Chapter 370: Let's Get Married First

Xun Ancai waved her hand gently, and the group retreated slowly. Once they had reached a safe distance, Xu Sanyan finally asked,

“Why are they these colors?”

Xun Ancai shook her head and explained, “They’re actually the same race. Legend has it that long ago, a tribe called the Sheep Tribe lived in the Southern Mountain.”

“The men of the Sheep Tribe were fierce and powerful, while the women were cunning and intelligent. For a time, all the tribes on both sides of the Southern Mountain were forced to bow to their will. They occupied the most fertile lands of the Southern Mountain.”

Xu Sanyan tilted his head slightly. Sheep Tribe?

His mind involuntarily conjured an image of a flock of bouncing lambs, one of them even wearing a lump of dung on its head.

Unaware of his absurd thoughts, Xun Ancai continued, “Later, they lost their faith and the protection of the Sheep God. The men transformed into black sheep, while the women became white sheep.”

Xu Sanyan clicked his tongue inwardly. “So… they were all human like you back then?”

Or perhaps… they were more like demons?

“Yes, that’s what the stories say. I don’t know if it’s true or not—it’s just what’s been passed down through generations.”

Xu Sanyan nodded slightly. “Then how do we deal with them?”

Xun Ancai replied, “It’s simple. White Sheep may be clever, but they’re also timid, lack unity, and don’t know how to cooperate. Just scare them, and they’ll scatter. Sometimes, they even use their companions as shields against danger.”

Tch…

Women, even when turned into sheep, can’t escape their nature.

One woman might succeed, but a group of women will never accomplish anything. This perfectly aligns with Xu Sanyan’s stereotypes about them.

Xun Ancai organized the operation, dividing the group into teams. Some were tasked with scaring the sheep, others with encircling and killing them, while a pack of Companion Dogs patrolled the perimeter to chase down stragglers.

With everything arranged, Xu Sanyan followed behind to observe, not needing to lift a finger.

“Ooooh~”

A loud shout erupted, and the White Sheep herd visibly descended into chaos. The once-peaceful sheep, which had been lying calmly on the ground, began to scatter wildly in all directions. Xu Sanyan even witnessed two sheep colliding heavily.

The White Sheep were far from weak, nearly as strong as the Black Sheep. However, their inherent nature dictated that their first instinct in danger was not to fight back, but to flee.

Just as the Dog Clan people were coordinating their hunt, another group of figures suddenly appeared in the distance, their target seemingly also the White Sheep.

What a coincidence!

The Southern Mountain stretched vast and endless, yet only on their second day inside, they had already encountered another tribe.

Xun Ancai noticed the newcomers as well. She immediately halted the pursuit, gathered her people, and allowed the White Sheep to scatter.

Hostile relations existed between the tribes, especially in the wilderness, where vigilance was paramount.

Xu Sanyan stood among his group, observing the opposing side, which had also come to a stop.

The two groups were close enough to see each other clearly, yet neither made a move to approach, each wary of the other.

“Which tribe are they from?” Xu Sanyan whispered.

Across the way, most of the men and women were naked. A few women had wrapped animal hides around their chests, likely to avoid hindering their movements.

On average, they stood half a head taller than the Dog Clan people, their physiques remarkably robust. Their bare muscles rippled with explosive power.

Xun Ancai replied without turning her head, “Never seen them before. Probably from the other side of the mountain.”

A tribe from the other side of Southern Mountain?

Suddenly, Xu Sanyan’s gaze sharpened, and a smile crept across his lips. He recognized someone.

Amidst the towering figures stood a fair-faced young man, barely reaching the neck of the woman beside him. He wore a tattered gray robe and leaned on a wooden staff.

It was Lin Fan, who had vanished several days ago.

Lin Fan spotted him too, his face lighting up with surprise and joy. He was about to shout out when Xu Sanyan silenced him with a look.

Neither had expected to meet under such circumstances.

Watching the tall woman beside Lin Fan, their interactions seemed intimate. She stood protectively in front of him, shielding half his body behind her.

Lin Fan leaned on a wooden staff with one hand, his other arm around the woman’s shoulder, looking both like her son and a tender, water-like young wife.

Xu Sanyan’s lips twitched slightly. Lin Fan seemed to be doing well, with the Eight-Foot Lady as his personal protector. He wondered if Lin Fan could handle the nights. These primitive people were fiercely vigorous, not just during the day, but even more so at night—a fact Xu Sanyan knew all too well.

The atmosphere grew tense as both groups slowly shifted their feet, tacitly avoiding a direct confrontation.

With the long night approaching, all the tribes were focused on hunting and stockpiling food, preventing any immediate conflict.

Xu Sanyan turned to meet Lin Fan’s gaze, his lips moving silently to form a word. He wasn’t sure if Lin Fan could read his lips.

Once the groups had moved far enough apart, Xun Ancai let out a sigh of relief. She had felt an overwhelming pressure from the other group, their strength undeniable.

“What a pity…” Xun Ancai shook her head in disappointment.

Xu Sanyan knew she was lamenting the loss of the White Sheep. White Sheep were easier to hunt and posed less danger than Black Sheep.

Just then, Xu Sanyan felt a repelling force from the world around him. He knew his time was up—the three days had passed.

Having reached the mid-stage of soul refinement, Xu Sanyan could now stay longer, but he deliberately limited his visits to three days. He had other matters to attend to in the outside world.

His wedding was approaching.

Xu Sanyan pulled Xun Ancai closer. “My time is almost up.”

I’ll be back after I get married, he added silently to himself.

“Already?” Xun Ancai counted on her fingers. Three days had indeed passed. Time always flew by when she was with him.

“When will you come again?”

Xu Sanyan shook his head. “I can’t say for sure.”

Xun Ancai, slightly worried, urged him, “If you can’t come these next few days, wait until after the long night. It’s too dangerous for you to be in Southern Mountain alone then.”

Xun Ancai knew Xu Sanyan always reappeared in the same spot where he had last vanished.

“Alright.”

The moment he spoke, Xu Sanyan’s figure vanished abruptly.

The Five-Headed Dog trotted over, lowered its head, and sniffed the ground, memorizing the lingering scent.

Meanwhile,

Lin Fan’s legs trembled with exhaustion as he clung to the woman’s arm for support, barely keeping up with the main group.

He didn’t know how much longer he had to endure this, but he was reaching his limit.

He had finally understood Xu Sanyan’s last words to him:

I will come for you.

This rekindled his hope. The holy son wouldn’t abandon him after all.

Yi’er, wait for me…

Lin Fan’s eyes burned with renewed determination. Though his body had been violated, it was by force and didn’t count.

Besides, the holy son had said that a man’s chastity lay not in his body, but in his heart.

As long as his heart remained pure, his chastity remained intact.

Lin Fan trusted the holy son wouldn’t lie to him.

(End of the Chapter)