Chapter 1399: The Choice

"They are all dead... they are all dead..." those people from the Jiang Ming Tribe muttered to themselves, as if the impact of Jiebing's death was even greater to them than the death of their own Tribal Chief. Primarily, the fact that they had lost two Leaders all at once made it hard for them to accept, and the fear in their hearts grew even more severe.

"Then, Tribal Chief Jiang Cheng, what should we do now? You are the only surviving Tribal Chief; you tell us, what should we do!"

This was the plea of the Leaders of the Jiang Ming Tribe, and it was also the plea of the Soldiers of the Jiebing Tribe. Those Jiebing Tribe Soldiers who were not planning to flee all looked toward Jiang Cheng, hoping that Jiang Cheng could give them a good idea and provide them with a direction for the future.

But someone spoke up first: "We can't keep fighting, right?! I'm not going to fight anymore! I'm not going!"

Everyone subconsciously took a step back; no one was willing to go and attack Huaxia and the Xuanyuan Tribe again. This clearly was not a war against humans; how could they fight? There was absolutely no way to fight it; going there was just throwing their lives away.

Jiang Cheng was also in a difficult position; after all, he now had to decide the future of so many people. Of course, many of them might not fully listen to him.

"Right now, we don't have many choices. We only have three choices here. First, we return to the Shennong Clan, return to Changyang Mountain, and tell Shennong everything that happened here, letting him know what kind of tribe we are fighting against.

But, will Shennong believe us? Given Shennong's temper, what kind of fate will we people have?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened. However, there were also those who did not believe in evil. After all, both of their Tribal Chiefs might have already died in battle. There were so many of them, and it wasn't because they lacked ability or were afraid of death, but simply because the opponent was too powerful and they had no way to fight at all. So, if they told Shennong the truth, there was a probability they wouldn't be punished. Moreover, their homes were there; if they didn't go back, where else could they go?

"The second path is for us, so many people, to do as other tribes have done—like Fengbo and Yushi—leave the Shennong Clan, flee this place, and find a new territory to survive on our own.

With so many of us, men and women alike, we can survive. It's just that in the future, we will also be attacked by tribes like Xingtian, and we might encounter the Xuanyuan Tribe and Huaxia again, because as you have seen, they are preparing to conquer the entire Shennong Clan."

"Then what on earth are we supposed to do, Tribal Chief Jiang Cheng!" someone shouted in unbearable anxiety: "No matter what, we have no way out!!!"

Jiang Cheng was silent for a moment, then pointed his hand toward the mountaintop: "There is one last way, and that is to go find them, surrender, and see if they are willing to accept us. But the prerequisite is that we cannot be made into Slaves. If they are willing to accept us and we are not Slaves, then that can also be considered a good way out."

"No! How can that be! It's not allowed!" someone in the group shouted. This decision was the one everyone rejected the most. They did not believe that a tribe that had defeated them would treat them well. They would rather return to their own tribe and be Slaves to their own people than be Slaves to another tribe.

Jiang Cheng raised his hand to quiet everyone: "I am not asking you to go right now. I am telling you that these are the three choices we have now; just choose for yourselves. I will not force you."

Those who want to return to the Shennong Clan can form groups and go back now. After returning, tell Shennong that we have such a terrifying opponent, and to defeat them, it might truly require Xingtian to come.

If they are never defeated, and even Xingtian cannot defeat them, then the Shennong Clan will be finished; it will definitely be completely defeated by them."

When Jiang Cheng said this, people immediately looked at each other, then started calling out in twos and threes, preparing to form groups to return. But one Leader caught a different meaning: "Tribal Chief Jiang Cheng, listening to you, it seems you are not planning to return to the Shennong Clan?"

Jiang Cheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Last year we were defeated, and this year we were managed by Jiebing to come here to continue fighting; that was already the lightest punishment. If I go back, not only will the clansmen I left behind be finished and severely punished, but even these clansmen of mine will definitely be punished. They will become Slaves, and I will be boiled and sacrificed to the ancestors. There is no possibility of surviving. Therefore, I am not going back. By keeping these clansmen of mine, there is still a possibility of living on."

The entire Jiang Cheng Tribe was saddened. They also knew this outcome. Even if they wanted to go back to find family and friends, it was impossible, because what awaited them upon returning was Shennong's severe punishment, and the Tribal Chief would not let them go back either.

After hearing Jiang Cheng's explanation, everyone had nothing more to say. After all, everyone knew Shennong's temper. If he weren't so ruthless, how could the current situation of the Shennong Clan have come to be? Moreover, the current Shennong would not listen to anyone's opinions at all; offering an opinion was equivalent to seeking death. Jiang Cheng's choice was not wrong; even if it were the core tribe of the Shennong Clan, Shennong's own blood kin, choosing to preserve oneself now was not a problem.

"Alright, those who are willing to go back, leave now. Our Jiang Cheng Tribe is not going back. As for you two tribes, sigh, decide for yourselves. Those willing to leave, go; those willing to stay, we will discuss it further."

Since Jiang Cheng had spoken, those who wanted to return set off immediately. However, they were basically all people from the Jiebing Tribe, because their Jiebing Tribe was different from the Jiang Surname Tribe; it was only their first failure, so the possibility of receiving severe punishment was smaller. Furthermore, if they didn't go back, the news of the Tribal Chief's death wouldn't even be passed on.

But just after they left without looking back, a Leader of the Jiang Ming Tribe asked Jiang Cheng in a nervous, low voice: "Tribal Chief Jiang Cheng, letting them go back like this, they also know what we are going to do. If Shennong gets angry and sends people to find us, what then?

We probably won't even have a year before we have to face Shennong's attack. How about..."

Jiang Cheng hurriedly stopped such a terrifying thought: "We are all of one tribe; they also survived with great difficulty. Let them leave."

"Besides, even if they don't go back, do you think that after a year, if not a single person returns, Shennong won't have doubts? He will also send people to find us. Didn't we go to chase the Yushi Tribe last year?

So no matter what we do, we cannot escape it."

The Leader was shocked: "Then no matter what we do, we might only have one year? Even if we run, how far can we run? As long as we are on the territory of the Shennong Clan, he will always be able to find us."