C17 Are You My Biological Sister?

After Jie'ao had left, Jieying yanked Yuan Ge in front of her and demanded, "Spill it, you rascal, have you been getting into fights again?"

Yuan Ge replied with a pained expression, "When have I ever gotten into a fight?"

Jieying let out a cold snort and warned, "Just remember, if you lose, don't bother coming back!"

Yuan Ge felt like crying and thought to himself, "Are you really my sister? Is this how you're supposed to teach your brother?" Despite his thoughts, the trio pondered why the High Priest and the Patriarch wanted to see Yuan Ge. Normally, it would be quite ordinary for them to meet with anyone. But what was unusual was their sudden interest in meeting a child like Yuan Ge.

While Jieying and Jietu were baffled, Yuan Ge quickly figured it out. It had to be those two old geezers wanting to inquire about his pottery and bow and arrow. Such revolutionary items were bound to catch the attention of the tribal elders. With that in mind, he decided to play along.

After a quick tidy up, Yuan Ge headed to the High Priest's stone house.

It was Yuan Ge's first visit to the High Priest's stone house. Upon entering, he was greeted by an extraordinary and mysterious scent. It was reminiscent of some herb or spice, though Yuan Ge couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. All he knew was that it made him feel incredibly at ease, soothing his agitated mood instantly.

Yuan Ge took a quick look around the room. The first thing he noticed was a stack of various animal skin scrolls in the corner, their contents a mystery. Next to the scrolls, a wooden rack was filled with an assortment of ceramic vessels, and on another rack, there were several skulls of beasts. By the looks of them, these had to be the skulls of the fabled spirit animals.

As for the High Priest and Jieyang, this wasn't Yuan Ge's first encounter with them, so there was none of the anxiety one might feel when meeting tribal leaders for the first time. Instead, he was remarkably composed. And Jie'ao, who stood behind him brandishing a bone knife like some great warrior, hardly warranted a second glance from Yuan Ge.

"Sit down, my child!"

Yuan Ge gave a respectful bow to the two before taking his place neatly beside the bonfire.

It was the first encounter between the High Priest and Jieyang with Yuan Ge. Observing Yuan Ge's robust muscles and his handsome features, coupled with his regal demeanor that was neither subservient nor overbearing, they both silently nodded in approval.

Having taken in Yuan Ge's impressive visage, the High Priest went on to ask, "Child, can you tell us how you came across the bow and pottery?"

Yuan Ge looked up, locking eyes with the High Priest. His gaze was like a tranquil lake—serene yet fathomless. It seemed as though he could perceive the entire world, watching it intently. Just from that look, Yuan Ge was convinced that if this elder didn't take up the role of a shark, he would be wasting his penetrating gaze.

When Yuan Ge remained silent, the High Priest pressed on, "Don't be afraid, my child. Just tell us, how did you come up with all this?" Children are, after all, just children. As Jieyang would say, any other child would be petrified at the sight of him alone, let alone facing both of them at once. So, the High Priest assumed Yuan Ge was too frightened to speak.

But Yuan Ge wasn't scared at all; he was merely contemplating how to keep up the charade of being a child before them. The High Priest was so unabashed in calling him "my child." And to then claim that the child had come up with everything, it would surely provoke the two elders to embrace in a frenzy of excitement.

"Since you're treating me as a child, I might as well continue with this little act," Yuan Ge thought to himself.

Particularly with this High Priest, who claimed to converse with the divine. In that case, Yuan Ge would attribute these discoveries to the gods, ensuring their full conviction. With this in mind, Yuan Ge scratched his head and spoke as though he were truly frightened, "I had a dream last night. In it, a person whose face I couldn't see told me all of this."

"Oh?"

Indeed, the statement hit the two like a surge of adrenaline. They were so thrilled they nearly leaped to their feet, turning to offer a deep bow to their ancestral tablet. What else could this be if not divine guidance? What else but the favor of the deities? Even Jie'ao, standing behind them, sniffed the air like a dog, wondering if the tribe's ancestors had truly bestowed their presence upon Yuan Ge.

The High Priest, struggling to contain his excitement, asked with a quivering voice, "Ge, please tell me quickly, what else did that person say to you?"

Yuan Ge realized that these two old codgers had finally taken the bait. With that, it was time for his favorite part of the game. As the trio watched him intently, Yuan Ge blurted out, "Oh, I haven't had anything to eat yet!"

His statement nearly knocked the three of them out cold. It was as if they were ready for action, and he interrupted with a commercial break. It was downright maddening. Despite his irritation, Jieyang turned to Jie'ao and said, "Aao, give Yuan Ge some of your jerky to tide him over!"

Jie'ao felt as if his heart was being wrenched, "Why me?"

With hands shaking, Jie'ao reached into the beast skin bag and reluctantly placed a piece of jerky before Yuan Ge, his eyes squeezed shut. Yuan Ge observed his pained expression, which looked as though he'd been dealt a low blow. Yuan Ge's face remained impassive, but inside, he was bursting with glee.

Yet Yuan Ge was never one to be satisfied with just a single piece of jerky. Especially since he began using the stone lock to build his arm strength, he now needed at least three pieces of jerky a day to meet his body's energy demands. Clearly, one piece was insufficient.

Moreover, not all jerky in the tribe was created equal. The piece Jie'ao had offered was clearly a cut above the rest, a freshly dried jerky at its peak flavor and texture.

Seeing Yuan Ge remain motionless, the High Priest assumed he was too shy to eat in front of everyone and chuckled, "Go ahead and eat, child, there's nothing to fear!"

"Fear my foot!" Yuan Ge silently cursed. Did all these tribal elders enjoy deceiving kids so much? You're both tribal leaders, for crying out loud, and this is the best you can offer? It's downright shameful.

"One piece is hardly enough! I need several!" Yuan Ge feigned a look of distress. The ball was in their court now. "I've spoken my piece. It's up to you to make it right! I'm just a kid, what do I have to fear?"

The High Priest swallowed hard, chastising himself, "How could I have forgotten he's just a child?" With this thought, he sheepishly glanced over at Jie'ao next to him. Jieyang, in turn, looked back at him.

"Take everything, there's nothing left!"

While pulling out the jerky, he mentally cursed Yuan Ge's ancestors in frustration. All the jerky he had painstakingly saved up was now swindled away by Yuan Ge. It was a miracle that Jie'ao managed to restrain himself from lunging at him in a fit of rage.