TPWBI Chapter 126

The cities on the Western Continent weren’t designed with any special underground systems for handling waste or garbage, nor were there dedicated workers assigned to deal with them.

There was only a small drainage ditch in the city meant for rainwater. But because of the sheer amount of waste and trash, it was almost always clogged.

According to Han Bing, the place was practically piled high with filth and excrement. There wasn’t even a clean spot to set foot on in the streets.

For the people of the Spark Tribe, who had long been accustomed to their clean and tidy surroundings, visiting such a place was both deeply repulsive and utterly disillusioning.

However, since the Spark Tribe’s trade caravans had not been traveling in the Western Continent for very long and the people there remained wary of them, the places their caravans could reach were quite limited.

Yang Yi still held onto a faint sliver of hope. Perhaps it was just the areas their caravans had visited that were like that. In truth, the situation wasn’t quite so bad elsewhere.

After all, the Western Continent’s merchants were extremely wealthy, and their attire was refined and elegant. It was clear that their level of technology was far more advanced than that of the Eastern Continent.

Especially those leaders. Their clothing was visibly exquisite at a glance, with intricate and elaborate patterns woven into every piece.

The formal attire they wore to banquets showcased their extravagance even more. Such garments required a great deal of time and labor to create.

At present, no one in the Spark Tribe dressed in such overly ornate and luxurious clothing. Yang Yi had no desire to see such a trend take root.

He led by example himself. Though he didn’t dress as plainly as ordinary people, he also refused to be overly indulgent in his daily expenses.

Behind every act of extravagance, there was always the shadow of oppression upon the people. Their overall level of productivity had not yet reached a point where such wasteful indulgence could be afforded.

If his personal expenses ever exceeded their current level, it would mean that some people’s interests were being exploited to support his special privileges.

Hei Lie had only smiled at the time and said nothing in rebuttal: “Let’s hope so.”

Yang Yi and Hei Lie first arrived by ship at the city ruled by Morri. It was a city that was a necessary stop on the water route connecting the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent.

At present, the Western Continent’s most frequent exchanges were with the Spark Tribe. The total value of their trade with the tribe was roughly equal to the combined total of all trade between the Western Continent and the other tribes of the Eastern Continent.

Because of this, the city under Morri’s rule developed rapidly. What had once been a small city with an abysmal geographic location and no valuable resources to offer suddenly transformed from a place everyone despised into one that everyone envied.

If not for the fact that the city’s terrain made it easy to defend and difficult to attack, many people would have long tried to seize it for themselves.

But Morri was no pushover. Ever since he gained control of the city, he had held it firmly in his grasp, leaving no opportunity for anyone else to interfere.

Yang Yi had only learned about the city’s general situation through letters before. But now, he could finally see it with his own eyes.

Before the ship even docked, he could already see from afar a large crowd gathered along the shore, waiting for their arrival.

As they drew closer, a familiar voice rang out among the crowd: “Divine Envoy! Divine Envoy!”

It was Mao, now grown into a tall young man, waving his hat excitedly as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

The moment the ship stopped and the gangplank was set in place, Mao dashed forward.

“Divine Envoy! I missed you so much!”

His eyes were red`. He looked as though he wanted to throw himself into Yang Yi’s arms like he did when he was a child. But Hei Lie stepped in and blocked him.

Mao bared his teeth at Hei Lie in mock annoyance. But when he turned to look at Yang Yi, his gaze was still just as innocent and full of childlike purity as before.

There was no trace at all of his usual fierce demeanor. Right now, he looked utterly obedient, almost like a big, well-behaved dog.

Mao was now about fifteen or sixteen years old, tall and sturdy, with a firm and sharp gaze. The soft, sticky sweetness of his childhood was nowhere to be found. He had grown into a young man capable of holding up his own world.

Yang Yi patted Mao on the shoulder, feeling a wave of emotion as he sighed, “You look even more like a man than the last time I saw you.”

Since the trade routes between the two sides had opened, Mao had returned to the Spark Tribe a few times, but not often. Each stay was brief.

He was now responsible for the defense of this new city and held military authority. He couldn’t afford to be away for too long.

Moreover, whenever he left, Lan Jian would go with him, which meant Morri would lose both of his right-hand aides at once.

If it hadn’t been for Mao and Lan Jian’s help over the years, Morri would never have been able to take control of the city so smoothly.

Ever since people realized the city’s value, many had tried to come and profit from it or even contemplated starting wars to seize it outright.

At that moment, Lan Jian also walked over. Compared to Mao, she was much calmer and more composed. She gave a respectful bow to Yang Yi and Hei Lie.

Lan Jian had now grown into a young woman, dressed in a long Western-Continent-style skirt. She stood gracefully, slender and elegant, exuding both ladylike poise and the freshness of youthful innocence.

No one would have imagined that she was the true ruler behind the scenes of this city. Many of its most brilliant decisions had come from her mind.

Unlike Mao, Lan Jian never displayed her skills or abilities publicly. She hid herself in the shadows, like a quiet, unseen figure working behind the curtain.

Aside from Mao and Morri, no one knew how capable she truly was. Everyone else simply thought she was Mao’s younger sister—just a beautiful girl.

By now, nearly everyone knew that Morri had ties with the Spark Tribe. The power of the two sides was not something that could be easily shaken. Even those who knew the truth could do nothing about it.

Some even longed to form such deep connections with the Spark Tribe themselves, hoping to gain more benefits from the relationship.

“Honored Divine Envoy, I can finally see you again,” Morri said.

He had personally come to the port. His gaze toward Yang Yi was filled with reverence.

To him, Yang Yi was the true representative of the gods, holy and untouchable.

“I’m glad to see you, too,” Yang Yi said with a smile. “It looks like you’ve managed to achieve what you once dreamed of.”

Morri nodded. “Not entirely, but at least I’ve done what I set out to do.”

Overturning an established system was an arduous task, one that even Morri could not accomplish. All he could do was ensure that the slaves under his rule would not suffer the same inhumane treatment as they did elsewhere.

The biggest difference between this city and the other cities of the Western Continent was that many of its residents here were once slaves. They are now people who had now shed their former status and become free individuals, belonging to no one, living as ordinary citizens with independent identities.

Yang Yi sat in the carriage that Morri had specially arranged for him and formally entered the city whose growth he had witnessed through letters.

“It doesn’t feel all that different from our Spark Tribe’s cities,” Yang Yi remarked after taking a walk around.

It almost felt as if he were still within the Spark Tribe itself. Everything here seemed so familiar—the facilities, the storefronts, the decorations. Although there were traces of Western-Continent style in some designs, the influence of the Spark Tribe’s aesthetic was unmistakable.

The Spark Tribe’s style was rougher, more straightforward, and focused heavily on practicality.

The Western Continent’s style, on the other hand, leaned toward refinement and opulence. It was a typical distinction between a newly rising city and the old, traditional ones.

Yet in this city, he didn’t sense that stark cultural divide at all.

“The city’s construction was mainly overseen by Lan Jian and those who were sent to our tribe to study. That’s why the overall style leans more toward the Spark Tribe’s,” Mao explained as he squeezed himself into the carriage, paying no mind to the dark expression on Hei Lie’s face.

Yang Yi didn’t mind. It actually warmed his heart to spend time with the boy who had grown up so much. His feelings toward Mao were special, as though he were his own younger brother.

As they went along the streets, Yang Yi felt deeply gratified by all that he saw.

“This place is wonderful,” Yang Yi said with heartfelt admiration.

Morri’s ears turned red with excitement. He had long since grown from a young boy into a burly man with a full beard, yet before Yang Yi, he was still just as shy as ever.

“That’s the best compliment I’ve ever received!” he said earnestly.

Yang Yi smiled as well. Who would have thought that someone who had once been a slave, beaten and scolded at will, could achieve this much?

“I hope you’ll always remember those words. Never forget your original intention.”

Morri’s expression grew solemn as he gave a firm promise: “Divine Envoy, I will never forget.”

Yang Yi and Hei Lie didn’t stay long in the city. They stayed just one night before setting out again.

Right now, Yang Yi wanted to see more new and unfamiliar places. This city, he thought, could wait until his return for a closer, more thoughtful visit.

“It’s wonderful,” Yang Yi sighed. “I can see that the former slaves have life in their eyes again.”

In truth, life in this city was still very hard. People had to work tirelessly just to earn enough to feed themselves and their families. It was an unavoidable result of the low level of productivity.

Even though becoming a well-known port had brought great economic benefits, people still had to rely on hard work to earn everything they had.

Yet those people were clearly different from before. They seemed reborn, as if they had truly begun to live.

No longer were they toiling mechanically. They now carried dreams and hopes for the future.

The Spark Tribe and Morri had an agreement. Each year, a certain number of bright and eager children from this city would be sent to the Spark Tribe to study, with all their food and lodging provided free of charge.

This generosity wasn’t without political considerations, of course.

If the younger generation came to identify with the Spark Tribe, the bond between the two sides would naturally grow stronger.

No matter how powerful the Spark Tribe became, its goal was always to coexist peacefully and mutually with other tribes and cities, to seek cooperation and shared benefit rather than rely on conquest. It was the embodiment of the traditional China ideal.

After leaving Morri’s city, their journey switched from water routes to land.

This time, they had brought along several ostriches and horses to make land transport easier.

Yang Yi rode leisurely on Little Gray, ambling along the well-trodden path with ease.

“The environment here is clearly different from that of the Spark Tribe. The plants are noticeably different, too.”

“And there are far fewer dangerous large beasts around,” Yang Yi added.

Hei Lie remained vigilant, constantly scanning their surroundings, never letting his guard down.

“In that sense, the Western Continent is indeed safer,” he said, “and it’s much easier for people from different places to travel and interact.”

Then, narrowing his eyes slightly, he added, “But that also means there are more bandits.”

Yang Yi’s heart tightened. “There are bandits nearby?”

“Mm. Quite a few of them. They’ve been following us for a while now.”

Hei Lie’s expression, however, showed no hint of alarm.

Yang Yi didn’t worry too much. He trusted that Hei Lie could handle it.

He had gone hunting with Hei Lie before. Though the hunts had been brutal and far from pleasant, Yang Yi still thought of those experiences as valuable ones.

Even though he hadn’t done much fighting himself, the repeated training had strengthened his courage, allowing him to keep a calm mind even in tense situations like this.

When they reached an open clearing, Hei Lie ordered the caravan to stop and prepare lunch for the day.

Yang Yi was someone who, whenever circumstances allowed, wouldn’t let himself go without comfort. Hei Lie didn’t want to see him suffer needlessly on the journey either.

Because of that, they had prepared plenty of food that was easy to carry and could be stored for a long time.

Among them were treasures like hotpot base, a true miracle ingredient. Just add a little water and bring it to a boil, toss in some meat and vegetables for a quick dip, and without much cooking at all, you’d have a delicious feast ready to eat.

As the hotpot broth began to simmer, the air was instantly filled with a rich, spicy aroma.

Being able to eat spicy food was one of the Spark Tribe’s defining traits. These chili peppers not only satisfied the taste buds but were also beneficial to the body.

No matter how much one ate, it wouldn’t cause the same uncomfortable aftereffects as on Earth. The side effects here were much milder.

Yang Yi usually preferred lighter meals while traveling, but even he couldn’t resist the tempting fragrance that wafted through the air, abandoning his plan for a plain meal.

The chefs of the Spark Tribe were truly exceptional. Their culinary skills had reached the height of perfection, easily rivaling the best chefs on Earth.

Moreover, the ingredients here were incredibly fresh and of superb quality. They were far better than the meat and vegetables on Earth, which were often fattened or ripened with feed and fertilizer. Everything here was organically raised or grown.

Naturally, the dishes made from such ingredients were all the more flavorful.

“You’re trying to tempt people to death with this,” Yang Yi said with a laugh.

It was rare for them to spend so much time preparing a lavish meal in the wild at midday. Usually, they just nibbled on dry rations.

They usually only prepared a proper, hearty meal after setting up camp for the night. Eating well and filling their stomachs was the key to getting proper rest.

Hei Lie’s gaze swept toward the patch of grass and trees nearby, where the rustling had grown even more pronounced than before. He gave a cold, mocking smile.

The people hiding in the dark were surprisingly patient. Even after everyone had finished eating and started packing up, not a single one of them showed their face.

“These bandits sure have impressive patience. Are they planning to rob us or not? Can’t they at least give us a sign?” Yang Yi muttered.

Hei Lie didn’t want a group of unknown stalkers tailing them any longer either. He exchanged a glance with his deputy, then stepped up onto a small mound of dirt and shouted toward the forest.

“You’ve been hiding in the dark for quite some time now. Don’t you plan on coming out to enjoy some sunlight? Or… should we let the iron blades in our hands greet you first?”