"You are called Ye Xi?"
"…Yes."
"Ye Xi, we captured seven of your people in all. I feel great regret over the four that were already killed."
The shaman's elderly voice was slow yet vigorous. "Since your Wolftooth Tribe has been wiped out, you have nowhere to go. Are you willing to join our Mud Mountain Tribe? In order to express our gratitude, I am willing to accept the remaining two female slaves as members of our tribe."
So they weren't planning to drive him out of the tribe.
Ye Xi sighed in relief.
Although he did not much like this tribe that could roast humans alive without a qualm, trying to live alone in the primordial jungle was suicidal. He really had no other choice. Without the protection of a Warrior, he couldn't even travel through the jungle to join another tribe.
"I am willing," he said.
The shaman nodded his head in satisfaction.
Although Ye Xi had not obtained the complete inheritance of that shaman, he still had some of his knowledge, which might be of great help to the tribe.
Everyone was happy to hear Ye Xi's answer, and they began to warmly chat with each other.
They no longer looked at Ye Xi with the same eyes, and all of them were very willing to accept him into the Mud Mountain Tribe. This was because it was confirmed without a doubt that Ye Xi was the disciple of a shaman. He had just used his knowledge to save Carving!
Thump!
The shaman struck his bone cane against the ground.
His expression was very solemn, and the chattering tribesmen fell quiet.
The shaman looked around and slowly began to speak. "All the members of the tribe are present. This is good, as I have something to announce."
"I presume that all of you have already guessed." The shaman gripped his bone cane in his left hand and raised Ye Xi's arm with his right. "This is Ye Xi! The disciple of a great shaman!"
"Ye Xi! Ye Xi! Ye Xi!"
All the tribesmen excitedly shouted.
Once everyone had calmed down, the shaman continued, "That great shaman tasted all of the grasses and was able to make ordinary plants produce effects similar to the miraculous flowers. Though Ye Xi may not have obtained that shaman's complete inheritance, just now, Ye Xi used this precious knowledge to save a member of our tribe!"
The crowd enthusiastically chanted once more, "Ye Xi! Ye Xi! Ye Xi!"
"In the future, Ye Xi will be a member of our Mud Mountain Tribe. All of you must respect him as if he was my own disciple. Understood?"
All the tribesmen cried out in unison, "Yes! Shaman!"
Ye Xi wore an excited and happy smile, but his mind was calm, even a little cold.
At this moment, he was no longer a captive child, and he had risen from the very lowest level to the highest level of the tribe, becoming a disciple to the Mud Mountain Tribe's shaman. No more did people coldly look at him like he was a piece of grass or a tree. In their eyes were respect and gratitude.
But the Mud Mountain Tribe welcomed him merely because he had value, because he brought benefit to the tribe.
Yet… the Mud Mountain Tribe needed him, and he needed the Mud Mountain Tribe.
He would stay here for now.
…
Dusk.
The chief distributed food to the tribe members.
Every day, food was distributed once before dinner.
All the food was placed around a large boulder, and the tribe members would line up so that the chief could issue them food.
Ye Xi didn't need to stand in line to get his food. As he was the shaman's disciple, he received much more than anyone else. In total, he received twelve sweet potatoes, two Whitefruits, a large slice of meat, and most preciously, a beast hide bag of water.
Ye Xi placed all the other food on the side and looked at the bag of water. This bag of water was made from snake skin, and some sort of glue had been pasted on the seams. It wasn't very firm, but it wouldn't leak water.
Removing the stopper, Ye Xi impatiently took a drink of water.
Clean and refreshing water slid into his throat, bringing with it a long-missed coolness and pleasure.
He did not dare to drink too much, and immediately put the stopper back. After tying the string for the water bag around his pinkie, he picked up the food on the ground, piece by piece, and stood up.
A Whitefruit rolled out of his embrace and onto the ground.
"Ye Xi, let me help you!" a loud voice called out.
Ye Xi, who had just been about to bend down, looked at the speaker.
Plate strode over, picked up the Whitefruit, and then also took the majority of the food being held by Ye Xi. "It's not easy to carry so many things. Let me get a hide bag for you so that it will be easier you for you to carry things around later."
Ye Xi silently looked at him.
Sensing Ye Xi's gaze, Plate grew somewhat awkward. After a brief pause, he said, "What happened a while ago—I'm sorry."
Ye Xi gave an extremely warm smile. "It's fine. Your reaction was very normal. I do not blame you."
His neck had been so savagely choked that his voice came out a little raspy.
Plate felt even more ashamed.
He had prepared to meet a cold and hostile gaze, but for Ye Xi to react like this…
He snuck a glance at Ye Xi's neck. The skin there was bright red and showed no signs of fading, proof of the strength he had used to seize him.
"Ye Xi, start a fire with us!" Plate warmly proposed, trying to make up for his offense.
Various bonfires were being set up around the clearing, and tribesmen were beginning to gather around them and cook their food. Starting a fire meant sitting around the bonfire to eat and talk.
"Okay."
Ye Xi nodded.
Since he had decided to stay with this tribe, he needed to form good relationships with his fellow tribe members so that he could feel safer and more comfortable.
"Come!"
Plate was happy to see that Ye Xi had agreed, and led him to a bonfire.
Seven or eight people were seated around the fire. Ye Xi looked around and realized that Awl and Courage were here.
Awl had his back to him, squatting on the ground as he sliced meat. Two strong men that he did not recognize were cooking another piece of meat. This meat looked about ready, the oils sizzling and unleashing a wonderful aroma.
Courage was the first to spot them. Standing up, he warmly called out to Ye Xi. "Ye Xi, you're here."
The others raised their heads, and when they saw Ye Xi, they all put on welcoming faces.
Ye Xi nodded at them. "Sorry for bothering you."
"What bother? How could you be bothering us?" Courage happily said as he pulled Ye Xi over to sit next to him.
Ye Xi complied with Courage and sat down.
"Courage, you normally have me sit next to you! With Ye Xi here, you've forgotten all about me!" Awl had just finished cutting the meat, and he was also happy to see that Ye Xi had come. He walked over, sat on Ye Xi's other side, and pretended to be angry as he teased.
Courage: "Hey, you can just cool down on the side!"
Awl glared and shot back with his own jeer.
Separated by Ye Xi, the two began to squabble.
Everyone else was unperturbed and paid this scene no mind.
Ye Xi smiled, thinking to himself that even though these two were probably separated by a generation, they seemed to have a good relationship. Moreover, once he had resolved their hostility, these people were showing their much simpler and warmer sides.
Once Courage and Awl were done arguing, Ye Xi, who no longer wanted to be a partition wall, quickly changed the topic. "Since we have sweet potatoes today, why don't we try roasted sweet potatoes?"
Everyone's ears perked up on the topic of eating.
"Do you have to cook this to eat it?" Awl pointed at a sweet potato. Wasn't it eaten raw like a fruit? He had never heard of a fruit that needed to be cooked to be eaten.
Ye Xi affirmed. "After cooking, it will smell better and be even sweeter. You'll like it."
The others were still hesitant.
Plate, who was still ashamed about what he had done to Ye Xi, was the first to agree. Without any questions, he took out his sweet potato and began to peel a stick.
Ye Xi saw that Plate wanted to cook the sweet potato like it was a piece of meat, and laughed as he stopped him.
As the others curiously watched, Ye Xi stood up, borrowed a bone spade from a woman, and dug out a narrow pit below the fire. He placed all his sweet potatoes in this pit and then covered the pit back up.
Ye Xi wiped off the dirt on his hands and returned to his seat.
Everyone looked at him in shock. Ye Xi smiled and said, "Don't worry. The sweet potatoes will slowly cook in the earth. We can eat them after waiting a little."
The others had never seen this method of 'cooking' before.
But they also did not want to question the new shaman disciple of the tribe.
They hesitated, and after some struggle, they managed to restrain themselves. In any case, even if the sweet potatoes were not cooked, they could still be eaten raw.
Once they understood this, they forgot about the sweet potatoes.
At this time, the meat was giving off a wonderful aroma that drew all their attention.
Everyone, whether Warrior or woman, had a green light in their eyes as they stared at the pieces of meat. They were so anxious that it seemed like they had not eaten meat for several hundred years. This sort of anxious and hungry gaze could make one's skin crawl.
At this moment, Ye Xi was internally laughing at how starving all the others had seemed, but he failed to realize that his eyes were glowing just as green, practically fixed onto the meat.
His belly gurgled and shouted, 'Ah! Why must this meat be so fragrant, so tempting!?'
The tender meat was streaked with red, and in the red were scorched crunchy bits that appeared tough and tenacious. The scent was unbearably tempting, and presumably, only a single bite would be needed… No, he had to stop. He was starting to drool.
As everyone stared, the first piece of meat was done. One of the men cooking the meat was watched by covetous gazes as he took the stick which carried the meat and gave it to Courage.
Aroma radiated from the roast meat.
Courage took a sniff, and his throat visibly moved as he swallowed his saliva.
Ye Xi's mouth was overflowing with saliva as he enviously stared at the meat in Courage's hand. But to his surprise, Courage gave the meat to him.
"For me?"
Ye Xi pointed at himself in surprise.
Courage looked with heartache at this delicious piece of meat, but despite the tragic look of resolution on his face, he still squeezed out a smile. "…Take it."
This… Fine.
Ye Xi's face hesitated, but his body obediently and numbly took the meat.
His stomach gurgled and shouted, '…Since you so generously insist, in order to preserve your dignity, I won't hold back!'
Ye Xi gratefully smiled, then lowered his head and took a savage bite of the meat!
A look of pain instantly appeared on Courage's face.
Ye Xi's eyes brightened the moment the meat hit his lips.
This meat wasn't bad! The outside was scorched, but the inside was tender and chewy. One bite had left the scent on his teeth and cheeks. It could stand to be a little saltier, and it had a little foulness to it, but otherwise, it was perfect!
"What meat is this?" Ye Xi turned to Courage.
Before Courage could reply, Awl answered, "This is the boar we hunted today."
Ye Xi turned and saw that Awl was staring at his meat, constantly swallowing his drool.
Ye Xi looked around and saw that all the others were drooling as they stared at his meat, their bodies leaning forward as if they were ready to lunge forward and seize it. When they saw that Ye Xi was looking, they concealed their desires, sat up straight, and averted their gazes.
Holding the stick tightly, Ye Xi felt danger. Saying no more, he buried his head into the meat.
One bite of sizzling boar meat after another went down his throat, warming his belly.
After wolfishly devouring half of the meat, his stomach no longer felt that hungry. His health-focused mind began to resurface, and Ye Xi's eating speed slowed down.
Awl, who had been staring this entire time, could hold back no longer. Swallowing his saliva, he hesitantly said, "Could… could I have a bite?"
He had barely finished speaking when Courage slapped him on the back of the head. "Eat what? Don't you know to let Ye Xi eat first? All of you, endure it! None of you is permitted to steal from him!"
Awl embarrassedly rubbed the back of his head.
Ye Xi licked the oil from the corner of his lips and smiled at Awl. A look of anticipation appeared in Awl's eyes, but a second later, Ye Xi lowered his head and tore another big chunk out of the meat.
Awl froze, and then he became incensed.
With another few bites, Ye Xi finished off the meat. Still wanting more, he gave himself a smack on the chin. He felt that his craving was still not satisfied, that he wanted to eat something else.
He looked at the raging bonfire.
The sweet potatoes were probably done now, right?