I knew Pan Lili had become a saintess in the Duan Tribe and held a high status.
Now, judging from Birrus's words, there were other outsiders in the Duan Tribe besides Pan Lili.
Based on my understanding of Pan Lili, a woman with more looks than brains would at most engage in petty schemes. It was impossible for her to gain the Duan Tribe's recognition solely through her own efforts.
Could it be that this outsider helped Pan Lili?
"Outsiders? What other outsiders could there be besides me, you unsophisticated bumpkin?"
I frowned, feigning disdain, trying to trick Birrus into revealing more.
"Hmph, you'll never get any information about our tribe from me! The Shepherd God is watching!"
Unexpectedly, Birrus, with death in his heart, merely uttered a sneer before raising his shaman and fiercely hacking it into his own neck.
Watching Birrus fall, I felt a pang of regret.
He was a respectable opponent, loyal to the Duan Tribe until the very end. It was a pity his allegiance was misplaced.
"Bury them all."
Our group hastily gathered the bodies and buried them together under the big tree, then set off on our journey back.
On the way back, I didn't chat with Kexin. Instead, I meticulously pondered Birrus's dying words.
I had a nagging feeling that some information had been overlooked.
"Master, you're amazing! This Birrus was much stronger than Kezhu back then. He was as burly as a bear, and you took him down so easily."
Kexin was beaming, her smile as radiant as a flower.
"Of course. Don't forget how smart your master is!"
I absentmindedly replied, then suddenly snapped back to attention.
Kezhu?!
"Kexin, you're truly my lucky star!"
Excitedly, I pulled Kexin into my arms and gave her a passionate kiss on her lips.
"Oh, Master, what are you doing? So many people are watching."
Kexin nestled in my embrace, shyly looking at me, then wriggled out of my arms.
This girl was embarrassed.
Watching Kexin's retreating back, I chuckled and shook my head.
What was said without thought, was heard with intent. Kexin's words just now had given me a spark of inspiration.
It was Kezhu!
Kezhu was the former representative of the martial faction of the Kasa Tribe, in direct opposition to the elder faction led by the High Priest.
If nothing unexpected happened, Kezhu would have been the next king of the Kasa Tribe.
However, he was unlucky to encounter me, who brought Kexin and Keya.
I had felt a sense of familiarity in Birrus's tone and expression earlier, and now, thinking back, it bore some resemblance to Kezhu!
A bold guess surfaced in my mind.
Not everyone in the Duan Tribe was convinced by Pan Lili becoming the new saintess!
At the very least, the martial faction, led by Birrus and Bulu, was not!
The reason I say Bulu also held this attitude is that when I mentioned Bulu before Birrus died, Birrus turned ashen, indicating a deep bond between them.
I understood the mindset of these savage tribal warriors on the island very well. For a warrior, there weren't so many convoluted thoughts; they submitted to whoever had the stronger fist!
Birrus and Bulu's attitudes could, to a certain extent, determine the attitude of the entire martial faction. They were not very pleased with Pan Lili's presence.
Thinking of this, I suddenly felt regret. If I had known Birrus had reservations about Pan Lili, I should have let him go back earlier. Then the Duan Tribe would have had some drama.
"Kexin, come here for a moment."
"What is it, Master? Don't get handsy out here, everyone is watching."
Kexin was still acting coy, but in my eyes, she was like a rose with its thorns removed, ripe for the picking.
My heart fluttered, and I almost reached out.
Fortunately, my self-control was strong. I cleared my throat lightly and then quietly shared my speculation with Kexin.
Upon hearing my words, Kexin's expression also turned serious.
"Master, is it possible that Birrus and Bulu were both sent as cannon fodder to their deaths?"
When I heard Kexin's words, I instinctively wanted to deny it, but after thinking about it, it wasn't impossible.
At this point, we had to discuss the power structure of the savage tribes on the island.
To be honest, if I hadn't known the coordinates were wrong, when Keya first told me about this, I would have thought I had landed in a small India on the sea.
The reason I say this is because the power distribution system of these savage tribes was eerily similar to India's caste system, almost identical.
India's caste system was roughly divided into four tiers: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, with an unrecognized group of Untouchables.
Among them, Brahmins and Kshatriyas were the most revered.
Brahmins were mainly priestly aristocrats, holding the exclusive right to interpret religious scriptures and worship the gods, as well as enjoying offerings, thus firmly controlling divine authority.
Kshatriyas, on the other hand, were military and administrative nobles, holding political and military power.
The power division among the savage tribes on the island was similar. The divine authority faction, led by the High Priest, and the martial faction, represented by the tribal chief, jointly ruled the tribe.
The two factions kept each other in check and reached compromises.
It now seemed that the divine authority faction had strongly pushed for Pan Lili to become the new saintess. And judging by the current situation, the chief of the Duan Tribe had most likely lost influence, or worse, had died, with all power falling into the hands of the divine authority faction.
Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck me!
I had found a way to bring down the Duan Tribe!