frightfiction Chapter 613 The Mistress of the Tanit Tribe
Chapter 613 The Mistress of the Tanit Tribe
Xu Ning walked silently behind for a long time, drinking his wine, before he remembered that Jeberle's old partner, "Silly Girl," had mentioned that the two of them had been driven out of the tribe back then and had probably been chased by Babel, who said he wanted to go back and take revenge.
"So, Babel accepted his enemy's child without any resentment and even seemed to value him highly. Is he really that magnanimous?"
Putting aside his doubts about the Tanit tribe, Xu Ning, with the thought that since he was already there, might as well make the best of it, followed Jade into the Tanit settlement.
According to Jade, the Tanit tribe, like many tribes in the desert, may move to a different place every two or three years, and the main factor influencing their migration is water.
However, the Tanit tribe is somewhat different from other tribes.
No matter how they migrate, they basically just circle around the Thousand Ravines Sandy Land, because in the legends passed down orally among the Tanit people, the secret of the Flower Mistress is hidden under the never-ending sandstorm in the middle of the desert, and most likely it is the hiding place of the "Eternal Oasis".
Therefore, the Tanit tribe usually arranges for people to seal off this area as a forbidden place, which is the group of guards that Xu Ning encountered.
"So when they saw you come out of there, they not only found it strange, but they were also afraid that they had failed in their duties, which is why they reacted so strongly."
Xu Ning nodded in understanding. "I see you came from there too. When you say you're dealing with personal matters, do you mean you're going to explore the Eternal Oasis?"
Hearing Xu Ning's question, Jade was silent for a moment, then finally shook her head. "No. But I've never stopped exploring the Eternal Oasis. Even Matriarch Babel is very supportive of me, and she's even opened these forbidden places to me..."
Xu Ning nodded silently.
Jade lives in a tribe with whom her father has a grudge, and has acquired a particularly alienated identity. She also seems to be doing some shady business for Babel, so it seems that Tanit himself has no choice but to go there.
Upon entering the canyon of Tanit, Xu Ning carefully observed the composition of the personnel in the vicinity.
It's clear that these people's positions were carefully arranged, and a lot of thought was put into it, so they could basically observe the entire narrow canyon.
However, the quality of these guards varied considerably. If he wanted to break through here without being detected, he had at least five methods at his disposal.
"Speaking of which, we've been walking together for a while now, but where's Benben?"
Xu Ning suddenly remembered Benben, who had been taken away by Jiede, and the little contraption that was always with Jiede, which he hadn't even seen.
Jade turned around and said, "Ever since Benben came here with me, I've noticed that he's been a bit listless. Later, I asked Adefi, the most knowledgeable person in the tribe, and he told me to leave Benben with him for now. I'm taking you to see Benben now."
"Adelphie, I'm here!"
Before Jade even reached the tent, she started shouting.
Xu Ning saw a man who seemed out of place among the mercenaries, appearing somewhat refined, walk out of the tent. He glanced indifferently at Jade and the others.
"You're back. Benben is inside. Go see for yourself if you want. Also, what do these people do?"
As Jade crawled into the tent, she replied, "He's a friend, a good friend I made before I came here. How about Benben? Can you fix it?"
Adelphie's face remained impassive. "No problem, it's not a serious matter. We'll have the results in the next couple of days."
Xu Ning followed Jie De into the tent and glanced at Benben.
The little thing seemed a bit listless, and its spinning and moving speed was noticeably slower.
Xu Ning knew nothing about mechanical arts and couldn't be of any help. While Jade and Benben were whispering to each other, he casually glanced at Adefi's tent.
The tent was quite large, suggesting that this guy held some status within the Tanit tribe.
There were quite a few things piled up inside, with boxes of all sizes scattered everywhere, yet it didn't look messy, showing that this person was very organized.
After leaving the tent, Jade mentioned that this Adefi was in charge of business in the tribe, but he lived a secluded life and generally did not receive outsiders. Madam Babel would only call him when she was doing business with other tribes.
When they went to see the matriarch of the Tanit tribe, a small incident occurred.
When Jade led them to find Babel, they discovered that Babel was interrogating a prisoner on the stone steps outside, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers.
Jade gestured for Xu Ning to wait a moment, and Xu Ning stood behind the group, quietly observing the people inside.
“Mistress Babel, the fault is not mine. I… I had no idea what those outsiders were up to. Please let me explain…”
A young man stood before a beautiful woman, pleading desperately.
"Please, give me another chance, Madam. I will prove my loyalty... I will defend it with my life..."
The woman coldly snapped, “Shut up! What do you call me? Master? What makes you think I’m no longer your family, but some kind of master? Your tongue is tainted with the poison of outsiders, and your mind has been corrupted by the gold of outsiders. You can’t keep him here. Take him out. He was once one of our people. You know what to do.”
Xu Ning saw Jie De walk out.
The beautiful woman looked up and saw Jade, as well as Xu Ning and the other person behind her. She smiled and said, "Jade brought friends? Let others handle these matters; entertaining friends is the most important thing..."
The woman waved her hand, and two men came out and dragged the man who was begging for mercy away.
"Although Jade may have already mentioned me to you, let me introduce myself anyway. My name is Babel, and I am the chieftain of the Tanit tribe. I was just dealing with a thief in my own tribe. Although I was just following the tribe's rules, it is my responsibility to let the guests witness such a shameful thing."
Xu Ning smiled and introduced himself and Belial, saying, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do. As guests, we dare not interfere in the affairs of our host family. Although our encounter with Jade was by chance, it was actually due to the last wish of an elder. We will be staying here for a few days, and we hope we will not disturb you."
Babel chuckled, “How could it be an intrusion? We at Tannet have always welcomed distinguished guests like you. If your last wish refers to the matter of Jade’s parents, then I think you’ve come at the perfect time. I’ve already instructed that the area of the Eternal Oasis be opened to Jade, allowing her to explore freely…”
"...After all, because she is a semi-outsider, she is not required to follow the tribe's ancient taboos. Once these secrets are discovered, they could bring a new turning point to the tribe's survival. As Jade's friends, I am naturally willing to trust you, and you can enjoy the same treatment as Jade."