With complicated feelings, Ruer and Sen swept the table clean of food.
Especially once they had a rough idea of just how much Su had eaten during this time, and how many supplies must have been needed in exchange for it.
Their hands moved like lightning, as if afraid the food in front of them might be snatched away before it reached their mouths.
Though it was their first time using chopsticks, they adapted to them with surprising speed.
Chopsticks and spoons had already been introduced to the Western Continent, but they had not yet become widespread. Only in the circles of the highest nobles were they gradually being accepted.
Those who accepted them believed they were more elegant than eating with one’s hands, a symbol of greater intelligence, and they kept one’s hands clean.
But there were also stubborn traditionalists who insisted on their old customs, finding it laughable to adopt the habits of the Eastern Continent, a place long despised as barbaric.
Because Maple Leaf City had failed in trade, they as a whole lagged behind, so most of what came from the Eastern Continent was still unfamiliar to them.
Many had only heard of such things, without ever seeing or using them. Thus, could not easily understand what they were.
Ruer and Sen had heard of chopsticks, but in their hearts, they didn’t think much of them. Ruer, especially, who found them troublesome.
Eating directly with one’s hands was much more straightforward.
But after coming to the Spark Tribe and tasting the food here, Ruer finally understood why tools were necessary.
Without those slender chopsticks, he would never have been able to enjoy dishes like hotpot.
After eating and drinking their fill, they were arranged to stay in the best rooms at the guesthouse. Though of course, it still wasn’t free.
Ruer and Sen were already wealthy men. With subsidies for this trip, they naturally wouldn’t be stingy.
All the more, when they thought of Su’s bill, they figured that what’s one more louse when you’re already itching all over?
“You two must take a bath first. You’ll definitely fall in love with the feeling of bathing here,” Su reminded them.
The corners of Ruer and Sen’s mouths twitched. The way he said it was as if they had never bathed before!
But when they were led to the bathhouse, everything overturned their old idea of what bathing was.
So it could be like this!
They had been brought to the guest area for nobles. The bathhouse itself wasn’t very big, but the interior was decorated with great care.
Inside, it was wonderfully warm. So warm that even standing there naked, they didn’t feel cold.
And besides the large bath pool, there were also many strange tables and chairs placed inside.
“What’s this? Why is there a hole in it?” Ruer couldn’t help but ask curiously, turning to the Spark interpreter.
The Spark Tribe now had a group of people who had mastered the common language of the Western Continent. Since they had paid the highest price to stay, such services were provided.
“This is for the user to lie down and enjoy the service.”
“Enjoy the service?” Sen didn’t understand.
“We also provide hair-washing, back-scrubbing, massage, and other services. Not only can they clean your body, but they also let you enjoy and relieve fatigue.”
Ruer and Sen felt like country bumpkins, completely unable to understand what kind of tribe this really was.
“You can first clean your body a little here, and then go soak in the bath pool. You just need to turn this switch, and warm water will flow out. This side is cold water, and this side is hot. You can adjust it however you like.”
As the Spark guide explained, he demonstrated at the same time.
What kind of switch was this! It could actually release water.
At first, Ruer and Sen had thought it was unnecessary. But when they saw how it worked, they both went to try it out.
How amazing!
They had never known that bathing could be done like this!
After finally getting enough of playing with the shower, the two of them prepared to soak in the bath pool.
“Is this a hot spring?” Sen dipped his hand into the water. The temperature was wonderfully comfortable, and there was a faint scent drifting from it.
The smell was a little odd, not like that of a hot spring.
“This is just ordinary well water, only it’s kept heated all the time to maintain the temperature.”
Sen sniffed hard. “Did you put something in it?”
“This is a medicinal bath carefully prepared by our healers. It helps dispel weariness and fatigue. If you want whitening, smoother skin, or other effects, you can choose different ones next time.”
Ruer and Sen looked at each other, finally understanding why this place could charge such a high price!
So refined—far too refined!
At the same time, the two of them suddenly felt that all their worry and sympathy for Su along the way had been nothing but a joke!
That fellow was living far too well!
By the time Ruer and Sen had finished washing and enjoying the full set of services, a long time had already passed. The sun had sunk behind the mountains.
When they went to look for Su again, planning to go together to meet the chief and the divine envoy of the Spark Tribe, they heard Su’s loud shouting from far away inside the house. He sounded extremely angry.
The two of them froze at once, then hurriedly rushed inside, only to see Su with two others, the people left behind by the caravans that used to have good relations with Maple Leaf City, tasked with looking after Su.
The other caravans had left people behind partly for the sake of their shared Western Continent origin, and partly to observe this tribe.
The Spark Tribe had agreed, but even for these two to stay behind, goods had to be exchanged.
Now, Su and the other two were sitting around a small table, thin bamboo slips in their hands and scattered across the table.
“What are you doing?” Sen frowned tightly.
Seeing them, Su grinned: “We’re playing a card game called Fight the Landlord! It’s really fun. I’ve been passing the time with this lately. It’s especially entertaining!”
“There are so many fun games here. I really don’t know how they come up with them! It’s just a pity there are only three of us. If I had known earlier, I should’ve had more people from the caravans stay behind, then we could have played even more games! The Spark Tribe people won’t play with us.”
“You’ve come at just the right time. Now we can play even more interesting games.”
“…”
Sen ground his teeth and squeezed out a few words: “You’ve been spending your days just playing with these bamboo slips?”
“Not only these, there’s also table tennis, badminton, really fun! Too bad I can’t go outside. I’ve watched them play basketball and soccer, too. They look really interesting! The Spark Tribe is truly amazing, they’re really great!”
Su’s eyes were full of eagerness, looking as if he could hardly wait to become one of the Spark people himself.
This guy really was…
He had almost lost his life before!
The people who had come with him were now nothing but bones out there, or had been roasted into dried corpses, yet he himself was completely unharmed—eating, drinking, and enjoying himself to the fullest.
You’re clearly a prisoner, and yet you live so free and carefree, even unwilling to leave. What a terrifying form of seduction this was.
Without even seeing Yang Yi, both Ruer and Sen already felt this person was extremely frightening.
Physical harm wasn’t something that surprised them, but for someone to quietly hook Su’s very heart away, that was truly remarkable.
They decided to leave Su, who had already been enchanted by the Spark Tribe, behind. In his current state, he wasn’t fit to accompany them.
Carrying a sense of vigilance, Ruer and Sen went to meet the so-called divine envoy.
As soon as they entered the envoy’s reception hall, their restless agitation was eased by the atmosphere here.
The furnishings weren’t luxurious, yet every detail showed great care, radiating a refined elegance that couldn’t be put into words.
Beautiful paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls. They couldn’t read the characters, yet they still felt the beauty emanating from them as if they were works of art.
“At last we meet you, Lord Divine Envoy.”
Sen gave a slight bow in greeting. This mysterious envoy was indeed just as the legends had said—not outwardly strong, yet distinctly extraordinary, someone impossible to look down upon.
Ruer, however, fixed all his attention on the man standing beside Yang Yi—Hei Lie. What a powerful man!
It wasn’t an exaggeration. This man truly possessed overwhelming combat strength!
Elsewhere, they might have been confident in defeating a larger force with fewer men, but here, Ruer felt no certainty at all.
This man, without the slightest outward display, still gave off an overwhelming sense of power.
Yang Yi gave them a small nod, gesturing for the two to sit.
Sen’s eyes were quickly drawn to the exquisite tea set before Yang Yi. Compared to black pottery, it was smoother, glossier, and carried a translucent white tinged with red, appearing far more refined.
It was simply beautiful!
Sen could already imagine how sought-after such tea ware would be if brought to the Western Continent.
“What is this?!” Sen completely forgot the purpose of their visit. All his attention was stolen away.
Yang Yi smiled faintly. “This is porcelain.”
Ever since gaining access to coal, Yang Yi and the pottery team had wanted to try making porcelain.
But at the time, they had to prepare a huge amount of fine black pottery for the trade fair. The skilled craftsmen had no spare time, so progress was very slow.
After winter set in, new apprentices gradually became more capable. The pottery experts finally had time to experiment with porcelain firing.
Now, the Spark Tribe could produce porcelain, and the quality was quite good.
Since pottery was already plentiful and practical enough, the tribe didn’t plan to use porcelain widely for themselves just yet. Instead, they aimed to sell it in exchange for more resources.
Thus, production emphasized aesthetics, aiming at the high-end route.
These pieces, which Yang Yi deemed satisfactory, had only recently been made. At present, only the well-informed neighbors, the Green Python Tribe, had swiftly placed some orders. No one else had even heard of it yet.
Qiao and En had seen porcelain before. But since they couldn’t bring any back, even if people believed their words, without proof, it carried no weight.
At the trade fair, Yang Yi hadn’t displayed porcelain either.
Just earlier, Yang Yi had received word that these visitors had brought quite a lot of goods with them—fine items that far exceeded the value of what had been originally agreed upon.
So, Yang Yi took out this tea set as bait.
“Porcelain?”
“Yes,” Yang Yi replied. “The firing method is similar to pottery, but much more complex. These require higher skill.”
He poured tea into all the cups. The clear tea looked exquisite in the porcelain, giving off a faint fragrance.
Sen’s eyes lit up when he saw the tea leaves. “This is tea?”
Qiao and En had previously brought back some, its value compared to gold. Sen hadn’t so much as seen it before, let alone drunk it.
Unhesitatingly, he picked up a cup and drank. His pupils immediately dilated.
This could fetch an enormous price!
“It’s wonderful! This taste is utterly enchanting.” Sen’s former restraint vanished. He spoke honestly of his desire.
Hei Lie said, “Before long, our tribe will have it for sale.”
The tea trees were growing well. If all went smoothly, the year after next should yield the first harvest.
The initial yield might not be great, but with time, it will only improve. By then, they’d have another valuable product for trade.
From Qiao and En’s feedback, it was clear that as soon as this tea appeared, it was met with fervent enthusiasm. In the future, it will have an enormous market.
Sen felt quite disappointed, though he had already anticipated this.
Qiao and En had said the same thing to outsiders. But it was hard not to hold onto a sliver of hope.
“But we can sell this porcelain.”
“Really?!” Sen was overjoyed. “Please, you must consider selling it to us. Let us forget the unpleasantness of the past. We will show our sincerity.”
At this point, Yang Yi deliberately kept them in suspense: “I’m afraid it won’t be that easy.”
Thank you for the chapter, Moonlight! ♥︎