Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 30

After giving instructions for the Tribe’s affairs, Xie Yu took only Li and Lian with her. Bringing too many people would be risky; she feared they’d be discovered the moment they crossed the territory’s border.

With just the three of them, their travel speed increased significantly. Along the way, they sustained themselves with fruits they’d brought from the camp or plucked from trees, supplemented by roasted meat.

“These trees are too dense,” Lian complained, “they keep blocking my view.”

Indeed, the forest was both dense and narrow. Xie Yu recalled the vast stretches of towering trees near their camp. If they were to expand their territory with the camp as the center, they’d inevitably have to clear the surrounding forests.

“If the sun moves over there,” Lian pointed, “we should be there soon.”

The trio pressed onward until they reached the bamboo forest. Xie Yu instructed them to check for footprints first. “There’s nothing here. It hasn’t rained in days, so they probably haven’t been here recently.”

“They’re quite cautious,” Li remarked.

“We need to go deeper. It seems we won’t find them here.”

The others nodded and followed Xie Yu into the forest’s depths. They split up, agreeing to use bone whistles to signal any discoveries.

Xie Yu scouted ahead, while Lian and Li each took the right flank.

For a long while, none of them found anything.

Then, a clear, drawn-out whistle pierced the silence. Xie Yu listened carefully, pinpointing the sound’s origin: the direction Lian had just taken.

Lian had ventured quite far. It took the trio some time to regroup. When they finally met, Lian pointed to a patch of fire pit ashes on the ground. “Here, there was a fire.”

The fire had clearly been extinguished long ago. Li reached out and touched the ashes. “Cold as ice.”

“Looks like they’ve already moved on.”

“Was this their camp?” Lian circled the area, answering his own question. “No, there are no huts or caves.”

“Maybe they just stopped to rest. Let’s keep looking.”

The trio slowed their pace. The group they were tracking might be nearby, and they needed to avoid being detected to gain the element of surprise.

They crouched low, weaving between thick tree trunks for cover.

Yet they found no further traces until they entered an even denser part of the forest.

“It’s so quiet here,” Lian whispered, his voice barely audible. “It’s making me afraid to even speak.”

Xie Yu patted his head, signaling him to stay silent.

The dense forest was eerily silent, broken only by the occasional rustling of birds flitting through the thick canopy.

None of the three were eager to venture deeper into the woods. Suddenly, Li grabbed Lian’s arm, pulling him back. Before Lian could ask what was happening, a small pebble landed beside him.

They all looked up sharply and were startled to see a face smeared with green mud hastily retreating into the foliage.

“He’s in the tree!” Lian exclaimed excitedly, immediately trying to climb up.

Li held him back. “We don’t know how many others are up there.”

Just then, the dense leaves began to sway in another direction. Xie Yu picked up the fallen pebble and threw it toward the movement.

“Ow!” A shout came from the tree.

Xie Yu signaled Li to call out.

The people in the tree had already spotted them, so revealing their position was no longer a concern.

Li cupped his hands into a megaphone shape. His voice, already naturally loud, echoed through the forest. “We need to talk—come down from the tree now!”

A barrage of stones began raining down around them, which they dodged one by one.

Xie Yu glanced at the direction the stones were coming from, roughly estimating there were only about four people in the tree.

The three began climbing. The branches near the top appeared sturdy enough to support three or four people at once.

The person covered in green mud had vanished without a trace. Xie Yu scanned the surroundings, noticing several small branches crushed underfoot.

“There can’t be this few of them, right?” Lian muttered, clicking his tongue. Even from the trees, he couldn’t spot anyone. “No wonder they’re so easy to hide.”

“Over there,” Li pointed in the direction Xie Yu was moving. “Let’s go.”

“Do they usually live in the trees?” Xie Yu asked.

Li replied, “Perhaps it’s their totem. You know, with totem assistance, they’re more agile in the trees, but their attacks aren’t very strong—mostly just throwing stones.”

“Hmm, and those ones we saw last time were starving.”

Xie Yu continued moving forward, signaling for the others to follow.

After stopping, Lian, sensing the enemy’s waning aggression, called out, “Come out now!”

A moment later, a voice that sounded like a young man replied from the opposite side, “Who are you?”

“Travelers,” Xie Yu said. “But there’s someone here you might recognize.”

Lian pointed at himself and whispered to Li, “Hey, is the Chief talking about me?”

The young man continued his intimidation tactics: “There are only three of you. I advise you to be careful.”

“I advise you to be more friendly.”

After a tense standoff, a vine as thick as a forearm was flung across the gap.

“Cross over using the vine.”

Xie Yu ignored the vine. She wasn’t foolish enough to risk a fall that would likely break her bones if they lost their grip.

After checking her bearings, she moved to a branch on the side.

With a powerful leap, she pushed off the trunk with her right leg and landed effortlessly beside the man she’d seen earlier.

There were four people here, each standing on thick branches, clad in rough animal hides with faces painted in yellow and green mud.

No, five in total. A woman leaned against the back, her lips pale and bloodless.

“Is this all of you?” Xie Yu glanced at the woman, who appeared severely injured.

“So it’s you!” A man recognized Lian from their previous encounter and sneered. “We spared you then. Why come back for revenge?”

“What? Spared me?” Lian scoffed. “With the way you were back then, all five of you couldn’t even beat me alone.”

Li patted his shoulder, reminding him to temper his boasting.

Stung by the truth, the young man’s face flushed crimson. Hearing a muffled groan from the injured woman behind him, he quickly knelt to help her up. “Sister, does it still hurt a lot?”

Seeing the siblings and the undisguised wariness of the other three, Xie Yu said, “Don’t be nervous. You won’t be harmed.”

The three relaxed slightly, but maintained their defensive postures.

Lian shrugged helplessly.

The young man appeared to be their leader, so Xie Yu asked, “What was your position in the Tribe?”

The young man shook his head. “My name is Lei. I held no special position.”

Lei introduced the others by name.

“Is she injured?” Xie Yu raised an eyebrow, glancing at Wu, who was leaning against a tree branch.

Lei looked over, his expression puzzled. After a moment, he tentatively asked, “If possible, I’d like to ask for your help.”

“To heal her?”

“Yes. If she can be healed, what would you want in return? Or what would you want us to do? I swear by the Totem.”

The other three’s faces changed, and they seemed about to speak, but they lowered their heads and fell silent.

Xie Yu understood their hesitation. Swearing by the Totem carried grave consequences; breaking such an oath would result in the Totem’s abandonment and endless retribution.

“How severe is her wound?”

A soft sigh came from the other side. “It’s already festering.”

“What is your totem?”

“The ape.”

Lian nodded. “No wonder you move through the trees like you’re walking on thin ice.”

“Like walking on solid ground.”

Corrected, Lian scratched his nose, looking embarrassed.

“Then tell me your totem, and swear that everything you’ve said to me—past, present, and future—is the truth.”

Lei’s heart sank. He understood Xie Yu’s purpose and accepted it with composure, making the oath to his totem.

Xie Yu nodded in satisfaction. “How come there are only five of you? Where are the others?”

“Our tribe was razed to the ground, scattered, and we got lost.”

By “razed to the ground,” he meant annihilated.

“By whom?”

The man gritted his teeth. “The Elephant Tribe. When the four of us returned from hunting, our tribe was gone. My sister was stabbed with a stone spear but managed to escape. We fled from a very distant place. This land is so different from our home—we don’t recognize any of the healing herbs here.”

Lian nodded. “The Elephant Tribe is indeed far from here, even north of Mount Biper.”

This meant the Elephant Tribe posed no immediate threat. Xie Yu quickly changed the subject. “I came to check her wound. I might be able to take her back to my tribe for treatment.”

“Really?”

Xie Yu didn’t reply, moving past the three men. They hastily stepped aside to clear a path for her.

The branch was thick and wide enough for the injured woman to lie comfortably. Xie Yu pulled herself across using the vines, making sure her footing was secure before examining the wound. Lei was right—it was already festering.

The injured woman’s head swam with dizziness. She could only vaguely perceive a woman touching her forehead with the back of her hand.

“It looks very serious,” Lian interjected, approaching from the other side.

This situation required immediate treatment.

Xie Yu glanced at Lei, the unspoken message clear. Lei raised his hand and swore by the Totem, “I swear in the name of the Totem—I will… wait, may I ask your name?”

“Yu, Chief of the Shadow Tribe.”

Lei solemnly swore his oath, now owing Xie Yu a debt. He lowered his posture and looked at her imploringly.

“So this area isn’t actually your territory, is it?”

“No, we were just passing through and decided to rest here for a few days. We’re not entirely sure who this land belongs to—it might not belong to anyone.”

“That’s perfect,” Xie Yu said with a smile.

The bamboo grove would be hers, saving her the trouble of dealing with Lei and his group.

“Take her down below.”

After the Ape Tribe members carefully carried the woman down, Lei hoisted her onto his back.

With only five of them, the camp should be safe while they’re at the Great Market. Once they’re separated, they won’t be able to cause any trouble.

As they passed the bamboo grove, Xie Yu instructed Lian and Li to chop down a few more stalks to take back. She then led the group back to the Tribe.

They arrived at noon, the sun blazing overhead. The guards on the watchtower waved at Xie Yu, and she signaled back to show they weren’t enemies.

Several Tribespeople rushed forward to greet them. Xie Yu pointed to the remaining three and told her people, “Treat our guests well.”

Having them entertain the newcomers would give her a chance to assess their character. The Tribe was currently short on manpower, and it would be ideal if these individuals could join. If they agreed, winning their loyalty wouldn’t take long.

When Ke saw Wu’s wound, she gasped. “Such a terrible injury! Oh! I’ll go fetch the Priest from the pottery kiln.”

She scurried off, panting.

Xie Yu led Lei to the Pharmacy. Lei gently laid Wu on the bed. “Put her here. Our Priest will be here shortly.”

On the way, Ke described the wound to Yun Nai, her voice filled with anguish. “It’s a truly terrifying wound, Priest. Be careful not to be frightened.”

Yun Nai replied, “Don’t worry. With your warning, I won’t be scared.”

As they approached the Pharmacy, they saw Xie Yu emerge and walk toward them.

Xie Yu was about to speak when Yun Nai shook her head. “No need. Ke has already told me everything.”

Her eyes were now focused solely on the injured person.

No sooner had she spoken than Yun Nai entered the Pharmacy. Xie Yu tried to follow, but Yun Nai nearly slammed the door into her nose.

Xie Yu rubbed her nose and went inside, shooing Lei out of the Pharmacy. He had been bombarding Yun Nai with questions. She glared at him and said, “Stop asking so many questions. You’ll make the Priest nervous.”

Lei patted his chest, took a deep breath to calm himself, and turned to observe the camp.

He had been too anxious earlier to notice the details. Now, he was astonished to see the Shadow Tribe’s habitable dwellings, warehouses, fish ponds, and various other facilities. His impression of Xie Yu suddenly improved tenfold.

When he first heard she was the Chief of the Shadow Tribe, he had instinctively assumed it was a small, impoverished tribe. But at the time, he had no choice but to seek her help.

Looking at their living area now, it was indeed small, but it didn’t appear impoverished at all.

Envy flashed through his eyes as he kept glancing at the Pharmacy door.

Wu’s occasional sobs drifted from inside. Lei shuddered, recalling the bloody, mangled wound.

After what felt like an eternity, the door finally opened, and Lei darted inside. Xie Yu, with her sharp eyes, noticed the sweat beading on Yun Nai’s forehead and the bloodstains on her hands. She pulled Yun Nai over to the water basin to wash her hands.

As the water flowed gently, rinsing away the bl00d, Yun Nai asked, “Aren’t you going to check on the injured?”

“She’ll be fine,” Xie Yu replied, looking puzzled.

Yun Nai countered, “I’ll be fine too.”

“That’s different! I just love looking at you.” Xie Yu yanked the door open, pulled Yun Nai into her arms, and nuzzled her cheek. “I met those people earlier. I’m thinking of trying to get them to join us. What do you think?”

Yun Nai didn’t push her away, considering carefully. “From your description, they seem quite skilled. But I wonder about their character.”

“I thought the same. I’ll be leaving in a while. If they stay with the Tribe, could you keep an eye on them and help me decide whether to trust them?”

“Alright. But my hands are still wet. Let go so I can dry them.”

Xie Yu reluctantly released her, allowing Yun Nai to wipe her hands dry.

After lying unconscious for two days, Wu finally showed signs of waking. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yun Nai vaguely touching her forehead. “You are…”

“You’ve been asleep for a long time. Does your head still hurt?”

“No, thank you, Priestess,” Wu replied, guessing Yun Nai’s identity from her attire. “Where’s my brother?”

“He’s probably resting, but he’s definitely fine. You can take a walk after you’ve rested, but remember to come back for your medicine soon,” Yun Nai instructed.

Wu nodded, swayed slightly as she stood up, and slowly walked toward the door.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw her brother Lei talking to a woman whose face seemed strangely familiar, as if she had seen her in the trees before.

“You’re awake, Sister!” Lei steadied Wu by the arm, his eyes lighting up. She turned to Xie Yu, who was approaching, and asked, “Did you save me?”

“Not me. It was our tribe’s Priestess,” Xie Yu said with a smile, gesturing toward the pharmacy. “She saved you. It took her a long time.”

In other words, you should thank her more.

Xie Yu waved goodbye, leaving the two siblings alone.

“Nai Nai, she’s awake now,” Xie Yu said, closing the Pharmacy door and leaning in to kiss the tip of her ear. “You’ve been with her for days. You need to rest properly.”

Yun Nai tried to pull away. “I haven’t been with her at all.”

Xie Yu sighed dramatically. “Spending so much time by her side is being with her.”

She continued to hint, “I’ll probably be leaving in about five days.”

“I know. Go quickly and come back soon.”

Hearing this, Xie Yu happily dissected the meaning of “go quickly and come back soon,” imagining Yun Nai pining for her after she left.

The other three people they had brought back in recent days clearly held the Shadow Tribe in high regard, but occasionally, they would unconsciously reveal a wistful expression, reminiscing about their former tribes. Xie Yu didn’t mind their nostalgia.

After all, they hadn’t been exiled; their tribes had been destroyed overnight. It was natural for them to feel sentimental. If they forgot their former masters completely upon finding a better place, that would make Xie Yu suspicious of their motives.

What worried Xie Yu most were Wu and Lei, the siblings. They were clearly more calculating than the other three.

The Tribe’s pottery, after firing, was distributed among the Tribespeople. They even managed to produce over a dozen large ceramic water jars, gradually replacing the Tribe’s original storage tools.

The day before their departure for the Great Market, the Tribespeople who were going packed the Tribe’s trade goods into large baskets, each also bringing personal items for bartering.

Ke’s belongings filled two massive bundles—more than anyone else was bringing. She would also have to carry a large basket on her back, making her movements comically awkward.

“There’s no choice,” Ke reassured herself. “It’s all for buying the little slave.” A little hardship now will be worth it in the end. First bitterness, then sweetness. First bitterness, then sweetness… Though she couldn’t yet imagine where the sweetness would come from.

Xie Yu finished packing her own things and glanced at Yun Nai, who was helping. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” she asked. “Is there anything you want me to buy?”

The Great Market primarily traded essential supplies and strange, novel trinkets. The Tribe would exchange for necessities, but Xie Yu wanted to know if Yun Nai wanted anything fun.

“Buy what you want, give what you want.”

Xie Yu was momentarily stumped, pondering the meaning of Yun Nai’s words for a long time.

As midnight approached, clouds obscured the moon, dimming the moonlight considerably.

The restless person shifted closer to Yun Nai, took her hand, and pecked the back of it. “I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Yun Nai’s expression remained as calm as still water, though her hand tingled. “Come back soon.”

“Will you miss me?” Xie Yu pressed, determined to get an affirmative answer, or she would keep pestering her.

“Yes,” Yun Nai replied crisply.

But the other woman remained relentless. “I want some proof.”

So Yun Nai granted her wish, providing the proof. She tilted her head back, reached up, and hooked her arm around Xie Yu’s neck. Her nose and lips traced a slow path along Xie Yu’s cheek until they reached the corner of her mouth.

Yun Nai had a hidden motive.

“Mmm…”

Xie Yu inhaled the Priest’s sweet fragrance, the tingling sensation making her freeze. She feigned composure, but her arms tightened around Yun Nai’s waist betrayed her.

After a moment of embrace, Yun Nai slowly pulled back. “Is this proof satisfactory?”

Xie Yu nodded dumbly.