The Survival of the Wild Tribe

51

Winter is a very suitable season for staying at home, both for modern Luo Zhen and primitive people.

There is no need to go out hunting and gathering for days; they have plenty of time to make all kinds of furniture, as Luo Zhen suggested.

Heiya's home has almost become a carpentry room. Apart from the newly-built wooden bed, there is a mess of wood in other places. Every time Luo Zhen arrives, he's always worried whether the fire in the firepit has enough wood. However, Hei Ya smiles and doesn't care too much. At this time, the primitive people haven't seen the terrible power of fire.

The animals kept in the enclosure have been slaughtered by Heifu's leaders in the past few days. Animal blood and various meats have been packed in wooden barrels and distributed, neatly stacked in front of each house, creating a spectacular scene. The whole world has become a natural large refrigerator, and there's no need to worry about the meat spoiling.

Only the three sheep were left. Luo Zhen led them to build a hayloft that could shelter them from the wind and snow. Fortunately, they don’t mind eating hay this season, living more leisurely than when they were running in the wild. In winter, they got fatter, and even the production of goat's milk increased a lot.

It's been more than a week since they last discussed the matter of selecting the leader. This evening, Hei Fu gathered everyone at Luo Zhen's house. His house was the largest of all, crowded with more than 20 people.

Luo Zhen prepared bone soup in advance to quench the cold. Everyone stood or sat around the fire pit, knowing what was to be discussed. Each person wore a different expression, which Luo Zhen silently observed. Obviously, some people had different opinions on the matter of choosing a new leader.

"I believe everyone knows the purpose of gathering together tonight," Hei Fu cleared his throat, not intending to beat around the bush, but to get straight to the point. "After so long, everyone should have considered it. Tonight, we are going to elect our new leader. From now on, the leader of the Black Mountain will no longer lead us, and the Black Panther tribe will no longer be our tribe. We will continue to live with a new identity."

Even though they knew what Hei Fu was going to say, there was still a slight commotion in the crowd after hearing his words.

Lu Zhan glanced at everyone quickly and tossed fried meat into his mouth. It was a small snack made by Luo Zhen, packed in a small animal skin pocket. Lu Zhan was fine, but Luo Zhen didn't like eating so many fried things himself, saying it would upset his stomach. Lu Zhan curled his lips. He could handle spicy food, so he wasn't afraid of anything.

A Shui eyed Lu Zhan's animal skin belt pouch, nearly drooling. Lu Zhan twisted a piece of meat and handed it to him. A Shui's eyes lit up as he reached out to take it, but Lu Zhan flicked his fingers and accurately threw the meat into his mouth.

A Shui was dumbfounded, looking at him incredulously, and Lu Zhan grinned at him. Seeing this, Luo Zhen glared at Lu Zhan amusedly. Under the opponent's grievances, he reached into the pouch and took out a large amount of meat, dividing it between A Shui and the children nearby.

"You owe me two more bags later," Lu Zhan whispered to Luo Zhen.

"No fried food," Luo Zhen refused. His eyes fell on an inconspicuous red spot on Lu Zhan's chin, indicating an impending acne breakout. This person never learns. Without herbal tea to give him, the fire of acne wouldn't be quenched.

"I'll hunt new prey for you," Lu Zhan persisted.

"Cough." Hei Fu coughed lightly, noticing a few people beginning to drift away from the topic. Luo Zhen quickly straightened up, pushing away Lu Zhan's head, and listened attentively to Hei Fu.

Hei Fu gave Luo Zhen a grateful look, then surveyed the group. Several soldiers met his gaze and nodded slightly.

Hei Fu composed himself and continued, "I am here to recommend Lu Zhan as the new leader of our tribe."

Luo Zhen turned to Lu Zhan, surprised. Lu Zhan shrugged innocently. He thought Hei Fu or Jiaozhu would be recommended for the leadership role. He never expected Hei Fu to suggest him. Was Lu Zhan's nonchalant demeanor really suitable for leading a tribe? Luo Zhen deeply doubted Hei Fu's judgement.

Was this Hei Fu's personal decision, or the result of prior discussion with others?

Except for the few fighters Hei Fu had consulted in advance, others seemed as surprised as Luo Zhen. Ordinary people had never been hunting with Lu Zhan, nor had they seen his strength firsthand. While they had seen Lu Zhan change over time, leading a tribe required more than that.

Even those who had traveled extensively with the veteran warrior and the god-in-law had never seen a tribe led by a half-orc.

However, no one was the first to question. Hei Fu explained, "The Black Panther tribe has likely crossed Changfeng Mountain. After this migration, we won't return to this land. We need a new tribe as our refuge in the future."

"Perhaps some of you wonder why I recommend a half-orc as our new leader. Aside from the housing provided by Lu Zhan, I believe everyone knows that Lu Zhan once single-handedly rescued an adult human-faced bird. Later, on our journey here, the two beasts we ate were also prey that he hunted alone."

"Recently, he and Luo Zhen went out at night and negotiated an agreement with the Staghorn Horse Clan. The Staghorn Horse Clan will fight alongside us as allies." Hei Fu paused here. Though Luo Zhen had explained this to them, as warriors, they still couldn't grasp the usefulness of a non-combative staghorn horse. Yet, they trusted that Luo Zhen wouldn't undertake futile actions. The tools and food he provided were all very useful and previously unseen.

"Regarding stone salt, let's set it aside for now and discuss it later. Tonight, we are focusing on selecting a new leader." Hei Fu was firm on this matter. Having experienced the tribe's rise and decline, and the subsequent relocation, he understood better than the younger folks the importance of a tribe's leader and shaman. He had pondered this long enough, giving everyone time to consider, so tonight, their new leader would be chosen from among them.

Jiaozhu stepped forward beside Hei Fu, his voice steady. "I also agree that Lu Zhan should become our new leader. He has the strength to lead our tribe effectively."

Kakuzu wouldn't have said such things before, but this migration had opened his eyes to much more than others. They had indeed relied on Lu Zhan's abilities to settle in this place quickly, even relying on his partnership to live in a large wooden house that was more comfortable and brighter than an animal hide tent.

Soldiers respected strength. Whoever could lead them to safety, provide enough food, and fight against the beasts was fit to be their leader.

Maybe they didn

’t know much about Lu Zhan, but with their small numbers, Lu Zhan's strength was enough for him to be their leader initially. If they found him unsuitable in the future, they could challenge him for the position. The leadership of a tribe wasn't lifelong or absolute.

Only the shaman chosen by the beast god was.

"I agree too," the veteran chimed in, taking a sip of the steaming bone soup. "If you think Lu Zhan isn't fit to be your leader, just challenge him. Didn't the Black Mountain kid challenge all the warriors of the tribe at the beginning?"

Several older folks chuckled at the memory.

With the veteran's intervention, those who were hesitant at first nodded after thinking it over. After all, Heifu had consulted with them in advance, and even if they had opinions, Lu Zhan's leadership was already established. However, unlike in their previous tribe, ordinary people here now had the opportunity to express their opinions, which surprised them.

When the decision was finally reached, Lu Zhan swallowed the food in his mouth, stood up, and pulled Luo Zhen next to him. Slowly, he said to everyone, to Luo Zhen's puzzled expression, "If I become the leader, then Luo Zhen must be our shaman. He was a disciple of the tribal shaman on the edge of the big lake, which qualifies him to be our great shaman."

Luo Zhen blinked a few times. He recalled Lu Zhan mentioning he was a sacrifice to the water god. When did he become a shaman's disciple? And despite his limited knowledge of the world, he knew enough not to believe Lu Zhan's nonsense about being chosen as the next great shaman. Which tribe would willingly sacrifice their next great shaman?