Yun Xi listened to the old crone's words, feeling the weight of information hidden within them. She lowered her gaze in thought.
First, this tribe appearing inside the secret realm was no coincidence. It was deliberate.
The ancestors of the old crone had sent them into the secret realm to ensure the survival of their people. That meant if they left, something terrible would befall them. Either they had offended a powerful enemy and were forced to hide, or they carried something too valuable, drawing the greed of others, leaving them no choice but to seek refuge here.
Second, the people of this tribe were not the original inhabitants of the secret realm. That was why they were constantly harassed by the giant beasts. After centuries, the defenses their ancestors had set up should have already failed. In the long struggle against those beasts, their casualties had piled up, forcing them to shrink their territory.
Third, though the old crone never said it directly, Yun Xi guessed they had uncovered secrets of the secret realm. With those, they bartered with cultivators who entered to train, exchanging information for resources to protect their tribe, scraping by until now.
But this time, the secret realm had been sealed for far too long. Too long, until only this handful of tribesmen remained. That was why the old crone was so desperate to strike a deal with Yun Xi, so her people might continue to survive.
The most important point: those cultivators who had been too greedy never managed to leave the secret realm. The warning was clear. Yun Xi must not ask for too much.
After piecing everything together, Yun Xi finally raised her head. "What is it you want, elder?"
The old crone had clearly expected her to give in. She calmly replied, "I ask that you repair the protective formation of our tribe, and teach my people a cultivation method. In return, I will guide you to the other side of the secret realm."
Yun Xi frowned slightly and answered honestly, "Whether the formation can be repaired or not, I'll only know after I examine it. As for cultivation methods, I've noticed your people practice differently from us. My techniques may not suit them.
You've met others like me before. You should know only those with spiritual roots can cultivate. Can you guarantee all of your tribesmen have them?"
The old crone sighed softly. "I understand what you mean, honored guest. But our ancestors left behind a prophecy: someone tied to our bloodline would come and deliver us from this plight."
Yun Xi's head throbbed. She felt this old woman was trying to trap her with words. She quickly raised a hand to cut her off. "Elder, how do you know I'm the one in your prophecy? And how can you be so sure I share blood with you? This is my first time in this secret realm. I have my own father and mother. How could I be related to your tribe by blood?"
A strange smile crept across the crone's wrinkled face. "You accepted the qin's gift, yet your strength remains unbound. That alone is proof."
Yun Xi's scalp tingled. She knew exactly who the crone meant. Since entering the secret realm, she had only accepted a single golden gemstone, and that had been given to her as thanks after she saved someone.
Now she understood why greedy cultivators never managed to leave this place. They must have stolen treasures from the tribe, only to have their spiritual power sealed away, ending as prisoners of the tribe—or even forced into its bloodline.
In her understanding, for a tribe to grow strong, its children must multiply. If only those few who first entered the secret realm had survived, their bloodline could never expand. The end result of close inbreeding would be extinction. That was why, after a thousand years, the tribe's numbers had dwindled so drastically.
It wasn't just the giant beasts. Without fresh blood from outside, they had been forced to intermarry, until now only a hundred or so remained. With the secret realm reopened, this was their best and perhaps last chance. Yun Xi was sure they would seize it.
So she believed only half of what the crone said. This talk of bloodline connections was likely nothing more than an excuse. But for now, Yun Xi needed something from them. She would have to make a concession. She flicked her sleeve, placing the golden gemstone back on the stone table."Returned to its rightful owner."
The crone waved her hand. "That is a gift from Qin. You should keep it. The curse upon it does not affect you, so this old woman has no need to remove it.
We only do such things because we have suffered theft before. Every valuable item in our tribe has been marked with a curse. Unless freely given, anyone who takes them will slowly find their strength sealed, until they cannot leave this forest."
Yun Xi gave a helpless look. "Elder, I didn't steal this. Your tribesman gave it to me."
The crone chuckled. "I know. But Qin was unaware of the curse. And we were unsure if Sen had truly been saved by you, so we sought you out the next day.
We never expected you to give us such a surprise. You are the one we've been waiting for. The fact the curse doesn't affect you proves it."
Yun Xi couldn't help herself. She asked, "How can you be so certain the curse is useless against me?"
The crone answered smoothly, "Last night you slew the rampaging beast. That proved your power remains unbound. So the curse clearly has no effect."
Yun Xi's brow furrowed. "So that little red fox was something you deliberately sent to test me?"
The crone admitted without shame, "Yes. It was an outsider, certain to draw your attention. Whether you tried to seize it, trade for it, or ignored it altogether, I would know whether you were the one who could help our tribe."
Yun Xi arched an eyebrow. "But I didn't steal from you, nor did I appear, did I?"
This time, the crone didn't answer. But Yun Xi read the meaning in her clouded eyes. Her expression turned cold. She had already guessed. If she had failed the test, she would have been trapped here forever, absorbed into this tribe.
Yun Xi snorted coldly, swept the gemstone back into her sleeve, and rose. Without another word, she strode out of the stone hut. Suddenly, she no longer wished to strike any deal with these people. She might not understand why the curse had no hold on her, but their positions were opposed. She could not accept their methods, and she would not meddle in the fate of their tribe.
If her guess was correct, this tribe was doomed to vanish anyway. The secret realm had reopened only because her Xianling Grass had drained an entire middle-grade spiritual vein, cutting off the supply to the sealing formation powered by Mystic Thunder Violet Flame. That had given the secret realm a chance to resurface.
Following the original timeline, even by the time the original supporting female was killed, this secret realm had never appeared. That meant it remained sealed. Without outsiders, how long could this tribe last? Yun Xi didn't even need to think hard—the answer was not long at all. They would disappear within the realm, leaving nothing behind.
So Yun Xi left without hesitation. She refused to compromise against her principles. An equal exchange she could accept. But not the bandit logic of these people.
The old crone had not expected Yun Xi to turn her back so decisively. Leaning on her cane, she hobbled out of the hut and called after her. "Honored guest, I beg you to understand the choice this old woman made for the survival of her people. Please, do not abandon the Wu tribe. It has been unbearably difficult just for us to endure until now."
Yun Xi's steps faltered. She abruptly turned back, eyes sharp. "You say you are the descendants of the Wu tribe?"
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If you didn't know, the Wu Tribe is also called the Witch Tribe. This is pretty common knowledge if you often read xianxia, especially stories set on the Flood Desolation Continent (洪荒大陆, Hónghuāng Dàlù) with ancient figures like Pangu, Xi He, and the others.
I might use "Wu" or "Witch" interchangeably in future chapters. I hope it doesn't confuse you when you come across it.