Chapter 4: The Harvest

Chapter 4: The Harvest

In an instant, the entire lake erupted in chaos. After toiling for so long, the saltwater crocodiles could no longer restrain their hunger when the food was delivered right to their mouths; they surged forward, each striving to snatch the offerings and devouring them greedily. Even the massive crocodile by the shore, whose body exceeded seven meters in length, plunged into the water, gulping down three of the prepared fish in a single bite—indeed, for a female, nothing was more important than a good meal.

Atop the waterfall, Li Hongshen finally breathed a sigh of relief, a smile blossoming across his face. He had worried that this giant crocodile might not take the bait, and if that had happened, subduing it could have resulted in casualties.

Li Hongshen did not hurry down. After pushing all the bait into the lake, he waited a long while before descending, only when he saw that the entire lake was dotted with crocodiles floating belly-up did he lead his people down.

“Be careful, everyone,” he cautioned as they descended, “there may still be mother crocodiles that have already laid eggs lurking nearby, guarding their nests. Five people for the first round, form the front line with me. If you encounter one, aim for its nose first—that’s its sensitive spot. A strike there will disorient it, then go for the neck. Their necks lack scales for protection.”

He continued his instructions as they advanced, wary of a mishap should they encounter a mother crocodile and suffer any losses.

But as fate would have it, what he feared most soon appeared. On a path leading directly to the lake, a six-meter-long female blocked their way. She had clearly spotted them, rising slightly on her limbs, her mouth emitting a low growl, while her tail swept sand over the eggs behind her.

“Get ready, and be sure to dodge its lunge. Strike the nose and neck immediately!” Li Hongshen swallowed hard. From afar, these crocodiles had not seemed so intimidating, but face-to-face with a six-meter giant baring its teeth, the experience was extraordinary.

In previous practical classes in the Primary World, he had faced fierce beasts before, but there was never any real danger—those beasts were ordinary, their fangs and claws dulled, and golden-ranked instructors watched over them.

This time, however, their lives were truly at stake. As chieftain and lord, he could not retreat, for he led from the front. Any step back would disrupt the formation behind him and, more importantly, diminish his prestige within the tribe.

“I’ll count—one, two, three—and we’ll charge forward. Front row, follow me, aim for the crocodile’s nose and neck. Those behind, as soon as you see an opening, come in and attack from all sides.”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

“Charge with me!”

With Li Hongshen’s loud shout, he and the four others in the front line lunged at the crocodile. The mother crocodile shot from her nest, twisting her body to dodge Li Hongshen’s heavy blow, then evading the attacks of the others as she leapt backward.

“Damn, it can dodge! I underestimated it!” Li Hongshen cursed inwardly as the crocodile skillfully avoided his attack. He braked and spun on his heel, throwing himself at the beast again.

By now, the crocodile was near the rear of the group, having scattered their formation. Just as Li Hongshen braced himself for casualties, a warrior stepped into the beast’s path, gripping a knife in one hand and a sturdy wooden club in the other.

What happened next astonished Li Hongshen. The warrior deftly dodged the crocodile’s charge, spun around, and landed a heavy blow right on its nose. The force stunned the crocodile, its head reeling, body curling uncontrollably as it tumbled into a nearby tree.

Li Hongshen and several warriors leapt upon the giant beast, their machetes flashing, hacking at the crocodile’s unprotected neck in a scene of blood and violence. Only when the crocodile’s head was fully severed did Li Hongshen relax, sliding from its corpse, exhausted and trembling as the adrenaline drained from his body.

After recovering, Li Hongshen approached the warrior who had stood his ground.

“You did well. I remember your name is Li Li, correct?”

“Yes, chieftain. You named me yourself,” the warrior replied.

“If not for you, we might have lost people today—well done. From now on, you’re second-in-command of the hunting party. When we get back, you’ll be the first to receive a set of crocodile leather armor.”

“Thank you, chieftain! Hahaha!” Li Li scratched his head, grinning sheepishly, his hands still bloodied from the earlier blow that had torn his palm.

Originally, only the chieftain and elders were permitted names in the tribe, and those names were for inheritance. But after Li Hongshen’s arrival, he began naming every member of the tribe, all one hundred names committed to memory.

Prior to their expedition, Li Hongshen had discussed the crocodile hunt with his people. There were likely no juveniles left; all adult crocodiles were to be killed, their hides crafted into armor for the warriors. The meat was to be discarded, for Li Hongshen feared bacteria or parasites might cause incurable disease. As for the eggs, he planned to try hatching and raising crocodiles, preparing for the vast wilderness ahead.

After taking down the six-meter mother, the group dispatched several more mothers guarding their nests. These were smaller, around four meters long, and apart from a few strained muscles from overexertion, no one was injured.

With the immediate threat eliminated, everyone set to work retrieving the belly-up crocodiles from the lake using stone spears and ropes, finishing each off and skinning them one by one.

They toiled under the blazing sun until dusk, then worked through the night by torchlight, continuing until noon the next day. When all the crocodiles had been dealt with, the fresh hides were bundled for storage, while the scraps were buried on the spot.

As the sun set again, Li Hongshen led his people back to the Phoenix Valley encampment. In just two days, they had wiped out a small beast horde and returned with a bounty of crocodile skins and eggs.

Li Hongshen himself had grown from the experience. No matter how detailed the plans drawn on paper, nothing compared to actual practice. This operation, though fraught with danger, was a complete success.

Afterward, Li Hongshen summoned the Grand Elder, Li Baolu, whom he had appointed head of the craftsmen and who possessed every available artisan skill. Under his direction, the crocodile hides were stretched on wooden frames and placed by the fire to dry, to be salted by the women using seawater the next day to prevent spoilage.

Once rinsed and salted, the hides would be beaten flat and hung to dry, then fashioned into armor for the tribe’s warriors. According to the Grand Elder’s calculations, these hides would yield over thirty full sets of armor.

The next day, the women stacked the hides on rafts, pulling them along the creek toward the sea. Meanwhile, Li Hongshen led another group of men—warriors, hunters, and blacksmiths—westward. Their goals were to ensure no crocodiles had escaped and to begin mining the open iron deposit, forging proper iron tools for the tribe.

(End of chapter)