Chapter 101: Name

When Quan Yin left the Tianbu Tribe to find Nan Luo on Luoling Mountain, it was morning. When she returned, it was just as the sun was beginning to tilt west. It had originally been a day of clear skies and crisp air, but the hearts of the people in the Fog Clan were dark and heavy.

Peng Meng encountered Quan Yin's niece at the entrance to the Fog Clan's settlement. With one punch, he knocked her to the ground, and she spat blood. At this moment, he still stood before the camp gate, though he was now seated in grand fashion, his face bearing a smile that appeared mild yet carried an air of lofty superiority.

He wore soft armor crafted from some unknown beast hide, draped beneath a cloak that was black on the outside and a bloody red on the inside, making him look flamboyantly bold and exuding a powerful sense of oppression.

He sat upon a nanmu-wood chair with a high backrest, and beside his right hand rested another newly crafted nanmu-wood table. On the table were a dozen fruit platters brimming with fresh mountain fruits freshly picked by the Fog Clan in mere moments, along with several steaming platters of roasted beast meat.

There was also a large jar of fruit wine brewed by the Fog Clan from mountain fruits. The green liquid gleamed in the bowls, though it was not entirely clear, thick with fruit sediment. Clearly, Peng Meng cared nothing for such details. He ate the fruits with abandon while gulping down the wine in great draughts.

Of course, the Fog Clan had prepared all of this for him after Quan Yin departed. Yet now he sat beneath the blazing sun, drinking and gnawing on fruits while the people of the Fog Clan stood more than ten steps behind him, watching him with cautious eyes. There he sat, leisurely sipping the fruit wine, chewing the meat, and occasionally biting into a fruit.

"Haha, you humans have no other talents, but you excel at food. From now on, your Fog Clan will be an affiliated tribe under my Witch Clan. Each year, simply offer some of your tribe's special delicacies."

While eating, Peng Meng suddenly spoke loudly, without turning his head. The tone in his voice suggested this was a generous favor shown to the Fog Clan. Quan Shi, the current clan leader of the Fog Clan, responded, "Y-yes... yes... yes..."

He dared not refuse, though after answering with his head lowered, when he raised it, his gaze fixed upon the mountains.

The idea of a human tribe becoming an affiliated tribe under the Witch Clan was not uncommon. Humans often sought protection by coming forward voluntarily, a helpless choice. Who would wish to become another's subordinate, year after year offering the hard-earned fruits of their labor? Any Fog Clan tribe with a cultivator like Quan Yin would never seek such a fate.

Nearly the entire Fog Clan stood frozen in place, the air deathly silent. Children were held tightly by their parents, forbidden to move. Even younger ones clutched in arms could not bear the tension and were on the verge of tears, but their parents covered their mouths and hurried them away to the distant rear, no matter how desperately they struggled, lest they disturb the Grand Shaman of the Witch Clan, Peng Meng, who sat there drinking, eating, and occasionally gnawing on fruit.

At the horizon, Quan Yin's figure riding upon five-colored auspicious clouds appeared. The people of the Fog Clan saw her at once. They all knew what she had done—she had gone to seek out the ancient human forefather who had become a monster in the mountains and was now known as the great king, Nan Luo.

But what they saw now was merely Quan Yin returning alone. In the past, when she had ridden the clouds and soared into the heavens, the entire Fog Clan had celebrated for three days. In their hearts, their tribe had finally gained an immortal who could fly to the heavens and escape from the earth.

Yet watching her return from the mountain now evoked a sense of lonely timidity, like a lone bird struggling desperately through the winds and rains of the vast world.

Quan Yin descended and returned to the settlement. Quan Shi stepped forward to meet her without a word. The other people of the Fog Clan remained silent as well, simply watching her in quiet observation.

No words were needed; everyone in their hearts knew the result.

Quan Yin's niece knew it too. She stepped out from the crowd, approaching Quan Yin and Quan Shi. Smiling, she said, "Aunt, Father, being a woman who becomes a Grand Shaman of the Witch Clan is wonderful. If there's ever a chance in the future, I will come to visit you."

She spoke with a smile, showing not the slightest trace of grief.

"Haha... I said it, as long as your whatever senior knows I'm here, he will certainly agree more readily than you. I must also thank him. Without him, I wouldn't know that your Fog Clan could brew such fine fruit wine. From today onward, your Fog Clan will be under my Witch Clan's protection. Still, when autumn arrives each year, do not forget to pay tribute. If you cannot keep the Ancestral Shaman from growing angry, I cannot guarantee your safety."

After speaking, Peng Meng drained his bowl of fruit wine, stood up, and reached toward Quan Yin's niece to lead her away.

Quan Yin, who had remained silent since her return, suddenly cried out, "Wait!"

Peng Meng turned his head, his gaze sharp and fierce.

Everyone was startled, unable to understand what Quan Yin intended. Yet they heard her say, "Grand Shaman Peng Meng, my senior in the mountain has given me a message to convey to you."

"Oh, what words!" Peng Meng smiled faintly, his expression one of contempt.

"What my senior wishes to convey is, the human Nan Luo is here!"

Quan Yin met Peng Meng's eyes directly, without fear or yielding.

A collective gasp rose from the crowd. What did those words mean? Did they still intend to frighten away the Grand Shaman of the Witch Clan with a mere name? Quan Shi stepped forward and tugged at Quan Yin's sleeve. As clan leader, he had to consider the lives of all the people. If they provoked Peng Meng to rage, they would only harm the entire tribe.

"Hmm, what did you say?" Peng Meng narrowed his eyes, a trace of killing intent seeming to emerge from between his teeth.

"What my senior wishes to convey is, the human Nan Luo is here."

Quan Yin repeated it, firm and resolute. Unwittingly, there was a hint of the confidence and fearlessness Nan Luo had shown when uttering those words, along with a trace of imperceptible arrogance.

"The human Nan Luo. Good, good courage. He is here... good..." Peng Meng's mouth twitched. His eyes remained sharp as he looked at Quan Yin and then again toward the great mountain.

Everyone in the Fog Clan held their breath, watching Peng Meng tensely. He seemed to ponder deeply. Taking a long breath, he glanced once more at the mountain, then turned and departed. In just a few steps, he vanished from sight, without uttering another word.

The people of the Fog Clan remained stunned until Peng Meng had disappeared for some time before they regained their senses and began to speak urgently.

The niece of Quan Yin, who had been beaming with smiles only moments before, now wailed and threw herself into Quan Yin's arms, sobbing bitterly. Quan Yin seemed only now to emerge from her state of fearless courage. Only now did she confirm that it was all real, not a dream. The previous calm had vanished, and she panted heavily.

She turned her head to gaze at the layered mountains, thinking: So he really possesses such prestige. His name alone can make the Grand Shaman of the Witch Clan retreat.