Chapter 168 – Travel team (1/2)

Translated by Team Lesyt

In the end, Yu did not go to sleep. The old man had just headed back home, and the Drumming tribe’s people were leaving tomorrow, but who knew if someone from the Drumming tribe would arrive at his house for something else?

Yu had done very intensive research on frogs, but he would sleep most of the time he was in the tribe. He sometimes went to the river to find a suitable place to rest on the lotus leaves, and other times he would go into the woods to sleep on the branches. His family now consisted only of his grandfather and himself, but he was not interested in trading. He wanted to play in the tribe, but the old man didn’t allow him.

Shao Xuan did not care about the pottery and rough linen. He simply walked past them and inquired about the poisonous frogs. Since Yu was very knowledgeable on frog poison, he naturally understood how to use it properly. It seemed like that was a chance for further improvement on Shao Xuan’s traps.

Anyways, since he was always bored, Yu stayed up to chat with Shao Xuan.

Like the majority of the Pu tribe, Yu felt that the people from the Drumming tribe were rather foolish. Besides stone tools and others, they also loved buying impractical things.

“If I had that many water moonstones, I would go and trade it for lots of food, or for some high-end material tools. When I’m hungry I can eat, and when I’m full I can go out to play.” Yu said.

Yu also used frog poison to make traps for beasts. He was in need of some

wood and stone and other sturdy materials that the Pu tribe did not have around. Only by trading with external tribes could he have the chance to get some.

After listening to Yu’s story, Shao Xuan really felt that the Flaming Horns tribe’s people and these people’s lives were just too different.

The Drumming tribe people did not have to worry too much about food since there was lots of fish in the river. There were also some beasts near the mountains. If there wasn’t enough meat they could use the river to go to other tribes. The only thing they needed to worry about was the annual production of the water moonstones and the attacks that they encountered for them. Of course, not every year would there be such a brutal attack from the other tribes.

As for the Pu tribe, most of them did not like hunting for prey. Compared to the risks involved in hunting, trading allowed them to get more resources: food, as well as other daily necessities. Since their ancestors had been really fortunate, their children and grandchildren had had good lives too. That continued to the present day, as in the Pu tribe’s people’s minds, trading had become an indispensable thing in their daily life.

A lot of the surrounding tribes also did not like going outside of their territories, so they relied on the Pu tribe’s travel team to trade.

There weren’t many ferocious beasts where they lived. The mountains were not as dangerous as at the Flaming Horns tribe. It did not take half a day to travel from the Drumming tribe to the Pu tribe. If it was the Flaming Horns hunting team, they wouldn’t even take half a day.

There was a gathering of humans on this side of the world. They did not really fear the threats of ferocious beasts, as there were mainly tribal disputes between them.

Each tribe had their own favorite way of life. In that case, the people from the Pu tribe were more like businessmen, as they were talented in trading.

“Where does the travel team generally go to? The central tribes?” Shao Xuan asked.

“Yeah, most of the times. Why, do you want to go?”

“Yes. I originally came out to gain experience.” Shao Xuan answered.

Yu suddenly felt envious. He also wanted to go out, as did many other young people. The tribe’s travel team consisted mainly of young adults. Every time he saw someone of the same age going out with their parents, he wished he could as well. Unfortunately, his parents were dead, and that year’s travel team had suffered heavy losses. More than seventy percent of the group who went out did not come back. The old man did not allow Yu to go out precisely because of this.

“In fact, being in the travel team can sometimes be dangerous. Not every venture is, though.” Yu said.

In the Pu tribe, the leader Guang Hou was also in high favor of the youths joining the team.

This was not a peaceful era, there were no laws or regulations, murder wasn’t rare. Within the travel team, everyone needed to protect themselves.

“Ugh, unfortunately, the old man won’t let me go!” Yu felt his troubles were endless. He had studied frog poison because he had interest in it, but it was also to prepare for the trip.

“When does your tribe’s travel team leave?” Shao Xuan asked.

Just now, Yu had said that a travel team had left for their two-month trip and would not come back for several days. One would come back every now and again in order to drop off what they had bought and refill on water moonstones.

After chatting with Yu a bit more, Shao Xuan went to find Fu Shi. Tonight, the Drumming tribe’s people were staying within the Pu tribe, only to leave tomorrow morning.

Shao Xuan went around to inquire about the Pu tribe travel team. It turned out they could bring people from other tribes along, but it cost water moonstones. This matter did not bother Shao Xuan. As he was now in a new-and-unknown-to-him area, following the Pu tribe team seemed like the best option.

Shao Xuan went and found the team’s leader, paid the three pieces of water moonstones and took the frog brand. The travel team would be starting in a few days. Shao Xuan only needed to show this brand and he would be allowed to go with the Pu tribe’s travel team when they left.

After hearing that Shao Xuan wanted to join the travel team, the Drumming tribe’s members couldn’t help but feel rather confused. They thought waiting here

was more cost-effective. The Pu tribe’s people brought things over and they only needed to take the stones with them. It seemed like Shao Xuan had thrown away three water moonstones for nothing.

But one he thought about it, that Shao Xuan was out to gain experience, Fu Shi became relieved and did not continue to persuade, but his heart still kept to his ideals.

The next day, the Drumming tribesmen got ready to leave, Fu Shi looked happily at his rattan full of things. Which, besides the necessary stones, stone tools, etc…, were also good pottery, and a piece of the central tribe’s linen. Which, after he returns, will probably lead to other people’s envy, right? Thinking of this, Fu Shi could not help but laugh a few times, and think that this was really a worthwhile trip. But for a short while, he will not come here to trade, until the winter, for some food over the winter.