Chapter 276 – Princess of the Prairie Rules the World – Guests from the Tribe (01)
[Point calculation complete. Successfully breaking up the male and female leads: +1000 points. No side missions, no bonus points.]
After the mechanical female voice finished announcing the results, Qiu’er, who had already reconciled with Xiao A, pulled out the plot for the next world.
Bai Tang said, “Qiu’er, you’re acting really strange today~”
He was curious—Qiu’er had always disliked the male lead in the past, so why did he seem excited this time, almost eager to see him jump into the next mission?
In the previous world, after Qiu’er and Little A dealt with Zhou Mengsi, they basically disappeared. Sometimes, Bai Tang wanted to chat with them but couldn’t even find them.
“There’s nothing strange—I just want to gather enough energy quickly so I can level up again,” Qiu’er replied.
If you only listened to what Qiu’er said, it didn’t sound like a big deal. But when paired with the way he bashfully leaned toward Xiao A, Bai Tang smiled knowingly.
“I get it, I get it~” Bai Tang said with a grin. Ah, how sweet.
The moment Qiu’er saw Bai Tang’s expression, he realized there was a misunderstanding and quickly tried to explain, “It’s not what you think, Tang Tang…”
He was just feeling shy after Xiao A confessed to him. If someone gets something too easily, they won’t cherish it—he wasn’t going to let Xiao A win him over that easily. He still planned to test him a bit.
But Bai Tang had a “No need to explain, I understand completely” expression on his face, which made Qiu’er feel utterly defeated.
With a mischievous grin, Bai Tang looked at the two of them. Embarrassed, Qiu’er hid behind Xiao A, who, on the other hand, was acting calm and confident.
“What’s the next world?” Xiao A asked.
Only then did Qiu’er remember the plot book by his feet.
They looked over and saw that the cover featured a vast, boundless grassland. A man and a woman were riding horses, locked in a romantic embrace. At the top of the book, in ornate font, were the words: Princess of the Prairie Rules the World. It had the classic vibe of an old-school romance novel.
Xiao A: “Very fitting. The image and title match perfectly.”
Qiu’er: “If you don’t like it, just say so. Hmph~”
Xiao A: “How could I ever dislike you?” He reached out a paw to pat Qiu’er’s head, then leaned in to give him a kiss.
Qiu’er instantly turned obedient. “W-Well… alright then.”
No matter how those two interacted, Bai Tang was already used to it. Without a word, he opened the book on his own. The plot of this world went something like this:
Rong Ningjing was a modern-day girl who accidentally traveled to a fictional ancient dynasty that had never existed in history. She ended up in the body of a nomadic girl who shared the exact same name as her.
The male lead was named Tuoba Jingyao, the newly appointed leader of a nomadic tribe. The female lead was just an ordinary, unremarkable girl within the same tribe—someone who, under normal circumstances, would have had nothing to do with the male lead.
However, in nomadic tribes, the most valuable assets are livestock such as cattle and sheep. The female lead, Rong Ningjing, had studied veterinary medicine in the modern world and had deep knowledge of animal diseases. She often treated the sick livestock in the tribe, and over time, her reputation began to spread—eventually attracting the attention of Tuoba Jingyao.
Thanks to her outstanding veterinary skills, Rong Ningjing was appointed by Tuoba Jingyao as the tribe’s official veterinarian, responsible for treating sick animals within the tribe.
As a result, the male and female leads gradually became more familiar with each other. When winter approached, they had to migrate to another region in order to survive the harsh season.
During the migration, the male supporting character, Bai Tang, who had feelings for Tuoba Jingyao, was incited by a female supporting character who felt that Rong Ningjing had stolen her place. Together, they plotted to push Rong Ningjing off a narrow mountain path.
At the critical moment, Bai Tang remembered Rong Ningjing’s kindness and how she treated others. If she died, no one would be able to care for the sick sheep, and the tribe would lose its means of survival. What would happen to the people then?
At the last second, Bai Tang stopped himself. But the female supporting character gave Rong Ningjing a hidden shove. As Rong Ningjing began to fall, Bai Tang reached out and caught her—only to fall off the cliff in her place, ending his life at the young age of twenty.
After Bai Tang’s death, Rong Ningjing mourned for several days before throwing herself back into preparing the tribe for winter.
The male and female leads went through many hardships together. They negotiated with other nations to protect their tribe, and Rong Ningjing even volunteered to become a hostage in the neighboring country of Wen for the sake of Tuoba Jingyao’s safety. Years later, Tuoba Jingyao led his now-powerful tribe to war with Wen, eventually unifying the Central Plains. He rescued Rong Ningjing, ascended the throne, and had only one empress for his entire life.
From the plot alone, the female lead was undoubtedly a good protagonist—kind-hearted and virtuous. But upon closer examination, she didn’t truly love the male lead, and he didn’t harbor romantic feelings for her either. However, due to their lofty reputations and what was best for the greater good, only their union could fulfill public expectations and stabilize the new regime.
No wonder the book was titled Princess of the Prairie Rules the World. Rong Ningjing made tremendous contributions to the tribe. Undoubtedly, she was a great woman.
“Don’t worry, Tang Tang. I’m sure you and the male lead will find a way to resolve the crisis,” Qiu’er comforted him.
That wasn’t just empty praise. Across so many worlds, Bai Tang had proven himself more than capable of resolving any crisis.
“Mhm~” Bai Tang nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
Moments later, a flash of white light appeared, and the one human and two dogs vanished from the main system space.
“Daddy, he’s waking up! Daddy…”
Before Bai Tang could even open his eyes, he heard a child shouting near his ear.
The young man lying on the felt mat slowly opened his eyes, and the eyes of the child and elder beside him lit up with amazement.
He’s so beautiful~
The boy had fair skin and delicate features, very different from the dark, sun-kissed complexion of the tribe members who spent their lives herding cattle and sheep under the sun.
The moment he opened his eyes, those clear, glistening almond-shaped eyes were especially stunning—enough to leave people speechless.
Bai Tang wasn’t originally from the tribe. He had been rescued by the tribespeople after being found in the river.
“Hello~” The boy’s soft, lilting voice carried a gentle charm that melted hearts. It made one want to hold him in their palms and protect him forever.
“Child, where are you from? How did you end up in the river?” the elder asked.
Bai Tang’s origins were never explained in the original plot. After being rescued by the tribe, he nearly got trampled by a crazed bull while helping out with chores. At that dangerous moment, Tuoba Jingyao descended like a hero and saved him—and that’s when Bai Tang fell for the male lead.
Right now, that incident hadn’t happened yet. He had only just been rescued by one of the elders in the tribe.
“My name is Bai Tang. My home is… very far away…” Bai Tang said, his voice tinged with nostalgia as he thought of the forest that had raised him. He didn’t know if he’d ever have the chance to return there.
Qiu’er said proudly, “Don’t worry, Tang Tang. Once I level up and unlock the ability to choose specific worlds, I’ll take you back myself.”
When he reached the highest level, taking Tang Tang back to his original world would be a piece of cake!
Xiao A added, “What about me?”
Qiu’er pouted. “Of course, you’re coming with me. Or are you planning to use me and ditch me afterward?”
Xiao A replied gently, “Be good…”
Qiu’er protested, “I told you not to pat my head! If you keep doing that, I won’t grow taller.”
He was still hoping that when they both transformed into human forms, he’d end up taller than Little A.
The nostalgic look on Bai Tang’s face made the elder and the child assume that he could never return to his hometown. To avoid bringing up any more painful memories, they chatted a little and, upon learning that Bai Tang had no place to go, the elder told him to rest well and left with the child.
“Aqi, it’s likely that Bai Tang can’t go back to where he came from. Don’t bring it up again in front of him, alright?”
Aqi said, “I’ll be careful. Oh, right! Since we’ve gained a new member, how about we celebrate with some fresh sheep’s milk tonight?”
Gongna chuckled, “You little rascal, you just want to drink sheep’s milk, don’t you? Fine, go prepare it.”
Aqi ran off excitedly. “I’ll go tell everyone!”
With nowhere else to go, Bai Tang naturally stayed in the tribe. The people there were warm and welcoming. Whenever there was good news—like a new member joining—they would gather and celebrate.
After Bai Tang was rescued from the river, he had been taken to recuperate at Gongna’s home. The entire tribe knew about it.
Aqi ran through the whole settlement, spreading the news that Bai Tang had woken up and would be joining the tribe. Everyone was overjoyed.
The tribe was thriving, and the population was growing. How could they not be happy?!
Just as Aqi finished spreading the news to everyone, another piece of good news arrived.
The girl who had fallen into the water a few days ago, Rong Ningjing, had also regained consciousness. What a joyful occasion—definitely worth celebrating!
The matter of the new members joining was reported to the tribe’s leader, Tuoba Jingyao.
Tuoba Jingyao was studying a map, planning the route for the tribe’s winter migration.
He had never met Bai Tang before, and simply responded indifferently, “Got it.”
Tuoba Jingyao studied the map for a long while. When he looked up, he noticed the messenger was still standing there.
“What is it? Something else?” he asked.
Though Tuoba Jingyao was newly appointed as chief, he handled matters with methodical precision. With sharp features and a commanding presence, he was an impressive man. Aside from having darker skin, there wasn’t a single flaw to find.
“Chief, where should the newcomer stay?” The man hadn’t yet remembered Bai Tang’s name and could only refer to him as “the newcomer.”
That was indeed a valid concern.
Tuoba Jingyao tapped his fingers on the table. The newcomer was all alone—while the tribe was known for its hospitality, it didn’t mean they’d accept someone who ate for free in the long term.
“Let’s observe for now. We’ll decide tonight,” Tuoba Jingyao said after a moment of thought.
If the newcomer turned out to be a decent person, he wouldn’t mind giving him a few cows and sheep to help him gain a foothold in the tribe.
“Yes, sir.” The man received the instruction and turned to leave.
Meanwhile, Rong Ningjing awoke to find herself lying in a tent. She sat up, surprised, but was soon struck by a splitting headache. The next moment, memories belonging to the body’s original owner flooded her mind.
It took her a while to recover from the onslaught of memories.
So, this was no longer the 21st century.
“Jing’er, you’re finally awake!” A woman with her hair half-wrapped in a scarf lifted the tent flap and came in. She was overjoyed to see Rong Ningjing sitting up.
“Thank heaven, thank heaven, Jing’er is finally awake!” The woman turned toward the entrance and shouted, “Dear, Jing’er’s awake!”
Rong Ningjing hadn’t expected to interact with the locals so soon. She quickly accessed the original host’s memories and imitated her speech patterns to avoid slipping up.
Even though this dynasty had never existed in history, it was still the ancient past—and people here were likely superstitious. If they took her for some kind of spirit or possessed being, things could get very bad.
Author’s Note:
Bai Tang: I heard you’re planning to give me a few cows and sheep so I can live on my own?
Tuoba Jingyao (hugging Bai Tang): Absolutely not. Baby, you’re living in my tent. All my property is yours to manage.