"I'll escort you out of the village, beware of picking wild flowers..."
The journey back to the tribe was not far, and I hummed a song along the way, feeling an indescribable lightness in my heart.
When Ada had come to remind me earlier, I had felt a flicker of panic, but now it was completely gone.
After witnessing the reality of the situation, a nascent solution had formed in my mind.
In fact, what I told Hu Tou earlier about returning to the tribe to pack my things was just an excuse.
After all, when I first arrived at the Du An tribe, I only had a deerskin backpack. If I wanted to, I could have moved to the Temple Guard camp at any time.
The reason I returned to the tribe this time was to gather some information.
Whether it was a power struggle or a real fight, the essence was intelligence warfare.
The more intelligence one side gathered about the other, the greater their advantage.
By the time I returned, it was already noon. A large pot had been set up in the tribe, stewing today's lunch.
Since I still had a day, I thought I would solve the problem of lunch here. Unexpectedly, I was suddenly called.
"Batu, the King wants to see you."
I turned around and saw the personal guard of Hu Tu standing behind me.
Damn it, how could Hu Tu's news be so fast? I had just returned from the Temple Guard camp, and he already knew?!
There was nothing I could do. I cast a reluctant glance at the pot of cooked meat and, suppressing my appetite, turned to follow Hu Tu's personal guard towards the King's tent.
As soon as I entered, I saw a familiar figure. Ada was sitting by Hu Tu's side, devouring meat.
I cupped my hands in a salute to Hu Tu, then plopped down next to Ada and casually snatched a piece of meat from in front of him, gnawing on it.
Hu Tu, perhaps sensing I was hungry, didn't rush to speak to me but continued drinking on his own. The three of us formed a strange tableau.
After gnawing on several pieces of meat, I felt my hunger sated and then turned to Hu Tu.
"I wonder why the King summoned me. Has something happened?"
Hu Tu tilted his head back and drank the last sip of wine from his cup, then wiped his mouth with his hand.
"Hahahaha, what could possibly happen here? I just wanted to ask you, kid, how does it feel to be the Temple Guard Commander on your first day?"
I chewed my lips, feeling a peculiar sensation. I was both the Temple Guard Commander and yet not.
"Your Majesty, that's a long story."
With my stomach full, I had the energy to tell Hu Tu about my morning's experience.
It wasn't something to be ashamed of, but rather something I had anticipated. Hu Tu was no outsider, but my biggest supporter at the moment. Perhaps by telling him, I could even get some help.
"That's what happened."
After listening to my account, a flicker of disdain flashed in Hu Tu's eyes.
"Hmph, the Temple Guards are really getting worse with each generation. They've resorted to such childish tactics. Batu, you're quite clever. Otherwise, they might have used even more despicable and shameless tricks against you."
Hu Tu tilted his head back and took another swig of wine, lavishing praise on me with undisguised loudness.
Understanding the implied meaning, I immediately grasped the situation.
Hu Tu, the old rascal, intended to offer me no substantial help whatsoever.
As expected, after praising me, Hu Tu suddenly sighed, his expression turning melancholic.
"Batu, you've truly had a difficult time. I regret that I cannot offer you any assistance in this matter. After all, the Temple Guards fall under the High Priest's jurisdiction. As long as those people don't go too far, I have no excuse to intervene. In the days to come, you'll have to rely on yourself."
Although I had already anticipated this, I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
However, Hu Tu was my nominal superior for now, and I couldn't say much. I merely cupped my hands.
"Your Majesty, you have already helped me more than enough. Without you, I wouldn't have gone from a wanderer from another tribe to the new Temple Guard Commander."
"Hahahaha!"
Upon hearing my words, Hu Tu burst into laughter, his face completely devoid of the previous melancholic expression. He was like a chameleon.
After staying in Hu Tu's royal tent for a while longer, once Ada had finished eating, I pulled him along to bid farewell to Hu Tu. Then, we found a secluded corner.
"Ada, I need your help now!"
Ada seemed to still be savoring the taste of the roasted meat. Suddenly hearing me say this, he paused slightly, then thumped his chest forcefully.
"Brother Batu, who are we to each other? If you need anything, just ask. I'll do my best to help!"
"It's not a big deal, really. I just want to find out more about Hu Tou and Gu Li's backgrounds."
When Ada heard me ask about them, he suddenly became energetic for some reason. He pulled me to sit on the ground, crossed his legs, as if about to spin a yarn.
"Brother Batu, if you were to ask about others, I might not know. But when it comes to these two, I have plenty to tell."
"Let's talk about Gu Li first. This fellow can be considered a legend among the warriors of the Du An tribe. His most famous feat was hunting a terror bird by himself, something few people could accomplish even in the history of the Du An tribe. I've always felt he's no weaker than Gui Du Si."
"His parents both died in battles with other tribes, so he was raised by other tribesmen from a young age. Those tribesmen also had two children, Gui Li Chi and Gui Du Si!"
As Ada spoke, I suddenly understood. No wonder Gu Li had almost drawn his sword and killed me when I taunted him with Gui Du Si's name earlier. It turned out this fellow and the brothers Gui Li Chi and Gui Du Si were like sworn brothers!
This also matched my previous speculation. Gu Li was a stubborn die-hard who would resist me to the end, and there was no way to subdue him.
"What about Hu Tou?"
"Hu Tou? Heh, that guy is interesting!"