Chapter 131
“What is this? The aroma is so intoxicating. May I try a bite? I am willing to trade high-quality flour cakes for it.”
People from the Rouge World didn’t know the concept of “face.” One by one, they drifted over following the aroma, squatting nearby to watch eagerly, almost drooling.
They only looked—they didn’t reach for it.
Food was extremely important in this world. Tribes could fight over a single bite. To reach out would be an insult, not only to these two strangers but also to the host tribe, the Ox Tribe.
They weren’t afraid of offending the nameless newcomers, but offending the Ox Tribe would be foolish.
“Do you want a taste? Fine, consider it a gesture of friendship.”
Jiang Jitang wasn’t that hungry; he just hated wasting food and wanted a way to get rid of the meat. Since others wanted it, he prepared Parsons’ share and gave the rest, meat and broth, to them.
The person speaking brightened and was about to thank him, but suddenly a force from behind pushed him aside.
“Lion Tribe…” a voice exclaimed from the crowd.
Pushing through was an envoy of the Lion Tribe, the other major tribe on the plain. He wore a white hemp robe, a bronze belt, and a bronze sword. Judging from his outfit and age, he might even be second-generation Lion Tribe.
He squatted in front of Jiang Jitang’s three-legged pot, inhaled deeply with closed eyes, and opened them. Seeing Jiang Jitang’s face wrapped in black hair, sculpted like white jade, the Lion Tribe envoy’s amber eyes suddenly flared with light.
Anyone could tell something was unusual about him at a glance. Parsons furrowed his brow.
“Delicious. What would you trade for it?” the Lion Tribe envoy asked.
He completely ignored the unlucky person who’d been pushed away, and the unlucky one seemed to have no objection, shrinking back into the crowd.
“Meeting you is fate. Why not give you some?” Jiang Jitang said, scooping a large bowl of meat and broth and offering it to him.
He didn’t care about the Lion Tribe envoy and the unlucky person—interfering would only make things worse for the unlucky one. If trouble arose, he could leave, but the others would still live here.
Of course, if it touched a bottom line, he would act decisively, cutting off all threats without leaving trouble behind.
The Lion Tribe envoy didn’t hesitate. He took the bowl, blew on it, and drank once it cooled slightly.
“Delicious!” he shouted. “The Ox Tribe isn’t skilled in cooking meat. Being herbivores, they’re far inferior to our tribe.”
“Who dares speak so boldly here? Ah, it’s the young chief of the Lion Tribe,” the Ox Tribe young chief appeared, seemingly from nowhere. He and the envoy, flanked by several tall warriors each, surrounded Jiang Jitang tightly.
The two young chiefs of the strongest tribes faced off, needle to wheat, while Jiang Jitang sipped the meat broth unknowingly, finishing a bowl without tasting it.
Parsons silently refilled his bowl so he could continue gossiping while drinking.
He remembered Jiang Jitang didn’t enjoy meaningless chaos. Now he seemed deeply interested—perhaps a hobby cultivated from the safe and boring environment of C-Nation.
The Lion Tribe envoy had come to congratulate the Ox Tribe chieftain’s daughter on her wedding, not to fight. Even if there were conflicts, they wouldn’t act now. A few words of argument were enough for their subordinates to intervene and disperse them.
Once the Lion Tribe envoy was dragged away, the Ox Tribe young chief, Sen, turned to Jiang Jitang.
Jiang Jitang blinked. “Young chief, any matter?”
“The seasoning just now—how much do you have left? I am willing to trade cloth and grain for it.” Sen approached, sniffing the aroma. The pot was almost empty, but the fragrance lingered. No wonder the other envoy couldn’t resist sharing a taste—no one could resist this aroma.
However, this was the Ox Tribe’s grand event, and outsiders shouldn’t steal the spotlight. So he decided… to pay for it.
Jiang Jitang had always been generous to polite people. He gave Sen plenty of spices but refused any goods in return, asking only for one trade item: information.
“I need information about the fierce beast. That’s why we’re here,” Jiang Jitang said.
Sen’s expression shifted slightly. “Which one?”
“Any.”
Fierce beasts could provide powerful energy to warriors, enhancing their physiques. But they were also extremely strong, capable of destroying tribes, killing warriors, and causing massive damage. Legend said the recent severe drought was caused by a fierce beast deep in the plains.
It was an outsider, and its appearance had brought disaster to the plains.
Sen provided the information about the fierce beast. Being outsiders themselves, Jiang Jitang and Parsons would have to handle it.
After a sleepless night in the Ox Tribe territory, Jiang Jitang swore it was his last. His delicate modern body could not handle this harsh environment. Autumn mosquitoes buzzed all night, the grass bed had crawling insects, and Parsons even caught two scorpions.
After such a painful night, breakfast delivered by the boy was two bowls of mushy soup with minced meat and wild vegetables—Jiang Jitang still called them “grass” because they were indistinguishable from grass.
“This is worse than the salad I make,” Jiang Jitang complained.
Parsons: “…You think your own salad isn’t good either?”
“I know it’s not tasty, but haven’t you noticed that after eating it, wounds heal faster? The magical and special herbs mixed in activate stronger effects,” Jiang Jitang didn’t mention his strange personal interest.
Breakfast was hard to swallow, dampening the day’s mood.
But they were the only ones thinking so. Nearby envoys from small tribes loudly praised the meal—they were getting mushy soup with meat and wheat flour early in the morning, a privilege even their chieftains didn’t receive.
Even the Rabbit Tribe chieftain forgot the sadness of giving away treasures. He wiped the soup residue from his beard, savoring the thick, rich flavor.
“Such ordinary meat tastes this good. If I could eat fierce beast meat, I’d die happy.”
Knowing the Ox Tribe had hunted a fierce beast for the wedding feast, the Rabbit Tribe chieftain had been excited all night.
The god of beasts! They could actually capture such a terrifying creature. Feng could join such a tribe—it was perfect.
For an old father, seeing his children live well and under the protection of a strong tribe was the best marriage in the Rouge World.
Besides, the betrothed couple liked each other, and with divine blessing, their future would be happy.
“Are there many fierce beasts in the plains?” Parsons asked. Jiang Jitang wanted more fierce beasts, planning to hunt them. But the Ox Tribe young chief only provided the location and information of one beast.
“Do you wish to hunt fierce beasts?” the Rabbit Tribe chieftain asked quietly.
Parsons nodded.
“Fierce beasts are brutal. Ordinary tribes can’t resist them. You…” Thinking of their divine envoy status, the Rabbit Tribe chieftain suppressed his fear and explained the situation on the plains in detail.
The plains were vast—traveling for days couldn’t cross them. But only less than one-seventh of the land was controlled by tribes; the rest was occupied by fierce beasts.
Even among fierce beasts, there were hierarchies. The one hunted by the Ox Tribe was relatively weak, while the strongest avoided conflicts and lived in the central, most fertile lands.
Some were nomadic, appearing unpredictably. A few weak tribes had been wiped out by such wandering beasts.
Yes, fierce beasts ate humans, and even if they didn’t, they had no goodwill toward humans.
The Rabbit Tribe was small, so they respected powerful enemies and intentionally collected this information. He told Parsons several fixed locations of fierce beasts and where nomadic ones had appeared last.
Without a map, the information was vague, but enough for Jiang Jitang to start off-road hunting—he didn’t believe they would go two days without success.
With the beast information in hand, Jiang Jitang was in good spirits. He took Parsons out to revisit areas they hadn’t explored yesterday. The streets were busy—people cleaning or preparing the plaza for the upcoming wedding.
“You’re here.” The Lion Tribe envoy appeared again, hair spiked, eyes sparkling.
“All my spices were sold to the Ox Tribe young chief,” Jiang Jitang shrugged. They were leftovers from his cooking supplies; there was nothing more to buy.
“I came for you,” the enthusiastic Lion leapt forward.
Parsons squinted, fingers rotating the Black Dragon ring.
The Lion Tribe envoy seemed genuinely fond of Jiang Jitang, praising his soup, asking where he was from, inviting him to visit the Lion Tribe, and even showing off a prized bronze sword.
Curious, Jiang Jitang examined the bronze piece.
His guards looked unsettled, giving him strange looks.
“Imi,” Parsons whispered closely—closer than normal social distance. “We should go.”
“Ah,” Jiang Jitang snapped out of it and returned the bronze sword immediately. “I have business. See you later.” He pulled Parsons away without a second thought.
The little Lion was left staring at the sword, then asked his guard, “Is my sword not beautiful?”
Just like yesterday, they spent half a day finishing the remaining half of the territory. Locals recognized them as “esteemed guests” coming for the wedding and kept their distance. Children, however, were curious and watched closely.
Jiang Jitang gave out sugar tangerines—each child got a few segments, savoring them slowly.
Even the peels, which he didn’t want, were treasured and stored in small pouches.
The warriors watched closely but noticed Jiang Jitang wasn’t interested in food production, warriors, or other secrets. He cared about which meats, vegetables, and fruits were tasty, and cooking methods beyond roasting or boiling.
He even taught the children keeping the tangerine peels to dry them and add a bit to meat while cooking to enhance fragrance.
Most sugar tangerines were seedless, but a few lucky ones had seeds. Jiang Jitang told them the white seeds could be planted—they’d take time to grow, but their children might eat fruit from trees they planted. The seeds were carefully stored.
No lunch was served, so Jiang Jitang took out two braised pork sets for a delicious meal. In the afternoon, they fished in the territory’s river.
The fish were naïve—once baited, they gathered and bit. Jiang Jitang’s fishing skills earned unprecedented praise.
Seeing how easy it was, Parsons grabbed a rod. They competed, casting lines into the water. The fish were cooperative, taking the bait. Others ate the regular feed unaffected.
The fish were small, around one to two pounds, not attractive. They didn’t want to eat or carry them, so they gave them to nearby children—one fish each.
The children ran home with the fish, placing them in clean water to preserve them. The rest held their breath under the scorching sun, careful not to scare the fish away.
One fish was a huge delight for a small family.
Some warriors exchanged glances. They couldn’t understand why someone would give away food. Winter was coming—weren’t they afraid of hunger?
What were these two really here for?
