Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 43

Ruo Yunnai’s camp was considered one route. The Shadow Tribe had divided its forces into three groups: Ping and Sha were currently negotiating, while Xie Yu was still en route.

The legendary figure from the mainland had arrived at Yun Nai’s camp and was sitting casually in the open space before the Shadow Tribe’s watchtower, completely ignoring the sentries aiming their bows from the tower and the row of warriors armed with stone spears and bows.

“Who are you?” Ke demanded.

Before her words had even finished echoing, Li swung his tightly gripped stone spear and slammed it violently into the ground.

He was asserting his authority to his comrades.

“Who am I?” The woman, who appeared to be in her late thirties, showed no inclination to answer Ke’s question. She chuckled, scratching her nose. “If I told you, would you dare to listen?”

“What wouldn’t we dare?” Ke frowned, suspecting she was stalling for time. She raised her hand, ready to order an immediate attack if anything seemed amiss.

With the Chief and Ping absent, she held the authority to command, second only to the Priest. The Priest and the cubs were safely inside the camp, and she wouldn’t allow this woman to set foot within its boundaries.

Li said gravely, “You have remarkable courage.”

“Daring to attack alone? I’ll make you crawl and beg for mercy.”

“Such intense bloodlust,” the figure remarked, glancing at him indifferently.

“I am Crane.”

“Crane?” Ke’s face darkened. “You dare impersonate Crane to deceive us?”

The person before her, filthy from head to toe, could hardly be Crane.

Crane was a Totem, a Tribe, and an individual.

They had existed since the continent’s lands solidified, standing as both one of the most powerful and one of the weakest tribes.

The reason they were considered the weakest was their minuscule population: at most two members, at least one.

The two-member state only occurred when the current Chief sought their successor.

Yet despite their scarcity, the Crane Tribe had endured to the present day, earning them the exceptional status of a major tribe.

As for why Crane was considered a legendary figure, it was due to her elusive nature. Almost no one had ever seen her. She lived among the people yet remained apart from the world.

No one could recognize Crane, so most people didn’t even know if she was male or female.

But Crane never involved herself in tribal affairs, drifting like a duckweed, going wherever the current took her.

For someone to survive on this continent, fraught with peril, was nothing short of miraculous.

Therefore, Crane must be extraordinary.

Some felt a faint, almost intangible affection for Crane, admiring her unparalleled strength and boundless freedom.

Since no one could be both Chief and Priest, Crane naturally wasn’t either. Yet her tribe clearly possessed a Totem, leading some to speculate that each successive Chief was the Crane Totem itself.

In Ke’s mind, Crane should have been a powerful, transcendent figure. But the woman before her, draped in tattered animal skins, one of her vine sandals missing, and radiating an aura of “come at me if you dare,” was a far cry from the Crane she had imagined.

Ke shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

Crane ignored her disbelief, flopping onto the ground, crossing her right leg over her left, and lazily squinting. “The sun feels best at this time of day.”

“You… get up now!” Ke couldn’t deal with this person. Lying at the entrance of their camp was damaging their reputation.

“I won’t,” Crane replied, her eyes still closed. “Does it say your name here? No? Then I’ll lie wherever I want.”

Such impatient little cubs, Ke thought. They’re not even fully grown yet—they should be called tiny cubs.

Ke’s hand, which had been hovering in the air for a long time, was starting to ache. She said impatiently, “I’m about to order you shot. You still have a chance to leave.”

Though this woman was being deliberately provocative, Ke inexplicably didn’t want to kill her.

“What do you really want?”

Crane slapped the ground and sprang to her feet in a swift, acrobatic motion. “I want food.”

And to meet your Priest, she added silently.

She could already imagine her friend’s surprised and delighted expression.

It had taken her nearly half a day to find the Shadow Tribe’s new camp.

“Of course,” Ke muttered. “No wonder you’re being so stubborn.”

After a moment’s thought, Ke realized that even if this person wasn’t Crane herself, she might be one of Crane’s followers. A significant portion of the continent’s population was willing to follow Crane, likely captivated by her mystique.

As a child, she had dreamed of wandering through the forest alone, as free as the wind.

“Ke, let her in,” Yun Nai’s voice called from nearby.

“Priest, you’ve come out!” Ke exclaimed in surprise.

Crane’s gaze pierced through the crowd blocking her path, settling on the young man who had given the order.

She had never seen him before. A fleeting flicker of sorrowful suspicion crossed her face before it vanished beneath a mask of nonchalance. “Your priest is far more hospitable than you lot.”

Ke turned and glared at her, then asked Yun Nai, “Priest, is that true?”

Yun Nai nodded.

Though Ke didn’t understand why, she reluctantly let Crane pass.

Crane sauntered into the Tribe, hands clasped behind her head, as if returning home. She showed no discomfort, chattering incessantly, “These dwellings are quite nice. The pond is lovely too, though the paths are rather slippery in winter.”

Ke waved her hand, signaling the others to disperse. She and Li remained by Crane’s side, vigilant against any sudden attempts to harm anyone.

“I’m a guest, you know,” Crane said, moving toward Yun Nai. “Priest, aren’t you going to control your people?”

Ke snorted coldly, stepping between them. “Then let me extend you a proper welcome.”

Crane clutched her chest, feigning lingering fear. “Oh my, how terrifying.”

Yun Nai gestured for Ke and Li to step back.

Crane adopted her usual defiant pose, shrugging her shoulders and echoing Yun Nai’s words. “You two, hurry and step back.”

Left with no choice, Ke and Li exchanged glances with the guards accompanying Yun Nai before reluctantly retreating to a distance.

“Priest, where’s your Chief?” Crane asked.

Yun Nai gave a vague reply. “What brings you to our Tribe?”

“I need food. Winter’s coming, and we’re starving,” Crane said, rubbing her frostbitten nose with a flimsy excuse.

Yun Nai instructed her people to bring two pieces of meat and a fish. After lighting the charcoal, they waited for the food to cook. “Aren’t you afraid of revealing your identity so openly?”

The guards had already been dismissed. Crane shrugged indifferently. “They couldn’t catch me anyway. What about Luo?”

She finally asked the question.

“Priest Luo has passed away.”

“What a pity,” she sighed, regretting that they hadn’t met before her death.

But the faint sorrow quickly faded. Crane’s curiosity resurfaced. “Did she mention me to you before she died?”

“No,” Yun Nai replied, handing her a piece of roasted meat. “She never spoke of you to me.”

I shouldn’t have asked, Crane thought, embarrassed.

As she tore into the meat, her eyes lit up at the first bite. She devoured every last morsel of meat and fish. After finishing, she let out a satisfied burp and explained, “That’s understandable. We only met twice, and it’s been so long. She probably forgot about me.”

Back then, Crane had just been chosen as Chief, wandering aimlessly, unsure of her path. Luo had pointed her in the right direction.

When Crane asked what Luo wanted in return, Luo had replied…

Luo told her, “When you’ve traveled far and wide and think of me again, if the opportunity arises, please come to my tribe. Take a look at them for me and teach the then-Chief how to lead a tribe. She’s too young.”

“My tribe has been just me for a long time. Are you sure you want me to teach her?”

Luo smiled. “That’s why I hope you travel far enough, see enough, and then remember me.”

Twenty years later, on a certain night, distant memories resurfaced. Crane felt she had traveled far enough and seen enough.

“Only two encounters, and you’ve already found your way here?”

“Of course. Though we haven’t met often, she’s already my friend in my heart.” Crane raised an eyebrow. “Do you have any water? I’m thirsty.”

Yun Nai retrieved an unused pottery jar and filled it with water for her. “Eat and drink, then you should leave.”

How could someone speak such cruel words in such a gentle tone? It was enough to freeze her in this bitter winter.

She found the Shadow Tribe’s living quarters quite impressive, with food as good as that of some major tribes.

Crane scratched her chin and asked, “Is your chief new too?”

“Yes,” Yun Nai replied.

“Wonderful! I’ve been wanting to meet her. I’ll wait until she returns before leaving.”

She wanted to see what kind of person this tribe’s current chief was.

She had already met the priestess, who deserved her praise.

“Our tribe doesn’t harbor useless people,” Yun Nai paused, watching the elder’s face stiffen before smiling. “So, if you stay here, you’ll need to work for us.”

Crane shot the priestess a surprised look. How dare she order her around, knowing her identity? What audacity!

This reminds me of Luo, she thought.

Yun Nai remained unfazed. “Don’t you want to eat delicious meat anymore?”

“Fine. What do you need me to do?”

“Help us watch over the cubs. It would be best if you taught them some fighting techniques.” Yun Nai had no intention of making her do hard labor.

“Alright,” Crane agreed readily, pointing to her stomach. “Actually, I’d like another fish.”

Xie Yu remained unaware of the events unfolding in her tribe.

On the eleventh day, she finally arrived at the Snake Tribe’s camp with her four companions.

Yao greeted them and led them inside. The Snake Tribe women were strikingly alluring, their animal skins dyed vibrant colors using plant-based dyes.

Unlike other tribes who primarily used caves as dwellings, the Snake Tribe had built houses similar to their own, though the structures clearly weren’t constructed using mortise-and-tenon joints.

Yao led the group into a house, her eyes having already scanned the supplies carried by the visitors.

She circled the unflinching Xie Yu several times, her fingers restlessly tracing her lips as she cast a flirtatious glance. “I wonder what brings Yu here? With all these supplies, are they gifts for me?”

Xie Yu set down her back basket and replied calmly, “Part of this is for trade with the Snake Tribe. Our tribe lost many supplies in the recent heavy snow, and there are no other tribes nearby for trade, so we came to you. The rest are gifts for the Snake Tribe. As Yao, a powerful warrior of the Snake Tribe, you’ll receive a portion of these gifts.”

Hearing this, Yao tilted her head back and smiled seductively. “After all that talk, you still have something to give me?”

As she spoke, she reached out to poke Xie Yu, who deftly dodged the gesture without leaving a trace.

Yao sighed dramatically, twirling a strand of her hair. “I only wanted to help you, but Yu seems so unappreciative.”

The four others standing behind Xie Yu wore the same expression, radiating an aura of righteous integrity that made them impervious to Yao’s seduction.

Xie Yu reminded herself to remain calm. “In that case, excellent. I’m curious, what kind of help were you originally planning to offer us, Yao?”

Yao choked on her words. She had only been making polite conversation, expecting a casual response, but this woman was surprisingly brazen.

“That depends on Yu’s true purpose for coming here.”

Xie Yu’s expression turned serious. “It’s a matter of great importance. Besides you, I also need to meet with your tribe’s chief, Hua.”

“Oh my—” Yao’s voice twisted into a melodramatic wail. “Then I must warn you: Hu, the chief of the Tiger Tribe, passed through here on her way back from the Great Market. If your business conflicts with hers, you’ll have to respect the principle of ‘first come, first served.’

“Or perhaps… you could demonstrate your sincerity to us more fully.”