Some principles are like that—they sound easy to understand but recognizing them takes real insight. 

Sang Hui looked at Wen Ze’s again. He didn’t even know how many times he had silently wondered: How did he become so smart? 

At the same time, he felt even prouder. 

After all, this person is from South Mountain Tribe! 

The others began to discuss excitedly. “What Wen Ze said makes so much sense! So what are we waiting for? Let’s fix our pottery kiln now!” 

Bai Ling chimed in, “Yes, yes, let’s finished shaping the clay as well. 

Wen Ze couldn’t wait and directly called for Sang Hui, Li Shui, and the others to come with him. 

The pottery kiln at Bao Fang Mountain was something Sang Hui had personally visited and studied. He had also overseen the entire construction process. 

For every adjustment made afterward, he was pretty much always present. 

Wen Ze had the general direction in mind, but when it came to the details, he asked Sang Hui to help manage them. 

Sang Hui was sharp. He immediately gathered Zhuo Mu, Wu Ye, and the other beastmen. When it came to the heavy labor of digging out the kiln, they were the ones best suited for it. 

Once everything was discussed, they quickly divided the tasks and got to work with great energy. 

While Sang Hui and Wen Ze were transporting sand and soil, Sang Hui said, “Compared to the pottery kiln at the Rainbow Sun Tribe, Bao Fang Mountain has a huge advantage – the mountain is higher, so we have more space to dig.” 

Wen Ze instantly understood. “Right. Let’s leave the horizontal kiln up top alone and seal off the entrance. If the vertical kiln doesn’t work well, we can still use the horizontal one to fire.” 

Sang Hui nodded. “That’s what I was thinking too.” 

When Wu Ye, who had transformed into his beast form, heard their conversation, he laughed and said, “There was a time I thought Bao Fang Mountain was too tall and even considered shaving some off. Turns out it was a good thing I didn’t.” 

The others couldn’t help but laugh as well. 

Who would’ve thought that the taller part of Bao Fang Mountain wouldn’t be a burden, but would actually work out perfectly for them? 

Since everyone lived in mountain caves, they were already skilled at digging. It didn’t take long for them to carve out the basic shape of the kiln. 

Next, Sang Hui told the beastmen to return to human form, and together they carefully reinforced and tidied up the new cave. 

Once they confirmed there were no issues, Bai Ling and the others had already finished shaping the clay. 

Then, the process was similar to before: load the pottery, add charcoal, light the fire. 

But this time, there was a major difference. The “vertical kiln” took only about half as much charcoal as the horizontal kiln. 

Once the fire was lit, it heated up much faster than the horizontal kiln, and the temperature was definitely higher! 

The bellows they had made earlier while refining the black iron were once again useful. 

Wen Ze had people angle them properly and take turns fanning air into the kiln. The charcoal burned even more fiercely. 

Even though the pottery pieces had just started burning, the increased heat already reassured everyone. 

Sang Hui confidently said, “I have a feeling, this batch of pottery can’t possibly be worse than the previous one.” 

Wu Ye nodded, “I think so too.” 

Bai Ling’s fair and handsome face was flushed from the heat, but he smiled. “I’m really looking forward to it.” 

Wen Ze curved his lips into a smile. His eyes were shining. 

While the pottery was being fired, they couldn’t afford to fall behind on the metalwork either. 

Wen Ze took out his little booklet and showed everyone the simple designs he had drawn. 

The next batch of tools he planned to make included commonly used items: a small hammer, a small knife, a kitchen knife, and a carving knife… 

Everyone had experience forging large hammers and knives, so making these smaller items was relatively easier. 

Wen Ze cared deeply about both the pottery and the iron tools. 

So for the entire next day and night, he didn’t leave the kiln. Others brought food over for him. 

Their hard work soon paid off. When the kiln finished burning through all the charcoal, the set of small tools Wen Ze had planned were successfully forged. Some of the tools were made in pairs so the tribe could share them. 

This time, he didn’t bother with any sort of ceremony. He pulled out a sharpening stone and immediately started honing the blades right there. 

Out of all the tools, his favorite was the kitchen knife. 

Aside from the newly sharpened edge, which gleamed with a silvery cold light, the rest of the knife was black. The blade and handle were covered in marks from countless rounds of forging. 

Through this knife, Wen Ze seemed to see everyone’s hard-earned sweat poured into it. 

Holding the kitchen knife, he couldn’t wait to share his joy with Zhuo Mu. 

“We’ve got a much better tool for chopping from now on!” 

The metal knives were durable, and he no longer had to worry about them breaking after a little use. 

Zhuo Mu also smiled warmly, “That’s great.” 

Wen Ze shouted loudly, “Yes! This is great!” 

The pottery kiln hadn’t cooled down yet, so they couldn’t open it. Since there were others watching over it, Wen Ze and Zhuo Mu could finally go back to rest. 

On the way back, Wen Ze lay on the back of the giant python, happily talking about the different uses of metal knives and the tools he was planning to make next. 

Zhuo Mu listened to his voice grow quieter, and when he turned his head, he saw that Wen Ze’s eyelids had already drooped, and he was unconsciously mumbling something. 

The strong beastman chuckled softly, and warmth appeared in his red eyes. 

He whispered, “Go to sleep.” 

Listening to that comforting voice, Wen Ze drifted into a deep sleep. 

By the time the kiln had fully cooled down, it was already well past half a day. They could finally open it. 

The entire tribe had been eagerly looking forward to the results from the vertical pit kiln, and almost everyone came to watch. 

Wen Ze stood at the very front of the crowd, feeling a bit nervous as he watched the beastmen begin to open the kiln. 

Before long, it was open. 

Ji Sha suddenly shouted, “I can smell it! It’s different from before!” 

Someone immediately asked from the crowd, “How is it different?” 

“I can’t really describe it, but it smells much better!” 

Wen Ze’s eyes lit up, and the anxiety in his heart eased a little. 

As everyone gradually took the pottery out of the kiln, Wen Ze’s worries completely disappeared. 

Just by looking at them, the pottery was much more beautiful and smoother! 

When he checked them closely, the quality was far better than the previous batch! 

Sang Hui and the others were also closely inspecting the pottery surfaces. With smiles on their faces, they said, “Wen Ze, it’s a success!” 

Wu Ye added, “The colored pottery we made before was already about the same quality as the Rainbow Sun Tribe’s. But this batch is way, way better than theirs!” 

Zhuo Mu glanced around and said, “The success rate is also higher.” 

Ji Sha wiped the sweat off his forehead, “Yes, when we were moving the pottery, we noticed there were very few that were ruined.” 

Bai Ling was so excited he actually jumped up. “This is amazing, hahaha!” 

The little ones imitated him, waving their arms and dancing around. 

Wen Ze then asked, “What about the glass?” 

Ji Sha replied, “It’s over here.” 

Wen Ze walked over, took a deep breath, and cracked open one of the clay molds. 

With the higher temperature, the glass that came out of this batch had fewer impurities and looked even clearer! 

He smiled in delight and announced to everyone, “The glass is also a success!” 

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. 

Li Shui was so happy that his eyes reddened slightly and said, “When we made the colored pottery before, I thought it was great, but I didn’t expect it to get even better!” 

Others chimed in: 

“Yeah! Now we don’t have to spend a lot of supplies to exchange for pottery from other tribes.” 

“Not only do we not need to exchange, but now others will also have to spend a lot of supplies to exchange with us!” 

“Hahaha, hearing you say that makes me feel so good!” 

“Exactly! It’s all thanks to Wen Ze!” 

“That’s right!” 

Everyone was so happy that they didn’t know who started it, but suddenly, they all lifted Wen Ze up and threw him into the air! 

Wen Ze couldn’t stop them. Feeling the rush of weightlessness, he ended up laughing along with them. 

They also sent word to a few other tribes, letting them know they could come over to pick up their goods when they had time. 

They also sent word to a few other tribes, letting them know to come by whenever they had time to pick up their goods. 

To their surprise, those tribes came by the next morning! 

Everyone was used to gathering at Wen Ze’s place. The leaders at the front, once they met Wen Ze’s eyes, waved their arms excitedly and shouted, “Wen Ze! We heard you’ve made even better pottery and glass! Show us!” 

Wen Ze smiled and replied, “Wait a moment, I’ll bring it over for you!” 

He had expected they would come, so he had everything moved to his own cave ahead of time. 

The straw shelter couldn’t fit them all, so the tall and strong beastmen stood outside the cave waiting. 

Because of Wen Ze, many changes had happened here. 

The ground was paved with bricks. Smoked meat and strings of chili peppers hung from the straw shelter. The water jars were filled to the brim. And next to the stove, sitting on the chopping board, was a black metal kitchen knife… 

It’s not just warm and peaceful, full of everyday charm, but also shows the owner’s wealth. 

The other tribe leaders didn’t live badly, but compared to Wen Ze, there was still quite a gap. 

Of course, they’re just impressed, not jealous at all. 

Wen Ze was so smart and had brought so many good things to this land, so it was only natural that he lived well. 

As soon as Wen Ze brought over the pottery and glass, they immediately stopped thinking about anything else and all stared wide-eyed! 

“Beast God, how is this pottery so delicate and smooth? Did you find a new clay?” 

“The color of the glass is even lighter! It’s crystal clear!” 

“This pottery is even better than before!” 

After listening to their excited discussions for a while, Wen Ze smiled and said, “It’s still the same clay, we just improved the firing method.” 

Chi Yu was stunned. “What?!” 

They had only just learned from the Rainbow Sun Tribe how to build pottery kilns, and after just one summer, they had already been left far behind! 

Chi Yu truly admired Wen Ze to the point of being in awe! 

Luan Xun couldn’t put the new pottery down and asked Wen Ze nervously, “If we exchange for this kind of pottery, will we need to offer more supplies?” 

Wen Ze nodded and said, “Yes, it will be a bit more. But I’ve discussed it with the tribe, and we’ll give you more without raising the price. It will still be based on what we agreed before.” 

The tribe leaders were overjoyed and felt like they’d gotten a great deal! 

“That’s great! Wen Ze, thank you! Thank you so much!” 

Not far away, Sang Hui saw Wen Ze surrounded by everyone. He tilted his head and chuckled softly. 

This time, they had used less charcoal and fewer people yet managed to fire even more and better pottery than before. 

As they say, a smart mind is truly valuable! 

Without Wen Ze, the tribe wouldn’t be able to earn so many supplies! 

The tribe leaders, full of gratitude, eagerly began pulling out their supplies. 

Something Luan Xun brought caught Wen Ze’s attention. 

“What is this… lime?” 

Luan Xun said, “Yes. I figured you all have black iron tools now, and iron rusts easily, so I brought lime for you.” 

Wen Ze blinked. “You sure brought a lot…” 

Three whole baskets! That’s way more than needed just for removing rust. 

Luan Xun laughed, “Haha, it’s fine. After all, we can fly, so it’s no trouble bringing it back.” 

Wen Ze waved his hand. “Just leave it all here. I actually thought lime could also be used to remove limescale or cook meat. And if you make jam out of it, it’ll go great in stir-fried dishes too.” 

He liked sweet and sour flavors, but didn’t have vinegar on hand, so lime was a great substitute. 

Luan Xun was happy to see that he liked it: “Alright!” 

After Wen Ze calculated the exchange with the tribe leaders, they didn’t leave right away. Instead, they took a look around outside the cave. 

The leader of the Wild Field Tribe, Mo Xing, pointed at the dried yellow grains and asked, “What is this?” 

Luan Xun quickly answered him, saying it was something found in their tribe. He also mentioned how fragrant and delicious the potatoes were, making everyone present feel hungry. 

Mo Xing gazed at the yellow grains thoughtfully. 

Wen Ze chatted casually with them. “Once the yellow grains dry like this, it’s about ready for threshing and husking.” 

Luan Xun asked in surprise, “Threshing is fine, but the husk is tightly wrapped around the grain. How do you remove it?” 

Wen Ze replied, “With tools. For example, a stone mortar.” 

He looked up towards the stone mortar, and immediately someone understood and brought it over. 

Wen Ze smiled and thanked them, then grabbed a handful of husked grains and tossed it into the mortar. 

Then, he picked up the wooden pestle and began to pound the grains. 

After a few strikes, the grains were knocked out of their husks! They were golden and bright! 

Chi Yu and the others gathered around in surprise, saying, “So this is how it’s done!” 

Luan Xun said, “It’s definitely much faster than peeling by hand.” 

Bai Han asked, “Wen Ze, since the yellow grains are dried, how about I bring people to help you thresh them? More people mean faster work.” 

Wen Ze happily said, “Of course, it’s great to have help! Thank you!” 

The other tribe leaders glanced sideways at Bai Han: So you wanna be the first, huh? 

Chi Yu, not wanting to lose out, said, “I also brought people. We can all work together!” 

Luan Xun and the others added, “Yes, yes! We’re not in a hurry to leave! We’ll go to your tribe to borrow a few stone mortars!” 

Sang Hui froze for a second, then quickly squeezed in next to Wen Ze, standing beside Zhuo Mu, one on each side. 

“Wen Ze, we have stone mortars too. Wait here, I’ll have Ji Sha go back and get them!” Sang Hui said. 

Wen Ze was part of their South Mountain Tribe. There was no way they’d let others get ahead! 

With Sang Hui taking the lead, more people joined in to offer help. 

Unable to refuse their enthusiasm, Wen Ze had no choice but to lead them to the open area where the house was being built. 

But he didn’t let everyone start pounding the grains right away. Instead, he used a flail to knock the grains off the stalks first. Then he filled a winnowing basket and used the wind to sift it. 

As he sifted, he explained to everyone, “This way, we can remove some of the impurities first, and the rice will be much cleaner when it’s pounded.” 

Everyone had learned something new again and felt that staying here to help was really worth it. 

Wen Ze set aside the seeds. 

Normally, threshing, winnowing, and pounding rice was a very tedious task. 

If he had to do it alone, he was afraid he wouldn’t finish pounding all the rice even after three days. 

But with so many people, the work was divided into small bundles for each person, and everyone finished the job in no time! 

Wen Ze’s mortar wasn’t even used! 

The yellow rice grains, which were threshed and sifted, were packed into clean cloth bags, and there was a large bag full of them. 

He didn’t throw away the husks either. They were about to raise birds, so they could be kept for feeding them. 

Thinking about eating rice for dinner, Wen Ze’s handsome face light up with joy, and his smile was so big his eyes almost disappeared! 

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