Chapter 1109, The Insect Master

Translator: Silavin

 

“Shaman wants to absorb that Tribe directly, is that right?” Sha Lan blinked her blue eyes.

 

“Precisely. A Tribe that skilled in warfare would be a considerable asset if it fought for us.” Su Bai nodded.

 

“That’s true. No matter how well their people fight, they cannot win against our weapons.” Sha Lan flicked her cat tail, then said. “But Shaman, I am worried it will not be that simple. They would likely fight to the last man. That could mean losses on our side as well.”

 

She was thinking of how few Warriors they had, and how each one was a hardened fighter. The sort who might go down swinging with everything they had.

 

The Green Snake Tribe’s losses hardly mattered. What she feared was a struggle that cost the Flame Dragon Tribe its own people.

 

“Do not worry about that. When the time comes, I will know what to do. I will make them give up on force and show us respect.” Su Bai smiled calmly.

 

Sha Lan saw his confidence and let herself relax. “Shaman, shall I continue with the other Tribes?”

 

“Of course. Otherwise, how would I know anything about them? I would not know how to handle it when I meet their representatives.” Su Bai said, sipping his tea.

 

“Sure. The next two are the Coiled Goat Tribe and the Horned Goat Tribe. Both are Goat Demi-Humans, though both are Small Tribes. They happen to be situated close to the great river.” Sha Lan continued.

 

“I would guess the two of them were originally one, were they not?” Su Bai asked.

 

“Yes, Shaman. They were once a single Medium Tribe. But there was a dispute between them, and two Brothers each took their followers and established their own Tribes separately.” Sha Lan nodded.

 

“By that account, they must have been quarrelling for some time now. And yet they have both come through it well enough. They must have some kind of trump card.” Su Bai said.

 

Life on the continent in this era was not easy. Both Tribes were near the great river, and in the rainy season, the Ferocious Beasts in the river were known to venture out. Then there was the eternal night, when such creatures grew even more violent. Without some enough strength or strong enough cards, neither Tribe could have weathered both those periods.

 

“Both Tribes are said to have a kind of secret weapon. They say they have always managed to safely come through the rainy season and the eternal night.” Sha Lan said, as if still turning it over.

 

“Oh? A secret weapon. Do you know what it is?” Su Bai asked.

 

“The representatives from both Tribes said nothing of it. They would not use something like that as a condition for trade.” Sha Lan shook her head.

 

“Then, what did they bring to trade with us this time? Ordinary dried meat and the like, we have no use for.” Su Bai asked.

 

“Apparently it is a creature their Tribes have raised. A kind of animal that gives off light. And the light lasts a remarkably long time.” Sha Lan said.

 

“A creature that gives off light?” Su Bai’s black eyes went wide. This was something he had long been looking for.

 

He had been hoping to find something like a firefly, a living replacement for the Tribe’s lighting. He had sent Warriors searching for a long time and came up with nothing. What they did find flickered and was gone.

 

“It seems to be some sort of insect. I am not sure why, but those two Tribes have the ability to keep them alive.”

 

Sha Lan tapped her chin with one finger, thinking. “Other Tribes have found these insects before, but they always died quickly. These two Tribes, though, have kept them going continuously and even made them quite docile.”

 

“An Insect Master, then? Or perhaps an Insect Cultivator?” Su Bai’s mind went to both at once.

 

He had read of such things before, and seen something like them in the world he came from. It was an uncommon and mysterious craft.

 

“Insect Master seems right. Why else would the insects stay without wandering off? They have already traded with many Tribes using these insects.” Sha Lan said.

 

The term was new to Sha Lan, but the meaning was plain enough from the word itself. Someone who understood how to handle and raise insects, much like some Tribes understood how to Tame animals.

 

“But the survival rate of those insects is quite low, right?” Su Bai asked.

 

“Oh? How did Shaman know that?” Sha Lan’s fine eyes went wide.

 

“It does not take much working out. If they are willing to bring such a useful insect to market, it means they have found a way to keep the survival rate low.”

 

Su Bai blinked his black eyes thoughtfully and continued. “They probably last only a few days before dying. Otherwise other Tribes could breed them, and that would be a serious loss for those two Tribes.”

 

He understood perfectly well. Both the Coiled Goat Tribe and the Horned Goat Tribe kept this secret precisely by making sure the insects did not survive long outside their care.

 

“That is really underhanded of them.” Sha Lan rolled her eyes and went on. “Well, other Tribes would probably struggle to get the insects to listen to them anyway. They would just end up keeping them in a container somewhere.”

 

“For the Large Tribes, these would just be an amusing novelty. A few days and they die. They can just purchase more the next time.” Su Bai took a quiet sip of tea. “And for those two Tribes, as long as it keeps bringing food and goods to the Tribe, they are not particularly bothered about whether it is underhanded or not.”

 

“That is true. It is all a willing trade in the end. Shaman, but what if they want to trade with us using those short-lived insects?” Sha Lan said, her brow creasing.

 

Sha Lan was already irritated thinking about those two underhanded Tribes. She was not about to let them get Flame Dragon Tribe goods for nothing.

 

“Don’t worry. We can still trade with them. I simply have conditions of my own.” Su Bai smiled.

 

The look on his face at that moment was the same steady confidence he had worn when he spoke of the Green Snake Tribe just now.

 

“Shaman has already thought of something?” Sha Lan’s beautiful eyes went round.

 

“There are ways to deal with Tribes like that. When the time comes, just stay close and watch.” Su Bai’s lips curved slightly upward.

 

“Great. Let them learn what our Tribe is made of.” Sha Lan covered her mouth and laughed softly.

 

Then, Su Bai’s expression darkened all at once. He straightened sharply and swept his gaze around the room.

 

The change was enough to catch Sha Lan’s attention, and she went alert at once.

 

“Shaman, is there something dangerous approaching?” Sha Lan had already moved to place herself between Su Bai and the room.

 

*Step step step.*

 

Ye Jiu heard it too and came rushing in, her face set, eyes sweeping every corner.