It was just coming into the afternoon. The sun hung warm but not harsh in the sky, and a gentle breeze moved through the upper quarter of the Cheetah tribe's village — a part of the settlement very different from the area where Gu Xu lived.
Here, the houses were larger and built with better wood and stone.
Animal skins were properly cleaned and stretched on wooden frames. Weapons hung on racks outside homes, polished and well cared for.
The paths were swept, and fruit trees were planted in neat rows. Servants moved quietly between houses carrying baskets, tools, and jars of water.
In the shade of a large jacaranda tree, whose purple blossoms drifted slowly to the ground like soft rain, two young men sat across from each other at a low wooden table.
Between them sat a strategy board — a game similar to chess, played with carved wooden pieces shaped like animals and warriors. The board showed a battlefield of careful planning and silent calculation.
Jian Xu sat calmly, one hand resting lightly on his knee, the other loosely holding a game piece he had just moved. His expression was gentle and thoughtful, his posture was dignified but relaxed.
Across from him sat his family friend Zhi Ye.
Zhi Ye was built like a young bull — broad shoulders, strong arms, and a posture that leaned slightly forward as if he was always ready to stand up and fight.
His skin was a little darker from time spent near the forges and training grounds, and his hands were rougher than Jian Xu's, marked by weapon practice and smithing work from his family.
The Zhi family produced the best weapons in the tribe — spears, blades, arrowheads, and metal fittings. Their family was respected because in a tribe, good weapons meant survival.
It was Zhi Ye's turn to move.
He leaned forward, scanning the board carefully, his eyes sharp and focused. He picked up one of his pieces, held it above the board for a moment, then set it down with a soft click.
As he did, he spoke casually.
"What do you think is happening now at Gui Xu's household?" Zhi Ye asked. "There must be quite a ruckus!"
Jian Xu glanced at the board, then moved one of his pieces with intention.
"If I could have had things my way," Jian Xu said calmly, "I would not have blamed Gu Xu entirely for the mistake. Or even punished him for it at all."
Zhi Ye looked up slightly interested. "Really?"
Jian Xu continued, "It is clear to anyone with eyes that he has had no proper training. With a father like Gui Xu, it would have been difficult for any child to grow up properly."
He paused, then added quietly, "I tried to stop my father from going today. I asked him what the punishment would be, but he would not even give me a hint of what it was!"
Zhi Ye raised an eyebrow. "You did?"
Jian Xu nodded. "Usually, my father is lenient toward Gu Xu. He knows the situation in that household as well as I do. But this time, he was insistent. He would not be reasoned with."
Jian Xu looked down at the board again, his fingers resting lightly on one of his pieces but not moving it yet.
"I really do not understand it," he said.
Just then, two servants approached quietly carrying a wooden tray with two cups carved from polished horn. Inside was a chilled fruit drink made from crushed berries and citrus — a luxury compared to what most of the tribe drank daily.
The servants bowed slightly and placed the drinks beside the two young men, then stepped back and left.
Zhi Ye picked up his cup and took a large gulp, clearly thirsty. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and let out a satisfied breath.
"I can understand the Chief," Zhi Ye said.
"No matter how hard life is, a man must still always look for a way out. If he fails, he must accept punishment. Otherwise, what is the point of rules?"
He leaned back slightly.
"This time, no matter how much the Chief loves him, Gu Xu needs to be punished. Otherwise, he will never learn."
Jian Xu did not respond immediately. He stared at the board for a long moment, then finally moved his piece.
"That is easy for you to say," Jian Xu said, "because you have never visited Gui Xu's home."
Zhi Ye looked at him again. "You have?"
"In secret," Jian Xu said. "A few times."
He paused.
"I can tell you that it was no easy thing for Gu Xu to live until now."
Zhi Ye did not speak for a moment. He looked down at the board and moved another piece.
"Well," he said after a moment, "everyone knows the law of the jungle — survival for the fittest. If you cannot survive, then it means it is your fate to die, just like others in the tribe who came before us. Our ancestors."
The two of them continued playing in silence for a while.
The air between them became slightly tense.
They were friends, and they respected each other, but their views on the world were different.
Jian Xu believed in principle, in morality, in Heaven, in doing what was right even if it was difficult.
Zhi Ye believed in strength, survival, dominance, and results.
Neither of them was entirely wrong, but their paths were not the same.
After a few more moves, Zhi Ye suddenly spoke again, trying to lighten the mood.
"Speaking of survival," he said with a grin, "this is why you need to get married quickly and continue the family lineage! There is no hope in Gu Xu. You cannot rely on him to carry the bloodline."
Jian Xu did not look up from the board.
"I know," he said.
But the way he said it was different from his usual gentle tone. It was firm — almost sharp.
Zhi Ye looked at him with some surprise. He was used to Jian Xu being polite, calm, and soft-spoken. That tone did not appear often.
"I heard," Zhi Ye continued, "that you rejected the recent engagement proposal from the elders' council. The one with Ting Lan."
He moved a piece as he spoke.
"That is the fifth proposal you have rejected. If you continue like this, the most powerful Cheetah bloodline in our tribe will die out. If that happens, our tribe will become vulnerable..."
There was a long silence after he said that.
A few purple jacaranda petals fell between them onto the board.
Finally, Jian Xu spoke.
"Have faith in Heaven," he said calmly. "We did not gain the Cheetah bloodline by our own ability. The same Power that gave it to us freely will also protect it without our help."
Zhi Ye frowned slightly.
He liked Jian Xu. He admired him greatly. Jian Xu was intelligent, disciplined, principled, and calm under pressure. He was the kind of person people naturally respected.
But sometimes, Zhi Ye felt that his friend's head was in the clouds.
In the real world, bloodlines were protected by marriage alliances, by power, by strength, by careful planning, by strong heirs— not by waiting for Heaven to fix things.
Sometimes, Zhi Ye wondered if there was such a thing as an intelligent fool.
They continued the game for another fifteen minutes, both of them now fully focused on the board.
The earlier conversation hung quietly in the air but was not mentioned again.
Finally, Jian Xu moved a piece into position and said, "Check."
Zhi Ye stared at the board, then leaned back and laughed once.
"Hah! I didn't see that trap," he said. "You win again!"
Jian Xu smiled. "You always focus too much on attack and not enough on defense."
"And you," Zhi Ye replied with quickness, "always focus too much on patience and not enough on finishing your enemy quickly."
They began putting the pieces back into their wooden box.
As they did, they started talking about the upcoming Cheetah tribe hunt — what routes the scouts had reported, where herds had been seen, which areas might be dangerous.
While they were talking, Jian Xu suddenly looked up.
In the distance, two young women were walking along the path toward the peach trees not far from the jacaranda tree.
Yu Yunshang was holding a woven basket on one arm and a tribal parasol in the other to shield herself from the sun. She walked gracefully, her posture straight, her steps measured and elegant.
Beside her was Ting Lan, also carrying a basket, though she did not have a parasol. Her expression was calm and observant, her movements neat and composed.
It looked like they were heading toward the peach trees to gather fruit.
Zhi Ye noticed that Jian Xu had stopped speaking and was looking in a certain direction. He turned his head to follow his gaze and saw the two young women.
Zhi Ye smirked slightly.
"Well," he said quietly, "speak of marriage and the nobles appear."
Jian Xu did not respond immediately. His expression changed to its usual calm, polite look — the same expression he wore in public, the one that did not reveal too much of what he was thinking.
The breeze was moving through the jacaranda tree, and more purple petals fell, landing gently on the ground between the two groups as the distance between them slowly closed.
Yu Yunshang's eyes were fixed on Jian Xu, while Jian Xu was looking at Ting Lan.