NOVPUB
Chapter 140: Chapter 140: Breathing Respite
Suddenly, a beastman stepped forward from the crowd, right fist over his chest, kneeling on one knee, "The Winged Tiger Tribe, Aige, swears to the Beast God, vows to guard our tribe’s sacred maiden unto death. If the oath is broken, may divine punishment befall me!"
Su Tang was stunned and saw a faint white light burst towards the sky.
Before she could utter a word, another beastman emerged from the crowd.
Tu Shi’s right arm was hanging from his neck with a vine, so he clutched his left fist to his chest, "The Winged Tiger Tribe, Tu Shi, swears to the Beast God, vows to guard our tribe’s sacred maiden unto death. If the oath is broken, may divine punishment befall me!"
Gradually, more and more beastmen knelt before Su Tang. On a closer look, these were the tribesmen who did not accept her after following Yadang to trade for salt.
One after another, beams of white light flashed, transforming into shooting stars in the night sky.
Once all the beastmen had sworn their oaths, Aige raised his head to look at Su Tang, his face sincere, "Before, I said you were unfit to serve as our tribe’s sacred maiden. Now, I apologize for what I’ve said. You are more qualified than anyone! From now on, you are the Winged Tiger Tribe’s sacred maiden, the only sacred maiden!"
"Ohhh~ Hurrah~"
With Aige’s words, all the beastmen burst into cheers.
Su Tang felt a lump in her throat, realizing how it felt to be accepted by all her tribesmen. Why did she suddenly feel like crying?
Not wanting her tribesmen to see her getting emotional, she turned and tightly embraced Gaiyin, burying her face in his chest.
The sense of belonging in her heart intensified, and the exhaustion that had been weighing on her mind and body vanished with the emotions.
Seeing everyone’s growing excitement, Gaiyin had to intervene to restore some order. Infusing his voice with Primordial Power to ensure everyone could hear him, he exclaimed, "Alright, we’re short on time. After you’ve eaten, it’s time to hit the road again. Disperse!"
Seeing the reluctance among the people, Gaiyin added, "Once we reach the new tribal settlement, we’ll have a bonfire party for three days in a row. Then everyone can genuinely celebrate! Now, replenish your energy swiftly and get back on the road as soon as possible!"
Upon hearing this, the tribesmen finally dispersed, eating to replenish their energy and hastily resuming their journey. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
...
Not daring to slacken even for a moment.
After hiking for three days and nights, they finally reached their destination.
Ma Qing approached Gaiyin, saying, "Chief, the Piercing Stone Tribe is just ahead! The beastmen in the Piercing Stone Tribe are proficient at burrowing into mountains. They usually dig vast caves to store food. We could negotiate with them to let us temporarily stay in their tribe!"
Gaiyin raised his hand to signal the team to stop, then summoned Dunshan, Aige, Tiewood, and the others, instructing them, "Go with Ma Qing to the Piercing Stone Tribe and check if there’s a cave we can borrow. Also, inform them about the disaster."
He then spoke to Yadang, "You lead a team to scout for game nearby. If we can’t stay in the Piercing Stone Tribe, we’ll replenish our energy and keep going."
Once everything was in order, Gaiyin took Su Tang, who was sitting casually beside the road, in his arms.
For three weary days, they’d been on the move without ample rest. Su Tang’s complexion appeared poor. She was rubbing her aching legs and didn’t feel like moving at all.
Though Gaiyin sometimes carried her over long distances during the night, counting the day’s travel, she hadn’t laid down to sleep for nearly three days and two nights. Even a body made of iron would give in!
