The blinded Dennis had been out for most of the day.

After a long time, he hurried back to the door of the house where Xia Chuan and the others were staying. Without entering, he called out through a few broken leaves, “Hey! You two can come out now. They’re going to do something... probably a funeral or something like that. Laura wasn’t very clear. Anyway, everyone in the tribe needs to gather, so come on out.”

The two people inside stood up and exchanged glances, then walked out the door one after the other. As Xia Chuan walked, he straightened the clothes that had been wrinkled by Shen Lan, and saw Dennis waiting outside with a meaningful look at the creases on his shirt, his face clearly saying, "Good thing I had the sense to leave early!"

Xia Chuan couldn't be bothered with his unnecessary comments. He flipped his cuffs and nodded towards the direction of the voices, saying, “Over there? Let’s go.”

The three of them walked side by side, passing a few mud huts. Xia Chuan and Shen Lan both had straight backs, looking tall and upright. Dennis usually appeared similar, at least when he smiled lightly and didn’t speak, he seemed quite elegant. But today, he walked like a monkey, his back and waist never in a straight line. He kept twisting and subtly slouching a shoulder every few steps, looking as awkward as could be.

“Did you take drugs today?” Xia Chuan glanced at him twice, frowning.

Dennis: “...”

He twisted his body a bit more, then explained with a pained expression, “I don’t want to walk like this, but my back really itches, and I don’t dare scratch it!”

“Is it scabbing already? That fast?” Xia Chuan stepped back and looked at Dennis’s back but saw nothing. Dennis had given most of the remaining bandages in his medical kit on the two women in charge of medical care and wrapped the rest around his own back, covering it with a piece of torn clothing.

“Don’t know, maybe. They ground up the remaining leaves into a paste and smeared it on the wound along with the rotten leaves. It didn’t hurt much after that, so it’s probably healing. It’s pretty quick for just one night. How about we take some of those leaves back next time? Then you wouldn’t need to take two anti-inflammatory pills carelessly every time.”

Without lifting his eyes, Xia Chuan replied indifferently, “How is that careless? I did see a doctor for serious injuries, didn’t I?”

“Oh—sure you can say that.” Dennis couldn’t help but complain, “Wasn’t it me who dragged the German guy to take you to his place?”

“Didn’t I go later?”

“What German guy?”

Xia Chuan and Shen Lan almost spoke at the same time. Dennis glanced back and forth between them, deciding to answer Shen Lan, who had a higher combat value, “The doctor at our company clinic. He’s so serious it’s almost boring, but he’s tight-lipped and doesn’t ask unnecessary questions. He only treats the illness, doesn't make small talk.” Pointing at Xia Chuan, he said to Shen Lan, “He hates it when people chat while working.”

Shen Lan silently glanced at Dennis, thinking, you know so much, yet you still talk a lot...

When talking about the past, Dennis was initially excited, chattering as if he could go on forever. But when he mentioned the German guy also being on the cruise, his enthusiasm suddenly waned, and he felt there was nothing more worth discussing: “Just being alive is good enough.”

He concluded with that sentence and then fell silent.

The last time Xia Chuan went to treat his wounds was just a month ago; it had only been ten days since they left the company; the last time he saw the German guy was before the shipwreck... Reflecting on all these events, they were actually recent, but now it felt as though a long, long time had passed. Some things, when brought up suddenly, were even a bit unclear in his memory.

It wasn't just Dennis; Xia Chuan, who was listening on the side, felt the same. They suddenly understood Shen Lan, who had lived in the dinosaur world for years, so long that time could no longer be accurately counted. Forgetting many past events was perfectly normal.

However, Xia Chuan always felt that Shen Lan's situation was too special. It wasn't just simple forgetting; to forget so thoroughly seemed more like the result of drugs.

Earlier, when discussing Professor Linton in the house, he had already harbored some doubts—Shen Lan, with a number tattooed on his body, had lived in this world for years, while they had stumbled in due to a shipwreck. First, they met Shen Lan, and then they encountered Professor Linton, who seemed not entirely ignorant about this world...

These things seemed coincidental, but when connected, they became quite complex.

Xia Chuan quietly sorted these thoughts in his mind, increasingly feeling that all this was more likely guided and controlled by someone. But what was the purpose?

As he pondered, he didn't stop walking. Soon, he, Shen Lan, and Dennis arrived at the gathering place. Laura, holding Allen, waved at them from the other side of the crowd, signaling them to come over.

“What’s going on?” Xia Chuan asked as soon as they reached her.

“A mass funeral,” Laura whispered.

“Mass?” Xia Chuan frowned slightly, glancing around the crowd. He hadn't been here long enough to remember everyone, so even after a look around, he couldn't tell who was missing.

“Little Braid's son and two others. One of them slept next to Dennis and was just found without breath. Another went down the slope to bathe this morning, went a bit too far, encountered a wild beast, and didn’t survive being dragged back.” Laura explained, adding, “This is what I pieced together from listening and guessing; there might be some inaccuracies.”

Regardless of the details, the number of deceased wouldn't be wrong. While Xia Chuan and the others whispered, three bodies had already been brought over.

“Is this what they were arguing about before?” Shen Lan asked.

“No, but it's related.” Laura nodded towards the bodies, “These three—you saw how Little Braid's son was injured. The one who stayed in the infirmary had his arm ripped off by a wild beast, and the one who bathed this morning... Do you get it?”

“The same kind of wild beast?” Xia Chuan asked, his eyes on the three bodies in the crowd. They had seen Aegon's son; the one in the middle had long had his arm injury, but the one attacked while bathing still bore fresh, clear wounds.

Xia Chuan looked at the deep claw marks on the chest, recalling the marks he saw near the door when their supplies were stolen.

“They argued so fast I could barely catch it, but I got the gist. Some of them believe the frequency of wild beast attacks on their tribe is too high. And the two who went down the slope this morning saw some scattered stone weapons in the direction the beast left.”

“They suspect the beast was domesticated?” Xia Chuan immediately understood.

“Yes, that’s the idea,” Laura said. “Some believe this, while others think it’s a coincidence, considering these beasts are fierce and cunning. Domestication seems unlikely.”

“Not necessarily. Evidence of beast domestication exists in this era,” Dennis added. “Who do they suspect?”

“They mentioned a tribe that has always been unruly, small in number but prone to dirty tricks, stealing from others. I didn’t catch much more.” Laura explained, “Their opinions are divided. Some want to attack proactively, but not many support this. They argued for a long time, then decided to hold the funeral first since the bodies can't be left out. It’s too damp here.”

In fact, the bodies could no longer be kept.

They weren’t that close, yet the smell was already noticeable, let alone for those standing right next to the bodies. If left longer, the stench would affect the living.

This tribe moved quickly once they decided on something. Soon, everyone gathered around a square earthen platform. Xia Chuan saw Aegon and two others carrying a thick stack of large leaves, each half the height of a person. Kneeling, they carefully wrapped the bodies with the leaves.

Aegon's technique in wrapping the leaves was more skilled, while the other two seemed somewhat clumsy. The onlookers wore expressions of solemn sorrow, but no one rashly stepped in to help.

They wrapped and rewrapped, tears streaming down their faces, taking a long time to properly cover the bodies. Finally, they secured the bundles tightly with strong rattan, leaving only the faces exposed. Aegon looked down at his son's face, placed his hand over his eyes, and then softly spoke two sentences. A beast tooth with patterns, tied around his neck, swayed with his movements...

After they had said their goodbyes, six strong and sturdy men emerged from the crowd, helping to carry the wrapped bodies on their backs, and then they opened the gate and descended the slope.

The chieftain stood at the gate, watching their silhouettes grow distant. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and quickly walked up to Xia Chuan and Shen Lan, his expression somewhat worried as he spoke while gesturing. Laura dutifully translated with her clumsy skills: "Um... he’s asking if you can follow them."

"Where to?" Xia Chuan asked.

"The seaside," Laura glanced at the chieftain and answered.

Without a word, Shen Lan grabbed Xia Chuan and started walking, saying, "No problem."