Chapter 102: The Witch's Invitation, Where Water Meets Sky (Second Update Yesterday)

“Luo, it’s me, Tang.”

The woman with the striking figure called out with joy and excitement.

“You… you’re alright… it’s good that you’ve returned,” Luo Zu said awkwardly.

“It’s good that you’ve returned,” Luo Zu repeated.

There was someone beside him, and Luo Zu felt a bit embarrassed, unsure of how to speak. But this person's figure was blurred, clearly concealed by some kind of spell, which seemed rather disrespectful.

Still, Luo Zu couldn’t say much; after all, this person’s cultivation was evidently not low, perhaps even far surpassing his own.

Tang was smart enough to notice Luo Zu’s discomfort and awkwardly glanced at the “person” beside him.

“Clan Chief… could you possibly…”

Before she finished speaking, the blurry haze enveloping the “person” suddenly dissipated like a strong wind blowing away thick fog.

“Alright.”

Luo Zu then saw the true form of the “person.”

It was a tiger-headed figure with a human body, eight arms, and two wings, surrounded by a swirl of blue-green mist resembling snakes and swarms of mosquitoes.

The moment his form appeared, Luo Zu felt a tremendous pressure pressing down on him, as if a mountain weighed heavily on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

“And this is?”

“Shi. You should have heard my name before.” The tiger-headed figure revealed a faint, enigmatic smile.

That smile was almost devilishly wild.

“I… I have heard of you,” Luo Zu stammered, nodding.

Could he really claim otherwise at this point?

“You were there that night,” Shi continued.

Luo Zu nodded again.

Tang looked puzzled beside them—what had happened during this time?

“When I, together with the Moon Witch, besieged the enemy at this very place, we took action here. So, Brother Luo, you must have seen me,” Shi explained briefly.

“Yes, yes, I suspected as much then,” Luo Zu added.

He couldn’t say anything else, only nodding in agreement.

Inwardly, Luo Zu was speculating about Shi’s reasons for coming here. Surely, Tang hadn’t managed such a great feat for the Hot Witch Tribe that she called upon him to bring her here, right?

Though that possibility did exist.

“Tang says you’re very clever,” Shi asked as Luo Zu pondered.

“Not really, clever is relative—I’m just a bit smarter than those pesky bugs,” Luo Zu replied modestly, feeling the visitor was quite imposing.

Bugs? What bugs? The day they chased Tang, there were plenty of those creatures.

“You’re not being very honest,” Shi said, somewhat disappointed.

Luo Zu “fearfully” bowed his head. “Sorry.”

Shi didn’t flaunt his arrogance outright; he walked as casually as an old man strolling down the street.

After glancing a few times at Luo Zu’s cave, it failed to capture his attention.

He said, “Tang told me you created a new cultivation method.”

“Yes,” Luo Zu answered honestly.

“That means you really are clever,” Shi said again.

“Just fabrications and nonsense, not a big deal,” Luo Zu chuckled simply.

“You really are clever!” Shi repeated.

At that moment, Luo Zu could feel Shi’s interest in him soaring.

But Luo Zu wasn’t fond of men, nor would he be comfortable with male witches.

“You flatter me. Others contributed too,” Luo Zu remained humble.

“Hm.” Shi didn’t argue.

Some things he observed himself; as for others’ situations, he wasn’t so concerned.

“Enough small talk. Let me ask you, can you join the Hot Witch Tribe?”

“You mean us?”

“Yes, your entire Mount Top Cave people, three thousand and ninety-eight in total,” Shi said casually.

“Become witches?” Luo Zu asked.

Shi shook his head. “Not true witches. We can’t turn you into witches yet.”

That was true; Tang had mentioned the witch tribe currently lacked such technology.

When Shi asked that, Tang’s face was full of expectation.

“This… I can’t decide. I need to consult my people,” Luo Zu hesitated.

He was aware of the “future,” and didn’t want the Mount Top Cave people to get too close to the witch or demon tribes; otherwise, if wars intensified, his people would surely be cannon fodder.

After all, Shi had said he couldn’t turn humans into witches.

Perhaps someday, but until then, even if the Mount Top Cave people joined the Hot Witch Tribe, they wouldn’t easily become true members.

The witch tribe was not as kind and gentle as Tang portrayed.

Yet they were not unreasonable either; some disagreements could be negotiated.

Shi seemed somewhat satisfied with Luo Zu’s answer that he needed to consult his tribe.

The witch and demon clans had existed for hundreds of millions of years in the primordial world; they were no naive innocents.

One couldn’t assume everyone there was simple or pure-hearted. After living so long, seeing everything, and with strong cultivation, intelligence, and memory, they would quickly recall the past, find parallels, and devise responses.

Yet this one seemed… rather pure.

Perhaps he looked down on the weak human race, so there was little need to disguise himself. Or maybe such pure individuals truly existed among witches.

After all, emotional intelligence was a mysterious thing.

“Tang, Luo, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave,” Shi said.

“Alright,” Tang nodded.

Luo Zu naturally nodded as well.

“Tang, if you want to return to the tribe, just crush this blood crystal, and you’ll be sent back immediately,” Shi said, producing a scarlet crystal core no bigger than a grain of rice.

Tang took the crystal, storing it in her portable beast skin pouch, and promised, “I will, Clan Chief.”

“Luo, the Primordial Ancestor Wu once said that all living beings are children of the Pangu Father God: witches, humans, even demons—we are all blood relatives. We should love and support each other. I won’t force my brothers; rest assured,” Shi said slowly.

“I understand,” Luo Zu nodded.

This witch who could claim kinship with demons had killed many demons recently.

But that was normal; political rhetoric was often spoken, but actions followed practical interests—after all, it was a witch-demon struggle.

Thinking of this, Luo Zu’s eyes lit up—could he play both sides?

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

The Mount Top Cave people lacked the ability to play both sides.

Unless he became a true immortal who could maintain balance in the region, then he could lead his people to navigate between factions, requiring only neutrality recognized by both sides.

He didn’t crave benefits; the Mount Top Cave people couldn’t handle them anyway.

He only wished to keep his people from being dragged into the witch-demon war.

Alas, the primordial world had no utopias where one could hide and endure for hundreds of millions of years.

So Luo Zu needed more time.

“Creatures in the primordial world don’t seem to have a clear concept of time,” Luo Zu thought, hoping to use this to his advantage and stall for years.

Shi left, leaving Tang behind.

Tang didn’t feel awkward; Shi had talked nonstop, leaving no chance for her to speak. Otherwise, she would have been chatting with Luo Zu.

Now there was no need to flee or hurry; she had plenty of time to converse with her kin Luo Zu and explore this human tribe.

After all, she was human, not a witch.

Boom!

Just as Shi left, a thunderous roar echoed from afar.

“Clan Chief, Clan Chief, bad news!” Erwa ran to the cave entrance.

Upon hearing the noise, Luo Zu immediately rushed to the entrance.

“What’s happening?” Luo Zu first looked toward the source of the roaring.

That direction was Kuafu Lake. On this vast, sea-like lake, huge waves surged—no, more accurately, the lake’s surface was overturned, with tens of millions of tons of water hurled into the air.

The water and sky merged seamlessly.

This scene was thousands of times more shocking than the fish monster breaching the water.

…