He glanced at the cotton-padded coats and trousers hanging nearby, then took out the money he had saved for two sets of animal skin coats and bought a cotton-padded overcoat that reached his ankles. He used the money he had saved for salt to buy cotton-padded trousers; in winter, with cured meat, he wouldn't need salt.
I don't have money to buy cotton shoes, but luckily the animal skin shoes I bought last autumn are still wearable.
For their first order, the Wood Tribe orcs waived the difference for Tu Shan and told him to come back in three days to collect it.
Tushan left with a money bag made of animal hide that was mostly empty. After taking a few steps, he saw two more stalls connected together.
One of the stalls was selling something called candles; a white candle stood on the ground, burning brightly. Although the flame was small, it was sufficient for lighting.
In winter, it's nice to light a fire in the fire pit indoors when it's cold, as it provides both light and warmth. However, in summer, when it gets very hot at night, a fire pit won't work.
So every summer night, the beastmen would go to sleep early before it got completely dark.
Candles were much cheaper than cotton, but much more expensive than cured meat and salt. A long, thin candle cost six coins, and two cost ten coins.
Candles are unnecessary in winter, so the orcs buy few, and even if they wanted to, they couldn't get any. The priests from various tribes arrived late, and as soon as they arrived, they swarmed into the candle stall, buying up all the candles.
The priests, who hadn't managed to grab many candles, quickly ran towards the cotton stalls, wanting everything from cotton coats and trousers to cotton shoes and blankets, with each person buying at least two sets.
This extravagant spending left even the Wood Tribe beastmen stunned.
After sweeping up the cotton stalls, the priests walked to the left without stopping. Tu Shan was pushed forward by the crowd. When he finally stopped, he heard the old priest of the Rain Tribe and the priest of the Grass Tribe arguing.
"The high priest said that eating too much sugar is bad for your teeth, it will hurt and they will fall out! You've bought all the white sugar, so by the time winter is over, all your teeth will be gone!" The grass tribe priest shouted fiercely, hands on his hips.
The Rain Tribe priest wasn't about to be outdone. He didn't speak as quickly as the Grass Tribe priest, but he had a loud voice. "I bought so much! I have silver! I came fast! You can't buy any because you don't have silver and you came too slowly! Besides, I only bought white sugar. Don't I still have brown sugar and rock sugar?"
The Grass Tribe priest was taken aback. Oh right, he could still buy brown sugar and rock sugar! Grass Green looked down and saw that the sugar stall was empty. He quickly checked the sugar jars and, confirming that they were empty, hurriedly asked the stall owner, "Where are the brown sugar and rock sugar?"
The stall owner had already started packing up, taking the small sugar jars used for selling sugar off the counter and placing them in a wooden frame. "The brown sugar was bought by the Wind Tribe priest, and the rock sugar was bought by the Mountain Tribe priest."
Upon hearing this, Cao Qing's face nearly contorted into tears. Seeing that Cao Qing was young and everyone loves sweets, the stall owner kindly suggested, "I saw the mountain tribe's priest sell some rock candy to the ant tribe's young priest. Why don't you go ask him..."
Before the stall owner could finish speaking, Cao Qing ran into the crowd and searched everywhere for Shan Feng.
As Tu Shan looked up, he saw the priests and vendors from the Mountain Tribe and the Wind Tribe trading brown sugar and rock sugar. The brown sugar was very dark in color, looking like dark soil from a distance. The rock sugar was yellowish and resembled stones. The most beautiful was the white sugar, which looked like snow. At that moment, the Rain Tribe priest was carefully carrying a large jar of sugar and turning to leave.
Tushan performed very well in the construction team and received candy several times. According to the grass tribe priest, this candy was also sweet?
If something could make a tribe's priests quarrel over not being able to buy it, it must be something good. Tushan wanted to try it, so he went up to the stall owner and asked, "When will you be able to buy these candies again?"
The stall owner had already packed up his things. The market was crowded, and he couldn't push his cart out, so he decided to browse the market himself. Hearing someone ask a question, he stopped and replied, "They won't be available until next autumn."
It's a bit of a pity about Tushan; I wonder if I'll be able to snag some to try next autumn.
…
After the market closed, the priests of each tribe began the orc awakening ceremony. In the Wood Tribe, all orcs aged five and above awakened, with Tiger Roar even advancing to level ten, now a level ten orc warrior. Rabbit Wind and Cat Cloud also advanced to level nine orc warriors.
Perhaps because Shen Nong's energy source is different now than before, all the other orc warriors in the tribe who had taken the Marrow Cleansing Pill were promoted one level after Shen Nong's supernatural energy entered their bodies. Some even skipped two levels, going directly from level six orcs to level eight orc warriors.
After the awakening ceremony of the Wood Tribe, Shen Nong received a message from Shen Wu, which Lu Shuang had asked him to send.
The priest of the Lei tribe was killed, and all the priest candidates in the tribe were also killed by Mu Qing. They now have no priests.
Xiong Lei didn't want his people to just wait to die, so he found Lu Shuang and wanted to join the Mu tribe.
Lu Shuang was undecided. He had been following Shen Nong for quite some time and knew that those in the tribe with the surname Shen had special ways to communicate directly with her. So he went to Shen Wu and asked him to ask Shen Nong what to do.
The Wood Tribe is not short of people, but the beastmen of the Thunder Tribe are very strong in all aspects, and their personalities and temperaments are also compatible with Shen Nong's, so she agreed.
Shen Nong left a message for Shen Wu: "Winter is coming soon. Let the Lei Tribe orcs stay in the Beast City. First, help Lu Shuang settle things at the salt field and mine. I will have the Yu Tribe orcs send some clothes over. I will go there in the spring to awaken the orcs."
Author's Note:
It's almost finished. Are there any side stories you'd like to see?
Chapter 123
End of text
For this autumn beast tide, each tribe only sent a hunting party. Since the Wood tribe taught them how to cure meat, each tribe has stored so much cured meat that they can't finish it all even during the winter.
The demand for hunting beasts this year isn't as high as before; hunting two giant beasts will be enough. Instead of wasting time and energy, it's better to earn more money and trade with the Wood Tribe.
This time, the Wood Tribe was led by Ze, and after the battle of Beast City, the surrounding tribes all knew that Ze was a divine beast warrior. Under Ze's leadership, the Wood Tribe's military guard hunted as many animals as last autumn.
Two of the giant beasts from this hunt are still alive. The animals in the pasture have already given birth two or three times, and these cubs have become much less wild. Ze wants to try to tame the giant beasts, which would provide an extra layer of protection for the Wood Tribe.
Shen Nong had no objection to this, and since his energy source became the root of the beast world's energy, his communication with Dahei and Tuanzi Time has become increasingly smooth. It's as if he can understand beast language.
The two giant beasts that Ze brought back to the tribe were relatively docile herbivorous giants that looked a lot like rabbits, but with exceptionally long fur and ears that hung directly on the ground when they walked.
When Shen Nong went to see the two giant rabbits, they were chirping and whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at Ze, who was following beside Shen Nong, as if they didn't care.
Shen Nong listened to their incessant chirping, her smile growing wider with each listen. Finally, she patted Ze's shoulder, laughing so hard her hands trembled. Ze asked, puzzled, "What's making you so happy?"
"They think you're very strong and powerful, and they're discussing becoming your big brother so you can protect them. But they're so worried about how to bring it up that they're starting to shed fur." Shen Nong pushed Ze forward and teased, "Look at your little brothers, aren't they cute!"
Afraid that Shen Nong would feel uncomfortable laughing, Ze turned around and patted Shen Nong's back, "I listened to the priest. If the priest said they are his little brothers, then they are his little brothers."
Upon hearing this, Shen Nong quickly waved to attract the attention of the two giant rabbits, "Don't worry, you don't look good with all your fur falling out! He's agreed to be your big brother!"
The two rabbits had just arrived and weren't as clever as Big Black, so they didn't understand what Shen Nong was saying. They started chirping again when they saw Shen Nong, and one of the darker-colored rabbits exclaimed excitedly, "He has such great power! Let's recognize him as our second brother!"
Another white rabbit began to worry, "It's good, but how are we going to recognize it? Ugh... I'm so worried, I'm going to start shedding again!"
After listening to the conversation between the two rabbits, Shen Nong laughed and pulled Ze away. He was afraid that if they stayed any longer, the two long-haired rabbits would become bald.
...
With winter just two or three days away, all the surrounding tribes had already stockpiled enough supplies for the winter, except for one tribe—the Vine Tribe.
As Tengmu ate the fish that Maoteng had caught in the river, he muttered to himself, "If those orcs hadn't betrayed the tribe, I wouldn't have been eating fish for so long. It's tough and tastes awful."
Cat Vine heard this almost every day, but he ignored it and took out the salt jar to marinate the rabbit meat he had hunted.
The Wood Tribe controlled all the salt in the area, and given what Tengmu had done, the Wood Tribe would never trade salt to him. Maoteng initially planned to take Tengmu away to find a place where they could trade salt and survive. Although it would be dangerous, he knew that staying here without salt meant certain death anyway.
Who knew that the Wood Tribe would send someone, saying it was the High Priest's order, that he could exchange anything at the Wood Tribe market.
Mao Teng remembers being stunned for a long time at the time, and for some reason, blurted out, "Why?"
He remembered the orc replying, "The high priest said that if you ask why, he will tell you, because he will never easily give up on the teacher who raised him."
Catvine didn't know what "teacher" meant, but he could understand the meaning behind the words of the priest from the Wood Tribe.
He grew up without parents; the old priest raised him. Since the flood, the old priest seemed like a completely different person. Catvine knew the old priest desperately wanted to prove himself right, but wrong was wrong, and regardless, the Vine Tribe had lost many orcs because of that wrong decision.
But he was still the old priest who raised him.
Anyone can leave the old priest, but he cannot.
Catvine placed the marinated rabbit meat down, then smiled when he saw the cleaned fish bones on the ground. "We don't have much marinated meat to eat in winter, and we don't even know if we'll survive the winter. In a couple of days, I'll make some of the marinated meat to make soup; I've heard it's delicious."
Fujiki lowered his eyes, his emotions unreadable. He didn't speak, and after a long while, he let out a heavy hum through his nose.
At night, Cat Vine keenly smelled the burning scent of Misty Leaves. He opened his eyes in alarm and quickly covered his mouth and nose.
Just a whiff of the scent of the leaves can make one feel weak all over, and a little more can make one lose consciousness and fall into a deep sleep.
Catvine looked at the empty grass mat opposite him, and his heart sank. He bit his tongue hard, the taste of blood spreading throughout his mouth, the pain making him more alert. He dragged his weak body out of the cave, thinking the person was gone and nowhere to be found, but the smoke coming from the other side of the large cave seemed to be a guide.
priest!
When Catvine arrived, the entrance to the large cave had already been sealed off by fire. Knowing that Vinewood was inside, he rushed forward without thinking, but as soon as he took a step, Catvine fell heavily to the ground.
There were mystical leaves in the large cave, and the smoke from the burning leaves carried their scent.
Catvine's consciousness was hazy. In his unconscious state, he heard the old voice of the vine tree in the big cave, "Let's go, go to the Wood Tribe and be with the people, and live well."
Fujiki's cloudy eyes stared directly at the raging fire. He had inhaled too much of the pungent leaves and had already collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted. Those last words had drained all his strength.
Before losing consciousness completely, Fujiki unconsciously shed tears. He had only done things for the good of the tribe, so how could this happen...? Was he really wrong?
The fire burned for a long time, but because there was nothing around the large cave, it did not spread. When Cat Vine woke up, the first thing she saw was the blackened cave.
His strength had not fully recovered, and he practically crawled into the large hole.
Inside was a charred corpse, clutching a "wooden stick" that burned so badly it would crumble at the slightest touch.
"priest!"
After crying himself unconscious, Catvine woke up and his body returned to normal. He had seen the old priest dispose of the dead orcs, burning them and burying them in the ground.
He dug a pit, buried the person inside, stared at the mound for a long time, and then walked towards the Wood Tribe.
When Shen Nong learned that Mao Teng had arrived, he roughly guessed that Teng Mu was no longer there. Otherwise, given Mao Teng's personality, he wouldn't have come to the Wood Tribe. He didn't object to Mao Teng joining the Wood Tribe; on the contrary, he had always thought that if Teng Mu left, he would welcome Mao Teng if he wanted to join the Wood Tribe.
He finds Mao Teng very agreeable. Moreover, if properly trained, Mao Teng could be a very capable assistant.
The beastmen of the Vine Tribe were very happy about Cat Vine's arrival. If it weren't for Cat Vine's tacit approval, they wouldn't have joined the Wood Tribe so easily.
Lu Shi and Hu Wu felt this most deeply. If Mao Teng hadn't deliberately chosen Lu Shi to burn the big hole, Lu Shi wouldn't have told Hu Wu. And by the time Hu Wu found out, the big hole would definitely have been burned to the ground.
To prevent any accidents, the Wood Tribe had long ago stipulated that all orcs joining the tribe must form a blood pact using bloodstones. Shen Nong asked Fox Five to give the bloodstone for forming the pact to Cat Vine. When Fox Five handed the bloodstone to Cat Vine, he thought Cat Vine might be unwilling, but Cat Vine's actions were surprisingly straightforward.
The cat vines formed a bond very quickly. Looking at the vine tribe beastmen who were surrounding him with shocked expressions, he explained helplessly, "The wood tribe priest has always been very good to me. He agreed to let me become a wood tribe beastman without even asking any questions. I am very happy."
Fox Five couldn't hold back and whispered, "I thought that... Cat Vine, you were only loyal to the priest of Vinewood Fall."
Fox Five's words were unpleasant to hear, but he genuinely meant no harm. Not only him, but all the orcs of the Vine Tribe thought so.
After a moment of silence, Mao Teng replied, "It's not about being loyal to him, it's about taking care of him like a father."
Now it was Fox Five's turn to be silent. After coming to the Wood Tribe, they heard from the elders that Cat Vine was indeed raised by Vine Wood.
"Alright, get back to work." Wolf Leaf patted Cat Vine on the shoulder. "Let's go, the High Priest wants me to take you to the guard post."
...
The exploration of the Dragon Stone Jadeite Cave in Beast City was nearing completion, and Shen Wu reported to Shen Nong regularly every day. Seeing that things were almost finished there, Shen Nong asked Shen Wu whether he planned to return now or wait until spring.
Shen Nong didn't choose either option. He had always wanted to go out and survey the terrain of the Beast World to find some usable resources.
However, the jungles, rivers, mountains, and deserts of the beast world harbor deadly dangers. They are all undeveloped, forbidden lands that even beastmen dare not easily approach.
Shen Wu brought it up again. Shen Nong is a priest of a tribe and should consider the long-term development of the tribe. He should agree to Shen Wu's proposal.
However, with only Shen Wu, there were far too few people, and when trouble arose, there was no one to help.