Chapter 1144, The Entire Tribe Must Sign the Contract!

Translator: Silavin

 

Su Bai was genuinely surprised by the other party’s reaction. He had not expected them to agree so quickly.

 

He had assumed there would be some struggling, or at least some hesitation. But no, it was an immediate response.

 

“What does the Flame Dragon Tribe need our Tribe to do?” Qiong asked curiously.

 

He knew the Horned Goat Tribe had no other choice. The weak simply had no say in their own fate. Of course, having been under another’s thumb for so long, they were already thoroughly familiar with how these things went.

 

Since they had agreed to become part of the Flame Dragon Tribe, he was already thinking about what the Tribe would need to do next.

 

Only by understanding what was required of the Horned Goat Tribe could they ensure their survival.

 

“It’s not enough to just say it out loud. I don’t particularly trust your Tribe.” Su Bai said plainly.

 

Though the other party’s swift agreement showed a degree of pragmatism, there were still many concerns.

 

The very ease with which they had agreed now meant they would just as easily agree to a stronger Tribe in the future.

 

The Horned Goat Tribe had no real loyalty to speak of, which was precisely why Su Bai asked so directly.

 

“What does the Shaman wish our Horned Goat Tribe to do? Our Tribe will cooperate fully with every action of the Flame Dragon Tribe.” Qiong said earnestly.

 

He could understand the distrust. After all, the Horned Goat Tribe had no other options left.

 

If they did not do this, the Horned Goat Tribe would have long since ceased to exist on this continent.

 

“Everyone in the Horned Goat Tribe must sign a Contract with us. Violate it, and there will be only one path ahead of you.” Su Bai thought of his Contract Skill.

 

With that Skill, he had no fear of anyone betraying the Flame Dragon Tribe.

 

Because the foundation of that Skill was absolute compliance. Once bound by the Contract, a person would remain utterly loyal until death.

 

What Su Bai said about the only path being death was entirely deliberate, said to put fear into them.

 

“Please forgive my ignorance, Shaman. We truly do not know what a Contract is.” Qiong asked awkwardly.

 

“It is a form of agreement. Once your Tribe signs a Contract with the Flame Dragon Tribe, you are members of the Flame Dragon Tribe for life. Violating its terms means punishment.” Su Bai’s expression was very serious. He continued. “Naturally, where there is punishment there are also benefits. Once you become members of the Flame Dragon Tribe, your Tribe will definitely develop for the better.”

 

He understood the logic of striking with one hand and offering a sweet date with the other. Being too severe was never a good thing.

 

Su Bai still needed the people of the Horned Goat Tribe to clearly understand the benefits. Relying purely on a Contract to bind them was not especially useful, like moving corpses through the motions.

 

What truly mattered was making them feel the goodness of joining the Flame Dragon Tribe. That way, they would only grow more loyal, which would also be very helpful for future development.

 

“So by joining the Flame Dragon Tribe, the Shaman will help our Horned Goat Tribe?” Qiong lifted his head in disbelief.

 

He had a little trouble believing what he had just heard. He had assumed that joining the Flame Dragon Tribe meant becoming slaves.

 

That was simply how it was in this age. The Tribe of the weak would only be enslaved by the Tribe of the strong, left to sink into the ranks of slaves.

 

There was no hope of turning things around in this lifetime. Unless, of course, the Large Tribe that enslaved them was toppled by another, giving them a chance to flee.

 

Otherwise, they would only become slaves to yet another Tribe. When he thought about that vicious cycle, it felt genuinely sad.

 

“Of course. The treatment within the Flame Dragon Tribe is certainly better than any other Tribe. Once you become our people, the rest goes without saying.” Su Bai said earnestly.

 

He could tell the other party was moved. That was exactly the feeling he wanted, and it was far better than negotiating a cooperation.

 

This had gone smoothly in no small part because of the Horned Goat Tribe’s position as a subordinate Tribe under the Dark Scorpion Tribe.

 

“These are great terms, a great help to our Tribe. Shaman, I only have one question.” Qiong’s brow furrowed slightly.

 

“Speak.” Su Bai gave a small nod.

 

“Our Horned Goat Tribe is quite a distance from the Flame Dragon Tribe. Even travelling by that thing called a ship, it takes five or six days. How does development work over such a distance?” Qiong’s thinking was still very clear.

 

He was one of the more capable minds in the Horned Goat Tribe, which was precisely why he had been chosen as the representative and leader for this visit.

 

“That is not your concern. The Sea Fish Tribe on the far coast is also a Tribe within the Flame Dragon Tribe, and they are developing just fine.” Su Bai waved a hand.

 

“Understood. What does the Flame Dragon Tribe need us to do? I will return and tell our Shaman immediately.” Qiong asked at once.

 

“Nothing else. Every single person in your Tribe must make a trip to our Flame Dragon Tribe to receive the Contract.” Su Bai said, one word at a time.

 

“Everyone in our Tribe? But if all of us leave, the Tribe will be easily overrun.” Qiong said.

 

“Obviously I’m not asking all of you to come at once. You will come in batches. The great ship will not be able to hold that many people.” Su Bai rolled his eyes.

 

“Understood. When I return, I will discuss it with our people and arrange the first group to come over.”

 

Qiong’s face showed some difficulty, and he continued haltingly: “Only… only, how are we to get there? Will the Flame Dragon Tribe send a ship to collect us?”

 

“Once you have made the arrangements, the Flame Dragon Tribe’s ship will come to ferry you.” Su Bai said calmly.

 

“Yes. Thank you very much, Shaman.” Qiong responded at once.

 

He suddenly found that these particular words were very useful. ‘Sir,’ ‘thank you’ and the like were all words he had never heard before, and yet they came out remarkably smoothly.

 

They expressed a deep sense of respect, which was something their Primitives had a particular need for.

 

“How many kinds of insects does your Tribe have? What do you generally use them for?” Su Bai turned directly back to the main subject.

 

The insects were still what interested him most. Drawing the Horned Goat Tribe in had been an unexpected bonus.

 

“We have eight or nine kinds. All small insects. They can be used for scouting or for attacking.” Qiong answered with complete openness.

 

“How exactly do they scout, and how exactly do they attack?” Su Bai asked with curiosity.

 

“When we go out hunting, we generally release a swarm of insects to probe the path ahead first. If the way is safe, they return and make a distinctive sound. From the sound, we can judge whether there is danger up ahead.”

 

The moment Qiong spoke of something he was skilled in, a trace of confidence appeared. He continued: “For attacking, we command them to strike at a Ferocious Beast’s weak points, like the eyes or wounds on their body. Then we just move in to finish things off…”

 

He could be said to be getting more and more absorbed as he spoke, entirely forgetting where he was.