Chapter 111: Honor the Hunt Wind Chief!

Gang was the one who again cut short the argument.

"I do not support sending the entire army out as a show of force either."

"Leaving aside the protection of the women and children for the moment, the problem is that if we do this, we will have no retreat left to fall back on." Gang’s one eye swept across the elders. "Have you all considered this? If our demonstration fails to achieve the desired effect, if not enough of the pasture lords are willing to stand with us, then..."

"If by then the rebels launch a surprise attack on our camp, seize our grain and fodder, and destroy our supply lines, the only fate left to us may be to be ground to death on the steppe by an endless tide of rebels."

At his words, the elders finally fell silent, abandoning their persuasion and sinking into thought.

"If so, what are we to do?" One elder’s brow furrowed into a deep vertical crease. "If we travel with our provisions, our marching speed will be slowed, and we may not be able to complete the demonstration as planned."

Seeing everyone lost in thought, Su turned his hopeful gaze to Gang.

Gang, seeing that, immediately spoke again. "But I also oppose your proposal. We have already lost the Great Wind Banner. If we lose another sacred chief, I truly do not know how this war can be fought."

"Then, Uncle, tell me: besides this method, what other way do we have to preserve the camp?" Su asked.

He went on, "We and the Deep Earth Dwarves do not bear any deep enmity toward one another. It is only a conflict of interests. Such a contradiction can be eased, can it not?"

Gang had no answer.

"Even so, that still cannot..."

Su cut him off, speaking with sincerity. "Then let me try. The remaining Windhunter Guard can go with me. That way, my safety can also be assured, can it not?"

"The Windhunter Guard has already been reduced by more than half in the fighting against the rebels. Among them, there may be at most ten who are not carrying serious wounds. They cannot guarantee your absolute safety." Gang replied without hesitation.

"In other words, there is risk, is there not?" Su looked at Gang earnestly. "Then why could Grandfather personally lead the guards in a charge against the rebels, while I cannot even take this much risk?"

Su pointed toward everyone in the tent. "Every one of them, and even everyone outside this tent, can risk themselves for me. Why can I not take a risk for them?"

"I have eaten the finest mutton since childhood, been taught by the finest masters, never labored, never worried about making a living." Su’s voice was calm, yet unwavering. "You told me that this was what I deserved, because my duty was to become the bravest of the Windhunters and protect my people."

"And now, what I must face is the responsibility that a noble should bear. Why, then, are you hesitating, Uncle? Was this not the very principle you taught me?"

A complex emotion flashed in Gang’s one eye, relief and worry mingled together.

Su continued, "If I do not return, please, Uncle, take up the chief’s seat and lead everyone onward."

He swept his gaze across every face in the tent. "I thank you all for trying your utmost to preserve me. But I must go. Only then can I live up to the name of Windhunter Chief!"

One elder, hearing Su’s words, felt his eyes grow damp. He had watched this child grow up. If he could have chosen, how dearly he would have wished never to place such a burden upon Su.

The elders tried to persuade him again. "The Deep Earth Dwarves may not have an irreconcilable hatred for our people, but we do not know what bargain the traitors have secretly struck with them. If the profit is great enough, they may simply kill you outright and never give you a chance to speak."

Su laughed at that. "Even if I should meet with misfortune, what of it? To die for my people is a glorious fate indeed!"

He looked toward the Windhunter Guard surrounding them. "Are you willing to go with me and face danger?"

These towering, iron-built men had already been stirred hot by Su’s words. Now they burned with it completely, and in a thunderous chorus they roared, "We are willing to die for the chief!" Their voices rolled through the entire great tent like a wave.

Seated beside Gang was one elder who had long been known among the elders for his stern and fiery temper. At that moment, his face had gone crimson.

He slapped the table and rose. "Good! A chief like this is truly blessed by the ancestral spirits! Count me in! I will go with the chief and meet those fellows who like to hide underground!"

"Count me in as well!" Another elder stood.

"And me!"

The elder who had tried to dissuade Su now had tears clouding his eyes. "You fools are always this exasperating..."

"But after all these years, not a thing has changed. I am used to it by now." He looked at Su, and in that instant seemed to see a tall and imposing figure seated there.

He grinned. "Wei, that is indeed just like you. You truly have a wonderful grandson!"

Wang Chen, watching from the side, could only shake his head helplessly. These big fellows really did spend their days pretending to be composed. At the crucial moment, all it took was a single spark for them to erupt.

Still, a smile crept onto his own lips without him noticing.

Wang Chen had to admit that this was indeed the best solution. He had not failed to consider taking everyone temporarily into the human world.

But Gang had told him that the teleportation array imposed restrictions on native beings of the hidden realm. The number of people in their supply run had already reached the limit.

Let alone moving all thousand of them out at once.

It made sense, too. Otherwise, if the native races of the hidden realm could come and go through the teleportation arrays as they pleased, the human world would long since have descended into chaos.

Since another solution had emerged, that was for the best. All that remained was to hope Su would return safely.

In the end, the plan was settled: Su would go to establish cooperation with the Deep Earth Dwarves.

On this journey, Su would not only have to repair relations with them and convince them to withdraw the dwarven warriors serving among the rebels, but also secure a detachment of reinforcements from the Deep Earth Dwarves.

And he had to accomplish all of this before the rebels managed to organize their army.

In truth, the task was urgent and the burden heavy.

The elders dispersed one by one, while Gang went about the camp summoning the tribesfolk and hastily training a group of youths who had never yet set foot on a battlefield.

Only Su and Wang Chen remained in the great tent.

Wang Chen was drinking a bowl of goat's milk. Only now, after racing about in support all this way, had he finally found time to eat something.

"Su, is there anything we need to pay attention to when we go negotiate with the Deep Earth Dwarves?" Wang Chen asked.

Su was just handing over a plate of hand-torn mutton. At the question, he shook his head.

"Brother Wang Chen, you have already helped me far more than enough. I will never forget your kindness."

"But this time, I do not want to trouble you. Let me go and face it on my own."

Wang Chen frowned. "Are you certain? If I go with you, at the very least there would be one more shaman who could perform emergency treatment on you."

Su remained firm. "You cannot help me for the rest of my life, and I cannot let others keep covering for me forever."

"And..." He lowered his eyes. "I will never forget the look in Dago's eyes before he died. It was so desperate, so unwilling. I hope I never see such a look again."

"So I must grow up as quickly as I can. Even a great wind must summon the courage to leap from a peak before it can learn to fly."

Su lifted his cup toward Wang Chen with a smile. "Please have a little more confidence in me. What I need to do is more than this. How could I stop here so easily?"

Wang Chen looked at him for a long while, then at last smiled in relief.

"I was looking down on you." He raised his bone cup and clinked it against Su's. "To the Windhunter Chief!"