Ancestral Shaman Opa suddenly sighed, looked up, and opened her eyes.
She did not approve of Logan seizing Jiuyuan City, even if it housed only a few dozen people.
To have built such a fortress as solid as a mountain and carved out two such vast rivers—how could the leader and priest of Jiuyuan possibly be ordinary humans?
They dared to leave such a city behind and stay away for so long—would that be possible without some form of backing? And that backing clearly couldn’t be limited to just the merfolk.
If those two had encountered danger out there and couldn’t return, that would be one thing—seizing the city wouldn’t be such a big deal.
But what if they did return?
Now that the priest had indeed returned—albeit alone—and according to reports, he showed no signs of grief or exhaustion, and the merfolk warriors’ expressions were as they always were, could she infer that the chief was still alive and well, and would return soon?
Without knowing the enemy’s true capabilities, the Luoluo tribe—already forced to flee their homeland—simply could not withstand a second major blow.
Logan was dazzled by that magnificent city he had never seen before and enticed by the taste of red salt, yet he failed to consider: how could the merfolk be so easily contacted or swayed?
It wasn’t that she hadn’t sent a message to the merfolk expressing her desire to meet their High Priest or chief, but they had clearly replied that they would not intervene in the conflict between dwarves and humans. They also made it clear that until the term of the merfolk warriors’ employment in Jiuyuan City had expired, those hired merfolk warriors would fight to protect Jiuyuan.
Ancestral Shaman Opa was well aware of the merfolk’s intentions. They also harbored some reservations about the leader and priest of Jiuyuan, so they chose to wait and see if the two would actually return—and the so-called “contract period” was simply the time they set aside for this wait. They were waiting themselves, so they demanded that the dwarves wait alongside them.
But once the contract period ended and it was certain the two would not return, would the merfolk truly cooperate with them in seizing Jiuyuan City?
If she were a mermaid, right on her own turf with so many rivers flowing through the city, wouldn’t it be better to seize it herself rather than let others control it?
Ancestral Shaman Opa closed her eyes. Logan needed a lesson, and she needed to get a good look at the city priest’s strength. Everything would have to wait until tomorrow.
Wu Qing nodded repeatedly. “Everyone wants to see you, wants to hear you speak.”
It was a simple wish. Yan Mo, who had already taken on the role of a leader, didn’t want to let them down. Besides, the A’wu tribe, who had been on edge for two months, truly needed a chance to relax. His appearance would also allow them to tangibly feel the return of their steadfast protector.
The moment Yan Mo stepped onto the square, dozens of people erupted into loud cheers.
Yan Mo didn’t say much; he simply smiled and said, “I’m back. You all don’t need to worry about anything anymore.”
The impact of this single sentence was clearly more powerful than a thousand rousing speeches; the expressions on the faces of the A’wu tribe members at that moment spoke volumes.
Surrounded by the crowd, Yan Mo sat in the very center, eating the most tender meat, drinking sweet, clear water, and occasionally exchanging a few jokes with the disciples beside him, looking utterly relaxed.
Seeing him like this, the A’wu people cast all their worries aside. With the Lord Priest back, they had nothing to fear—as long as he was there, no one could take their city or their homes away from them!
There was no alcohol, but the atmosphere was intoxicating. Watching the excited young ones jumping around the bonfire, shouting “Yoo-hoo!” with glee, Yan Mo suddenly felt inspired. He walked over, cracked his neck, and shook out his legs, then began dancing around the fire.
This was a traditional dance of an ethnic minority from his homeland in his previous life. The movements were very simple, yet full of passion and grace. With a large crowd and their distinctive “yo-ho” chants, it was particularly effective at building excitement.
At first, the A’wu people thought the Lord Priest was praying to the Ancestral God, but when they saw him smiling and beckoning to the children, inviting them to follow his lead, they realized that wasn’t the case.
The moves were very simple. Ye Xing was the first to jump in and copy them, with Wu Chen and Sa Yu following right behind him. As soon as these three children started moving, the others immediately joined in one after another like a chain reaction. Everyone was giggling and laughing; whenever Yan Mo made a move, they mimicked it. Many of the little ones were so tiny they couldn’t quite get the moves right, so they just kept wiggling their bottoms—twisting a bit, then hopping forward a step.
Yan Mo burst out laughing at the sight. He decided to let go of all inhibitions and led the group of children in dancing and singing around the bonfire. The children were ecstatic, stomping their feet, waving their arms, and shouting “hey-yo!” in unison.
“The boys of Jiuyuan are mighty and valiant, hey-yo!”
“Mighty, mighty, mighty, hey-yo!” The children couldn’t say ‘mighty and valiant,’ so they just blurted out a string of “mighty”s.
“The girls of Jiuyuan are clever and skilled, hey-yo!”
“Clever, clever, hey-yo!”
“The people of Jiuyuan sing and dance with joy—how delightful! Hey—yo!”
“Delightful! Delightful!”
Yan Mo laughed heartily, singing and dancing. Well, he actually missed the Maple Clan’s way of speaking. It had sounded painful to him at the time, but after being away for so long, he found the silence around him too oppressive. Perhaps if he took the lead today, the people of Jiuyuan would also be moved by the charm of music?
The A’wu people were no strangers to music; they often gathered around the campfire, pounding the ground with wooden spears while shouting loudly. The rhythm was strong, though perhaps a bit monotonous.
Tonight, Yan Mo led by example and opened the door to a whole new world for the A’wu people through his actions.
Listening to the joyful, infectious singing and watching the enthusiastic yet simple, easy-to-learn movements, the A’wu people could no longer sit still. Many began swaying their bodies right where they stood, and when Meng, putting his shyness aside, rushed forward to join the children in dancing, the young men were the first to lose their restraint.
The circle of people around the bonfire grew larger and larger, eventually splitting into several smaller circles on its own. The children were in the innermost circle, the adults on the outside, and the women joined in as well.
Though they hadn’t yet learned the song, their laughter and cheers carried far and wide.
“Lord Mo! Lord Priest!”
“Woo-woo-woo—!” Someone imitated a wolf’s howl.
“Hahaha!” The joyful laughter infected everyone.
The warriors on night watch stood on the city walls, casting envious glances toward the bonfire. They longed to join the revelry, but duty called.
The Lord Priest had returned—how wonderful!
To be a citizen of Jiuyuan—how wonderful!
Jiuyuan, with Lord Mo and Chief Zhan—truly wonderful!
Across the river, the dwarves watched the bustling crowd from afar. Many of the little dwarves listened to the singing and watched the dancing, their bodies swaying along with the rhythm. How they loved the excitement! How they longed to join in, but…
Even the most mischievous of dwarves knew that things were different now than they had been two months ago.
When the Worwo tribe half-pleaded, half-threatened for the Luoluo tribe to enter Jiuyuan City, the first rift appeared between them and the citizens of Jiuyuan.
When the Luoluo tribe began running rampant within Jiuyuan City and revealed their clear intention to seize the city, they started to face cold stares from the people of Jiuyuan—and children were the most direct.
When, egged on by the Luoluo tribe, they stopped following the young priest’s blueprints for building houses and instead provocatively chose the best locations to claim as much land as possible for their own homes, the people of Jiuyuan began refusing to trade food with them.
However, after they too could no longer tolerate the Luoluo tribe and joined forces with the Jiuyuan people and the merfolk warriors to drive the Luoluo tribe out of the city, the Jiuyuan people restored some warmth toward them—but!
As the days passed, the Jiuyuan bird that used to frequently fly into Jiuyuan City was no longer seen, and the Level 4 Divine Blood Warrior and Ancestral God Priest who had gone on a long journey were nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, the Luoluo tribe interacted with them frequently. Although there were frictions between the two tribes, they shared a common language, similar heights, and identical living habits, and many of them had relatives among the Luoluo tribe.
At some point—perhaps from the day the Luoluo tribe arrived—the mindset of the chiefs, elders, ancestral shamans, and many warriors began to shift. There were only about sixty people in Jiuyuan, whereas, together with the Luoluo tribe, their numbers had swelled to nearly seven or eight hundred. They had helped build this city just as much as the Jiuyuan people had, and they had constructed so many houses—so why should they be forced to live as guests?
Once they began seeking the magical mud that could turn soil into stone, the looms that could transform wild grass into clothing, and the source of the red salt—and after they had crafted large quantities of bows and arrows and small slingshots—the people of Jiuyuan grew vocal in their complaints. Schools had already barred their children from attending, the Jiuyuan people no longer hunted alongside them, and Jiuyuan warriors constantly patrolled the area around their dwellings.
Tonight, the Jiuyuan people sang in celebration of their priest, yet not a single member of the Worwo tribe was invited.
After eating and drinking his fill and letting off steam, Yan Mo—who was mentally and physically exhausted yet in high spirits—took a cold dip in the river. He changed into the most fashionable and precious sackcloth attire currently in vogue in Jiuyuan City, then followed Wu Chen as they strolled toward his temporary lodging.
His house hadn’t been built yet, but a wing had already been added to the council hall. This wing was divided into several rooms, originally intended for small meeting rooms and reception areas, but now they served perfectly as his temporary quarters.
This region was naturally hot during the day and cool in the mornings and evenings. Combined with the fact that the building was constructed of stone and connected to the earth’s energy, it felt cool enough at night that one could sleep directly on the ground.
Yan Mo chose a room at random. Upon entering, he pulled back all the animal-skin curtains covering the windows and placed the beehive beneath them. Wu Chen and the guards had already busily rushed in to spread a thick layer of dry grass on the floor. Yan Mo then laid out the linen cloth that Sayun had specially presented to him as a bedsheet over the grass, creating a bed that looked quite comfortable.
Just as Yan Mo laid down on the bed, ready for a good night’s sleep, not far from his window—in the sewer below… deeper and deeper, about six or seven meters underground—a group of dwarves was speaking in hushed tones.
“I don’t know what you’re hesitating about. You should’ve joined us in taking this city last time!” Logan shouted softly, waving his arms and spitting as he spoke.
Langlang wiped the spit from his face. “Give me a break. Do you think we’re all idiots? Once we help you seize this city, do you really think you’ll let us live here with you?”
Logan burst out laughing. “Why not? Aren’t we all just ‘dwarves’ in the eyes of those big fools? This city is huge enough—not just for our two tribes, but even ten more could fit in here.”
“Then give our people back first!”
“Hey, hey, don’t forget—it was your people who came to us seeking refuge. We didn’t steal them from you.”
“Then why are you…”
“Enough! Stop arguing!” Kathi frowned and snapped, “I didn’t call you here to fight. Logan, why didn’t Ancestral Shaman Opa come?”
Logan had brought four people, exactly one more than Kathi’s group. “She’s speaking with the ancestors. I brought enough people. Ancestral Shaman Kathi, tell me—what are your Worwo clan’s plans?”
“And what about you? Now that the city’s priest has returned, do you still plan to stay outside the city walls?”
“Of course not!” Logan rolled his eyes. “The Loulou clan never lies. We want this city. Unless they’re stronger than us, we’ll definitely take it!”
“They have a Level 4 Divine Blood Warrior.”
“Ancestral Shaman Kathi, is that why you refused to ally with us last time? Are you afraid of that Level 4 Divine Blood Warrior’s retaliation? Hmph, but he’s just a Level 4 warrior—we have one too!”
“That’s true.” Kathi didn’t deny it. “But it’s not just that. Even though their priest isn’t as high-ranking as their leader in terms of warrior level, well… to be honest, I can’t read him. I don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“Maybe he can only save people? ”
“He can also understand our language. He possesses knowledge we lack. He can even command the Mountain God Jiufeng, and he defeated the bird-man warriors of Tianjian City among the Three Cities!”
Elder Zarza muttered from the side, “That was because we helped them—it wasn’t just him alone…”
Kathi shot Elder Zarza a cold glance, and Elder Zarza wisely shut his mouth immediately.
“I need to see Ancestral Shaman Opa. There’s something I must discuss with both of you in person,” Kathi said, turning to Logan with unusual seriousness.
Logan, however, pointed upward. “That young priest is sleeping in the stone hut up there right now?”
“…What do you have in mind?”
Logan rubbed his thick beard. “Their leader hasn’t returned, and he’s the only one up there. If he’s really that powerful, we could still go up and kill him right now.”
Kathi immediately snapped, “No!”
“Why not?” Logan’s expression darkened, and the three burly dwarves behind him gripped their weapons tightly.
Kathi reached out to restrain Elders Langlang and Zarza, urging them not to act impulsively. She then turned to Logan and said, “We can’t kill him. At least, just the few of us certainly can’t. He has man-eater bees as his guards—lots of them.”
“Man-eater bees?” Logan’s brow furrowed deeply, and he said with great displeasure, “You never told me about this!”
“Now you know,” Kathi said flatly.
Logan took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing his anger. “Ancestral Shaman Kathi, I’ll ask you one last time: what are the plans of your Worwo tribe?”
Before Kathi could answer, he sneered, “Don’t treat me like one of those fools. If you intended to defect to the humans, you wouldn’t have sent word for us to come.”
Kathi remained firm. “I must see Ancestral Witch Opa!”
“Fine. Come with me outside the city.”
Before Kathi could agree or disagree, Langlang had already jumped to his feet and shouted, “No way! Our Ancestral Shaman won’t go to your place—you must come here!”
It was already generous of Logan to bring his men here; naturally, he wasn’t about to risk bringing the Ancestral Shaman along as well. The situation reached an impasse.
Finally, Kathi suggested, “Then the only place we can meet is in the passage beneath the dirt path in the moat by the West Gate.”
“I’ll go back and ask Ancestral Shaman Opa,” said Logan, taking a step back.
“There’s no time left; it has to be tonight. Tomorrow they’ll definitely cut off that dirt path. By then, not only will we have nowhere to meet, but you won’t be able to enter the city as easily as you did tonight. Everything must be done tonight!”
The dwarves, splitting up to leave, didn’t notice that after they departed, a thumb-sized man-eater bee flew out from the shadows of the wall. It seemed to emit some kind of call, and soon, two more bees flew in from the underground passage.
The three man-eater bees touched heads, apparently exchanging some sort of message. Then, the two that had arrived later flew into the passages used by the Worwo and Luoluo tribes, respectively, while the first one turned and flew straight back to their leader.
