Su Bai stood on the high platform looking at the crowd below. Everyone’s expression was almost identical, as if copy-pasted onto each other.They were all worried and afraid, wondering what their future lives would be like and if they could survive. Everyone was whispering to each other.
“Is he the Shaman of the Flame Dragon Tribe? He looks so young. Is he really a Shaman?”
“Will we be killed? It’s all the fault of that damned Chieftain. Why did he have to keep occupying the land of other Tribes? Look what’s happened now!”
“Why has he gathered us here? Is he going to kill us all? I still have to take care of my children!”
“This place originally belonged to them anyway. I just hope they won’t kill us. We can give the place back to them. Please, just let us leave.”
Such conversations echoed throughout the crowd. No one wanted to die, and everyone was nervously watching the man on the wooden platform.
Su Bai’s black eyes scanned the crowd, and he shouted, “I know you were all forced into this. So, I won’t kill you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was another commotion in the crowd, with everyone whispering to each other.
“Did I hear that right? He really said he won’t kill us?”
“You didn’t mishear it. I heard it too. He said it so loudly. There’s definitely no mistaking it .”
“Good Heavens, does this mean we might not have to die?”
“Let’s keep listening. See what else he has to say. I don’t think it’ll be that simple.”
Su Bai spread his arms in a serious manner and continued to shout, “As long as you’re willing to work hard, I’ll give you meat to eat. But you must follow my rules!” As soon as he finished these two sentences, the crowd, which had just quieted down, erupted into heated discussions again.
“What did he just say? Did he say he’ll give us meat to eat?”
“You heard right. That’s exactly what he said. As long as we work, we’ll have meat to eat.” Sёarch* The NôvelFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
“How can someone be so kind? Our Shaman occupied their Ancestral Land for so long, yet he still wants to give us meat?”
“That’s right. I don’t think it’s that simple. He must be planning something against us.”
“Don’t make wild guesses about others. Maybe he really just wants to give us meat to eat.”
Everyone had different thoughts, both good and bad. They all looked at the man on the wooden platform, not knowing what he was really up to.
The Totem Warriors of the Flame Dragon Tribe were all holding recurve bows, and the archers were holding longbows. All of them were guarding against any potential actions from the Black Snake Tribesmen.
“Your Shaman occupied our Flame Dragon Tribe’s land and killed our Tribesmen. He deserves death. But you are just ordinary people who did not personally get involved, so I can spare your lives.”
Su Bai lowered his hands, his black eyes particularly sharp as he continued, “However, you can’t continue to live in the centre of the Tribe.”
He had thought about these words all night yesterday. To avoid forgetting, he had even written them down.
Before they could say anything, Su Bai continued, “The centre of the Tribe is where we, the people of the Flame Dragon Tribe, should live. You can only live on the outskirts of the Tribe.”
The people below started discussing again, everyone looking at each other, not knowing what to do.
“We can’t live where we’re living now?”
“They want us to move from the centre to the outside? But… but not being killed is already good enough.”
“But if we move to the outskirts, we’ll be like slaves. Have we become slaves?”
“I don’t care. As long as they don’t kill me, it’s fine. I don’t want to die.”
Su Bai slightly adjusted where he was facing, turning to the people on the right, and continued, “As long as you follow my rules, you’ll have meat to eat every day, and no one from the other Tribes will dare to bully you.”
After initially stating his intentions, it was time to start giving them the benefits: a sense of security, or in other words, making promises.
The difference was that these promises could definitely be fulfilled. They were not just empty words of comfort.
Those of the Black Snake Tribe were stunned. They had not expected this turn of events. They thought they would be executed, but that seemed to not be the case.
“Does he mean he wants to treat us as people of the Flame Dragon Tribe?”
“They really won’t kill us? But didn’t our Shaman kill many of their people?”
“Stop talking about that, or we might really end up getting killed. As long as we can survive, it doesn’t matter where we live.”
“That’s right. I’ll do whatever they want as long as I can have meat to eat every day.”
Su Bai heard all these words, his black eyes scanning the people below.
He turned to the left and continued to shout, “If you agree, you are now part of the Flame Dragon Tribe. If you’re unwilling, you can leave immediately, and I won’t kill you.”
Su Bai wanted them all to be willing. If they were not willing, forcing them to stay would be meaningless. Only those who willingly stayed would truly become part of the Flame Dragon Tribe in the future. They would be easier to manage and less likely to cause major problems.
“I’m willing! I’m willing to follow the Shaman and become part of the Flame Dragon Tribe!” Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
“I’m willing as well! As long as we have meat to eat every day, I am willing to do anything. It doesn’t matter where we live.”
“The Shaman is truly kind! I’m willing to follow you!” More and more people in the crowd started shouting.
In fact, these were all plants Su Bai had placed in the crowd, meant to be useful at this moment.
At times like this, if someone shouted out, others would follow suit. Sometimes, all that was needed was someone to take the lead.
Su Bai’s planted men came in handy. Just a few shouts at the right time had a great effect.
“I… I’m willing too…” Others started to weakly respond.
“Since we’ll have meat to eat every day, I’m willing too!” Another person shouted.
Gradually, more and more people responded, until finally, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic response.
Of course, while some were willing, there were certainly some who were unwilling. Quite a few people in the crowd slowly withdrew. They returned to their wooden houses, packed their Animal Hide clothes, and left. They did not even look back as they left.
About two to three hundred people left, unwilling to stay. They left in groups.
Su Bai watched their retreating figures, thinking to himself, [Great that they’re leaving. Saves us the trouble of clearing them out later.]
Every Tribe would have some people like this. Even if they stayed for now, they would cause trouble in the future. It was better for such people to leave now.
[noscript][/noscript]