“Whoa!”

Someone cried out — no one knew who.

And then came the excited, elated shouts of Feng Jiu’er and Qiao Mu.

Fish! So many fish, truly!

Heavens above — in a river with such furious rapids, they had pulled up this many fish!

When Tuoba Keyan and Yanu lifted the net and tipped the leaping, thrashing fish onto the ground, the crowd that had gathered erupted in cheers.

“Fish soup…” someone croaked hungrily, though no one could say who.

In moments, the brothers had gone absolutely wild: “Fish soup! Fish soup! Fish soup!”

How long had it been since they had tasted a bowl of fresh meat broth? Fish soup! Just the thought of it made mouths water uncontrollably!

“I’ll start preparing it right away.” Yanu found a wooden bucket and began collecting the fish.

Hot, steaming, fragrant fish soup — just imagining it felt as though life had reached its very pinnacle, something too wonderful to be real!

Though he himself had never been someone who placed much importance on the pleasures of food, after half a month of gnawing on dry rations, the thought of drinking a bowl of fish soup now was simply too marvelous for words!

Ordinarily, whenever Yanu had the opportunity, he would prepare something good for Jiu’er — yet he himself never so much as tasted a single bite. Every bite consumed was one less for her.

Yanu, like everyone else, had been subsisting entirely on dry rations.

“I… I’ll help too.” Qiao Mu was genuinely famished. Getting hold of even a fish or two at the best of times was no easy feat — yet here, at a glance, there were no fewer than a dozen!

A dozen might not give everyone more than a few bites of meat, but even one bite was one bite.

“Keyan, have a brother carry on netting fish. Yanu, take Qiao Mu and a few others and go cook the fish soup. Tonight, we feast properly!”

Feng Jiu’er announced with delight.

Before the words had even fully left her mouth, brothers immediately rushed forward to seize the branches and the net: “I’ll do it!”

“Let me!”

“I can too!”

Their cheers seemed to light up the night sky over the entire area.

Out on a distant mountain peak, a tall silhouette stood with the wind, holding a handcrafted long-range scope, eyes fixed on that one figure amidst the crowd.

“Young Chief, what are they doing?” A subordinate was also watching the crowd on the far side, but the distance was too great — and without a scope of his own — he could see nothing clearly.

“Catching fish.” The Young Chief narrowed his eyes, gaze locked on the slender figure.

This girl appeared to be the leader of that group — everyone seemed to defer to her.

Yet with nothing more than a small, improvised net, she could actually catch fish in such furious rapids?

That inventive little mind of hers was genuinely surprising.

Most remarkable of all — the net she had fashioned was made entirely from materials gathered on the spot, produced right then and there.

This girl was rather interesting.

“Young Chief, when do we make our move?” Though he could not see clearly, the cheering carried across well enough.

What were they saying? Fish soup? It seemed to be something like that.

Fish soup… Suddenly, he was rather hungry.

The Young Chief said nothing. He shifted the scope away from Feng Jiu’er, and the lens slowly swept across the crowd.

Abruptly, his brow creased deeply, and he fixed his gaze hard on one figure in the lens!

That man was sitting on the ravine ledge across the way — no scope in hand, nothing at all — and yet he was staring straight back at him!

One with a scope, one with nothing in his hands — and yet it was as though their eyes had met directly, face to face!

With a sharp movement, the Young Chief pulled the scope away from his eye, pressed his lips together tightly, and appeared to be collecting his breath.

“You… Young Chief, what… is going on?”

The subordinate beside him saw that the Young Chief still said nothing, with no response of any kind.

Carefully, he took the scope from the Young Chief’s hand and raised it toward the crowd below in the distance.

They had set up a fire. Some were cleaning fish, some were boiling water, some were grilling fish over the flames!

The subordinate wet his lips, certain he could smell the fragrance… no, in truth he could smell nothing at all — but just watching it made everything seem so impossibly delicious.

“Young Chief, they caught so many fish!”

Watching a group of people with a net tip another whole catch of fish onto the ground, the subordinate’s eyes lit up instantly.

“That little net is so remarkable! It looks nothing like our fishing nets! Young Chief, this thing is incredible — they actually pulled fish from this river!”

Several nearby lurking subordinates drifted over, each grabbing for the scope in turn, jostling to watch the merry-making on the flat ground across the river.

Grilled fish, fish soup — and some had even found flat, smooth stones and heated them blazing hot on the fire to pan-fry fish on top!

It smelled wonderful!

No — it was far too brazen!

They had trespassed into the mountain range, and they still dared to live this freely and happily? And they were even catching their fish?

These insufferable people — how dare they eat so well?

“Young Chief, let’s go take the fish back from them!” He simply could not stand it anymore! He wanted to eat so badly!

“Idiot!”

The Young Chief clapped him on the back of the head. What was the point of stealing fish? Why couldn’t they go down to the river and catch some themselves whenever they wanted?

This fellow had no ambition whatsoever!

The subordinate, evidently realizing he had said something foolish, immediately shut his mouth and dared not speak again.

“Young Chief.” Another subordinate who had the scope was staring at the young woman through the lens, a peculiar gleam flickering in his eyes.

“Young Chief — this girl is worthy of you.”

The Young Chief’s brow furrowed. He shot him a sideways glare.

That subordinate smiled and said, “The Old Chief is always saying that there’s no one around to keep you in line, isn’t he? This subordinate feels that this girl has quite the commanding presence — when it comes to managing people, she would certainly be formidable.”

“Are you saying I need to be managed? And by a woman, at that?” The Young Chief’s expression darkened considerably.

The subordinate merely smiled, eyes still fixed on the figure through the lens, lost in thought.

She looked sharp, shrewd, warm, and possessed of natural leadership.

And their Young Chief was not a bad person either — it was only that he was a touch on the lazy side.

The Old Chief had often said that if only the right girl came along to keep him in check, the Young Chief’s future achievements would be nothing short of remarkable.

But the girls in this mountain stronghold — the Young Chief had grown thoroughly tired of all of them. Wave after wave of young women had come to present themselves, and the Young Chief had found not a single one acceptable.

As for the girl down below… she was fresh, she was lively, she had spirit. Not bad at all!

“Elder Feng, you’d better not go getting strange ideas. The Young Chief will skin you alive,” a younger brother nearby murmured under his breath.

Elder Feng curved the corner of his lips into a smile. Moonlight fell across his face, illuminating a visage covered in scars — yet somehow not at all unpleasant to look at.

He paid no attention, merely swept the scope — and his gaze snapped sharply against that cold, piercing stare from across the way.

This person was undoubtedly the most formidable fighter in their group.

But once they entered Black Valley, however skilled a fighter he might be, escaping would likely prove very difficult.

If he were willing to defect and pledge allegiance, he would most certainly be a rare talent. If not — keeping him alive would be one very large problem indeed.

“Young Chief, the night is growing late. It’s time to head back.”

Elder Feng put away the scope, turned, and walked off.

The Young Chief stared at his indifferent retreating figure, his expression distinctly displeased.

This fellow — just walking off like that. Did he not know that he himself held the highest rank here?

He simply did not follow his orders!

Yet Elder Feng was truly leaving.

No matter how annoyed the Young Chief was, he had no choice but to follow.

Otherwise, if Elder Feng went and told tales in front of the Old Chief, he would find himself on the receiving end of a bamboo cane again!

What a headache!