Chapter 168: Three Tribes Form an Alliance

Ashu still wanted Nan Qinghuan to join; they no longer saw her as a mere female — in their eyes she was the greatest of leaders.

"Enough, Ashu, let's do it this way. Dashan, prepare the stone axes and wine."

Ying was always a man whose word was final; no one could refuse him. And so, Ashu and Yao had no choice but to let it be.

Nan Qinghuan knew what they intended to do. "Wait, use my small knife — it's very sharp."

This time, they used her small knife to cut their fingers. As drops of blood fell into the fruit wine, the three of them laughed heartily, then raised their wine bowls and prepared to drink — when suddenly, a voice from behind called out to stop them.

"Stop."

At these words, Ying narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced behind him, only to see... that Shigong was slowly approaching, supported by Xiaohei. "Stop, Ying."

Seeing the old man arrive, all the tribespeople who had been dancing around the Roasted Meat stopped. Tonight, everyone who could come had come — even Axi, though injured, had been carried here on Dashan's back to eat.

"Shigong, what are you here for again? You didn't save us — you shouldn't be showing up here."

Though Axi was injured and had developed rashes, she still had to speak up for Qinghuan. These past days Qinghuan had spent so much time caring for the tribe's people; Axi saw it all and ached in her heart. This Great Elder had done nothing for the tribespeople — what right did he have to come back and order them about? "That's right, Shigong, what are you here for again?"

Seeing himself crowded out by his own tribespeople, Shigong was so angry his face turned green. "All of you — won over by a female with a bit of food! Ying, you cannot swear a Blood Oath with them. Have you forgotten? Your father said you must never have anything to do with the Cannibal Tribe. Who knows what they're thinking — will they come plunder our food? How could you..."

"Enough, Shigong. This is my business and has nothing to do with you. Go wherever it's cool."

Those words were what Qinghuan had taught him, and he felt they were just the thing for dealing with the old coot. This old man had dared to collude with the Rongdi — Ying hadn't even settled accounts with him yet, and now he was causing trouble again? Despicable!

Rebuked by Ying, Shigong stomped his feet in anger. "You... you're getting bolder and bolder. Aren't you afraid I'll summon the Heavenly Father and the Three Great Elders? Ying, you want to build houses — you still need to rely on them for what you need."

"Enough. I am the Clan Leader. If they won't listen to me, then drive them all out."

"You..."

"Dashan, what are you standing there for? Take him away. Shigong, when did you become as stupid as your female? I see you don't need to eat anything either — take him away."

Dashan had long been unable to stand Shigong. Relying on being an elder of the tribe, he came ordering Ying about. But he'd miscalculated — Ying was no longer the same Ying who had just taken over the Tribe back then. Whatever Ying wanted to do, no one could stop.

"Old coot, still not leaving?"

This was something Ou Mu had taught him, and he felt it suited Shigong perfectly.

"You... all of you..."

Elder saw the tribespeople all eating meat; his stomach was very hungry too, and he wanted to taste what it was like. In truth, he had come to scrounge for food, but Ying hadn't invited him, so he could only fabricate some excuse to stay.

"Wait, I want to take some of this back with me."

With that, he shamelessly reached for the meat Axi was roasting, picking up two skewers and trying to stuff them into his mouth. He was so hungry he could eat a whole cow.

But to his surprise, before the delicious food could enter his mouth, Nan Qinghuan snatched it away.

"You — what are you doing?"

Watching the meat that had been about to reach his mouth fly away, the old man glared furiously.

Nan Qinghuan shot him a glare. "Old coot, are you hungry?"

"Give it back to me."

The old man tried to grab the food, but Nan Qinghuan stepped back a few paces and wouldn't let him. "What are you eating? Don't you have a stockpile of Herbal Medicine? Go back and eat that. My skewers are only for guests and friends. What kind of thing are you, that you'd deserve to eat my food?"

"You..."

"How can you talk like that, female? Elder is an Elder — how dare you..."

"Why wouldn't I dare? You traitor of the Wolf Tribe — I haven't dealt with you yet and you're already smug? Yao, you handle this traitor."

Hearing these words, Yao and the others had just finished their Blood Oath. He strode forward to see what had happened, but what he saw was... "Xiaohei?"

The Wolf Tribe's Xiaohei looked a bit guilty seeing Yao. "Chief, it's me."

"Where have you been all this time? Your female thought you'd starved to death out there. Why are you here?"

Xiaohei looked guilty, but Nan Qinghuan gave a cold laugh. "Let me tell you how he's here. Back in the Wolf Tribe, I was betrayed by Xiaohei — he knocked me out and delivered me to the Rongdi Tribe. I've been looking for him all along. I never expected he'd become Elder's man. Elder, why don't you explain what exactly is going on?"

"What Rongdi, what Tribe? This old man has no idea what nonsense you're spouting."

Afraid that Ying would discover his conspiracy, the old man had no choice but to sell out Xiaohei. "I picked this Xiaohei up outside. How would I know what he'd done?"

"Elder, save me! You can't just abandon me like this, Elder!"

"Save you? You colluded with the Rongdi and still have the nerve to cry out here? I'm done with you."

Dropping these words, Elder turned and slipped away. Once he was gone, Xiaohei wanted to run too — but Yao strode forward and grabbed him, lifting him up with a light heave.

"So it's you, Xiaohei — it was you who knocked out the Spirit Woman and took her to the Rongdi Tribe. What nerve you have!"

Bang — Yao flung Xiaohei aside in fury, and Xiaohei's body instantly rolled into the blazing Bonfire.

"Ahhh!"

His hair caught fire, and he struggled ceaselessly.

"It hurts so much, save me, save me!"

But no one went to save him. The fire engulfed his body, and everyone present watched with satisfaction — because anyone who harmed Nan Qinghuan was their enemy.

When Axi heard about this, she threw down the firewood in her hands, trying to make the fire burn even more fiercely. "You wanted to harm Qinghuan — burn you to death, I'll burn you to death!"

Xiaohei's screams gradually faded. He was burned alive in the pile of firewood, miserable and wretched. The tribespeople were already accustomed to such things, but Nan Qinghuan, seeing a living person burned to death for the first time, was genuinely startled.

Her steps retreated involuntarily. She never expected Yao to throw him straight into the fire — she'd thought a beating would suffice, never imagining... "Qinghuan, don't be afraid."

Ying sensed her fear and hurried forward, wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her entirely into his embrace to protect her. He thoughtfully reached up and gently covered her eyes, not wanting her to have nightmares that night.

"Don't look. It's over now."

Yao hadn't expected Nan Qinghuan to be afraid of someone being burned to death, but as far as he was concerned, Xiaohei was unforgivable — he deserved to die.

"Spirit Woman, what's wrong?"

Nan Qinghuan gently moved Ying's hand away, then looked at Yao with a straight face. "Yao, you handled that well."

Truth be told, she was no saint. If someone treated her well, she would return the kindness twofold; but if someone tried to harm her, she could be just as ruthless.

"Thank you, Spirit Woman."

Yao gave her a low laugh. In the light of the Bonfire, the cinnabar mole at the corner of his eye seemed all the more profound.

Ying found it unbelievable — Qinghuan wasn't afraid of seeing someone killed? "Qinghuan, you're not afraid?"

Nan Qinghuan took a deep breath and smiled, "I used to be scared, but after staying in the Tribe for a long time I'm no longer afraid. The Tribe can't tolerate traitors; keeping him will only become a disaster sooner or later. If he hadn't knocked me out, I wouldn't have been captured by Rongdi and trapped there, and Ying wouldn't have risked his life to save me. He deserves to die."

"Qinghuan…"

Ying was startled; he had thought Qinghuan would be soft‑hearted and scared, but he didn't expect her to say such harsh words.

"Ying, I'm not afraid of anything."

The married couple gazed at each other, a look that seemed to span ten thousand years.

"I greatly admire the Spirit Woman's courage."

Ashu muttered nearby, "Traitors like Xiaohei must be killed. I believe every Tribe is the same, and it's the same here for Ying, right, Ying?"

Ying remained silent; he had still thought Qinghuan was scared, but her boldness kept growing.

"Ha ha, that's right, it's the rule—if Yao doesn't kill him, I won't let him go either."

The Tribe is indifferent to killing; even after everyone saw Xiaohei burned to death, they still sang, danced, grilled skewers, ate meat, and drank.

"Alright, the traitor has been dealt with. You go have a drink first; I'll grill skewers. In a while, the few of us will discuss something."

When she mentioned discussing matters, the three men gathered face to face; Yao, a little puzzled, hurriedly asked, "Spirit Woman, what are we discussing?"