Chapter 60: I Am Willing to Be the Wild Man's Woman

"Let me go take a look. Maybe I can help you."

Hearing this, Dashan was also quite puzzled. He had thought that when Nan Qinghuan came back she would be beaten to death by Ying, but instead... they reconciled? When Nan Qinghuan and Ying arrived hand in hand at the small river gully, the Lie tribesmen were there working and clearing stones. The small river was surging and swollen with water, and the two bridges made of vines up above had already snapped. A group of men stood on the riverbank with gloomy faces—tomorrow was the day to go to the Otherworld, and with the bridge broken, how would they cross? "The Clan Leader is here."

Seeing Ying arrive, everyone found hope.

"Sister Qinghuan, are you alright?"

When Axi saw Nan Qinghuan and Ying standing together, she was completely stunned. Sister Qinghuan hadn't been bullied by Ying? Nan Qinghuan felt a bit embarrassed seeing Axi—now the whole tribe knew she had run off again. "I'm fine. So the bridge you all were talking about is made of vines?"

Back in the Cave she had been wondering how these wild people could build a bridge—it turned out it was made of vines. This kind of thing was anything but sturdy. It would be stranger if it hadn't broken.

"That's wonderful. Sister Qinghuan, don't go running off everywhere anymore. Live a good life with Ying."

Nan Qinghuan was about to say something when not far away A Yue came walking slowly with a few tribesmen. "She won't live a good life with Ying. Ying, just you watch—she'll run again."

Seeing A Yue come and still disparage her relationship with Ying, Nan Qinghuan gave a cold laugh. "I, Nan Qinghuan, swear today before all the tribesmen that in this life I will never again leave Ying or leave the Tribe. I swear to make everyone live good days with enough to eat and warm clothes to wear."

"Enough to eat and warm clothes to wear—Nan Qinghuan, do you think anyone will believe your words?"

"A Yue, why are you still going against A Mu? A Mu said she won't leave, so she truly won't leave."

The tribesmen all spoke up for Nan Qinghuan. Though it was wrong of her to run away, Ying had risked his life to save her—even a stone would be warmed by that!

"That's right. I will never again leave the Tribe or leave Ying. A Yue, if you spout nonsense again next time, careful I cut out your tongue as a sacrifice to heaven."

"You..."

A Yue was put in her place but didn't dare say anything more. She looked at the broken bridge. "Since A Mu wants to show off and help us, then tell us what should be done about this bridge. Tomorrow is the time to go to the Otherworld. If it can't be fixed and we can't cross, we'll have to wait another month. Our Tribe lacks many medicinal herbs and still needs incense for blessings. What will we do if the tribespeople fall ill?"

Aning saw that A Yue was still trying to make trouble for Nan Qinghuan. She was about to tell her to stop—that Ying was already angry—but A Yue seemed to be deliberately trying to embarrass Nan Qinghuan.

Ying was about to speak up for Nan Qinghuan, but she grabbed hold of his hand. "Ying..."

She stepped forward, then picked up a bamboo pole to test the depth of the river. She found it wasn't deep—the deepest point was only about one and a half meters. Building a wooden bridge over this kind of small river gully was easy.

She smiled. "It's just a little bridge—how hard can it be? Isn't it just building a bridge? I guarantee I'll have it built tonight, and it won't delay the tribesmen's business tomorrow."

A Yue didn't believe her words. "Tonight? Haha, did everyone hear that? This female is bragging to the heavens. These vines took our tribesmen five days even with the help of beasts. How can you do it tonight?"

"That's right. I will build a new bridge tonight. Whether I can or not, just watch and you'll see. A Yue, you've repeatedly found fault with me and picked at my faults. If I build the bridge today, what will you do?"

"Me?"

A Yue had now lost both her Shamaness title and her hand. What could she still do? "What do you want?"

"If my bridge is built, I want you to go down and take a cold bath. How about it?"

"You..."

"A Yue, are you saying you don't dare what A Mu proposed? If you don't dare, how dare you provoke A Mu?"

Dashan had long been unable to stand A Yue. A Yue glared fiercely at Dashan. "I'll wash, so I'll wash."

"Good. Everyone heard that. When my bridge is built, A Yue will come here to bathe."

"Hahaha."

The crowd began to mock A Yue, but A Yue stomped her feet in anger. "What are you laughing at? Who knows whether she can do it or not?"

Nan Qinghuan rolled her eyes at her. "Then just wait and see."

After saying this, she turned her head to look at Ying. "Ying, I need your people to help me prepare timber, and I also want Xiao Guai the Mammoth."

Seeing that Nan Qinghuan intended to build a bridge in such a short time, Ying was still somewhat worried about her. "Huaner..."

"Don't worry. A little wooden bridge won't stump me. Ji Lei, Dashan, Axi, come help me."

She got to work right away. Nan Qinghuan found a ruler from her bag and measured the distance between both sides of the gorge. Then she began ordering people to cut down trees—the Primeval Forest had no shortage of big trees. After that was done, she had people carry the wooden stumps into the river, but everyone was afraid of the water and didn't dare go in. Nan Qinghuan had a solution for this too.

"It's fine. I'll go."

"Huaner, no."

The water was very rapid, and Ying was worried she would disappear like last time. But Nan Qinghuan shook her head and smiled. "Don't be afraid. I can swim. I need someone to help me drive in the wooden piles. Only by securing these piles firmly to the riverbed will the bridge not be washed away by the flood. Do you understand?"

She didn't know whether Ying understood or not, but anyway she had to tell him. Ying nodded. "You say it, I'll do it."

Just like that, the whole Tribe watched as Nan Qinghuan and Ying built the bridge. Only A Yue was certain that Nan Qinghuan couldn't do it.

Aning saw that everyone was busy working in the river, but A Yue had sat up in a tree as if waiting to watch a show. Aning was puzzled. "A Yue, you'll have to go bathe soon. You still have time to play around here?"

A Yue glanced at Aning and gave a mocking laugh. "Aning, what are you rushing for? She won't be able to build it."

"Why?"

Aning's first reaction was that A Yue had played tricks again, but on second thought she now only had one hand—how could she still be up to something? A Yue seemed not to trust Aning. She suddenly jumped down from the tree and punched Aning to the ground.

Bang... Aning rolled on the ground, somewhat frightened. "A Yue, why did you hit me?"

A Yue walked over to where she lay on the ground and looked down at her from above. "Why did I hit you? Aning, don't think I don't know about you betraying me. That night when I and Nan Qinghuan were in the Pit of Ten Thousand Snakes—was it you who told Ying?"

Aning hadn't expected her to settle the score now. She kept shaking her head. "It wasn't me, no, it was Ying, he..."

"Stop fooling me. Don't think I don't know you were the one who told on me. Aning, when you helped me do things, I never shortchanged you on rewards. Don't think that just because you helped that Nan Qinghuan, she'll forgive you. Has she spoken to you? Has she paid you any attention?"

Aning hung her head and didn't dare say more, but A Yue crouched down to warn her. "Aning, in this Tribe, only by following me will you get any good out of it. Do you understand?"

"A Yue, you truly are terrifying."