I Became The Chief Of A Primitive Village

Chapter 1062, A Mermaid?

Translator: Silavin

Yan Jiao’s heart, which had been hanging by a thread, dropped back into place the moment he saw that Su Bai was unharmed.

He stepped forward at once, studying the Long Toothed Turtle with keen eyes.

“So this is what it looks like up close.” he said, his voice carrying a note of genuine surprise. “I have truly never seen a beast like this before.”

The people of the Flame Dragon Tribe had only ever observed the Long Toothed Turtle floating on the surface of the river. None of them had ever witnessed one come ashore on their side.

“Yeah. It is enormous. Perfectly suited for Totem Warriors.” Shu Feng folded his wings and touched down beside them.

“I had assumed it would be ferocious and aggressive, given those absurdly long teeth.” Sha Hong struggled to suppress the urge to prod at the creature’s fangs.

The cat eared woman had thought the same, that a Ferocious Beast bearing teeth of such remarkable length must surely be a formidable fighter. Yet after observing these creatures around the Tribe for so long, she had never once witnessed them engage in any sort of conflict. They were, by all appearances, entirely unbothered by the world around them.

“So, what do you think? If we equip Totem Warriors with them, would it strengthen our combat forces?” Su Bai asked.

He stepped up onto the Long Toothed Turtle’s back with a satisfied stride and found it remarkably steady underfoot. The creature showed not the slightest sign of resistance. On the contrary, it twisted its head around and nuzzled against Su Bai’s hand, making its affection known.

This was the nature of a tamed and domesticated Ferocious Beast. Their temperament invariably became gentle and compliant.

“Shaman, if we had these creatures, our defences along the great river would no longer be vulnerable. Whatever Ferocious Beasts might emerge from those waters in future, we no longer need to fear them.” Yan Jiao responded at once.

The reason the Totem Warriors had always dreaded the great river was simple, they knew almost nothing about it. They had no means of fighting Ferocious Beasts on the water’s surface or beneath it. They could only deal with them if they got close to the riverbank. But with this creature, everything changed.

The Long Toothed Turtle could float on the river’s surface with ease, and its body was large enough to carry four or five Totem Warriors without any difficulty. Should any threat arise upon the river, the Totem Warriors would now be able to respond to it with composure. Most importantly, as many in the Tribe had just witnessed firsthand, the creature’s swimming speed was remarkable.

“I intend to Tame several more Long Toothed Turtles. When the time comes, I will need you to train a naval force.” Su Bai said with quiet authority.

The whole purpose of Taming these creatures had been to use them as mounts on the water, and as it happened, the Flame Dragon Tribe had no naval force to speak of.

“A naval force? Shaman, what is a naval force?” Yan Jiao blinked, his eyes wide with puzzlement.

“Totem Warriors, or regular soldiers forming a unit around the Long Toothed Turtles. Their responsibility is primarily for the great river and its surroundings.” Su Bai pointed towards the broad river before the Tribe and the banks on either side. “They will also be responsible for managing the dock once we have finished building it. And one essential requirement for joining the naval force is that every member must be a capable swimmer.”

He had, in truth, been waiting and hoping to discover whether this world had mermaids. Or, perhaps some variety of Half-Human, Half-Fish people, the kind who might dwell along riverbanks while bearing faint aquatic traits.

Yet nearly two years had passed without any such discovery, and whenever he raised the question with members of the Tribe, none of them had ever heard of such a thing.

So, Su Bai had decided to no longer wait and hope.

The Long Toothed Turtle was an excellent mount by any measure, and the time had come to get the naval force properly drilled. If the Tribe’s great gate were to open facing the river without a naval force standing guard, the consequences could be dire.

Indeed, the Flame Dragon Tribe’s main gate had always been planned for the side nearest the great river, which made a naval force an indispensable branch of the military.

The current gate would eventually be sealed. When the time came for the walls to close in, everything would depend on how well the fortifications had been laid. The new city walls were being built to encircle outward into the forest, and once that enclosure was complete, the existing gate would be closed off for good, with the gate near the great river becoming the Tribe’s formal main entrance.

“I believe I understand what you have in mind, Shaman. I will begin selecting Totem Warriors and soldiers to train together, starting from swimming as their fundamentals.” Yan Jiao grasped the idea at once, and continued without missing a beat. “Those who demonstrate the greatest proficiency in the water will advance into this naval force. From there, I will arrange for them to begin working alongside the Long Toothed Turtles and assess their compatibility with the Ferocious Beasts.”

“Very good. That is an excellent plan.” Su Bai gave a satisfied nod.

He genuinely had not expected the Chieftain to develop this quickly. The Yan Jiao of the past would never have approached things this way.

The Yan Jiao of before had been a one-track commander. He was straightforward and powerful in body, but slow in thought, as befitted a Totem Warrior of the old mould. That he could now make such measured arrangements so calmly was owed entirely to his study of Chinese Characters, and to Su Bai having gradually delegated more responsibilities to him.

In the past, the Chieftain had deferred to the Tribe’s Shaman on virtually every matter, which had left him with little capacity for independent thought. He had often been at a loss for what to do. But ever since Su Bai had begun handing over the management of the Tribe’s day-to-day affairs, Yan Jiao’s mind had started to move with real speed.

“Shaman, leave the rest to us. With this Long Toothed Turtle, we can ride it out onto the river and use it to help Tame the others.” Yan Jiao said eagerly.

“Be extremely careful. We cannot afford any mistakes.” Su Bai’s tone was firm.

This vast river remained extremely mysterious. No one truly knew what lurked within its depths. To fall in was as good as a death sentence, unless one could escape its current at the first possible moment.

“Understood.” Yan Jiao nodded with complete seriousness. “Shaman, please head back now. The mist is heavy here. Best not to breathe too much of it and fall ill.”

“Chieftain, one more thing before I go.” Su Bai had already turned to leave, but paused and glanced back. “From now on, whenever people come to our Tribe, make sure to ask them about something in particular. Ask if anyone knows of a place where mermaids can be found.”

Even with the Long Toothed Turtle now serving as a capable substitute for a naval mount, he still found himself genuinely curious about mermaids. He wanted to know whether this world had any. After all, he had only ever encountered them in manga and anime. To see a real mermaid here would be something extraordinary.

“Shaman, what is a mermaid?” Yan Jiao asked, looking genuinely baffled.

“A being that is Half-Human and Half-Fish. Human from the waist up, and a fish’s tail from the waist down. Similar to the other Demi-Humans, like Yan Hua with her cow horns or Yu Ying with her fox ears. Except instead of animal features, their lower half is entirely fish.” Su Bai explained.

The primary peoples of this continent were Pure Humans and Demi-Humans, which was straightforward enough to understand at face value. Pure Humans were ordinary people in every sense, while Demi-Humans were beings akin to Yan Hua or Yu Ying. They were the sort of people who, in the modern world, existed only within the pages of a manga.

“Human above, fish below.” Yan Jiao fell into quiet contemplation, then after a long moment gave a slow nod. “I understand, Shaman.”

“En.” Su Bai turned and continued walking towards the Yong’an Building.

The chances were not great. But then again, stranger things had happened.