Chapter 83
"That’s right, Big Brother is correct." Xiao Ruo quickly snapped back to attention, agreeing with the beastman.
Yuan Heng looked at the beastman, who bore a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Xiao Ruo—his biological older brother.
"Xiao Ruo has limitless potential. My judgment isn’t wrong. Besides..." Yuan Heng paused, his expression softening slightly as his entire demeanor grew gentler.
He spoke softly, "Strictly speaking, I’m not beastman of the Danmu tribe. I’m not suited to be the leader of the Danmu tribe."
The beastman immediately replied, "That’s not true. As long as Brother Heng is willing, we all support you."
"Yeah, Heng, you should still be the leader. Xiao Ruo... he really can’t do it..." The couple behind the beastman and Xiao Ruo stepped forward, chiming in.
Xiao Ruo had initially brightened at Yuan Heng’s praise, his eyes gleaming with eagerness. But upon hearing the couple’s words, his expression dimmed, the light in his eyes vanishing.
Wang Jin, who had been silently observing, couldn’t help but speak up: "He hasn’t even tried yet. How can all of you say he’s no good? Are you even his family?"
The three of them froze, looking somewhat awkward. Xiao Ruo’s older brother, Da Nuo, said, "Of course we are, it’s just that Xiao Ruo—"
"It’s just that Xiao Ruo lacks confidence. Brother Heng already said he’s capable. Even if you don’t believe in him, don’t you trust Brother Heng?" Wang Jin interrupted.
"......" The three fell silent, though their expressions remained reluctant.
Seeing this, Yuan Heng lowered his gaze in thought before speaking slowly, "Don’t worry. I wouldn’t treat the position of Danmu tribe leader lightly. Even if Xiao Ruo isn’t suitable now, he will be in the future. For now, I’ll keep him by my side and personally train him."
The group looked up at Yuan Heng in surprise.
Xiao Ruo’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Brother Heng, you’ll teach me?"
Yuan Heng nodded. "Not just hunting skills, I’ll also teach you how to handle unexpected situations."
Xiao Ruo’s entire demeanor brightened, a stark contrast to his earlier timid self-doubt and the gloom after being dismissed.
A trace of satisfaction flashed in Yuan Heng’s eyes. Seeing this, Xiao Ruo’s family quietly closed their mouths.
Lai Yuan, who had overheard from nearby, approached and interjected, "Xiao Ruo isn’t yet of age. If Brother Heng teaches him hunting skills, he might even surpass the leader one day. If he defeats the leader, he’ll truly be the strongest warrior in the Danmu tribe besides Brother Heng. Then, becoming the next leader would be well-deserved."
As if envisioning that future, Xiao Ruo grinned widely, practically glowing.
Though the three still held some worry, their reluctance visibly lessened.
Once the matter was settled, Lai Yuan moved closer to Yuan Heng and whispered, "Brother Heng, Xiao Ruo can grow stronger in time, but we don’t have a healer..."
His eyes flicked toward Mu ger, whose face was pale, and A-Hua, who was clutching his arm with a pained frown. "A-Mu is pregnant and had a miscarriage scare, he can’t be without a healer. A-Hua’s injuries haven’t fully healed either... But we don’t have a healer at all..."
"Who says we don’t have a healer?"
Lai Yuan had kept his voice extremely low to avoid causing widespread concern, but someone still heard.
Cheng Bai had originally been standing aloof, coldly observing the situation from the crowd’s edge. But the moment Yuan Heng laid his hand on that little spoiled ger, something changed.
That beastman was touching the ger freely, and the ger didn’t resist at all—instead, he relaxed into the man’s embrace as if used to it...
Watching this, Cheng Bai recalled how, when he and the ger had taken shelter in a cave together, the ger had constantly pined for his "Brother Heng." Now, back in the tribe, whenever this man was present, the ger’s gaze clung to him, never sparing a glance for anyone else.
As long as Yuan Heng was around, no one—not even Cheng Bai could catch the ger’s attention.
This ger used to look at him like that... but now he was treating another man the same way...
A thought surfaced in Cheng Bai’s mind: Had this ger fallen for someone else?
Realizing this, Cheng Bai thought he should be happy. He’d never liked this person to begin with and had been agonizing over how to break off their engagement—even going so far as to encourage the misunderstanding that he was pushing the ger toward his older brother.
But now, truly realizing the ger might have shifted his affections, Cheng Bai didn’t know why... it felt like a boulder had settled on his chest.
The massive stone pressing on his heart felt as if it had carved out a sunken hollow in the very tip of it. Now, from that hollow, fresh blood trickled ceaselessly, soaking the entire heart until it was drenched and dripping, sending out waves of sharp, stabbing pain.
The pain grew even more intense when he saw that delicate little thing and Yuan Heng echoing each other’s words, persuading Xiao Ruo’s family to let him become the leader of the Danmu tribe.
The two of them were so in sync, it was as if they were already a married couple.
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