Becoming a Leader in a Primitive Otherworld - Chapter 37

On the day the expedition set out, the temperature plummeted. As autumn neared its end, the once-lush foliage around the camp scattered like confetti, leaving the trees bare within a single day.

“Good thing I made her dress warmly,” Ke muttered, cupping her hands and exhaling into them, secretly relieved.

Xie Yu checked the temperature of Yun Nai’s fingers. With the weather growing noticeably colder, she had Yun Nai hold a bamboo fire cage to warm her hands.

“I’m going to check on the copper smelting process.”

Yun Nai had other matters to attend to. Long ago, she had gathered an unfamiliar medicinal herb. After collecting it, she replanted it in a new location and briefly used it as an offering during a Totem Sacrifice ritual.

After the ceremony, she replanted it again. Now, the plant had even borne fruit, but she still didn’t know its medicinal properties. With some free time on her hands, she remembered the plant.

The two women parted ways. Though they belonged to the same tribe, their busy schedules rarely allowed them any private moments together.

Xie Yu arrived at the warehouse, pulled open the door, and stepped inside. Her eyes immediately fell upon the beautiful red copper.

The red copper, mostly crimson or dark red, was surrounded by vibrant green copper ore with patterns resembling peacock feathers.

Even without high-temperature smelting, natural copper could be shaped into various tools and implements through simple hammering.

Its beautiful color also made it ideal for crafting decorative ornaments.

As Xie Yu stroked the red copper, she picked up a small hammer and struck it. With a single blow, the metal deformed.

A sudden sense of urgency surged through her. If red copper could be shaped into tools through hammering, the Deer Tribe would likely realize this soon. Given their nearby mining sites, it wouldn’t be long before they regretted agreeing to give her these beautiful stones.

Sha, true to his nature, would probably honor the agreement but would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to squeeze her for more.

Moreover, natural copper deposits were likely scattered across the Great Continent, not just around the Deer Tribe’s camp. Their discovery was inevitable.

Therefore, the Shadow Tribe had two options: either trade with the Deer Tribe as soon as possible to stockpile red copper ore, or find their own mining areas. They absolutely couldn’t rely on other tribes for their supply.

Otherwise, if the Deer Tribe cut off their resource supply or imposed other conditions, the Shadow Tribe’s bargaining power would be greatly diminished.

This was not what Xie Yu wanted to see.

The thought weighed heavily on her heart. She shook her head, gradually clearing her mind.

Before winter arrived, they needed to send more Tribespeople to search the area around their camp. Red copper, a type of native copper, is typically found near the surface, making it relatively easy to discover if it exists.

Several directions were their usual hunting grounds, where they had never found anything before. During the search, they should focus on areas they rarely visited; results should come quickly.

The only question was whether they would find anything at all.

The red copper in Xie Yu’s hand had gradually deformed. She had started with a small ore fragment, and after repeated hammering, it was clear she was shaping it into an arrowhead.

Arrowheads made of red copper, while not as hard as those made of other metals, were still far superior to wooden ones. However, simple hammering couldn’t make them sharper; it seemed melting and recasting would be necessary.

For greater hardness, bronze was still the best option. Therefore, they needed to be vigilant for tin ore deposits during their explorations. Although the soil contained trace amounts of tin, it remained a scarce resource. However, once found, smelting bronze would no longer be a concern.

Xie Yu retrieved a piece of malachite. The moment she saw it, she had the idea to craft it into jewelry.

Jewelry might be useless to small tribes, who wouldn’t buy it, but major tribes were different. With their basic needs met, their demand for ornamentation would increase. The Shadow Tribe could start by producing a few pieces and see how they fared at next year’s Great Market exchange.

Before that, however, they still needed to find red copper ore. While searching, they should also trade with the Deer Tribe for red copper as soon as possible.

Before the Deer Tribe discovered its value, their demands wouldn’t be excessive.

Xie Yu rubbed her temples, deep in thought.

Sha wasn’t a fool; he would eventually realize the significance of red copper. Their veiled intentions at the Great Market had essentially been a binding agreement. She knew he would see through her excuse about taking it back to make pretty trinkets.

Though she could come up with countless justifications, whether Sha would believe them was another matter entirely.

This development might prompt Sha to reconsider the cooperative arrangements between the two tribes.

Currently, they were still in the trading phase, and such excessive caution might prove counterproductive.

Clink, clink, clink—the red copper rang with a crisp, melodious sound. Xie Yu had spent the morning crafting red copper arrowheads, shaping the shafts from bamboo strips with her small knife. With a simple assembly, she secured the two parts together, completing a copper arrow.

Returning to her hut, Xie Yu retrieved her bow and walked to the tribe’s archery target. She drew back the string and released an arrow. The arrowhead pierced the air and lodged firmly in the target.

Approaching to inspect, she saw the slightly deformed arrowhead had pierced the wooden board and become wedged there.

After forcefully pulling the copper arrow free, Xie Yu waved the shaft with satisfaction and tested it several more times.

Only a few people remained in the tribe at the moment. Some were out hunting to stockpile food for the winter, others were repairing the newly constructed warehouse, and still others were firing pottery, burning charcoal, and boiling Kudzu Vine.

The only group likely to have time soon was the warehouse repair crew. With construction nearing completion, Xie Yu planned to send them out in a day or two to search for clues about the red copper’s source.

The Deer Tribe would have to wait until spring. They were likely preoccupied with winter preparations and wouldn’t be focused on a pile of pretty red stones for now.

Although the distance from the Shadow Tribe to the Deer Tribe was shorter than to the Great Market, the round trip would still take about two days. By the time they returned, snow would likely be falling, increasing the risk of accidents.

Xie Yu, carrying a bronze arrow and a shovel, walked to the charcoal kiln and began digging a pit. She planned to build a small stone furnace for melting copper herself.

Several tribespeople approached with shovels, intending to help, but Xie Yu waved them off, urging them to attend to their own tasks. Working alone, she dug the pit quickly, finishing in no time.

After completing the repairs, she glanced at the sundial. The shadow cast by the stone rod pointed to three in the afternoon.

As winter approached, the days grew shorter. Recently, the sundial had been showing that it was nearly dark by five o’clock. While the sundial’s accuracy couldn’t be guaranteed, after prolonged adjustments to its positioning, the time it indicated was now reasonably accurate.

Determined to improve the bronze arrowheads, Xie Yu remembered her purpose and turned to seek Yun Nai’s help.

It was a perfect opportunity to ask for Yun Nai’s advice.

And to check what Yun Nai was working on.

“Chief!” Five or six people ran out from the edge of the forest, calling after her.

Ke had just returned from hunting with her group. Based on her experience, night was approaching—dark and cold—and it was best to return to the Tribe early.

Xie Yu turned to see Ke and another person each carrying a live wild chicken, waving excitedly at her.

Xie Yu had previously reminded them to capture small animals like chickens, geese, and ducks alive whenever possible.

“Wild chickens, Chief!” Ke slapped the chicken’s head, trying to stun it without killing it. These wild chickens were different from the domesticated ones of the future—fiercer, with longer, sharper beaks that could deliver painful pecks.

Their woven baskets had no lids, so the chickens kept flapping their way out. They had no choice but to carry them all the way back.

Judging by their features, both chickens appeared to be hens.

The group’s arms were covered in peck marks, suggesting they had taken turns carrying the chickens. But they had been too excited to notice the pain until they returned to camp.

“Awoo!” Ke handed the chicken to the person beside her, who eagerly accepted it only to be pecked immediately.

A chorus of triumphant howls erupted from the group.

Xie Yu beamed at the sight of the wild chickens. Their tribe hadn’t caught such game in ages. Hearing their jubilant cries, she couldn’t help but smile. “Put these two in the chicken coop.”

During their downtime from plowing and tilling the fields, they had built animal pens and shelters across the river. Now, these structures would serve perfectly to house the wild chickens.

Xie Yu glanced at their other catches—modest but adequate, likely due to the increasingly cold weather.

“Hurry back now. If you get pecked, have someone apply herbal medicine.”

The group nodded in agreement and raced back to camp.

They wouldn’t seek out the Priest directly. The Priest had taught several members to identify medicinal herbs, ensuring someone could administer treatment even in her absence.

As Ke Ze and Xie Yu walked back to camp, Ke noticed a fresh pit near the charcoal kiln. “Chief, is this where you’ll smelt copper?”

“Yes,” Xie Yu replied, handing her the copper arrow.

Ke accepted it, cradling the arrowhead and shaft in her hands. “Much better! I love this arrow.”

“It’s just hammered out, and there are plenty of flaws,” Xie Yu said, her hands aching from a morning of hammering. She stretched her back and added, “If you like it, I’ll give you this arrow.”

“Really?” Ke Wenyan exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. This was her first red copper arrow.

“Of course. You’re skilled with a bow, so it’s fitting for you,” Xie Yu said, patting her shoulder. “Come with me to the Priest. Maybe she has time to check your hand.”

“Oh, right, Chief,” Ke said suddenly, “you spend every night with the Priest. Does it ever get boring?”

Xie Yu startled at the abrupt question. Ke’s train of thought jumped so quickly. Frowning, she firmly denied, “How could it get boring? Of course not. What are you thinking?”

She couldn’t imagine how one could ever tire of looking at the Priest.

“It’s like this,” Ke continued, her face turning serious again. “I can’t seem to get enough of my slave either, so I wanted to compare our situations. But now that she’s gone, it’s so hard not seeing her. And we argued before she left, which makes it even worse.”

“A fight…” Xie Yu considered offering advice, but then remembered that she and Yun Nai had never argued. She chuckled, “I can’t help you with that. The Priest and I have never fought.”

Ke’s throat tightened, feeling like the Chief was flaunting their perfect relationship. “Oh…”

Xie Yu doubted Yuan would ever dare to argue with Ke. “Did she insult you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what was the fight about?”

“I wanted to ask her about her experiences in the Snake Tribe, and then…” Ke spilled everything.

“You were the one ignoring her,” Xie Yu pointed out. “But her time in the Snake Tribe probably wasn’t pleasant. Your position might have made it difficult for her to open up.”

Ke sighed, “Sometimes I think even bird droppings falling from the sky would look pleasing to me if they came from her.”

Xie Yu paused, unsure how to respond to such a peculiar description.

As they walked and talked, their long strides quickly brought them to the Pharmacy.

Faint voices drifted from inside—Wu and Yun Nai’s.

Yun Nai’s voice was barely audible, while Wu’s voice was loud and pleading, still trying to coax Yun Nai with a hint of coquettishness. “We… are good… the three of us…”

Yun Nai seemed to reject her request, her tone suggesting suppressed anger.

Xie Yu’s heart skipped a beat. She knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Yun Nai said.

As soon as Xie Yu entered, she sensed the tense atmosphere in the Pharmacy. Yun Nai stood with a cold expression, while Wu waited nearby. “Chief,” Wu greeted.

Several purplish-red fruits lay on the table, one or two already peeled open.

Xie Yu’s face hardened. “Wu, what are you doing here?”

Wu, ever the proactive one, replied, “Chief, can I ask you for a favor?”

“No. Get out,” Xie Yu refused decisively.

“Huh?” Ke scratched his head, puzzled by the rapid exchange.

Wu left.

Xie Yu gestured behind her back, signaling Ke to approach Yun Nai.

“Priest, a wild chicken pecked my hand,” Ke said, following the signal and approaching Yun Nai.

Yun Nai glanced at Xie Yu. “You go out too.”

Xie Yu, though puzzled, obediently withdrew from the room.

At the door, she found Wu still waiting. “What did you ask the Priest?” she asked.

Wu hesitated for a moment. Xie Yu had saved her, and she admired her deeply, but she also knew Xie Yu wasn’t one to be easily persuaded. She shook her head.

Xie Yu’s tone carried a hint of threat. “This isn’t a request. Tell me now.”

Wu reluctantly revealed her wish. “I like the Priest, and… I also like the Chief. I hope the three of us can…”

Xie Yu’s face darkened. She finally understood why Wu kept seeking out Yun Nai—not just because Yun Nai was easier to talk to, but also because Wu likely assumed, based on the many bonded partners the Chiefs they knew had, that this arrangement was possible.

Otherwise, Xie Yu couldn’t fathom how Wu could entertain such an absurd idea.

“Wu, the Priest will never agree, and neither will I.” She emphasized her words. “You’re overthinking things. Go back. And don’t come looking for the Priest again unless it’s truly important.”

Wu nodded sadly, her figure retreating with a forlorn air.

Her heart felt like it had been struck dead with a single blow.

The Priest had also told her not to seek her out unless it was truly important, urging her to focus on herself.

Xie Yu waited outside for a while before Ke emerged and bid her farewell.

Knock, knock, knock.

Xie Yu knocked politely and waited for the Pharmacy Master’s permission to enter.

“Come in.”

Xie Yu hurried inside and rushed to Yun Nai’s side. “I had no idea she was thinking like that.”

As Yun Nai listened to her explanation, she peeled a fruit on the table. Once finished, she held it up to Xie Yu’s face. “Open your mouth.”

Xie Yu obediently opened her mouth, her eyes fixed on the fruit before her.

Yun Nai, suppressing a smile as she watched Xie Yu’s eyes nearly cross from staring so intently, calmly fed her the fruit.

The fruit was sweet, its flesh melting in Xie Yu’s mouth. She licked her lips. “Delicious.”

She asked, “What kind of fruit is this? Does it have any special properties?”

Yun Nai replied solemnly, “This fruit is called Bitter Core. If you ever change your heart, everything you eat afterward will taste bitter.”

Seeing Yun Nai’s stern expression as she delivered this pronouncement, Xie Yu’s lips curved into a smile. “Then I’ll never taste bitterness.”

Yun Nai quickly added, “This fruit doesn’t have any special effects. It just tastes good.”

“Tastes good,” Xie Yu echoed.

Realizing that Wu’s hidden motive was simply to get her hands on this fruit, Xie Yu pursed her lips again, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “No wonder Wu keeps seeking out the Priest. Sometimes she spends more time with you than with me, and I only get to hold the Priest at night.”

Xie Yu pulled Yun Nai close and sat her down on a chair.

“I’m such a pitiful Chief,” Xie Yu murmured, her gaze fixed intently on Yun Nai, tracing her features with tender, gentle eyes.

Startled by Xie Yu’s sudden, forceful movement, Yun Nai instinctively wrapped her arms around Xie Yu’s neck to avoid falling.

Her anger had already dissipated. She understood that Xie Yu wasn’t to blame; she was simply feeling displeased.

Yun Nai seized the moment and leaned in for a kiss. This was only her second time initiating, and she pressed her lips against Xie Yu’s with a slightly forceful tenderness, even nipping gently at her lower lip.

After a long, intertwined embrace, Yun Nai pulled back first. “Enough. I’m cold.”

Xie Yu checked the temperature of her hands and feet. The bamboo fire cage had warmed the room to a cozy temperature. Smiling, she gently rubbed Yun Nai’s earlobe, choosing not to call her bluff.

What does being cold have to do with anything?

If you’re cold, we’ll just kiss more.

Xie Yu stole a whiff of Yun Nai’s scent and met her lowered gaze. “Are you warm enough now?”

Yun Nai shook her head without hesitation. “Still cold.”

Her cascading hair brushed against Xie Yu’s ear, cheek, lips, and neck, intensifying her restlessness.

The person sitting on her lap always carried a faint, intoxicating fragrance that Xie Yu could never tire of inhaling.

Her hands couldn’t remain still, and her voice carried a restrained, sensual tenderness. “Nai Nai…”

That suppressed tone was dangerously alluring.

“No,” Yun Nai murmured, her eyes shimmering as she avoided Xie Yu’s burning gaze. She buried her face in Xie Yu’s shoulder, reminding her softly, “This is the Pharmacy.”

Xie Yu snapped back to reality, remembering her original purpose. The enchanting atmosphere shattered abruptly.

This is the Pharmacy.

Fine. Xie Yu tightened her embrace. “I was wrong.”

The Pharmacy fell silent, save for the pounding of their hearts.

After a moment to compose themselves, Xie Yu asked, “I wanted to ask you about the red copper. Do you think we should tell the Deer Tribe Chief directly, or let her discover it herself?”

She already had an idea, but she needed someone to validate it.

After Yun Nai listened carefully to Xie Yu’s detailed account of what had happened at the Great Market, she leaned against Xie Yu’s chest and pondered for a moment before replying, “Since she’s so clever, they’ll definitely suspect us if we try to trade red copper with them. The Tribe will also start collecting materials and hammering out tools, and they’ll quickly discover the uses of red copper.

If we don’t tell her, they’ll be furious when they find out. But they haven’t yet learned to smelt bronze, so it’s better to tell her first and earn her favor. That way, we can cooperate with them more easily in the future.”

Xie Yu lowered her gaze and considered Yun Nai’s words carefully. She realized that Yun Nai’s point about the Deer Tribe not yet knowing how to smelt bronze was crucial.

Bronze was far superior to red copper.

She kissed Yun Nai’s cheek, “Alright, I understand now.”

For the time being, they would have people search the area around the Tribe for red copper. Whether they found any or not, they would go to the Deer Tribe to trade in the spring.

Since both of them secretly harbored intentions of forming an alliance, Xie Yu decided to show some sincerity first.

“By the way, I want to try casting some sharp red copper arrowheads using that melted copper slag. The hammered ones are too crude. Would you help me make a mold? I can never get the ceramic blanks right.”

The casting process involved first creating a clay mold, then pouring molten copper into it.

Once the mold was completely filled, the copper would gradually cool and solidify into the desired shape. After cooling, the mold could be broken open to reveal the newly cast copper object.

Yun Nai naturally agreed to her request. After a few moments of intimate closeness, darkness completely enveloped the world.

Ping and her group pressed on relentlessly, eager to return to their tribe as quickly as possible. With winter approaching, unexpected dangers could arise once the snow began to fall.

Ping was pleased that their journey had been smooth and uneventful so far.

Yuan assured her they would reach their destination in just one more day.

Ping watched Yuan lead the way at the front of the group, showing no signs of fatigue despite three days of continuous travel. Their pace had to be swift, and the leader’s speed needed to be even faster.

As for Ke, the slave they were supposed to help care for, they hadn’t been much use.

A remarkably resilient slave, Ping thought.

Lian glanced sideways and slapped her shoulder with a sharp thwack. “You’re not paying attention at all!”