Qiao Xixi only spoke after the male white cat had left.
"What is it?"
Jin Ling turned, went to the stove, and took the roasted Yellow Earth Fruits out of the pot.
"He said the Shaman will be gathering all the beastn at the altar shortly and told us to go."
"Okay."
The cubs woke up after Qiao Xixi finished eating.
Qiao Lie had completely recovered. When Qiao Xixi picked him up, he no longer struggled as he had before.
"Do you still feel unwell anywhere?"
Even though she had already checked on Qiao Lie, she couldn’t help but ask.
Qiao Lie shook his head.
"I’m fine now."
Qiao Xixi walked outside, carrying him.
Qiao Lie was being particularly clingy today. Qiao Xixi even fed him his breakfast.
Qiao Xixi thought he was still unwell and wanted to leave him at ho to rest, but Qiao Lie insisted on going with them to the altar.
By the ti Qiao Xixi and her family arrived at the altar, the area below was already packed tight with beastn.
"It’s the female Qiao Xixi!"
Soone shouted, and nearly every beastman turned to look at Qiao Xixi and her family.
Qiao Xixi carried the cubs onto the altar.
Seeing them, the Shaman had Hong Xi bring up the white cat cubs who had bullied Qiao Lie and his brother the day before.
Qiao Xixi noticed that Hong Xi was walking strangely.
The male beastn leading the white cat cubs also had injuries of varying degrees on their faces and bodies.
Qiao Xixi found this very strange.
The white cat cubs glanced fearfully at Qiao Xixi.
The Shaman said to Qiao Xixi, "They are all here. You decide how to deal with them."
The fathers and mothers of the white cat cubs clenched their fists, but none dared to make a sound, their resentnt clear.
Qiao Xixi put Qiao Lie down.
"Qiao Lie, I’m leaving these white cat cubs to you. You can deal with them however you wish."
Qiao Lie’s scarlet, serpentine pupils instantly narrowed into vertical slits, his gaze fixed coldly on the white cat cubs.
He raised his hand and pointed at the sturdiest-looking white cat cub.
"You’re the strongest cub in the Black Stone Tribe?"
Bai Xing lifted his head. "That’s right."
"I want to duel him."
The words had barely left his mouth when the crowd of beastn erupted.
They had assud that, given the brutal nature of Wandering Beasts, he would demand the lives of the white cat cubs.
A duel was the fairest form of combat among males.
Qiao Xixi frowned but said nothing.
’She trusted Qiao Lie.’
Bai Xing snorted.
"Fine."
The Shaman hadn’t expected a re duel at all, so he imdiately agreed.
All the beastn cleared an open space.
"Begin."
The Shaman had barely finished speaking when Qiao Lie transford into his snake form, shot forward, and coiled around Bai Xing’s leg.
By the ti Bai Xing reacted and swiped with his sharp claws, Qiao Lie had already slithered nimbly up his body. Then, shifting back to his human form, he slamd Bai Xing to the ground.
Bai Xing landed face-first in the dirt. Before he could even get up, Qiao Lie had shifted back into his snake form and wrapped tightly around both of his legs.
Bai Xing fell down again.
"AARGH!"
Having been thrown down twice in a row, Bai Xing’s eyes reddened with fury.
But it was no use. He had already lost his chance to fight back.
The mont he hit the ground, Qiao Lie coiled around his head, pressing his fangs against the cat cub’s neck.
The beastn of the Black Stone Tribe watched on in fear.
’Qiao Lie was already this formidable, and he was still just a cub.’
’How terrifying would he be when he grew up?’
Qiao Lie didn’t bite down. Instead, he changed back to his human form and released him.
Bai Xing scrambled up from the ground, the way he looked at Qiao Lie completely transford.
"I surrender. You’re the strongest cub in the tribe now."
Qiao Lie’s expression remained impassive. He simply returned to Qiao Xixi’s side, his serpentine pupils gazing up at her expectantly.
Qiao Xixi understood. She crouched down and gave his little hand a squeeze.
"My Qiao Lie is amazing."
Qiao Lie pressed his lips together and looked away from Qiao Xixi, but he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from turning up in a smile.
"Hmph. If I dueled that white cat cub, I could win too."
Qiao Ang grumbled, clearly not convinced.
Qiao Xixi gave him a reassuring pat before standing up to look at the Shaman.
The Shaman understood and gestured for Qiao Xixi to sit in the center of the altar.
"Next, I will petition the Beast God to make the female Qiao Xixi the Priest of our Black Stone Tribe."
This ti, not a single beastman stood up to object.
The Shaman bit his own finger, took a feather from his headdress, and dripped blood onto it.
He circled her again and again, chanting an incantation Qiao Xixi couldn’t understand.
After so ti, the Shaman finally stopped and looked out at the tribe’s beastn.
"One by one."
At his word, Hong Xi walked up to Qiao Xixi, bit his finger, and let a drop of his blood fall onto a cross-shaped stone disc at her feet.
After him, beastn ca forward one after another to add a drop of their own blood.
The ritual symbolized their acceptance of Qiao Xixi’s status as Priest.
Finally, it was Mi Li’s turn.
Mi Li’s face was dark, and she refused to move from her spot.
"Shaman, she’s a Wandering Beast!"
"Mi Li, she is about to beco the Priest of the Black Stone Tribe. Co up here."
Mi Li gritted her teeth. "I refuse."
The Shaman said expressionlessly, "If you are unwilling, then you may leave the Black Stone Tribe."
’Mi Li couldn’t believe the Shaman would drive her out for Qiao Xixi’s sake.’
’She was the most beautiful and most fertile female in the Black Stone Tribe!’
’The old coot must be insane!’
"Get up here."
Gritting her teeth, Mi Li walked before Qiao Xixi and resentfully let a drop of her blood fall.
As her drop of blood landed, a red glow enveloped Qiao Xixi.
Qiao Xixi felt as if a strange power was being infused into her body, making her feel much lighter and more relaxed.
What she didn’t notice was that all of the red light flowed into the spot between her eyebrows before finally vanishing.
"The ritual is complete. From this day forward, you are the Priest of the Black Stone Tribe."
Qiao Xixi stood up.
"I have already arranged a new residence for our Priest. Hong Xi, take the Priest there."
Hong Xi walked up to Qiao Xixi.
"Priest, please co with ."
"That’s not necessary. I think the place we’re living in now is perfectly fine."
"Priest, the new stone house is more spacious. It will be more comfortable to live in."
The Shaman had his own motives. The new house he had arranged was closer to his own, which would make it more convenient for Hong Xi to interact with Qiao Xixi.
But Qiao Xixi refused nonetheless.
Her goal accomplished, Qiao Xixi didn’t want to waste any more ti here.
She still had to prepare for the coming cold snap and had an unfinished foraging task to complete.
"Shaman, do you know of Grass Fruit?"
The Shaman frowned. "I’ve never heard of it. What does it look like?"
Qiao Xixi described what the Grass Fruit looked like.
Before the Shaman could speak, Hong Xi cut in. "I know where to find it. If you want so, Priest, I can go pick it for you."
Qiao Xixi shook her head. "No, you only need to tell where to find it."
Undeterred by the rejection, Hong Xi said, "It’s quite far. I can take you all there."
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