Orc Priest (10): 

What Zhou Qinghao saw in his “prophecy” were actually fragments.

This time the fragments he saw were rather chaotic.

After Bai Yutian arrived, their tribe encountered one misfortune after another.

A child fell ill and died after taking the herbs he had prepared.

According to his “divination,” the hunt should have gone smoothly, but that time, someone from the hunting team was killed.

Incidents like this happened again and again, and the people of the tribe trusted him less and less.

It was at this point that Gu Juntian said he liked men, accused him of always trying to force himself on Gu Juntian, and charged him with being unfaithful to the beast god.

Gu Juntian also said he was unworthy of being a priest at all.

He couldn’t refute it, because what Gu Juntian said was true.

Though some people in the tribe still stood by him, the vast majority thought it would be good to let Bai Yutian be the priest instead.

At that time, he was already exhausted, and he began to doubt himself.

The people of the tribe whom he wanted to protect were dissatisfied with him, and Gu Juntian, whom he cared about, hated him all the more.

He felt there was no point in staying in the tribe any longer.

Bai Yutian, a priest from a great tribe, might indeed be more suitable as the hippo tribe’s priest.

In the end, he chose to leave the tribe.

After he left, Gu Juntian caught up to him and said some things.

“Qing, I do like men, but I only like Bai Yutian.”

“I really hate you. If it weren’t for becoming chief, I would never have tried to please you.”

“What I hate most is the way you boss me around.”

“I’m already the chief, yet I still have to listen to you. Who do you think you are?”

…

Gu Juntian said a lot, always voicing his dissatisfaction.

Zhou Qinghao had long known Gu Juntian didn’t like him, but he hadn’t expected Gu Juntian to hate him so deeply. Gu Juntian not only hated him, but even hated his teacher.

His teacher had been very fond of Gu Juntian, and before passing away, had told him to take good care of Gu Juntian. Yet Gu Juntian treated his teacher as an enemy.

Zhou Qinghao jolted awake again, this time with his whole body cold.

Gu Juntian… hated him that much?

Thinking carefully, Gu Juntian’s reactions in the past already showed he didn’t like him.

Lately Gu Juntian’s attitude seemed to improve, but maybe it was all just an act.

As a child, Gu Juntian had been very close to his teacher, constantly clinging to him, but when his teacher died, Gu Juntian hadn’t been sad.

In the past, Gu Juntian had also treated him very well, always giving him things, even turning into a little tiger to burrow into his arms. But later, hadn’t he avoided him for two whole years?

Noises came again from outside—it was the hunting team heading out.

Zhou Qinghao sat up and listened carefully. He heard Gu Juntian’s voice giving instructions to the hunters.

Gu Juntian’s voice was pleasant. Zhou Qinghao really liked it—too bad Gu Juntian didn’t like him.

He sat there for a long time. Only when the sounds outside grew louder did he finally open the door and step out.

The tribe was already up and about, and Gu Juntian was fiddling with some bamboo not far away.

When Zhou Qinghao looked at him, Gu Juntian happened to raise his head and see him too. His eyes were full of joy: “Qing, you’re awake?”

“I’m awake.” Zhou Qinghao stared at him.

Judging by Gu Juntian’s expression now, it seemed as if he liked him very, very much.

But… was that real?

Unaware of Zhou Qinghao’s thoughts, Gu Juntian picked up a piece of meat and walked toward his house: “Qing, let’s cook meat together.”

Zhou Qinghao followed Gu Juntian into his place, bending to enter, only to have his hand seized and squeezed by Gu Juntian.

The feeling of that touch stunned him.

He hadn’t expected Gu Juntian to touch him again. If Gu Juntian didn’t like him, why act so close?

Thinking of this, Zhou Qinghao suddenly remembered—Gu Juntian liked men.

He didn’t like him as a person, but surely didn’t mind teasing him.

There was once a man in their tribe who disliked a certain woman, yet still ended up having a child with her.

“Qing, today let’s cook the meat with water-grass roots,” Gu Juntian suggested.

The so-called water grass was a kind of plant that grew in marshes, along the water’s edge, even in the water itself. The hippo tribe always called it water grass.

Its leaves were edible, and its roots too. The roots were slightly bitter but rich in starch. Cooked with meat, they tasted quite good.

“Alright.” Zhou Qinghao sat silently at the side, cooking the meat.

Gu Juntian, meanwhile, spoke of other things: “That bamboo grove’s stalks are a bit small. Otherwise, we could make bamboo cups. Still, they’re fine for a chair. Maybe even a bed…”

Zhou Qinghao listened quietly.

Gu Juntian’s improved attitude toward him lately was most likely because Gu Juntian looked down on the other men in the tribe, and thought he was the better choice.

But when Bai Yutian appeared, Gu Juntian would probably switch affections.

He was several years older than Gu Juntian, more than ten years older than Bai Yutian.

Even as a priest who did less labor, he still didn’t have Bai Yutian’s delicate looks. Naturally, he couldn’t compare.

When that time came, would Gu Juntian really drive him away, as in the prophecy?

Zhou Qinghao sighed inwardly. He wanted to question Gu Juntian, but he couldn’t bear to ruin the pleasant atmosphere.

Yet when Gu Juntian kept leaning closer, he instinctively shifted away.

Gu Juntian noticed and looked at him in surprise, only to see Zhou Qinghao move back to sit by his side again.

Clearly, Zhou Qinghao hadn’t meant to avoid him.

But today, Zhou Qinghao was in a poor mood.

He must be brooding again about priests not being allowed to have partners.

“Qing, do you think the beast god really exists?” Gu Juntian asked.

Zhou Qinghao’s heartbeat faltered. “Of course.”

“I don’t think so,” Gu Juntian said. “I think maybe there is no beast god in this world at all.”

He wanted to ease Zhou Qinghao’s worries.

If there was no beast god, then it wouldn’t be such a big deal for a priest to have a partner.

“Tian, you must not disrespect the beast god,” Zhou Qinghao replied seriously.

Seeing Zhou Qinghao’s devout look, Gu Juntian couldn’t help but sigh.

Everyone in the tribe believed in the beast god. Though Zhou Qinghao knew much, as a priest he had probably been even more thoroughly indoctrinated.

Convincing him there was no beast god would be hard.

By contrast, convincing him that he himself was the beast god’s messenger might be much easier.

Then he could use that claim to do whatever he wanted with Zhou Qinghao.

And he could use it to make the tribe accept their relationship too.

Thinking this, Gu Juntian once again held Zhou Qinghao’s hand.

Zhou Qinghao wanted to pull away, but in the end did not, only looked at Gu Juntian with a complicated expression.

Gu Juntian tightened his grip.

“Since you’re not hunting today, why don’t you stay here with me?” Zhou Qinghao suggested.

His mind was a mess. At first, he’d wanted to be alone, but thinking that chances to be with Gu Juntian in private would be rare, he finally spoke those words.

“Alright!” Gu Juntian agreed instantly.

That whole day, Gu Juntian stayed in Zhou Qinghao’s house, making a bamboo chair.

It wasn’t too hard to make, but without tools, it was troublesome.

Gu Juntian felt his cultivation was still too low. If only it were higher, he could split bamboo with spiritual power, polish it with spiritual power.

Tonight he would continue cultivating!

After dinner, Gu Juntian left.

Watching him go, Zhou Qinghao sighed, lay down, and tried to sleep.

But he couldn’t. His mind was full of the prophecy, of Gu Juntian’s words when he drove him out of the tribe.

He lay awake for a long time before dozing off, only to see more fragments.

He saw himself, after leaving the hippo tribe, captured by people from a large tribe. They questioned him about the surroundings, wanting him to lead them to attack nearby tribes.

He refused.

Impatient, they killed him outright.

After that, he saw what happened later.

He saw Bai Yutian captured as well. Because Bai Yutian claimed to be a priest, he was treated far better. The people of the large tribe even sent someone to coax information out of him.

And Bai Yutian revealed everything about the hippo tribe.

Later… the hippo tribe’s young warriors went to that large tribe, trying to rescue Bai Yutian. They suffered heavy casualties. Taking advantage of the moment, the large tribe raided the hippo tribe, slaughtering the children and elders, and carrying away the women.

The hippo tribe vanished like that.

This prophecy showed events far in the future. Was the beast god letting him see them in order to prevent the tribe’s destruction?

And the destruction would be because of Gu Juntian and Bai Yutian.

Bai Yutian was only a secondary cause. The main one was Gu Juntian.

If Gu Juntian valued the tribe enough, he never would have led its warriors to clash with a great tribe.

The numbers were too unequal. Facing them would be like eggs against stone.

Not every tribe wanted to live in swamps. If the hippo tribe didn’t provoke them, then even if the great tribe liked to war everywhere, they might not target the hippo tribe.

Even if they did, the hippo people were strong swimmers—they could escape.

Now that he knew the future, what should he do?

Zhou Qinghao awoke again, his head aching, buzzing with irritation.

Outside, the hunting team was gathering. Today, Gu Juntian would go hunting.

Zhou Qinghao rose from the ground and felt the bamboo chair beside him.

It was the one Gu Juntian had made yesterday.

It wobbled slightly when sat on, and some parts weren’t smooth, so Gu Juntian hadn’t been satisfied with it, saying he would make a better one later.

Zhou Qinghao sat down on it.

He didn’t want anything bad to happen to the hippo tribe—it was where he had grown up.

Though in the prophecy, many chose Bai Yutian, that was because he himself had failed, others had steered things, and still, there were some who had chosen him.

If he wanted to prevent disaster for the hippo tribe, he had to start with Gu Juntian.

If Gu Juntian died, a new chief would lead the tribe, and they would never meet that end.

But just imagining Gu Juntian’s death was unbearable.

The future could be changed. He didn’t need to take such an extreme measure.

Perhaps… he could drive Bai Yutian away first?