The He’an Tribe not only showcased their metal knives to the Jintu Tribe but also invited them to inspect their metal-smelting furnace.
Qing Kuo greeted Jin Shi and his team with a smile. “Normally, our furnace is a closely guarded tribal secret. But Brother Jian Mo pointed out that you’ve traveled a great distance and taken significant risks. It wouldn’t be fair for you to shoulder all the risks alone. So, after some discussion, we decided to show you our furnace.”
Jin Shi expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, Doctor Jian Mo, and thanks to all of you.”
Qing Kuo replied, “No need to be so polite. This is business, after all. We want to show our sincerity.”
The He’an Tribe led the Jintu visitors to the furnace at the back of the mountain.
The furnace was already lit. In full view of the Jintu Tribe, the He’an beastmen placed metal ingots into the fiery maw.
As the bellows were pumped, the beastmen’s muscles rippled with effort, sweat glistening on their bodies. Sparks flew as the furnace roared to life, quickly heating the ingots until they glowed a molten red, appearing semi-liquid.
The Jintu beastmen couldn’t help but whisper among themselves:
“That’s so fast!”
“This furnace is incredible!”
“What’s that huffing, puffing thing? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Even though they tried to lower their voices, beastmen weren’t known for their subtlety, and everyone could hear their amazement.
Jian Mo mentally facepalmed. It seems I’m not the only one here who’s bad at negotiations.
While the ordinary Jintu beastmen were mostly awed, their core members, led by Jin Shi, had more serious expressions.
Jin Shi asked cautiously, “May we take a closer look?”
Qing Kuo gestured politely. “Of course. You’re even welcome to remove a metal ingot to inspect it. Just be careful not to burn yourselves.”
Jin Shi and his group stepped closer to the furnace, observing the glowing ingots through the opening.
After some time, Jin Shi accepted a pair of stone tongs from De Jiang and carefully extracted one of the ingots.
The ingot, glowing like red-hot coal, looked less like solid metal and more like a pliable material.
Jin Shi examined it closely, his thoughts racing. This ingot would likely be excellent for forging.
Placing the ingot on a large anvil, Jin Shi picked up a hammer and struck it himself.
With just one strike, he immediately felt the difference.
The metal, softened by the furnace, deformed effortlessly under the hammer’s blow. In contrast, the metal smelted in the Jintu Tribe’s furnaces remained stubbornly hard, requiring hours of pounding to shape. After a day of hammering, their beastmen often ended up with swollen, aching hands.
Jian Mo and the others carefully observed Jin Shi’s expression. The subtle change in his demeanor confirmed what they suspected—the deal was as good as sealed.
The Jintu Tribe, sitting on rich mineral veins, had been working with metals for generations. Even a small improvement in efficiency would save them an enormous amount of labor over time.
After hammering the ingot a few more times, Jin Shi handed the hammer to another tribesman and sighed in admiration. “This is truly remarkable.”
Wujiong spoke up. “We’re here to make fair trades, not to deceive you. We sincerely hope that our two tribes can continue to build a strong relationship.”
Jin Shi patted Wujiong on the shoulder. “You’re right. Let’s hope our tribes can maintain this friendship.”
Wujiong nodded. “Shall we discuss the specifics of the trade?”
“Of course,” Jin Shi said, turning to Jian Mo. “Doctor Jian Mo, I hope you’ll join us for the discussions.”
Jian Mo met his gaze and nodded.
The He’an Tribe had already proposed trading their charcoal-making and furnace technology for two hundred baskets of metal ingots. Now that the Jintu Tribe had brought the metal and seen the furnace in action, there was little left to negotiate.
The two tribes quickly reached an agreement and finalized the trade.
Both sides proved amicable. After the exchange, the He’an Tribe invited their guests to stay longer to thoroughly learn the techniques.
The exchange was officially a tribe-to-tribe deal, with no individual intermediaries. However, as previously agreed, half of the metal—one hundred baskets—belonged to Jian Mo.
Jian Mo felt uneasy about the arrangement. “Are these really mine? Won’t anyone accuse you of favoritism?” he asked Wujiong.
Wujiong reassured him. “The tribe held several meetings to finalize this. No one has objections.”
Jian Mo hesitated. “Alright, then I’ll accept them.”
“Good,” Wujiong said. “Where would you like them stored? Behind your house?”
After some thought, Jian Mo said, “Doesn’t the tribe store its metal in a cave? Can my share be stored there as well? If it’s in the yard, the wind and rain might cause it to rust quickly.”
Wujiong nodded. “We’ll use a different cave for your share. I’ll install a door so it stays secure, and you can access it whenever you need without mixing it up with the tribe’s supplies.”
Jian Mo’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea! Let’s do that.”
The next morning, after breakfast, Wujiong organized a group to transport the metal.
Jian Mo, having tidied up at home, planned to check on the progress.
Before he could leave, the Jintu beastmen arrived at his door.
“Doctor Jian Mo!” they greeted enthusiastically. “We’ve come for a dental check-up!”
Jian Mo blinked in surprise. “Your teeth are causing trouble again?”
“No, no! Remember how you told us to brush regularly and get check-ups? Since we’re here, we thought we’d stop by for one.”
Relieved, Jian Mo nodded. “Alright, come in, and I’ll take a look.”
The group followed him inside without hesitation. Jian Mo had them sit down and tilt their heads back as he inspected their teeth one by one.
Their efforts to maintain oral hygiene were evident. Compared to their last visit, their teeth were in much better shape.
Jian Mo praised them, “Your teeth look great. Keep up the good work with brushing.”
The Jintu beastmen beamed with excitement. “Really? That’s wonderful!”
One of them pulled out a bundle wrapped in beast hide. “Doctor Jian Mo, we made the medical tools you described. They’re all here—pliers, scalpels, scissors, and needles. Take a look.”
Among the tools was a pair of scissors, an idea Jian Mo had suggested. He hadn’t known how to describe making a pivot pin, so he proposed crafting two blades instead—one with an irregular bump and the other with a matching hole. When fitted together, the blades would stay securely aligned unless twisted at a specific angle.
Jian Mo opened the beast hide bundle handed over by the Jintu Tribe and immediately examined the scissors.
The scissors were exactly as he had imagined, with polished blades that gleamed coldly, promising excellent utility.
Holding the hefty pair of scissors, Jian Mo felt a weight in his heart as well. “You really went all out, making me a complete set of metal tools.”
The Jintu beastmen exchanged glances, a little puzzled by his tone but understanding his gratitude.
One of them spoke up, “You’ve helped us with our teeth and provided the charcoal-making and furnace techniques. We should be the ones thanking you.”
Jian Mo replied candidly, “Last time I helped with your teeth, you gave me pearlweed and ore. This time, half of the trade’s metal went to me. I’ve already benefited from these exchanges—I don’t need more thanks.”
His words made the Jintu beastmen laugh in unison.
“Metal’s easy to come by, but good techniques? Those are priceless! Honestly, when we heard that one hundred baskets of metal would go to you, it made the trade worthwhile. Otherwise, we would’ve tried to haggle.”
“Exactly! Doctor Jian Mo, teaching us to make these tools is a technique in itself. Thanks to you, we’re already using scissors in our tribe, and they’re fantastic!”
“Doctor Jian Mo, can we trade these scissors and tools with others? Like crafting scissors from metal to barter for other goods?”
Jian Mo chuckled. “I’ve already gained plenty. Of course, you can. If you want to make other items, feel free to ask—I might have some ideas.”
Encouraged by his openness, the Jintu beastmen eagerly asked about other possible metal tools.
Jian Mo patiently described daily-use items such as metal nails, nail clippers, and other small but practical tools.
For the Jintu Tribe, abundant in metal resources, even tools unnecessary for their own tribe could be crafted to trade with others.
Hearing Jian Mo’s suggestions, they were delighted, itching to return to their tribe and start crafting the ingenious tools he described.
After discussing tools, the Jintu beastmen turned to a different topic, warmly inviting Jian Mo to join their tribe.
“Doctor Jian Mo, why don’t you come live with us? Our tribe is warmer and has more resources.”
“Exactly. If there’s anything you need, we can trade with other tribes to get it for you.”
“Doctor Jian Mo, why not become our tribe’s priest? Large tribes all have priests, and we’re on the way to becoming a large tribe ourselves. It’d be perfect timing!”
Known for their enthusiasm, the Jintu beastmen were even more zealous when trying to recruit someone.
Jian Mo wasn’t naturally eloquent, and the Jintu beastmen, fearing rejection, kept making playful offers, each one more tempting than the last.
Their proposed benefits were almost universally better than what the He’an Tribe could provide.
Jin Shi himself joined in. “We’ve looked into it—you weren’t originally from the He’an Tribe. It’s cold here, and life isn’t exactly convenient. Living here doesn’t bring out the best in you. Why not come live with us? Life in our tribe is far more comfortable.”
The other beastmen chimed in:
“Doctor Jian Mo, if you want to visit the He’an Tribe again, we can always bring you back.”
“If our pace is too slow, we’ll use metal ingots to hire faster beastmen from other tribes to bring you back.”
“And didn’t you raise a winged beast? I heard it’s hard to feed them here, with all the effort required to find food. In our tribe, there’s plenty of algae in the river for it to eat. If that’s not enough, we can trade with other tribes for food.”
“If you’re looking for a partner, we’d welcome you with open arms. There are plenty of single beastmen in our tribe—you’d have your pick. We all think you’re amazing.”
Meanwhile, Qing Kuo and Wujiong had just returned from moving the metal ingots. Hearing the Jintu Tribe’s words, they were both furious.
Qing Kuo gritted his teeth and whispered, “I was wondering why they were so agreeable this time! Turns out they were trying to leave a good impression so they could poach Jian Mo! Two hundred baskets of metal was far too little!”
Wujiong’s eyes narrowed as he glanced inside.
Qing Kuo grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s go in and confront them!”
“Not yet,” Wujiong said, his voice low. “Let’s listen a bit longer and see what else they have to say.”
Surrounded by their fervent enthusiasm, Jian Mo felt like he was being cornered by expert salespeople.
After all, regular salespeople couldn’t pull money out of his non-existent pockets, but this group seemed genuinely capable of whisking him away to the Jintu Tribe.
On top of that, Jian Mo felt indebted to them, which put him at a natural disadvantage.
He listened to most of their comments with good humor until they started talking about partners. At that, he immediately became alert and waved his hands. “No, no, no—I already have a partner.”
The Jintu beastmen froze, their faces full of surprise.
Jian Mo cleared his throat, straightened his posture slightly, and said, “Wujiong and I are together. We’ve only recently started, but he treats me very well, and the tribe has been good to me, too.”
Pausing for emphasis, Jian Mo added firmly, “Most importantly, I like him. So please don’t bring up finding another partner.”
Thanks for the chapter!