I am a Primitive Man
Chapter 872 – Is This the Wisdom of the Divine Child? (Three-in-One)
“Shaman, why are there suddenly so many people in the tribe?”
Reunions after a long absence always bring joy.
Of course, this excluded enemies—when foes met, aside from envy, nothing else would occur.
Returning to his long-absent tribe and seeing those he wanted to see, Han Cheng’s smile never faded.
Shaman, the eldest senior brother, and the others who had stayed in the tribe shared the same feeling.
After a brief reunion, Han Cheng and the group walked toward the leading tribe, noticing the slaves from the tribe who had also come to the roadside.
Except for infants born during his absence, Han Cheng recognized everyone in the tribe, including the slaves.
Yet now, he suddenly noticed that the slaves lined up to greet them had multiplied, and many were unfamiliar faces he was certain he had never seen before.
He immediately asked, slightly puzzled.
At the same time, he wondered: could Shaman and the others have somehow captured a batch of slaves during his absence?
But this scale seemed too large.
Looking at them, just the unfamiliar adults numbered nearly one hundred.
Adding in the minors, how many would there be?
Perhaps even more than when the Semi Farming Tribe had been conquered.
What had happened in the tribe during his absence? What significant events had Shaman and the others accomplished?
“Divine Child, these are all people who attacked our tribe…”
Seeing Han Cheng’s curiosity, Shaman finally relaxed and began smiling, recounting how members of the Black Stone Tribe had attacked the Copper Mountain settlement.
The eldest senior brother and the others who had stayed in the tribe were also full of joy, looking like children reporting accomplishments to their parents, eagerly awaiting praise.
As Shaman told the story, Han Cheng and his group gradually returned to the main tribe.
Listening to Shaman’s account, Han Cheng was astonished—so much had happened in his absence!
The Copper Mountain settlement had been attacked. Under Shang’s arrangement, Maque and Liutou rode donkeys overnight to deliver the warning. Then the main tribe departed quietly that night, moving around the rear to set up ambushes…
Everything sounded meticulous and well-planned, not a simple head-on assault.
Clearly, the tribe had grown significantly over the years.
Han Cheng was especially impressed by Shang’s performance in this matter.
Shaman had prompted immediate action to defend against the invaders, the eldest senior brother had coordinated with Shang to set up the rear ambush—each action followed logic. One was decisive and intolerant of any harm to the tribe; the other was careful and avoided unnecessary risks.
Shang, however, was naturally combative. When invaders threatened the tribe, he could hardly tolerate it.
Yet this time, he employed such a clever method—it truly earned Han Cheng’s admiration.
People grow, especially when they leave protection and face life’s storms independently.
Shang was a perfect example.
If Han Cheng, Shaman, and the eldest senior brother had been present, Shang would probably have acted differently—likely proposing a direct assault on the enemy.
But after hearing about Shu Pi, Han Cheng’s attention shifted from Shang’s growth to Shu Pi himself.
He truly had not expected this.
That person, once living in his tribe and later expelled, had survived!
Not only had he survived, but he had thrived and ultimately returned with many people to attack the tribe.
Fortunately, over the years, the tribe had developed.
The population had increased significantly, weapons improved, and the tribe’s combat skills strengthened.
Facing so many attackers, victory would have been tough.
What shocked Han Cheng most was the account of Shu Pi’s actions.
At the crucial moment, he killed the apparent enemy leader and forced the rest to surrender.
He even carried the leader’s head to the front in submission.
Could this really have been done by the same person who had been expelled for refusing “boring” tribal work?
It was almost unbelievable.
Indeed, people grow.
This method would likely succeed against most tribes, allowing Shu Pi to survive—but he encountered the Sparrow Tribe, which Han Cheng had influenced.
Over the years, all tribal enemies—except the Semi Farming Tribe’s female priest, who remained to warm Shaman’s hands—had been killed: the Bone Tribe leaders, the Teng She Tribe’s Shaman and leaders.
Under these circumstances, how could Shu Pi have survived?
He was not a chief, yet he could kill a leader and command hundreds of adults destined to become slaves.
Effectively, he was almost like a chief.
Such a person could not be left alive.
Even if the eldest senior brother hadn’t killed him initially, Han Cheng would have done so upon learning the facts.
Shu Pi, expelled and having attacked the tribe, was dangerous. More importantly, he was cunning and ruthless—no ordinary tribesman.
What use would he be left in the tribe?
Would he become a persistent troublemaker, striking the tribe at the first opportunity?
Could he become an “undying villain”?
As the saying goes, “A thief works a thousand days, a thief guard must work a thousand days too.”
Han Cheng would not tolerate such risk—it was not worth it and would only bring discomfort.
Moreover, the tribe had hundreds of adult laborers. A few more would not make much difference.
In other words, adding a few ordinary adults would not significantly benefit the tribe.
Shu Pi could have been controlled with effort, but the cost outweighed the benefit.
A single mistake could cause significant harm—the man was already different from ordinary people.
So why leave him alive?
The eldest senior brother’s decision to execute Shu Pi, while simpler than Han Cheng’s hypothetical strategy of piling on charges and using him to absorb captives’ hatred first, was effective.
He acted plainly, not using Han Cheng’s clever tricks, but it benefited the tribe’s development.
Han Cheng approved of this decision.
“You all did well! Very well!”
Having understood the events and seen the new slaves, Han Cheng praised Shaman, the eldest senior brother, and all who had stayed behind.
Such a righteous defense deserved recognition; it encouraged the tribe’s awareness and readiness for future threats.
They had defeated the attackers and turned them into slaves.
Hearing the Divine Child’s praise, the tribe was overjoyed—more so than even after feasts arranged by Shaman.
After winning and capturing so many slaves, they had eagerly anticipated Han Cheng’s reaction.
Now that he had given his approval, they were ecstatic.
Those who had gone south with Han Cheng, searching for the southern lands, felt a twinge of regret—they had missed this exciting battle.
However, remembering their own contributions—finding the southern land, building a house, discovering rice and sugarcane—they felt happy again.
They had helped the tribe grow in other ways.
Han Cheng was genuinely pleased, both by the tribe’s growth and the addition of over two hundred adult slaves.
Before returning, he had worried about manpower shortages for building Jinguang City; now, he had an unexpected boon.
This was the first time the Sparrow Tribe had gained so many adult members at once.
Han Cheng even considered reviving Shu Pi, exiling him, and having him return with a large group later—but he knew this would be nearly impossible; Shu Pi’s survival had been rare luck.
Even Shu Pi surviving alone in the wild was remarkable; a slightly less fortunate person would have died.
“You all, after returning, have you thought carefully about this battle? Why were we victorious?”
After praising them, Han Cheng asked with a smile.
“I know! It’s because Maque and Liutou rode donkeys overnight to report back immediately!”
“I know too! Because our tribe has tall walls and strong weapons—the enemy couldn’t reach us, but we could attack them!”
“The leaders hid at the rear and set traps…”
After Han Cheng’s question, the tribe spoke eagerly.
They listed many reasons why they had defeated the attackers of the Copper Mountain settlement.
Han Cheng listened, smiling, as they spoke freely.
After a while, the talking subsided. They had listed all they could think of.
Han Cheng then said, smiling:
“You’ve all said very well and rightly—our victory was due to these actions. Excellent! But have you considered what we did wrong? What could we improve to achieve even greater success?”
The tribe fell silent, many deep in thought.
They had been proud of their victory, but now they realized they hadn’t considered where they could improve.
If they corrected these shortcomings, as Han Cheng said, their results could have been even better.
Especially Shaman and the eldest senior brother, who played crucial roles, were shaken by this question.
“Divine Child, I’ve thought of something we did wrong—if we had arrived faster…”
“If Shang had sent Maque and Liutou back sooner…”
“If the donkeys had run faster…”
“If we had killed the enemy leader earlier, their people would have collapsed sooner, the Copper Mountain gates might never have been breached, fewer of the attackers would have died, and our tribe could have gained more slaves…”
Prompted by Han Cheng’s question, the tribe began reflecting on the battle—not just focusing on their achievements, but examining errors and seeking perfection.
Han Cheng smiled with satisfaction.
“If I had done this, it would have been like that…”
This post-event reflection was not useless; it allowed them to learn from experience, identify areas for improvement, and continually advance.
This principle applied not only to war but to many other matters.
Han Cheng spoke in the courtyard square between the inner and outer compounds.
Even the Grass Tribe chief, a newly enslaved member of the Sparrow Tribe, overheard him.
After nearly two months of one-on-one instruction, the Grass Tribe chief had learned basic Mandarin and could understand simple communication.
After asking her learning partner, she understood Han Cheng’s words better.
Realizing the meaning, she was shocked and incredulous.
The battle against the Copper Mountain settlement had left deep trauma for her.
Now, seeing the tribe critically reflect on their own success, she was amazed.
Every operation had seemed perfect, astonishing, and awe-inspiring.
Yet the Divine Child was still not satisfied, asking them to consider areas for improvement.
If she were in their place, she would have been angry—how could someone ask for more when they had done so well?
But these tribe members, once terrifying in their actions, bowed their heads in shame and reflected honestly, as the Divine Child suggested.
This was truly incredible.
The Grass Tribe chief realized the profound significance of this approach.
After experiencing this, the terrifying Sparrow Tribe would only grow stronger.
If the same challenge occurred again, outsiders like her would be utterly defeated, and the nightmare would be even more frightening.
This tribe was already so strong—and they still sought improvement.
Seeing the tribe’s people, and reflecting on her own tribe and even the powerful Black Stone Tribe, she realized why the Sparrow Tribe was so different.
She understood why they had reached this level of development.
This was the Divine Child’s wisdom—the difference between having him and not having him.
Awed by his intelligence, she also felt her own insignificance.
“Divine Child, have you found the South yet?”
After this reflective discussion, Shaman asked.
Before Han Cheng’s return, the tribe had been indifferent about whether the south had a warm, habitable area.
Now that he was safely back, they were eager to know if he had found a suitable southern region.
Hearing Shaman’s question, the other tribe members perked up, eager to hear about the Divine Child’s expedition.