Chapter 1091: Carbon Water Happiness

"Lord!" Wan Qifeng immediately stood up upon seeing He Lingchuan.

This action caused the Bailong tribesmen to look up, turning their gaze towards He Lingchuan and Lu Qingbang.

"Lingguang."

At He Lingchuan's command, Lingguang immediately jumped to the ground, gently felt Wan Qitong's neck pulse, and then examined the wound.

Finally, it gently shook its head at He Lingchuan: "He passed away about half an hour ago, likely in a coma, so it wasn't a painful death."

Hearing this, the surrounding Bailong women and children burst into tears again. Respecting the deceased, He Lingchuan bowed several times respectfully to Wan Qitong's body, showing full deference.

Only then did He Lingchuan ask Wan Qifeng, "Who is in charge of the tribe now?"

Both the elder and younger chieftains had died in battle, leaving the Bailong tribe temporarily without a leader. Wan Qifeng looked around before leading an elderly man with a white beard forward.

"This is my granduncle, Wan Qiyao. After the young chieftain's passing, he is the most senior."

He Lingchuan immediately said, "Elder Wan Qi, may we speak in private for a moment?"

"Yes, yes," Elder Wan Qi said, wiping tears from his eyes, and followed He Lingchuan outside. The sound of sobbing made it unsuitable for discussion there. Being experienced, he knew He Lingchuan wanted to discuss the aftermath.

The four walked over thirty meters away, where the ambient noise faded. Only then did He Lingchuan speak seriously, "We have brought food, fresh water, and medicine on the ships. I have ordered people to unload and distribute them. They may not be delicious, but they will at least fill stomachs. Please, Elder Wan Qi, organize people to collect them as needed."

Preparing so much food in such a hurry was certainly not a simple task. Elder Wan Qi nodded repeatedly, "Island Master He, you've gone to great lengths."

After two days of fierce fighting, the tribe's warriors were battered, and the elderly, weak, women, and children were starving. During their escape, they had discarded much of their baggage, so finding food now was no easy feat—there were nearly forty thousand tribesmen here! As soon as the battle ended, the most pressing issue was laid bare before them. If not for Island Master He's thoughtfulness, where would they find provisions for forty thousand people?

"It's nothing," He Lingchuan smiled, glancing at Lu Qingbang. "We will rest here briefly and then we must board the ships. The Yaguans are guarding the peninsula entrance, so we shouldn't stay in Storm Bay for too long, lest complications arise."

Storm Bay was not far from the Bailie border; by land, it was only dozens of kilometers away.

But the Bailong tribe couldn't pass through. The Ulu army had not yet retreated, so they were still in danger. Their warriors were exhausted from prolonged fighting, and the elderly, weak, women, and children were hungry and tired; how could they possibly walk?

Elder Wan Qi subconsciously looked at He Lingchuan. This Island Master He had plenty of soldiers. Escorting the Bailong people overland and across the border should be effortless for him. However, that would introduce unnecessary risks. Why would he do that for strangers? Island Master He had already done more than enough by risking his life to rescue the Bailong tribe from the Yaguan army and providing them with food and water. How could they take advantage of his generosity?

Considering the Bailong tribe's current predicament, Elder Wan Qi made his decision readily: "This is truly a lot of trouble for Island Master He!"

Others treated them like a plague, avoiding them at all costs. Even Bailie, despite being prompted by the Kingdom of Mu, was reluctant to accept them. Only Island Master He, standing before them, genuinely showed them kindness and welcome. It was truly a timely help in their hour of need.

Thinking this, Elder Wan Qi's gaze towards He Lingchuan grew even more grateful. A step closer to his goal, He Lingchuan was overjoyed and his words became even more sincere: "It's exactly what I wanted, how could it be trouble? To be frank, and no offense, Brother Lu, even if these forty thousand Bailong people enter Bailie, it might be difficult for the local area to accommodate them."

Lu Qingbang couldn't help but touch his nose. The order from the Kingdom of Mu had come very urgently. He had rushed here with his troops to assist Wan Qitong. As for how these forty thousand Bailong people would be settled once they entered Bailie, where they would eat and live, that was up to the Lu family's arrangements, and he wasn't entirely clear on the details himself. But forty thousand was indeed a rather large number. Suddenly having forty thousand mouths to feed and shelter—well, Bailie would certainly be overwhelmed for a while. Given his understanding of the Lu family... he sighed.

Elder Wan Qi gave a bitter smile: "Yes, the food and lodging for so many people have been racking our brains."

When Wan Qisong and his nephew Wan Qifeng originally left with just over a thousand people, they had constantly struggled with feeding their followers, eventually becoming so destitute they had to seek employment and work in the Yangshan Archipelago. Wan Qitong must have expended immense effort to support these forty thousand people! Now that the young chieftain had also passed away, the thought of this problem made Elder Wan Qi feel utterly despairing. Although the battle was over, the tribe's survival crisis had not passed.

"With collective effort, there's always a way," He Lingchuan comforted them. "When one door closes, another opens. But enough talk for now, please, Elder Wan Qi, eat first."

The fleet from Yangshan Archipelago began unloading supplies in turns at Luting Beach. The operation was hurried, and the Island Master had demanded that Yangshan Archipelago prepare a massive amount of food within one day and then load it onto ships to rush to Storm Bay. Consequently, the food choices were very limited; anything requiring elaborate processing was excluded. Therefore, the ships carried mostly oats, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peanuts, taro, pumpkins, yams, and various beans. These were all high-starch, filling foods that were easy to transport, simple to store, and quick to cook—most could even be boiled in saltwater and eaten without a container.

Next were boiled eggs. The Bailong people received eggs of all sizes, from large goose eggs to tiny quail eggs the size of grapes; Yangshan Archipelago had practically bought out all the poultry eggs from Knife Edge Harbor and its surroundings. There was also aphid sugar, loved by both adults and children. On Panshi Island, there happened to be a batch of finished aphid sugar that hadn't been packaged for sale yet, which Ding Zuodong easily diverted. Sugar not only provided energy but also a sense of happiness.

Additionally, there were hard fruits like apples, pears, and bananas, which were also easy to carry.

The Bailong people sat on Luting Beach, eating their first meal in two days, accompanied by freshly boiled hot water. As they ate, many started to cry. They sobbed while wolfing down their food. Huang Zhao watched an eight-year-old boy devour two potato pieces the size of goose eggs in less than five minutes, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk hoarding food. Before he had even swallowed what was in his mouth, he reached for a third potato.

"You can't eat anymore," Huang Zhao said, grabbing the child's small hand. "If you drink water later, you'll burst!"

The child was reluctant, so Huang Zhao gave him a small, red wild apple: "This tastes better than potatoes." Though small, the wild apple was sour, sweet, and helped with bloating.

The Bailong people hadn't expected that this meal, after their ordeal, would be far better than anything they had eaten in nearly two months! Tens of thousands of people wandering in a foreign land couldn't always find food. Many of them had chewed on bark and grass roots just to save a mouthful for their children. To eat their fill, to fill their stomachs with proper food—how long had they been deprived of such carbohydrate comfort?