Chapter 220: Opening Up the Land in the Ancient Plan

The tribe members dared not defy his will, "Leader, rest assured, we will definitely farm well. Leader, what divine powers has the Ying Tribe obtained, how are they so strong?"

"Ah, that's because the Goddess helped, but unfortunately she doesn't want to stay with us."

"Isn't that right? If she stayed here we could also…"

The tribe members whispered furtively, seeing Rongdi's expression turn sour; they dared not speak, because Rongdi's gaze seemed ready to devour them.

That female ran away simply because she didn't like Rongdi; their Clan Leader must feel truly pitiful.

He was actually abandoned by a female.

Rongdi's expression remained sour, "Everyone, go work."

His pride had nowhere to go; the tribe members had seen Nan Qinghuan and knew she had fled… "Leader"

From behind, Gu Lang hurried over, "Leader, your pet Heavenly Dragon is missing."

Hearing the Heavenly Dragon was missing, Rongdi squinted slightly, "Wasn't it locked in a cage?"

"No, the caretaker said it was taken away by Ji Nü."

"Ji Nü? How bold of her to touch my pet; where did she go?"

Gu Lang was about to speak when Duo Luo rushed up from behind, "I know where she went; she must have taken the Heavenly Dragon to the Ying Tribe."

Hearing this, Rongdi squinted, feeling puzzled, "What are they doing at the Ying Tribe?"

Duo Luo and Gu Lang remained silent; the atmosphere on the spot grew eerie.

After a moment of silence, Rongdi suddenly gasped, "Could it be… no, she's going to look for Nan Qinghuan!"

"Gu Lang, come with me to capture her and bring her back."

At night, the bright moon hung high.

Within the Forest, a chorus of insect cries echoed, and the tension was high.

The Heavenly Dragon was a prehistoric Giant Beast, bearing long tusks, its head shaped like a triangle, quite ugly—a creature Nan Qinghuan had never seen before.

The Heavenly Dragon's size was like that of an adult elephant, its hoarse snout drooling.

A barefoot woman leapt down from above, "Nan Qinghuan, I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Indeed, Nan Qinghuan and the others were intercepted by a woman.

"It's you. What do you want?"

Ji Nü held a Spear in her hand, pointing at her, "I've come to duel you; if you lose to me, you won't appear before Rongdi again."

Nan Qinghuan, clutching a rice ear, was stunned, "You want to duel me?"

She was at a loss for words; Rongdi had nothing to do with her. Since Jingang fought Rongdi last time, she hadn't seen Rongdi again, but she guessed that Rongdi must have been seriously injured.

The tribe, undisturbed by her, was peaceful and developing steadily.

She was almost forgetting that Beastman.

Ji Nü's eyes widened, "Right, to duel you. Our tribe has a rule: when two females vie for a male, they must duel. Nan Qinghuan, do you dare?"

She saw Nan Qinghuan picking up a lot of useless items, and her contempt deepened; she couldn't understand what was good about this female, she couldn't become Rongdi's Omega, and she wouldn't let this female get away with anything.

Hearing Ji Nü say that, she understood; it seemed the woman liked Rongdi a lot and had been harshly rejected, and, unable to comprehend, she came to cause trouble for herself.

How laughable; she had no time to play with her now.

She shrugged, "Woman, you won; no need to continue, clear the way, we're heading home."

Axi echoed, "You female are truly insane; you like Rongdi, but we Qinghuan don't. Qinghuan likes Ying; if you want a duel, go back to your tribe. Qinghuan, let's leave."

"You may not leave."

Ji Nü, unwilling to give up, tried to chase Nan Qinghuan, and Ge Gen couldn't stand it, shouting, "If you won't step aside for the female, don't blame me for being impolite."

Ji Nü realized she knew this person; how was he here? "Ge Gen, aren't you loyal to Wolf Girl? How are you here?"

At that moment, Ge Gen realized he seemed to recognize the female before him; upon closer look, she was indeed an acquaintance.

He sneered, "So it's the little female who was once by Rong Guang's side. You've grown so big yet still act immature? Move aside."

"You've betrayed the wolf clan?"

"Whoever holds the Wolf Token, I am loyal to them. Get lost."

Ji Nü bit her lip, a murderous glint flashing in her eyes.

"In that case, I'll kill you all."

She clapped her hands toward the Heavenly Dragon and made an attacking gesture; instantly, the Heavenly Dragon swung its tail, roared, and charged at them.

"Goddess, be careful."

Swish swish swish…—At that split‑second, countless Long Arrows shot out from within the Forest toward this spot, followed by a large crowd bearing torches rushing in.

"Capture her."

Ji Nü hadn't expected to be discovered by Ying; Ying arrived.

She immediately leapt onto the Heavenly Dragon's back to flee, "Go."

Wooo—

The Heavenly Dragon, attacked, fled with Ji Nü; behind it chased Xiao Guai relentlessly, and Xiao Guai along with several Mammoths pursued. Within the Forest, the battle that had been raging was halted by Ying.

"Qinghuan"

"Ying"

Ying led his men forward quickly, saw she was unharmed, then breathed a sigh of relief, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I knew you'd come. Ying, look what I brought."

She showed the treasure to Ying; the full rice ears delighted her, but Ying frowned upon seeing them.

"What is this? She only came back this late to look for this? 'Ying, Qinghuan says this grass rope can be eaten—uh, no, the thing on the grass rope is edible, and it smells fragrant.'"

Ying furrowed his brows, then gathered all the rice ears from her arms into his own embrace; he recognized the item.

"Qinghuan, this thing is useless when brought here; why did you keep bringing it back?"

Sure enough, Ying didn't recognize it either; no one in this Tribe recognized Rice.

Ge Gen Dao thought the Goddess might be right: "Ying, the Goddess says this is called Rice, it's a grain; when husked it can be eaten."

"Yes, Ying, this is called Rice; from now on we can grow it ourselves, plant the grain and eat rice."

Ying didn't understand, and Dashan and Ji Lei were also puzzled; isn't that just ordinary grass? "Um, isn't this just a simple grass rope? Can it be eaten?"

Dashan and Ji Lei said it was unlikely.

Nan Qinghuan was about to say something when Yao and Ashu, who arrived behind her, relaxed once they saw she had returned; Yao hurried forward and asked her, "Spirit Woman, what is this…?"

"We'll discuss it when we get back. Don't underestimate this thing; it can ensure none of us ever go hungry again, providing endless food."

Those words were downright tempting; everyone glanced at each other, and Yao, hearing that they wouldn't go hungry, found it absolutely appealing.

"Come, give me some. Let's go back and hear what the Goddess says."

That night, members of the Ying Tribe lit a blazing Bonfire inside the Tulou; they held a meeting, discussing both the cultivation of Rice and the construction of the Tulou.

The Ying Tribe was energetically planning its development, while over here, when Ji Nü fled back to the Rongdi Tribe with the Heavenly Dragon, she was surrounded before even reaching it.

"Stop."

"Chief."

Ji Nü was frightened upon seeing the Rongdi and rolled off the Heavenly Dragon, too scared to speak. Seeing her in such a disheveled state, his pet had a Long Arrow stuck in its paw; the Rongdi, furious, stepped forward and slapped Ji Nü, causing her to vomit blood.

"How audacious, you dare release my pet! Tell me, where did you go?"

Seeing fresh blood on Ji Nü's arm made him feel a pang of worry, and he asked, "Tell me where you went?"

Ji Nü dared not tell the truth; she scraped herself up, straightened, and bowed her head trembling, "I… I just wasn't happy, so I went out for a walk."

"Just a walk, and you went quite far."

The Rongdi strode forward, yanked the Long Arrow from the Heavenly Dragon's leg, and the Heavenly Dragon let out a mournful, screeching cry.

In pain, it bared its teeth and spat a mouthful of saliva at the Rongdi.

The Rongdi's fury flared even more, "Take it away."

Soon, the pet was taken away, and Ji Nü knelt as well; the Rongdi looked at the broken Long Arrow on the ground, marked with the Ying Tribe's emblem—he recognized it, having been wounded by such an arrow before.

His voice was deep and laced with a murderous aura as he questioned Ji Nü from above, "Did you go to the Ying Tribe to kill Nan Qinghuan?"

What audacity!

Ji Nü, seeing that he knew, hurriedly shook her head, "I didn't. She has Ying's protection; how could I kill her?"

Hearing that, the Rongdi finally breathed a sigh of relief; she was fine.

He despised himself, clearly harbored great hatred for Nan Qinghuan, yet he could not bear the news of her death.

"How bold you are, tell me, what was she doing in the Tribe?"