Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 42

Several days later, as night fell, the snow began to subside, showing signs of stopping altogether.

Liu’s initiation ritual was excruciatingly painful. Having sworn an oath to her original Totem, she had to endure every trial required to join the new Tribe.

Yun Nai could offer no relief; this ordeal largely depended on Liu’s own willpower.

The ritual dragged on for a long time before finally concluding, and the Tribespeople dispersed in small groups.

Lian, who was about to leave, swung his bamboo fire cage and gazed up at the sky, his expression excited. “It’s finally starting to warm up!”

He wanted to let out a triumphant shout, but Ping flicked him on the forehead. She tugged him back toward their shelter. “We’re leaving soon. Have you packed everything? We’ve never been to the Deer Tribe before. Even with the address, it might take a while to find their camp. You should pack extra supplies.”

Lian nodded absently, his thoughts already drifting to the Deer Tribe days ahead. By nature, he craved adventure and rarely stayed still. He never imagined that in such a short time, he’d get to visit the Great Market, venture out to find tung tree seeds, and now travel to the Deer Tribe’s camp.

“Ping, the Chief is calling for you,” a tribesperson shouted. “She’s waiting for you.”

“Didn’t she call for me?” Lian Chao waved at the tribesperson.

“No,” the tribesperson scratched their head.

Lian Chao poked Ping’s lower back regretfully. “Guess I’ll go clean up then.”

Ping brushed Lian Chao’s hand away and approached Xie Yu, only to find both Xie Yu and Yun Nai present.

Seeing Ping arrive, Yun Nai retrieved a small animal hide bundle from a shelf in the nearby cabinet. The bundle was crudely sewn with bone needles using finely twisted rattan fibers.

Ping, always composed, took a step forward but remained standing. She bent down to accept the bundle from Yun Nai, only to discover a small ceramic bottle inside.

The Priest must be worried about it breaking, she thought, asking, “Priest, may I open it?”

Yun Nai nodded. “You can use it as needed when you leave. When necessary, sprinkle it on food or drink. It will cause severe stomach pain and internal rot. Use it sparingly.”

Ping’s pupils constricted as she carefully removed the small wooden stopper from the clay bottle. Afraid to smell it, she lowered the bottle and squinted to peer inside.

Xie Yu cautioned, “Be careful. If it becomes necessary for Lian to know on the journey, assess the situation and tell him. Otherwise, there’s no need to mention it.”

Ping nodded solemnly, carefully tucking the clay bottle back into her bundle. The contents sounded so dangerous; she needed to be extra cautious.

Xie Yu pondered whether she had overlooked any instructions. Satisfied that she had covered everything, she said, “You may go now. Sha may not be as gentle as he appears, but he won’t trouble you for now. Return as soon as possible.”

Ping nodded and retreated with the clay bottle.

Only after Ping had left did Xie Yu’s stern expression soften. Her eyes turned wistful as she murmured, “I have to leave again tomorrow. We’re always apart. What are we going to do?”

Before she could finish, Yun Nai frowned and slapped her mouth lightly three times.

Yun Nai’s hand gently patted Xie Yu’s chattering lips. She met her gaze earnestly and said, “Don’t say such things.”

After being reprimanded, Xie Yu’s heart stirred, and she lowered her head. “I was wrong.”

Her contrite demeanor was so endearing that Yun Nai glared at her playfully, about to remove the hand covering Xie Yu’s lips. But Xie Yu’s quick reflexes caught her wrist.

Xie Yu gestured. “If you punish it, you have to reward it.”

“Is there nothing else you want to say to me?” After Yun Nai finished rewarding her, Xie Yu leaned in aggressively. “I have so much to tell you, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to say it all.”

“Better to act than just think about it,” Yun Nai replied, her cheeks flushing pink.

Xie Yu had already backed Yun Nai against another small table. Seeing that she had nowhere left to retreat, Xie Yu placed her hands between Yun Nai’s waist and the table to prevent her from bumping into it.

“If it’s better to act than just think about it, then I’ll act.”

“Better to rely on yourself than ask others.”

“Better to rely on yourself than ask others,” Xie Yu repeated, feigning deep thought before suddenly exclaiming in realization, “So you mean I don’t need to ask you anymore?”

The night was thick with darkness, the moonlight seductive.

Following Yun Nai’s teachings, Xie Yu stopped asking questions. With a gentle tug, she pulled Yun Nai onto the table.

The table was small but sturdy, not creaking or wobbling even when someone sat on it.

The animal hide covering Yun Nai’s lower legs was gently lifted, inch by inch. Instinctively, she tried to pull away, but Xie Yu’s hand clamped around her ankle.

The pressure from Xie Yu’s fingers was just right—firm enough to restrain her movement without hurting her.

“Hook your legs around me,” Xie Yu coaxed, guiding Yun Nai’s legs to wrap around her waist. “Don’t pull away.”

In this charged atmosphere, their skin burned intensely; even the slightest touch threatened to ignite the entire room.

Ignoring the danger, Xie Yu leaned down to kiss her.

In recent days, Yun Nai’s teasing had grown increasingly skilled. Their lips and tongues intertwined passionately, leaving them both breathless.

Yun Nai was undoubtedly the more breathless of the two. Her physical stamina had always lagged behind Xie Yu’s, putting her at a distinct disadvantage in such moments.

Xie Yu smiled, tracing the features of the woman in her arms.

No matter how she acted toward others, she was always gentle with Yun Nai.

The contrast between Yun Nai’s delicate skin and the rough animal hide was striking. The moment their skin touched, both women groaned in pleasure.

“Do you like it?”

She always loved to ask about Yun Nai’s feelings at moments like this.

Though it was embarrassing, Yun Nai had to answer, or Xie Yu would never let her off easily.

I like it.

I like it.

Xie Yu held Yun Nai close, comforting her. She wanted every memory Yun Nai recalled to be…

Yun Nai pressed her lips together, her ears burning. She was nothing like Xie Yu in these moments.

She rarely took the initiative, restraint being her default state.

A shimmering, watery light flickered in Yun Nai’s eyes as the person before her leaned down.

In a panic, she hastily covered her lips, afraid her voice might escape unbidden.

“You’re such a… villain,” she murmured helplessly, her fragmented words revealing a commendable spirit that refused to yield despite being utterly defeated.

They were leaving tomorrow, and this “villain” wouldn’t stop because of her words—at most, she might slow down a little.

Even slowing down wouldn’t matter. Soon, everyone would call Xie Yu a villain anyway.

Yun Nai, trembling violently, could only cling to Xie Yu’s neck with both arms, biting her shoulder or jaw.

Enveloped in this tight embrace, Xie Yu felt an overwhelming joy.

A few more marks appeared on the table, but it didn’t matter.

Xie Yu stood fully dressed, while Yun Nai lay half-reclined, her clothes disheveled and torn.

Realizing this, Yun Nai reached out to remove Xie Yu’s clothes. If I’m going down, I’m taking her with me…

While Yun Nai still had the presence of mind to think, Xie Yu secretly quickened her pace, targeting the spots Yun Nai had identified as her weak points.

Soon after, a torrent of clear water surged through the valley, nourishing the lush grass and causing it to grow even more luxuriantly. Xie Yu withdrew, mischievously scraping against the moistened blades.

After several rounds of struggle, victory and defeat had become irrelevant. Xie Yu wiped away the tears streaming down Yun Nai’s face, nuzzled their noses together, and looked up to see the bamboo flute lying nearby.

Her heart stirred. She whispered in Yun Nai’s ear, “Let’s try it, okay?”

After all, they weren’t leaving until noon the next day.

Yun Nai’s ears flushed hot as she buried her face in Xie Yu’s shoulder, the lingering sensations still tingling. And Xie Yu actually wanted to…

To speak or not to speak, to speak or not to speak.

She tried to evade.

In the next instant, Xie Yu’s passion-filled gaze caught up with her.

Yun Nai covered Xie Yu’s eyes, panting softly like a mosquito’s buzz, “My heart…”

Before she could finish, Xie Yu swept her into a tight embrace, humming with laughter in her ear, “Better to act than just feel.”

The next morning, Xie Yu woke up refreshed. Her companion was still asleep, so she carefully turned over and got up, preparing to double-check the supplies they had packed.

The pottery jars Ping was taking to the Deer Tribe for trade were already accounted for. Xie Yu was primarily concerned with the items she was bringing to the Snake Tribe. In addition to the jars, she had also brought the poison powder Yun Nai had given her.

However, she wouldn’t use it in the Snake Tribe unless absolutely necessary. After all, besides them, the Snake Tribe also had their own priests, and the poison wasn’t immediately effective. If anyone were to fall ill because of it, they would immediately become prime suspects.

But if it came to dealing with anyone Hu might send after them, using the poison could be considered.

Besides these items, they also had other supplies like animal hides, auxiliary materials, and bamboo water cups. A total of four people were going, including Yan. Xie Yu wanted Li and Ke to stay behind at the Tribe to assist Yun Nai with finishing up their remaining tasks.

Inventorying the supplies was a quick and easy task, completed in no time.

Around eight in the morning, Yun Nai woke up. The soreness between her legs made her blush with embarrassment. After tidying herself up, she stepped outside to find Xie Yu already grilling fish.

Seeing Yun Nai emerge, Xie Yu immediately stood up and hurried over, holding up the freshly grilled fish with a flattering smile. “It’s ready! Let’s eat.”

“I need to wash up first,” Yun Nai replied.

Xie Yu obediently stepped back halfway, following behind her.

Wherever Yun Nai goes today, I’ll go too, Xie Yu thought smugly. I finished all my chores early, so she can’t even scold me.

And so, the two of them lingered over their morning routines, Yun Nai washing while Xie Yu watched.

Their time together passed in a flash. By noon, both teams were ready to depart. Ping led her group toward Mount Po, while Xie Yu led her group southwest toward the Snake Tribe.

During their journey, the snow stopped falling for five or six days. They pressed on with renewed urgency, making much better time than anticipated.

When Ping’s team reached Mount Po, they made a bold decision: instead of going around the mountain, they would climb over it.

There were two reasons for this choice. First, Chief had previously predicted that if Qi and his group were still alive, they would likely ambush them along the mountain’s winding paths. Even though Qi was dead, Ping refused to risk being followed or spied upon upon their return.

The second was her bold speculation that both the Deer Tribe and her own tribe had been followed after returning from the Great Market. Given the relatively short distance between the two tribes, it was highly likely that the Deer Tribe’s Chief had also sent messengers to contact them.

If this were the case, they might have reached the same conclusion: that traveling around the mountain would lead to ambushes, and thus, like her, they would choose to climb directly over it.

Based on this decision, Ping’s group and Sha’s scouts met halfway up the mountain, arriving half the expected time earlier.

As Xie Yu and Ping had predicted, Hu had indeed sent men to follow the Deer Tribe, using the same methods as he had against the Shadow Tribe. However, the Deer Tribe had suffered slightly heavier losses compared to the Shadow Tribe.

Fortunately, the Deer Tribe hadn’t been too weak to begin with, allowing them to endure until now. They were still capable of surviving the winter without freezing or starving.

This led to a disagreement among the two groups: should they return to the Deer Tribe together, return to the Shadow Tribe first, or split up and continue traveling to each other’s camps?

Ping proposed that both groups return to the Deer Tribe first. She needed to speak with Sha as soon as possible. As for why they shouldn’t split up, it was simply because she still couldn’t fully trust these people.

Among the people Sha had sent was Xing. Since Lian and Xing knew each other, the tense atmosphere eased considerably.

After discussing Ping’s proposal with her team, Xing agreed, and the two groups quickly reached an understanding.

This wasn’t about being manipulated; Xing had her own reasons. First, she’d heard that Xie Yu was temporarily away from the tribe. Second, bringing Ping and her group back to her home territory would give her the upper hand in negotiations.

It took Ping and her group four days to reach the Deer Tribe.

During this time, Xie Yu’s group encountered no major incidents. As first-time travelers, they occasionally lost their way, but fortunately, they always managed to find the correct path in time.

Along the way, they encountered a few solitary beasts, which they naturally hunted to fill their bellies.

Neither group encountered any traps, though Xie Yu’s group’s journey took longer.

On the seventh day after both groups set out, the Shadow Tribe welcomed a figure who had once existed only in the legends of the continent.