It wasn’t just Luan Xun and the core members of the tribe—even the regular members of the Feathered Fierce Tribe were quite interested in Wen Ze and his group. 

They were eager to hear about other tribes, see what they wore, what they used, and what goods they had brought with them. 

Their tribe didn’t have any beastmen with bear or giant python forms, so seeing Yin He and Zhuo Mu was quite a novelty. 

However, Zhuo Mu was already an adult and a warrior of the South Mountain Tribe, and with his cold and distant aura, it made everyone cautious, so they didn’t approach him recklessly. 

Yin He, on the other hand, was different. He was just a young cub, and his beast form was an adorable giant panda. 

His round, fluffy ears, natural “black eye circles,” and white belly made everyone envious. 

When word got out that Luan Xun was taking Wen Ze and the others to the seaside, the crowd eagerly gathered around, expressing their desire to join the trip. 

Luan Xun cheerfully waved his hand. “Alright! Anyone who wants to come, come! We haven’t gone fishing in a while—let’s bring back some seafood to enjoy!” 

A wave of excited cheers erupted from the crowd. 

The Feathered Fierce Tribe quickly assembled a group. The beastmen shifted into golden eagles and other raptors, while the half-beastmen either sprouted wings to fly on their own or rode on the backs of familiar beastmen. 

Wen Ze and his group were surrounded by the lively crowd as they set out in a grand procession. 

Along the way, everyone curiously and warmly chatted with Wen Ze, listening to his explanation about the goods he had brought and stories about the outside world. 

Each item, including pottery, cloth, glass, and soap, was surprising enough to everyone, and the lively discussions never stopped. 

When they transformed into their beast forms, their calls were incredibly piercing. 

Even the normally composed Zhuo Mu couldn’t help but shake his head several times—it was simply too loud. 

Wen Ze also struggled to keep up. One moment he was talking about fabric, and the next, someone was asking about glass, forcing him to switch topics mid-sentence. 

Sitting cross-legged on Zhuo Mu’s back, he held a small booklet in his left hand and a charcoal pencil in his right, constantly writing and drawing. 

“No rush, no rush. Just tell me your name and what you want to order, and I’ll write them down one by one,” Wen Ze said with a smile. 

Yu Qiao and the others were eager to get their hands on beautiful pottery and fabric. 

Flapping their wings, they hovered over Wen Ze’s head and pressed him for details. 

“We’ll gather the supplies soon. When can we go to the South Mountain Tribe to find you?” 

Wen Ze looked up and replied, “The Autumn Harvest Festival is coming up soon. We’ll bring some of our goods to the market, so we can do the exchange at the Eden Grasslands.” 

Yu Qiao and the others shouted, “Great!” 

Those who had already made arrangements with Wen Ze went over to play with Yin He. 

After getting his permission, they eagerly reached out—some touching his ears, some rubbing his belly—making Yin He laugh out loud with a series of playful grunts. 

As they played, the cubs and younger tribespeople became more familiar with one another, chasing each other along the way. 

No bear could resist the temptation of birds flying around above their head—Yin He was no exception. 

He waved his large paws, ready to pounce on them. 

The members of the Feathered Fierce Tribe laughed and flapped their wings, dodging him in the air, their joyful laughter echoing all around. 

Wen Ze observed them a few times, and seeing that no one was being too rough, he felt at ease and stopped paying attention. 

Aside from “promoting” the goods from his tribe, he also chatted with the Feathered Fierce Tribe about the climate and plant life, hoping to find familiar crops from his memory. 

Their enthusiasm for him was evident. They warmly invited him, saying, “You’re in a hurry this time, but next time, stay longer! We’ll take you on a full tour of our tribe!” 

“Yes! We have a rich variety of plant life here. If you search carefully, you’re bound to find what you’re looking for!” 

“We’ll also keep an eye out for you when we go out gathering and hunting!” 

Wen Ze smiled and thanked them. 

“Huh,” Yu Qiao, who was circling above, squinted and asked in confusion, “Are those two big birds beastmen?” 

“Where? Let me take a look.” 

“That big? It must be!” 

“Doesn’t seem like beastmen from our tribe.” 

Flying high above with sharper eyesight, Luan Xun saw more clearly than the others and said coldly, “It’s those two traveling merchants from the Dawn Tribe.” 

“What? It’s them!” 

“Quick, stop them!” 

Wen Ze hadn’t figured out what was going on yet when he saw both beastmen and half-beastmen soaring into the sky, flapping their wings vigorously as they charged toward the two merchants. 

At first, the two merchants sped up when they saw them, even letting out two friendly calls. 

But as soon as they noticed the aggressive stance of the Feathered Fierce Tribe, they realized something was wrong and turned to flee! 

That escape only made things worse, further enraging the Feathered Fierce Tribe members. They not only cried out but also shouted at the two merchants: 

“Sly merchants, stop right there!” 

“Keep running, and we’ll pluck you bald!” 

“Idiot, no need to pluck them. Their heads are already bald!” 

With an exciting scene unfolding, Wen Ze forgot about everything else. He quickly tucked away his booklet and leaned forward eagerly. 

“Zhuo Mu, Yin He, hurry up and follow them!” 

Zhuo Mu gave a low response and told Yin He, “You keep up from behind.” 

“Huh?” Yin He barely had time to react before Zhuo Mu shot forward like a streak of lightning. 

The speed left Yin He stunned. 

Even during hunts, he never ran this fast. And now, just to let my brother watch the commotion, he’s going all out? 

Thanks to Zhuo Mu’s all-out chase, Wen Ze got to see the excitement just as he had hoped. 

The two traveling merchants turned out to be vultures in their beast forms. Their heads had little to no feathers, their bodies were as massive as golden eagles, and their wingspans were long. 

They weren’t slow, but after flying for so long, they were getting tired. 

On top of that, the Feathered Fierce Tribe had numbers on their side. Led by Luan Xun and the elites of the tribe, they surrounded and blocked the merchants. 

The tension in the air was thick. 

The two merchants, now furious, charged recklessly, trying to break through. 

Luan Xun and his group gave them no chance—they went straight for the fight. 

The merchants fought back, but they were outmatched and were struck down from midair. 

Watching them spiral downward, Wen Ze’s heart clenched. 

Fortunately, there was only the sea below. The two vultures crashed into the water, transformed into human form, and swam toward the nearby shore. 

The Feathered Fierce Tribe had no intention of taking their lives, so they did not attack further. Instead, they landed on the shore, shifted into human form, and stood there with grim expressions. 

The two vulture beastmen climbed onto the shore, wrapped themselves in their animal hide clothing, and looked just as upset. 

Wen Ze and his group arrived as well. The Feathered Fierce Tribe members even thoughtfully made way for him so he could stand at the front and see clearly. 

The two vulture beastmen were clearly brothers—their facial features were almost identical. The only difference was the horizontal scar across the nose of the one on the left, giving him a fiercer look. 

Due to their beast form, they had very short hair, high nose bridges, deep-set eyes, and strong features, giving them an exotic look.  

Their builds, however, were also similar to Luan Xun and the others—tall, muscular, and bronzed 

After being knocked into the sea for no reason, they glared with wide eyes, their faces flushed and their necks tense with anger. 

The beastman on the left said angrily, “Leader Luan Xun, what is the meaning of this?” 

The one on the right added, “We were merely passing through your territory. We didn’t even hunt. Why did you attack us?” 

“Are you trying to rob us? Or are you bullying us because our tribe is far away and can’t retaliate?” 

“If you don’t give us an explanation today, we’ll spread the word about your tribe’s barbaric actions and warn others not to associate with you!” 

Luan Xun sneered. “Chen Meng, Xi Lie, aren’t you the real barbarians here? Not only barbaric but also cunning! We attacked you today because you owe us an explanation!” 

The scarred beastman, Chen Meng, frowned in surprise. “What explanation do we owe you?” 

Xi Lie rolled up his sleeves, his face red with anger. “That’s right! Who are you calling cunning? Speak clearly!” 

Luan Xun smirked. “Still denying it? Fine, take a look at this.” 

He retrieved something from his space and tossed it to the ground with a “bang.” 

Wen Ze looked down—it seemed to be a metal knife? But the blade was covered in black-red rust. 

Rust? Iron rust? 

Wen Ze’s eyes widened in shock. 

Could this thing be an iron weapon? 

Chen Meng’s expression turned wary as he bent down, picked up the item, examined it briefly, and exchanged a glance with his brother Xi Lie. 

“This is the black iron knife we exchanged with you?” 

Luan Xun curled his lips coldly. “Good. So you admit it.” 

Chen Meng frowned. “How did it end up like this?” 

Luan Xun snapped, “How should we know?! When you exchanged this knife with us, you praised it like it was the best thing ever—sharp, durable, and sturdy—making it seem like we’d suffer a huge loss if we didn’t exchange with you. And now? It hasn’t even been a year, and look at it!” 

The tribesmen behind him were equally furious. “Exactly! Just look at this, how are we supposed to use it now?” 

“You took so many supplies from our tribe in exchange for this useless knife! It barely lasted a year before becoming useless. We’re already going easy on you!” 

“We don’t want this useless knife. Give us back our supplies!” 

“Yes! Return what you took from us!” 

Chen Meng’s expression shifted several times before he finally started to feel guilty. 

“W-We don’t know how this happened either! It was perfectly fine when we exchanged it with you!” 

Xi Lie couldn’t help but defend as well, “That black iron knife came from the Black Silver Tribe! We spent a lot of pearls and gems to get it! There were only two! We exchanged one with you, and the other is still with me! Look!” 

He hurriedly pulled out the other iron knife. The two knives had different shapes, and the blade was rough and uneven. 

With a single glance, Wen Ze could tell that the Black Silver Tribe didn’t actually know how to forge iron. They must have simply stumbled upon two metal chunks shaped somewhat like knives and used some method to sharpen the edges. 

Xi Lie waved the knife in his hand. “See? This one is still perfectly fine! Maybe you just weren’t using it properly?” 

Luan Xun was so furious that he laughed instead. “We’ve lived for so many years; do you think we don’t know how to use a knife? We’ve exchanged for Black Silver Knives from the Black Silver Tribe before, and nothing like this ever happened!” 

Chen Meng said, “Then did you go ask the Black Silver Tribe? Maybe they know what’s going on!” 

Luan Xun retorted, “We got these knives from you. If there’s a problem, we should be looking for you.” 

The one beside him, Fu Chen, added, “The leader is right. There’s something wrong with the knife, and you tricked us! If you don’t return the supplies today, don’t blame us for being rude!” 

Chen Meng’s eyes turned red with anxiety. “We really don’t know what’s going on! We flew all the way here with not much left and were planning to restock at your Autumn Harvest Gathering.” 

Xi Lie said, “Even if you want us to return it, we simply can’t!” 

Luan Xun’s voice turned cold. “You can’t?” 

He stepped forward, looking as if he was ready to personally teach them a lesson. 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie backed away, waving their hands in an attempt to reason with him. “The Beast Continent has rules—you can’t harm traveling merchants! If you really attack us, the Beast God will punish you!” 

The people of the Feathered Fierce Tribe pointed at them and cursed. “Merchants like you are a joke! The Beast God won’t blame us!” 

“That’s right!” 

With no other options, Chen Meng and Xi Lie, desperate for help, turned to Zhuo Mu, who wasn’t from the Feathered Fierce Tribe. 

“Where are you from? Can you help us talk to them? This is really a misunderstanding! If they want us to return the supplies, we just need time to gather enough to repay them!” 

“The Black Silver Knives we used before were perfectly fine. We had no idea Black Iron Knives would turn out like this!” 

“Or we could take a short rest and then fly to the Black Silver Tribe to ask if there’s a way to fix this.” 

The people of the Feathered Fierce Tribe refused, fearing that if they let them leave, they would never return. 

When neither side was backing down, Wen Ze stepped forward. 

He first turned to the Feathered Fierce Tribe and said, “Leader Luan Xun, everyone, please remain calm.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie felt their hearts sink halfway. They had clearly been asking Zhuo Mu for help—why was this half-beastman speaking up instead? 

With his thin, frail frame, Luan Xun could send him flying with a single push. What good would it do for him to step in? 

But to their surprise, not only did Zhuo Mu stand beside him in silent support, even the members of the Feathered Fierce Tribe actually calmed down! 

Luan Xun’s attitude shifted to a noticeably gentler tone as he asked, “Wen Ze, do you have a way to solve this?” 

Wen Ze didn’t make any promises. “Let me take a look first.” 

Then, he walked over to Chen Meng and held out his hand. “Give me the Black Iron Knife.” 

Chen Meng hadn’t expected the entire Feathered Fierce Tribe to give him so much face. His eyes widened in shock as he dumbfoundedly handed over the knife. 

Wen Ze examined it closely, running his fingers over the surface, and quickly confirmed that the blade was completely corroded by rust. 

“The original knife should have been much thinner than this, right?” he asked. 

Although Chen Meng was still skeptical, he responded quickly and with a friendlier attitude. 

“Yes, it was about as thick as the one my brother is holding. I heard that the Black Silver Tribe only had three of these knives in total. We spent a huge amount of supplies just to exchange for the two of them.” 

Xi Lie added, “We originally planned to exchange away both knives, but in the end, we only managed to exchange one with the Feathered Fierce Tribe.” 

Luan Xun raised an eyebrow. “So, you think our tribe is full of fools with too many supplies to spare?” 

“I didn’t!” 

Wen Ze curled his lips into a small smile. He understood what the brothers were saying. 

These Black Iron Knives were extremely expensive. Other tribes either couldn’t afford them or thought they weren’t worth the price. 

The Feathered Fierce Tribe lived by the sea, where they could gather shellfish and harvest pearls. They had spent their resources to exchange for the knife. 

Now, in less than a year, it had rusted like this. Anyone would be furious. No wonder they treated Chen Meng and Xi Lie like enemies. 

Wen Ze looked at Chen Meng and Xi Lie. “Do you dare to swear to the Beast God that you truly didn’t deceive the Feathered Fierce Tribe and are willing to take responsibility?” 

Without hesitation, they nodded. “We are willing!” 

After speaking, they each swore a solemn oath to the Beast God. 

In this world, reverence for the Beast God was deeply ingrained in everyone’s bones. 

Seeing this, the Feathered Fierce Tribe members finally relaxed a little. 

Luan Xun stepped forward and said, “If you really can return the supplies to us, we’ll let this go.” 

Wen Ze raised the knife in his hand. “And what about this?” 

Luan Xun looked at it with disdain. “It’s not even as good as a black silver knife. Just give it back to them.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie lowered their heads. Thinking about how the supplies were no small amount and the knife was now useless, their expressions were as dejected as withered eggplants. 

To everyone’s surprise, Wen Ze said, “I want to try removing the rust.” 

Luan Xun was startled. “You have a way? We’ve already tried grinding it against stones with water many times, but it didn’t work! Even when we managed to remove a little rust, it came back quickly!” 

“I’m not sure, but it’s worth a try. As for the rust coming back quickly, have you been using the knife to cut seafood?” 

“Are we not supposed to?” 

“You can, but after cutting, you need to wash it thoroughly with river water and dry it. Otherwise, the saltwater will corrode the knife badly.” 

Luan Xun pressed his lips together and fell silent. 

Chen Meng opened his mouth, wanting to say: See? The problem is with how you used it. 

But seeing so many Feathered Fierce Tribe members around, he reluctantly swallowed his words. 

Xi Lie’s attitude toward Wen Ze had already changed from doubt to trust and respect. 

He eagerly asked, “Your name is Wen Ze, right? You said you have a way to remove the rust—what is it?” 

Wen Ze glanced around and asked, “Does your tribe have a fruit that stays really sour even when it’s ripe? It might have yellow skin, with segmented flesh of the same color and seeds inside. That kind of fruit is usually too sour to eat.” 

The people of the Feathered Fierce Tribe, along with the two traveling merchants, thought carefully. 

A slightly older half-beastman spoke up. “I’ve seen the kind of fruit you’re talking about. Just one bite makes your teeth ache, and it burns your throat.” 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up. “Could you pick a few for me?” 

“Alright! That place isn’t far—we’ll be back soon.” 

He called his partner, and they quickly flew off. 

Wen Ze then turned to Zhuo Mu. “Can you take out the salt pouch you carry with you and give it to me?” 

Zhuo Mu said nothing and handed him the bag of salt. 

Wen Ze crouched down, found a flat stone, and placed the rusty knife on it. 

Then, he sprinkled a layer of salt on both sides of the blade. 

While working, he didn’t stay idle and chatted with Chen Meng and Xi Lie, asking them where they had been and what they had exchanged with others. 

Grateful for Wen Ze’s help earlier, Chen Meng and Xi Lie answered seriously. 

“Actually, we can only carry a limited number of things, and we don’t visit too many places. A single trip might take us through dozens of tribes, but that’s still less than a small fraction of the Beast World Continent.” 

“As for the things we exchanged, there’s everything—pearls, gemstones, bone ornaments, pottery, animal hides, food… We usually pick smaller items that are durable and easy to carry.” 

Wen Ze lifted his head and looked at them. The sunlight cast a glow on his handsome face, making his dark eyes shine brightly. 

“Do you have any seeds?” 

The two shook their heads. “No.” 

Seeing Wen Ze’s disappointment, they quickly added, “We used to bring seeds! But when we exchanged them elsewhere, the crops that grew turned out different, and the fruits didn’t taste good. So, we stopped bringing them. 

“Wen Ze, do you want seeds?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes.” 

The atmosphere eased a lot, and the Feathered Fierce Tribe members were now more willing to chat with the two brothers. 

“You probably don’t know, but Wen Ze loves seeds the most. If you ever come across good seeds, just bring them to him,” Luan Xun said. 

Wen Ze finished applying the salt, straightened up, and smiled. “It’s just that seeds are easier to carry. But I like all kinds of delicious food.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie nodded, saying they’d keep that in mind. 

“We can bring some things for you, but flying around isn’t easy, and we need a lot of supplies ourselves.” 

At this, everyone laughed. 

Chang Chuan loudly declared, “Among all of us here, not a single one is as wealthy as Wen Ze!” 

“Just bring things for him. He has plenty of good stuff! You won’t lose out!” 

Xi Lie’s eyes lit up as he asked Wen Ze, “Then where can we find you?” 

Wen Ze replied, “I’m from the South Mountain Tribe.” 

“Huh?” This time, the two brothers were truly shocked. 

“South Mountain Tribe? The one near the Green Peak Mountain Range?” 

“Yes, that one.” 

“Beast God! You’re actually from the South Mountain Tribe?” 

“Isn’t the South Mountain Tribe quite small? I don’t think they have anything good… Ah, I didn’t mean it like that! It’s just that the South Mountain Tribe doesn’t seem to have anything particularly special…” 

Wen Ze understands what they meant: his tribe’s goods could be found in other tribes in better quality. 

He wasn’t offended. Instead, he smiled confidently. “That was before. Once we finish our business here, you should come visit our tribe and see for yourselves.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie were still a bit doubtful, but when they saw Luan Xun and the others nodding, they exchanged glances and said, “That’s right! The South Mountain Tribe has changed completely. The clothes we’re wearing are made from fabric that Wen Ze taught everyone to weave. ” 

What? 

“The South Mountain Tribe has even started making colorful pottery.” 

What, what?! 

“Pottery is nothing, they even have glass now! It looks just like jade!” 

Glass? What was that?! 

Ahhh! Chen Meng and Xi Lie were dying of curiosity; they wanted to go see the South Mountain Tribe right now! 

But there was no helping it; they still had things to settle here. 

As they talked, the half-beastman who had gone to gather fruit earlier returned, riding on his black eagle partner. 

He landed and handed the fruits he had gathered to Wen Ze. “See if these are useful.” 

The fruit was orange, round, about the size of two fists, and looked like an oversized orange. 

Wen Ze peeled one open. Before even tasting it, the strong sour scent made his mouth water. 

When he touched it with the tip of his tongue—wow, the sourness! His brows furrowed tightly and didn’t relax for a long time. 

Zhuo Mu handed him a water pouch. “Rinse your mouth.” 

Wen Ze swallowed, hissed, and said, “It’s fine. I’m better now.” 

Then, under everyone’s curious gazes, he squeezed the juice from the sour fruit onto the salted knife blade, dripping a generous amount on both sides. 

As the juice fell, people could hear a sizzling, corroding sound. 

After finishing, Wen Ze stood up, clapped his hands, and said, “It’ll take about half a morning.” 

After waiting for a whole year, half a morning was nothing. 

Luan Xun suggested, “Instead of just waiting, the weather is nice today, and the waves are calm. How about we take you all out to the sea to catch some fish?” 

Wen Ze’s eyes sparkled. “Sounds good! Are there big crabs and lobsters in this sea?” 

“You mean crab beasts and shrimp beasts? Yes, there are.” 

Whoa! They even called them ‘beasts’? Just how big were they?! 

Wen Ze eagerly said, “I want to go catch those crab beasts and shrimp beasts!” 

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