieces and scattered on the ground.

There was a high and tall cross planted in front of the damaged altar. And, a barbarian man was nailed to it. Moreover, the man’s entire body was studded with terrifying scars.

It was the Chief of the Flying Raven Tribe.

Sha Jiao held Sha Lang in her arms and shouted loudly. The condition of Sha Lang’s injuries was extremely serious. However, he hadn’t yet died; there was still a tiny bit of color on his face.

Sha Xing heard the cry and rushed with a face full of tears. He didn’t know where to find the axe or a blade so that he could cut the cross into halves, and free his father from that wooden frame.

The steel nails were deeply inserted in Sha Lang’s hands and feet. The nails were badly mangled, and had penetrated deeply into his flesh.

Sha Xing didn’t know how to pull them out without hurting his father. And, this revealed a great deal of anxiety on his face.

Suddenly, Shi Mu’s figure flashed, and arrived in front of the cross. He held Sha Jiao’s hand.

“He’s badly injured. So, you mustn’t shake his body,” Shi Mu said in a low voice.

Sha Jiao was shaken-up. Her body froze as she looked at her father.

Shi Mu pulled Sha Jiao aside, and indicated Sha Xing not to act blindly without thinking. He then turned his hand and pulled out his black blade. He then sized up the cross a few times. Suddenly, his figure started to move around the cross.

A black blade-light could be seen flickering around the cross. ‘Ka… ka…’ a few soft sounds echoed. Then, Sha Lang’s body fell down from the wooden frame. The steel nails had been cut so skillfully that the skin of his hands and feet had been freed out of them.

Shi Mu turned over his hand, and drew his blade back. He extended his hand to support Sha Lang’s body at the same time. He then carefully laid his body on the ground.

“Father!”

Sha Jiao ran towards Sha Lang’s body. Sha Xing threw the broken chopper away, and knelt on the ground.

Shi Mu had a dignified look on his face. He put a finger on the Sha Lang’s neck to examine his situation. Then, Shi Mu’s real Qi penetrated into his body.

Sha Jiao and her younger brother watched with a helpless expression on their faces. But, they didn’t dare to disturb Shi Mu.

Shi Mu withdrew his finger a few breaths later; his vision had turned deep-black.

“Brother Shi, Father…” Sha Jiao trembled as she asked.

“Many of his internal organs are broken… His injuries are also very serious. It’s a miracle that he has been able to sustain till now. But, saving his life is beyond my capabilities,” Shi Mu said dimly.

Sha Jiao’s body became so fragile that she almost fainted.

“Sister…” Sha Xing rushed towards Sha Jiao to hold her.

“Chief has a little consciousness left. I can stimulate the life-force within his body to awaken him. But, it’ll make his injuries erupt… and he’ll die soon.” Shi Mu looked at Sha Jiao and her younger brother. Then, he thought for a while and said.

“But, I’m afraid that he barely has a quarter-of-an-hour to live even if he doesn’t wake up now… …You two decide what to do,” Shi Mu sighed and said.

Sha Jiao’s body shook. She shot a glance at her brother’s face. Then, she held Sha Lang’s hand, and lowered head in silence. She then lifted her head after she had given it some thought.

Shi Mu’s complexion became pale. Sha Jiao’s eyes were full of tears, but a sense of deep-rooted hatred flashed through her eyes.

“Brother Shi, please wake Father up. I want to know who destroyed our tribe and killed our clansmen,” Sha Jiao said.

Sha Xing looked at Shi Mu with a similar look on his face. The tears on his face hadn’t dried yet, but his eyes were firm.

Shi Mu looked in Sha Jiao and Sha Xing’s eyes and nodded. He then took out a white tiny bottle from his bosom. There was a white powdered medicine in that bottle. He let Sha Jiao give the medicine to Sha Lang.

Then, he turned his hand to take out a green paper charm. It was the Rejuvenating Charm.

Shi Mu then started to recite an incantation. He waved his hand, and placed the paper charm on Sha Lang’s forehead.

The Rejuvenating Charm emitted a green light, and this light then wrapped around Sha Lang’s body.

Some of his injuries began to recover slowly. His face also became a little red. But, it seemed a little better.

Sha Jiao and the other people’s face revealed a surprised look.

A golden light flashed in Shi Mu’s eyes. He then placed his finger on Sha Lang’s chest. After that, he placed his finger on his lower abdomen, and several vital acupuncture points.

Shi Mu made his spirit power take control of the Art of Breeding Heavenly Elephants with his Real Qi. He then divided it into several parts. After that, it slowly entered Sha Lang’s body and stimulated his blood vessels.

Sha Lang’s body shivered. Then, he started to breath heavily. He coughed a mouthful of blood, and slowly opened his eyes.

An abnormal color appeared on his face… it seemed as if the sun was about to set. And, his face displayed the last radiance of the setting sun.

“Father!” Sha Jiao and Sha Xing rushed over.

Shi Mu stood-up and walked aside without speaking a word.

“Jiao, Xing… you both are alright… very… very good… ” Sha Lang turned his head with difficulty, and looked at his children. A gratified look flashed in his eyes as he spoke in a weak voice.

The other clansmen heard his voice, and surrounded him.

They were immersed in sorrow. Their hands were empty and soaked in blood. But, it was clear that they hadn’t found any other survivor.

“Father! Who destroyed our tribe?” Sha Jiao recalled Shi Mu’s words. She then grabbed Sha Lang’s hand, and asked with a strong sense of hatred in her voice.

Sha Lang’s eyes flashed, and then became dim.

“The enemy is very strong… you can’t handle it… Don’t think of taking revenge…” he said slowly.

“We’re not afraid! Chief, we only have brave warriors in our Flying Raven Tribe. We aren’t cowards,” a young man standing nearby yelled in an angry manner.

“We want revenge. A debt of blood must be paid in blood!”

Several other men bellowed.

Sha Lang’s expressions turned sad as he looked at the impassioned clansmen’s faces. He forced a smile on his face. It wasn’t that he didn’t wish to take revenge. But, he knew that taking revenge from the Heavenly Wolf Tribe would only bring death to his people.

“Father, it was the Heavenly Wolf Tribe… wasn’t it?” Sha Xing said.

Sha Lang was startled. The others stared blankly as well.

“As expected…” Sha Xing slowly unfolded his clenched fist. Sha Lang noticed that he was holding several strands of finger-long gray hair of a wolf in his hand.

Shi Mu wrinkled his brows. He hadn’t been living with them for too long. But, he had got to know about the neighboring tribe’s range of influence during his conversations with these people.

The Heavenly Wolf Tribe was the largest vicious barbarian tribe in the radius of two-hundred-and-fifty kilometers. They were widely known for their formidable strength and bloodthirsty nature.

The other men had a trace of hatred in their eyes. Sha Jiao was repeatedly shaking her shoulders. She lifted her head after a while. And, her eyes seemed to be full of endless hatred.

“Jiao, I… in the name of priest of the Flying Raven Tribe…. hand over to you the status of the Chief of this tribe. It’s your responsibility to defend your clansmen, and protect your brother from now on… I make an oath to the Raven God… that if you would ever try to take revenge from the Heavenly Wolf Tribe… then my soul shall be trapped forever in an endless pain…. and shall never be allowed to get out of it,” Sha Lang took in a deep breath, and spoke in a stern voice.

Sha Jiao’s complexion changed. Then, her delicate body trembled. She sat down on the ground with shivering lips.

“No… Father… you can’t do this… ” she said in a trembling voice.

“Jiao, this my last command as the Chief of the Flying Raven Tribe… and as your father. Would you not listen to your father’s last words?” Sha Lang was emotionally moved. His chest moved up and down as he gasped for breath. He then said.

Sha Jiao bit her lower lip. And, a drop of blood flowed out and fell on the ground.

“Yes, Father… I promise you,” she hung down her head and said slowly.

This made Sha Lang relax. He extended his hand, and gently caressed Sha Jiao’s head. He then smiled in a satisfied manner.

“The same applies to the rest of you. We live in the barbarian wasteland. The weak have been becoming a prey to the strong for thousands of years. Countless tribes had got vanished… and many are born every year. The fall of the Flying Raven Tribe isn’t a shocking thing. You only need to live carefully from now on… so that my soul can rest in peace,” Sha Lang slowly swept his vision towards the young barbarians who stood around him as he said.

His words gradually became more fluent. But, his complexion changed from red to crystal clear and lustrous. It then became a little transparent.

The other people’s hearts were filled with sorrow as they saw Sha Lang’s face. So, they didn’t wish to make any promises. But, they still complied in choking tones.

Sha Lang relaxed as he saw this.

“Warrior Shi Mu…” He then turned his head towards Shi Mu.

“Chief Sha…” Shi Mu took a few steps forward, squatted down, and moved his head close to Sha Lang.

Sha Lang smiled, and took a deep breath. Then, he vomited out a black spicule; it was half-the-size of a human fist.

Sha Lang handed over the spicule to Shi Mu with shaking hands. Shi Mu’s complexion became pale. But, he reached out and received it.

“Warrior Shi Mu, this is an inheritance of the Flying Raven Tribe. It was made by some black magic of ancient times, and a secret totem art. None of these people including Jiao has black magic. So, I’m entrusting it to you. It might not be a precious thing for you. But, it’s the most precious thing for our Flying Raven Tribe… ” Sha Lang said. His complexion had become pale. He was gasping for breath.

Shi Mu held the spicule in his hand with a strange look on his face.

“Chief, what do you want me to do with it?” he asked slowly.

“The Flying Raven Tribe is no longer a place to live. So, I want you to escort Jiao and others to the Tu Hou Tribe in the quicksand wasteland in the south-west direction. Her uncle lives in a tribe of peaceful barbarians there,” Sha Lang looked at Shi Mu and said.

Shi Mu’s face revealed a trace of confusion. He held the spicule in his hand and stood-up.

He looked all around, and saw the ruins and the dead bodies.

And, he felt as if an awl was penetrating through his heart.

“You can rest assured. I’ll take them to that place safe and sound,” Shi Mu drew back his gaze, and promised in a serious tone.

Sha Lang’s eyes exposed a gratified expression as he heard this. But, most of the life-force had already dissipated from his body by now.

“Everyone, I want to have some words with Chief Sha Lang in secret. Can you please excuse me for the time being?” Shi Mu looked at Sha Jiao and the others as he spoke.