Shao Xuan knew that the black shield Wu He and the others were using was similar to rubber, but it was different. Rubber was not unfamiliar to the Yanjiao people. After living in the mountains for so many years, they had learned from their exploration of plants that the thick liquid of certain trees could be applied to clothes to make waterproof. They could also make waterproof shoes that wouldn't get wet on rainy days. However, the Yanjiao people felt that it was too troublesome and uncomfortable to wear. It affected their movements, so they rarely used it. After all, at that time, technology was lacking and materials were limited.
Shao Xuan had wanted to try more, but he realized that the Yanjiao people weren't interested in it. They didn't use it much when hunting, so he put it aside. However, when they were harvesting crops, Shao Xuan was very interested in the black shield used by the Chang Le's to steal grains from the thousand-grain gold fields.
That wasn't normal rubber, so Shao Xuan didn't know the steps to make it. The rubber was lighter than the ones Shao Xuan used in the past, and it could block most arrows. Even the spear he threw couldn't completely penetrate the black shield, and part of the spear's handle was stuck in it.
Wu He and the others showed an unusually firm attitude towards Shao Xuan's question. Although their eyes were glued to the bowl of meat, they didn't miss a single word.
In order to block out the temptation, some of them even held their breath until their faces turned red.
Shao Xuan looked at the five people seriously and said, "It's fine if you don't want to say it. Let's change the conditions."
"… Say it!" Wu He glared at Shao Xuan. How could they answer such a difficult condition? If they changed the conditions, it might also be difficult for them to speak! Even so, he still had hope. As long as it didn't involve the secrets of the Chang Le's, he could say anything, including the secrets of the slave masters.
"You Chang Le's have been to many places," Shao Xuan said as he observed the five people in the cage.
The Chang Le's were proud of the places they had been to. Even the slave masters might not have been to as many places as the Chang Le's. Wu He and the other four couldn't help but look pleased.
"Then draw a picture," Shao Xuan said.
"Ah?"
"What do you mean?"
"You want us to draw the places we know about?" Wu He dug his ears with his fingers, emphasizing each word carefully to make sure he didn't hear wrong. "We've been to so many places. How can we possibly draw all of them?!"
"You don't even know how to draw maps? Forget it then. "Shao Xuan took the bowl of meat and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Wu He stretched out a hand from between the stone pillars. "Why are you in such a hurry? I didn't say I couldn't draw! Why didn't you just say that you only wanted a map? "
Shao Xuan stood there without moving. "You can draw?"
"Nonsense, of course I can! Come back, that … "Wu He pointed at the bowl in Shao Xuan's hand." Put it down. Let's talk nicely. "
They would rather starve to death than tell anyone about the creation of the black shield. But if it was just a map, they could draw it. Other than the hideouts that the Chang Le's didn't want people to know about, they were more than willing to draw the other places, especially the slave masters' cities.
"After we draw it, can you let us eat meat every day? What I want you to take, don't use those things that look like burnt wood. Hmm, use good grains too. Like the ones you just harvested, those golden ones … Hey, don't go. Wait! Stop! Let's talk nicely! "
Seeing Shao Xuan walk out again, Wu He became anxious. The four people behind him wanted to beat him up. They were anxious at the side! They finally had a chance to improve their lives, but it was almost rejected by Wu He just like that.
They weren't asking for as much as Wu He said. They only wanted "a little" improvement. At the very least, they should put some soft hay on the ground, right? The ground was uneven. The broken bones that had just healed almost broke again after lying on the ground for a nap.
"Alright, tell me. Where do you want to draw it? Once you're done, hurry up and get us some food. I'm starving." Wu He sat on the ground and urged.
As soon as Wu He finished speaking, he was kicked to the side. The tall, skinny man looked at Shao Xuan with a smile. His face was full of flattery, as if he wasn't the one who had snatched the grains.
"He's been starving recently. Great Elder, don't mind him. Come, let's continue. What do you want to draw? Where do you want to draw it? How detailed do you want it to be? "The tall, skinny man's mouth was bubbling as he asked a series of questions.
"Draw a simple one first. Just a rough map of the continent over there," Shao Xuan said.
Wu He and the others cursed in their hearts. Simple?!
Just as Wu He was about to say something, someone covered his mouth and dragged him to a corner furthest away from the prison door. Only the tall, skinny man was left there to talk to Shao Xuan. "We … will do our best!"
"Alright, I'll get someone to bring the drawing board over later. I'll also prepare the brushes for you. As for the treatment you mentioned, that will depend on your performance. "
Shao Xuan's last sentence was a warning: Don't let me find out that you're faking it. Otherwise, you'll be tortured!
"Alright, alright, don't worry!" The tall, skinny man rubbed his hands and glanced at the bowl of meat.
Shao Xuan handed the bowl over. The tall, skinny man hugged the bowl gratefully, afraid that Shao Xuan would go back on his word. Even Wu He, who was full of resentment, stopped talking and went over to snatch the bowl.
The Chang Le's liked to enjoy themselves. They never mistreated themselves. Even when they came to this foreign continent, they always had the mentality of having fun. They liked to eat whatever was good to eat, play wherever they could, and find some excitement when they were bored. They didn't care about anything else. To put it bluntly, their mentality was: As long as you let me eat, drink, and play, whatever you want, as long as I can give it to you, I won't refuse.
To the other Chang Le's, Wu He and the others would live a miserable life as captives if they stayed in Yan Jiao. Since Yan Jiao promised not to kill them, they would definitely keep them alive. After all, the deal was still in progress. But that was it. Dirty living quarters, coarse and rotten grains, and being locked up in a palm-sized place every day were normal. Perhaps others wouldn't mind, but to the Chang Le's, it was torture. Life was meant to be enjoyed, not tortured. They would go crazy if they couldn't enjoy life and freedom.
That was why the Chang Le's who left the Flaming River Castle all felt that letting Wu He and the other four stay in the Flaming Horn tribe was the best punishment for the five of them. But those people didn't know that the five people who were supposed to be in a worse situation were actually drawing maps for better treatment.
Not long after Shao Xuan left the cave, someone carried a stone slab that was almost as tall as a person into the cave.
Wu He and the others looked at the polished stone slab in front of them. The flesh on their faces trembled. "This drawing board is too big!"
The Chang Le's wouldn't reveal the secret of the black shield. Shao Xuan was prepared for this. His main goal wasn't the secret of the black shield, but the map of the other side of the sea. Even if it wasn't complete, at least he could get a rough idea of it from the Chang Le's. It would be more convenient for him in the future.
The other side of the sea wasn't like here. There were many people on the other side of the sea. Caravans, adventurers, tribes that migrated from time to time, and so on. All these factors would reduce the number of unknown areas on the other side of the sea. On the other hand, because of the primitive fire seed, the tribesmen rarely migrated and never spread out too far. Even the expedition teams would travel back and forth between a few fixed places all year round instead of exploring unknown areas.
Now that the few tribes in the central region had started to move, perhaps in the future, this side would develop into the same state as the other side of the sea. But that wasn't something that could be achieved in one or two years. The Chang Le's could provide them with a shortcut that would allow them to understand more about the other side of the sea.
Shao Xuan would check on Wu He and the others' progress every day. If he was satisfied, he would get someone to change their straw mats. The food was also slightly better, but it was still far from what the Chang Le's wanted. Hence, Wu He and the others worked even harder. They believed that if they continued, the straw mats in the cave would be replaced with animal hides, and the food would become more delicious. Life would still be beautiful, and they could still enjoy being prisoners in a cell.
Other than checking on Wu He and the others' progress, Shao Xuan spent the rest of his time in the secret underground room of the Flaming River Castle, continuing to study the mummified monster.
On the other side of the sea, in the dense forest, it was harvest season again.
The Taihe tribesmen harvested all the herbs they needed to harvest, and dried those that needed to be dried under the sun. After the follow-up processing, the expedition team set off again.
Every time the expedition team set off, they had the habit of resting for a while at a fork in the road. Although they knew there wouldn't be another team carrying large bags of animal hides, they would still take a look in that direction. This wasn't requested by the team leader, but something that everyone in the expedition team would do.
Both teams had decades of chemistry, so it wasn't easy to change it even if they wanted to.
After Yanjiao left, they took over Yanjiao's land, but no one moved there to live. First of all, the Taihe tribe didn't have a large population. They could guard their own territory, but it wasn't reliable to split into two groups. Also, Yanjiao's land wasn't good enough. It could grow normal crops, but it couldn't grow herbs. Even if they could, the quality of the herbs wouldn't be good enough. After all, the Taihe tribe had improved their land for generations.
After Yanjiao left, the flock of ducks also left. The situation in the forest changed again. Some tribes left, and some came in. There had been more than a dozen battles. It was relatively safe, suitable for living, and not too far from the city, so there were limited resources. In the past, when Yanjiao was still here, Yanjiao and the Taihe tribe worked together. Very few people dared to offend them openly, but after Yanjiao left, the other tribes in the forest treated the Taihe tribe differently.
The Taihe tribe wanted to find another tribe to work with, but they couldn't find one as trustworthy as Yanjiao. Even the Mountain Wind tribe, whom they had worked with before, couldn't find one. Not long ago, the two tribes had a conflict and parted on bad terms.
Usually, they didn't quarrel, and the leader of the Taihe tribe's hunting team had a bad temper. Other than necessary trade trips, they didn't interact with other tribes. The shaman said that this was probably loneliness.
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