RPS – Chapter 64 Casualties (3)

Li Feng held the baby in his arms, murmuring softly by Li’s ear. He kept talking until Nuo returned—his eyes red from crying, still wiping away tears. Only then did Nuo glance at the still-unresponsive Li, sighing before turning around to report the situation.

“How was it?”

“Ah… it was… terrible…” Nuo sighed. He really didn’t want to recall the scene. The corpses, now buried beneath the bloodstained snow, were cold and tragic. Red snow chunks were everywhere—dyed by blood. The bodies had been mauled and torn to pieces, hardly a single intact spot remained. One could only imagine how brutal it had been.

After just one glance, Nuo had covered Lu’s eyes. He didn’t want Lu to see such a mangled, unrecognizable sight. But Lu pried his hand away, insisting on looking. And once he saw the scene, he froze, then burst into wailing sobs, throwing himself onto the cold corpse. He cried so hard he nearly passed out. In the end, Nuo had to carry him back by force.

Actually, most of those who died in the tribe this time had met a similar fate. Their throats torn out or their flesh ripped away, bones crushed by wolf jaws. In the end, they died from massive blood loss. Even those who survived were seriously injured. To still be alive was already a blessing. No one complained—because every year, they went through something like this. It had just come earlier this year. They had grown used to it—or maybe numb. Helpless, with no way to resist, they could only hope the beasts wouldn’t return next time.

Li Feng had already seen the carnage when he went to see the chief—he knew how brutal it had been. And the two men before them now were badly injured too—not much better than the dead. What’s worse, Li and the other were still unconscious. Who knew when they’d wake up?

“Let’s not talk anymore. Let Lu get some rest first.” He’d cried for so long and had been out in the snow. He must be cold and exhausted. After crying for so long, one always feels sleepy. Hopefully, a bit of rest would help him feel better. After all, he was still just a child. With time, maybe his attention would shift and the pain would fade. They couldn’t let the shadow of death linger over them forever.

Nuo brought over the hot water Li Feng had been boiling and helped Lu wash his face and soak his hands and feet. It was freezing outside. Getting him warmed up and snuggled into bed would let him sleep comfortably, and after a good nap, maybe everything would seem a little better.

Li Feng told Mo to watch the baby and keep him from running around. If Li or the others woke up, they should be called right away. For now, Li Feng and Nuo needed to go out and deal with the snow and the wolf corpses in the yard. These creatures that had brought them so much pain—they wanted nothing more than to tear them limb from limb. Especially Nuo, who raised his stone axe, ready to smash them to pieces—only to be stopped by Li Feng.

As hateful as the wolves were, and as much as he wished they’d all vanish, the damage was already done. Now, the wolf corpses had to be dealt with properly. Wolf pelts were among the warmest furs. In winter, knee covers made of wolf skin could protect you from rheumatism. Even those who already had it wouldn’t feel pain as long as they stayed wrapped up through the cold season.

So, Li Feng wanted to skin all the wolves. The fangs would be made into necklaces, and the meat would be eaten. This was the true meaning of “drink their blood, eat their flesh”—using them to the fullest instead of just burning them in a fit of anger and gaining nothing but momentary relief.

By making use of everything, even the injuries Li and the others suffered would not have been in vain. When they woke up and saw this, they would be happy. After all, part of the reason they had gone out in the first place was to protect their food stores.

Li Feng went to the backyard to check. Aside from a few animals that had been killed at the start, the rest were still hiding in the sheds. Though frightened, they huddled together in a corner, not even daring to make a sound, shivering silently under the straw.

The snow in the yard was cleared into a narrow path. The rest was left piled on the sides. They really didn’t have the strength or energy to clear everything. Letting the rest melt naturally was fine—as long as there was one clean path. Li Feng had paved it earlier with smooth river stones, so it wouldn’t turn muddy or slippery.

As for the wolves, Li Feng and the others worked furiously to deal with them all. The pelts were set aside to be tanned and used as soon as possible—it was going to be a harsh winter. The meat was all salted by Li Feng. In preparation for winter, every household had collected a large amount of rock salt, stored in big ceramic jars—perfect for curing meat. So they didn’t need to worry about running out.

The savage beasts from last night had now become their food and clothing. That was survival—the law of nature. The victor always claimed the spoils. The only issue was that the price was steep.

After everything was taken care of, Li Feng tied one wolf pelt to a tall tree branch. He remembered reading in a book that wolves feared the smell of their own dead. Seeing the corpse of one of their kind might keep them from returning. Who knew if it was true—but it was worth a try. At least it offered some peace of mind.

After a whole day of hard work, it felt like they hadn’t done much, but night had already fallen. The chief hadn’t called for a meeting—understandable, since there were still many wounded to care for. There was too much to be done. Maybe tomorrow.

Previously, the clan leader had already sent someone with a message: starting tonight, all able-bodied men who weren’t injured must take turns keeping watch at night. One of the main reasons for their heavy casualties this time was the complete lack of preparation—they didn’t realize what was happening until the wolves had already cornered them in their homes.

Wild beasts are afraid of fire, so now every person on night duty carries a torch, and there are braziers set up on both sides, with large flames burning vigorously. They are not allowed to go out under any circumstances, and a small shelter has even been built over them to prevent rain or snow from extinguishing the fire. There was no time to set up anything better, so this would have to do for now. Once the snow melts, they’ll figure out a better plan. The wolves probably won’t return anytime soon anyway—after all, the pack was nearly wiped out this time. The tribe suffered losses, but the wolves didn’t get the upper hand either.

The most important thing was that the women and children hiding indoors were mostly unharmed. The children, especially, are the future and hope of the tribe—nothing must happen to them. As for those who died, they were warriors, heroes of the tribe. They have returned to the heavens—it is a kind of happiness…

That night, Li Feng and the others once again used stone beds to block the door. During the day, they had stocked up on daily necessities, food, water—everything they might need. They had even carried in a large amount of firewood. The room was spacious enough to hold it all.

“How much did the tribe lose this time?” Li Feng asked Nuo. When the message about night shifts was delivered earlier, Nuo had gone to the clan leader’s house to ask whether there was anything they could help with. But the clan leader had said no—told them to stay home and take care of Li and the children. After all, the only labor-capable people in their household now were just the two of them. Other wounded members of the tribe were being cared for by their families, and those without relatives were tended to by other women and children. The slightly injured men were assigned to night watch duty.

Wearing thick fur shoes and wrapped in animal hides, they sat in front of the fire basin. Their patrol duty was focused mainly on the one path that led directly into the tribe, so it wasn’t too difficult. During the day, they had even cut some brambles and piled them up to block the road—a measure that might help somewhat. Still, the night watchers didn’t dare relax. Their nerves had to stay taut, eyes wide open—blinking might be a luxury.

“The tribe suffered greatly this time. The animals were fine, but the people… almost all the elders are gone. They gave their lives to protect the tribe. Most of them are dead now. Many others are wounded too, and many of those are seriously hurt…” Nuo said softly, gently stroking Bu’s face.

His tone was light and calm, but Li Feng could hear the sorrow beneath it. “About a fifth of the tribe died, and another two-fifths are injured…” There had originally been a little over 200 people in the tribe. After Ka and the others joined them, the number had risen to around 270 or 280. This time, the elders felt that their lives were already a burden, so they fought with everything they had, battling the wolves to protect the still-innocent children—leaving the hope of survival to the future. They were the future of the tribe.

Now, only about 200 people remained alive in the tribe. The elders were almost all gone, accounting for a large part of the loss. Some younger people had died too, along with some women and children. Losing so many people at once was a devastating blow to any tribe, especially with so many wounded. It was uncertain how many would survive the winter. Hopefully, the healing methods he had provided earlier would help save more lives.

“The injured are already much better than before. Everyone is using the methods you mentioned, Li Feng. When I went over, the clan leader was brewing ginger soup for them. The other households know about it too. They’ll get better,” Nuo said, lifting his head and smiling at Li Feng, his smile carrying a kind of confident hope for the future. “And Bu and Li too!”

The certainty in his voice struck Li Feng. He suddenly realized that after just one night, Nuo seemed to have grown up. No—he had matured. His childish temperament had been reined in. Bu’s injury had made him grow up fast—he was no longer the same childish boy as before. Though that might return in time, he would definitely be more mature than before.

“Mm, they’ll get better. Everyone will get better. We’ll spend each winter in happiness from now on…” Li Feng smiled and shook Nuo’s hand. They would all be fine—together, they would be okay. As long as their family was together, nothing else really mattered.

Li and Bu still hadn’t woken up that night, but at least their fevers were gone. They remained in a deep sleep. Li Feng, worried they’d be hungry, had made soft porridge and fed it to them mouth-to-mouth. Of course, he and Nuo each cared for their own.

Li Feng knew that when the human body is wounded, it will automatically shift into its most optimal sleep state for recovery. Coma was one such state—especially for external injuries. If they hadn’t woken up yet, it meant their bodies hadn’t fully healed. Only in sleep could the recovery be faster, and the immune system would kick in to repair various issues.

They’d probably wake up tomorrow—it had already been a full day and night. By tomorrow, it should be about time. Their injuries were external, not to the brain or internal organs. The deep sleep was likely due to pain or inflammation. Though it wasn’t visible on the outside, the fever they’d had earlier was a clear sign of inflammation—though it was unclear where exactly.

He had checked their wounds earlier in the day—there was no more bleeding. Maybe the clay from the pot bottom had actually worked, or maybe the willow bark tea had helped reduce their fever. Either way, things were slowly improving—and that was what mattered most.

As Li Feng said all this, Nuo’s mood immediately lifted. He had already resolved to face life together with his family, and now, hearing they might wake up tomorrow made him so happy he started bouncing with joy. Li Feng shook his head—who said he had grown up? Deep down, he was still just a child. He wanted to tell him it was just a guess, but seeing Nuo so happy, he couldn’t bear to dampen his mood. Let him be happy for a while. Maybe they really would wake up tomorrow.

Besides, the clan leader would probably call a meeting tomorrow. A day was enough time to deal with some immediate matters. There were still unknown dangers out there. If they didn’t eliminate the threat while it was still in the cradle—or at least develop preventive measures—they wouldn’t be able to get through the winter peacefully. It was urgent. The clan leader wouldn’t want to wait, and rightly so. If the wolves came back before the injured had recovered, they’d be in even more trouble.

This kind of once-and-for-all measure had to be taken. For the sake of their future safety and happiness—for a life no longer overshadowed by death and sorrow—they had to find a solution. Especially now that they had houses. Back when they lived in caves, there was no choice. They didn’t even know how to build doors. Their only defense against wolves was the fire at the cave entrance, but fire could go out. And wolves didn’t attack randomly—they were strategic, always choosing to strike when defenses were weakest. Every time. No one knew why the wolves were so clever, but their ambushes kept succeeding again and again.