coobybook Chapter 97 A Gamble
Chapter 97 A Gamble
Perhaps it was because they sensed the attitude the orcs of the Azure Flame Tribe had been treating them these past few days, or perhaps it was because the fingers that had just stroked their hair were unusually gentle.
Dwarf Stone mustered his courage once again and stammered, "Priest, High Priest, I want to try making wood with you."
He saw that Lin Baiyan and the others were probably looking for orcs who could make wood with them, but those orcs came and went, and none of them were able to stay. But in Ai Shi's eyes, this was clearly a very simple job.
He had secretly rehearsed it in his mind several times and felt that it wasn't too difficult.
"I... I feel like I can do this!" Dwarf Stone clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and awaited his judgment.
They'll most likely get beaten up for pushing their luck like this.
The little cub quietly straightened its body.
Hearing him say that, Lin Baiyan looked at the cub with some interest. Even though he was trembling with fear and his voice was shaking, he still bravely spoke out.
He said, feigning seriousness, "These logs are our tribe's secrets. Do you think I'd let you go?"
Ai Shi's heart sank to the bottom. That's right, he had just said it was a secret, so why would he tell these dwarf beasts who stole food from the Cangyan tribe?
In the eyes of all the beastmen, dwarf beasts are untrustworthy, selfish, and cunning.
But then, Dwarf Stone's eyes snapped open, filled with stubbornness. "I...I want to stay here forever!"
"It's not just me, Grandpa Hong and the others think the same way!"
He had seen the sorrow in Grandpa Red's eyes more than once; it was a sense of helplessness and compromise regarding the tragic fate of their dwarf race.
The mistakes of the dwarf ancestors caused suffering for their descendants for generations.
These days in the Cangyan tribe were the most peaceful time that Dwarf Stone had ever experienced since birth. He wouldn't be beaten or insulted for no reason, and he would have food to eat as long as he worked.
But they have never done anything wrong, so why are they being labeled as such a bad person?
He didn't want to give up like this; he wanted to take a gamble for them.
"I, I can do a lot of work, and I will never leave the Azure Flame Tribe again. We eat little, and we are good and useful!" Dwarf Stone tried hard to find his own advantages, attempting to win over the sub-beastman in front of him.
Lin Baiyan saw hope for the future in the eyes of this little cub, a hope that burned brightly like a flame.
Unlike the old dwarf, this cub still had aspirations for the future.
At this moment, Dwarf Red finally noticed Dwarf Stone's disappearance. He anxiously looked around and found that the cub had somehow run back to the priest.
He was absolutely terrified. What was wrong with this kid? Why was he always hanging around the priest?
Dwarf Red felt an extreme fear of the priesthood, a position of very high status. The dwarf beast tribe had never had a priest, and they even had very few chieftains.
Most dwarf beasts are scattered and separated, and no one knows whether the companion they met yesterday will be by their side tomorrow.
They do not have a fixed tribe, and there is no space for dwarf beasts to live on this continent.
Ai Hong was very envious that they had a priest to lead them, which showed that the Beast God still cared about these beastmen, so he sent a priest to guide their lives.
At the same time, he felt extremely sad. Had the Beast God forgotten the suffering and struggles of their dwarf race?
He was afraid to face someone of such high status.
Ai Hong quickly ran over, grabbed Ai Shi, and slapped him twice, making the cub cry out in pain.
Ai Hong also felt sorry for them, but it was better to do it herself than for the priest to get angry and whip them himself.
The short, red-haired man's back hunched even deeper, almost touching the ground. He looked at Lin Baiyan pleadingly, "My lord, High Priest, Shi didn't mean to disturb you..."
“I will teach him well, please don’t hold it against him.”
Ai Hong had no idea what audacious things Ai Shi had just said.
Lin Baiyan could see the old dwarf beast's exposed back clearly. His dark skin was covered with scars, whip marks, scratches, and many other indescribable wounds.
He instantly understood why Ai Hong was making such a fuss. He helped Ai Hong up and then looked at the little cub beside him, "Were you telling the truth just now?"
Somewhat flattered, Ai Hong straightened up with Lin Baiyan's help, and then heard Ai Shi's reply.
The little cub, ignoring the pain, immediately nodded, "Yes, it's all true!"
Staying here offers at least a sliver of hope, but if they go out, they might be captured by some ruthless tribe, or they might run out of food and die silently like their parents.
Lin Baiyan nodded. "Alright, starting tomorrow, you'll work with Hu Jiang to grind wood."
Upon hearing Lin Baiyan's words, Ai Shi's eyes suddenly lit up with a tremendous light. "You...you agree to let us stay?"
Lin Baiyan nodded in Ai Hong's direction. "I didn't say I agreed, but shouldn't you discuss it with him first?"
Without hesitation, Dwarf Stone replied, "No need to discuss it, Grandpa Hong will definitely agree!"
"Grandpa Red is worried about the cubs outside."
Lin Baiyan's eyes flickered. Did they actually have clansmen outside? But they patrolled this area every day after training, and they had never seen their residences.
Ai Shi was unaware of Lin Baiyan's thoughts. These past few days, Ai Hong had been marveling at the kindness of the Cangyan tribe. If it weren't for the sake of the tribespeople outside, Ai Hong would probably have wanted to stay here long ago.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Ai Hong was even more confused. Lin Baiyan nodded, "Alright, you guys get to work first, I'll discuss it with the clan chief and the clansmen."
These dwarf beasts have been quite well-behaved these past few days, and they've been working very hard. Keeping them around isn't a bad idea. He heard from Tiger Hill and the others that ever since they gave them food, one dwarf red beast can now dig up the equivalent of two beastmen's worth of food!
You wouldn't believe that such a small body like Ai Hong has such great strength.
After spring arrived, he planned to build a house. At this time, the more laborers the better, but he couldn't accept just any orcs to avoid attracting trouble.
These dwarf beasts are alright, and with the tribesmen they mentioned, they've added quite a bit of labor.
He now realized that his previous worries were unnecessary; these dwarf beasts were ridiculously timid.
However, we should not let our guard down and should observe the situation for a longer period of time.
The dwarf stone chick nodded like it was pecking at rice.
After Lin Baiyan left, he hugged Ai Hong's neck and said excitedly, "Grandpa Hong, the priest agreed!"