The Primitive Tribe is about to rise (11): Visit the tribe

Elvin was once again enlisted in the expedition team.

As a warrior, his pride wouldn’t allow him to refuse, but the moment he thought of the severed heads and the blood spurting from them, his stomach churned, his face turned pale and ashen, and a chill seeped through his entire body.

He numbly walked back home. The interior of the house was lavishly and warmly decorated. These were things he never would’ve imagined having in the past—things he could have proudly shown off to his former tribesmen. But the thought that all of it had been obtained through killing and plundering made him feel as though everything was stained with blood and screams, leaving him unable to accept it peacefully.

Moreover…

When he had been with Si Qi, he had already experienced a life not too different from this.

He never felt it was particularly luxurious or enjoyable—wasn’t it just like this?

Back then, he didn’t have to go out hunting so frequently or endure long journeys of raiding and hardship like he did now.

All he had to do was bring back a little more meat for Si Qi, and he’d be able to enjoy salted meat stew, grilled skewers, fresh fruits, sleep on soft blankets, and see the most handsome beastmen in the entire tribe.

Si Qi would even secretly add his own blood into Elvin’s food, helping him grow stronger and stronger to compete for the position of tribe chief…

Not to mention things like ceramics, which would normally require a large amount of meat or salt to trade for in the main tribe. Didn’t Si Qi already start teaching the nearby sub-beastmen pottery-making when Elvin left the tribe? Those weren’t anything special anymore.

Unlike this current rabbit sub-beastman, who only knew how to take the meat he worked so hard to earn and spend it on this and that every day, always brushing off his exhaustion with, “You’ll get used to it, isn’t this how it always is?”—as if his complaints were unreasonable, like he was making a fuss over nothing.

Even when he came back covered in wounds and soaked in blood, the rabbit sub-beastman never thought to find herbs to treat him. It was as if Elvin were some kind of indestructible being, incapable of pain or fear, and it was only natural to assume that nothing would ever happen to him.

—Why?

Just because he was destined to become the Beast God’s chosen one, was it a given that he’d be safe no matter what?

Elvin had encountered countless dangers, big and small, in this time. Which one didn’t make his heart race with fear when he looked back on it? That rabbit man had no right to speak so lightly—he didn’t care at all whether Elvin lived or died!

If it had been Si Qi—Si Qi, with that cold face and warm heart—even if he didn’t say anything tender or caring, he would’ve remembered every little detail about Elvin. He would’ve taken care of him seriously through food or herbs, made sure he felt better, and maybe even secretly fed him his own blood again.

If it were Si Qi, Elvin knew better than anyone—Si Qi would have done all of that.

Thinking about how his life had changed now, Elvin sat sadly by the doorway, reflecting on his life.

He felt that he wasn’t happy at all. The rabbit man who came with him wasn’t nearly as gentle and considerate as he had imagined. Unlike the tender affection he had expected, the reality was far from it. Even though Si Qi had never let him touch him before, he had only appeared cold on the outside but was warm inside—maybe if he had held on longer, he could have melted that coldness. But the rabbit man had been gentle and obedient at the start, only to later reveal his true, selfish and self-centered nature. He had always treated Elvin as nothing more than a tool to be used.

Elvin didn’t want to give up his current life and return to the old tribe in shame, failing the trial given to him by the Beast God. But continuing to live this repressed and frustrating life—he didn’t like that either.

Thinking about how in the next few days he would once again have to pick up his weapons and go kill, Elvin grew increasingly irritated. He scratched his head, grabbed a ceramic jar that had been placed by the door, and headed to the “nice place” his teammates often mentioned, intending to spend some time there to forget his troubles.

At first, he hadn’t really planned on doing anything.

But in that “nice place,” he encountered a group of sub-beastmen with sweet and delicate appearances. After being coaxed into drinking a few sips of dizzying fruit wine, his emotions suddenly became harder to control.

He couldn’t help but pour his heart out to the sub-beastmen, telling them how hard things had been for him lately. One after another, they all showed understanding, admiration, and comforted him with pleasant voices…

Elvin felt he had come to the right place—he’d found kindred spirits—and completely fell in love with this wonderful place.

On the second and third day, he brought things from home to gift the sub-beastmen, since they had said they liked how beautiful ceramics were.

If they liked them, then giving them away shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

They were just sitting at home unused anyway.

That day, when Elvin arrived at the “nice place,” he suddenly saw a sub-beastman from the snake tribe.

This person had a cool and distant aura, quietly sitting in a corner, tending to a fruit platter in front of him. His calm demeanor instantly reminded Elvin of the one who had once moved his heart so deeply.

He couldn’t help but walk over. Seeing the sub-beastman’s eyes widen slightly in surprise, Elvin found himself liking him more the longer he looked.

He sat beside the sub-beastman, naturally draped an arm around him, and said, “New face? How come I haven’t seen you before?”

The sub-beastman, sensing Elvin’s direct gaze that practically screamed desire, blushed and lowered his head. “I…”

Elvin leaned down and kissed his forehead. The coolness, that unique cold-blooded animal temperature, only fueled Elvin’s burning desire.

It was the same feeling he had back when he touched that person.

Elvin couldn’t hold back anymore and said in a low, husky voice, “This is for you. Come with me tonight.”

The snake sub-beastman was handed an expensive piece of porcelain. He glanced down at it and pressed his lips together in a delighted smile.

He said shyly, “Be gentle with me…”

Elvin burst out laughing and scooped him up into his arms.

“Let’s go, come home with me.”

When the rabbit man returned after a long day of hard work, the scene that greeted him shattered his heart.

He let out a sharp, piercing scream of despair and rushed forward, striking the snake sub-beastman on the head and grabbing a nearby weapon, ready to fight to the death.

Elvin quickly blocked the two of them, and after taking a couple of stray blows from the struggling rabbit man, he angrily shoved him away. He protectively shielded the frightened snake sub-beastman who was cowering in the corner and shouted, “Are you insane?!”

The rabbit man collapsed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. He tilted his head back and screamed, “Elvin, how could you do this to me?! How could you treat me like this?!

“I work so hard every day, out from dawn till dark, running around for you, building connections for you—everything I do, I do for you! And this is how you betray me?!”

Seeing the rabbit man so utterly heartbroken, the snake sub-beastman assumed they must be bonded partners. With a flick of his eyes, he seized the initiative and clung to Elvin’s arm, sobbing, “Is he… is he your mate? I’m sorry, I didn’t know… I just really, really like you…”

Elvin immediately responded, “He’s not my mate!”

The snake sub-beastman paused for a moment, surprised. He glanced at the rabbit man, then said instinctively, “Then why is he acting like this… no, why are you letting him treat you like this?”

The rabbit man had seen plenty of fake innocent types before. Back when Elvin was the Beast God’s chosen one, plenty of people had tried to seduce him in front of Si Qi just like this. Now, with just one glance, the rabbit man could see through the snake sub-beastman’s little act. His front teeth bared in fury, he let out a warning growl and shouted, “You say you like Elvin? What you really like is his wealth! All those missing ceramics from our house—Elvin gave them to you, didn’t he? You shameless little thief! Stealing tramp!!”

The snake sub-beastman began to “tremble” all over in fear, his cold body pressing tightly against Elvin from behind. His pitiful, delicate appearance stirred Elvin’s sympathy.

With a frown, Elvin said to the rabbit man, “Those were my things. I can give them to whoever I want!”

The rabbit man stomped his foot in anger. “That’s our shared property! I picked out and bought those piece by piece!”

More importantly—

The rabbit man couldn’t hold back his tears anymore. His eyes turned red as he choked on his sobs. “How could you find someone else? Did you ever consider how I’d feel? I love you so much. I’ve only ever had you! And you brought someone else into the home I carefully decorated—to do something like this! How could you treat me this way!”

Especially when he stared hard at the snake sub-beastman’s face and saw, in the cold lines and sharp contours, a faint resemblance to Si Qi. His heart completely broke.

Why? Why was it that even after everything Si Qi did to Elvin, Elvin still couldn’t forget him? Was he really destined to live in Si Qi’s shadow for the rest of his life, never able to rise above it?

Elvin looked at the rabbit man’s hysterical, crazed expression with a surge of disgust in his heart.

He couldn’t help but say, “What’s so wrong with what I’m doing? Didn’t you do the same back then—lying with me in the house Si Qi prepared, on the blankets Si Qi brought, messing around with me? Weren’t you the one who said there was nothing wrong with that, even calling Si Qi petty for wanting to keep me to himself? That’s what you said!”

Seeing the rabbit man’s face turn pale in stunned silence, Elvin felt even more justified. With righteous indignation, he continued, “At that time, Si Qi was about to form a bond with me—he was going to be my mate. If he beat me, I couldn’t complain. But you? You’re nobody to me. Why should I be responsible for you?”

The rabbit man trembled all over in fury, wanting to retort but unable to get a single word out. Elvin didn’t care how devastated he was—he just kept going, mercilessly, “If you want to stay, then stay. If you don’t, I won’t stop you! I’d like to see how a sub-beastman like you plans to survive here without me! In the end, you’ll still have to rely on me!”

Just like Elvin once accused Si Qi of living off him, he now said the same about the rabbit man who had given everything for him. He scoffed, “I didn’t even blame you for wasting the meat I brought home on those flashy decorations. And now you have the nerve to blame me? What’s wrong with bringing some gifts to see other sub-beastmen? What unmarried beastman doesn’t do that? If you’re so sick of me, then just leave! I never begged you to stay.”

Behind Elvin, the snake sub-beastman watched coldly, curling his lips in a sneer, clearly disgusted by Elvin’s behavior.

He glanced again at the rabbit sub-beastman, who looked sharp and quick-witted on the surface but was constantly pushed down and unable to even say “fine, I’ll leave.” It was baffling.

—In this day and age, sub-beastmen were highly sought after. They were the ones who picked beastmen, not the other way around. Why did this one insist on staying stuck with just one tree?

It was just bizarre.

The rabbit man spoke in a trembling voice through clenched teeth: “If it weren’t for the Beast God’s…”

“Heh!” Elvin laughed mockingly. “So in the end, you were after my status, after the glory and riches that are coming my way! You clung to me for those benefits, did everything you could to break me and Si Qi apart—and now you want to tie me down with so-called ‘love,’ as if everything I have should belong only to you! You’re the most shameless of all!”

Having his true intentions exposed in one sentence, the rabbit man felt like everything covering his soul had been stripped away. His darkest thoughts were laid bare in the light, and the shame overwhelmed him. He lowered his head, unable to say a word in return.

“I finally understand,” Elvin said coldly, glaring at the rabbit man with pure disgust. “Only Si Qi—whether I was weak or poor—only he ever treated me sincerely. You made me lose him, made me suffer so much. You have to pay it all back in full! Otherwise, I will never—ever—give you anything again!”

The rabbit man stared at Elvin in despair, at the face twisted with loathing. His body gave out, and he collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

“You’re going too far!”

Elvin remained indifferent. “I’ve always been like this—you know that better than anyone, don’t you?”

The rabbit man, in the middle of sobbing, suddenly fell silent. He stared at Elvin in disbelief, the anguish on his face growing even stronger.

…

When Xiu Xiu recounted the whole event to Si Qi, Si Qi seemed puzzled.

Seeing his master’s serious expression, Xiu Xiu asked in confusion: [What’s wrong, Master?]

Si Qi thought for a couple of seconds and asked: [In that rabbit sub-beastman’s past life memories, did the Child of the World never cheat?]

Xiu Xiu froze for a moment.

Si Qi: [If the Child of the World was also this fickle and flirtatious back then, with a whole harem of beauties, the rabbit guy shouldn’t be this devastated.]

Xiu Xiu considered it, then responded: [That’s true.]

If the Child of the World had been that type—falling for anyone he met, constantly teasing sub-beastmen, and keeping ambiguous relationships with many of them—the rabbit man wouldn’t be so shocked and heartbroken now.

Si Qi said with suspicion: [Could it be that, in his memory, the Child of the World really had the kind of exclusive relationship he claims—where the original owner monopolized the Child of the World and kept all the other sub-beastmen away?]

Xiu Xiu replied uncertainly: [No way, right? That doesn’t match the original owner’s personality at all.]

The original owner had a cold and distant nature, disliked competition, and would let go immediately if he lost interest—he wouldn’t cling or beg. If the Child of the World had ever betrayed him even once, the original host would probably have emotionally withdrawn and stopped caring altogether.

Besides…

The Child of the World didn’t seem like the kind who, after becoming the Beast God’s chosen messenger and gaining near-unparalleled status, would still stay loyal for decades just because of a little bond contract.

Xiu Xiu looked baffled: [Master, now that you mention it, this whole thing really is strange.]

Si Qi thought for a moment, then muttered uncertainly: [Could it be that…]

Xiu Xiu waited silently for Si Qi to finish the thought, but Si Qi never completed the sentence, even after a long while.

Xiu Xiu finally couldn’t help asking: [Master?]

Si Qi stayed silent for a bit, then shook his head. [Let’s just keep watching.]

Xiu Xiu had no choice but to reply obediently: [Okay, Master.]

Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about it, scratching his head in confusion.

Seeing Xiu Xiu like that, Si Qi gently guided him: [Why did the world consciousness arrange for the Child of the World to enter the great tribe and become the Beast God’s emissary? What was the purpose?]

Xiu Xiu pondered and said, [In order to expand the tribe and help it become the most powerful tribe nearby… or even a city, perhaps?]

Si Qi added, [More precisely, it should be about unifying the scattered tribes across the forest into a stronger one, to promote the development of civilization, commerce, society… and all aspects of life.]

Xiuxiu agreed and said, [Yeah, in a primitive world, that’s about all you can do.]

Si Qi said, [And the identity of the Beast God’s Emissary is like that of an emperor—able to suppress the rebellious chieftains of various tribes and make everyone obey him.]

Xiu Xiu nodded, [Exactly]

Si Qi continued analyzing step by step, [So then, such an incredible Beast God’s Envoy—why would he be so cautious, never daring to fool around, and spend his whole life only with the cold and stern original owner?]

[And why would the world’s consciousness go out of its way to reincarnate that rabbit beastman, specifically to break up the Child of the World and the original owner, even stripping the original owner of the Beast God’s bloodline?]

Xiu Xiu vaguely sensed that possibility, just like Si Qi, uncertainly said, [No way… right?]

Si Qi shrugged, [Whatever the truth is, only that rabbit beastman would know.]

Everything that had once happened had already turned into fleeting memories, completely disappearing from this world. Si Qi couldn’t be sure what the future, which could only be deduced through imagination, would really be like.

He only said, [In any case, since the world’s consciousness wishes for the tribes to unify and for civilization to progress, then we’ll follow that path.]

Whether or not the so-called Beast God actually existed, and whether the Beast God’s Emissary would ever appear, Si Qi was already walking the path that should have belonged to them.

Through peaceful methods of absorption and merging, he aimed to attract the other tribes to join.

Not through bloody and brutal war.

…

While the scout sent by the large tribe was still on his way, Si Qi was the first to receive many beastmen from other tribes who had come along with their own people.

At first, only the beastman from the Elephant Tribe planned to come. Later, other tribal members who were also heading east saw a tall, dark-skinned (not bathed much), grass-skirt-wearing fellow among the group of exceptionally fair-skinned, beautiful, and clearly wealthy beastmen, and curiously asked about it.

After learning that the Elephant Tribe’s beastman was going to visit the tribe of these powerful beastmen, many of them felt envious and intrigued.

Beastmen heading in other directions, carrying valuable items, didn’t dare to take detours and could only give up on the idea, eager to return home quickly.

But the beastmen who were heading in the same direction as the Lion Tribe’s territory all wanted to tag along and broaden their horizons.

They split into two groups. One transported their valuables (like white sugar, chili peppers, daggers, etc.) back to their tribe as fast as possible. The other followed the Lion Tribe group to visit the Lion Tribe’s territory, planning to take a slight detour before heading home.

So, before Si Qi faced any trouble from the large tribe—though he had already learned of their movements and was waiting calmly—he first encountered a group of wide-eyed, completely stunned beastmen and sub-beastmen from other tribes, who were in a constant state of awe.

These honest and simple-looking beastmen showed no restraint at all when they saw something astonishing. They didn’t feel shy in the slightest. The whole time they were saying things like, “Wow,” “Oh my god,” and “Look over there!”

The surrounding members of the Lion Tribe looked at them curiously, with no trace of mockery or disdain in their eyes. They smiled and cheerfully ran over to greet them and ask questions.

Si Qi learned about the situation from a sub-beastman who ran over to inform him. When he followed the sub-beastman to the entrance of the tribe, what he saw was a group of stunningly beautiful people and a group of adorable ones having an incredibly harmonious discussion about the stone wall fence.

The adorable ones said, “Your walls are really sturdy! They’re so smooth, it’s like a miracle granted by the Beast God!”

“Sleeping at night inside such tall and solid fences means we don’t have to worry about wolves suddenly sneaking in to bite our butts anymore!”

“Oh my god, even your houses are made of this kind of stone—you’re amazing!”

“It’s not easy to chop stones into such uniform shapes with an axe!”

The beautiful ones proudly puffed out their chests and said, “We built these walls with our own hands—wasn’t hard at all!”

“The beastmen of the Lion Tribe are brave and fierce. When wolves come, all they can do is run away. They wouldn’t dare set foot on our land! We’d eat them!”

“The houses were built together, and then everyone freely chooses the one they like to live in! As long as you’re part of our tribe, everyone can live in such beautiful homes!”

“Hahaha, the stones weren’t carved with axes! Want to know the secret? When we go to the brick houses, I’ll tell you how it’s done!”

The beastmen who had just arrived and already had their worldview shaken at the entrance looked amazed and kept saying how great everything was.

But the elephant tribe beastman, who clearly wasn’t lacking in intelligence and came from a mid-tier tribe, showed a subtle change in expression. He cautiously asked, “Something this important—are you sure it’s okay to tell us just like that? Do your chief and Grand Shaman know?”

He was worried these warm and enthusiastic folks might accidentally reveal tribal secrets, and if the chieftain or high priest later held them accountable, the ones who knew the secrets might be in trouble.

The tribespeople looked at the elephant beastman blankly, unsure how to respond. Just then, they spotted Si Qi approaching from a distance. Immediately, they became excited and shouted, “Just ask Si Qi! Si Qi knows everything! If he says it’s fine, then it’s fine!”

The elephant beastman tilted his head in confusion and looked over. On the other side stood a crowd of beastmen and sub-beastmen watching the commotion. He wasn’t supposed to be able to pick out the one whose name he had heard countless times.

But he recognized him at a glance.

Even though everyone in the tribe wore roughly similar clothes and had the same clean appearance, it was still obvious who was merely imitating and who was naturally like that inside and out. The difference couldn’t have been clearer.

The young man across from him was like a clean and pure pine tree dusted with the season’s first snow—upright, clean, and resilient. No matter how harsh the world around him might be, he carried his own dignity and strength.

That was the first impression Si Qi gave.

The elephant tribe beastman’s expression grew increasingly serious as he looked on. After a moment, he stepped forward and performed a respectful gesture typically reserved for meeting a tribal chief or Grand Shaman.

“Greetings, are you Lord Si Qi?”

Since arriving in this world, it was the first time Si Qi had seen such a polite beastman.

He nodded and replied, “Hello.”

The elephant tribe beastman politely introduced himself, explained his purpose for visiting, and sincerely praised the excellence of the tribe. His words made the surrounding lion tribe beastmen beam with pride, their expressions kind and warm as they looked at him.

After making everyone happy with his compliments, the elephant tribe beastman finally got to the point: “I heard that your tribe’s high priest also received guidance from the Beast God?”

As he mentioned the Beast God, he carefully observed Si Qi’s expression, trying to see if this person, said to be favored by the Beast God, truly had a close and special connection with the deity.

But he found that this man’s eyes didn’t change in the slightest upon hearing those words. His gaze remained calm and indifferent, his expression unshaken—like someone who had just heard that a flower was blooming by the roadside. There was no surprise, but also no disrespect—he had simply listened as if it were any other question.

—That was not the reaction one would expect from a beastman upon hearing mention of the Beast God.

Especially from a young beastman like him, who clearly possessed vast knowledge and was said to be favored by the Beast God—shouldn’t he be even more reverent?

The elephant tribe beastman was puzzled.

Still carrying that doubt, he followed Si Qi into the tribe. What he witnessed inside shocked him like a modern-day man entering a high-tech city from an Interstellar civilization. He completely let go of his earlier skepticism—someone with such rich knowledge who could turn the impossible into reality had to be blessed and protected by the Beast God. No ordinary beastman could accomplish all this.

When he saw the ceramics workshop, the brick kiln, and the windmill, he was impressed by their sophistication, though he didn’t fully grasp the technology behind them. He merely thought they were advanced and assumed other large tribes might also manage something similar.

But when he reached the vast expanse of farmland and saw the efficient irrigation ditches, the incredibly fertile soil, the advanced farming tools casually placed nearby, and countless small, thoughtful details worthy of emulation, he finally noticed the key differences.

Because his own tribe also practiced agriculture. The elephant tribe, known for their gentle temperament and great strength, had claimed a large stretch of flat, fertile land for farming.

They prided themselves on knowing more about farming than any other tribe.

But in recent years, their once-fertile soil had become increasingly dry and barren. The food they grew had become smaller and blander.

Their Grand Shaman had sighed and said that the blessings of the Beast God upon the land were fading with time. To maintain the land’s “life,” they had to put in more effort to transport fertile soil from elsewhere.

The elephant tribe beastmen had devoted significant labor to hauling what they believed to be fertile soil to their fields in hopes of restoring vitality—but the results were disappointing. The crops never regained their former strength.

This left the elephant tribe beastmen frustrated and helpless.

Only now, looking at the rich, black earth before him, teeming with life, did he realize just how deeply this tribe was favored by the Beast God. The god had actually given them such bountiful land!

And those effortless irrigation streams… the strange-looking but efficient tools that could turn the soil with a light touch…

The elephant tribe beastman’s face showed undisguised longing, his envy written all over it. Si Qi noticed and slowly said, “Want to learn?”

The elephant tribe beastman was slightly startled and didn’t react right away. “Pardon?”

Si Qi pointed to the farmland before them. “All of this—everything you see.”

The elephant tribe beastman’s breath caught. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes. He flushed with excitement and nervously rubbed his hands together.

“This… is it really okay?”

Si Qi replied calmly, “Of course it is. Everything in our tribe—if you’re willing to learn, I’m willing to teach.”

As he spoke, he looked at the foreign beastmen behind him, who were still in a daze, overwhelmed by everything they’d seen. When they met Si Qi’s steady gaze, they understood what he meant. Just like the elephant tribe beastman, they all trembled with excitement, bursting with joy as if they were having an episode.

They shouted excitedly, “Yes! We want to learn!”

Si Qi smiled slightly. “Then send your people to come and learn. We’re ready to teach you anytime.”

When the beastmen realized Si Qi wasn’t joking, they became so overwhelmed with emotion they let out beastly roars. The lion tribe beastmen, startled, rushed over in alarm, shouting:

“What’s going on?”

“What are you trying to do?”

“Protect Si Qi!!”

Surrounded by a crowd of beastmen and sub-beastmen, Si Qi was caught between laughter and frustration. He said helplessly, “It’s fine, calm down, let me through.”

He was about to get crushed!