Suina was the first to break the silence, frowning with a face full of suspicion.
"Would he be so kind? There must be a catch!"
"Exactly!"
Ignis immediately agreed, slapping the table as she stood up and began pacing back and forth in the room.
"This is definitely his new trick! He wants to divide us and make us fight amongst ourselves!"
She stopped and pointed at Alesha, her words fierce.
"Alesha, don't be foolish! He only took you to see those wounded soldiers because he saw you were soft-hearted!"
"Once you agree to his terms, it's the same as bowing your head to him completely!"
"The alliance we worked so hard to maintain will have a hole torn through it starting with you!"
"I..."
Alesha was left speechless by her words.
She admitted that Ignis had a point.
But... "But, Ignis, he's right."
Alesha mustered her courage and looked up at her.
"Our clanspeople, what they are best at is healing and herbs."
"Making them go mine now, that is the greatest insult to them!"
"If... if we can use our own hands to treat the wounded and exchange that for our clanspeople's dignity and a better life, then why not?"
"You're just making excuses for your own weakness!"
Ignis said angrily.
"I am not!"
Alesha's voice also grew louder; this was the first time she had retorted against Ignis so loudly.
"I am the leader of the Yuequan Tribe! I must be responsible for my clanspeople!"
The two were locked in a dispute, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense and hostile.
"Alright, both of you say less."
Florgloria, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.
Her voluptuous body leaned against the chair, but her eyes were clear.
"Ignis, don't get excited yet."
"Alesha, you calm down too."
She looked toward Alesha.
"Do you think Wu Liang's proposal is truly intended to let your clanspeople utilize their strengths?"
Alesha thought for a moment and answered seriously:
"I don't know, but he certainly needs Physicians to reduce his army's casualties."
Ignis sneered, "You're too foolish!"
"Perhaps, but I don't want to keep making these futile struggles anymore."
Alesha took a deep breath, her gaze becoming firm.
"We have already sworn fealty to him in public, and our clanspeople have been broken up and integrated into the Black Rock Tribe."
"We are currently like fish on a chopping block; he can strike whenever he wants."
"Instead of sitting here in fear every day, waiting for him to pick us off one by one, it's better to take the initiative and do something."
"At least, if I agree to his terms, my clanspeople can be freed from heavy manual labor."
"They can live in better houses and eat better food."
"We can use our own hands to save people and earn the respect of others."
"For me and for the Yuequan Tribe, this is the best outcome."
Alesha's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, making everyone present fall into deep thought.
Lolia tugged at the corner of Alesha's clothes and whispered:
"Sister Alesha... I... I support you."
Beside them, Sa Lan also sighed; Alesha's words had struck a chord in her heart.
The people of her Zhu Feng Tribe were skilled at tracking and beast taming, yet they were now assigned to do odd jobs; her clanspeople surely didn't feel good about it either.
If there was an opportunity for the clanspeople to utilize their strengths, perhaps... it really wouldn't be a bad thing.
Only Ignis and Suina's expressions remained grim.
"So, you've decided?"
Suina asked in a low voice.
Alesha nodded heavily.
"I've decided. Tomorrow morning, I will take people to the Wounded Soldiers Camp."
"You!"
Ignis was choked with anger; she hadn't expected Alesha to make such a decision.
"Alesha, you'll regret this sooner or later!"
Ignis threw down those harsh words, abruptly waved her hand, turned back to her bed, and faced away from everyone, speaking no more.
The atmosphere in the room became oppressive once again.
Florgloria looked at Alesha's firm back and then at Ignis's tense shoulders, letting out a faint sigh.
Alesha ignored Ignis's anger and sat down, beginning to silently plan what needed to be done tomorrow.
There were many wounded in the Wounded Soldiers Camp; she needed to bring all the clanspeople who knew about herbs.
She also needed to prepare clean linen, boiled water, and various herbs for stopping bleeding and reducing inflammation... Her thoughts were completely immersed in how to treat those wounded soldiers.
Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking.
Alesha took over twenty women from her Tribe who possessed knowledge of herbs to the Wounded Soldiers Camp.
They hadn't slept all night, preparing many mashed ointments and clean strips of cloth.
When their group appeared at the entrance, the few Black Rock Tribe women responsible for caring for the wounded in the room were stunned.
"What are you doing here?"
A tall Black Rock woman asked warily, her hand instinctively moving toward the knife at her waist.
Alesha didn't mind her hostility and simply said gently:
"We are here to help. Chief Wu Liang has already agreed."
Hearing that it was Wu Liang's order, the hostility of those Black Rock women diminished slightly.
Alesha didn't explain much; she walked straight into the room filled with the smell of blood and herbs.
The conditions in the Wounded Soldiers Camp were even worse than what she had seen yesterday.
After a night, the wounds of several soldiers had begun to inflame and suppurate, and they were feverish and delirious, constantly muttering nonsense.
On a young Female Warrior's arm, there was a wound so deep that the bone was visible.
It had only been simply bandaged yesterday; now the entire arm was swollen like a log, and the skin was frighteningly hot.
"Quick, bring the hot water! And salt!"
Alesha immediately instructed her clanspeople behind her.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable calm that immediately settled the originally flustered Yuequan people.
Soon, the hot water and salt were brought over.
Under the astonished gazes of the Black Rock Tribe women, Alesha carefully cleaned the Female Warrior's wound with salt water, washing away the dried blood and pus bit by bit.
Her movements were gentle yet very decisive.
"Ah..."
The intense pain caused the unconscious Female Warrior to let out a cry of agony.
"Hold her down!"
Alesha said without looking up.
Several Yuequan Tribe women immediately stepped forward, using their hands and feet to hold down the Female Warrior's body.
After cleaning the wound, Alesha took a small pinch of green medicinal powder from a leather pouch she carried and sprinkled it evenly over the wound.
Alesha used clean linen to re-bandage the wound.
Only after finishing all this did she straighten up, a layer of fine sweat already appearing on her forehead.
"Alright, I've treated her wound; the fever should subside soon."
She said to the Black Rock woman nearby, who was already staring blankly.
"Please find someone to help her change into clean clothes and feed her some water."
The Black Rock woman nodded blankly; they had never seen a wound treated like this before.
In their understanding, if someone was injured, they just applied herbs and wrapped it with strips of cloth; whether they survived depended entirely on their own toughness.
With the first successful case, Alesha and her clanspeople immediately got busy.
They split into several groups, treating the wounds of the soldiers one by one.
Cleaning, disinfecting, applying medicine, bandaging... The entire Wounded Soldiers Camp became orderly after their arrival.
Most of the warriors who were previously groaning in pain settled down and fell into a deep sleep after their treatment.
The air in the Wounded Soldiers Camp seemed to become less foul.
And all of this was seen by Wu Liang, who was standing in a corner outside the Wounded Soldiers Camp.
He didn't go in; he just watched quietly.
The gazes of those Black Rock Tribe warriors, who were originally hostile toward Alesha, were changing bit by bit.
From wariness to suspicion to surprise, and finally to admiration and gratitude.
When a Female Warrior who had been treated by Alesha struggled to say a word of thanks to her.
Wu Liang knew that his first move was the right one.