Building a Civilization and Raising Cubs in the Beast World – CH21

Chapter 21

The area surrounding the marketplace was all flat plains. 

At the very center, there was nothing but short wild grass and no trees. 

Bai Qi explained that this was where all the trading would take place in the coming days. Around the grassy plain were woods, much like the ones they had encountered along the way, providing shade and resting spots for traveling beastmen.

Although today was officially recognized as the day before the marketplace opened, many beastmen had already arrived. However, those who arrived early weren’t immediately trading. Instead, today felt more like a time to observe the situation in advance.

Beastmen from the same tribe or allied tribes walked together, shielding their supplies from prying eyes while remaining vigilant of their surroundings. After all, the goods they carried were the hope of their entire tribe, and no one dared to let their guard down.

Bai Tu observed the beastmen in the distance. Beastmen in human form were dressed in similar attire—primarily animal hides, while a few wore grass skirts woven from plants. It seemed that some tribes had beastmen in their beast forms stationed nearby, perhaps as a deterrent to anyone harboring ill intentions.

As they passed through, Bai Tu counted at least ten different types of animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, wolves, and bears. Most of them were fierce predators. Interestingly, despite scanning the entire area, Bai Tu didn’t spot another rabbit tribe.

One particular tribe stood out. Judging by their physique, they should have been predators, yet none of them had transformed into their beast forms. 

The leader, a seemingly delicate youth, was holding a piece of roasted meat and sharing it with a giant hawk perched on his shoulder. When the youth noticed Bai Tu’s gaze, he looked over and offered a friendly smile.

So beastmen can keep pets too, Bai Tu thought, smiling back politely.

The giant hawk on the youth’s shoulder seemed displeased at being ignored. It rubbed its hooked beak affectionately against the youth’s face, only to receive a light smack from him. 

The hawk immediately quieted down. Bai Tu couldn’t help but feel impressed—being able to tame such a fierce bird to this extent was truly remarkable.

The majority of the beastmen in both the rabbit and wolf tribes had been to this marketplace before, so they were quite experienced. Bai An quickly selected a spot near both the water source and the trading area, yet far enough to avoid being disturbed by the noise. The first order of business was to organize a team to fetch water.

As soon as the word “fetch water” was mentioned, both the wolves and rabbits sprang into action. In addition to bamboo tubes, they brought out stone pots and wooden buckets.

Watching everyone suddenly become so busy, Bai Tu was a little confused.

Bai Qi grabbed Bai Tu’s bamboo tube before heading off, explaining, “The water source near the marketplace is still clean on the first day, but after a few days, you’ll have to fetch water upstream!”

Due to the prolonged drought, there were only two small streams in the area, while the number of beastmen coming to the marketplace was incredibly high. 

Even though most beastmen followed the unspoken rule of fetching water upstream and washing downstream, the water would inevitably become polluted within a few days. 

When that happened, the only way to find clean water would be to walk further upstream. To save time later, the rabbits always fetched extra water on the first and second days of the marketplace, ensuring they could leave immediately after completing their trades, both safely and efficiently.

The wolf tribe typically stayed at the market longer than the rabbit tribe, but they, too, disliked trekking half a day to fetch water. So, they shared the habit of stockpiling water in the first couple of days.

Bai Tu, knowing less about these traditions than the others, naturally followed their lead.

Most tribes avoided revealing the specifics of their goods before the official start of the market. 

Bai Tu understood the principle of “keeping wealth hidden.” That night, contrary to his usual habits, he refrained from taking out any particularly special food, instead just dividing up some jerky for the group.

Jerky, being bland and practical, kept dinner unusually quiet. The number of guards on watch that night doubled compared to the journey, and everyone slept in close proximity, never too far apart.

While the market appeared peaceful on the surface, all the tribes were on high alert, guarding against one another. 

Based on past experiences, even a thwarted ambush could lead to injuries, and no one wanted to see their tribesmen hurt. As a result, everyone was extra cautious.

Bai Tu recalled Bai Qi’s many stories about previous salt trades, and he knew fights and disputes were not uncommon. Taking advantage of the relatively calm evening, Bai Tu made sure to rest as much as possible.

As it turned out, his instincts were spot-on. 

By the latter half of the night, the sounds of conflict erupted all around the area. It began with two lion tribes arguing over overlapping camping spots. 

Later, a newly arrived bull tribe accidentally stepped on a snake tribe member in beast form. After that, the noise became a chaotic cacophony, and Bai Tu couldn’t make out what was happening.

Deciding it was pointless to try and sleep, Bai Tu got up, washed, and joined Bai An in inventorying their tribe’s goods. 

Thanks to the wolf tribe’s support along the way, the rabbit tribe had even more supplies than when they had left their village. Now they had:
12 baskets of jerky
11 baskets of smoked meat
18 baskets of dried or roasted meat
5-6 baskets of fruits

The fruits were mostly gathered along the way. Bai An planned to keep them for themselves—they had little trade value and wouldn’t fetch much in return. Besides, the fruit would be essential for the return trip. With salt secured, the rabbits would travel home much faster, barely stopping to gather food.

Even without trading the fruit, the remaining meat alone would be more than enough to exchange for supplies. Salt was the top priority—an absolute necessity. Beyond that, the list of items was flexible: Bai An hoped to trade for animal hides, while Bai Tu had his sights set on seeds.

Before dawn, some tribes began heading toward the marketplace. However, neither Lang Qi nor Bai An rushed to follow. After ensuring there was still plenty of time, Bai Tu took out a stone pot and steamed some food. Once it cooled, he wrapped it in leaves and tucked it into one of their baskets for later.

It wasn’t until daylight fully broke, and a good number of tribes had gathered at the center of the marketplace, that Bai An and Lang Qi each selected a small group to enter.

Lang Qi brought Lang You along, as well as a few wolf tribe members Bai Tu didn’t know very well. 

Lang Ze tried to sneak into the group, but Lang Qi, with an expressionless face, dragged him out. For once, he even gave a rare stern warning: “If you try to follow, you’ll eat nothing but roasted meat on the way back.”

And by “roasted meat,” it was clear he didn’t mean the upgraded version they’d enjoyed on the journey but the hard, tough kind everyone was tired of.

The warning had its desired effect. Lang Ze immediately went quiet, not daring to mention going along again.

Bai An chose Bai Tu, Bai Qi, Tu Xun, and a middle-aged beastman named Tu Xing. Both Bai Qi and Tu Xun carried a basket on their backs.

The wolf tribe needed to trade for a large quantity of salt, so they didn’t all carry baskets into the marketplace. 

Instead, they brought two baskets of food to scout potential trading partners who dealt in salt. The two tribes would trade nearby in a concealed, safe spot.

In previous years, the rabbit tribe had rarely done this, as they usually had to bring their food directly into the marketplace for immediate exchange. 

This year, however, with the wolf tribe as their ally, they could afford to find a tribe offering the best prices.

The wolf tribe brought roasted and dried meat from their village. 

Even though their jerky and braised meat were far tastier, they hadn’t touched any of the food meant for trading. What they’d swapped with the rabbit tribe during the journey was strictly for meals.

The rabbit tribe carried two baskets: one filled with smoked meat made from the wolf tribe’s raw meat, which Bai Tu had quickly cured and smoked along the way.

It was simpler than his original plans but still far superior to the typical roasted meat method. The other basket held jerky—specifically pork and venison jerky.

The beef jerky had all been eaten by the wolves, so it wasn’t included. Bai Tu didn’t bring any of the roasted or dried meat they’d exchanged with the wolves, as it was of the same quality as what the wolves were already trading.

The tribes bringing salt to trade typically had designated areas where they set up every year, so there was no need to wander aimlessly. 

Bai Qi clearly knew the layout well, as he walked swiftly even with a basket on his back. Bai Tu followed behind, accompanied by the two wolf tribe members and Lang Qi at the very rear.

The salt-trading tribes had a very distinct characteristic: their skin was dark—not the natural coloration of their beast forms but a reddish-black tone from years of exposure to the sun. 

Their exposed shoulders bore clear indentations from straps, and their necks were lined with deep and shallow horizontal marks. The wind and sun had roughened their faces, giving them a coarse and weathered appearance.

It was easy to distinguish the true salt-trading tribes just by their appearance. For this reason, most people ignored those with smooth, unweathered faces, even if they also displayed salt. The latter either purchased salt earlier to resell at a high price or looted it from other tribes and intended to trade it for food.

Bai Tu’s group walked through a significant portion of the market before stopping at one of the larger salt-trading stalls. However, instead of immediately asking about prices, they stood to the side, quietly observing other transactions.

Most tribes at the market were there for salt, making the few salt-trading tribes highly sought after. 

Holding such an essential commodity, these tribes held more bargaining power. 

Within just ten minutes of observing, Bai Tu saw five or six tribes leave in disappointment because their offerings didn’t meet the salt-traders’ standards: poor-quality meat was rejected, overcooked meat was turned away, undercooked meat that spoiled quickly was refused, rotten raw meat was denied, and even meat with too much bone content was outright rejected.

The salt-trading tribes had one simple requirement: high-quality meat.

Though simple to state, this requirement was difficult to meet. 

Bai Tu’s rabbit tribe and Lang Qi’s wolf tribe were relatively close to the market, yet it still took them seven to eight days to get there. 

Some tribes had to travel ten days or even longer. Preparing a month’s worth of rations while also bringing trade-worthy food was no easy task. 

Selecting the best cuts of meat and cooking them to perfection took time and effort. Inevitably, some tribes, pressed for time or trying to fill more baskets, ended up with subpar results.

Some salt-trading tribes had lower standards, accepting food as long as it was passable. However, the Tata Tribe, the one Bai Tu’s group stopped at, had particularly high requirements.

Despite these high standards, the Tata Tribe’s stall remained crowded. 

Their prices were simply too enticing: 16 baskets of food for 1 basket of salt, compared to the 20 baskets or more other tribes demanded. 

The nearly 25% price difference drew a large crowd, even those who knew their food might not meet the criteria. After all, if luck was on their side, they could trade for much more salt.

But no matter how many came, the Tata Tribe didn’t lower their standards. They meticulously inspected each offering: looking, smelling, tasting—missing no step in their evaluations.

After waiting a while, Bai Tu’s group witnessed the Tata Tribe approve a trade with only one tribe. The others, whose offerings didn’t meet the mark, either left disappointed, muttering curses, or quietly moved on to other salt-trading tribes. Everyone knew that the longer they waited, the higher the salt prices would climb.

Bai Qi leaned close to Bai Tu and whispered, “The Tata Tribe’s salt tastes the best—not bitter at all. But they only want top-quality meat. If we can’t meet their standards, we’ll have to trade with the Fengta Tribe. Their salt has a slight bitterness, but it’s still acceptable. Whatever happens, we can’t go to the Heita Tribe—their salt is far too bitter.”

Bai An and Lang Qi exchanged a few words before instructing the four tribesmen carrying baskets to queue at the back of the line.

Since some of the other tribes had already left, the crowd had thinned considerably, and it wasn’t long before their turn came. The Tata Tribe’s evaluators started with the two baskets from the wolf tribe, filled with roasted and dried meat.

The wolf tribe was known for their efficient hunting, and they never skimped on their own rations. 

Naturally, the food they brought for trading was top-notch. 

The Tata Tribe’s evaluators first examined the roasted meat, checking the size and color of each piece. 

They broke one open, sniffed it, and, with Lang Qi’s permission, took a bite. Satisfied, they nodded in approval. The dried meat underwent the same scrutiny, though they didn’t taste it.

After inspecting the first two baskets, an older beastman from the Tata Tribe stepped forward and led the group to a quieter spot. “I am Tagu, the leader of the Tata Tribe,” he introduced himself. 

“How much food do you have in total?” The previous group had brought only a dozen or so baskets, far less than what his tribe needed. Tagu’s tone revealed his urgency.

Lang Qi answered calmly, “These two types add up to 100 baskets. Additionally, we have two new varieties.” From an outsider’s perspective, the wolf and rabbit tribes seemed like a single unit, so Lang Qi included both tribes’ roasted and dried meat in his count.

Bai An quickly signaled for Bai Qi and Tu Xun to set down their baskets. Tu Xun opened the basket of smoked meat—pork cured with salt and smoked overnight. Its exterior was coated in black ash, making it look similar to other tribes’ roasted meat. However, the key difference lay inside.

Bai Tu pulled out his bone knife, selecting a piece of smoked meat and scraping off the blackened outer layer. “This is a method we learned from a large tribe,” he explained. “It requires a variety of herbs. The resulting meat can be stored for up to six months—long enough to last through the snow season.”

Hearing this, Lang Qi glanced at Bai Tu, then back at the smoked meat. Wasn’t this the same meat Bai Tu had instructed the rabbit tribe to prepare in the middle of the night just a few days ago?

Bai An and the others had already been briefed by Bai Tu to follow his lead today, so they remained silent despite the slight embellishments in his words. 

Bai Qi genuinely believed Bai Tu’s explanation to be true—after all, everything Bai Tu demonstrated was beyond their knowledge. 

Surely, he must have learned it in the large tribe he lived in before. Bai Qi even wondered which tribe it might be, thinking they might be able to help Bai Tu reconnect with his home.

Of course, Bai Tu wouldn’t admit that this so-called “special smoked meat” was a method he had improvised during the journey. 

True smoked meat required several days to prepare, and what they had now was a simplified version. Still, even a simplified version was impressive enough. 

Bai Tu took his knife and sliced into a piece of smoked meat, scraping off the layer of ash from the surface. “This type of meat isn’t as dry and tough as roasted meat. Even children can chew it easily, and the taste is quite good.”

Lang Qi nodded in agreement. After all, he had witnessed Lang Ze gnawing on a piece earlier that morning as if he hadn’t eaten in days. For the sake of familial ties, Lang Qi had refrained from kicking him.

The smoked meat glistened with an appetizing sheen, and even before taking a bite, the rich aroma in the air was enough to assure anyone of its quality. 

Just as Tagu, the Tata Tribe’s leader, was about to nod in approval, Bai Tu picked up another leaf-wrapped bundle of meat. Opening it, he used his knife to slice off a piece, then wiped it clean. “This one is steamed. Give it a try,” Bai Tu offered.

Tagu took the piece and popped it into his mouth, nodding repeatedly as he chewed.

Not giving Tagu a chance to speak, Bai Tu gestured toward Bai Qi’s basket and removed the cover, revealing another type of meat. “This is dried meat. It may not look special, but let me tell you, this single basket takes four days to prepare!” 

As he spoke, Bai Tu picked up a stick of dried meat and handed it over. He wasn’t lying—cutting the meat, sun-drying it for three days, and steaming it on the fourth day did indeed require that much time.

Tagu reflexively took the dried meat, still savoring the smoked meat he had just tasted. 

He bit down on the dried meat but didn’t manage to break it off immediately. Just as he was about to comment on its toughness, Bai Tu interjected again: “At first, it might seem a bit hard, but the flavor deepens as you chew. By the time you’re finished, you’ll have discovered its true taste.”

Hearing this, Tagu chewed a little longer, and sure enough, the more he chewed, the more flavorful it became.

Bai Tu continued, “This type of dried meat is perfect for keeping children quiet. If a child is misbehaving, just give them a piece of this. With a reward like this, they’ll do anything you ask.”

For some reason, Lang Qi was reminded of Lang Ze and the Lang brothers, Lang Zuo and Lang You, who had spent the entire journey running to Bai Tu for snacks, regardless of whether it was mealtime. He fell into a moment of deep thought.

Bai Qi, who had been fed a steady diet of meat jerky along the way, blinked in confusion. “??”

Hearing the words “keep children quiet,” Tagu’s eyes grew even more eager. It was clear that he was very tempted.

Bai Tu delivered his final pitch: “These two types of meat can only be made by us. Once we leave, no matter how hard you search this market, you won’t find another like it.”

Tagu nodded fervently. “I’ll take them. Our tribe will buy both types. How much do you have?”

Bai Tu hesitated, glancing at the others in his group with a conflicted expression. His companions, clueless about his intentions, could only maintain a calm facade, not wanting to appear uncertain in front of Tagu.

To Tagu, their hesitation only reinforced the idea that these goods were extremely valuable—so precious that they needed unanimous agreement before trading.

After a moment, Bai Tu sighed. “These two types of meat are too troublesome to make. Especially the dried meat—it takes 2 or 3 kilos of fresh meat to produce just 500 grams, not to mention the rare herbs we use. Altogether, we only have 23 baskets of them, and we were planning to use them to trade for hides, fruit seeds, and tools. At most, we can spare a few baskets for you, Chief Tagu…”

Hearing that there were only 23 baskets in total, Tagu quickly interjected, “I’ll offer eight baskets of salt for one basket of your meat! For both types combined, I’ll give you three baskets. You can use the salt to trade for other goods!” 

Tagu was confident—there was nothing in the market that couldn’t be obtained with salt.

One basket of dried meat required roughly the same amount of raw meat to produce, as the drying process left little room between the pieces. 

This meant its value was effectively doubled compared to other types of meat. Along the journey, Bai Tu had traded with the wolf tribe at a similar ratio, though the wolves had also provided protection. 

Pretending to ponder, Bai Tu replied, “That would require one more trade… I want to trade for hides, tools, and seeds…”

Tagu, seeing Bai Tu hesitate, slapped his thigh and cut him off. His heart ached, but he offered, “Four baskets! Four baskets! I’ll give you four baskets of salt. I can’t go any higher—four baskets of salt can be exchanged for half a tribe’s worth of hides!”

Bai Tu nodded. “Deal.”

Bai Qi was a little surprised by how much they were able to trade for, but after recalling how delicious the dried and smoked meat tasted, he understood. 

If he had salt, he would also be willing to trade it for better-tasting meat. Chewy, flavorless roasted and dried meats just didn’t compare.

Everyone seemed satisfied with the agreed exchange rate. Once the deal was finalized, they began examining the sizes of the baskets.

Baskets at the market didn’t follow any standardized size—each tribe had its own, varying from large to small. 

The differences were even more pronounced between tribes of different animal species, given their varying body sizes. 

For instance, the rabbit tribe’s baskets were medium to small, holding about 50 kilos of fresh meat or 15 kilos of dried meat. Smoked or roasted meat weighed roughly 35 kilos per basket. 

Salt, being denser, could reach 100 kilos per basket, which was about 40 bowls worth. 

Wolf tribe baskets, by comparison, were about half again as large, able to hold 60 bowls of salt. The “bowl” here referred to the rabbit tribe’s eating bowls, which would be a different number entirely if measured using the wolf tribe’s.

To compensate for the differences in basket sizes across tribes, the market had an established default rule: both trading parties would use the same-sized basket to measure goods. 

For example, when the Rabbit Tribe traded their dried and smoked meats with the Tata Tribe, the Tata Tribe would pour salt into the Rabbit Tribe’s baskets, measuring out four baskets’ worth based on the Rabbit Tribe’s basket size. 

When it came to the Wolf Tribe’s trade, they would use the Wolf Tribe’s larger baskets. This practice avoided conflicts arising from different basket sizes.

After agreeing on the proportions and basket sizes, both sides decided on a safe spot for the exchange—close enough to the market to ensure security, but not crowded. 

The proximity to the market was crucial since the area surrounding it was a no-violence zone. Any acts of robbery or theft near the market would lead to the culprits being ostracized by all the other tribes. In cases where such incidents occurred, onlookers would often intervene. However, areas farther from the market were not as secure.

After finalizing the arrangements, both sides returned to fetch their goods. In the end, the two tribes exchanged 96 baskets of roasted and sun-dried meat, along with 23 baskets of dried and smoked meat, for 10 baskets of salt—five large and five small.

A large basket could hold 150 kilos, while a small one held 100 kilos. This meant that the Rabbit Tribe ended up with nearly 500 kilos of salt. 

Even after setting aside more than half of it to trade for other supplies, the remainder would still be enough to sustain the tribe for at least half a year. And this calculation didn’t even include the two baskets of roasted meat the tribe had kept as rations for the journey home.

Naturally, Bai Tu was thrilled. The more salt they had, the more resources he could use for his plans. With the largest and most critical problem—salt—now resolved, they could focus on acquiring other essential supplies without worry.

The traded salt was stored at the group’s camp from the previous night, with over half of their members staying behind to guard it. Only about one-third of the group was allowed to roam the market, with the understanding that when this group finished selecting their desired items, the rest would take their turn.

The decision to prioritize trading for salt first stemmed from more than just its necessity—it was also one of the most versatile forms of currency, whereas other goods were not. 

For instance, the Rabbit Tribe needed hides, but the tribe selling hides might not want food—they might prefer tools. 

If the tool-selling tribe didn’t need food either and instead wanted medicine, the Rabbit Tribe would then have to find yet another trading partner. 

This process of finding tribes whose needs perfectly aligned with their own could take a significant amount of time. Adding to the difficulty was the noisy, chaotic atmosphere of the market, where bargaining would also be time-consuming.

By securing salt first, such complications could be avoided. 

Nearly every tribe needed salt, making it a universal currency. Even if a tribe didn’t immediately need salt, they would accept it because they could later trade it for what they required. 

This universality was one reason why the price of salt increased later in the market cycle. Large salt-trading tribes typically gathered enough food and left early, reducing the flow of salt in the market. Yet, for various reasons, late-arriving tribes would still need salt, driving up its value.

Bai An, with a grand gesture, handed Bai Tu two full baskets of salt and declared, “Tu, take these and trade for whatever you want! Qi and Xun will help you carry the goods!”

Lang Qi glanced at Bai An with an expression that seemed to say, This man is a foolish king.