Chapter 180
Since the whole incident was caused by malt sugar and the little wolves, Bai Tu delivered the remaining half of the malt sugar to the medical center and pharmacy.
The method of eating it was the same as before, but the sub-beastmen were obedient. Since Bai Tu instructed them to lick it slowly or take small bites, no one took big mouthfuls. Though it was still sticky, it wouldn’t render them completely speechless like it had with the little wolves.
The remaining malt sugar was limited, and after dividing it among everyone, it was quickly gone. Once they finished eating, they had to explain to the beastmen who came asking about the deafness incident that their ears were perfectly fine and there were no problems at all.
Although Bai Tu and the sub-beastmen at the medical center repeatedly emphasized that it was because Lang Ze’s squad hadn’t howled that night, not because they couldn’t hear, some beastmen still refused to believe it. They were convinced someone was plotting against them.
“How could Lang Ze’s squad not howl? Isn’t that a problem too?”
To them, this issue was no different from their supposed collective deafness. After all, the wolf tribe relied on howling to communicate. If they couldn’t make a sound, then they couldn’t convey messages. Wasn’t this an attack on their tribe?
Seeing that no amount of explanation would work, Bai Tu gave up and simply had the kitchen make a large batch of malt sugar.
The moment the beastmen ate it, they immediately understood.
This stuff… really stuck to their teeth.
As soon as they put it in their mouths, they remembered the chef’s earlier warning—but it was already too late. Now, all they could do was slowly lick the candy until it dissolved.
Though malt sugar was sticky, it was undeniably sweet. The first batch of beastmen who ate it were both delighted and regretful—they wished they had listened and eaten it slowly.
As soon as they regained the ability to speak, they warned those who hadn’t eaten yet: Eat it slowly, or your teeth will get stuck together. If it’s not too bad, you’ll be able to free your mouth quickly, but if it’s serious, you’ll have to wait until the candy melts before you can talk again. Otherwise, you’ll just mumble incoherently.
The beastmen who hadn’t tried it yet didn’t believe them. How could candy be that amazing? They had eaten all kinds of food before, but they had never come across anything that could glue their teeth together.
As for eating it in small bites? That just sounded like people being stingy. Good food should be eaten in big bites! What’s the point of nibbling on it? That’s not satisfying at all!
With this mindset, the skeptical beastmen received their share of candy. Ignoring all warnings and the clear demonstrations around them, they immediately popped it into their mouths and bit down.
At the same time, they grumbled to themselves about how stingy the cafeteria was today. They usually give out plenty of food, but this time, it’s just this tiny piece—barely bigger than a fingernail! What’s the point of eating it slowly? It’s gone in one bite!
Just as they were thinking this, they bit into the candy, tried to speak… and suddenly realized they couldn’t open their mouths.
They froze.
With their teeth stuck together, the beastmen could only enjoy the sweetness of the malt sugar while resorting to hand gestures to communicate. For those who couldn’t express themselves clearly with gestures, or when their conversation partners couldn’t understand, their speech turned into a series of muffled “mmm mmm” and “oh oh” sounds.
The great candy incident lasted until nightfall.
By then, everyone had learned one important lesson: Always listen to instructions, especially when it comes to food. Whatever the chef says, follow it!
Although the candy’s extreme stickiness took everyone by surprise, its delicious taste left them in awe. Other than honey, they had never eaten anything this sweet before. And since honey was scarce—even with the tribe’s dedicated beekeeping efforts, production was still limited—malt sugar was different.
During the food distribution that day, they saw that there was still plenty left.
The mere thought of being able to eat candy whenever they wanted filled the beastmen with uncontrollable excitement.
But the happiest ones were the tribe’s young cubs.
While adult beastmen had to use points to exchange for candy after their first free portion, young cubs didn’t need to spend points at all.
As long as they were enrolled in school, no matter which tribe they belonged to, they would receive a Candy Card each day if they successfully passed their in-class quizzes. The Candy Card worked like a points card and could be used in all cafeterias within the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
Once they collected ten Candy Cards, they could exchange them for a piece of malt sugar.
If they didn’t want to eat it right away, they could save up their cards and trade them for other candies—though they’d have to wait for Bai Tu to come up with new recipes first.
When Bai Tu was designing the candy cards, he had a new idea: instead of just candy cards, he decided to introduce snack cards, toy cards, and other reward cards for young cubs who performed well. Once they accumulated enough cards, they could exchange them for snacks or toys.
Compared to the standard points cards, the cubs’ reward cards were cuter and came in a wider variety of colors, making them more appealing. Unlike the uniform design of the points cards, these were meant to encourage cubs to learn.
Beastmen had little resistance to colorful objects, and this was even more true for cubs. On the very first day of implementing the snack, toy, and candy cards, Bai Chi reported that the cubs were noticeably more motivated.
No one cared about rankings—what mattered to the cubs was the tangible rewards in front of them.
Bai Tu hadn’t expected the results to be this effective, but on second thought, it made sense. Many cubs had never experienced structured education before. They spent their days eating, playing, and living carefree lives. Suddenly being placed in a school with a fixed schedule was a huge adjustment for them.
As for the subjects they were learning, most of them had never even heard of such things before. Generally, beastmen only began teaching their cubs how to hunt or gather when they reached ten years old or so. Younger cubs were usually only given simple tasks, so they had little knowledge of prey, plants, or even numbers. The only thing they really knew was how to eat.
To them, the lessons felt useless—at least in the present. They memorized information mechanically, but if they couldn’t remember it, they simply ignored it. Tossing their papers and pens aside, they would lie down for a nap, and once they woke up, they would run off to play.
With the new reward system in place, they could now see the direct benefits of learning, which made them more enthusiastic about their studies.
After discussing it with Bai Chi, Bai Tu decided to continue using this system in the future. However, the rewards shouldn’t be limited to just snacks and toys. More practical rewards, such as food and points, would also be included.
Just as they finalized the details of the reward system, Bai Tu was called away by the construction team.
The trading market he designed was different from the houses they had built before, and the construction team was unsure about some of the details, so they asked Bai Tu to take a look.
The issue was the spacing between the central support pillars and the shelves inside the market.
The trading market was quite large, and Bai Tu wanted all the shelves to be indoors to avoid the impact of the rainy and snowy seasons. This meant the stalls were arranged in neat rows. However, to ensure structural stability, support pillars needed to be added every few stalls. This was necessary to keep the building safe.
The support pillars were quite thick, but they couldn’t obstruct the stalls. Bai Tu had carefully positioned them in the narrow gaps between two stalls so they wouldn’t get in the way of people walking.
On his blueprint, Bai Tu had clearly drawn the design, but the construction team, assuming they were supposed to build walls like before, was confused because they couldn’t find any wall placements in the plans.
It wasn’t a big issue. Bai Tu explained it to them and emphasized that they must use the correct number of support pillars and not cut corners—these pillars were essential for holding up the roof.
Once he confirmed that the construction was proceeding smoothly, Bai Tu moved on to his next task: sugar production.
The sweet fruits they had planted had begun to ripen, about half a month after the rainy season ended, and they were ready for harvesting.
A small portion of the fruits would be set aside for direct consumption, while the rest would be transported to a processing facility near the cafeteria.
The processing facility had been built separately as the variety of food in the cafeteria increased. After all, the kitchen space was limited. Even though Bai Tu had planned for a large kitchen when designing the cafeteria, the sheer number of people in the tribe meant that food demand was high. More people meant more food, which required more chefs and stoves. Once all the necessary kitchen equipment was set up, there wasn’t much space left.
The cafeteria was already quite crowded, making it inconvenient for people to work. It was especially dangerous since food was being cooked there all day long. If everything were handled in the kitchen, it would not only be cramped but also pose serious safety risks.
Bai Tu didn’t want to see such a situation, so when preparing to process snacks for the cafeteria, he found a separate location specifically for handling food that wasn’t meant to be eaten immediately, such as various snacks and dried meat.
The processing facility was only responsible for production, not distribution. Beastmen who wanted to exchange snacks had to go to the warehouse or cafeteria.
Since the site was chosen later, it was quite spacious. Large quantities of sweet fruits could be transported there and stored properly. Bai Tu used two empty houses to store all the sweet fruits that were ready for processing.
The method followed the principles of sugar production from sugarcane and sugar beets: cutting, pressing, boiling the juice, evaporating excess water to obtain syrup, and then drying it to produce sugar.
Of course, due to their current techniques, the sugar they made wasn’t refined white sugar but had a reddish or yellowish hue. However, the color didn’t affect the taste at all, especially since people weren’t consuming it directly.
Producing white sugar required additional refining steps. After thinking it over, Bai Tu decided not to bother. Whether it was brown sugar, yellow sugar, or white sugar, the end result was the same—it would all be eaten. The color didn’t affect anyone’s appetite.
The brown sugar they produced was already sufficient to meet everyone’s needs, so Bai Tu didn’t plan to refine it further. Not all of the sugar was sent to the cafeteria; some was stored in the warehouse for future trade with other tribes. While their tribe had a large territory, they also had a sizable population. Bai Tu didn’t want to rely solely on their current resources, so he had started building a trading market early on.
For now, it seemed like their tribe had plenty of food, with a surplus even after feeding everyone. However, Bai Tu understood that their high yield was partly due to the fact that the surrounding land had never been cultivated before. The soil was still rich in nutrients, which naturally led to abundant harvests at the beginning. But as farming continued, soil fertility would gradually decline.
Aside from the current efforts to maintain soil fertility, they also needed to let the land rest occasionally. This didn’t mean leaving fields completely empty for a year but rather planting crops with lower nutrient demands or plants that could naturally enrich the soil.
Moreover, continuously growing the same crop in one place would lead to increased pests and diseases. To prevent this, crops needed to be rotated, which meant they had to exchange seeds with other tribes.
Not every year would bring high yields, nor could they always plant as many crops as they did now. Frequent trade with other tribes was essential for maintaining a balanced agricultural system. By rotating crops and exchanging processed goods for seeds they couldn’t grow themselves, they could ensure a steady food supply.
A single region had limited plant varieties, but by trading with other tribes, they could diversify their crops and expand their food production. This also allowed them to develop new processed goods.
For example, maltose required glutinous rice, which they had obtained through trade with other tribes. The large batch of maltose they made earlier had already used up all their glutinous rice, and in the end, the Eagle Tribe had to go out and trade for more.
One of the items they used to trade for glutinous rice was maltose itself. Sweet foods were an excellent bargaining tool in trade. Initially, the other tribe had been unwilling to part with too much glutinous rice, as they had already exchanged some with the Hundred Beasts Tribe and had limited supplies left.
However, after tasting the maltose brought by the Eagle Tribe, they quickly changed their minds. Glutinous rice could be harvested anytime—their current crop was set to be harvested soon—but if they missed the opportunity to get sugar now, they might not have another chance later.
In the end, the Eagle Tribe managed to exchange for several hundred pounds of glutinous rice, which was now stored in the warehouse. They planned to use it soon to make another batch of maltose.
Bai Tu intended to bring out all the newly produced sugars during their next trade with other tribes, hoping to exchange for plants they hadn’t encountered before.
During the first two months after the rainy season, the entire tribe had been busy. At first, they focused on planting summer crops and fruits, then building the trading market. After that, they worked on sugar production, preparing goods for trade, and discussing point-based pricing systems. By the time all these tasks were completed, it was nearly time for the market to open.
At this time, after resting for most of the summer, the Eagle Tribe resumed their work. They followed the order of the tribes they had rescued last winter, spreading the news to them and their neighboring tribes, as well as visiting new areas they hadn’t been to before. Their message was simple: The Hundred Beasts Tribe had completed the construction of the trading market, and everyone could now go there to exchange goods!
Some beastmen who had visited the Hundred Beasts Tribe after the rainy season to check on their young ones had been curious about the large buildings being constructed. However, at the time, no one had explained their purpose. Now they finally understood—it was a trading market.
The concept of a trading market was somewhat vague to many, but the Eagle Tribe’s explanation helped clarify things. It was similar to a marketplace, except it remained open for a much longer period. It would be available continuously for half a month before the snow season and the rainy season. Additionally, during non-rainy seasons and non-peak trading periods, the market would open once a month for exchanges.
All tribes were welcome, and with the Hundred Beasts Tribe maintaining order, they didn’t have to worry about their food being stolen.
The guarantee of safety alone was already highly attractive, but even more appealing was the lack of time restrictions—people could come and trade at any time as long as what they needed was available.
This aspect drew significant interest, as most tribes still relied on hunting as their primary food source. Often, their hunting seasons didn’t align with traditional marketplace schedules. In the past, if a tribe failed to gather enough food before a market event, they would have to wait until the next one. Now, that was no longer an issue. Even in the dead of winter, if they ran out of food, the Hundred Beasts Tribe would still provide supplies for trade.
Despite the Eagle Tribe’s efforts to promote the longer trading period and monthly openings, most beastmen stuck to their usual habits. As summer came to an end, large groups set off for the Hundred Beasts Tribe, just as they would have for the old marketplaces.
Most of those heading directly to the Hundred Beasts Tribe were from tribes that had previously received their aid. While trading was one reason for their journey, another important reason was that their own crops had already been harvested.
Last year, these tribes had accepted help from the Hundred Beasts Tribe, agreeing to repay their debts within two years. However, now that they had food, their first instinct was to repay what they owed as soon as possible.
Even if they couldn’t return everything they had borrowed in one go, they at least wanted to settle their young ones’ education fees. A major reason they had sent their young ones to the Hundred Beasts Tribe in the first place was their own food shortages.
For such a long time, their young had been eating food provided by the Hundred Beasts Tribe. They felt responsible for repaying it as quickly as possible. What if the Hundred Beasts Tribe ran low on food?
By repaying their debt while also trading for supplies, they could accomplish two goals at once. Many beastmen had originally planned to go to the market after visiting the Hundred Beasts Tribe, but after calculating the time saved, they realized they could save nearly half a month by doing everything in one trip—this realization thrilled them.
Among the items these tribes needed most, salt was the top priority. The Hundred Beasts Tribe had salt, while other supplies were optional—many tribes were reluctant to trade too much because they had limited food. Even though they saved travel time, they still had to conserve enough supplies to last through the winter.
The memory of last winter, when many nearly starved, was still fresh. If not for the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s aid, they might not have survived. This year, no matter what, they didn’t want to rely on them again.
While these groups made their way to the Hundred Beasts Tribe, Bai Tu was busy finalizing preparations for the trading market’s opening.
The buildings had been completed over a month ago, and after thorough ventilation and drying, they were finally ready for use. Some long-lasting food supplies were already being stocked inside.
Several neighboring tribes were rushing to prepare their stalls before others arrived. The earlier they set up, the more they could trade. These tribes hadn’t grown as many crops as the Hundred Beasts Tribe, but they still had leftovers after setting aside enough for winter. All of their surplus was now being brought to trade.
The Hundred Beasts Tribe had the largest number of stalls of any tribe, with at least five stalls for each type of product.
Of course, the reason for setting up so many stalls was that the Hundred Beasts Tribe had an abundance of food. Additionally, if a tribe was in a hurry to return home and didn’t have time to set up a stall, the Hundred Beasts Tribe would directly trade with them. After completing the exchange, any items they didn’t need would be placed in the stalls for others to trade.
This arrangement meant that tribes no longer had to wait indefinitely. In the past, if the items a tribe brought to the market weren’t attractive enough, they might have to wait from the start of the market until the very end, hoping to trade for enough salt. Yet, they couldn’t bear to leave early since they hadn’t secured the supplies they needed.
Now, this concern no longer existed. As long as the food they brought was edible and of decent quality, the Hundred Beasts Tribe would accept it at fair prices. After deducting a small transaction fee, they could leave with the goods they wanted. Whether the remaining food could be traded or not was no longer their concern.
Upon hearing this policy, Shi Su was utterly shocked. He stared at Bai Tu in disbelief and asked, “Aren’t you afraid that no one will want the food?”
At past markets, slow-moving goods were often items that most tribes didn’t need—like the fruit the Horse Tribe had previously brought. When people came to the market, they prioritized trading for long-lasting food, and fruit wasn’t in high demand. Most tribes lived far away, and by the time they returned home, the fruit would have already spoiled. It wasn’t practical to trade fruit just for the salt-collecting teams to consume.
Shi Su worried that Bai Tu might not have attended many markets before and didn’t fully understand the situation. He reminded him, “For foods like fruit, it’s best to only trade for what your tribe can immediately eat. If you take too much, it will spoil quickly. Even in winter, fruit doesn’t store well for long. Once frozen, some fruits become bitter, show signs of rotting, or become completely inedible.”
Shi Su was especially concerned that in its first year, the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s market might suffer huge losses. If they lost too much, what if they couldn’t afford to run it next year?
To ensure his tribe could continue participating in the market, Shi Su was deeply worried.
“It’s fine. Our tribe has plenty of people—we can process it.” Bai Tu reassured him. They weren’t accepting just any kind of food—if anyone tried to mix in bad goods, they’d be kicked out immediately. As for the food they did accept, they would trade what they could and process the rest.
Even for perishable fruit, there was no concern. They could make dried fruit, and if that wasn’t possible, they could make jam or juice. If none of those options worked, the tribe’s domesticated animals could eat them. Nothing would go to waste.
This year, their tribe had harvested a lot of fruit, but aside from what they had kept for themselves, there wasn’t much surplus. They had already used much of it for wine-making, dried fruit, and jam, and had tried various ways to consume it. Bai Tu was actually worried that no tribes would bring fruit for trade!
Since Bai Tu had already proven his capabilities, Shi Su felt reassured after hearing his explanation and focused on preparing his tribe’s stall.
On the third day of preparations, with ten days left before the market officially opened, beastmen began arriving one after another.
They had carefully planned their timing. They first brought their goods to test the waters—if the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s market wasn’t as good as advertised, they could still go to the regular market instead. The journey from the Hundred Beasts Tribe to the market took about eight days, so they had enough time to change plans if necessary.
Only the tribes that had previously traded with the Hundred Beasts Tribe before the rainy season fully believed in the market’s promises. The other tribes remained skeptical. After all, even the largest tribes in the past had never guaranteed that every useful item brought would be accepted.
At the same time, one thing left everyone puzzled—the Hundred Beasts Tribe had set up the market within their own territory. Even though it wasn’t near their residential areas, it was still shocking.
It was well known that wild animals had sharp senses, particularly their sense of smell. If a place was filled with the scent of beastmen, wild game would avoid it completely.
In the past, markets were always located far from all tribes. Even the closest tribe had to travel for a day or two. This was because no one wanted large crowds near their tribe, as it would scare away the prey.
Every year, the land surrounding the market site became nearly empty of wild game before and after the event. The overwhelming presence of beastmen signaled danger, causing prey to stay far away.
Everyone could understand that the Hundred Beasts Tribe allowed visitors, but building a trading market within their own territory? The beastmen who had never been to the Hundred Beasts Tribe all shook their heads in disbelief.
“Once they finish trading, all the prey in their territory will be gone!” an older beastman remarked. “I heard their tribe leaders are all young. Just wait, they’ll regret it next year—or rather, they won’t even need to wait that long. Once winter comes and they have no food, they’ll realize their mistake.”
“They’re only charging a small transaction fee for food exchanges—how much can that really add up to? Scaring away all the prey just for that small amount? That’s incredibly foolish—just too foolish.”
The Eagle Tribe, when promoting the market, hadn’t hidden anything, including the exact percentage of transaction fees. Many beastmen believed that the Hundred Beasts Tribe was opening their market just to earn those fees. But how much could they actually make? With so many people coming and going, they would surely scare off all the prey, ultimately losing more than they gained.
This wasn’t an uncommon opinion—even among the first group to arrive, some shared the same concerns.
However, when they actually entered the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s territory, something felt off. Why was there not a single prey animal in sight?
They had been following the tribe’s guides for half a day, and they could already see the trading market in the distance—yet they hadn’t spotted a single animal.
Could the Hundred Beasts Tribe be planning to steal their food instead?
A group of beastmen exchanged uneasy glances. Although they had never interacted with the Hundred Beasts Tribe, they had heard of their actions—like how they led an attack against the Black Forest Tribe or how they helped starving tribes survive last winter. A tribe willing to do such things must be good-hearted.
Plus, people said that this trading market was even better than the usual markets, which was why they came.
But what was going on? Why were there no animals in the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s territory?
One beastman, worried that the Hundred Beasts Tribe might try to steal their food, turned to the person next to him. Coincidentally, that person was from a tribe that had been helped by the Hundred Beasts Tribe before and had strongly recommended coming here.
Lowering his voice so the guides wouldn’t hear, he asked, “Where are the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s prey?”
The other beastman glanced at him and replied, “You want to see the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s prey?”
The first beastman clarified, “It’s not that I want to see them, but… there’s not a single prey animal here. What if they plan to steal our food?”
The other beastman glanced at their supplies and shook his head. “Impossible. The Hundred Beasts Tribe would never steal your food.”
“Really?” The worried beastman let out a relieved sigh upon hearing that.
Then the other beastman added casually, “The Hundred Beasts Tribe wouldn’t even want your food.”
“Huh?”
“Just look at what you brought—it’s obviously terrible.”
This beastman had once fought alongside the Hundred Beasts Tribe against the Snake Tribe and was invited to stay in their tribe for two days, during which he had eaten the best meals of his life.
He was absolutely certain that the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s beastmen wouldn’t even be tempted by the food these people brought.
The first beastman, who had just relaxed, nearly choked on his own breath. Was that supposed to be reassuring?!
But whether it was reassurance or just an insult, at least he now felt certain that their food was safe. As long as the Hundred Beasts Tribe wouldn’t steal from them, everything else could be dealt with.
The seven tribes that had come together consisted of:
Three tribes that had previously received help from the Hundred Beasts Tribe. Four tribes that had been convinced to come along.
Their geographical location was poor—far from both the Eastern Continent’s markets and the Western Continent’s markets.
Each year, they had to travel nearly a month just to trade for supplies.
But how long was the period between the rainy season and winter? Only a few months. Losing an entire month to travel meant they had less time for hunting, and the journey itself consumed a large amount of food.
On top of that, they had to set aside rations for their salt-trading teams, meaning that each year, they barely obtained enough salt for winter. Sometimes, it wasn’t enough at all—forcing them to either go hungry or eat food with no salt in the late winter months.
Because of their difficult location, their tribes developed slowly, and their populations were small. Even the tribes that barely managed to survive were in poor condition.
Last winter, these tribes got lucky—they had saved up slightly more food than usual and traded only part of it to Bai An for salt, skipping the usual trade market altogether.
By avoiding the long journey, they saved a lot of food and didn’t go hungry that winter.
Before the rainy season, they even asked other tribes to help trade for more salt from the Hundred Beasts Tribe, which made their year somewhat manageable. At the very least, they fared better than the tribes that had nearly starved to death.
However, this “better” was only relative.
Now, with snow season approaching, they needed even more salt. If they went to the usual market, they would have to spend food on the journey and trade away most of what they had—leaving their tribes nearly empty.
The Hundred Beasts Tribe was closer to their own tribes, and coming here to trade saved them half a month compared to traveling to the marketplace. This advantage attracted several tribes, and with further persuasion from others, they gritted their teeth and decided to come.
Even so, they felt uneasy the whole way, until they finally arrived at the trading market of the Hundred Beasts Tribe.
The beastmen guiding them had just explained a lot of rules, but most of them weren’t really listening—they were too focused on looking for the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s prey.
Now, seeing the neatly arranged rows of food inside the market, they were completely stunned.
Were those piles of meat?!
Even though it was the same type of food, the meat from the Hundred Beasts Tribe looked clean, fresh, and neatly arranged, while their own meat was blackened and dried from smoking.
Their guide explained the trade process again:
“You can either trade your food directly with our tribe, or you can use your food to exchange items at these stalls.”
Trading directly with the Hundred Beasts Tribe required a small transaction fee. Trading at the stalls did not, since the beastmen running the stalls had already paid a fee. The benefit of trading with the Hundred Beasts Tribe was that they would accept most items, while stall owners might refuse an exchange.
The tribes that had traded here before were more straightforward. They handed over their food directly to the Hundred Beasts Tribe—some to repay debts, and some to exchange for point cards.
Even though this was the first large-scale trade event, the sub-beastmen of the Hundred Beasts Tribe had already spent days training under Bai Tu. Each person handled their role efficiently—checking food, calculating quantities, issuing point cards, recording transactions, and finally, Bai Tu reviewed everything.
Within a single mealtime, all three tribes had received their point cards.
Bai Tu then turned to the other four new tribes:
“Do you want to carry your food inside?”
Bringing large amounts of food into the market would definitely be more troublesome than just using a point card.
Since Bai Tu was familiar with them, he knew that these tribes were still hesitant even after seeing the trade market.
To ease their concerns, Bai Tu offered another option:
“Since this is your first time here, you can store your food with us temporarily. I’ll give you point cards in exchange. If you don’t find anything you want in the market, you can use the point card to reclaim your food. The transaction fee will also be refunded.”
One of the tribe leaders hesitated. He wanted to trade but was still uneasy. “Will we really be able to get our food back with the point cards?”
Bai Tu reassured him, “Yes, not only here—you can also use the point cards to trade with other tribes. The Hundred Beasts Tribe and the surrounding tribes all accept them.”
A beastman who had already exchanged his food urged the others, “Our tribe is using point cards too! Hurry up and trade so we can go in together.”
He was impatient to check if the Hundred Beasts Tribe had brought out canned food. If not for traveling with these newcomer tribes, he wouldn’t have waited.
After discussing among themselves, the remaining tribes agreed to exchange their food.
Bai Tu’s sub-beastmen assistants immediately began inspecting the food.
Since it was autumn and the weather was cooler, food lasted longer, but they still had to check for spoilage. They carefully examined the meat, making sure there was no bad smell and that the meat at the top and bottom of the baskets was the same.
After the inspection, the meat was poured into the Hundred Beasts Tribe’s own baskets—this was part of the quantity calculation process.
Meanwhile, the sub-beastmen counted out point cards and recorded the transactions.
Once all the tribes had their point cards, another group of beastmen arrived—this group had traded with the Hundred Beasts Tribe before and were familiar with three of the new tribes.
Seeing familiar faces, they greeted each other briefly before dragging the newcomers into the market:
“Let’s go quickly! If we wait too long, all the good stuff will be taken!”
Even though they knew the Hundred Beasts Tribe had plenty of supplies, and salt was especially abundant, experience had taught them that many tribes would come to trade—and the best food would go first.
Last time, when they came with the Snake Tribe, they had brought plenty of resources.
But when it was time to trade, chaos nearly broke out—not against the Hundred Beasts Tribe, but against other tribes fighting for goods.
The Hundred Beasts Tribe had a lot of supplies, but everyone wanted the best-tasting food. And the best-tasting food wasn’t unlimited, so competition was fierce.
This time, they had arrived early, so they were determined to get the best food available.
However, their main priority was getting snacks for their young ones.
They hadn’t seen the tribe’s children in months, and when they finally went back, they needed to bring some treats for them.
Just now, they had looked through the window outside the trading market and seen the scene inside, but only after stepping in did they realize that what they saw was just the tip of the iceberg. The stalls stretched endlessly, one after another, displaying many foods they had never seen before.
The chief clutched the points card in his hand. “I want to exchange for salt…” They had come mainly to trade for salt.
“The salt exchange is here,” Bai Qi pointed them in the right direction. “How much salt do you need? Register here, and you can take it with you when you leave.”
Salt was a common currency in the market—whatever one needed could be exchanged for salt. However, this method was not very hygienic, especially since water sources were scarce. When salt was exchanged in small portions, the color of the salt would sometimes change due to contamination.
Since the tribe had implemented a points system, Bai Tu didn’t want them to continue using the old method. He had instructed Bai Qi to record salt transactions separately and avoid direct exchanges whenever possible.
Hearing this, the chief grew more anxious. They had traded food for a pile of points cards, and now those were being taken too? What if they didn’t receive the salt in the end?
While he was worrying, a beastman next to him had already gone up, exchanged a basket of salt with a points card, and received a slightly larger card in return. The card had an image of a basket with a white substance inside—presumably salt.
“If you’re worried, I can give you the salt now,” Bai Qi reassured them. “Just remember, when trading in the market, use points cards, not salt.”
Hearing this, the chief finally felt relieved. They had come here for salt, and as long as they got it, everything else was secondary.
“I’ll take a basket,” he said.
The beastman in charge of salt transactions pulled out a basket of salt from under the counter and handed it over. Although Bai Tu had suggested that they take the salt when leaving, he also allowed immediate distribution if necessary.
Bai Tu understood that this was the first time such a trading model was being implemented, and many would feel uneasy about not immediately receiving their goods. Since people lacked a sense of security when they couldn’t see the actual items, he wanted to ease the psychological transition, especially for first-time visitors.
With the salt in hand, the beastmen finally relaxed. They had brought a lot of food and still had leftover points cards even after exchanging for salt. Now at ease, they began exploring the market.
The meat section had dried meat, marinated meat, braised meat, fried meat slices, roasted meat, and canned meat—some could be taken back to the tribe, while others were ready to eat.
Beyond the meat section was the grain area, offering wheat, corn, rice, and soybeans. Several tribes that had received aid from the Hundred Beasts Tribe were astonished—although they also farmed crops, theirs were much smaller in comparison!
Further ahead was the fruit section, filled with melons and a variety of fruits, both familiar and unfamiliar. The prices were very low, and for those wanting to try everything, there was even a special package that included a small portion of each fruit—just enough for one person.
The group was overwhelmed, their eyes darting everywhere as they continued exploring. They discovered stalls selling seasonings, medicine, and even rare herbs that, in previous years, they couldn’t get from shamans no matter how hard they begged. Now, a mere few points were enough to exchange for a whole packet.
Their eyes grew wider with each discovery. The range of goods available here was far greater than at any other market they had visited!
After making a full circuit, they clutched their points cards, feeling uncertain—there were so many things they wanted! But what should they exchange for?
One young, underage beastman was different from the others. Instead of looking at goods, he was drawn to a young cub sitting at the second-to-last stall. The cub was holding a small wooden stick with an unknown substance on it, clearly delighted. Every so often, when the surrounding beastmen weren’t paying attention, he would sneak a lick.
The young beastman’s tribesman also noticed and walked over. “What is that?” They had examined everything else but hadn’t paid attention to this.
“Malt candy,” the stall owner replied. “It’s sweet. Want to try some?” He then took a pair of chopsticks and gave each of them a small piece.
While the others were still savoring the taste, the first beastman to finish immediately rushed to the stall. “I’ll take three—just as big as the one he’s holding!”
Then he turned to explain to the others. “I want to bring them to the school for the cubs—they’ll love it!” This was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.
Others followed his example and asked for a few.
The beastman who thought he had opened the business stopped and looked at everyone: “Why don’t you go and see the cubs first?”
Maybe the cubs are richer than you.
