Traveling back to ancient times to determine the zodiac

"You didn't shake it, so could this wood move by itself? It's so infuriating..." Yun hadn't finished his words when suddenly, the trunk began to twist violently, throwing all the people sitting on it off. Then, the trunk "swish, swish" quickly moved to one side, moving three meters long, revealing the back end of the trunk, which turned out to be a long tail.

The people sitting on it fell on their backs, and then they realized that the so-called "tree trunk" was actually a thick and long python. Just now, everyone was eager to rest, so they misjudged the body of the python as the tree trunk.

"Oh my God! This is actually a giant snake, as thick as a tree. I'm scared to death!" He exclaimed in amazement.

Everyone's face turned pale. Zhi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "With my hunting experience of more than fifty years, this is the first time I have seen such a big snake."

"This snake must be a full snake, otherwise, it would eat us all." Xiaoxing said.

"My fellow warriors, we cannot stay here for long. Let's leave quickly," Zhi said.

Everyone agreed with this and continued to move forward without caring about their fatigue.

The group walked non-stop for another day, covering a distance of more than a hundred miles. At night, everyone was worried about being attacked by wolves again, so they found a tall tree, climbed up, and leaned against it to spend the night.

Nothing happened that night. In the morning, everyone got down from the tree and continued to move forward. As they were moving forward, they suddenly encountered a large river blocking their way. The river was surging, about half a mile wide, and the depth of the river was unfathomable. Everyone stood by the river, looking at the deep and wide river, and was stunned for a moment. The people shouted: "My God! How can we cross such a wide river?"

Dong touched the back of his head, looked at the river and sighed: "There is no bridge on this river. I think there is no other way except to swim across."

"Brother Dong, this river is wide and deep. It's too risky to swim across it." Xiaoxing objected.

"Dong, Xing is right. Water and fire are merciless. If you suddenly get cramps and become weak halfway through swimming, you will definitely drown." Zhi followed worriedly.

"Uncle Zhi, Xing, if we don't swim over, what do you think?" Dong looked directly at Xiaoxing and asked.

"I haven't thought of any good idea yet, but we can sit by the river and rest for a while, and then think of a solution later." Xiaoxing frowned as he looked at the surging river. There was no boat and no bridge, so he couldn't help but feel troubled.

"How about we look along the river to see if there is any place we can go around?" Feng suggested.

"Wind, how can that be possible? It will take days to go around and around." He shook his head in denial.

"If you want to cross the river, you have to listen to me: let's swim across together!" Dong Chao waved to everyone, wanting to lead them into the river.

"Brother Dong, no!" Xiao Xing stepped forward to block Dong's way and said, "For everyone's safety, let's think of another way!"

"Xing, if you are timid and afraid of death and dare not swim over, then you can turn back. In order to find fire and complete the mission, we are not afraid of anything and do not want to waste time here." Dong stared at Xiaoxing with strong dissatisfaction and contempt.

"Xing, since you don't have any good ideas, why waste time?" Xi agreed.

On the surface, Dong and Xiaoxing have always been reconciled, but in fact, they are very unhappy and conflicting. Dong wants to become the cave master, so he regards Xiaoxing as a potential threat. He hates that his intelligence is better than his own, so he always wants to suppress him and prevent him from making a name for himself. Although Xiaoxing has no intention of becoming the cave master, he often can't stand Dong's way of doing things - he only wants to show off his strength, doesn't think about others, and doesn't care about the safety of others. He hates and resents Dong from the bottom of his heart. For example, last time he didn't listen to the cave master's ban and led people to attack the cattle herd without authorization, which resulted in a great defeat, causing Guo and Nan to be seriously injured. This time, Dong wants to disregard the safety of others and lead everyone to take risks blindly, so Xiaoxing angrily stepped forward to stop him.

Xiao Xing faced Dong's angry gaze challengingly, looked at him and answered loudly: "Brother Dong, I am not a coward, and I will never retreat back to the cave. I am just considering everyone's safety and asking you not to take such a risk. If you feel confident that you can swim over, then you can swim over by yourself first."

Xiao Xing opposed and contradicted him in public, which made Dong feel even more embarrassed. He pointed at Xiao Xing and shouted, "Xing, it's only been two months since you recovered from your illness. Although the cave master often praises you now, I won't indulge you. If you don't want to swim over, then you can slowly figure out a way here." After that, he turned around and shouted to Xi, Bei, Zhong, Shugen and Ye Shu and others, "Xi, Bei, Ye Shu, and all the warriors, who among you is willing to swim over with me, follow me."

"Brothers, Brother Dong is right. It's just a swim. What's so scary about it?" Xi immediately agreed and followed Dong to the river.

Except for Xi, Bei, Zhong, Shugen, Yezi and others have always admired Dong and obeyed his orders. However, looking at the river, although it is calm on the surface, it is actually surging undercurrents. No one is completely sure, so they are hesitant. When everyone was hesitating, Zhi came to Dong and said to him: "Dong, this river is wide and deep. With my hunting experience of more than 50 years old, it is really not easy to swim across. And even if you can swim across, when we return with the fire, and then swim back like this, how can the fire not be extinguished? I think we should listen to Xing and sit down and discuss it carefully."

Seeing Uncle Zhi trying to dissuade him, Dong had no choice but to stop being stubborn. He scratched his head and said, "Uncle Zhi, besides swimming over, what else can you do?"

"Dong, Xi, everyone, be patient. It's almost noon now. Why don't you have lunch first? You can discuss while eating. If there is really no other way, we can just swim over there." Zhi said, and pulled Dong to sit on a big rock by the river.

The others also sat down together, and they took out their dry food and ate lunch first. Everyone was gloomy, wishing they could grow wings like an eagle and fly across the river. They were in no mood to even eat.

He filled his stomach casually, stood up, picked up a pebble, and threw it towards the water, cursing angrily: "This hateful river is blocking our way." The thrown stone bounced on the water for a few times before sinking into the water.

After Chen finished eating, he also felt depressed. He picked up a dead branch on the shore and threw it into the river. The dead branch immediately floated down the river. Chen looked at the dead branch and sighed, "It's a pity that this dead branch can't carry a person, otherwise, we would ride it to cross the river."

The speaker may not mean it, but the listener may take it seriously. When Xiao Xing heard this, his eyes rolled, he slapped his head, and shouted, "I got it! I have a way to cross the river."

Zhi was overjoyed when he heard this, and walked over to Xiaoxing and asked hurriedly, "Xing, what plan have you come up with to get us across the river?"

"Uncle Zhi, I almost forgot that we can make a bamboo raft or a wooden raft to cross the river."

"Bamboo raft or wooden raft? How to make it? Do you know how to make it?" Zhi had never seen this tool before and asked quickly.

"A bamboo raft is made by connecting bamboo or wood in a row, and then people sit on the raft and paddle across the river." Xiaoxing replied.

"That's a good idea. I think it will work." Zhi clapped his hands in agreement, then gathered Dong and the others together and repeated Xiaoxing's idea. Finally, he added, "If we take a bamboo raft or a wooden raft across the river, it will not only reduce the risk of drowning, but also prevent the fire from being extinguished by the water when we return. This is really a way to kill two birds with one stone."

He looked around and saw that there were no bamboos except some trees. So he said, "Uncle Zhi, this place is too remote. There are no bamboos. We can only cut wood to make rafts."

"Okay, let's go chop wood now. Let's go." Zhi waved his hand and led everyone back to chop trees.

Dong Jianzhi agreed with Xiaoxing's method of making a raft, and had to follow him without saying a word.

Two hours later, the group chopped back 20 to 30 bowl-thick logs. Xiaoxing tied them up side by side to make a raft that was two meters wide and ten meters long.

Zhi went forward to check it out and found that it was tied very firmly. So he gave an order and ordered everyone to drag the raft and push it into the water. The raft floated on the water, steady and stable.

Everyone happily boarded the raft, Xiaoxing used the spear to paddle away from the east bank, and then everyone used their hands as oars to slowly row to the other side.

After everyone got ashore, Zhi gave Xiaoxing a thumbs up and praised him, "Xing, you are really our wise star. You helped us cross the river safely and easily."

Xiaoxing waved his hand and said modestly: "In fact, this is also the result of everyone's joint efforts."

Zhi looked back at the raft and said, "We can't let this raft drift in the river. If it drifts away, we'll have to make a new one when we go back. Come on, everyone, lift the raft to the shore, and then we can use it to ferry us back."

Everyone followed the instructions, moved the raft, and worked together to shout and lift it to the shore. After crossing the river, everyone wielded their swords to clear the way and continued to move westward.

They walked for another two days. In the evening of this day, Zhi led everyone to climb a tree to spend the night. Dian, the youngest child, couldn't help but ask Zhi, "Uncle Zhi, we have been walking for so many days and are almost at the end of the sky where the sun sets. Why haven't we reached Yanshan yet? Did we go in the wrong direction?"

Zhi hurriedly comforted him, "Dian, with my fifty-year-old hunting experience, the direction is definitely not wrong. It's just that we are too slow, and we haven't even reached the thousand-mile journey, let alone the end of the sky."

Dong heard this and continued, "Dian, if we keep going like this, we will never reach the end of the sky. I have heard that the end of the sky is where the sun sets, and it is a sea of ​​fire. Before you get close, you will be burned to ashes!"

Xiao Xing couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, "Brother Dong, Uncle Zhi, I've said it before, the earth under our feet is the same as the sun, it's a sphere. Even if we walk for several lifetimes, it's just going around in circles, with no end."

"Nonsense." Dong immediately retorted: "Xing, others believe you, but I don't. If you say so, the earth is round, won't we fall into the sky?"

"Brother Dong is right. People have always said that the sky is round and the earth is square. Xing, I think your brain is still not completely healed." Xi immediately agreed.

Then the north, the center, the front, the back, the tree roots... everyone started laughing.

"If you don't believe it, forget it." Xiaoxing shrugged. He didn't want to argue with them. After all, that theory was too advanced.

Seeing that everyone had stopped arguing, Zhi encouraged them again: "My fellow warriors, based on my hunting experience of more than fifty years, I estimate that Yanshan is almost here. Everyone grit your teeth and don't lose heart, victory is in sight."

"Uncle Zhi, you are less than 60 years old now, how come you have the hunting experience of a man in his 50s?" Xiaoxing asked curiously.

"Xing, you youngsters really don't know." Zhi adjusted the branch he was leaning on and sighed, "Ah, it's a long story. My mother died of illness when I was three years old. Later, in order to take care of me, my father always brought me with him. Even when he went out hunting, he would tie me to his back. Therefore, my hunting history is earlier than others."

"Oh, I see." Xiao Xing nodded and asked, "Uncle Zhi, with your hunting experience of more than fifty years, what is the most difficult prey to hunt?"

"Based on my fifty years of hunting experience, the most difficult beast to hunt is the Nian beast. It is the most powerful and fiercest animal I have ever seen in my life." Zhi replied.

"Uncle Zhi, although the Nian beast was powerful, it was eventually defeated by us humans." Xiaoxing said.

"Xing, how do you know? Can you predict?" Yue asked in confusion.

"Yue, I am..." Before Xiaoxing finished answering, Chen rushed to say: "Haha, Xing, you must have known about this in the future world, right?"

"Yeah, that's right, these are all what I dreamed about." Xiaoxing scratched his head embarrassedly.

"So it was just a dream again. Tsk——" Yue and the others smiled and didn't pursue the matter any further.