"Wente, come out for a moment, I have something to tell you."
Wente looked at Bach, who had returned, with a puzzled expression. "What is it? You can say it here."
Bach glanced at the sleeping Shu Yue and thought to himself that this place was more suitable for conversation than anywhere else.
He then stated his intention: "Wente, once Shu Yue has fully recovered, you two should leave the Uda tribe immediately and return to the Warrior tribe."
"...So suddenly, did something happen?" Wente could only think of this possibility.
Bach nodded with a somber face. "That's right, the shaman divined that our Uda tribe will face great danger during the rainy season. You are not from the Uda tribe, so there's no need for you to risk it with us."
Wente was taken aback. "What danger?"
Bach shook his head. "It's not clear yet, but the shaman divined that this danger is very significant. I've calculated that with your current flying speed, you can return to the Warrior tribe before the rainy season. For the safety of Shu Yue and the cub, you'd best leave as soon as possible!"
"..." Hearing this news so abruptly, his heart tightened.
He frowned and asked, "Is there no way to avoid it?"
"Yes, seek refuge with other tribes," Bach said heavily. Not to mention whether the tribesmen would agree, his pride wouldn't allow them to seek refuge with other tribes. Seeking refuge with the Warrior tribe was acceptable, but the journey was long, and the rainy season was still over a month away. Migrating at this time was not wise.
Wente understood his meaning and worried, "If we leave, what about you, Father?"
Bach waved his hand. "Don't worry about me. I am the chief of the Uda tribe, and this is my responsibility, but it is not yours. You are a beastman from the Warrior tribe, so return to the Warrior tribe."
"After the Uda tribe gets through the rainy season, Father will lead the tribesmen to seek refuge with the Warrior tribe, and then father and son can reunite."
Wente looked at Bach, who had made up his mind, and felt torn. Knowing that there would be danger here, how could he just leave his father behind?
"If it's really as serious as the shaman said, why don't we migrate now?" he suggested.
Bach's brows were tightly furrowed. "Migrating now is very troublesome. Let me go to the shaman again and ask for her thoughts. However, you must leave!"
He said earnestly, "It's not easy for us Dragon Beasts to have offspring. This might be your only child. If it's lost due to an accident, it will be too late to regret it!"
This sentence successfully made Wente hesitate no longer. Even if not for the unborn child, for Yue Yue's safety, he had to leave!
"I understand, Father. However, I still hope you can come with us. I also cannot stand by and watch you in danger."
Bach was deeply touched by this. His own cub cared about him. He nodded. "Don't worry, Father is also a Dragon Beast and won't die easily. I won't disturb you any longer. I'm going to the shaman's now."
"Okay."
Bach quickened his pace and left.
Wente sighed, walked to the bedside, and gently kissed Shu Yue's forehead. Then he began to pack his belongings, leaving out what Yue Yue would need for meals the next day, and packing everything else he needed to take. Since they planned to leave, the sooner the better.
They had to leave before the rainy season arrived. Fortunately, there were still many cool leaves, so Yue Yue wouldn't get too hot on the road.
...
...
Bach arrived at the shaman's cave and found that the shaman had not yet slept. "Shaman, I've come to discuss what our tribe should do next."
A faint, old voice echoed from the dark cave. "Chieftain, this danger could be a disaster that wipes out our tribe. We must take precautions."
Since the shaman divined it, a heavy stone had been weighing on her heart. It was one thing not to know, but knowing that a great disaster would befall them during the rainy season, how could anyone remain at ease?
If they did nothing, would they just wait for danger to destroy them? What would be the point of her divining it in the first place!
Hearing this again, Bach's heart sank into the abyss. He asked, "If we migrate now, is the risk greater than the danger of the rainy season?"
The shaman paused for a moment before saying, "It depends on where you plan to migrate. If we can merge with some of the surrounding tribes, perhaps we can safely get through the rainy season."
Bach pondered for a moment and said, "What if we migrate to the southern great tribe now?"
"You won't be able to get there before the rainy season. Along the way, the tribesmen will contract the heat sickness, and the rainy season will also claim the lives of the tribesmen," the shaman could foresee the consequences without much thought.
She continued, "Chieftain, I've thought for several days and come up with a way to avoid the risk. Only by merging with other tribes can we reduce the risk. It's not too late to migrate after the rainy season has passed."
She had calculated that the Uda tribe's fate was sealed. Since the Beast God had arranged it this way, it was more important to preserve their lives!
Bach took her words to heart. "Then who should we seek to merge with?"
The shaman forcefully uttered a name: "Tieda tribe."
"Only the Tieda tribe in the vicinity can help us. The strength of other smaller tribes is not as good as ours. When the real danger arrives, it would be better for us to resist it ourselves."
Bach nodded, acknowledging the shaman's view, but he was reluctant. "Shaman, if we merge with the Tieda tribe, I will no longer be the chieftain, and you will no longer be the shaman. Life will be difficult."
The shaman shook her head. "Chieftain, between tribal annihilation and temporary humiliation, you must distinguish which is more important. After we overcome the difficulties of the rainy season, it will not be too late to seek refuge with the southern great tribe."
A Mu, the shaman's mate, listened quietly to their conversation, his heart in turmoil, but his face remained calm. This was because his mate was the shaman, who had helped him avoid fatal dangers many times. He trusted his mate's judgment.
The cave fell silent for a few minutes. Finally, Bach put aside his pride as chieftain and chose to compromise for the lives of his tribesmen.
"I will inform the tribesmen of this matter in the next two days, and then I will go to talk with the chieftain of the Tieda tribe to discuss the merger. The merger is not simple. To allow the two tribes to integrate in advance, we must move there before the rainy season."
It could only be them moving there; the Tieda tribe wouldn't accommodate them, and their territory couldn't accommodate so many people.
Hearing this, the shaman breathed a sigh of relief. "Chieftain, you arrange it. Even if our Uda tribe is no more, you will still be our chieftain."
Bach grunted and voiced his concern. "After the rainy season, I will lead the tribesmen to migrate to the southern great tribe. I wonder how many tribesmen will still be willing to follow me."
As a Dragon Beast, how could he be willing to live under someone else's roof? It was just a temporary compromise; sooner or later, he would return to his original tribe. Even if it wasn't as free as being chieftain now, it wouldn't be much different.
His elder brother's territory was also his territory.
The shaman's loyalty remained undiminished in her eyes. "Chieftain, I will always follow you. As for the other Uda tribesmen, you don't need to worry too much, Chieftain. Everything is arranged by the Beast God."
The implication was that those who were loyal would naturally follow, and those who were not loyal might as well not follow.