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Xiu and Jiu Fe were not around, and maintaining order was usually their responsibility. But now it was rest time, and the orcs had dispersed. Several leaders happened to be absent, and Yu Bai, as the priest, couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
He asked the orc, "What's your name?"
The orc who cut in line: "...A’Ro."
Yu Bai nodded.
"Do you know the tribe's rules?"
He hesitated and nodded.
Any orc tribe joining the Fantasy tribe must know the rules on the first day. Leader Xiu had said that they had to recite them in front of him.
Yu Bai: "Since you know, why did you cut in line?"
He gestured for the gray rat orc to step forward: "Return to your original position."
With the priest's support, the gray rat orc mustered the courage to stand back in his place.
A’Ro: "..."
A’Ro was a wandering orc who had joined the tribe two months ago. Such orcs, capable of surviving alone in the wild, naturally had some skills.
But no matter how skilled, they could only fight alone, and if luck wasn't on their side, they might not make it one day.
Hearing that the Fantasy tribe was recruiting orcs, A’Ro gritted his teeth and joined before autumn, the time when wild beasts were most active in foraging.
Initially, he joined with a trial mentality, but after two months, he found that this tribe was very capable and didn't discriminate against any orc tribe. He had come to the right place!
A’Ro had managed to secure food and clothing for himself through his own efforts in the tribe, and his already somewhat confident mindset gradually turned into arrogance.
With the sudden influx of orcs these past few days, there were more mouths to feed. Would the food be enough to go around?
Deep down, A’Ro looked down on the orc races that lacked strength and only consumed without contributing. In his eyes, the Gray Mouse tribe was one such useless group.
What kind of work could the Gray Mouse tribe, so small and weak, possibly do?
A’Ro spoke bluntly and even retorted on the spot: "Priest, am I not correct?"
He continued, "There are quite a few of these Gray Mouse orcs. They can't handle heavy labor, they can't hunt, and they can't build houses. Based on their contributions, they should either eat less or not at all."
The Mountain Lynx orc nearby hesitated to speak, but Yu Bai interjected, "Is that what you think? Just because the Gray Mouse orcs are naturally small, you consider them worthless?"
A’Ro replied, "...That's right, Priest. Even if we assign them to gathering, there are too many of them. If every orc who is weak goes gathering, does that mean I can feign illness someday and do some light chores to get by?"
The Gray Mouse orcs flushed with anger, "We, we haven't—"
Yu Bai glanced around, "Besides A’Ro, does anyone else think the same way?"
The Mountain Lynx orc spoke up first, "Priest Bai, we believe the Gray Mouse orcs are not at fault!"
Yu Bai nodded slightly, "It seems quite a few people share A’Ro thoughts."
After all, with over five hundred newcomers suddenly joining, it was no simple task for the fourteen hundred orcs to get along in such a short time. He called out A’Ro and also selected a dozen other male orcs who shared A’Ro views to step forward.
Among the named male orcs were a few from the Yuan Clan, who stammered, "Priest..."
Yu Bai reassured them, "I'm not here to trouble you, nor will I drive you away."
He walked over to Mo Lan, a shell orc who was watching the commotion nearby, and touched the shell in his hand, "Little priest, Mo Lan, I need your help with something."
Mo Lan, puzzled, obediently lowered his head.
Yu Bai stood on his tiptoes and whispered into Mo Lan's ear, and the Little priest also heard clearly.
"Is that okay?"
Mo Lan replied, "It's not a difficult task."
"Ying ying~"
"Alright~"
The Little priest had been enjoying plenty of delicious food in the tribe these past few days, and in his good mood, he was even more eager to join in the excitement.
Yu Bai smiled and looked at the surrounding Gray Mouse orcs, "You all come over here as well."
Meanwhile, the orcs followed Yu Bai's instructions and gathered in a forest to the west. Upon receiving the news, Huo Duo'er and several other leaders arrived one after another.
The appearance of the chief and the leaders immediately lowered the atmosphere. A’Ro, who had spoken first, grew uneasy.
Huo Duo'er approached Yu Bai from behind, "Bai, has someone upset you?"
Yu Bai shook his head and said, "Since I started this, please don't intervene."
He was afraid that Huo Duo'er might directly drive them away, which was not his intention.
Ze, with a smile on his lips, and Man, perched on a large rock, were eager to see how things would unfold. Even the usually composed Xiu and Jiu Fe paused, seemingly very interested in what Yu Bai would do.
In the past, conflicts within the tribe were resolved by them. The Priest had always been gentle and had an excellent temper, so the leaders were curious about how he would handle this situation.
As for people like A’Lin and Mao Mao, it was rare to see the Priest like this, and they were almost openly cheering him on, ready to be the cheer squad.
If the priest wanted to hit someone, they would all be the ones to hand him the stick, ready to strike wherever he pointed!
Yu Bai felt a bit embarrassed under their gaze and turned his eyes away. At this moment, bathed in the setting sun, his cheeks were tinged with a holy and soft glow.
A wisp of white mist began to rise from the small grove, and Huo Duo'er's heart stirred slightly: "Salt mist?"
"Exactly," Yu Bai addressed A’Ro and a dozen or so defiant orcs, "Among you, whoever can stay in that grove for more than a quarter of an hour will receive five scoops of salt."
He added, "You can use external aids, as long as you can stand inside safely, the longer the better."
He had asked the shell tribe for help to temporarily create this salt mist.
The mist before them was not as potent as the misty forest in the Water God's domain, but ordinary orcs without protective masks would find it no easy task to remain unharmed within the mist.
"Salt?" The orcs who were watching exclaimed in surprise, "The priest has indeed found salt!"
The news of bringing salt back from the Water God's domain hadn't spread yet. Hearing Yu Bai's words, they cheered with joy, some even prostrating themselves, shouting praises to the priest and blessings from the Orc God.
A’Ro: "What's so difficult about this?"
He walked directly into the grove. A dozen orcs looked at each other and followed suit.
Five minutes later, more than half of the orcs couldn't hold on and left the misty grove early. They coughed, clutching their chests, dizzy and short of breath.
Yu Bai had the onlookers disperse to allow them to breathe in more fresh air.
"The salt mist isn't very concentrated. Sit and rest for a while, and you'll recover."
Two more minutes passed, and several other orcs from the Yuan clan staggered out.
Their faces were flushed, and they leaned on their knees, bending over to take deep breaths, their vision blurring, almost collapsing.
Da He was puzzled: "What exactly is in the mist of the grove? Why is it so potent?"
Seeing even the strong male orcs couldn't withstand it, the surrounding discussions grew louder.
Another two minutes passed, and A’Ro figure appeared.
He was the last orc to leave the grove, having endured until now through physical strength and willpower. Leaning on a tree trunk, he vomited violently.
Lian and Jiang spoke in unison: "It hasn't been fifteen minutes yet."
A’Ro stared at the mist, his breath ragged: "Priest, this is..."
Yu Bai remained silent, his gaze falling on the direction of the Gray mouse tribe: "You come forward."
The Gray mouse orcs who were cut in line stepped forward, along with Chang Sheng and A'Di, who also stepped up.
Chang Sheng had guessed priest Bai’s intentions when he saw the salt mist appear, so he and A'Di ran back to the rest shed to fetch protective masks.
Mian was curious: "What are they wearing?"
She was one of the earliest to learn medical care from Yu Bai and usually wore a mask when nursing patients, but the masks the Gray mouse orcs wore were somewhat different.
The Gray mouse orcs with masks approached the grove. Time passed—fifteen minutes, half an hour...
Until the sun was about to set, all the Gray mouse orcs who had entered the grove walked out hand in hand, not appearing disheveled, looking completely normal.
Not to mention the onlookers, even the leaders were curious.
Man: "What's going on here?"
He knew the Yuan clan orcs who had entered the grove; they usually went out with the hunting team, strong and experienced in combat. How could the weak and small Gray mouse clan remain unharmed?
Xiu and Ze spoke up: "It must be related to the masks they're wearing."
The contest lasted nearly an hour. Huo Duo'er pulled Yu Bai onto his lap to sit securely and even fed him some dried fruit he carried with him.
Yu Bai handed the dried fruit back to Huo Duo'er, then jumped down from his lap, stood up straight, and explained gently, "Without the help of the Gray mouse Clan, we would never have been able to find the Water God's domain or the salt."
"The Gray mouse Clan may not be physically strong or powerful, but they are skilled at discovery and thinking, possessing a rich creative ability."
"The tribe has long said that one's value cannot be judged by appearance or age. Even if someone is old and weak, as long as they have contributed, the tribe will not abandon them. As fellow tribesmen, we must not bully them either."
A’Ro: "..."
The Gray mouse tribe, affirmed by Yu Bai, huddled together, trembling with excitement.
Chang Sheng and A’Di thought: How wonderful! The priest has acknowledged them in front of so many strong orcs. How wonderful!
The Gray mouse elder was so overjoyed that tears streamed down his aged face.
Fresh and unknown things are, in the tribe, akin to a form of inheritance.
The group of skeptical orcs fell silent, and the Mountain Lynx Clan suddenly stepped forward.
"Priest Bai, Chief, although the Gray mouse tribe isn't very strong, they can still build houses!"
The Mountain Lynx Clan had developed their talent in the tribe which was—building houses. Most of the orcs who initially followed Huo Duo'er in constructing houses were assigned to Man and Ze, who led them on hunting expeditions.
However, the Mountain Lynx orcs were only skilled in above-ground construction. When it came to underground work, such as digging drainage ditches or river channels, they found it a bit challenging.
But two days ago, the Gray mouse orcs, having finished their rest, volunteered to help. To avoid danger, they had lived underground for years and were highly skilled at tunneling. With the guidance and teaching of the Mountain Lynx tribe, they gradually began to cooperate and take on construction tasks.
With over five hundred orcs joining the tribe, the demand for manpower was increasing daily. The assistance of the Gray mouse orcs saved the Mountain Lynx tribe a lot of effort.
After listening to the words of the mountain lynx tribe, the voices of doubt gradually weakened and eventually fell completely silent.
A’Ro: "...I was wrong..."
As dusk approached, Huo Duo'er scooped up Yu Bai into his arms and signaled to Xiu: "I'll leave this to you."
The current atmosphere needed to be eased, and Xiu was the most skilled at such tasks.
Xiu nodded slightly. Yu Bai, resting on Huo Duo'er's shoulder, caught sight of Mo Lan speaking a few words to Xiu. The shell in his hand, also known as Little priest, emitted a soft, soothing sound that carried a comforting and uplifting power.
"Bai," Huo Duo'er said, holding Yu Bai's basket in one hand and lifting him with the other, "you did well."
Yu Bai smiled, his eyes reflecting a newfound determination.
"This is our new home, so I can't just rely on you to protect it. I should also do my part."
As the chief, Huo Duo'er bore the responsibility of protection, and the orcs both respected and feared him.
As the priest, Yu Bai believed that most orcs were willing to listen to him in matters of spirit and mind. He thought he should make good use of this advantage and work together with Huo Duo'er to safeguard their new home.
His mother was being cared for in the other world, so he could rest easy. Now, he needed to protect everything he cared about in this world.
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