Chapter 119: The Rapidly Spreading News

On the other side of the forest, a procession of Kulast dwarves struggled forward. The warrior, perched atop the head of a servant, wore an expression of grim determination, while his servants moved listlessly, appearing as though they had lost their souls.

The Kulast warrior felt a sense of helplessness regarding his servants' condition. They had been this way ever since they lost contact with their ancestral spirits over ten days ago. This listlessness persisted not only during their daily treks but even while hunting or foraging—tasks that required focus. Due to their carelessness, over a dozen servants had died in accidents over the past ten days. If this continued, the warrior would soon be forced to walk and hunt for himself.

Looking up at his surroundings, the warrior let out a frustrated shriek. The cry held no meaning; it was merely an outlet for his simmering rage. His servants seemed to stir slightly at the sound, but they soon returned to their soulless state.

Just then, a servant nearby suddenly cried out, "Master, look here! Come look! It is Lord Bergen. He has died here, and not a single one of his servants remains."

The Kulast warrior commanded his servants to gather around. Just as the servant had said, the body of another Kulast warrior lay on the ground. Unlike the others, he was completely alone; even the servant who served as his mount was nowhere to be found.

The warrior examined Bergen’s corpse closely. His weapons were largely intact, suggesting he had not faced any significant combat. However, his feet were covered in thick mud, indicating he had been walking on his own for some time. By the looks of it, he had not starved to death or been attacked; he had simply collapsed and died while walking.

The warrior gazed at the fallen peer with a strange expression. He hesitated before saying, "Bergen was cast out of the tribe five days before me. If he died here, does that mean we only have five days left to live?"

His servants did not answer, but the sorrow in their eyes was palpable.

Seeing his servants in this state, the warrior sighed. "I understand. Let us turn back. Even if I must die, I will die under the tree of the ancestral spirits, even though the spirits are gone."

Hearing this, the dazed servants seemed to find a spark of resolve and began to guide the warrior back the way they came.

They had not traveled far when the sound of rustling branches erupted nearby. A small squirrel darted from the canopy, carrying a Kulast servant on its back. The servant’s face was marked with red patterns—the distinct markings of a messenger, indicating he was not there to challenge them.

Upon seeing the group, the messenger shrieked and leaped from the squirrel, landing among the servants. He raised a wooden spear and shouted, "Is Lord Heather ahead? My master is Acorn. He was recently cast out of the ancestral camp and has discovered something urgent. He asked me to notify all the lords who have been cast out..."

The servant trailed off as he noticed the corpse of Bergen nearby. He stood frozen for a moment before producing another wooden spear, placing it beside Bergen. "Lord Bergen, we have all been betrayed."

Heather, who had taken the spear from the servant, closed his eyes and ran his fingers over the carvings on the shaft. The Kulast dwarves did not use written language; all their knowledge was etched into their spears or ornaments. Only those of warrior rank or higher could interpret such precise information.

"Needle and Acorn, is it?" Heather murmured, his head bowed. "They have encountered the same fate. Bergen must have lost all hope when he lost his ancestral spirit. And what of the others? Before me, there were Aye and Ghostwood. And after me? Did they all..."

Heather suddenly shouted, "No! I must find them. There is definitely something wrong here."

The messenger stepped forward and said, "Lord Heather, my master says that once you have regained your spirits, you must go to this location. We need to deliberate and uncover the conspiracy behind all of this."

Heather stared at the servant for a long time before finally saying, "I understand. I will go, but I have my own matters to attend to first. Stand aside."

The servant cleared a path, and Heather departed with his attendants.

Such scenes were playing out across the forest. During this time, Acorn’s servants were fanning out to locate the exiled Kulast warriors. Some were fortunate enough to find them and deliver the message, directing them to the gathering point. Others were less lucky, finding only corpses—or sometimes, nothing at all.

Most of the Kulast warriors who received the message agreed to gather, though some remained skeptical and chose to seek answers on their own. Others were less discreet, spreading the news immediately. Rumors rippled through the forest, leading Kulast dwarves who lived outside the ancestral camps to seek out their own spirits for information. Ambitious dwarves, upon learning of the assembly, began heading toward the location with their own retinues.

At the gathering site, Liu Zong and his companions were discussing their next move with Needle, who had been brought there by one of Acorn’s servants. After hearing Liu Zong’s evidence that their exile was a premeditated act, Needle had arrived at the meeting spot within a single day.

Liu Zong was busy clearing the clearing with his companions. He knew that gathering the Kulast warriors would take at least three days, and the subsequent deliberations on the conspiracy and how to respond would likely drag on even longer. Liu Zong could afford to wait, but he could not afford to neglect his own growth; thus, he had begun developing the clearing into a temporary camp.