Chapter 583 - 388: Evacuation, Part 2

Chapter 583: Chapter 388: Evacuation, Part 2

Outside, the Blizzard was so immense, the cold could freeze a person to death.

Yet Khilla had disregarded his own safety, worried for the Bear Tribe’s well-being, and braved the wind and snow to find them.

This camaraderie, this sense of duty, was like a roaring fire, instantly warming the heart of every Bear Tribe member inside the tent.

Tears of gratitude welled up in the eyes of all the Bear Tribe members in the tent.

Pair after pair of eyes, filled with gratitude and respect, turned to Feng Shan in unison.

Being stared at by so many fervent gazes, Feng Shan actually felt a little awkward.

He turned his head away slightly and subconsciously tightened the blanket around himself to ease his discomfort.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

"I don’t know how long this cold snap will last. Why don’t you come back to the cabin with me? There’s plenty of food and firewood there. It’ll be safer than out in the open."

"Okay." After a moment’s thought, Bear’s Fang nodded emphatically.

He might have sounded relaxed when telling Khilla about the camp’s situation, but in truth, the dried dung they were using for fuel would only last another two or three days.

If Feng Shan hadn’t arrived in time to rescue them...

...the Bear Tribe would have been forced to attempt their own escape, evacuating through the frozen wasteland. People would have died.

"Then we need to get back to your camp as soon as possible. We can’t delay any longer," Feng Shan said, standing up.

With Feng Shan, their mainstay, taking the lead, the Bear Tribe immediately sprang into action.

They began to prepare for the evacuation with great urgency.

Everyone knew the situation was critical. There was no time for hesitation; every second counted.

As for the large, bulky items that couldn’t be moved,

the Bear Tribe members had no choice but to leave them behind.

Keeping things simple, everyone packed only a few of their most essential personal belongings.

They aimed to travel light for the evacuation.

However, a difficult reality stood before them like a high wall.

The ones left behind in the Bear Tribe camp—the old, the weak, the women, and the children—numbered nearly thirty people in total.

Leading such a group of people with limited mobility and frail bodies...

...was already a daunting task, especially when crossing the Mossy Wasteland, where the snow was over a meter deep.

And that was without even mentioning the extreme low temperatures of over fifty degrees below zero.

The difficulty of the evacuation was simply beyond imagination.

"Chief, Khilla, you take the women and children. I’m old. I can’t walk well, and I’ll just be a burden on the road."

A white-haired elder sat quietly by the fire.

His expression was serene, as if he had already seen past life and death.

He spoke these words in a calm tone, without a trace of fear.

Beside him, several other equally aged tribe members heard his words.

They, too, lowered their heads slightly and nodded in silent agreement.

Their eyes revealed a mixture of determination and reluctance, showing they clearly shared the same sentiment.

They were unwilling to slow down the entire tribe’s evacuation.

"Grandpa Heijiao, please come with us!" Liu Lan’s eyes reddened as she rushed over.

She grabbed the old man’s arm with both hands and shook it firmly.

Her small face was filled with anxiety and reluctance, and her voice was choked with sobs.

The elder forced a kind smile onto his face. He raised a weathered, withered hand and placed it gently on Liu Lan’s head, stroking her hair. His eyes were full of affection as he said,

"Be a good girl, Liu Lan. Go with the chief. It would be such a shame to leave all the tribe’s things behind. Grandpa Heijiao will stay here at the camp and guard them until you come back."

Hearing the old man’s words, the other Bear Tribe members sorrowfully lowered their heads.

The atmosphere in the tent instantly grew as heavy and oppressive as a block of lead.

Everyone knew that in this extremely cold environment...

...waiting was virtually a death sentence.

The dried dung, their only source of fuel for warmth, would only last for two or three days.

After those two or three days, the temperature outside would be over fifty degrees below zero—cold enough to freeze a person into an ice sculpture.

Once the dung was used up and their source of warmth was gone...

...their fate, without a doubt, would be to be mercilessly consumed by the bitter cold.

But even so, not a single person stepped forward to try and persuade them otherwise.

This was an ancient tradition of the Indians, passed down through generations and deeply ingrained in the blood of every tribe member.

When faced with a catastrophic disaster, the elders of the tribe would resolutely step forward of their own accord.

They would choose to exile themselves,

sacrificing themselves to secure a glimmer of hope for the next generation, trading their lives for a precious chance of survival.

Similarly, the Inuit people living in the polar regions have a similar tradition.

In difficult times when supplies were scarce and there was no food, the children would, according to custom,

personally help their elders into the Ice Sea, or support them as they walked onto a floe, allowing them to drift away on the cold waters and disappear into the vast, deep ocean.

This kind of tradition carried the countless moments of helplessness and solemn heroism of their ancestors.

It has continued through the long river of history to this day, becoming a part of how these ancient peoples face life-and-death decisions.

It was their most moving, and also most heart-wrenching, conviction.

Bear’s Fang clenched his jaw, his eyes red, desperately suppressing the grief in his heart.

He reached out and gently pulled his young daughter to his side, as if this simple act could offer her some comfort.

Then, with heavy steps, he walked toward the few elders who had made up their minds and refused to leave.

Standing before them, Bear’s Fang straightened his back, then bent low in a deep, solemn bow of farewell.

This bow was filled with respect, gratitude, and reluctance to part with the elders.

This bow carried countless feelings of helplessness and sorrow.

At the same time, the other tribe members followed his lead, bowing to the elders in unison.

The tent fell silent, save for the faint sound of suppressed sobs.

An indescribable sadness instantly filled the entire tent, so oppressive it was almost hard to breathe.

In this heartbreaking moment, Feng Shan spoke, his gaze firm.

"If we’re going, we all go. No one gets left behind."

His voice was deep and powerful, ringing with conviction in the silent tent like a ray of dawn breaking through the darkness.

"Khilla, we Indians..." Bear’s Fang began, a bitter look on his face, but he trailed off.

’It’s not that I don’t want to evacuate everyone.’

’It’s not that I want to watch helplessly as my people choose to exile themselves and walk this tragic path.’

But the cruel reality was like an insurmountable mountain blocking their way.

Outside, the Blizzard raged, and the piercingly cold wind roared like a frenzied beast.

The extreme low temperatures could freeze a person’s blood in an instant.

Just trudging through snow over a meter deep was an extremely difficult task for the young, able-bodied men, let alone the sixty-year-old elders.

Bear’s Fang couldn’t help but picture all sorts of difficult scenarios.

’If they were to take the elders with them,’

’the men would inevitably have to expend a great deal of energy looking after them along the way.’

’But if that happened, what about the women and children?’

’Out here in this frozen wasteland, they could encounter all sorts of dangers at any moment, and they only had so many able-bodied people to begin with.’

’If their strength was divided, it was very likely that no one would make it out.’

’The entire tribe would be in peril.’

This dilemma caused Bear’s Fang immense pain.

He clenched his fists so tightly his nails nearly dug into his palms, but he still couldn’t alleviate his inner torment.

Feng Shan’s expression was grim.

He raised a hand to cut off Bear’s Fang, his expression leaving no room for argument, and said decisively,

"Say no more. Does the camp have materials to make sleds? Start making them right now. We’ll transport the elders who can’t walk easily on sleds. On this land, in the Crown Territory, as long as I am here, I will never allow something like self-exile to happen. Do as I say!"

"Khilla!" Bear’s Fang and the other tribe members exclaimed upon hearing his words.

Their eyes instantly moistened with tears.

Their gazes were filled with emotion and admiration.

They looked at Feng Shan with shimmering tears in their eyes, their gazes seeming to convey a thousand words of gratitude.

"Stop wasting time. Nash, go find materials to make the sleds." Feng Shan turned to the silent Nash, then quickly added, "Tyson and the Wolf Pack are outside. They’ll pull the sleds."

It was only then that everyone realized Khilla hadn’t come alone; he had the Tiger Pack and the Wolf Pack as backup.

Bear’s Fang’s mind raced, and he immediately understood.

If they had the help of the Tiger Pack and the Wolf Pack, there was truly no need to let the tribe’s elders exile themselves.

At this thought,

he excitedly called out for Nash to stop searching for materials.

He said excitedly,

"The wooden poles supporting the tents are ready-made materials! And the animal hides from the outside of the tents can be used to wrap the sleds. They’re sturdy and will provide protection from the wind and cold."

...