Mao Teng looked up at Shen Nong, who sensed his gaze and met his eyes. Shen Nong found Mao Teng's attitude quite interesting.
This man was willing to risk his life to save his tribe from extinction due to the lack of a priest. Now that all the members of the Vine Tribe wanted to join the Wood Tribe, he remained remarkably calm.
It's important to understand that in the Beast World, it's impossible for just the two of them to establish a new Vine Tribe. In other words, with all the members of the Vine Tribe joining the Wood Tribe, the Vine Tribe was essentially wiped out.
Tengmu howled incessantly, cursing Shen Nong to die a horrible death and that the Beast God would punish him. Finally, Fox Five struck him on the back of the neck, knocking him unconscious, and the world fell silent.
Shen Nong ignored the two and left with the orc who came to report.
On the way, Shen Nong learned from the beastmen who reported that the entire Vine Tribe had come. It turned out that Wolf Leaf and Fox Five's parents would find time every day to talk to the beastmen of the Vine Tribe about the good things about the Wood Tribe.
They even saved their own food so that the orcs of the vine tribe could taste it.
Sometimes, elderly people and children would follow along, but the beastmen of the Vine Tribe didn't recognize them. If it weren't for the scars on their foreheads, they wouldn't have believed that these elderly people and children came from the Vine Tribe.
The old people and children who used to be filthy, skinny, and covered in mud and stench now have rosy complexions and are much more energetic than some of their current orc warriors. All the orcs who left the Vine Tribe to join the Wood Tribe always have their hair neatly tied up and are clean and odorless.
As a result, the beastmen of the Vine Tribe would involuntarily back away whenever they saw them, afraid that their smell would offend the other party.
People are most afraid of comparisons, especially such drastic ones. Therefore, when Wolf Leaf suggested that they all join the Wood Tribe, the members of the Vine Tribe agreed without much hesitation.
The prey they killed during this beast tide would be lucky to survive ten days. They also learned that the unusual beast tide was caused by their priest, and the Wood Tribe would definitely not let the Vine Tribe off the hook.
What was once a dead end has suddenly become a path to life. Who wouldn't choose to live unless they've had enough of living?
After meeting Lang Ye, Shen Nong asked for some more details. The information was similar to what he already knew, but the main reason these orcs abandoned the vine tribe and joined the wood tribe was still due to the vines and wood themselves.
All orcs grow old, and orc warriors get injured. The chances of losing an arm or a leg are not small, and they don't want to live every day in fear of being drugged by the old priest at night and then burned to death.
Shen Nong understood, her doubts completely dispelled. Her earlier promise to accept these beastmen wasn't just empty talk. The beastmen of the Wolf Leaf and Vine Tribes had been worried that Shen Nong wouldn't accept them, but they hadn't expected her to agree.
The vine tribe beastmen breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to get a good night's sleep. They bowed to Shen Nong, their voices rising and falling as they called out, "Priest."
He then took out a stone he had prepared beforehand and scraped off the tribal totem on his forehead to show his determination.
Shen Nong didn't react at first and missed the opportunity to stop it. He wanted to say that when the awakening day came in a few days, he could naturally replace the totem by releasing his external power, so he wouldn't have to suffer this physical pain.
But the vine tribe orcs moved quickly, so there was no point in him saying anything now.
As Shen Nong was about to leave, an orc from the Vine Tribe hurriedly stopped in front of her. He hesitated and asked, "Priest, is the tribe... Cat Vine, still alive?"
Shen Nong hummed in agreement, waiting for the other person to continue.
Wolf Leaf frowned, wanting to step forward and pull the other person away to stop him from continuing to talk about Cat Vine.
The orc was overjoyed upon hearing the affirmative answer, but quickly composed himself after glancing at Wolf Leaf's expression. However, some things had to be said, so he gritted his teeth and finally asked, "Priest, if Cat Vine wants to join the Wood Tribe, will the priest agree?"
Shen Nong found the question interesting, but instead of answering directly, he said to the orc, "He doesn't want to join the Wood Tribe."
“How could that be?” the orc said instinctively. “Before Cat Vine was taken away during the beast tide, he whispered that he wished you were our priest. I was not far from him and heard it with my own ears.”
Although Shen Nong didn't know why Mao Teng said that at that time, he was still certain that Mao Teng had no intention of joining the Wood Tribe.
There was indeed an intention to make the vine tribe and other orcs become members of the wood tribe, and they had thought about it for a long time and made mental preparations. Otherwise, they wouldn't have shown no surprise when they heard the news.
On the way back, Shen Nong kept thinking about how to deal with Tengmu and Maoteng. He had to admit that Maoteng's willingness to exchange his life for another truly touched him, reminding him of his teacher.
In any case, he wouldn't take Fujiki's life now. The fact that the Vine Tribe, which Fujiki cared about most, no longer existed was more painful than taking his life.
Shen Nong had someone take Mao Teng to the empty dormitory next door. When Mao Teng arrived, he got straight to the point: "An orc from the Vine Tribe said that you want me to be your priest?"
Mao Teng seemed surprised that his mutterings had been overheard, and finally showed some normal reaction. After a moment of stunned silence, he nodded honestly.
“But you don’t want to join the Wood Tribe. In your heart, you are just the chief of the Vine Tribe. So no matter what that old man does, you are willing to take the blame for him. As long as he is here, the tribe will live, and the Vine Tribe will live. But you are also conflicted. You think that your tribe can find a way to survive. Even if you betray the Vine Tribe, as long as they can live, it doesn’t matter if the Vine Tribe is gone.”
Shen Nong had seen many beastmen in the Beast World, and almost all of them were single-minded—extremely good, extremely bad, and extremely stupid. But a contradictory being like Cat Vine was a first for him.
Catvine remained silent, while Shen Nong tapped the armrest of the chair with her fingertip. "Now that the Vine Tribe no longer exists, Vinewood has repaid his debt to me. Naturally, I won't keep you locked up anymore and will let you go. However, there might be some trouble when Vinewood wakes up. Are you sure you don't want to consider joining the Wood Tribe?"
Mao Teng never expected Shen Nong to let them go, let alone ask him if he wanted to join the Wood Tribe. At this moment, Mao Teng stood frozen in place like a statue, his clenched fists revealing his inner struggle.
In the end, Maoteng shook her head, "No."
Catvine brought Vinewood back to the Vine Tribe. After Vinewood regained consciousness and learned that all the orcs of the Vine Tribe had become orcs of the Wood Tribe, he rolled his eyes and fainted again.
Catvine placed its hand on Vinewood's heart to confirm it wasn't dead, then went out to gather meat. The beastmen left behind all the meat and hides they had stored; at least they wouldn't starve or freeze to death this winter.
…
The Wood Tribe set the day for the orcs' awakening as the day before the military guard's tournament.
Because Shen Nong's ability level was much higher than a year ago, all the orcs who participated in the awakening this time awakened. The remaining energy left by the priests in the bodies of the orcs from the five tribes that joined later—the Water Tribe, Salt Tribe, Black Mountain Tribe, Beast City, and Vine Tribe—was replaced by the energy released from Shen Nong's spiritual core. The totems on their faces also changed to the totems of the Wood Tribe.
Even the orcs of the vine tribe have scars of varying sizes under the totems on their faces.
This awakening did not produce any divine beast warriors, but Cat Cloud and Rabbit Wind advanced due to the energy released by Shen Nong's spirit core. Several level six orcs also advanced to level seven, and many level five orc warriors advanced to level six.
The Wood Tribe currently has three level 8 orc warriors, a dozen level 7 orc warriors, and nearly twenty level 6 orc warriors.
Perhaps it's because they ate well and accumulated enough energy in their bodies. All the awakened children started at level two, with a few even becoming level three orc warriors.
This was something they had never seen before. Fox Mountain and the others from Beast City were all amazed. Even the High Priest of Beast City had never seen anything like it.
Their priests these days are really amazing!
The following day, the martial arts competition that the military guard had been preparing for a long time finally began. People from all the tribes came to watch, and Yu Ji and Ying Xi also flew all the way from their tribes.
This tournament for the Wood Tribe is different from previous ones; all orcs are prohibited from transforming into human form, and the winner will be determined by their human form.
Shen Nong had considered that since they couldn't gain any advantage from the Beast City in beast form, they could hone their human form combat skills to the extreme. Even those beastmen who only relied on brute force and transformed into human form would have to put in a lot of effort to deal with them.
Orcs' hides aren't as hard as the natural armor of giant beasts; their weaknesses are the same as ordinary beasts, only they are larger.
As long as you are fast enough and your attacks are ruthless and accurate, it's not impossible to defeat them even if you are of a higher level.
To motivate the beastmen, Shen Nong promised that the person who came in first place could ask him for anything. He would agree to anything that he could do.
Upon hearing this, not only the orcs of the Wood Tribe, but even the priests from various tribes sitting on the viewing platform wanted to roll up their sleeves and join the fray. Humanoid combat—that's just fighting, right? They can't transform, but surely they can fight it out!
The priests' feelings lasted only ten seconds into the first match. When an orc swiftly circled behind another orc in the arena, lifted him up, and threw him off the platform, the priests completely abandoned their previous thoughts.
They really didn't know how the Wood Tribe fought. How could that orc be so fast? He was that fast even without transforming! They only saw a blur flash by.
"Wow! How can he jump so high without transforming into human form!"
"What did that orc just do! How did he get onto that person's neck? How did he get up there from that height?!"
"Am I seeing things? Did that orc run through the air twice and then attack the orc with his knee?"
"Wow...their back-and-forth fighting is actually quite a sight to behold!"
"Look at the bulging, mountain-like lumps of flesh on their arms. If that punch landed squarely, would they even survive?"
During each duel, the priests of the various tribes whispered amongst themselves. This was the first time they had realized that orcs could be so powerful even without transforming into human form, and while some tribal chiefs were eager to try, others felt a sense of dread.
Without exception, they could all see that if they were to fight the Wood Tribe orcs in human form, none of them would be a match for them.
Even if you are of a higher level than them, it's useless; you can only defend, not attack.
The competition uses a point system, with each winner receiving one point. In mixed multiplayer matches, scores are tallied for the entire team, and the final reward is awarded to the entire team.
Ze also participated in the competition, even though the captain and vice-captain were not supposed to participate. It was a last-minute decision, and Shen Nong initially didn't want to agree. But he said he would only use one hand and would be competing against orcs of level six or higher, so Shen Nong thought for a moment and nodded.
If someone can defeat a level 6 orc with one hand without transforming, it can also make the orcs feel a sense of crisis.
Moreover, judging from Ze's appearance, it seemed that he participated because of the request he mentioned. Shen Nong was also annoyed that if Ze won, what request would he make to him?
Without exception, he always emerged victorious in any duel. The orcs he defeated with one hand were crestfallen; they fought with all their might, but ultimately couldn't even defeat their captain with one hand…
Shen Nong had been keeping an eye on the orcs who had been hit hard by the selection. He noticed that after a while, they would regain their fighting spirit, which put his mind at ease. However, he was still a little worried that things might backfire. If it didn't have a positive effect but instead had a negative one, causing them to become completely demoralized, then it would be a great loss.
Seeing that they had recovered very well, even more so than before, Shen Nong realized that orcs possessed an inherent strong will and wildness.
The competition lasted for two days. The first day was an individual battle, and the second day was a mixed battle involving multiple people.
If the first day's competition gave the priests of various tribes a completely new understanding of power, then the second day was simply dazzling.
In mixed multiplayer battles, with the help of teammates, the Wood Tribe orcs were practically flying around in mid-air while fighting.
They were dressed the same, the only difference being that the ropes used to tie their hair were wrapped in fish skin for one team and animal skin for the other.
But because they were so fast and constantly changing positions, even the orcs couldn't keep up, let alone the priests.
By the end, Shen Nong realized that the priests were no longer watching the martial arts competition; he suspected they were treating it as a performance.
Because their conversation shifted from which orc fought which orc to which orc's moves were more aesthetically pleasing...
Shen Nong counted, and Ze was praised the most.
Chapter 107
priest
The competition lasted for two days, and the orc warriors with the highest scores in each category were selected.
There happened to be a gold, silver, and copper mine, so Shen Nong had Shen Yi make the medals. The gold used to make the medals was exchanged by Shen Nong with the system in equivalent amounts of silver and copper. The system also accepted silver and copper, but the price was naturally lower than that for gold or jade.
The medals are made of pure gold, pure silver, and pure bronze. Both sides are decorated with patterns, and they are hung with dyed linen cords. Under the sunlight, the medals seem to glow, making them exceptionally beautiful.
Ze stood on the training ground, his eyes fixed intently on Shen Nong, "Priest, I won first place."
Shen Nong sensed Ze's genuine joy, which dispelled the gloom of the past few days. Shen Nong didn't know why Ze had been in low spirits the other day, and he wouldn't say even when she asked. Now, he seemed to have come back to life, and Shen Nong breathed a sigh of relief.
"Lower your head." With Shen Nong's voice, Ze obediently lowered his head, and Shen Nong put the gold medal on Ze's head.
Her fingertips accidentally brushed against Ze's neck, causing him to stiffen slightly for a moment. Noticing Ze's change, Shen Nong's lips curled up, and this time she deliberately teased Ze's neck with her fingertips. As her fingertips traced Ze's ear, she lifted them slightly upwards, brushing against his earlobe.
Ze's muscles tensed instantly, as if he were a beast poised to pounce, sensing extreme danger. He stared intently at the person who had provoked him.
Seeing this, Shen Nong's eyes smiled, her beauty as radiant as a peach blossom. Ze was so captivated by her gaze that he tried to grab her wrist to prevent her from leaving, but Shen Nong was prepared. She deftly stepped back, dodging Ze's movement.
Once a good opportunity is missed, it's not so easy to catch someone again. Besides, Shen Nong has important things to do.
After awarding all the medals to the orcs, Shen Nong put them on all of them and said to them, "This is a symbol of the tribe's outstanding orc warriors, a symbol of strength. Wearing this medal means you are the best orc warriors of the Wood Tribe. You must set an example, lead the other orc warriors, and protect the people of the Wood Tribe."
The orcs touched the beautiful medals; they had never seen anything so magnificent. The priest said they were symbols of power, and wearing them meant becoming the tribe's strongest warrior!
"Defend the Wood Tribe! Defend our people!"
Shen Nong didn't neglect the defeated beastmen, telling them to keep trying. The Wood Tribe would hold a martial arts competition every autumn, so there would be plenty of opportunities.
The orcs who won medals also received prizes: scarce items like candles, honey, milk, and flour. The first-place winner also received a bolt of linen and more candles than the second-place winner. The second-place winner received no linen, but more of the other items than the third-place winner.
After all the prizes and medals were distributed, the priests returned to their respective tribes. As some priests were leaving the tribe, they were stopped by the Wood Tribe orcs, who said, "The High Priest invites you to the council chamber."