The drums began beating long before Chief Lei Xu appeared.
Deep. Slow. Powerful.
Dum… Dum… Dum…
The entire village center had been decorated for the ceremony. Long wooden tables were filled with roasted meat, fruits, clay jars of wine, and bright cloth banners in the colors of the Cheetah Tribe—gold, brown, and black.
Everyone was gathered in a wide circle around the central bonfire pit and the raised wooden platform where the Chief's Throne stood.
Then the drums changed rhythm.
People turned their heads.
"They're here…"
"Chief Lei Xu…"
"He's arrived!"
And just like that, the crowd parted.
Chief Lei Xu walked into the village center like he owned the world.
He wasn't the biggest man. Nor the most muscular. But he was tall, straight-backed, and moved with a relaxed confidence that made people naturally look at him.
But the most remarkable thing about Lei Xu…was his presence.
When he smiled, people smiled.
When he laughed, people laughed.
He had charisma, the kind that made people forget his flaws.
Behind him walked his legal wife, dignified and calm, wearing layered bead necklaces and a tall feathered headdress.
Behind her followed his five concubines, all dressed beautifully, each trying to stay close enough to be noticed.
Lei Xu turned slightly, saying something to one of them, and she covered her mouth as she laughed softly.
The crowd chuckled along, even though they hadn't heard the joke.
That was the kind of man Lei Xu was.
Supremely charming but completely, and utterly, corrupt.
But no one said that out loud.
Because Lei Xu was also the man with the strongest cheetah bloodline in the entire tribe.
In the Cheetah Tribe, strength wasn't just muscles—it was something deeper. Something in the blood. Something you could feel when certain people walked into a room.
And when Lei Xu walked in…
You could feel it.
Even the warriors standing near the platform straightened slightly.
Predator.
That was the feeling.
A relaxed predator that didn't need to prove anything.
Because everyone already knew.
---
Lei Xu stepped onto the wooden platform and spread his arms slightly.
"My people!" he called out warmly.
The crowd immediately cheered.
"Chief Lei Xu!"
"Chief!"
He smiled slightly and waved his hand.
"Today is a good day," he said. "A very good day."
He paced slowly across the platform as he spoke, making eye contact with different parts of the crowd like he was speaking to each person individually.
"This year, we celebrate the youths who will soon come of age," he continued. "And we celebrate something else…"
He paused for effect.
"Our harvest."
The crowd erupted into cheers again.
Lei Xu nodded, smiling.
"For many years, our tribe struggled. Poor harvests. Sickness. Loss."
At that, some older villagers lowered their eyes. Everyone remembered the epidemic years. Too many people had died.
Too many heirs.
Too many children.
Lei Xu placed a hand over his chest.
"But this year," he said, voice rising, "the Cheetah Tribe stands strong again!"
Cheers exploded even louder.
"Tonight, we feast!" he declared. "We drink! We celebrate our children, our tribe, and our future!"
The crowd roared in approval.
Lei Xu laughed, clearly pleased, and finally turned and sat down on the Chief's Throne—a large carved wooden seat decorated with bones, beads, and cheetah patterns.
The legal wife sat beside him on a slightly smaller seat. The concubines stood behind them.
Lei Xu crossed one leg over the other casually, like a king surveying his land.
---
The Tribal Shaman stepped forward slowly.
He was an old man, thin, with white paint marking patterns across his face and chest. Feathers and bones hung from his staff, clinking softly as he walked.
The crowd quieted.
"It is time," the shaman said in a raspy voice, "for the families of the tribe to present their blessings and gifts to the Chief."
One by one, families began lining up.
Some brought baskets of grain.
Some brought animal skins.
Some brought crafted jewelry, weapons, jars of honey, carved tools.
Each family stepped forward, bowed deeply, presented their gift, and said a few respectful words.
Lei Xu accepted each gift with a warm smile and a few kind words, calling people by name, asking about their families, making them feel seen.
He was very good at this.
Very good at making people like him.
---
It was during this procession that Gu Xu arrived.
He tried to walk normally.
But he still stumbled slightly when stepping over the edge of the gathering area.
A few people noticed.
Whispers started immediately.
"He came…"
"Look at what he's wearing…"
"Those clothes are from years ago…"
Gu Xu pretended not to hear.
He had done his best.
He had found the least-worn clothes in the chest. A dark wrap with only a small tear near the side, a bead necklace that was slightly faded, and an old arm band that was a bit too tight.
It wasn't perfect.
But it was decent.
At least… he hoped it was.
He walked toward the platform, heart pounding.
When it was his turn, he bowed.
"Greetings, Chief."
Lei Xu looked down at him.
For a brief moment, the Chief's warm smile faded slightly.
His eyes became sharp.
Wary.
Calculating.
Just for a second.
Then the smile returned.
"Gu Xu," Lei Xu said warmly. "You've arrived."
Gu Xu straightened a little.
"Yes, Chief."
Lei Xu looked behind him.
"Where is your father? Gui Xu did not come?"
Gu Xu hesitated.
"…he is ill," Gu Xu said.
There was a small pause.
Then someone in the crowd snorted quietly.
Another person whispered, "Drunk, more like."
A few people chuckled.
Gu Xu's ears turned red, but he kept his head down.
Lei Xu watched him for a moment.
Then he smiled again and nodded.
"I see. Then send him my regards. Tell him he was missed."
"Yes, Chief."
Gu Xu bowed again and stepped away.
As he turned, he could feel the stares on his back.
But at least… the Chief hadn't embarrassed him.
That was already more than he expected.
---
Because he was related to the Chief's family, Gu Xu did not need to present a gift.
So he went to sit in the area reserved for the noble families.
As he walked, he nearly tripped over a mat and had to regain his balance quickly.
Someone laughed quietly.
Gu Xu pretended he didn't hear and quickly sat down.
He let out a small breath.
"…okay…"
Then someone sat beside him.
"Gu Xu."
Gu Xu turned.
It was Jian Xu.
Chief Lei Xu's son.
The first heir.
He was fifteen, the same age as the others in today's ceremony.
And he was… very handsome.
Sharp eyes, straight nose, smooth skin, neat hair tied behind his head. He looked elegant even sitting down.
But he was also thin.
Too thin.
His wrists looked fragile, and his face was a little pale. He looked like someone who got sick easily.
Still, he was the most eligible bachelor in the tribe.
All the girls liked him.
All the boys envied him.
And he was Gu Xu's biggest rival.
---
"How have you been?" Jian Xu asked with a gentle smile.
Gu Xu didn't trust that smile at all.
But he smiled back anyway.
"I'm fine."
Jian Xu nodded.
"I heard you were joining the pre-ceremony even though you're only twelve," he said. "That must be stressful."
Gu Xu shrugged.
"A little."
Jian Xu studied him for a moment.
"…your clothes look alright," he said politely.
Gu Xu didn't know if that was a compliment or an insult.
"…thanks," he said anyway.
They sat in silence after that, watching the families present their gifts.
Gu Xu kept his guard up.
Jian Xu was always polite.
But Gu Xu had seen the way some boys acted around Jian Xu—like followers around a leader.
And sometimes… Jian Xu would look at Gu Xu in a strange way when no one else was watching.
A cold way.
So Gu Xu never trusted him.
---
Then the next family stepped forward.
And Gu Xu forgot everything else.
Because she was there.
Yu Yunshang.
Her family walked proudly toward the platform, carrying a beautifully wrapped gift.
Yu Yunshang walked slightly behind her parents.
She was tall for her age, with long dark hair decorated with silver beads. Her clothes were elegant and new, embroidered with patterns that marked her prestigious family branch.
She walked gracefully.
Back straight.
Chin slightly raised.
Confident.
Everyone noticed her.
Even the Chief smiled a little wider when her family approached.
They bowed deeply and presented their gift.
Yu Yunshang also bowed, moving perfectly, like she had practiced a thousand times.
When she stood up, she smiled politely.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Perfect.
Gu Xu felt his heart start beating faster.
He raised his hand slightly and gave a small, awkward smile.
He liked her.
He had liked her for years.
She was his betrothed.
So… he smiled.
But Yu Yunshang saw him.
And when no one else was looking—
Her smile disappeared.
And she looked at him with pure disgust.
Her eyes moved up and down his body.
His outdated clothes.
His round belly.
His awkward posture.
Then she looked away like she had seen something dirty.
And she smiled again—but this time at someone else.
Gu Xu's smile slowly faded.
He felt something twist painfully in his chest.
"…oh…"
---
After the last family finished presenting their gift, the Tribal Shaman stepped forward again.
He raised his staff.
The crowd quieted.
"It is now time," the shaman announced, "for the youths of fifteen years to step forward."
The boys and girls stood and gathered near the platform.
Gu Xu hesitated… then stood too and joined them, even though he was younger.
Some of the boys looked at him and smirked.
"Why is he here?"
"He's only twelve."
"He's only here because he's an heir."
Gu Xu pretended not to hear and stood at the edge of the group.
The shaman continued.
"As is our tribe's tradition, you will now drink the blessed beetroot juice—blessed by the Chief himself."
Servants began bringing trays of wooden cups filled with dark red liquid.
"After drinking," the shaman said, "you will dance with your betrothed under the bonfire, as a symbol of your step toward adulthood."
The crowd cheered.
Music began playing again, softer this time.
The trays of cups came closer.
One by one, the youths took a cup.
Gu Xu watched as Yu Yunshang took one.
Jian Xu took one.
The others took theirs.
Then a tray stopped in front of Gu Xu.
He looked down at the cup.
Dark red.
Almost like blood.
He picked it up carefully.
His hands were a little shaky.
He didn't know why.
But for some reason…
He suddenly felt like something was wrong.
Across the gathering, someone was watching him.
Watching very carefully.
Waiting.
Gu Xu raised the cup slowly.
And drank.