The voice sounded aged, yet carried a natural authority.
Who was this now?
The tent flap was lifted again, and an elder with white hair entered.
He wore a crown woven from grass and carried a staff. Though advanced in years, his physique was remarkably good; the bulging muscles beneath his rough-spun robe were faintly visible.
Judging by his attire, he must be the Great Priest of the Du'an tribe!
This was quite different from what I had imagined. I had expected a scrawny old man, but instead, he was like Gandalf!
"Your Majesty, how fares your health?"
"It is but a minor wound. It is nothing to the strong Du'an people!"
Strange!
I had expected this Great Priest to have come to plead for Gui Lich's life. To my surprise, he didn't even glance at Gui Lich, who was prostrate on the ground. Instead, he began to converse with Hu Tu.
From his words, it seemed Hu Tu was injured?
While the two were conversing and no one was paying attention to me, I stealthily stole a few glances at Hu Tu.
Indeed, I noticed a few new scratches on Hu Tu's waist, which appeared to be from sharp claws.
Had Hu Tu also gone hunting fierce beasts like the Greater Tiger?
"Is this the warrior who saved Ada?"
As I was lost in my thoughts, the Great Priest suddenly approached me, gently patted my shoulder, and looked at me with great appreciation.
"It was merely a coincidence."
My vigilance instantly heightened, and I responded with a simple, perfunctory remark.
"May the Shepherd God bless you."
The Great Priest uttered a perfunctory sentence to me, then finally turned his gaze to Gui Lich, who had remained silent.
"Gui Lich, what offense have you committed?"
Upon hearing the Great Priest call him Gui Lich, he seemed to snap out of a daze and react.
However, to my surprise, he said nothing. Instead, he drew a small knife he carried and chopped off his own little finger!
Damn, that's brutal!
I had once heard during idle conversations that members of Yakuza organizations in Japan would cut off their little fingers upon joining.
This was because ancient Japanese samurai carried swords, and without a little finger, one could not grip the hilt firmly.
This concept evolved into a symbol of loyalty within modern Japanese Yakuza organizations.
Gui Lich didn't cut off the entire little finger, just the tip, but the sentiment was there.
"Your Majesty, by the Shepherd God, I, Gui Lich, harbored no intention for Ada to die. If I speak a lie, I shall not return to the Shepherd God's embrace after death!"
They say that the ten fingers are connected to the heart. Gui Lich's face turned deathly pale from the pain.
Yet, he endured the agony and swore a solemn oath to Hu Tu.
According to the mythological records of the Du'an tribe, humans were created by the Shepherd God, and upon death, they would naturally return to the Shepherd God's embrace.
In a tribe where everyone revered the Shepherd God, being unable to return to his embrace after death was undoubtedly the harshest punishment, akin to dying without a burial place.
Sigh.
I let out a silent sigh, feeling a sense of pity. I hadn't expected this scoundrel Gui Lich to possess such resolve.
With all this done and the Great Priest present, Hu Tu had no choice but to let Gui Lich off the hook.
"Very well, you may leave."
After observing Gui Lich's oath, Hu Tu's expression remained unchanged. He calmly waved his hand, dismissing Gui Lich.
Gui Lich scrambled to his feet and practically crawled out of the tent. The Great Priest exchanged a few more words with Hu Tu and then departed.
Only now did this farcical scene finally come to an end.
"Your Majesty, you let Gui Lich off so easily?!"
After the Great Priest left, Ada angrily punched the ground, his face filled with indignation.
"Let's not speak of this anymore. Drink, drink!"
Seeing Hu Tu raise his wine cup, I followed suit and drank it down in one go.
We continued drinking until the afternoon, when Hu Tu finally had Ada escort me out.
"Brother Batu, you can sleep here for now. If you need anything, just find me."
Ada led me through a series of turns to a deserted yurt, settled me inside, and then turned to leave.
I quickly tidied my belongings and lay down on the bed.
What was called a bed was merely a pile of straw spread on the ground. Fortunately, Ada had left me a piece of animal hide before he left, which made it less uncomfortable.
The situation I witnessed in Hu Tu's tent today was almost identical to what I had predicted with Ke Ya.
After Bru and Birrus died, Hu Tu, as the tribal leader, had his power greatly diminished, to the point where he was suppressed by the Great Priest, who represented the divine authority.
"The nation's most vital instruments are sacrifice and war, and these cannot be delegated to others."
The Great Priest's appearance today, though seemingly just a casual conversation, had firmly seized control of the situation. Hu Tu dared not utter a word of refusal.
This is difficult...
Thinking this, I felt a headache coming on. The entire situation felt like a meticulously woven web, tightening its grip step by step. And since I had chosen to side with Hu Tu, I was now caught in this snare.
How can I break free from this predicament?