Chapter 1170: The Great Chieftain
The main settlement of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe was built in a basin at the very heart of the Grand Vermillion Sparrow Mountain Range. Surrounded by rugged, crimson peaks, it was a naturally fortified location, easy to defend and hard to attack. From a distance, it looked like a fiery red fortress—an awe-inspiring sight.
The main settlement of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe enforced strict prohibitions, forbidding any outsiders from entering.
But today, Mo Hua, an "outsider," was granted an exception.
The young genius heir of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe, Dan Zhu, personally invited and escorted Mo Hua—the Shaman who believed in the "Divine Lord"—into the tribe's inner sanctum.
With Dan Zhu leading the way, the journey was smooth and unhindered.
Ordinary tribe members didn't even dare to stop Dan Zhu, their prodigious and beloved young leader.
In fact, along the way, many people respectfully greeted Dan Zhu and pledged their loyalty.
They continued walking for a while before Mo Hua looked up—
He saw a gate shaped like a Vermilion Luan bird stretching across the mountain pass. Beneath it was a long, heated stairway extending far into the distance.
On both sides of the broad avenue were camps and buildings decorated with various red luan bird motifs and totems.
The atmosphere was ancient and grand, carrying a touch of wildness, yet it appeared elegant and dignified.
It was entirely unlike the backward tribal settlements Mo Hua had seen before.
Gazing at the luan-shaped gate, a sudden thought crossed Mo Hua's mind:
"I wonder if the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe truly harbors the divine beast Vermilion Bird… or perhaps a remnant soul of one…"
He extended his senses slightly—and sure enough, there was a searing, ancient divine soul presence lingering in the air. But he couldn't confirm whether it was truly the Vermilion Bird.
Mo Hua didn't dare probe any further. This was a Tier-3 Grand Tribe with a legacy dating back to the Great Wilderness—definitely not a place he could act recklessly in.
He withdrew his divine sense, restrained his aura, and followed Dan Zhu to the palace reserved for the young heir of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe.
This palace wasn't extravagant, but it was graceful and refined—exuding a sense of pure cleanliness rarely seen in barbarian architecture.
It was built personally by the Great Chieftain for his most beloved youngest son.
The palace was even named after "Dan Zhu."
With calm grace, Dan Zhu led the "Shaman" Mo Hua into his residence.
Behind them, two elder guards wore cautious expressions. In fact, they were convinced their young master was "inviting a wolf into the house."
Along the way, they had repeatedly tried to dissuade Dan Zhu in private.
This mysterious "Shaman" had an unknown origin. Before verifying his background, they believed it was unwise to interact deeply—let alone bring him into the tribe's core territory. Doing so could invite disaster.
But this time, their normally gentle and reasonable young master was acting completely out of character. No matter how much they tried to reason with him, he stubbornly insisted on befriending this so-called "Shaman."
It was… unsettling.
To them, this serene-looking, devoutly holy "Shaman" was nothing short of a charmingly deceptive demonic cultivator in disguise.
They were convinced Dan Zhu had already been bewitched.
The two Golden Core guards watched Mo Hua with thinly veiled hostility.
There was even a faint trace of killing intent behind their eyes.
Mo Hua pretended not to notice.
After three days of travel together, he had already learned a bit about these two Golden Core elders.
The big, burly one was named "Ba Shan."
The more ordinary-looking, composed, and low-key one was named "Ba Chuan."
Ba Shan meant "towering mountain."
Ba Chuan meant "defensive river."
Neither of these were their real names.
They weren't even direct bloodline members of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe. Instead, they were personally selected by the Great Chieftain from subordinate tribes—elite warriors chosen with care.
The Great Chieftain granted them these names to symbolize their roles: to protect Dan Zhu like a mighty mountain and a steady river.
Since Dan Zhu's youth, they had served as his guardians, sharing in his glory and obeying only his commands.
As long as Mo Hua could "fool" Dan Zhu, those two Golden Core guards wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
…
Dan Zhu arranged a guest room for Mo Hua—one reserved only for honored guests.
The room took the form of a grand tent, adorned with flying luan bird imagery. It was secure, quiet, and warm.
Mo Hua had visited many powerful factions and stayed in many "guest rooms," but the one Dan Zhu prepared left the deepest impression. It was the most unique, most spacious, and most comfortable.
Mo Hua was quite pleased.
Dan Zhu glanced at Mo Hua, who sat calmly with an air of natural poise and serene detachment. He couldn't help but feel a subtle stir in his heart.
Throughout their journey, Dan Zhu had grown increasingly certain: Mo Hua's speech and manner were dignified and graceful, far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Yet the occasional flashes of pure youthful innocence still felt… out of place.
It often made Dan Zhu wonder:
"Could this 'Shaman' actually be younger than me?"
But he always dismissed the thought.
Someone younger than him couldn't possibly have such transcendent bearing.
Surely, it was someone who had endured the trials of life and still kept a pure, faithful heart—a mind returned to simplicity like that of an innocent child.
But still…
Dan Zhu looked at Mo Hua again.
Back when they first met, he wasn't completely sure.
But after traveling together, he could now confirm: this "Shaman" truly only had Foundation Establishment cultivation.
How could someone who had "endured so much" and cultivated for so long… still only be at Foundation Establishment?
Dan Zhu didn't understand.
He had formed his Golden Core by age twenty.
"Is forming a core really that hard?" he wondered.
But such thoughts were a bit presumptuous, so Dan Zhu kept them to himself.
Good thing he did—if he'd said it aloud, Mo Hua would've absolutely marked him down in the mental blacklist out of sheer humiliation and rage.
Dan Zhu politely said, "Please rest for a while, Master Shaman. Later this evening, we will hold a banquet in your honor."
Mo Hua nodded. "Much appreciated, Young Master."
Dan Zhu departed.
Mo Hua remained in the tent to rest.
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Dan Zhu spoke gently and courteously: "Please rest for a while, Master Shaman. Later this evening, we will host a banquet to welcome and honor you."
Mo Hua nodded. "Much obliged, Young Master."
Dan Zhu left.
Mo Hua remained in the tent to rest.
Since he was on someone else's turf—and had to keep up the act of being a "Shaman"—he couldn't fully relax.
So, he sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and meditated, carrying a calm and immovable presence like a mountain.
Roughly an hour later, Dan Zhu returned, accompanied by a few maids carrying fine wine, delicious dishes, spiritual fruits, and several sets of traditional tribal robes in the Vermillion Sparrow style.
After incense and a ritual bath, Mo Hua changed into the Vermillion Sparrow robes. His already handsome and solemn appearance now carried a hint of exotic allure.
Even Dan Zhu was momentarily stunned.
Then, Dan Zhu invited Mo Hua to drink and sample the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe's fresh fruits and delicacies.
The two chatted idly for a while. Eventually, Dan Zhu dismissed the attendants, his expression turning somewhat conflicted.
Mo Hua took a small sip of wine and asked calmly:
"Young Master, is something troubling you?"
Dan Zhu hesitated. He looked up at Mo Hua and met those deep black eyes, which seemed to glimmer with an insight that pierced straight into his heart.
"I…" Dan Zhu faltered.
Mo Hua said, "You don't know what your role as Young Master truly entails, do you?"
Dan Zhu paused, then slowly said, "No, I don't."
Mo Hua spoke gently: "You are loved and respected as the heir, yet you're unsure whether you can truly shoulder that love and respect."
"…Yes."
"You are highly talented and cultivate quickly, yet you don't know why you cultivate. What lies at the end of your path in Dao?"
"…Yes."
Mo Hua's tone was calm: "From birth, the tribe placed their hopes upon you. But deep down, you're afraid. Afraid that one day, if you lose your talent, become mediocre, or fail to live up to expectations, how will you face the clansmen who entrusted their dreams to you?"
Dan Zhu fell silent for a long time. In the end, he sighed softly and said:
"…Yes."
He looked again at Mo Hua—his jade-like features, his obsidian-like eyes. Every word this "Master Shaman" spoke felt like it struck at the very core of his being, revealing all the hidden confusion and anxiety buried in his heart—the kind he could never speak aloud.
These secret fears, now laid bare, brought both shame and relief.
Then Mo Hua asked, "So… do you have a great aspiration?"
Dan Zhu froze for a moment, then slowly nodded, his gaze firm:
"I once vowed—no matter the cost—to ensure my Vermillion Sparrow Tribe remains forever prosperous and strong, that my people may live in wealth and peace for generations."
Mo Hua nodded and bluntly said, "That vow is very narrow-minded—and rather childish."
Even with Dan Zhu's gentle temperament, he felt a flicker of anger.
He had just believed this Shaman to be someone who understood him.
He had just confided his lifelong, deep-seated grand vision.
And this man called it narrow and childish?
Dan Zhu's face reddened, and he was about to argue back—until Mo Hua calmly posed a question:
"What if… in order for your Vermillion Sparrow Tribe to prosper, you had to conquer other tribes, massacre countless barbarian cultivators, exploit, plunder, and even enslave innocent people…?"
"Would you still wish for that kind of 'prosperity'?"
Dan Zhu was speechless.
He had never thought about this question before.
He frowned and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he said:
"If… our tribe's strength was built on exploitation and slavery, then such strength… wouldn't be true strength. Even if it flourished briefly, it would eventually collapse."
Mo Hua nodded, then added, "Then what if the prosperity of your tribe's upper ranks was built upon the blood of its lower clansmen?"
Dan Zhu froze again.
Mo Hua continued, "In that case, the tribe's so-called prosperity and the well-being of ordinary people are fundamentally in conflict—mutually exclusive. Even if both were achieved temporarily, it would be as fleeting as a flower blooming at night—gone in an instant."
Dan Zhu's heart trembled, and his face grew pale.
Everything the "Shaman" said sounded counterintuitive—completely paradoxical.
And yet, deep down… he felt it might be the truth.
In this world, there was no such thing as prosperity without cost.
If you became wealthy, it meant someone else was becoming poor.
If the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe became strong and wealthy, it likely meant it was enslaving and oppressing other tribes more harshly.
Even within the tribe, if the upper class grew richer, it probably meant the lower class was being drained dry.
So even if the tribe looked prosperous as a whole, internal imbalance would eventually tear it apart.
That's why the Shaman had said his "aspiration" was narrow and childish.
Because at its core, it was contradictory—unrealistic.
It was like the beautiful veil of a dream being ripped away, revealing its cruel and ugly reality beneath.
A bitter storm of emotion swirled in Dan Zhu's heart, leaving him completely lost.
Mo Hua said nothing more, allowing Dan Zhu to slowly process his emotions—letting him reflect deeply on his path in life.
Time trickled by. Dan Zhu's emotions gradually calmed, and the confusion of a once-promising youth began to fade.
But what replaced it… was a deeper, more disheartened kind of uncertainty—a sense of not knowing where the road ahead even was.
"Master Shaman, I…" Dan Zhu murmured.
But before he could speak further, he suddenly stopped.
He had sensed someone approaching from outside.
Mo Hua sensed it too, and said nothing. He merely picked up his wine cup and took a quiet sip.
Sure enough, moments later, footsteps approached.
A guard's respectful voice came from outside:
"Young Master."
Dan Zhu responded, "Come in."
The guard stepped into the tent and bowed to Dan Zhu.
Dan Zhu asked, "What is it?"
The guard replied, "The Great Chieftain is hosting a family banquet—he wishes to see you."
"Father…" Dan Zhu nodded. "Understood. Go tell him I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, sir."
The guard bowed and took his leave.
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The bodyguard replied, "The Great Chieftain has prepared a family banquet and wishes to see the young master."
"Father…" Dan Zhu nodded. "Understood. Go and inform him I'll be there shortly."
"Yes, sir," said the guard and promptly withdrew.
Dan Zhu turned to Mo Hua with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Wu, I'm sorry. I must go see my father."
Mo Hua nodded. "Please, young master, go ahead."
Dan Zhu stood and started to leave, but after only a few steps, he still couldn't let go of the doubts in his heart. He turned back and glanced at Mo Hua. "Mr. Wu… perhaps you would accompany me to meet my father?"
Mo Hua was slightly taken aback.
That, he hadn't expected.
He had planned to first instill some foundational concepts in Dan Zhu—help him understand a few truths—before considering the next step. Meeting the Great Chieftain of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe so soon had never been part of the plan.
To be able to lead such a powerful tribe in a wild and remote land like this, the chieftain of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe was certainly no simple figure.
Mo Hua hadn't even fully "convinced" his supposed disciple yet, and now he was being thrown in front of his father. It was... a bit too soon.
He politely declined, "Since it's a family banquet, it would be rather rude for me to intrude uninvited."
But Dan Zhu shook his head. "I want my father to meet you."
Mo Hua sighed internally.
At this point, he wasn't sure if Dan Zhu was too gullible… or too shrewd.
But since things had reached this point, further refusal would only make him look suspicious.
So Mo Hua relented. "Very well."
Dan Zhu then led Mo Hua out of his palace and into the grand hall of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe for a rather formal and lavish evening banquet.
At the very top of the hall hung a totem resembling a Vermilion Bird.
Beneath it sat the chief seat, and there, sat a burly and imposing chieftain with fiery red eyebrows.
This was the Great Chieftain of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe—Dan Zhu's father.
Behind him stood a line of scantily dressed, stunning barbarian women.
These were his concubines, serving the chieftain during the feast.
Of course, even among concubines in the Wildlands, there was a strict hierarchy.
Those closest to the chieftain were clearly the most extravagantly dressed, adorned with gold, silver, and jade in their hair, glimmering under the light.
Their skin, draped in fine silk rather than beast hide, was flawless and fair. These were the most beautiful among the consorts.
Their attire alone—silk instead of rough animal skins—was proof that the Wildlands royal court and major tribes had frequent contact and trade with Daoist Courts, the Nine Provinces, and other great powers.
Below the chieftain, a few prominent seats were arranged.
These were for his direct offspring.
Dan Zhu's seat was the fourth.
Among the tribes, hierarchy and seniority were strictly observed. No matter how favored Dan Zhu was, his seat wouldn't be placed above that of his older siblings.
Seated above him was a Golden Core cultivator in vermilion tribal robes, sharp-eyed and with pronounced brows—clearly sharp and perceptive.
Mo Hua guessed this was Dan Zhu's third brother, Dan Bie, whose name in the tribal tongue meant "Cunning Beast."
The two seats above Dan Bie were empty—evidently, Dan Zhu's eldest brother and second sister weren't attending.
Elsewhere were other noble seats—equal in status to Dan Zhu and Dan Bie but farther from the head of the table—occupied by esteemed elders and powerful officials of the tribe.
Further down, seats were arranged according to bloodline proximity and status among the elders.
As Dan Zhu's honored guest, Mo Hua's seat was only a few spots below his.
But there was a problem—it was a family banquet.
Even though the event was grand and some extended relatives and young heirs were present, the guest list wasn't large.
Worse yet, nearly every guest was a Golden Core cultivator.
Mo Hua, a mere Foundation Establishment stage (Zhuji), with an unfamiliar face, stood out like a sore thumb.
At first, no one paid much attention—after all, he came in with Dan Zhu.
But as the banquet wore on, with this elite bloodline of the Vermillion Sparrow Tribe feasting and chatting about internal clan matters and private affairs...
Mo Hua's presence became increasingly awkward.
More and more people began glancing his way.
Mo Hua, however, acted as if nothing were amiss, calmly eating.
Finally, someone had enough.
On the high seat, Dan Bie—the third son of the chieftain—turned to Dan Zhu and sighed. "Fourth brother, this is a family banquet. Why did you bring an outsider?"
His tone wasn't accusatory, just a bit exasperated.
Dan Zhu replied, "He's… a friend I recently made."
Dan Bie raised a brow. "A friend? A Foundation Establishment?"
Though he didn't say "Foundation Establishment" in common tongue, Mo Hua understood it clearly.
The cultivation systems of the Daoist Courts and the Wildlands were similar in structure, though names differed.
Later on, the Daoist Court imposed language reforms, promoting their script and terminology. So even in the Wildlands, 'Foundation Establishment' became commonly used.
Only certain nobles from great tribes would still use archaic tribal terms for their cultivation realms—to show off their uniqueness.
Dan Zhu said, "He's not an ordinary Foundation Establishment."
Dan Bie shook his head. "Foundation Establishment is Foundation Establishment. If he can't reach Golden Core, what's so special?"
He then looked past Dan Zhu directly at Mo Hua and asked:
"Young man, who are you? What's your name?"
Mo Hua maintained a solemn expression and answered slowly:
"I have come to this world bearing the will of the Divine Lord. I had no name, but the people revere me as… Mr. Wu."
A moment of silence swept through the hall.
Dan Bie's gaze turned a bit more serious. "You… are a Shaman? A wu zhu?"
Mo Hua nodded. "That's correct."
Dan Bie sneered, "How old are you? You're still at Foundation Establishment. How can you call yourself a wu zhu?"
Mo Hua was annoyed but kept it hidden, silently muttering:
You think I don't want to be Golden Core? If I was, would I let you run your mouth in front of me like this?
Outwardly, he maintained a pious and stern demeanor.
"I am the Divine Lord's shaman. My powers come from divine grace."
"As long as one's faith is sincere, divine power shall descend. Whether Foundation or Golden Core matters not."
"In the eyes of the Divine Lord, life and death are decided in a single thought. There is no high or low, no noble or humble. All living beings—of blood and flesh—are equal."
(End of this Chapter)