They walked further when a small river suddenly emerged from the forest. The melodious babbling of the stream sounded like a lullaby, yet Zhong Yun's parched throat burned with unbearable thirst.

The group finally halted amidst jubilant cheers. From behind a wall formed by closely-packed banyan trunks, native women and children burst forth, sprinting toward their families in a festival-like celebration. Two captors holding Zhong Yun were forcibly separated by towering indigenous women into warm embraces.

Breaking free at last, Zhong Yun rushed to where Zhang Xiao lay prostrate on the ground. A quick examination confirmed his companion still breathed. As he attempted to rouse Zhang Xiao, a procession of muscular natives surrounded an imposing female figure who approached.

Sensing piercing eyes upon him, Zhong Yun lifted his gaze and locked onto this singular woman. Unlike other bare-chested tribeswomen, she wore garments covering her entire body, face painted with red and green pigments resembling Earth's indigenous war paint. Her subjects' deferential postures suggested she was their paramount leader.

Her amber eyes held something unusual - an emotion alien to the tribe's collective expression. As she approached Zhang Xiao, she spoke sharply to a subordinate who promptly took him away.

Zhong Yun didn't protest; if they intended harm, they would have acted already. The woman suddenly addressed him in an indecipherable string of syllables that certainly wasn't any primitive tongue he'd encountered before. When he remained baffled by her second language attempt, she exasperatedly tried a third variant.

Paralyzed with shock, Zhong Yun realized the impossible - this uncontacted tribeswoman spoke multiple complex languages. As disappointment darkened her amber eyes, she turned to leave when suddenly grasped his outstretched hand. Four warriors intervened violently, pinning him down.

With a sharp gesture, the woman halted the assault and fixed Zhong Yun with an inquisitive stare. He tentatively clapped hands, causing her guards' tension to spike again before he focused solely on rhythm. The moment he struck the right cadence, surprise flared in her eyes as they exited together through the door.

Inside another room, Zhong Yun found Zhang Xiao still unconscious but breathing. As he gently replaced his hand on the mattress, a silent plea formed - "Zhang Xiao, you must survive."

The amber-eyed woman emerged to find every native passing by displaying genuine reverence toward her, marked only by subtle nods of acknowledgment. After thirty minutes together exploring through the village's perimeter wall of ten-meter-high banyan trunks, Zhong Yun noted sentries armed with spears at regular intervals creating an atmosphere of military discipline.

Their entire expedition revealed a community using remarkably durable tools made from this strange wood. When he borrowed a digging tool, its featherlight weight and razor-sharp edge astounded him - it sliced through earth as if cutting moss while leaving no signs of wear on the blade's corner where a leaden weight enhanced effectiveness.

The village's isolation deepened his unease about their security measures. Back at the ministerial office in Daowo City, the balding official's outburst over the Tong Guang Star's ten-day radio silence echoed through his chambers as he collapsed against the desk.

Meanwhile, Yang Yun Rong's reaction to this news was equally visceral. The boy's training at the base had consumed considerable resources - if something happened to him aboard that ill-fated ship...

On some nameless planet, Zhong Yun shared an intimate meal with the amber-eyed woman. As she meticulously tore pieces of salted meat into delicate morsels, he introduced himself with a hand over his chest.

"Zhong Yun," he said, pointing at her.

Her response was unexpected - "Yudaoting." The pronunciation hinted at more than mere coincidence when suddenly a piercing whistle shattered their quiet.

The woman instantly grabbed her spear as the entire village erupted into readiness. Watching warriors emerge from huts clutching weapons while women's faces reflected sorrowful resolve... Zhong Yun now understood.

They were preparing for war.