Once petitions fail to bring about compromise, the demise of royal authority is not far off.After Gōng Kàng finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

　　Among these people, most had experienced having their loved ones sacrificed or enslaved, but they had long grown numb to the pain, forgetting the agony of losing their kin. Now, After Gōng Kàng finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

　　Among these people, most had experienced having their loved ones sacrificed or enslaved, but they had long grown numb to the pain, forgetting the agony of losing their kin. Now, his words reopened the once-healed wounds and poured salt on them.

　　Except for some women's choked sobs, the scene was eerily quiet.

　　"Gōng Kàng, what exactly are you trying to do? No matter who you are, you cannot defame the Green Clanof Evil Gods!" Fang Mù exclaimed angrily, glaring at the Great Chief.

　　"Let him speak!" The Great Chief Gōng Diǎn commanded."Thank you, Father! The Green Clanof Evil Gods are served by the Minotaur, Giants, and Harpies. Why can't the Minotaurs take the main quota of sacrifices? After the War of the Gods, only our human tribe has been offering sacrifices. The hunters have endured years of humiliation and degradation, only to be despised and labeled as 'the lowly and weak human tribe'.""Strength can't be traded for kindness. We absolutely can't accept 8,000 sacrifices and 20,000 laborers. Otherwise, next year will surely be worse, leading to the extinction of our human tribe's descendants. So, the two major human tribes can't continue to kill each other like this. We must unite and petition the Green Clanof Evil Gods together."

　　Someone in the crowd spoke up, saying, " Gōng Kàng is right!" And with that, everyone began to raise their arms and chant together, " Gōng Kàng is right, we must petition the Green Tribes!"

　　Sū Zǐqí and Gōng Kōng also joined in, raising their arms and chanting along.

　　And so, the Human Sacrifice Martial Arts Tournament came to an end. Gōng Kàng was hailed as a hero, leaving a lasting monument in the hearts of the tribal people.

　　Finally, the leaders of the two tribes decided to unite and petition the Green Clanof Evil Gods, hoping for a reduction in the quotas for sacrifices and labor.

　　The crowd dispersed from the martial arts tournament. Sū Zǐqí and the others returned to the tree hollow at the inner city's sacrificial platform, where the guards were still fast asleep.

　　On their way back, Zhèng Yǎ couldn't help but sigh, "Lián Xiāng is truly beautiful, and Gōng Kōng is indeed a hero. Heroes deserve beautiful companions, they are such a perfect match!"

　　Wáng Yuè also couldn't stop praising, "Yes, they are both talented in both civil and military affairs, a perfect match indeed."

　　Sū Zǐqí, however, was troubled by the interference in Gōng Kàng and Lián Xiāng's love story, "Gong Kong, your older brother Gong Kang and Lian Xiang have a love that should be free. Your father shouldn't interfere."

　　Sū Zǐqí's mention of "free love" was a blend of Ancient Sumerian and Ancient Egyptian, and obviously, Gōng Kōng didn't understand, indicating that there's no such term in the native languages.

　　Gōng Kōng looked puzzled, "Free love? What does that mean? Our tribe's marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers."

　　Upon hearing this, Wáng Yuè chuckled, "Ziqi, in these primitive tribes, such open-mindedness is impossible. You don't need to explain to Gōng Kōng even if you did, he probably wouldn't understand."

　　Suddenly, Gōng Kōng spoke in somewhat broken Chinese, "What do you mean I don't understand? What am I not understanding?"

　　Sū Zǐqí was surprised at his words, Gōng Kōng, when did you start secretly learning our language?"

　　Gōng Kōng switched back to his native tongue and said seriously, " Ziqi, your language is very elegant. Please teach me your language."

　　Seeing Gōng Kōng, who usually had a smooth tongue, behaving like a modest gentleman in front of Sū Zǐqí, Wáng Yuè teased, "Oh, I see. This is about loving the house as well as the crow. The power of love is truly magnificent."Sū Zǐqí‘s cheeks flushed. "Yue Jie, what are you saying?"

　　Once again, Gōng Kōng asked in halting Chinese, "Love? What does love mean?"

　　Sū Zǐqí deflected the topic in their native language. "Oh, nothing, really, Gōng Kōng. Could you perhaps talk to the Great Chief and ask for some freedom for us to move around? It's getting stifling being stuck in this tree hollow every day."

　　"Sure, I'll see if I can bring it up to Father."

　　A few days later, bright and early in the morning, Gōng Kōng arrived, brimming with excitement, bearing good news: the scouts hadn't spotted Vimana anywhere in the forest for over a month. The Great Chief deemed it safe to ease the vigilance, granting Sū Zǐqí and the others permission to roam within Windwood Citadel.

　　However, the Great Chief imposed two conditions: they must be accompanied by Gōng Kōng during their outings, and they must attire themselves in the traditional garb of the Gong You Clan, blending in with the tribe's appearance.

　　The news thrilled all five of them.

　　During the past month of mingling with the Gong You Clan, Sū Zǐqí and the others had delved deeper into the planet and gained insights into the Gong You Clan.

　　The Mu Continent was a vast landmass encircled by oceans. The Gong You Clan comprised five major factions—Dragon, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf—all residing in the Southern Gorge Forest, the largest woodland on the Mu Continent situated in its southern region.

　　Gōng Kōng hailed from the Dragon tribe, which revered the Azure Dragon as its totem. The tribe's sturdy men either hunted in the forest or cultivated the land, growing crops like corn and potatoes.

　　In the city, although the giant trees bore fruit throughout the year, it was during autumn when they yielded the most. As it was still spring, the trees only bore sporadic small fruits.

　　In addition to this, livestock was also reared within the city. However, due to the large population, relying solely on these animals made it difficult to sustain everyone. During times of food scarcity, the elderly and weak had to venture into the forest to gather wild grains and fruits.

　　Living off the land, the tribe's sustenance entirely depended on the forest. Due to the abundant resources in the forest, different fruits and grains could be harvested throughout the year. Additionally, with numerous wild animals, as long as one worked diligently, the tribe members were generally free from worries about food and drink.

　　Sū Zǐqí wanted to delve deeper into and experience the tribe's way of life, so she suggested to Gong Kong that the women could accompany the tribal ladies to gather grains and fruits, while the men could go hunting with the tribal hunters.

　　Upon hearing this, Gōng Kōng smiled. "Ziqi Jie, no problem. Let's go pick fruits together tomorrow."

　　Sū Zǐqí was surprised. "Didn't you say the men go hunting? Why aren't you going hunting?"

　　"The animals in the forest are my friends. I can't bear to see them slaughtered, and besides, I'm a vegetarian myself, so I never participate in hunting."

　　Zhèng Yǎ, also a vegetarian, felt a connection with Gōng Kōng. She never expected that this usually indifferent Gōng Kōng had such a tender heart, creating a stark contrast with his usual appearance. "I see. I never thought Gōng Kōng was also a vegetarian."

　　Dǒng Yīfēng heard that hunting was possible and immediately got excited. "Zǐqí, tell Gòng Kōng that Huáměi and I want to follow the Great Chief for the hunt, see if it's feasible."

　　Back on Earth, Dong had specifically visited the African savannah, accompanying primitive tribes on hunts while studying African wildlife species.

　　Sū Zǐqí translated for Gòng Kōng, who expressed willingness to inquire with the Great Chief.

　　In the afternoon, Gòng Kōng brought good news. The Great Chief agreed that Dǒng Yīfēng and another person could join the tribe for hunting tomorrow. However, they must stay close to the Second Young Master, Gòng Yì, throughout the hunt.

　　Meanwhile, Gòng Kōng planned to take Sū Zǐqí, Wáng Yuè, and Zhèng Yǎ, the three girls, to join the tribe's gathering team for fruit and grain picking in the forest tomorrow.