Chapter 1142, The Utility of the Horned Goat Tribe

Translator: Silavin

 

“Shaman, next are the Horned Goat Tribe and the Coiled Goat Tribe. Which shall we see first?” Sha Lan asked.

 

“The Horned Goat Tribe.” Su Bai said. These last two were the real main event. He had deliberately saved them for last.

 

“Understood.” Sha Lan went through the usual process to have both Tribes make ready.

 

The Horned Goat Tribe’s people entered and bowed respectfully, though none of them lifted their heads to look directly at Su Bai.

 

In other Tribes, that sort of thing was considered rude. One only lowered their head in the presence of a Chieftain. Before the most valued person in a Tribe, they kept their eyes down entirely.

 

The one called Qiong, standing at nearly one-point-nine metres, caught a glimpse of Su Bai’s face from the corner of his eye. He was struck by the thought, [how could there be a Shaman this young? And on top of that, he looks like this.]

 

But the presence radiating off the man kept Qiong from looking any longer. He had assumed this Shaman was merely a potential Successor. The force he was giving off told a different story. That kind of strength could only belong to a Shaman of real power.

 

Qiong was certain of it. If the man across from him decided to act, Qiong would be dead before he could blink.

 

He wasn’t a battle-hardened Totem Warrior. Even so, a person’s true strength could be felt. One did not need to have fought a hundred battles to know when one was standing in front of someone who could end them with ease.

 

Su Bai kept himself well-restrained. But the force that lived beneath his surface still reached outward, whether he meant it to or not. It was simply there.

 

“Shaman, our Tribe has brought insects. You may inspect them first.” Qiong extended a hand. From the wide sleeve of his garment, a swarm of insects emerged, each no bigger than an ant, dark and numerous.

 

*Bzz Bzz Bzz…*

 

The insects circled Qiong after emerging. From a distance, they looked like a cloud of mosquitoes.

 

The Horned Goat Tribe’s clothing featured notably wide sleeves. Though the upper body was bare, and the lower half was covered by a beast hide skirt. Over each arm, they wore something that resembled a sleeve cover.

 

“And what do these insects do?” Su Bai asked.

 

He had already heard about them from Sha Lan. He still wanted to hear the Tribe’s own account.

 

Though something nagged at him. The Horned Goat Tribe, the name felt familiar. Like he had heard of it somewhere before.

 

He glanced toward Sha Lan, a slight frown conveying the question without words.

 

Sha Lan understood immediately. Her delicate blue eyes went wide.

 

Then she narrowed them and began to think, because she felt it too. That name. Where had she heard it from?

 

“Xiao Yu,” Sha Lan murmured close to Yu Ying’s ear. “Does the name Horned Goat Tribe ring a bell to you?”

 

“The Horned Goat Tribe? Let me think.” Yu Ying furrowed her brow and thought over it seriously.

 

Sha Lan thought alongside her. The name was on the tip of something. A memory just out of reach.

 

“I don’t think I’ve heard of them, though. They wouldn’t be one of the Tribes from before, would they?” Yu Ying shook her head, mouth pursed.

 

“I remember now. I know where I heard it.” Sha Lan’s delicate blue eyes sharpened. Her memory was exceptional. It had simply taken a moment to surface.

 

“Where?” Yu Ying was immediately curious.

 

“Do you remember those two who came to spy on our Tribe? Bo and Luc.” Sha Lan asked back.

 

“I remember hearing about them. Are you saying they came from the Horned Goat Tribe?” Yu Ying couldn’t quite believe it.

 

“That’s right. They were from the Horned Goat Tribe. And that Tribe is one of the Dark Scorpion Tribe’s subordinate Tribes.” Sha Lan nodded, completely certain. Her memory was beyond question. When she was sure, she was sure.

 

“If you’re that certain, then it must be right. But if this Tribe belongs to the Dark Scorpion Tribe, why are they here trying to cooperate with us?” Yu Ying looked baffled.

 

“I find it baffling too. No wonder the name felt so familiar. I just didn’t think to connect it in that direction.” Sha Lan sounded almost annoyed with herself.

 

Her memory was the sharpest of anyone. And yet she hadn’t made the connection sooner.

 

“Don’t blame yourself. They’re a Tribe along the great river. And since this whole meeting was focused on trade, none of us were thinking in that direction.” Yu Ying said quickly.

 

“I need to tell the Shaman.” Sha Lan murmured into Yu Ying’s ear, then turned and crossed to Su Bai’s side to explain.

 

The whole exchange was conducted in the quietest of voices. An ordinary person standing more than a step away would have heard nothing at all.

 

“I thought so too. That Tribe’s name felt very familiar.” Su Bai’s response came immediately.

 

“Shaman, what do we do now? Continue with the cooperation? Or have them detained?” Sha Lan asked.

 

When Sha Lan and the other Totem Warriors had gone to sweep out the Dark Scorpion Tribe’s network, they had overlooked the Horned Goat Tribe. That Tribe’s name simply hadn’t appeared on the list, and so there had been no way to know where to find them.

 

And now their people had walked straight through the door.

 

“No need to rush. They likely don’t know anything about our history with the Dark Scorpion Tribe. The two spies never sent word back after they died. The Horned Goat Tribe has been kept in the dark.”

 

Su Bai raised a hand slightly to signal them to calm down, and continued in the same quiet voice: “Right now they’re probably still imagining a pleasant future ahead of them. But they do belong to the Dark Scorpion Tribe’s network, so we need to be careful.”

 

“Then we end the cooperation here, before anything can go wrong.” Sha Lan said, concern in her voice.

 

“We can’t cooperate with them, that’s true. But we should get some use out of them first.” Su Bai’s dark eyes shifted.

 

“What are you planning, Shaman? How should we play our part?” Sha Lan straightened at once.

 

Su Bai turned a flat look her way and gestured for her to crouch down. Speaking from this far apart, others could hear.

 

The three people from the Horned Goat Tribe were Totem Warriors, after all. One had to be careful.

 

“I’m going to lay it out plainly for them and see how they respond.” Su Bai’s mouth curved slightly at the corner.

 

Sha Lan’s delicate blue eyes went wide in an instant. “Shaman, you’re just going to tell them directly? Don’t you have a more elaborate plan?”

 

She had been expecting something clever. This was not what she had imagined.

 

“Rather than going round in circles with them, it’s cleaner to be direct. Give them two paths and let them choose for themselves.” Su Bai said calmly.

 

He clearly already had a response worked out. Otherwise he would not look this relaxed.