Chapter 338- Fierce and Ominous Top VS Pretend Weak but Actually a Big Boss (04)
Wu Po quickly brought Mu Jin to the outskirts of the Pingshan Tribe. However, just as they approached the area, Wu Po suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Sensing his lover pause, Mu Jin curiously opened his eyes. Standing before them was a young man, shorter than Wu Po, with a slender build, thick eyebrows, and large, expressive eyes.
The moment this young man spotted Wu Po, his face lit up with joy. Running toward them, he shouted, “Wu Po! You’re back!”
As he drew closer, he noticed Mu Jin in Wu Po’s arms. When he got a clear look at Mu Jin, his eyes sparkled with astonishment. Pointing at Mu Jin, he exclaimed in surprise, “Who is this? He’s so good-looking! And so fair-skinned!”
Recognizing his only friend in the Pingshan Tribe, Wu He, Wu Po’s expression softened. With a hint of pride, he replied, “This is my mate. I found him outside. His name is Mu Jin.”
Hearing this, Wu He felt a surge of envy. He glanced at Mu Jin a couple more times before turning back to Wu Po with admiration. “Wu Po, you’re amazing! You went out and came back with such a beautiful mate!”
Wu Po’s heart swelled with happiness at Wu He’s praise. Looking down at Mu Jin, who was now fully awake, he leaned in and planted two kisses on Mu Jin’s cheek, as if to show him off. Then, with great care, he gently placed Mu Jin on the ground.
Pulling out the stone knife from his waist, Wu Po skillfully chopped off the head and a segment near the tail of the hefty python he’d been carrying. Handing the pieces to Wu He, he said, “Take these back with you. Give some to Grandmother.”
Wu He’s face lit up with delight as he eagerly nodded, taking the snake meat from Wu Po. Although the head had been smashed beyond recognition, Wu He didn’t mind at all. After all, such a large prey was far beyond his own abilities to catch.
With his limited strength, Wu He could usually only manage to hunt small game or gather wild fruits. Even when joining the hunting party, he’d typically receive little more than scraps.
Thanks to Wu He’s kindness and their shared bond from their time in the communal cave, Wu Po had been looked after. Without Wu He’s support, Wu Po wouldn’t have had the ability to move out and live independently with Grandmother after coming of age.
Wu He never believed the rumors about Wu Po being “ominous.” To him, Wu Po was undeniably strong and had always been kind to him and Grandmother. When he was younger, he often relied on Wu Po to find enough food to eat.
And now, once again, Wu Po had shared so much meat with him.
Unfortunately, the people in the tribe continued to ostracize Wu Po. If not for Grandmother’s illness requiring frequent visits from the priest—and the priest’s disdain for Wu Po—Wu He wouldn’t have had to resort to meeting Wu Po outside the tribe these days.
Thinking about this, Wu He lowered his head in guilt.
However, seeing that Wu Po had found a mate, Wu He couldn’t help but feel genuine happiness for him. He quickly turned to Mu Jin with a warm smile and said, “Mu Jin, you’re so lucky to have found such a great mate like Wu Po. He’s incredibly strong and will definitely make sure you’re well-fed and healthy!”
In this era, where most people struggled to have enough to eat, having a mate who could provide so well that they grew plump was a true sign of strength and ability.
Hearing Wu He’s words, Mu Jin understood he was trying to make Wu Po seem even more impressive. Smiling, Mu Jin nodded in agreement, thinking Wu He had a point.
After exchanging a few more words with Wu Po, Wu He handed him a handful of wild fruits he had collected. Then, carrying the meat Wu Po had given him along with some edible wild vegetables he’d foraged earlier, Wu He ran off toward the Pingshan Tribe.
Wu Po watched Wu He run ahead without any sign of annoyance. He knew that Grandmother’s health had been poor lately, and Wu He was deeply worried about her. Otherwise, Wu He would have stayed a little longer to chat, as he usually did.
Having received such a good share of food, Wu He naturally wanted to return as quickly as possible to prepare something nourishing for Grandmother.
Wu Po, still maintaining his usual pace, continued on with Mu Jin and eventually arrived at the Pingshan Tribe.
When Wu Po returned to the Pingshan Tribe, the patrolling guards immediately noticed him. Although they generally avoided interacting with Wu Po, this time their attention was drawn to Mu Jin, who was quietly nestled in Wu Po’s arms.
Wu Po had brought an outsider back to the tribe.
Though Mu Jin clung to Wu Po’s neck, his face buried against Wu Po’s chest, making it difficult for the guards to see him clearly, they could still make out his fair-skinned arms and petite figure. This led a few of them to mistakenly assume Mu Jin was a woman.
The idea that Wu Po had found a woman outside and brought her back without notifying the tribal chief caused a stir. In this world, women were highly valued for their ability to bear children, making them incredibly important to any tribe. Wu Po’s apparent unilateral decision to bring someone back was unacceptable.
As a result, one of the patrolling guards quickly went to inform the Ping Shan Tribe’s chief about the situation, requesting that he personally address Wu Po’s actions.
Wu Po, however, paid no attention to the opinions of others. He simply carried Mu Jin straight to his home, which was located on the outskirts of the tribe, far from the bustling central area.
Mu Jin noticed this detail but didn’t mind. In fact, he quite liked the secluded location—it was quiet and peaceful.
Moreover, while the area was far from the other villagers, it was surrounded by plenty of trees, creating a serene and natural environment. Mu Jin found it to his liking, and even Wu Po himself thought it was a good place to live.
At this time, people still didn’t know how to construct houses properly, so most of them resided in caves.
The location Wu Po chose didn’t come with a natural cave, so he had carved one out himself. Since he had always lived alone, he hadn’t cared much about creating a proper home, so the cave was quite shallow.
In the past, he never thought this was an issue, but now that he had a partner, he felt the cave was too simple and inadequate.
Now that he had a family to care for, Wu Po decided he needed to provide a better living environment. He wanted his adorable partner to live comfortably by his side.
With this thought in mind, Wu Po gently placed Mu Jin on a pile of animal hides inside the cave. Though the hides were a bit coarse, they were laid over a thick layer of dried grass, effectively insulating against the cold ground.
After settling Mu Jin, Wu Po carried the remains of the giant snake to the entrance of the cave and began processing the meat.
Not wanting to sit idle inside the cave, Mu Jin quickly moved to join him, watching as Wu Po worked. When Wu Po started removing the snake’s organs and was about to toss them aside, Mu Jin stopped him and picked out the gallbladder, saying, “Don’t throw this away.”
Wu Po frowned slightly at the sight of the snake’s gallbladder in Mu Jin’s hand and patiently explained, “It’s not edible—it’s very bitter.”
Mu Jin nodded in acknowledgment. He knew it was bitter, but it seemed wasteful to discard such a large gallbladder. After all, snake gallbladders had high medicinal value and were excellent for health.
He explained to Wu Po, “This is a snake gallbladder. Consuming it is good for the body.”
“You’re saying it’s medicine?” Wu Po paused, surprised. He hadn’t expected Mu Jin to know such things.
In general, few people understood medicine or the benefits of certain substances. This knowledge was usually held by the priests of various tribes.
For Wu Po, even as an experienced hunter, his understanding of the natural world was limited to recognizing a few plants that could provide some relief for injuries. Beyond that, his knowledge was sparse.
Hearing Mu Jin’s explanation, Wu Po began to wonder about his partner’s background.
Mu Jin nodded confidently. He had always been skilled in pharmacology, with a deep understanding of both plants and animals. While he specialized in using plants for medicine, he also knew the benefits of snake gallbladders.
Briefly, he explained the medicinal properties of the snake gallbladder to Wu Po, offering simple yet clear insights.
Who would have thought that after hearing this, Wu Po didn’t seem particularly pleased? Instead, he pursed his lips and asked, “Are you a priest?”
Mu Jin shook his head but understood why Wu Po might think so. Smiling, he denied, “I’m not a priest. I’m just interested in these things. I used to help out around the priests, so I picked up some knowledge.”
Hearing this, Wu Po visibly relaxed.
Priests were highly revered, and given his own “inauspicious” reputation, if Mu Jin were truly a priest, the tribe would likely prevent their relationship.
However, since Mu Jin mentioned assisting the priests, it was clear he had been valued in his previous tribe. People like that were usually devout believers in the gods. If Mu Jin ever discovered Wu Po’s reputation for being unlucky…
This thought darkened Wu Po’s mood. But he quickly recalled that Mu Jin hadn’t shown any signs of dislike upon meeting him. Could it be that Mu Jin’s former tribe was too small to know that his eye color was considered inauspicious?
Wu Po began to wonder about this possibility, though he chose to say nothing. Carefully, he took the snake gallbladder from Mu Jin’s hand and said, “In that case, let’s give this gallbladder to Grandma. Her health hasn’t been good lately, and Wu He is very worried about her.”
During their journey back, Mu Jin had spoken with Wu Po enough to learn about Wu He’s background. Wu Po had explained that Grandma was Wu He’s grandmother. Wu He’s father and grandfather had both died during hunts, and his mother had succumbed to illness, leaving the pair of them to depend on each other.
In their most difficult times, they had also lived in the communal cave. Remembering how Wu He’s grandmother had once cared for his own beloved during those days, Mu Jin was naturally willing to offer the snake gallbladder without hesitation.