Chapter 17 : The Great River Tribe
Chapter 17: The Great River Tribe
In the end, Lei still chose to remain in this tribe known as “Great River” for the time being.
On one hand, he was curious about this tribe.
On the other, he also wanted to know whether the gods had ever descended upon this tribe.
After spending a week, Lei successfully mastered the language of the Great River Tribe.
“Divine Envoy.”
“These are freshly picked fruits from today, very sweet.”
Da Zhuang respectfully presented bright red fruits.
In the Great River Tribe, having a two-character name was a symbol of strength and status.
“Thank you.”
Lei accepted the fruit and expressed his thanks politely.
Having just arrived, the primitiveness of this tribe truly shocked him.
A population of over three thousand people relied entirely on the river’s fish, periodic hunting, and gathering wild fruits for survival, yet they had absolutely no understanding of what “farming” or “animal husbandry” were.
This resulted in most of the tribe appearing sallow and emaciated.
It made Lei feel that even his body before receiving divine favor could easily handle several people here.
Previously, due to the language barrier, he could not communicate.
So now, he decided to visit the tribe’s priest to inquire about the doubts in his heart.
Because he did not understand why they did not engage in farming and animal husbandry.
These could provide abundant food and prevent the tribe from suffering hunger.
“Da Zhuang, where is the priest now?”
“Divine Envoy, you wish to see the priest?”
“I’ll take you there!”
Da Zhuang was very enthusiastic and took the initiative to lead the way.
Along the way, when the tribespeople saw Lei,
they all fell to their knees in fear, shouting “Heavenly God.”
This left Lei helpless. He had already explained many times that he was not a “god.”
Unfortunately, the results were minimal.
Only people like Da Zhuang, who were bold and had more contact with him, reluctantly changed to calling him “Divine Envoy.”
However, Lei found this title somewhat fitting, since he indeed carried divine favor and could be considered a messenger of the gods.
The only thing that puzzled him was
that in this large tribe of more than three thousand people, he had not sensed the presence of any other divine-favored individuals.
This caused a faint sense of superiority to arise within him.
Perhaps the gaze of the gods truly favored only their Star Tribe.
They were special!
“Priest, the Divine Envoy has arrived.”
Arriving before a dwelling,
Da Zhuang respectfully announced at the door.
The wooden door was pushed open from within.
An old man with a hunched figure, draped in worn feather ornaments, and a face covered in deep wrinkles stepped out.
Lei’s first impression of him was—old.
Even older than the late priest of the Star Tribe.
Upon seeing Lei, a trace of complexity flashed through the old man’s cloudy eyes, before he slowly knelt and paid his respects:
“Arou greets the envoy of the Heavenly God.”
Lei accepted the gesture calmly.
In this era, there was no emphasis on respecting the elderly.
Thus, as one favored by the gods, his status was naturally above that of any mortal priest.
“I wonder what instructions the Divine Envoy has for me?”
Priest Arou’s voice was hoarse and humble.
As a priest, he had spent his entire life praying for a response from the gods, yet had never truly witnessed a miracle nor heard a divine oracle.
When Lei, this “Divine Envoy” who could control flames, appeared,
he felt both excited and terrified.
He believed that the gods had finally taken notice of the Great River Tribe and sent a messenger to deliver their will.
It was only before that, due to the language barrier, they could not communicate.
“Priest Arou, please rise. I am not here to convey a divine oracle…”
Lei spoke in a calm tone.
“I simply wish to speak with you… about the gods.”
He wanted to know whether the gods had ever revealed themselves to this tribe.
In his understanding, that great existence who resided above the stars should be the creator of this world and ought to be worshiped by all living beings.
Priest Arou was momentarily stunned, confused.
Should not the Divine Envoy understand the Heavenly God better than he did?
Perhaps… this was a test from the Heavenly God to see whether their tribe’s faith was devout?
He respectfully invited Lei into the house.
Then he began recounting the stories about the “gods” that had been passed down orally through generations of priests.
At first, Lei listened attentively, even with a hint of envy in his eyes.
Because he himself had never seen the true form of the gods and could only imagine them through his father’s descriptions.
However, as Priest Arou continued speaking, Lei’s brows gradually furrowed.
When he heard the priest describe in an extremely devout tone that the “god” possessed “massive wings that could blot out the sky,” and would send floods upon mortals for their disrespect,
Lei could not help but interrupt:
“Priest Arou, are you certain…”
“that the gods look like this?”
As Apollo’s child, what he had heard since childhood was a different version:
The gods had no fixed form.
Or rather, their true form far surpassed mortal comprehension.
They resided at the center of countless stars, and their world, in the eyes of the gods, was nothing more than an insignificant speck within the boundless sea of stars!
Priest Arou was about to instinctively refute.
This was the image of the gods passed down through generations of priests—beyond question!
But the words halted at his lips when he saw the doubt in Lei’s golden eyes and recalled his identity.
This was a Divine Envoy who could command fire!
A being who had truly seen the Heavenly God!
Priest Arou faltered, a trace of panic flashing across his face. After a moment of hesitation, he forced himself to explain.
“Divine Envoy, I heard from the previous priest that the Heavenly God is omnipotent and possesses many forms.”
“Perhaps when the Heavenly God descends into the mortal world, it uses a different form.”
In this ignorant age, tribespeople often attributed various incomprehensible natural phenomena—
such as floods, droughts, lightning, and forest fires—
to the emotions of the “gods,” assigning them all kinds of concrete forms.
But this explanation only made the sense of discord in Lei’s heart grow stronger.
The “Heavenly God” described by Priest Arou would become angry if dissatisfied with sacrifices and grant blessings for devout prayers.
And this was completely different from the god described by his father!
The god his father spoke of—its grandeur and vastness—
had already transcended the concept of power itself, closer to a law of the world, a cold order.
How could it possibly be the being Arou described, one that quibbled over mortal offerings and displayed emotions so plainly!
This was clearly a mistaken understanding!
An inexplicable irritation rose within Lei, making him feel uncomfortable.
He suppressed the displeasure in his heart, but his voice unconsciously grew colder.
“Priest Arou, I believe you are mistaken.”
“The one I worship is the ruler who governs the stars.”
“Its greatness far surpasses your imagination.”
“That being you speak of… one that requires offerings from mortals and punishes over trivial matters—”
“is not even worthy of being called a god!”
“Because a god does not care whether mortals worship or make offerings to it!”