Lian Chengyu

Yi Yun's small, thin frame, several inches shorter than Jiang Xiaorou, made him look like a child. But in Jiang Xiaorou's heart, Yi Yun was the man of the house, the future pillar who would support their family!

Holding Jiang Xiaorou's hand, Yi Yun could feel her excitement. Her palm was hot, and her fingers trembled slightly.

Facing the possibility of death and the injustice of the tribe, Jiang Xiaorou couldn't rely on anyone else. She had to stand up for herself. A girl of fourteen or fifteen years old, facing a group of burly men.

For a moment, the scene fell silent. All eyes turned to Yi Yun and Jiang Xiaorou, leaving them momentarily stunned.

After a brief silence, a few of the strong men responsible for distributing rations burst into laughter.

"He's the man of your house? Hahahaha!"

"Little girl, you've never seen a man before, have you? Want me to show you what a real man is?" one man said lewdly.

"A little brat who hasn't even grown body hair, a skinny monkey. I say, kid, how long has it been since you took off your diaper?"

The burly men roared with laughter. Jiang Xiaorou's face turned red, and she clenched her small fists. Not far behind her, the common folk waiting for their rations offered no help.

The ruling class of the tribe comprised all the strong laborers and warriors, possessing immense power.

An arm couldn't twist a thigh. Besides, they were struggling to get enough food themselves; why would they meddle in other people's affairs?

"Huh, I remember. Didn't this little brat die a few days ago?"

In small tribes, death was hardly uncommon. Moreover, Yi Yun held no significant status, so his death wouldn't concern many.

"That's right, I know him. He's a sickly weakling, can't even stand against a strong gust of wind," another person chimed in.

"Who said my brother is dead!"

Jiang Xiaorou glared at the man who spoke, like a small leopard. The disproportionate size difference was like a little warbler confronting an adult vulture, yet Jiang Xiaorou gritted her teeth, refusing to back down. In her eyes, there was even a faint, almost imperceptible killing intent—like the gaze of some wild beast.

It was hard to imagine such a look emanating from a delicate young girl.

Jiang Xiaorou's hand pressed tightly against her back. Hidden beneath her coarse cloth clothing was something long and thin, like a bamboo stick. It was an arrow Jiang Xiaorou had made herself, secretly keeping it for self-defense!

Faced with Jiang Xiaorou's glare, the big man frowned, clearly angered. As an official of the tribe and a member of the Warrior Reserve Camp, he held a high position. It was like a tiger being provoked by a kitten.

"You little brat, why are you staring! Stare again and I'll gouge your eyes out!"

The big man said furiously, but Jiang Xiaorou still gritted her teeth, standing before him. She couldn't retreat; if they didn't get food today, they wouldn't survive.

She gripped the arrow tighter, almost ready to draw it!

"This little girl is quite interesting!" At this moment, in a clean and bright room, a young man in silver soft armor sat on a chair. Through the window, he watched the confrontation between Jiang Xiaorou and the big man with a smile.

The silver-armored youth was ruddy-faced and possessed an extraordinary demeanor. Coupled with his bright attire, he was worlds apart from the suffering commoners outside.

"She's actually hiding an arrow. The materials for making arrows are all accounted for, and even defective ones must be handed in. I wonder how this little girl managed to hide one. Judging by her demeanor, she might actually have the courage to draw it and fight."

"If she fights, she'll be beaten badly, and the outcome will be grim," said an elder resembling a strategist, standing beside the silver-armored youth.

"Indeed, but if she doesn't fight, she'll likely starve to death anyway," the silver-armored youth replied without turning his head. "Tell me about this girl."

The elder bowed and said, "Replying to my young master, her name is Jiang Xiaorou. She is a low-ranking female dependent of our Lian Clan. She and her younger brother were not originally from the Lian Clan; they were refugees who arrived by chance and found refuge here. Years ago, her younger brother Yi Yun's mother passed away from illness, leaving the two siblings orphaned. Logically, these two children should have died without their mother, but this Jiang Xiaorou is surprising. Despite her young age, she has managed to support herself and her brother in these chaotic times, holding on for several years."

The elder's tone was extremely respectful, as if he knew every single person in the Lian Clan, numbering over a thousand.

Most large tribes did not accept refugees; only smaller tribes did. In fact, this was the primary source of population for smaller tribes. However, the status of refugees was much lower than that of the tribe's original inhabitants.

"She's an outsider."

The young man seemed to be talking to himself, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

From the scene he had just witnessed, he noticed an unusual aura about Jiang Xiaorou, something indefinable, unlike that of a child from a poor family.

Furthermore, Jiang Xiaorou's beauty was refined and elegant. In a suffering, impoverished tribe, encountering such a beautiful woman was extremely rare.

Such a woman, seemingly beautiful and gentle but stubborn and courageous at heart, with an unknown background, piqued Lian Chengyu's interest.

"Young master, you're not perhaps taken with this woman, are you?" the elder hesitated before asking. This young master Lian Chengyu held immense prestige within the clan!

The Lian Clan had many warriors, but only three could be considered true masters: the Tribe Leader, who was the yellow-robed elder; the chief instructor of the Warrior Reserve Camp, Yao Yuan; and Lian Chengyu himself, the grandnephew of the yellow-robed elder.

The Tribe Leader was over sixty years old, while Lian Chengyu was only seventeen, with boundless potential for the future.

Lian Chengyu would undoubtedly become the next Tribe Leader, and he was the most likely candidate to become a "Purple Blood Warrior."

Given Lian Chengyu's status, he could not marry an outsider, as their status was too low.

"So what if I am? In the future, I won't be confined to this small Lian Clan. I will venture out and make a name for myself on this barren continent! Are you trying to use the Lian Clan's rules to restrain me?"

Lian Chengyu's words were calm, but the coldness within them made the elder tremble. He hastily said, "My young master jokes. This old servant was merely asking casually. I was too talkative; please forgive me!"

The elder was about to slap himself. Although the Lian Clan was small, its rules were strict!

In this savage world, it was a case of the strong preying on the weak. Many countries here were under military rule, and tribes were often governed by warriors. Both national laws and tribal rules were extremely severe!

The strong controlled the fate of the weak. Lian Chengyu was an absolute powerhouse within the clan and had the right to decide others' lives and deaths.

Moreover, Lian Chengyu was by no means soft-hearted. He had experienced life-and-death trials from a young age, and there was fierce competition within the tribe.

Seeing the elder about to slap himself, Lian Chengyu said calmly, "Enough, stop putting on a show for me. This girl is still too young, and I would only take her as a maidservant or a concubine. You don't need to worry; this wouldn't violate the clan's rules."

"Yes... Thank you, young master, for your understanding," the elder quickly nodded.

"Hmm... Let me ask you, why is this Jiang Xiaorou not surnamed the same as her brother?" Lian Chengyu squinted his eyes, watching the scene unfold in the training ground. He noticed how fiercely Jiang Xiaorou protected her brother, and despite her brother being a frail, sickly monkey who couldn't even lift a chicken, Jiang Xiaorou seemed proud of him.

"This... I heard that when Jiang Xiaorou was in distress, she was taken in as an orphan by Yi Yun's mother. It's probably for this reason that Jiang Xiaorou is very grateful to Yi Yun's mother and treats Yi Yun very well."

"Oh, is that so..." Lian Chengyu frowned slightly and stood up.

"Get lost, quickly!"

Seeing Jiang Xiaorou's feet rooted to the spot, the big man was completely enraged. He took two quick steps to stand in front of Jiang Xiaorou and was about to slap her!

Jiang Xiaorou, being a frail woman, was completely outmatched by the big man's size. If that slap landed, it would definitely send her flying!

Jiang Xiaorou was about to draw her arrow when, at that moment, someone pressed her hand. Yi Yun quickly whispered in her ear, "Don't be rash!"

As he spoke, Yi Yun flashed and stood in front of Jiang Xiaorou.

"Wait!" Yi Yun said, raising his hand.

"Who do you think you are!"

The big man was even more furious. It was this scrawny monkey who looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind. He'd take care of him too!

Yi Yun desperately wanted to kick the big man into oblivion, but he knew it was better to avoid a direct confrontation. Having lived two lives, Yi Yun was calmer. He knew that clashing with this brute at this moment would end very badly.

"A real man doesn't fight with a woman. Besides, aren't you a member of the Warrior Reserve Camp? You must be very strong, so why would you attack a young girl? Wouldn't that make your clansmen laugh at you?"

Fearing the big man would attack without warning, Yi Yun spoke extremely quickly and clearly, so everyone present could hear him.

The big man froze, looking at the young man before him, feeling an indescribable strangeness.

A little kid of eleven or twelve, at that age of youthful passion and hot-bloodedness, shouldn't he have jumped out and cursed him, or foolishly taken the slap for his sister and been sent flying along with her?

Yet, he stepped forward and said something like this. This simple provocation was surprisingly effective, leaving the big man's hand still suspended above his head, unable to bring it down or retract it.

This made the big man feel like he was punching cotton. Indeed, as a member of the Warrior Reserve Camp, attacking two children in front of everyone would sound terrible if word got out. Moreover, there were already some conflicts of interest between the Warrior Reserve Camp and ordinary citizens, making them prone to gossip.

Although the big man was rough, he didn't want to be talked about behind his back or have people point fingers at him.

"Hmph, you know what's good for you!" The big man lowered his hand and glanced dismissively at the siblings. "I'm in a good mood today, so I can't be bothered with you. Get lost!"

"Yun'er!" Jiang Xiaorou anxiously grabbed Yi Yun's hand. She was helpless. She knew that clashing with this big man would yield no benefit, but if they left like this, they would starve to death.

"Sister Xiaorou... don't worry." Yi Yun squeezed Jiang Xiaorou's hand, signaling her to calm down.

"Sir, I'll be going now, but before I do, I have something I'd like to ask..."