570: Chapter 565 Head-to-Head

He knew that Wu He's stone house would not be peaceful at this moment.

In another, larger stone house, the atmosphere was so heavy it could almost drip water.

This was the council hall of the Sand Viper Tribe.

In the center was a fire pit burning smokeless charcoal.

The firelight illuminated four weather-beaten faces.

Wu He sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the stone table before him.

"That is the situation."

His hoarse voice echoed in the silence.

"That outsider, Shen Yan, wants the 'Divine Stone' beneath our feet."

"In exchange, he gives us water, food, and a tomorrow."

Sitting opposite him was an elder even older than Wu He.

His name was Sang Mu, the tribe's priest and the guardian of history.

His eyes were cloudy, as if covered in a layer of dust.

"The 'Divine Stone' is the remains of our ancestors, a gift from the sand god."

Sang Mu's voice sounded like dry bark rubbing together.

"We have guarded it for hundreds of years and never allowed an outsider to touch it."

"Wu He, have you forgotten the ancestral teachings?"

To Wu He's right sat a sturdy, muscular man.

He bore a hideous scar running diagonally from his forehead to his chin.

He was Ge Shan, the strongest warrior of the tribe, responsible for the clan's defense.

"A fraud!"

Ge Shan's voice was like a massive boulder hitting the ground—dull and powerful.

"He used some obscure trickery to bring down a so-called 'miracle' and now wants to cheat us out of our tribe's foundation?"

"Elder, let me go tie him up and use the venom of the sand scorpion to make him spit out all his secrets!"

"Not a single word from an outsider can be trusted!"

To Wu He's left sat a relatively younger man, about forty years old.

His name was Fei Shi; he was responsible for the tribe's logistics and external negotiations, one of the few in the clan skilled in calculation.

He had been silent, but now he slowly spoke up.

"Ge Shan, the reason he could enter was because Kade guided the way."

"Although Kade is greedy, he wouldn't dare betray the tribe. He shouldn't have the guts to conspire with an outsider to deceive us."

"Besides, the water that appeared out of thin air is real."

"Our people all drank it."

Fei Shi looked towards Wu He.

"But what he said is too vague."

"A future where we never lack water? Sand land where we can grow grain ourselves?"

"This sounds more like a myth than a trade."

Wu He's knuckles stopped tapping.

He surveyed the room.

One clinging to tradition, one aggressive and combative, one cautious and suspicious.

This represented the thoughts of the vast majority in the tribe.

"Sang Mu, the ancestral teaching is to let us survive, not to starve to death while clinging to the remains of our ancestors."

"Ge Shan, violence doesn't solve all problems. What if behind him stands a power we cannot afford to offend? If you kill him and invite a pack of jackals, who will take responsibility?"

"Fei Shi, you are right; what he said is too vague."

Wu He took a deep breath.

"In recent years, the storms in the 'Black Wind Pass' have grown stronger, and our camel caravans have lost thirty percent."

"The Red Wolf Tribe to the east seized two of our water sources."

"Do you all forget how many children and elderly froze to death last winter?"

His voice carried a deep weariness.

"We cannot continue like this."

"If things continue this way, within twenty years, the Sand Viper Tribe will be swallowed by this desert."

Ge Shan retorted, puffing out his thick neck: "We can go fight to take them back! We Sand Viper warriors are not afraid to die!"

"Fight with what?" Wu He countered, "With the scimitars in your hands, fight against the firearms the Red Wolf Tribe traded for from the outside?"

Ge Shan fell silent.

Sang Mu sighed, "But that is the 'Divine Stone.' Moving it will anger the sand god."

"If the sand god truly cared about us, why wouldn't He give us a well that never runs dry?" Wu He's voice carried emotion for the first time.

The council hall fell into a stalemate again.

Everyone frowned, and the charcoal in the fire pit made soft crackling sounds.

After a long while,

Wu He made his decision.

"Call him in."

"Let him speak for himself."

"In front of all of us, let him clearly explain why he can give us a tomorrow."

"If he can persuade you,"

Wu He paused, his eyes turning sharp.

"We will gamble with him."

"If he is just a smooth-talking liar..."

"Ge Shan, his head will be yours."

The stone door was pushed open again.

Batu stood at the entrance, making a 'please' gesture towards Shen Yan.

Shen Yan stood up and followed him, walking once more into the council stone room.

This time, the firelight inside was brighter.

There were three more scrutinizing, hostile gazes.

Shen Yan's gaze swept over Sang Mu, Ge Shan, and Fei Shi one by one.

His expression showed no fluctuation.

"Sit."

Wu He pointed to a stone stool opposite him.

Shen Yan sat down.

"These are the wise men of the tribe: Priest Sang Mu, Warrior Ge Shan, and Steward Fei Shi."

Wu He introduced him briefly.

"They do not agree with my proposal."

Shen Yan nodded.

"As expected."

His calmness greatly displeased Ge Shan.

"Outsider, put away your deceptive tricks!"

Ge Shan's voice boomed in the stone room.

"You want the 'Divine Stone'? Only over my dead body!"

Shen Yan did not look at him but instead looked at Priest Sang Mu.

"Elder Sang Mu, you guard the history and faith of the tribe."

"I would like to ask, does the sand god you worship wish to see His descendants prosper, or slowly perish while guarding a pile of lifeless stones amidst thirst and despair?"

Sang Mu's eyelids twitched.

"The sand god has His arrangements."

"The arrangement is for me to appear here today."

Shen Yan's tone allowed for no argument.

"What I bring is not a trade, but a test from the sand god."

"A test of whether you have the courage to embrace a stronger future."

A strange light flashed in Sang Mu's cloudy eyes.

Shen Yan then turned to Fei Shi.

"Steward Fei Shi, you are responsible for the livelihood of the tribe. You should know best that this tribe is heading toward decline."

"One slightly larger sandstorm, one severe loss of a camel caravan, one raid from a hostile tribe—any of these could lead to your eternal damnation."

"What you need is a stable rear, a rear where you no longer have to fight desperately for a mouthful of water or a piece of dried meat."

Fei Shi's brow furrowed even tighter.

Finally, Shen Yan's gaze settled on Ge Shan.

"Warrior Ge Shan."

"You crave power, you crave victory, you crave the Sand Viper Tribe becoming the master of this desert."

"But the scimitar in your hand is too dull."

Ge Shan suddenly stood up, and the scimitar at his waist hissed as it was drawn out half an inch.

"What did you say?!"