The Western Continent’s trading caravan had just stepped into the territory of the Spark Tribe. Although they had entered from a different direction than the Banshan Tribe, they too received the same “greeting gift”.
First came a warning of arrows raining down, followed by a questioning voice that no one could tell where it came from.
This was because, back when digging deep pools, Yang Yi had already made plans. The very first thing he considered was the places where ferocious beasts or people were most likely to appear.
In those places, he dug deep ponds, which now could serve as a line of defense, while also laying the foundation for the construction of a moat in the future.
He also set up tall towers at the main checkpoints for looking into the distance, along with sturdy defensive walls. At present, the defensive wall was only twenty or thirty meters long, but in the future, once there were enough financial resources, they would be connected together, forming a protective city wall.
The defensive wall also had the function of a beacon tower. Once a powerful enemy came to invade, a fire would be lit, allowing the tribe to quickly prepare for defense.
“The weaker the tribe, the more they like to put on such ghostly tricks,” En snorted coldly.
Unlike the amazement of the Banshan people, his attitude toward the voice transmitted from the horn hidden inside the vine-wrapped wooden box was more one of contempt.
Although he couldn’t quite figure out what was going on, his inherent arrogance and prejudice made him feel it was nothing more than a deliberate attempt to cover up their own weakness, intentionally creating something strange and frightening.
In reality, it wasn’t anything remarkable. This too was the lesson of their experience traveling far and wide.
Qiao, however, was quite interested: “I, on the other hand, think this tribe might surprise us.”
When they reached the suspension bridge, Qiao let out a whistle:
“A suspension bridge, a moat. I suspect that the mysterious envoy of the Spark Tribe very likely came from our Western Continent. These are things only the Western Continent would have.”
En’s expression eased considerably at this moment: “No wonder these savages suddenly became so different. This is the real reason. There are always some people from the Western Continent who like to go to remote places and play at being kings, just to satisfy their cheap sense of pride.”
The two of them were speaking in the common tongue of the Western Continent. Though their words were far from polite, when facing the Spark Tribe’s guide, they still remained courteous.
Trading caravans that did business in the Eastern Continent all knew well: although the people of the Eastern Continent were foolish and barbaric, they possessed great martial strength.
What’s more, they were extremely simple-minded. Once you offended them, not to mention trade in the future, even if you merely dared to step into their territory, you would be mercilessly slain.
They cared nothing about who stood behind you. They would only use fists and slaughter, paying no heed at all to the price of doing so.
When they saw stretches upon stretches of farmland, Qiao’s casual disdain and En’s arrogant contempt both gradually drew back.
Unlike the Eastern Continent, the Western Continent had long since begun cultivating farmland.
Most of their food came from farming and livestock raising, so such things were nothing surprising to them.
Yet even though they themselves were neither farm owners nor farmers, they could still tell that this tribe was different from the rest.
“I swear I have never seen such high-yield farmland even in the Western Continent. These fields look practically like works of art. It’s completely different from the farmland I know.”
Qiao didn’t want to make himself seem like some ignorant country bumpkin, but his gaze was difficult to restrain, drawn irresistibly to everything around him.
These farmlands were laid out in neat order. It was clear that those who tilled them were extremely skilled at farming. It wasn’t just a matter of carelessly scattering seeds into the soil and calling it done.
Although the fields were now covered densely with fruit, one could still see that the soil had been turned over with great evenness.
In these fields grew only the plants they wanted to grow. Nothing else was present at all.
Most importantly, the yield of these crops was shockingly high. The densely packed fruits made one’s scalp tingle just to look at them, as though the blood in the entire body had begun to boil.
How had these savages managed this?!
Was that so-called divine envoy really from the Western Continent? This didn’t resemble the handiwork of Western Continent people at all.
But then why—why was it that nowhere across the whole Western Continent could such farmland be found? Even if differences in climate and other factors caused variations in yield, just looking at the management of these fields alone, the difference was obvious.
Even if every city’s farm owners kept back some techniques, the gap would never be this vast.
“Xi, I remember you grew up on a farm. Were the fields there like this, too?” En, unwilling to give up, asked a guard at his side.
Pulled out of his shock, Xi was brought back to awareness. Hearing these words, he shook his head again and again.
“The sight here makes me even forget that I was once a farm slave. This place is just too different from what I knew.”
Xi pointed to a spot with his hand: “Chief, look over there. That’s wheat. I dare say its yield is ten times higher than the most productive regions of the Western Continent. No, even more than that! Heavens, how did they achieve this?!”
“With such high yields, there’s no need to worry about going hungry at all.”
At this moment, the others also couldn’t help but speak up in the discussion.
“And this road, are we really in the Eastern Continent? Did we come to the wrong place?”
“They’ve even domesticated poultry? And raised so many of them, too.”
En furrowed his brows as he looked at the broad avenue they were walking on. Although he didn’t want to admit it, this avenue was the best road they had ever traveled.
Even in the imperial capital, there was no road this flat, this wide, and this clean.
Yes—clean.
En finally realized what was different. This entire stretch was far too clean. All they saw was beauty, with not the slightest trace of filth.
All around, there was only soil, plants, and the fragrance of flowers blooming along both sides of the avenue. There was none of the foul odors that disgusted people.
This was something extraordinary not only for the Eastern Continent, but even in the Western Continent as well.
Just then, a short-legged horse carrying goods suddenly stopped, and before long, left behind its dung and urine on the ground.
The Western Continent caravan was long accustomed to such scenes and paid it no mind at all.
But the Spark tribesman, upon seeing this, frowned slightly. He took out the bamboo whistle hanging around his neck and blew out two long notes and one short.
Qiao and En didn’t really understand what this meant until after they had walked past that stretch of road. Qiao turned his head to look back—and was stunned.
“En, look.”
Not long after they had left, a child came running over with a bamboo dustpan and a wooden shovel, heading straight to the spot where the horse had relieved itself.
Inside the dustpan was filled with plant ash. He first scattered the plant ash over the top, then used the wooden shovel to scoop the dung on the ground into the dustpan.
In just a short while, the once-dirty road became flat and clean again.
“……”
Qiao and En looked at each other in silence, for a moment unable to even remember where exactly they were.
Was this really the barbaric Eastern Continent?
No, even the Western Continent wasn’t like this.
In the Western Continent, no one would ever bother cleaning up such dung. Not even in the wealthiest, most magnificent imperial capital would anyone do so, let alone on some avenue built beside farmland.
When they came upon rows of houses, their expressions grew difficult to hold steady. Especially when they heard from the Spark guide’s mouth that these were, in fact, the residences of all the Spark people, their expressions became even stranger.
These houses were far from being as grand and beautiful as their castles. They were nothing more than rows of mud houses.
Although the mud had been specially treated, in essence, it wasn’t all that different.
But when they saw the tiles laid upon the rooftops, and were told that all the ordinary people of the Spark Tribe lived in such houses, they could no longer find words to describe what they felt inside.
In the Western Continent, nobles lived in tall, beautiful houses, leading lives of luxury.
But the houses of common folk were absolutely not as good as these. The houses of ordinary people in the Western Continent were low and dark, the kind that made one feel suffocated just standing at the doorway.
The houses here looked so beautiful and tidy. It was tall and spacious. Even without going inside, one could easily imagine they were far more comfortable than the homes of ordinary people in the Western Continent.
What’s more, beneath each house there were lovely flowers. Every house had a balcony jutting out, where one could enjoy the view.
Their impression of the Eastern Continent had still been of people living in caves, or at best in low huts built crudely from wood and straw.
Every time they entered a tribe, they would always stay in their own tents that they pitched themselves.
Even though those tents were only temporary, they were still better than the dwellings of the tribes themselves.
Even the houses of tribal chiefs had never been able to satisfy the picky leaders of the Western Continent caravans.
But now, seeing buildings that surpassed most houses of the Western Continent, this impact was too great for them, something they had not been prepared for at all.
They wanted to deceive themselves, to believe this was only for show. But with entire stretches of such buildings standing right before their eyes, they could not convince themselves of such a thought.
Especially as there were even more houses being constructed farther away, they could not pretend to be blind.
When they arrived before the so-called divine temple and saw that enormous iron cauldron, their expressions could no longer be controlled at all. Their hearts seemed to explode within them.
This was flaunting. It was flaunting their strength!
Such precious iron, actually made into such a massive cauldron. That was far too extravagant!
Even the mightiest king of the Western Continent would absolutely never do such a thing.
Ironware was an extremely precious existence, a gift bestowed by the gods. To possess even a small iron dagger was already a symbol of honor.
Earlier, they had thought that if they could trade for a large amount of black pottery this time, they would have rendered great service, and perhaps then be granted an iron dagger by their city lord.
But what had they seen here!
This group of savages had actually used vast amounts of iron to make a massive cauldron—useless, yet so enormous, one that required consuming an immense quantity of iron.
If they went back and told people of the Western Continent that in a remote wilderness of the Eastern Continent, there existed a gigantic iron cauldron—so large that one would need to climb a ladder just to scoop something from inside—they would surely be taken for madmen!
These savages had actually made it into a cauldron. And what they boiled inside it was just water!
And that water, whoever wanted to could come and receive it, to drink it or even to use it for bathing?!
They could hardly believe this fact, desperately wanting to refute it as impossible.
But seeing that the people lining up for water were all very ordinary, it was clear that fetching water was, to them, an everyday matter, nothing special at all.
Qiao and En could only force the words back down, even feeling a metallic, bloody sweetness rise in their throats.
As if this impact weren’t enough, these savages had yet another shock waiting. The roof of the divine temple was made with tiles glowing faintly red. They dared to say that the material was similar to black pottery, yet even more precious than black pottery itself.
The houses on both sides, meanwhile, were roofed with alternating black and red tiles. The black pottery they themselves regarded as priceless—here it was actually being used as roofing tiles?!
Qiao and En no longer wanted to speak at all. They had already felt the Spark Tribe, without even trying, had dealt them an immense show of dominance.
The arrogance they had shown before was now completely gone. The shocks along the way had left them unable to maintain the same attitude as earlier.
This Spark Tribe was anything but simple. That so-called mysterious divine envoy was even more powerful than they had imagined.
“When will we be able to meet the divine envoy?” Qiao was now even more interested in this mysterious figure.
The Spark guide glanced at them and said with a polite smile, “The divine envoy does not easily meet with outside guests. You must wait until the day of the sacrificial ceremony.”
“Is this how you treat your guests?” En was quite displeased. “We are a caravan from the Western Continent! We’ve brought things you couldn’t even imagine!”
The Spark guide only smiled again, saying nothing more, his attitude firm and unyielding.
En still wanted to say something, but was stopped by Qiao.
“There’s no need to be impatient. We’ll have our chance sooner or later.”
The Spark guide then spoke kindly as well: “The divine envoy will set aside a special time to receive foreign guests. This is our Spark Tribe, and everything must follow our arrangements.”
En gave a cold snort, just about to say something, when a squad of around ten armed men passed by.
They were arranged in two lines, marching neatly along the road.
Upon seeing the Western Continent caravan, the leader gave a slight nod of acknowledgment before moving past them.
Although they did not wear the same simple armor as the guards, each held an iron saber or iron spear, and on their backs carried bows and arrows of somewhat unusual design.
Every one of them gave off a feeling hard to put into words—so much so that they seemed even more like a proper regular army than the royal guards themselves.
Yes, they carried with them a very strong military bearing, yet it was completely different from that of the Western Continent’s armies.
They appeared more disciplined, with an even greater sense of intimidation.
“Who are they?” En asked.
The Spark guide said: “They are the city’s guard corps. Our tribe has three major armed institutions. One is the Border Defense Corps, which protects the safety of the tribe’s borders.
Another is the Guard Corps, the people you just saw, who are specifically responsible for maintaining safety within the tribe.
The third is the Inspector Corps. If there are disputes within the tribe, it falls to them to quell them.”
Qiao and En exchanged glances. Such a clear division of responsibilities not only meant that their armed forces were extremely strong, but also that they already possessed a rather high level of civilization.
Just hearing the distribution of duties was enough to know it was carefully thought out. Each had their own role, working together to maintain the safety of the entire tribe.
“They look very different,” Qiao tried probing further.
The Spark guide proudly lifted his chin: “Of course. They have all been specially trained by our chieftain. Not only has their individual combat ability improved greatly, but when working together, their combined strength is far greater than the simple sum of individuals fighting alone.”
After speaking, the guide let out a deep sigh and shook his head: “But the chieftain has said that the training time has still been too short, so they have not yet shown their true strength. Right now, they are only half-finished products and cannot yet be called an army.”
Qiao and En’s expressions froze. Even Qiao, who was best at maintaining his disguise, almost couldn’t stop himself from throwing a punch at the guide’s face.
“This is the lodging specially prepared for you. Of course, if you are not used to it and would rather pitch your own tents, I can also lead you to a designated area.”
Qiao and En, upon coming to the Eastern Continent, for once obeyed the local people’s arrangements and moved into the lodging here, wanting to see if the inside was the same as what they had seen outside.
As a result, they didn’t know whether to feel disappointed or something else altogether.
The house here, though not large and lacking the luxury of their own homes, had only one relatively expensive item inside—a black pottery vase with flowers placed in it.
Though black pottery was precious, compared to the many items in their own houses made of gold, silver, and jewels, such a thing still seemed rather insignificant.
What’s more, while these vases were all beautiful, their quality was only fairly ordinary.
Yet living in it was far more comfortable than their own houses!
It was clean, bright, spacious, with little thoughtful touches of creativity and furnishings, all highly practical. Stepping inside immediately gave one a very pleasant feeling.
The castles they lived in were far too cold and dark, and always carried a foul smell.
Here, there was only the refreshing fragrance of flowers.
They even felt that if they laid down the bedding they had brought with them, it would make this place dirty.
This feeling was truly unbearable!
“We need two separate rooms.”
When En heard that they too would have to live like the others, crowded together three to a room, he voiced his displeasure.
The Spark guide shrugged: “This is how we always arrange it. If you are not satisfied, you can handle switching among yourselves. Our tribe does not make special exceptions for anyone.”
After finishing, he didn’t forget to emphasize: “This must be adjusted among yourselves. You cannot swap with people from other tribes, and there absolutely must not be any acts of coercion.”
“And if someone does so anyway?” Qiao couldn’t help but tease.
The Spark guide maintained his professional smile: “Then they can have a taste of the Guard Corps’ fists, and experience the joy of flying as they get thrown out.”
In the end, Qiao and En each got their own room, leaving the laborers to squeeze together.
Those laborers were already used to such arrangements and did not feel anything was wrong. In fact, even though it was a bit crowded, since they had never lived in such fine houses before, their hearts were already more than satisfied.
Not only did they have a place to live, but people even brought them melons and fruits, just like what was given to the caravan leaders.
When Qiao and En learned of this, they were somewhat displeased.
They were nobles. How could they be treated the same as these lowly commoners, receiving the exact same things, in the exact same quantity, with no distinction whatsoever?
But those watermelons were simply too tempting, and in the end, they still took a bite.
“I’m afraid our strategy will have to change,” Qiao said, as he ate the fragrant, sweet, and juicy watermelon, deeply captivated by such deliciousness, while also realizing that this trade would not be so easy.
En paused, then gave a cold snort: “Nothing more than a bunch of savages…”
Yet his words lacked all conviction. For what kind of “savages” would even be so particular about going to the toilet?
In the Western Continent, many places were careless and messy about such things. As a result, many areas reeked terribly of stench.
Sometimes, walking down the street, one could even be drenched from above by a basin of filth accidentally dumped out.
Whether commoners or nobles, none of them had ever seen so many rules as here. Yet, every single one of them was laid out with absolute clarity.
Every place had clearly marked instructions on what should be done there.
It was troublesome, yes, but at the same time, it also showed that these people lived with great refinement.
They not only lived to survive, but they also wanted to live better.
This was the symbol of civilization.
Qiao ignored his companion’s pitiful pride and went on speaking:
“Did you notice some people’s clothing? They’ve also learned to use wool, and they even know how to dye it. Those colors are truly beautiful!”
“Those are all dyed using the juices from flowers. The colors fade easily. Nothing remarkable about that,” En snorted coldly, still very much unconvinced.
Qiao cast him a glance. En curled his lips, unwilling to admit it, but he also understood that refusing to face reality would do them no good.
“No matter how strong they are, there will still be things they want to obtain. Especially since they’re only a new tribe, their leader will never be satisfied with just this.”
“That mysterious Divine Envoy is truly intriguing. What kind of person could, in such a short time, build a tribe into something like this?”
The corners of Qiao’s mouth curved into a faint smile, though his eyes carried a chill.
En gave him a sideways glance: “Hei Lie was never someone easy to provoke, even in the past. He was fierce and arrogant. Now that he’s gained iron weapons and has a force of his own, certain ideas may be worth having. But they absolutely cannot be acted upon rashly.”
Qiao blinked. “En, aren’t you curious at all?”
“Control yourself. I just want to do business, not stir up trouble. Remember, I am not Ruer.”
Qiao still wore an indifferent look. “En, since when did you become so timid? This isn’t like you at all. Where did the great warrior En from the past go?”
En shot him a cold glance. “If you think your life can be thrown away at will, then I’ll admit I’m timid.”
These people possessed a vast amount of iron weapons, and they were fierce warriors. With only this handful of people, he’d have to be brain-damaged to do something reckless.
Even if the City Lord himself brought an army over, victory would be uncertain, let alone when they were only a few hundred men.
Their ability to run rampant across the Eastern Continent came from the bronze weapons in their hands. But here, these people held weapons far stronger than bronze—iron!
Qiao laughed, not the least bit upset.
“This Divine Envoy has indeed created many miracles. But a wilderness is still a wilderness. Even that temple, compared to our castles, it’s nothing remarkable.”
What had shocked them was how, in such a short time, such a massive complex of buildings could be erected. But looking at them closely, compared with the manors and castles nobles lived in, they were still far too simple.
The Spark people seemed very neat, their clothing somewhat improved, but the gap was not so vast.
At most, they looked a bit more like ‘civilized folk’. Yet compared to the luxury of the Western Continent’s cities, it was still no comparison at all.
En immediately understood the deeper meaning in Qiao’s words. “You want to tempt him to leave here?”
“A person capable of such planning, how could he be willing to stay in this kind of wilderness? As long as he experiences the prosperity of our cities, he would never want to return here. Just like those farm owners. Once they’ve seen the city, they never want to go back to the countryside.”
“How could he possibly agree to go with us to the Western Continent? And even if he did agree, that man Hei Lie would never let him go.”
Just from the Spark guide’s words earlier, one could feel how significant that so-called Divine Envoy was to this tribe.
As long as they weren’t fools, they would guard such a person with the strictest protection.
That man Hei Lie was especially shrewd. He would never let something like that happen.
“As long as the seed is planted, it will slowly grow into a towering tree. For someone so outstanding, how could he be content being trapped here?” Qiao took a sip of wine, looking perfectly at ease.
“But first, we must present something with enough allure. He’s not like those savages who are easily fooled.”
Qiao’s gaze drifted to the decorative painting on the wall, made from pressed flowers and grasses.
Forcibly taking away someone so important would not be easy. But if the other party was willing, then the situation would be completely different.
En lifted his head proudly, full of confidence in the things they had brought.
Although most of it wasn’t especially valuable, there were still quite a few good items.
“They just got lucky. Obtaining iron and black pottery, and learning better planting methods.
In the end, they’re still just a bunch of savages who’ve never seen the world. They can’t possibly compare to us Western Continent folk!”
I want to give these western continent people a good beating 😑