Yang Yi was stunned when he heard that. For a moment, he was unable to react.
Especially under the other’s unwavering gaze, an indescribable feeling surged in his heart.
“Since I was willing to sign a contract with you, doesn’t that prove everything?”
It was true that he agreed to the contract back then to save his own life when facing this powerful man before him.
It had been an adventure forced upon him under those special circumstances. If he had even the slightest ability to protect himself, he would never have, at a time when they were still strangers, done something so reckless as to entrust each other with their very lives.
Aside from that, Yang Yi also truly wanted to integrate himself into this world.
He had once heard the elders say that fallen leaves return to their roots, but it hadn’t stirred much in him. He thought that as long as he had a computer connected to the internet, it was more or less the same no matter where he was.
Going abroad gave him a sense of being in a foreign land, but with familiar voices to be heard everywhere, that strangeness was largely softened.
At that time, he had been very clear that he was only traveling, so his experience remained shallow.
But after coming here, knowing he could not return, the fear of not even knowing in which direction his roots lay left him lost and helpless.
He could only try to change himself, to actively make himself part of this world, to treat it as his home.
Yet his different appearance was a huge barrier. To everyone else, he could never be regarded as ordinary like others—especially since he had even become a Divine Envoy.
Hei Lie, to him, was an opportunity.
To have someone deeply bound to him, with their lives tied together—someone who was as important as family—gave him a sense of stability.
In this world, he was not alone. He had someone very close to him, always by his side.
Now, watching the entire tribe gradually being built according to his own vision, Yang Yi not only felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment but also a true sense that this was his home, a place that could accept him.
Every inch of land, he had carefully planned. From nothing to something, experiencing the process and savoring the final result. Even just imagining it felt wonderful.
Hei Lie lowered his eyes, gave a faint smile, and said nothing more.
“Enjoy the present,” Yang Yi said, sensing his disappointment, though he could make no promises.
This man was very perceptive. He had seen his rootlessness from the very beginning.
After they signed the contract, it became even easier for him to glimpse into his heart.
While Yang Yi strove to integrate himself, he also continued to imagine the day he might be able to return. That sliver of hope kept him from completely abandoning everything.
If he had the chance, he would still choose to leave.
After all, in the other world were his parents, his family, and his friends.
“It’s me who is too greedy.” Hei Lie’s expression was tinged with melancholy. “You are the Divine Envoy. One day, you will return to God’s side.”
“So you had this side to you as well.”
Hei Lie had always shown strength and fearlessness, always looked at problems with optimism. Yang Yi hadn’t expected to see such an expression on him.
“The future is too far away. Why don’t we talk about the present instead? Before I build the city in my heart, I will not leave.”
Since he had come to this world, Yang Yi also wanted to accomplish something.
Although there was still a long way to go before reaching the “city in his heart”, he had already seen the first light of dawn. He wanted to keep going.
The outline of the city in his mind was becoming clearer and clearer. If he really could leave, he also wanted to leave behind traces that he had once been here.
Even if he couldn’t leave, he still had to do something for himself, for this world, so that this life wouldn’t be in vain.
Hei Lie brushed away the messy thoughts and immediately perked up, his spirits high, with no trace of the earlier gloom.
“We’ll have an extra thousand manpower. I plan to put all of them into building houses and cultivating fields, so we can free up more of our people to go and mine iron ore.”
Yang Yi nodded. “That’s what I was thinking, too. The mining area is too far from the tribe. We need to assign more people.”
The logging area and the pottery-making area were still relatively close to the tribe, still within the tribe’s sphere of influence. In the future, if a large city was to be built, it would expand to the surrounding edges.
Therefore, if anything happened over there, people could be sent quickly to provide support.
Besides, there was a natural barrier there. Now that the suspension bridge had been completed, if they really encountered an urgent situation, there was also a place to flee to quickly.
The mining area, however, was different. It was much farther away.
And its significance was even greater. More people had to be sent there to guard it. It couldn’t be taken away.
That place would be the key to leading the entire tribe toward civilization. It had to be held at all costs.
“Before sending people over, I’ll lead a group to clear out the surrounding area, set up traps and defensive walls, and make sure it’s safe.”
Yang Yi took out his notebook and recorded the important matters.
There were too many things happening now. If he didn’t record them in time, it would be easy for memory to become distorted or for something to be overlooked.
He hadn’t been here long enough. Before he even had time to properly plan, a whole series of events had already begun.
Saying it was about building the city in his heart, in reality, there was no complete plan laid out. It was all just being carried out step by step according to current needs.
Along the way, quite a few situations arose where, at first, they had prepared to do things one way, but when it came to implementation, they realized it was wrong and had to start correcting it.
There were also those low-level mistakes where something was decided at the time, but when later making detailed plans, the original idea was forgotten.
So gradually, he developed the habit of always keeping meeting notes. No matter what it was, it had to be written down. He couldn’t rely too much on his memory.
Yang Yi couldn’t guarantee that there would never be mistakes in the future. But after every mistake, he would correct them in time.
Whether it was him, Hei Lie, or the others, they were all newcomers to construction. They needed to improve their plans and designs little by little.
“During this time, send out a group of people to repair the road between here and there, shorten the travel time, and make preparations for future transport.”
Hei Lie unconsciously tapped his fingers on the table. “The iron-smelting area still has to be near the tribe. We can’t do it so far away.”
“Mm, that’s safer. But iron-smelting needs a huge amount of firewood. I think it would be more suitable to place it near the pottery-making area.”
Iron-smelting required massive amounts of fuel. Since they had no coal mines, they could only rely on firewood.
First, the firewood had to be dried and made into charcoal, then it could be used as fuel for smelting.
The entire process was extremely large-scale, so they had to save manpower as much as possible in other areas.
Yang Yi pulled out a map and pointed to a spot on it. “I think this place is good. In the future, that whole area can become our manufacturing zone. It’s relatively far from the tribe, but still within a distance we can reach quickly. Not too far, not too near, just right.”
Production and manufacturing inevitably brought pollution, especially iron-smelting. It wasn’t suitable to have it too close to the residential area. That was one of the reasons why the pottery-making area had been placed there in the first place.
Many of the earlier ideas had been immature, but fortunately, no major problems had arisen. Step by step through the planning, they had even stumbled into the right direction by coincidence.
Placing the manufacturing zone together also allowed more fighting strength to be concentrated there, effectively ensuring its safety.
“This spot really is good. Tomorrow I’ll send people over to build houses, open up a water source. Other than that, what else do we need to prepare?”
Hei Lie only followed Yang Yi’s instructions when carrying things out. He roughly knew the process of smelting iron, but he didn’t know how Yang Yi intended to arrange it all.
“I’ll list everything one by one,” Yang Yi immediately showed a bright smile. “Once everything is settled, I’ll bring out a lot of big things for everyone!”
Jin Huan was a straightforward person in handling matters. On the third day after she left, the promised manpower from the Green Python Tribe came in a mighty procession.
“A total of 1,500 people came. Can you take them all in?” Xiang Zhang, the one leading them, threw out a huge surprise with his very first words.
Yang Yi’s eyes widened instantly. Jin Huan, that beauty, was truly remarkable! She had actually sent five hundred more people than expected.
“Of course, that’s no problem!” Hei Lie and Yang Yi both affirmed without hesitation.
Their hunting grounds were now placed on the wastelands, where herds of animals roamed. As long as their fighting strength was strong enough, there would be plenty of food.
Besides, there was another clause in their trade agreement with the Green Python Tribe: when these people first arrived, each person had to bring food such as ground-fruit and dried meat to ease the initial pressure.
After a little more than a month, when the sweet potatoes and other crops in the fields matured, even the problem of staple food would be solved.
As long as they had enough manpower, they would be able to obtain more of everything. Whether food or anything else, it could all be resolved.
“Among them are a hundred warriors, all skilled hunters. Some of them even have talents well-suited for this place. Our chief said that since we are a friendly tribe, and you have been so generous, we cannot be stingy either.”
Yang Yi praised sincerely: “Chief Jin Huan is not only beautiful in appearance, but her heart is just as beautiful.”
“Respected Divine Envoy, if she hears your praise, she will surely be very happy.” Facing Yang Yi, Xiang Zhang’s expression changed.
Yang Yi smiled and handed him a box of rock sugar. “You’ve worked hard leading the team. Eat some sugar to replenish your strength.”
Xiang Zhang’s eyes instantly lit up. He quickly accepted it, overjoyed.
He loved sweets the most, but the jungle’s bees were not easy to deal with. Collecting honey was no simple task.
Now, being able to get such a big box was truly a stroke of luck!
It was worth it that he had insisted on coming to lead the team. He knew there would be good food here.
“I really hope the sugarcane you mentioned can be grown soon. Respected Divine Envoy, since we’ve brought so many people, you must assign more manpower to plant sugarcane.”
The Green Python Tribe as a whole was extremely eager for sugar. When Xiang Zhang learned they could actually produce it, he immediately placed a large order.
It had to be said that inviting the Green Python Tribe to attend their sacrificial celebration had been a very wise decision.
While showing off their prosperity and strength, they were also, in effect, holding a product exhibition. In just a short while, they had already received many orders from the Green Python Tribe, making them their very first major customer.
Through trade, they could acquire and distribute resources more reasonably, not only trading for survival necessities like salt, but also for other things like furs, manpower, and more.
“Don’t worry, we’ve already planned it out. This year, there will be a large production of sugar, and the Green Python Tribe will have priority.”
Sugar was extremely precious throughout the entire Eastern Continent. People here did not extract sugar from plants, so it was considered a luxury item.
The Green Python Tribe truly lived up to its reputation as a tribe of formidable strength. These fifteen hundred people were disciplined and efficient, carrying out orders swiftly without the slightest hesitation.
After being divided into groups, everyone went to their respective posts and began playing their part.
“Today’s harvest is really good.”
Yang Yi watched as prey after prey was carried back to the tribe. The whole settlement was filled with a heavy, bloody smell. He could clearly sense that today’s catch was much larger than usual.
Hei Lie had already washed himself clean by now, his bare upper body still dotted with beads of water that hadn’t dried, carrying a faint scent of soap.
Yang Yi had bought a large pile of cheap soap, purely because it was inexpensive. Here, it turned out to be extremely useful, becoming one of the luxury items.
When Jin Huan came last time, she had forcibly taken quite a lot.
As a woman who loved beauty, she too could not resist such temptation.
Honestly, whenever Yang Yi thought of that woman now, he couldn’t help but suck in a breath—many times she was nothing short of a bandit!
“The Green Python people are truly outstanding, worthy of their tribe’s reputation for strength.”
Hei Lie sighed with genuine admiration. He always held the greatest respect for skilled warriors.
“It seems the Green Python Tribe is really straightforward, not deceiving us at all. Even their ordinary people work diligently, and they’ve even motivated our own tribesmen. Today’s efficiency was extremely high.”
Today, Yang Yi once again deeply felt the truth of the saying, ‘with more people comes greater strength’. With over a thousand new hands, the progress of all tasks had noticeably accelerated.
The temple walls had already begun to take shape, and the foundations of the first batch of planned houses had been dug out quite a bit. At this pace, by the time the sweet potatoes and other crops matured, the temple and even some of the houses could be completed!
“They are partners worth befriending.” Hei Lie also gave these people a very high evaluation.
Although what they had brought out was an extremely precious method, not everyone was kindhearted. The same went for the primitives here.
They were more straightforward and direct, often preferring to settle disagreements with force. But that didn’t mean they lacked brains, nor did it mean they only knew how to fight and couldn’t use a few tricks.
The power of contracts was strong, but there was always the chance that someone might try to exploit the fine details.
Having such neighbors was their good fortune. At the very least, for a long period of time, they could maintain friendly relations and exchange what they had for what they lacked.
The arrival of fifteen hundred people, aside from accelerating the pace of construction, hadn’t brought any negative impact.
Xiang Zhang, who on the surface seemed like someone who only cared about eating and drinking, actually carried great authority. The people of the Green Python Tribe, especially the ordinary ones, didn’t dare disobey his orders, nor did they dare to cause trouble on Spark Tribe’s territory.
It was clear that the Green Python Tribe’s hierarchy was still very distinct. The managers enjoyed more privileges, and private ownership was the dominant system.
This actually made management easier for the Spark Tribe, reducing the risk of conflict during cooperation.
Of course, it also came down to good organization. Everyone had their own role and worked hard at their tasks, so there were no points of serious conflict.
At most, there were just the usual small squabbles, nothing that would affect much.
But when evening came and it was time to watch the animated films, the scene became much livelier.
These thousand-plus people had already heard from those who had visited the Spark Tribe before that they had this magical thing. So, on the very first night, they were savvy enough to rush for seats.
With such a sudden increase in numbers, the already limited seating became even more crowded. That night, duels broke out everywhere.
“You guys can’t even understand it. What are you joining the fun for?!”
“Precisely because we don’t understand, we have to watch! Otherwise, how could we ever learn?”
“……”
The number of duel challenges instantly shot up. Many people were rubbing their fists and itching for a fight.
When Yang Yi heard about it, he was startled and hurriedly wanted Hei Lie to stop them.
“No need,” Hei Lie said calmly. “As long as no one dies, there’s no need to interfere.”
“Are you sure it’s really fine? Should I add another projector?”
Yang Yi was deeply worried. There were so many people. What if it turned into a mass brawl?!
Actually, there had been conflicts before, too. People in the tribe often fought over this or that. They never argued with words. They went straight to blows.
As long as it didn’t result in death, no one would step in.
Yang Yi had gradually gotten used to this method of resolving things, only setting some rules for duels to avoid unnecessary casualties.
But this time, the disputes were with people from another tribe, and the other side was a very powerful group. That meant they might refuse to back down, maybe even act arrogantly.
In that case, it could easily escalate from individuals to entire tribes. That would be troublesome.
“No need. It’s already enough. Even if another ten thousand people came, they’d still be able to see and hear.”
The people here had extremely sharp eyesight and hearing; from far away, they could clearly see and hear the content.
It was just that everyone wanted to seize the best spots to experience the novelty of this magical technology.
And as it turned out, Yang Yi’s worries really were unnecessary.
When people from the two tribes dueled, it was never carried over to implicate the whole tribe.
No matter which side lost, the others would calmly accept it. They wouldn’t feel ashamed or angry, nor would they think that one person’s defeat was the humiliation of the entire tribe.
Their thinking was very simple: the victor was the strong one.
As for duels between fighters of unequal strength, no one thought much of it. Since you dared to accept the challenge, that meant you accepted the reality of it. There was no such thing as unfairness.
But a truly outstanding warrior would never duel with someone beneath his level. Such a victory had no meaning for him.
Therefore, regardless of winning or losing, everyone accepted the result wholeheartedly, and no further conflicts arose.
Not only that, when the official screening began, all the fights stopped at once, and everyone quietly watched.
In fact, quite a few people, having fought, actually became friends and gathered together in groups.
For the Green Python tribesmen who were seeing this for the first time, the magical scene completely stunned them. That day’s screening was an animated film with a very strong Chinese style.
The art style was beautifully classical, perfectly fitting the Green Python Tribe’s aesthetic sense and love of beauty.
The moment they saw it, their mouths fell open in awe, unable to close again.
“This is truly too beautiful, too magical!”
“What’s that red thing saying? Why are you all laughing so happily?”
“What are they quarreling about? Tell me, what’s going on?”
“……”
The people of the Green Python Tribe couldn’t read, nor could they really understand what was being shown. Since the screening was of a story-driven animation, once the initial amazement wore off, they were left brimming with curiosity.
They kept tugging at the Spark Tribe people beside them, asking them to translate. This wasn’t the first time the animation had been shown. Although Yang Yi had a large stockpile, he often replayed certain ones.
Especially some of the more classic animations. Yang Yi would play those several times.
No matter how many times people watched, they never felt bored. They always thought it was wonderful, and each time, they gained new feelings from it.
At present, the number of characters everyone recognized was still quite limited, so they had to watch multiple times to truly understand the meaning of the story.
Now, Yang Yi had assigned a new task. He wanted everyone to write down their impressions after watching.
It wasn’t mandatory homework, but those chosen as excellent would earn an extra chance each week to watch a special screening inside the temple.
The films shown in these extra screenings were never played outside. They were exclusively for outstanding learners.
This, without a doubt, motivated everyone. Who wouldn’t want to watch it another time, especially something exclusive?
It not only satisfied their desires but also became a matter of honor.
Everyone was no longer limited to just recognizing words. They began actively learning how to write and also how to use those characters to create essays.
If they didn’t know how, they would directly seek guidance from designated teachers. By learning bit by bit, sooner or later, they would be able to write.
Already, a group of fast learners had earned the chance for the extra screenings. The film shown was a very famous one, with an extremely high box office record. It happened to include the kind of battle scenes people here loved most.
Both the art style and the special effects were outstanding.
It had been wildly popular on Earth. Here, it was just as well-received.
When those people came out afterward, they were still immersed in the story, exclaiming in admiration again and again. This only made the others itch with curiosity and pushed them to study more eagerly, progressing at great speed.
Before, the Spark Tribe members hadn’t felt their own improvement so deeply. After all, everyone around them was learning, and there were always people better than them, so they had grown used to it.
But now, with a whole group of complete novices arriving, a sense of pride naturally welled up. Some even gave up their own chance to watch the films, instead spending time patiently translating and explaining bit by bit.
The relationship between the two tribes warmed rapidly in an incredibly short time.
The next day, Yang Yi saw them walking with arms slung around each other’s shoulders. He realized that his earlier worries had been unnecessary.
The fusion of the two tribes also quickly boosted efficiency.
Once the iron-smelting area had been cleared and organized, Yang Yi immediately headed over.
This time, unlike before, he didn’t just provide methods and plans for the locals to complete using available materials—like with the potter’s wheel and such.
Instead, he directly brought out the big things—an entire set of iron-smelting equipment!
Yang Yi had spent a large sum in the system’s marketplace to buy it. Compared to modern equipment, its technical level wasn’t particularly smart or efficient, but when measured against primitive smelting methods, it was on a completely crushing level.
This would greatly increase productivity, allowing iron to be refined quickly and then forged into whatever items they needed.
All of this equipment was made of iron, its structure relatively simple. It even came with detailed manuals of its design.
As long as they used it to obtain iron, with time and practice, they would surely be able to replicate the same equipment themselves.
“These big guys need to be assembled. Everyone must pay close attention and follow my instructions. Absolutely no messing around.”
Yang Yi’s expression was uncharacteristically serious. He didn’t have many of these big machines. If they were damaged during assembly, he really would cry to death.
Fortunately, the marketplace wasn’t that cruel. Though these were heavy machines, they weren’t overly complicated.
Hei Lie personally took part. After carefully reading through the assembly diagram, he quickly understood the situation, and with Yang Yi’s coordination, they soon set the machine upright.
Everyone could only gasp in astonishment—again and again.
Just when they thought they had already seen the peak, the Divine Envoy would always bring out something that left them utterly dumbfounded.
Even though they had long grown accustomed to his mystery and power, each time they were still shaken to the core.
“Let’s hope everything goes smoothly.”
Yang Yi had great confidence in the marketplace’s goods, but he couldn’t help worrying that something might go wrong.
“They will bring an immense change to our tribe.” Hei Lie’s gaze blazed with intensity as he stared fervently at the machine.
With iron tools, their tribe would become the greatest and strongest tribe in the entire Eastern Continent!
In his mind, Hei Lie was already imagining the scene of everyone wielding iron weapons, his blood surging with excitement.
“At last, I won’t have to worry about not being able to stir-fry anymore.”
Yang Yi was also extremely happy. That had been one of his biggest concerns.
Stone and pottery weren’t suitable for stir-frying; they would crack and shatter from overheating.
If they hadn’t found iron ore, then once the items from his storage space were used up, he could only imagine how bleak the days ahead without stir-fry would be.
Hei Lie’s burning passion was suddenly doused by Yang Yi’s casual remark. He laughed and said, “Once we refine the first batch of iron, I’ll make you a special iron wok!”
