Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"I'm sure many of you have already heard the news: the tribe plans to relocate."

Hearing this, many people gasped.

"The High Priest and I had discussed this matter long ago. It was my oversight not to announce it before the earthquake," Shi Hu said, his voice heavy with self-reproach.

His unspoken meaning was clear: had they moved earlier, they might have avoided the disaster. He took full responsibility for the catastrophe.

Shi Hu took a deep breath before continuing, "The extent of the damage to our tribe is still unclear, but the High Priest and I have decided to seek a new settlement. The Deputy Chief will lead those who wish to return to the old tribal grounds."

By the end, Shi Hu's voice trembled. Yun Lu stepped forward and gently patted his back.

The announcement caught many by surprise, and some began to cry softly, heartbroken that their tribe was finally disbanding. This was common in the beastmen world, but they never expected it to happen to them. After living in one place for so long, everyone inevitably developed attachments.

However, a few beastmen who had already been considering returning to the tribe quickly began dismantling their tents, ready to follow the Deputy Chief back.

It was well-known that resources around the tribe's territory were insufficient. Those who still insisted on returning, their personal choice had to be respected.

A gentle breeze swept through, stirring up dust and carrying with it an air of reluctance.

More and more people approached the chief, the High Priest, and the elders to bid farewell, thanking them for their years of dedication to the tribe.

The High Priest offered his blessings to each person who came to say goodbye.

"Chief, High Priest, please come with us," urged a beastman who wished to return to the tribe but also wanted the chief and High Priest to stay.

Yun Lu offered a faint smile and shook his head, his voice hoarse yet firm: "Go, and be careful on your journey."

Knowing that no amount of persuasion would change their minds, the beastman turned and left, his eyes red.

This time, Yun Lu's disciple also followed the Deputy Chief back. Yun Lu said nothing more; it was his disciple's decision. Perhaps it was for the best; at least they wouldn't lack a High Priest there, and perhaps the Deputy Chief would lead that group of beastmen to find a new settlement in the future.

The Deputy Chief and his family had already packed their belongings, and his subordinates were organizing the crowd.

One of his men quietly asked, "Sir, all the tribe's supplies have been distributed. Should we try to persuade them...?"

"No," the Deputy Chief stated decisively.

"A useless chief, a High Priest exiled by his own people, and a few old and feeble elders," the Deputy Chief scoffed. "Just wait—they won't last long." Besides, once back in the tribe, he would be the rightful and sole Great Chief.

"Is everyone ready? Let's go!" The Deputy Chief was the first to transform into his beast form, eager to return.

Watching their former companions depart, those who remained were left with a mix of emotions.

But there was no time for sorrow. The most pressing task now was to find a new home.

Naturally, the arctic fox family chose to go with Chief Shi Hu and An Tu. They had always wanted to settle further south, and traveling with familiar and respected individuals seemed like a good idea. Ideally, they would find a place rich in resources.

In the end, only twenty or thirty families followed Shi Hu and Yun Lu, while the majority returned with the Deputy Chief.

Hui Hui perched on Xue Tuan's shoulder, his eyes half-closed as he dozed.

Xue Tuan counted and noticed that Qing Miao's family and the Marbled Polecat clan had stayed, while the families of the young ones who had bullied the little black lion had left with the Deputy Chief. This was excellent news.

Without them, rumors would lessen, and the little black lion's reputation as a jinx might fade unnoticed.

Bing Qiu, holding Xue Tuan's hand, was curious why Xue Tuan was suddenly so cheerful. What happy thought had crossed his mind? Just as he was about to ask, he felt Xue Tuan trying to pull his hand away.

Bing Qiu tightened his grip and pulled Xue Tuan back. "Where are you going?"

Xue Tuan raised a hand and pointed—directly at the little black lion, who was always in his beast form.

Zhong Yan seemed to sense the gaze and turned to see the little dumpling.

Xue Tuan smiled and waved a greeting to the little black lion.

Hui Hui's small head swiveled back and forth, looking from Xue Tuan to Bing Qiu, as if trying to determine if Bing Qiu was bullying Xue Tuan.

"Oh."

Xue Tuan deflated for a moment, but then immediately thought that since he was already quite familiar with the little black lion, there would be another chance.

Bing Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if he hadn't transformed into his beast form enough lately. Why was his little brother so interested in someone else's fur?

Shi Hu remained immersed in self-blame. The small number of people who followed him felt like proof of his failure as chief over the years.

"Shi Hu, don't be so hard on yourself. You still have us," An Tu comforted him, patting his shoulder with a large hand.

"That's right, Chief. We still have much to do," other beastmen who had stayed also came to console Shi Hu.

Shi Hu managed a weak smile. "I understand. Everyone, pack your belongings. It's time for us to leave."

Most of the beastmen who stayed were surprisingly optimistic, filled with anticipation for their new life. After all, their future situation couldn't be worse than staying in the old tribe.

These families had lived in the tribe for a long time and knew each other well.

An Tu and Tree Clothes took the initiative to greet the arctic fox family, and others also wanted to befriend this impressive family.

Everyone knew the arctic fox family had traveled from the north and possessed rich survival experience. Moreover, they had hunted down the monstrous beast that the entire tribe had considered unbeatable, earning them deep admiration from everyone.

After a brief and friendly exchange, the remaining group packed up and continued their journey.

Little Dumpling remained obediently in the bundle, with Feng Yan and Rong Shan taking turns carrying him.

A new journey had begun.

Along the way, Little Dumpling silently pondered: to find a relatively good base, it must not be too far from a water source. Secondly, since their main food sources relied on hunting and gathering, those resources also needed to be abundant. In the future, they ideally needed to solve the problem of cultivating crops.

However, Little Dumpling clearly underestimated the beastmen’s experience in choosing living environments. Watching the chief and elders discuss and evaluate potential sites at every stop, insisting on carefully searching for the right territory, Little Dumpling felt a wave of emotion.

After days of travel, they arrived at a vast plain nestled against mountains and water.

In the distance lay dense forests. On the other side, a river, still waiting for its ice to melt, wound into the distance. Across the river stood rolling stone mountains. The plain featured a stretch of barren land, a few lakes, and several low-lying areas.

It truly looked like an excellent spot for a camp.

"Even the air feels fresher here."

"Look over there! I see many Tusked Boars!" The Tusked Boar was somewhat like the wild boars from his past life, but with larger heads and long tusks protruding outward.

"I really love it here!" Everyone was satisfied. Even if they didn’t know how long the resources would last, for now, everyone was thrilled.

However, Shi Hu was in no rush to decide. He had many things to confirm first: whether any other beastmen had settled here, or if there were packs of monstrous beasts living nearby.

Shi Hu decided to stay on the hill for a few more days to scout out the area and learn more about the land.

Xue Tuan thought that this world was vast and sparsely populated, with no real transportation to speak of, so it was normal that this place hadn't been discovered by other beastmen.

Over the next few days, Shi Hu’s mood took a turn for the better. After he and his men scouted the area carefully, they found that this area was indeed not occupied by other beastmen, meaning their long period of wandering was finally coming to an end.

With no one opposing, they unanimously agreed to make this their home.

"Everyone has worked hard," Shi Hu’s voice choked up. For a big, tough beastman to be so emotional lately was downright embarrassing.

Although he had felt sad during the parting many days ago, it wasn't as overwhelming as this. After finally finding a new tribal base, he couldn’t hold back his feelings.

Previously, when he led the hunting team and came back empty-handed for several days in a row, the pressure was already getting to him. Then, after encountering the earthquake, he had led everyone on such a long journey, unable to find a suitable place to settle. Not finding a home day after day was a heavy burden.

Every single member who stuck with him trusted him completely—he truly didn’t want to let them down again.

The other beastmen knew Shi Hu had been through a lot during this time and tried to comfort him with empathy:

"Chief, you should be happy—we’ve finally found a new home."

"That’s right, this is something to celebrate. What’s in the past is in the past."

Everyone gathered around Shi Hu. Unlike the Deputy Chief, who had many rules and emphasized hierarchy, their relationship with the chief often felt more like brothers.

Shi Hu wiped his eyes, fighting to get his emotions under control: "For the time being, we'll all have to keep bunking in tents or caves. Once we’ve staked out the tribal territory and built new log houses, we can move into our new homes."

Although caves were decent dwellings, their tribe had no winged beastmen, making climbing up and down inconvenient. The caves lower down weren't big enough for everyone, so they would likely need to carve out a few more.

After saying this, only one thing remained for him to do.

"I have an announcement to make to everyone."

Shi Hu faced the crowd and spoke solemnly:

"I’ve decided to step down as chief."

His words sent a shockwave through the crowd, startling everyone.

"What!"

"Why!"

"Chief! We can’t do without you!"

Author’s Note:

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Thank you all for the rewards and nutrient solutions~[kiss]