Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 15

The next morning, Xie Yu’s biological clock, honed by a life of rising with the sun and resting at sunset, woke her early. Though her eyes were still closed, she heard Yun Nai stirring.

Their two beds weren’t pushed together, leaving a gap between them.

Waking early had become their habit. Yun Nai needed to continue gathering medicinal herbs for the Pharmacy, which hadn’t even begun construction yet. She hoped to improve their living conditions as much as possible within her means.

Xie Yu patted her forehead, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness, and greeted Yun Nai with a cheerful “Good morning!”

Yun Nai nodded lazily. “Morning.”

After changing into their animal-hide clothes, they went outside to wash up with the water they had boiled the previous night. Xie Yu subtly reminded her, “No exercise today either?”

Yun Nai muttered, “I have work later. If I run too much, I’ll be too tired.”

Xie Yu nodded solemnly. “I see. We can start again later then.” She was beginning to realize Yun Nai had her quirks, like her aversion to exercise.

After tossing a few fruits into her carrying basket, Xie Yu walked over to Yun Nai, taking another bite of the one in her hand. “I’m ready.”

Meeting Yun Nai’s surprised gaze, Xie Yu’s expression softened. “I said yesterday I’d go with you. It’s on the way.”

So she wasn’t just being polite, Yun Nai realized. “Aren’t you supposed to be helping Gan and the others set up the Pharmacy?”

“They’ll be busy for the next few days, probably helping many people build furniture,” Xie Yu replied after a moment’s thought. “I’ll talk to them tomorrow. For now, I’ll accompany you to gather supplies, then do some hunting. The Pharmacy needs a lot of materials.”

As she closed the door, Xie Yu found herself increasingly frustrated by its flimsy construction. It offered no real security.

They had barely stepped outside when Zhi’s urgent voice called out from behind them, “Chief!”

Zhi was usually calm and quiet, never this agitated.

Xie Yu raised an eyebrow in inquiry. Zhi, still panting, spoke with a mix of grievance and helplessness: “Gan went to collect the food we hadn’t taken last time, just as the sun rose. Now she’s about to get into a fight!”

She added with relief, “But people are holding them back. They haven’t started fighting yet.”

“Food we hadn’t taken?”

Zhi gritted her teeth. “It’s from when we built the huts. Some people didn’t trade food then, promising to repay us when the sun rose after the first harvest. And then…”

After speaking, Zhi felt uneasy. Previously, when the Chief had asked if everyone had settled their debts, they had assured her that all accounts were cleared. Now, they were telling the Chief that someone hadn’t paid.

Isn’t this deceiving the Chief?

But the Chief had strictly forbidden settling such matters through private fights, insisting that unresolved issues be reported. That’s why Zhi had come forward.

Xie Yu steadied her nerves. “Who is it? Take me to them.” She turned apologetically to Yun Nai.

Yun Nai cut off Xie Yu’s next words. “It’s alright, I’ll handle it myself.”

Except in special circumstances, priests generally didn’t involve themselves in the Tribe’s administrative affairs. They served as both intermediaries between the Tribe and the Totem and as healers.

Zhi respectfully bid farewell to Yun Nai and hurried to lead Xie Yu toward Gan’s hut.

The hut wasn’t short, concealing the commotion. The people seemed to be restraining themselves, which explained why Xie Yu hadn’t heard anything earlier.

Rounding the hut, Xie Yu found four or five people arguing in hushed voices.

She stood nearby, listening for a moment. “What’s the name of the person refusing to provide food?”

Zhi: “Dong.”

This was the arrogant man Yun Nai had pointed out to Xie Yu before—the lazy and wicked one.

“You despicable liar!” Gan’s chest heaved as her face flushed crimson.

“I already gave you your share! You’re the real liar! I curse you to never receive Apam’s blessing again!” Dong sneered, his expression defiant. “You’re so wicked you’ll never be allowed to hunt. You’re just a worthless, abandoned thing!”

The surrounding villagers bristled at his words. Li warned, “You stink! How dare you speak so foully?”

Standing beside Dong was his brother, a tall, burly man who bore a striking resemblance to him.

Xie Yu quietly observed their movements. Zhi grew anxious but couldn’t urge her to intervene, so she could only wait nervously nearby.

Dong grew increasingly agitated. “I already gave it to her!”

They were clearly bullying Gan because she was a woman, and one who couldn’t hunt. Xie Yu frowned. Finally, when Dong and his brother reached out to shove Gan’s shoulders, she spoke up.

“What’s going on here?” Xie Yu demanded, her voice sharp with displeasure. “Didn’t I forbid private brawls?”

“Chief, she’s framing me!” Dong shouted. “I already gave her her share. Now she’s trying to take more!”

Gan, flustered, stammered, “I didn’t! He’s lying to me!”

“You’re lying,” Xie Yu said, her piercing gaze boring into Dong’s eyes, as if trying to pierce through him. “And you wanted to fight Gan.”

Xie Yu spoke with absolute certainty, giving Dong no chance to deny her accusations.

“I saw you trying to hit her. As for the rest, I know everything.” She then instructed the surrounding crowd, “Two of you, keep an eye on him. Take him to the Clan Hall.”

Dong’s brothers tried to step forward to speak, but Xie Yu waved them back. “Are you going to lie for him?”

The men glanced at Dong before retreating. Only a fool would sacrifice their comfortable life for a useless brother who only caused trouble.

“Brother! You—” He didn’t finish his sentence before someone clamped a hand over his mouth.

Most of the tribe members were still in the village, with only a few out hunting. Summoning them was easy; word spread like wildfire, and soon everyone had gathered in the Clan Hall.

Over thirty people stood in the somewhat irregular thatched hut. Xie Yu pointed at Dong and declared, “This man has attempted to engage in unauthorized fights, bullied our tribespeople, and refused to repay Gan and the others for the food he owes them.”

The hut-building team had earned a good reputation in the Tribe these past few days, which had also improved Gan Zhi’s previously invisible social standing. Many had long disapproved of Dong’s behavior.

“The Tribe does not welcome such individuals. According to our established rules, he has already committed three offenses.”

“What was the third offense?” someone asked curiously, as the Chief had only mentioned two.

Xie Yu scoffed. “When we first moved here and were gathering branches, he stole from others and was caught by the Priest.”

Ping interjected, “So, should we expel him from the Tribe?”

Her words ignited a chorus of shouts: “Expel him from the Tribe!”

Dong continued to struggle, turning to his brother and making muffled sounds: “Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph! Mmmph!”

Li, who was covering Dong’s mouth, pressed down harder. “Don’t you dare make a sound.”

His brother frowned and turned away. In the past, he had ignored Dong’s behavior out of consideration for their shared Amu. Even when Dong used his name to bully others, he had turned a blind eye.

Dong wasn’t just lazy; he was always coming to Xie Yu for food. Despite Xie Yu having given him plenty in the past, Dong had never reciprocated. Now, reflecting calmly, Xie Yu realized how foolish she had been.

Below them, several other tribespeople as lazy as Dong trembled, avoiding Xie Yu’s gaze.

“From this day forward, you will no longer receive Apam’s protection,” Xie Yu declared expressionlessly. The lifeless Dong was immediately dragged away by Li and two others.

When banishing a tribesperson, it was customary for someone to escort them a distance, then watch until they disappeared from sight.

With the Tribe’s nightly patrols, Dong would be discovered immediately if he tried to sneak back.

Xie Yu was satisfied with how things had gone today. The fact that most tribespeople had voluntarily proposed Dong’s expulsion showed they had accepted the new rules.

As for concrete evidence of Dong’s deception, it was nearly impossible to find—there were no written records and no witnesses.

But Xie Yu didn’t care about such formalities. Her priority was managing the people. Besides, Dong’s history of misconduct was well-documented, with frequent complaints from various individuals, including Yun Nai.

As the tribespeople gradually dispersed, Xie Yu asked Gan and Zhi to stay behind. Gan, now composed, grew uneasy facing Xie Yu. “Chief, I shouldn’t have lied to you.”

Xie Yu: “When I asked if you had settled your debts, you both said yes. Why?”

“Dong promised to give it to me today and told me not to tell anyone, so I…”

Gan’s soft-heartedness had been her downfall. Xie Yu pondered for a moment. She could have made Dong return the items to Gan and Zhi and then punish him appropriately, but she was unwilling to keep giving these people chances.

Better to cut out the tumors one by one than let them fester.

“The Tribe will allocate a small portion of what Dong owes the team. You and Zhi will have to make up the rest yourselves.” The other team members couldn’t suffer losses for nothing; this seemed the fairest solution.

Gan and Zhi nodded repeatedly, understanding their own share of responsibility. “We won’t let this happen again.”

Xie Yu waved them off, then, remembering the Pharmacy and warehouse, led them to another open space.

“The Pharmacy will need two separate rooms,” Xie Yu explained, gesturing to outline her requirements and the general layout, trying to make them understand.

“I’ll come by later. We can discuss the materials needed and gather them together.”

By the time Xie Yu finished her tasks, it was nearly afternoon, and Yun Nai was still in the forest.

After a distant glance, Xie Yu headed in her direction.

Ever since Xie Yu hadn’t come, Yun Nai had felt a strange sense of regret. After working alone for half the day, her basket was only a third full. The only thing that had stirred her emotions was discovering an extremely rare medicinal herb hidden deep within a thicket.

She had ventured even deeper into the forest than yesterday, and Xie Yu struggled to find her at first. After scanning the area, she finally spotted Yun Nai’s figure nestled among the bushes. The woman who should have been untouched by worldly concerns was lost in thought over the precious herb she had been longing for.

She truly resembles a celestial being atop a snow-capped mountain.

Xie Yu plucked a blooming flower from the path and quietly moved beside Yun Nai, adding a vibrant splash of color to her dark hair.

When Yun Nai turned around, Xie Yu smiled brightly. “I’ve come to help.”

Xie Yu briefly explained what had happened in the Tribe, concluding, “That lazy and wicked person has been banished.”