Chronicles Of Primordial Wars (Ch. 271-500)

ch. 385-386

Chapter 385

Every year, as winter approached, the tribe would hunt more frequently. If it weren’t for limitations in human labour and they could not bring more things, they would’ve stayed longer. 

That was because they would prepare animal hides to be sold to the slave masters and exchange for other things. When the weather turned cold, the demand for animal hide would greatly increase. Their slaves would prepare a lot of goods to be exchanged for animal hide. 

Those with good quality fur can be twice the regular price. 

Things that could not be produced in the village like grains and bronzeware were exchanged this way. The households that were better off would buy some rare products sometimes too. 

All these relied on the prey brought back from their hunts. 

Last night, before sleep, Shao Xuan heard many people discussing what they needed to get for the trade. They asked Shao Xuan too but he hadn’t participated in a trade before so all he could do was wait and see. 

On the second day, before the sun was up, the small teams had already left to hunt. 

Shao Xuan and Tao Zheng’s team trekked through the forest quickly. Every now and then, Tao Zheng would stop to introduce the terrain here. This was a frequent hunting track so he pointed out all the dangerous places, fierce beasts, poisonous and medicinal herbs. Shao Xuan memorised them all. 

After they passed a dried-up river, Shao Xuan stopped suddenly and looked in a direction.

When he stopped, everyone stopped. After the hunt yesterday, the team now dared not underestimate him. Even stubborn Zhui had to admit Shao Xuan was stronger than them.

“What’s the matter?” Tao Zheng asked. He looked at the dried river bed and did not find anything odd. They had passed this place many times and were very familiar with this place. 

Shao Xuan was staring at something. “You all wait here, I’ll go check.” He ran in a direction. 

There weren’t any dangerous animals there so Tao Zheng followed. “What did you find?”

Shao Xuan did not speak. He wasn’t sure either. 

The river bed was twenty to thirty meters wide. Further away, the river was wider but not deep. 

“Every monsoon, the river would rise but at the end of the year, the river would dry up,” explained Tao Zheng. “The river is filled most of the year, it only dries up at the end of the year. Usually, we don’t cross here because there are dangerous fish.”

Shao Xuan walked to the bank but did not go down. The riverbed was so dry it was cracking. However, if you stepped on it, you would sink immediately because it was still mud. Only the top layer was dry. There were weeds growing between the cracks too. 

Shao Xuan paid no interest, his goal was the rocks on the river bed. 

“Do you have a spear? Can I borrow it?” Shao Xuan turned around for a tool. 

“Use mine!” Duo Li hurriedly handed his spear over. 

“Thanks.”

Shao Xuan flipped a rock nearest to him on the river bed upwards using the long spear, then caught it. He brushed the dried mud on its surface, studying its qualities and rolled it between his fingers. 

“Is this rock any different from other rocks?” asked Tao Zheng. These rocks don’t look any different to him. They were not big enough to make stoneware either.