Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland.

Chapter 535: Banquet Fire (Combined Chapter)
After leaving the Golden Tent of the Baimei Clan, the soldier who led the way did not send Lu Meng back to the barracks, but led him to another large tent.

From far away, you can hear the bustling noise of people.

The air is filled with the sweet aroma of meat.

This is the White Eyebrow Clan's banquet.

Specially prepared for representatives of other tribes in the east of Shem.

The banquet was not large in scale, as none of the real top leaders of the White Eyebrow Clan were in attendance, but the arrangement was exquisite in every way.

Even though we have tried our best to control extravagance.

It was an eye-opener for the invited representatives.

As a "newcomer" with a rising reputation, Lu Meng is also qualified to be treated to a banquet after being received by the patriarch.

Inside the tent, pearl tassels are like threads.

The waiters carried trays filled with sake and rum produced in the United Cities and moved freely among the crowd.

If you are not used to drinking it.

There was also a local liquor brewed with water from the river valley. A full jar was placed in the center of the tent. The liquor was a clear emerald green in color, just like the endless green grassland.

Just smelling it makes you feel drunk.

Lu Meng was wearing an iron mask and had no intention of drinking. He just asked the waiter for a leather bag, filled it up, and hung it around his waist.

Then he looked around.

There are many familiar figures among them.

In the Eastern Shem tribe, apart from some of the tribe leaders, the ones who received the most attention were their animal trainers. It could be said that all the animal trainers who were lucky enough to escape to the fortress had gathered in the big tent at this moment, accounting for the vast majority of the invited people.

In contrast.

Lu Meng, who was invited as a doctor, is considered an outlier.

He made a rough estimate of the number of people.

Even though they were affected by the beast disaster, there were still hundreds of surviving animal trainers, who were basically the elites of each tribe. Both in quality and quantity, they exceeded the total number of all the Shem western tribes.

And this does not include the White Eyebrow Clan.

The gap in strength between the two places is evident.

Their expressions were different, some sad, some happy, and at this moment they gathered together according to their respective social circles to chat and eat.

And in this.

Several core circles were clearly divided.

"Brother Qingrong, look at the thing we agreed on before..." A thin and frivolous man asked for a glass of wine from the waiter and pretended to toast Qingrong.

In the presence.

Qing Rong is the representative sent by the Baimei clan to receive you all. Since he is often sent as an envoy to various tribes, he has extensive interpersonal contacts and is familiar to everyone.

At the same time, he is also the person with the highest status present.

In the past,
Everyone respected him because he was the companion of the young patriarch and had a bright future...but now few people mention him, and there is no need to mention him.

"Okay, Brother Xinping, don't worry, I won't change my mind."

Qing Rong took the golden bowl and confirmed his promise, but did not drink it.

A beast tamer called Shinpei.

Don't care either.

He just chuckled and felt relieved.

What they discussed was the matter of merging into the White Eyebrow Clan after the beast disaster.

Maybe for ordinary herders.

There are also physical examinations and asset audits.

But when it comes to animal tamers, the White Eyebrow Clan has always been open to them.

"Qike, what about you?" Qing Rong looked at the silent girl on the side, "The Shanye Clan is now... We are also very sorry, but it is better to make a decision early."

Xinping drank his own wine and looked around curiously.

Being able to join the White Eyebrow Clan is a great thing. Moreover, according to her own words, the Shanye Clan is now in name only, with only the foundation of a small tribe left. What is there to remember about it?
I still hesitate.

It's so weird.

Qing Rong was very patient. He knew that this girl had a talent for taming animals and had reported this to his superiors. If there was a chance, he would definitely recruit her into the Baimei clan.

As for whether the other party will agree...

This is not a suspense.

He has confidence.

People go to high places and water flows to low places - in Shandi, there is no place more suitable for them than the White Eyebrow Clan.

The reason why I hesitated and didn't reply.

Come to think of it, I am still too young after all.

I am not steady in my view of things, and I am a little worried about gains and losses...

"Well... maybe not!"

The girl originally looked embarrassed, as if she couldn't make a decision, and no one knew what she was thinking.

But suddenly, her eyes lit up.

The decision was made quickly.

The two people who were waiting were both stunned - asking you questions was just a formality, and according to convention, you would be accepted to join the White Eyebrow Clan by default.

I didn't expect you to actually refuse.

And they followed the girl's gaze and saw the person coming in her field of vision.

He was a tall, white-haired young man, wearing a white medical robe. He originally looked a little cold, but the iron-gray mask on his face added a sense of solemnity to him, diluting the atmosphere.

This person and the banqueting environment around him.

Seems out of place.

But the people around him seemed to subconsciously ignore him and didn't notice.

Until he walked towards them.

Qingrong and Xinping just noticed him.

"This is..." Qing Rong frowned slightly.

For some reason, he always felt as if he had met the other person somewhere before, and there was a subtle sense of familiarity.

Qi Ke, who had been somewhat distant and absent-minded, now took the initiative to greet him.

Figures flickered.

——There is someone who is faster than her.

"Doctor, you're here too, come quickly." Xinping stepped forward and shook Lu Meng's hand enthusiastically, "We were wondering why we didn't see you... And yes, the White Eyebrow Clan will never forget you, no matter who else they forget."

Although the other party couldn't see it, Lu Meng still smiled under the mask and obediently followed the trainer's hand, shaking up and down.

This person was also one of the people he rescued on the way to the White Eyebrow Clan.

……

As Xinping's excitement was difficult to conceal and he shouted loudly, it also attracted the attention of other people in the tent, completely breaking Lu Meng's stealth state.

The animal trainers of the Flashing Tribe recognized him and came over to chat and greet him.

these people.

Most of them are the last batch of tribal members to move into the barrier. Even if they have nothing to do with Lu Meng, seeing that everyone is coming, they will not forget to try to get close to him.

It's good to get to know them.

Qi Ke, who was the first to discover Lu Meng, was pushed away by the crowd and stood aside helplessly.

Only one person did not move.

Qing Rong was holding the cup, stunned in the spot:
"..."

How come you all know each other?

I feel like I'm isolated.

And think about it, this is the territory of the White Eyebrow Clan... Who is the organizer and host of this banquet?

Qingrong didn't care much about these things at first.

But just now there was a group of people around me, and now they have all dispersed, so it is inevitable that I feel a little empty.

Fortunately, the crowd calmed down.

Lu Meng struggled out of it.

He was walking towards Qingrong.

"...You really are very popular." Qing Rong said, "You are indeed worthy of your reputation."

At this point, after witnessing this scene, even if it was their first meeting and the other party hadn't introduced himself, he could guess and remember who the other party was. ——The young military doctor he had used to joke with Ji Hai.

After actually seeing it.

Qing Rong finally realized that the descriptions in the report were not false at all, and in fact some of them were too conservative for the sake of decency.

"It's all because of everyone's enthusiasm," Lu Meng straightened her wrinkled clothes, "It's not my credit."

Qing Rong shook his head: "You are being modest."

As an individual, the only one who can be so popular among the major tribes and even surpass him is... the Faceless who returned triumphantly last time.

And this enthusiasm is not at all vain.

Even without mentioning the assistance the Eastern Shem tribe received when they fled - just look at the reports submitted from the barracks and you will see the rapidly declining death rate.

It also saved countless lives.

He held out his hand: "Welcome."

Lu Meng shook his hand: "Thank you."

Qing Rong nodded. He admired such a person from the bottom of his heart... But he noticed that Qi Ke, the animal trainer who had just refused to join the White Eyebrow Clan, was now standing next to the military doctor.

Faintly,
There is actually a sense of respect.

This surprised Qing Rong, but he couldn't figure out the reason. Perhaps it could only be attributed to the other party's popularity among them.

After all, one side.

There is another Xinping who is even more excited...

After a lively moment, the banquet was halfway through. Qing Rong saw that everyone had arrived and the time was almost ripe, so he walked to the center of the tent, coughed a few times, cleared his throat and said:

"Everyone... Actually, we from the White Eyebrow Clan have a favor to ask of you."

Hearing this, the originally bustling tent suddenly became noisy.

It suddenly became quiet.

It seemed as if even the sound of someone sipping a drink could be heard clearly.

All the animal trainers of the Eastern Shan tribe were not surprised to hear Qing Rong say this, as they were mentally prepared.

Rumor has it that the White Eyebrow Clan initially did not even intend to accept this group of refugees - even if as animal trainers they had the opportunity to give them special treatment, the scene would certainly have been quite chaotic, and it was enough to give people chills just thinking about it.

In the end, it was the chief of the Wu Ma tribe who made the decision under pressure.

And for no reason.

The other party would not specially invite me to a banquet at a time when supplies are relatively scarce. It would be an exaggeration to say that they are trying to win people's hearts.

There must be something else behind this.

Lu Meng crossed his arms across his chest, half-closed his eyes, and tapped his fingers on the side of his arm.

"This is a dangerous thing, but in the face of the beast disaster, we have to do it..." Qing Rong took a deep breath, "That is, investigate outside the wall."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an uproar.

As the name suggests, we leave the river valley fortress guarded by fortifications and iron walls and go to the Shandong Plain where beaked beasts are rampant to investigate.

The danger is self-evident.

Even the White Eyebrow Clan only sent out scouts in a wide-ranging manner in the early days, but has now stopped.

The only one who is still qualified to go out.

There is only Lord Wumian.

"But is this necessary?" someone raised doubts.

Say something ugly.

Now, in the entire eastern part of Shandi, or perhaps even in the entire Shandi, only the river valley where the White Eyebrow Clan is located is safe.

And it is very likely that they will be able to survive the beast disaster peacefully and then lead the reconstruction of the land of Shan.

Tribes in other regions.

It should have been destroyed long ago.

The survivors are all here... In this case, even if you are not a conservative, you will feel that there is no point in conducting further investigations outside the wall.

"That's how it was originally," Qing Rong shook his head in the face of everyone's inquiring gazes, "but not long ago, our guards detected some strange signals through the telescope."

"That's the smoke signal."

"Wait, if there was just a fire somewhere under the thunder—" someone immediately questioned.

"If it's just smoke, it's indeed possible. Our guards have also considered it and didn't make a rash decision." Qing Rong looked at him, "But what if there is a searchlight?"

"At night, straight up, regular flashes of light - this can't be a natural phenomenon."

Apart from the Holy Kingdom, there is probably no other place in the entire continent that still uses beacon fires and smoke to transmit signals.

On a dark night, sufficient fuel and a strong searchlight driven by a high-power motor make it easier to observe than when lighting a cigarette during the day.

even so.

In the eyes of the guards, it was just like a distant star, flickering dimly, as if it would go out at any time.

This is also thanks to the endless wilderness of Shandi and the recent dry and cloudless weather.

They didn't miss the signal.

Everyone in the big tent was stunned.

Because, this means that -

Qing Rong nodded, his tone carrying a hint of excitement and a mixture of heaviness: "There are still survivors outside the barrier."

"They even built a lighthouse!"

No matter who did all this...even if it was the sand bandits who took advantage of the situation.

This all means.

The beast disaster from the outside world caused something that the people in the valley fortress had not expected.

Is it good or bad?
Is it hope or despair?

However, as long as there is change, it is enough to break the long-term imprisonment of barriers, and the people who can only hide in the valley, with smiles on their faces but actually praying in their hearts all day long that the beast disaster will end soon, but the depressing atmosphere seems to have no end.

Surprise, joy, worry...

All kinds of expressions flashed across the faces of the people in the big tent.

Only Qi Ke suddenly turned around and looked at Lu Meng.

She asked softly: "Hong..."

Lu Meng raised his hand to interrupt the girl and said:
"seeing is believing."

This is for everyone else.

In my own unique perspective, I already knew the answer.

[Base level: Outpost (unfinished)]

【White Tent (occupied)】

【Commune Hut (67/20)】

[City wall...]

……

【Watchtower (2/2)】

--completed.

Mel did a great job.

he thought.

Even with the assistance of modules that accelerate construction, the difficulty of building a tower is different from that of an ordinary commune hut. They are not on the same order of magnitude.

The panel cannot project images though.

Lu Meng, however, is able to monitor the development of the base and what happens through the completion progress and counts of the tasks.

For example, the wall's health and length increase or decrease.

You can intuitively reflect the intensity and battle situation of the attack by the beaked beast.

to be frank,
For a while, it was quite dangerous.

But they got through it.

After passing the peak of pressure, without Lu Meng's support, the defense facilities built by the Engineering Department are still becoming more and more complete.

It became stronger with each passing day, and was becoming more and more like a formal military fortress from an ordinary village.

Become more difficult to break into.

All the way to the third level [Outpost],
Run away wildly.

(End of this chapter)