Chapter 24: The Animal Skin Map

Under the faint moonlight, Jiang Li and his two companions returned to the indigenous tribe by the cliff. As before, the tribe had left one sentry on duty. Without needing any instruction from Jiang Li, Chu Chunqiu struck the sentry down with an arrow, and Su Yang rushed forward to decapitate him.

Once the bodies were dragged out, following Jiang Li's instructions, they wrapped the necks of the corpses with animal skins from the tribe to prevent blood from dripping onto the ground. Returning to where Qiu Yue and the other girl were waiting, the trio immediately tossed the bodies into the sea.

"Quick, quick! Build a simple bridge!" Jiang Li grabbed a hatchet and cut down a small tree nearby. Chu Chunqiu and Su Yang, already armed with long blades, easily felled several more. Before long, a makeshift raft made of dozens of lashed-together logs lay before them. Being cautious, Jiang Li reinforced the structure further. By this time, a full hour had passed since the two indigenous men were killed.

"No rush; their sentry rotations likely take two or three hours," Jiang Li said, directing Chu Chunqiu to wedge the raft between two large boulders. "Chu Chunqiu, strap on a supply basket and test it." Among the five, Chu Chunqiu had the sturdiest build; if he could cross safely while carrying a load, the others would have no trouble. Chu Chunqiu stepped onto the logs without hesitation, walking to the center and even jumping twice to test its stability. With dozens of logs lashed together, even a strong man like him caused no issues. Seeing this, Jiang Li finally relaxed.

"It seems these fellows haven't noticed anything yet. Let's go and 'help' them out," Jiang Li signaled, and the group set off. Moments later, Su Yang and Chu Chunqiu split up to head toward two separate tribal settlements. Soon, two cries of agony echoed through the night.

"It’s starting!" Jiang Li hid in the dense forest, observing the cliffside tribe. Su Yang’s victim had cried out loud enough to wake the camp. Several men rushed out with wooden spears, and upon seeing the empty sentry post, they began to wail in confusion. Shortly after, more than a dozen others poured out of the nearby stone huts. Suddenly, one tribesman pointed at the bloodstains on the ground and shouted excitedly.

"They finally found it," Jiang Li clenched his fists in anticipation. Whether they could cross the cliff successfully depended entirely on this move.

A burly man roared, brandishing a spear, and another twenty men scrambled out of the stone huts. With a guttural shout from the leader, all the tribesmen charged into the wilderness, following the blood trail.

"Young Master! We’re back," Su Yang and Chu Chunqiu whispered, crouching beside Jiang Li.

"The tribesmen here have left, and it looks like they’ve emptied the camp. How is it on the other side?" Jiang Li asked urgently. The plan was simple: incite a conflict between the two tribes. If one side didn't mobilize, the distraction wouldn't last long enough for them to cross. Therefore, both tribes had to commit to the fight to buy them time.

Su Yang nodded quickly. "Don't worry, Young Master. Over there, fifty or sixty men came out. I suspect that tribe is about to be wiped out entirely."

"Good, let's move!" Jiang Li waved his hand. Su Yang and Chu Chunqiu hoisted the raft and rushed toward the cliff. With the tribe gone, they reached the edge without incident.

"Hah!" Chu Chunqiu shouted, slamming the raft across the gap and anchoring it with a heavy boulder. "It's ready, Young Master!"

Just as everything was set, Jiang Li set his basket on the ground. "Wait here for five minutes. I'll be right back!"

"Young Master, what are you doing?" Su Yang asked anxiously. With the tribesmen gone and the bridge in place, why would Jiang Li hesitate now?

Jiang Li took a deep breath and pointed to the bridge. "You all go first. I'll follow shortly." Without another word, he turned and sprinted toward the stone huts.

There were a dozen huts on the cliff. Jiang Li chose the largest one. Inside, he lit a fire-starter, its dim glow revealing a chaotic interior filled with animal skins, beast skulls, and necklaces made of fangs. Jiang Li ignored these, tossing them aside.

"Where is it? If they have a language, they must have some form of records!" he searched frantically. Having spent so long on this island, especially since beginning the search for the small city, Jiang Li understood the importance of a map. If they had one, they would have found the city long ago. These tribesmen had lived here for years; surely they had a map of the terrain, or at least markings for dangerous areas. With one, they wouldn't risk another disaster like the last time, when they were attacked by monsters and nearly driven mad by toxic flowers.

He searched for a long time in vain. Just as he was about to give up, his eyes fell upon a crude wooden bed covered in animal skins. "Could it be..." He approached cautiously. Moments later, he held a piece of animal hide, his eyes shining. "Damn it! Finally!"

Clutching the map, Jiang Li returned to the cliff. Qiu Yue and Su Yan had already crossed, and the others were waiting anxiously. "Young Master, you're finally back! Hurry across!"

Jiang Li nodded, tied a vine around his waist, and handed the other end to Chu Chunqiu. Even though the bridge was sturdy, his heart pounded as he stepped onto it. The abyss below was pitch-black; if one fell, unless they were invulnerable, there was no chance of survival. Even if it were water, a fall from such a height would be fatal. Fortunately, Jiang Li was no ordinary man, and he crossed the bridge safely.

Su Yang followed, and finally, Chu Chunqiu. He tied himself to four or five vines, threw the ends to the others, and stepped onto the bridge. As he reached the center, he held his breath, inching forward.

*Crack!*

A sharp snap echoed, and everyone’s expression changed instantly.