At the time of their Lord’s disappearance, the tribe had suffered through a major crisis. It was only natural that very few people knew where she had gone. And indeed, it was for the better.
Among those tasked to escort the Lord, many had been captured and eventually died to protect the secret of her location. They had sacrificed themselves in order to keep the enemy from reaching their master.
Uncle Tian and his men had dedicated the better part of their lives to searching for the Lord, but as expected, it was no easy task.
They took comfort in the knowledge that if no one could find her, that meant that she was safe.
Probably.
It was because of this belief that they had held on until now. Each time they faltered, they pulled strength from each other’s faith.
And yet, Yao Tanghad somehow managed to shatter their hope in just a few words.
Behind Uncle Tian, some of the men’s faces twisted in grief as they lay bound and helpless. If their Lord was really dead, then what was the point of everything they had done?
If she was truly gone, no one would uphold justice for their suffering.
Their tribe would never be restored to its former glory, and they would likely go their separate ways in the end.
They had no choice but to face the harsh reality now. There could only be two reasons that they still hadn’t found the Lord. Either she was superb at hiding from the world, or…
The men wanted to believe it was the first case, but they couldn’t completely shake off the possibility that the Lord was already gone.
Sensing their distress, Uncle Tianwhirled around and looked at his men.
“Everyone! Don’t believe anything that this girl says! She seeks to make us waver and lose faith in our cause. Don’t fall for it!
“Think about it! Now that we have Miss Ranranwith us, it shouldn’t be difficult to find the Lord. A valuable clue will surface soon enough.
“Even if the Lord has met her demise, we should take it as inspiration to become Miss Ranran’s strength and support. She will carry on the Lord’s legacy and lead our tribe to victory!
“Now, pull yourselves together and have some pride! Don’t let a few words fool you into forsaking your life’s mission!”
Uncle Tian’s speech seemed to work, as the men slowly regained their composure and showed their determination on their faces.
When they glanced at Yao Ran, however, they couldn’t help feeling the slightest bit of disappointment. They had been hoping that she was as powerful as the Lord, if not more.
But during this incident, they hadn’t once felt that she bore any resemblance to the Lord.
She showed neither courage nor cunning. If anything, she was just a lady in distress. A liability.
Perhaps it was only because Yao Tang and her people were too powerful.
But no. Deep down, Uncle Tian’s men knew that if it had been their Lord inYao Ran’s place, she wouldn’t have taken all this abuse without retaliating even once.
Was this mediocre girl really capable of carrying the responsibility of reviving their tribe?
Yao Ran bristled under everyone’s gaze. To say that she was flustered would be an understatement; she couldn’t even begin to comprehend what was happening.
A lot of what Uncle Tianhad said didn’t make sense at all.
What was all this talk about restoring glory to their tribe?
This wasn’t something a normal person would say.
Yao Ran already knew thatUncle Tianhad a special background, but she never imagined something as absurd as this.
It terrified her. That was too much of a burden.
Wouldn’t she have to give up the life she knew if she were to accept that responsibility?
Her mother already had big plans for her future, a future that Yao Ranalso wanted.
Still, she wasn’t ready to lose Uncle Tian’s strength just yet.
She looked up and stared at him. “What are you talking about, exactly?”
Uncle Tian frowned.
“Don’t worry about it, Miss Ranran. I’ll explain everything when this is over.”
For some reason, ever since he encountered Yao Tangand witnessed her prowess first-hand, he had this nagging feeling thatYao Ranwas far from being the person they’d hoped for.
Yao Ran had been raised in a comfortable home, whileYao Tanghad to fend for herself in the countryside. In terms of upbringing,Yao Tangdefinitely fell behindYao Ran.
And yet, Yao Tangpossessed a bearing that was calm yet formidable at the same time. She could summon an oppressive aura that easily crushed her enemies’ spirits.
Yao Ran hugged her shoulders and pressed herself closer to the wall behind her. “Can’t you just tell me now? What difference does it make whether you say it now or later?”
