"Shaman Leon?"
After Maya spoke, she didn't hear a response for a while. She couldn't help but look up and ask softly.
Shaman Leon came back to his senses from deep thought and asked gently, "Bogart was really punished by the Ancestral Mother?"
"It's true!" Maya nodded firmly. "We all saw it!"
Then she looked at Arnold and the others. They all nodded together. "Yes, we saw it!"
So many people had seen the Ancestral Mother appear… Shaman Leon stayed silent and nodded slowly.
"Shaman Leon, is there… something wrong?" Maya noticed that his expression didn't seem quite right.
"No." Shaman Leon pushed down his shock at Bogart's death and changed the subject. "What did those two children do wrong again?"
Maya didn't want to mention Tanya's powerful abilities, so she made up a random excuse.
Shaman Leon had things on his mind and didn't press her about the lie. He just spoke kindly, "They're unlucky children. You're the most beautiful and outstanding female in our village. You shouldn't be too close to them. Look at the wound on your face…"
He reached out and lightly touched her face, his expression full of pity. "Such a shame."
Maya had already felt wronged because of the wound. Now that Shaman Leon pointed it out, she felt even more upset and wanted to cry.
"But it's okay. Maya is still the most outstanding female in Little River Village," Shaman Leon added absently, then turned and walked back toward the tribe.
What he said made Maya feel even more wronged. She believed this pain wasn't something she should have suffered.
Yes, it shouldn't have been her!
If Tanya and the others hadn't hung Bogart upside down on the tree, she wouldn't have gone to save him out of pity. If she hadn't gone, she wouldn't have been caught in the Ancestral Mother's anger! Her face wouldn't be hurt! She wouldn't be disfigured! She would still be the most beautiful woman in the village!
So in the end, it was all Tanya's fault!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She blamed Tanya completely.
Then she thought about how Shaman Leon didn't plan to take her side just now. Suddenly she became bold and forgot about the recent appearance of the Ancestral Mother's anger.
She coldly ordered Arnold, "Throw those two unlucky kids into the river!"
She forgot, but Arnold and the others hadn't. None of them dared to move.
They weren't listening to her anymore!
Maya grew even angrier!
Back when she wasn't disfigured, how well did they listen to her? Even when she said she wouldn't choose any of them as a partner, the warriors of the tribe still followed her words like law!
But look at them now. Just because she got disfigured, they wouldn't even obey her anymore!
Whose fault was this?
Tanya!
And those two unlucky kids too! Shaman Leon was right. She got unlucky because she stayed too close to them and got caught in the Ancestral Mother's anger!
Maya lost control. She ran at Star and Moon, reaching out to push them into the river.
The water in this part of Little River wasn't as fast anymore, and it wasn't very deep. It went just above a grown man's waist. But for two kids who couldn't swim, it was still very dangerous.
Just as her hands were about to touch them, Miles suddenly appeared like a gust of wind. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and flung her aside.
Arnold and the others rushed to catch her, but Miles moved too fast and used too much force. They were a beat too slow, and she landed hard on the ground.
"Ah!"
Maya screamed. No one could tell if it was because she was scared or hurt.
Arnold and the others helped her up quickly. But before she could stand steady, Tanya stepped in front of her.
Without warning, Tanya slapped her hard across the face twice.
She used a lot of strength. Maya didn't expect it at all. The blows knocked her right into Arnold's arms.
"You! Tanya! How dare you hit me!"
Maya froze for a second. When she realized what had happened, she was shocked and furious. She lay in Arnold's arms, crying from the pain and humiliation. "Waaah waaah!"
That made Arnold and the others heartbroken!
The female they admired was hit in public. That was the same as if they had been hit!
Arnold, who was usually quiet and kind, now looked furious. He clenched his fists and glared at Tanya.
Miles stepped next to Tanya and put his arm naturally around her waist. Looking at the group, he asked with a lazy yet arrogant tone, "You want to challenge me?"
Arnold and the others froze and hesitated.
Miles used to be the top warrior in Little River Village. He could fight more than ten warriors at once without losing.
They hesitated. Clearly, they weren't strong enough to beat him.
But one of them whispered, "Why are we scared? He was injured by a cave lion. We saw those wounds with our own eyes. Even if he didn't die, he must be useless now. What are we afraid of?"
Right!
The others suddenly looked excited.
Arnold suddenly understood and gained confidence. "Your female hurt Maya. We're challenging you!"
This was the advantage of big families in the tribe.
If it was a personal grudge between males, the challenge would be one-on-one.
But if it was about a conflict between females, then the challenge involved the whole family.
In other words, the more people on your side, the better your chances!
Star and Moon understood the tribe's rules. When they saw Miles was about to face ten people alone, they got worried.
"Brother Miles is still injured…"
Tanya patted his shoulder. "Then you go first. If it gets too tough, call me."
The ten males across from them had strange looks on their faces. Miles looked at her helplessly. "Do you not trust me?"
"Uh…" Tanya thought about it. "I just think they might cheat."
"Don't worry. I won't let you down."
As Miles started to fight, Tanya suddenly realized something and asked, "Why do they think I'm Miles' female?"
Him stepping up to fight meant they were considered a family now?
How did things turn out this way?
Star and Moon stood on either side of her. At the same time, they looked up at her and asked, "Sister, don't you think Brother Miles is a good man?"
He really was. He was capable, strong, good-looking, nice to look at, and very easy to work with. Tanya couldn't deny it, so she nodded. "He's good."
Star said, "Then choosing Brother Miles as your warrior won't be a mistake!"
Moon added, "Yeah! Lots of females in Central Clan want to pick Brother Miles! Sister, you're awesome. You acted fast!"
The two of them spoke one after the other, and it left Tanya confused.
When did she pick Miles?
She never said she would choose him!
While she was struggling with that, Maya looked at the ten males who had all been knocked to the ground. Her face turned completely dark.