The Druid's Face

Chapter 223 The Druid's Face

Amarun was speechless.

She recalled everything that had happened before. Whether it was being ambushed or discovering hidden resource points, Ye Wei'an's predictions had never been wrong, as if he had a third eye.

As a mage who rose from a trickster, Amarune thus transformed from a user of magic into a researcher.

As she continued to explore the path of magic and gained a deeper and deeper understanding of the mysteries of the magic network, she became increasingly aware of the astonishing proficiency in divination magic required to achieve such precise perception over extremely long distances—or perhaps some kind of talent that she could not comprehend at all.

This disparity shocked and somewhat frustrated her; she was clearly the professional investigator after all.

"Everyone, put away your weapons," Ye Wei'an suddenly ordered.

"My lady?" Not only Amalune, but even Ellen showed a surprised expression.

"This is an order," Ye Wei'an said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The knights hesitated, lowering their crossbow bolts and sheathing their swords, but their hands remained on the hilts. Amarun and Ellen also sheathed their short swords.

Ye Wei'an rode forward alone to the widest part of the riverbank, facing the seemingly empty reeds. He cleared his throat and then called out in a loud Dragon Language, "Greetings, Swiftspear Lizardmen ahead!"

The sound traveled across the riverbank, startling several water birds that were roosting there.

No one answered.

Ye Wei'an continued, "We come from the northern human clan and are your new neighbors! Today, we have come with gifts and goodwill, hoping to have a face-to-face meeting with the leader of your tribe! Please show yourself!"

Still no one answered.

one second.

two seconds.

ten seconds.

Only the rustling of the wind through the reeds made it seem as if the shouts from before were just self-talk to a dead wasteland.

Amalune began to doubt again whether Yevian had really made a mistake this time.

However, just as she was about to ask again, "Squeak!"

A short whistle rang out from the depths of the reeds on the opposite bank of the river!

The sound was like that of a bone flute or a whistle made of shell, with distinct signal characteristics.

Immediately following, as if in response, several identical whistles, varying in length, echoed from the reeds on the left, right, and even behind.

These whistles were not random; they were conveying a specific message—a rapid intelligence check between the Swiftspear lizardman hunters.

Ye Wei'an immediately recognized that these lizardmen were communicating through whistles, the content of which was nothing more than confirming the number of targets,

Observe whether there are ambushes behind them, assess the threat level, and so on.

The other side was very cautious, wanting to find out before revealing themselves whether this human group was bait and whether there was a large "bandit suppression" army following behind.

But they didn't know that their little tricks were all exposed on Ye Wei'an's mini-map.

The whistle exchange lasted for about half a minute before finally falling silent.

Then, the reeds on the opposite bank of the river rustled and parted to both sides.

A swift-spear lizardman appeared.

It exhibits typical characteristics of the Swiftspear tribe:

Its body was more slender than that of the Blackscale tribe, covered with mottled green scales, similar to the young Swiftspear lizardman I had seen before, with a pair of narrow, amber vertical pupils flashing with a wary light.

"Humans, leave this place." His words were full of hostility from the start. "The hunting grounds of the Swiftspear tribe do not welcome outsiders."

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint clanging sound of bone spears colliding could be heard from the reeds behind him.

That's other hunters lying in ambush putting pressure on them.

Ye Wei'an showed no anger whatsoever; instead, he smiled slightly.

“I understand your caution, hunter,” he said gently, “but please let me finish—I am not a passing adventurer or raider. I am the lord of Nanfangtun Territory, the chieftain of a human clan. I have come to visit my neighbor with gifts and goodwill. It would be impolite to refuse the greetings of a new neighbor, would it?”

Sure enough, upon hearing the title "chieftain," the lizardmen's attitude underwent a subtle change.

In the eyes of the lizardmen, anyone who can call himself a "chieftain" must be a powerful figure with territory and followers, and certainly not a bandit who can be driven away at will.

The lizardman hesitated for a moment before giving his name: "————Sourtooth, Swiftspear tribe, hunter captain."

Although its tone remained indifferent, the pure hostility it had displayed earlier had lessened considerably. "But I am merely the captain of the hunters; I have no authority to decide whether the tribe receives guests."

"It's alright." Ye Weian waved his hand generously. "I can wait. You can send someone back to report to your chief. Tell him that our new neighbor in the north, Chief Ye Weian, is waiting at the confluence of the three rivers, hoping to establish friendship with the Xunmao tribe."

Suan Chi nodded, then turned and looked back at the reeds behind him, letting out a series of rapid hissing sounds.

A moment later, a response came from the reeds.

Ye Wei'an glanced at the orange dots representing the Swiftspear Lizardmen on the minimap out of the corner of his eye, which gradually turned into neutral yellow; at the same time, one dot quickly broke away from the group and moved rapidly into the depths of the swamp, clearly a scout returning to report.

After explaining, Suan Chi did something unexpected.

It sheathed its spear back on its back, waded alone into the murky river, and swam to the bank where Ye Weian was.

It climbed up the riverbank, soaking wet, water droplets sliding off its scales, but it seemed not to care. It walked straight to Yevian's horse and stopped about ten paces away, raising its head—at the height of the lizardman, it had to look up at Yevian on horseback.

"Before we get a reply," Sour Teeth asked proactively, "I want to know, Chief Yeweian, what brings you here? It's rare for 'neighbors' in this swamp to come knocking on our door, especially with—"

Its gaze swept across the group, "Armed warriors, and kobolds."

Its gaze lingered on Nas for a moment, filled with obvious disdain, before turning to the enormous owl-bear beside Ye Weian, asking curiously, "Is this kobold your slave? Is this monster your war beast?"

This is the most straightforward way for wild races to assess strength—by looking at what you possess and how you treat your subordinates.

Ye Weian understood that this was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate his strength and adherence to the rules.

He first pointed to Nas and announced in a calm tone: "The kobolds are not my slaves. The kobold tribes of Sword Valley were my enemies, and I conquered them. Now, they are my subordinates, working for my territory, mining, gathering, and doing other jobs for me, earning their wages through labor. My sword will protect their safety."

Suan Chi's pupils visibly contracted, and when he looked at the kobolds again, his expression changed from contempt to shock.

As an old neighbor, he knew the ins and outs of the Sword Valley kobolds.

The fact that this human "chieftain" was able to conquer this kobold tribe proves that he is powerful enough.

Grak ruled over thousands of kobolds, and even their Swiftspear tribe dared not provoke him.

Based on intelligence from the past two months, Grak has indeed not appeared again, and the kobolds have also become much more subdued. This means that this human "tribe" possesses military strength exceeding that of the Swiftspear tribe.

The fact that he did not choose to kill all the kobolds but instead brought them under his rule shows that he was an enlightened lord.

The events that have unfolded in Sword Valley over the past two months have also proven this point.

Therefore, its gaze toward Ye Wei'an became more respectful.

"As for this owl-bear," Yevian patted Lucy on the shoulder, "she's not my pet or war beast. She's my partner, a high-ranking druid."

Lucia, who had been idly sniffing the moss on the ground, heard Ye Weian mention her. She flicked her muddy tail, stood up on her own two feet, waved her huge front paws in the air, and made a purring sound as a greeting.

This time, the toothache was extremely severe.

Almost instinctively, it took half a step back, then suddenly lowered its head, pressed its right paw to its chest, and performed a grand salute: "Master Druid—"

Its voice was no longer arrogant, but filled with pure awe: "—Forgive my poor eyesight for failing to recognize your true form. People of the wilderness salute you."

For the wild races of Faerûn, the druids hold a very special position.

They are the spokespeople of nature, the guardians of balance and life. All peaceful, nature-respecting wild races hold this being, who can communicate with the spirit of nature, in high esteem.

Being able to control a massive owl-bear is impressive enough, but if the owl-bear is a "high-ranking druid," that's another matter entirely.

Ye Wei'an was also surprised to see this.

He hadn't expected that Druids would have this benefit.

As maintainers of the natural balance, druids are to the wilderness races what paladins are to humans, naturally possessing a moral endorsement.

A powerful druid partner is more effective than any diplomatic rhetoric in allaying the suspicions of the wilderness races.

Because it proves that this team is a force that understands and respects the laws of nature.

Bringing Lucia along was definitely the right decision.

About 15 minutes later, a rustling sound suddenly came from the reeds on the opposite bank, followed by a short and sharp bone flute whistle.

Suan Chi immediately straightened up, listened intently to discern the length and rhythm of the whistle, then turned to Ye Weian, his tone solemn: "The shaman—and the elders—have agreed. They will send a wooden boat to ferry you across the river."

"No need for that." Ye Wei'an smiled slightly and gestured to Lucia beside him.

It was finally my turn to shine.

Lucia let out a cheerful murmur, came to the edge of the riverbank, lowered her head, her nose almost touching the water, and began to chant in a low, almost singing tone.

It's a Druid spell, [Plant Growth].

But this is a different use compared to the original growing ceremony in the fields.

The power of nature rippled outwards with her voice.

Several clumps of shrubs and reeds on the bank, which were originally no more than half a person tall, suddenly seemed to be injected with abundant vitality. Their branches grew taller and thicker, their roots intertwined and solidified in the mud, and their leaves and branches wove and interlocked with each other.

In the blink of an eye, it stretched from one bank to the other, growing into a wooden bridge.

The bridge deck is made of thick wooden planks and tough vines, and even railings grow on both sides for people to hold onto.

Seeing this, Suan Chi's eyes widened in disbelief.

The ability to manipulate plants at will.

This is indeed a tactic that only Druids can use.

Now, he adopted an even more humble posture, and even his breathing became lighter.

"Please lead the way, Captain Sour Teeth." Ye Weian took the lead and rode his horse onto the wooden bridge, the sound of his hooves making a dull thud on the bridge surface.

Suan Chi nodded hurriedly and followed quickly, her movements even showing a hint of restraint.

As soon as it reached the shore, Suan Chi hurriedly burrowed into the depths of the reeds, emitting a series of rapid hissing sounds.

Ye Wei'an glanced at the minimap out of the corner of his eye and saw a yellow—no, a yellowish-green dot—from the lurking hunter.

It broke away from the group and fled into the deeper parts of the swamp at an extremely fast speed, clearly to report new information to the "distinguished guest".

Yes, with the revelation of his and Lucia's identities, the remaining scattered, wary lights around them have now changed from yellow to a more benign yellowish-green.

In this wilderness, a druid's reputation is more valuable than gold.

The rest of the journey depended entirely on the acidic teeth for guidance.

The group followed it as it meandered through the labyrinthine swamp, sometimes wading through knee-deep muddy water, sometimes skirting large swampy pools that emitted swampy gas, and sometimes carving a path through waist-high ferns.

The group had walked for about seven or eight miles. If it weren't for the local guide, outsiders would probably have been trapped and died long ago by this extremely complicated terrain. There was no road here at all. Only hunters who were well-versed in the habits of swamps could find the right direction from every similar patch of reeds and every indistinguishable waterway.

Finally, the vegetation ahead thinned out. A path that had clearly been man-made appeared before us.

But the "decoration" of this path is chilling.

Various shriveled heads hung densely from the tree trunks and stakes on both sides.

There were enormous swamp frog heads, grotesque giant lizard skulls, and the remains of some kind of humanoid creature—but the vast majority of them were the iconic, black, shriveled heads of the Blackscale Lizardmen, almost forming a terrifying arcade.

They were shriveled by wind and sun, reduced to wrinkled, leather-wrapped skeletons, their empty eye sockets silently watching each one.

Intruder.

Judging from the degree of weathering, some of them have been hanging for several years or even more than a decade, and new ones are constantly being added.

This is a warning path paved with the blood and bones of sworn enemies.

Ye Wei'an observed silently, gaining a more direct understanding of the hatred between Xunmao and Heilin—this was by no means a conflict at a particular time or place, but a brutal bloodbath that had lasted for many years, a blood feud between life and death.

He was more confident in achieving his goals for the trip.

After passing through this deadly path, the scene before you suddenly changes.

At your feet and on both sides, four low but continuous hills, like a huge, broken crown, embrace a clear body of water in the middle, forming a natural basin.

The lake water is an incredible turquoise color, gushing out from several valley gaps between the hills, turning into a complex network of tributaries that meander through every corner of the Thun Swamp.

Their destination—the village of the Swiftspear tribe—was right before them.

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