Chapter 17

 

Li Yue curiously asked, “What ability?”

Jiao Feng paused for a moment, his face showing impatience again. “Why are you asking so many questions?”

… Didn’t you bring it up yourself? Either say it or don’t.

Li Yue dared not speak her mind.

Although Jiao Feng was usually good to her, when it came to serious matters, especially when it upset him, he could be extremely irritable.

However…

“What does this have to do with us? Why, Chief…” Li Yue asked hesitantly.

Thinking about this, Jiao Feng became angry. “Because of this, the chief of the Dong Yang Tribe was furious and said that he needed many people and resources to hunt down that person. He suspended the exchange for now.”

Li Yue furrowed her brows slightly. “How can he just suspend the exchange like that? Didn’t we agree on it?”

Jiao Feng snorted through his nose.

Li Yue walked over and sat beside Jiao Feng, patting his chest, which was heaving with anger. “Chief, don’t be angry. If we don’t go find them for an exchange, we’ll just find another way in the future.”

Jiao Feng swatted her hand away, glaring at her. “Find other? Then where do we get enough food?”

The Blackwater Tribe was located in the forest, where there were plenty of trees and wild fruits. However, for meat, they needed to hunt, which required going far and with many people. If they returned empty-handed, it was as if they wasted a day. So, Jiao Feng regularly exchanged surplus goods for meat.

Li Yue felt a little aggrieved after being yelled at.

She had just lost her beloved son, and was feeling down. Seeing that he was in a bad mood, she not only didn’t mention asking him to avenge her, but also kindly comforted him.

How could he…

Wait, revenge?

A thought flashed through Li Yue’s mind, and she came up with a plan.

She suppressed the sadness on her face and leaned in gently. “Chief, I have a way to solve the food problem.”

Jiao Feng, impatiently, said, “Speak.”

“A few days ago, someone reported to me that a small tribe was discovered on the other side of the Bend River…”

Jiao Feng interrupted her, sounding unfriendly, “You’re not suggesting we go raid a small tribe for food, are you? You sure have some ideas.”

He said this not because he was particularly kind and wouldn’t touch small tribes, but because he knew that small tribes couldn’t even feed themselves, and whatever they had to eat was all they had. Raiding them would yield nothing useful.

“Raiding is correct, but it’s not for food, it’s for people.”

Hearing this, Jiao Feng became interested. “What?”

Li Yue’s smile contained a hint of malice. “That small tribe, it’s said that everyone there is incredibly strong and skilled in hunting. If we were to capture their female and children, then they…”

Jiao Feng immediately understood her meaning, his eyes lighting up. “Really?!”

Li Yue coquettishly said, “I wouldn’t dare to lie to the Chief…”

—

After accepting food from Lu Yu , Cha Zhe got up early the next day and followed Shi Tou and the others to work.

Their task today was to collect wet mud by the river, pick out the small stones and branches mixed in it, then put the wet mud into baskets lined with leaves, carry them back, and place them neatly for Lu Yu to collect later.

At first, Cha Zhe didn’t understand what they were doing. Shi Tou explained to him proudly.

“Our Witch are amazing, right?”

Cha Zhe said, “Very amazing…”

He had a trace of doubt in his eyes. Were all Witches this amazing?

He had heard people mention Witches before, but he had never heard that Witches could build wooden houses like this. However, the wooden houses in the village were real and solid, so he didn’t doubt it.

“Cha Zhe, hurry up!” Shi Tou was already standing by the river, waving.

Cha Zhe didn’t think too much and went over. “Coming.”

They were too lazy to put the mud into the water to rinse, they just dug directly at the riverbank.

After digging for a while, Cha Zhe suddenly grunted.

His voice wasn’t loud, but Shi Tou, with his keen ears, heard it.

“What’s wrong with you?” Shi Tou dropped the mud in his hand and ran over, stepping on the water.

Cha Zhe’s eyes flashed with vigilance, wanting to put his hand behind him.

But his movements weren’t as quick as Shi Tou’s. Shi Tou turned his head and exclaimed, “Did you hurt your hand?!”

Cha Zhe pursed his lips and raised his hand, forcing a casual smile. “It’s nothing, just a small cut.”

“It’s not just a small cut, your palm is cut open.”

“In that case, let me go find a leaf to wrap it in, you can keep working.” After saying that, Cha Zhe turned and walked towards the bank.

Feeling anxious, if he didn’t leave now, his secret would be exposed.

Shi Tou grabbed his arm.

“Wait a minute, I have something given by the Witch… Huh? Your wound seems to be healing.”

Cha Zhe’s pupils constricted.

Discovered!

His special ability allowed him to avoid the massacre of the Dong Yang Tribe.

Cha Zhe recalled some scenes in his mind, how he was saved by the chief on the condition that he protect him, how he was captured by the Dong Yang Tribe and become a slave, and how he was tortured in various ways by them just to confirm whether his ability really existed…

Cha Zhe thought of the current situation. Even though the Matai Tribe seemed decent, faced with the ability that everyone wanted, who knew what they would do? Perhaps they would also lock him up, beat him, and drain his blood…

Cha Zhe gritted his teeth, unsure if he should run away now.

But if he ran, he would never see that person again…

“So the Witch already gave you the pill?” Shi Tou suddenly interrupted Cha Zhe’s tangled thoughts.

Cha Zhe didn’t react for a moment. “What?”

“The healing pill, right? By the way, where did you put it? Did you keep it in your mouth? Haha, I always end up eating it when I keep it in my mouth…”

Cha Zhe’s throat felt dry. “Are you saying… you have pills that can heal wounds instantly?” He emphasized the word “instantly.”

Shi Tou nodded in confusion. “Yeah, didn’t the Witch tell you when he gave you the pill?”

Cha Zhe choked up.

So, he was just an ordinary person here, wasn’t he?

—

After digging mud for the morning, Shi Tou wiped the sweat off his forehead, then called out to Cha Zhe, “Let’s go back!”

Cha Zhe replied, “Okay.”

He carried the mud to the shore and placed it in baskets.

The two of them dug up a total of eight baskets of mud.

Cha Zhe asked, “Should we each carry one basket, or …”

Before he could finish his sentence, he stopped abruptly.

Shi Tou found a long stick and hung three baskets of mud on both ends. He squatted down, placed the stick on his shoulders, and stood up effortlessly.

Cha Zhe: “Shi Tou, how old are you this year?”

Shi Tou grinned foolishly, “I’m eight years old!”

Cha Zhe, who was almost the same height as an eight-year-old child: …

Yesterday, he had seen the Matai people carrying that reindeer, and although he was shocked at the time, he thought that was their most powerful tribesman. He never expected… even a child had such great strength.

Aside strength, why was he so tall?

Earlier, he said he was just an ordinary person here.

He had overestimated himself.

—

On the other side.

Lu Yu thought that his temper with Tai Lie had already subsided for no reason. After all, they had gone hunting together amicably yesterday, so he wanted to talk to Tai Lie again.

After searching around, he saw Tai Lie carrying wood, walking out of the woods not far from the village.

“Chief!” Lu Yu ran over.

Just as Lu Yu was about to reach him, intentionally or unintentionally, Tai Lie blocked his way with the wood on his shoulder.

Lu Yu could only step back silently.

“What’s the matter?” Tai Lie asked indifferently.

…Why did it still feel so cold?

Lu Yu’s words were stuck in his throat for a moment.

After a few seconds, he forced himself to say, “It’s very hot today. Do you want to go out together tonight—”

“No need,” Tai Lie interrupted.

Lu Yu anxiously said, “Then I’ll make something delicious later—”

“Lu Yu,” Tai Lie stared at him without blinking, his eyes dark and unreadable. “What exactly do you want to do?”

Lu Yu was at a loss for words. How should he answer this?

The existence of the game panel, how should he explain it?

To upgrade the village, he must have intimate contact with him. Saying it out loud would make him seem like a pervert who used his abilities to threaten others.

Lu Yu racked his brains and suddenly came up with a good reason, excitedly said, “I want to be good brothers with you!”

“Yes, good brothers!” He emphasized again.

Tai Lie remained silent. But his hand gripping the tree trunk tightened, leaving an imprint on the hard trunk.

He didn’t know what he was hoping for when he asked the question just now.

Nor did he know why he felt a dull pain in his heart when Lu Yu said he wanted to be brothers with him.

As the Chief of Matai, when a very capable Witch said he wanted to be brothers with him, he should feel happy. From the perspective of the Matai tribe, he should quickly agree and express joy. That’s what the Chief should do, and that’s the right thing to do.

But why was he so reluctant to say it?

“I don’t need brother,” Tai Lie said in a deep voice.

Lu Yu didn’t expect his refusal to be so direct, feeling a little disappointed in his heart.

However, thinking that perhaps the Matai tribe didn’t have the custom of being buddies with outsiders, he didn’t dwell on it further.

“Then forget it…”

“Okay.” Tai Lie gave a nonchalant “okay” and walked straight past Lu Yu.

Lu Yu shivered, inexplicably feeling a chill from Tai Lie’s body, and his expression was like he had just come out of a freezer.

What’s wrong with him?

Clearly, he was the one who got rejected, right?

Lu Yu sighed.

—

Although the progress of the game panel’s upgrade was stagnant, the village’s upgrade progress was very fast.

After Lu Yu went out with the hunting team to collect stones twice more, they finally gathered all the materials.

A few lines of text appeared on the game panel.

[Primary Village 1 Ready to Upgrade]

[Upgrade Direction Selection]

[Ideal Homeland or War Fortress]