Chen Meng was stunned. “You mean the black iron blocks?” 

“Not just the black iron blocks—black silver blocks, or…” Wen Ze thought about the color of copper and said, “Yellow metal blocks, and so on. As long as it’s metal ore, I want it. We can discuss how much supplies to exchange for it later.” 

Chen Meng couldn’t hide his shock and asked Xi Lie, “We’ve never seen yellow metal blocks before, right?” 

Xi Lie nodded. “Never seen them.” 

He then looked at Wen Ze seriously and said, “As for the black silver blocks you mentioned, we don’t have them either. The Black Silver Tribe guards their black silver ore very closely. They still need to smelt it themselves, so there’s no way they’d let us take any.” 

Wen Ze raised an eyebrow, sensing the underlying meaning in his words: “So, you have the black iron blocks?” 

The two brothers were even more surprised. How was this half-beastman from the South Mountain Tribe so sharp? 

“It’s a long story,” Chen Meng said, rubbing the scar on his nose. “Last year, when we passed by the Black Silver Tribe, we originally wanted to exchange some black silver tools. You know, the black silver tools they forge are valuable to all tribes.” 

Wu Ye nodded in agreement. 

“Then, the Black Silver Tribe said they used black iron blocks to forge three iron knives. The black iron blocks are extremely hard to forge. Not only is melting them impossible, even softening them is difficult. They had to find several metal blocks that were similar to the shape of knives, and it took a lot of manpower and time to forge them successfully.” 

As expected, it was similar to what Wen Ze had guessed. 

He calmly asked, “And then?” 

Xi Lie sighed. “After trying out the black iron knives, we were really tempted. On impulse, we nearly emptied all our pearls and gemstones to exchange for two of them.” 

Chen Meng added, “After the exchange, the Black Silver Tribe asked us if we wanted to exchange for more black iron blocks. They said they’d take fewer supplies from us in return.” 

“At first, we didn’t want to. Even their tribe, which is skilled in metalworking, couldn’t do anything with black iron blocks—what use would they be to us two traveling merchants?” 

“But they persuaded us, saying that just because they couldn’t use them didn’t mean other tribes couldn’t. Metal blocks are valuable everywhere, and since we travel a lot, we might be able to exchange them.” 

“Hearing that, we thought it made sense. Plus, the supplies they asked for in exchange were much less compared to the black iron knives, so we exchanged for two baskets, hoping to try our luck.” 

At this point, Chen Meng let out a heavy sigh. “But as you can see, the black iron knives ended up stuck with us, and when other tribes heard that black iron blocks couldn’t be melted and were difficult to forge, they all shook their heads and refused to take them!” 

Xi Lie said angrily, “This time, my brother and I rushed over, partly to attend the autumn harvest festival here and partly because, after the gathering, we planned to go back to the Black Silver Tribe to return these useless, space-consuming black iron blocks and get our supplies back!” 

Chen Meng nodded firmly. “Exactly! No matter how valuable black iron is, whoever wants it can take it—we don’t want it anymore!” 

Because they had spent all their supplies at the Black Silver Tribe, they later came across many desirable items but had no supplies left to exchange. 

The two baskets of black iron blocks were still valuable, so they couldn’t bear to throw them away. But every time they saw them taking up space without bringing any gains, the brothers couldn’t help but sigh and feel frustrated. 

Being straightforward beastmen, they sincerely advised Wen Ze, “You helped us, and we consider you a friend, so we’re telling you this—black iron blocks are really useless. If you want to do an exchange, they’ll just end up stuck in your hands. Don’t waste your supplies.” 

“Yes, if you really want metal tools, just wait until we return the black iron blocks to the Black Silver Tribe. We can help you exchange for some black silver knives, and you’d just have to cover our travel costs.” 

Their sincerity touched Wen Ze. 

“I understand.” 

The brothers were relieved, but then they heard Wen Ze say, “But I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I still want to exchange for metal blocks.” 

The two of them were so anxious they slapped their thighs. “But the black iron blocks can’t be smelted!” 

Wen Ze said, “I want to give it a try. I was actually planning to ask you to fly to the Black Silver Tribe and help me bring back some black iron blocks. Since you happen to have some now, can you show them to me?” 

His lips curved into a faint smile, his expression calm, and his eyes steady. 

Seeing his determination, the brothers could only sigh and take out the two baskets of black iron blocks, placing them on the ground of the straw shelter. 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up immediately. He walked over without hesitation and reached out to inspect them. 

It was called an “iron block,” but in reality, it was just ore. The overall color was black, mixed with sand and other impurities that he couldn’t identify. 

Among them, some irregularly shaped pieces shimmered with a black metallic sheen, likely some iron compounds. 

From the rough weight, it seems that there is a lot of iron compound in this block of black iron. It might be worth trying to refine it. 

After inspecting them, Wen Ze asked how much supplies they had exchanged with the Black Silver Tribe for these. 

The two brothers gave a number, which, when converted, was less than one-tenth of the value of a black iron knife. 

“Then how about this, I’ll exchange ten colored pottery pieces for these two baskets of black iron blocks,” Wen Ze said. 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie were left speechless: “You really want to exchange it?” 

Wen Ze chuckled: “Otherwise, what do you think I’ve been doing here? Yes, I’m really exchanging it.” 

Xi Lie asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?” 

“I’ve thought it through.” 

Chen Meng hesitated for a few seconds before asking, “What if you fail to smelt them?” 

Wen Ze reassured him, “Regardless of the outcome, we won’t ask you to take it back, so don’t worry.” 

Chen Meng didn’t expect Wen Ze to be so determined and turned to look at Zhuo Mu, Sang Hui, and the others: “Are you all going to let him exchange it?” 

Smelting and forging weren’t tasks for just one person. Would the others be willing to help Wen Ze without expecting anything in return? 

Zhuo Mu replied indifferently, “If he wants to exchange, then let him.” 

Sang Hui and the others also nodded in agreement. 

In truth, after hearing what the two brothers said, they didn’t think much of Wen Ze’s plan. 

They figured that ten pieces of colored pottery weren’t much for Wen Ze, so they let him go ahead. 

As for helping him? If Wen Ze asked, they would do it! 

They had the strength and time to spare—why overthink it? 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie were completely speechless. 

They had traveled to many places and met many people, and some of the tribes they’d encountered were quite united. 

But they had never seen a tribe as united as this one! 

Wen Ze was truly impressive. How did a half-beastman manage to achieve this? 

The two brothers looked at him with even greater admiration. 

Xi Lie sighed again. “We tried to persuade you, and everyone here can be a witness to that.” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Mm.” 

Chen Meng gritted his teeth: “Since that’s the case… then we’ll exchange! But using a bunch of useless black iron blocks to exchange for your ten colored pottery, we feel like we’re taking advantage of you. How about you take away two?” 

Wen Ze refused. “No need. Carrying two baskets of iron blocks while flying around is tough work for you. Besides, I have a favor to ask.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie were even more moved. Not only did Wen Ze help them solve a problem, but he also considered their hardships! He was such a good person! 

How could they have overlooked such a clever, decisive, and kind half-beastman when they first met him? Their judgment had been so poor! 

Since Wen Ze had shown such sincerity, they straightened their backs and said boldly, “Tell us! As long as it’s something we can do, we’ll definitely help!” 

“The autumn harvest festival is coming up soon. I’d like to ask you two to visit as many tribes as possible in the next few days and help spread the word about it.” 

The two brothers didn’t quite understand. “Spread the word?” 

Wen Ze nodded. “Yes.” 

Then he turned to Zhuo Mu and the others. “Can you help me bring over the pottery, cloth, soap, and glass so they can take a look?” 

“Got it.” 

Without another word, they brought the items Wen Ze wanted. 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie gasped, their eyes widening in shock. 

“Heavens, this pottery is actually sparkling! It’s so beautiful!” 

“The fabric you wove is so light and elegant! And it even has patterns on it! Beast God, I can’t even imagine how other tribes would react when they see these fabrics—they’ll go crazy!” 

“What do you call this? Glass? Isn’t this a gemstone? What? You’re saying you made this by firing it? Impossible!” 

“Soap makes your hands so clean and smooth! This is amazing!” 

“The Feathered Fierce Tribe said your tribe has a lot of good things, but not this many!” 

Later, they were so excited that they couldn’t speak properly, their eyes and faces were red, and they made strange noises several times. 

The people from the South Mountain Tribe exchanged glances and smiled proudly. 

After they had marveled for a while, Wen Ze asked, “Do you think these items will be popular at the Autumn Harvest Festival?” 

Chen Meng held a piece of pottery like it was a treasure, his eyes red with excitement as he shouted, “Yes! Definitely! Not just at the festival—if tribes from far away see them, they’ll fight to get them!” 

Xi Lie hurriedly asked, “Brother, how many pearls and gems do you have left? How about we take everything and exchange it with the South Mountain Tribe?” 

Chen Meng was already thinking the same: “Good idea! Let’s take everything. Once we’ve exchanged it, we’ll head straight to the Dawn Tribe. I guarantee, with such good things, we can exchange everything just by going around our tribe!” 

Xi Lie laughed heartily, “And we’ll get a lot of supplies! Brother, we’re going to make a fortune!” 

At that moment, the two brothers had the exact same thought—this trip to the South Mountain Tribe was well worth it! Thank the Beast God they met Wen Ze, or they would have missed out on such an incredible opportunity! 

Seeing their reactions, Wen Ze couldn’t help but chuckle softly. 

“Thank you for your appreciation, but we don’t have much pottery and glass in our tribe either. The ones we make now are already reserved by the Feathered Fierce Tribe and the Rainbow Sun Tribe.” 

In reality, the Rainbow Sun Tribe only expressed interest; they haven’t discussed details yet. 

But in business, it’s all about creating the feeling of scarcity—My goods are amazing, and if you don’t act fast, you won’t get them, right? 

When Chen Meng and Xie Lie heard this, they became so anxious that they pounded their chests and stamped their feet, saying, “Ah! What do we do now? We want them too!” 

“If there’s not much pottery or glass, what about the soap and fabric?” they pressed eagerly. 

Wen Ze replied, “Several nearby tribes have learned to weave, so you can exchange fabric with them. However, they haven’t started dyeing yet, so for now, only our tribe has colored fabric.” 

“As for soap, I don’t have much in stock, but I can make more soon.” 

Chen Meng nodded. “As long as you can make it, that’s good.” 

Wen Ze also introduced them to sulfur soap, which could kill insects, and they became even more eager, more fascinated than they were last year at the Black Silver Tribe! 

“So, soap and fabric are settled, but what about pottery and glass?” Chen Meng leaned in slightly, staring intently at Wen Ze. “We’re friends—you have to help us.” 

Xi Lie: “Yes, yes! Please exchange some with us!” 

Wen Ze looked slightly troubled. “Of course, I’d like to, but as you can see, our tribe is small, and we can’t fire too many potteries and glass at the same time. Plus, the autumn harvest festival only happens once a year, and we’re hoping to make some profit at the market.” 

Seeing that he mentioned the autumn harvest festival again, Chen Meng asked, puzzled, “If it’s just to exchange goods, isn’t it too much trouble to go to the autumn harvest festival? So, what exactly do you want to exchange there?” 

Wen Ze smiled and explained, “I want to exchange for food and seeds that the South Mountain Tribe doesn’t have.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie suddenly understood. “No wonder you asked us at noon, when we were in the Feathered Fierce Tribe’s territory, whether we were carrying any seeds.” 

Wen Ze responded with a simple “Mm” and said seriously, “I’d like to ask you to help us spread the word so that those who want to do an exchange with our tribe bring food and seeds with them. You can fly, you’re merchants, and you have knowledge, so this task can only be entrusted to you.” 

The two brothers were overjoyed. 

To think that such a clever and capable half-beastman like Wen Ze trusted only them! 

Beast God, they felt so honored and couldn’t wait to fly to every tribe right away to help him spread the word! 

Wen Ze, seeing their expressions, knew the task was almost taken care of. He smiled and said: 

“I won’t let you do this for nothing. Later, when our tribe fires more pottery and glass, I’ll set some aside for you. You’ll also get first pick of our dyed fabrics.” 

The brothers were thrilled. “Alright, alright! It’s settled then! We’ll head out right now!” 

Saying this, they rushed out in a hurry. 

“Hey!” Wen Ze called out urgently. 

Luckily, Zhuo Mu reacted quickly. He grabbed each of them by their arms and pulled them back. 

Wen Ze shook his head with a helpless smile. “The sun has already set. Are you really going to travel overnight? Stay in our tribe for a meal, get a good night’s rest, and head out tomorrow.” 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie gave a sheepish grin. 

“And also, when you go spread the word, don’t just talk about our pottery, fabric, and glass—bring this as well.” 

Wen Ze took out a small booklet and handed it to them. 

Chen Meng took it and asked curiously, “What’s this?” 

“This is the paper we created ourselves.” 

They flipped open the booklet and were shocked upon seeing the charcoal drawings. 

“This is also a great thing!” 

“Wen Ze, aren’t we friends? You haven’t even shown us all the good things from your tribe!” The two of them stomped their feet in frustration. 

Wen Ze was briefly stunned before explaining, “I didn’t think you’d be interested in this… Also, our tribe has been too busy lately to make more paper.” 

When they asked about the next batch, they learned that it would take at least half a month to produce more. 

“Sigh, we can’t stay here that long.” Chen Meng carefully flipped through the booklet, feeling regretful. 

Xi Lie’s eyes sparkled. “Can you exchange the papermaking method with us?” 

Wen Ze smiled and asked back, “Do you have enough supplies?” 

Xi Lie immediately fell silent. 

Wen Ze reassured them again, “It’s okay, you already know where our tribe is. Next time you come, maybe you’ll get better paper.” 

Chen Meng sighed and said, “It seems this is the only way. Are these all food in your drawings?” 

“Not all of them. After we eat, I’ll explain them to you. Then you can take the booklet and show it to people in other tribes.” 

Sang Hui added, “You don’t need to go to the Rainbow Sun, Snow Sea, Wild Field, Fierce Wind, or Feathered Fierce Tribes near our tribe.” 

Chen Meng understood immediately. “They already know, right?” 

Sang Hui chuckled. “That’s right.” 

The two brothers put away the booklet and the ten pottery pieces Wen Ze had exchanged with them. 

Wen Ze also handed them three regular soaps, two sulfur soaps, a piece of fabric, and a sheet of glass to help them spread the word more effectively. 

After observing them all afternoon, Wen Ze felt confident in their character. Besides, the South Mountain Tribe had plenty of valuable goods—he wasn’t worried about them running off. 

Even if they did, after the autumn harvest festival, the South Mountain Tribe would surely make a name for itself in this region. 

Unless the entire Dawn Tribe, including these two, never set foot here again, they wouldn’t dare make enemies of the South Mountain Tribe. 

As it turned out, the two brothers were completely unaware of Wen Ze’s plans behind his friendly smile. 

They were already eager to spread the word for him and make some exchanges of their own. 

By the time the discussion was over, the sky had turned dark. 

Everyone was hungry, so Wen Ze asked Sang Hui and the others to help prepare a meal. 

The main dish was the seafood they had brought back from the Feathered Fierce Tribe, which he prepared himself, making steamed and garlic-flavored versions. 

While Li Shui was helping him with the preparation, he asked about the pearl. Wen Ze, with his ears faintly flushed, explained, and as anticipated, Li Shui gave him a teasing look. 

After cooking, Sang Hui and the others refused to stay for a meal, so Wen Ze had each of them take a king crab or a large lobster home. 

Despite several attempts to decline, Sang Hui and the others could not refuse. With a smile, they expressed their gratitude and took the seafood with them. 

As for Chen Meng and Xi Lie, they will begin flying tirelessly tomorrow. In order to motivate them further, Wen Ze specifically kept them here for a meal and took the opportunity to explain the drawings he had drawn to them. 

Since there were things that couldn’t be discussed in front of the two outsiders, Sang Hui gave Wen Ze a look before leaving, as if saying, “See you tomorrow.” 

Wen Ze nodded, indicating he understood. 

His cooking skills were exceptional. The steamed seafood was paired with a special dipping sauce, which contained not only salt but also a tangy and refreshing fruit puree, finely chopped garlic, shallots, and other ingredients. 

The sauce had a complex yet perfectly balanced richness that enhanced the natural sweetness of the crab legs and shrimp meat, making it far more satisfying than eating them grilled without any seasoning. 

The seafood grilled on a stone slab with garlic was even more remarkable. 

Raw garlic had a bold kick, while cooked garlic turned sweet and fragrant. Whether it was crab meat, shrimp, or fish, they all had no choice but to submit gracefully to the power of garlic. 

Just seafood alone wasn’t enough. Worried that the bird eggs they had collected earlier might spoil, Wen Ze picked some chives and made a plate of stir-fried chives with eggs. 

He also took some meat and bones, adding radishes and potatoes to make a hearty stew. 

This meal had everything—vegetables, meat, fish, and eggs. They could bite on bones or sip hot soup, a perfect balance of deliciousness and variety. 

As usual, Yin He was so excited that he howled with delight, and Zhuo Mu’s chopsticks moved swiftly. 

But the most dramatic reaction came from the two traveling merchants. 

They were moved to tears! 

“It’s so good, really so good!” Chen Meng, a striking and imposing beastman, teared up as he spoke to Wen Ze. “I can’t even remember the last time I had food this delicious!” 

Xi Lie sniffled too. “And the sea beasts are so hard to catch. You actually treated us to such a meal, you’re too kind.” 

Wen Ze smiled. “Zhuo Mu was the one who caught the sea beast. We’re all just lucky to benefit from it.” 

The two brothers turned to Zhuo Mu and sincerely expressed their gratitude. 

Zhuo Mu calmly replied, “No need.” 

Chen Meng bit on a crab leg and enviously told Zhuo Mu, “You’d better cherish Wen Ze. It’s rare to find a half-beastman who cooks this well.” 

Xi Lie, chewing on fish, nodded vigorously and mumbled, “Exactly! I dream of finding a partner who can cook!” 

Wen Ze’s chewing paused for a moment. He secretly glanced at Zhuo Mu’s handsome face, hesitating over whether to explain. 

Before he could decide, Zhuo Mu curled his lips into a faint smile and said, “He’s not my partner yet, but I will cherish him—and work hard for it.” 

Wen Ze’s eyelashes fluttered in surprise, and his face turned red as he quickly averted his gaze. 

Chen Meng and Xi Lie looked jealous, as if thinking, “You’re really lucky,” and said, “Got it, you’re taking your time to get to know each other first.” 

“You’d better make a good impression! After this meal, I’ll teach you a few tricks!” 

Zhuo Mu lifted his gaze, letting it rest on Wen Ze’s face for a moment before asking, “Do you two have partners?” 

The two brothers fell silent. “…No.” 

Zhuo Mu raised an eyebrow, his silence speaking volumes—what could they possibly teach if they didn’t even have partners? 

Choking on their food, the brothers refused to back down. Taking big bites, they muttered, “We’ve met a lot of people!” 

“Yeah, we know a lot!” 

Wen Ze quietly immersed himself in the lively atmosphere, eating with his head slightly lowered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. 

The seafood in his mouth tasted sweeter the more he chewed. 

The only one left out of the situation was Yin He. 

It took him a while to swallow his food before looking between Zhuo Mu and Wen Ze, completely lost. 

“Huh? What are they talking about? Don’t we spend time together every day? Why do I feel like I missed something important?” 

He wanted to ask Wen Ze about it, but Wen Ze was busy the entire evening, and he never got the chance. 

After dinner, Zhuo Mu went to wash the dishes, Yin He went to milk the cow, and Wen Ze explained his drawings to the two traveling merchants. 

By the time everything was done, it was already late. 

The merchants rested in the caves arranged by the tribe, while Wen Ze and the others washed up, dried their hair briefly, and went straight to sleep. 

The next morning, before dawn, Chen Meng and Xi Lie came to say goodbye to Wen Ze, then transformed into their beast forms and flew away. 

Sang Hui and the others also arrived. After watching the merchants leave, he told Wen Ze, “In the two days you and Zhuo Mu were gone, we fired half a kiln of pottery, half a kiln of glass, and even made charcoal.” 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up. “How did it turn out?” 

Sang Hui smiled. “The pottery and glass turned out great! The charcoal quality is good too. The only issue was the yield rate, but we learned from it. Last night, we fired another batch, and it turned out much better.” 

Wen Ze was relieved. “That’s great.” 

Sang Hui continued, “We came to ask—should we use all this charcoal for firing pottery and glass?” 

Wen Ze shook his head. “Let’s pause those for now. I plan to use it for smelting black iron blocks with everyone. We’re short on time, so let’s assign tasks and begin today.” 

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