Chapter 17- Opportunity to escape the Tribe
He purposely did not give himself a splint, scared that if the priest saw then he would become suspicious. Didn’t think this question would still appear!
Was it when this old fellow passed by the other time he didn’t cover up well and let the other party see?
If it really was because he didn’t cover up well that day, this old guy wouldn’t have waited until today to ask.
Then did someone tell him?
Yan Mo did not trust anyone; even if Cao Ting master and servant and He Tu’s entire family all expressed good opinions of him and he still had a bit of benevolence towards them.
However if it was Cao Ting and them who informed him, how come they didn’t tell the priest earlier? Needed to wait till Yuan Zhan came back before telling?
Why did Yuan Shan and Yuan Diao appear at the canopy at this time? Were they really Yuan Zhan’s friends?
Fine, Yan Mo was accustomed to conspiracy theories. One of his many problems was always thinking that things would become a problem, moreover always thinking that people were terrible. As the proverb says, put yourself in someone else’s shoes. His heart was black, naturally he would not think that people’s hearts were pure.
Yan Mo was still letting his imagination run wild. He even thought that if he could escape today, even if his scum points were to break 100 million again, it was required to be attacked a little.
The old priest Qiu Shi did not have many wrinkles on his face, but each one was very deep, especially the two smile lines on the sides of his lips were both deep and long. It made his appearance seem very stern, not good natured.
After he finished asking that question and paused for a moment, he saw that the youth’s face displayed confusion so he raised his head. When his eyes snuck a peak at him, he talked again.
“When Lie was hunting the clouded leopard he broke his arm. At that time, hunting with him was Shan and Diao who used branches to fix it, then tied it with straw rope. After coming back, they came looking for me to treat the wound. I then realized this method, Shan and Diao said that this method was taught by you.”
Qiu Shi stared at the youth’s eyes.
This method of fixing a broken bone, he only taught to Cao Ting so it must be Cao Ting who was worried for the safety of her own master and taught Yuan Diao. Then Yuan Diao taught Yuan Shan, then these two men used this method to help the arm of the man called Lie. Yan Mo thought it through in just a moment.
As the priest’s words fell down in a flash, Yuan Shan and Yuan Diao felt a sense of shame that made them tremble a bit, but they did not open their mouth to explain.
It really was Yuan Shan and Yuan Diao who sold him out? The youth with his stunned face looked at the two of them. Tears all at once began to overflow from the rims of his eyes—he was already hurt and wanted to cry earlier. The most important was that Yuan Shan and Yuan Diao’s actions would not subtract him scum points, and he would also have to bear their consequences. It really was unjust!
Yuan Zhan’s expression did not change, to the extent that he did not even glance at Yuan Shan and them. As if his slave’s life or death and friend’s informer did not count as much.
Even if those two people really did betray him, at the moment he could only refuse to admit. The entire youth’s face was full of panic and fear, “Report, reporting to Master Priest, I don’t know this situation, I swear! I don’t recognize Master Lie, how could I harm him?”
“Harm him?” The old priest revealed a disdainful smile, turned around and walked back to the stone platform. If he had any previous doubts, after personally seeing this slave, these misgivings vanished cleanly. This kind of wonderful method, how could it be possible to be concocted by a ten-something year old child that lacked courage and confidence.
Seeing that Shan and Diao both did not deceive him, that method must really work as they’ve said. After having seen He’s arm injury, afraid to come across the same injury conditions of He, even blindly thought to foolishly buy and sell for a profit.
The old priest entirely did not consider that the small slave would deceive him. He figured that even if this child of unknown age could deceive people, he would not be able to fool his eyes.
With more experience of life than the old priest, Yan Mo sneered in his mind. This old silly fool was really trying to swindle him. His outer appearance portraying his rank, he bewilderedly looked at Yuan Shan and Yuan Diao. With a crying sound he began to yell, “Master Da Shan, Master Da Diao, I beg you to tell Master Priest. This situation has nothing to do with me, I…. Master, save me, save me, wuwu!”
The youth dragged his leg and began to crawl. With difficulty he crawled to the side Yuan Zhan’s leg, hugging onto his leg while repeatedly crying and pleading.
Yuan Zhan with one foot kicked him away, coldly opened his mouth. “Want to kill him?”
The old priest turned around, “Leaving an outsider is always not good, don’t even talk about this youth’s dubious background, even if he really was a member of the Yanshan Tribe, it is still trouble. We partake in trade with the Zhi Tribe, if we allow the Zhi Tribe to know that we offered shelter to their enemy…”
The Chief sitting cross legged on the stone platform pursed his brows, the old priest crossed the line, but it was nothing more than a slave.
The leader of the warriors, Yuan Zheng, also had a bit of anxiousness watching the youth, he hoped the youth would calm down a bit.
Yuan Zhan was truly indeed very calm, even when he talked he had no change of intonation, “Is Master Qiu Shi afraid of the Zhi Tribe?”
“Impudent!” The old priest’s expression changed, angrily shouting, “You know perfectly well I didn’t mean that!”
“Then that’s good. MY Yuan Ji Tribe warrior raising one slave, does not need to still look at the Zhi Tribe’s expression.”
The old priest slapped the stone platform and angrily shouted, “Da Zhan, did you already forget that the Zhi Tribe already captured Yanshan and that from now on all of our salt must be exchanged from the Zhi Tribe?”
Yuan Zhan indifferently replied, “So what?”
The old priest did not dare believe that the youth would unexpectedly be this courageous in front of many people, especially contradict him in the presence of the chief. Persistently facing this Rank 2 Warrior status, caused him to also be incapable to do as he pleased. At once his face carried a wrathful look and he looked towards the tribe warrior responsible for reward and punishment, Yuan Zheng. Using his gaze to try to compel him to lift his head up by himself.
The imposing Yuan Zheng walked to Yuan Zhan who was of similar height, stretched out a fist and beat his chest and with deep and profound voice, “Master Qiu Shi’s worry is also reasonable.”
The old priest became happy, but Yuan Zheng’s next phrase almost had his morale flipped.
“But my Yuan Ji Tribe Warriors has never been afraid of anyone else before!” Yuan Zheng’s voice paused for a moment, then simply shouted, “Zhan”
“Here!”
“If Zhi Tribe refuses to trade us salt?”
“Kill!”
“If Zhi Tribe declares war on us?”
“Kill!”
“Good!” Yuan Zheng gave Yuan Zhan another fist then returned to his original position.
Just like that? That guy was so unbridled to me, so rude, did they not see it? The old priest was angry.
He originally did not approve of letting Yuan Zheng become the leader of this flock of sheep excluding the chief but the Chief did not listen to him. This man who could only fight in closed quarters, in his eyes basically had no qualifications to become the next chief of the Yuan Ji Tribe!
“Master Qiu Zhang!” The old priest glared with grief and indignation at the Chief.
The chief finally opened his mouth, “Is that method of using planks to fix the broken bone actually effective?”
The old priest did not understand why he shifted topics in conversation, but the chief asked so he had no choice but to reply, “It has a specific effect, if it’s not a very serious bone injury, this method can greatly avoid the bone to grow crooked.”
The chief nodded his head, “Very good, since it is so, give Shan and Diao one merit.”
Yuan Zheng right fist thumped his chest, indicating that he remembered.
“In addition, that child will continue to be Zhan’s slave. This discovery of the Setose Thistle will be credited to Zhan’s head. Tomorrow distribute the winter food, at the same time give out the reward.”
“Yes.”
The Chief waved his hand, “Zhan, there is no problem of yours here anymore, bring your slave back.”
“Yes.” Yuan Zhan bowed, then took the mentioned youth, carrying him in his arms and was preparing to leave.
“Wait!” The old priest’s complexion was ashen, this matter absolutely could not end in such a way. From when he treated Yuan Bing in order to delay Yuan Zhan, all the people led by Yuan Zhan, their objections towards him became bigger and bigger. Nowadays they actually dare to embarrass him in front of the chief. This situation if he tolerated it, from now on in front of the tribe warriors what prestige would he still have?
“Qiu Shi.”
“Master Qiu Zhang!” Without waiting for the chief to finish talking, the old priest opened his mouth to interrupt and quickly spoke, “Letting Da Zhan to shelter this slave is fine, his legs and feet are no good, also needs a reliable slave to attend.”
The people listening to this began to feel uncomfortable. The situation of Yuan Zhan’s left leg having an issue, everyone was clear about it in their minds but would never say it in front of his face. As a warrior, who would want to admit they were disabled? But the old priest never cared in spite of this taboo, seeing Yuan Zhan he brought up this issue for a reason, everybody understood the reason in their hearts.
Yuan Zhan was carrying his own slave, his face expressionless.
Yan Mo drooped his eyes to calculate how to put to death that old silly fool. He might get an increase of scum points, but to kill him did not mean his days in the Yuan Ji tribe would get better. Kill a priest, a new priest would still come out. No matter if Yuan Ji Tribe people were fond of this priest or not, compared with a stranger with “hidden intents”, naturally the priest inside his tribe would still be more trustworthy.
“Qiu Shi, what did you want to say?” The chief asked with no other choice.
The old priest gave himself what he believed to be a big magnanimous smile, “Just now I asked Da Zhan, whether or not if he forgot the affair that my tribe needs to trade with Zhi Tribe for salt. He answered me in this way, his tone of speaking was indifferent, as if he wasn’t anxious about the situation that the tribe needs to use salt. It must be because Da Zhan already discovered a new salt land, perhaps already almost discovered? Master Qiu Zhang, how long can we use the stored salt that we have now?”
As soon as this talk came out, everyone understood the old priest’s intentions.
Yan Mo in his mind held up a middle finger to this old priest, inwardly ridiculing this ruthless master that was going to get in trouble. But switching thinking targets, his heart suddenly madly leaped. This was obviously an opportunity! His bitter target seeking opportunity was already delivered to his face!
Yuan Diao and the four that had not spoken a word all mutually glanced at each other, Yuan Diao strode forward a step and began to open his mouth.
The Chief lifted his hand, preventing Yuan Diao and them from speaking, responding, “This time after hunting, the stored salt will be used up. Before winter we must exchange enough salt to last the winter. This problem you guys may as well know.”
Yuan Zheng looked at Yuan Zhan. “Zhan, Did you find a new salt land?”
Yuan Zhan wanted to honestly answer that he didn’t, but Yan Mo clutched him with his nails for a moment.
The old priest also did not want to give Yuan Zhan a chance to reply, instantly gave orders without authorization. “Da Zhan, for the sake of the entire tribe, can you be ready to go out and look for a new salt land?”
Yuan Diao couldn’t bear it anymore and cut in, “Master Qiu Zhang, Master Priest, winter is about to come, to go out at this time…”
The old priest simply ignored him, fixed his stare on Yuan Zhan, sinisterly smiled and asked. “What’s wrong, you don’t dare? You just said that you were a warrior of Yuan Ji Tribe, you weren’t afraid of anything?”
He might not have said it like that. Yuan Zhan did not take the old priest’s bait, but regarding the situation of the salt land, he and Zheng and them had discussed while hunting. Zhi Tribe was not like the Yanshan Tribe, this was a insatiable and greedy tribe. After they controlled Yanshan, other tribes who wanted to exchange for salt inevitably had to spend an enormous sum.
For this reason, looking for a new salt land or tribe that had salt to trade was absolutely necessary, and this situation Zheng had wanted to discuss with the chief. He planned on waiting till the new year in the spring to go out and look. Right now the old priest speaking up only got the problem to shift earlier and nudged it open, nothing more.
Yan Mo poked Yuan Zhan, screaming in his mind: Agree! Hurry and agree!
To Yuan Zhan this was absolutely a difficult mission, but wasn’t it a good opportunity for Yan Mo to leave the Yuan Ji Tribe in addition to seek development? Although the opportune moment and season wasn’t very good, but he already did not want to wait for a second better chance.
Not limited to Yuan Zhan, his idea was to trick a few people to follow him and leave together, otherwise it would just be him and Yuan Zhan. The danger on the road would be too great.
What should be done? Yan Mo’s brain swiftly shifted open, every kind of harmful ideas came in a continuous stream.
Yuan Zhan looked at the chief.
The chief muttered to himself.
Yuan Zheng opened his mouth, “Master Qiu Zhang, I have business to discuss with you.”
It seemed as though the chief was waiting for this phrase, at once waved his hand, “Everyone leave. Zheng and the priest stay.”
“Yes.” All the warriors all thumped their chest, followed behind Yuan Zhan and left the canopy.
The old priest’s annoyance managed to slip away, immediately angrily glared at Yuan Zheng.
Yuan Zheng acted as if he did not to see it.
The chief sighed, “My priest ah, you’re old come sit. To look for a new salt land is not a trifling matter, this matter to only depend on Zhan will never be completed.”
“I only meant good for the tribe!”
“I know.” The chief tried to placate the old priest as much as possible, at the same time gestured for someone to put down the curtain to the tent entrance.
Yuan Zhan and them came out from the canopy. As soon as they exited the canopy, several of their expressions immediately livened up.
The 30-40 year old warrior Yuan Lie seemingly thought about what to say to Yuan Zhan, was pulled over by the red date man. “Brother, if you have something to say it can wait till tomorrow.”
Yuan Zheng turned his head to look at the canopy, lifted up his right arm which was in a good condition and thumped his chest to Yuan Zhan, then left with his younger brother.(1)
Yuan Zhan also did not speak with Yuan Diao and company, put out a distant expression, holding onto Yan Mo and hurriedly left. Poor baby just now was probably in so much pain he persistently poked him, most likely he couldn’t endure it anymore. If he hadn’t noticed that the little slave was not bleeding too much, he feared he probably would be incapable of restraining himself until now.
Yuan Diao followed Yuan Zhan with his gaze into the distance, looked around and saw no one and used his elbow to harass Yuan Shan. Couldn’t help but swear a bit, “That old codger is getting more and more sly, we obviously didn’t even say anything and he’s still trying to force something on us.”
Yuan Shan’s eyes were facing forward into the distance, lips minutely stirring. “He wants to swindle Xiao Mo, after all Xiao Mo not only comes from an unknown origin, but also as soon as he came, the setose thistle came out, the method of fixing a broken bone with branches also came out. Master Qiu Shi would suspect if he was normal.”
“Not just that? He most likely also very much wants to sow discord between us and Da Zhan, he doesn’t want us and Da Zhan to be too close.”
“Old fool, already senile. Xi Rang clan advancement in the tribe compared to us Fei Sha clan is older. Da Zhan was born in the tribe, grew up in the tribe, a person with their roots from the Yuan Ji Tribe, how could he care about the clans? In the future if that old fool keeps trying to expel him like that, someone who originally did not have disloyalty will still be able to force up disloyalty.”
Yuan Diao coldly snorted, “He did not approach Da Zhan in the first place because he was not a Hei Yuan clan member and deliberately treated Yuan Bing first who did not have a severe injury, and put Da Zhan at the very last?”
Yuan Shan disdainfully sneered, “That old fool wants to turn Da Bing into the next next chief, see if that person can boost him up.”
“Who said Yuan Bing is Hei Yuan clan’s original chief’s only heir? Who said Captain Zheng is also Xi Rang clan? The priest who is a Hei Yuan clansman is probably afraid.”
“Afraid of what? You and I are from the Fei Sha Clan lineage, then in the future is he is also thinking about getting rid of us?” Yuan Shan’s heart was discontent, his straightforward face was covered with a murderous look. “That old fool actually making Da Zhan go look for new salt land in the winter, isn’t this forcing Da Zhan to head towards death? In the winter his leg will flare up even worse. This situation, it wasn’t like they didn’t know! This problem, what exactly is the chief going to do? ？Will the old fool continue to cause suffering? He also does not fear that the old fool will break apart the tribe!”
“You think the chief doesn’t want to get rid of the old fool? If it wasn’t for Qiu Ning who hasn’t fully inherited all from the priest….”
Yuan Diao and Yuan Shan’s talking voices got more and more quiet. Afterwards to release steam and to deceive the public, they simply snuck back into the plaza to run wild again for some time. Until the crowd was quickly dispersing did they return to the tent area.
Sorry that I’ve been MIA for two weeks. I just went dead and haven’t really been on my computer for awhile. Trying to get myself back on track.
And if there is some confusion, I’ll compare it this way.
Tribes = Places/cities
Clans = races/ethnic groups
So in the Yuan Ji Tribe, there are different clans. Hope that helps!
Buy me Coffee~ ❤
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