Chapter 1044, Developing Together

Translator: Silavin

 

The Sun blazed overhead. The current weather bore no resemblance whatsoever to the aftermath of a recently concluded rainy season.

 

On the contrary, it had all the hallmarks of the hot summer. One stepped outside for less than half an hour and came back drenched in sweat from head to toe.

 

“Shaman, why have you asked three Tribes to help us build roads? Isn’t that far too favourable for them?” Yu Ying asked with curiosity.

 

Yu Ying did not quite understand it. She felt the Tribe ought to have taken some goods instead. Otherwise, it seemed as though the Flame Dragon Tribe had come off worse.

 

“Silly girl, our Tribe is making a tremendous profit from this.” Su Bai mused, taking a sip of tea.

 

Yu Ying tilted her head in puzzlement, her soft voice rising. “Shaman, how so?”

 

“Our Tribe is not losing anything whatsoever. When the time comes, they will still need to use currency notes to buy our goods, which means they will still have to exchange something for them. So, there is no scenario in which we lose out.”

 

Su Bai set down his teacup and continued, “What’s more, building roads is something I have been planning for a long time. Now that other Tribes are coming to help, there is no downside for us at all.”

 

“So what the Shaman means is that they both have to buy our goods and help us build roads, is that right?” Yu Ying turned it over in her mind for a good while. “But Shaman, are you not selling them goods at a lower price? Would that not mean we earn less?”

 

“No worries. A merchant never strikes a losing deal. Besides, the cost of those goods is not particularly high to begin with. It is simply that our initial pricing was set very high.”

 

Su Bai ruffled her hair affectionately. “All we are doing now is bringing a very high price down a little. We are still earning regardless.”

 

He was also quietly grateful that he had priced his goods so highly from the very start. Without that, other Tribes would never have come seeking partnerships in the first place.

 

“I see, now that you explain it that way, I understand. I had thought our Tribe was going to lose a ton.” Yu Ying nodded thoughtfully. “I thought so because building roads benefits them as well, and we are the ones supplying the materials. So, it felt like we were getting the worse end of it.”

 

“Building roads does indeed benefit them, but it benefits us much more. We are supplying the materials precisely so that no one else learns how to make cement.” Su Bai began sorting through the documents on the table. “Once the roads are laid, more people will come to our Tribe, more so than ever before. That will form a fixed trade network, so that even during the rainy season, we do not need to worry about a lack of visitors.”

 

This past rainy season, three Tribes had indeed made their way to the Flame Dragon Tribe, but every one of them had paid a painful price to do so.

 

The parties that set out had been sizable enough, yet a considerable number of Totem Warriors had been lost along the way.

 

The importance of Totem Warriors to a Tribe went without saying. Cultivating a single Totem Warrior was an arduous undertaking, and losing one represented a real blow. Even for a Large Tribe, the sudden loss of several Totem Warriors in one season was still a huge blow.

 

“Is the Shaman planning to introduce the carriage to every Tribe?” Yu Ying asked.

 

Yu Ying’s mind went straight to the carriage. It was a wonderfully convenient thing that could carry one from one end of the Tribe to the other in very little time. What once required a long walk on foot was now made easy for everyone.

 

“Exactly. With carriages travelling back and forth between the various Tribes, the time saved for everyone would be enormous. As a result, the frequency of their visits to our Tribe would increase as well.”

 

Su Bai’s dark eyes flickered with quiet calculation as he continued, “We would also be able to conduct business at their Tribes, which all serves the Flame Dragon Tribe’s development.”

 

“Shaman, but if that is the case, it would also help those Tribes develop. Would we not be overtaken by other Tribes before long?” Yu Ying fretted.

 

Yu Ying understood why the Flame Dragon Tribe carried itself with such confidence. Beyond the Tribe’s sheer strength, the foremost reason was that its development had outpaced every other Tribe by a considerable margin.

 

That was the crux of the matter, and the true reason other Tribes held the Flame Dragon Tribe in such esteem.

 

“Their lives will certainly be better than before, but that is not a bad thing for us either. For us to truly benefit, every Tribe needs to rise. A single dominant power cannot sustain itself for long.” Su Bai understood this principle well. “What’s more, our Tribe’s pace of development is something no other Tribe can possibly match. Give them ten years and they still would not catch up.”

 

His confidence stemmed from the fact that the Flame Dragon Tribe possessed many things that were entirely exclusive to them: cement, ceramics, their unique linen production, seasonings and much more; all of it completely beyond the reach of the other Tribes.

 

“Shaman, I do not understand why a single dominant power cannot last. Would it not be wonderful for our Tribe to be strong while other Tribes remain weak?” Yu Ying asked with genuine curiosity.

 

“How to put it. This is quite complex. You will understand it gradually as time goes on.” Su Bai had no desire to go into too much detail with the guileless fox eared girl at that moment.

 

She was at her most innocent right now. In time, as she grew older, she would naturally come to understand.

 

Su Bai certainly had no intention of discussing economics with her at this stage. It was an extraordinarily deep and complicated subject. Even in the modern era, there were those who never truly grasped it, let alone people of this Primitive Era.

 

“I will trust in the Shaman’s judgement in all things.” Yu Ying nodded happily.

 

“Come then, let us go and see how the farmland is progressing.” Su Bai still wanted to take a walk outside.

 

He had previously only arranged what should be planted where in the farmland and how it ought to be laid out. He had not actually gone to see it in person.

 

Moreover, he had constructed a rain shelter over that area and had someone put in a drainage system. Now more than ever, he was keen to go and assess the results for himself.

 

“Alright.” Yu Ying rose promptly and began gathering her things.

 

*Clatter clatter clatter…*

 

As the carriage drew to a stop beside the cement road, Su Bai led Yu Ying through to the farmland situated within the forest.

 

Before they even arrived, the canopy formed between the trees came into view, the natural rain shelter Su Bai had grown into shape using his Growth Acceleration Skill.

 

It had to be said, the rain shelter was an imposing sight. Every member of the Flame Dragon Tribe knew it was Su Bai’s handiwork, and those from other Tribes who passed by and caught sight of it were invariably struck with awe.

 

The reason was simple: the canopy formed between the trees bore an uncanny resemblance to a mushroom, a mushroom that had grown up in the midst of the trees themselves.

 

“That rain shelter is still holding up well.” Yu Ying looked upon it again and felt no less amazed than the first time.

 

“Shaman, Shaman Priestess.” The farmland manager hurried forward to greet them.

 

“How did the farmland do during the rainy season? Did the drainage function smoothly?” Su Bai asked directly.

 

The rainy season had been so relentlessly busy with other matters, and since no one had thought to report on this particular issue, he had nearly let it slip from his mind entirely.

 

“Shaman, everything went very smoothly. There was no waterlogging in the farmland at all. With the rain shelter in place, the crops were also well preserved.” The farmland manager replied promptly.

 

“Great.” Su Bai let out a quiet breath of relief.

 

There was no other reason for it. With this trial run completed, he now knew precisely how to proceed going forward.