Chapter 127: The Journey Home

The tall, native warrior droned on and on, but Qian Ye couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Seeing his anxious expression and the way he frequently pointed at Little Zhuji, it was clear that whatever he was saying was related to her. Could it be that these natives also had their eyes set on Zhuji?

At this moment, the other native warriors gradually regained their strength and leaped onto the ancient trees, taking up high ground and aiming their weapons at Qian Ye, while growling menacingly.

Qian Ye scanned his surroundings and let out a cold laugh. If these natives were thinking of taking Zhuji, he wouldn’t hesitate to send them to join the mercenaries of the Tempest’s Fury.

The tall warrior noticed the murderous intent in Qian Ye’s eyes, and suddenly became alarmed. He took a step back and raised his left hand, signaling the other native warriors to lower their weapons.

Little Zhuji then tugged at Qian Ye and said, “He’s asking you not to harm me and also wants to know your intentions.”

Qian Ye was surprised, “You can understand them?”

“I can understand a little, mostly through guessing,” Little Zhuji replied matter-of-factly.

Qian Ye was momentarily speechless. The words of these natives could be either a plea or a threat.

Ignoring the native warriors, Qian Ye asked the little one, “Have you been with them all these days?”

“On the first day I arrived here, I met some people. One of them was particularly annoying and said strange things, trying to sleep with me. I didn’t like him, so I naturally refused, but he still tried to grab me. I got irritated and killed them all. After that, I met these people who claimed they’ve always lived here.”

“Did they do anything to you?”

Little Zhuji thought seriously, “The big guy seemed to really like me and said a lot of things I couldn’t understand. Later, somehow, I began to understand a little. I don’t dislike them. The big guy even gave me a fruit from the tree, and it was delicious—tastier than the roasted meat I used to eat. After eating it, I became very drowsy and when I woke up, they were already fighting.”

Hearing this, Qian Ye’s expression softened. At least, these natives hadn’t shown any ill will towards Little Zhuji. Whatever she found delicious wasn’t just about taste; it was more about the amount of energy it contained. If those fruits tasted better than the meat of ferocious beasts, it meant their energy was even greater—a rarity indeed.

Moreover, if these native warriors had any malicious intent, Little Zhuji, being naturally perceptive, would have sensed it and reacted, perhaps even killing them.

Seeing that Qian Ye’s murderous intent had dissipated, the tall warrior breathed a sigh of relief. Then, using gestures and words, he indicated for Qian Ye to take Little Zhuji and follow them.

“He says there are many such outsiders outside, and we can’t fight them. He wants us to follow him to find a way into the heart of the forest.”

Qian Ye patted Little Zhuji’s head and said, “Tell them I’m not going.”

“We’re not going,” the little one turned and called out.

Qian Ye was both amused and exasperated. Little Zhuji could understand a bit of the natives’ language, but she couldn’t speak it. She was speaking in Imperial, which the natives couldn’t possibly understand.

At that moment, the tall warrior pulled out a leaf and placed it on his forehead. As the leaf began to glow, a halo enveloped Qian Ye and Little Zhuji, and in Qian Ye’s mind, he heard the tall warrior’s voice. He was still speaking in his own tongue, but this time, Qian Ye understood him.

“Is Little… Zhuji your daughter? Do not harm her. There are many damn invaders outside, and we need to find a way to bypass them or fight our way in. We need to enter the deep forest so that our warriors can receive more of the forest’s power and defeat these invaders.”

“No need.”

“They have very powerful experts! And they are blocking the forest’s power, preventing our full strength from being unleashed!” the tall warrior exclaimed urgently.

“Thank you for taking care of Zhuji. I can handle them,” Qian Ye said, patting the little one’s head and walking away.

“Wait, you can’t take her away!” the tall warrior blocked Qian Ye.

Qian Ye looked at him and said calmly, “She is my daughter. Why can’t I take her? You saw what happened to those who dared to harm her. Do you want to meet the same fate?”

The tall warrior shook his head, “No, you misunderstand. Zhuji is very compatible with our Sacred Tree. I hope she can stay; it will be very beneficial for her growth.”

“Is it related to the food you gave her?”

“Those are Sacred Tree Fruits, which have an incredible effect in enhancing strength. Each fruit can create a mighty warrior. However, the enhancement in Zhuji is far beyond what is expected, even surpassing the greatest warriors in our history. I believe she is the child of the Sacred Tree, a divine being gifted to us by the world.”

So that was it. Qian Ye finally understood why these natives valued Zhuji so much. But to think of Zhuji as the child of the Sacred Tree was amusing. She was clearly the descendant of Count Stuka, a Spider Demon, who grew after absorbing Qian Ye’s blood. From a bloodline perspective, she also carried a part of Qian Ye’s lineage. Regardless, she had nothing to do with the Sacred Tree.

Zhuji, with her astonishing talent and rapid growth during her early stages, was naturally sensitive to energy. It made sense that the effects of the Sacred Tree Fruit on her were enhanced.

Thinking of this, Qian Ye asked, “Many of your kind have consumed the Sacred Tree Fruit, right?”

The tall warrior shook his head, “The Sacred Tree Fruit is very precious, and only a few are produced each year. Warriors from several tribes, including ours, gather under the Sacred Tree during the harvest season to compete for the fruits.”

As he spoke, the tall warrior patted his chest proudly, “I have eaten the Sacred Tree Fruit! That’s how I became a novice Holy Warrior.”

Being able to consume the Sacred Tree Fruit was a sign of a renowned warrior, so the tall warrior felt very proud. But he soon remembered that he was no match for Qian Ye, and the entire unit was easily defeated by him. His pride immediately waned.

He had given Zhuji the Sacred Tree Fruit, showing that he genuinely cared for her. So Qian Ye’s expression softened again, and he said, “She must go with me. Thank you for the Sacred Tree Fruit. I am Qian Ye, and if there’s a chance, I will repay you.”

“I am Gordo, a novice Holy Warrior of the Long Branch Tribe. If you insist on taking her, I won’t stop you. But I hope you can bring her to meet our Sacred Tree Priestess; it will be very beneficial for her.”

“I will consider it.”

Seeing Qian Ye agree, Gordo smiled and took out a leather bag containing three leaves. “These are leaves from the Sacred Tree, allowing you to communicate with us. Also, as long as you are within the forest, activating the power of the leaves will alert me of your presence. Please, protect her well.”

Qian Ye put the leather bag away, and Gordo reluctantly glanced at Little Zhuji before leading his warriors away.

Once they were gone, Qian Ye patted the little one’s head and asked, “Have they never seen you fight?”

“Yes, they say I’m too young and are afraid bad people will hurt me.”

Qian Ye nodded, thinking as much. Gordo had no idea of Little Zhuji’s terrifying combat strength. If she were released, only the Viscount-level warriors of the Tempest’s Fury would stand a chance. With Gordo’s support, they could have already defeated the Tempest’s Fury’s forces.

“Let’s go, we’re going home.”

“Home? We have a new home?”

“Of course!”

Little Zhuji cheered and climbed onto Qian Ye’s shoulder, sitting there happily.

Qian Ye moved forward, soon entering the battlefield. The mercenaries were in a tough spot, barely maintaining the isolation zone. On the battlefield, Gordo moved like a ghost, causing heavy casualties among the mercenaries. Leading his warriors, he didn’t leave the battlefield but instead charged into the blockade, trying to break through the Tempest’s Fury’s encirclement.

The arrival of these fresh troops brought immense pressure on the mercenaries, forcing them to retreat and barely hold their line.

Gordo let out a loud roar, and an invisible sound wave spread out, causing the mercenaries to become dizzy and disoriented, some even falling over. The native warriors, however, were invigorated, their bodies glowing with a faint light, enhancing their combat strength.

Gordo’s battle cry boosted his allies and weakened the enemies, significantly tilting the battlefield in favor of the natives. The mercenaries were pushed back to the isolation zone, and those who were cutting wood picked up their weapons and joined the fray.

The native warriors, with their spirits high, launched a fierce attack, rarely dodging or maneuvering around the enemy. Many hidden warriors also emerged, launching a full-scale assault, hoping to crush the mercenaries and cross the isolation zone to return to the vast black forest.

Watching this, Qian Ye shook his head inwardly. Gordo was still too naive. With the tactical skills displayed by the Tempest’s Fury, how could they not have a contingency plan? Gordo was a brave warrior but not a good general.

Sure enough, a loud laugh rang out from the Tempest’s Fury’s line, and a mercenary in black armor stepped forward, shouting, “Finally, we lured you all out! Attack!”

Several signal flares shot into the sky, and a surge of battle cries filled the air as countless mercenaries quickly converged, forming an encirclement.

Gordo was horrified. More than half of his tribe’s warriors were here, and if they were surrounded, the tribe would not recover for years.

But the mercenaries’ formation suddenly became chaotic, and many of those supposed to flank the native warriors stopped and rushed in another direction.

This was because of Qian Ye and Zhuji.

No one recognized Qian Ye, but all the mercenaries knew Zhuji. The little one was the driving force behind their long journey to the Southern Wastelands. Her sweet face was like a pile of gold coins waiting to be claimed.

What did a native warrior even mean to them?