TPWBI Chapter 74

After the meeting passed the proposal to accept the barbarians, Hong was immediately assigned to go seek out and recruit them.

Hong accepted the order on the spot and declined the manpower the tribe had arranged for him, bringing only a warrior he had recently gotten to know in the tribe who possessed a talent for speed, along with a few carrier pigeons, as companions on the journey.

If it weren’t for the fact that Hong still could not write, he had even intended to go alone to look for the barbarians.

This was also because, although the barbarians wished to take refuge under a powerful tribe, their vigilance had always been extremely strong. They remained full of suspicion toward the outside world.

Over the years, although most of the time the two sides kept to their own and did not interfere with each other, there were still occasional frictions, especially after the Western Continent’s trade caravans began purchasing large numbers of slaves. Some tribes turned their eyes toward this group of barbarians.

If he brought too many people, they would definitely hide themselves, and it would become difficult to approach them.

Hong’s special ability allowed him to survive alone in the jungle, as long as he wasn’t so unlucky as to encounter an exceptionally powerful beast.

Under normal circumstances, as long as he did not take the initiative to attack and smeared his body with a special potion, he could avoid many dangers.

“I am different. They will be willing to believe me. You only need to wait for my good news!”

Before leaving, Hong was extremely confident, holding great assurance regarding this matter.

Yang Yi bestowed upon him a sharp dagger, as well as quite a lot of equipment suitable for wilderness survival.

All these things came from the trading mall. Besides being more convenient, they could also prevent Hong from harboring ulterior motives.

If he took these things and ran, before long, they would turn into nothing and would not pose a threat to the tribe.

After Hong departed, Hei Lie gathered everyone and held a grand assembly, announcing the news that they would be recruiting the barbarians, giving everyone a prior warning.

At the meeting, he sternly warned everyone that when dealing with the barbarians, they must cast aside prejudice and discrimination.

As long as they joined the tribe, then they were brothers and sisters. Prejudice was absolutely not permitted to exist, nor was there any need for special flattery. Just as with any new member, treating them with a normal heart would suffice.

After the meeting ended, the spirit of the assembly was once again passed on and emphasized through the managers of each department.

The tribe had always had corresponding rules and regulations. This was something Yang Yi valued greatly. If they wished to develop, they would have to accept people from all kinds of different tribes.

Unity was absolutely the first priority. Otherwise, no matter how advanced the technology was, if people’s hearts were not united, the final outcome would still be destruction.

Once newcomers officially passed the probationary period and became true Spark people, during the distribution of houses and jobs, those originally from the same tribe would be deliberately separated, dispersed into various places.

This way, it avoided the original people forming cliques, which would affect integration and unity.

The regulations regarding unity were also extremely strict: one warning would result in punishment, and on the second offense, one would be directly expelled from the tribe.

If severe consequences were caused, execution could be carried out directly.

Most of the tribe’s rules, when compared to Earth’s modern civilization, were extremely harsh. Here, if there was no punishment, so be it. But if there was, it was either direct expulsion or death. It is very simple and crude.

Yang Yi also maintained a doubtful attitude toward such strictness. However, since the tribe’s rules here were like this, he could not entirely deny them.

He was not from a legal background, nor did he understand the deeper reasons behind law. His view of it was rather superficial.

Moreover, he was a foreigner here. The circumstances were vastly different from Earth, and there were also many differences compared to Earth’s ancient times. It was difficult to rely on experience or historical lessons to make reasonable legislation.

Therefore, the focus was placed more on respecting the local rules first, with revisions only later based on practical circumstances.

“The barbarians are very different. The matter is of great importance. This time, responsibility should not only rest with individuals, but also extend to the managers in charge.”

“Have the Secretariat issue an official document directly.” Hei Lie also agreed with this approach. “What did Hong’s letter say?”

Yang Yi handed over to Hei Lie the very first letter he had just received from Hong:

“He said that he has already found more than three thousand people, and this is only the beginning. The number of people he might bring back could be even more than expected.”

Hei Lie picked up the letter, glanced at it, and his expression turned serious.

Taking in ten thousand people in one go had already brought tremendous pressure to the tribe. As for the food problem, that was not too bad. They had just had a great harvest, and during the previous festival, they had also exchanged a good amount of food with the ‘luxury goods’ produced by the tribe, so it was still bearable.

It was just that so many unfamiliar, truly foreign people joining in would inevitably make those in the tribe feel uneasy and worried. Deep down, fear was unavoidable.

Even Hei Lie was not completely at ease.

“Should we have him bring back fewer people?” Yang Yi asked.

Before Hong and another warrior set out, Yang Yi had given the walkie-talkie to that warrior.

Pigeons were still the main means of communication, but if special circumstances arose, having the walkie-talkie was much more convenient, a precaution for unexpected needs.

Hei Lie did not answer immediately. He furrowed his brows slightly and sank into thought.

“Let’s still go according to the previously set time. Let’s see how much ability this kid really has. Fortunately, for now, he has not let me down.”

Yang Yi laughed: “I thought you weren’t satisfied with him.”

From Hei Lie’s words, Yang Yi clearly sensed Hei Lie’s admiration for and regard toward Hong.

Hei Lie’s gaze swept toward Yang Yi, fixing on him steadily, making Yang Yi’s scalp prickle for no reason.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Hei Lie gave a cold snort: “As long as someone is outstanding, I will appreciate them. I’m not that petty.”

If those words hadn’t been spoken through gritted teeth, Yang Yi might have believed them a little more.

“If he can bring back that many people, we’ll need to strengthen supervision—whether over those barbarians, or over the people already in the tribe.”

Hei Lie withdrew his gaze and continued the topic from earlier.

Yang Yi nodded: “Subduing these barbarians and making them true Spark people will be the tribe’s most important task.”

This was by no means an easy matter; conflict was bound to arise. This, too, was a very severe yet necessary trial for the tribe.

To build a great city, such things were inevitably encountered. Only that, at present, such conflicts would be more obvious.

“No matter when, firmly grasping ideological work is extremely necessary.”

Seeing his stern expression, Yang Yi couldn’t help but laugh.

“Am I wrong in what I said?” Hei Lie was somewhat displeased.

Yang Yi put away his smile: “Yes, yes, yes, ideological work is very important, especially the education of the children. I’ll find a time to organize a special training for the teachers.”

The influence of teachers on students was very great. Once there was a problem in education, then an entire generation could very well be ruined.

For this generation, because of deeply ingrained impressions, it was still quite difficult to completely eliminate barriers and prejudice.

It would require, through cooperation with one another, slowly building up this kind of trust.

But for the next generation, who had no such concepts, if they were instilled with the correct way of thinking, then prejudice would neither arise nor need to be eliminated.

The school had now already officially begun operation, with dedicated people in charge of education.

From part-time, it had gradually shifted into a full-time system. When Yang Yi had previously chosen teachers, the standard had simply been whoever learned well, learned quickly, and was good at expression.

Now, as the tribe continued to develop, Yang Yi’s requirements also had to be adjusted.

“If more than ten thousand people come this time, our food will also face strain.” Hei Lie laughed. “Truly a sweet burden.”

At the thought of being able to add so many people, Yang Yi’s worries were overshadowed by joy.

The Green Python Tribe had recently been intending to take their people back. As the Spark Tribe developed, some of the Green Python people had grown too comfortable staying here, inevitably giving rise to feelings of not wanting to return.

This was something the Green Python Tribe was not happy to see.

Moreover, their demands for continuing trade exchanges had also been rising higher and higher. Such exchanges were gradually becoming less cost-effective for the Spark Tribe.

“According to Hong, these people are all in good physical condition. Although their minds are relatively less sharp, they are very suitable for physical labor.”

At present, most of the tribe’s work still relies on manual labor.

Technical tasks were still handled by only a minority. The arrival of the barbarians was very suitable for the tribe’s development.

“Before they arrive, we must arrange the division of work well and let them join in the construction as quickly as possible. With this year’s great harvest, there will be even more tribes coming to trade. It’s said that several caravans from the Western Continent will also be coming.”

Yang Yi raised his brows: “It seems last time’s festival was indeed very effective. Wasn’t it said that some caravans were on their way? They should be arriving soon, right?”

“If nothing unexpected happens, they’ll arrive at the tribe before Hong returns. Besides the Western Continent caravans, there are also three or four tribal groups on the way.”

“So many?” Yang Yi was surprised. After all, it wasn’t the harvest season now, and most tribes wouldn’t set out.

“There will be more and more in the future.” Hei Lie smiled proudly. “Apart from coming to trade with us, they are most likely here to test us.”

Although transportation here was very inconvenient, there were still tribes that, before pledging themselves to another tribe, would first conduct inspections. After all, it concerned the rise and fall of the entire tribe.

“I didn’t expect that there would still be quite a few tribes wanting to pledge allegiance.”

For a tribe to submit itself was an extremely risky matter. Yang Yi hadn’t expected that in such a short time, so many tribes would be willing to make such a decision.

If it had been him, he wouldn’t have had that kind of courage.

Back then, the reason he dared to descend the mountain and seek refuge was only because he still had two lives he could risk, and his birthplace happened to be the Black Forest that everyone feared.

Hei Lie’s expression darkened slightly: “Before, it wouldn’t have happened. Now, it’s different.”

“Why is that?”

“Right now, there are quite a few tribes like the Blackstone Tribe. They’ve tasted benefits from plunder, and keep launching wars, causing many slightly weaker tribes to be swallowed up.”

The losses from war were also extremely great. In the past, such things happened too, but never as frequently as now.

Yang Yi let out a deep sigh: “There will always be some people who like to build their happiness upon the suffering of others.”

“But from another perspective, this is favorable for our development.” Hei Lie quickly pulled himself out of his earlier gloom.

“If not for these tribes, there wouldn’t be so many tribes and people willing to leave their own territories and run off to this remote corner.”

Within the scheduled time, Hong had gathered a total of more than sixteen thousand people, two-thirds more than previously estimated.

If it weren’t for the worry that too many people would bring too much pressure to the tribe, Hong could have gathered even more.

This enormous number shook everyone. While they looked forward to the strengthening of the tribe, they were also deeply worried.

By now, even the wanderers Hong had brought back earlier had already adapted to life in the tribe, feeling that life here was extremely blessed—something they had never dared to dream of before, yet now had come true.

They did not wish for the barbarians to arrive and disrupt this peace and abundance.

And while everyone’s attention was focused on the arrival of so many barbarians to the tribe, the tribe’s Judicial Office welcomed the very first lawsuit in the entire tribe.

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