Chapter 457 (2/2)

The tribe would always keep the best for themselves, then sell the lower grade goods to other people.

The four tribes were the same, especially with the salt mined near the ground. They would not even keep one piece for themselves. All five tribes had the same thought.

That was why other tribes never knew how good their salt was. These tribes would take the salt they bought here to the city to sell. And other people would not think much of it too. There were more salt lakes being discovered anyway. Although most of them were conquered by the great six, some still fell into the hands of other tribes. The great six did not bother to venture deep into the forest just for a salt mine.

As for this incident, Fox and Shen used salt to attract allies. These salt they offered were the medium-grade ones- they still did not leak the secret.

“Oh, I don’t think you’ve seen how raw salt looks like.” As Wacha spoke, he reached his hand to his waist and fished out a small pouch he carried with him. There was a small corked bottle made of beast bone as big as a palm.

Wacha pulled out the wooden corked and poured a little on his palm.

When the bottle was opened, Shao Xuan first thought the piece of salt was meat! It looked like marbled meat, perhaps due to a melting effect that gave it a soft look. It looked like a piece of meat!

“That’s… salt?!” Shao Xuan peered curiously. Up close, there was a hardness to its structure, like crystal. Fresh salt crystals from the cave would have a harder look compared to these carried by Wacha.

Wacha looked at the piece of salt passionately. “This is what we mined from the ceiling of the mines. After cooking, the colour will fade and look like the salt you use. However, us guards usually just use this one. We don’t process it. Two days before the incident, I put a small piece of fresh salt in this bottle. I wanted to use it for boiling soup with my brothers.” As he spoke, Wacha’s passion disappeared as he recalled the incident.

Most warriors carried salt with them, some parrying entire chunks of it. Salt mine guards like Wacha carried chunks. Other than using it in herbal medicine, sometimes, after exerting a lot of energy, they could add a little salt to water and drink it. Not sure what scientific explanation this had, but they did it based on instinct and their body’s needs.

Hunted prey would be marinated in salt too. The meat would not rot easily and if air-dried, they could be preserved even longer.

Some tribes that specialise in weaving and dying fabric would purchase low-grade salt on purpose because their dyeing process required salt. The outcome was expensive fabric sold to slave masters in the city sold at high prices.

To the tribes, salt was in every part of their lives. That was why conflict over salt was an age-old issue. Even without the fire crystals, Flaming Horn would still plan to take the salt mines by force.

“Elder, when you arrive at the salt mines and take it back for the tribe, you’ll see more salt. When we sleep in the salt caves, we often dream about chunks of these.” Wacha carefully put the salt chunk back into the bottle and licked his palm. He thought of something and suddenly said, “I dreamt of fire crystals last night but I’ve forgotten most of it when I woke. I think if we continue digging down from the cave, we’ll see fire crystals.”

First, they dug on the same level as sea level. Then, when all the salt was mined, they dug downwards. The Fox tribe did things differently. Maybe they dug downwards without exhausting the top levels first.

Shao Xuan thought this was possible. At Bat Mountain, other than the fire crystals he saw at the cave, the rest of it was deep inside the mountain.

Perhaps the salt in this mine was different because of the fire crystals. There was so much salt. How much fire crystals were there?

“The chief said to move in three days right?” asked Wacha.

Due to his injuries, Zheng Luo did not want Wacha to come this time. He did not invite Wacha to the meeting and kept the weapon meant for him. Zheng Luo would give it to him when he recovered.

“Yeah. In three days, we will leave with the Taihe tribe.”

Wacha scratched his head. He did not want to miss this. “I’m going to talk to the chief. I’m mostly recovered, I can definitely go with everyone in three days!”

Wacha hurried up the mountain but Shao Xuan did not follow. He walked to the duck house.

Pushing the door open, Shao Xuan saw the fat duck covering eggs with its wings. These eggs must be quite hardy or this fat duck would have crushed them already.

Shao Xuan talked over, ignoring the duck ruffling its feathers aggressively. “Lift your wings. I want to see how many eggs you’ve taken.”

The fat duck did not move, it was hesitant.

“I’m not taking them, I just want to see how many,” said Shao Xuan.

The fat duck retracted its wings begrudgingly.

“Get up and stand aside. You’re blocking most of the eggs, how can I see?” Shao Xuan gestured to the side.

The fat duck moved unwillingly.

Shao Xuan counted. Thirty-one eggs. They varied in colours and sizes, all from different nests. However, they were all taking so long to hatch. The rest of the eggs outside were already hatched into ducklings.

“Work hard and they’ll hatch soon.”

When he stepped out of the duck house, Shao Xuan realised snow was falling lightly.