After settling Da Zhi, I turned to look at the warriors of the Du'an tribe present, and saw grief on every one of their faces.
"Brave warriors, the reason Da Zhi is so severely injured is all due to the treacherous actions of Gui Li Chi! Several of our brothers were also killed by him!"
"He wants to kill us all here!"
As soon as I finished speaking, the cave erupted!
"Gui Li Chi, I will surely kill you!"
"Avenge Da Zhi!"
"Let's fight them!"
Gui Li Chi, that dog, truly had made himself a universally despised figure.
Seeing the crowd stirred up, I nodded with satisfaction.
Their anger would be my greatest support!
"Fortunately, I arrived in time. That dog Gui Li Chi has already been killed by my own hands!"
"However, someone must have ordered him. Let's go back and explain this to the Great King, find the mastermind, and kill him!"
The matter had temporarily come to a close, but that didn't mean it was over. Instead, the people's anger had been ignited by me, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, ready to overturn the earth.
This thrilling night soon passed. By dawn, Da Zhi's fever had subsided, and the pain on his face was gone, though he had not yet woken up.
We ate a hasty meal and then set off back to the Du'an tribe.
Upon our return, I was determined to use everyone's fury to confront the Great Shaman.
...
By noon, the people of the Du'an tribe were making fires to cook. They then saw me returning with a group of grim-faced warriors.
On the way, I had already instructed everyone to stick to a unified story and blow the incident out of proportion.
If the matter wasn't escalated, the Great Shaman, with his abilities, could very well downplay it, make it seem insignificant, and let it fade away, which was not my objective.
We arrived at the entrance of the tribe and stopped, not entering. We stood together in silence, ignoring any tribespeople who called out to us.
After a short while, I saw A'da hurrying out of the tribe.
"What happened?"
A'da walked up to me, looking perplexed. When he saw the severely injured and unconscious Da Zhi behind me, his expression changed, and his face visibly darkened.
"Who did this!"
A'da is one of our own, a link between me and Hu Tu. I had no reason to conceal anything. I told A'da the entire story truthfully, omitting only Gui Li Chi's dying words about the Great Shaman.
"That's how it happened. Gui Li Chi ambushed us. This is definitely not just a personal feud between Gui Li Chi and me. All the warriors want to find the mastermind!"
I spoke indignantly, with a hint of sorrow on my face, a truly brilliant display of acting.
A'da's eyes reddened upon hearing this. If I hadn't held him back, he would have probably rushed off to confront the Great Shaman.
Both A'da and I knew the whole story from beginning to end. The Great Shaman was definitely involved, but this was only speculation and couldn't be openly declared.
If A'da were to rashly confront the Great Shaman like this, he would be giving the other party leverage.
I didn't intentionally lower my voice, so as I recounted the events to A'da, all the curious Du'an tribespeople who had gathered to watch also heard.
Suddenly, the entrance of the Du'an tribe became chaotic, like a marketplace.
"What's going on here?"
Perhaps someone had informed Hu Tu about the situation at the entrance, and now the main figures appeared. Hu Tu and the Great Shaman emerged from the tribe with their men.
Hu Tu walked up to us, glanced at me indifferently, his eyes holding a pensive meaning.
"How did the mission go?"
"We eliminated those traitors and even brought back a prisoner!"
I had someone bring forward the half-dead Bi Za Luo and pointed at him.
"However, on the night we eliminated the traitors, Gui Li Chi led his men to ambush us. If I hadn't been prepared, we would have all been killed by Gui Li Chi."
"Before Gui Li Chi died, he admitted he was ordered by someone!"
I answered Hu Tu's question loudly, my eyes fixed on the Great Shaman standing next to Hu Tu, my meaning clear.
The Great Shaman's face was expressionless, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
"Oh? So you've returned, but why are you gathered here instead of entering the tribe?"
I silently praised Hu Tu in my heart for his excellent support, as I watched him ask the obvious question.
"Great King, the brothers are filled with rage and have nowhere to vent it. Today, we only want to find the mastermind and avenge our fallen brothers!"
Hu Tu suddenly drew his saber, his anger erupting.
The blade gleamed coldly, clearly very sharp.
"You are all warriors of the Du'an tribe, the foundation of our strength! Now, someone within our tribe seeks to harm you. How can I, as your leader, not find this scoundrel!"
Hu Tu raised his blade to the sky, then sliced it through the air, like a ferocious beast.