Chapter 262

Chapter 249: Possession

At dusk, in the Tupa Tribe’s camp, inside Kapak’s tent.

Looking at Sando, who suddenly became aggressive, Kapak was momentarily taken aback, but quickly regained his composure. He opened his hands toward Sando and said, “You misunderstand, Sando. I am neither a spy of the invaders nor possessed by an evil spirit. I am just using these medicines to help my people.”

“Help? With those white-skinned drugs?” Sando said fiercely, while Kapak continued to explain.

“Listen to me, Sando. Although the invaders are bloody and cruel, their technology is indeed advanced. Didn’t you see? I have helped many of our people relieve their pain over the past few days, and this is evident!”

“For now, they may be fine, but who knows what might happen in the future! God knows if you’ve planted any hidden dangers!” Sando continued sternly, clearly unwilling to listen to a word from Kapak, which made Kapak very angry.

“Why won’t you believe me, Sando? Everything I do is truly for the good of the tribe!”

“What makes you think I should believe you? You, an ordinary hunter, suddenly turned into a skilled healer. Many in the tribe have watched you grow up, and no one has seen you learn this… You were either secretly trained by the white skins to become a spy or possessed by an evil spirit.”

As he spoke, Sando approached Kapak, towering over him with his massive frame. His clenched fists seemed ready to strike Kapak at any moment, while Kapak swallowed and said, “I am not a spy of the invaders, nor am I possessed by an evil spirit. You have to believe me, Sando.”

Kapak looked at Sando with firm eyes. Upon seeing the other’s attitude, Sando’s anger surged again, his fists tightening, but in the end, he managed to suppress his fury.

“If there are any problems, go speak to the Shaman Lord!”

…

At dusk in the Tupa Tribe’s camp, inside a large tent located at the center of the camp, an elderly man wearing an eagle-feathered headdress and a colorful fringed robe sat in the middle of the tent.

The old man was smoking a pipe while scrutinizing the object before him—a hand bound with a splint. The hand’s owner, Qiqiru, looked nervously at the old man and asked with a hint of fear, “Shaman Lord, is there anything wrong with my hand that Kapak treated? I just heard rumors that Kapak is possessed by an evil spirit, and suddenly he’s so powerful. Will I—”

“Don’t worry, Qiqiru. Your injury has been treated well. There are no traces of an evil spirit, and I can sense that your spirit is joyful from being free of pain.”

“While I may not fully understand the healing techniques for your arm, I can tell from your spirit’s feedback that this medical practice is indeed correct and effective. It’s a profound and practical skill.”

The elderly man, referred to as the Shaman, spoke to Qiqiru in a calm tone. Upon hearing the old shaman’s words, Qiqiru felt relieved and sighed, “Phew… that’s truly great! I thought if Kapak was possessed by an evil spirit, I would also be unlucky. Good to know… looks like he really learned something from some wild shaman…”

Qiqiru said with relief, while the old shaman shook his head and smiled slightly. “No shaman on this land could possess such skills. Such techniques cannot be easily learned in just a few tries.”

Listening to the old shaman’s words, Qiqiru was taken aback, but then incredulously said, “If no shaman can master such an art, then Kapak truly is…”

Just as Qiqiru was about to say something in shock, the old shaman waved his hand, interrupting him. “You can leave now. I have other matters to attend to soon.”

“Yes…”

Seeing the old shaman’s gesture, Qiqiru respectfully responded and promptly exited without delay, while the old shaman continued to smoke his pipe and wait.

After a short while, Sando burst into the tent, dragging Kapak with him. One was tense, the other domineering.

“Shaman Lord, I’ve brought Kapak. The techniques he used indeed have problems; they originate from those white-skinned people!”

“Shaman Lord, listen to me; I have no ill intentions towards the tribe…”

As soon as Kapak and Sando entered, they began to argue and explain to the old shaman, who, after taking a puff from his pipe, impatiently spoke up.

“Alright, alright… stop shouting. I can hear you… just stand there quietly…”

Hearing the old shaman’s words, Kapak and Sando immediately fell silent, and after scanning the two of them, the old shaman slowly stood up.

Bending slightly, the old shaman approached Kapak and began to circle around him. During this process, he occasionally picked up two small jars from the ground and sprinkled some water and powder onto Kapak, but nothing unusual occurred.

Seeing this, the old shaman’s brow furrowed slightly before he gently put down the jars. “Kapak, come with me. Sando, you return first.”

After briefly speaking to Kapak and Sando, the old shaman picked up a staff from the side and walked out of the tent. Kapak was momentarily taken aback and then followed him, leaving Sando with a puzzled expression behind. Finally, Sando shouted after the departing old shaman, “Shaman Lord, you must punish this invader’s spy!”

Following the old shaman, Kapak exited the tent and left the camp, walking toward the forest beside the camp in the fading light of dusk, delving further in.

Accompanying the old shaman, Kapak walked through the dark woods, maintaining his gaze on the determined figure ahead. Anxiously, he spoke up. “Shaman Lord, where are you taking me? And please don’t believe Sando; I am absolutely not an invader’s spy! I even learned to read from you when I was a child!”

“I certainly know you are not a spy. If you were, you wouldn’t be so brazen about treating illnesses. Besides, I do not believe the invaders would let such an excellent healer like you become a spy, wasting your talents. Our small tribe isn’t viewed as having that kind of importance in their eyes.”

Walking ahead, the old shaman responded to Kapak, and upon hearing his words, Kapak’s heart felt lighter with joy. He continued to ask the old shaman, “That’s great, Shaman Lord. Since you don’t believe Sando’s claims, I’m not a spy. Please explain this to him later.”

“Haha, even if I explain, Sando won’t listen.”

“Why wouldn’t he listen to your explanation?” Listening to the old shaman’s words, Kapak asked in confusion, and the old shaman responded slowly.

“Sando’s relatives were killed by the invaders, and he harbors strong hatred for them. Because of this hatred, he has gained prestige within the tribe, attracting a group of others who share his animosity and swaying the neutrals to his side, thus forming authoritative discourse based on this foundation. If nothing unexpected happens, he might just become the next chieftain… And your actions over these past few days might be an unforeseen problem for him. When it comes to power, explanations and reason are of no use.”

“When it concerns power… all reasoning is useless…” Listening to the old shaman’s words, Kapak fell into contemplation and then spoke up again toward the old shaman ahead of him, “Whether things can be explained on Sando’s side doesn’t matter… as long as you, Shaman Lord, can trust me, then the tribe will naturally trust me.”

“Trust you? I’m sorry, Kapak, but I can’t do that right now.” The old shaman responded to Kapak, and upon hearing his response, Kapak was slightly taken aback.

“What… don’t you believe that I’m not a spy?”

“I believe you are not a spy, but I cannot dismiss the possibility of you being something else. I’ve watched you grow up, Kapak. I don’t recall you having learned such skilled medical techniques.” While continuing to walk, the old shaman’s tone began to carry a hint of pressure, and Kapak, feeling flustered, began to explain.

“I learned my medical skills by chance from a wandering shaman…”

“Haha, the shamans on this land do not possess such healing techniques as yours, and I have treated patients you have helped. Your treatments seem quite proficient, not at all like someone who simply learned a few things.”

The old shaman laughed lightly, revealing Kapak’s clumsy lies, and slowly turned to continue speaking to him.

“In this land, having mastered a skill without a teacher only has one possibility, and that is possession by an evil spirit. The spirit that has taken residence within you allows you to use its skills from its lifetime. Of course, this is not a good thing, as the spirit will eventually consume you.”

“But don’t worry, I will exorcise the evil spirit for you.”