The leading savage was short in stature, his face etched with wrinkles.
Yet, unexpectedly, the tall and mighty savages behind him showed him great respect.
When Xivier fired, this short savage, as if sensing it, instinctively tilted his body aside. In the end, the bullet aimed at his chest merely grazed his arm.
Since Xivier had fired the first shot, we no longer held back. We drew our guns and fired at the group of savages.
If Xivier hadn't wanted to keep a few alive to be our guides, under our barrage of gunfire, not a single one of the savages before us would have survived.
They could no longer resist.
Several tall savages shielded the leading savage behind them. Finally, they shouted and charged at us.
However, there were no other cover points on this platform.
Their tall figures became perfect targets for us, and we shot them in the head one by one.
The savages on the platform fell like wheat stalks. In just a minute, fewer than ten remained.
Suddenly, Xivier waved her hand, signaling us to stop firing. She then slowly walked forward and, to our surprise, began speaking in the savage language.
Xivier, that wicked woman, could speak the savage language?
I was taken aback for a moment and instinctively quieted my breath, ready to listen to what Xivier had to say.
To my astonishment, not only could Xivier speak the savage language, but she spoke it fluently.
Her speech was incredibly fast.
Within a few sentences, my mind couldn't keep up with her pace.
I had been learning the savage language with Kexin and Keya for a while, but I mostly relied on them for translation. I could only understand a few words myself.
I strained to listen, catching only a few words like "guide" and "sacred place" from Xivier's speech. I understood nothing else.
Under Xivier's persuasion, two or three of the savages threw down their weapons and knelt before her.
The remaining savages exchanged glances, then turned and fled into the depths of the snowy mountains.
The short, leading savage was among them.
Trying to escape?
They underestimated our marksmanship!
Hathaway, the bald elder, and I drew our guns and fired at them. Bullets struck the fleeing savages.
But the savages deliberately shielded the short leader.
Every time we aimed at the short savage, another would use their body to block the bullets.
In the end, all the savages except the short one died under our gunfire.
The short savage disappeared into the vast expanse of snow.
That guy could really run.
What was his background?!
With no other threats on the field, Xivier beckoned us over to tie up the surrendered savages with ropes.
Her expression remained grim.
"We need to find the escaping savage. He cannot be allowed to live! This savage is the leader of this group of pilgrims, the strongest among them, and possesses peculiar abilities."
I was stunned. Xivier's words made sense. The savages on this island held the strongest grudges. If that little savage escaped, he would surely seek revenge. He would remain hidden while we were exposed.
We would have to be constantly vigilant against his sneak attacks.
This feeling of a Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads was extremely uncomfortable.
I thought for a moment, about to agree with Xivier's idea, but then I noticed her glancing at me furtively as she spoke. I immediately fell silent.
Damn it, if we went after that short savage, seeing Xivier's ill-intentioned look, she would definitely send me!
With such heavy snowfall, I wasn't going on a suicide mission!
I ignored Xivier's hints and pretended not to hear.
The bald elder beside me shook his head after listening and rejected Xivier's idea.
"With this heavy snow, it's already difficult to track a single person. Moreover, this is an area they are familiar with. We shouldn't create further trouble. Perhaps the savage will freeze to death on his own."
The others also voiced their objections, and Xivier eventually abandoned the thought.
The snow outside had lessened compared to when we arrived, but it was still falling steadily, showing no signs of stopping.
As dusk approached, we decided to rest temporarily on the platform for the night and set off at dawn.
To be honest, I had no idea how the savages had built this platform. Excavating a semi-circular area halfway up the snowy mountain must have required immense manpower and resources!
We briefly cleared the traces left by the pilgrims, renovating their camp into our temporary shelter for the night.
As night fell, the temperature plummeted.
I suspected that if I spat on the ground now, the saliva would turn into ice shards mid-air.
After a simple meal, we quickly retreated into our tents.
Xivier and the other two each had their own tent, while Xu Xiangyun and I shared one.
Perhaps out of distrust, Xivier did not have me and Qu Xiangyun on guard duty tonight. Instead, the three of them took turns.
I don't have to serve you anyway!
I was happy to have some leisure, holding Qu Xiangyun and sleeping soundly.