The other beastmen instantly shielded the sub-beastmen and cubs behind them. Tian Xuan squinted at the steadily approaching red-haired orangutan.
He stepped forward a few paces to stand beside Xiong Qi and said to the beastman, who had stopped not far away, “Isn’t your mate’s leg healed yet?”
When they had first arrived here, this red-haired orangutan had brought his mate to seek treatment. After Lu Xuan had treated his mate’s leg injury, he had also told him how to care for it and given him medicinal herbs.
Why was he back again?
Xing Chi shifted into his beast form, revealing the figure of the sub-beastman behind him.
“We mean no harm. We’ve only come to thank the priest for healing Xue Rong’s leg.”
“Yes, we’ve come to give thanks.”
The sub-beastman had a somewhat round face. He seemed very shy around strangers, speaking softly before retreating back behind Xing Chi.
Tian Xuan fixed his gaze on Xing Chi. His broken leg had healed completely. Their side now had four robust beastmen, more than enough to handle one red-haired orangutan without fear.
Tian Xuan turned to look at Lu Xuan, as if seeking his opinion.
Lu Xuan naturally recognized Xing Chi and his mate, but he hadn’t stepped forward to talk either. After confirming with Tian Xuan that it was safe, he put on a smile and walked out.
“There’s no need to come specially to give thanks. I’m just glad the injury has healed.”
“So you are the priest? You’re so young.” Xue Rong poked his head out from behind Xing Chi, his face full of curiosity.
“My grandfather was a priest. I only learned a smattering from him.”
Lu Xuan had a slender figure, fair skin, handsome features, and the corners of his rosy lips were turned up. Xue Rong took an immediate liking to him.
He smiled with his eyes narrowed into slits: “A priest apprentice, you’re amazing.”
No wonder he was a rabbit sub-beastman, every move he made exuded the cuteness and docility of a little white rabbit. Lu Xuan’s smile grew even warmer.
“I’m not really a priest apprentice either. Would you like to come and sit with us?”
Uh…
Xue Rong didn’t know what kind of interaction “sitting” entailed. He looked up at Xing Chi.
“Should we go?”
Xing Chi’s gaze had never left his mate. Hearing this, he replied, “If you want to, then of course.”
Xue Rong looked happily at Lu Xuan: “Alright, let’s go sit.”
Xiong Qi watched their retreating figures, then turned his face toward Tian Xuan: “Go sit at our eating spot? Sit and watch us eat?”
Tian Xuan didn’t spare him a single glance. He lifted his foot and followed Lu Xuan.
Xing Chi noticed the two extra fox beastmen and said with some surprise, “Your Bear Tribe accepts other beastmen too?”
Hu Yi immediately tensed up, gripping Hu Er. A piece of meat got stuck in his throat, and he didn’t even dare to cough.
Xiong Yan tore a strip of meat off a large bone and laughed, “With just us, what tribe is there to speak of? We’re just a bunch huddled together, waiting to die.”
Xing Chi’s gaze paused on the exquisite wooden house. Hearing this, he said, “Then I’ll come join the bunch too.”
Xiong Yan narrowed his eyes: “What do you mean?”
Xing Chi withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiong Yan: “I mean I want to join you.”
Everyone looked at him in surprise. None of them had expected this red-haired orangutan to say he wanted to join them.
Xiong Xuan’s brow was heavy: “We’re not a tribe. There’s no ‘joining’ or not. Whether you want to live nearby is your own choice. But if we feel threatened, we will not hesitate to drive you out.”
Xing Chi met Xiong Xuan’s gaze, his voice firm and powerful: “Then found a tribe.”
“Ha?” Xiong Yan laughed so hard he fell to the ground: “Just the few of us?”
Xing Chi looked at him, his expression calm: “Yes. Is that not allowed?”
Xiong Yan’s laughter faded, his face turning ugly, even somewhat fierce.
“Can you beat a few beastmen from the Lakeside Tribe? Aren’t you afraid they’ll wipe us all out in one go?”
Xing Chi’s gaze swept across everyone’s faces. He said quietly, “What you should be thinking about is growing the tribe to take revenge or to make your people live better. I’ve been living in seclusion here for over a decade. If it weren’t for my mate, I wouldn’t have come into contact with other beastmen again. You think about it.”
With that, he took Xue Rong’s hand and was about to leave when Tian Xuan called out to him.
“We’ll found the tribe. You can join.”
Ignoring the shock of the others, Xing Chi pointed at the wooden house and curled his lip: “Very well. I want that house.”
Tian Xuan: “It’s taken.”
Xing Chi pointed to the house that was under construction: “I can wait.”
Tian Xuan: “That one is Lu Xuan’s. He healed your mate.”
Xing Chi’s expression cooled: “Then the third one.”
Tian Xuan: “Agreed.”
Only then did Xing Chi’s expression soften: “I’ll go back and pack our things. I’ll come here first thing tomorrow morning.”
After Xing Chi left, the scene fell into silence. Lu Xuan looked at this one, then at that one. Everyone’s faces were grave.
He slowly raised his hand: “If the tribe is founded, I’d like to apply to be the healer.”
Instead of farming or building houses, he had forgotten that his original profession was a veterinarian.
And an unlicensed, self-taught practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine.
Lu Xuan’s words pulled everyone back to their senses. Xiong Xuan looked at Tian Xuan: “Are you serious?”
Tian Xuan nodded: “It’s just giving it a name.”
Something to give everyone a greater sense of belonging.
Lu Xuan was curious: “What name will you give it?”
Tian Xuan curled his lip: “You come up with one.”
Lu Xuan stared wide-eyed. How could he be the one to name it? Founding a tribe was a major event.
“How about we all discuss it together?”
A hint of a smile appeared in Xiong Xuan’s eyes: “You come up with it. Naming the tribe falls within the scope of a priest’s duties.”
Lu Xuan quickly said, “I’m not a priest. I don’t understand priests. I don’t want to be a priest.”
After his triple refusal, the tense atmosphere eased a bit. Xiong Yue wiped the corner of his eye and laughed: “How can you say you’re not a priest when you’re so capable?”
Xiong Yuan gave a soft laugh: “In our hearts, we’ve already taken you for the priest.”
Lu Xuan stood firm on his profession: “Healer. I’m a healer.”
If it weren’t for feeling that “veterinarian” didn’t quite fit this world, he would have said he was just a veterinarian.
Xiong Qi scratched his head: “Fine. If you say you’re a healer, then you’re a healer. Then who will be the chief?”
Everyone’s gaze turned unanimously to Xiong Xuan. He was the oldest, steady in his actions, and had always been the default leader.
Unexpectedly, he shook his head: “I only want to protect Xiong Yuan and my two little bear cubs. I have no desire to manage a tribe. Let Tian Xuan be the chief.”
Everyone then looked at Tian Xuan. The Bear Tribe members all knew that both he and Xiong Xuan had been among the candidates for chief. Now that Xiong Xuan had stepped aside, Tian Xuan had no competition, it was only logical for him to take the position.
But a chief over a tribe of just a few people, Tian Xuan had led more members as the head of a hunting team back in the day.
“Tsk, Tian Xuan, you do it. This heavy burden is still best suited for you. But right now, with only a dozen or so people, the burden is too light. I’m sure you can handle it.”
Xiong Yan’s tone was full of teasing, and his eyes sparkled with mischief.
Xiong Qi joined in the clamor: “I believe in you too.”
Xiong Yue raised his hand as well: “We all believe in you.”
As they spoke, everyone started laughing. It was only then that their minds caught up, they were already living together. What difference did a tribe make? As Tian Xuan had said, it was just giving it a name.
Tian Xuan’s face remained expressionless as he became the chief of a tribe that, including Xing Chi and his mate, had a total of ten people plus five cubs.
Xiong Yan patted Hu Yi’s shoulder: “You have a tribe now. Aren’t you happy?”
In contrast to Hu Er, who was grinning along with everyone else, Hu Yi had kept his head down, not saying a word.
When Xiong Yan asked him this, he looked up in disbelief and said, urgently trying to make his words clearer: “Us… we can too?”
Xiong Yan raised an eyebrow: “Of course, unless you don’t want to.”
Hu Yi nodded eagerly: “Want to, want to.”
“So what is the tribe called? How about still calling it the Black Bear Tribe?” Xiong Yue suggested enthusiastically.
Xiong Yuan, however, said: “But Lu Xuan isn’t from our tribe. How about combining the names of the two tribes and picking the best-sounding characters?”
Xiong Yue turned to Lu Xuan: “What was your old tribe called?”
Lu Xuan put a hand to his forehead, not really wanting to say. The original host’s tribe consisted entirely of small felines, the lynx was their fiercest and largest beastman.
It was filled with various cat beastmen. To sound imposing, the chief had named it the Roaring Tiger Tribe.
Lu Xuan sat up straight and tried to make his expression serious and earnest: “How about calling it the Black Roar Tribe? The ‘black’ from Black Bear, and ‘roar’ meaning a loud, roaring sound.”
Tian Xuan glanced at it and said, “Agreed.”
And so the Black Roar Tribe was born.
Early the next morning, Xing Chi brought his mate and all their belongings and moved into the territory of the Black Roar Tribe.
Tian Xuan helped him set up an animal hide shelter. After they were settled, he watched Xue Rong fitting in seamlessly with Lu Xuan and the other sub-beastmen, eagerly learning how to build houses.
The new tribe had been founded in jest, but it invisibly inspired everyone, especially the two foxes who had originally come to steal.
Hu Yi was particularly excited. His usually dull, grayish eyes now shone with brilliant brightness, as if he had been reborn.
Xiong Yan found this amusing and kept teasing him, saying sarcastic things to provoke him.
Hu Yi was well aware of Xiong Yan’s nasty habits. Except for the occasional glare when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he avoided him all day long.
At any rate, the two brothers were now proper beastmen of the tribe. As long as they worked hard, they would have meat to eat. He wasn’t going to bother with that troublemaker.
With Xing Chi joining, the second wooden house was built even faster.
After it was completed, everyone was once again amazed by its design, which was completely different from the first wooden house.
“I want to build this kind too,” Xing Chi said, eager to move in immediately.
Lu Xuan drew another new house design on the ground. The layout was mostly the same as the first wooden house, except that it had an extra corner, expanding the living room into both a dining area and a living room.
Xing Chi was torn. He thought both were good.
Xue Rong preferred open space. Since arriving here, his disposition had noticeably grown bolder.
He especially liked cubs, and he wanted to have more cubs with Xing Chi. So a bigger house would be better.
“I want the one Lu Xuan just drew. It’s more spacious.”
Without the raised split-level, the overall look was indeed more expansive.
Since his mate liked the new design, Xing Chi, without a second word, pointed to the drawing on the ground.
“Choose that one. Build it tomorrow.”
Urged on daily by Xing Chi, the third wooden house was completed exceptionally fast.
Xing Chi was fully satisfied. Everyone else breathed a sigh of relief as well, the red-haired orangutan had been nagging them so relentlessly that their heads were buzzing.
Now that the two beastmen with families had houses, and as a special case, Lu Xuan also had his own house, the remaining ones, Xiong Yan, Xiong Qi, Tian Xuan, and the two fox brothers, were all single.
To save time on house-building, Lu Xuan made an executive decision: build a row of four single-room dwellings, one room per person, like bachelor quarters.