Chapter 358- Fierce and Ominous Top VS Pretend Weak but Actually a Big Boss (24)
After speaking, Mu Jin didn’t wait for Wu Po to refute him and took the initiative to step forward, addressing Lang Wei “We can agree to your terms. However, since we’ve placed a bet, shouldn’t the Gaoshan Tribe also bear some corresponding costs?”
As Mu Jin spoke, the people of the Pingshan Tribe beside him nodded one after another. Although they also felt that using Mu Jin as a wager was inappropriate, they remembered the priest’s instructions before their departure: they must follow Mu Jin’s lead.
Hearing this, Lang Wei’s eyes darted around. The chief of the Gaoshan Tribe was already old and had not come along this time, leaving Lang Wei in charge. Thus, he had the authority of a chief. While he could wager his personal belongings, Mu Jin’s capabilities were undeniable, and he had to show respect for him.
So, to curry favor with Mu Jin, Lang Wei followed his suggestion and offered most of the Gaoshan Tribe’s supplies as the wager.
The Gaoshan Tribe was quite large, boasting abundant resources and even iron tools. Although the output wasn’t high, it was enough to make Mu Jin covet them. This was why he was eager for Wu Po to agree to the contest with Lang Wei—he had been craving iron pot stews for a long time.
Lang Wei didn’t hesitate to stake heavily to win Mu Jin’s wager, but he remained confident. After all, from his perspective, Wu Po, despite his imposing demeanor, was just a novice who had never participated in a contest.
Lang Wei, on the other hand, attended the annual competitions at the gathering and was almost always the champion. He couldn’t believe he’d lose to Wu Po.
Seeing Mu Jin’s determined stance, as if he wouldn’t give up until he agreed, Wu Po could only nod reluctantly. Lang Wei, unable to hear what Mu Jin and Wu Po were discussing, assumed he had guessed Mu Jin’s intentions.
When he saw Mu Jin even helping him persuade Wu Po to agree, Lang Wei felt smug. He gave Mu Jin a few suggestive glances before leaving with a pretense of casualness.
After Lang Wei left, Mu Jin noticed that Wu Po still looked visibly upset. Feeling guilty, he shrank his neck slightly and quickly said many flattering words, hoping to appease Wu Po’s anger.
However, Lang Wei was unaware that Mu Jin was actually the young leader of the Pingyuan Tribe. He merely thought Mu Jin was an ordinary member of the Pingshan Tribe; otherwise, he wouldn’t have assumed it would be so easy to win Mu Jin over.
In the entire Pingshan Tribe, only the chief, Wu He, and a few others knew the truth, and they had kept the information confidential.
Recently, Mu Shan had been visiting frequently. Everyone assumed that the Pingyuan Tribe wanted to negotiate some kind of deal with the Pingshan Tribe, and no one thought it had anything to do with Mu Jin.
Fortunately, Mu Shan was in the Pingshan Tribe’s tent when Lang Wei came to provoke them earlier. He witnessed the events outside and thus didn’t misunderstand that Wu Po had used his own son as a wager.
Still, seeing Mu Jin constantly pushing Wu Po to agree while Wu Po clearly appeared unhappy made Mu Shan feel a bit helpless.
But what could he do? His child was just too willful. However, Mu Shan was satisfied that Wu Po didn’t let pride get in the way and prioritized Mu Jin’s well-being above all else.
Mu Jin didn’t take Lang Wei seriously, even though Lang Wei had won the annual inter-tribal competitions each time. Mu Jin was confident that Lang Wei was no match for Wu Po.
Wu Po, however, couldn’t afford to be complacent. In fact, for the two days leading up to the match, he had avoided any intimate interactions with Mu Jin, focusing solely on honing his skills.
Wu Po had planned to participate in the tribal competition this time, but he had spent the previous days accompanying Mu Jin on leisurely outings. Now, with the contest approaching, he was determined to sharpen his abilities, fearing that even with his superior strength, something unexpected might happen.
When the match finally took place, things unfolded exactly as Mu Jin had anticipated—it was far too easy to defeat Lang Wei.
Lang Wei was indeed strong, comparable to Da Xiong (Big Bear) from the Pingyuan Tribe. Every year, the winner was usually one of the two.
However, the Pingyuan Tribe rarely attended these gatherings, as their settlement was far away, and they only participated once every five years. Additionally, Lang Wei’s combat style was more agile compared to Da Xiong, who relied purely on brute strength.
Lang Wei originally thought he was guaranteed to win against Wu Po this time, but he didn’t expect Wu Po to unleash such fierce and relentless attacks right from the start, holding nothing back.
When Wu Po’s iron-like fist landed squarely on his face, Lang Wei cried out in pain, spitting out a tooth. It was only then that he realized he could no longer afford to underestimate his opponent.
However, no matter how hard he tried, the gap in strength between him and Wu Po was simply too vast.
In the primitive era, people’s thinking was relatively straightforward. Even someone like Lang Wei, who could be considered somewhat cunning, was, in Mu Jin’s eyes, still not clever enough to pose a threat.
Lang Wei naturally didn’t think of tampering with the match or using hidden weapons. After enduring over twenty of Wu Po’s powerful blows, Lang Wei was finally sent flying off the platform with a heavy kick.
Lang Wei’s defeat was humiliating. While the previous competitors who had faced Wu Po also lost, Wu Po had gone easier on them, stopping short of causing serious injuries and leaving them with some dignity.
Everyone already knew that Lang Wei had previously boasted arrogantly, demanding that Wu Po wager his own partner. Now, seeing Lang Wei being utterly beaten down by Wu Po, the frustration of those who had lost to Wu Po earlier vanished entirely.
Some even felt vindicated. After all, Lang Wei had a habit of using his strength to bully others and compete for their partners. He had done this many times before, even intentionally humiliating his opponents after defeating them on the platform.
Lang Wei, accustomed to arrogance and pride, never expected to fall so hard in front of Wu Po this time.
His injuries were severe, making him feel as though his internal organs were shattered. He knew it would take a long time to recover fully. Moreover, he now had to hand over all the supplies he had promised to the Pingshan Tribe as part of the wager.
The thought of this loss made Lang Wei’s heart ache. He knew this failure would give his rivals in the Gaoshan Tribe a perfect opportunity to exploit his weakness.
Though filled with resentment, Lang Wei couldn’t act out publicly since Wu Po’s victory was fair and square. He could only glare at Wu Po with hatred before limping away, supported by his tribesmen.
None of them noticed that during the competition, a tall figure wearing a hood stood beside Mu Shan, the chief of the Pingyuan Tribe. His gaze was fixed intently on Wu Po, who was speaking with Mu Jin after winning the match.
Beneath the hat, a pair of pale amber eyes gleamed with excitement. This person was none other than Yan Da, the esteemed guest of Mu Shan, who had not made an appearance in recent days.
After the competition ended, Yan Da approached Mu Shan and asked him to arrange a meeting with Wu Po.
For days, Yan Da had been hearing his friend complain indignantly about how his son, Mu Jin, was involved with someone from the Pingshan Tribe named Wu Po. Yan Da hadn’t paid much attention to it initially.
But he never expected that Wu Po would turn out to be the person he had been searching for all these years. Upon seeing Wu Po’s face and those pale amber eyes, so similar to his own, Yan Da became absolutely certain.
When Mu Shan noticed Yan Da’s serious demeanor and saw his similarly colored amber eyes, he was stunned. Realizing what Yan Da might be implying, he quickly asked, “Could it be… are you saying he is…?”
Yan Da nodded in response. The sight of those eyes, nearly identical to his own, left Yan Da almost entirely convinced that Wu Po was the long-lost child he had been searching for all these years.
Mu Shan, hearing Yan Da’s words, couldn’t help but feel regret for his oversight. He understood how much this child meant to Yan Da. Nevertheless, Mu Shan discreetly informed Mu Jin of the situation before taking Yan Da to meet Wu Po and Mu Jin.
By then, Mu Jin had already brought Wu Po to the Pingyuan Tribe’s camp. There, they quickly encountered Yan Da, dressed in black animal hides with his face partially concealed by a fur hat.
When Yan Da removed his hat, revealing his pale amber eyes and rugged features, the resemblance between him and Wu Po was only slight. Yet, Mu Jin could still discern that this man was undoubtedly Wu Po’s father.
This conclusion was easily confirmed, as the tribe chiefs were aware of this secret.
However, Wu Po, having always believed he was a member of the Pingshan Tribe and having grown up relying solely on his own abilities, didn’t harbor any strong expectations regarding his parents.
When Mu Jin informed him that he wasn’t actually Wu Chan’s child, Wu Po was momentarily surprised but quickly returned to his usual demeanor, showing little reaction.