| GB | Weak and Honest | 38
In the wilderness, an endless expanse of ice and snow stretched as far as the eye could see.
An orc patrol maintained their formation as they trudged through the blinding white landscape.
Though their bodies were strong and their wills unyielding, the absence of city walls left them exposed to the biting wind, which lashed at their bare skin like knives, leaving streaks of bluish-red marks on their exposed flesh.
It was bitterly cold.
The occasional headwind offered fierce resistance, slowing their progress.
While the harsh environment made travel more difficult, it also significantly reduced the threat of venomous insects and mosquitoes. Most wild beasts remained in hibernation, leaving only large predators that retained their combat prowess through the winter to roam the land.
As they entered a desolate forest, the wind's fury diminished.
Huo Duo'er walked in the center of the formation, his eyes scanning the snow-covered woods. He paid particular attention to the visible vegetation, studying plants encased in ice.
The land bordering the tribe's territory always experienced short autumns and early winters.
Many fruits that hadn't fully ripened by the onset of autumn remained frozen on their branches, encased in ice until the thaw.
Huo Duo'er carefully observed his surroundings, casually knocking loose several chunks of ice and extracting the fruits within, which he placed in the pouch hanging at his waist.
Orcs typically carried baskets for transporting goods, but seeing Huo Duo'er's pouch, one who walked nearby asked, "Did your mate make that?"
"Yes," Huo Duo'er replied.
"It's quite unique," the orc remarked. "I've never seen anything like it."
"These wild fruits aren't edible. If they were, we would have taken them back long ago."
Huo Duo'er didn't elaborate. The fruits he collected were all for Yu Bai. His mate knew more than even the Priest; if anything proved useful, they would keep it.
Unlike Huo Duo'er's meticulousness, the other male orcs had far simpler priorities.
Though this orc hunting party comprised strong warriors, their hearts weren't united.
They weren't fixated on hunting down mature boars or yaks before returning to the tribe. Even if they failed to secure such prey, they would gather other items to present to the chief as justification for their efforts.
For the orcs, survival came first. Returning to the tribe alive was all that mattered. The reason was simple: if a male orc died, his mate and offspring would be inherited by the strongest young males in the tribe.
Without a new male orc to inherit the position, a female beast who has lost her mate effectively loses her ability to reproduce, and therefore her right to remain in the tribe.
The male orcs in the hunting party had learned from past experiences: failing to secure prey was acceptable, but losing their mates or cubs was unforgivable.
A'Sen, the lead male, looked up and made his decision.
"We've been out for six days. If we don't encounter a small herd soon, we'll turn back to the tribe along the path we came."
The other orcs voiced no objections.
Just then, Huo Duo'er signaled the group to halt.
He faintly picked up a scent. "It's coming."
Mao Mao, the adjacent orc, asked, "What's coming?"
Mao Mao crouched low, his beast ears almost touching the ice. His expression shifted slightly. "Something big is approaching."
As the leader, A'Sen determined their next course of action. After a brief consideration, he said, "Let's scout ahead first. If..."
If they could collectively take down the creature, they would complete their winter hunt. If not, they would retreat immediately.
Before he could finish, his words prompted the orcs to quickly seek secure hiding places.
"Brown Mountain Bears! Three of them!"
Brown Mountain Bears were the undisputed rulers of this icy, snow-covered land, their bodies as tough as iron and their claws wielding astonishing force.
They preyed on many beasts, including orcs. Numerous orcs who strayed into their territory had met a gruesome end in their jaws.
But weren't these solitary predators? Why were there three of them?
Against wolves or leopards, the orcs might have stood a chance. But the Brown Mountain Bears possessed unnatural strength. A single swipe of their claws could shatter internal organs.
The orc party scattered for cover, some hiding behind tree trunks, others scrambling up branches, and a few even digging shallow pits to lie in, burying themselves under layers of snow.
They held their breath, sweat beading on their tense faces. No one dared to move.
The two adult bears, accompanied by their cub, walked through the desolate forest, their claws slashing indiscriminately at trees, sending flurries of snow cascading down.
A bear's claw struck a tree trunk with a thwack, leaving a gaping hole.
The Brown Mountain Mother Bear reached inside, her paw emerging damp. She licked it, tasting sweetness, and let out a series of grunts to summon her cub to feed.
The Brown Mountain Mother Bear finally breathed a sigh of relief when her cub began to eat.
Her cub had been difficult to raise from birth, nearly dying. The two bears had stayed together for the sake of their cub, painstakingly nurturing it to its current size. If only they could catch a four-legged or two-legged creature to supplement its diet.
Snow fell from the tree onto the Brown Mountain Mother Bear's head. She tilted her head in confusion. I didn't even shake the tree. Why...?
The bear twitched its ears, then suddenly roared, its gaze fixed on the tree where the sound had come from.
Two-legged creatures!
The orc hiding in the tree nearly had a heart attack.
"What do we do?!" he shouted.
The two massive bears pounded their claws against the tree trunk. The tree groaned under the relentless assault, swaying precariously as if about to collapse.
If A'Lin, hidden in the tree, fell into the snow, the Brown Mountain Bear would tear his chest open with a single swipe.
A'Lin was the younger brother of A'Sen, the team leader.
Seeing his brother in danger, A'Sen, buried in the snow, couldn't bear to watch him be devoured. With a furious roar, he burst from his hiding place.
"Everyone stay still! I'll draw them away!" he shouted.
As the team leader, he had to take the greatest risk.
A'Sen waved his arms at the Brown Mountain Bears, then forced his trembling legs into motion, sprinting in the opposite direction.
If he was lucky, he could lure the bear away and save the other orcs. If not... sacrificing his life to protect his tribe wouldn't be so bad either.
The bear cub was still digging out sweet tree sap, while its parents had already chased after A'Sen.
As the cub ate, it sensed something amiss. It stepped on Mao Mao's foot, causing the little orc to grunt in muffled pain. The cub suddenly lashed out with a paw.
Despite its small size, bear cubs inherited their parents' fierce and domineering nature. Even adult wild beasts rarely dared to provoke them.
The cub's claws barely missed Mao Mao's dodging body. Mao Mao limped away, his leg bleeding. The cub pursued, but as it prepared to strike again, the trees in the desolate forest began to sway violently. Thick vines erupted from the ground, twisting into several strands that coiled around the cub's body.
Huo Duo'er emerged first, using his ability to manipulate the surrounding plants. The vines formed a massive cage, with more tendrils rising from the earth to bind the cub's limbs. The thick, living prison completely enveloped the cub.
Mao Mao clutched his bleeding leg and exclaimed, "Incredible!"
The bear cub howled incessantly, its cries sure to draw its parents back soon.
Huo Duo'er calmly commanded, "All of you go save A'Sen. I'll hold it off here. Once you've rescued him, leave this forest immediately."
This wilderness was likely Brown Mountain Bear territory, and they needed to escape as quickly as possible.
The orcs hastily hoisted Mao Mao onto their shoulders, circled around to a side path, and hurried in the direction A'Sen had fled.
A'Sen's hand had been clawed, leaving trails of blood in the snow, making him easy to track.
Meanwhile, two adult Brown Mountain Bears, hearing their cub's cries for help, charged through the snowy forest, kicking up a flurry of snow as they raced to rescue their young.
The thunderous noise allowed Huo Duo'er to accurately gauge the bears' distance. Before they could arrive, he swiftly retreated, weaving through the dense snow-laden trees toward A'Sen's location.
A'Lin and two orcs stood at the cliff's edge, while the others dared not approach, fearing the ground might crumble and send A'Sen plummeting.
A'Sen, wounded and on the verge of being caught by the bears, had reached this limit. Faced with the choice between being devoured by the bears or falling to his death, he chose the latter.
He leaped off the cliff, and at the last moment, managed to grab onto a tree root clinging to the edge. Now dangling precariously, some distance below the cliff's rim, the orcs tried to pull him up with a rope, but it was too short.
A'Lin rushed forward, his eyes red-rimmed, as Huo Duo'er approached. "Mountain God, you possess the Mountain God's Power! I beg you, save my brother!"
Huo Duo'er nodded slightly.
The Mountain God's Power could be used wherever plants grew, and the cliffs were covered in clusters of trees. Huo Duo'er activated his ability, the tattoo-like totem on his arm glowing a deeper color. Countless vines and tree roots surged from the cliff face, coiling around A'Sen.
The Giant Tribe was naturally blessed with divine strength. Huo Duo'er controlled the roots with his left hand, single-handedly pulling A'Sen up from halfway down the cliff.
A'Sen spat out a mouthful of blood as the other orcs gathered around him.
He grinned weakly. "N-not dead yet."
He glanced at Huo Duo'er again.
Despite Huo Duo'er's immense power, he had remained silent as a shadow throughout their journey, following A'Sen's commands without looking down on them.
A'Sen felt a pang of discomfort. "I'm injured and can't lead you anymore. From now on, follow Huo Duo'er's orders. Any objections?"
The male orcs exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
A flurry of snowflakes swirled, burying their footprints as they moved on.
Yu Bai gazed at the snow falling outside and quickly lowered the bark curtain.
He hadn't been sleeping well these past few days, waking up early each morning.
The weather was too cold to venture outside. After finishing weaving the hemp cloth, he grabbed a stone from the corner and began hammering the muddy ground beneath his feet, compacting the soil.
Orcs had never considered compacting the ground. Even a light rain could turn the earth into a muddy, impassable mess.
Yu Bai sat on his low stool, hammering the ground, when he heard A'Chang calling him from outside.
A'Chang was carrying two stone jars of water, specifically for Yu Bai.
The path was icy, and Yu Bai's frail constitution made it dangerous for him to fetch water himself. Huo Duo'er had instructed A'Chang to help Yu Bai with this task, so A'Chang came every day.
Yu Bai opened the door. A'Li, who had come to deliver the water, caught a whiff of the stew simmering in the clay pot. He swallowed hard and placed the jars in their designated spot.
He paused, stomped his foot on the ground, and then hopped up and down.
"Bai, this ground feels much better than usual!"
Yu Bai explained, "I compacted it with stones. It should be easier to walk on now."
A'Chang stared in disbelief. "You can do that?!"
He looked at Yu Bai for a long moment, speechless.
"What's wrong?" Yu Bai asked.
A'Chang stammered, "Bai, I think you're a kind and generous orc."
At least you're much better than the High Priest.
The High Priest couldn't come up with so many clever solutions, and he always demanded exorbitant amounts of grain and cloth when treating orcs.
A'Chang continued, "I won't tell the chief about this. If other orc tribes traded for the things you know, the chief would have to give away so much. But the chief..."
Even after working closely with the chief for years, A'Chang couldn't help but wonder if the chief was being unfair.
The chief had shown no particular interest in Yu Bai, only instructing A'Chang to keep an eye on him and prevent the priests from bullying him. A'Chang couldn't fathom what the chief was thinking.
Yu Bai blushed at the praise. "It's nothing much," he said shyly. "I just want to live peacefully with Huo Duo'er. I haven't thought about anything beyond that."
He asked, "When will Huo Duo'er and the others return?"
"I'm not sure," A'Chang replied. "At least ten days, maybe longer."
Yu Bai's disappointment was palpable. Forcing himself to cheer up, he handed A'Chang the partially woven piece of linen. "Take this to the chief."
The next day, the chief arrived with A'Chang, each carrying a large slab of meat.
Yu Bai welcomed them inside.
"Bai, this linen you made..." The chief paused, holding the fabric, and stared at the object on Yu Bai's head.
Yu Bai was wearing a gray fur hat that completely covered his head, with fluffy earflaps hanging down. It looked very warm.
"What is this?"
Yu Bai touched the hat. "Oh... it's a warm hat."
The chief noticed the floor felt different underfoot than usual. He glanced around at the neatly arranged pots, bowls, and basins. A fragrant aroma wafted from the earthenware pot, hinting at something cooking inside.
Upon closer inspection, he realized Yu Bai's animal-hide robe was also different from theirs, appearing more tightly sealed and windproof.
Even this warm hat was something he had never seen before.
The chief suspected Yu Bai might be a priest from another tribe, but what tribe would have such a young and frail priest?
"Bai, could you... teach us what you know? I'll give you meat, cloth, anything you want. As long as the tribe can afford it, you can have it."
Yu Bai swallowed the words that had almost escaped his lips.
He wasn't good at conversation, but he remembered Huo Duo'er's warnings and A'Chang's advice.
Adopting a frail and honest demeanor, he staggered sideways and collapsed into a seated position.
The chief hadn't expected him to fall so abruptly. Yu Bai's thin frame and small stature made the fall appear natural, revealing no deception.
Yu Bai buried his face, his eyelashes trembling. "C-Chief, I don't feel well. My head is dizzy. May I rest for a few days?"
In a few days, Huo Duo'er might return, and he won't have to deal with this.
After finally seeing the chief off, Yu Bai covered his burning cheeks, flushed from lying. He felt a pang of guilt and a sudden longing for Huo Duo'er.
If he looked as cold and aloof as Huo Duo'er, he wouldn't have to feign illness out of guilt.
Huo Duo'er had told him not to reveal everything to others, and Yu Bai had taken those words to heart.
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