Chapter 16: Submitting

As Bei Feng was about to rise, Shi Hao swooped down like a young roc, landing a kick squarely on his chest. His eyes were bright as he looked down upon him.

With a resounding "boom," the ground trembled slightly, and the powerful youth Bei Feng was once again forced onto his back, unable to get up. No one doubted the strength in the small boy's foot.

The people of Bei Village were stunned. Bei Feng, a remarkably gifted youth who commanded their respect, had been defeated so easily, and by a mere child.

Many in Bei Village drew their bows, preparing to shoot Shi Hao and come to Bei Feng's aid.

Shi Fei Jiao and the others were furious as well, drawing their great bows, ready for a melee.

With a "whoosh," Shi Hao grabbed Bei Feng by the collar, lifting him up and using him as a shield against the people of Bei Village.

Bei Feng was furious. Normally reserved and calm, he could no longer contain his rage. Today was a disgrace; being captured by such a young child was more humiliating than being killed. He struggled fiercely, throwing punches at Shi Hao.

Despite his lack of combat experience, Shi Hao's quick reflexes allowed him to act swiftly. His other hand glowed with a clear light as symbols rotated, and with a sharp "snap," he struck Bei Feng's chest. The impact caused Bei Feng's body to shake violently, blood pouring from his mouth as his strength waned.

Shi Hao did not stop, lifting the taller Bei Feng and quickly leaping towards Shi Lin Hu and the others.

Bei Feng, now dragged along the ground, was battered by thorns and rocks, his previously handsome and cold demeanor now a stark contrast to his current disheveled and pitiful state.

From a few meters away, Shi Hao threw Bei Feng down with a thud, landing him right in front of Shi Lin Hu and the others. Bei Feng rolled several times, spitting out blood and glaring with resentment.

"You little brat, weren’t you vicious? Now, where's your arrogance?" Shi Fei Jiao said, stepping forward and stamping on Bei Feng. With a crack, Bei Feng's rib bones broke under the force of Shi Fei Jiao’s foot.

Though their strengths were comparable, Bei Feng was now a prisoner, unable to resist. His ribs could not withstand the pressure, leaving him sweating and groaning in pain.

"You were too lenient, little brat. You had several chances to seriously injure him, but you missed them. And after capturing him, you were too soft. This puts you in danger," Shi Lin Hu lectured from the side.

"Eek," Shi Hao fidgeted, his demeanor drastically different from before. This was his first time fighting so desperately, primarily because he had seen several uncles from his clan nearly shot dead and the other side was so unreasonable.

"Hey, friends from Shi Village, show some mercy. Let's talk things over, this matter can be resolved," the people of Bei Village urged urgently. Losing such a talented youth would be a huge blow to their clan.

"How about the time you robbed our hard-earned prey, ambushed our people, and mercilessly shot arrows? Did you think about any of this then?" Shi Lin Hu retorted angrily.

"Bang!"

On the other side, Shi Fei Jiao stomped again, breaking one of Bei Feng’s arm bones with a loud crack. Bei Feng's face contorted in pain, but he remained silent.

"Stop! Enough! Everything is our fault; we apologize. Isn't that enough?" a middle-aged man from Bei Village shouted, extremely anxious.

The leader of their hunting team also shouted, demanding negotiations. He stood at over two meters tall, imposing, but now he was no longer as aggressive as before.

"Talk to your mother. First, get beaten, then we’ll see about negotiating," said Er Meng’s father, angrily. The people of Shi Village had been holding back their anger for days, and it wasn’t going to be settled with just a few words.

"Boom!"

His broad hand swung down, hitting Bei Feng's face and leaving him with severe cuts, sending him flying several meters away.

"Kid, do you dare glare? My brothers were almost shot to death by you, each arrow was ruthless, piercing through their organs. Where’s your arrogance now? Come on, let's see it," he shouted.

"Bang!"

When Bei Feng rolled to Shi Lin Hu's feet, Shi Lin Hu also delivered a kick. The tremendous force, enough to crush wild beasts, broke even more of Bei Feng's bones. His mouth twitched as blood and sweat mixed on his face.

Not long ago, he was proud, cold, and domineering. Now, he was a prisoner, disheveled and bloodied, a stark contrast to his former self.

"Bang!"

The people of Shi Village, filled with hatred for his previous arrogance and cruelty, continued to beat him. Each person took turns kicking and hitting him. Living in the wilderness, everyone was strong and powerful, and after such a beating, Bei Feng was nearly torn apart, his bones likely broken in numerous places, collapsing in a pitiful heap.

"Stop!"

The people of Bei Village were desperate, drawing their bows and preparing to intervene, fearing that Bei Feng would be seriously harmed or worse, and the rise of such a talent would be impossible.

"Stop right there. Stay where you are. We're not finished yet. We'll talk once we've calmed down," Shi Fei Jiao said.

The crowd continued to beat Bei Feng, leaving him in a battered state with a bruised face and broken bones, his earlier coldness and arrogance completely gone.

At this moment, a group of children rushed forward, especially Pi Hou, who fiercely kicked him and said, "You almost shot my dad dead. How’s that for arrogance? Look, you were captured by a little kid."

"Our little Shi Hao is only three and a half years old, and you’re a teenager. You couldn’t even beat him. What’s left for you to be arrogant about?" the children taunted as they continued to pummel him.

At this point, a crowd surrounded Shi Hao, offering praise without reservation. Even the people of Shi Village hadn’t expected him to be so formidable, capturing a youth as terrifying as Bei Feng, who could rival Shi Lin Hu.

"Friends from Bei Village, have you had enough of venting your anger? It’s about time to stop," the people from Bei Village urged anxiously. If this continued, the talent would be crippled, and there would be no difference from being dead.

"Let’s talk then," Shi Lin Hu said, sitting down on Bei Feng's body as if he were a stool, making the people of Bei Village’s hearts twitch. A man as large as Shi Lin Hu, nearly two and a half meters tall, sitting down with such force, was like an ox being crushed.

But in the face of the situation, they had to lower their heads and speak politely, not daring to show their dissatisfaction.

"We are all friends from the wilderness. Even if there were some conflicts, we will meet again in the future. Please bear with us and forgive our recklessness this time," a well-spoken person from Bei Village’s hunting team said.

"Bah, 'meeting again'? That sounds nice, but where were you earlier? Why did you shoot at our people?" Shi Fei Jiao scolded.

Shi Lin Hu waved his hand and said, "Stop with the nonsense. We don’t want to hear it. Tell us how you’re going to compensate us."

"This..." The people from Bei Village frowned. The leader of the hunting team said, "We’ll apologize here and give you all the prey. How about that?"

Er Meng’s father rolled his eyes and said, "The prey belongs to us. After injuring so many of us, you think just apologizing will make it right?"

"How about this? We will withdraw from this mountain forest and never encroach again. We’ll return your hunting grounds. Is that acceptable?" the people from Bei Village offered.

"Bullshit! These things were ours to begin with. After all this talk, there’s no sincerity," a hot-

Shi Lin Hu waved his hand and said, "I don't want to waste time talking. You can take the brat away, but in addition to the conditions stated earlier, you must leave all your weapons behind. Only then can you carry him away. Don't let us see you on our territory again."

"What? No way!" the people from Bei Village shouted. To them, weapons were like a second life. Living in these mountains, they couldn’t survive without these arms.

Metal is scarce here and hard to mine, so having a well-made weapon is extremely rare, requiring long hours of forging and polishing.

"Then there’s nothing more to discuss. Bring someone here to cut off this brat’s head and return it to the people of Bei Village," Shi Lin Hu roared.

"Alright!" a young man shouted, grabbing a broad sword and preparing to strike Bei Feng.

"Stop! We agreed!" a prominent figure from Bei Village cried out, rushing to intervene.

The others from Bei Village had grim expressions. Some asked, "Do we really have to give up all these weapons?"

"Weapons can be reforged. Although it’s time-consuming, there’s still hope. But if a person dies, they can’t be revived. Bei Feng has extraordinary talent and is rare in this wilderness. He could protect our clan in the future."

Reluctantly, the people from Bei Village agreed. They brought over piles of iron arrows, several large dragon-horned bows, and sharp broad swords, their hearts bleeding.

What could have been a bloody battle was averted when Shi Hao suddenly intervened, changing the course of the conflict and preventing a bloody clash that could have resulted in many deaths.

The group returned to Shi Village laden with spoils.

In the days that followed, Shi Village was peaceful, but the deep mountains were not. The terrifying roars of a beast echoed through the mountains, shaking them and causing rocks to tumble.

"Chief, the terrifying Sphinx (a mythical beast with a lion’s body and a human head) in the depths of the mountains is likely dying. It has been roaring and struggling recently," someone reported to Shi Yun Feng.

"That’s a real ancient beast. In the depths of these mountains, it’s considered a formidable entity. If we could obtain its corpse, extract its true blood, and carve the primordial symbols from its bones, it would undoubtedly be like opening a treasure trove beyond imagination."