Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 40

The next morning, the snow continued to fall, and the biting wind sent shivers down one’s spine.

Xie Yu opened the door to find two Tribespeople already standing guard outside. “Watch over the Priest carefully,” she instructed.

Today, the cubs would not be allowed to wander. Three Tribespeople had been assigned to keep them confined to a single hut.

She headed straight for the hut where Qi was being held.

It was a Tribesperson’s simple dwelling. Xie Yu glanced around, realizing they needed to build a proper prison or dungeon to hold captives.

“Yesterday, your companion already told us the truth,” she said to Qi, repeating the same words she had spoken to Chuan the day before.

Qi kept his head bowed, silent and expressionless.

Xie Yu tried to pierce through his facade, but he was too well-guarded.

What is their true objective?

Could their plan have included me seeing through their lies?

No. Their goal was to lead the Tribe to the Deer Tribe’s territory, ultimately bringing about the destruction of both Tribes.

Qi was now making his final stand, showing no sign of revealing any details of their plan.

“Take him outside,” she ordered.

Qi was dragged outside, the bitter cold causing him to tremble uncontrollably.

Xie Yu snorted coldly. “I’ll let you leave,” she said, “but your companion will stay and join us.”

“Why?” Qi looked up in shock. “Why let me go? Why would my companion stay?”

“Go back and tell your chief to abandon her futile efforts. We will crush your tribe,” Xie Yu said, ignoring his questions.

Qi took a deep breath. “Impossible.”

“Impossible to crush your tribe?”

“No, I can’t go back. Please kill me.”

“Such loyalty.”

Qi smiled bitterly. His entire life was in the chief’s hands. How could he be anything but loyal? “I am loyal. Please kill me.”

“Why should I kill you?”

He paused, then spoke with difficulty, “If I return, my chief and tribespeople will never trust me again. They might even kill me.”

A clever one, Xie Yu thought to herself.

His two companions had already been killed. Whether Chuan had truly defected remained uncertain, but if he returned alone, the tribe would never accept him.

Rather than return to face suspicion and torture, death here would be preferable.

At that moment, two figures carried a large slab of roasted meat and other provisions toward another small hut. Qi recognized the direction; it was where his companion Chuan was being held.

Xie Yu interrupted his thoughts. “You must have a Contractor and cubs, right?”

Qi remained silent.

“I see you do,” Xie Yu scoffed. “You have to go back. If you don’t, what will happen to your Contractor and cubs? They’ll be plunged into even greater hardship.”

“Who knows? Your cubs might end up like you—callously abandoned and easily killed by another tribe.”

These men were mere pawns, their status in the tribe undoubtedly low. They were likely the kind who suffered daily oppression.

Qi still didn’t speak, as if deep in thought.

“I…”

“Hit a nerve?” Xie Yu smiled. “Then hurry back. I admire people like you. If you return, you might still have a chance to turn things around.”

He had originally thought that even if he died, the tribe would raise his cubs to adulthood.

But now, after hearing Xie Yu’s words, he worried that his cub would face even worse mistreatment after he left.

Major tribes differed from small ones. While they also valued cubs, their large populations and abundance of cubs meant more complications. His Contractor, similarly undervalued within the tribe, might struggle to protect their cub.

For orphans like Lin, joining a major tribe might ensure survival, but not necessarily a good life.

“Are you really letting me go?”

“Please leave. Chuan will live well here,” Xie Yu said softly, turning her back. “You’d better leave before I change my mind.”

Chuan, Chuan, Chuan.

Qi glanced at the hut where Guan Zhechuan was confined, faint laughter drifting from within.

If Chuan was truly like this, he had nothing more to say.

No matter how flawed the tribe was, it had sheltered them since childhood.

Qi sighed as the ropes binding him were untied, his body instantly feeling lighter.

He gave Xie Yu one last look before turning and sprinting away.

No one stopped him. His escape was eerily smooth. In the past, he would have sensed something amiss.

His mind was consumed by Xie Yu’s plea for him to leave and the image of his cubs.

They’re so small. They can’t be without me.

The moment he bolted out, the door to Guan Zhechuan’s cell swung open. She stumbled out, catching only a glimpse of Qi’s retreating figure.

Ping smirked coldly. “He abandoned you. Last night, he made a deal with our Chief to leave you here as a slave in exchange for his freedom.”

The others tore off chunks of meat, gnawing on them as they watched Qi’s shadow disappear into the forest.

Xie Yu followed him at a steady pace, never losing sight of her quarry.

Hidden among the trees were over a dozen warriors. Five, led by Lei Shan, who was skilled at tree climbing, maintained constant surveillance, while the rest concealed themselves, moving along the trail left by the scouts.

Each carried a bow and arrows, ready to strike down anyone who met up with Qi without hesitation.

Ping gestured amicably. “Come, Chuan.”

Chuan’s knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists, her entire body trembling. She couldn’t fathom that someone who had sworn an oath before the Totem before their departure would betray her for a chance to escape.

“We despise those who abandon their comrades. We won’t let him get away with this,” Ping said, leading the way. “Come, let’s watch him meet his fate.”

Chuan’s lips turned pale as she hurried to keep up with Ping’s pace.

The forest was a place of constant change. Qi ran swiftly, the unpredictable snowfall shaking clumps of snow from the trees each time he passed beneath them.

As he sprinted, Qi relied on his memory to guide him back to the area where his tribespeople were waiting. When they saw him return, they jumped up and down in anxious relief. “What happened to you? Weren’t you supposed to die at their hands?”

It was the usual scolding, but it was far better than being with the Shadow Tribe’s Chief.

Talking to her had terrified him.

She always aimed her blade at her enemies’ most vulnerable spots.

“Wait, if you’re alive, what about the other three?” Several companions finally reacted, drawing their knives and pointing them at him. “What happened in there?”

They couldn’t risk entering rashly; being discovered would ruin their mission. For the past two days, they had been hiding nearby, waiting for the Shadow Tribe to emerge.

Qi desperately tried to explain the situation, urging them to leave immediately.

“Two of them have already been killed, and Chuan seems to have betrayed us,” Qi said, rubbing his hands together, his breath forming white plumes in the frigid air.

Though the snowfall had lessened, the day remained bitterly cold.

“Then how did you get back?” Just as he’d expected, someone began to question him.

Qi didn’t say he’d been released. “I found a chance to escape.”

“How could you possibly escape from so many people? It’s freezing out there, and you had nothing to eat.” The speaker glared coldly at Qi. “They wouldn’t give a prisoner good food. What’s that meat stuck in your teeth?”

Qi was speechless.

It was the meat the Shadow Tribe people had given him last night.

The snow had lessened, but the cold remained relentless.

Suddenly, a chill surged through him from his core, rising upward. Something was wrong—something was off.

Just as he’d been escaping, someone had been tracking him from the trees!

A rain of red copper arrows struck their pursuers as Qi turned, piercing flesh and forcing them back almost instantly.

The archers’ aim wasn’t perfect; many arrows missed their targets.

As Qi fled, he heard his Tribespeople shouting after him, “What’s happening?”

He didn’t have time to answer. Another group of people burst from the forest, having followed the trail to this spot.

“Fight them!” One man, his heart burning with fury, commanded the other seven, brandishing stone knives and spears as they charged into the fray.

However, since some of their comrades had been struck by arrows earlier, their combat effectiveness was greatly diminished. Within moments, the entire group was subdued.

Xie Yu slowly approached, with Ping, Chuan, and several others following closely behind.

One by one, the captives’ breaths faded away, leaving only Qi and his two remaining companions.

One of these two appeared to be the leader, the one with the most authority.

“Take him back,” Xie Yu ordered, pointing at him. “I’ll question him later.”

Chuan’s face was already streaked with tears. Seeing her comrades in their current state filled her with heartache, yet a secret sense of satisfaction stirred within her.

Qi and the other man’s faces were bloodied by punches, one of them even losing a tooth.

Their mouths were stuffed with rags, and they were retied.

Chuan couldn’t see them clearly, her heart twisting in agony amidst the lies.

Qi writhed in unbearable pain, convinced his face had been disfigured. He could only manage a lopsided grin.

He glared at Chuan, then shifted his gaze to Xie Yu.

What a terrifying woman.

Xie Yu met his gaze unflinchingly.

Chuan wiped away her endless tears as someone suddenly handed her a bow and arrow from her right.

“Here,” the voice said. “Kill them.”

Jian Chuan didn’t react, so Xie Yu repeated, “Pick it up and kill them.”

Qi’s entire body shook violently with laughter, a hoarse, raspy sound escaping his throat.

He had once envied those who died in a bear hug, at least they didn’t have time to overthink things. But now that death was imminent, he found no joy. What would become of his Contractor and cubs?

Seeing Jian Chuan’s hesitation, Ke demonstrated, drawing back the bowstring. “Watch closely.”

Whoosh!

The arrow pierced another man’s chest. Whoosh! Another arrow, then two more, each striking its mark.

The man collapsed, lifeless, to the ground.

“Your turn.”

Jian Chuan paused, then mimicked Ke’s stance, drawing back the bowstring. But she had never used such a weapon before, and her trembling hands failed to release the arrow.

Xie Yu waited patiently. Whether she hit the target didn’t matter; all that mattered was that she fired the arrow.

Jian Chuan shakily raised the bow, mimicking Ke’s stance.

Whoosh! The arrow embedded itself in the snow just in front of Qi.

But to Qi, it was as if Jian Chuan had swung a cleaver at him, no different from the day another tribesman had had his head chopped off before his eyes.

Jian Chuan hadn’t wounded him physically, but his heart had already died.

The moment they abandoned her, Jian Chuan’s heart had died too.

Qi’s heart died with Jian Chuan’s arrow, and his body followed with Ke’s.

Xie Yu nodded, signaling the tribespeople to dispose of the corpses.

The tribespeople retrieved their arrows from the bodies, wiping them clean and storing them carefully. These arrows were precious, and they couldn’t afford to waste them on a single use.

Chuan trembled violently, her legs shaking, and she sank to her knees.

“Let’s go back to our tribe,” Xie Yu said.

Still trembling on her knees, Chuan was helped to her feet by Xie Yu’s attendants.

Though Chuan lacked Qi’s cunning and wisdom, this very weakness could be exploited. She likely understood she could never return to her original tribe.

She must also realize she had only two options: stay and live, or die.

Make her tell the truth willingly.

Qi lay dead in a pool of bl00d, his eyes wide open, his pupils already dilated.

Xie Yu crouched down and touched the crimson-stained snow. The snow was cold, the bl00d still warm, creating a peculiar sensation where they mingled.

She sighed softly.

But she felt no sympathy for her enemies, only the cold calculation of self-interest.

The group’s hideout contained only scraps of leftover meat bones, scattered debris, and a half-extinguished fire.

This secluded spot must have taken them a long time to find. From the main camp, it was completely invisible. During winter, when the tribespeople rarely ventured out, they would never have been discovered.

After the bodies were dealt with, Xie Yu lingered nearby for a while.

The winter weather was fickle, with heavy snow falling steadily. In just a short time, the snowflakes had enveloped her, transforming her into a snow-covered figure.

Ke asked her, “Chief, should we head back? It’s freezing out here.”

Xie Yu nodded. Most of the others had already left; Ping had taken Chuan back earlier.

They walked toward the camp.

With the threat gone, the tribespeople relaxed somewhat, but remained vigilant.

The guards on the watchtower saw the Chief returning and, remembering the bloodcurdling screams of their comrades from the previous night, felt a chill run down their spines and straightened their backs.

Yun Nai had already come out, followed by two others. She brushed the snow off Xie Yu’s head. “Is it over?”

“It’s over,” Xie Yu replied, taking her hand. “Come with me to question Chuan.”

Chuan was still dazed, as if she had been transported to a completely different tribe in an instant.

But what status did she hold in this tribe? Qi had apparently given her to the Shadow Tribe as a slave.

Now she sat alone in a small hut called the Clan Hall, waiting anxiously. No one had come to check on her, and she felt increasingly uneasy.

As she waited, two figures finally appeared.

One was the Chief of this tribe, and the other was the Priest she had taken hostage yesterday.

Xie Yu asked, “What is your choice?”

“My… choice?”

“Choose death, or tell the truth.”

Death. Chuan lowered her head and considered. Dying for her former tribe seemed hardly worth it.

She could never return, yet it was still her tribe. A wave of conflicting emotions washed over her, leaving her torn.

Finally, she said, “I swore an oath to the Totem.”

Xie Yu chuckled softly. “Weren’t you forced into this?”

Though coercion was commonplace among the lower ranks of the tribes, it remained a source of resentment for those subjected to it.

Chuan fell silent, her head heavy. She nodded almost unconsciously.

“Speak,” Xie Yu urged. “I can see you want to live. If that’s the case, our Priest will spare your life.”

Chuan gritted her teeth. “Chief, I used to belong to the Tiger Tribe.”

Xie Yu raised an eyebrow. “That’s quite a journey. It must have been arduous.”

“The journey was indeed arduous,” Chuan replied softly. “We climbed many mountains and crossed countless rivers.”

The Tiger Tribe lay south of their own, and the two tribes shared a short stretch of road on the return from the Great Market.

Chuan continued, “Qi was following Chief Hu’s orders to track you.”

“What was Qi’s role?”

“He was a porter.”

“Continue.”

“After returning to the tribe, I was assigned to accompany him here. I don’t know the specific instructions.”

Xie Yu didn’t question this. Those sent to die rarely needed to know more.

“You’ve seen it yourself. We’ve captured the true leader among you. Do you think he’ll tell us the truth?”

Chuan pondered for a moment, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. He’s fiercely loyal to the Tiger Tribe, and Chief Hu has always treated him well. He came here to monitor us. Hu wouldn’t let him be like us.”

“So he knows a lot, but he’ll never reveal it?”

“Exactly.”

Chuan shared some additional details about the Tiger Tribe, and the interrogation ended there.

Xie Yu mentally reviewed the information, visualizing the locations of the various tribes on a map. The Tiger Tribe was in the south, while the Snake Tribe was in the southwest. From the Tiger Tribe’s perspective, the Snake Tribe lay to their northwest.

In other words, the Snake Tribe occupied the territory between them and the Tiger Tribe.

It seemed necessary to strengthen ties with the Snake Tribe. In the early stages, they might be able to withstand the Tiger Tribe’s advances together.

Recalling her conversation with Yao at the Great Market, Xie Yu couldn’t help but smile. Fortunately, she was adaptable and willing to compromise; cooperation didn’t necessarily require a major tribe to dominate a smaller one.

Xie Yu’s thoughts returned to the present as she lowered her gaze to Chuan. “You were injured in that fall, weren’t you? The Priest said she wanted to examine you.”

Chuan looked up at Yun Nai, who offered her a gentle smile.

She blinked and shook her head, still feeling like the Priest radiated a faint glow. Even when Chuan had held her hostage with her dirty hands, the Priest had smiled like this.

At that moment, Chuan had felt an overwhelming urge to release her and abandon her threats.

“Thank you, Priest,” Chuan said.

Yun Nai led her away.

Xie Yu intended for Chuan to join their tribe, just like Yuan.

Someday, they would surely have the opportunity to visit the Tiger Tribe’s camp, and Chuan could serve as their guide.

Of course, this was just a temporary plan. She would observe Chuan further before making a final decision.

Meanwhile, Xie Yu went to the place where the leader of the Snake Tribe was being held. He wasn’t receiving such gentle treatment; he was tightly bound and left to lie in the freezing snow.

He was on the verge of losing consciousness from the cold.

“Still not talking?” Xie Yu asked.

“He won’t say a word,” Ping replied.

“Not a single word?”

Yan kicked him. “Not a single word. It’s like he doesn’t even have a mouth.”

“Then send him to meet the Totem.”