Chapter 82
"The little ger is right. If anyone should leave, it's you."
The leader roared, "Yuan Heng! Don’t push us too far!"
"Who’s pushing whom?" Yuan Heng stared at the leader, his gaze as sharp as winter. His tone sounded calm, but when it quietly reached the ears, it seemed to carry an undercurrent of fury.
"......" The leader, who had been full of confidence moments ago, was now rendered speechless by these words, his guilt laid bare.
The scene fell into silence—so quiet that only the roars of the beasts outside could be heard, rising and falling in waves.
After a long pause, it was A-Hua behind Yuan Heng who finally spoke up hesitantly.
"Leader, this place was where Brother Heng brought us to take shelter. It was originally his."
Lai Yuan shoved A-Hua lightly and interjected, "Why are you still calling him 'leader'?"
"......" A-Hua opened his mouth as if to correct himself but ultimately closed it without a word.
Before the leader could respond, the old tribesman behind him couldn’t hold back and retorted unhappily, "A-Hua, I don’t like what you’re saying. What do you mean this place originally belonged to Heng boy?"
He paused, then turned to Yuan Heng. "Yes, Heng boy was the one who led us here, who found this place. But when we arrived, it was empty—unclaimed. Our Danmu tribe has lived here for so long that this place has long become ours. Since when did it belong to him?"
"......" A-Hua vaguely felt this wasn’t right, but as a simple-minded man, he couldn’t find the words to argue.
Seeing how tongue-tied the tribesmen were, Mu ger couldn’t take it anymore and stepped out of the house, standing behind Yuan Heng as he addressed the opposition.
"Let’s make this clear, this place didn’t 'become' Brother Heng’s at some point. It has always been his!"
Mu ger’s eyes swept over the leader, the respected elders of the former tribe, and finally settled on the frail old healer trembling where he stood.
Pursing his lips, he said, "Healer, the leader might not know, and the others might have forgotten, but you were there when the previous leader brought everyone here. You witnessed it. You should remember better than any of us..."
Mu ger paused, then declared loudly, "My a-die told me since I was little—Brother Heng saved us from the beast horde and led us to this place for shelter. Even though we’ve lived here for years and treated it as our home, that doesn’t mean we can claim it as ours by default. This place belongs to Brother Heng. He has the right to decide who stays and who goes."
"My a-die was just a weak, ordinary ger in the tribe. He passed away long ago, but even he understood this. Healer... Leader... How could you not know?"
Lai Yuan noticed Mu ger’s agitation, his hands repeatedly pressing against his stomach. Knowing the ger must be in discomfort again, he quickly stepped forward to support him, shaking his head in silent plea for him to calm down.
Mu ger’s face was pale, his voice losing strength, yet those faint words drifted into the hearts of every tribesman across from him, stirring something deep within them.
A-Hua, looking at the old healer, spoke up. "Healer, the previous leader also said we should treat Brother Heng well, but..."
He didn’t finish. Lai Yuan stepped in, "But ever since the previous leader passed, Brother Heng has been given the worst hut in the tribe, the fewest supplies. He never complained because he could manage on his own, but you—"
He pointed at the leader, eyes blazing with fury. "You treated him like this, yet you kept sending him into danger to do your bidding, using your authority as leader to order him to find Rui grass for your ger. And now, you want to seize his home and drive him out?"
A-Hua looked at the healer and whispered, his voice barely audible, "Healer... This has gone too far."
The old healer’s clouded eyes reflected the sincerity of those before him...
A-Hua was known as the most honest tribesman, Lai Yuan the weakest—so weak he rarely voiced his opinions. Mu ger, lame and afraid of burdening the tribe, had always kept to himself. These were men who seldom spoke harshly, yet today...
"Enough." Before the healer could respond, the leader snapped, "You’ve all been bewitched by Yuan Heng, and now you want the rest to obey him too? Our Danmu tribe lives in our own home—since when does someone else decide whether we stay or leave? You all claim this place is Yuan Heng’s. Does he have proof?"
Yuan Heng’s lips curled in faint mockery. Wang Jin made to step forward, but Yuan Heng held him firmly in place.
His tightly pressed lips parted slightly as he spoke in a low, deliberate voice.
"This was once the territory of the Ancient Winged White Tiger Tribe. The clan emblem hangs on the wall of your hut, Leader. That object carries the power of our ancestors. As long as even one tribesman remains, it can shield this place from the beast horde."
He paused, his gaze scornful as he stared at the leader. "Is that proof enough? Why don’t you go take a look at that emblem right now?"
"!" The crowd gasped, eyes wide as they stared at Yuan Heng.
With one arm around Wang Jin and the other behind his back, Yuan Heng stood tall, his scepter planted firmly in the ground before him. The long scepter, usually as tall as a man and imposing enough to draw all attention, now seemed dull and insignificant beside him—utterly dwarfed by his presence.
"This... This was the Ancient Winged White Tiger Tribe’s land?" someone in the crowd murmured, the words rippling through the gathering like a stone thrown into still water.
"Even if I didn’t have the absolute right to decide your fate, you should think carefully before demanding I leave." Yuan Heng’s voice was icy as he addressed the leader. "If I go, the emblem’s power fades. The beasts will swarm in."
"!" The leader’s face paled as if already seeing the beasts tearing through the tribe.
The healer staggered, barely keeping his footing as he processed the revelation. With a heavy sigh, he shook his head repeatedly.
"The Danmu tribe... will return to the days of wandering without a home!"
His voice trembled with regret as he glared at the leader, gripping Xi ger’s hand so tightly it shook.
The aged man’s face was etched with sorrow and remorse, his already ashen complexion turning paler, his clouded eyes now filled with dread...
For a moment, Yuan Heng had the strange thought that even in death, this old man would not rest in peace.
"......" Yuan Heng remained silent for a long moment before finally speaking amid the unease and fear of the crowd.
"The Danmu tribe won’t return to those days, because the true Danmu tribe is the one led by Xiao Ruo."
The crowd froze. Yuan Heng turned to the healer. "Healer, I’ll return your own words to you. You may stay here until the beast horde ends. The eastern huts are yours to use. If you need help, you may ask. But on one condition—"
His sharp gaze locked onto the leader, unyielding. "You will no longer call yourselves the Danmu tribe."
"What?!" The crowd erupted in shock.
The healer protested, "Heng boy, we are the Danmu tribe! How can we not call ourselves that? You—"
"Refuse, and I’ll expel you from this place immediately." Yuan Heng’s piercing gaze swept over them, his pale irises darkening like a death god’s—cold and merciless, as if his stare alone could condemn them to oblivion.
Hearing this, Wang Jin chuckled softly in Yuan Heng’s arms.
This Brother Heng...
By phrasing it this way, wasn’t he forcing them to rename their splinter group?
If they refused and were driven out now, every last one of them would be devoured by the beasts. None would survive.
And if they all perished, there would be no separate "Danmu tribe" left—only the original one within these walls.
The man had never truly intended to split the tribe in two.
"You—!" The leader gnashed his teeth, raising a fist to strike, but the healer held him back.
Despite his frailty, the old man summoned surprising strength to stop him.
"Enough..." The healer shook his head at the leader before addressing Yuan Heng. "Fine. We agree."
"Xi ger." The healer called for Xi ger, who leaned in closer. "Let’s go. Take everyone with you."
"...Yes." Xi ger complied, casting one last glance at Mu ger and Wang Jin before supporting the healer and leading the group away.
This compound had originally been Xi ger and his master’s residence—the largest in the tribe, with many rooms. But since it was in the western section, and Yuan Heng had granted them the eastern huts, this place was no longer theirs.
Only after the crowd dispersed did Xiao Ruo hesitantly approach Yuan Heng, stammering, "Brother Heng... I... I can’t... This leader position... I’m not..."
The young tribesman fidgeted nervously, his unease plain on his face. Behind him, three paces back, stood a middle-aged couple and an older tribesman, all watching intently.
Yuan Heng gave them a slight nod before turning back to Xiao Ruo, his voice firm.
"If I say you can, then you can."
Xiao Ruo’s head snapped up in surprise.
The certainty in Yuan Heng’s voice was absolute, as if he could already see a future where Xiao Ruo succeeded. Even though Xiao Ruo knew his own limitations, those words planted a seed of doubt.
Could he really do it?
"Brother Heng, Xiao Ruo isn’t even of age yet. We stayed because we trust you. Why don’t you take the role of leader instead?" The older tribesman behind Xiao Ruo spoke up, seeing his hesitation.
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