Chapter 156: Searching for a River
Meanwhile, as people carried large and small bags of supplies from Yu Luo’s cave back to their own homes, the men working on the fields near the stone houses in the distance couldn’t help but cast curious glances in their direction.
Their curiosity grew even more when, the next day, the rhythmic sounds of hoes striking the ground echoed from the caves. The men from the stone houses widened their eyes in astonishment.
The Bai family, the Liu family, the Zhang family, and even Yu Zhengqing’s family had all bought hoes from Yu Luo.
With seeds in hand, they eagerly began reclaiming the land in front of their homes.
The entire family pitched in—some gathered stones, while the strongest members worked on digging up the hard, yellow soil.
Fortunately, the snow had only recently melted, leaving the soil damp and relatively easy to till. By the end of the day, the area below the rocky hills had become a scene of bustling activity and hope.
“Where did they get those hoes? Did they buy them from Fengcheng?”
A group of ten or so men from the stone houses had stopped their work to stare at the lively commotion across the way, their expressions a mix of admiration and envy.
“Who knows? Just look at those iron hoes, then look at our crude stone tools. We look like cavemen in comparison—it’s embarrassing!”
“What can we do about it? Ask to borrow one?”
“No way! I wouldn’t dare. Think about it—they managed to bring all those old folks, women, and children here safely. They even wiped out those Fengcheng thugs without breaking a sweat. I wouldn’t risk provoking them!”
Even though they desperately wanted real tools, the men of the stone houses were too intimidated to approach the newcomers.
Three days later, in front of every cave, people had begun marking out plots of land with stones, preparing for their vegetable gardens.
But vegetables alone wouldn’t be enough. They needed staple crops to survive long-term.
Although Yu Luo’s family had plenty of grain for sale, everyone’s money was limited. No one wanted to rely on purchased food forever. The only way to sustain themselves was to plant as much grain as possible.
Spring was the perfect season for planting rice, but without a river or even a small stream, it was impossible.
Since there was no water source, the villagers purchased large amounts of corn, sweet potato, and taro seeds from Yu Luo—crops that could thrive in dry soil.
For three days, Yu Luo and Yu Haojie searched the surrounding area with Xiao Yi, covering nearly 50 miles, yet they found no sign of a river.
Without a water source, even if Xiao Yi could dig a well, it wouldn’t be enough to irrigate the fields.
With no other choice, Yu Luo decided to extend her search even further.
Finally, on the fifth day, she found a narrow river over 100 miles away.
The river was about two meters wide and half a meter deep. The water was ice-cold, likely fed by melting snow from the distant mountains.
Yu Luo debated whether it would be better to dig an irrigation channel or relocate the entire settlement closer to the river.
Just as she was considering her options, the system’s alert sounded in her mind.
[Ding! System Alert: A herd of wild buffalo is approaching your location. Retreat immediately!]
Hearing the system’s urgent warning for the first time, Yu Luo hesitated. Instead of leaving, she remained where she was, curious.
Wild buffalo were still buffalo. Even if they were larger than the domesticated ones she had stored in the system, their meat could still be valuable to the villagers.
Scanning the area, Yu Luo quickly leaped onto a nearby tree, using her light-footed skill to perch atop the highest branches.
The tallest trees in this barren land only reached about five or six meters. Yu Luo positioned herself as high as possible, hoping to remain unnoticed by the approaching buffalo.
Seeing that Yu Luo had ignored the warning, the system didn’t insist further.
[There are no system rewards for hunting these buffalo. And you’re underestimating their ferocity.]
“I don’t mind. Even if I can only take down two or three, I can sell the meat at a low price so everyone can stock up. The wild boar meat they got before won’t last forever. But now that I think about it, why haven’t we seen large herds of wild animals near our settlement? The few we’ve encountered seem more afraid of us than we are of them.”
[Because your settlement has no water source. Without water, animals wouldn’t survive there. They stay close to rivers and forests.]
Hearing this, Yu Luo immediately abandoned the idea of relocating the village closer to the river.
But if she dug an irrigation channel, wouldn’t that lead the wild animals straight to their settlement?
Even though their area lacked forests, within a couple of months, their crops would create lush green fields, which could still attract these creatures.
As she pondered whether to dig an underground canal, a distant rumbling sound filled the air.
Looking up, she saw a massive, dark herd charging toward the river.
The thunderous sound of hooves frightened all the small animals drinking at the riverbank. They scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives.
Even the birds took flight in panic, flapping their wings frantically to escape.
The herd drew closer. Yu Luo’s pupils dilated at the breathtaking sight.
She instinctively pulled out her crossbow from the system’s inventory, keeping her finger on the trigger.
At the same time, she remained ready to use her light-footed skill to flee if necessary.
The buffalo were enormous—almost as large as elephants. Their sheer size and strength could easily knock her from the tree if they noticed her.
As they closed in, the pounding of their hooves grew deafening. Dust rose into the air, shrouding the land in a golden haze.
The sheer force of the charging herd was even more terrifying than the night she encountered those sharp-toothed beasts.
At least the sharp-toothed beasts weren’t this massive, nor did they create such an earth-shaking stampede.
Yu Luo even spotted a golden lion in the distance. The moment the lion noticed the approaching buffalo, it immediately turned tail and fled.
The buffalo weren’t running aimlessly. They were heading straight for the river.
As hundreds—possibly thousands—of buffalo reached the riverbank, they skidded to a stop and plunged their massive heads into the water, gulping it down desperately.
Watching from her perch, Yu Luo realized something important—if buffalo came here to drink, then surely other wild animals, perhaps even giant pythons, would be drawn to this water source as well…
