Chapter 9: The Lynx Tribe and the Contract

The setting sun turned the sky to molten gold, and the evening clouds merged like jade discs. A cool breeze drifted by, carrying a hint of a chill.

The afterglow of the sunset fell upon Lin Mo’s face, coating her in a layer of faint golden light. Her nose was slightly upturned, her pink lips were pressed thin, and her dark eyes shone with a steady resolve. She looked like a newborn wild cub, possessing a stubborn, untamed spirit.

Mo Jin raised an eyebrow. “How do you plan to stop them?”

With Lin Mo’s innate power, she could stop these beasts from slaughtering each other. However, if Mo Jin taught her how to manipulate her spiritual energy now and Lin Mo failed to control it, she might drain her essence all at once, causing permanent damage to her body. Therefore, Mo Jin would not teach her—not yet.

Lin Mo said firmly, “I’ll find a way. The school said the internship is about helping these little spirits. We can’t just sit idly by. Since I’m here, I don’t want this internship to be meaningless.”

She continued, “I always thought I was human, but you and Song Qing both say I’m a bamboo spirit—a thousand-year-old one at that.” Lin Mo smiled slightly. “I didn’t believe it before, but after yesterday, I believe it a little more. But whether I’m human or monster, I am still myself. Right now, even if my power is small, if I can help one spirit, I will.”

Having a kind heart is a good thing, but not all kindness is accepted by the world. Ultimately, this was Lin Mo’s choice, and Mo Jin would not deny it.

Mo Jin looked deeply at Lin Mo. “Since we are teammates, we’ll do it together.”

Lin Mo turned her head in surprise, then said with genuine emotion, “Thank you, Mo Jin.”

Mo Jin’s eyes lowered. Her expression remained cold and unmoved.

The battle below the cliff was nearing its end. Many spirits were wounded; those who had died were being devoured by the victors before their companions could carry them away. Lin Mo decided to head down the cliff with Mo Jin to investigate exactly what resources these creatures were fighting over.

On their way down, they ran into a panic-stricken She Qiu. The little lynx wasn’t looking where it was going and crashed straight into Lin Mo’s legs.

Lin Mo winced—her leg actually hurt a bit. She pulled She Qiu back. “What happened? Why are you in such a rush?”

She Qiu let out a loud wail and began to sob. –I just saw Grandfather Chief! He’s covered in blood. The High Priest and Uncle Erhei both say he’s not going to make it!–

“You have a Chief?” Lin Mo asked, finally understanding the little lynx’s frantic speech.

She Qiu wiped its tears. –Every tribe here has a Chief. Grandfather Chief organizes the young males to hunt, and the females raise the cubs. The food from the hunt is distributed by him; if there’s enough, he shares it with the elders and orphaned cubs. When my brother and I lost our mother, he took care of us and gave us meat.–

She Qiu sniffled. –Grandfather Chief is a truly good person. Please, I beg you, save him!–

Just as Lin Mo was about to offer comfort, Mo Jin cut in with a sharp gesture.

“We can help save your Chief,” Mo Jin said coldly, “but you must pay a price and complete a contract.”

She Qiu stopped crying. –Any price! As long as Grandfather Chief lives!–

Mo Jin’s hands moved rapidly, weaving a complex seal. A purple contract formed and was struck into the little lynx’s forehead.

The lynx closed its eyes tightly. A faint golden mark appeared on its brow and then vanished. When it opened its eyes again, there was an extra tuft of golden fur between its ears.

Lin Mo was worried. “Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

She Qiu wagged its thick tail and stretched. –I was a little sleepy just now, but I feel better now.–

Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t ask Mo Jin why she made the contract. Mo Jin was powerful; if she wanted She Qiu to do something, the little lynx couldn’t resist anyway. Since She Qiu felt no discomfort, it meant Mo Jin wasn’t threatening its life. She chose to trust Mo Jin’s judgment.

“Then there’s no time to lose,” Lin Mo said. “She Qiu, tell us on the way—how did your Chief get hurt?”

During the journey, Lin Mo pieced together the story from She Qiu’s fragmented words. This island used to be a paradise where birds sang and beasts lived in harmony. Over time, the environment changed. The desert they had passed through was once the basin of the island’s “Mother River”—a fertile area that nourished many animals. Now, the great river was a desert, and the only water in the forest was a stream barely a meter wide.

Due to the loss of water, many animals lost their habitats and died. Large mammals had to spend more energy to find food, and every winter, many young ones perished. Because summer was long and winter was short, water was the primary issue. To ensure the survival of their race, the tribes fought bloody battles over the only stream in the forest. The victor claimed the water for a season.

The Lynx tribe had unfortunately lost this battle. They faced not only a lack of water but the potential extinction of their tribe. Without water in the coming autumn, the male warriors wouldn’t be able to hunt effectively to stockpile food for the cold winter.

It was a heavy topic. As the little lynx spoke, its shoulders shook with muffled sobs. It was still so small; without enough food, it likely wouldn’t survive the winter.

Lin Mo rubbed her temples. “Can you lynxes eat… vegetarian?”

She Qiu blinked its wet eyes, looking completely confused.

‘Right, no vegetarianism for them.’ This was a headache; even if they saved the Chief, they couldn’t solve the tribe’s existential crisis.

Soon, they reached the entrance of the Lynx tribe’s territory. It was a massive valley with a natural geographic advantage. Two towering boulders guarded the entrance, with a wooden fence between them that looked much sturdier than the one at She Qiu’s cave. There were even sentries on duty.

Lin Mo noticed many bloodstains on the ground. The casualties were clearly heavy.

She Qiu ran ahead. –Uncle Erhei! I brought friends to treat Grandfather Chief! Open the gate!–

A sentry lynx snapped its eyes open, a scar on its cheek looking particularly fierce. It jumped down from a boulder. –It’s She Qiu. The Chief said the whole tribe is on high alert; no outsiders allowed.–

She Qiu jumped up anxiously. –They healed my brother’s leg! They are amazing! Grandfather Chief is hurt; he needs treatment now!–

The sentry, She Erhei, sniffed the air five paces away from Mo Jin. He sensed danger. His expression tightened as he leaped back onto the boulder. –She Qiu, your friends are too dangerous. I can’t let them in. You can come in, and I’ll take you to ask the High Priest. If she agrees, they can enter.–

As She Qiu hesitated, a voice interrupted from behind the fence.

“Erhei, She Qiu, what are you doing idling at the gate?” A muscular young man with a half-naked torso stepped out, carrying a large piece of fresh meat on his back. His voice was husky.

She Qiu cheered. –Brother She Bai!–

She Qiu lunged forward and hugged the young man’s leg. –I brought friends to heal Grandfather Chief, but Uncle Erhei won’t let us in!–

The young man looked at She Erhei, who instantly transformed into a human form with a simple, honest face. “She Bai.”

The young man nodded slightly, scooped up She Qiu with one hand, and looked at Lin Mo and Mo Jin. “You are She Qiu’s friends?”

“Theoretically, yes,” Lin Mo rubbed her nose. In reality, She Qiu should probably be calling her “Great-Grandmother” based on age.

He narrowed his eyes. “Which tribe are you from?”

Their clothes were strange, and they were more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen. His hunting instincts told him they were not to be trifled with. One had an aura that was pure and natural, with clear eyes untainted by blood. The other had an aura stronger than the Chief’s—like a cold blade hidden in a scabbard.

Lin Mo stepped forward and produced her student ID. “We are from Maolin Academy and Taotie Academy, here for an internship.”

The youth’s expression shifted. He placed a hand over his chest and bowed. “Teachers, I am She Bai, son of the High Priest of the Lynx tribe.”

Lin Mo was stunned. Why were she and Mo Jin suddenly “Teachers”? Mo Jin, however, looked completely unfazed.

She Bai ordered the gate opened and led them into the valley. She Qiu sat on She Bai’s shoulder, making faces at She Erhei. She Bai patted She Qiu to make it behave, offering Lin Mo a bright, sunny smile.

“My grandmother once served as an apprentice under two Teachers who came here for an internship long ago,” She Bai explained respectfully. “She became the High Priest because of it, and my mother followed in her footsteps.”

Lin Mo nodded. That explained the immediate respect.

Inside the narrow caves of the valley, wounded lynxes lay everywhere. The air was thick with the scent of blood and the sound of groans. The High Priest was busy tending to them. She was an elderly woman with white hair and tribal paint on her face, wearing a beast-skin skirt and holding a strange, ancient staff.

When she heard She Bai’s explanation, she approached Lin Mo with trembling steps, leaning on her staff. She placed a hand on her chest. “Thank you, Celestial Blessings. Thank you for being willing to help the Lynx tribe.”

Lin Mo felt a bit awkward—she wasn’t sure she could save everyone. She helped the High Priest up. “You’re too kind. We’re just here to help She Qiu save his Grandfather Chief.”

The High Priest pointed toward the back. “The Chief is over there. Since you are She Qiu’s friends, let him lead the way.”

“I don’t agree!” a girl suddenly shouted, walking out with an angry expression. She wore a grass-green skirt and had pale skin, but her sharp “triangle” eyes were full of fury. “She Bai! The Chief said no outsiders! How can you bring them in? What if they hurt the other lynxes?”

The High Priest frowned and shook her head at the girl, but She Bai ignored her entirely. “She Qiu, take the Teachers to the Chief.”

Seeing herself ignored, the girl stamped her feet and ran to block Mo Jin. “Hey! I said you’re not allowed to go, did you hear me?!”

Mo Jin gave her a chilling look. “Move.”

The girl shuddered, her limbs turning stiff. She awkwardly shuffled to the side, muttering fearfully, “They’ll definitely hurt the Chief… I have to keep a close eye on them.”

Lin Mo suppressed a laugh. The girl went from a posturing crab to a shivering quail in a second. “Who is she?” Lin Mo whispered to She Qiu.

–She Yue,– She Qiu whispered back. –She’s the Chief’s daughter.–

“Your Chief must spend a lot of time apologizing to people,” Lin Mo remarked.

She Qiu nodded. –Yes, Sister She Yue has a bad temper but a good heart. When people bullied my brother, she helped fight them off. Though… sometimes she uses too much force and breaks their bones.–

She Yue, unable to hear them clearly, clenched her fists. “Hey! Are you talking bad about me?”

Mo Jin stopped walking and flicked a finger toward She Yue. “Too noisy.”

She Yue tried to speak, but her mouth felt as if it had been sealed with glue. Not a word came out. She tried to roll up her sleeves and charge, only to realize her legs had been “bound” together. Unable to break free, she had to hop like a rabbit to keep up with them as they walked away.

Lin Mo: “…”

The Lynx tribe was truly a fascinating bunch.