Chapter 97: Salt and Iron
Chapter 97: Salt and Iron
Wooo~
The horn sounded again. The long merchant caravan halted several hundred meters outside the village fort.
Only the rear compartment of the lead beast wagon lifted open by itself.
Revealing what was hidden inside…
A mech?
Gao Jing sat on Shan Guoer’s shoulder, while Shan Guoer stood atop the village fort wall dozens of meters high.
So he had a clear, commanding view from above.
Instantly, an absurd feeling washed over him!
This seemed completely out of place.
With a series of clank-clank-clank sounds, the giant mech lying flat on the beast wagon slowly sat up.
Then it flipped over and jumped down to the ground.
Its movements were surprisingly nimble!
Now Gao Jing saw it fully.
Truthfully, this big thing was quite different from the sci-fi mechs in Gao Jing’s memory.
It looked more like a wooden imitation, rugged in shape with a strong steampunk vibe.
But it had neither steam nor thick steel armor.
Only silver-grey plates covered its chest and back; its head and limbs were entirely made of wood.
A square head held two huge black eyes that could turn left and right.
It stood almost as tall as the Giants surrounding it.
Though vastly different from the mechs he imagined, it still shocked Gao Jing profoundly.
And reshaped his understanding of the Great World.
The Shan Yue Tribe and Shan Yue Village obviously couldn’t represent the entire civilization level of Great Wilderness Humans.
“That’s a Spirit Energy Puppet.”
Just as Gao Jing was closely observing the mech-like giant, Shan Yan’s voice sounded beside him.
The old Shaman had somehow also climbed onto the fort wall.
He patted the little girl’s head and looked towards the merchant caravan not far away. “Very valuable things.”
Gao Jing understood his meaning.
The Elder Shaman calling this Spirit Energy Puppet a “thing” clearly meant he saw it as just a big toy.
Merely very expensive.
“Gao Jing.”
The Elder Shaman drew back his gaze, lowering his head. “Our tribe will trade with the caravan tomorrow. Would you like to join?”
Gao Jing didn’t hesitate. “Yes!”
This was the perfect chance to understand the outside world. Gao Jing wouldn’t miss it.
He couldn’t stay in Shan Yue Village forever.
He was still weak now.
Once he was stronger and could protect himself, he had to explore a wider world.
The Elder Shaman knew this too!
“Then you should prepare yourself.”
A faint smile touched the old Shaman’s lips. “Their leader is a very… interesting person.”
Gao Jing nodded.
The caravan from Qinghe City set up camp outside the village fort.
The caravan’s Giants arranged their beast wagons into a large circle.
Inside, tents quickly sprouted. They piled firewood stacks around this temporary camp.
The Giant Rhinoceros Beasts were taken away to graze.
When night fell, the firewood piles blazed into roaring bonfires.
The Giants of Shan Yue Village treated their guests, who had traveled far, with homemade fruit wine and beast meat.
They beat drums and danced, the atmosphere warm and friendly.
Gao Jing didn’t join the welcoming feast. He stayed in his wooden house, listening to the Elder Shaman explain the caravan’s background.
Qinghe City was the nearest small town to Shan Yue Village, housing nearly ten thousand people.
Countless such towns dotted the Great Wilderness.
Most belonged to different princely states, holding significant autonomy.
But they owed tribute to their sworn lords and could be called to arms.
Qinghe City was co-founded by the Qinghe Tribe and two other tribes.
Its city lord, Qing Kui, boasted the strength of a High-Rank Totem Grand Warrior and commanded hundreds of elite Totem Warriors.
Within a thousand miles, holding Qinghe City, the Qinghe Tribe reigned supreme.
The Qinghe Tribe controlled several caravans. They journeyed year-round across different lands, trading with other cities and tribes.
Earning large profits.
“There are Salt Stone and Blackiron mines near Qinghe City…”
The Elder Shaman puffed on his pipe as he spoke to Gao Jing. “Salt and iron are their main goods. In the past, they were our only option to trade with. But now, we have enough salt.”
Gao Jing thought it over. “Do they do business fairly?”
He knew this already:
Usually, the Shan Yue Giants used tools made of stone, bone, or wood.
But they also had iron weapons.
Highly, highly precious weapons.
Normally, tribal warriors only used these strongest, iron weapons when hunting supreme beasts like Sabertooth Tigers… or Monster Beasts!
Especially against Monster Beasts. Without metal weapons, it was hard to pierce their defenses.
Crucially, the Shan Yue Tribe lacked the skills or blacksmiths to make or repair metal weapons. If a weapon from the traders broke, they could only sell it back cheaply.
The tribe paid a steep price both ways.
So iron weapons were among the tribe’s most treasured possessions, kept hidden away.
Gao Jing had once considered making large metal weapons in the Primary World for the Shan Yue Tribe.
But the Elder Shaman explained: their iron weapons were crafted by Shamanic methods, granting special power to harm Monster Beasts.
However, after many uses, this power faded.
Leading to the weapon’s complete destruction.
Knowing this characteristic of Great World metal weapons, Gao Jing held back this plan.
Otherwise, he might work hard to bring knives, axes, spears, and arrows, only to find them worse than the Giants’ stone tools.
That would be ridiculous.
Also, the Elder Shaman had told him:
Refining better salt from Salt Stones also required Shamanic ability. There were no easy shortcuts.
Shamans mastering this ability were called Refining Masters!
Within Great Wilderness Humans, Refining Masters held high status—higher than Shamans of equal rank.
The Qinghe Tribe had one Refining Master.
Shan Yan wasn’t a Refining Master, and no salt or iron mines lay near Shan Yue Village.
So the tribe’s vital lifelines were always tightly controlled by Qinghe City.
The difference now? Gao Jing had brought vast amounts of Coarse Salt. The Shan Yue Tribe no longer needed to risk hunting Sabertooth Tigers just to trade for previously essential Salt Stones.
Even invaluable iron weapons were saved.
Therefore, tomorrow’s trade would be unlike any before.
The powerful origins of the Qinghe Merchant Caravan unavoidably sparked worry in Gao Jing.
The Shan Yue Tribe had no Sabertooth Tiger pelts to offer.
What if this displeased the carvan…
“You needn’t worry.”
The Elder Shaman set down his pipe, smiling faintly. “I don’t know how they trade with others. But here? They must trade by the proper rules.”
His words sounded a little convoluted.
Yet Gao Jing understood at once.
Shan Yan didn’t fear the influential Qinghe Merchant Caravan. He didn’t fear their displeasure.
In fact, this old Shaman was quite displeased with them!
‘Proper rules’ don’t mean there wasn’t exploitation.
Gao Jing realized instantly that he’d likely severely underestimated this aged Giant before him all along.