Destination: The Auerbach Grand Canyon

Du Chen stiffened, a flicker of solemn surprise in his eyes, as he looked up at the two Grand Matriarchs.

Lily stomped her foot in indignation, raging, "This is outrageous! To murder their own people! Why?! Have the beastmen of McAllen fallen so far?! They deserve death!"

Lucy, far more composed than her sister, pondered for a moment, then sighed, "To slaughter one's own populace, subjects who hadn't rebelled, is to forsake both potential soldiers and tax revenue... There can only be one reason: the dead tell no tales!"

Du Chen also sighed, and said to the elder, "It seems... you've learned something you weren't meant to know!"

"Something we weren't meant to know?" The elder shook his head repeatedly. His body had largely recovered under the radiant light of the Precious Lotus Scripture. He struggled to sit up, speaking with pain, "No, that's impossible! Our tribe of Daobet lives in the remote Kuren River mounds, almost entirely cut off from the outside world. How could we possibly know things we shouldn't?"

"No, that's not it, could it be...? Have we angered the Supreme Father God? Is the Father God punishing us?"

The elder agonizingly tore at his grizzled, short hair. His thoughts were chaotic, and old tears streamed down his face.

Du Chen didn't know how to console him. In a remote mountain village, villagers, close as family, had lived peaceful, happy lives. Suddenly, a shower of Gold Coins descended upon them, filling everyone with joy. But who would have thought, after the Gold Coins came the chilling butcher's blade... Such a blow, even an elder who had witnessed the world's myriad affairs could not endure.

But then, Du Chen noticed: although the elder's hands possessed ten fingers, much like a human's, their fingertips were sharp and claw-like, resembling the claws of a rodent or perhaps a pangolin.

It was easy to imagine that this physiological trait of the Daobet people not only endowed them with hands as dextrous as humans, but also granted them unique abilities...

Harry suddenly winked at Du Chen. Du Chen asked the two Grand Matriarchs to look after the elder, and followed Harry to the riverbank. "What is it?"

Harry whispered, "My esteemed Master, weren't you searching for The Clues regarding Lady Phil? This Daobet elder might be able to assist you!"

"Oh? Wasn't our plan to find the Canine Beastfolk, renowned for their superior sense of smell among the beast races, and have them identify the origin of that moss? Could it be that the Daobet's sense of smell...?"

"Indeed, Master, your sagacious mind has guessed correctly. The Daobet are a hybrid race, born of many bloodlines. They are exceedingly weak, even weaker than us Shieb. Yet they possess two talents that are peerless! One of these is their sense of smell! Heh heh, of course, their sense of smell still doesn't compare to ours, the Shieb! However, their other talent is something we cannot rival, or rather, something most races cannot rival!"

Du Chen glanced back at the elder's dazed state, temporarily shelving his intent to question him immediately. He then asked, "And what is this other talent of the Daobet?"

"Digging! What the Daobet truly excel at is excavating tunnels and earth pits! It is precisely through these two talents that they have secured a place on the Great Plains, where might makes right, and avoided being relegated to a 'fodder race'!"

Du Chen nodded slightly. He had some understanding of the Great Plains' customs; beastmen glorified battle, and might was supreme. Their sole criterion for judging a race's worth and status was its utility on the battlefield! The reason the Daobet could survive, then, was likely due to the beastmen armies' need for "scouts" and "sappers."

By this time, the Daobet elder, overcome by mental exhaustion, had fallen into a deep slumber. Du Chen could mend the elder's physical wounds, but he was powerless against the scars of the soul. He instructed Harry to carry the elder, and the group continued north along the Kuren River, arriving at the small Daobet settlement, the Kuren River mounds, by evening.

The Daobet dwelling place also bore distinct racial characteristics. Upon the gently rising earthen mounds, rows of small wooden huts should have stood. Beneath these huts, numerous underground tunnels and cellars existed; a combination of surface structures and subterranean caverns formed the Daobet's small tribe.

However, this small settlement no longer held its former peaceful appearance. The wooden huts on the mounds were burned to ashes. The underground caverns were filled with venomous solutions. The potent stench of char and decay permeated the air. The strong scent of blood assailed Du Chen's nose. Harry, exceptionally sensitive to smells, retched almost constantly! Eventually, Du Chen had to send him far away.

It was conceivable that had the elder not narrowly escaped death, hundreds of lives in this village would have carried their grievances into eternity!

After awakening, the Daobet elder continuously wailed, prostrate in the center of his tribe's ruins. It wasn't until the silver moon reached its zenith that his emotions finally stabilized. Then, with a grave expression, the elder suddenly knelt before Du Chen, "Mighty Battle God, your Eminence, Bibby implores you! Please, I beg you, save our surviving kin!"

Du Chen surveyed the incinerated village, troubled, "Clues... I need clues about the perpetrators! But here..."

"Esteemed Battle God, Your Eminence, I have clues!" Old Bibby suddenly stood, his expression ferocious. His heart overflowing with hatred for the perpetrators, he urgently said, "If everyone in our village were dead, then truly there would be no clues left—because no one would remain to recognize the scent of those murderers or our kin! But I, Old Bibby, am still alive! Merciful Battle God, the murderers took my strong son, and I, Old Bibby, am intimately familiar with my son's scent! I can lead you to punish the culprits and rescue my surviving kinsmen!"

Du Chen's eyes lit up, he thought to himself, "This is a dual good deed, punishing evil and saving lives! A heaven-sent opportunity!"

For some reason, in the past, whenever such a situation arose, Du Chen would have been overjoyed. Even if he put on a façade of sorrow to appear virtuous, his mind would already be calculating the benefits this good deed could yield. But now, breathing in the scent of blood that hung in the air, and seeing the Daobet elder's sorrowful and resentful expression, he found no joy in his heart...

Human lives are priceless. If only this hadn't happened. The cultivation of the Precious Lotus Scripture could be postponed, but the dead elders, children, women—they could not be brought back to life...

Old Bibby was gravely injured. The Precious Lotus Scripture's holy light, though it had just manifested its power, had only saved his life, not instantly healed him! Could he endure a long journey to hunt down the culprits? Du Chen, changing his mind, said, "Elder, please give whatever carries your son's scent to my servant. He is a Shieb, and I trust he possesses the ability to find these perpetrators! As for you, your body is truly unfit for a prolonged pursuit!"

Old Bibby was eager to interject. Du Chen waved his hand, "Rest assured, I will do everything within my power to rescue your son and all your kin! Furthermore, your son might be under the perpetrators' deception, so please tell me a secret or provide a token that will make him trust me!"

Old Bibby deliberated for a long time. "Esteemed Human Battle God, may Old Bibby ask your name?"

Du Chen smiled faintly. He knew the elder was driven to desperation, seeking justice from a human. Yet, as subjects of McAllen, an enemy nation to Lanning, they would not easily trust a human, much less reveal their tribe's secrets to one!

Old Bibby added, "Please forgive me, I shouldn't doubt my savior! But over the years, Lanning has pressed us hard, and His Majesty the Beast King has decreed that we are forbidden from freely revealing beastmen secrets to humans..." He suddenly shook his head in confusion, "By the Supreme Father God, it's the Imperial government trying to kill us now, and they're using Imperial armaments! His Majesty's command... am I still to obey it!?... Heavens, what am I to do?!"

Du Chen said, "Indeed, I am a Lanning native, but the Holy Church's creed dictates that war must not involve civilians. I believe my act of saving you and your kin is not contingent on our nationalities!"

Du Chen then produced a pouch of Silver Coins and handed it to him, "Currently, there are many beastmen within Lanning and many humans on the Great Plains. Take this money and go to Damir Pastures, behind Heaven's Ocean Pass. The servants there will tell you who I am! Furthermore, once I've rescued your kin, I will send them to find you there!"

Old Bibby was tormented for a moment. He gritted his teeth; if even the Imperial government couldn't be trusted, what else could an old man from a remote backwater do? He steeled his resolve!

He nodded, "Very well, I will give you a tuft of my hair and tell you a secret password known only to the elders and heirs of our tribe. With this, my son will trust you!" He bowed deeply to Du Chen, his voice choked, "Merciful and mighty Battle God, the lives of the mere two hundred seventy-three kin remaining in our tribe... I entrust them to you!"

Du Chen nodded gravely, and from his sleeve, produced the moss he had acquired from Phil's tomb. "Elder, please take a look. Where do you think this moss originated?"

The moment Du Chen uncorked the bottle, Old Bibby drew a deep breath and urgently said, "It's the scent of the Great Plains; this is the unique aroma of Anuma Moss. I can confirm it." Du Chen's heart stirred with joy. Old Bibby continued, "Indeed, it is Anuma Moss. I might not recognize other types, but Anuma Moss is said to only grow under the influence of battle qi, which makes its scent incredibly distinctive; once smelled, it is never forgotten! And I smelled it once in my youth!"

"Then it originates from..."

"Our beastmen's holy land, the Auerbach Grand Canyon!"