His grandson was badly injured; his face was swollen to the point it looked like a fruit that had fallen onto a rock from a tree.
"But how is it that when this idiot got hurt, you two are still fine?" the old man's eyes turned sharply toward his two henchmen. The boys avoided his gaze and looked down.
"We were too focused on getting Sir grandson to safety, so we didn't have the chance to fight the guy off," they said.
The old man scoffed and shoved the two henchmen aside. "Foolish bastards! How many times have I told you to be careful when outside? Those ruffians come from beyond do not yet know who I really am. And you idiots had to poke at them when we still don't know who the damn daemons is!" The old man slapped his grandson's head, adding extra pain atop the suffering the boy was already enduring.
"I'm sorry, grandfather, but that bastard really irritated me!" he exclaimed. Although they lied into the face of the old man, Tao tai knew very well about his grandsons nature. So when he heard how the boy talked about sticking together even after becoming a daemon, it struck him like the world's most idiotic joke.
"Well, that might be so in your foolish hands, but the ruffian out there needs to be taught who rules and who follows. Most of all with the way things are if that bastard really ends up becoming a daemon I doubt there woud be any benefit to the tribe" the old man said, and a crude smile appeared on his face. Seeing this, the boy also smiled, knowing that the one who had hurt him was destined to suffer far more than he.
Once again, the old man strode back, putting a coat made from a hide of a wolf tiger the tribe had killed. The tribe had endured a devastating struggle to take it down, putting forth every ounce of effort to slay the beast. Over time, the tiger's hide became a symbol of the tribe, worn by the leader. Also With the wand in his hand, the old man stepped out and disappeared from the boy's sight.
The Wind Eater Tribe had a clear hierarchy of power. At the top was the leader, followed closely by the elders and hunters, who held equal authority. Below them were those who managed fields of crops or tended to animals.
At the moment, tao tai had come to visit the palace where the hunters and other elders resided. Tao tai,Upon seeing one of the hunters,the hunter quickly rushed to the area where the rest of the tribe members slept.
"You little bastard… I'll teach you how to show respect," muttered the old man Tao Tai under his breath as he watched the hunter.
The specific hunter arrived swiftly and found valeton.
"Who in the world dares to disturb my sleep tonight?" he shouted, visibly upset as he stepped out of his hut. But upon realizing it was an hunter, his expression quickly softened.
"I wonder what brings a hunter to see me at such an inconvenient time," he asked curiously.
"Where's that boy?" asked the hunter.
Valeton was momentarily confused. He himself was not a father and had no children, but then he remembered the only boy he had recently come across. "Oh… he's at the stall, sleeping behind my herd," said Valeton, growing more curious about why the hunter sought the young boy.
"Lead me," muttered the hunter, and valeton had no intention to disobey. He quickly dressed and stepped out, guiding the hunter to the place where he had kept his sheep. It was not too far; they only had to walk a short distance.
"It's here," said valeton as they arrived.
"So, where's the boy?" The hunter looked around but saw no trace of the young boy among the sleeping sheep.
"Huh?" valeton also looked around, and indeed, he too could not spot Shengan anywhere near the flock.
"This brat… where did he go? Oh man, my precious kids left unattended in the night!" valeton was more worried about the sheep than losing Shengan, but the hunter was not.
He paced around the area but saw no sign of Shengan. "If he's not with the sheep, where else could the boy be staying at night?" he asked valeton, but valeton had no clue where he could have gone. For all he knew, every night Shengan slept beside the flock.
"Oh man, that brat really fooled me… maybe even while we were traveling, he's been doing things like this," valeton panicked upon thinking of the worse.
Seeing no progress in his task, the hunter eventually walked back toward where the tribe members were gathered.
Far away, in the darkness, a pair of eyes watched this scene like a predator in the night.
"Just as I said—the old man would never let anyone lay a hand on his grandson. Why did you have to beat him up? If only you had endured patiently, we could have peacefully gone to tomorrow's purity test. Now… how are we going to take part in the event?" The panicked voice of the heavenly demon echoed in Shengan's mind.
"Quiet yourself down. Didn't you see what happened to others who got beaten by that so-called grandson? That stupid brat has no limit—he would keep striking until he's satisfied, and someone would have to rest for days before even being able to walk. That's the strength behind the brat's fist. If I hadn't moved faster, we would have already ended up in bed with injuries. And even if I patiently endured, didn't you hear they were going to finish your old friend? I doubt he would even be able to walk tomorrow after that guy beat him up," Shengan exclaimed.
The heavenly demon fell silent to Shengan's word, than he sigh..
"It is, unfortunately, the truth. I remember in my past life the boy once beat Malvin badly, and Malvin was unable to participate in the event. It was only thanks to one of the higher daemon that he was revealed to possess talent. But that was after long time from the event where my purity was tested. I'm surprised… you actually care about him. I thought you were heartless," the heavenly demon said, a note of surprise in his voice.
"I'm not a monster. The guy is too stupid for his own good. I just don't want someone else taking advantage of him," Shengan whispered.
"So… what are we going to do now?" inquired the heavenly demon, watching as Shengan's gaze followed the hunter moving in the distance.