Ada patted me on the shoulder, a smile gradually appearing on his seemingly honest face.
"Brother Batu, come! I'll introduce you to everyone."
After finishing this bowl of soup, I was already seven-tenths full. Seeing Ada say this, I stood up and followed him.
Compared to the hunger in my stomach, my life was more important.
Ada's subordinates were my greatest help on this trip.
Gui Lichihimself had a group of followers from the Great Priest's faction accompanying him. If I wanted to suppress him, I had to ensure that there were more people in the team who obeyed my orders than his.
Soon, Ada led me out of the tribe and into the forest by the water source.
There was a clearing of moderate size here. As I looked around, I saw nearly 20 warriors from the Du'an tribe in the clearing.
Some of them were resting, others were chatting. Although they appeared casual, these people had one thing in common: they all exuded an aura of killing intent.
This aura was something unexplainable, but there was no doubt that these people in front of me were no ordinary individuals.
"The God of Shepherds above, damn it, stop chatting!"
Ada brought me to the clearing and shouted. I saw all the Du'an tribal warriors instantly surround us, forming several ranks in a fan shape.
Damn! Where did they learn formations?!
Although the formation of the Du'an tribal warriors in front of me was not very neat, there was no doubt that someone in the Du'an tribe had seen how soldiers were trained and had come up with a bizarre imitation.
Just as my thoughts were wandering, Ada had already started addressing the Du'an warriors.
"You are all brothers who have faced life and death with me, Ada. This time, I should have fought alongside you, but the Great King has given me an even more arduous task."
Ada thumped his chest, looking heartbroken, and then introduced me.
"As you know, this Brother Batu saved my life, and today he will lead you out to crush those failures and defend the honor of the Du'an tribe!"
"After you defeat those ants, the entire Du'an tribe will cheer for your bravery!"
I have to admit, barbarians are barbarians after all. Ada's simple pep talk had already intoxicated these Du'an tribal warriors. Even the gazes they cast at me became much more ardent.
"Now, everyone will have a piece of pork to rest, and then you will set off with Brother Batu."
"I, Ada, don't have many clever tricks. I only want to tell you one thing: Brother Batu's words are my words. You must obey his commands!"
All the Du'an tribal warriors roared in response, acknowledging my leadership.
"Big guy, come here."
A piece of pork was a unique unit of time in the Du'an tribe, approximately 15 minutes.
After everyone else dispersed to rest, Ada called over a Du'an warrior.
This warrior was the one who had left the deepest impression on me when I first scanned the crowd.
He was practically a small giant, half a head taller than the nearly two-meter-tall Ada. I would call him the "Little Yao Ming of the Deserted Island."
What was even more astonishing was his exceptionally developed muscles, bulging as if they were balloons. And his exposed skin was covered in many scars, some of which were quite recent.
When Ada called out "Big guy," I instinctively nodded. This fellow was indeed a big guy.
"Brother Batu, this is my second-in-command, and also my brother. As long as he is here, this trip will be fine!"
I looked at Ada's confident expression, like an old general on stage with flags adorned, setting a high bar.
Damn it, Ada, don't be like this, I'm a bit nervous.
I grumbled in my heart, but outwardly I remained calm. I reached out and lightly punched Big Guy's chest.
I knew very well how to interact with these simple-minded, strong-limbed Du'an warriors. Not many words were needed; sometimes, male friendship could be established with just one action.
As expected, Big Guy showed no aversion to my action, but instead smiled and punched me back.
Although this scene might have looked a bit awkward to outsiders, it successfully established a connection between Big Guy and me.
"By the way, Big Guy knows..."
I stopped midway, giving Ada a discreet glance.
Ada immediately understood and lowered his voice.
"Big Guy knows about your feud with Gui Lichih, don't worry."
Not many people knew about what happened in the royal tent that day. It was likely that Hu Tu and the Great Priest had suppressed the news for some reason.
Big Guy, Ada, and I were now in the same boat. After discussing important matters, we started to brag.
While I was fending them off, I was also quietly calculating in my mind.
Now I held the tribal beast bone, and with Ada's subordinates helping me, this wave was secured!
The advantage is mine!