Chapter 179: What walls?
Chapter 179: What walls?
The sudden commotion shattered the tranquility of the early morning near the Green Sparrow Tribe.
Han Cheng had a heavy workload the previous day, slept deeply, and woke up late. The noise startled him, and his still-drowsy mind immediately became alert upon realizing something had happened.
Who would visit so early in the morning? Which tribe was so active?
Thinking like this, he got out of bed and ran barefoot outside. At the cave entrance, he saw that the tribe's gate was tightly closed, with over half of the people already climbing the low wall, armed.
After confirming that there wouldn't be an immediate threat, he turned back, hurriedly wrapped a fur around himself, which served as clothing, and then ventured out again.
The tribe's children remained in the cave, displaying a bit of nervousness, unlike the previous winter when the Flying Snake Tribe attacked, causing many children to cry. However, after a recent similar incident, they seemed more composed, having experienced something similar not long ago.
People on the wall weren't overly excited. The Eldest Senior Brother spoke loudly in the Green Sparrow tribal language but was too far away to hear clearly.
Observing this scene, Han Cheng was almost certain that the visitors were not from a hostile tribe.
It seemed they came for trade with the tribe, but he wondered which tribe was so proactive.
While thinking like this, the image of the Green Tribe, with green grass decorating their hair, floated into his mind.
If the leader of that tribe received his message, perhaps they would return to trade again, considering the leader's tendency to take advantage of opportunities. They might hastily gather their things and return for another exchange, just like the previous time.
Han Cheng didn't advance further but stood in the courtyard with Shaman. They surveyed the tall walls around and the tribe members above, armed and ready for action, feeling quite secure.
After a short wait, the Eldest Senior Brother, conversing with the visitors near the gate, set down his weapon, descended the ladder, and hurried toward Han Cheng and Shaman.
As expected, the visitors were here for trade, but not from the Green Tribe; it was the Sheep Tribe.
From the Eldest Senior Brother, Han Cheng learned that the Sheep Tribe had brought considerable food.
Han Cheng always had a favorable impression of tribes coming for trade because it meant the tribe could acquire more goods. He hoped the Sheep Tribe could bring surprises like the Green Tribe.
As the Eldest Senior Brother prepared to open the gate, Han Cheng stopped him to give instructions about bargaining. He emphasized not to undersell the unique products of the tribe.
The Eldest Senior Brother nodded vigorously, indicating that he understood everything. With a smile, he turned to open the gate.
Han Cheng and Shaman didn't return; they stayed to see what the Sheep Tribe had brought.
The Eldest Senior Brother was proficient in the procedure of admitting outsiders. Climbing the ladder, he observed the Sheep Tribe people, ensuring they put down all weapons. After confirming no one carried weapons, he allowed the gate to be opened, welcoming the Sheep Tribe inside.
The people from the Sheep Tribe marveled at the grand sight before them, even more magnificent than what they had seen before. They couldn't fathom how this neighboring prosperous tribe accomplished what seemed impossible to them.
Amid the shock of the Sheep Tribe's leader, he repeatedly asked questions through words and gestures.
The Eldest Senior Brother regarded everything created by the Divine Child with great importance. He believed it was exclusive to their tribe. Even though Han Cheng had specifically instructed him on this matter earlier, he wouldn't reveal these details to the Sheep Tribe leader.
Facing the inquiries from the Sheep Tribe leader, the Eldest Senior Brother had already prepared a strategy feigning ignorance.
The specific dialogue went like this:
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#@S?"
Eldest Senior Brother: "What wall?"
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#@S?"
Eldest Senior Brother: "What wall?"
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#@S?"
Eldest Senior Brother: "What wall?"
Sheep Tribe Leader: "#P@"
While the people of the Sheep Tribe stared in disbelief at the dramatic changes in the Green Sparrow Tribe, Han Cheng, watching from a distance, also widened his eyes.
What did he just witness?!
Sheep!
There are so many sheep!
Where did this tribe get so many sheep?!
Could it be that there are time travelers in their tribe, too?
Han Cheng was left dumbfounded by the sight, his thoughts in disarray.
Revealing such a naive expression wasn't entirely his fault. The unexpected and astonishing things brought by the Sheep Tribe were truly beyond his imagination.
The Sheep Tribe had fifteen members, each covered in sheepskin, with a sheep slung over their shoulders. Some sheep were large, some small, and three were bound with vines, occasionally kicking their hooves, seemingly not completely lifeless.
Apart from these sheep, the Sheep Tribe hadn't brought other food items for exchange.
This situation indicated that the Sheep Tribe had a considerable number of sheep!
Han Cheng never expected that among the nearby tribes, there hid such a wealthy one.
Could the Sheep Tribe have already entered an era of animal husbandry, raising a large flock of sheep?
This seemed to be the only explanation for what he was seeing.
The interactions between nearby tribes were generally limited to biennial celebrations. Apart from these occasions and occasional encounters during hunting, their understanding of each other's tribes was not extensive, despite some individuals having deep conversations.
The Eldest Senior Brother only knew that the Sheep Tribe had a lot of sheepskins, and he didn't pay much attention to it. He thought the Sheep Tribe had more sheep in their vicinity or possessed some unique method of capturing sheep.
It wasn't until this trade, when the people of the Sheep Tribe suddenly brought so many sheep, that he finally realized the unusual nature of the situation.
Without Han Cheng's instructions, the Eldest Senior Brother began to inquire. However, just like how he refused to disclose information about building walls, houses, and fishing to the Sheep Tribe leader, the leader of the Sheep Tribe was unwilling to reveal how they caught so many sheep.
As a result, communication couldn't proceed smoothly.
After recovering from the initial surprise, Han Cheng walked over, thought for a moment, and began to inspect the sheep brought by the Sheep Tribe. He circled, occasionally patting the sheep as if checking their condition.
The leader of the Sheep Tribe had a deep impression of the young Divine Child from the neighboring tribe, knowing his status in the Green Sparrow Tribe. Therefore, he didn't stop him and allowed him to examine the prey they brought.
After inspecting them individually, Han Cheng clapped his hands, now covered in sheep's wool. He calmed down, realizing that he had overthought things before. The Sheep Tribe had not developed animal husbandry.
The main reason was the fifteen sheep they brought.
These sheep could be divided into three categories. Among them were eight immature sheep, five dead and three alive.
There were six adults, all dead, and one adult ram, also dead.