Chapter 418: Self‑Inflicted Sin Cannot Live

The cool breeze, though sympathetic to him, would not go back with him this time; the tribe members who came to exchange goods kept coming and going, watching him.

"Look, who is this, why are they dressed so scantily?"

"Ah, they must be freezing to death!"

The tribe members came and went and left; Sangtian, half in a rage, stamped his foot. He didn't know how to face Luosang upon returning. He and Luosang had promised that they would make Ying listen to his words, but now everyone around him had left, and Ying's street was becoming increasingly bustling.

This truly made him lose face.

Standing here, he felt a thousand emotions; the cold wind seemed no longer to reach him, and he could no longer feel the chill.

On the contrary, he felt hot, so hot that he wanted to strip off his clothes, to remove the only Beast Skin.

"Fine, you all scram back, the old man go back himself, go back yourself, the Heavenly God's punishment is coming, it's really coming."

The old man turned to leave, but Ying's voice suddenly came from behind.

"Wait."

As soon as those words were spoken, the old man stopped in his tracks, turned around and saw Ying arriving, holding a brand‑new Cotton Clothes in his hand.

Seeing Ying arrive, Sangtian grew even angrier.

"You're impressive, now none of the people around me are willing to go back with me. Ying, you serve as Clan Leader well."

Sangtian blamed Ying for the tribe members' refusal to follow him, but Ying only sneered, "You blame me, but I did nothing wrong. Everything I did was for the good of my Tribe. Look at the Tribe of old—what kind of days we lived, and what days we live now. The tribe members aren't fools; they know what they want."

"It's too cold; I brought you a piece of clothing. You're old now, put it on, Great Elder. You saved me, and A Mu and I have already repaid you. If you come to cause trouble again, if you try to scheme against this street, I won't let you get away."

Having said that, Ying prepared to hand the clothing to him; it was his final act of mercy.

Sangtian, also a hard‑hearted man, suddenly reached out and threw the Cotton Clothes from his hand onto the ground. The old stubborn man could not accept anything here; of course, he also could not accept being abandoned by the Tribe.

In the past, the Tribe listened to his words, but this time, upon his return, the Tribe simply ignored him.

He knows he is old and useless now, but the gap is too great; he cannot bear it.

"I reject your false kindness, Ying. I'd rather die than wear your Cotton Clothes, heed your words—this Winter Ying Tribe will certainly have trouble, it will certainly happen."

Having said that, Sangtian turned and left, step by step, preparing to depart. Ying bowed slightly to pick up the Cotton Clothes from the ground, but did not stop him.

He knows the Great Elder's temperament; whatever the Great Elder deems certain cannot be changed. Of course, after he accepted Luosang's benefits, his view of him was no longer the same as before.

Because those Tribe members told him that Luosang had gone to look for the old man, he guessed correctly.

The cold wind whistled past, snowflakes drifting and scattering.

The weather was originally unsuitable for Market Day, but these Tribe members were so lacking that they braved the flying snow to trade. Ying let out a deep sigh, preparing to leave, when he saw… behind him, the Ancestor standing there, looking at him with a complicated expression.

"Ying."

"Ancestor, why have you come?"

The Ancestor hurried forward. She was older than before, yet in good spirits. She had now moved back to live here; Ying had arranged a Tulou for her, and she wanted to eat a few more bowls of rice and stay a few more days in the Tulou before dying.

She had once looked down on these Tulou, always feeling that living in a Cave was more comfortable, because she had lived there all her life, day after day, night after night. Her A Mu, her A Fu, even her daughter—all were in the Cave, which had nurtured generation after generation of the Tribe.

So she did not want to change, but now she realizes that not changing is useless; who doesn't want to live a decent life? In such cold weather, staying in a Cave is so cold you can't sleep, whereas the Tulou is comfortable enough for a person to sleep through day and night. Though the Ancestor is old, her thinking remains very open‑minded.

The Ancestor's gaze lingered toward the heavy snow below, toward the departing old man, who walked alone with great difficulty.

"Ah, Sangtian is also being unreasonable. If he could accept everything here, why would it have to turn out like this? He's now alone, no one willing to care for him; he's bound to die soon."

Ying's last mercy was gone; he draped the Cotton Clothes over the Ancestor, tightly wrapping her body. In his memory, the Ancestor was the first to oppose Tribe Reform, but now the Tribe is thriving, and the Ancestor is returning to live here.

This is a very good thing.

"He deserves it. Since the Tribe told me he colluded with Luosang, I no longer regard him as Great Elder. If he truly acted for the Tribe's good, he wouldn't cause trouble. Ancestor, go back."

"Ah, we old ones are truly useless; it's the young people who are clever. Look, I once opposed you taking Nan Qinghuan, but I didn't expect everything here to be changed by her. Now, this old bone of mine still has to live here, still has to bask in its glory. Ah, I'm really embarrassed."

Ying was very pleased to hear this, because it showed that the Ancestor now endorsed what they were doing; gaining the Ancestor's approval was so important.

"Ancestor, if you can return to live here, everyone will surely be delighted, and Qinghuan will also be very happy."

This time the Ancestor has changed completely; before she thought Nan Qinghuan's existence was a disaster, but now she realizes that it's fortunate she wasn't dealt with back then, otherwise there would be no present.

Snowflakes drifted and whistled; Ying hurriedly took her hand, trying to convey the warmth of his palm, "Ancestor, let's go, let's return home."