Faced with the shaman's advice, the chieftain merely nodded, still insisting on considering it for a day before making a decision. The shaman, enraged, banged his scepter again and stormed off.
Bai Yi sat opposite the chieftain, somewhat panicked, looking at him. "Father, you don't really agree, do you? What will we do then? We've humiliated our people like this; they'll never obey us again. If Xu Zifan's pay can guarantee their livelihood, they might listen to him after a year. After all, working isn't dangerous, and it's much better than hunting. By then, there won't be a chieftain for the Tiger Clan!"
The chieftain slapped him hard across the face. "You think I don't know? But what can we do if we disagree? Once the tribesmen realize that the Tiger Clan is inferior to other tribes, do you think they'll still obey my orders? If it weren't for you, how could we have ended up like this?"
Bai Yi covered his face in silence. The clan chief said dejectedly, "If you want power, you have to keep the outside world a secret from the clan, for as long as you can. But the day the truth is revealed, the whole clan will condemn me. I will become a sinner of the Tiger Clan, and I cannot bear that sin." He patted Bai Yi's shoulder and sighed deeply, "We have no other way out but to submit. There is no other way out..."
Bai Yi said grimly, "No, there is still a way. As long as the clansmen are unwilling to submit to Xu Zifan, they can't blame us for anything in the future; it's their own choice."
The clan chief frowned, hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head. "It won't work. Don't do anything unnecessary. I'll talk to Mengya again in a day and see if we can get some preferential treatment. Go out, I'm tired."
Bai Yi saw his father's deep disappointment in him, and filled with resentment, he stormed out of the village and vented his anger in the forest! He had always been his father's pride, the young chieftain of the Tiger Clan. Apart from Mengya, no other beastman could defeat him; he was incredibly powerful and influential. Now, he was like a stray dog, all thanks to Xu Zifan. How could he possibly submit to Xu Zifan? If he, the dignified young chieftain of the Tiger Clan, were to do hard labor, what would others think of him? He would never be able to hold his head high again!
Bai Yi collapsed to the ground, panting heavily. It took him a long time to calm down and make his decision. The Tiger Clan was rightfully his; he wouldn't allow anyone to take it from him. He returned to his tribe and found two familiar beastmen and his fiancée, Mu Ci, embellishing Xu Zifan's punishment of them. He said that if the Tiger Clan accepted the punishment and did hard labor, receiving only half the pay, they would be looked down upon. Since Xu Zifan was hostile towards them, the Tiger Clan would never have a chance to rise again. If they didn't go, they could find ways to grow stronger, even forming alliances with other tribes through marriage to learn their knowledge. They could live a good life without relying on Xu Zifan, free and without fear of his targeting. Wasn't that better?
The people of the orc world had received little education and lacked foresight. They couldn't understand that Xu Zifan's punishment of the tiger clan was paving the way for future equality, nor could they fathom what kind of kingdom Xu Zifan envisioned. Therefore, they readily believed Bai Yi's words, as if they could already foresee their future humiliation. Enraged, they immediately followed Bai Yi's instructions and secretly spread the news throughout their tribe.
Most of the others reacted similarly. After all, the Tiger Clan used to rank among the top three tribes, and their strength was considerable. Now, they were being made to rank below the other tribes, which they naturally didn't want. Early the next morning, the tribespeople gathered at the chief's door, demanding that he refuse Mengya's demands, showing their strong hostility towards him.
Mengya frowned and looked at Bai Yi, "What did you say to them?"
The clan chief glared sternly at Bai Yi, who replied coldly, "Tell the truth, aren't you telling us to become slaves?"
Zhui Feng stepped forward to calm everyone down, saying loudly, "Everyone, please don't get agitated. Listen to me. I've seen a lot during my time studying with the Leopard Clan. The Wise Man truly can bring us a better life. Don't forget, he's acknowledged by the Beast God! Have you forgotten that the Beast God told us to obey the Wise Man's orders? The Beast God can't be wrong! We're not going to be laborers forever. Once the city is built, we'll enjoy the same treatment as everyone else. The Wise Man has promised that he won't hold anything against us for the past. This is a great opportunity, and we can't miss it!"
If he had said these words first, people might have considered them to some extent. But Bai Yi had said them the night before, and they had been discussing them all night. The shameful future had taken root in their hearts. When they heard Zhui Feng's words, they felt like he was just making empty promises and talking nonsense. They were not reliable at all, so naturally they did not buy it.
The high shaman rushed over, his expression stern as he addressed the crowd. "The Beast God commands us to obey the Wise One's orders, and we must obey! Chieftain, what do you say?"
Everyone looked at the clan leader, who hesitated for a moment before speaking, but Bai Yi spoke first: "Why don't we do as Mengya suggested yesterday, and let everyone choose for themselves? Those who want to leave can leave, and those who want to stay can stay. The Wise One didn't require us to accept punishment, did he? Staying wouldn't be considered disobeying the Wise One's orders."
"Bai Yi! Shut up!" the clan leader shouted, but it was too late. The beastmen had already started shouting and clamoring to stay.
The situation was getting out of control. Mengya watched with a frown, feeling that given these people's current state, even if he managed to get them to agree to do hard labor, they would inevitably cause trouble, and might end up even worse off than the wolf clan. For some reason, he just felt that Xu Zifan wasn't a merciful person. He had no doubt that if the tiger clan members committed any crimes, Xu Zifan would execute them, so it was better for them to just fend for themselves outside.
Fierce Fang leaped onto the altar and proclaimed, "That's settled then. Those who wish to come with me, come to my side; those who wish to stay, stand with the chieftain. The Wise One has decreed that those who accept punishment will enjoy the same treatment as everyone else after the city is built; those who do not accept it will be forever condemned."
I will never interfere again. This is your only chance; decide now, I'll be leaving at noon.
When things really came to this point, Bai Yi still got nervous. He was acting out of self-interest, so he couldn't help but be nervous. But when he saw that most of his clansmen hadn't moved, he felt relieved.
The high priest was the first to step onto the altar. "I will follow the instructions of the Beast God, obey the commands of the Wise Man, and accept his punishment. Following the Wise Man is the right choice. We must learn how to grow and prosper, instead of continuing to live the old life."
The crowd erupted into chaos. The High Priest's high status meant his decision swayed many. Several sick people rushed to the altar; only the High Priest could heal, and if they didn't follow, they would die. Next, many older orcs and females went over. They were no longer young, less impetuous, and more willing to obey the High Priest. Then, several females who had previously thought Xu Zifan was a good person stepped forward, and several orcs pursuing them, after some deliberation, followed.
Bai Yi looked at the people walking past one after another and shouted angrily, "Are you all going to become traitors to the Tiger Clan? You'd rather believe outsiders than yourselves? Are all the people of the Tiger Clan cowards? Can't we become strong on our own?"
Mu Ci stood beside him and said, "Bai Yi is right. The Tiger Clan is the strongest, and I am proud of that. I will never submit to anyone."
Some who were about to go stopped upon hearing this, but a few still insisted on going. In the end, of the thirty-odd people who were willing to go with Mengya, there were more than sixty left. The Great Shaman sighed when he saw the Tiger Clan so divided, but he had done his best. These thirty-odd people were the Tiger Clan's future hope; as for the rest, they could only leave it to fate.
The situation was settled, and the clan chief had nothing more to say. He staggered back into the house. Mengya told those preparing to leave to quickly pack their things, but Bai Yi stopped them again, "You have already betrayed the Tiger Clan. What right do you have to take anything from the Tiger Clan? Get out!"
Several hot-blooded young orcs echoed behind him, "Get out of here! Go and become slaves with that traitor, Fang!"
"I'd like to see how long you can endure this hard labor, before you come back begging for mercy in a couple of days, haha."
The high shaman shook his head in disappointment, "Bai Yi, how did you become like this? We're both from the Tiger Clan, yet we've turned against each other today. Are you planning to never see each other again? We could have helped each other..."
"Bah! Enough with the nonsense. If you really cared about the Tiger Clan, you shouldn't have led the way out. What if some of us get hurt after the Great Shaman leaves? Have you thought about that?"
The great shaman's expression turned cold. "I only obey the beast god's instructions. Since you insist on this, Fang, let's leave now."
Those who were leaving only took some bone ornaments that held special meaning for their families, taking nothing else, and followed Mengya out of the Tiger Clan tribe. They were uneasy, and some even harbored a hint of regret, but having taken this step, staying would be pointless, so they simply left when their minds were clouded with worry. Zhuifeng comforted them, "The Wise One is a very good person. He has taught us many things. We will endure hardship for a while, but we will soon have a better life. Don't worry."
His smile lightened everyone's mood, and Mengya ordered the orcs to take the females and travel at full speed. There were ten orcs in total, the strong ones each accompanied by two weaker females. They hunted and gathered fruit when they were hungry along the way, and soon reached the Leopard Clan. Mengya told them to wait outside the tribe while he went in to explain the situation to Xu Zifan. The tiger clan members obediently stopped where they were. They didn't realize that they were already subconsciously following Mengya's orders.
When Mengya found Xu Zifan, he was trying to make cement. He was grateful for his past experience with top students and scientists, which made finding materials and conducting experiments much easier. After listening to Mengya's report, he nodded and smiled at him, "You did a great job. Since it was their own choice, you don't need to blame yourself for the others. Everyone has to be responsible for their own life. And they might not necessarily be doing badly. As for the people who came, you and Sada go to the chieftain and talk to them, then take them directly to make bricks. Keep making bricks; we need a lot. Distribute enough food to them to fill their stomachs but not to overeat, and remember to halve the amount if anyone slacks off."
Aren't you going to take a look?
"No, as long as they don't cause trouble, we can just live our lives peacefully." Xu Zifan didn't really care who came. He had nothing to do with these people. Anyway, his mission target definitely didn't come, and that was enough.