Wen Ze stopped what he was doing with a look of confusion on his face. 

It made sense for the others to be called over since they were the leaders of the tribe. But him? He wasn’t one of them. 

He glanced at Sang Hui, who was the closest to him. Sang Hui didn’t seem surprised at all. He clapped his hands and stood up. 

“Let’s go. Let’s see what’s going on,” he said casually. 

Wen Ze could only nod, wash his hands, and follow the others. 

To save time, Wu Ye changed into a grizzly bear to carry Sang Hui, while Zhuo Mu turned into a massive python, stretching dozens of meters long, to carry Wen Ze. 

Along the way, noticing Wen Ze’s nervousness, Sang Hui smiled and said, “Don’t worry. If I’m not mistaken, the Rainbow Sun Tribe is here for the weaving method.” 

Wen Ze asked, “The Rainbow Sun Tribe is the largest tribe nearby, right?” 

Sang Hui nodded. “Yes, their tribe has over two thousand people.” 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but exclaim, “That’s a lot…” 

The South Mountain Tribe had around 800 people, which was already considered a decent size. 

To support a tribe of two thousand, not only would they need a large territory, but plenty of resources as well. 

Sitting on the giant python, Wen Ze leaned slightly forward, and curiously asked, “How do you know they came here for the weaving method?” 

Sang Hui replied, “Actually, a lot of smaller tribes have come and wanted to learn weaving from us. But as you’ve seen, Rainbow Sun Tribe got so strong just from having a pottery kiln, so our tribe can’t just give away such important weaving method so easily.” 

“Since there was no exchange, the tribe didn’t mention it to you. A small tribe like ours can’t afford the supplies to learn weaving, but maybe the Rainbow Sun Tribe can.” 

Wen Ze understood. The tribe leader, Yi Yan, had asked them to come over, which meant the exchange was halfway done. 

Now, it all depends on the sincerity of the Rainbow Sun Tribe. 

Walking past the Mountain South Tribe’s altar, they arrived at Yi Yan’s home. 

Outside his cave, there was also a simple straw shelter. Inside, there were stone benches, stone tables, pottery bowls, and other things. 

As for the hemp thread and weaving frame, they were nowhere to be seen and were probably stored away in their space. 

The people from the Rainbow Sun Tribe were initially sitting in the straw shelter, waiting. Hearing movement, they all stood up at once and walked over. 

Sang Hui and Wen Ze landed on the ground, while Wu Ye and Zhuo Mu shifted into their human forms. The Rainbow Sun Tribe members stepped forward to meet them. 

This was the first time Wen Ze had seen people from another tribe since arriving in the beast world, so he couldn’t help but take a closer look out of curiosity. 

Their human forms were all tall and well-built, all standing over 1.85 meters tall, with good looks that each unique in their own way. 

Wen Ze then realized, he had never seen anyone unattractive in the beast world. Even Yi Yan, who was over 150 years old, was a lively and energetic old man. 

The people of the Beast World were truly favored by the heavens. 

Perhaps due to differences in their beast forms, the beastmen from the Rainbow Sun Tribe are not as muscular as those of the South Mountain Tribe, and their skin is somewhat lighter. 

The young man leading the group has long red hair tied into a sleek, flowing ponytail. His features are delicate, with surprisingly sharp and refined brows and eyes. 

He’s wearing a short robe made from several large sheets of silvery-white fish skin with faint yellow patterns. The fabric is light, smooth, and glossy, with a deep V-neck that reveals his toned abs. 

From a distance, it looks like one of those modern silk robes. 

Before speaking, he smiled. His fox-like eyes curved as he looked at Wen Ze and asked warmly, “You must be Wen Ze, right? I am Chi Yu, the tribe leader of the Rainbow Sun Tribe.” 

Wen Ze did not expect him to greet him right away so he nervously asked, “You know me?” 

He was also surprised by his status as a tribe leader. Judging by his age, he looked about the same as Zhuo Mu. 

Chi Yu smiled and said, “I’ve only heard of you. I’ve met Zuo Mu and the others, but not you, so I guessed it. I’ve wanted to meet you for a while now.” 

Wen Ze awkwardly responded, “Hello, Tribe Leader Chi Yu. Welcome to our South Mountain tribe.” 

Chi Yu stepped forward again, “Don’t be so formal. Our two tribes are quite close…” 

As he spoke, he reached out, trying to grab Wen Ze’s hand to talk, but Zhuo Mu coldly stepped in and stopped him. 

“Let’s go inside and sit down and tell us the reason for your visit,” Zhuo Mu said calmly. 

A flash of displeasure quickly flashed across Chi Yu’s foxlike eyes, but his smile remained on his lips. 

“I’m just so happy to meet Wen Ze. Shall we go inside then?” he asked, directing the last question to Yi Yan, the tribe leader. 

The straw shelter wasn’t large enough, so Yi Yan invited everyone into the cave. 

Zhuo Mu’s cave was dug downward, but Yi Yan’s cave was carved into the mountainside, with a larger opening that allowed the morning sunlight to shine through, making it brighter. 

There weren’t enough stone benches, but those who didn’t get one didn’t mind. They just lifted their hems and sat cross-legged on the ground. 

Chi Yu sat with his legs slightly spread apart, adopting an imposing posture as he began, “I’ll just get to the point. We’re here to make a deal with the South Mountain Tribe and learn your weaving methods.” 

He didn’t seem to pay much attention to the clothes Wen Ze and the others were wearing, as if it didn’t matter to him. 

Even the beastmen he brought with him, dressed in animal hide skirts, looked completely calm. 

Wen Ze glanced at his side as well… they seemed even calmer than them. 

To be polite, Yi Yan spoke up, “It seems Tribe Leader Chi Yu is quite well-informed. I’m sure you’ve heard that we exchange fabrics with other tribes, but we don’t share our methods.” 

Chi Yu raised his chin slightly and said confidently, “That’s because they can’t afford the supplies. We’re different.” 

Sang Hui raised an eyebrow and responded, “Oh? So, what does the Rainbow Sun Tribe plan to offer in exchange?” 

Chi Yu said, “How about pottery? Two hundred finished red pottery pieces.” 

Wen Ze quietly calculated how much red clay it would take to exchange for two hundred red pottery pieces, and secretly clicked his tongue in surprise. 

As expected of the strongest tribe around, they really were rich and powerful. 

However, none of the members of the South Mountain Tribe were moved by this. 

Wu Ye even frowned and said, “Two hundred might be a lot, but pottery will wear out eventually.” 

Chi Yu continued, “Nothing lasts forever. Even the cloth you weave will eventually wear out. Two hundred pieces of pottery should last you a long time. And even if you don’t use them, exchanging them with other tribes for supplies won’t be a loss.” 

Sang Hui still shook his head. “No. We weave fabric slowly, and the cloth we make can also be exchanged for plenty of supplies. If this is the Rainbow Sun Tribe’s sincerity, then we can’t make a deal with you.” 

Chi Yu’s smile faded a little, and the atmosphere around him became heavier. 

The few people he brought with him weren’t as composed as him, and they couldn’t help but show some signs of impatience. 

Wen Ze understood immediately; they were still after the weaving method. 

After a brief silence, Chi Yu smiled again. “How about this? Our tribe will make another compromise. We’ll exchange the red clay used for pottery with you using our supplies.” 

Wen Ze couldn’t help but mutter, “So, what you meant earlier is that we still have to provide the red clay ourselves?” 

Chi Yu’s smile faltered a bit. “Our tribe’s territory does not have red clay.” 

…No wonder they’re so greedy. 

Zhuo Mu said seriously, “Even so, we still won’t exchange with you.” 

The people Chi Yu brought became anxious. One of them stood up and said loudly, “Don’t be too greedy. Do you know how much material, manpower, and time it takes to prepare the clay, pick up firewood, and fire the kiln for two hundred pieces of red pottery? It’s just a weaving method! Autumn is almost here. If we don’t exchange, so be it! When the weather turns cold, we can wear animal hide clothes just the same!” 

Someone agreed, “Yes, go ask the other tribes if they can afford this price. The Rainbow Sun Tribe has already shown their greatest sincerity! Now it’s you who aren’t being sincere!” 

After their performance, Chi Yu talked again. 

The fox-like, delicate young man looked uncomfortable and coldly said, “Sit down. Stop yelling and making a scene.” 

The people below him were silenced and reluctantly sat down. 

Chi Yu looked at Yi Yan and the others again. “Don’t take it the wrong way, but I believe the people of the South Mountain tribe aren’t greedy. How about this: you can tell us how much supplies you’d need for a fair exhange. For the sake of our two tribes’ friendship, I’ll do my best, even if it means taking a loss.” 

Wen Ze thought to himself: No wonder he’s the leader of a tribe. This strategy has completely put the South Mountain Tribe in a difficult position. 

If the South Mountain tribe really asked for too much, their bad reputation would spread quickly. 

Chi Yu clearly looked like a shrewd merchant. Can he really take a loss? 

And if he’s truly acting for the sake of the two tribes’ friendship, why didn’t they ever take the initiative to visit the South Mountain Tribe before? Was it not because they thought the Southern Mountain Tribe was poor and weak? 

He glanced at Yi Yan, curious to see what kind of conditions he would propose. 

While the people of the Rainbow Sun Tribe performed their little act, Yi Yan remained seated on the stone bench, unmoved by the commotion. 

Unlike the younger generation who were sharp-tongued, he smiled gently and said, “Since Tribe Leader Chi Yu asked, I’ll be straightforward. The weaving method of the South Mountain Tribe can only be exchanged for the construction method of your pottery kiln.” 

Chi Yu’s eyes widened in shock. 

After a brief silence, everyone he brought with him genuinely caused a scene. 

“What? You want the construction method of our pottery kiln?!” 

“That’s impossible! Absolutely not! The pottery kilns are the result of generations of hard work. How could we exchange them to you?” 

“Hah, what a waste of time coming here today. With the South Mountain tribe being this insincere, who would still want to exchange with you in the future?” 

Sang Hui glanced at them coldly and said, “If you don’t want to exchange, just leave. Don’t bother making a scene here.” 

As the leader of the tribe, Chi Yu couldn’t let the two tribes fall into conflict. Even though he was dissatisfied with the South Mountain Tribe, he still stepped in to smooth things over. 

“Sang Hui, that’s not what we meant. It’s just that the South Mountain Tribe is asking for too much. No matter how good the fabric is, there are plenty of alternatives.” 

“But it’s also true that those alternatives aren’t as good as the fabric, just like how the clay pots we fire in open fires aren’t as durable as the ones your tribe makes in kilns.” 

The one who spoke this time was Wen Ze, the one who had brought the weaving frame into the ancient beast world. 

Everyone from the Rainbow Sun Tribe, including Chi Yu, fell silent at his words. 

Yi Yan, being an experienced elder, really lived up to his years of wisdom. The more Wen Ze thought about the conditions he proposed, the more brilliant they appeared. 

The supplies exchanged would eventually run out, but once the weaving method is spread, the South Mountain Tribe will lose its advantage. 

Since both the kiln construction and the weaving methods have their unique techniques, why couldn’t they be exchanged? 

From another perspective, these two methods were perfectly comparable and made for a fair exchange. 

Wen Ze felt regretful that most of his knowledge was related to plants and he had no idea how to build those reusable pottery kilns. Otherwise, he would’ve taken matters into his own hands. 

Noticing Chi Yu’s hesitation, he threw out another unexpected surprise. 

---

You can grab the full book now on my Ko-fi page, available in both PDF and EPUB formats! 🖤
📎 Here’s the link to the full novel