Chapter 112: Nahida's Thoughts

Different from the impression of Babie'er.

Besides the chest slime larger than a baby's head and the figure that makes one spit blood, Babie'er's other appearances are almost nothing like the Babie'er Luo De remembers, with hardly any matching points.

She wasn't wearing an eye patch.

Babie'er's true face was practically a tempting aura that assailed the senses, and with her extremely alluring figure, Luo De almost got hooked at first glance.

Fortunately.

Babie'er's clothing was not as revealing as that of ordinary desert folk.

On the contrary.

Perhaps to maintain the elder's dignity, her attire was very conservative, even more than what Dixiya wears.

When Luo De entered,

Babie'er was reading a book.

Seeing Luo De come in, she closed the book and performed a perfectly standard desert salute, saying: "Scholar, hello, I am Babie'er, elder of the Tanite tribe. I don't know if my subordinates have shown any disrespect to you on the way here."

"Eh?"

Luo De, who hadn't expected Babie'er to ask that, glanced left and right at the two bandits escorting him.

Judging from the instant cold sweat that broke out on them,

they are very nervous now.

This discovery made Luo De involuntarily raise his eyebrows slightly.

Really unexpected.

Even though Babie'er has not yet become the matriarch, she already possesses such an awe‑inspiring dignity; then what kind of prestige must the matriarch of the Tanite tribe hold within the tribe? It's truly unimaginable!

At this moment.

Then Babie'er spoke again: "Scholar, don't worry; if they have been disrespectful, just tell me and I'll settle it, guaranteeing they won't do anything to upset you again."

What a skillful way to win people over.

Luo De pretended to hesitate a moment, then his expression suddenly turned manic as he pointed at the two bandits and then at the people outside the tent who hadn't entered, saying: "He, and him, and those few people—they've been insulting me all along the way!"

"We didn't!"

Hearing Luo De say that, the two bandits immediately panicked, waving their hands repeatedly: "Elder Babie'er, don't listen to his nonsense; we haven't done anything on the way here, and even if we spoke, it was only about our own affairs, we never mentioned him at all!!!"

"Bullshit!"

"You've been talking about those lewd things all along; I'm not an idiot, I know exactly who you're referring to!"

Luo De no longer showed any fear, jumping and pointing at the two of them, spilling out all the provocative things they had said along the road like pouring beans.

Babie'er is a very smart person.

After hearing Luo De's accusation, she knew exactly what those people had said.

In fact.

It's not just that rainforest people look down on desert people; desert people likewise look down on rainforest people, especially those who monopolize all the best resources of Lofty and then turn around to exploit their own scholars.

With this mindset,

In a situation where they couldn't resort to violence, it's quite normal for these guys to use words to intimidate Luo De.

"Get out, slap your own faces until the scholar forgives you."

Babie'er issued the order lightly, in a tone that allowed no objection.

The two bandits immediately scrambled out like they'd been pardoned, and soon the sound of 'slap slap slap' hitting their faces came from outside the tent.

Amazed by Babie'er's methods, Luo De, even with mental preparation, inevitably fell into a brief daze.

"Sorry, scholar, I startled you."

"Let me introduce myself again."

"I am the elder of the Tanite tribe, my name is Babie'er; I don't know how to address you."

To be honest.

If it weren't for Babie'er's standard desertfolk appearance and complexion and her ruthless, vicious methods, Luo De would really have taken her for a well‑educated rainforest person.

"With this level of speech, who would think she's a tribal leader?"

Sighing inwardly, Luo De forced a smile and said: "Hello, Elder Babie'er, I'm Luo De, currently a Diliyesi of the Ameliduo Academy. I don't know why you 'invited' me to the Tanite tribe—what business do you have? If there's nothing special, I still have research projects at the academy that need to be done; could you let me go back?"

"Diliyesi?"

Hearing that title, Babie'er's face darkened slightly, then she returned to normal and said: "Mr. Luo De, my request is not much—you just need to come help educate our Tanite tribe's children for a period of time; my demand is not high, as long as you teach them for a year or so and give them learning on par with rainforest peers of the same age, that's enough. Then I will naturally escort you away."

Well said.

But Luo De, who knows Babie'er's character well, clearly understands that these seemingly fine terms, even if sworn upon a deity, are useless.

Because even if he truly followed Babie'er's words, teaching the Tanite tribe's children to the level of rainforest peers, what awaits him will certainly not be her warm send‑off but a ruthless elimination.

Deception and betrayal.

This is an accepted practice in the desert.

Babie'er is even more a master of this art.

Moreover, her courage is enormous.

Not to mention Luo De, a scholar with the strength of a trussed chicken; she even dares to swindle to death the blond Traveler who saved the Dendro Archon, and even tried to muster all her forces to kill that blond Traveler whose power alone could crush the entire Tanite tribe.

Therefore, Luo De will not believe a single word that comes out of her mouth.

So he responded evasively: "What you said, is it true?"

"Of course."

"Mr. Luo De, you should know that our Tanite tribe worships the Flower Goddess, right?"

"Then I swear by the name of the Flower Goddess Nab·Marikatana that if you can help our tribe's children complete their studies, I will personally escort you out of the Tanite tribe and guarantee to send you back whole and intact to the Academy."

Just as Luo De expected, this tribal elder who never speaks a single truth actually swore by her tribe's deity.

That's why the Flower God has long been dead.

Otherwise, he would surely give this 'follower' of his two slaps as a warning.

But it's come to this.

Luo De naturally went along with Babier's words: 'Then let's do that. You must definitely keep your promise, otherwise, otherwise, even if I become a ghost I won't let you off.'

"That's natural."

Luo De's meek and obedient appearance made Babier's lips twitch slightly.

Afterward.

Babier then summoned the guards, ordering them to take Luo De to the middle zone, and specially added that they should set up a tent for him on the spot.

When leaving.

Luo De looked at the several bandits who had previously been punished by Babier.

They were still there slapping their own cheeks.

Judging by the force of their strikes, they showed no mercy at all, their faces swollen like pig heads.

"."

"I forgive you all, stop hitting."

Luo De's face showed a hint of 'reluctance', and he hastily spoke up.

"What?"

Babier, who had gone out with him, glanced at Luo De, her expression calm as she said: 'Mr. Luo De, what were you just saying? Sorry, I didn't catch that.'

"Inhale—"

Hearing that, Luo De took a deep breath and shouted: 'I said, I forgive them, please have them stop.'

"Oh, is that so."

Babier gave an 'oh', then lightly said to the bandits: 'Did you hear that? Mr. Luo De has forgiven you—hurry up and thank him.'

The bandits, feeling relieved, instantly went limp, crying and shouting as they lay on the ground: 'Thank you, Mr. Luo De, thank you, Elder Babier.'

"Get lost, don't dirty the honored guest's eyes here."

After scolding them, Babier turned and returned to her tent, continuing to relish the book she hadn't finished reading earlier.

What a formidable method.

Luo De took a deep look at Babier's tent, then promptly left with the guards she had arranged.

By nightfall.

After dinner, Luo De lay on the bed, staring at the tear in the tent, motionless.

Diliye knows this identity.

Indeed, it didn't attract too much attention from Babier.

This is reflected not only in the tent she arranged for me being a dilapidated one, but the so-called bed is just made of a few hard planks.

And then there's tonight's dinner.

How to put it...

Being unable to complain pretty much sums up Luo De's current mindset.

If he hadn't eaten everything in the desert, he probably couldn't stomach this dinner arranged by the Tanite tribe.

Not mentioning the lack of meat.

After all, the Tanite tribe itself can't manage to let everyone eat meat.

The key is that even the most basic desert food, bald bald beans, are missing.

It's simply a piece of flatbread smeared with a layer of bland sauce whose ingredients are unknown, and that's it.

Not to mention Luo De's appetite, which could match several people's; even a normal person couldn't fill his stomach with a flatbread only the size of a palm.

"Just giving little food is bad enough, and they didn't even put salt—truly awful."

After complaining to himself, Luo De said to Nadixa: 'What do you think?'

Without waiting for Nadixa's answer,

He then added: 'The Tanite tribe is currently the largest and wealthiest tribe in the desert; its reference value isn't that great, and further in there are tribes far worse off than them.'

After joining the Academy, Luo De obtained his own Void Terminal.

Its usage is very simple.

Just one sentence—'May I be allowed to hear the voice of the gods' wisdom'—is enough to activate the binding.

With this Void Terminal, Nadixa can successfully extend her consciousness from Sumeru Cheng to here.

On the way from the rainforest region to the Tanite tribe,

Nadixa has been using this Void Terminal to carefully observe the desert scenery.

At first she still had the mood to chat with Luo De a few sentences, asking about things she had never seen before.

Later she hardly spoke at all.

Especially after arriving at the Tanite tribe, she hasn't uttered a sound; even when Luo De now asks her something, she takes a good while to reply with just this.

"I, I don't know how to describe my current feelings."

Nadixa's voice was very sorrowful and also very lost.

Before, she only heard people say the desert environment was how cruel, and the desert people's lives were how miserable.

But Nadixa's power simply cannot be transmitted out, and besides, no one here in the desert uses a Void Terminal.

Therefore, the most she can see is at most the scenery of A Ru Cun.

But A Ru Cun, after all, is a village that can treat people equally; even if their lives are poor and their understanding ignorant, they still maintain the same fair system toward people as now.

And the Tanite tribe?

This is a desert tribe that is as standard as it gets.

Beneath its brilliant exterior lies the true face of this desert tribe, which still practices the law of the jungle and relies on high pressure to maintain its rule.

Nadixa's mood was very complicated.

They say seeing is believing, hearing is false.

After personally witnessing the desert's current state, the only thing she could say to Luo De was.

Just that one sentence.

"I now long more than ever to break free of this cage that locks me."

(End of chapter)