Chapter 21: Have I Been Played by My Sister-in-Law?

"I want to go too," the Faceless Man, Mu Han, said as he opened the door and stepped out.

Zhao Yu was just about to agree, but then hesitated, "That doesn't seem quite right."

"Brother, what could be wrong with that?" Mu Han quickly moved closer.

He coughed up a bit of blood and offered a wry smile, "Brother, look at my body. I'm getting weaker and weaker. If I don't eat some meat to build up my strength..."

"The main thing is, although I recognize him as a good friend, this is, after all, my first time visiting his home."

As he spoke, Zhao Yu grew increasingly helpless, "Dragging the whole family along on a first visit—that really isn't proper, don't you think, brother?"

Whether he brought his sister-in-law or his brother, he would have to bring the other as well, otherwise, it wouldn't be fair. And bringing both would definitely be "dragging the whole family along."

Mu Han and Xiao Wanzi fell silent.

Seeing their disappointed expressions, however, Zhao Yu’s heart sank again.

Soon, Xiao Wanzi suggested thoughtfully, "Then, brother-in-law, you go visit by yourself, but remember to bring back plenty of ingredients."

"I knew you wouldn't make things difficult for me," Zhao Yu said, immediately moved.

Although there were many black winds outside, if one really had to go out, as long as one ensured there was a place to hide nearby, the black winds weren't that terrifying. At most, one might get trapped, as the black winds couldn't kill a person.

She was truly his innocent and adorable sister-in-law.

Xiao Wanzi didn't speak, only offered a sweet smile.

Zhao Yu cautioned them, "I'm heading out then. Remember, no fighting at home, and absolutely no arguing. Brother, stay inside and don't come out unless necessary."

"Mm-hmm." Both of them nodded immediately, looking very obedient.

Zhao Yu looked satisfied, stood up, and left the courtyard.

Just as he stepped outside, his footsteps faltered.

He suddenly realized: had he been hoodwinked by Xiao Wanzi? Otherwise, when had he ever said he was going to visit Tie Shi right now?

"Brother-in-law, did you forget something?" Xiao Wanzi poked her head out, her smile growing even sweeter and more innocent.

Looking at her guileless appearance, Zhao Yu subconsciously shook his head, "No, I just thought of something else."

It must be an illusion. Surely his sister-in-law, so innocent and cute, couldn't possibly be playing games with him? It must just be that she was too greedy, and through a series of coincidences, things ended up this way.

And now...

Although he still didn't want to go out, he had already promised his sister-in-law. He couldn't very well say he was too afraid of the black winds to go, could he?

He sighed inwardly and headed toward the Youxiong Tribe, where Tie Shi resided.

***

The Youxiong Tribe.

The top leaders of the Youxiong Tribe were all gathered in a pavilion. The High Priest sat to one side, seemingly dozing or perhaps listening intently.

The others were chattering away.

"Chief, the number of evil spirits wandering outside has been increasing."

"Yesterday, there was even an earthquake... You must know, the Yin Mountains, spanning a million miles, have unique ley lines; there has never been such a thing as an earthquake here."

"When I went out to investigate yesterday, I saw some evil spirits that I had never even seen in the records. Furthermore, the spread of this Wind of Despair seems broader than any recorded instance."

Listening to them, Tie Shi frowned deeply. The situation seemed to be growing increasingly complex.

The High Priest spoke suddenly, "The premature arrival of the Abyss of Despair must have something to do with those visiting cultivators."

The others looked at each other and nodded subconsciously. Cultivators rarely came to these million-mile Yin Mountains, but recently, there had been quite a few, and all of them were extremely powerful. It couldn't just be a coincidence.

Several people narrowed their eyes, "What could they be plotting? Aside from bringing despair, destruction, and slaughter, the Abyss of Despair doesn't seem to offer any benefits."

Tie Shi said in a deep voice, "That has nothing to do with our Youxiong Tribe. Even if we investigate, we cannot stop it. There is no point in dwelling on it. What we need to consider now is... we must prepare to migrate!"

Just as they had said at the beginning, the evil spirits outside the tribe were increasing. If they didn't leave, something terrible would surely happen.

Many looked at Tie Shi, "With the Wind of Despair raging, this is not the time to migrate... And where can we even go?"

Hearing this, Tie Shi looked outside with a throbbing headache. Yes, where could they migrate to?

In normal times, their experts could have dispersed to find a suitable place, but with the arrival of the Abyss of Despair... even Tie Shi dared not venture too far.

"Chief." A guard hurried toward the pavilion.

While still struggling with the headache, Tie Shi frowned slightly and walked to the edge of the pavilion, "What happened?"

He was in the middle of a meeting with the leaders; the guard wouldn't disturb him unless it was urgent.

The guard had a strange expression, "Chief, there is a person outside the tribe who claims to be... claims to be your good friend, saying he came to visit you and wants to enter the tribe."

"Outside? My... good friend?" Tie Shi was stunned. If he had to name friends, his only friends were in the tribe. Where would he have a good friend outside?

"That is what he said," the guard nodded, biting the bullet.

"I will go and take a look."

After speaking, Tie Shi turned back, "Anyone who dares to wander outside nowadays is likely one of those well-prepared visiting cultivators. I don't know what they are planning by seeking out our Youxiong Tribe, but I'll go see."

The High Priest and the others nodded slightly. Tie Shi glanced at the tribe entrance and leaped away like the wind.

At the entrance of the tribe, Zhao Yu looked at the village and felt a secret sense of envy, "This place is truly luxurious."

He hadn't expected such a massive complex of buildings to exist near his home. Apart from in books, he had never seen such a grand structure.

The various buildings inside were clustered together, and there were sturdy, muscular men who looked incredibly strong... his good friend Tie Shi was truly a cultivator capable of flying and burrowing, and the place he lived was certainly different.

As he thought about this, Zhao Yu felt a pang of sadness. With his wife's cultivation level, she should clearly be living in a grand place, yet because she wanted to accompany him, she was stuck in a dilapidated courtyard.

After a moment of sadness, Zhao Yu approached a guard and asked curiously, "Why do you bury yourselves behind such a large dirt wall? Aren't you afraid of feeling stifled?"

Although the interior of the tribe was luxurious, the outside...

A very sturdy earth wall surrounded the entire tribe. Not only that, but the wall also covered the entire sky above the tribe. Apart from the entrance where the guards were, there wasn't a single gap in the entire structure.

The guard looked at Zhao Yu and wanted to curse. Could he not phrase things more pleasantly? What did he mean by "bury"?

Moreover, if they didn't use the earth wall for such rigorous defense, the entire tribe would perish if the black winds blew through.

Not receiving an answer, Zhao Yu pondered for a moment and said with an embarrassed smile, "I understand. It's a local custom."

The books said that different places had different customs, and it was the most basic of manners not to judge the traditions of others.