Beast Taming Star Journey

The sound of horns echoed through the valley, carrying an eerie calm. The Lin family wants to negotiate? I clenched my fists, my mind filled with doubt. Just moments ago, they were at each other's throats, seemingly intent on annihilating us, but now they've suddenly proposed negotiations. There must be a trap.

"What is that old fox Lin Zhentian up to?"

I muttered to myself, my gaze sweeping over the exhausted tribesmen around me.

The intense fighting of the past few days had left everyone physically and mentally exhausted, and this sudden request for negotiation left them completely bewildered.

The clansmen reported that the Lin family had sent a formal letter of negotiation, agreeing to hold the negotiations at noon the next day on the open ground at the border between the two clans.

The clan chief held the letter, his hand trembling slightly, his brows furrowed, as if the thin paper weighed a ton.

"Xiaoyu, look at this..."

The clan chief handed me the letter, his tone filled with helplessness and dependence.

I took the letter and quickly glanced through it. It was filled with high-sounding words, nothing more than saying that the two races had been on good terms for generations, that the current conflict was just a misunderstanding, and that I hoped to resolve the conflict through negotiations, and so on.

I gave a cold laugh and crumpled the letter into a ball.

"A misunderstanding? They brought their men to our doorstep, and you call that a misunderstanding?"

The clan chief sighed and slumped into his chair.

"Alas, we have suffered heavy losses, and the Lin family is stronger than us. If we continue fighting, I'm afraid..."

He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was already clear. The elders of the family echoed his sentiments, advocating for accepting negotiations and preserving their strength.

Their eyes were filled with fear and despair, showing none of the responsibility expected of elders of a clan. A sense of powerlessness welled up inside me.

I know they have placed all their hopes on me, but I am just a teenager, and the heavy burden on my shoulders has left me feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm.

"Negotiation is possible, but we must be fully prepared and never let them lead us by the nose."

In the time that followed, I mustered my strength and discussed negotiation strategies with the clan leader and elders.

However, they had no clue what to do and just kept repeating empty phrases like "act according to circumstances" and "adapt to changing circumstances".

Seeing their bewildered expressions only fueled my frustration. Lin Zhentian was cunning and calculating; this negotiation was sure to be fraught with traps.

But we don't even have a proper plan. How can I feel at ease? As night fell, I stood alone in the courtyard, gazing up at the starry sky.

Tomorrow's negotiations will determine the fate of our family. I must find a way to uncover the Lin family's true intentions in order to gain the upper hand at the negotiating table.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps and turned around to see Su Yao.

She walked over to me and asked with concern, "What are you thinking about?"

I shook my head and said nothing.

“I know you’re worried,” Su Yao gently held my hand, “but don’t forget, I’m here for you.”

Her hands were warm and strong, like a warm current flowing into my heart. Looking into her determined eyes, a glimmer of hope ignited within me.

Just then, a clansman rushed in, shouting, "The Lin family... the Lin family has sent people!"

My heart tightened, and an ominous premonition welled up inside me. Su Yao patted my shoulder, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.

"Let's go and have a look."

We entered the front hall and saw a man dressed in black standing there, his expression arrogant. He was an envoy sent by the Lin family to test our strength.

"You are from the farming family?"

The man in black asked with a contemptuous tone. Su Yao stepped forward, blocking my way, and a powerful aura emanated from her.

"I am."

Her tone was icy, and her gaze was as sharp as a knife.

The man in black felt Su Yao's aura, his expression changed slightly, and he subconsciously took a step back... The man in black was intimidated by Su Yao's aura, his face turned pale, and his original arrogant expression disappeared.

His voice trembled as he said, "I...I just came to deliver a message..."

Su Yao snorted coldly: "Passing on a message? I think you're here to test the waters, aren't you? Go back and tell Lin Zhentian that we farmers aren't easy to bully!"

The man in black dared not say another word and quickly lowered his head and retreated. Watching his fleeing figure, the tribesmen's faces showed excitement.

The pent-up emotions of the past few days have finally found some release.

"Miss Su Yao is truly amazing!"

"With Miss Su Yao here, we will definitely win!"

The morale of my people soared, and I felt a sense of relief. Su Yao's strength was undoubtedly our greatest trump card. However, I did not let my guard down because of this.

Lin Zhentian is shrewd and calculating; this negotiation will definitely not be so simple. In the following time, I continued to discuss negotiation strategies with the clan leader and elders.

However, as I had anticipated, we had significant disagreements regarding the terms of the negotiations.

"The Lin family's demand that we cede the spiritual fields to the east is something I find acceptable."

An elder of the clan said.

"What? The spirit fields to the east are one of our family's most important resources. How can we give them up so easily?"

I strongly oppose it.

"But the Lin family won't let this go if we don't cede the spoils!"

Another elder echoed this sentiment.

"We've already made so many concessions, are we going to keep backing down?"

I argued forcefully, "We cannot allow the Lin family to slaughter us!"

The elders, however, remained steadfast in their belief that preserving the clan was of utmost importance, even at the cost of some sacrifice.

Their cowardice and compromise filled me with immense disappointment. I knew full well that if we continued to back down, the Lin family would only become more emboldened.

I had to find a way to secure a more favorable outcome at the negotiating table. The next day at noon, I led Su Yao and several clan elders to the open space at the border between the two clans.

Lin Zhentian was already waiting there, with several elders of the Lin family and strategist Du standing beside him, all wearing cold smiles, as if victory was in their grasp.

Negotiations began, and Lin Zhentian indeed put forward harsh conditions, demanding that we not only cede the spiritual fields to the east, but also pay huge compensation for the losses.

The elders were terrified by these conditions and all expressed their willingness to accept them. But I stood up and firmly opposed them.

"Lin Zhentian, don't push your luck!"

I retorted angrily, "Your Lin family is the one who started this conflict, so why should we pay compensation?"

Lin Zhentian sneered: "Nong Yu, you're just a greenhorn, what right do you have to negotiate with me?"

I met his gaze without flinching: "I represent the farming family, and I have a responsibility to protect the family's interests!"

The negotiations reached a stalemate, with both sides on the verge of conflict and the atmosphere extremely tense.

I sensed an even bigger storm was brewing... Su Yao gripped my hand tightly and whispered, "Be careful, I can feel it..."

Before she could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.