Chapter 71

Early morning, before the sky was completely bright.

“Shaman, time to get up…” A soft, familiar voice sounded.

“Mm, just a little longer…” Su Bai mumbled, pursing his lips.

“Eh???” Yu Ying stared blankly at Su Bai’s sleeping face. Hearing the Shaman’s reluctant voice, she found it inexplicably adorable.

Compared to the usually calm and wise image of the Shaman, this morning version, who just wanted to sleep, had a different charm to it. This stark contrast made it more apparent, this ‘gap moe’.

Yu Ying crouched by the bed, quietly gazing at Su Bai’s peaceful sleeping face. She became a bit entranced, completely forgetting what she had come to do.

Time slowly passed, and people in the Tribe began to wake up.

“Yan Hua, I’ll let you go, but you must listen to instructions,” Yan Jiao reminded his Daughter again, worried that her first time out might have accidents due to her excessive curiosity.

“……” Cang Shi and Mai Mang exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of amusement in each other’s eyes. They remembered when Yan Jiao first went out, he nearly lost his life due to being too curious.

Sometimes, the warnings of Elders were based on their own past experiences. If one realised it, and put themselves in their shoes, back in their youths, they would find much amusement in it.

“Alright, I understand,” Yan Hua quickly responded. Her Father had reminded her over a dozen times, almost a conditioned reflex at this point.

Yan Jiao looked around and turned to the cow horned girl, saying, “Go ask the Shaman if he’s ready.”

“Okay,” Yan Hua immediately jogged towards the Main Teepee.

Before she arrived, she called out, “Shaman, we can set off now!”

“Shaman, Shaman, quickly wake up.”

Inside the Main Teepee, the fox eared girl was frantically calling out.

“Hm?” Su Bai made a bewildered response. “What’s going on?”

Yan Hua tilted her head, then called out, “I’m coming in.”

She lifted the door flap and saw Yu Ying pulling at the Shaman. She immediately understood the situation.

“Xiao Yu, didn’t I tell you to wake the Shaman up earlier?” Yan Hua gently scolded.

“I, I…” Yu Ying’s face reddened with embarrassment. How could she say she had been mesmerised as she watched the Shaman sleep?

That would be too embarrassing to admit.

She quickly searched for an excuse, remembering last night’s events, and hastily added, “The Shaman went to sleep very late last night. I wanted to let him sleep a bit more.”

“Shaman, did you stay up late making Shaman Bone Tablets again?” Yan Hua looked at Su Bai, who was rubbing his eyes. She softly asked, “Xiao Yu, why didn’t you urge the Shaman to go to sleep?”

“I, I forgot,” Yu Ying’s pink eyes unnaturally looked to the side. She could not say that because of her nosebleed last night, she had accidentally fallen asleep while she closed her eyes to rest.

“Really now. Since when did you become so forgetful?” Yan Hua rolled her eyes.

“Hee…” Yu Ying stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

*Ahhhh~~* Su Bai sleepily yawned, squinting his eyes hard.

He looked at the two girls in front of him and groggily asked, “Is everything ready?”

“It’s all ready. We’re just waiting for you, Shaman,” Yan Hua said in a clear voice.

“Alright, tell everyone to double-check. I’ll be there soon,” Su Bai waved his hand.

“Okay,” Yan Hua quickly agreed, giving the fox eared girl a knowing look before stepping out of the Teepee.

“Shaman, I’ve prepared two sets of animal skin clothes for you. All the linen cloth has been packed to be exchanged, so we can’t make clothes for now,” Yu Ying came over carrying an animal skin bag, softly saying, “When the Shaman returns, I’ll definitely make you some linen clothes.”

“That’s fine,” Su Bai triedly smiled and asked, “Can you put the few Shaman Bone Tablets on the stone table into another animal skin bag for me?”

“Yes,” Yu Ying turned to get a new animal skin bag, quickly putting the ten Shaman Bone Tablets from the stone table into it.

She saw a stone knife by the stone table and quickly grabbed it too, returning to Su Bai.

“I almost forgot about this stone knife,” Su Bai chuckled, tying the animal skin strap of the stone knife around his waist and slinging the bag with the Shaman Bone Tablets over his shoulder.

He looked around, checking if he had forgotten anything, before stepping towards the Teepee door flap.

“…” Yu Ying felt dejected, holding the animal skin bag with the clothes and quietly following behind.

Su Bai glanced sideways at the fox eared girl with her head lowered. He reached out to gently tug her ear. He asked gently, “What’s wrong? Will you miss me?”

“Ah~” Yu Ying’s fox ears were tugged, and her face immediately turned red. Especially after hearing the Shaman’s words, even her neck turned red with embarrassment.

“I’ll be back soon. Stay in the Tribe, eat well and grow taller.” Su Bai’s fingers rubbed the fox ear, only letting go when he saw the fox eared girl so embarrassed she could barely stand.

“En,” Yu Ying made a soft nasal sound.

“I’m going now. You don’t like goodbyes, so you don’t have to come see me off,” Su Bai reached out to take the animal skin bag from Yu Ying’s arms. He was also someone who did not like to bid his farewells.

Yu Ying hugged the animal skin bag tightly and said in a cute, bold voice, “I, I am the Shaman Priestess. I should see the Shaman off.”

“Is that so?” Su Bai naturally withdrew his arm and brightly smiled, “Very well, my Shaman Priestess. Hurry up then. Everyone is waiting for us.”

“Yes.” Yu Ying responded with a smile.

Su Bai arrived at the open area of the Tribe to see Yan Jiao, Mai Mang, Da Gua, and Wa Ming already prepared. They were holding long spears, with stone knives at their waists, and huge animal skin bags on their backs, which contained the linen cloth.

Su Bai also saw the cow horned girl among the four, also carrying an animal skin bag and a stone knife at her waist.

Yan Hua came forward, taking the animal skin bag from the fox eared girl’s hands, softly saying, “I’ll bring you something when I come back.”

“En, be careful,” Yu Ying said softly.

“Don’t worry,” Yan Hua said in a clear voice.

Yan Jiao came forward with a solemn expression and said, “Shaman, we’re ready.”

“En,” Su Bai nodded, turning to Cang Shi, saying, “I leave the Tribe in your hands.”

“As long as the Tribe stands, I stand,” Cang Shi solemnly declared.

“Good. Alright. Let’s set off!” Su Bai called out with a smile.

“Yes!”

Yu Ying accompanied them to the edge of the Tribe. When she could no longer see the six figures, she clasped her hands together in prayer, “Ancestors, please bless the Shaman and everyone to return safely to the Tribe.”