NOVEL WEB Chapter 148 - Apologies and Gratitude
After a wave of desperate screams, the Yakachi Tribe finally returned to tranquility.
The cloaked woman stared blankly at Xiao Yan, who nonchalantly threw the last headless corpse of the white-robed people onto the ground. The shock in her heart was beyond words.
At first, she felt uneasy about Xiao Yan following her on Xiao Li’s request. However, when they encountered a group of snake-people, and Xiao Yan quickly knocked them all unconscious, she began to recognize his strength, thinking that having Xiao Yan by her side might be safer than being with the Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Level) Xiao Li.
But now, she realized how wrong she was. Xiao Yan’s strength was not just reassuring—it was overwhelmingly formidable. His ruthless methods, his power that disregarded rank differences, and his decisive, merciless killing intent left her in disbelief. A Dou Shi (Battle Master, 3rd Level) like him, single-handedly annihilating a Dou Ling (Battle Spirit, 5th Level) and several Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Level), was something she would never believe unless she had seen it with her own eyes. It was absurd!
She had heard stories of fighting beyond one’s level, and her great-grandfather used to tell her about his legendary feats of defeating stronger opponents in his youth. But even he never spoke of a Dou Shi (Battle Master, 3rd Level) slaughtering a Dou Ling (Battle Spirit, 5th Level), an extreme case of the weak overpowering the strong.
However, the cloaked woman quickly regained her composure, her gaze heavy as she looked over the Yakachi Tribe, littered with corpses. The unique nature of her identity made her see things differently. Now was not the time to marvel at Xiao Yan’s strength.
The situation had developed in the worst possible way. The Yakachi Tribe, a remote, small tribe of the Mo Snake Tribe that detested and hated humans the most, had been massacred by humans. Given the nature of the Mo Snake Tribe’s leader, Mo Ba Si, this incident was far from over.
As Xiao Yan’s dark aura gradually dissipated, he too began to calm down. Looking at the corpses of the Mo Snake Tribe people, he couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of guilt. He was so close… just a little bit earlier, and he could have prevented the worst from happening.
Even though he had eradicated those white-robed men who had slaughtered the Mo Snake Tribe people, their actions couldn’t just be erased. The hatred and aversion of the Mo Snake Tribe towards humans would surely intensify.
Xiao Yan slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the remaining Mo Snake Tribe people. Their eyes were filled with fear and resentment. Indeed, how could they not resent him? In their eyes, he was no different from those white-robed men—a human.
The Mo Snake Tribe people, under Xiao Yan’s gaze, trembled slightly, but their fierce nature prevented them from showing any weakness. They shouted at Xiao Yan.
“Humans! Don’t think we are afraid of you!”
“We of the Mo Snake Tribe would rather die than submit!”
“You killed our people! Even as ghosts, we won’t let you off!!”
Listening to the curses of the Mo Snake Tribe people, Xiao Yan remained silent, offering no rebuttal.
The reason was simple.
These white-robed individuals were indeed humans, belonging to the same race as Xiao Yan. No matter how much Xiao Yan tried to explain that he was not with the white-robed people, the Mo Snake Tribe people had already formed their opinion about humans. The actions of a few often influence the perception of the many, and Xiao Yan was acutely aware of this.
Furthermore, he questioned the role of other humans in this attack. If the slave trade had been eradicated earlier, or if there had been efforts to reconcile with the snake-people, perhaps such a tragedy could have been avoided. In this massacre, the Mo Snake Tribe people were undoubtedly the victims, and Xiao Yan, belonging to the same race as the attackers, found it hard to be accepted by them. They had every right to refuse acceptance, as their family members had been brutally killed by humans. Who had the right to blame them for their resentment?
Therefore, Xiao Yan knew there was only one thing he could say or do.
He slowly walked towards the remaining Mo Snake Tribe people. With each step he took, they trembled, their fierce nature preventing them from showing weakness, but their fear was unmistakable. The Mo Snake men shielded the elderly, women, and children behind them, shaking yet bravely facing Xiao Yan as he approached.
They were all prepared for death, but they held firm to one conviction: they would never beg for mercy from their attackers.
But then, something unexpected happened.
Xiao Yan planted his Heavy Black Ruler into the ground and knelt on one knee before the Mo Snake Tribe people, bowing his head deeply. In a hoarse voice, he expressed his sincere apologies.
“I am very sorry.”
“You have every right to hate humans, and I do not expect you to understand us.”
“If I had arrived earlier, this wouldn’t have happened…”
“It could have been avoided…”
“I am truly… very sorry…”
The Mo Snake Tribe people, who had prepared themselves for death, were stunned. Why would this human apologize to them?
He clearly had the power not to apologize to us…
Why did he do it…
The Mo Snake Tribe people couldn’t understand why the young man in front of them was so humble and apologetic towards them.
Not only the Mo Snake Tribe people were stunned, but the cloaked woman watching from a distance was also taken aback. Xiao Yan’s kneeling, his bowing, and his heartfelt apology shattered her worldview, which had been formed over a decade.
Her great-grandfather, a man of clear principles, taught her never to bow or apologize to anyone, regardless of the situation. Their status did not allow it. If they made a mistake, they should correct it, but never admit it. Their position did not permit them to show weakness or admit wrongdoing. For years, the cloaked woman had adhered to this teaching.
However, Xiao Yan’s actions broke this belief. She couldn’t comprehend why he felt the need to apologize to the Mo Snake Tribe people. If it wasn’t for Xiao Yan’s timely arrival, the damage to the Yakachi Tribe would have been even more severe. Yet, he still apologized, as a human, for the actions he didn’t commit.
What kind of person could do such a thing? The cloaked woman didn’t understand, but she was now certain of one thing: she had no doubts about Xiao Yan. Someone capable of such an act could not be associated with the underhanded dealings of the Yun Lan Sect.
As the cloaked woman pondered this, the Mo Snake Tribe people slowly came back to their senses, touched by Xiao Yan’s sincere gesture. However, the men’s moment of being moved was brief. They clenched their sharp teeth and shouted at Xiao Yan.
“We lost so many of our people! Do you think a simple apology will calm us?!”
“We will never forgive humans! Never!!!”
“Wait and see! The snake-people will not let you go!!!”
Their curses stabbed Xiao Yan’s heart like knives, but he still offered no rebuttal. They were right. An apology is simple, and it solves nothing. It’s merely a way for the one who erred to seek some psychological comfort. Whether the victims accept it or not is their prerogative.
Suddenly, the scene became silent. The Mo Snake Tribe men stopped their cursing, puzzling Xiao Yan. Before he could understand why, he felt a small hand gently touching his head, causing him to freeze.
Looking up, he saw a Mo Snake girl who had quietly approached him, gently stroking his head. In Xiao Yan’s astonished gaze, the little girl opened her mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and with a grateful smile, softly said,
“Big brother.”
“Thank you for saving us.”
Her simple words deeply moved Xiao Yan, bringing tears to his eyes. After a moment, he responded with a gentle, tearful smile,
“Ah…”
“You’re welcome.”
Xiao Yan looked at the little Mo Snake Tribe girl in front of him, responding as if he saw a new hope.
======== Translator Note ========
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