The orcs and cannibals of the Salt Tribe now all need Shen Nong to make arrangements for them.
The other half of the salt mountain now belongs to the Wood tribe. Therefore, the Wood tribe also has to take over the affairs previously handled by the Salt Department—trading salt stones with various tribes.
Besides the seven tribes of the Mountain Tribe, there are five other tribes here that are being used as human shields by the Salt Tribe.
Mang Lin has always looked down on cannibals. If it weren't for Wu Ming's ability to prevent orcs from transforming, he would have viewed cannibals as nothing more than ants crawling on the ground.
Before the cannibals first raided the Salt Mountain, the Salt Tribe didn't even force other tribes to act as human shields for them.
Python Forest didn't take the cannibals seriously at all.
Later, they discovered that even low-level orcs could be difficult to deal with if there were many of them, so the Salt Tribe began their search.
Originally, the surrounding tribes were threatened by the cannibals to be their human shields. After the Salt Tribe said only one sentence, that if they helped the cannibals, they would not get the Salt Tribe's salt stones, the five tribes with some strength dared not help the cannibals anymore.
The seven tribes of the mountain tribe were too weak to offend any of them.
The Salt Tribe uses salt as a threat, while the Cannibals threaten their lives.
They had no choice but to continue helping the cannibals.
The Salt Tribe had been keeping an eye on the Cannibals, and the Cannibals had also been keeping a close watch on the Salt Tribe. Previously, if either tribe wanted to pull any tricks, both sides would know in the shortest amount of time. This time, the Cannibals' successful sneak attack was entirely due to Wuming's improved abilities, which allowed him to directly locate and kill the Salt Tribe's spies.
Those tribes used as human shields by the Salt Tribe were still somewhat bewildered when they saw the orcs sent by the Wood Tribe to explain the situation. The Wood Tribe orcs didn't say much, just gave the notification and went straight back; they still had to make a trip to the border tribes.
The marginal tribes are actually nine small tribes.
These nine small tribes are also known as the peripheral tribes because they are located on the very edge of the region. Each tribe has a small population, with the largest having only fifty people and the smallest only twenty-seven.
These nine small tribes were timid and cowardly. Even when they hunted every day, they stayed in the mountains and forests near their respective tribes and would not venture out of the area.
Aside from beast tides and days for exchanging salt stones, these events almost never occur at other times.
Therefore, none of the tribes knew the specific names of these nine tribes, and they were collectively referred to as the marginal tribes.
Previously, when the Salt Tribe fought with the Cannibals, these nine small tribes didn't get any salt in the spring. They didn't dare venture out afterward, fearing they'd be used as human shields by the Salt Tribe.
After all, when large tribes fight, they like to use smaller tribes as meat shields to reduce the casualties of their own tribe's orc warriors.
When the Wood Tribe orcs went to the Edge Tribe, the timid and fearful Edge Tribe also gathered together to discuss whether they should risk going to the Salt Tribe to exchange for salt stones.
They hadn't eaten saltstone for so long that some of the orcs were starting to lose their strength.
Finally, the various tribes on the outskirts decided that each tribe's chief would set off with the captain of the hunting team. This was their strongest fighting force; even if they couldn't all return alive, they wouldn't die as easily as other tribesmen.
On the morning of the day of departure, the chieftains of the Tree Tribe and the Cliff Tribe were late in appearing.
The Cliff Tribe lives high up on a cliff, quite far away, so it's normal that they arrived late. But the Tree Tribe is nearby, yet they haven't shown up at all.
The tribal chiefs were somewhat worried, so they split into three groups: one group went to the Tree Tribe to inquire about the situation, another group went to the Cliff Tribe, and the rest waited in place.
The Cliff Tribe was in complete chaos. The middle-aged priest, his brow furrowed, stared intently at the bruises on their chieftain's body, his face filled with despair. The curse had descended once more…
Volume Three: City Building
Chapter 73
Three chapters combined into one chapter
The chieftains of the Stone Tribe and the Mulberry Tribe, along with the captain of the hunting team, went to the Tree Tribe, which was not far from the meeting point.
After learning the purpose of the four people's visit, the orcs of the Tree Tribe guards turned around and went into the tribe to inform their priest.
It had rained yesterday, and the ground was muddy and damp. The four of them had thick mud stuck to their feet, and every step they took was difficult, as they were sticking to the ground.
While they waited outside, they used branches to scrape off the mud covering their feet. Halfway through, the tree tribe orc who had gone in to announce their arrival returned, his face beaming with obvious delight. "Go in," he said.
The four were in a hurry to see the person, so they threw away the branches they were using to scrape mud and went straight into the Tree Tribe without even looking up, not noticing the expressions on the faces of the Tree Tribe orcs.
"Did the priest give you some meat? Why are you smiling so happily?" The companion next to him was a little puzzled. The person who had been expressionless before went in, but came out grinning with two rows of teeth.
The orc squinted. "This is even more exciting than getting meat on the ground."
This completely piqued his companion's curiosity, and he asked impatiently, "What exactly happened?"
"The sacred tree is moving!"
Hearing this, his companion gasped. "Hiss... This is something that would make the tribe even happier than if it were a direct confrontation. So many years have passed. It's said that since the fourth priest, the sacred tree has been in a deep sleep and has never given the tribe any further guidance."
Now that there was finally some movement, he pressed on, "Did the priest sense anything?"
"I don't know. I heard from the orcs who went to the sacred tree that it was just a flash of green light."
"That's better than nothing."
The other person nodded in agreement.
…
The various tribes on the periphery exchanged goods and resources, and the chieftains were familiar with each other's tribes. The four of them didn't need any guidance and arrived at the place where the tree tribe's priest and chieftain lived, knowing the way well.
"Tree Tribe Priest!" The Stone Tribe chieftain stood under the treehouse, looking up and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Come down!"
The Tree Tribe is different from other tribes. While other tribes live in caves, the Tree Tribe members all live in trees.
Thick branches and intertwined roots support the oddly shaped wooden house.
The structure of a log cabin is made by binding and securing logs of roughly the same size together with bark ropes.
This bark rope is made by peeling and kneading the tough fibers from tree bark. The resulting rope is very tough and has a strong load-bearing capacity, which is incomparable to straw rope made from grass.
Among the peripheral tribes, the tree tribe produces the best bark ropes—they are the most resilient, have the strongest load-bearing capacity, and are the most durable. Other tribes generally don't make their own; instead, they trade directly with the tree tribe.
The four of them looked up in unison, staring intently at the wooden house. No matter how many times they looked at it, they were still amazed by the wooden house where the tree tribe lived.
Unfortunately, the tree tribe doesn't build houses on the ground, and there aren't any suitable trees for them to live in within their tribal area. Otherwise, they would have asked the tree tribe to build them a wooden house to live in.
Not long after Xiong Shi shouted, a head with messy hair popped out of the treehouse. The person sounded a little impatient, "It's always you! You're so afraid of climbing treehouses, yet you still come over every time!"
Xiong Shi stood with his hands on his hips, his voice booming, "I'm just afraid I'll trample your treehouse to pieces! Stop dawdling and come down!"
Then he turned and shouted at the treehouse opposite, "Fox Tree!"
Xiong Shi's gruff voice was interrupted by an impatient female voice, "What are you yelling about? It's so noisy."
Xiong Shi turned his head and saw the orc not far away. He chuckled and said, "You're down there? I thought you were in the treehouse. Why didn't your tree tribe go? Didn't we say we were going to the salt department to exchange salt together today?"
Fox Tree, who was initially annoyed by Xiong Shi's nagging, lost all his impatience upon hearing the question, even a smile playing on his lips. However, Fox Tree, whose temperament was naturally volatile, still spoke somewhat rudely, "Why do you care so much?"
However, it was true that the Tree Tribe had not informed the other tribes in advance. Fox Tree suppressed his temper and added, "Before dawn, the Divine Tree suddenly reacted, and we just finished dealing with it."
Needless to say, all four understood why the Tree Tribe hadn't gone to join them.
The Tree Tribe, among the marginal tribes, not only lives differently from other tribes, but they also possess an enormous tree that they revere as a sacred tree.
The miraculous power of this sacred tree is legendary among the border tribes. It is said that the first chief of the Stone Tribe saw the tree radiate light, and the third priest of the Sang Tribe and the fifth chief of the Cliff Tribe were both saved by the tree's light...
The Tree Tribe has many stories to tell about the sacred tree, and other tribes also have many tales of its wonders. However, these are all legends and have not been verified.
At least none of the tribes, whether chieftains or priests, have ever encountered the sacred tree emitting light or been saved by it.
Suddenly, the long-silent sacred tree reacted, much to the surprise of the four. The chieftain of the Sang tribe, Cansang, recalled the legends about the sacred tree and the tree tribe's priests, and asked, "Did the tree tribe's priests sense the sacred tree and the prophecy?"
Each of the peripheral tribes has its own legend about the sacred tree, but the tree has always been protected by the Tree Tribe. The sole reason is that the Tree Tribe's priests can hear the sacred tree's prophecies and know about the future.
This was common knowledge among the surrounding tribes; it wasn't exactly a secret. Ironically, because of this, the various tribes never even considered vying for the sacred tree.
Fox Tree shook his head. "I don't know."
She truly didn't know; their priest hadn't said anything. Just then, the Tree Tribe priest came down, and she overheard Cansang's words: "Don't even mention prophecy, I only saw the light of the sacred tree once. After that, I couldn't see it anymore."
Tree Fruit, the young priest of the Tree Tribe, was impulsive. He had just been talking about the sacred tree, but now he was rubbing his stomach and frowning. "Chieftain, I'm hungry again."
Fox Tree's lips twitched. "How come you can eat even more than an orc!"
Tree Fruit scratched her head, her bird's nest-like hair moving gently with her movements. "If I starve to death, the Tree Tribe will have no priest."
Fox Tree instantly shut down its fire, tossed out a "Wait" and ran off to find food for their starving little priest.
Upon seeing this, Xiong Shi quickly called out, "Fox Tree, don't forget you still need to go to the Salt Department to exchange for salt stones!"
Fox Tree didn't slow down or turn its head, "I know! We'll leave after we've fed her!"
Meanwhile, the Wood Tribe orcs, having taken many wrong turns, were all covered in dust and dirt. Catgrass quickly climbed a tree, looked at the tribe not far away, and shouted to the orcs below, "I see the tribe! It's right ahead!"
"Okay, come down and have something to eat, then we'll leave," Rabbit Wind said.
Catgrass nodded, and just as he was about to go down, he suddenly noticed something glowing very close to them. Curious, Catgrass didn't rush down; after careful observation, he discovered it was a huge tree.
"Why aren't you coming down yet?" Rabbit Wind asked, looking up with some concern. "Are you stuck?"
Catgrass looked away and quickly replied, "No, I'm coming down."
While eating, Catgrass kept thinking about the giant, glowing tree she had just seen, and her eating pace was much slower than usual. If an orc isn't enthusiastic about eating meat, there must be something wrong with their health.
As the team leader this time, Rabbit Wind had to put in more effort. He sat down next to Cat Grass and asked, "Cat Grass, are you in pain somewhere?"
Catgrass snapped out of her daze, looking completely bewildered. "No."
"Then why are you eating meat so slowly? You used to be the fastest eater."
Catgrass was really curious, but also afraid that she had seen things wrong, so she told Rabbit Wind that she had just seen a giant tree that glowed. Rabbit Wind obviously didn't believe her; how could a tree glow?
"I really saw it." Catgrass, who had initially doubted that she hadn't seen it, became quite certain that she had after Rabbit Wind questioned her.
Without saying much, Tu Feng climbed the tree, wanting to prove that there were no glowing trees at all, and then he saw a giant glowing tree...
The pale green light wasn't very noticeable in the sunlight, but it was enough for him to see clearly. It would definitely be beautiful at night. Rabbit Wind glanced at it, then glanced at it again, until Cat Grass called from below, asking if he had seen it.
When Rabbit Wind first climbed the tree, Cat Grass was actually a little nervous. What if he had really seen it wrong? But the longer Rabbit Wind stayed in the tree, the more certain he became that he hadn't seen it wrong.
The other wood tribe orcs were also very curious. Before Rabbit Wind could come down, two orcs climbed up the tree to see if there was any tree that could glow.
At first, they didn't quite believe it. How could a tree emit light? It's not the sun, the moon, or the stars…
But when they climbed the tree and saw the giant tree emitting a pale green light in the distance, they were all speechless with amazement. It turned out that there really were trees that could glow!
"There really are trees that glow!"
These words immediately prompted the other orcs still on the ground to climb the trees. After scanning the area, they all saw the giant tree shrouded in a pale green light. Catgrass also climbed a tree and, seeing that the giant tree was relatively close to one of the tribes they were heading to, said to Rabbitwind, "Let's go that way; it'll get us to the tribe we're going to."