The Furs Come Due

The well-tailored beast-hide clothes fit snugly, lending Qiuye a hint of martial grace. She stood on the open ground outside the Ironstone Tribe, gazing into the distance.

Her figure had drawn the attention of the young men of this simple tribe. Ever since Qiuye had arrived at the Ironstone Tribe, she had become, without any dispute, the most beautiful girl in the entire tribe… One after another, the young men vied to display their valor in front of her, yet none could catch Qiuye’s eye.

“Miss Qiuye is waiting for her young master, I think.”

“Mm. The returning Uncle Dala and the others said that young master is incredibly powerful. The hundred or so Green Armor Guards of the Ironwood Clan were all slaughtered in the blink of an eye by him!”

“Only a young master that formidable could be worthy of the beautiful Miss Qiuye.”

“A pity… meeting a great demon. That formidable young master, even he probably couldn’t survive an encounter with a great demon. When a great demon rages, the very heavens and earth change color. It froze a large group to death on the spot. Uncle Dala and the others only escaped by running fast. If that young master died, Miss Qiuye would have to find another man to marry!”

The tribesmen on guard duty at the gate muttered among themselves.

In their eyes, a girl like Qiuye was practically a legendary fairy… Compared to the girls of their own tribe, she was as far above them as heaven was above earth.

…

Qiuye stood there, staring at the distant forests and mountains.

She was waiting. Waiting for the most important man in her life.

“Qiuye.” A burly figure walked out from the tribe—it was the other servant, Mowu. Mowu urged, “You should rest for a while. Once the young master comes, the guards at the gate will naturally see him.”

“No.” Qiuye shook her head gently.

Mowu glanced at Qiuye, then sat down on a chopped-off tree stump nearby. Worry was etched across his face. From the returning Uncle Dala, they had learned that Ji Ning had fought the great demon ‘Water Rhinoceros King’… but the outcome was unknown. Though he hoped in his heart that the young master would return, reason told Mowu… the young master had probably met with ill fortune!

After all, it had taken Uncle Dala and the others nearly two days to return from the Eastmarsh Swamp.

If Young Master Ji Ning were alive, given his speed, he would have reached the Ironstone Tribe in less than half a day… Logically, he should have returned to the Ironstone Tribe before Uncle Dala and the others. Yet Uncle Dala had been back for two days, and Ji Ning had still not appeared.

“If the young master dies, I and Qiuye will probably have to accompany him in death.” Mowu thought silently.

When a master dies, how can a servant live?

The Ji Clan, being a hegemonic power, had very strict internal laws.

“Mm?” Mowu’s eyes suddenly blinked. In the distant forests, a figure was faintly visible. The silhouette was familiar… very much like the young master’s figure!

“Young master!” Qiuye had already dashed forward.

“Young master?”

“Miss Qiuye is running over.”

“Look, it seems someone is coming over there. Could that be the young master Miss Qiuye has been waiting for?” The young guards at the tribe gate whispered, and at the same time, some guards immediately ran into the tribe to notify the people inside.

…

Qiuye looked at the beast-hide-clad youth walking toward her with a smile. The fear, panic, anxiety, and worry she had suppressed over the past two days all surged forth, causing tears to stream down her face.

“Young master.” Qiuye looked at Ji Ning. “I, I…”

“Didn’t I come back?” Ji Ning’s astonishing eyesight allowed him to spot at a glance, deep in the tribe, Uncle Dala, the one-armed man, and others walking out. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, Dala’s already back. So he told you about my battle with the Water Rhinoceros King? It’s only been a few days that I haven’t returned, and it’s scared you into this state?”

Qiuye struggled to hold back her tears.

“Just a Water Rhinoceros King. To your young master, it was nothing.” Ji Ning raised an eyebrow, his expression spirited.

Qiuye exclaimed in surprise, “Young master, you killed the great demon?”

“Mm.” Ji Ning nodded proudly.

“Wow… a great demon! The young master killed a great demon!” Qiuye was shaking with excitement. “The young master is only eleven years old, and he’s already killed a great demon. This, this…” As his personal maidservant, Qiuye’s entire life revolved around Ji Ning. He was the most important person in her world. That Ji Ning could slay a great demon filled Qiuye with heartfelt excitement.

Ji Ning quickly lowered his voice: “Don’t spread it.”

“Yes, yes.” Qiuye nodded hurriedly.

“Let’s go. Let’s take a look at this Ironstone Tribe.” Ji Ning said. Over the past few days, Ji Ning had reflected in the forests on the two previous battles. In the heat of combat, he had noticed some of his shortcomings. After careful reflection, he had studied his two sword arts in depth again. He felt he had made considerable progress.

Ji Ning led Qiuye toward the main gate of the Ironstone Tribe.

Uncle Dala and a group of tribesmen were actively coming out to greet them. At the very front was a bald, white-haired old man. After walking over, the bald white-haired elder immediately bowed in respect: “I am Tie San of the Ironstone Tribe. I thank the great young master for repeatedly saving the people of my Ironstone Tribe. All of us in the Ironstone Tribe are endlessly grateful… and have been looking forward to your arrival.”

Ji Ning nodded with a smile: “I will be staying with your Ironstone Tribe for a while. As for saving them? It was just a convenience. Also… I don’t wish to be disturbed.”

“Understood, understood.” The bald white-haired elder nodded repeatedly.

“Dala.” Ji Ning looked over.

The burly, black-bear-like Uncle Dala quickly stepped forward, looking very excited: “Young master, seeing you back, I…”

“Enough.” Ji Ning said with a smile, “You helped me for over a month at Eastmarsh Swamp. I said I would reward you heavily once I returned to the Ironstone Tribe. Take this.” As he spoke, three pieces of beast-head gold appeared in his hand, each weighing ten jin. He tossed them directly over. The big, burly Dala was momentarily dumbfounded.

He quickly caught them, and the other tribesmen around looked on with great envy.

“Let’s go.” Ji Ning glanced at Mowu and Qiuye, then walked directly into the Ironstone Tribe.

Ji Ning could have given an even more valuable reward, but the Ironstone Tribe was a small tribe of barely a thousand people. Items that were too precious would have become a disaster instead!

Inside the Ironstone Tribe.

“Young master.” Qiuye poured fruit wine for Ji Ning and presented fruits and delicacies. “Mowu and I arrived at this tribe over a month ago. Shortly after arriving, we made contact with our Ji Clan.”

“Mm.” Ji Ning nodded.

Whenever he roamed outside, he would contact the Western Prefecture city through the Ji Clan’s scattered garrisons once every month.

“There was also a letter for you from the Western Prefecture city.” Qiuye took a scroll from her bosom.

Ji Ning took it, unrolled the yellow leather scroll, and a smile appeared on his face. It was a letter from his mother! The content was nothing major—mainly words of concern. But a mother’s chattering warmed Ji Ning’s heart, fresh from life-and-death battles.

“Alright, Qiuye. You look like you haven’t rested well in days. Go get some rest.” Ji Ning said.

“I’m not tired.” Qiuye quickly replied.

“Go.” Ji Ning commanded.

Qiuye bowed her head and obediently went to her quarters to rest.

…

Time passed. Every ten days or half a month, he would go to Eastmarsh Swamp. Most of the time, he stayed at the Ironstone Tribe, pondering sword techniques. Over a month slipped by.

“Tsk.” Ji Ning sat on the roof, holding a bamboo tube filled with fine fruit wine. “Though the Western Prefecture city is large, it lacks the warmth of this small tribe.”

The tribe rested at sunset and rose at dawn.

The Ironstone Tribe was very united, helping each other, treating one another like brothers.

“Hurry, hurry!”

“Everyone back inside!”

“Quick, put it all away.”

Suddenly, the peaceful and tranquil tribe erupted into noise and chaos. Ji Ning, drinking wine on the roof, was puzzled. He leaped down and grabbed a passing young man by the arm: “You.”

“Young master.” The young man, seeing that it was Ji Ning who had grabbed him, responded respectfully.

“What’s going on?” Ji Ning asked. “Why has the tribe suddenly gone into an uproar? Weren’t you all practicing spear techniques just now? Why stop?”

“It’s the Black Mountain Tribe people coming!” The young man said hurriedly, “The Black Mountain Tribe has come to collect furs from our tribe. We need to hide the better furs. If the Black Mountain Tribe discovers them, they’ll take them, and we’ll be in trouble. Young master, I need to hurry back—”

Ji Ning nodded thoughtfully: “Go on, then.”

Qiuye was also standing at the entrance of their lodging, watching the commotion. She explained, “The Black Mountain Tribe is a super-large tribe with tens of thousands of people. Smaller tribes are forced to hand over some of their goods to them every year.”

“Hmph.” Ji Ning frowned. “This land is the territory of my Ji Clan! Only the Ji Clan has the right to levy taxes. This Black Mountain Tribe making the surrounding small tribes hand over goods—isn’t that the same as taxing them?”

The Ji Clan did impose taxes on every tribe within its territory.

At the same time, the Ji Clan was a vassal of the Grand Xia Dynasty, and most of the taxes it collected were sent to the Grand Xia!

“That’s how it’s said,” Qiuye shook her head. “But do these small tribes dare to refuse? If they refuse, the Black Mountain Tribe can crush a small tribe outright, capture the people, and sell them as slaves.”

Ji Ning sighed.

It was true.

With so many tribes, the constant conflicts between them were impossible to control. The Ji Clan could only let them be. It wasn’t just the Ji Clan… even the Grand Xia Dynasty, ruling over boundless territories, could only manage things loosely. The Ji Clan and the Ironwood Clan were at each other’s throats like mortal enemies, weren’t they? The territory was too vast; it was hard to govern!

“Here they come.” Qiuye said. “The Black Mountain Tribe people are here.”

Ji Ning looked as well. In the distance, a group of armored guards in half-armor, led by a man in beast-hide, was swaggering in as if inspecting their own domain. The chieftain of the Ironstone Tribe, Uncle Dala, and the others accompanied them obediently, showing extreme deference.

Ke Yong, the leader of the Black Mountain Tribe delegation, swept his eyes proudly over this dilapidated little tribe.

“Hmph.” Ke Yong glanced at the Ironstone tribesmen beside him, seeing their fawning, fearful expressions, and felt even more self-satisfied.

Here in the Black Mountain Tribe, he was a core high-ranking figure. Coming to a tiny place like the Ironstone Tribe… he could do whatever he pleased! If he got angry, this kind of small tribe would be finished. His hundred-man armored guard alone could sweep through such a tribe. He had absolute authority over these small tribes.

“Mm?” Ke Yong suddenly noticed a youth and a girl standing not far away. His eyes lit up. The armored guards beside him also held their breath.

“Beautiful. Lovely.” Ke Yong was stunned for a moment, then instantly felt a fierce possessiveness rise within him. He had to capture that beautiful girl and make her his personal maidservant, to enjoy every day! Just thinking about it made Ke Yong feel as if his whole body was flushed with excitement.

“Hahaha…” Ke Yong laughed loudly and walked directly toward the youth and the girl.

Ji Ning furrowed his brow slightly, watching the tall man adorned with fine ornaments approach. This tall man looked over Ji Ning and Qiuye with the appraising eyes of a higher-tribe person inspecting goods, his gaze when landing on Qiuye full of undisguised greed. “That beast-hide clothing of yours is very finely tailored. Did you make it yourself, young lady? Your hands are quite skilled. And this young man next to you in the beast-hide clothes—is he your little brother?”