81. Ethnic Conflict

“Honored guests, are you about to leave?”
“We still have other matters to attend to here…” Before Mo Fei could finish, the chieftain interrupted him.
“Then please take these few with you. I can see you are from the continent across the sea, and I suppose you have already heard from Wodo about the situation here. Take them along—first, they can guide you on your way; second, the Bear Clan wouldn’t dare cause trouble for guests of the Wolf Clan; and lastly, their trials haven’t ended yet, so this will serve as a continuation of their journey.”
“Thank you, Chieftain.” Mo Fei did not refuse further, understanding this was a gesture of goodwill from the Wolf Clan leader. Besides, with these companions, his own destinations would become clearer.
The group bid the chieftain farewell and headed out of the forest.
“Not far ahead is the trading post our Wolf Clan has set up outside. Normally, our people exchange the things we need with other races there.”
“Your Wolf Clan has a marketplace here?” Mo Fei asked.
“Yes. Every month, we select a few days to bring things from the forest and trade for what we need.” Woton smiled. “We post a squad of wolf warriors at this trading point. Since its establishment, no one has dared stir up trouble in this area.”
Wolf warriors have never encouraged personal heroics; their strength lies in fighting as a pack. No matter how many enemies there are, they always charge forward together. To their foes, the Wolf Clan never shows mercy. Though they rarely initiate conflict with other races, even the most ferocious clans on the continent seldom dare provoke trouble within the Wolf Clan’s domain.
Entering the makeshift trading ground, Mo Fei saw only the stationed wolf warriors, with few others present. Yet within this market, he spotted the Minotaurs Wodo had mentioned. Though Minotaurs exist on Mo Fei’s home continent as the Berserker Clan, the Minotaurs here seemed even more formidable. Perhaps, being separated by two different continents, their evolutionary paths had diverged.
These Minotaurs never moved alone; at least four or five gathered together. They are mortal enemies of the Bear Clan. Ever since the Bears seized their territory, whenever they meet, it is always a life-or-death struggle.
“Honored—” Wodo began, but Mo Fei cut him off.
“You may call me Mo Fei. She is Irene, and this is Vivian. You can call me ‘Young Master’ as my brothers do back home. Don’t call me ‘honored guest’ anymore—I call you by your names, don’t I?”
“Alright.” Wodo grinned. “I was about to say, if Young Master wants to deal with the Bear Clan, it’s best to build a good relationship with the Minotaurs. With their help, things become much easier. They and the Bears are natural enemies.”
“I didn’t come to this continent just to deal with the Bear Clan. But if anyone threatens me or my friends, I won’t hesitate to confront them,” Mo Fei replied calmly.
“The Bear Clan is likely to become your adversary. They are fiercely xenophobic—if they see you, they’ll surely try to capture you.”
“As long as I refuse, no one can force me to do what I dislike—not anyone!” Mo Fei’s confidence was evident.
Wodo heard the hint of deadly resolve in Mo Fei’s words.
“Looks like those Minotaurs are about to have trouble,” Mo Fei observed, watching the direction the Minotaurs walked. A squad of about sixty Bear warriors approached, their purpose unclear.
Sure enough, the four Minotaurs, upon seeing the Bears, their eyes turned red. They seized their massive wooden clubs and moved forward.
That four Minotaurs dared approach sixty Bear warriors demonstrated their ferocity. The Bear warriors, seeing the Minotaurs coming, grew grim.
“Should we help the Minotaur warriors?” Irene asked. Ever since learning it was the Bear Clan who started the war on the other continent, she felt uneasy about them. Seeing them now outnumbering the Minotaurs, she was even less pleased, instinctively ignoring that it was the Minotaurs who charged ahead.
The four Minotaurs glared fiercely at the sixty Bear warriors, eyes blazing as if about to spit fire. Though enraged, they understood their disadvantage: no matter how strong they were, they were only four, while the Bears were a trained squad.
The Bears also knew that, one-on-one, no race on the continent could match Minotaurs. They had fought them before, always barely scraping by, which bred a deep fear. Despite their overwhelming numbers now, they dared not attack first—whoever charged ahead would surely die.
So both sides stood tense, neither daring to make the first move, until Mo Fei and his companions approached.
One Bear clearly recognized Mo Fei’s attire as foreign, likely having visited Mo Fei’s home continent. At once, the sixty Bear warriors grew restless. If not for the Minotaurs nearby, they would have already rushed at Mo Fei’s group.
“From your looks, you intend harm to guests of the Wolf Clan?” Wodo said coldly.
“Young Chieftain, you know those from the other continent are enemies of my Bear Clan, yet you shelter them. Are you choosing to stand against us?” the squad leader demanded.
“You think you are fit to rival the Wolf Clan? I haven’t asked why you trespass on our land—do you really believe, in your current state, you could leave alive?” With a wave of his hand, Wodo’s companions instantly pressed two fingers to their mouths and blew the Wolf Clan’s sharp warning whistle, signaling an enemy attack.
The sound had barely faded when a squad of wolf warriors rushed from the camp.
In an instant, over three hundred wolf warriors surrounded everyone. A leader stepped forward, saluted Wodo, and asked, “Young Chieftain, are these the ones?”
“What do you think?” Wodo replied without answering directly.
Whenever a wolf answers an alarm, they must respond swiftly, or else face punishment from the chieftain. The punishment is not severe in itself, but its implication is unbearable: ignoring a clansman’s plea for help, cowardice in the face of danger—such disgrace is intolerable in any clan. Those punished are cast out, condemned to die alone.
The wolf warriors raised their curved blades, encircling the Bear squad.
“We are here under orders to invite your chieftain…” At such a critical moment, the Bear squad leader knew he had to speak, or blood would soon be shed.
Hearing they came to invite the chieftain, the wolf warriors hesitated, but quickly grew angry again. How dare the Bear Clan send such a ragtag squad to summon their leader—an insult to the Wolf Clan. With a whistle for attack, the wolf warriors swung their blades.
As the wolves attacked, the Bear leader realized his mistake. He had come to deliver a message, not to summon anyone. But regret was useless now; all he could do was draw his blade and fight—if he could escape, it would be a miracle.
The four Minotaurs charged in as well. The Bears, already surrounded and unable to fend off the wolf warriors, now faced the Minotaurs’ onslaught, and their collapse was swift.
The coordination between wolf warriors and Minotaurs was so seamless that Mo Fei wondered if they had planned it beforehand. The Minotaurs swung their clubs, forcing Bears to block, but then the wolves’ curved blades pierced the Bears’ bellies.
In this battle, the Minotaurs suffered no casualties; several wolves were badly wounded, yet none retreated. Only after all the Bears lay dead did the wounded wolves sink to the ground, gasping for breath.
Healing wounds was Mo Fei’s specialty. He approached the injured wolves, murmured a spell, and gently passed his hand over their wounds. Bleeding stopped at once, and the wounds began to heal.
Mo Fei’s skill left Wodo stunned. Such healing was reserved for the nobility here. Ordinarily, the wounded either sealed their wounds with earth, or like wolves, chewed a herb found in the forest and applied it, which healed over several days.
“You… are you… a priest?” Wodo stammered.