Looking at the pitiful eyes of the Nine-Headed Fiery Lion, Chen Nan couldn't help but chuckle. So this damned creature also had things to fear! He took out a cigarette from his storage artifact, lit it, and took a contented puff. "Given how diligently you've been flattering me, I'll let you off the hook this time!"
The Nine-Headed Fiery Lion, overjoyed, exclaimed, "Humans are truly vain creatures, loving flattery the most. A few nice words can erase everything that happened before."
Chen Nan's lips twitched violently. He took a puff of his cigarette and looked up at the sky. "Humans are best at making jokes."
"Ah?" the Nine-Headed Fiery Lion asked.
"For example, letting you off the hook just now was a joke."
"......"
The Nine-Headed Fiery Lion drooped its face. My cursed mouth! It really deserved a beating!
Evening arrived. Chen Nan and the Nine-Headed Fiery Lion reached the Beili Tribe. The Beili Tribe lived in a deep abyss in the northernmost part of the second heaven. Compared to other tribes, they were relatively easy to find. However, now that the异魔 (Yi Mo - foreign demons) were eradicated, the entire Beili Tribe had migrated to the surface and settled in front of a mountain range facing south. Since they were here to find someone, Chen Nan had the Nine-Headed Fiery Lion transform into a normal-sized lion, with only one head remaining. After all, it was better to be low-key and not too ostentatious.
"Who are you people?" As they approached the Beili Tribe, more than a dozen middle-aged men armed with sharp blades appeared. They had broad backs and stout waists, with fierce glares, looking quite formidable. Of course, their strength was also considerable, all possessing the cultivation of Upper Divine Generals.
Before Chen Nan could speak, the Nine-Headed Fiery Lion spoke in a human voice, "My master is the life-saving benefactor of Mu Yang. Won't you ask Mu Yang to come out and welcome us?" It was incredibly arrogant, so arrogant that it didn't even pay attention to Chen Nan, let alone the people of the Beili Tribe.
"You know our old tribal chief?" one of the middle-aged men asked, shocked. He then said, "Our old chief is in closed-door cultivation. I will lead you back to the tribe first. We will inform him as soon as he comes out of seclusion."
"Very well," Chen Nan agreed to the man's proposal and entered the Beili Tribe under his guidance. Since the Beili Tribe had just migrated, many tribesmen were working day and night, using hard stones to build houses. Fortunately, they were all cultivators, and they had managed to build some small stone houses during this time.
"You must be Senior Chen, right?" As soon as Chen Nan and the others were settled in a house, an elder in his fifties walked over with a warm smile. "My name is Mu Ningfeng, the current chief of the Beili Tribe. Mu Yang is my elder brother."
Chen Nan understood and cupped his hands. "So you are Chief Mu!"
Mu Ningfeng smiled and said, "My elder brother had spoken of Senior Chen's youthful promise before. Seeing you today, he is indeed extraordinary. Well, my elder brother went into strict seclusion upon his return. If you have any matters, you may entrust them to me."
"I, Mu Ningfeng, will personally attend to them."
Chen Nan replied, "It's nothing much, just passing by this place and came to visit an old friend."
Mu Ningfeng said, "Good. Then you shall stay in the tribe for now. When my elder brother comes out of seclusion, I will have him come see you immediately." After a brief conversation, Mu Ningfeng turned to leave but specifically arranged for a maid to stay outside to serve Chen Nan.
"Why don't you directly ask for the incomplete painting of the Heavenly Ascent Path? Why do you have to wait for Mu Yang?" Xuan Qingniao's eyes were indifferent. As a cultivator, she knew that sometimes closed-door cultivation could last for months, even years. She couldn't wait that long.
Chen Nan picked up the kettle and poured a cup of water, casually saying, "Mu Yang is not in the tribe!"
The Nine-Headed Fiery Lion was confused. "That's not right. Didn't Mu Ningfeng say Mu Yang was in closed-door cultivation?"
Chen Nan replied, "The reason he said that is simply to detain us here."
"Lion grass!" A playful smile appeared in the Nine-Headed Fiery Lion's eyes. "Mu Ningfeng is the strongest in the Beili Tribe, although the cultivation of the Middle Divine King is the highest in the entire tribe."
"But..."
"But..."
"We are all cultivators at the Divine Venerable realm!"
"He dares to detain us?"
"Admittedly, humans are truly bold."
Xuan Qingniao interjected, "Why isn't Senior Mu Yang in the tribe? Why is Mu Ningfeng using his seclusion as an excuse to detain us?"
Chen Nan shrugged. "I don't know either!"
"Don't worry about it."
"Eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink. The truth will eventually be revealed." Although he desperately wanted to obtain the last incomplete painting of the Heavenly Ascent Path, he knew that haste makes waste. Some things couldn't be rushed.
The Nine-Headed Fiery Lion's eyes shone with a fierce cold light. "Master is right. Eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink. Don't dwell on troubles. Anyway, with the cultivation of the Beili Tribe members, they can't do anything to us. We might as well take this opportunity to gain some benefits." With that said, it pushed open the door and swaggered out, saying to the maid at the entrance, "My master commands that you prepare some ten-thousand-year-old medicinal herbs for us."
"Yes!" The maid nervously agreed and then walked away.
------
"I never expected Chen Nan to actually come to our Beili Tribe!" In Mu Ningfeng's room, his eyes flickered with a playful glint. "If elder brother knew Chen Nan was being detained by us, he would undoubtedly rush back to the tribe without hesitation, right?"
Mu Yuan smiled and said, "Father is right. Although I don't like my uncle, he is loyal and righteous. He probably wouldn't ignore Chen Nan's arrival."
"If he returns, we can crush him and seize the tribal chief's token. By then, you will be the rightful tribal chief!" Mu Ningfeng and Mu Yang were half-brothers. Mu Yang was previously the tribal chief, but because he mistakenly entered the Misty Valley, all tribal affairs were handled by Mu Ningfeng. This was the peak of his life. He thought the position of chief would last him a lifetime. Who would have thought Mu Yang would suddenly return to the tribe? This made him very unhappy. So, on the night of Mu Yang's welcome banquet, he plied Mu Yang with more drinks, then stabbed himself with a knife and framed Mu Yang for going berserk, which would threaten the safety of the tribesmen. Upon hearing this, the tribesmen were all greatly shocked. Even Mu Yang's old supporters were filled with anxiety and gave up the idea of Mu Yang continuing as chief. Thus, the Beili Tribe began to hunt down Mu Yang, intending to cripple his cultivation directly. Although Mu Yang had drunk a lot, he still managed to fight his way out and escape the Beili Tribe. The Beili Tribe did not give up pursuing Mu Yang, but because Mu Yang had the cultivation of a Lower Divine King, they were unable to capture him alive.
Mu Ningfeng said in a low voice, "Send a message to the tribesmen pursuing Mu Yang, telling them to inform him that Chen Nan has arrived at our Beili Tribe. If he doesn't want his benefactor to die tragically, he should return to the tribe and confess his guilt."
"Yes!" At this moment, the maid responsible for monitoring Chen Nan walked over nervously. "Chief, Chen Nan is asking us to prepare some ten-thousand-year-old divine herbs. What should we do about this matter?"