Since the mountain barbarian leader wanted him to personally make a trip to the stronghold, Ouyang Shuo naturally wouldn't refuse. He still had this bit of courage and confidence. Of course, he was not stupid enough to go alone. A gentleman would not stand under a collapsing wall.
Early the next morning, Ouyang Shuo led the infantry platoon to the barbarian mountain village under the guidance of a spy from the Military Intelligence Division. After leaving the military camp, they crossed the plains and entered the forest in less than half an hour.
After entering the forest, the army's speed slowed down significantly. The ground was covered with rotten leaves and vines, making it extremely difficult to move forward. Ouyang Shuo had no choice but to dismount and walk. Fortunately, the guide was experienced and had left marks along the way, so they wouldn't get lost in the mountains.
After walking for a full two hours, the scout finally reported that the stronghold was two kilometers ahead. Ouyang Shuo ordered his troops to rest and reorganize, waiting patiently.
Sure enough, Leng Qian arrived with his team in less than twenty minutes. As for Buttface and his group, they were already under the surveillance of the Mountain Barbarians, so it was inconvenient for them to meet.
After the greetings, Leng Qian began to report the information he had gathered on the barbarians, saying, "There are more than three thousand barbarians in the entire mountain village, and most of them are young and strong. Because they lived in the deep mountains and forests all year round, the mountain barbarians' lifespan was not long. It was very difficult for them to live past forty years, and the survival rate of children was also very low. Their average lifespan was only twenty-five years. The mountain barbarians lived by hunting, and they would occasionally pick wild fruits to fill their stomachs. The leader of a village was usually the leader of the hunting team. Only the strongest hunter in the village could take on this role. There's also a shaman in the village who knows a little about medicine. He's the oldest and wisest person in the village, and he's also the one in charge. "
"There are nearly a hundred barbarian tribes in this area. The tribes were clearly demarcated by their hunting areas. The tribe we've encountered now is called the Mystic Bird Tribe. With the Mystic Bird as its totem, it can only be considered a medium-sized tribe. It was said that in the depths of the mountains, there were large tribes with tens of thousands of people. The leader of the tribe was called Stone Bear. He got his name from hunting a black bear alone. The shamans of the tribe don't have names, they are respectfully called Great Shamans. "
Ouyang Shuo listened attentively. Leng Qian's intelligence gathering ability did not disappoint him. In just one day, he had obtained such detailed information.
"Let's go and take a look at this Mystic Bird Tribe." He ordered the team to advance.
In less than half an hour, the troops arrived near the stronghold. Seeing Ouyang Shuo's group, the sentries on the outskirts of the stronghold immediately became vigilant and loudly shouted, "Who are you, state your name!"
"I'm the Lord of the Shanhai Town. I've come to pay a visit at the invitation of your superior!" Ouyang Shuo replied loudly.
There was a commotion at the outpost. A small black bird perched on the shoulder of one of the sentries. The sentinel said a few words to the little bird, and the little bird rose into the air, flying straight towards the village.
Ouyang Shuo smiled bitterly and shook his head when he saw this. No wonder Zhang Daniu fell into the ambush. The Mystic Bird Tribe had such a powerful investigative tool, so it was not an injustice for them to lose. This inconspicuous little black bird was clearly more intelligent than a carrier pigeon. Not only did it know the way, but it could also understand human language. He guessed that this little bird was the descendant of the tribe's totem, the Mystic Bird.
Fifteen minutes later, the bird flew back from the stronghold and chirped at the sentinel. Other than the sentinel, no one else understood.
"Sir, the Lord of the Shanhai Town can only bring two attendants into the stronghold. The rest must wait outside," the sentinel said loudly.
"How can we do that? We must follow and protect the Lord's safety." Zhao Sihu couldn't help but shout before Ouyang Shuo could speak.
"This is the Lord's order. We must do as he says." The sentinel was expressionless.
Zhao Sihu wanted to continue arguing, but Ouyang Shuo stopped him and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, Captain Zhao and Wang Feng will follow me!"
Wang Feng was Lin Yue's eldest disciple, and he had just been appointed as the First Squad Leader of the infantry platoon.
"Sir, this is too dangerous. Why don't we just bring some people and flatten this lousy stronghold? Let's see if they still dare to put on airs with us. "Zhao Sihu was obviously still worried.
"Yes, Sir, it's not wise to go into danger alone!" Leng Qian followed and advised.
"You don't need to advise him. I believe that the Lord of the Stone Bear Tribe is not such a reckless person. The barbarians have always been forthright. If they really want to deal with us, they will use force. They definitely won't be so despicable, "Ouyang Shuo said.
Seeing that they couldn't persuade him, the generals could only give up. Leng Qian turned around and shouted to the sentinel, "The people on the other side, listen up. If anything happens to our Lord, the Shanhai Town will definitely send a large army to attack and flatten the stronghold."
When the sentinel heard Leng Qian's threat, he coldly snorted and didn't reply.
Ouyang Shuo didn't pay attention to him. He brought Zhao Sihu and Wang Feng with him and followed behind the sentinel, walking toward the stronghold. After entering the stronghold, the sentinel who led the way returned the way he came, and another mountain barbarian led the way.
Along the way, Ouyang Shuo looked at the scenery of the barbarians' stronghold with great interest. He even conversed with Zhao Sihu and Wang Feng from time to time. The barbarians' stronghold had distinct characteristics of the barbarians. It was simple, sturdy, and rough. When the mountain barbarians on the side of the road saw that these guests could still talk cheerfully and wittily at this time, they couldn't help but feel a bit of admiration. They were real men. No wonder they could be received by the Lord.
Shi Xiong led the tribe's important members to welcome them at the entrance of the meeting hall. At least, he wasn't too rude. If Shi Xiong sat inside and was brought in like a criminal, then Ouyang Shuo would have to re-evaluate the importance of the Mystic Bird Tribe to the Shanhai Town.
"Guests from afar, welcome to the Mystic Bird Tribe!" Shi Xiong said in a loud voice.
Ouyang Shuo faintly smiled and said in admiration, "Thank you for your invitation, Lord. You let me experience the barbarians' sightseeing. It really has a special flavor."
Shi Xiong's expression relaxed, and he said with a bit of enthusiasm, "Please!"
"Please!" Ouyang Shuo followed behind Shi Xiong and walked toward the meeting hall.
After both parties sat down, Shi Xiong didn't bother with pleasantries. He directly said, "Lord of the Shanhai Town, yesterday your subordinates said that they want to cooperate with our Mystic Bird Tribe. I'd like to hear the details."
"Respected Senior Leader, I've come here to make friends. Regardless of whether the cooperation is successful or not, the Shanhai Town will give your tribe 100,000 units of food for free. "Ouyang Shuo first gave the other party a carrot.
The other party immediately became restless after he said this. 100,000 units of food, supplemented by hunting and wild fruits, was enough to sustain the Mystic Bird Tribe for two to three months. Such a generous offer immediately won the favor of the group of men. They no longer looked at Ouyang Shuo with hostility.
Shi Xiong was also very shocked, but as the Lord, he didn't lose his composure. "Thank you for the gift from the Shanhai Town. The Mystic Bird Tribe is very grateful!"
"There are three main ways to cooperate this time. Please take a look. The first way is for your tribe to go down the mountain and settle down in the Pool Village. The second way is for your tribe to choose warriors to serve the Shanhai Town army, and the Shanhai Town will give you a salary. The third way is for your tribe to help the Shanhai Town find and mine ores, and the Shanhai Town will give you a salary. "Ouyang Shuo threw out the three barbarians' plans.
"The Mystic Bird Tribe has lived here for generations, and it's hard to move. It's hard to go down the mountain and settle down." Shi Xiong first rejected the first way.
Ouyang Shuo nodded. This was completely within his expectations. If there wasn't a suitable opportunity, it would be impossible for the mountain barbarians to move out of the forest and settle down on the plains. Settling down couldn't be forced, so they could only take it slow.
"I wonder how much is the salary in the Shanhai Town army?" Shi Xiong continued to ask.
Ouyang Shuo heaved a sigh of relief. The big fish had finally taken the bait. "Ordinary soldiers are paid according to their strength. In terms of rations, the lowest is 10 units of rations, and the highest is 90 units of rations. With the standard of your tribe's warriors, you can get at least 50 units of rations every month. "
Shi Xiong nodded and didn't rush to express his position. He continued to ask, "As for the third way of cooperation, please explain in detail."
"Of course. From what I know, there are gold, silver, and many other rare ores in this area. If your tribe can find these ores, the Shanhai Town will give you rations as remuneration. " Ouyang Shuo knew that in his previous life, Ba Dao had found a gold mine through the mountain barbarians and obtained the original capital to rise quickly.
"Please take a seat. We need to discuss." After Shi Xiong finished speaking, he arranged for the tribe members to accompany Ouyang Shuo and the other two in the meeting hall, while he went to the backyard alone.
The Grand Wizard of the Mystic Bird Tribe was in the backyard. Shi Xiong naturally didn't dare to make a decision on such a big matter. The discussion was just to fool Ouyang Shuo. His real purpose was to consult the Grand Wizard in the backyard.
After listening to Shi Xiong's report, the Grand Wizard was silent. After a long time, he said, "This Shanhai Town's lord is also a wise man. Three months ago, I received a dream from the Mystic Bird. He said that not long after, mutants will descend from the heavens with sharp blades in their hands to open up the wilderness. The Mystic Bird said that these mutants could be the opportunity for our tribe to prosper or the source of our tribe's destruction. We have to investigate them. "
"In that case, I'll drive them away!" Shi Xiong said.
"Don't be so rash. This lord came with the sincerity of cooperation. He might be able to help us get out of this predicament. We can send some warriors to join the Shanhai Town's army and observe them. As for the matter of the ores, we have to hurry and find them. They might be able to solve the food crisis. "The Grand Wizard was obviously not as conservative as Shi Xiong.
"Yes! Grand Wizard, in your opinion, how many warriors should we send? "
"The first batch of warriors shouldn't have too many, but we have to choose the elites. We can't be sloppy. Let's use two hundred as the standard. In addition, Shi Hu is quick-witted and brave. Let him follow us out of the mountains to gain experience. "The Grand Wizard said decisively.
Ouyang Shuo had specially pointed out that the soldiers' salary was linked to their strength. He didn't want the Mystic Bird Tribe to send some weak people to make up the numbers. It was indeed effective.
"Yes!" Shi Xiong said excitedly. Shi Hu's strength was also one of the best in the hunting team. He was also the person who posed the greatest threat to his position as the lord. Now that the Grand Wizard had sent Shi Hu to the Shanhai Town, he was naturally happy.
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