Chapter 831, An Awkward Moment

Translator: Silavin

 

After Su Bai and the others finished their meal, they waited in the living room, where some post-meal fruits had been placed on the table.

 

Lu Lin and her companions were thoroughly inspected by the Warriors downstairs to ensure there were no issues before being permitted to ascend to the second floor.

 

*Step step step…*

 

The deer antlered girl climbed the stairs while marvelling at how exquisitely crafted the Yong’an Building was.

 

This was completely different from the Restful Night Building where they were staying. The Yong’an Building’s decoration and specifications were far superior.

 

Xiu also stood stunned to the side. He had thought the place they stayed last night was already quite impressive, but arriving here now was even more remarkable.

 

“What kind of Tribe is the Flame Dragon Tribe exactly? This is truly miraculous.” Lu Lin couldn’t help but exclaim.

 

She had originally intended to keep all her curiosity contained within her heart, but the fresh flowers arranged on these stairs genuinely surprised her.

 

The flowers grown in the flower fields served not only for perfume production but also for decorating the Yong’an Building. On the stairway from the first to the second floor, a pot of fresh flowers was placed at regular intervals. The main entrance of the Yong’an Building also displayed quite a few fresh flowers, emphasising the clear hierarchy of positions.

 

What should have been a stairway walk taking only a minute or two took Lu Lin a full ten minutes.

 

There was no other reason then they walked one step and stopped, walked one step and stopped, completely captivated by the surrounding environment.

 

“Shaman of the Flame Dragon Tribe, we have come again.” Lu Lin stood very straight.

 

This was the greeting method of Primitive Era people. They had absolutely no concept of ‘hello’ or polite salutations.

 

It was always just ‘I’ve come’ or ‘I’m leaving’, which might seem terribly impolite to people from Earth. But in the Primitive Era, this was completely normal. Su Bai didn’t find anything wrong with it either.

 

As long as the Flame Dragon Tribe people maintained proper etiquette, the customs of other Tribes were none of his concern.

 

“Good. Sit.” Su Bai waved his hand broadly, indicating they should take seats beside them.

 

“Hello.” A maid brought over cups of freshly brewed tea, saying ‘hello’ to both Xiu and Lu Lin.

 

This time, only the two of them had come up to the Yong’an Building’s second floor. The other Warriors were waiting downstairs.

 

Lu Lin was completely uncertain what to do throughout, somewhat bewildered by the maid’s ‘hello’. She thought to herself that this was perhaps the Flame Dragon Tribe’s greeting method, and that it did sound rather pleasant.

 

“Hello.” After hesitating, Lu Lin thought she should say ‘hello’ back.

 

She felt that since she had come to the Flame Dragon Tribe, she should naturally follow this Tribe’s customs.

 

“Hello.” Xiu didn’t know what Lu Lin was doing, but he followed along and said ‘hello’ as well.

 

“You’ve just finished breakfast, I expect. There’s some fruit on the table. You’re welcome to have some.” Su Bai picked up an orange.

 

However, he didn’t immediately peel the orange, but instead held it in his hand, weighing it.

 

“Alright.” Lu Lin also picked up an orange, except she had no idea how to eat it.

 

For a moment she was uncertain how to proceed. She decided to hold it in her hand for now, wanting to see how he ate it before eating it herself.

 

“So sweet!” Xiu had already taken a large bite, chewing several times before feeling something wasn’t quite right. Frowning, he asked “Why is there a slightly disgusting taste?”

 

Orange juice from biting through the orange had dripped onto his hands, face and body, making everything look sticky.

 

“…” Su Bai didn’t answer directly, but instead peeled away the orange skin piece by piece.

 

He raised his hand, placing a segment in his mouth, then asked. “You’ve spent such a long time travelling here again. Is there something urgent you need to discuss with me?”

 

He did not want to waste too much time. Primitive Era people were all this direct anyway, so being direct himself was preferable.

 

“Well…” Xiu felt utterly embarrassed at this moment. His serious face was covered in orange juice, his hand frozen as if suspended in time.

 

Letting the orange juice drip onto his body, he was still worried about dirtying this place, so he made all the juice fall onto himself.

 

He cherished the ‘Beast Hide’ on the floor, whatever Ferocious Beast it came from, he had never seen that pattern before. Moreover, this ‘Beast Hide’ appeared perfectly square and particularly large. It looked far from ordinary.

 

“We wish to discuss cooperation with the Flame Dragon Tribe.” Lu Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

 

She thought to herself that as long as she hadn’t embarrassed herself, it was fine. Fortunately, she had watched Su Bai eat first. Otherwise, the one in this awkward situation would be her.

 

“Careful not to let it drip onto the carpet.” The maid slowly walked over beside Xiu.

 

She placed several sheets of Wolf Tail Grass Paper under his feet and at the table’s edge, concerned about the carpet being soiled.

 

“Carpet?” This was the first time Xiu had heard this term, though he immediately understood this item must be valuable.

 

He did not dare move carelessly now. The orange he held in his hand was still dripping juice continuously; eating it or not eating it both seemed problematic.

 

Xiu actually quite liked the flavour of the orange flesh, except the outer layer’s taste was far too disgusting.

 

“Cooperate with our Tribe? I wonder what sort of cooperation you’re referring to?” Su Bai continued eating the orange he had just peeled.

 

The quality of these orange seeds produced by the System really was excellent; every orange he’d eaten so far had not been sour.

 

Since Xiu was a Warrior, this was not his area to interject, so he simply ate his orange quietly on the side.

 

He had learned his lesson now, quickly consuming the entire bitten orange in one mouthful.

 

Afterwards, following Su Bai’s method of peeling oranges, he savoured the sweet orange flesh with great relish.

 

“The Flame Dragon Tribe’s Central Market has operated very successfully. However, along with this success, it has also drawn people away from our Spotted Deer Tribe.” Lu Lin sighed deeply, continuing. “Of course, I’m not blaming the Flame Dragon Tribe. Rather, I wish to cooperate with you. In short, we want your goods.”

 

Although speaking these words felt somewhat humiliating, the Spotted Deer Tribe had no way to compare with the Flame Dragon Tribe.

 

“You mean you want me to make these goods cheaper for you, is that it?” Su Bai asked.

 

“Cheaper? Shaman, what does ‘cheaper’ mean?” Lu Lin tilted her head, continuing, “What we mean is, if we’re trading for large quantities of items with you, could you perhaps accept slightly less dried meat and such from us?”

 

She had no understanding of the word ‘cheaper’, but still wanted to express her inner thoughts.

 

“How large are the quantities you wish to trade for?” Su Bai asked with interest.

 

He understood her meaning. ‘Cheaper’ was exactly what he had meant, except he’d momentarily forgotten they didn’t understand Earth’s terminology.

 

“How much do you think we should take, Shaman, for you to accept slightly less?” Lu Lin asked in return.

 

At this point, she couldn’t make the decision. She needed to understand his thinking first before deciding.

 

“Why don’t you tell me what range you can accept first.” Su Bai leaned back against his chair.

 

He didn’t want to make the first offer. He wanted to test their limits.