| GB | Be Alone with Each Other | 66
Dozens of eyes were fixed on them, and Yu Bai's face instantly flushed red, the tips of his ears peeking out from his hair like they had been brushed with rouge.
Huo Duo'er's large hands slipped under Yu Bai's armpits, and Yu Bai kicked his dangling legs, using his fingertips to scratch the other's forearm.
"Put me down..."
The orcs had never seen a sub-female like Yu Bai so shy, nor had they seen Big Huo in such a state, so they couldn't help but cheer and call out a few times.
The continuous cheering caused the birds and beasts wandering nearby to scatter. The giant tribe, known for their rugged and straightforward nature, only slightly restrained themselves after Huo Duo'er shot them a glance.
"It's getting late. First, scout the surroundings thoroughly and leave a mark. We'll head down the mountain in an hour."
Now, the Yuan tribe no longer used the concept of "a few bowls of rice" to measure time but instead followed the 24-hour system planned by Yu Bai.
Time was pressing. Mao Mao, following Huo Duo'er's instructions, led a small team along with another male orc to explore the mountaintop.
Yu Bai and Huo Duo'er took a nearby route, with Man and two leaders from the giant tribe following them.
The ground beneath their feet made a squeaking sound. The salt content was so high that not only was the area barren, but there were also few traces of any living creatures.
The salt flats glistened under the sun, making it hard to look directly down. They walked slowly, occasionally glancing into the distance.
Yu Bai stopped in front of a hole about fifty centimeters wide. It seemed to be the only place on the entire salt flat that held water.
Man swallowed hard, "There's water here?"
As he spoke, he bent his robust body, cupped a handful of water, and brought it to his mouth.
After just one sip, he spat it all out and tried to clear his throat.
One of the giants named, Xiu laughed and asked, "Man, what's wrong?"
Man shook his head with a bitter expression, "Big Huo, Xiu, this water is so salty. I can’t drink it at all.”
Not long after, Mao Mao and the other scouting team returned. They gathered at the original spot to report on the surrounding situation.
Apart from the salt flat in front of them, there were no signs of any living creatures at the top of the Mountain, nor any marks left by other orc tribes.
The value of this salt flat was self-evident. All the orcs knew its worth. If any other orc tribe had discovered it, they would not have let it go and would have marked it as their own.
If word spread among the major tribes, it could very well spark a conflict.
At this moment, whether it was the giants or the Yuan tribe warriors, it was impossible for them not to covet the entire salt flat.
But nearly a hundred orcs remained motionless, all silently turning their gaze to Huo Duo'er, seemingly waiting for his decision.
Mao Mao asked, "Leader, what should we do?"
Man was more direct, "Big Huo, who can defeat us? Let's just take this place."
The Yuan tribe warriors began to stir.
When they arrived, the male orcs from both sides were still chatting and laughing. Now, faced with this treasure, other thoughts emerged, and the atmosphere instantly became tense and delicate.
The balance before them rested entirely on Huo Duo'er.
The Yuan tribe warriors were very worried that Huo Duo'er might side with the giants. If he did, it would be understandable.
But they had followed Huo Duo'er for several years, trained under his command, and had greatly improved both physically and in combat skills.
Under Huo Duo'er's leadership, they had been invincible, and the tribe had already shown signs of surpassing the Brown tribe.
The orc world revered strength, and power spoke for itself.
These warriors were among the best in the Yuan tribe, and they deeply admired Huo Duo'er's strength, even recognizing him as their leader.
If Huo Duo'er were to abandon them...
Mao Mao's gaze was filled with conflict and pleading: "Leader..."
Man and Xiu, along with other male orcs, were quite confident in themselves. They believed that Big Huo would side with them, and they even felt a bit of gloating towards the Yuan tribe warriors.
Yu Bai was also waiting for Huo Duo'er to make a decision.
In truth, his mind was in turmoil.
Three years had passed, and the tribesmen Huo Duo'er had been waiting for had finally found him. Would he leave with them?
Or would he choose to stay?
Whether he stayed or left, Yu Bai's selfishness and reason told him that he would follow Huo Duo'er.
But... even though he thought that way, he still felt a sense of reluctance in his heart.
Having lived in the Yuan tribe for three years, there was the old sub-female orc who had saved his life without hesitation and had never abandoned him.
There was also the A’Li family, who had reached out to him with kindness despite the disdain from many other orcs.
Later, many orcs had also appeared, engaging with him openly and honestly.
He had built a warm little home with Huo Duo'er in the tribe. Over the years, the home had been well-maintained, with many facilities and furniture completed.
He longed for a stable and peaceful life.
A life without waves or changes might seem boring and stifling to others, but Yu Bai loved this unchanging existence.
Now, the discovery of the salt land had disrupted this delicate balance.
He knew the value of salt; no one could see it without wanting to possess it.
With the unique salt, they would have an important bargaining chip to subdue other orc tribes, even to unify all the orc tribes.
What would Huo Duo'er do?
—
Huo Duo'er's silver-gray orc eyes scanned between the group and the Yuan tribe warriors, finally resting on his mate, who was quietly watching him.
He ordered, "Mark the land. Each orc should dig a few pieces of salt to carry with them. We'll make adjustments after we return."
The male orcs were large and strong, and digging a few pieces of salt was like carrying a few large bricks. Eighty orcs could bring back a significant amount.
As for this place, they weren't worried about other orcs discovering it.
It was nearly the end of autumn, and many orc tribes were taking advantage of the short season to hunt and store food.
The journey to the top of the Western Mountain was long, and the number of wild beasts encountered along the way was countless. Without a sufficient number of strong warriors to escort them, it would be difficult to reach the summit.
Even the most foolish orcs wouldn't choose to climb the mountain at this time.
After digging the salt blocks and marking the area, Huo Duo'er gathered the team, picked up Yu Bai, and led the way.
Seeing this, Man and Xiu followed, while Mao Mao and two other orcs walked up from behind.
The round trip took nearly eighteen days. When the grand procession returned to the Yuan tribe, the surroundings were shrouded in a hazy gray, and the biting wind stung their cheeks, carrying a hint of the approaching winter.
Before they even fully entered the Yuan tribe's territory, Man, Xiu, and other giant orcs spotted something that looked like a mountain but wasn't.
"Huo Da, what is that?"
Yu Bai looked at the towering wall and softly explained, "It's a city wall, the first checkpoint to enter the territory. The gate is guarded by orcs on rotation every day, and there are watchtowers on both sides."
Man was puzzled.
He harbored some curiosity and a good impression of Yu Bai, the young sub-female orc, but these feelings stemmed from their connection to Big Huo.
At this moment, he was asking Big Huo, so why did the young sub-female orc interrupt?
No matter how much he was doted on, the young sub-female shouldn’t have interrupted his conversation with Big Huo. Could the other party even understand what they were discussing?
Huo Duo'er glanced at Man indifferently: "The idea of building the city wall was proposed by Bai."
Man was stunned for a moment, his eyes widening in disbelief as his gaze fell on Yu Bai. The tattoos on his face became more vivid and fierce due to his expression.
He asked in astonishment: "Was it all your idea?"
Yu Bai tightened his arms around Huo Duo'er’s neck and nodded gently.
Even Xiu, who was usually calm and composed, was surprised. However, unlike Man, who was stubborn, Xiu thought for a moment and connected the dots with Yu Bai’s previous recognition of things they didn’t understand, such as salt, and the unprecedented city wall before them…
His gaze towards Yu Bai gradually changed, becoming more serious.
"Big Huo, is your orc mate, Bai, perhaps a priest of the Yuan tribe?"
Huo Duo'er: "Bai is not a priest."
Xiu breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the next moment, he was shocked by Huo Duo'er’s words.
"Bai is more important than a priest. He is a blessing from the God of Orcs to us."
Upon hearing this, Man and Xiu immediately realized that Yu Bai was no ordinary submissive orc and likely held an extraordinary position within the Yuan tribe.
In the years they had been away from the tribe, they had encountered many orcs from other tribes. Female orcs and sub-female orcs always needed the protection of male orcs and held a relatively weak status.
But Yu Bai had overturned their understanding. Since when had sub-females orcs become so formidable?
Man stammered: "Big Huo, how… how did you manage to find such an impressive sub-female orc?"
Xiu thought to himself: If Yu Bai had no abilities, it would be hard for Big Huo to take a liking to him.
They didn’t know that the weaker and more pitiful Yu Bai appeared, the more Huo Duo'er felt compelled to protect him.
As they entered the gates of the Yuan tribe’s territory, Huo Duo'er dropped a bombshell: "Bai saved my life during the beast tide three years ago. If it weren’t for Bai, there would be no me today."
"My life belongs to Bai. If you still acknowledge me, you should know how to treat Bai in your hearts."
Huo Duo'er made his stance clear, leaving Man and Xiu speechless, they stood in place for a long time without recovering.
Their Big Huo was the giant tribe’s most favored by the mountain god. In the entire orc continent, there would likely never be another orc as powerful as Big Huo.
Yet Big Huo had entrusted his life to Yu Bai. Although the other party had some abilities, still…
Xiu: "Man, do you… feel that Big Huo is somewhat different from before?"
Man rubbed his face: "More than just different…"
Three years ago, Big Huo left the tribe to bring back the fleeing members. Back then, no matter how the tribe members argued, pleaded, or resisted, Huo Duo'er’s expression never changed.
He was the most adherent to the tribe’s rules. If it weren’t for the significant beast tide they encountered last time, the group led by A’Yue probably wouldn’t have wanted to reunite with Big Huo so soon.
But no matter what, three years ago, Big Huo fought desperately against the beast tide to give the tribe a chance to survive. Even though they feared being brought back, they were more worried about Big Huo losing his life to the beast tide.
Internal conflicts within the tribe could be dealt with however they wanted, but with only twenty-eight giants left, they didn’t want to see even one more of their kind disappear from this world.
—
With a bold and carefree demeanor, Huo Duo'er led a group of tribesmen into the inner city of the Yuan Tribe. Regardless of whether they were native orcs or not, their presence was so commanding that they moved through the foreign tribe as if it were their own—comfortable and unrestrained.
On the asphalt-paved path, a group of female orcs who had been working quickly hid inside their homes, staring wide-eyed at the unexpected arrival of the giants…
So many giants! Had the Yuan Tribe been overrun?
The chief, upon hearing that Huo Duo'er had brought a large group of giants back to the tribe, rushed out in a panic, nearly losing one of his hemp sandals in the process.
When the orcs and the chief who remained in the tribe looked up and saw the giants filling the road—dark, towering, and exuding an intimidating aura—everyone was stunned.
“Hu… Huo…” The chief stammered.
Huo Duo'er spoke up, “They’re all our own people. We’ve brought back something very important from this journey. Let all the warriors rest first, and please, Chief, take good care of my tribesmen. I’ll head to the council hall later.”
After the long journey, even the strong and robust orcs were exhausted and in desperate need of replenishing their strength and energy, not to mention the orc companions they carried in their arms.
Huo Duo'er was determined to take Yu Bai back home to rest. After delivering his message, he quickly left, carrying his drowsy mate.
As soon as they entered the tribe, the energy Yu Bai had been forcing himself to maintain throughout the journey drained away completely. Just the short walk into the city left him utterly spent, his eyelids too heavy to lift.
“Bai, we’re home,” Huo Duo'er said softly.
Yu Bai mumbled a vague response. As they walked through the courtyard gate, the excited howl of the little wolf sounded muffled, as if through a layer of film. Yu Bai wanted to respond but lacked the strength.
Huo Duo'er scolded the wolf, and it immediately tucked its tail and fell silent.
Without doing anything else, Huo Duo'er set down all their belongings and simply carried Yu Bai to the bed.
No matter what was happening outside today, he only wanted to stay by his mate side.
At this moment, Huo Duo'er didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone. He just wanted to be alone with Yu Bai, just the two of them.
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