Chapter 98
The Shen family expanded
The search in the sea tribes lasted all night. All the tribes, big and small, along the coast mobilized, causing quite a commotion. Ze hadn't slept much after having a nightmare, and Shen Nong didn't sleep well either. At the crack of dawn, the two got up to wash up.
After the meal, Shen Er came over to report to Shen Nong, "Priest, the priest of the Sea Tribe explained why they were unwilling to trade with our tribe, and it's pretty much what you analyzed."
Shen Er repeated Hai Yu's words to Shen Nong and concluded: "The root cause is as you said, Priest: we are afraid that those small tribes will be difficult to manage if they develop with us."
However, what they said at the beginning—that other tribes had previously selected orcs from their tribe and taken them away with better conditions, supposedly to work for their tribes, but who never returned—is also true.
After hearing this, Shen Nong knew without a doubt that something was wrong. The phenomenon of large tribes of orcs being taken away and never returning wasn't unique to the Sea Tribe. According to what Bao Qiu had told him before, similar situations existed in other large tribes as well.
There was something strange about this matter. Shen Nong had limited information, and the chief priest of the Hai tribe knew nothing about what happened after the tribe's orcs were taken away. He had nowhere to investigate.
Just in case, Shen Nong left a message on the system platform, asking Shen San to be more careful and also to tell the surrounding tribes not to easily trust the words of the strange orc tribes that suddenly appear.
Shen Nong of the Wood Tribe doesn't need to worry, but it's hard to say whether the surrounding tribes will be tricked into giving away their orcs under such an excuse.
"How are the injuries of the Fish Tribe orcs?" Shen Nong changed the subject, not wanting to waste too much time on something that wouldn't yield results.
Shen Er replied in a monotone, almost reciting script, "Some of the orcs were lightly injured and were treated early. After a night of recovery, they only have some coughs and can work tomorrow. Others need to rest for a few more days before they can work. Their chieftain and the orcs in the hunting team were more seriously injured and cannot recover on their own, so they cannot work."
Shen Nong found it both funny and exasperating to hear Shen Er's answer that the injured fish tribe orcs were classified according to their ability to work. He suspected that the "emotional" claim the system used when selling him was just a deceptive advertising slogan; the android warriors were clearly emotionless.
"Okay, I'll go check on the seriously injured ones." Shen Nong got up and prepared to leave.
Shen Er didn't quite understand. "Priest, I've seen those people. They're beyond saving. Unless the priest uses all his powers to pull them back from the brink of death, they'll need at least a year to recover and take medicine. The cost and reward aren't proportional. It's not worth it."
Faced with Shen Er's serious and earnest analysis, Shen Nong was no longer just doubting whether the system was tricking him again, but was certain that the system had tricked him again. Wasn't it said that high-level android warriors had human emotional programs?
Shen Nong didn't necessarily want to save these people; he just happened to know their situation, and they posed no threat to him. He would go and see what was going on, and if he could save them, he would; if not, he wouldn't force himself.
But no matter what, he wouldn't just leave these people to die because they couldn't work immediately or the returns weren't proportional.
But now is not the time to think about this. He patted Shen Er on the shoulder and left Shen Er with three enigmatic words: "You don't understand."
Shen Er truly didn't understand. He couldn't comprehend why humans would do something so thankless and exhausting. This was the most unprofitable deal the priest had ever made since he started following him. It was even less worthwhile than rescuing those pregnant women.
The most basic rule for android warriors is that the master's orders supersede everything. Although Shen Er felt it wasn't worth it, he still chose to obey the priest's decision.
Because the fish tribe was starving, the elderly and children who had escaped earlier had already started working.
They had three meals a day. When the meat soup was distributed in the morning, the elders asked for an extra earthenware bowl. They each saved some of the meat soup from their own bowls and poured it into the earthenware bowl, intending to give it to their priests.
The children wanted to pour some out, but the elders stopped them, saying, "You should drink more so that you can grow into orcs like the hunters in the hunting party."
Looking at their wrists, which were as thin as twigs, the children picked up their earthenware bowls and began to slurp down the meat soup. As they drank, they thought to themselves that it would be better if they grew to look like the orcs from the foreign tribe, who were much taller and bigger than the warriors of their fish tribe's hunting team.
The orc from the Feather Tribe, who was responsible for delivering meat soup to the elderly and children working for the Fish Tribe, saw the bowl of meat soup that the elderly had saved and thought that the priests of the Fish Tribe had meat soup to drink.
The words were on the tip of his tongue when he suddenly remembered that Captain Shen hadn't mentioned sending meat soup to the Fish Tribe priest. He'd only said that he'd provide food and lodging for the Fish Tribe orcs who could work. This tribal priest probably wouldn't be doing any work for them, right?
The Feather Tribe orc didn't think about it anymore; anyway, the Fish Tribe priest had a bowl of meat soup. Orcs couldn't leave their posts while working, so the Feather Tribe orc agreed to run the errand for the elders.
Carrying a bowl of meat soup, I arrived at the dormitory where the Fish Tribe priest lived. As soon as I opened the door, I saw the Fish Tribe priest sitting hunched over on the edge of a makeshift wooden bed.
Lying on the ground was a tall, severely burned orc, his entire body blackened. The Feather Tribe orcs, taking a moment to add the meat broth, glanced at him a few more times and realized the man was covered in blood. They were horrified; how badly injured he must be!
The fish tribe priest smelled the aroma of the meat soup, and his stomach rumbled. But he showed no interest in drinking it. His dry, chapped lips moved slightly, his rough, aged hands rested on the makeshift wooden bed, and his cloudy eyes stared at the orc on the bed.
"Alas..." The old priest of the fish tribe hunched over, his thin, rough hands covering his face, and let out a long, helpless sigh that broke the heart.
The orc from the Feather Tribe who brought the meat couldn't bear to watch any longer. He put down the earthenware bowl in his hand and said, "This is meat soup that your tribe saved for you. Please eat some."
The Feather Tribe orc looked at the most seriously injured orc on the small wooden bed. When he brought meat soup to the Fish Tribe orc who was slightly injured, he heard the Fish Tribe orc say that the chieftain was seriously injured and the priest was guarding him.
Now it seems that this person must be the chieftain of the Fish Tribe. He can understand the feelings of the Fish Tribe priest, after all, their Feather Tribe almost lost its chieftain before.
Their priests were like that back then, unable to eat meat or sleep well. Even though it was a sunny day, their entire tribe felt like they were soaking in a rainy day.
The orc from the Feather Tribe who was delivering the meat soup scratched his head and spoke somewhat hesitantly, "The priest from the Wood Tribe is here. Why don't you go and ask the Wood Tribe priest? Perhaps he can find a way to save these people."
Finally, he emphasized, "However, there's no guarantee they can be saved. If the Wood Tribe priest says there's no hope, don't persist."
After speaking, the Feather Tribe orc ran away, not giving the Fish Tribe priest a chance to ask further questions.
The Fish Tribe priest grasped at this last straw; the nine orcs lying there were the most powerful warriors of his tribe. Eight of them were orc warriors from his Fish Tribe hunting party, and the other was his tribe's chieftain.
After the fire started, they were so busy rescuing their tribespeople that they completely ignored their own injuries. As a result, their injuries became severe, and they could only lie there, clinging to life, waiting to die.
Since sitting here last night, Yu Shui has only had one question in his mind: if all nine of these people die, how can the Yu tribe continue to survive among the coastal tribes?
Although they can survive by working for the visiting tribes, the visiting tribes will not protect the Fish Tribe from being annexed by other tribes.
With so many orc warriors lost at once, the Fish Tribe will ultimately face threats from various coastal tribes, making it difficult for them to continue surviving there.
But if they could save even one, their Fish Tribe wouldn't be without a single level three orc warrior.
Yu Shui, supporting her stiff body, staggered out. She wanted to find an orc to ask where the Wood Tribe priest lived, but both the Feather Tribe and the Wood Tribe orcs were busy. Yu Shui didn't know how long she wandered around before she finally saw an orc with a feather totem on his face.
After pointing out the way to Yu Shui, the orc hurriedly transformed and flew away. Yu Shui followed the direction the orc pointed and searched for a while before finally seeing a house guarded by two orcs.
He stepped forward quickly and said anxiously, "I am Yu Shui, the priest of the Fish Tribe. I would like to see the priest of the Wood Tribe."
One of the orcs, who had a leaf totem on his forehead, replied, "The priest isn't here; he's been out for a while. Do you want to stay here and wait, or go back?"
Yu Shui's heart sank, and he involuntarily took a step back. The last sliver of light was blocked, and everything went black before his eyes as he fell backward.
The orc guarding her reacted quickly and grabbed Yu Shui. "Are you alright?"
"It's alright, it's alright." Yu Shui forced himself to stand, his head still spinning. He waved his hand and slowly walked back the way he came. He had to go back and continue guarding the orc warriors of the tribe.
When Shen Nong arrived at the dormitory where the Fish Tribe chief resided, there was no one guarding it. The orc on the small wooden bed was convulsing, making strange noises from his throat. The eight people lying on the bunk beds were in no better condition.
Shen Nong frowned; these people would die if they weren't saved soon. However, one can only know a person's face but not their heart, and Shen Nong didn't want to waste his supernatural abilities to ultimately save an ungrateful wretch. So, just like when he saved the Feather Tribe chief before, he left some of his supernatural abilities within these beastmen.
As long as no one causes trouble, everyone can live in peace. But if someone does cause trouble, things might not be so simple.
The room was filled with fireflies, like thousands of fireflies dancing in a dark forest, a sky full of fireflies. As Shen Nong's ability level increased, the healing power of his ability also became much stronger than at the beginning.
Golden light mingled with fluorescent light, intertwined and inseparable. Shen Nong showed no signs of fatigue, and the energy stored within her spiritual core remained undiminished.
Ze didn't want Shen Nong to expend her energy to save these people, as Shen Nong always felt unwell after overusing her powers. After having that dream last night, Ze cared for Shen Nong even more than before.
Ze originally wanted to use his own blood to save him, but his blood could make people come back to life when they were on their last breath, could replenish dissipated energy, and could regenerate cells, although the regeneration speed was not as fast as Shen Nong's wood-type ability.
But his blood could not cleanse the thick smoke that these orcs inhaled into their lungs.
He had no choice but to settle for second best, replenishing whatever amount of supernatural power Shen Nong consumed.
The burns on the nine people have stopped bleeding, and the thick smoke in their lungs has been mostly cleared and purified. However, as Shen Er said, it will take these orcs a year or even longer to fully recover and return to their original state.
Seeing that it was about time, Shen Nong realized that there was no point in continuing to expend her powers, as these orcs could not absorb any more energy to repair their bodies.
After withdrawing her powers, Shen Nong turned to look at Ze, only to find him pale. Shen Nong quickly stepped forward, wiping the cold sweat from Ze's forehead, and asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"
Ze shook his head, and gently rubbed Shen Nong's cheek with his large, warm palm. "It's okay, don't worry."
Although Ze didn't say it, Shen Nong guessed it in his mind. He was very familiar with this state, which was the overdraft of his superpowers.
Shen Nong took Ze back to rest. The orcs waiting outside told Shen Nong about the fish tribe priest coming to find him. Shen Nong thought back and realized that he hadn't encountered this person along the way, but the reason he was in such a hurry to find him was probably because of those injured orcs.
Yu Shui dragged his heavy steps back to the dormitory. He had thought a lot along the way. Migrating to another tribe was impossible; at least here they could at least have enough to eat. Besides, a tribe like theirs, which didn't even have a single level three orc warrior, would be the first to be annexed anywhere else.
He looked at the wooden door in front of him, pushed it open, and Yu Shui made up his mind to leave and let the beastmen of the tribe join the Wood Tribe.
"The priest...is back?"
A faint voice sounded, and Yu Shui quickened her pace, but not by much. "Awake?"
Walking up to the small wooden bed, Yu Shui glanced at it and immediately sensed something was wrong. The wound was beginning to heal! Afraid that her old eyes were playing tricks on her, and hesitant to touch it, Yu Shui asked uncertainly, "How come your wound is starting to heal?"
Yu Ye's voice was hoarse and weak, each word barely escaping his lips. He spoke for a long time, saying, "It was the priest of the Wood Tribe who saved us."
Yu Shui quickly checked on the other orcs and found that their wounds were beginning to heal. Suddenly, his body gave way, and he slid to the ground. Yu Shui covered his face with trembling hands, his voice hoarse as tears streamed down his face, "Good...good..."
Yu Ye was worried about the priest's health and wanted to get up to check on him, but Yu Shui stopped her, saying, "Don't move or speak, just lie still."
Yu Ye had no choice but to continue lying there, her eyes darting around trying to see if Yu Shui was alright. But after searching for a long time, she couldn't see anything but the upper part of the wooden bed.
After calming himself down, Yu Shui sat on the ground for a while and then felt some sensation returning to his body. He slowly stood up, supporting himself on the wooden bed beside him. Yu Ye heard the noise and looked closely, feeling that the priest's expression was very strange.
This was the first time Yu Ye had seen this expression on a priest. He felt he should call out to the priest, but before he could speak, his words were cut off. "Take good care of your injuries. I'll be right back after I go out for a bit."
Yu Ye nodded slightly, saying with some concern, "Then the priest should come back soon." Yu Shui didn't reply and walked straight out the door.
Just as Shen Nong helped Ze sit down, Shen Er came over with several stones. He handed the stones to Shen Nong, saying, "Found by the Fish Tribe."
Shen Nong examined the strange stone from all angles, then looked up and said, "Glass?"
Shen Er nodded, "The silica in the sand turns into glass when it gets burned by a fire, but sea sand contains less silica and more impurities. So there is relatively little glassy material."
Glass… Shen Nong placed the strangely shaped “glass” on the wooden table. Speaking of which, it wasn’t impossible to make glass. Sea sand wouldn’t work, but river sand could be used. Although it had more impurities, it wasn’t impossible to extract from it.
The glassmaking equipment system includes simple manual machines, and with the gold and jade mines in the border tribes, buying one wouldn't be out of the question. The problem is that there aren't enough people; the initial glass raw materials also need to undergo multiple purification processes to remove impurities, which is very labor-intensive.
The wooden windows are a bit dark now, but they're alright during the day when they're open. Shen Nong was thinking of building the glass factory later, but the system suddenly "dinged".
[Host, didn't you say last time you wanted to buy three high-level android warriors and one mid-level android warrior from me?]
It would have been better if this hadn't been brought up, because mentioning it reminded Shen Nong of how she'd been tricked. "I haven't even looked for you yet, and you've already delivered yourself into my hands. Didn't you say that your android warriors have human emotions? But what Shen Er said today didn't seem like he had any feelings at all?"
The system tried its best to defend itself, saying, "It does have feelings, but you have to teach it. If you don't teach it, it will definitely make the best choice when it encounters situations it hasn't faced before."
Shen Nong glanced at Shen Er. Although he looked exactly like a human and his skin was warm, Shen Nong always felt that there was a chill emanating from him.
Okay, it's just taking care of kids.
Once Shen Nong knew what to do, she stopped worrying and asked the system, "Why did you suddenly bring up that intermediate-level android? Didn't you say last time that you were afraid the main system would think you were cheating and deduct your salary, so you didn't let me buy so many at once?"
The system sighed, not bothering to hide it from Shen Nong, since it was pointless anyway; she would guess it in a couple of sentences. "The main system contacted me yesterday, asking me to trade more gold with you. There's a huge demand for this stuff; every small world needs it, except for the Beast World and ordinary primitive societies."
Shen Nong raised an eyebrow. "So scarce? But what does this have to do with intermediate-level androids?"
The system, sensing an opportunity, quickly replied, "Intermediate-level androids come in two types: combat and scholar. You can exchange for a geology expert and have him search for various ores."
Host, you should think this through carefully. The knowledge stored in these android chips is completely different from the haphazard knowledge of Shen Yi and his two companions. Furthermore, our main system has only selected you, and you are granted special permission to exchange all intermediate-level androids at half price.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, especially not from the main system, which is unwilling to suffer losses. Shen Nong pressed on, "Your main system connects to so many planes, it can't just be the Beast World where I am, right? You just said that there are ordinary primitive societies where the demand for gold is not high, why don't you go there to exchange for it?"
At this point, the system, which had been chattering incessantly, fell silent.
It sighed deeply and said speechlessly, "Don't even mention it. The primitive society we connected with had a pig that weighed 500 pounds. Those primitive people had never seen such a fat pig before. An entire tribe was mobilized, chasing it all over the mountains with logs. Forget about getting it to work for gold; it would be lucky if it could even keep its life."
Shen Nong understood; it turned out that humans weren't the only ones who transmigrated…
Knowing that the main system had no other choice but to give him a slight advantage, Shen Nong didn't hold back. She exchanged all sorts of experts and scholars in astronomy, geology, chemistry, physics, linguistics, traditional Chinese medicine, architecture, and art. Knowledge was scarce here; with these androids spreading knowledge, development would definitely be much faster.