Chapter 166 – The weapon of health and money
Translated by Joycelyn
Hearing that Guang Hou said he had an impression of the ‘Flaming Horns tribe’, Shao Xuan got excited for a moment, but it dropped at the next. Guang Hou once again said, “I remember that your totem pattern is a fish, right?”
Shao Xuan was silent for a few seconds, he then took out the stone token that the Shaman had given him and walked over, “This is our tribe’s totem. I came with good intentions from the Flaming Horns tribe, nice to meet you all.”
“Oh?” Guang Hou did not care, he took over the stone token with the totem pattern on it from Shao Xuan and studied it. Realizing that he did not have any other impressions of it, he returned the stone token. He smiled to the point where his chins had already built up a few layers and said to Shao Xuan, “A guest of the Drumming tribe I will trust.”
Shao Xuan then spoke to Guang Hou about his motive in coming here, speaking about Chacha who remained at the Pu tribe’s border. But although Guang Hou looked like he was very familiar with the Drumming tribe’s chief, he straight out refused.
“The bird you mentioned, I don’t want it entering this piece of land. In the past, there were a few large birds that came here, but we don’t have any good feelings towards these birds.
Many marine life did not like the birds that come from the white sky, Shao Xuan understood this. He can also see that Guang Hou did not care about him that much, only because he was giving face to Qing Yi did he bother to say a few words. If not, he wouldn’t even bother to give him a glance. While talking to Shao Xuan all this time, Guang Hou had been glimpsing at the snacks on the side.
After the short conversation, Shao Xuan then bid goodbye and left. When he entered the Pu tribe, he had told Cha Cha that if he heard the whistle for okay, he could come over, but if he heard the whistle for refusal then he could freely fly around outside.
Perhaps it was better that Cha Cha was outside so that he could play; if he entered the tribe, he would not be able to do what he wanted.
Leaving from Guang Hou’s house, Qing Yi apologised, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t help.”
“It’s okay, Cha Cha can move around freely outside, he will wait for me to come.” Shao Xuan did not think about Guang Hou’s attitude too much. He also never thought of getting anything from this tribe. Coming here was only just to broaden his horizons and was interested in the other tribes other than the Flaming Horns tribe.
But then, why had the Drumming tribe and the Pu tribe not heard of the “Flaming Horns tribe” name before?
From the records and those words that the ancestors left behind, it could be seen that they were still quite haughty. They also looked like they were holding on to their tribe with pride. This meant that the Flaming Horns tribe in those years was not just any small tribe, they have had their brilliance before.
Or maybe, was it because too much time had passed, that everything had changed?
After leaving Guang Hou’s place, Shao Xuan had split up with Qing Yi. QIng Yi had needed to go ‘shopping’. The chief and the Shaman had given him a list of stuff for him to purchase.
And Shao Xuan could also use this chance to have a good look around this tribe, see if he could find anything he could buy.
Originally, Shao Xuan had thought that the trade fair with the Drumming tribe and the Pu tribe would be something like a market, but now that he looked at it, it did not seem like it. They didn’t have a common area for their trades. The Pu tribe members placed what they wanted to sell outside of their house, and if there were anything that caught your eye, you would buy it from there.
Here, there is no common currency, what is used is only equivalent exchange.
But, it also wouldn’t count as equal exchange too.
Shao Xuan had not walked far when he saw the scene where quite some of the Drumming tribe members were purchasing.
It was no wonder that when the Pu tribe was looking forward to the drumming tribe trading group, that they were so warming.
The Drumming tribe members were all ferocious looking, but in actual fact, they did not have many other thoughts. And to say it a little more directly, in the eyes of the Pu tribe, the Drumming tribe members were just silly people with a lot of ‘money’.
Before coming here, Fu Shi had complained to Shao Xuan as to why the Drumming tribe were not so welcomed outside. Yet why were the Pu tribe more popular with the other tribes?
The Drumming tribe on one hand, had explosive tempers, on the other hand it’s because they were not too quick-witted, causing them to not speak well. Definitely not as well as the Pu tribe, that were more witty.
Of course, this also related to how their face looks. Every time the Drumming tribe went out, they would be treated as people who harboured bad intentions because they look ferocious. Especially when looking at other people, it was just like a cold knife cutting down your throat. While the Pu tribe’s appearance made people feel more intimate, even more so when they smile.
Shao Xuan paid attention to the houses in the surrounding that had various items showcased while he walked around.
Pottery, stone cores, and peculiar things from other tribes, as well as the ancient potteries that the elderly in the tribe had treated as treasures, they could all be seen here. Only, the price was very high. This made Shao Xuan surprised. He had even seen a piece of linen.
“Caught your eye? This came from the central areas. I heard that the central tribes all love to use this to make clothings.” The guy pleasingly said. On him was a short skirt that was made of a piece of linen. He had even showed it off to the tribe; although not many like this kind of thing, but when once they heard that it was from the central tribes, their attitude immediately changed.
Therefore, when this person was talking about it, he did not need to decorate his words, he only needed to emphasize that it ‘came from the central tribes’. He was waiting for Shao Xuan to show a hint of surprise and then take out his many water moonstones to exchange for it.
Unfortunately he was disappointed. Shao Xuan had just calmly asked about it and then asked more on the ‘central tribes’ matters. Afterwards he gave a small piece of water moonstone as a reward and left.
When Shao Xuan left, that person looked at the tiny water moonstone on his hand. Although it could be counted as he had made a big earning, he was not satisfied. Why did he not keep the guy here?
This is something he actually tried really hard to get from the central tribes, this brat as a matter fact just left and did not even give a gasp of surprise or anything. Did he not have knowledge about it before? Or could he maybe know that he did not have enough money to buy such a precious thing.
Shao Xuan had not realised that just now that in the ‘store owner’s’ eyes, he had already become a poor country boy.
The way Shao Xuan had seen it, just now that piece of linen was very rough, wearing it couldn’t be more comfortable than the beast skin. Using such a big water moonstone to buy such rough rags, was he silly?
Not long after, that piece of linen had been bought by Fu Shi, this year’s Drumming tribe ‘local tycoon’. When Shao Xuan had known about it, he did not utter a single sound. Sure enough, the view on equal value here was really different.
Maybe, the words ‘central tribe’, was already the biggest golden brand. Looking at Fu Shi’s happy face that looked like he had found some priceless treasure, then looked at the other Drumming tribe members’ filled with envy, Shao Xuan thought, he still did not fully adapt to the rhythm here yet.
‘Central tribes’, exactly what kind of a place is it? Is it even more developed than here? Had the Flaming Horns tribe that year been one of those central tribes?
Among the frequent traders from the different tribes that often went to the Pu tribe to participate in the trade fair, when hearing that the ancient potteries came from there came forward, and the ones that had bought the most was the Drumming tribe. That was because potteries were fragile so transporting them was very difficult; therefore those that managed to reach here were all valuable.
Feeling his beast skin bag filled with water moonstones, he had felt good; this are a good item, it was comparable to gold. Staying in the Flaming Horns tribe made him forget the good points of having ‘money’.
The Drumming tribe was not that knowledgeable towards the ‘central tribes’. They had only known that things that come from the ‘central tribe’ are all good stuff. Therefore every time they came here, when hearing that these things come from the ‘central tribe’, they will immediately dig through their beast skin bag, even without asking for the price.
In addition, the Pu tribe also have many of their native products, like frogs.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that they will sell actual frogs. For the Pu tribe, who uses frogs as their totem, they would not harm the frogs here. What they sell are things that are taken from the frogs, like poison, medicinal parts, and some other specialities, and so on.
Shao Xuan came before an oval house, here was a little more isolated from the rest. Not many Drumming tribe members were at this area to trade.
There was an elderly sitting cross legged before the house door. There were no potteries or stone weapons and the likes placed in front of him. There were only a few patterned frogs in different sizes and colours.
Beside that was a large basin. A while later, the elderly extended his hands into the basin to draw water. Then he sprayed it onto a few of the frogs’ body.
When Shao Xuan went over, the elderly was done watering.
Seeing Shao Xuan coming over, the elder’s eyes shined, “Well what do you want?”
“What are these few?” Shao Xuan asked while pointing at the frogs that were just squatting on the ground.
“You’re not from the Drumming tribe right? First time here at our tribe?” The elder did not feel disappointed just because Shao Xuan was not from the Drumming tribe, instead he was very happy. That was also because when the Drumming tribe purchased from a store, the next time they would prefer the same location they bought from. The area at the elder’s place was a bit isolated, and therefore not many Drumming tribe members would walk here. That was why he was also more interested in the other tribes instead.
“Yes, this is my first time coming to the Pu tribe.” Shao xuan answered, eyes staring at the few frogs on the ground.
The few frogs, some were as small as a fingernail, and the big ones, just one palm was not enough to hold them.
The old man actively introduced the characteristics of these frogs and what they can contribute to Shao Xuan.
“This one, it can be used to help people, dizziness, chest tightening, vomiting or other physical weaknesses all can be treated as well; and this one, it can be used to stick two blocks of wood together.” While listening, the elder give out a ‘gu gua’ sound, then he took a thick leaf and waited.
Shao Xuan looked towards the orange patterned frog. At this moment, its pupils shrank; because its eyes were horizontal, so it looked like it was squinting, brewing over some matters.
After waiting for a few seconds, nothing had happened.
Shao Xuan glimpsed at the old man, then went back to stare at the frog on the ground. Is this frog constipated?
When contemplating over it, Shao Xuan then saw the back of that orange patterned frog secreting some translucent liquid. With more liquid coming out, the old man quickly took the thick leaf in his hand and scraped down these liquids. Leaves did not hurt the frogs, therefore the Pu tribe often used this method to collect.
“Take it.” The old man took out two block of woods then smeared some of the liquid from the thick leaf and held the two blocks together. After a while, the two blocks were firmly stuck together.
This, it was just like those things he found that could stick things together like glue in the Flaming Horns tribe.
“How many of these do you have?” Shao Xuan questioned.
“As many as you need!” The old man got excited to the point that his hands couldn’t stop trembling.
“What are the others as well?” Shao Xuan had the old man continue to introduce the rest to him. He was very interested in all of this.
The old man was also happy to explain one by one to Shao Xuan. There were all kinds of frogs with strange secretions. There was one frog, it’s skin secreted some kind of fat. It was what the people in arid areas prefered more.
These frogs were like weapons of health and money for the Pu tribe.
The old man had some stock in his house, therefore Shao Xuan could take out some water moonstones out to buy what he needed. He chose selectively according to what the old man had offered.
“Oh yeah, do you sell any frogs with poison?” Shao Xuan asked.
“You want?” The old man carefully checked the surrounding then replied to Shao Xuan, “Of course I do, follow me.”