Chapter 396 (1/2)

Flat Cauldron

The team did not cover their tracks. Even if they had, it would not be completely covered, so they simply did not make an effort to. Besides, they had hundreds of people carrying their goods so it would take a lot to cover all their tracks.

Along the way, Shao Xuan would set up more traps, while the Taihe tribe would also help with their herbs to make Shao Xuan’s traps more effective. As long as the people behind them continue to follow their footprints, then they’d continue to be “entertained” by these traps.

If you could use these skills against the enemy, why use brute force? The people of the Flaming Horns and Taihe tribe were naturally happy that they didn’t have to waste time and manpower to deal with their pursuers. They just had to guard against those who had set up ambushes along the way, which greatly reduced their stress.

Two days later, the number of ambushes they had encountered had been reduced by a lot. The bigger half of the day, they also did not meet a heist. Du Kang’s heart loosened until his worries finally passed. In the future, they only had to protect the goods from the beasts in the mountains.

Because of the arrangements Shao Xuan made, the people behind them failed to catch up. They’d only occasionally see a group of scavenging birds shrieking and flying over the tops of their heads.

Along the way, they would see Shao Xuan making stone tools, hence, during breaks, some people in the group would come to ask Shao Xuan how to use and make various stone tools. In case they became trapped in the mountains, with no other weapons in their hands, they could use stone tools to save themselves.

They thought that since he had few gold wares, he basically had to use stone tools. It never entered their minds that what they initially thought to be barbaric was useful. But after the events these two days, they realized that the ordinary stone tools could also play a bigger role, not just to be broken to pieces.

In the absence of gold, their brothers on the other side were using all kinds of stone tools to deal with one mountain beast after another. Their other brothers were really fierce! If they had a chance, they really wanted to see it and have an exchange with them.

As for what Shao Xuan said about the various hardness of stone, many of them were confused because, in their view, the stones were all the same. Instead, it was Guang Yi who suffered from facial blindness who learned to distinguish the stones the fastest.

As the Flaming Horn and Taihe tribes went back, on the other side, inside Anba City, An Yan looked at the ten bloody and muddy people standing in front of him. His angry face was turning darker. He slapped a hand on a table, making the copper cup on it fall to the ground.

“A bunch of idiots!”

Outside of the Anba City, the other tribesmen would put up a smiling face but could still rob you in the open, regardless if you were from the great six cities or not. Their immediate interests were the most important.

Because of the traps, most of the people An Yan had sent out were hurt, so they were taken advantage of from the looting of the other tribes. From the hundred sent out, only the ten were able to return. How could this not make An Yan angry? It’s like his chest was being crushed by a big rock, feeling so stuffy that he wished to vomit blood.

He didn’t manage to get the stone crystals from the Flaming Horns tribe and he didn’t even manage to snatch back the cauldron!

Why did An Yan easily give away that cauldron at the time?

One reason was to pull envy towards them from so many people in the free trade zone. There were bound to be more people eyeing the trading team of the Flaming Horns tribe so they could borrow other people’s hands to create trouble for the people of that tribe. Of course, that would make An Yan happy.

The second reason was to use the copper cauldron to drag the pace of the Flaming Horns tribe. Carrying such a large scrap of metal in the mountains was certainly not convenient. It would also leave traces of their way, which would make it easy to track them.

But the outcome was like a loud slap to him, mercilessly slapping An Yan across his face.

Bronze was still very rare for tribesmen, since the casting process was complex. Every cauldron, especially those big ones, needed a lot of manpower and material resources. Besides, it was also rare since, from its birth to the present, it has always been for exclusive use of the slave owners. They were still owned by the six from the ruling class and even the city’s slave owners with lower status had no capacity to own one. Most people could only use them once.

Admittedly, An Yan, as a descendant of those in power, was certainly entitled to reward the cauldron to others. But to the tribesmen? An Yan never thought so, even for a failed casted cauldron. He never wanted to give it to the tribesmen and merely used it as a chess piece. Who would have expected that this piece would actually be stolen away!

Were they ever going to get it back?

Clink!

Another glass fell. An Yan ignored it as the cup broke into pieces.

“Get out of here!” When he saw these people standing in front of him, An Yan just became angrier. If they remained alive, this meant he probably still has use for them. If he didn’t find them useful, he would have dragged these idiots out and killed them himself!

Next time, he’ll wait for the people of the Flaming Horns tribe to settle in Anba City’s free trading area again. He must make those people pay!

Unfortunately, what An Yan didn’t know was that the Flaming Horns had struck a deal with Black Bear and didn’t need to go to the free trading zone anymore.

……

When the Flaming Horns and Taihe trading teams returned to their tribe, the weather in the mountains had already turned cold. When one stood high to take in the view, he would see the mountains everywhere turn golden. It won’t be long before those leaves fall completely, and at that time, winter has come.

After this outing, the Taihe tribe learned one thing—the young Elder of the Flaming Horns tribe was amazing.