Fox Mountain was embarrassed by the ridicule, and Wolfwood stood up to change the subject, "Alright, let's go to the cafeteria and eat meat, or there won't be any left."
"Yes, yes, hurry up, the cafeteria closes at a certain time. The first time I was so tired after training that I rested for too long and ended up missing it."
Niu Xia also panicked, grabbing at an orc's fish-skin pants haphazardly and shouting, "Help me up! I can't get up!"
As night fell, stars hung low over the plains, and the leaves in the forest rustled. In a secluded cave not far from Yanshan, a giant snake with brightly patterned markings coiled up.
The giant snake's body almost filled the cave, its head pushing forcefully against the large rock at the very back of the cave. Blood was flowing from the bloody hole beneath its head due to the force of the push. The giant snake was about to give way, and its entire head began to shake.
Just then, the large rock moved aside enough space, creating a gap large enough for an arm to fit through. Snake Forest transformed back into human form and reached for the small pottery jar hidden behind the rock. He eagerly opened the jar, and a strange, bloody stench assaulted his nostrils.
The smell was so strong it made him want to vomit. To heal his wounds, Shelin pinched his nose and endured the strange taste as he poured it into his mouth.
This was divine blood he had traded from the cannibals. After the Wood Tribe sent him the pottery jars, he chose the smallest one and hid the divine blood here. Originally, he intended to hide some for himself from the old priest so he wouldn't be restricted by the old man because of the divine blood. Unexpectedly, this saved his life.
I don't know if it's because it's been sitting for too long, but the wound isn't healing as fast as before, and my stomach is starting to ache slightly.
As the night drew to a close, Snake Forest's abdominal pain became increasingly unbearable, but it would subside whenever he was about to faint from the pain, a cycle that continued throughout the night.
The next day, his wounds had begun to heal, and his abdominal pain had subsided. This place was too close to the Wood Tribe to stay in for long. Snake Forest, unsure of where to go, decided to return to Beast City and tell the Ninth Young Master everything that had happened.
He, Shelin, must avenge this arrow wound.
——
Because many orcs from Beast City had joined the Wood Tribe, and through them it was confirmed that there were no Beast City people guarding the outside, the drawbridge at the Wood Tribe's city gate finally began to be lowered normally instead of being raised indefinitely.
The orcs of the Mountain Tribe and the Wind Tribe were working themselves to the bone, trying to build more houses and collect more cured meat and animal hides before winter so they could get through the winter properly.
The other orc tribes were extremely anxious. Their priests had repeatedly instructed them to immediately inform the tribe when the Wood Tribe priests returned.
After finally getting the Wood Tribe priest back, the Wood Tribe was "locked down." Although it wasn't impossible to go out, no orc from any tribe dared to be the first to suggest going out alone. So they looked at each other and waited, dragging it out for another half month, until the Wood Tribe was "unlocked."
After work that day, each tribe sent out its fastest orcs, who transformed into human form as soon as they left the Wood Tribe's city gates and ran off, disappearing in a flash.
The priests from each tribe arrived faster than the last, because they knew that the Mountain Tribe and the Wind Tribe had already started building houses!
They failed to become the first subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe, nor the second, but they were determined to secure the third spot no matter what. Didn't they see the previous order of distribution? Was the Wind Tribe relegated to being after the Mountain Tribe?
As darkness approached, the priests from all the tribes gathered at the council building of the Wood Tribe. Apart from the Rain Tribe, which had always maintained a good relationship with the Wood Tribe, the priests from the other five tribes—excluding the Vine Tribe—were all present.
Although these tribal priests did not receive reports from the orcs working for the Wood Tribe, they could still send orcs to keep an eye on the movements of these five tribal priests.
Upon hearing that all five tribal priests had come to the Wood Tribe tonight, they quickly followed.
They finally understood: following the Wood Tribe meant meat to eat, houses to live in, and animal skins to wear. Look at the Mountain Tribe and the Wind Tribe; even the elderly and children could earn enough to eat cured meat and wear animal skins in the winter.
Forced to work overtime, Shen Nong looked at the room full of priests, but the priests were not looking at Shen Nong, whom they had been longing for, but at the candles lit on Shen Nong's wooden table.
What kind of wood is this that can keep a fire burning? It's small, and standing upright on a table is much more convenient than a fire pit. It provides light in the summer without making you feel hot.
"You came all this way so late just to stare at my candles?" Shen Nong reminded her.
The priests snapped out of their daze, their eyes still fixed on the candles, but they explained their purpose: to become a subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe.
Shen Nong repeated what she had told the seaside tribe to these priests, emphasizing the assessment requirements. The priests all thought it was fine. Shen Nong sat in the chair like a tool, dripping blood onto the crystal handed to her by each priest.
Finally, it was all over. Shen Nong used his supernatural ability to heal his wounds, but his fingertips still felt swollen and painful. Now that his base points had been depleted due to his excessive spending, he couldn't buy any blood-nourishing or energy-boosting items from the system shop. On his way back to the courtyard, he would make a detour to the food preparation team and ask them to slaughter a pig tomorrow and save some liver, as he needed to replenish his blood.
The Grass Tribe priest, being young, was the fastest to rush forward. He was the first among the priests to form a pact, and securing this position was no easy feat. He braced his hands on the wooden table, the candle flame flickering slightly with his movements. "Wood Tribe priest, is our Grass Tribe the third subordinate tribe of the Wood Tribe?"
Shen Nong was stared at by Cao Ye with expectant eyes. Under his expectation, Shen Nong shook her head, "No, there are ten tribes ahead of you by the sea."
"What!" Grass Leaf was shocked. There were more than a dozen tribes ahead of him!
After the initial shock, Grass Leaf realized that the Wood Tribe priest had no reason to lie to her. So she began to plan in her mind that she had to make her tribesmen work even harder than the Mountain Tribe and the Wind Tribe, because the Wood Tribe priest would give extra rewards to the orcs who did a good job.
The Wood Tribe didn't get a spot among the top three affiliated tribes, but outstanding employees must have a place among the orcs of the Wood Tribe.
The old priest of the Rain Tribe saw through what Grass Leaf was thinking at a glance. He shook his head with a smile, thinking, "This young man always wants to be number one in everything."
It doesn't matter whether they are orcs or priests.
The Rain Tribe priest, leaning on a wooden stick, stepped forward and pointed to the candles on the table, asking, "High Priest, can this be traded?"
Shen Nong gave the Rain Tribe priest a "good eye" look, "This candle can be traded, but the price is a bit high."
The beeswax candles made this time are enough for the Wood Tribe's needs. Some have been stored for winter use, but there's not much left to trade.
Although the Flower Tribe can collect a lot of empty beehives in winter, and the amount will be more than this transaction, that will have to wait until winter.
The Rain Tribe priest really liked the candles; they cost ten pieces of raw meat per candle, and he traded for two. Not to use them for lighting, but to take them back and look at them every day.
The other priests also wanted them, but the tribe was still thinking about saving meat and animal hides to trade for brick houses with the wood tribe, and they were reluctant to trade for candles.
Seeing that everyone was there, Shen Nong simply told them that all the beastmen from the tribe should come to the Wood Tribe to study. This would save them the trouble of calling everyone over again and having to run around.
Going to school? What's that? I've never heard of it, I don't understand.
The priests were completely baffled by this new term, so Shen Nong explained it simply: "It means learning to read and write."
Learn words!
"You really can learn... writing?" The oldest and most composed priest of the Rain Tribe was the one who could stammer out a complete sentence while the other priests were still too shocked to speak.
Shen Nong nodded and said, "Yes, children aged five to ten are sent here to study all day. Children of other ages who are already working in the Mu tribe can only study pinyin for two hours a day at school. Those who are not working in the Mu tribe can choose to study all day or just for two hours, so as not to interfere with their own tribe's affairs."
Shen Nong glanced at the priests, who were becoming increasingly confused, and said, "You don't need to worry about how long two hours is; we'll remind you when the time is up. However, what I've described above is the best-case scenario. The specific number of people you send to learn is up to you."
The priests were still speechless with astonishment. Learning to write, writing... It was said that the beast god had bestowed upon the beast city a writing system, and their people were actually able to learn it?
After digesting Shen Nong's words, the Rain Tribe priest mustered his courage and asked, "Can we priests learn along with them?"
Upon hearing this, the room became even quieter. The priests slowed their breathing, and some even held their breath, afraid to breathe.
Their knowledge of writing was passed down orally from generation to generation of priests. The writing system, existing only in legends, was something that priests throughout history yearned for and craved.
They might have the opportunity to learn and recognize the legendary script, and just thinking about that possibility makes them so excited they can hardly breathe.
Amidst the tense silence of everyone, Shen Nong smiled and said, "Yes."
A note from the author:
Note 1: *Tiangong Kaiwu* (The Exploitation of the Works of Nature)
Volume 4: The Beast World
Chapter 102
Task 5
Late at night, the task completion notification sound, which had been silent for a long time, finally rang again.
[Ding, system notification: Agriculture, animal husbandry, and commerce in the Wood Tribe have begun to take shape.]
[Task Four Completed, 750,000 Infrastructure Points Awarded. Please check your account.]
[Task Five: Read ten thousand books, and your writing will flow like a god's. Books are the ladder of human progress! Let's start a literacy campaign and help more people learn to read!]
[Each person will be rewarded with 10 base points for each character they learn, with no upper limit, and settlements will be made monthly.]
Upon receiving the new mission, Shen Nong wondered for the first time if the system was deliberately giving him free infrastructure points. He had just told the other tribes about the orcs enrolling in school when the system updated the mission.
Although the system updated with new tasks related to orcs learning to write, Shen Nong knew that things that are too easily obtained are often not cherished. Therefore, other tribes charge tuition fees for enrolling in their programs.
Shen Nong set the tuition fees relatively low: children aged five to ten receive two pieces of raw meat per day; children aged ten to eighteen receive three pieces of raw meat per day; and orcs aged eighteen and above receive two pieces of raw meat per day for studying for only two hours, while those studying for the entire day receive five pieces of raw meat.
Orcs from various tribes come to work for them, and each month they can take back a considerable amount of cured meat and animal hides. If they really wanted to send the tribe's young children to school, the tribe could certainly afford it if they were frugal.
It would be cheaper if you gave them cured meat. Based on the orcs' appetites, the "tuition fees" Shen Nong collected wouldn't even cover a day's worth of food for them.
Regarding the matter of going to school in the Wood Tribe, after the priests of each tribe returned to their respective tribes, they carefully selected suitable orcs to send to school.
These tuition fees were more than enough for the Mountain Tribe, which had long been an appendage of the Wood Tribe. The Mountain Tribe sent all their children there as Shen Nong had suggested, including all the children under eighteen who were working.
Houses can be built slowly, but learning to write can't wait. Shanfeng understood that it's definitely better for everyone to be literate than for only half or a few people to be literate.
The Wind Tribe priest shared the same idea as the Mountain Wind Tribe, but it was somewhat difficult for them. They had more orcs aged ten to eighteen than the Mountain Tribe, and fewer children. Because of this, the Wind Tribe had more orcs working for the Wood Tribe, and they built three more houses than the Mountain Tribe.
After much deliberation, the priest of the Wind Tribe decided that the number of orcs aged 10 to 18 who studied full-time in the Wood Tribe was half that of those in the Mountain Tribe.
Of the other tribes, only the five tribes that had made an agreement with Shen Nong from the beginning to send their tribal beastmen to work in the Wood Tribe could guarantee that all their children aged five to ten would come.
In the remaining tribes, very few young children were sent to study full-time, and even fewer were over ten years old. The poorest ant tribe had only its newly appointed young priest attending school at the wood tribe.
These small tribes had not worked for the Wood Tribe before. They were more focused on saving up the cured meat and animal hides needed for the winter, and it was better for those who could work to do more work.
In the end, more than seventy students enrolled in the Wood Tribe. Each class had about thirty students, so they were divided into two classes. Most of them were children from the seven tribes that had been working in the Wood Tribe, while the other smaller tribes sent a total of only seven students.
Although only two classrooms were full, Shen Nong was quite satisfied. It wasn't realistic for all the tribes to send all their eligible children to study here.
After all, the tribe's primary concern is how to have enough resources to survive. Learning to write can wait until they have sufficient resources later.
…
Under a clear blue sky, strange noises emanated from the largest two-story brick building in the Mu tribe.
"Ah... Oh... Uh..." The strange voices ranged from childish to loud, deep, and aged. The elderly priests and the tiny children sat together, diligently reading and writing pinyin, learning all day long under Shen Ba's guidance.
In addition to two hours of daily lessons in pinyin, the orcs of the Wood Tribe's medical, crafting, and pottery teams also received systematic and comprehensive professional training from Shen Jiu, a traditional Chinese medicine expert, Shen Shi, an architecture expert, and Shen Shiyi, an art expert. After finishing their classes at school, Shen Jiu, Shen Shi, and Shen Shiyi would also join the three teams to help make the necessary items.
The system's task was to teach literacy, which only required recognizing characters, so Shen Nong did not open her professional courses to the public.
There was no other way. After all, Shen Nong knew that his current identity was that of a priest of the Wood Tribe. He had to consider the Wood Tribe's interests more. Specialized courses could only be opened after the Wood Tribe's various skills were fully developed, and even then, the number of participants would be limited.
Although the school has already started operating, it still needs to add a dormitory area. When the school was first established, Shen Nong did not expect that a distant tribe would become a subordinate tribe of the Mu tribe in such a short time. Therefore, in order to save time and manpower, the school only reserved land for the dormitory area, but the houses have not yet been built.
Now, due to system tasks and the ten tribes along the coast, construction has also begun on the dormitory area. Because of classes, construction can only start after the students have finished school.
Shen Nong entrusted this matter to Shen Shi, who only needed to go to the school twice a day and listen to the teachers' reports after school.
Shen Yi also brought over all the tools needed for textile production. The newly established cloth-making team was overseen by textile expert Shen Shier, so Shen Nong didn't need to watch much; they had already progressed to the combing stage.
Shen Nong enjoyed many leisurely days, spending her time in the fields and orchards, commuting to and from work with Ze. She also had Lu Shuang with her, so she could teach him how to use and control his supernatural abilities.
Lu Shuang learned quickly and mastered the skills well. While teaching Lu Shuang, Shen Nong experienced a sense of exhilaration from using his water-based abilities. The wood-based energy gathered around him also doubled, and Shen Nong felt his own abilities increasing. Due to the synergistic effect of water nourishing wood in his abilities, it wouldn't be long before his ability level rose to the next tier.
After this period of practice, Lu Shuang has made rapid progress. Her ability level is now level three, and she is about to enter level four. She only needs one opportunity to level up.
A few days later, Shen Yi had the glass cutter made of diamond delivered by the Feather Tribe orcs. Shen Nong had taken Shen Wu's advice and knew that diamonds could be found, so she didn't buy the cutter from the system, saving some infrastructure points.