Chapter 5

Yi Yun, with his slim and small figure, was even shorter than Jiang Xiaorou. He looked like a child, but in Jiang Xiaorou's heart, Yi Yun was the male of the family, the man who would support the family in the future!

Holding Jiang Xiaorou's hand, Yi Yun could feel her excitement at this moment, as her palm was hot and her fingers were trembling slightly.

Facing the impending death and the injustice of the tribe, Jiang Xiaorou could not expect anyone to stand up for her. She had to step forward herself, a girl of fourteen or fifteen, facing a group of burly men.

For a moment, the scene fell silent, and everyone's eyes fell on Yi Yun and Jiang Xiaorou, momentarily stunned.

After a brief silence, several of the strong men responsible for distributing the grain burst into laughter.

"Is this the male of your family? Hahaha!"

"Little girl, have you never seen a man before? Do you want me to show you what a real man is?" one man said lewdly.

"A little brat who hasn't even grown any hair, and a scrawny monkey. I wonder how many days it's been since you took off your diaper?"

The big men laughed, and Jiang Xiaorou's face turned red. She clenched her small fists, and not far behind her, none of the people waiting for grain came to her aid.

The ruling class of the tribe consisted of all the strong laborers and warriors within the tribe, making them very powerful.

A weak arm cannot resist a strong leg, and besides, they couldn't even get enough food to eat, so why would they bother with other people's affairs?

"Hey, I remember, didn't this little brat die a few days ago?"

In a small tribe, death was not a rare occurrence, and since Yi Yun had no status, few people cared whether he was dead or alive.

"That's right, I know him. He's just a sickly weakling, so weak that a gust of wind could knock him over," another person chimed in.

"Who said my brother is dead!"

Jiang Xiaorou stared at the big man like a little female leopard. The disproportionate size difference was like a small yellow finch facing an adult vulture, but Jiang Xiaorou still gritted her teeth, refusing to back down. There was even a faint trace of killing intent in her eyes—like the gaze of a wild animal.

It was hard to imagine that a frail little girl could emit such a gaze.

Jiang Xiaorou's hand was tightly pressed against her back, and hidden under her coarse cloth clothes was a long, thin object, like a bamboo stick. It was an arrow she had made, which she had secretly kept for self-defense!

Faced with Jiang Xiaorou's gaze, the big man frowned, clearly angered. As an official of the tribe and a member of the warrior training camp, he held a high position in the tribe. This felt like a tiger being provoked by a kitten.

"Brat, what are you staring at! If you keep staring, I'll gouge out your eyes!"

The big man said angrily, but Jiang Xiaorou still gritted her teeth, standing in front of him. She couldn't back down because if they didn't get the grain today, they would have no way to survive.

She gripped the arrow even tighter, almost ready to draw it!

"This little girl is interesting!" At this moment, in a clean and bright room, a young man in silver armor sat in a chair, smiling as he watched the conflict between Jiang Xiaorou and the big man through the window.

The young man in silver armor had a ruddy complexion and an outstanding demeanor. His bright attire made him stand out sharply from the suffering poor outside.

"She actually has an arrow hidden on her. The materials for making arrows are all counted, and even defective arrows must be turned in. I wonder how this little girl managed to hide an arrow. From the look of her, she might really have the courage to draw the arrow and fight to the death."

"If she fights to the death, she will be beaten severely, and the outcome will be very bad," said an old man who looked like a secretary, speaking respectfully.

"That's true, but if she doesn't fight, she will likely starve to death," the young man in silver armor said without turning his head. "Tell me about this girl."

The old man bowed and said, "My lord, her name is Jiang Xiaorou. She is a lower-class woman of the Lian clan. She and her brother were originally not part of the Lian clan but were refugees who found refuge here. A few years ago, her brother Yi Yun's mother died of illness, and the two orphans were left to fend for themselves. Despite their young age, Jiang Xiaorou has unexpectedly taken charge, not only surviving but also supporting her brother for several years."

The old man's tone was very respectful, and he seemed to know everything about the Lian clan's over a thousand members.

Generally, large tribes do not accept refugees, only small tribes do. In fact, refugees are the main source of population for small tribes, but their status is much lower than that of the original residents.

"She is an outsider."

The young man seemed to be talking to himself, a slight smile on his lips.

From the scenes he had just witnessed, he found that Jiang Xiaorou had an unusual aura, something that couldn't be easily described, unlike what one would expect from a poor child.

Moreover, Jiang Xiaorou had a clear and extraordinary appearance, and in a small, suffering tribe, it was rare to see such a beautiful woman.

A girl who seemed gentle and beautiful but was actually strong-willed and resolute, with an unknown background, piqued Lian Chengyu's interest.

"My lord, are you interested in this girl?" The old man hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but ask. Lian Chengyu had a very high status within the clan!

The Lian clan had many warriors, but only three could be considered true experts: the clan leader, the old man in yellow, the head of the warrior training camp, Yao Yuan, and Lian Chengyu, who was the old man's great-grandson.

The clan leader was already over sixty, while Lian Chengyu was only seventeen, with a promising future.

Lian Chengyu was undoubtedly the next clan leader and the most likely to become a "Purple Blood Warrior."

Given Lian Chengyu's status, he could not marry an outsider, as they were of low status.

"So what if I am interested? I won't be confined to this small Lian clan in the future. I will go out and make a name for myself in this wild continent! Are you trying to use the clan rules to restrict me?"

Lian Chengyu's words were calm, but the coldness in them made the old man shudder. He hurriedly said, "My lord, you jest. I was just asking out of curiosity. Please don't be angry!"

The old man was about to slap himself, as the Lian clan, though small, had strict rules.

In the wild world, the strong prey on the weak, and many countries are under military rule. The tribes are often governed by warriors, and both national laws and clan rules are extremely strict.

The strong control the fate of the weak, and Lian Chengyu was an absolute strongman within the clan, with the power to decide life and death.

Moreover, Lian Chengyu was not a soft-hearted person. He had experienced life and death at a young age and faced fierce competition within the tribe.

Seeing the old man about to slap himself, Lian Chengyu said indifferently, "Stop making a show for me. This girl is still young, and I would only take her as a maid or a concubine. You don't need to worry. This doesn't violate the clan rules."

"Yes... Thank you, my lord, for your understanding," the old man hurriedly nodded.

"Hmm... I have a question. Why does Jiang Xiaorou have a different surname from her brother?" Lian Chengyu narrowed his eyes, watching the scene in the courtyard. He noticed that Jiang Xiaorou was very protective of her brother, even though her brother was a weak and sickly boy, and she seemed proud of him.

"From what I've heard, Jiang Xiaorou was adopted as an orphan by Yi Yun's mother when they were in trouble. That's why Jiang Xiaorou is very grateful to Yi Yun's mother and is very good to Yi Yun."

"Oh, I see..." Lian Chengyu frowned slightly and stood up.

...

"Get lost!"

Seeing Jiang Xiaorou's feet rooted to the ground, the big man was thoroughly enraged. He took two steps and was about to slap her!

Jiang Xiaorou, a weak woman, was completely outmatched by the big man. If that slap landed, it would definitely send her flying!

Jiang Xiaorou was almost about to draw the arrow, but at that moment, someone pressed her hand, and Yi Yun quickly whispered in her ear, "Don't be impulsive!"

As he spoke, Yi Yun darted in front of Jiang Xiaorou.

"Wait!" Yi Yun raised his hand and said.

"What are you, some kind of thing!"

The big man was even angrier, ready to hit both the weak and scrawny Yi Yun and Jiang Xiaorou!

Yi Yun wanted to kick this big man so hard that he would never have children, but he knew that a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Having lived two lives, Yi Yun was more calm and collected. He knew that in this situation, a conflict with this brute would end very badly.

"A real man doesn't fight with a woman, and you are a member of the warrior training camp, right? Surely you are very strong. How can you hit a little girl? Wouldn't that make the clan members laugh at you?"

Afraid that the big man would strike without thinking, Yi Yun spoke very quickly and clearly, and everyone present heard him.

The big man was taken aback, looking at the young boy in front of him, feeling very strange.

A boy of eleven or twelve, at the age of youthful enthusiasm, shouldn't he have jumped out to curse him or foolishly shield his sister and be hit together?

But he jumped out and said such a thing, a simple provocation that was very effective, leaving the big man's hand suspended in the air, unsure whether to strike or not.

This made the big man feel like he was hitting a cotton ball. Indeed, as a member of the warrior training camp, hitting two children in front of everyone would not sound good, especially since the warrior training camp often had conflicts of interest with the common people, making it easy to be criticized.

Though the big man was rough, he didn't want to be criticized behind his back.

"Hmph, you know your place!" The big man put down his hand, giving the two siblings a disdainful look. "I'm in a good mood today, so I won't bother with you. Get lost!"

"Yun!" Jiang Xiaorou pulled Yi Yun's hand anxiously. She was helpless. She knew that a conflict with the big man would not end well, but if they left, they would starve to death.

"Sister Xiaorou... don't worry." Yi Yun squeezed Jiang Xiaorou's hand, signaling her to calm down.

"Brother, I'll leave, but before I go, I have a question..."

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