Chapter 185: Merge Groups?

Garo arrived at an inopportune time, just as the earthen kiln was being opened. The group of women merely stared blankly for a moment before hastily rushing off to retrieve the bricks.

Compared to the collective nosedive of the giant-toothed eagles, the bricks—which took a full two days to produce in each batch—were clearly far more important. Thus, no one paid any further attention to the intruders who had crashed so disastrously.

It was around this time that the men who had gone hunting also returned. Spotting the chaotic scene on the slope from a distance, they hurried over in a frenzy.

Garo’s group seemed utterly exhausted, as it took them a long while to regain their senses. Even when confronted with a group of men suddenly appearing before them, some even wielding strange weapons, they failed to react.

Sha Yi caught sight of Xi Yi from afar.

He was at the rear of the group, helping several other men carry what looked like a white-furred, black-spotted animal resembling a sheep. However, the creature was clearly still alive, struggling violently, making the task particularly strenuous for them.

Because of this, he didn’t rush forward with the men at the front of the group.

Unable to restrain herself, Sha Yi darted over.

The other men understood immediately, taking over Xi Yi’s share of the animal’s weight and playfully shoving the two of them aside with laughter.

Sha Yi couldn’t help but blush, but Xi Yi had already grown accustomed to such moments. With a swift motion, he pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips.

The journey back was silent, yet the emotional exchange between them flowed naturally and effortlessly.

By the time they returned to the settlement, the twenty-odd golden-black giant-toothed eagles had also risen alongside the fallen men. Garo, however, stood with his neck crooked, glaring at her with a dark expression.

Sha Yi felt a chill under his gaze and tried to pull Xi Yi toward the stone cave. But Garo rushed over like a gust of wind, blocking the entrance. “You damned liar! You just abandoned us here like this?”

Sha Yi was speechless. “Didn’t you already go back? Why are you here again? This isn’t your permanent settlement!”

“And is this yours?” Garo roared in fury. “I’m staying right here! I’m not leaving!”

Too exasperated to deal with Garo’s shamelessness, Sha Yi waved him off. “Fine, stay then. It’s not like you’re the only ones here—there are others besides us.”

“You knew?” Garo shot her a surprised glance, disbelief written all over his face. “How did you know?”

Confused by his reaction and noticing Xi Yi’s jealous glare, Sha Yi immediately waved her hand dismissively. “Just spit it out. Stop beating around the bush!”

Gritting his teeth and glaring at her a few more times, Garo finally spat out, “First, tell me how you suddenly have so many people. When I was here, it was just the two of you. How did this happen so quickly?”

His accusatory tone made it seem like he had the right to meddle in everyone’s affairs. Sha Yi rolled her eyes and shot him a look that clearly said, *None of your damn business.*

Having been rebuffed multiple times, Garo simply plopped down on the ground. “I don’t care. We have to merge. We’re already here anyway.”

“Are you seriously this shameless? What’s your angle?” Sha Yi raised an eyebrow. “What’s stopping you from leaving? With those birds, you can come and go as you please!”

For a brief moment, Garo looked genuinely aggrieved. “There are no snakes in winter. The giant-toothed eagles are about to hibernate. How are we supposed to go back?”

“You planned this on purpose, didn’t you?” Xi Yi, who had been silent until now, muttered darkly.

Garo immediately snapped his head around. “None of your damn business!”

Unable to tolerate Garo’s erratic behavior any longer, Sha Yi rubbed her temples in frustration. “Enough. Get to the point, or you can go back where you came from tonight!”

At her words, Garo scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the flock of golden-black birds. He began shouting and flailing, startling the giant-toothed eagles into a chaotic frenzy.

Sha Yi stared in disbelief.

Eventually, under the stunned gazes of everyone present, he successfully drove the birds away.

Returning triumphantly, Garo spread his hands and declared, “Now we can’t go back!”

*What an idiot.*

Muttering under her breath, Sha Yi turned away in exasperation. But Garo suddenly grabbed her wrist, yanking her between himself and Xi Yi, each of them gripping one of her arms, refusing to let go.

In that instant, tension flared between the two men again.

Seeing that they were about to come to blows, Sha Yi quickly shook off Garo’s grip. “Don’t touch me. We’re not that close. Spit out whatever you have to say, or you can forget about staying here!”

As soon as she spoke, Xi Yi’s expression softened slightly, while Garo’s face twisted in fury. “I haven’t stolen food from you again!”

“Stop. That has nothing to do with me!”

Repeatedly rebuffed, Garo finally deflated. “On our way here, we tried to raid a large group…”

“And?”

“We didn’t get any women…” Rubbing his nose, Garo adopted a pitiful expression before hesitantly adding, “But they took two of our men…”

The first part was bad enough, but the second half nearly made Sha Yi choke on her own saliva. “What did you say?”

Garo’s face flushed crimson with humiliation. “They had a lot of women, but their group seems to be short on men… You’d better merge with us, or they’ll be here soon…”

Utterly baffled by the absurdity of this world, Sha Yi turned helplessly to Xi Yi, only to find him equally bewildered.

However, Xi Gu stepped forward, having overheard. “I know about this. I heard stories when I was young. They live far from us, in a place without giant snakes. They can reproduce year-round, but most of their offspring are girls. Men are rare, and many of the children don’t survive.”

“If most of their children don’t survive, how do they have so many people?” Sha Yi asked, puzzled.

Before Xi Gu could answer, Garo cut in with a sneer. “By merging groups, obviously! How do you think our group formed? Unlike yours, where people gather only to split apart again!”

Though Sha Yi had never witnessed the formation of ancient tribes firsthand, she had lived among Xi Yi’s small group long enough to understand.

The current group of twenty-something people hadn’t come together easily. If not for the lightning strike that destroyed part of their old cave settlement, they might never have united. Without that event, they likely would have parted ways during the flood season, each seeking better shelter.

While splitting up might have reduced burdens, it also hindered progress. In ancient times, strength lay in numbers—without it, tasks like making weapons, bricks, or even obtaining salt became difficult. Even hunting became riskier.

Take Xi Mang, for example. Had they lived in a larger group from the start, he might not have fallen prey to a saber-toothed tiger and later a snake. With enough companions, he wouldn’t have been left so vulnerable.

Now, Garo’s claim about losing men while trying to steal women was questionable, but Xi Gu’s explanation suggested that even if women weren’t naturally inclined to fight, necessity could drive them to extremes.

After all, in ancient times, raiding and stealing weren’t judged as right or wrong—survival of the fittest ruled. To them, the strong taking more was simply natural.

Even Sha Yi herself had been “taken” by Xi Yi. Though he hadn’t stolen food, from the moment he rescued her, he’d intended to keep her.

So, women stealing men wasn’t entirely unfathomable. Merging weaker groups made sense—greater numbers meant greater strength, enough to fend off bandits like Garo or even retaliate if pushed.

Perhaps this was the beginning of tribal formation.

At the moment, she couldn’t say whether it was good or bad.

But their current group was already large enough to form a tribe. Garo’s people were already a concern, and now there was an unknown female-dominated group on the horizon. Who knew what conflicts might arise?

On the other hand, there were potential benefits.

Both their group and Garo’s had more men. If they could integrate enough women, it would greatly aid reproduction and survival. But which group would merge into which?

There probably wasn’t another man as shameless and cunning as Garo.

Sha Yi doubted the female-dominated group would willingly submit to theirs.

Then there was Sai Na’s group. Though she hadn’t seen Sai Na himself, his people wouldn’t stay united without him. She had no idea if he’d interfere again.

In the end, Sha Yi gave up trying to weigh the pros and cons of this impending clash. Instead, she turned back to the sulking Garo. “Garo, during your conflict, did you see how many people they had? How many were men?”

“Want to know?” Garo’s expression shifted from sulky to smug. “Beg me, and I’ll tell you!”

*Now he’s pushing his luck.*

Sha Yi’s face darkened. “You pick a fight with someone, then come to us for help, dragging us into your mess—and now you want *me* to beg *you*? Are you insane? Maybe we should just tie you up and hand you over when they arrive!”

“You—why do you always target me?” Garo’s face twisted in rage as he pointed at Xi Yi. “I only stole from you once! It’s not like he died!”

Xi Yi’s brow furrowed, clearly displeased with Garo.

If even *she* couldn’t stand Garo, expecting Xi Yi to tolerate him was pure fantasy. Sha Yi lost all patience. “If you’ve got something to say, say it now. Otherwise, get lost!”

Her words pleased Xi Yi immensely. He immediately pulled her into his arms, shooting Garo a possessive glare.

Garo, however, wasn’t having it. He plopped back onto the ground and even grabbed her leg, wailing dramatically. “How can you be so cruel? You used me and now you’re throwing me away? I told you I need you! Why are you so hung up on that half-dead guy?”

His shameless rant left Sha Yi mortified. She tried to pry his hands off her leg, but he clung stubbornly. Enraged, she kicked him square in the chest. “Who used you? You’re the one who ate all our food and made unreasonable demands! Get away from me!”

Garo simply shook his head, refusing to listen, and tightened his grip on her leg.

But his stubborn antics didn’t last long. Xi Gu strode over and smacked him hard, cursing, “So it was *you*! You’re the one who stole and kidnapped! Look at the mess you’ve caused! How dare you show your face here? Spit out all the food you took from us first!”

Xi Gu’s assault was swift and brutal. Strong and fierce by nature, her punches and kicks quickly overwhelmed Garo, forcing him to release Sha Yi’s leg. The moment he let go, he tried to grab her from the other side—only for Xi Yi to intercept him.

In an instant, Xi Yi’s face darkened, and he swung a fist at Garo.

The three of them tumbled into a brawl. Outnumbered, Garo soon found himself at a disadvantage. Seeing he was outmatched, he kicked Xi Gu off him and ducked between Xi Yi’s legs, fleeing toward his own stunned group like a man escaping disaster.

Even as he ran, he couldn’t resist turning back to shake a fist. “I’m not leaving! You’ll be seeing me every day from now on!”

Watching his frantic retreat, Sha Yi couldn’t decide whether to laugh or fume. Spotting Tu Ge sitting nearby, clutching his head, her irritation eased slightly. She tugged at Xi Yi’s arm gently. “Let’s go back. We have a lot to do. Ignore Garo.”

Hearing her voice, Xi Yi turned, his anger melting into a smile. “Okay.”

“Oh no, I almost forgot!” Xi Gu scrambled up from the ground. “We worked so hard on those bricks—they’re still piled up over there! If those idiots wreck them, we’re done for…”

That *was* a problem. Given Garo’s temperament, he’d likely destroy anything unfamiliar, especially if it belonged to them.

Frustration welled up again. Sha Yi sighed. “What do we do?”

Xi Yi pulled her close, nuzzling her head. “I just don’t like men who covet you—Sai Na or Garo. As long as they stay away, I don’t mind whatever you decide with the others.”

Though reluctant, Xi Yi supported her fully. He must have weighed the pros and cons of merging groups himself.

Nearby, Xi Gu nodded vigorously.

Touched, Sha Yi forced herself to reconsider the issue. After a long pause, she said hesitantly, “Maybe we should talk to Tu Ge. He’s more reasonable than Garo, and less scheming.”

Before Xi Yi could respond, Xi Gu pointed at the old man sitting dejectedly nearby. “Him? That old guy?”

They both nodded, but before they could elaborate, Xi Gu had already charged off. Ignoring Garo’s furious roars from the crowd, she dragged the bewildered Tu Ge over by his collar.

Watching Xi Gu’s rough handling, Sha Yi suddenly realized that overly strong women could be just as troublesome.

For instance, Xi Gu had heard about Tu Ge and Garo but clearly didn’t grasp Tu Ge’s importance to Garo. Now, she’d likely stirred up even more conflict!