Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 3

The Old Priest led the way, leaning on his wooden staff, while Xie Yu followed behind Yun Nai.

The three of them headed toward Luo’s cave.

As they looked out, the clouds hung thick and low, and the snow showed no signs of letting up.

Despite the worsening weather, Xie Yu felt surprisingly warm. Her bl00d seemed to be boiling, fighting off the blizzard raging outside.

She could only see Yun Nai’s back. The animal hide draped over her shoulders didn’t quite cover the pale skin of her neck, creating a striking contrast between primal wildness and refined grace.

Yun Nai’s fur cloak was even thicker than Xie Yu’s, yet Xie Yu felt no cold. She hurried to catch up and greeted her warmly, “Priest, aren’t you cold?”

We’ll be colleagues soon, she thought. Better to start building rapport now.

“Not cold,” Yun Nai replied, glancing sideways as she noticed Xie Yu’s wheat-toned skin drawing closer. She quickened her pace slightly, seeing that the Old Priest had already reached the cave entrance.

Xie Yu carefully replaced the branches they had pushed aside, temporarily blocking the icy wind that had been pouring into the clearing.

Luo’s cave was small, barely able to accommodate eight people.

The fire inside had been burning steadily, but now it seemed to blaze even brighter with their arrival. Luo gestured for them to sit on the round stones, muttering, “Sit.”

Yun Nai, however, knelt down. Xie Yu hesitated for a few seconds before joining her, kneeling before Luo as well.

Luo didn’t stop them.

“The first light means the Chief will be protected by fire for two fu,” Luo explained, his wrinkles deepening at the corners of his eyes. “Yun Nai’s light is the same.”

Protected by fire for two fu… Xie Yu pondered the phrase, then realized it must mean increased resistance to the cold for twenty days.

“The others will also be touched by Apam’s light.”

“We thank Apam for this blessing.”

The Old Priest smiled contentedly. He had brought them to the cave to reveal Apam’s protection away from the rest of the Tribe, fearing someone might misuse the knowledge.

“High Priest, will Apam continue to shine its light upon us in the future?” Luo asked. Since he mentioned the first light, there must be a second and third…

Luo held his hand over the flame, his voice trembling as he spoke. “Apam said there are three lights remaining. They will descend when the Tribe faces great peril. If we fail to seize them, or if all three lights are used up, there will be no more.”

Xie Yu’s heart sank. So the promise that Contracting would lead to the light wasn’t absolute after all?

As if hearing her thoughts, Luo turned to her. “What I said in the great cave earlier… some of it was true, some was not.”

In truth, Apam had said that the Contracting between these two had a high probability of strengthening the Tribe, but the deity hadn’t made any guarantees. Everything depended on the Tribe’s choices.

The Shadow Tribe currently seemed to be largely under Yu’s control, but as she had only recently become Chief, many secretly resented her leadership.

They kept their dissent hidden only because Yu had once held the title of the tribe’s greatest warrior, and they couldn’t defeat her in combat.

But it was clear that some were already growing restless.

“The tribe must endure,” Luo coughed, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

Xie Yu felt a growing sense of unease.

“In a few days, I’ll be going to see Apam,” Luo said, rubbing his knee. The winter’s bitter cold always made his joints ache.

He spoke of this matter with remarkable detachment, his tone as casual as if he were remarking, “This fruit has gone bad.”

The moment these words left his lips, the atmosphere in the cave grew heavy. Yun Nai, already aware of this, showed little reaction.

Xie Yu, however, stared at Luo in shock.

While the lifespans of primitive peoples were generally short, Luo still appeared healthy and robust, showing no signs of illness. He should have had many years left.

“Why?”

The Old Priest waved his hand gently.

During their last hunting expedition, most of the tribe’s warriors had sustained severe injuries. Beyond the medicinal herbs Yun Nai had gathered, Luo had secretly offered the remainder of his lifespan to Apam. This sacrifice had accelerated their recovery.

Otherwise, wounded and without food, the Tribe would quickly perish.

Luo slowly explained the situation to Xie Yu, choosing not to announce it publicly to elevate Yun Nai’s standing in the Tribe’s eyes.

Though Yun Nai hadn’t yet undergone the formal succession ceremony, her abilities now held genuine, practical significance in the eyes of the people.

“What is gained will be lost. Everything is like this,” Luo said, his gaze piercing. “Let your eyes not rain.”

Luo understood the concept of “tears,” but he wanted to convey that crying was like rain, and his death and return to Apam’s embrace were one and the same.

He no longer addressed Xie Yu as Chief, instead casting his gaze toward the Tribe’s future with the authority of an elder.

For Luo, the Tribe’s survival far outweighed his personal life or death. He was already old and should relinquish his position.

The two young people before him were capable of shouldering this responsibility.

Yun Nai knelt respectfully beside the Old Priest, her head bowed.

“I understand, High Priest,” Xie Yu said, her heart a mix of emotions, mostly bitter.

“I know you, Yu. You’ve just returned from a distant place. Do not be afraid,” Luo said, reaching out to pat Xie Yu’s head.

Xie Yu looked up in astonishment. The Old Priest truly knew she wasn’t from this place. But where had the original Yu gone?

“You were always the same person,” Luo said, withdrawing his hand. His cloudy eyes turned to Yun Nai as he smiled. “It’s time for us to begin the transmission.”

Xie Yu stood frozen, realizing from the Old Priest’s words that she seemed to belong here, and perhaps could only remain in this place.

“High Priest,” Yun Nai replied to Luo, then looked up at the still-stunned Xie Yu. “Chief, it’s time to leave.”

The High Priest never allowed anyone to witness the transmission ceremony for the next Priest, not even the Chief.

With mixed emotions, Xie Yu composed herself, performed the highest ritualistic bow of the ancient tribe towards Luo, and retreated to the cave entrance.

From outside, she helped re-cover the entrance with branches and followed the mountain path back to the main cave. Seeing Xie Yu’s expression, Ke hurried over with a large chunk of wolf meat.

“Chief, you’re back! What happened?” Ke asked curiously, offering the meat.

Xie Yu nodded and accepted the meat without answering. “Where’s the Priest’s share?”

Ke quickly pointed to the two portions of wolf meat placed beside the stone wall. “Over there!”

Xie Yu patted her shoulder and strode toward the group.

Inside the large cave, several people were still butchering the wolf. Li’s right hand deftly swung the stone knife, dividing the meat into chunks. After portioning out the meal, the group carefully stored the remaining wolf meat.

The group paused their roasting and butchering as she approached. Jiu cautiously hid behind the others, all waiting for her to speak.

“Tomorrow, we’re going into the forest to find food,” Xie Yu declared, cutting straight to the point. She glanced at the warriors who had mostly recovered.

Among them was a man with bronze skin, an ordinary face, and a prominent hooked nose named Wu. He hesitated, then spoke.

“Chief… everyone’s injuries have just healed. Isn’t it too soon?”

This region received abundant rainfall, nurturing lush vegetation. During spring and summer, vast stretches of green carpeted the low-lying areas, while several taller mountains, like Mount Po, remained snow-capped year-round.

The tribe’s territory was surrounded by mountains. Their settlement was on Mount Li, but the tallest and largest peak in the range was Mount Po, located north of Mount Li. Mount Po was also far more dangerous than Mount Li.

When the Tribe migrated years ago, they chose Mount Li over Mount Po because their small size made survival on Mount Po’s more dangerous terrain and abundant wildlife nearly impossible.

Now, in the dead of winter, most trees stood bare, making fruit gathering impractical.

Few animals ventured out during the cold months, but they had to take their chances.

Moreover, with the totem’s assistance, they wouldn’t freeze to death outdoors.

“Everything is dangerous now, but we have no choice,” Xie Yu said, her gaze sweeping over everyone in the cave. “If we don’t hunt for food, we’ll have to find Apam. Mount Li has hardly any animals left. Who wants to starve once this wolf meat runs out?”

Wu lowered his head and fell silent. The Tribe held an innate reverence and fear for Apam.

The others remained silent as well.

“Ping, Li,” Xie Yu called out two names. They were the Tribe’s most skilled hunters.

The pair rose to their feet. Ping, a woman, possessed remarkably lean and toned muscles. Her physical prowess rivaled that of the towering Li, and in some ways, she even surpassed him.

Unlike the bulky, explosive muscles of men, Ping’s physique was lean and defined, her movements precise and powerful.

Xie Yu called out several more names, instructing them to stand to the side.

Ke eagerly awaited her name to be called. When Xie Yu finished, Ke stood beside her, eyes wide with confusion, unable to understand why she wasn’t being taken along.

In total, seven people had been summoned, making eight including Xie Yu. With her left hand supporting the meat and her right hand gripping a stone knife, Xie Yu carved off two quarter-sized portions from the large wolf leg.

Though she couldn’t possibly finish the remaining half of the meat alone, as Chief, Xie Yu couldn’t simply share it directly with them. Maintaining the appearance of her authority was paramount.

“Catch,” she said, tossing one of the carved portions to Li. He fumbled to catch it and stood frozen in place, unsure what to do next.

“Share this piece among yourselves,” Xie Yu instructed. The group erupted in joy. Though the portion was small, it was a definite reward for them.

Xie Yu distributed the other portion to the group standing nearby.

Having long sensed Ke’s puzzled and eager gaze beside her, Xie Yu led her out of the cave.

“Chief, why aren’t you taking me?” Ke demanded, flexing her fist to demonstrate her fighting prowess, desperate for an explanation.

Xie Yu pointed to the cave above. “I have something very important to entrust to you. Stay here in the Tribe and don’t let anyone approach until the Priest emerges.”

Ke was usually carefree, but she never faltered when it came to crucial matters. This was one of the reasons Xie Yu had chosen her.

“Also, be wary of Jiu and Du,” Xie Yu added. She hadn’t taken all the warriors with her, leaving Ke several capable fighters to defend the Tribe.

She then gave Du detailed instructions for handling matters in her absence. Ke listened intently, secretly vowing to protect the Tribe at all costs.

The next morning at dawn, Xie Yu led the seven warriors she had selected the previous day. Armed and carrying the meat they had roasted overnight, they descended toward the vast, snow-covered forest below.

Xie Yu’s preferred weapon was a long staff with a sharpened stone lashed to its tip, resembling a spear. This spear had been a gift from her Amu three years earlier, when Yu had won first place in the Tribe’s annual competition. Though crude by modern standards, it was currently the best weapon in the Tribe.

The eight warriors moved with exceptional agility, reaching the foot of the mountain in less than half an hour and disappearing into the forest.