Chapter 239: Exchange

It was rare for Garlo to take the initiative to admit his mistakes. Although admitting them now wouldn’t have any practical effect, it was still a relief and fully confirmed Garlo’s willingness to cooperate.

At that very moment, a figure came running from the distant trench.

It was the man named Mengtu, who had left the old settlement cave earlier and joined them midway. He looked anxious and ran quickly, covering the distance in just a few strides before stopping in front of the three of them.

Knowing he must have something important to say, the three of them remained silent, simply waiting for him to speak.

Seeing this, Mengtu wasted no time: “The people on the other side said they have something to discuss with us. If we’re willing, they’ll meet us at the narrower side of the trench.”

As he finished speaking, Mengtu pointed toward the narrower section of the trench.

Following his gesture, the three of them spotted a group of people crouching there—led by none other than Yeli.

Turning back, the three exchanged glances, their thoughts aligned.

Though no explicit agreement was given, it was clear they were tacitly consenting. Mengtu, perceptive as ever, took his leave at once, merely raising his hand from a distance toward the slender man sitting there as a signal of approval.

Despite not having a foolproof plan yet, time was running short. They would have to take things one step at a time and adapt as they went.

After all, given their current situation, Yeli’s initiative had already solved the biggest problem.

With that in mind, Sha Yi felt a sense of relief and motioned for Xi Yi and Garlo to go ahead first.

The two men didn’t argue with her.

Watching Xi Yi and Garlo walk ahead, Sha Yi returned to the brick house.

Saina’s condition had stabilized, but his complexion was still poor, and he looked exhausted. Yet, he remained awake, his eyes open.

The moment she entered, he saw her. Before she could speak, he smiled weakly. “I heard everything you said. Thank you…”

He paused mid-sentence, as if conflicted, but eventually continued: “…and Xi Yi.”

Originally, she had thought getting Saina to say “thank you” would be as difficult as getting Garlo to admit his mistakes—nearly impossible. But today seemed to be a day of reversals. Not only had Garlo acknowledged his faults, but even Saina had sincerely expressed gratitude.

And this gratitude wasn’t just directed at her—it extended to Xi Yi, which was exceptionally rare.

Given that, she decided not to bring up anything else. After some thought, she simply urged him to rest and recover.

But he remained firm in his decision, insisting that no matter what, the bigger picture had to come first.

Sha Yi felt the urge to cry but was helpless. She didn’t want to burden him with further worries, so she nodded perfunctorily, and only then did Saina relent.

Just as she was about to leave, an idea suddenly struck her.

This negotiation with Yeli would likely involve exchanging Yelai back. But Yelai knew too much. Even if Garlo had blocked his ears earlier, he had still seen Kapa on their side.

Given Yelai’s personality, even if they explained the pros and cons, he wouldn’t believe them. People like him only learned their lesson after hitting a wall. But his current situation could still be exploited.

Thinking quickly, she pulled Tuge aside. “Do you know of anything that can make someone temporarily unable to speak?”

“What do you need that for?” Tuge looked shocked. “Whose mouth are you trying to shut?”

“Yelai,” Sha Yi answered bluntly. “He knows too much. Unless negotiations with Yeli fail today, Yelai will be part of the exchange. I don’t want Yeli to know our situation—at least not until we’ve figured out a countermeasure.”

“That makes sense.” Tuge nodded in agreement. “But what you’re asking for is strange. I don’t know of anything like that. There’s only a herb that can make people drowsy. Do you want—”

“No!” Sha Yi immediately shook her head, recalling the time she had been kidnapped. “That’s too obvious. Yeli would never fall for it…”

But halfway through her sentence, she stopped.

Actually, that plant wasn’t entirely useless. While it wouldn’t work on Yelai, it could be used on others afterward.

The plant, when burned, had an extremely potent sedative effect. Back then, they had suffered from it, sleeping for an entire day. If they could use it at the right moment, they’d have enough time to regroup.

If they could employ the same tactic on Yeli’s side—just as Garlo had done before—that would be ideal. They had always wanted to minimize casualties, which was why they had been negotiating with Yeli for so long.

Now, even if it was a dirty trick, she would use it if given the chance.

After all, with someone like Yeli, there was no need to hold back. Besides, Yeli had used every underhanded method possible, and she wasn’t one to stand on ceremony. As long as they could defeat Yeli, she didn’t care how it was done.

With more ideas forming in her mind, she concluded that Kapa would be the best person to act when the opportunity arose. She decided to head to the kiln to brief Kapa.

Since Tuge didn’t have what she needed most right now, she would figure that out later.

Turning to leave, she was about to step out of the brick house when Saina called her name again from the raft.

She instinctively turned back to see him struggling to pull a few black fruits from a pile of animal hides.

Confused, she took them when he gestured for her to do so.

“You wanted something to make someone temporarily unable to speak, right?” he said slowly. “These fruits can do that.”

“Really?” Sha Yi examined the black fruits curiously. “Where did you get these? And how do you know their effect? Are they really effective?”

“Of course they are. You don’t need to worry about their potency—they work exactly as I described.” Saina coughed lightly. “Someone from our side ate them a few days ago. They taste good, but afterward, their throat became so sore they couldn’t speak for a while. Full recovery takes a few days. They grow underground—never seen them before.”

“What a coincidence.” Saina’s explanation delighted her. This was sheer luck. Just when she thought Tuge didn’t have what she needed, here it was.

Excited, she barely had time to thank Saina before asking Tuge for some of the drowsiness-inducing dried herbs and then hurried out of the brick house toward the kiln.

Having taken over Garlo’s shift, Kapa was now guarding Yelai with Masa in the kiln.

It was unclear what had transpired between them, but when Sha Yi entered, both Kapa and Yelai looked grim, and the atmosphere was tense.

She wanted to ask, but time was pressing, so she suppressed her curiosity and pulled Kapa outside to discuss.

Her plan was simple: she wanted Kapa to carry enough of the dried herbs with her. If the opportunity arose for her to return to Yeli’s side, she could discreetly add them to the fire—an easy task.

Of course, the prerequisite was that Sha Yi would first create the right moment during negotiations with Yeli.

She also made sure Kapa could recognize the herbs. As expected, apart from Kasan, who knew a little about medicinal plants, the rest of Yeli’s people were clueless—just like their own side.

This made Sha Yi even more confident.

After finalizing everything, she handed the black fruits to Kapa.

She didn’t dare feed them to Yelai herself—not only was she not as strong as Kapa, but her current physical condition was also a concern.

Once she saw Kapa force several black fruits into Yelai’s mouth, Sha Yi left.

By the time she reached the trench, Xi Yi and Garlo had already been negotiating with Yeli for a while.

Kasan was there too, but Yeli seemed to be arguing with her, both red-faced and deadlocked.

In contrast, Xi Yi and Garlo remained calm and composed.

Sha Yi didn’t interrupt. She listened carefully until she understood the situation.

Xi Yi and the others had directly demanded the antidote, and Yeli’s condition was to exchange Yelai for it.

This demand wasn’t unexpected, but Kasan disagreed.

From the looks of it, Yeli must have told Kasan that Kapa had been captured by Saina and was now on their side.

To keep up appearances, Kasan was now making a scene, demanding Kapa’s return first. Yeli, though suspicious, refused.

The two were locked in a heated argument.

Sha Yi couldn’t help but admire Kasan’s performance. If not for Garlo’s confirmation and Kapa’s testimony, she might have thought their alliance was fake. The level of drama required was impressive.

For now, their side could only watch and not interfere.

Sha Yi thought that if Kasan escalated the argument further, it might work in their favor—but timing was crucial. Delaying too long would only harm Saina.

At this point, Yeli’s expression had darkened, but Kasan, being a person of status, wouldn’t back down. The stalemate continued, and Yeli knew dragging it out would only hurt the negotiation.

Finally, the slender Yeli shoved Kasan aside and hissed, “Stop making a scene. Yelai is the key to our success this time. Think about the bigger picture. I’ll find a way to get Kapa back later!”

Though his voice was low, their side heard every word.

**Chapter 241: Trapped**

Sha Yi felt there was something deliberate about Yeli’s tone and volume—as if he was intentionally letting them hear.

She couldn’t quite decipher Yeli’s intentions.

After pondering for a while, she turned slightly to glance at Xi Yi beside her.

He noticed her confusion but didn’t explain. Instead, he smiled reassuringly, signaling her not to worry.

Relieved, Sha Yi finally relaxed.

Meanwhile, Garlo caught their silent exchange and smirked before impatiently urging the two quarreling figures: “Hey, what’s the hold-up? You’re the ones who wanted to negotiate. We’ve laid out our terms—are we doing this or not? Stop wasting time!”

Yeli’s face darkened further at Garlo’s words.

But Kasan remained relentless, seizing the moment to declare, “Don’t try to fool me! Everyone knows how you operate. I won’t accept empty promises. Today, you either return both Yelai and Kapa, or you get nothing!”

“Kasan, don’t push it!” Yeli growled under his breath. “If you keep this up, even a slight delay will ruin the exchange. Your Kapa will never come back. If you want to live, you’ll follow my lead!”

“Follow your lead?” Kasan scoffed, ignoring the onlookers. “Yeli, let me make this clear—I won’t obey you, and I won’t tolerate your lies. I’ve known for a long time you’ve wanted me dead, but I advise you to drop that idea. Your relationship with Yelai—I’ve kept it quiet, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stay silent forever!”

“Are you threatening me?” Yeli’s expression turned venomous, his voice twisting unnaturally. “Who gave you the audacity? Even as the ‘Shaman,’ you should know your place—unless you want to die without knowing how!”

“I don’t care how I die, but you should.” Kasan met his glare coldly. “Just like how you’re paranoid about others learning about your ties to Yelai. But let me remind you—before you act, think carefully. Why am I fearless in threatening you? And what consequences you’ll face if you cross me.”

“You dare scheme against me?” Yeli’s eyes burned with malice. “What if I do it anyway?”

“Then do it. No one can stop you—just as you can’t stop my words from coming true.” Kasan smiled eerily. “I don’t mind dying together. You know you can’t touch me.”

With that, silence fell between them. They simply stared at each other, cold and wordless.

Across the trench, observing the icy atmosphere between Yeli and Kasan, the trio already knew that the two were on the brink of a complete fallout.

Though their subsequent exchanges were deliberately hushed, making it impossible to hear, it hardly affected their judgment. After all, the undercurrents between Yeli and Kasan were impossible to conceal.

Regardless, since Kasan had allied with them, they had to trust her unconditionally. Perhaps she wasn’t fully aware of the truth behind Kapa’s capture, but she must have some idea. Moreover, her insistence on this course of action surely had its reasons.

In any case, whether Kasan had her own plans, guessed their situation, or even prearranged this with Kapa, the most important thing was that finding an excuse to swap Kapa out aligned with their intentions.

To avoid a bloody conflict, the underhanded tactics once used by Garo from Tuge were the only viable strategy. Right now, she was struggling to find the most suitable reason to send Kapa back, and Kasan’s actions had unexpectedly solved their urgent problem.

Thinking this, she quickly shot Garo a meaningful glance.

Understanding her, Garo spoke again, this time with exaggerated impatience: “Are we doing this exchange or not? How many times do I have to ask? If you don’t want to, just say so—stop wasting our time!”

His words shattered the tense standoff between the two and successfully drew Yeli’s gaze. Seizing the moment, Garo rolled his eyes and flashed a blatantly provocative smirk.

Yeli was instantly enraged, but within moments, he masked it with a mocking smile. “You’ve got some nerve, Garo. Weren’t you my prisoner once?”

“So what? Doesn’t your former prisoner still make your life miserable?” Unfazed by shame, Garo was nothing if not adaptable. “Besides, if I hadn’t given you the chance, could you have even caught me? If it weren’t for that idiot Manlun giving you an opening, I’d probably be kicking your head around right now.”

Sha Yi was long accustomed to Garo’s shamelessness, and after spending time with him, even Xiyi had grown used to it. Though absurd, both she and Xiyi remained calmly silent.

Truth be told, Garo had a knack for provoking people.

With just a few words, she could already see Yeli’s expression darken further.

Then again, Yeli had always preferred veiled words, twisting every sentence with hidden schemes. Running into someone as shameless as Garo was just his bad luck—or rather, well-deserved karma.

Even with his self-control, Yeli couldn’t help but be riled up by Garo, much to the amusement of the onlookers.

But soon, the wiry, sinister man regained his composure, plastering on a hollow smile. “So you blame Manlun for not letting you kick my head? Is that why you burned down Saina’s territory?”

“Not burning all of yours—feeling proud?” Garo raised a brow. “Or are you just trying to stir trouble?”

“I’m stating facts. Why would I need to stir trouble?” Smug, Yeli chuckled. “Let’s talk about you. Isn’t Saina’s current state your doing? You stabbed him in the back, yet now you’re negotiating to save him. I truly don’t understand, but I must thank you. Without your ‘help,’ I’d never have imagined such benefits!”

“Then I’ll take that as a compliment.” Unbothered, Garo didn’t rise to the taunt. Instead, he looked pleased. “But are you really this dense? Can’t you tell I wanted Saina dead from the start? Whether he lives or dies means nothing to me—I’d celebrate if he croaked. Otherwise, why would I waste time arguing with you? Think about it: if Saina doesn’t make it, what use is your antidote? By then, would these two still insist on saving him? Besides, we’ve got unfinished business. Holding Yelei gives me the upper hand. Honestly, you’re just…”

Garo was absolutely doing this on purpose!

With this speech, she couldn’t help but admire him. He had perfectly manipulated the entire situation, even turning Yeli’s provocations and sarcasm to his advantage.

And everything he said was true—undeniable. Otherwise, why would he have stabbed Saina? If not for him, Yeli might have been the one suffering now.

Yeli wasn’t a fool. Though suspicious, Saina’s injury was undeniable proof. No one would gamble with their life like this.

Without knowing the history between Saina and them, or the relationship between Garo and Kapa, Yeli had no choice but to believe it.

After all, Yelei alone was enough to force his hand.

The only issue was that Garo’s perfect play hinged on Saina’s uncertain fate.

Fortunately, Yeli couldn’t afford to take that risk either.

So, in that instant, he swiftly pulled out a small piece of animal hide. When unfolded, Sha Yi saw it contained a tiny pile of finely chopped grass stems and leaves.

Yeli’s cunning was evident.

To prevent them from identifying the plant, he had shredded it beyond recognition and provided only a minuscule amount—his malice was indescribable.

A flicker of anger rose in her, but she suppressed it.

No matter. Once they brought it back to Tuge for examination, they could still figure it out. As long as it bought Saina some time, she refused to believe they’d fail.

Glancing at Xiyi, she saw his brows furrowed in shared frustration. Like her, he remained silent.

Garo, however, noticed their displeasure and smirked, taunting, “You really went all out, grinding these stems to dust and giving us this pathetic amount. Where’s your sincerity in this trade?”

Before Yeli could respond, Kasan snatched the animal hide, glaring. “Enough talk! If you want a proper amount of the antidote herb, you’ll exchange both Kapa and Yelei. Otherwise, forget it!”

Initially, Yeli looked furious at having the herb taken, but hearing Kasan’s demand, his anger faded into silent approval.

It was a brilliant move under pressure.

By controlling the antidote’s quantity, Kasan both catered to Yeli’s desires and dispelled his doubts, while also securing a better chance to retrieve Kapa. At the same time, it paved the way for their own plans.

A flawless strategy—why not take it?