| GB | I Will Protect You | 144 | Ex. 20
In recent years, the Shell tribe had changed its long-standing isolation and gradually began trading with the tribes on land.
The most traded item was salt. By controlling salt, almost no orc tribe refused to interact with the Shell tribe.
However, the method of extracting salt from seawater was still known only to some orcs in Yu Bai's tribe and important disciples of the Shell tribe.
Over the years, the two orc tribes had established multiple trading relationships, and their interactions could be described as close.
Before noon, Huo Duo'er finalized the number of people to be sent to support the Shell tribe. Apart from the Fantasy tribe, other tribes were also willing to contribute manpower and resources to help in the Water God's domain, solely for the benefit of salt.
The Shell tribe elder who arrived followed Huo Duo'er back, while the injured disciples stayed in the Fantasy tribe to recuperate.
They were not staying for free; they had brought several boxes of precious underwater products to pay for treatment, food, and lodging.
The orcs of the Fantasy tribe welcomed the generous Shell tribe. A few more mouths to feed were nothing, and having a group of such good-looking orcs around, even if they couldn't do much, was a pleasure to behold.
For this journey, Huo Duo'er personally led a support team from the tribe, arranging for six hundred warriors to go.
Among them were leaders like Man, A’Liao, Ze, and A’Lin, as well as recently promoted deputy leaders like A’Li and A’Luo.
Although the number wasn't large, they were essentially the elite warriors skilled in combat from the tribe.
Meanwhile, Xiu, Jiu Fe, Maomao, and A’sen had to stay behind to guard the tribe. Additionally, it was the busy autumn season, and they needed manpower for work, so they couldn't send all the young and strong warriors away.
After gathering the warriors before noon, Huo Duo'er decided to set out in the afternoon, giving everyone time to prepare the supplies for the journey.
Yu Bai was also preparing things for Huo Duo'er.
In addition to personal items, he also prepared supplies on behalf of the entire tribe, with the most being medicinal materials and medicines. He also arranged for a ten-person medical team to accompany them.
When it was time to leave, Yu Bai held Jialai's hand, with a large and a small orc following at his right foot, to see Huo Duo'er off.
Time was of the essence, and Huo Duo'er planned to lead the warrior team to set off after dusk.
The glow of the sunset spread across the horizon, illuminating the surrounding valleys with a strikingly vivid red.
Although he had already given instructions to Huo Duo'er at the door, facing the separation now, he still couldn't hide his emotions. Letting go of Jialai, he ran a few steps to catch up.
Hearing the commotion, Huo Duo'er let the nearby warriors go ahead and turned around, specifically waiting for his orc mate who was rushing towards him.
He opened his arms to catch the person and leaned down to hold them tightly.
"Bai."
Yu Bai muttered softly, "You promised to come back before winter."
Huo Duo'er: "Mm."
"Don't get hurt."
"Mm, I'll try my best to protect myself."
Now he wasn't alone anymore. He had Bai, Jialai, and the entire tribe behind him. Huo Duo'er cherished the hard-earned present more than anything, so he would value his life more than anyone else.
Yu Bai sniffled, the glow of the sunset making his eyes and brows flush red, his eyelashes damp.
This was the first time he was sending Huo Duo'er off to "battle," and his heart was particularly sour. There were many things he wanted to say, but in the end, he knew he couldn't keep talking, lest he waste time.
"You... you go now, and come back quickly."
As soon as the words fell, his waist, hips, and the back of his neck were suddenly lifted by two strong arms.
Yu Bai held onto Huo Duo'er's shoulders, letting out a soft gasp as his lips were instantly sealed by a probing tongue, their breaths merging together.
The long tongue swept through his mouth, forcefully drawing out every bit of soft, warm saliva, even sucking out sounds.
Whoosh—!
The orcs who had already gathered ahead jumped onto a rock and blew a long whistle, their laughter tinged with a hint of teasing.
Countless pairs of eyes were fixed on them, and Yu Bai's face turned crimson, almost unable to stay in Huo Duo'er's embrace.
But at this moment, he was especially attached to this feeling. Too shy to care, he responded to Huo Duo'er's deep, intense kiss.
When Huo Duo'er finally set him back on the ground, Yu Bai was panting heavily, his legs unsteady.
Huo Duo'er's gaze was bright and intense, fixed on his flushed cheeks. "Wait for me, Bai."
Yu Bai nodded lightly, covering his burning face with his hands, watching the long line of warriors leave the tribe's gates until the last figure disappeared from sight.
He retracted his gaze and looked back. There were still some tribespeople who hadn't left. Jialai was sitting obediently on a wooden stump next to the little wolf.
Yu Bai composed himself. Having kissed Huo Duo'er so passionately in front of Jialai, he now felt too embarrassed to meet the young orc's eyes.
Jialai's eyes were bright. "Father, Big Father will come back safely."
Yu Bai took the young orc's small hand. "Mm, let's go home first. After dinner, I'll tell you a story."
Jialai followed closely in his father's shadow.
—
With Huo Duo'er gone, during dinner, Yu Bai often found himself staring absentmindedly at the empty seat.
With one person missing, the house felt empty and desolate. Just on the first night, Yu Bai felt it was hard to adapt to this change.
Jialai slept in the master bedroom, nestled in Yu Bai's arms.
His gentle voice flowed like water, and the young orc fell asleep in this warm, comforting embrace. But Yu Bai, lightly holding the young orc, closed his eyes for a long time yet couldn't fall asleep.
As the sky turned gray with the first light of dawn, Yu Bai got up.
After preparing breakfast and changing the bandages for the injured senior disciples of the Shell tribe, he took Mian to the gathering area to work.
It was autumn, and the tribe had sent out over six hundred strong warriors. The orcs left behind were busy.
Even though Yu Bai's spirits were low, he had no time to dwell on other things.
It was only after noon that he emerged from the gathering area, carrying a full basket of herbs down the mountain, his body drenched in sweat.
Although Jialai was only three years old, he already knew how to help with chores.
In the morning, he would stay indoors to learn and practice writing characters. After his afternoon nap, he would head to the farming area to help Auntie Da He and Auntie Xiao He with harvesting vegetables.
Yu Bai arrived at the farming area, and the orcs working there noticed him, greeting him cheerfully.
"Priest Bai!"
"Priest Bai is here—"
"Priest, are you here to see Jialai? I saw him over by Da He."
Hearing the commotion, Da He picked up Jialai from the field and carried him to the ridge, along with the items the child had gathered, presenting them all neatly before the Priest.
Jialai's face was flushed from the busy work. His small body was quite sturdy, and after spending nearly the entire afternoon in the fields, he didn’t feel tired at all—instead, he was full of energy.
Yu Bai leaned down and kissed his child's sweaty forehead.
"Jialai, you're amazing."
The young orc clung to his father's leg, feeling both shy and excited.
The Da He and Xiao He sisters gathered around the Priest to chat, reporting on all the major and minor details of the harvest over the past half month.
Da He was meticulous and responsible in her work, and Yu Bai had full confidence in her.
Now, father and son sat on the ridge, enjoying the cool autumn mountain breeze, savoring this brief moment of leisure.
After several days of harvesting, Yu Bai returned to the courtyard at noon on the seventh day.
On the way, he saw two apprentice medics hurrying to the medical clinic in the square. He called them over and asked about the recovery of the orcs from the Bei clan.
The medics said that the shell tribe had mostly recovered, with some already able to eat, sleep, and even walk normally.
As the tribe's priest, Yu Bai felt it was inappropriate to leave the guests unattended for too long while Huo Duo'er was away.
After washing up at home and changing into a clean linen robe, he headed to the tribe's designated ward area.
Most of the shell tribe disciples were indeed awake, though the majority were still resting in bed.
He glanced around and asked, "Where's Mo Lan?"
The shell tribe disciple closest to him replied, "Priest Bai, Mo Lan felt it was too hot today, so he went back to his shell to rest."
Last year, the territory had expanded to include a lake.
The lakebed was the only place that could accommodate the shells of the shell tribe.
Thinking of Mo Lan’s severe injuries that day, Yu Bai felt it was both appropriate and necessary to visit him. So, he made his way toward the lake.
As he approached the lake, before he could get close, he spotted Xiu on the shore.
A massive shell rested by the water's edge, shimmering with a translucent glow under the sunlight. Mo Lan was half-lying inside, occasionally looking up as if speaking to Xiu, who was seated on the shore.
At that moment, Xiu reached out and gently ruffled Mo Lan’s hair a few times.
Yu Bai stopped in his tracks.
He wasn’t dumb. At this point, he understood everything, immediately recognizing the unusual intimacy between Xiu and Mo Lan.
But when had their relationship reached this level?
Yu Bai had a deep impression of the time Mo Lan escorted the tribes priest. Mo Lan was a beautiful and proud orc, holding a relatively high status in the shell tribe. Apart from him, Huo Duo'er, and a few other leaders in the tribe, Mo Lan maintained a rather cold distance from everyone, rarely getting close to others.
He had studied in the tribe for a while, and though he was modest during the learning process, outside of it, he was like a cool, clear stream.
Xiu could be considered Huo Duo'er's right hand, responsible for managing all the major and minor affairs within the tribe.
Xiu's personality was very meticulous. Among the fierce and bold giant orcs, he was the most "gentlemanly." He appeared approachable, but he had his own methods when it came to handling matters. His smile could make people feel at ease, but it could also send chills down their spines, leaning somewhat towards the black-belly type.
Most of the giant orcs had settled down and found their orc mates, but Xiu had remained single all these years.
Who would have thought that Xiu, who was believed to be single, would show gentle gestures towards the proud and aloof Mo Lan.
Recalling the day Mo Lan fell unconscious due to his injuries, Xiu's demeanor revealed unusual signs.
Yu Bai rubbed his chin and did not disturb the two in their private moment.
He turned and headed to the farming area, spotting Jialai in the field and went down to help.
By the late autumn, the busy harvest season had temporarily come to an end.
Yu Bai kept track of the days, hoping that Huo Duo'er would return before winter.
However, before he could wait for the other to come home, the next day, he fell into a deep sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
—
Yu Bai had a fever, and it had been a long time since he had been so seriously ill. He couldn't muster a single ounce of strength.
In his daze, he seemed to hear Jialai crying, the little orc's small hand pressing against his forehead, warm and soft, then cool. After a while, the little hand was withdrawn.
Jialai wrung out a cloth soaked in cold water and placed it on his father's forehead to reduce the fever.
Though he was still young and didn't understand much, seeing his father so ill made his little heart ache.
He had never seen his father like this before, holding back tears, he grasped his father's hand, his voice choked, telling the little wolf to go fetch Aunt Mian.
Not long after, Mian and several old tribal witch doctors hurried over with their medicine boxes, and even Xiu, Jiu Fe, and A’Sen, the leaders, arrived one after another.
A group of orcs gathered around the main room: "How is Bai?"
The old witch doctor was nearly pulled over by Jiu Fe, who was shouting "Ai, ai, ai."
Mian came out of the room and rescued the old witch doctor from Jiu Fe’s grasp.
"Will Bai wake up?!"
"Aunt Mian, how is my father?"
Mian comforted Jialai, saying, "The rest of us will first reduce Bai's fever. He's been busy lately, overworking his body, and though he doesn't say it, he's been worried about Chief Huo, which led to his illness."
Jialai's eyes were red, and all the orcs in the room felt sorry for him.
"Jialai, Bai has the blessing of the Orc God, he will recover soon."
Jiu Fe wanted to go into the room to see Bai several times, but his legs were rooted to the spot.
After all the orcs had dispersed, Mian prepared a meal for Jialai and also brewed the medicine.
Little Jialai had already taken on the demeanor of a small adult, his meticulous and steady style even made Mian secretly marvel.
—
After the weather turned cold, Yu Bai's fever had subsided for a while.
Having been feverish for a week straight, it had almost drained all his strength, and he had visibly lost weight.
His body was still weak, lacking energy, and he often rested quietly in his room.
Just past noon, little Jialai had finished feeding his father the medicinal soup.
He went to a corner of the yard and squatted in the soil.
The vegetable patch, which should have been sparse, was now sprouting with green. Jialai clasped his hands together, earnestly concentrating the power in his hands to accelerate the growth of the medicinal herbs.
One of the herbs needed for his father's recuperation was almost used up, and Aunt Mian had gone to another tribe to exchange for this herb.
Jialai knew there were seeds of this herb in the warehouse.
But now that winter had set in, the mountains were cold and gloomy, and all plants had withered. To grow the herbs, they would have to wait until next spring.
Jialai couldn't wait. In his anxiety, while holding the seeds, he unexpectedly condensed a trace of power.
He looked at the slightly warm "small sprout" totem on his wrist. In just one morning, he had managed to grow the herbs by a significant amount.
Sweat dripping from his forehead, Jialai was concentrating his energy to accelerate the growth of the herbs when the little wolf rushed in from outside, nudging him incessantly.
Jialai seemed to sense something and darted outside, running all the way to the square.
Huo Duo'er led the vanguard team back, and as soon as they reached the square, he encountered his own cub.
Jialai, with tears in his eyes, pounced on him.
Huo Duo'er's brow twitched. Jialai, holding back his sobs, said with red eyes, "Big Father, I... I didn't take good care of Father..."
When Huo Duo'er hurriedly carried Jialai back to the room and saw the person quietly wrapped in the quilt, his throat tightened with emotion. Ignoring the sweat and dust covering him, he reached out one hand to embrace his sleeping mate through the quilt and slapped himself across the face with the other.
He shouldn't have left Bai, and certainly not for so long.
TL: ML didn’t slap the MC, he slapped himself
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