"Shocking Death Sect?"
Ling Chen furrowed his brows, surprised at the reach of the Shocking Death Sect.
"What, has Young Hero Wuchen had any disputes with the n of the Shocking Death Sect?" Zaji asked, noticing a change in Ling Chen’s expression.
"Just a small conflict," Ling Chen replied casually. He couldn’t exactly reveal that he had killed the Big Disciple of the Shocking Death Sect. If that beca known, his identity would be exposed.
"You all seem to resent the mbers of the Black Dragon Gang quite strongly. Is it because they frequently extort and exploit you?" Ling Chen noted Zaji’s expression changed when he ntioned the Black Dragon Gang, clearly different from his attitude towards the other two forces.
"Of course. We could tolerate them if all they did was collect protection money and extort us," Zaji’s face darkened slightly. "The key point is that besides this, they often send their gang mbers, disguised as Horse Bandits, to rob, kill, and commit arson, making people’s lives unbearable."
"That is indeed too much." Ling Chen nodded. Even with the Shocking Death Sect backing them, the Black Dragon Gang’s thods were despicable; they were no different from bandits.
"We have no choice. We tribespeople, caught between these three major forces, can only struggle to survive. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need to go hunting at night." Zaji sighed. "Life hasn’t been easy for us these years. Our tribe is doing relatively well; so tribes can’t even manage basic food and warmth, and most of their people have already fled."
Ling Chen’s face also showed a hint of contemplation. These three major forces, although not as powerful as the major sects, are still influential local powers and not to be trifled with.
「An hour later」
Daylight had broken, and as the sun’s warmth bathed their bodies, the exhausted group burst into cheers of relief. They had gone hunting at night many tis before, but this had been the most dangerous. If Ling Chen hadn’t helped them during the journey, their team would probably have been wiped out.
Ling Chen gazed into the distance, feeling the sun’s warmth on his skin. A smile touched his lips. It seems we’ve finally arrived.
A huge stockade ca into view, surrounded by wooden palisades. Inside, nurous large tents stretched endlessly, a white, awe-inspiring expanse.
Wood was scarce on the plains, so these were the only types of structures possible.
"The situation in the Northwind Prairie is currently very complicated, Young Hero Wuchen. You should stay in our tribe for a few days. It might be better if you first understand the general situation and the distribution of forces," Zaji suggested.
Ling Chen pondered for a mont upon hearing this, then nodded. Zaji is right. I’m new to this area, and it would be unwise to wander around without knowing anything. It would be much better to stay with them for now and take the opportunity to prepare so things.
Seeing Ling Chen agree, Zaji was visibly excited. Ling Chen’s strength is imnse; befriending him can only bring benefits, no harm. After everyone had rested for a while, they set off again, the group laden with their bounty, heading towards the stockade.
Zaji’s tribe was quite prosperous. At a glance, there appeared to be at least ten thousand households. It’s probably comparable to a small city, Ling Chen sensed.
The group entered the stockade and walked down the wide main road for over ten minutes. Soon, many people began to erge from their tents.
"Zaji and his group are back!"
The tribespeople called out in delight upon seeing the convoy. Then Ling Chen saw the whole stockade erupt in commotion as a dark mass of people surged forward, much to his astonishnt.
As news of Zaji’s group’s return spread, several figures who appeared to be Elders soon erged from their tents to greet them.
"You’re finally back! We all thought sothing had happened to you. Hurry and follow us inside; there’s an urgent matter to discuss," the Elder-like figures said anxiously in hushed tones as they quickly approached Zaji and his group.
Hearing this, Zaji’s smile faded sowhat. He first waved his hand, silencing them, then turned his head to Tana. "Tana, take Young Hero Wuchen to rest first and arrange a comfortable place for him to stay."
"Yes."
Tana then turned to Ling Chen. "Let’s go, Brother Wuchen."
Once the two had left, one of the Elders asked in surprise, "And this young man is?"
"His na is Wuchen. He’s our savior." Zaji briefly recounted the events of the previous night, including how Ling Chen had killed the North Wind Wolf King with a single sword strike.
"What? Killed the North Wind Wolf King with a single sword strike? Are you telling the truth?" The tribal Elders looked at each other, their eyes filled with astonishnt and hope. The North Wind Wolf King was an incredibly fierce Exotic Beast; even the strongest expert in their tribe might not be able to kill it.
"I saw it with my own eyes, and so did everyone else." Zaji was a bit baffled by their reactions, but he guessed that sothing major must have happened to the tribe.
"Elders, what has happened?"
"Sigh," an Elder lanted with a sigh. "I received news this morning that several nearby tribes have been ransacked. It was the Black Dragon Gang. They’re coming."
"What? The Black Dragon Gang is coming? Didn’t they just visit last month?" Zaji’s expression changed abruptly. He imdiately glanced at the wolf pelts on the horses, including the North Wind Wolf King’s pelt. It’s worth 10,000 taels of gold; if the Black Dragon Gang discovers it, we definitely won’t be able to keep it.
"Sigh, who knows? The Black Dragon Gang is insatiably greedy, and no one can control them." The Elder’s face was etched with worry, but the next mont, his eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait! Didn’t you say that this Young Hero Wuchen you brought back can kill the North Wind Wolf King with a single sword strike? If he helps us, perhaps we can survive this ordeal!"
"Yes, Elder Mu has a point," the other Elders nodded in agreent.
"Wuchen is strong, but he is, after all, only one person. How can he contend with the entire Black Dragon Gang?" Zaji shook his head. "Besides, we’ve only t him by chance. We don’t have a deep friendship, so how could we ask such a thing of him? If we try to force his hand, it would only invite his displeasure."
"Then what do we do? The cattle, sheep, beast pelts, and grain we’ve worked so hard to accumulate are all ant to get us through the winter! If the Black Dragon Gang raids us, thousands in our tribe will die without a burial place!"
"Heavens! Does Heaven intend for us to perish? Since it’s death either way, we might as well fight the Black Dragon Gang to the bitter end!"
"No! If we fall out with the Black Dragon Gang, our chances of survival will be even slimr. They could kill us as easily as flipping a hand!"
The Elders argued endlessly.
"Enough." Zaji waved his hand, sounding sowhat weary. "Don’t dwell on this anymore. I will find a way. I will definitely protect the tribe."
Confronting the Black Dragon Gang head-on is impossible; the difference in strength is too great. We can only try to find a way to weather this storm peacefully.
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