Chapter 890 - 889, Investigation
Although the Orcs looked troubled, they had no solution and could only look at Ji Nuan, who sat on the stone bench, frowning deeply in thought.
Ji Nuan examined the twig in her hand, but her mind had already conjured up many possible scenarios.
The Salt Fruit Trees could not have died for no reason; either they had caught a disease or been infested with insects.
But now, regardless of which scenario it was, she had no way of knowing.
She sighed, placed the withered twig on the stone table, and stood up to look at Ge Tai, "I need to go to the Salt Fruit Trees to take a look. We must find out what caused them to die, and whether this could potentially affect other trees."
Upon hearing this, the Orcs felt a chill in their hearts. Their food consisting of purple fruits and Stinky Fruit powder all grew on trees; if the situation with the Salt Fruit were to spread to other trees, the consequences would be dire.
"I’ll go with you." As the courtyard gate opened, Xiu Yan’s cool voice followed.
Seeing Xiu Yan, Ji Nuan’s heart instantly relaxed.
She nodded, "Brother Xiu Yan, Ya Li, take a guard team of Orcs with us. We may have to stay outside for a while this time. Ying Yan will go too. If anything happens, the message can be sent back to the Tribe promptly."
Chief Ge Xing also knew that they could only rely on Shaman Ji Nuan now.
He stood up, "Shaman, rest assured, we’ll take care of things here in the Tribe. Go and deal with the Salt Fruit Trees without worry."
Grandma Shaman and Shaman Benny also stood up, "We’ll handle the healing affairs in the Tribe, don’t worry."
Seeing the Orcs’ resolve, Ji Nuan solemnly nodded, "You also be at ease; I will find the salt once again."
Ji Nuan and the Orcs set to depart went to prepare their travel supplies and took some jerky from the Tribe’s storeroom.
The next morning, this team of Orcs set out from the city under the watchful eyes of the Inspection Team and Chief Ge Xing. Once they crossed the drawbridge, they transformed into their beast forms and ran toward the direction of the forest.
The Orcs in the Tribe did not know what Ji Nuan and the others were doing because Chief Ge Xing told outsiders that Shaman Ji Nuan was searching for precious medicinal herbs in other Mountain Forests.
In the Tribe, the salt from the Salt Fruit trees was stored as fruit in two storage rooms to preserve them; they were opened only when the tribespeople came to exchange.
If the tribespeople did not use the salt to cure wild vegetables and meat, it would last until the end of the hot season.
In the forest, Ji Nuan and her companions had reached a spot where the Tribe collected Salt Fruit, a small Salt Fruit Tree forest that was not very large; all the Salt Fruit Trees were just as Ge Tai had brought back—dead and lifeless.
Ji Nuan walked up to a Salt Fruit Tree that was now only as tall as herself, and stared at the pitch-black sapling with a deep frown.
The vegetation around the Salt Fruit Tree really was as Ge Tai had said—vibrant and tender, a stark contrast to the lifelessness of the tree.
She used her iron shovel to dig around the tree, exposing the roots below, which had turned as pitch-black as the trunk.
Could it be a disease?
Ji Nuan tugged at the corner of her mouth. She may be a Shaman but certainly not a tree doctor. Treating Salt Fruit Trees... she felt like releasing a long, exasperated sigh toward the heavens.
She couldn’t do it!
Feeling somewhat despondent, she lowered her head and absently poked around the earth with her small shovel.