117 Life in the Tribe (1/2)
Time passed by fast in the Chaos Vulture Tribe. Soon, Xue Wei and Hei Gou had been in the tribe for a full week.
During this week, Hei Gou had accompanied the bereaved parents of Little Lao a few times., Each time he did, he would return with a face filled with wonder and amazement.
”Wei, did you know, I am actually able to ease someone's pain by simply staying by their side?” he asked with astonishment – and somewhat rhetorically – by the time he returned that day.
Xue Wei smiled at the sight of Hei Gou's confusedly delighted face. ”I know,” he said. ”Even people like us who live amidst bloodshed can cause someone to be happy with a single word.”
”It is something we should be happy about, and strive to do whenever possible. Of course, for someone like us, it is not something we will be able to do often.”
Hei Gou nodded his head and smiled. ”Your cultivation has been improving rapidly these past few days,” he said, changing the subject by praising Xue Wei.
”It hasn't been long since you broke through to the fifth layer of the Earth Warrior rank, but you've already reached the sixth layer! At this pace, won't you break through in a month again? How can you be so fast?”
Xue Wei considered the question for some time and pondered on what exactly could be the cause, but then he reached a conclusion. ”I guess it is because of the months I was unconscious, and the months I was chased,” he said with uncertainty. ”The pressure pushed me.”
”For a long time, I was stuck at the fourth layer of the Earth Warrior rank. I had no time to cultivate because of me being chased and later spending that much time unconscious, but my body might have still consumed energy passively. I believe this energy is now being refined and giving me a sudden breakthrough in cultivation.”
”Don't you have to watch out for cultivation deviation then?” the black dog asked worriedly. He knew that it was good for Xue Wei to enhance his strength, but everything had to be done gradually. If one rushed to the higher ranks, it was likely that they would suffer greatly in the long-term. Especially if they ended up suffering from cultivation deviation. Then their cultivation would end up becoming useless, and persisting down this path would ultimately end up with them destroying their bodies and becoming a cripple.
”I should be fine for some time,” Xue Wei said confidently. ”My foundations are stable as a mountain after being stuck on the same level for as long as I have, if we are to speak relatively. Even if I were to advance a few levels, my strength should increase without any foundational consequences.”
Xue Wei was quite certain. Nothing about his cultivation base hinted at a deviation. In fact, he felt it to be steadier than ever before.
He had previously advanced at an incredibly fast pace, but even back then he had not felt any signs of Qi deviation. And now that he had spent several months at the same rank, it was as if his cultivation base had been solidified completely.
Seeing that Xue Wei was so certain, Hei Gou nodded his head. He did not doubt his friend in the slightest and was instead thrilled to know that his friend's strength was growing.
”My cultivation base has also grown stronger and much more stable recently,” Hei Gou said casually ”The thing is, though, that despite growing stronger at a pace I could never even have dreamt about in the past, I still have not had a breakthrough.”
Although Hei Gou appeared to be complaining, his face revealed a devilishly handsome smile and his eyes were laughing. He already knew that it was impossible for him to ask for more than what he already had gained, but he still wished to break through too. He wanted to hurry up and be strong enough to slaughter all the people that were chasing them.
”Wei and Gou, are you here?” a melodious and graceful voice sounded from outside the tent. Xue Wei and Hei Gou recognized it right away. ”Little Tribe Chief,” they called out in unison with a smile and went to receive her by pushing open the tent flap
The Little Tribe Chief had worked hard all this time, as evidenced by the things that decorated and filled out the previously empty space of Xue Wei and Hei Gou's tent behind them. She had managed to get her hands on two beds for the two of them, the strange seashells that blew cold air, and other furniture that the pair might need.
For the entire week, she had come multiple times a day, each time bringing something smaller than the last to decorate their tent with.
Every time she visited, the Little Tribe Chief would look at Xue Wei with uncertainty in her eyes, and Xue Wei and Hei Gou treated her very amicably, almost like a sister. They were both fond of her because she had treated them so kindly from the get-go.
The Little Tribe Chief entered the tent again. This time her hands were filled with snacks.
Usually, all meals were had together in the middle of the tribe where big bonfires would be lit to roast Fierce Beasts every single day. Here, they could eat to their heart's content.
Before the meals, someone would stand up and make an offering to the gods that these tribesmen believed in for the sake of safe passage for the lost warriors of that day and every day prior, and then everyone would be quiet and mourn. However, as soon as it was time to eat, they would once more return to their cheerfulness. The tribe members felt that this was what they ought to do for the ones who had sacrificed their lives to put food on their plates.
The snacks that the Little Tribe Chief had brought with her were a bag of small nuts, some berries, and other delicacies that were hard to come by in the middle of the prairie. She seemed to be looking forward to eating the snacks as she placed them on the table in the middle of the tent.
”I happened to come across a lot of berries and nuts when I was out hunting today,” she explained shyly while avoiding eye contact. ”When I picked them, I decided to share with my friends, so I hope you will enjoy it.”
Xue Wei and Hei Gou were both surprised. They knew that their relationship with the Little Tribe Chief was good, but they had never before seen her act all shy and embarrassed. In fact, she had done everything she could for them so far, finding furniture and so on for them, but she had always been very straight forward. Seeing her act all shy caused them to be puzzled.