TPWBI Chapter 125

Yang Yi and Hei Lie, carrying a large amount of supplies, set out on the journey to the Western Continent.

Since the founding of the Spark Tribe, this was the longest time that both the Divine Envoy and the Chief had left the tribe simultaneously. Hei Lie had spent a long time preparing for it.

Now, all six major cities of the Spark Tribe had been established, each with its own city lord. Hei Lie, meanwhile, was the chief overseeing all the city lords, residing in the central city.

He was responsible for all matters concerning the entire tribe, while the management of each city was handled by dedicated administrators.

Although the port city’s lord had recently encountered quite a few problems, they had not caused major disruption. After the new leader took office, the situation quickly stabilized.

The Spark Tribe had developed over a long time. Even in the toughest periods, they never neglected education. This meant that there were many capable individuals available for use.

Moreover, the Spark Tribe’s system for appointing managers required a step-by-step progression from the grassroots level. No one could be suddenly appointed as a city lord or a high-level manager just because they appeared intelligent.

Every manager had to have experience at the grassroots level, starting with small teams and gradually working their way up.

It was absolutely forbidden for someone who was simply good at business or skilled in a particular craft to be appointed as a manager.

Everyone climbed step by step—from assistant, to minor leader, to deputy—making it a system that valued experience and seniority.

Not only that, but a certain level of cultural education was also required. The standards were extremely strict.

However, this also made most of the city lords relatively reliable. Lan, if not for his greed, would have been an excellent city lord. He had simply gone down the wrong path.

Besides the city lords, the central city also had managers responsible for various departments. They handled all matters of the tribe, making operations more professional and efficient.

So even if Hei Lie and Yang Yi were both absent, each department could still function normally.

“Are we really leaving like this?”

Yang Yi stood at the bow of the ship, watching the port shrink in the distance. He felt somewhat dazed.

After ten years, this was the first time he was leaving the tribe so freely, and to go somewhere so far away. It all felt a bit unreal.

“What if the tribe runs into trouble without us? The port city’s issues were only just resolved. It hasn’t truly stabilized yet… Are we moving too hastily?”

Yang Yi had always been eager to go out and see the world. But now that he had taken the first steps, he felt it might not have been necessary after all.

“Once you’re out, stop worrying about the tribe.” Hei Lie turned his shoulder, meeting Yang Yi’s gaze.

“What we should focus on is the journey ahead. As for what happens to the tribe, it no longer concerns us.”

Yang Yi envied Hei Lie’s peace of mind: “You’re really not worried at all that something huge might happen the moment we leave the tribe?”

“As a qualified chief, you must always be prepared for your own misfortune or accident. A chief who only looks at the present is never a good leader.”

Hei Lie remained calm. This world was dangerous. The Spark Tribe was exceptional in that sense.

Other tribal chiefs had to lead their people out on hunts. In fact, Hei Lie had not forgotten this tradition.

He didn’t directly manage the cities, but he held command over the military.

As an excellent warrior, training more warriors was also one of his duties.

So he often personally trained them and took them hunting, giving them real combat experience.

This meant he frequently faced danger. Even though they were strong now, being in the wild didn’t make them invincible.

In reality, the safety of weaker tribal chiefs was even less guaranteed. When Hei Lie was in the Blackstone Tribe, he had been listed as a candidate for chief early on, which made him fully understand that a competent chief must not only consider the present but also plan for the future.

Moreover, Hei Lie had always known that Yang Yi was very likely to leave. He had also prepared himself for this departure. He certainly wouldn’t let the tribe become unable to function just because they were gone.

Their simultaneous departure would inevitably cause some turbulence, but Hei Lie had great confidence in his subordinates.

Even if problems arose, they would be able to make up for them when they returned.

“Our tribe has developed too smoothly. It’s about time to wake everyone up a bit,” Hei Lie explained.

Yang Yi understood this as well, which was why he had agreed before.

It was just that now that they were actually leaving, emotionally, it was a little hard to accept at first.

“I wonder what the royal city of the Western Continent is like?”

Yang Yi pushed thoughts of the tribe aside and began imagining what the royal city of the Western Continent would look like.

The reason for this trip was the passing of the old king of the Western Continent and the ascension of a new one.

The new king, being an enlightened ruler, valued relations with the Eastern Continent, especially the Spark Tribe, more than the old king had. He had therefore specially sent an invitation for Yang Yi and Hei Lie to attend his coronation ceremony.

Yang Yi had always wanted to visit the Western Continent, so he accepted the invitation.

The royal city of the Western Continent was currently the largest known city in the world, housing three to four hundred thousand people. It was a truly massive city.

The Spark Tribe was growing stronger by the day, but compared to these long-established cities, it was still far too new.

Whether it was people or national cities, time was needed to accumulate wealth and resources. So, although Yang Yi believed their city construction was excellent, he was also well aware that compared to these old cities, theirs still lagged in many ways.

Every city in the Spark Tribe emphasized practicality. The houses were built for speed and safety above all else. Later cities might consider aesthetics as well, but even then, it was very limited.

After all, the tribe had only been established for ten years. Rapid development inevitably meant that certain aspects couldn’t keep up.

Yang Yi had always heard that, among the population of the Western Continent, the royal city was extraordinarily grand and beautiful. It was built entirely of white stone, which was why it was also called the White City.

Over the years, the Spark Tribe’s caravans had often traveled to the Western Continent. But they had never had the chance to enter the royal city because the old king was very conservative and did not welcome Spark’s merchants.

The Spark Tribe’s caravans had also started late, and their destinations were relatively limited. They hadn’t interacted with enough people, which meant Yang Yi couldn’t obtain the most accurate information about the royal city.

Thus, this trip to the Western Continent by Yang Yi and Hei Lie was the first time the Spark Tribe, and even the people of the Eastern Continent, formally set foot in the royal city.

Yang Yi didn’t actually want to draw so much attention. He always felt that their ambitions were too large. If anyone acted against them, it could have a significant impact on the entire Spark Tribe.

Hei Lie said that everyone was watching them. If they tried to act secretly, not only could they not hide anything, but they would also arouse suspicion, which would be disadvantageous.

It was far better to be open and straightforward. If anyone dared to act against them, the Spark Tribe would have an official reason to strike back immediately.

There were many Eastern Continent tribes on friendly terms with the Spark Tribe, and the Eastern and Western Continents were naturally in opposition. If anyone dared to act recklessly, it would no longer be just targeting the Spark Tribe. It would be an attack on all people of the Eastern Continent.

Ever since the Spark Tribe became a trade center, the connections between tribes of the Eastern Continent had grown noticeably closer than before.

This was also the reason the Spark Tribe’s population had expanded so rapidly: more and more people from the Eastern Continent wanted to come together.

Now, Western Continent caravans could no longer exploit poor-quality goods for exorbitant profits as they had in the past.

All of this was because of the Spark Tribe. If the tribe ran into trouble, no one would benefit.

“Magnificent and luxurious as they may be, they still don’t compare to our Spark Tribe, especially our central city,” Hei Lie said with great confidence.

Although the central city had only just been established and many areas were not yet complete, it was already possible to see its future grandeur and prosperity.

Currently, the central city is the most meticulously planned city, which also means that its construction proceeded relatively slowly.

After two years of construction, it could only accommodate two to three thousand people. The pace of the work was very slow, but the basic outline was already visible. In the future, it would undoubtedly be the most beautiful and magnificent city of the Spark Tribe.

“Of course, your own always looks the best,” Yang Yi said with a laugh, taking it lightly.

It wasn’t that Yang Yi was belittling his own tribe, but their style prioritized practicality over extravagance. They wouldn’t waste resources or labor on excessive luxury.

If it weren’t for the tribe’s image, Yang Yi even thought there was no need to go through so much effort.

Sturdy, practical, and efficient. These were what truly mattered.

However, everyone strongly opposed this, insisting that the city had to live up to the Spark Tribe’s prestigious reputation and could not be half-hearted.

Yang Yi didn’t argue further, but the final result still wouldn’t stray too far from the Spark Tribe’s consistent style.

Compared to the Western Continent, where wealth was concentrated in the hands of a few, their best buildings still couldn’t match the opulence of the Western royal courts.

“No, even without that reason, they wouldn’t be much better,” Hei Lie said, frowning as he thought of something.

Yang Yi guessed: “Well, it’s the royal city. It should be a bit better, right?”

“If the royal city were any better, other cities would just imitate it. The population there is even larger, so the situation would probably be worse,” Hei Lie said, looking rather disdainful.

When the Spark Tribe’s caravans went to the Western Continent and returned for the first time, nearly everyone complained that it was extremely disillusioning.

The Western Continent had always appeared to them as a place of wealth and power. From the way the Western Continent people described it, one could even get the illusion that the roads there were paved with gold.

Moreover, the Westerners truly bought the Spark Tribe’s luxury goods—silks, porcelains, and the like—as if they were free, purchasing them in huge quantities.

This left everyone with a very strong impression: the Western Continent was incredibly prosperous, a place extremely friendly to the wealthy.

Not long ago, when Westerners came to the Eastern Continent, they did so with an air of superiority, looking down on the locals.

They considered Eastern Continent people barbaric and uncivilized, while seeing themselves as cultured, carrying themselves with great arrogance.

The Spark Tribe took the Westerners by surprise. Many things about the tribe made these people, who were full of superiority, slightly adjust their attitudes.

However, overall, they still carried a natural sense of superiority from being from a wealthy and advanced land.

After all, this impression had been ingrained in them for many years. Even a tribe like the Spark Tribe could not completely change their previous notions in a short time.

Besides, many Eastern Continent tribes were indeed very backward, still wearing tree bark and barely processed furs.

As a result, when the first Spark Tribe caravan reached its first city in the West, they were completely shocked, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Returning to the Spark Tribe, they couldn’t help but tell others about their unforgettable experiences. At first, people listening thought it must be fake.

After all, Westerners had never said such things. It was simply too astonishing to comprehend.

Han Bing had also mentioned it to Yang Yi and Hei Lie. He had no other impression of the cities of the Western Continent. Just one word: dirty.

Undoubtedly, unimaginably dirty!