Chapter 205: Becoming Enemies

Secondly, even matters without scientific basis require some luck. If someone manages to encounter good fortune a few times, it indicates they’ve put in considerable effort and must be handled with caution.

The only thing that put her at ease was that the so-called “witch” didn’t seem to get along well with Yeli either.

At first glance, she noticed that the “witch” was no longer young—her dull, yellowish skin and deeply wrinkled face made her look scarcely younger than Tuge.

Upon hearing Yeli’s roundabout words, the old woman reacted immediately. A fleeting expression of disgust crossed her face before she raised her head to look at her, though she remained silent.

Judging by the old woman’s expression, she likely disliked Yeli’s leadership or held strong objections to him.

However, her animosity toward Yeli didn’t extend to her. The old woman’s gaze held only a hint of curiosity and something else she couldn’t quite decipher.

Regardless, the old woman didn’t display the arrogance, displeasure, or outright anger that Yeli and the other women had. On the contrary, her expression was remarkably gentle.

It seemed the old woman had no intention of picking up where Yeli left off to confront her. Instead, there was a faint suggestion of wanting to defuse the situation.

Sha Yi had a rough idea now.

But Yeli’s face darkened, and he spoke in a strange tone to remind the old woman, “Kasan, shouldn’t you step forward and explain? The initial decision was yours, and the best migration site was your choice. Yet the current situation seems off. Should we still stick to your plan?”

With a slight turn of her cloudy eyes, Kasan remained unruffled. “I only offered advice. The decision was made by you and Yelai, and the orders were yours. The current outcome stems from your choices—it has little to do with me.”

“You’re cutting the bridge after crossing the river, pushing all the blame away?” Yeli’s expression turned cold. “Do you really think I’ll take the fall for you?”

“Of course not.” Kasan remained composed. Despite her age, her mind was sharp. “But my original suggestion was to migrate east. Heading south was your idea, along with Yelai and those women. So the current predicament isn’t my doing.”

“Even if we both share some blame, you won’t walk away unscathed that easily.” Yeli sneered and abruptly raised the bone knife in his hand. “Either give me a clear answer now, or die right here.”

This was clearly internal strife.

Yeli sought to dominate and conquer everyone through force, but during his campaign, he encountered the somewhat mystical yet formidable “witch” of ancient times. With anyone else, coexistence might have been possible, but with a man like Yeli, trouble was inevitable.

Initially, she had assumed Yeli’s group was united. Now, it was clear they weren’t. Moreover, the “witch” she had imagined as deceitful and shameless turned out to be nothing like her expectations.

This Kasan was astonishingly rational.

She couldn’t help but study the unremarkable-looking yet sharp-tongued old woman again.

Kasan’s appearance was ordinary. People of ancient times couldn’t compare to modern standards, especially after enduring years of harsh living conditions. Beyond their rugged features, their skin was rough—more so for women, who lacked the rugged charm of men and instead appeared plain, if not outright unattractive. And Kasan, already advanced in age, looked even more unremarkable, save for the typical robust build of ancient people.

As she observed Kasan, the old woman was also watching her.

Kasan’s gaze still held that trace of curiosity, along with something else she couldn’t interpret. But it didn’t hinder her from assessing Kasan’s stance and intentions.

Staring into those murky eyes, Sha Yi sensed that Kasan harbored no real hostility toward them. It seemed her hesitation stemmed solely from pressure by Yeli.

Even with the status of a “witch,” Kasan was still under Yeli’s control. Though the “witch” held significant influence, it wasn’t enough to rival a ruler’s authority.

Where ambition existed, so did defiance.

And Yeli’s ambition was practically “submit or perish.” So she fully understood Kasan’s attitude toward him.

However, she couldn’t yet fully grasp Kasan’s motives, so she refrained from hastily labeling her.

With the two of them at each other’s throats, she could only watch the drama unfold.

As if sensing her thoughts, Kasan—who had been silently observing her—suddenly responded to Yeli’s demand: “If you find further migration troublesome and negotiations fail, then seize the land you want. It’s not the first time you’ve done this. If the cost of fighting is too high, we’ll keep moving. And stop with the threats—when have you ever asked for permission before acting? Direct action is more your style.”

“You know me best, Kasan.” Yeli smirked darkly, long accustomed to their verbal sparring. “Fine. Since even you, the ‘witch,’ find these options viable, let’s pick one and try it.”

Dumping all responsibility back on Kasan, Yeli’s audacity was staggering.

Sha Yi mentally scoffed but knew this was their affair. It wasn’t her place to intervene, so she pretended not to hear, instead reflecting on the issues raised during their exchange.

Truthfully, she couldn’t help but worry about someone like Yeli—ruthless and devoid of emotion.

Originally, she had planned to use Yelai as their biggest bargaining chip. While Yeli had shown some willingness to exchange for him, she couldn’t guarantee its lasting effectiveness.

Given Yelai’s ferocity, if he learned his existence was causing Yeli so much trouble, he might even take his own life. And Yeli’s patience had limits—he might tolerate it once or twice, but if this dragged into a prolonged stalemate with Yelai as a shield, he’d eventually discard all restraint.

Considering all factors, they either needed to resolve the Yelai situation quickly under favorable terms or find another solution. Otherwise, they’d face endless problems.

Conflicts between groups weren’t uncommon, and wars in primitive or even cold-weapon eras weren’t inherently terrifying. But with someone like Yeli—relentless and unforgiving—things could spiral out of control.

The thought unsettled Sha Yi, shattering her earlier optimism.

To make matters worse, the cold-blooded man across from her chose that moment to speak, deliberately stirring the pot: “Seems conflict between us is unavoidable. Fine. I’ve set my sights on your land. Better to pay a price and seize what we need than let the entire group wither and die!”

“Not a bad idea. I agree.” Tuge, who had been quietly trailing them, suddenly chimed in. “Just give us a heads-up before you act. We’ll start by killing Yelai for morale!”

Sha Yi was speechless.

Though Tuge’s words lightened the mood slightly, they also carried a veiled threat—reminding Yeli that Yelai’s life was in their hands.

But at this point, Yeli’s ruthlessness likely overrode any such concerns. Moreover, his cunning probably led him to believe they’d hesitate, especially after failed negotiations, trades, and cooperation.

Perhaps he even planned to manipulate them as he had with Manlun, using a mix of coercion and temptation. Or worse—an outright ambush.

War itself didn’t worry her much. Their weapons gave them an edge. But unlike Yeli’s battle-hardened women, her group lacked combat experience. Victory was possible, but the cost would be high.

The crux was, even if they reached an agreement now, Yeli would eventually scheme to destroy them. Someone like him had to be eliminated. So if talks broke down, so be it.

Still, they had to ensure Yelai remained secure until Yeli was dealt with.

Yelai was the balancing scale between them. Any harm to him before the final resolution would only provoke Yeli’s fury. They had to think ahead.

Tuge’s remark, while bold, would only deepen the deadlock.

She believed Yeli, no matter how enraged, wouldn’t abandon Yelai while he still lived.

After all, in their entire group, the only one who might truly understand Yeli was his brother, Yelai.

As for Kasan and other dissenters—their conflicts were obvious, and grievances ran deep.

Yet, thinking of Kasan, Sha Yi felt a spark of inspiration.

Right now, neither side held the upper hand, and neither could propose terms that fully balanced the scales—let alone establish trust. Of course, neither would blindly accept the other’s conditions. Only a fool would fall for such blatant deceit.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t win Kasan over. Like Manlun, who had defected and surely sought to reconnect with his allies still in Jaro’s group, their task was to monitor those people and find an opening through Kasan.

This was a golden opportunity.

Glancing at Yeli, who was glaring coldly at Tuge, Sha Yi steadied herself and allowed a faint smile.

Just then, Yeli spoke again, his voice low and grim: “If you’re determined to go through with this, then try it. There’s no avoiding it now. Just don’t regret it later.”

With that, he turned and strode away without a backward glance, pushing past the women toward his group’s temporary camp.