Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Musa had not returned, which made Li Du a little worried. Big Ivan pulled out a colt pistol and spat out a piece of chewing gum. “Boss, should I look around for him?” “You don't have to be so worried, do you? What could hurt him? An animal?” Lu Guan spoke softly. Big Ivan replied, “Wild animals are not as dangerous as humans. Who knows, he could be caught by someone from the tribe, or he might work together with people from the tribe to set us a trap.” Li Du shook his head. “You don’t have to think like that. Musa is not that kind of person, I mean, he doesn't have the brains to think of setting up a trap.” “It's always better to be cautious,” Big Ivan said. Brother Wolf agreed with him and took out a gun too. The lion hunter had prepared rifles for them. The AK-74U had been around for ages. That model was made a long time ago but was powerful enough for jungle battles. Li Du was running a little low on patience after waiting for another forty minutes. However, Musa finally appeared. He was carrying the Black Mamba crossbow, with two wild birds and a hare on his waist. His footsteps were light as he approached, and his emotions seemed to overflow. Li Du, stunned, asked, “Were you out for a hunt?” Musa responded cheerfully, “I've got the way to my tribe, and I've got this.” As Li Du heard this, he immediately stood up and asked, equally excited, “Have you found your way back to the tribe?” “Yes,” Musa nodded vigorously. They extinguished the bonfire, stifled it with dirt, and made sure there would be no burning embers left. Then the group followed Musa into the deep woods. The huge trees stood row upon row, trunks towering into the clouds. Some trees had green leaves, and the foliage was so lush that it covered the sky.
It was difficult to travel in the jungle. As they walked further into the depths of the woods, they encountered more small rivers and streams. They seemed to be running into more rivers with every couple of steps. There were herds of deer living in the woods, but they were very alert to their surroundings. They would flee at once whenever there were any movements or noise around. Another hour passed while they walked, taking breaks in between. They had yet to see the Pygmy tribe. Li Du thought that they might still be in South Africa, but they had already crossed the border to Botswana. The forest stretched across the two countries. If so, the chance a diamond mine existing no doubt increased. Botswana was the world's leading diamond producer. While walking, Ah Meow, who was leading the way, suddenly ran up to the big tree by the side of the path and gave a shrill cry: “Meow meow!” Ah Ow, Crispy Noodles and Ali were the first to respond to the scream. All three of them looked forward and quickly gathered round. They vigilantly protected Sophie, who was behind them. Li Du and the rest looked over in the same direction and spotted a beast on the tree. The beast was very similar to Ah Meow, but bigger and stronger. It was covered with brownish-yellow fur with black spots scattered on it. It was a famous African animal, the cheetah. The cheetah looked beautiful with black markings running from the corners of its mouth to the corners of its eyes. It had a slender body and there was a black ring on its long tail. As it perched among the branches of the tree, its outline looked like a bronze statue. Both parties noticed each other. The cheetah stared at Li Du and his team from the tree raft. Its four long legs were dangling off the tree, and it dd not appear hostile to them, but merely as if it were enjoying life in a leisurely manner. Brother Wolf and Big Ivan aimed the muzzle at the cheetah but did not fire. Brother Wolf looked at the cheetah as he urgently waved and whispered, “Hurry! Let’s pass through and leave!”
Li Du didn't want to provoke the beast, nor did he have the idea of hunting it. After all, they entered its territory. Of course, he did not have the courage to provoke the cheetah, the jungle killer. Cheetahs were the fastest land animals and could reach the speed of112 kilometers per hour when running. The cheetah was extremely quick to gain speed, especially in short-range sprints. If a human world champion sprinter and a cheetah were in a hundred-meter race, the cheetah could let the world champion gain 60 meters first and still reach the finishing line first. A mauled carcass of an antelope rested on the tree next to the cheetah, evidently being the latter’s meal. It might be because the cheetah was full from its dinner, or because Li Du was part of a big group., but the animal showed no sign of wanting to provoke them either. Both parties looked at each other and eventually parted ways. Musa led the way for another hour. Just as Sophie was getting exhausted, a sudden whistle came from a tree. They all raised their heads and saw a petite black man standing on a branch, overlooking them with a pair of sparkly eyes. Like Musa, the little black man was no taller than one meter thirty. His body was thin and he was wearing a straw skirt and holding a homemade short bow in his hand, while something that looked like a horn hung from his neck. Seeing the little man, Musa gave a cheer. “Akana, Akana!” The black man looked at him carefully, then quickly picked up the horn hanging around his neck and blew it, “Whoo-hoo!” Soon, a dozen little black men showed up and Musa got happier. He danced and shouted, “Akana, Akana, Akana!” The other little men came running, but they turned a blind eye to Li Du and his entourage. They ran to Musa and danced around him as they shouted, “Akana!” Lu Guan followed the rhythm and shook his body, calling out, “Akana!” “What does that mean?” asked Li Du.
Lu Guan said, “I have no idea, maybe it's a chant of joy?” The little men only looked back at them then, and one of them had a puzzled expression on his face. “Akana?” Seeing his expression and feeling the suspicion in his tone, Li Du sensed that something was wrong and asked Musa, “What does Akana mean?” Musa replied, “It means, the child of the tribe has returned.” “Does it mean a wanderer has returned home?” “Yes.” Li Du pushed Lu Guan and said, “Very well. You belong to the tribe now.” Musa blurted something to his fellows and they made a hand gesture at Li Du. They touched their foreheads with the backs of their hands and waved their hands to the sky. Li Du asked, “What is this?” Musa laughed and replied, “Phantom, Phantom gate.” Surrounded by the pygmies, they walked forward. They passed through a series of tall trees and were greeted by a vast expanse of flat ground. The field of their vision suddenly broadened. Many tiny huts stood on the flat stretch of ground. They were no more than one meter sixty in height, with miniature-sized bonfires, stools, and carts in front of them. In short, they seemed to have entered the Lilliput land.
