Chapter 139: The Female Offering

Behind the building lay a courtyard, a hundred meters in length and width. Lining both sides were rows of wooden cages, and within them were countless naked women, their bodies fully exposed to the world.

Yet, the sight did not stir a flicker of desire in Song Qi. Instead, it made his skin crawl.

These women in the cages had sunken eye sockets and vacant, lifeless gazes. Their flesh was pulled so tight against their frames that the structure of their bones was clearly defined. Their ribs were starkly visible, and their breasts were flat, looking like deflated balloons. And yet, almost all of them carried swollen, protruding bellies that looked entirely unnatural against their emaciated forms.

They had long since lost any sense of human shame. The arrival of Song Qi and his companions failed to elicit even the slightest reaction. They simply lay there in the cages, staring blankly at the ceiling. In the background, the crying of infants sounded like music from the depths of hell. The entire cellar was a portrait of utter desolation, a place of stench and wretchedness—a living hell.

The moment he saw the scene, Song Qi felt his scalp tingle and a chill rise from the depths of his soul. An indescribable, nameless rage ignited in his chest. Only now did he truly understand the meaning of "gaunt" and "walking corpse." He could never have imagined that anyone could treat their own kind with such cruelty. He finally understood why they were called "human cattle," and why the Mountain Tiger tribe showed no mercy to the common folk. To call what these people were doing "feudal" would be an understatement.

Song Qi took a deep breath, forcing down his fury. He pointed ahead and asked, "Why are the conditions for these pregnant women so poor? Won't it affect the offspring?"

The tribal chief smiled. "Please, Envoy, rest assured. I have prepared five hundred stalks of heart-strengthening grass in advance. Furthermore, I have specifically assigned ten beast-blood warriors to oversee these hundred pregnant women. Should any of them appear weak, we force-feed them the herb."

"Before they give birth, I guarantee they will not die. Most can produce four or five litters. The strong ones can even carry ten or more. In the entire Savage Bull Mountain Range, only our Long River tribe can make human cattle give birth more than ten times." The chief spoke with obvious pride, showing not a shred of sympathy or remorse.

"If they were released now, would they survive?" Chu Shaojiang suddenly asked.

The chief looked puzzled but answered honestly, "This... they likely wouldn't survive. Although the heart-strengthening grass sustains life, it does so by burning through their remaining vitality. Some women, whose conditions do not improve even after taking the herb, are simply discarded, as it means their time is near. However, we generally don't waste such meat... So, please rest assured, the quota for this year will be met on time."

Hearing this, Song Qi suddenly began to laugh. "Good! Very good! In that case, there is no need to rush."

Seeing Song Qi laugh, the chief let out a sigh of relief. He had initially feared the Envoy was dissatisfied with the conditions, and rectifying that would have been quite an effort.

"Oh, by the way, is the situation the same in the other tribes?"

"They are much the same."

Song Qi nodded silently. "Take me to see the tributes of the other tribes as well."

The chief was momentarily confused. "Is there a need for that?"

Chu Shaojiang’s expression turned cold as he interjected, "The Envoy is the eyes and ears of the gods; he cannot afford even the slightest oversight. Whether the matter is big or small, he must see it for himself to be at ease. Your tribe has passed inspection, but what if the others do not?"

The chief suddenly realized his mistake. "I see. It was my oversight. Please, Envoy, follow me. I shall lead the way!"

They walked out of the tribe...

***

In the Savage Bull Mountain Range, within the main tent of the Mountain Tiger tribe, dozens of people sat around a long table. At the head sat a middle-aged man with one arm. Despite the missing limb, his vitality surged, and his eyes burned with fierce, unwavering determination. Everyone present looked at him with profound reverence and trust. His mere presence instilled boundless confidence, as if with him, there was no mountain too high to climb.

"This operation rescued two thousand four hundred of our kin. They have been settled and, after a month of recovery, can begin the blood transfusion process. In three months, we can attempt to make some of them Savage Blood warriors. But the Envoy will arrive to collect the tribute in six months, leaving us only that much time!"

"Within six months, we must assemble at least one thousand Savage Blood warriors to have any hope of killing a Divine Blood warrior! But for a comrade to become a Savage Blood warrior takes at least three months. Therefore, we must unify the Savage Bull Mountain Range within these three months and select enough capable fighters!"

"Beyond that, there is the matter of herbs, food, and shelter... Tomorrow's task assignments are as follows: Shan Xin, you remain responsible for gathering..."

The one-armed man went through his plans methodically, using paper made from monster hide. Soon, the tasks were distributed, and the men left the tent.

Just as the tent flap opened, a warrior burst in.

"Chief, it's bad!"

"Five tribes have united! They have gathered at least ten thousand beast-blood warriors and are outside the camp, challenging us to battle!"

The burly man at the table raised an eyebrow. "United? And they've gathered all their warriors? Do they think they can defeat us just by relying on numbers?"

The fierce, bald man beside him was equally dismissive. "This is good news. It saves us the trouble of attacking them one by one. Why are you panicking?"

The messenger swallowed hard and whispered, "But... those five tribes have brought two youths with them... And they claim... that they are the Envoys!"