TPWBI Chapter 117

Yang Yi fell silent, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

If it was only about providing some supplies, the Spark Tribe could still afford that. In fact, it would be a good thing for them.

As the Spark Tribe continued to grow, especially after the introduction of wine, the Western Continent had been eyeing them even more covetously.

If they were to relax even slightly, the Western Continent would no doubt open its jaws wide and take a vicious bite out of them.

If chaos broke out within the Western Continent, the Spark Tribe would, in turn, attract less attention from prying eyes.

Even if that outcome couldn’t be achieved, sponsoring Morri would at least allow them to extend their reach into the Western Continent through him, making it easier to guard against whatever schemes the Western Continent might be plotting behind the scenes.

However, there were risks in that, too. After all, the Spark Tribe and the Western Continent were currently maintaining a surface-level partnership. On the face of it, their relations still appeared fairly harmonious. If the other side were to discover that they already intended to meddle in Western Continent affairs—

Then many matters would be laid bare in the open, and the Western Continent would become even more wary of them.

In the past, their only concern had been plundering wealth. But now, security would also become a pressing issue, which would further strain relations between the two sides.

Yang Yi still hoped for the Spark Tribe to have a stable and healthy environment. After all, although their population had grown considerably and they had already established a new city, it didn’t change the fact that they were still a new tribe. Everything was still under construction.

Instability was extremely detrimental to development. It could wash away the fruits of their labor and hinder their progress.

Yang Yi did not believe they were at a stage where they could afford to relax. Their ability to withstand risks was still far from sufficient.

“What do you think?” Yang Yi threw the question to Hei Lie, wanting to hear his opinion.

“We can help. But it depends on how we help.”

Yang Yi nodded. “He hasn’t yet grown his wings. Forming ties with us now would bring him no real benefit.”

Right now, Morri could only be considered as having just begun to show his potential. His position was not yet stable. What made things worse was that everything he had was built upon lies, which made his situation inherently dangerous.

If others were to start suspecting that he had some sort of secret connection with the Spark Tribe, it would only make trouble come knocking at his door even faster.

“He’s very aware of that, and he’s already figured out how to handle it.” Hei Lie said with a faint smile.

“How so?”

“He brought quite a lot of things with him, and they’re very heavy. Do you know what they are?”

Yang Yi shook his head. “Don’t tell me they’re stones?”

“As expected of the divine envoy! You guessed it right on the first try!” Hei Lie exclaimed in surprise, giving Yang Yi a thumbs-up.

Yang Yi’s mouth twitched. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I was just joking.”

“To make it seem like an ordinary trade to everyone else, he brought a large amount of ‘goods’ for exchange, which turned out to be nothing but a pile of stones. And those stones were transported all the way from afar. If you take the cost of transport into account, they’re actually quite expensive.”

Yang Yi couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head. “That guy may be young, but he’s certainly no fool.”

“In addition to that, he also hopes to request some people from us.”

“People? What do you mean by that?”

“He feels that his own knowledge is lacking and that he needs wise people by his side to guide him. He hopes we can assign a sage to teach him. He also wants to leave some of his own people here to study, so that they can become his support in the future.”

Yang Yi raised an eyebrow. “That guy can barely recognize a few words, yet he truly understands the importance of learning.”

“It’s not just that he values learning and the benefits it brings. He’s also using this to show his sincerity toward us.”

Yang Yi pondered over those words and soon grasped the deeper meaning behind them.

Morri asking for people from the Spark Tribe also meant that he would, in a sense, be placing himself under their watch.

Moreover, by entrusting the task of training his core members to the Spark Tribe, he demonstrated an enormous level of trust. It was a clear display of sincerity.

Although many people knew that such exchanges and learning could bring tremendous benefits, they also worried that their own people might be indoctrinated during the process and end up defecting.

It was a double-edged sword. It was not something everyone dared to wield.

Morri, however, showed no hesitation. That was partly because his foundation was still too weak. He had no room for choice. If he wanted to earn the Spark Tribe’s support, he had to make a gesture of goodwill. But it couldn’t be denied that the man was indeed bold.

“I really wonder where he learned all this from,” Yang Yi sighed in admiration. It hadn’t even been that long.

He still remembered how, not too long ago, that young man had asked him in all innocence why the Spark Tribe didn’t have slaves. And yet now, in such a short span of time, he had already grown into a shrewd and calculating leader.

“He’s very intelligent. Once he broke free of the shackles in his heart, he grew rapidly.” Hei Lie said, not holding back his praise.

“I really want to see how far he can go. Maybe through him, we could even build a city on the Western Continent.”

Yang Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to look at him.

Seeing his reaction, Hei Lie burst out laughing.

“Don’t you think developing the Western Continent would be a fine choice? That place has enormous potential.”

The Western Continent already had city-states, with much denser populations. It was said that the largest city there had a population of four to five hundred thousand. And that wasn’t even counting the surrounding villages and farms.

Many commoners were living on the farms, so the population there was also quite large.

The city-states maintained relatively close contact with one another. Roads connected the cities, making travel much more convenient. The main routes were far safer than traversing the wilderness of the Eastern Continent.

If they could establish a city of their own there, it would be much more efficient than waiting around on the Eastern Continent for others to come to them.

Although Yang Yi was also interested in the Western Continent, he had never once considered developing there. It had always felt like a place far removed from his reach.

Most of his past research had been focused on defense, never on expansion. He hadn’t expected that the man before him had already set his sights so far ahead. His ambitions were clearly much greater than his own.

“You really dare to dream big,” Yang Yi said, full of admiration.

Hei Lie didn’t think much of it. “It’s not as if the Western Continent is indestructible. Besides, we have superior weapons, and our soldiers are stronger. Why shouldn’t we aim for it?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Yang Yi couldn’t help but feel that he had been too cautious. Compared to him, this native man was far bolder and fiercer.

“The Western Continent has plenty of internal problems. If it were before, I might have been more careful. But seeing how quickly Morri managed to rise, I think there must be plenty of opportunities there just waiting for us to seize.”

Yang Yi nodded. “If we let Morri be our sharp blade, one that pierces into the Western Continent, perhaps we’ll be pleasantly surprised by what he can achieve.”

They were people of the Eastern Continent. They couldn’t directly intervene in Western Continent affairs. Otherwise, they would be declaring themselves enemies of the entire Western Continent.

It was just like before. Even though the Eastern Continent had once been far weaker and many of its people had been sold as slaves to the West, not a single city from the Western Continent had ever dared to truly set foot on their land to rule it.

At most, they controlled the border regions and kept information sealed off.

Between the Eastern and Western continents lay a great chasm. No matter how fiercely they fought among themselves in ordinary times, whenever they faced the opposite shore, they would once again twist into a single rope.

This probably also had a lot to do with their stark differences in appearance. There was always a feeling that the other side was not of the same kind. That invisible divide naturally formed two great factions.

Yang Yi did not like war or killing either. But if it was about pushing the current along and then starting to build, such a method, he was still willing to accept.

“I already have a preliminary plan. Take a look and see what you think.”

Hei Lie told Yang Yi his rough plan. Yang Yi listened quietly, his gaze never once leaving Hei Lie.

“What’s wrong?” Hei Lie, feeling Yang Yi’s eyes on him, smiled, pulled him into his arms, and kissed his cheek.

Yang Yi shook his head. “This feeling is really strange.”

He could deeply feel how much Hei Lie cared for him. Yet this man was still helping him complete the mission that would lead to his own departure.

If it were him, he would absolutely not be able to do such a thing.

But this man did it, and with full dedication, without a trace of reluctance.

Hei Lie immediately understood and shook his head helplessly. “You’re starting to overthink again.”

“Aren’t you worried that the result might not be the ending you expect?”

Hei Lie clenched his fist, then slowly loosened it.

“I am worried. But I feel that I have to do this. Don’t ask me why, and don’t dig too deep into it. Since I’ve made my decision, I’ll give it my all.”

“Hei Lie…”

Hei Lie smiled at him. “We’ve already been lucky enough. We have to give something in return, otherwise such luck might be taken away at any moment.”

The two of them fell silent for a moment. In the end, they chose to skip over this topic and continued walking forward.

Only by moving forward could they understand what awaited them in the future.

The matter of providing support to Morri was not made public. Now that there were more people in the tribe, even if there were no gaps in secrecy, it was inevitable that some mouths couldn’t stay shut.

Aside from a few core members, no one else knew about it.

However, such a large amount of supplies being taken out for exchange gave the head of the finance department a massive headache. He calculated on his abacus day and night with endless clack clack clack sounds, so worried that he had already lost quite a bit of hair.

Morri hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Moreover, Yang Yi and Hei Lie were extremely generous. With this many supplies, it was enough for him to arm his own team and secure even greater benefits.

“Divine Envoy, Chief, I will never let down your expectations!”

Morri knelt excitedly before Yang Yi and Hei Lie. To exchange a pile of stones he had picked up for so many supplies, who wouldn’t be thrilled?

“I hope you live up to our trust,” Yang Yi spoke slowly, his tone solemn and serious, every word striking deep into Morri’s heart. “And I also hope that you can always hold on to your original intentions. Never become the kind of person you once despised.”

Too many people had once genuinely sought fairness and justice, but once they fell into the grasp of power, they quickly forgot their original ideals. Some even went further, abusing those who once shared the same suffering as them.

Perhaps they thought that by doing so, they could cut ties with their past selves and make others believe they were born to succeed.

“Divine Envoy, I will remember your words forever!”

“The people can carry a boat, but they can also overturn it. This is the first lesson I’m teaching you. Remember it always.”

Yang Yi explained the general meaning of that phrase to Morri. The reason Morri had been able to climb to his current position was, of course, partly because he had impersonated a certain noble and taken advantage of some loopholes, gradually rolling his “snowball” bigger and bigger.

But the foundation of it all rested on the slaves who had once been in the same situation as him. Those who were willing to work for the “world” he spoke of.

Without them, it would have been impossible for him to succeed so smoothly on his own.

Morri savored the meaning of the words, carving them deeply into his heart.

In fact, even on the Western Continent, there were cases where slave owners were killed by their slaves. Some incidents had even caused great uproar.

Wherever there is oppression, there will be resistance.

Many people chose to endure for the time being, afraid that their actions might bring harm to themselves or their families. But once the breaking point was reached, they would often cast all fears aside.

As for the wise ones who would be leaving with Morri, after careful consideration and selection, the final decision was made.

The result surprised many people. Two would be going: Lan Jian and Mao.

Lan Jian was the first discovered prodigy. She was exceptionally intelligent and, in a very short amount of time, had learned to recognize many words and could even read and write.

At the beginning, she had been Yang Yi’s little assistant. Later, as her abilities grew stronger and stronger, she no longer did those miscellaneous tasks.

She was now actually eight years old, though she still looked very small, about the size of a five- or six-year-old child here.

And she had a face that looked utterly harmless, with big, round eyes that made her look incredibly cute.

No one would have guessed that she was remarkably intelligent. She had been involved very early on in revising the tribe’s various rules and systems and even helped Jiao improve her “indoctrination” materials.

Not only that, but she also designed a complete set of training methods and tactics that proved to be extremely effective. Even Hei Lie gave her a thumbs-up in approval.

Whenever there was something related to training that needed discussion, they would often seek out Lan Jian to explore ideas together.

They made use of her vast knowledge to refine and perfect their own systems.

Lan Jian was usually very busy. She had to work and study, and she didn’t like meeting outsiders.

So, whether it was people from outside or members of the tribe, unless they were lucky enough to have attended one of her classes, most had only heard her name but never seen her in person.

Her classes weren’t something ordinary people could easily follow either. Her lessons went quite deep.

Yang Yi was reluctant to let go of such talent. Her intelligence greatly contributed to the tribe’s improvement in management, for her main strengths lay in the humanities.

Yang Yi often entrusted her with various affairs, cultivating her as an administrative talent.

Now that she was going to leave with Morri, it was indeed a great loss for the tribe!

But this was Lan Jian’s own decision. As she put it, she wanted to go out and see the world. To see what other places were like.

She was especially fascinated by the Western Continent and wanted to know what its cities were truly like.

Every merchant who came here told a different story, making it impossible to get a real understanding of what the Western Continent was actually like. As for the slaves who had returned from there, their lives had been confined to narrow spaces, so they couldn’t provide a full picture either.

“Divine Envoy, isn’t there a saying that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles? I want to go out and see for myself. The Western Continent and our Eastern Continent are so different. I really want to find out what those differences are.”

Lan Jian lifted her head to look at Yang Yi. Her bright eyes were full of longing.

Since she had said that, Yang Yi couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He wasn’t the kind of person who ruled with an iron hand. In fact, if he had the chance himself, he would want to go and see it, too.

“You actually have many other opportunities, ones that would be much safer. If you go with Morri, you might very well lose your life. On the Western Continent, our reach doesn’t extend that far. Even if something happens to you, we won’t be able to save you.”

Lan Jian still nodded firmly. “This isn’t an impulsive decision. I’ve thought it through carefully and even calculated the risks and gains. After thorough consideration, I can confirm that this is what I want to do.”

She also explained why she wanted to go now. “I’m still young, and I don’t stand out. That makes me less likely to attract suspicion. If I wait until I’m grown, I might draw unwanted attention and cause trouble instead.”

If no one had told them that Lan Jian was a genius and if she didn’t display her talent, then at this moment, holding a stuffed rabbit doll in her arms, she would look no different from any ordinary child.

She seemed utterly harmless and innocent, small and delicate, as if she could be crushed with a single finger.

But in reality, that was far from the truth. As someone with a spiritual gift, Lan Jian wasn’t just intelligent. She also understood how to read and influence people’s hearts.

So, Yang Yi didn’t object any further.

As for Hei Lie, he didn’t make things difficult either. Though Lan Jian was important, the tribe now had more and more capable people. It was still possible to find someone to take her place.

It was just that replacing one Lan Jian might require several others.

Still, despite her intelligence, Lan Jian’s combat ability was very low. If she met someone who was reasonable, she might talk her way out. But if she encountered someone who struck first and spoke later, that would be extremely dangerous.

At that moment, Mao volunteered on his own. He wanted to go and protect Lan Jian.

Mao had grown much taller compared to how he’d been at the start, but his face still carried traces of childishness. He was tall, yes, but he still looked like a naïve little boy, with a face that was soft and youthful.

And truth be told, he wasn’t that old to begin with. Standing there obediently, he could easily pass for an innocent child in others’ eyes.

In truth, his combat ability was exceptionally high, far beyond that of others his age.

The main reason was that he possessed a speed talent. As the saying goes, “All martial arts in the world are invincible, except for speed”. That gave him a tremendous advantage.

He was quite well-known within the tribe, often darting around near Yang Yi. It was impossible not to notice.

But children grow quickly, and he was always as lively as a monkey, often disappearing right before people’s eyes. Unless someone paid special attention to him, most outsiders didn’t really know him. They might have heard his name, but few recognized his face.

“I can protect Lan Jian!” Mao straightened his back, his voice full of confidence.

“Going to the Western Continent isn’t a game,” Yang Yi reminded him seriously. “We can’t send anyone to follow you. That would only expose you faster. Once you’re there, you’ll have to rely entirely on yourselves. Do you still wish to go?”

Yang Yi’s feelings toward Mao were special. Mao had been the very first person he met in this world, and he often stayed by Yang Yi’s side.

To Yang Yi, Mao was like a younger brother, perhaps even like his own child.

He couldn’t imagine how painful it would be if something happened to him.

“I understand. That’s exactly why I must go,” Mao replied firmly, his tone steady. It was completely different from his usual mischievous, laughing self.

In the end, Yang Yi allowed them to go. To avoid complications, only Mao and Lan Jian were taken away by Morri. This made it easier to explain their origins.

Children that small, abandoned in the wilderness and later picked up by travelers, wasn’t an uncommon story at all.

Both Mao and Lan Jian looked exceptionally pleasant and endearing, the kind of children anyone would naturally want to take in.

“I feel like I’m already starting to regret this. This deal feels like such a loss.”

Yang Yi felt thoroughly depressed, thinking that they were putting way too much trust in that kid Morri.

“Maybe we should just change our minds while they haven’t left yet.”

Hei Lie chuckled as he poured him a cup of tea. “Think it over again. No matter what decision you make, I’ll support you.”

Yang Yi instantly deflated and downed the tea that Hei Lie handed him in one gulp.

“Forget it, forget it. We can afford to take that loss. As for Mao and Lan Jian, they made the choice themselves. I can’t force them to stay.”

“Mao’s a clever one. If anything goes wrong, he’ll take Lan Jian and run right back.”

“Let’s hope everything goes smoothly.” Yang Yi exhaled, deciding to shift his attention elsewhere.

“How about the ones Morri left behind? I haven’t asked about them yet.”

“They’re all very bright children. Morri really put thought into it.”

The kids Morri had left were all quite young. The school’s feedback about them was excellent. They were among the best.

Moreover, they were diligent, hardworking, well-behaved, and got along well with everyone.

“That’s more like it.”

If Morri had just shoved a few random kids into their care, Yang Yi would have immediately gone back on his word.

“The pile of stones they brought is still in the warehouse?”

“Mm. We’re planning to use them for wall-building tomorrow. I’ve already made arrangements. Only a few trustworthy people who can keep their mouths shut know the truth.”

“Let’s hope the stones Morri brought are sturdy enough. Wouldn’t it be a joke if, after hauling them all the way here, they turn out to be useless?”

Hei Lie knew that Yang Yi was simply distressed about Mao and Lan Jian, so he didn’t take it to heart.

They no longer needed stones to make stone tools anyway. No matter what kind of stone it was, it could still be put to use somehow.

But unexpectedly, on the day they transported the stones, as soon as they dumped them out, Ying, the one in charge of the task, immediately widened her eyes in shock.

“Divine Envoy! Divine Envoy!”

She burst into Yang Yi’s study, completely forgetting to knock.

Hei Lie’s face instantly darkened. “What’s with all this panic! Who said you could come in!”

This was the third floor, right next to the bedroom, a private area, so Hei Lie and Yang Yi were usually very relaxed when they were here.

Sometimes, there were even moments of quiet intimacy. As Yang Yi’s secretary, Ying knew the rules best, yet she had barged in so recklessly. That rashness infuriated Hei Lie, who already tended to be cautious and protective in such matters.

Yang Yi was not like other people. He wasn’t as open or unrestrained about certain things.

Ying hurriedly apologized, quickly shut the door, and knocked again.

“Come in,” Yang Yi said. He didn’t seem overly upset, but rules were still rules.

Ying entered at once and, without any suspense, placed what she was holding directly onto the desk.

“Divine Envoy! Look!”

Both Yang Yi and Hei Lie’s attention was immediately drawn to it. Yang Yi looked astonished as he picked up the crystal-like lump and examined it closely.

“This… this is natural soda ash?”

Hei Lie leaned in to take a closer look. “You’re right. It is natural soda ash! Where did you find it?”

“It’s from the stones Morri sent us! I checked. All of them are the same, exactly like this!”

Natural soda ash was one of the key materials used in glassmaking. By firing it together with quartz sand and other ingredients, glass could be produced.

Yang Yi had wanted to make glass for a long time, but he had never been able to find natural soda ash. Even Han Bing, who frequently traveled outside, had kept an eye out for it.

But for some reason, they had never come across any.

The geography of this world was very different from that of Earth, so they couldn’t rely on Earth’s experience to locate such materials. Everything depended purely on luck.

And now, after searching far and wide with no success, it had fallen right into their hands!

Morri had actually brought so much of it! Wasn’t that just unbelievably lucky?

“These natural crystals are completely different from ordinary stones. They’re much more beautiful to look at. How come Morri never mentioned anything?”

There were huge differences among the stones. Some were far more valuable than others. Yet Morri had treated them as nothing more than a pile of useless rocks.

When he came to ask for support, he had been full of shame and completely lacking in confidence.

That was why Yang Yi and Hei Lie had assumed from the start that those stones were just random ones he’d picked up along the way. Who would’ve thought there was more to it?

Hei Lie immediately sent someone to summon Morri for questioning.

Morri arrived, utterly confused. As soon as he entered the room, he saw the natural soda ash on the table.

“Divine Envoy, Chief, is something the matter?”

“Where did you find this stone? And why didn’t you tell us it was special?”

Morri scratched his head awkwardly. “Even if it’s special, it’s still nothing compared to what you gave me. Actually, these weren’t the stones we were originally transporting. But halfway through the journey, I saw some that looked nice. Since we’d already tossed a bunch of stones earlier because of wild beasts, I replaced them with these. They just looked a bit prettier, that’s all.”