| GB | I Will Protect You | 143 | Ex. 19
In the autumn of the fifth year since the establishment of Fantasy tribe, an unsettling event occurred.
It was the busiest time of the year for the orcs, during the autumn harvest, when the tribe welcomed friends from the Water God's domain.
Among the group from the Shell tribe were two of the most esteemed elders, accompanied by high-ranking disciples, including Moran, who had maintained good relations with the Fantasy tribe over the past few years.
Since Mo Lan first escorted the tribe’s priest to the Fantasy tribe, he had been in charge of trade with the land. However, this time he was not ashore to conduct trade but brought in injured tribe members, carried along was the dwelling shell.
The news was immediately delivered to Huo Duo'er. Yu Jialai glanced at the figures of a large and a small one circling the vegetable patch in the yard, frowned slightly, and was noticed by Yu Bai.
Yu Bai patted Jialai's shoulder, letting the little wolf and Jinjin accompany him, then walked up to Huo Duo'er, took his hand, and led him inside.
"What happened?" Yu Bai's expression was not good.
Huo Duo'er said gravely, "Bai, the Shell Clan has arrived. I need to go to the council hall to see."
Yu Bai nodded slightly, "I'll wait for you."
The autumn sunset painted half the sky red, changing the color of the entire tribe.
This wait lasted until evening with no news.
Even during the busiest times, Huo Duo'er would return by this hour at the latest.
Little Jialai also gazed at the gate, seemingly pondering something.
At three years old, Jialai had grown to the height of Yu Bai's thigh.
Yu Jialai ran over and took his father's hand, saying crisply, "Father, I'll go with you to find Big Father."
Yu Bai hummed softly and took Jialai out.
Seeing the two-legged creatures going out, the little wolf howled and called Jinjin to go hunting in the mountains for food.
Outside the council hall, the orc warrior on guard saw them and hesitated slightly.
Yu Bai hurriedly asked, "What's going on inside?"
The warrior hesitated for a moment before replying, "Priest Bai, the Shell tribe orcs have arrived, and some of them are severely injured."
Yu Bai was surprised and was about to step inside when he thought better of it. He bent down and touched the young cub's head, saying, "Jialai, go play for a while. I'll come with Big Father to pick you up later."
Yu Jialai obediently replied, "Okay."
Yu Bai breathed a sigh of relief and turned to enter.
He was worried that the scene inside might be too bloody for Jialai to see, so he sent the child off to play.
Inside, Mian and other orcs responsible for medical care had already arrived, holding medical kits to re-dress and bandage the injured Shell tribe orcs leaning in chairs.
Huo Duo'er immediately spotted the familiar figure and called out gravely, "Bai."
All the orcs turned and greeted in unison, "Priest Bai."
Yu Bai approached and, among the high-ranking disciples of the Shell tribe, noticed the severely injured Mo Lan, exclaiming in surprise.
"What exactly happened?"
He bent down to examine Mo Lan’s wounds.
Mo Lan had wounds on his arm and abdomen, deep enough to see the bone, and there were already signs of infection.
Seeing Yu Bai personally attending to the wounds, Huo Duo'er waited by his side without interference.
Mo Lan was exquisitely beautiful, even among the Shell tribe, his looks were ranked high. Usually, he carried an air of aloofness, but now he was biting his lip hard, his waist-length hair, usually smooth as silk, was disheveled and messy, his face extremely pale, devoid of any color.
Only when the pain became unbearable did he let out a muffled groan.
The elders of the Shell tribe gathered around and urgently spoke, "Priest Bai, please save our tribesmen. Our chief has promised that as long as you can bring them back, the Shell tribe will agree to any trade in the future."
Yu Bai felt Mo Lan's weak pulse and instructed the medical disciples beside him to fetch two ginseng roots from the medicine storage. Ginseng was a rare herb, and the tribe had very little in stock.
The orc disciple hesitated, but Yu Bai added, "Do as I say. Mo Lan has known us for several years and is considered a friend of the tribe."
Mian wiped the bloodstains from her hands and said, "I'll go get it."
By the time they finished treating the horrifying, festering wounds of the Shell tribe orcs, it was already dark. Yu Bai and Mian were drenched in sweat from exhaustion, but during the process, they finally understood what had happened.
This spring, the tranquility of the Water God's domain had been completely shattered. For unknown reasons, a large group of sea monsters emerged from the black waters. These creatures were pitch black, with several tentacles, each tipped with sharp claws. Not only that, their blood and the fluids they sprayed were highly corrosive. They swam swiftly through the water, displaying a cruel nature, and upon entering the Water God's domain, they began indiscriminately killing.
The Shell tribe united with other aquatic orcs to resist, repelling the sea monsters' attacks four times. However, the number of sea monsters remained unknown, and it was only clear that they came from the black waters. These few encounters had already caused significant suffering to the orcs living in the water, and Mo Lan was injured during the last defense.
No matter what medicine they used, the wounds of several Shell tribe warriors showed no signs of improvement. Fearing that further delay would cost them their lives, the Shell tribe chief immediately ordered the elders to bring the injured disciples to Fantasy tribe, hoping that Yu Bai could heal their wounds.
Xiu frowned and said, "It sounds like these sea monsters are somewhat similar to the beast tides on land."
Mo Lan, half-unconscious, struggled to open his eyes. In his blurred vision, he met Xiu's gaze. He seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent. His eyelashes fluttered as he completely lost consciousness.
Xiu furrowed his brow and took a few steps forward. Yu Bai also noticed Mo Lan's condition. He explained to the elder, "Mo Lan's injuries have worsened, and he has lost too much blood, leaving his body extremely weak. Fortunately, his strong constitution allowed the ginseng to barely sustain him. He has now fallen into a deep sleep."
The elder nodded repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Priest Bai."
The purpose of the Shell tribe’s journey was twofold: first, to seek Yu Bai's help in treating their severely injured disciples, and second, to request assistance from Fantasy tribe and other land-dwelling orc tribes. If the sea monsters were indeed similar to the beast tides, and if they breached the final defenses of the aquatic orcs, their next target might very well be the orcs on land.
The elder took a deep breath and said, "Currently, the sea monsters have not come ashore. Although we don't yet know if they can move on land, still..."
Huo Duo'er interjected, "I understand."
The orc world had never been completely peaceful; fortune and misfortune comes and goes. Ever since the beast tides on land disappeared five years ago during that great calamity, sea monsters had begun emerging from the waters.
Even the orcs of various tribes who had lived in the Water God's domain for years couldn't stop them. If the sea beasts breached the Water God's domain, the next step would likely be a surge towards the land.
The elder bowed and said, "There are ten days until the next full moon. On the night of the full moon, the sea beasts will appear again."
Huo Duo'er lowered his eyes: "By tomorrow afternoon at the latest, I will give you the news."
The elder bowed deeply: "Thank you."
Leaving the council hall, the moonlight was like water, illuminating the tribe with a soft glow.
Yu Bai's mood was heavy, his thoughts preoccupied with the sea beasts.
After being led a few steps by Huo Duo'er, he suddenly slapped his forehead: "Jialai is still waiting for us."
When the two returned to the courtyard, they found that Jialai had already gone home ahead of them.
The kitchen was lit with a warm glow. A small figure stood on a low stool, Jialai holding a wooden spatula, his little face flushed from the heat as he prepared dinner.
Yu Bai ran into the kitchen: "Jialai—"
Seeing the sweat rolling down his child’s forehead, his heart ached. He immediately carried the little one out to the courtyard.
Yu Bai was about to take over the kitchen work, but Huo Duo'er also led him out.
Yu Jialai's quiet, tender little face was flushed, and he raised a slightly shy smile.
"Father, I'm making dinner for you."
Yu Bai's eyes instantly reddened, his lashes slightly damp.
He pulled the young beast to sit on the swing, kissing the smooth, tender cheek of his child.
Yu Jialai, being kissed, was a bit shy, but he loved it when his father kissed him.
His father had a pleasant scent, no wonder his big father always liked to carry him around whenever he had the chance.
Huo Duo'er prepared the meal, his long arms stretching out to hold both Yu Bai and hid child, not minding the sweat they had rubbed off on him.
Yu Bai suddenly laughed, his eyes still wet.
Huo Duo'er gently kissed his eyelids, while Jialai, too shy to look, stole glances.
The family of three shared a tender moment, then began their meal in the courtyard, enjoying the breeze.
After dinner, Yu Bai and Jialai went to bathe. He took his young cub to the small room on the other side of the living room, and after telling a bedtime story, the little one fell asleep quietly on the pillow.
He half-closed the door, and the little wolf and Jinjin curled up nearby, lazily wagging their tails at him.
Yu Bai walked through the living room and quietly lay down in the bedroom on the other side.
After Huo Duo'er finished washing up, he first went to the small room on the right to check on the young cub, then returned to the bedroom on the left, pulling his mate into his arms.
Yu Bai turned over in the orc's half-naked chest: "Are you going?"
"Yes."
Yu Bai wasn't surprised by this answer.
The orcs tribes born in the wild continent are united when facing beast tides, whether they come from the dark forbidden zone in the north or the sea beasts from the black water domain in the south.
Huo Duo'er kissed Yu Bai's forehead.
"Bai, you stay in the tribe. I'll take some warriors with me and try to return before winter this year."
Yu Bai couldn't fight, so he could only provide as much medicine and necessary supplies as possible for Huo Duo'er and his men to take with them.
—
Facing separation, Yu Bai clung to Huo Duo'er and talked for a long time. In the latter half of the night, he still lay awake, unwilling to rest.
Huo Duo'er, seeing him like this, decisively stripped him clean and began to lead by example.
After just two rounds, Yu Bai was half-exhausted and half-asleep.
Huo Duo'er lingered inside for quite a while.
As dawn approached, he cleaned his mate in his arms and quietly went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
When the sky was fully bright, Jialai woke up.
Huo Duo'er shook his head at him, and the young orc obediently nodded, ate his meal, and took the initiative to practice writing inside the house.
Huo Duo'er needed to gather warriors to prepare for the upcoming journey. Before leaving, he stood at the door, and Jialai understood, stood up, and waved his arm.
"Big Father, I will protect Father well."
This was a promise between father and son.
Huo Duo'er: "Good."
1 Comments
Cute baby
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