I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 846 – The Kidnapping of the Divine Child Approaches
After Han Cheng and his group left, the Green Sparrow Tribe grew noticeably quiet; no one felt much like talking.
Everyone stood there, watching Han Cheng and his group disappear from view. Only after they were gone did the tribe members, under the shaman’s orders, disperse to go about their own tasks.
The shaman lingered for a while longer, then turned back to the courtyard to feed the rabbits.
After feeding them, he returned indoors.
Not to his personal quarters, but to the room storing the totem pole. Facing the rough-hewn totem, he performed his primitive prayers.
Under Han Cheng, this “pseudo-Divine Child,” the shaman had been praying less and less. But now that Han Cheng had departed, his prayer sessions not only grew longer but also more frequent.
Though the shaman worried for the Divine Child’s expedition south to find a suitable place for the tribe, he was too old to travel himself. He could only contribute in his own way, offering his prayers for the safety of those heading south.
As the oldest elder of the Green Sparrow Tribe, he always cared deeply for the tribe while remaining remarkably strong—like a tree rooted in rock, exposed to the elements, yet gripping tightly without yielding.
In the distant north, at the location of the Black Stone Tribe, Shu Pi could not contain his excitement as he looked at the sun and the snow finally beginning to melt.
The ice and snow were thawing; spring had arrived. At last, the Black Stone Tribe could attack the Green Sparrow Tribe!
He had long awaited this moment, and now it was finally happening! The cursed leader of the Green Sparrow Tribe would soon die!
Not only Shu Pi but also the other members of the Black Stone Tribe erupted in cheers.
After enduring cold and hunger for so long, they could now rejoice in the arrival of spring.
Some, weakened and skeletal from the harsh winter, knelt on the ground, bowing to the sun and the melting snow, their joy overflowing.
Yet that joy quickly faded when they recalled the devastation the winter had caused—tribes that had lost over half their population and piles of partially burned bones inside caves.
Some leaders even broke down crying.
The leader of the Grass Tribe and her people joyfully gathered the animals that had been frozen to death as the snow melted.
Others lowered fish traps into the water. After some time, pulling them up revealed fresh, wriggling fish landing on the shore.
With spring’s arrival and the thawing snow, life suddenly improved, especially for tribes with fish traps and bows.
Eating roasted, golden fish and other food, rubbing their full bellies, everyone felt as if the bitter cold and hunger were now a distant dream—almost unreal.
Those who had longed for the Green Sparrow Tribe’s prosperous life during the harsh winter no longer yearned for it.
It seemed that life as it was now was already quite good.
History and personal experience show that humans are lazy by nature; once wounds heal, pain is often forgotten.
This explained why, in later times, figures like Goujian endured hardships for years to exact revenge, leaving a legacy of patience and strategy.
It was not only the Grass Tribe enjoying relative comfort; even the Black Stone Tribe leader, who had previously threatened them under Shu Pi’s influence, hesitated now.
The situation had gone completely against the expectations of Shu Pi’s manipulations. He had never imagined that the usually decisive Black Stone leader would waver.
“If the snow had come earlier in winter, and food had been insufficient, what would we have done?”
Shu Pi persisted, pointing to the leader’s frostbitten ear, his still-healing facial injuries, and the frostbitten toes of others.
The Black Stone leader froze. Shu Pi’s words made him realize he had not considered such possibilities.
For him, what had passed was past.
As he lightly touched his frostbitten ear and the scars on his face, the pain resurfaced.
The hardships endured to find food for the tribe flooded back.
Now, his scars were still fresh—he could not forget the pain.
After contemplating and touching his injuries several times, the Black Stone leader regained his resolve.
Once more, he embraced his decisive, action-oriented spirit.
With a few days’ worth of fish and hunted animals stored, he took his favorite black stone weapon, slung a bow Shu Pi had crafted across his back, secured an arrow quiver at his waist, and led part of his tribe south.
This was not yet an attack on the legendary Green Sparrow Tribe, but a visit to the tribes that had submitted to them.
The Black Stone leader was not foolish. He understood that attacking prosperous tribes directly was risky. Tribes that lived better than usual were generally harder to provoke.
For example, his own tribe, or the tribe led by Shu Pi that had once caused them significant losses.
He knew the Green Sparrow Tribe was beautiful and wealthy, but they would be cautious, as most strong tribes are.
Nevertheless, he was unafraid. They now had sharp black stone weapons and long-range bows, far more potent than during their attack on Shu Pi’s tribe.
Moreover, he had another tactic: rally the submitted tribes to join him in attacking the Green Sparrow Tribe.
No matter how strong the Green Sparrow Tribe was, facing so many enemies would terrify them.
With his black stone warriors and archers present, victory was almost assured.
“#￥5@3?”
Hearing the warning from a tribe member racing from the direction of a cave, the Grass Tribe leader and her people became tense.
The evil, brutal Black Stone Tribe leader and his people had arrived!
Over the past few years, whenever the Black Stone Tribe appeared, nothing good happened.
Now, they had come without warning.
Could it be that they were upset about late food contributions?
But spring had only just arrived, and the ice had only recently melted.
Filled with panic and suspicion, the Grass Tribe leader hurried with her people toward the cave.
Along the way, she resolved to offer all the food the tribe had stored if the Black Stone Tribe demanded it.
With spring now underway, rivers thawed, and fish could be easily caught, she considered giving up some food far less important than the lives of her people.
“#￥%@3?”
Upon reaching the cave, unloading the stored food, and greeting the Black Stone leader cordially, the Grass Tribe leader realized she had been mistaken.
This time, the Black Stone Tribe did not come to collect food early or commit violence—they had an unexpected purpose.
“#￥5D!”
When the Grass Tribe leader questioned him with uncertainty, the Black Stone leader nodded emphatically.
Upon confirmation, she was astonished.
The Black Stone leader planned to attack the prosperous Green Sparrow Tribe and live like them. This was something the Grass Tribe had nearly forgotten with the arrival of spring and abundant food—but now it was revealed directly.
Moreover, he required the Grass Tribe to join the attack, just as before.
Without much hesitation, the Grass Tribe leader agreed.
She longed to experience the Green Sparrow Tribe’s life herself, but had not wanted to travel there alone, given the distance and uncertainty.
Now, with the Black Stone leader leading, the plan was much more feasible.
She also recalled why her tribe had enjoyed such a comfortable life.
It was not due to diligence or intelligence, but because previously they had joined the Black Stone Tribe in attacking Shu Pi’s tribe. The post-battle spoils—slaves, fish traps, and bows—had elevated their living standards.
Without that campaign, her tribe would have suffered greatly.
If they now joined in attacking the Green Sparrow Tribe, the benefits could be even greater.
And the most immediate reason—if she refused to join, the Black Stone leader threatened to kill them.
Faced with such a direct threat, she agreed without hesitation.
Pleased, the Black Stone leader patted her on the head as a gesture of approval.
After resting overnight and consuming much of the Grass Tribe’s food, he and his people departed for the next submissive tribe.
They took some of the tribe’s food for the journey and gave the Grass Tribe leader some wooden sticks, instructing her to gather several strong individuals equal to the sticks and join them in the attack on the Green Sparrow Tribe.
After the Black Stone leader left, the Grass Tribe leader’s smile could not be contained. She carefully stored the sticks in the cave and began enthusiastically hunting and fishing to prepare food for the upcoming campaign.
“#￥5ED!”
At a desolate cave, thin, emaciated people knelt, bowing deeply to the departing Black Stone Tribe leader as if worshiping a beast king.
Only when he and his group disappeared did they rise, their faces full of smiles.
Their excitement was not masochistic; it was because they had just heard of the Black Stone leader’s plan to attack another tribe.
He described the prosperous Green Sparrow Tribe and promised them a better life afterward.
These tribes believed him completely, as they had previously participated in the attack on Shu Pi’s tribe, gaining tremendous rewards and a much better lifestyle.
Those who had not joined previously now were eager, almost like flies attracted to blood. They scrambled to participate, bringing their strongest warriors.
Within a few days, all the tribes that had submitted to the Black Stone Tribe had gathered, forming a massive assembly on a significant open ground.
The Black Stone leader beamed with pride and confidence.
With so many people, he felt unstoppable.
The assembled tribes, seeing so many allies together, were equally astonished.
Shu Pi, however, grew uneasy. The sheer numbers exceeded expectations.
Although the Green Sparrow Tribe was strong, with walls, bows, and a brilliant Divine Child, it lacked such numbers.
He worried that if the Black Stone leader truly conquered the Green Sparrow Tribe, it would be troubling—but he had no solution and had to follow them south obediently.
If the Green Sparrow Tribe fell, so be it. He could even seize an opportunity to kidnap the Divine Child and relocate elsewhere, taking advantage of the fact that all the tribe’s innovations originated from the Divine Child.
Shu Pi considered the plan highly feasible: the Divine Child was not physically imposing but revered for intelligence, and Shu Pi’s own strength could ensure compliance.