“Do you think cooperation between us is possible?” After a pause, Sha Yi pointed at herself. “As for why Yelai was captured, the reason is clear to everyone. Given that, do you think there’s any foundation of trust left for us to cooperate?”
“Of course there is. Why dwell on past misunderstandings when we didn’t know each other?” Yeli smirked slightly, his dark gray eyes glinting. “Besides, you weren’t harmed in the end. And from what I heard from Manlun, your original group has already split, hasn’t it? That man—what was his name?—took some people and left your group. See, you have your own troubles too. Why don’t we cooperate properly? It’ll save us all unnecessary trouble. I’ll help you deal with your traitors, and in return, you release my brother Yelai. After that, we’ll stay out of each other’s way.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll take care of Saina’s problem as a replacement for the earlier condition of exchanging Manlun?” Xiyi, who had been silent until now, interjected. “And all we have to do is hand Yelai back to you once Saina is dealt with?”
“Exactly.” Yeli nodded, shifting his gaze from her to Xiyi. “From what I know, your conflict with Saina seems far greater than the division within your group…”
Yeli didn’t finish immediately. After a deliberate pause, he glanced sideways at her before turning back to Xiyi. “We don’t have issues with women on our side. If you cooperate with us, we can complement each other’s weaknesses.”
His words carried a hidden meaning, one that might seem innocuous to outsiders but was loaded with implications for her and Xiyi.
She was almost certain now that Manlun had relayed everything about her encounter with Garotuge after the waterfall incident to Yeli and Yelai. Otherwise, Yelai wouldn’t have attacked her out of the blue without ever having met her before.
Given Yeli’s words, it was clear he knew the full dynamics between Saina, Xiyi, her, and Garotuge. That was a significant vulnerability. But what he didn’t know was that Saina had made a promise to her during the encounter with Yelai.
Between Yeli and Saina, she would always choose to trust Saina.
But Yeli wasn’t aware of that. Yelai might have sensed it when Saina risked his life for her, but it wasn’t a threat yet since Yelai had no way to communicate with Yeli now.
For now, their alliance with Saina’s group would only be temporary, aimed at dealing with Yeli. As for what came next, they’d have to wait and see. At the very least, the present situation demanded careful consideration.
No matter what, they had to delay the exchange—not just to conceal their ties with Saina but also to maximize Yelai’s value as a bargaining chip.
If it came down to scheming, aside from Xiyi, who had no taste for deceit, and herself, who was constantly caught in unpredictable situations, only Saina could match Yeli in cunning. But even Saina lacked one thing Yeli had in spades.
When Saina betrayed them, it was because of her—he had no choice. Compared to Yeli, who was utterly unscrupulous, Saina’s betrayal was at least targeted and not entirely without principle.
Think about it: Yeli had decided to kill her based solely on Manlun’s words. That alone proved he had no intention of resolving things peacefully. If he had even a shred of goodwill, no amount of slander from Manlun would have made him jump to such a decision—especially when they hadn’t even met yet.
As for Manlun’s defection, Yeli might be protecting him now, but it was just for show—to create the illusion that he treated defectors well. More likely, he was squeezing every last bit of information out of Manlun.
But she suspected Manlun had already told Yeli everything he knew.
Unfortunately, blind loyalty only works on the right people. For someone like Yeli, the moment you lost your usefulness, you were as good as dead. The only reason Manlun was still alive was because Yeli hadn’t exhausted his value yet. Once he did, Manlun would be discarded.
After all, someone who betrayed his own group once would always be a threat.
If Manlun could betray Garotuge for personal gain, he could betray Yeli just as easily. Yeli wasn’t stupid—he knew that.
Ambitious men like them were bound to clash eventually. The easiest solution? Eliminate the controllable threats before they became uncontrollable.
Moreover, if Yeli truly sought dominance, he wouldn’t tolerate rivals in the same territory. Given the current situation, if Yeli wanted their land but they refused to submit, only two outcomes remained: either they bowed to his rule, or he wiped them out.
That alone proved he wasn’t a trustworthy ally. On the contrary, he was a ticking time bomb, waiting to strike when least expected. They were no saints either, but coexistence was impossible.
Right now, Yeli’s words had another layer of meaning: he was trying to drive a wedge between Xiyi and Saina, fueling their conflict so he could sit back and watch them destroy each other. A classic case of killing with a borrowed knife.
Utterly ruthless.
No matter what, Yeli and Yelai couldn’t be allowed to stay. If an opportunity to eliminate them arose, she wouldn’t hesitate.
At this moment, Yeli was dangling another obvious bait: their side had more women, while hers and Xiyi’s had more men.
In primitive times, men outnumbered women, and many groups struggled with reproduction due to the lack of females. This “olive branch” was undeniably tempting.
Without needing further persuasion, the men from Garotuge’s side had already started murmuring among themselves, clearly enticed.
But she saw right through it.
Analyzing it carefully, while their side had a shortage of women, Yeli’s side had a shortage of men—a problem just as critical. It wasn’t a one-sided need!
Everything had two sides, but most people failed to consider the reverse. There was nothing she could do about that. But she also knew this “olive branch” had deeper implications.
Given Yeli’s nature, he wouldn’t willingly let women join their side. The only way to obtain women would be for their men or Garotuge’s to join Yeli’s group. If neither side agreed, it didn’t matter.
That was the ultimate scheme.
He might allow their men to choose women from his side, but children were born to women. In the end, they’d be strengthening his group while gaining nothing in return.
Devious to the core.
Xiyi, however, cut straight to the point: “You may not have a woman problem, but you do have a man problem.”
Instantly, the murmuring men fell silent, exchanging looks of sudden realization, disdain, and disgust.
Sha Yi almost laughed.
Even Xiyi had seen through it. His blunt remark made everyone see Yeli’s ploy for what it was. Without looking, she could imagine Yeli’s face turning green.
As expected, Yeli’s expression darkened for a split second before he regained his composure. “Perhaps in your eyes, our surplus of women is also a problem. But at the very least, we don’t face the same reproductive challenges as you. Besides, having more women is an advantage. If new groups emerge, our conditions will naturally attract them.”
Still pushing, still trying to force them into his trap.
She understood Yeli’s game perfectly. But she wasn’t foolish enough to fall for it.
With a smile, Sha Yi countered, “Your abundance of women does seem appealing. But while you can use that to lure others, others can also take what they want by force. Since you don’t play by principles, why should we follow your rules?”
Yeli’s face turned icy. “So, you’re refusing cooperation and choosing war instead?”
“Avoiding war would be ideal, but sometimes that’s just wishful thinking.” Sha Yi remained calm. “With someone like you, who schemes at every turn, violence might be the only effective response. Why waste words with the unreasonable when action speaks louder?”
“What exactly do you mean?” Yeli’s gray eyes flashed with malice. “Explain yourself—now.”
“‘If you cut the weeds but don’t dig up the roots, they’ll grow back when the spring winds blow.’” Sha Yi smiled sweetly. “Understandable, isn’t it? The phrase might not be common here, but its meaning is clear enough.”
Yeli let out a cold laugh. “So, you’re rejecting cooperation and opting for war?”
“Cooperation requires sincerity. We’ve given you ample time, yet not once have you spoken with genuine intent.” Sha Yi arched a brow. “Cooperation isn’t manipulation. If you can’t grasp that, we’ve no time to waste on you.”
“Oh? Then enlighten me—where have we been insincere?” Yeli glared, his patience gone. “If we didn’t want cooperation, why would we even approach you?”
“Since you insist, I’ll spell it out. Don’t get angry—you asked for it.” Sha Yi shrugged, feigning innocence. “From the start, you weren’t proposing cooperation but a trade—Manlun for Yelai.”
“But you later admitted most of your intel came from Manlun. That proves he’s now on your side. So, you’re offering us someone from your group in exchange for another from your group. What’s the point? Unless Manlun’s more valuable than Yelai—or you planned for him to spy on us?”
She paused, watching Yeli’s reaction.
She owed this sharpness to Garotuge. Though their time together had been frustrating, she’d learned the art of cutting words and provocation. Even a seasoned schemer like Yeli would be seething—especially when his schemes were laid bare.
Yeli’s face darkened completely.
Having one’s malice exposed was uncomfortable for anyone, but Yeli was unfazed—likely too accustomed to deceit to care. Beyond his blackened expression, he showed no further discomfort.
Sha Yi continued, undeterred. “When your trade failed, you switched tactics—like our suggestion of Garotuge. At first, you denied ever seeing him, then later admitted you’d captured him before he escaped. Whether I believe the first or second version, your words contradict. At least one is a lie—maybe both. But let’s set that aside.”
“Next, I proposed exchanging Yelai for Manlun’s corpse. You refused. You know Manlun betrayed Garotuge. If you truly sought cooperation, Garotuge is part of our alliance. If you won’t even punish a traitor against him, what credibility do you have?”
“Instead, you proposed another condition—helping us ‘solve’ Saina. But is that really for our benefit, or yours? Need I elaborate?”
“Dealing with Saina benefits us both!” Yeli snapped. “How is that deceitful?”
“If it benefits both, why only emphasize our gain while omitting yours?” Sha Yi stood her ground. “More importantly, your focus on Saina stems from personal motives and provocation. You’re stirring conflict. And you must have scouted Saina’s group recently—otherwise, how would you know he’s here? Am I wrong?”
On this point, I must add something. Clearly, what you want is precisely this area where we are now. Saina and his people aren’t even here—they’re so far away from you and have never obstructed you in any way. Yet, you insist on eliminating them. I can only say that if you succeed in wiping out Saina’s group, the next target will undoubtedly be Garlo’s people. Am I right?
This accusation was met with no response from Yeli, who merely glared at her coldly, his expression unreadable.
Anticipating this, Sha Yi didn’t press him to speak. Instead, she continued with her earlier analysis: “Let’s return to Garlo. You’ve repeatedly brought up the conflicts between him and us. Your intention is obvious—anyone can see it. You’re simply trying to exploit these grievances to drive a wedge between our two groups, shattering the relatively peaceful relationship we have now. Then, you’ll seize the opportunity to either absorb or eliminate us one by one. Isn’t that right?”
This time, she didn’t even wait for Yeli to respond: “By dividing other groups, you create opportunities for yourselves. Even when proposing conditions, every word is calculated, every step carefully planned. The so-called ‘peaceful coexistence’ you preach—anyone who believes in it will never live to see it. Look, this is what you call ‘cooperation.’ Do you really think we can trust you?”
Hearing this, Yeli didn’t react with anger but instead laughed, though his dark gray eyes held a chilling depth. “It seems Manlun’s suggestion was correct—the decision to kill you was the right one. The only pity is that we underestimated you. Otherwise, you’d never have had the chance to stand here and negotiate with me.”
Though Yeli spoke with a smile, the seething fury in his words was unmistakable. Yet, she felt no fear, no pressure.
In contrast, Xiyi reached out and took her hand, his own anger simmering—likely because Yeli had just admitted to plotting against her. When she had first told him about it, he had been furious, only calming down after their trip to the hot spring. Now, with the past dredged up again, facing such schemes against the person he cared about most, it was no surprise his anger resurfaced.
But unlike Xiyi, after everything she had been through, she had grown far more composed—especially with the warmth of Xiyi’s hand in hers, a comfort she cherished.
Because of that, she wouldn’t lose her composure. Yeleh had failed to break her, and she certainly wouldn’t let Yeli’s meaningless words provoke her.
She wouldn’t fall into his trap.
Especially now, when she might very well be pregnant. For the sake of the possible little life inside her, she had to treat Yeli’s words as nothing more than empty noise.
Honestly, she wasn’t angry at all, no matter how much Yeli tried to provoke or curse her.
Garlo’s only redeeming quality was his ability to infuriate people with mere words—just like how he had once made Tuge fume with rage. Having spent time with both of them, she might not be cruel by nature, but she could certainly play the part when needed.
Squeezing Xiyi’s hand reassuringly, she lifted her head and smiled at Yeli. “Sorry to disappoint you, but not only do I have the chance to stand here and expose your true nature, I can also tell you a few more things. For example, the fire in the forest? That was me—right when your brother Yeleh was captured. Now you know why it took you so long to get here, don’t you?”
Glancing at Manlun, whose face was nearly red with fury, Sha Yi felt a surge of satisfaction. Without waiting for Yeli to respond, she cheerfully twisted the knife further: “Of course, the giant-toothed eagle incident was purely accidental. I certainly had no time to deal with giant birds—you’ll have to ask Manlun about that. He should know. After all, Garlo pulled the same trick before. Don’t tell me Manlun was unaware. If he didn’t tell you anything, then he must have been hiding it from you. It makes sense that you’d spare his life—even if he’s unfair to you, at least you still have the chance to question him. After all, he’s not dead yet!”
If Yeli thrived on sowing discord, she could play the same game—borrowing Garlo and Tuge’s infuriating tactics. Besides, Yeli had never fully trusted Manlun to begin with. Now, he was probably seething with rage. Even if she was lying, her words had solid grounding.
And honestly, with heartless people like Yeli and Manlun, she’d love nothing more than to watch them tear each other apart.
They were nothing like Saina and Garlo. She couldn’t afford to treat them the way she had with the people from the old cave settlement—otherwise, history would repeat itself.
They had already stumbled twice on the same path. There couldn’t be a third time. Moreover, for ruthless, power-hungry individuals who showed no mercy to innocent lives, the only solution was eradication—to prevent future disasters.
She didn’t even need to stoke more conflict between them. In that instant, the tension between the thin and the stout man was already palpable, the atmosphere freezing over.
When she met Yeli’s gaze again, she could see the venomous malice in his dark gray eyes.
Before, she hadn’t noticed any resemblance between Yeli and Yeleh beyond their looks. But now, she saw it clearly—Yeleh was cruel and ruthless, but his malice was straightforward. Yeli, on the other hand, wore a mask of amiability, making him even more dangerous than his brother. That was probably why he held the upper hand, able to command Yeleh as he pleased.
Sha Yi mused that even if Yeli didn’t confront Manlun immediately, he would never let him off the hook afterward. This had become his obsession. People like him—intolerant and power-hungry—rarely thought like normal individuals. Even if he knew her words were unreliable, it wouldn’t matter.
Given Yeli’s philosophy of “better to kill a hundred innocents than let one enemy escape,” Manlun was in for a rough time.
Compared to Yeli’s indirect methods, her approach had a hundred percent chance of success.
Because their mindsets were fundamentally different.
As expected, Yeli’s glare at Manlun didn’t last long. Soon, he turned his attention back to her.
She didn’t miss the resentful look Manlun shot her once Yeli looked away.
But she ignored it.
Instead, Yeli spoke again: “My attempts to provoke you failed, and I won’t believe your attempts to divide us either. If I can’t achieve my goals, neither will you. Since neither of us will yield, then I understand completely. And let me tell you—we won’t let you off easily.”
“I already knew that. ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll destroy it.’ If that fails, mutual destruction it is. I get it.” She made an “OK” gesture before realizing these ancient people wouldn’t understand modern symbols. With a lighthearted tone, she met Yeli’s dark gaze. “But as for the ‘division’ you claim I’m causing—I believe it’ll work. Just wait and see.”
“At most, it’ll just cost me one insignificant person. What does that matter? What else can you possibly do to us?” Yeli smirked arrogantly. “Meanwhile, don’t forget—thanks to Manlun, I know everything about you. Let’s see who’s really at a disadvantage!”
“No need to remind us. We’re well aware. But…” She paused dramatically, sighing and shaking her head. “You have your sources of information, but do you think we don’t have ours? Arrogance and underestimating others will cost you dearly. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Oh? Then by all means, share what you know. Don’t just flap your lips.”
“Fine, since you insist. Who’s afraid of who?” Rolling her eyes, Sha Yi decided to reveal what Tuge had told her. “If you’re so determined to take over our land, then your migration must be for a reason. I’m guessing there’s someone in your group called the ‘Shaman,’ isn’t there?”
“Is that supposed to be a revelation?” Yeli scoffed. “Even if I tell you, so what? Is that a secret? Do you really think you can fool me with this?”
“Why so impatient?” she replied calmly. “Did your ‘Shaman’ tell you that only by migrating and occupying our land would the women in your group stop giving birth mostly to girls? And that the survival rate would improve drastically? Am I right?”
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