Mud Mountain Tribe.
"They're back! They're back!"
"Wow! They brought back so much!"
The Mud Mountain tribe members spread the news, and soon, everyone rushed out of the cool cave like they were welcoming heroes who had come back from battle, enthusiastically running over.
Seeing all of the Warriors loaded with goods, they rushed to unload them.
Ye Xi put down his own load and instantly felt much lighter. He rubbed his shoulders and took in a deep breath of Mud Mountain's clean air.
The chief carefully looked everyone over. He found that though they all had minor injuries and were rather fatigued, there were no major wounds. Finally relaxing, he smiled and said, "Welcome home."
Ye Xi and the others looked at each other and smiled, warmth welling up in their hearts.
Spending the night outside, burdened with heavy goods, and having to hide from the dangers of the jungle—returning to the tribe, they felt like tired birds returning to the nest.
Courage looked over Calm Bulrush, and though his voice was teasing, his eyes were concerned. "Look at your haggard faces! It seems like you had a hard time on your journey."
Calm Bulrush's eyebrows shot up as he feigned unhappiness. "What nonsense are you saying? Everyone came back with all their limbs, so how could we have had a hard time?!"
Awl saw that Ye Xi's face was covered in dirt and sweat, so he untied his water bag from his waist and passed it over. "Wash your face."
Ye Xi was thirsty, so he took the water bag, voiced his thanks, and then gulped the water down as Awl watched in shock. After drinking down half of it, he spilled the rest of the water over his head and refreshingly shook his hair.
"That thirsty? Why don't you have a little more?"
Ye Xi threw the empty water bag back. "It's fine. Give a little to Plate and the others. They've been thirsty this whole way."
Awl nodded and ran back to the cave. He quickly grabbed several water bags and ran back, distributing water to the Warriors.
Plate grabbed a water bag, threw his head back, and madly guzzled water.
The three frilled, eight-legged insects stood on the side, and as the tribe members unloaded the goods, they curiously asked, "These insects seem to be the battle beasts of the Flint Tribe. Why would they help us transport goods?"
Plate swallowed his water and answered, "The Blackpond Tribe saw that we couldn't carry all of our goods, so they helped us borrow the insects from the Flint Tribe."
"The Blackpond was this kind-hearted?"
"It's because the trade area patrol captain was on friendly terms with Ye Xi."
"Whuh? The patrol captain?"
"Right, at the time…"
Ye Xi watched as Plate and the other Warriors began to give an exaggerated tale of the scene, and he couldn't help but inwardly chuckle. It was like the cold and aloof Plate had never existed.
The chief stood next to Ye Xi and smiled as he listened to Plate's tale. Once he finished listening to that exaggerated and edited recount, he summarized, "You encountered so much. As expected, the Yellow Bear Tribe wasn't willing to let us steal their business. I must thank you for all your efforts."
Ye Xi recalled what had happened in the Blackpond trade area and said, "I have something to tell you, chief."
The chief saw Ye Xi's solemn expression and knew that this was no minor matter. His smile faded. "Let's go over there and talk."
The two of them walked to a quieter place.
"Speak. What's wrong?"
Ye Xi gave the chief a detailed account of the stalemate, how it had been resolved, and the promise he had made to Ramie.
Ye Xi thought that the chief would be unhappy and that he would need to go to great lengths to explain. After all, Mud Mountain would have to send Blackpond a significant amount of salt every year from now on.
But the Mud Mountain Tribe was weak, and holding the method of producing salt was like carrying a bag of gold through the city, far too dangerous.
And the stronger Yellow Bear Tribe regarded them as a thorn in their side. In a fight, Mud Mountain would probably be wiped out.
Getting on good terms with the Blackpond Tribe would deter the surrounding tribes.
One hundred catties of salt each year for this was not a loss.
But to his surprise, the chief's eyes brightened, and once Ye Xi was finished, they even shone with praise and admiration.
"Even if you didn't mention it, the shaman and I had already decided to send someone to the Blackpond Tribe to strike a deal. With this, not only have you formed a good relationship with the Blackpond Tribe, you've also formed a friendship with a Blackpond Warrior who has nearly reached Level 3.
"You did well."
Ye Xi raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then he smiled.
For the tribe to have such a wise chief and shaman was its fortune.
Once he returned to the clearing, Awl, who was carrying a stone jar, yelled at him, "Where'd you go? I forgot to tell you: your boa egg hatched."
"It hatched? Let me go and look." Ye Xi turned and walked toward the sand pit at the back of the mountain, where he had buried the snake egg.
Awl pulled him back. "Where are you going? Your snake is here, in this jar."
Only now did Ye Xi notice the stone jar he was carrying. Blinking, he asked, "You put it in this jar?"
Awl explained, "This snake was vicious the moment it came out, trying to bite anyone it saw."
Ye Xi frowned. If it was wild and difficult to tame, he would find it very hard to train it into a battle beast.
"Give it to me." Ye Xi took the jar from Awl.
The stone jar was heavy and cold to touch. It was impossible to sense any movement within it.
Ye Xi placed the jar on the ground, sat cross-legged next to it, and began to slowly raise the lid.
"Careful," Awl hastily said.
Through the crack, the insides of the jar were pitch-black and quiet. Ye Xi opened the lid a little more, upon which a black streak shot toward his head.
Ye Xi was ready, and he swiftly seized the snake around its heart.
"It really is rather lively." Ye Xi looked at the wriggling little snake in his hand.
It was a very beautiful snake, its body like ink, its scales glossy. It was constantly shooting out its crimson tongue in Ye Xi's direction while threateningly hissing.
But as it struggled and struggled, it gradually grew motionless, its black jewel eyes quietly staring at Ye Xi.
Ye Xi quietly watched back.
"How strange. It was never this calm when other people held it," Awl sighed in wonder.
Ye Xi loosened his grip a little.
The snake didn't move, resting quietly on Ye Xi's hand as it stared at him with its pitch-black eyes.
Ye Xi placed the snake on the ground and let go.
The snake slowly began to slither on the ground, sending out its tongue as it moved toward Ye Xi.
Ye Xi felt a chill on his skin and looked down. The little snake was slowly crawling up his leg, and then it crawled up to his waist, his arm, and finally stopped on his shoulder, where it coiled up its body and stopped.
Ye Xi looked down and contemplated his clothes, made from the skin of the giant boa.
He tried to stroke the snake's head, and, as expected, the little snake raised its inky head and docilely allowed itself to be stroked.
Awl was struck dumb. "It can acknowledge humans?"
"It just smells something familiar from these snakeskin clothes." Ye Xi smiled as he extended an index finger and lightly poked it on the head. "I'll give you a name. Snakes can transform into scaled dragons, so… I'll call you Scaly."
"Sc-Scaly?" Considering that this little snake would grow into a giant boa but had a name like 'Scaly', Awl couldn't stop his lips from twitching a little.
Scaly was very hungry. Ye Xi fed it jerky until its body was deformed, and only then did it reluctantly close its mouth and coil up on Ye Xi's shoulder to sleep.
Ye Xi saw that Scaly was sleepy, so he put it down in a corner where it could slowly digest its food.