The sound of the gong and the shouting of people in the rain finally brought Chang Tui, consumed by madness, back to his senses.
Breathing heavily, he gave the person beneath him one last punch before standing up.
He then walked to the side, squatted on the ground, and began tugging at the empty rope around his neck with his muddy hands, crying softly.
Surprisingly, the one who had been hit didn't cry, but the one who had been struck was the first to shed tears.
The person who had been hit climbed up from the ground, still catching their breath, appearing somewhat shaken. They grimaced in pain while fearfully glancing at the people emerging from the walls and the front gate.
The senior brother and others in the fields quickly rushed over, holding farming tools...
Inside the room, Han Cheng, who had been enjoying the tranquility, was startled by the sudden alarm, and the peaceful atmosphere instantly vanished.
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"Damn, what's going on?"
The Divine Child cursed in annoyance, quickly standing up and grumbling as he went.
"Slave fight?"
Upon putting on his hat and leaving the room, someone came to report the situation.
Han Cheng was a bit surprised and repeated the question.
This was strange—ever since the people of the Flying Snake Tribe had submitted, such things had rarely happened. Why had they suddenly started fighting at this particular moment?
While surprised, Han Cheng also felt a slight relief in his heart. It was just a fight, not a full-blown rebellion.
Thinking this, he quickened, heading with the messenger towards the small slave courtyard outside the yard.
By the time Han Cheng arrived, the two men had already separated.
All he saw were two naked figures covered in mud.
One was still crying, tears running down their face.
Han Cheng looked at the other, a stronger-looking man, and couldn't help frowning.
This man had hit so hard that he had made a grown, primitive man cry uncontrollably. It was clear that his strikes were severe.
The one beaten had no idea what Han Cheng was thinking. If he did, he would be full of grievance—after all, he was the one who had been hit, not the other way around... РÅNỔ𝐛Ê𝓢
"What's going on?"
Han Cheng scanned the two mud-covered figures before speaking.
The two men immediately wilted under his gaze. Even Chang Tui, crying uncontrollably a moment ago, now felt ashamed and uneasy.
"I... he... broke..."
The two men started stammering, speaking in their rough version of the common tongue.
After a while, Han Cheng finally understood. The one crying had been the one who struck the hardest during the fight.
He gradually realized why they had fought, and this strange scene had occurred.
It turned out that the strong man had broken a talisman-like object that Chang Tui had been wearing around his neck.
People from this era already had some very primitive beliefs.
Whether due to faith or desire for decoration, wearing ornaments had become common.
For example, when Han Cheng first arrived, the people of the Green Sparrow Tribe liked to wear feathers on their heads, the Green Tribe wore grass, and the Bone Tribe people adorned themselves with bone artifacts.
It was no surprise to see someone wearing a 'talisman.'
This kind of 'case' was easy to handle, and Han Cheng quickly made a decision.
"Meng broke Chang Tui's stone. Meng was wrong at first, and then they fought, making it a double mistake. Both mistakes combined, Meng will be punished with two meals without food and must wear the raven hat for two days."
After the battle between the Flying Snake Tribe and the Green Sparrow Tribe last year, a group of crows appeared around the Green Sparrow Tribe.
They had made loud noises and sometimes even pecked at the dead.
Later, although the crows were driven away, these troublemakers, who had found a way in, sometimes still came to steal the salted meat and jerky the Green Sparrow Tribe had laid out to dry.
The people of the Green Sparrow Tribe despised anyone who stole their food, so they frequently used bows and arrows to deal with these annoying thieves.
Thus, with their unpleasant and detestable cawing, these thieves became the objects of the Green Sparrow Tribe's hatred. Over time, this hatred extended to other areas as well.
Of course, it wasn’t in a good sense.
Crow-feather hats also became universally despised by the tribe. Wearing one made a person feel extremely uncomfortable and subject to ridicule from others, bringing great humiliation to the wearer.
This became a form of punishment developed by the Green Sparrow Tribe, alongside death and starvation.
This mental punishment was more unbearable than physical punishment.
Generally, when someone makes a mistake, they would rather go hungry than wear something so humiliating.
Upon hearing that he would have to wear the crow hat for two days, Meng immediately panicked, feeling a sense of injustice.
After all, he had been severely beaten today, yet he was still being forced to wear the crow hat.
However, he didn't dare voice his dissatisfaction, as this was the judgment of the respected Divine Child.
He lowered his head, his face filled with shame, and was willing to accept the punishment.
“Chang Tui's stone was broken, and he is the victim here, but he should not have fought with Meng, and he went too far in his actions.”
“That attitude is for dealing with enemies, not for someone from the same tribe. Therefore, Chang Tui will be punished with one meal without food and wearing the crow hat for a day.”
After announcing the punishment for Meng, Han Cheng spoke of Chang Tui’s punishment.
For Han Cheng, the best slave obeyed without competing for power or dominance—such a slave was easy to like.
As for a spirit of martial prowess, he never wanted to see it in his slaves.
This was why he also punished Chang Tui, who appeared to be the victim in the situation.
Of course, Han Cheng kept these thoughts to himself and only spoke of the official, righteous reasons.
Once Meng understood Han Cheng’s intention, his resentment faded, and he felt comforted. He now saw the Divine Child's punishment as fair and grew to respect him even more.
At this point, Chang Tui also lowered his head in shame. Hearing the respected Divine Child’s words, he realized his mistake.
His previous reaction had been too extreme. He shouldn't have been so harsh with Meng, let alone thought about killing him.
The Divine Child was right. Meng was from the same tribe as him, and that kind of violence was meant for enemies, not fellow tribe members.
After considering it, Chang Tui spoke up, expressing his willingness to wear the crow hat for two days, just like Meng.