Chapter 80
“?” Cheng Bai was puzzled and was about to speak when a furious shout suddenly came from outside.
“Yuan Heng, don’t go too far!”
“...” Brother Heng?
Wang Jin looked outside in confusion and asked, “What’s happening out there?”
“...” Xi ger and Mu ger remained silent, their expressions complicated.
Seeing this, Wang Jin turned to Cheng Bai.
Cheng Bai acted as if it had nothing to do with him. Wang Jin swallowed his questions, got up, and walked past the others to head outside.
Xi ger quickly stopped him, saying, “A-Jin, the beastmen are discussing important matters. Don’t go out yet. Brother Heng will be back soon.”
Mu ger added, “Yes, A-Jin, Brother Heng will handle everything. Your health is weak, and it’s cold outside. Go back and rest.”
Wang Jin heard them but kept his gaze fixed outside, not taking their words to heart.
He said, “I just want to take a look.”
Without waiting for their agreement, he walked to the door.
Afraid something might happen, the two quickly followed on either side.
“...” Cheng Bai watched Wang Jin’s back, his brow furrowing.
The little delicate one’s worry made it seem as if there was a beastman out there whom he treasured in his heart. His anxious demeanor was like that of a married ger fretting over his own beastman...
Did he already consider that Brother Heng his beastman in his heart?
Cheng Bai’s heart twisted slightly—not painful, but uncomfortably stifled.
He took a few steps forward, keeping a distance as he followed Wang Jin.
The delicate one was so frantic he hadn’t even put on his outer robe. With his frail body in such cold weather...
Cheng Bai’s pale lips pressed together, his fingers trembling slightly. Finally, he turned back, grabbed Wang Jin’s robe from the bed, and caught up to him, gently draping it over his shoulders.
Wang Jin was too focused on what was happening ahead to notice Cheng Bai’s action, but Xi ger and Mu ger saw it clearly. They exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unspoken thoughts.
Outside in the courtyard, over a dozen elder beastmen were gathered. At the forefront was Xi ger’s master, the elderly healer who was already advanced in years. In the center stood the leader, and directly facing him with his back turned was Yuan Heng.
In Yuan Heng’s hand was a scepter. It was made of a section of snow-white beast bone, carved with tiger patterns, and its end was shaped like a tiger’s skull.
The scepter was heavily worn, clearly aged.
Upon seeing it, the others showed reverence. Before the scepter, whether it was the elderly healer who could barely stand or the highly respected elder beastmen of the tribe, they all knelt and bowed their heads in submission.
Yet among them, one person stood out—the leader, who stared at the scepter with resentment, not an ounce of respect in his eyes.
Yuan Heng’s gaze darkened. “This is the supreme scepter of the Danmu Tribe, once your father’s possession. It represents the will of our ancestors. Kneel!”
His deep voice carried authority, as if merely stating facts, but his sharp eyes bore into the leader like he was looking at a criminal who had committed grave sins. At this moment, the man embodied the law of the Danmu Tribe.
“...” The leader’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees. He tried to stand, but his trembling legs refused to obey.
Still kneeling, he glared at the scepter, his fingers clenching tightly.
Of course he knew this was the Danmu Tribe’s supreme scepter—it was traditionally passed down to each new leader. But when he took over, his father, the previous leader, had not handed it to him. Instead, he abolished the scepter’s inheritance before his death.
From the moment he became leader, the Danmu Tribe no longer had a scepter, and the one that had accompanied generations of leaders vanished.
He had searched for years with no success. Yet now, Yuan Heng had it.
Pale-faced, the leader steadied his trembling lips and demanded, “How did the Danmu Scepter end up in your hands?”
Yuan Heng pulled a beast hide from the scepter and threw it at the leader. “Your father gave it to me.”
“...” The leader picked it up and saw densely written characters on the back—his father’s handwriting.
“The Danmu Tribe forbids leaders from abusing their power. When you came to me, using your authority to order me to find Rui grass for Yue ger, you violated tribal law. You...”
Yuan Heng looked down at the leader, his pale eyes clouded with disappointment. In a low voice, he declared, “You are unworthy of being leader.”
“!” The leader froze as if struck by lightning.
The elder beastmen near him took the beast hide and read it, their expressions shifting. They huddled together, whispering urgently. The elderly healer was among them.
Wang Jin watched, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
So this scepter was what the man had gone to retrieve...
After a moment of commotion, the elder beastmen turned to the leader, sighing repeatedly.
The elderly healer shakily stood and patted the leader’s shoulder. He then handed the beast hide back to Yuan Heng with both hands. “This is indeed the former leader’s writing. It clearly states that he entrusted the scepter to you in secret, tasking you with overseeing the leader. If the leader erred, Heng boy, you have the right to reclaim the scepter, remove him from power, and select a new leader.”
Yuan Heng took the hide, folded it, and slid it back into the scepter.
The elderly healer hesitated. “But... Heng boy, the leader was only desperate to save Yue ger at the time... This matter...”
Yuan Heng narrowed his eyes, cutting him off. “Forget that incident. What about the beast horde? Yue ger violated tribal law, harming our beastmen and ger. The leader knew his crimes were severe yet shielded him completely. How many hearts has he chilled? Will you turn a blind eye to that?”
“...” The healer fell silent, then sighed. “Heng boy, I’m already half in the grave. Who leads the tribe means little to me. But if you remove the leader, who will guide the Danmu Tribe afterward?”
The other elders quickly added:
“Yes, Heng boy, who will lead?”
“You? You’re an ancient beastman, not of the Danmu Tribe. It wouldn’t be right for you to take the position.”
“That’s true. The leader made mistakes, but they can be forgiven. At least he’s been fair to the tribe all these years...”
Forgiven?
Yuan Heng’s icy gaze swept over them, chilling them to the bone and silencing their words.
Humiliation burned through the leader. Since taking power, he had been overshadowed by this man—and now he was being stripped of his title?
His fingers dug into his clothes. Whether he remained leader no longer mattered, but he refused to be dethroned by this man. Gritting his teeth, he spat, “Isn’t this just a power grab?”
Yuan Heng scoffed. “...I’ve never wanted the Danmu Tribe’s leadership.”
If he had, the former leader would have handed it to him long ago.
That man had truly treated him like family...
Thinking of him, Yuan Heng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger. He addressed the elders: “Xiao Ruo can take the position.”
“Xiao Ruo?!” The beastmen were stunned.
One elder objected, “That child isn’t yet an adult, and his combat skills aren’t the strongest.”
Yuan Heng replied, “A leader only needs a clear mind.”
His pointed glance at the leader was filled with disdain.
The leader’s pride shattered. Fueled by rage, he stood and retorted, “Everyone knows Xiao Ruo idolizes you and obeys your every word! Making him leader is just seizing power indirectly!”
“...” Yuan Heng’s gaze turned dangerous.
The leader appealed to the elders. “The Danmu Tribe has never allowed outsiders to interfere in leadership! I’ve made mistakes, and I’ll accept punishment—but it should come from you, not an outsider!”
His glare at Yuan Heng was full of hostility, as if facing an enemy tribe.
“...” Yuan Heng clenched his fingers. Quietly, he asked the elders, “Do you agree with him?”
After a hushed discussion, the elderly healer nodded. “Heng boy, though this was the former leader’s will, the current leader is his son. He’s admitted his faults. Just punish him—no need to remove him. The tribe still needs a leader.”
Their kindness was reserved for the wrongdoer.
Yuan Heng’s lips curled slightly. With a heavy motion, he drove the scepter into the ground.
The impact reverberated like suppressed fury. The elders stiffened.
Standing tall, Yuan Heng gripped the scepter, its base buried deep in cracked earth. His aura was colder than ever.
The strike seemed to pierce their hearts, the split soil mirroring their unease. They trembled, bowing instinctively.
Yuan Heng’s voice was firm. “Then we divide.”
“?”
Before they could react, the courtyard gate burst open—the entire tribe’s beastmen flooded in.
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