Chapter 2166: Chapter 1566: Do You Want to Live or Die? (Part 3)
"Yes!"
"The horses we caught ourselves, let’s keep them for ourselves! Understand?"
"Ah? Understood!..."
The camp gradually calmed, and the blood seeped into the soil. Maha Agudah glanced at his men holding the horses and then squatted down, staring at Wu Xiong’s tied-up Tai Gu’en. He hesitated, unsure whether to kill this newly captured Tribal Chief directly or take him back as a sacrifice to the Chief Divine.
"..."
"..."
The two exchanged silent looks, one squatting, one lying down, one victorious, one defeated. Chieftain Tai Gu’en widened his eyes, his forehead covered in sweat from pain. He stared hard at Agudah’s armor but couldn’t discern the origin of this "Great Tribe Lord." Finally, he could only grit his teeth and speak forcefully to Agudah.
"Let Longevity Heaven bear witness! I, Tai Gu’en, am the Chief of the Forest Tribe! I am a true warrior, and even in death, I want to die with clarity!"
"??"
"Which Great Tribe are you from? What enmity do you have with us? Why did you ally with the River-side Tribe to ambush us?!"
"??"
Maha Agudah frowned at the shouting Forest Tribe Chief. After a while, he asked with a cold expression.
"Do you speak Jurchen Language?..."
"Ah?"
"If not, forget it. Anyway, you’re a Sacrifice for the Shaman to offer to the Divine Spirit."
"Ah?!"
"Yes, quite strong. I estimate your heart is robust too. As the ancestors say, it’s filled with, what’s that, oh, Life Force!... Such a vibrant sacrifice, the Chief Divine will certainly be pleased!"
"Sacri... Sacrifice?! Offered to the Evil God?"
Forest Tribe Chief Tai Gu’en was stunned for a moment then started struggling frantically, shouting back in the Jurchen Language.
"No! No! I cannot be a sacrifice to the Evil Shaman! If so, my soul after death will be nailed into the soil with the blood... Kill me! Kill me! Let me die on the battlefield! I beg you!"
"Hmm? You speak Jurchen Language?..."
"Of course! My mother is from the northern Forest Sea, captured by my father! Among the tribespeople in this camp, who doesn’t have North Mountain Wild Man blood? If not the father, then the mother... Our Forest Tribe is originally from the north, on the path of the North Mountain Wild Man heading south, encountering many Wild Men!"
"Hmm?! Your Forest Tribe is indeed a mixed-blood tribe? You can be Mongolian or Jurchen?..."
Hearing this reply, Maha Agudah was taken aback, and once again scrutinized Tai Gu’en’s features. This nomadic Forest Tribe is indeed a mixed-blood tribe of Mongolians and Shengshu Jurchen? If so, the cost of integration...
"Let the Chief Divine witness! I am a Tribal Chief from the Eastern Forest Sea of a great Jurchen tribe. I bear no enmity against you; I came to capture workers, recruit horses, and seize food. Since you hail from the North Mountain Wild Man, you are my same clan. I will give you a chance, as well as your tribe a chance!"
Maha Agudah thought for a moment, squinted his eyes, and solemnly asked the nomadic Jurchen Chief and wounded Mongolian marksman.
"Give a straightforward answer! Do you want to live or die?"
"If you want to live, swear a Blood Oath, recognize me as your Master, and join my tribe!... If you join, not only will you live, but you can also lead your contingent!"
"Should you not wish to, then you can only become a sacrificial offering... Your heart offered to the Great Divine Spirit of the Eastern Sea, your soul tossed into Water enduring eternal torment!"
"Quickly choose! I don’t have much time for you. Whether life or death, it is up to you!"
"..."
Seeing Agudah’s serenity and coldness, Forest Tribe Chief Tai Gu’en remained silent for a long time. He felt the pain in his shoulder, the blood-scented wind, unsure how to answer. He glanced around in a daze, observing the conquest of his tribe. Death was suddenly akin to dew on the early morning grass, soaking and dyeing him red from top to bottom and changing the color of the whole tribe.
"My wife... my daughter, my son?"...
After searching for a while, Chieftain Tai Gu’en finally saw his wife, daughter, and son, empty-handed, driven from the Mongolian Tents among the captured crowd.
At this moment, he first recalled his deceased father, then his prematurely deceased mother. His father died like an old wolf, perished on the battleground of tribal blood feuds, his majestic body buried in the Oobao with bow and arrow and milk wine. His mother died like an old sheep, leaving only light bones, wrapped in a sheepskin scroll, hung by him personally in the northern forest.
Then, is he truly a Mongolian or a Jurchen?
After a while, Tai Gu’en slowly closed his eyes, his heart had found an answer.
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