"Life's existence implies competition; an ideal world without conflicts of interest does not exist."After the four men had climbed the tree, those below kept their eyes trained upwards. After a considerable amount of time, they saw a four-cornered bamboo basket, secured with ropes, slowly descending from above.

　　When the basket touched the ground, everyone was taken aback to find a dragon head inside. Gōng Yì and Yì Wǔ lifted the dragon head out of the basket, gave the rope a tug as a signal, and the basket was hoisted up again. After a while, it was lowered once more, and there was another dragon head in the basket.

　　In this manner, the basket was lowered from the tree four times, each time delivering a dragon head, totaling four dragon heads - two from large dragons and two from smaller ones.

　　The green dragon is the totem of the Gong You clan, and the people solemnly buried the four dragon heads on the spot.

　　“These natives! I’m a biologist, and such a fascinating creature hasn’t been properly studied before it was buried by these guys. It’s simply a waste of natural resources!” Dōng Yīfēng grumbled to Huáměi.Next, the bamboo basket was lowered from the treetop 12 times in succession. Instead of dragon heads, it was filled with enormous eggs, each one occupying the entire basket. This harvest was quite bountiful, capturing 12 giant phoenix eggs.

　　When the last basket was lowered, there was a dark dragon bone curving inside the basket, in addition to the giant egg.

　　The moment Gōng Yì took the dragon bone out of the basket, the bone instantly rebounded and returned to its original state. This dragon bone, over a person’s height in length, brought great joy to Gōng Yì. He immediately strung the dragon bone and made it into a dragon bone bow.The dragon bone, as hard as iron, was incredibly light and flexible, making it an ideal material for crafting bows and arrows. The dragon bone bow had a range far surpassing that of ordinary bows and arrows. The ends of the dragon bone could be honed into sharp blades, and in close combat, it could even serve as a double-headed spear.

　　Gòng Diǎn selected six camel-horse from the herd, each carrying two bamboo baskets on its sides, transporting two phoenix eggs. The knights led the camel-horse and began their journey back.

　　On the return to the Hui clan, Dǒng Yīfēng felt a sense of dissatisfaction. He had anticipated this hunting trip to be a thrilling event but was disappointed to find it ended so uneventfully.

　　Gòng Diǎn led a dozen hunters on camelback at the front to clear the path; in the middle were six hunters, walking and leading six camel-horse by the reins. Each of these camel-horse carried two giant eggs on each side; Gōng Yìand and the remaining hunters brought up the rear.

　　The harvest was quite plentiful, and everyone was in high spirits. The atmosphere on the return journey was different from when they set out - it was lively and enthusiastic. Everyone chatted cheerfully and walked leisurely forward. When it was noon, Gòng Diǎn ordered everyone to rest and recuperate. After dismounting, the hunters tied up the camel-horse, took down the bamboo baskets carrying the giant eggs, and then sat in groups under the trees, nibbling on dry food with water.

　　The midday sun made people feel drowsy. Just as Gòng Diǎn ordered everyone to set off, a sudden scream was heard.

　　Everyone turned towards the sound, only to see a bamboo basket rolling on the ground under a tree to the south, with the phoenix eggs inside also rolling out. A hunter was sitting paralyzed on the ground, trembling as he pointed in a direction.

　　Following the direction of his finger, Dǒng Yīfēng saw a hunter lying motionless not far away, with a large pool of blood gushing out from under him.

　　Looking into the distance, Dǒng Yīfēng saw a beast the size of a cow, running wildly toward the north.

　　Everyone hurriedly came to the tree, the attacked hunter was still in shock, his teeth chattering, "Thorny tiger! It's a thorny tiger!"

　　Gòng Diǎn walked to the unconscious hunter on the ground, felt his nose with his hand, and then shook his head, the man had already stopped breathing.

　　"It's this thorny tiger again!" Gòng Diǎn raised his voice, "In broad daylight, it dares to attack us with so many people, it's simply too rampant! Gòng Huī said it has already bitten several of our clan members to death, we must not let it go this time."

　　With that, the Great Chief divided the team into two groups, one led by Gòng Wéi, about 20 people, responsible for transporting the phoenix eggs back to the tribe; the rest were personally led by him, ready to go and hunt down that beast.Gōng Yì was with the Great Chief, so Dǒng Yīfēng and Huáměi were also part of the team hunting the thorny tiger.

　　Gē Wǔ was assigned to Gòng Wéi's team, but he was reluctant and volunteered to hunt the beast instead.

　　Gòng Diǎn, riding on a camel, looked at Gē Wǔ who was standing in his way, "Wǔ, we came out to hunt this time, primarily to transport the phoenix eggs, so we didn't bring many people and horses. Now that we have been attacked by the thorny tiger, this beast is very dangerous, you should follow Gòng Wéi back to the tribe."

　　"Great Chief, please let me go."

　　"Wǔ, if something happens to you, I can't explain it to your father," Gòng Diǎn said.

　　"Great Chief, you are the leader of my clan, and you put personal safety aside, what do I have to fear? Our clan's hunters are all ready to face death and find life after death. Don't worry, I will take care of myself."

　　"Alright, I promise you. The warriors of the Gong You clan, we must not let this thorny tiger escape this time, chase after me!" The Great Chief took the lead, spurred his horse, and galloped towards the direction where the beast had escaped.

　　The trees in front were sparse, and although the beast had run far, it was still within everyone's sight.Gōng Yì was right behind Gòng Diǎn, his fingers brushing against the dragon bone bow he carried. He hadn't had a chance to use this bow yet, and he thought this might be the perfect opportunity to test it out.

　　With a swift motion, Gōng Yì unslung the dragon bone bow, nocked an arrow, took aim at the beast, and let it fly.

　　A "whoosh" sound whistled past his ear as the arrow flew straight and true, hitting the beast squarely in the back. However, the beast merely shook its body, and the arrow fell to the ground.

　　Gōng Yì was taken aback. He hadn't expected the beast's hide to be so tough that even an arrow shot from a dragon bone bow couldn't penetrate it.

　　"Gōng Yì, aim for its belly or thigh," Gòng Diǎn called out loudly.

　　"Understood, Father," Gōng Yì responded.

　　Gōng Yì nocked another arrow and let it loose towards the beast. This time, it hit its left leg squarely. From a distance, they heard the beast let out a painful howl as it started to run forward frantically, increasing the distance between them.

　　The beast darted into a dense forest. Everyone followed the trail of bloodstains on the ground, always hot on its heels.

　　Finally, in a sparse and open area, they caught sight of the beast again. Gōng Yì let loose another arrow, hitting its right thigh squarely.

　　The beast, struck by an arrow again, noticeably slowed down. The camels were closing the distance with the beast, but they still couldn't catch up immediately.The group continued their pursuit of the beast, seeing it was about to escape the forest. Gōng Yì called out, "Father, we're nearing the territory of the Baihuo Clan. Should we continue the chase?"

　　"We cannot let it escape this time, even if we have to chase it to the ends of the earth, we must kill it. This thorny tiger is extremely dangerous. If it enters the territory of the Baihuo Clan, it will become a menace. I believe even Lian Kui would understand our trespassing. If necessary, we can share its meat with the Baihuo Clan later." As he spoke, the beast had already fled the forest. Without hesitation, the group spurred their horses and followed it.

　　Upon leaving the forest, Dǒng Yīfēng surveyed the surroundings. They were now in an endless grassland, a stark contrast to the forest they had just left. Sparse trees dotted the landscape, surrounded by wild grass. The beast was howling and running across the grassland, its cries echoing in the distance.

　　The group was closing in on the beast. Gōng Yì, finding the right angle, drew his bow and fired another arrow, hitting the beast squarely in the belly. The beast, struck by an arrow again, let out a pitiful cry and finally collapsed. It rolled on the ground, howling incessantly. Its cries were so heart-wrenching that they could be heard from miles away.

　　Gòng Diǎn, riding ahead of everyone else, was nearing the beast. Suddenly, he threw the spear in his hand, hitting the beast squarely in the abdomen. The beast, repeatedly struck, had lost its ability to resist and was left to be slaughtered.Gòng Diǎn dismounted his camel, unsheathed his treasured “Tianmu Sword”, and swiftly moved towards the beast. The sword, with its dark blade, was a sibling to Gōng Kàng’s Dragon Flame Sword, both born of the same meteorite and forged by ancient deities.

　　The beast was armored with a head and back as hard as steel, its vulnerabilities lay in its belly and neck. As Gòng Diǎn closed in, he lifted his sword, aimed for its neck, and struck down with all his might. The beast’s head was severed with a resounding echo.

　　At this moment, Dǒng Yīfēng also arrived at the scene on his camel. He studied the beast meticulously. It was as large as a bull, with horns to match. Apart from the horns, it bore a striking resemblance to a tiger.

　　The beast had tusks jutting out from its mouth, tiger-like stripes adorned its body, and its spine was lined with long, hedgehog-like spines. These upright spines stretched from its head to its tail.

　　Ding Wen, a renowned butcher from Windwood Citadel, was already swiftly dissecting the beast. It was a bounty of meat. After skinning and gutting, he chopped the meat into small pieces and stored them in a leather bag along with the beast’s hide.

　　Having cleaned up, Gòng Diǎn and his group were ready to return to the forest.

　　Suddenly, a cloud of dust rose from the north, and a cavalry unit came charging. The flag bearer in the lead held a flag aloft.

　　Gōng Yì, who had honed his archery skills from a young age and possessed exceptional eyesight, identified the flag and reported, “Father, they are the cavalry of the Baihuo Clan, and it appears that Lian Kui is among them.”During the last Human Sacrifice Martial Arts Conference, Dǒng Yīfēng had once cast a distant gaze toward Lián Kuí, who was seated on the southern platform. But the distance was too vast, and Lián Kuí's features remained a blur.

　　As the cavalry drew near, Dǒng Yīfēng observed about twenty of them, all garbed in black, with a vibrant red phoenix emblazoned on their chests.

　　The Gongyou Clan was adorned in yellow, while the Bàihuǒ Clan was cloaked in black, creating a striking contrast. Beyond the color distinction, the Gongyou Clan wore turbans, a feature absent among the Baihuo Clan.

　　The leader of the cavalry was a dark-skinned, rotund man, his round face marked by excess flesh. His small eyes were restless, darting around beneath a red, bulbous nose, and two tufts of goatee hung below. He appeared to be of similar age as Gòng Diǎn.

　　"That's Lián Kuí," Gōng Yì whispered to Dǒng Yīfēng.

　　Upon hearing this, Dǒng Yīfēng took a few more glances at Lián Kuí and noticed that the camel horse he rode was unlike the others.

　　This towering horse stood a head taller than the rest, its body a pristine white, save for its pitch-black tail.

　　What was truly astonishing was the unicorn-like horn that graced the camel horse's head. Even the hooves of this camel horse were different, bearing claws akin to a wild beast.

　　Lián Kuí had a stutter. Upon seeing Gòng Diǎn in his territory, he became flustered, and his stutter grew more pronounced: "I... I was wondering who was so audacious as to... to... to hunt in my clan's territory. It turns out to be the leader of the Gongyou Clan, Gòng... Gòng... Gòng Diǎn. Our two clans have long had an agreement... agreement, without... without permission, one must not... not trespass into the other's territory."It so happened that Lián Kuí was also on a hunting expedition in the nearby grasslands on this day. The Gongyou Clan, in their relentless pursuit of the beast, had unknowingly trespassed deep into the territory of the Baihuo Clan. The beast’s agonizing cries had alerted Lián Kuí’s scouts. Upon hearing the news, Lián Kuí spurred his horse and hurried over, arriving just as Gòng Diǎn and his party were preparing to turn back.

　　“Have you no respect for our clan, daring to hunt in our territory!” he stuttered in anger.

　　Tensions were high, and a clash seemed inevitable. However, Gòng Diǎn remained composed and immediately responded with a respectful bow, “Great Chief Lián Kuí, please do not misunderstand. This beast has claimed the lives of several of our brothers. In our quest for vengeance, we chased it here and unintentionally trespassed into the Bàihuǒ Clan’s territory. We seek your understanding.”

　　“Lián Kuí, this beast is extremely vicious. If it were to venture into the Baihuo Clan’s territory, it would undoubtedly wreak havoc, hence it must be eliminated. The meat of this beast is quite succulent. I am willing to share half of it with the Bàihuǒ Clan. Here, bring the meat!”

　　Witnessing Gòng Diǎn’s generosity, Lián Kuí’s expression softened considerably, “Chief Gòng… Gòng Diǎn, this… this should not set a precedent.”

　　“Oh, by the way. The Green… Green Clanof Evil Gods have received our clans’ petition. The King of the Eagle… Eagle Gods, acting on the will of the Heavenly Gods, has already issued a decree to us…”With a hint of surprise, Gòng Diǎn queried, “Really? Our clan hasn’t received any decree yet. What exactly does the King of Eagles’ decree state?”

　　“The King of Eagles God seeks to mediate… to mediate the conflict between our two clans. He wishes for both of us to journey… to journey to the capital city, to heed his… his teachings, and to allow him… him to determine this year’s quota for human… human sacrifice and labor duties between our two… two clans.”

　　“Understood. Once I return and sort out the affairs of the clan, I will accompany Brother Lián to the capital city to pay our respects to the King of Eagles.”