Chapter 237

That was it—Youchao Xuan's tribe faced the danger of extinction. Before Ashu died, females in the tribe had already been giving birth to stillborns; even if they conceived, the fetus would die in the womb and couldn't be delivered. Those who barely managed to endure until birth like A Ya would still have the mother die.

If Nan Qinghuan hadn't performed the C-section this time, that child wouldn't have survived either.

So he had always thought it was Ashu's curse, because he had personally cut off Ashu's head with an iron knife, and Ashu had cursed everyone in the tribe before he died.

Hearing his words, the smile on Nan Qinghuan's lips gradually faded. What illness? Right, what illness? Not being able to bear children was strange enough, and so were the stillbirths. She had carefully examined that deformed child; a normal child wouldn't be like that. It was a problem of genetic mutation during development.

The tribespeople, not understanding, called it a curse—the most vicious curse imaginable. That was why Youchao Xuan wanted to invite her here to help, but he knew she couldn't leave the Ying Tribe.

Helpless, this matter had been dragging on. This time, he finally got the chance when she came to the Golden Nest, and seized the opportunity to bring her back.

He hoped she could break the spell here. But now the Goddess said it wasn't a curse but an illness—so what exactly was the illness? Nan Qinghuan walked over and sat down. The stools in Youchao Xuan's home were very comfortable, the square kind. They were descendants of carpenters, so making stools like these was no trouble at all.

"Youchao Xuan, do the people here marry close relatives?"

She wondered if this was the cause. The Ying Tribe also had such deformed children, all caused by close-relative marriages. As long as it was stopped, this situation could be changed.

Youchao Xuan shook his head. "No, our people don't marry relatives."

"That's not it?"

It seemed Youchao Xuan already knew that close relatives couldn't marry. Back in the Ying Tribe, he had also seen her stop Azi from marrying her own brother, so that wasn't the reason.

Since it wasn't that, then... Nan Qinghuan thought for a moment. "Alright, tomorrow morning, call all these females over. I'll examine their bodies, check them out, and see what the illness is. What do you think?" Actually, Youchao Xuan had learned a bit of medicine from her and had examined the tribespeople himself, but he hadn't found anything.

"Alright, we'll wait until tomorrow, then—"

"Youchao Xuan!"

Youchao Ji's voice came from outside. "It's bad, Youchao Xuan! They found the baby! They're going to throw the baby into the sea to drown!"

"What?"

It wasn't even dawn yet, but many tribespeople had already gathered by the seaside.

Pinpricks of light shone on the sea surface.

A bonfire blazed fiercely on the sand.

The tribespeople surrounded the shore, chattering incomprehensibly. The High Priest, A Gudda, held a baby in his arms and kept bowing toward the sea in worship.

A woman called A Hua tried to snatch the baby, crying as if the world were ending.

"High Priest, spare the baby! Spare the baby!"

"How dare you! A Hua, you're confused! This baby is a monster, cursed! It can't live! Today we send it to the sea—once it's sent, peace will return!"

The High Priest, A Gudda, was the most authoritative person in the tribe after the Clan Leader, Youchao Xuan. The tribespeople trusted him deeply. He could perform divination to tell them where to fish, where danger lurked, and even whether a newborn would be female or male.

The Youchao Tribe, having multiplied by the sea for generations, worshipped the Sea Witch above all.

The Sea Witch was the Sea God of the ocean, blessing generation after generation of the Youchao Tribe.

But now, because the tribe was cursed, the Sea Witch no longer helped them.

This made the tribespeople feel despair. The High Priest thought of using the child as a sacrifice to the Sea Witch. She believed that as long as the child died, the Sea Witch would bless them again.

And send down fortune.

The sea wind howled past, and the crowd surged on the beach.

The tribespeople also hurried to console A Hua. "A Hua, this baby is a monster—three hands! Didn't you see? Terrifying! Scarier than a fish-monster! It has to die, it has to die!"

Having said that, the High Priest began preparing to kill the child. He had someone place the baby on the sand, then put a grass ring around its head.

Wave after wave crashed in, and soon the child would be washed into the sea.

The baby's cries were piercing, but they couldn't wake these superstitious ancient people.

"Ali dora, jigu magu, blah blah..."

The High Priest muttered incantations, barefoot, throwing all kinds of filthy things onto the child, trying to cast away all the bad luck.

"Wah wah wah..."

"Stop right there!"

Suddenly, Youchao Xuan's voice came from behind. Everyone turned to look.

"The Clan Leader is here!"

The High Priest, A Gudda, wasn't afraid even when she saw Youchao Xuan arrive. She showed no regard for the child's life at all.

When Nan Qinghuan saw the child being washed by the waves, her blood rushed to her head.

Holy crap, this was slaughter!

She dashed to the child's side to pick it up. The High Priest saw she was going to stop it and swung her scepter to block her. Nan Qinghuan twisted her body and dodged.

Then she scooped the child up.

"Wah wah wah!"

The child cried desperately, but at least it hadn't been washed away.

"Are you all insane? This is a living being! Do you know you're committing murder?"

"A Gudda, how dare you kill one of my tribespeople?"

"Clan Leader, this is the Heaven's Daughter you brought back. She hasn't saved this child—this child is a monster! It must be sacrificed to the Sea Witch, or else—"

"Shut up, you hag! Look at yourself—neither human nor ghost! This child isn't a monster; it's just sick!"

"Heaven's Daughter? Tribespeople, do you think she looks like one?"

"This..."

"How dare you! A Gudda, are you rebelling?"

Youchao Xuan's silver hair flew as he bellowed. Youchao Ji hurried to take the child. "Goddess, give the baby to me."

The child was pitifully small, crying hoarsely as if trying to change its fate. Youchao Ji quickly soothed it. "Don't cry, don't cry. Our baby isn't a monster. The Heaven's Daughter says it's not a monster."

"My baby!"

Seeing her child saved, A Hua immediately rushed forward to hold it. No one was going to kill her baby now.

"A Gudda, who gave you permission to kill a baby on your own?"

The High Priest A Gudda held the Scepter with a very imposing air. Her long hair was loose, she wore a copper ring on her head, and with her bare feet, she exuded a domineering presence.

"Clan Leader, this is a monster. This female actually released a monster and wanted to spare it. The clan does not agree."

"Why is it that wherever I go, there are old hags like you spouting nonsense? This child is not a monster; he is merely ill."

"Clan Leader, is this the Heaven's Daughter you begged for? She talks nonsense. This brat is clearly..."

"She is not. High Priest, take a good look at this child. She survived being placed in water by you. She is a cub bestowed upon you by the Sea Witch. She is a Divine Child, not some monster."

"Divine Child?"

PS: (Dear little cuties, happy reading, mwah mwah)