The Female Supporting Character Refuses to Be Human Again - Chapter 214.2

The icy winds that once chilled everyone to the bone were no longer a problem, making this winter much more comfortable for the Yan Tribe. The smoked meat that had hung outside their wooden homes was now brought inside. It wasn’t that the meat couldn’t stay outside during the winter, but the freezing temperatures would make the already tough meat even harder to eat.

Inside her wooden house, Meng Changjin heard a knock on the door. Extending her spiritual sense, she quickly saw who it was—a young man wrapped in thick animal hides. It was Zhuo, the boy from the cave below hers, the first person she had seen when she arrived in this world.

Meng Changjin was surprised to see how much Zhuo had grown. She remembered him being shorter when they first met. Now, he seemed taller and more mature. But the bigger question was, why had he come to find her?

After a few brief words of conversation, Meng Changjin realized that Zhuo hadn’t come on his own; the Wu had sent him to fetch her. Understanding the urgency, she closed the door to her house and followed Zhuo to the Wu’s wooden house.

Unlike the other houses, the Wu’s place was larger and more spacious. This wasn’t for show or to flaunt his position but simply because the Wu had a lot of supplies that needed to be stored properly. When Meng Changjin and Zhuo arrived, she noticed that the Wu’s house was already filled with people.

The three Chieftains were there, along with four young individuals around Zhuo’s age. Meng Changjin recognized their faces but couldn’t match all their names. As the Yan Tribe’s rising star, Meng Changjin met many people every day, and although she had a good memory for faces, names were a different story.

She did know one thing, though—these four young people were the other candidates to be the next Wu. It seemed the current Wu was gathering all potential successors to discuss the future.

Meng Changjin’s suspicions were confirmed when the Wu began to speak. The gathering was indeed to discuss the selection of the next Wu. As soon as the topic was raised, everyone’s eyes naturally turned to Meng Changjin. It was clear that in their minds, there was no better candidate for the position.

With all that Meng Changjin had done for the Yan Tribe, her contributions had almost surpassed even those of the current Wu. Choosing her as the next Wu seemed like the most logical choice. The Wu himself seemed to share this opinion, believing that Meng Changjin was the perfect fit for the role.

However, Meng Changjin was not interested in becoming the next Wu. Seeing the hopeful expressions on their faces, she almost wanted to jump up and shout that she wasn’t going to do it!

“Wu, you know me,” Meng Changjin said earnestly, looking straight at the Wu. “I love going out hunting.” Her tone was sincere because the last thing she wanted was to be tied down to the tribe. Her plans included exploring the vast lands of this primitive world once her mission was over, not being confined to the Yan Tribe’s responsibilities forever.

If she became the Wu, her life would be all about staying put, guiding the tribe, and taking care of rituals—none of which appealed to her. She still had dreams of running free, tracking wild beasts, and maybe even settling in some quiet corner of the world to enjoy the simpler things in life.

As soon as she said this, the Wu’s face showed a hint of disappointment, but she also seemed to understand. Ever since Meng Changjin had joined the hunts with the tribe, it was obvious that staying within the village boundaries wasn’t her style. Even when she had to stay put to smoke meat or help build houses, she’d quickly go back to hunting as soon as she could.

The Wu knew that forcing Meng Changjin to stay in the tribe would be like caging a bird. While she could have insisted on making her the Wu, she was also realistic enough to see that Meng Changjin’s true value lay in her ability to lead hunts and protect the tribe from outside threats.

The discussion then shifted to choosing a different candidate for the next Wu. Meng Changjin, seeing no point in staying involved, quietly moved to the corner of the room, ready to speak if needed but otherwise remaining a silent observer.

The final decision was to choose Zhuo, the boy who lived in the cave beneath hers, as the next Wu. Meng Changjin was a bit surprised, but it made sense. Zhuo was familiar with Meng Changjin, and if the two needed to coordinate in the future, their existing relationship would make things easier.

This wasn’t about Meng Changjin being difficult to work with; it was simply a practical choice. Out of all the candidates, Zhuo’s familiarity with Meng Changjin gave him a slight advantage, making him the logical choice.

Once Zhuo was selected as the next Wu, his training began immediately. He would need to learn how to prepare herbal medicines and conduct the tribe’s sacred rituals. With the selection complete, the rest of the group was dismissed, though Zhuo stayed behind to start his training.

As soon as the meeting was over, Meng Changjin slipped away quickly. When she returned to her wooden house, she noticed other tribe members visiting each other, moving from house to house. This kind of casual socializing in the middle of winter was something that would have been unthinkable in the past when everyone was cooped up in cold, drafty caves.

🎭 Behind the Curtain with Kliraz: The Making of a Wu and Wooden House Hype! (≧▽≦)

So, the Yan Tribe’s getting a new Wu, and it’s our friend Zhuo stepping into those big shoes! Did you know that in many ancient cultures, the process of choosing spiritual leaders was quite similar? In Japan, for example, Shinto priests often passed their knowledge through apprenticeships, with the most promising candidates being chosen to carry on the traditions (Smyers, K. (1999). The Fox and the Jewel: Shared and Private Meanings in Contemporary Japanese Inari Worship. University of Hawai’i Press, p. 87-89).

Meng Changjin’s reluctance to become the Wu totally reminds me of how free spirits often resist titles that tie them down. It’s like when J.R.R. Tolkien’s hobbits just wanted to live in the Shire without being heroes, yet adventure always found them anyway (Tolkien, J.R.R. (1954). The Fellowship of the Ring. Allen & Unwin, p. 103-105). Meng Changjin’s got that same vibe—she’s a natural-born wanderer, destined for more than just staying in one place.

And how about that winter scene, with tribe members actually enjoying each other’s company in their cozy wooden homes? It’s a far cry from their old cave life! The Yan Tribe’s move to wooden homes echoes the transition many societies made from caves to wooden structures in the Neolithic period, around 10,000 years ago, marking a huge step in human development (Bahn, P. (2002). The Atlas of World Archaeology. Time-Life Books, p. 56-58).

With Zhuo training to become the next Wu and the tribe thriving in their wooden homes, it looks like the Yan Tribe’s future is burning brighter than ever!  (¬‿¬)