“Even if your tribe doesn’t exchange with us, we can still produce better pottery than what you have now.” 

Chi Yu paused for a moment. “What?” 

The people from the South Mountain Tribe looked at Wen Ze with different expressions. 

Sang Hui wanted to say a few words to him. The reason he asked him to come along was that the weaving method came from him, and the tribe couldn’t make deals without involving him. But he definitely couldn’t be making such bold statements like that. 

If they couldn’t produce anything, it would be embarrassing for other tribes to see, especially the Rainbow Sun Tribe. Who knows what rumors they’d start spreading behind their backs? 

Before Sang Hui could even think about how to talk to him, Zhuo Mu spoke up with confidence. “Yes.” 

Sang Hui and the others exchanged glances, signaling him: What do you mean ‘yes’? Do you know how to make good pottery? Why are you just agreeing with him like that? 

Zhuo Mu’s handsome face remained calm and composed. 

The people of the South Mountain Tribe couldn’t help but whisper to each other: Did Wen Ze really share a better way to make pottery with him? 

Of course, that wasn’t the case. Zhuo Mu simply trusted that since Wen Ze said so, he must be confident. 

Having spent time living with Wen Ze, he’d been pleasantly surprised by him again and again, so Zhuo Mu didn’t hesitate to stand by his side. 

Zhuo Mu’s unwavering confidence also began to shake the resolve of the Rainbow Sun Tribe members. 

They had heard of and met Zhuo Mu before, and they knew he wasn’t someone who would joke around about things like this. 

Could it be that Wen Ze really knows how to build a kiln? 

One of the beastmen from the Rainbow Sun Tribe frowned and said, “That doesn’t make sense. If you know how to build a pottery kiln, why would you want to exchange methods with us? Are you trying to deceive us?” 

Wen Ze replied, “I don’t know how to build a kiln like yours, but I understand why the pottery you make is better.” 

Chi Yu became curious, “Oh?” 

Wen Ze said, “The temperature inside a kiln is much higher than that of an open-air firing.” 

Noticing that they seemed unfamiliar with the term “temperature,” Wen Ze rephrased, “What I mean is, the hotter the kiln, the stronger the pottery that comes out of it.” 

Chi Yu’s smile froze, as he stared at Wen Ze. The people he brought with him also looked shocked. 

Wen Ze continued, “We could make a small kiln for one-time use. After placing the pottery pieces inside, we can just seal it up to raise the temperature.” 

“Once we’re finished, we can simply smash it. Then, we’ll build a new one for the next round of firing.” 

“This method is a bit troublesome, but as long as we keep improving, the pottery we make will definitely turn out better than the ones fired in the open,” Wen Ze explained. 

The people from the Rainbow Sun Tribe looked more and more uncomfortable, and some of them nervously whispered, “How many years will it take for them to improve this…” 

The people from the South Mountain Tribe looked at each other, realizing exactly what was going on. 

The secret to the Rainbow Sun Tribe making better pottery was simply raising the temperature, just like Wen Ze had said! 

The energetic Wu Ye suddenly stood up and said confidently, “We’re not afraid of trouble! Beastmen have such long lives and we’ve got plenty of time to figure things out! And since we’re making pottery today anyway, why not try building the one-time kiln, like Wen Ze suggested?” 

Sang Hui paused for a moment, then smiled with anticipation. “Exactly. Our tribe has plenty of clay, so wasting it isn’t an issue. If we can make better pottery, we won’t need to spend so much exchanging with other tribes.” 

When he mentioned “other tribes,” he even shot a glance at Chi Yu. 

Even the elder beastman, Yi Yan, couldn’t stay calm. His eyes lit up as he looked at Wen Ze and praised him enthusiastically, “Good child! You’re so smart! You’re truly a blessing to the tribe, a gift from the Beast God!” 

Zhuo Mu’s deep red eyes looked at Wen Ze, and a proud smile appeared on his face as well. 

Everyone’s approval made Wen Ze feel a bit embarrassed, with his ears turning slightly red, but it also strengthened his determination to make even better pottery. 

The few people from the South Mountain Tribe were in high spirits, while the Rainbow Sun Tribe, on the other hand, was clouded with tension. 

An impatient beastman directly asked Chi Yu, “Tribe Leader, what are we going to do?” 

None of them had expected that the South Mountain Tribe had such a trick up their sleeves before they came here! 

The method of making pottery was the foundation of the Rainbow Sun Tribe. Over the years, they’ve enjoyed the high status that pottery brought them, looking down on the smaller tribes around them and never bothering to interact with them. 

The only thing from the South Mountain Tribe that caught their eye was the cloth they weave. 

They had originally thought it would be easy to exchange for the weaving method and even mocked them for trying to use pottery kiln construction methods as a bargaining tool. 

But now, the South Mountain Tribe had figured out the secrets to pottery making, and their pottery kilns are no longer considered valuable! 

As for how they weave their cloth, which is smooth, beautiful, soft, and yet durable, they had no idea how it was done! 

Once one beastman spoke up, the anxious mood quickly spread to the others. 

“Leader, before I left, my partner told me a thousand times to make sure I get a bundle of fabric to bring back. Do you think I can exchange with the South Mountain Tribe in my own name?” 

“My little one keeps asking for beautiful clothes, and I’d like to get some smaller cloth too.” 

“Sigh, I heard the fabric they make now has patterns. Leader, can we really not talk to them about this?” 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but laugh a little when he saw the eager look in their eyes. 

Didn’t all of you pretend not to like it or care at first? Haha. 

Determined to gain the upper hand, this time it was Wen Ze’s turn to act indifferent. 

Then after scaring them a little, he gave them a sweet deal. 

“Tribe Leader Chi Yu, our South Mountain Tribe really wants to keep a long-lasting friendship with the Rainbow Sun Tribe. So even though we now know the secret to pottery, we still want to make a deal with you. If that doesn’t show our sincerity,” Wen Ze said, “I’ll personally offer you some extra benefits.” 

Chi Yu looked at him intently. “What’s the benefit?” 

“I’ll provide after-sales service,” he explained, then added, “It means if I improve the weaving method later, your tribe can be the first to learn how to use them. Of course, you’ll need to provide the appropriate supplies.” 

Chi Yu frowned. “Is it something like the kiln-building method?” 

Wen Ze waved his hand. “No, nothing like that. Just some regular supplies will do, don’t worry, it won’t be too much.” 

Chi Yu thought for a moment, still feeling uneasy. “But what if you never make the improvements? Wouldn’t that mean you didn’t actually make a promise?” 

Zhuo Mu shot him a cold, piercing look. “Are you questioning his integrity, Leader Chi Yu?” 

Chi Yu quickly denied it. “No, that’s not it. If it were just me, I’d be happy to give Wen Ze a good deal. But I represent the entire Rainbow Sun Tribe, so I have to make sure we get solid conditions.” 

The people he brought with him spoke up to defend him. “Yes, our leader is just asking a normal question.” 

Wen Ze looked at Zhuo Mu with a hint of gratitude, then, copying his calm tone, said, “I won’t make empty promises. In fact, I’ve already started on improving the weaving method. At the latest, in half a month, there should be results.” 

Chi Yu’s eyes lit up, and he instinctively asked, “How are you planning to improve it?” 

Wen Ze looked at him and replied, “Since you’re not exchanging with our tribe, I’m afraid I can’t share the details. But it’ll make weaving faster and easier.” 

Chi Yu also realized that he had asked an inappropriate question and smiled awkwardly. 

“That’s all we have in mind,” Wen Ze said, looking at Yi Yan as if seeking his confirmation. 

Yi Yan subtly nodded, signaling for him to go ahead. The people in the tribe were all behind him. 

Feeling more confident, Wen Ze turned back to Chi Yu and said, “You need to decide whether to exchange quickly. If another tribe can offer us what we want, we won’t wait for you.” 

In the end, Chi Yu said, “Alright, we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.” 

He glanced at the beastmen under him and asked, “Do you think they could exchange fabric with your tribe in their own name?” 

Yi Yan kindly replied, “Of course, they’re welcome to.” 

In the end, every member of the Rainbow Sun Tribe spent a significant amount of supplies to exchange fabric with the South Mountain Tribe and brought it back. 

Seeing how they couldn’t stop admiring the fabric, Wen Ze felt that this exchange was probably going to be a success. 

It’s worth mentioning that Chi Yu’s beast form was indeed a large fiery red fox, with white cloud-like markings at the edges of its eyes, making it look extraordinarily enchanting. 

After sending off Chi Yu and the others, the people of the South Mountain Tribe finally felt free to speak their minds. 

“Wen Ze, since we can build a one-time pottery kiln ourselves, maybe we don’t even need to exchange with them,” Wu Ye said, looking a bit confused. 

The others also looked at Wen Ze, waiting for his answer. 

Wen Ze, who’d barely managed to keep up his act, looked uncomfortable. He scratched his head awkwardly as he said, “I only understand how it works, but I don’t have any idea how to actually build a kiln. There’s a significant gap between the two.” 

There’s an old saying, right? You can understand the principles, but when it comes to doing it, everything falls apart. 

“I see,” Sang Hui nodded, understanding Wen Ze’s point. 

“Yes,” Wen Ze said, “If we rely on just our tribe’s people to figure things out, who knows how long it will take to build a kiln. Not to mention the manpower and supplies it would cost, and even if we manage to build one, it’ll just be a small, one-time use kiln. How could it compare to a large kiln for stable pottery firing?” 

Zhuo Mu also added, “And weaving is different from building a kiln. I heard that the Rainbow Sun Tribe’s pottery kilns are heavily guarded, and only a few people are allowed to enter, so for all these years, no secrets have been leaked.” 

Wu Ye understood, “But our weaving method is known to the whole tribe. Some of our people have moved to other tribes, and it’s hard to guarantee they won’t secretly share our method.” 

Wen Ze said, “Exactly. That’s why I think exchanging with the Rainbow Sun Tribe is a good deal.” 

Yi Yan smiled and made the decision. “Not only is it a good deal, but we should act fast and make the exchange.” 

He looked at the young, handsome faces around him, feeling deeply reassured. 

With these smart and capable young ones around, he can feel at ease as he grows older. 

Sang Hui said, “Anyway, we’ve done everything we can. Now it’s up to the Rainbow Sun Tribe. Especially you, Wen Ze. You still need to improve the weaving tools. No matter what happens, you’re still our greatest contributor here.” 

Wen Ze turned a bit shy when complimented, shaking his head. “Uncle Sang Hui, don’t say that. I haven’t done anything special.” 

Wu Ye disagreed, saying, “Uncle Sang Hui is right. You’ve contributed the most! Haha, before, the people of the Rainbow Sun Tribe looked down on us. Who would have thought they’d one day bow their heads to us?” 

Sang Hui smiled as well. “Let’s go back and check on how our pottery is doing. We’re in such a good mood, how about we have a meal together tonight?” 

Wu Ye eagerly agreed. “Sure! Just wait a moment, I’ll bring some ingredients.” 

“I’ll start the fire,” Zhuo Mu said, looking at Yi Yan. “Are you coming, Leader?” 

Yi Yan smiled kindly. “I won’t, you all go ahead and enjoy yourselves.” 

Wen Ze didn’t get a chance to say anything and was happily pulled along by the others as they headed back. 

As the sun set, he sat on the broad back of the giant python. From a distance, he could already see the thick smoke rising from the cleared land where they were firing the pottery. 

Firing pottery only needs a small space, and with no wind right now, there’s no concern about it spreading to the grassland. 

Many people heard the noise and waved toward their direction. 

“You’re back!” 

Looking at everyone’s happy faces, Wen Ze couldn’t help but smile. 

Forget it, why think so much? There’s a feast today, so let’s enjoy it! 

They helped him clear the land, and now he had the perfect chance to cook some rare dishes they hadn’t had before! 

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