News of the gathering party's success spread like wildfire throughout the Leopard Clan. When Gu Liang returned to the tribe with the fully loaded group, the gaze that met him was utterly different from when he had left. Suspicion and contempt had diminished greatly, replaced by curiosity, amazement, and even a hint of barely perceptible respect.The female beastfolk who had accompanied him on the gathering trip boasted to everyone about his "divine foresight," how he had enabled them to bring back more food than in previous years with less time and effort.
Grayclaw slapped his shoulder excitedly (carefully avoiding his injured hand), his old face breaking into a chrysanthemum-like smile: "Good lad! Well done! The chieftain is pleased!"
Even Chief Inkmane, after tallying the mountains of tubers and nuts, gave Gu Liang a rare nod of approval and issued an order: "Hugely will oversee the distribution of the tribe's harvest and the inventory of vital supplies. Gu Liang will assist him."
This order invisibly granted Gu Liang a position without formal title but with real influence. He was no longer merely a "useful slave," but began accessing the tribe's core operational data—grain reserves, weapon counts, even the consumption of strategic resources like salt stones.
A Lie's expression darkened further. He sensed his grip on this lowly slave slipping, as the man infiltrated the tribe's fabric in ways he couldn't fathom. Several times he sought to find fault, only to be gently but firmly rebuffed by Mo Zong. The chieftain needed Gu Liang's mind to prepare for winter—this served the tribe's paramount interest.
Gu Liang moved out of that filthy slave corner. Grayclaw cleared a small but dry and tidy space for him beside the warehouse storing the record tablets.His food improved too—still simple, but at least filling. The hand, treated with ointments and mysterious roots, healed better than expected. Though permanently scarred and never fully restored, it could now write and handle less delicate tasks.
Yet Gu Liang felt neither ease nor safety. His elevated status meant greater scrutiny and made him a more conspicuous target in A Lie's eyes. He walked a tightrope, each step requiring utmost caution.
He poured all his energy into his work, numbing himself with frantic calculations and planning while solidifying his worth. He assisted Grayclaw in reorganizing past records, etching them onto new stone tablets with a clearer symbolic system. For the first time, the tribe's resource status was laid out so transparently before Inkmane.
Simultaneously, his thoughts expanded. His experiences at the gathering grounds made him realize the tribe's survival was profoundly dependent on nature, lacking the ability to actively reshape their environment. For instance, their only source of drinking water was a single river. It ran muddy during the rainy season, its level dropped during the dry season, making the water source harder to reach and more susceptible to contamination (his injured paw was a lesson learned).
A plan slowly took shape in his mind—water diversion.
He studied the tribe's terrain and the river's course, discovering that if a simple diversion channel could be dug at a suitable point upstream, the river water could be channeled into a low-lying area within the tribe to form a reservoir. This would not only solve the daily water supply problem but also be used for washing hides and even attempting small-scale irrigation (he had noticed edible wild plants growing near the tribe).
But this was a massive undertaking, requiring significant manpower and carrying the risk of failure. He needed the right moment to propose it.
The opportunity arose with an early sign of the dry season. Days without rain had caused the river level to drop noticeably, and the water had turned murky. The beasts fetching water complained incessantly.
Gu Liang sensed the moment had arrived. Instead of approaching Mo Zong directly, he first sought out Grey Claw, detailing his idea and preliminary plan (demonstrated with branches and stones on the sand).
Grayclaw stared in disbelief at the "magically" appearing sand channel, as if witnessing a miracle. "This... this could actually work?"
"With proper planning and sufficient manpower, it's possible," Gu Liang answered cautiously. "It could solve the dry season water shortage, reduce the distance for fetching water, and provide cleaner water, which would decrease illnesses."
Grayclaw was thrilled and immediately pulled Gu Liang along to find Chief Blackmane.
As Gu Liang delivered his clear, logical explanation, Inkmane studied the distinct water route on the sand table, his eyes flashing with sharp focus. As leader, he understood the critical importance of a stable water source. But this project sounded monumental—it would require mobilizing vast labor resources. What if it failed...?
"How many men do you need? How long will it take? What are your chances of success?" Mo Zong asked gravely, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
Gu Liang had already calculated: "The first batch will require about thirty men, primarily for clearing the route and excavating the main channel. That should take roughly ten days. Additional men will be needed later for reinforcement and digging the reservoir. My confidence... seventy percent. As long as the route survey is accurate and we have sufficient labor, we should succeed in diverting the water." He didn't overstate his case.
Mo Zong pondered for a long moment, his gaze shifting between Gu Liang's composed face and the sand table. Ultimately, the thirst for water overrode his concerns about risk. "Agreed! I'll give you thirty men! Greyclaw, you'll assist him in coordinating supplies. Within ten days, I want to see water flowing through the canal!"
The order sent shockwaves through the tribe. A slave leading orcs to dig a canal? Unheard of! Doubts erupted, especially from A Lie and his followers, who openly mocked it as "a slave's pipe dream."
But Blackmane's resolve was unshakable. The thirty orcs assigned to Gu Liang, though mostly reluctant, dared not defy their chieftain's command.
The project commenced. Gu Liang faced unprecedented challenges. Not only did he need to precisely measure the elevation and direction of the water diversion route (using the simplest principle of a level—a basin of water), but he also had to command these discontented orcs who deliberately dragged their feet.
He scarcely left the site, marking excavation areas with branches and personally demonstrating how to use stone shovels and wooden poles to pry soil with less effort. Taciturn yet exacting, he demanded immediate rework for substandard sections.
The orcs grumbled at first, but gradually they realized this frail slave truly knew what he was doing. The routes he marked out indeed had the right slope; the depths and widths he demanded seemed genuinely logical. Moreover, he assigned tasks fairly and worked no less than anyone else.
More importantly, Emma's figure would occasionally appear near the construction site. She never interfered, merely observing quietly for a while. Sometimes she would "just happen" to advise the sentry on duty about more effective ways to position the guard posts (to guard against beasts or accidents). Other times, she would "casually" mention to the orc foreman that "Father is keeping a close eye on the progress here."
Her words were few, yet they acted like an invisible whip, lashing those who slacked off, and like an unseen talisman, preventing A Lie's men from openly sabotaging the work.
Gu Liang sensed it all. He knew Emma was providing covert protection. This safeguard no longer evoked simple dependence or gratitude; instead, it heightened his vigilance—the more she invested, the greater her ambitions must be.
With the ten-day deadline approaching, the main channel was finally nearing its final stretch. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the moment of final breakthrough when the river water would surge in.
Gu Liang stood at the channel's terminus, his heart pounding. Success or failure hinged on this moment.
"Dig through!" he ordered hoarsely.
The final clumps of earth and rock were cleared away!
All eyes widened, fixed on the channel's upstream direction—
Silence. Nothing happened.
A wave of disappointed boos and jeers erupted from the beastmen crowd.
"See! I told you it was a waste of effort!"
"Slaves are slaves—nothing but dreamers!"
Gu Liang's face instantly drained of color. Impossible! His calculations couldn't be wrong!
Just as despair threatened to overwhelm him, a faint gurgling sound reached his ears!
Immediately, a murky stream began flowing down the channel—slowly at first, but steadily and unwaveringly. It grew faster and more urgent, until finally, it surged through the breach they had just dug, rushing toward the tribe!
Success! Water!
After a brief, deathly silence, the construction site erupted in thunderous cheers! The beastmen watched the flowing river, jumping up in excitement. Some even ran to scoop up water with their hands and drink it greedily!
Gu Liang collapsed onto the ground, watching the jubilant crowd and the flowing channel, breathing heavily as sweat mixed with mud trickled down his temples. An immense, almost exhausting sense of accomplishment washed over him.
He had done it! He had truly used knowledge and calculation to change a corner of this world!
[Target Individual Gu Liang successfully completed the water diversion project, earning widespread tribal recognition. His sense of accomplishment and self-confidence reached unprecedented heights, leading to heightened self-assurance. His darkness value significantly decreased to 15%. His social standing underwent a substantial transformation.]
Amidst the cheers, Gu Liang lifted his head, his gaze cutting through the crowd to find Emma standing atop the high slope.
She was watching him too, her face expressionless, yet a complex flicker seemed to pass through her light brown eyes—a hint of relief, yet also a deeper, more profound worry.
Then she turned and walked away, like a silent ghost.
The joy in Gu Liang's heart cooled slightly. He knew the canal's success had merely propelled him onto a higher, more perilous stage.
A-lie's fury, the tug-of-war between old and new factions within the tribe, and Emma's unfathomable motives... all lurked like hidden currents beneath the river's surface, ready to swallow him whole at any moment.
But he was no longer merely a slave to fear. He possessed something now—worth, nascent recognition, and this channel of water, surging and unstoppable, which he had brought forth with his own hands.
This water could nourish the tribe, and perhaps... it could also wash away some of the filth.
ns216.73.216.141da2
and then Add to home screen.