I Became The Chief Of A Primitive Village

Chapter 1076, The Tribe of Women

Translator: Silavin

*Splash splash splash…*

The ‘Flame Dragon Sail’ sailed steadily along the great river. Where the hull passed, the water split open as though cloven, turning up long, white curls of foam on either side.

The Flame Dragon Sail was the fifty-metre great ship. When the ship had set off, Su Bai had taken the occasion to give it a name.

It was the Flame Dragon Tribe’s first fifty-metre ship, so the name ‘Flame Dragon Sail’ felt fitting.

And it had to be said, the ship moving along the river was an imposing thing.

Someone who did not know better might have taken it for a large Ferocious Beast drifting along the surface.

Hu Shi stood at the prow, looking forward. His expression was serious.

There was a reason for that. The Flame Dragon Sail was surrounded by Ferocious Beasts.

A sudden large object appearing on the river like this was bound to draw them in.

But the Ferocious Beasts were wary. None of them dared to come close.

The reason they kept their distance was that Beast Repelling Grass had been hung all along the outside of the hull.

With that plant present, the Ferocious Beasts did not dare approach recklessly.

Beast Repelling Grass did what its name suggested. It could drive off Ferocious Beasts.

The smell it produced was deeply unpleasant, something every Ferocious Beast disliked.

Of course, it only repelled them. It could not harm them.

That was why so many Warriors made a point of carrying Beast Repelling Grass when entering the forest. It might not drive away all the Ferocious Beasts they encountered, but it would keep them from closing in, buying time to think.

The scent of Beast Repelling Grass had a time limit. Once the grass died, it would only be effective for no more than four or five hours.

After that, when the scent faded, the Ferocious Beasts would attack.

The Beast Repelling Grass currently hung along the Flame Dragon Sail’s hull was dead grass. There was no practical way to hang living potted plants along the side of a ship.

What they had done was pull up all the grass, twist it into a rope, and hang it around the hull.

So Hu Shi stood at the prow, watching at all times, precisely because of this. He was watching to make sure the grass did not lose its effect, leaving the ship exposed to an attack from all sides.

They were on the great river. If the Beast Repelling Grass failed, the Ferocious Beasts could capsize the ship.

If that happened, everyone on board would die together in the water. That was the reason for Hu Shi’s grim expression.

“There’s no need to worry so much. The Totem Warriors are keeping watch at every moment. Just come in and rest.” Qing Yan stepped out from inside the cabin. “If you wear yourself out before we arrive, who is going to handle negotiations when we get there?”

He was the Totem Warrior Su Bai had assigned to escort the Flame Dragon Sail on this voyage, leading ten other Totem Warriors alongside him.

A ship this size, sailing away from the Flame Dragon Tribe for the first time, heading to other Tribes on a matter of business, was not a small undertaking.

And they were travelling by water. The danger was not as severe as it would be through the forest, but it was not without risk.

So, Su Bai had sent Qing Yan to escort the Flame Dragon Sail. It gave Su Bai peace of mind, at least.

“This is a mission the Shaman regards as very important,” Hu Shi said, letting out a slow breath. “I cannot afford to let anything go wrong.”

The sight of Qing Yan coming out seemed to ease him somewhat. His shoulders, which had been rigid for some time, relaxed a little.

The journey had not been without incident. More than once, some reckless Ferocious Beast had launched itself at the Flame Dragon Sail. But with Qing Yan present, everything had been handled, one close call at a time.

“I know how much this mission means to you. And I want it to succeed just as much as you do. But we cannot arrive already exhausted. That would not help anyone, right?” Qing Yan tossed over an Animal Hide Bag filled with water, and laughed. “Go and rest. I’ll stand watch for a while. Surely that’s enough to put your mind at ease.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not tired. If I were, I wouldn’t stand on ceremony with you.” Hu Shi drank deeply from the bag.

He had been standing at the prow for some time now. The sun was strong. His throat had been dry for a while.

“By the way, which Tribe are we heading to first?” Qing Yan asked.

When the Black Snake Tribe’s invasion had forced him to leave the Flame Dragon Tribe, he had spent his time sheltering in one place, occupying a Ferocious Beast’s lair and ranging around it, gathering what intelligence he could about the Flame Dragon Tribe from day to day.

He had not gone far. The Tribes in the surrounding area were not familiar to him, much less those near the great river.

“The first Tribe is a Medium sized one. Called the Red Horse Tribe. It’s a Tribe where women make up the majority, so I’ve brought many things that women tend to enjoy.” Hu Shi glanced back toward the cabin. “But their Tribe is resistant to men. Men in their Tribe hold very little standing. This visit may not go smoothly.”

He smiled at the thought, a little helplessly. He wished in hindsight that he had brought his Daughter along.

Hu Shi’s Daughter was around the same age as Yan Hua. Unfortunately, she had not been able to become a Totem Warrior.

Instead, she had become his right hand, and after his departure she had taken over managing the Central Market in his place.

“A Tribe where women are the majority? I think I’ve heard of them. Aren’t they supposed to be quite strong? How are they still a Medium Tribe?”

Qing Yan’s questions came one after another.

He had long heard tell of a Tribe on this continent where women held sway. He had never encountered one.

And even at the annual Pink Flower Festival, no one from that Tribe had ever been seen attending.

“Perhaps because they have no wish to have too much contact with other Tribes,” Hu Shi said, thinking it over. “That may be exactly why they have never been able to grow.”

“If that’s the case, we may indeed be in for a rough time.” Qing Yan laughed, without much enthusiasm.

“Don’t worry. We haven’t come without women of our own. We’ll let them go ahead and negotiate on our behalf. Once the Red Horse Tribe sees what our Tribe has brought, they should readily receive us.”

Hu Shi looked composed now, which was a considerable improvement over the furrowed brow of a few minutes ago.

“Fair enough. We’ll see how it goes.” Qing Yan laughed, open and easy.

He found himself looking at the great ship again, unhurried. Even after spending these days aboard her, seeing the ship still stirred something in him.

Qing Yan felt a genuine admiration for Su Bai, from deep down. The Shaman, as things stood now, was extraordinary.

He was glad, too, that the Flame Dragon Tribe had a Shaman like this. Growth and prosperity were only a matter of time.