C16 A Group of Dumb Deer

Fortunately, no danger had arisen. Within a matter of minutes, a shadowy figure carefully made its way back through the tunnel—it was Mr. Mo.

As the group converged around him, Mr. Mo whispered excitedly, "At the end of the tunnel, there's a vast mountain. Through a crack, I spotted a huge natural cavern inside, complete with a water source. But guess what else I saw in there?"

He paused, and Wudian, unable to contain his curiosity, interjected, "What did you see? Is there any danger?"

"It seems safe. Inside, I discovered a group of unmutated robes—over ten, by my count. If we can capture a few..." Mr. Mo trailed off, but the anticipation was palpable among those gathered.

Unmutated creatures were a rarity in these times, and finding a group of them in an underground cavern was an exceptional find. The origin of these robes was a mystery, but that hardly mattered.

What mattered was that their food scouting mission might just have found its perfect solution!

And there was more: a vast natural cavern that, with a bit of luck, could become the tribe's new Gathering Place.

With this in mind, the group could hardly contain themselves. Wudian, Duner, and the others were especially eager, urging, "What are we waiting for? Let's get moving before those robes escape—that would be a huge loss!"

"Let's not rush," Mr. Mo cautioned, his voice low but unable to hide his thrill. "If those robes are in the cave, there must be other ways in and out. We'll scout the area first, secure the entrance, and then it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel!"

Everyone's eyes gleamed with anticipation as they looked at Mr. Mo, itching to get started.

Mr. Mo turned to Chen Yuan and said softly, "Yuan, you're the most skilled among us. Once we locate the passage inside, we'll need you to block the robes in. Can you manage that? And remember, keep it quiet—we haven't fully explored the cave and can't be sure of the risks. Too much noise could spell trouble."

"I've got it! You can count on me, Mr. Mo," Chen Yuan replied with a confident smile.

"Good. Let's set out. Wudian, Duner, you two scout ahead. About five hundred meters up, there's a fork—check out the right path and stay safe."

"Got it!" Wudian and Duner responded, passing their gear to the others before cautiously advancing with their weapons drawn.

Chen Yuan handed them the Moonlight Stone he was carrying to aid their scouting mission.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mo addressed the rest of the group, "Follow me. We'll head to that crack in the mountain and keep an eye out for any changes."

With that, Mr. Mo led the way, the others following close behind with the Moonlight Stone and Wolf Spider Meat in tow, while Chen Yuan brought up the rear.

After traveling nearly six hundred meters, they reached the fork in the path where Wudian and Duner had likely gone.

Mr. Mo, however, didn't head that way. Instead, he veered left at the junction.

A short distance on, the corridor ended abruptly before a vast expanse of dark green rock wall.

Chen Yuan surmised that an Arch Dragon must have roamed this area long ago, only to collide with a rock wall that it couldn't penetrate, prompting it to turn back and carve out the tunnel that Wudian and the others were now exploring.

At the tunnel's end, Chen Yuan indeed found a crack as wide as a fist, stretching deep into the rock, possibly dozens of meters. The cavern within was not shrouded in darkness but glowed with a soft blue light, revealing stalagmites and a verdant pool. Around the water's edge, a dozen or so creatures, no taller than a meter and less than two meters in length, were playfully dipping their heads to drink, seemingly without a care in the world.

"If we catch them all, that's our tribe's food sorted for the next fortnight!" exclaimed Ye Zhou, the man carrying the Moonlight Stone, his voice brimming with excitement.

Another quickly agreed, chuckling, "And their hides are valuable too—perfect for making plenty of clothes!"

Mr. Mo, however, remained silent, scrutinizing the cave and the pool with a discerning eye, as if expecting a Giant Beast to emerge and devour the unsuspecting creatures.

Chen Yuan also assessed the cavern, realizing they were positioned above it. The reflections and the creatures' location suggested the cavern was nearly a hundred meters high and spacious enough to serve as an ideal gathering place for their tribe.

The next step was for Wudian and the others to locate an alternative entrance. Failing that, they would have to resort to the laborious task of digging their way in. Given the stone's resilience, it could take them up to ten days or even two weeks to create a passable tunnel—a painfully slow process.

Regaining their composure, they settled in to wait.

After a while, the sound of footsteps heralded the return of Wudian and Dun Zi.

Their elated faces said it all—they had found an entrance.

Wudian, keeping his voice low, reported, "About a thousand meters down the right-hand tunnel, there's a large fissure we can squeeze through. Once inside, finding other exits should be simpler. We didn't venture in, though, to avoid startling whatever's in there."

"Good, let's move out," Mr. Mo commanded, and Wudian and Dun Zi eagerly led the way back to the newly discovered passage.

This crack was akin to the one Chen Yuan's group had previously observed, but wider, allowing them to enter single file.

Crucially, the fissure led to a flat expanse within the cave, enabling safe entry. The Moonlight Stone and Wolf Spider Meat had to be left behind for the moment. After a brief discussion, they stashed the items and followed Chen Yuan, squeezing through the crack into the cavern beyond.