Chapter 194: Taking the Initiative

Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Taking the Initiative

"We can’t just remain passive like this." Klein strongly disliked their current passive situation.

In the business world, once you fell into a passive position, your opponents would seize upon your vulnerabilities and cause you to lose profit.

Zerev tapped his fingers on the table, his voice ice-cold. "Since he wants a traveling healer, we’ll give him a traveling healer."

"You mean have someone disguise themselves as the traveling healer?" Tyler’s eyes lit up.

"Yes."

Ophelia furrowed her brows. "But who should we have disguise themselves as this traveling healer?"

Zerev’s gaze swept over Tyler and Klein.

"Neither of you will do. Brada has seen you and is familiar with your auras."

"Then let’s find a stranger," Ophelia suggested.

"A stranger?" The three males had no idea who Ophelia was talking about.

Early the next morning.

Ophelia, Tyler, and Klein headed to the Bear Clan Tribe.

Ophelia had previously helped Brown, the Young Clan Leader of the Bear Clan, so their arrival was met with warm hospitality.

Brown was thrilled to see her. "Ophelia! Did you come to see me for something?"

Ophelia glanced at the people around them. Understanding her silent cue, Brown led the three of them into his stone hut.

"You can speak now. I’ve ordered them to stand guard a short distance away. No one will come near here."

Ophelia nodded. "Brown, we came here this time to ask you for a favor."

"Alright, I promise." Brown’s crisp and immediate agreement left Ophelia a bit surprised.

"Aren’t you going to ask what it is?" Seeing Brown agree so readily, Klein looked at him with a hint of hostility.

Brown scratched his head and gave a good-natured smile. "Ophelia, you saved my family’s lives. No matter what you need me to do, I’ll agree to it."

Ophelia had indeed come with the intention of calling in her past favor with Brown.

But she truly hadn’t expected him to agree quite so smoothly.

"The task I need you to do is dangerous. You can refuse."

In truth, Brown wasn’t the ideal first choice, but he was the strongest male among all the candidates.

Brown fell silent. After a long while, he asked, "If you don’t have me, what are the chances of you succeeding in this matter?"

Ophelia couldn’t even begin to estimate.

In the end, it was unknown what the group discussed, but Ophelia, Tyler, and Klein were seen leaving the Bear Clan Tribe with cold expressions.

News of Ophelia leaving the Bear Clan Tribe soon reached Brada’s ears.

"They went to the Bear Clan Tribe? Could that traveling healer be connected to the Bear Clan Tribe?"

Beast Servant Kaka shook his head. "According to our investigations, the Divine Medicine first appeared in the Fuzu Tribe. Quite a few people from the Bear Clan Tribe also ran over to the Fuzu Tribe to buy the medicine.

"Therefore, the traveling healer shouldn’t be someone from the Bear Clan Tribe."

"Then why did they go to the Bear Clan Tribe?" Brada was somewhat baffled.

He brushed back his bangs in irritation. "Enough, go deliver a message. Tell Ophelia that if they want their young females back, they need to exchange the traveling healer for them."

This game of cat and mouse could finally end.

"Yes, Young Master."

Early that morning, a male covered in wounds was found lying at the entrance of the Fuzu Tribe. The male guarding the gate went to check and discovered that it was actually Sail.

They hurriedly carried him to the treatment room and sent word to Ophelia.

"Who hurt Sail?"

Lam shook his head. "I don’t know.

"Many of the wounds on his body are abrasions and beast claw marks."

"Let’s go take a look first." Tyler draped a coat over Ophelia’s shoulders and led her toward the Fuzu Tribe’s treatment room.

Inside the treatment room, Ophelia’s expression turned grim as she looked at the unconscious Sail.

"What’s that?"

Lam’s sharp eyes spotted a fiery red feather tangled in the animal hide around Sail’s waist.

Klein stepped forward, picking up the feather to carefully identify the aura on it. "It’s the feather of a male from the Fire Phoenix Clan."

"It really was them." Tyler clenched his fists tightly.

"Rest assured, Clan Leader. Sail’s life isn’t in danger. They’re all superficial wounds." After bandaging Sail’s injuries, the clan doctor reported to Ophelia.

Hearing that his life wasn’t in danger, Ophelia instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then when will he wake up?"

The clan doctor made a rough estimate. "He should wake up around noon."

Out of worry for Sail, Ophelia stood guard outside the treatment room.

Right around noon, Sail slowly regained consciousness.

"O-Ophelia."

The first thing Sail did upon waking was look for Ophelia.

Ignoring his injuries, he tried to sit up from the bed. Lam quickly rushed over to support him.

"Don’t rush. Ophelia is right outside. I’ll call her in."

"Okay."

Hearing that Sail was awake, Ophelia quickly set down the Stone Bowl in her hands and hurried into the treatment room.

"Ophelia, I ran into the males who took the young females. They told me to tell you that if you want the young females to return safely, you must hand over the traveling healer."

"Alright, I understand."

Ophelia nodded to comfort Sail, urging him to rest well and recover.

Three days later.

Ophelia and a mysterious person cloaked in an animal hide cape sneaked out of the Fuzu Tribe.

The two of them kept glancing back as they walked, seemingly on the lookout for something.

The Fire Phoenix Clan males standing guard outside the Fuzu Tribe sent out a signal the very moment the two appeared.

Once they stepped beyond the boundaries of the Fuzu Tribe’s entrance, Brada led several males to surround the cloaked mysterious person.

"Traveling healer, we finally meet." A radiant smile spread across Brada’s lips.

"Brada, you’ve seen him now. Can you release our tribe’s young females?"

"When did I ever promise you that I’d release them?" A highly punchable smirk appeared on Brada’s face.

"Brada, you—"

"You can leave now." Brada waved his hand at Ophelia in sheer impatience.

A glint of coldness flashed through Ophelia’s eyes. Catching everyone off guard, she quietly approached the cloaked stranger and pressed a sharply ground Bone Knife against the mysterious person’s neck.

"Brada, if you don’t release our tribe’s young females, you won’t be taking the traveling healer away either."

"Interesting. Interesting. How truly interesting." Brada clapped his hands, his eyes brimming with mockery as he looked at Ophelia.

It was as if he were looking at a dying kitten making its final struggle.

"Kaka."

The moment Brada spoke, a fiery red feather shot straight toward Ophelia’s face. She hurriedly dodged out of the way.

Taking advantage of the opening, Kaka pulled the mysterious person behind him.

Due to her evasion, Ophelia fell flat on the ground, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Brada, you’re despicable!"

Brada strolled over to Ophelia, crouched down, and pinched her chin.

"I originally wanted to spare your life for Klein’s sake.

"But now it seems you have a death wish."

"Is that so?" An eerie smile curled on Ophelia’s lips.

Her arm, hidden beneath her wide sleeve, lifted slightly. Her slender fingers pulled the trigger.

Three Crossbow Arrows with razor-sharp tips shot directly toward Brada’s chest.

"Argh!"

"Young Master!"

The three Crossbow Arrows pierced straight into Brada’s chest. Blood instantly dyed his linen clothes red.

Seeing this, Kaka abandoned the traveling healer and rushed over to Brada.

"Kill her," he ordered as he hurried forward.