Chapter 234: No Children Born Within the Tribe

Nan Qinghuan took big steps forward, Ying, fearing something would happen to her, didn't want her to go, reached out and grabbed her arm, asking anxiously, "Qinghuan, what are you doing?"

"Ying, let me say a few words to him at the end."

Ying originally was unwilling, but thinking that Rongdi was already about to die, he relented.

He let go!

Nan Qinghuan approached Rongdi and finally stopped.

A sea wind whistled by, and Rongdi looked very despondent.

"I once thought you were a hero—at least you were far better than the Dog Rong, who only runs away when trouble arises. But now I think you're just a brute. Rongdi, you want to develop your Tribe, which isn't a bad thing, but you can't constantly suppress and destroy the Ying Tribe. Doing so only makes people think you are narrow‑minded and incapable of achieving anything great."

"Ha ha, even you come to lecture me. If Ying doesn't die, I can't answer my father, I can't answer the Tribe, Nan Qinghuan, do you understand?"

"I don't get it. Why must you fight for territory by killing? Was your original territory not good? If you had led your people to coexist peacefully with the Ying Tribe, and honored the Blood Oath you made with Ying, you wouldn't be like this now. Perhaps your Tribe would have been planting lush crops and eating sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, you're wrong."

"Shut up, I'm not wrong. If there were a mistake, it would be that I..."

Rongdi gave her a deep look but said nothing further; he shifted his tone and glanced at Ying, "If I don't die, Ying, you wait for me."

Rongdi broke off, leaving those words, and gave Nan Qinghuan one last look. In a world of strong males, there is no surrender, only death; he cannot obtain the female he desires, a wound he cannot let go of in his whole life.

He cannot let it go.

Suddenly, he withdrew his gaze, leapt with his whole body, and jumped into the sea below the cliff.

Falling from such a height.

In an instant, Rongdi was engulfed by the seawater.

"Rongdi"

Nan Qinghuan stared wide‑eyed at the water below; Rongdi had jumped.

Roar! Roar! Roar!

Dashan and the others were all delighted, shouting toward the sky, that mischievous Rongdi was finally dead, finally dead.

The lone wolf saw the leader jump and followed.

Still quite loyal.

Nan Qinghuan stood at the cliff edge watching the sea below; if Rongdi hadn't opposed Ying, perhaps they could have become friends.

"Qinghuan"

Ying also stepped forward, his gaze turning toward the deep sea, where Rongdi's burial place lay.

"He fell down; he'll die."

"I know."

The Tribe members, upon hearing that Rongdi was dead, kept cheering; Ying saw her silent and thought she was sad, "He's dead, Qinghuan; he won't bother us anymore."

Ying, avenging his grievance, was very pleased, while Nan Qinghuan could barely smile.

"Qinghuan, shall we go back?"

Ying, seeing her little reaction, felt a hint of comfort; he had expected her to be grieved by Rongdi's death.

"Ying, I'm not going back yet."

Her words made Ying's face darken, his brows knit as he looked at her, "What did you say?"

She said she wouldn't return—why? Because he forced Rongdi to die? Nan Qinghuan glanced at Youchao Xuan behind her, Youchao Xuan's gaze filled with expectation.

Indeed, he wanted to ask the Goddess for a favor, a matter concerning life and death within the Tribe.

"I promised Youchao Xuan to help his Tribe with a matter; his Tribe is right around here. He has done us many favors, and now it's our turn to return the favor, Ying."

Hearing this, Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief; it wasn't because he was angry over Rongdi's death and stubbornly refusing to return. He turned his head toward Youchao Xuan, "Youchao Xuan, what's happening in your Tribe?"

Youchao Xuan was quite helpless. Indeed, he had always wanted Nan Qinghuan to come, but Ying wouldn't let Nan Qinghuan leave the Tribe. He also saw Ying's concern for Nan Qinghuan and didn't want the couple to quarrel over his affairs, so he kept silent. After he returned and saw the situation within the Tribe, he realized the matter could not be delayed.

"Ying, the offspring of my Tribe cannot be born; our people are dwindling."

"What?"

That is indeed a serious problem; the number of births in a Tribe directly affects its population growth.

"Ying, you go back first; after Youchao Xuan and I go, we'll return."

Ying took a deep breath, reluctant to let her go; although there were many matters within the Tribe,... a hint of reluctance lingered in his eyes, yet he also knew that Youchao Xuan's Tribe needed their help.

"Then when will you return?"

Indeed, this time he let Nan Qinghuan go alone to a place; if it were before, he wouldn't have agreed, but now he does.

Hearing Ying agree, Nan Qinghuan was quite pleased. She couldn't quite articulate it; she couldn't ask Ying to go with her because the Tribe needed him. Now that Rongdi is dead, they still have to guard against the Rongdi Tribe attacking, and the Dog Rong fled in fright today, so there's no guarantee he'll recover...

Therefore, Ying must return to the Tribe.

"I..."

"Ying, whether the Goddess can solve this or not, I promise you: ten days. After ten days, you have someone come here to fetch her, and I will also safely bring her here."

"Ten days?"

Ying counted on his fingers and thought it too long, "No, five days. I'll have Dashan go with you, to protect you."

"No need, I'm going to Youchao Xuan's place; there's no danger. You both hurry back. Youchao Xuan, let's not dither any longer, let's go."

She didn't want to waste more words; after hearing Youchao Xuan speak of the Tribe's affairs, she felt quite anxious. What kind of strange thing is this, why can the women of the Tribe not give birth, and those who become pregnant die in utero? What a bizarre disease? This time, Ying merely escorted them away silently, and suddenly he shouted toward her silhouette.

"Qinghuan"

Nan Qinghuan was startled, about to turn her head, when he rushed behind her and clasped her waist, looking reluctant to let go.

Indeed, he couldn't stand being separated from her.

But Youchao Xuan's Tribe's matters also needed to be resolved.

He was not an ungrateful person.

He held Nan Qinghuan's lower back, buried his head in her long hair, inhaled deeply the scent that belonged to her, and said, "I'll wait for you."

He couldn't stand being apart from Nan Qinghuan for too long, but he also couldn't go with her; he is the Clan Leader, and his Tribe needs him.

Nan Qinghuan was startled, then turned and held him tightly; this man was reluctant to let her go, she knew.

"Go back, I'll settle things and then we'll return; there are many tasks still to do within the tribe."

Ying gently cupped her cheek and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, a kiss that carried all his affection and reluctance.

"Go, return early."

The setting sun slipped westward, and the afterglow reflected on the sea, stirring ripples.

Ying saw with his own eyes Nan Qinghuan and Youchao Xuan vanish beneath the sunset.

They were gone.

"Ying, really not sending anyone to protect Oumu?"

Dashan didn't know what trouble had arisen at Youchao Xuan's place that forced Oumu to help, but he also knew it must be a difficult matter; even someone as powerful as Youchao Xuan couldn't handle it, so it was certainly troublesome.

Ying's gaze was deep as he stared absentmindedly at the spot where they disappeared, "No need, Youchao Xuan will look after her."

Dashan realized he had truly changed; if it were the old him, he would certainly have objected.

"Ying, you've really changed; you once wouldn't allow Oumu to take a single step away from you."

Ying merely clenched his teeth and gave a bitter smile; if he could choose, he would bind Nan Qinghuan to himself and take her everywhere, but Qinghuan was right—she needed freedom, and he gave her the freedom she wanted.

In fact, Dashan could see his pain, yet he still chose to let her go; it must be said, Ying truly was no longer the same as before.

Ying withdrew his gaze and then murmured, "Qinghuan loves me; she will return. Take inventory here, bring those tribe members back, and can you find out why the Quanrong suddenly want to occupy this mountain?"

It should be known that many years ago this hill was seized by the Quanrong, yet he never cared, because the land was far from the Ying Tribe and served no purpose; Ying never imagined he would one day retake this land.

But he found the matter odd—why were the Quanrong suddenly so interested in this Golden Nest hill? Dashan hurriedly replied, "We found it; it's said there's treasure beneath, and that's why the Quanrong want to claim it."

The words piqued Ying's interest; his brows tightened, "Treasure? What treasure?"

PS: (Dear readers, enjoy the story; Ying has really changed a lot, ha!)

The female lead's wild‑person transformation project is half‑complete.)