Chapter 27: The Messenger of God

A seven-colored light erupted from the totem pole, converging in the center of the altar. Where the light met, a breathtaking image appeared: a woman, clearly not of the tribe, lay sound asleep on a strange object.

The image shifted to a close-up of the sleeping woman’s face: her hair curled like waves, her lashes were long, her lips were soft and tender, and her languid, graceful sleeping posture was like a delicate, beautiful purple monarch flower blooming amidst a sea of emerald forest.

The purple monarch flower was the most exquisite bloom in the Twilight Forest, and indeed, the most beautiful in the entire Hui Xiong Continent.

"Good heavens, can such a beautiful woman truly exist in this world?"

Everyone in the tribe was captivated by the woman in the altar’s radiance. The image flickered and distorted, pulling back to reveal the mysterious items she wore and the strange furs covering her. As the scene zoomed out further, a portion of the surrounding forest came into view, and then, as the altar’s light faded, the vision vanished.

The onlookers remained stunned. What did it mean for the altar to emit light and conjure the image of a woman?

"A miracle! A divine miracle! She must be an envoy sent by the gods to lead our tribe toward prosperity!"

The shaman, Houyi, let out a roar that jolted the crowd from their stupor. Indeed, the altar had not shown a divine omen for many years; the last one, they recalled, had been over a century ago.

Awakened to the reality, the people followed Houyi, kneeling and bowing their heads toward the altar.

"That is the southwest of the Twilight Forest; I know where that is!" cried those who recognized the landscape, eager to follow the shaman’s command to welcome the noble divine envoy back to the tribe.

"A-Yu, take Sha Ma, A-Ku, and all the able-bodied men currently at home! Go and bring the divine envoy back!" Houyi was overcome with excitement. For years, he had feared the gods had abandoned them; he never expected that today, he would finally witness a miracle.

"Yes, Shaman." A-Yu bowed respectfully, went home to grab his stone spear, and set off with a dozen men. The hunting party had visited that part of the forest before, and as a warrior of the tribe, A-Yu naturally knew the way.

The woman in the vision was unique, possessing a beauty unlike any in the tribe. This uniqueness stirred something in A-Yu, a feeling he could not name. He suppressed the strange fluttering in his chest; the divine envoy was not to be trifled with, and such a noble being was far beyond his reach.

***

Deep in the forest, Mu Tong was unaware that she had mysteriously appeared in the divine miracle of a primitive tribe. Had she seen the scene herself, she would likely have dismissed it as nothing more than a mirage.

After a short nap, Mu Tong felt her strength and energy restored. She rose, gathered her formation flags, and tucked them back into her storage ring.

A sound! Though she lacked spiritual consciousness, Mu Tong’s senses remained sharp. Hearing the faint rustle of feet against fallen leaves, she moved instantly, hiding behind a large tree. She was grateful for her persistent practice of martial arts; she was still quite agile.

With a flick of her wrists, she produced a hand crossbow, ready to strike.

The grass ahead parted, and a man with long, disheveled hair, holding a stone spear and completely naked, stepped out. A dozen more men followed in succession, dressed in much the same fashion.

"Huh? Where is she?" A-Ku asked A-Yu, puzzled. "Where is the noble envoy? The strange thing she was sleeping on is still here."

"The object is still here, so she must be nearby. Spread out and search," A-Yu said, touching the bedding; it was still warm. She couldn't have gone far.

*Are these people looking for me?* Mu Tong wondered. *How did they know someone was here?* Looking at their attire—naked, sharp-eyed, bronze-skinned, and muscular—they resembled the indigenous tribes deep in the Amazon. Had she stumbled into the territory of some primitive tribe?

As Mu Tong pondered, her body accidentally brushed against a wild plant.

A-Yu spun around, his gaze locking onto her hiding spot. "Who’s there?"

Mu Tong cursed inwardly. She slowly poked her head out, her crossbow trained on her target, though she held her fire.

A-Yu’s eyes flashed with delight. "So it is you, the noble envoy of the gods." He bowed to her.

Mu Tong understood his words, but not their meaning. *Divine envoy? Is he talking about me? When did I become a divine envoy?*

She owed her ability to understand A-Yu to the owner of the Mu Family Grocery Store in Yin-Xian Town, who had forced her to learn many alien languages. She could speak them as well, though not fluently, she could express the basic meaning.

***

"Who are you?" Mu Tong stared at the dozen naked men, her eyes filled with deep caution.

"Noble divine envoy, I am A-Yu of the Red Water Tribe. I have come by order of the Shaman to welcome you back to our tribe," A-Yu said respectfully, his men following suit with similar gestures of reverence.

Just as Mu Tong was about to question him further, an unexpected change occurred. The sphere containing Shen Kai’s blood bead emerged on its own. A golden drop of blood flew from the sphere and, with the speed of an arrow, shot into A-Yu’s body.

Mu Tong watched in shock, unable to stop it—and perhaps she couldn't have even if she had tried. Yet, this bizarre scene went unnoticed by everyone in the Red Water Tribe, including A-Yu himself; he merely felt a chill, as if a cool breeze had brushed past him.

*How could Shen Kai’s divine blood essence merge with a person from this primitive tribe?* Moreover, Shen Kai’s blood bead held a different significance for her. *Kill him?* A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Mu Tong’s eyes. A-Yu immediately felt the danger and was bewildered: why was the divine envoy looking at him with such hostility?

Just as Mu Tong was about to act, a ball of golden light emerged from A-Yu’s body—the blood bead itself—conveying a message to Mu Tong to desist before falling silent again.

Receiving the message, Mu Tong was puzzled but abandoned her intent to strike. *Could this person’s body be beneficial to A-Kai’s blood bead? Or does Shen Kai want to possess him?* At this thought, she scrutinized A-Yu: disheveled hair, unshaven beard—she couldn't even tell what he really looked like.

*Very well,* she decided. *I will go to their tribe and keep a close watch on A-Kai’s blood bead.* She nodded. "Fine. Going to your tribe is acceptable."

Having grown accustomed to the naked local tribespeople in the forest pastures, Mu Tong felt nothing special about these muscular, unclothed men. She only wanted to figure out where on earth she was.

Seeing her agree, the group was overjoyed. Under Mu Tong’s direction, they gathered her luggage, and the entourage set off in a grand procession. Along the way, the curious tribesmen kept touching her air mattress, cotton batting, sheets, and quilts, their hands leaving the once-pristine white fabric gray and dirty in no time.