Chapter 443

Wu Yue's words instantly reminded Changye of something she had said long ago—that if one made a significant contribution, they could shed their slave status and become an ordinary member of the Snow Tiger Tribe.

The wild joy nearly overwhelmed him, but after a moment he calmed down.

"Lord Xuehu Wu, the clay used to fire this pottery was discovered by a small team of us, not just me alone."

The surrounding slaves, hearing Changye say that, were momentarily stunned, then filled with emotion and warmth.

The smile in Wu Yue's eyes deepened a little; she had not misjudged him—he was a person of upright character.

"Their contributions are being accumulated just like yours before."

Changye nodded happily; since becoming a person beside Lord Xuehu Wu, he had done many good deeds for the Snow Tiger Tribe, which Lord Xuehu Wu, though unspoken, kept in mind.

With hope in his heart, his actions became ever more proactive.

After Wu Yue left the cave, the few male slaves left to guard it stood even straighter.

They must work diligently, striving like Changye to accumulate enough merit soon to become ordinary tribe members.

Wu Yue had previously discussed with Xuehu Wu and the chieftain the idea that great merit could earn one ordinary tribe status, and both leaders agreed.

"Dog host, are you now going to tell them to make Changye an ordinary tribe member?"

Tongzi lounged on the beach conjured by the system, crossing their short, chubby legs, holding a cup of orange juice, looking utterly content.

Wu Yue glanced at that guy, rolled her eyes in annoyance; although she didn't know how the points she gave were exchanged in the system, seeing the Dog System's luxurious life made it clear they were far from few.

"I'm not stupid; this pottery may be precious, but Changye and the others haven't even succeeded in firing it—I can't just take these shards to ask for credit on their behalf."

One must hold a complete piece of pottery to be convincing; some things only carry weight after success, especially when the reward is changing one's status—a major matter.

Tongzi took a sip of the refreshing drink; the dog host's intelligence was still on point.

Hearing Tongzi's muttering, Wu Yue felt a dark line across her forehead; her finger twitched, wanting to deduct some pocket points from the Dog System, but recalling how Tongzi had gone wild after the last deduction, she curled her finger back and gave up.

"Lord Xuehu Wu!"

An excited shout rang out not far ahead; Wu Yue came to her senses, followed the sound, and saw several slaves with dark faces full of smiles running toward her.

They grinned like sunflowers—what good news could there be?

The first to come running was a sturdy male who had likely just come from the fields, his body still smeared with dirt and a clear streak of sweat on his face.

"Lord Xuehu Wu, the taro... the taro is ripe; we just dug up a plant that is far larger than the first one we ever grew."

Not knowing the planting season for taro here, Wu Yue, after her previous successful planting, had cleared new land and continued planting.

What she hadn't expected was such a big surprise.

Following the slaves at a quick pace to the field, the tribespeople who heard the taro was ripe also came running excitedly, even the three tribe Beastman Warriors who had stayed behind without going hunting followed over with puzzled looks.

The edge of the field prepared for digging was filled with Snow Tiger Tribe members, the three tribe Beastman Warriors, and members of various mid-sized and small tribes.

Besides the Snow Tiger Tribe members, the people of other tribes were full of curiosity—what could possibly excite a tribe that lives in stone houses and never lacks food?

The enthusiasm for planting taro had not yet faded; although there were already plenty of preserved foods like cured meat and vegetables, for the Snow Tiger Tribe members who constantly suffered hunger, more food was naturally better.

Taro was discovered by Wu Yue; this cultivable, high-yield food had long since replaced grass cakes as the tribe members' favorite food.

Therefore, for this harvest, Xuehu Wu and the chieftain, though delighted and excited, still restrained their joy, standing at the field's edge waiting for Wu Yue to come share the happiness of the harvest.

"Brother, isn't this your tribe's former campsite? Why plant so much grass?"

The Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warrior stared at the endless grass before him, poked the Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warrior beside him, and said doubtfully.

The equally doubtful Mad Lion Tribe and Flying Eagle Tribe Beastman Warriors also pricked up their ears; needless to say, they were equally puzzled by this question.

This grass also grows on their territories, but it is merely fodder for wild boar beasts and cannot be made into grass cakes.

The Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warrior glanced at the dense crowd around him and naturally knew that his tribe's taro planting could no longer be kept secret today.

He lifted his chin proudly: "What kind of look is this? This isn't grass—it's clearly a precious food."

The Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warrior rubbed his eyes, then looked again at the vast expanse of lush green: "Don't bully me just because I'm from another tribe—our territory also has plenty of this grass, which wild boar beasts love to eat."

The Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman who had just spoken gave him an annoyed look: "This food was discovered by Lord Xuehu Wu; the part buried in the soil is the real edible part, and it's delicious, delicious."

As he spoke, he gestured with his hand: "One plant can produce many taros underground, even the smallest are as big as my palm."

The other tribespeople, seeing the Beastman's palm larger than his own face, became increasingly convinced he was bragging.

They felt that during this period the Snow Tiger Tribe was merely pretending to have abundant food, while in reality the tribe had sunk to competing with wild boar beasts for food.

Thinking this, the Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warrior's gaze toward the Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warrior softened with pity: "Brother, we won't take advantage of your tribe anymore; if we want food, we'll exchange game for it."

Before, they thought the Snow Tiger Tribe had plenty of food and didn't need their little game, so they always went to familiar Beastman Warriors to mooch tasty bits.

But now, looking back, they felt a sour ache—the Snow Tiger Tribe had become this poor, yet they had previously taken advantage of others, which was truly unacceptable.

The Snow Tiger Tribe Beastman Warrior who had just been bragging, seeing their sympathetic faces, instantly darkened his face, snorted coldly, turned away, and refused to look at those aggravating things any further.

Later, when Lord Xuehu Wu comes to dig up the taro, he will surely grab a few and smash them hard into their faces.

Not only here, but elsewhere along the field's edge, outsider tribespeople who didn't know taro was edible were also curious, inquiring about this 'grass'.

They, like the Black Wolf Tribe Beastman Warrior, simply did not believe this grass could be food.

"Lord Xuehu Wu is coming!"

The noisy field edge suddenly heard an excited shout; the surrounding tribespeople from various tribes fell silent at once, following the sound to see several slaves escorting a small female with watery eyes and a faint smile, like the moon in the sky, walking briskly over.

Xuehu Wu had been waiting somewhat anxiously; seeing Wu Yue approach, he hurried over with quick steps.

"You little brat, where did you run off to? Everyone's eager to see the newly sprouted taro."

Of course, he himself was the most anxious, but as a shaman he still needed to maintain composure.

Wu Yue glanced at her own shaman and chuckled: "I just went to check the pottery blanks; hearing the taro was ripe, I rushed over."

While speaking with the shaman, her steps never paused as she walked into the field.

An perceptive slave stepped forward excitedly, handing over a stone tool—their implement for digging up taro.

Wu Yue glanced at the surrounding tribespeople, took a deep breath, raised the stone tool, and dug down.

The stone tool, sharpened to an extreme, sank deep into the earth with a single swing; Wu Yue exerted force with her arm, and a large clod of earth was brought up.

At the same time appearing before everyone's eyes were taros roughly the length of a Beastman's arm.

Wu Yue saw this, her hand holding the stone tool trembled involuntarily. Goodness, this is really outrageous.

The nearby slaves hurried forward, cleaning the dug-up taro and placing it on the field ridges.

The laughter of the Snow Tiger shaman and the Snow Tiger clan chief had already echoed across the main field; the Snow Tiger tribe's people also reacted, each cheering, shouting and laughing, some even bursting into tears.

This sight left the outsiders even more bewildered: "Meow?"

Already, a diligent slave had picked up those few dug-up taro, lit a fire at the field's edge, and tossed the taro into it.

With a bountiful taro harvest, Wu Yue's joy only grew: "Get moving, let's gather all the taro as soon as possible."

"Yes!"

The dark-skinned slaves all responded in unison, taking the prepared stone tools and baskets; the males dug while the females placed the dug-up taro into the baskets and carried them to the open ground to dry.

And as everyone dug, waves of rich aroma drifted from the field's edge.

"The taro is cooked!"

The tribespeople all swallowed their saliva; the half-beast warrior beside the Snow Tiger shaman, seeing the shaman's gaze fixed on the fire, astutely stepped forward and took the taro out.

Some tribespeople had clean large leaves on the ground; the half-beast warrior brushed off the ash from several taro, then split each in half.

Instantly, the aroma just smelled became even richer.

Several outsiders couldn't help but start swallowing their saliva.

Goodness, so the boar beasts eat this well?

What have they been missing all along?

The Snow Tiger beastman warrior who had previously been pitied, seeing the Black Wolf beastman warrior next to him staring at the roasted taro and swallowing saliva, instantly felt refreshed.

"Fragrant, right?"

The Black Wolf beastman warrior nodded repeatedly, his Adam's apple rolling, continually emitting gulping sounds: "Fragrant!"

"You want to eat it, right?"

The Black Wolf beastman warrior whose gaze was locked on the roasted taro, upon hearing this, immediately withdrew his gaze and then looked longingly at the Snow Tiger beastman warrior beside him: "Want!"

The Snow Tiger beastman warrior bared a big white tooth: "Trade with game!"

Heh, they used to dare mock their tribe for putting on airs; now just ask if their faces hurt.

The beastman warriors from several tribes stiffened, then felt their faces heat up, finding it quite embarrassing.

"Um, let's first take a look, then we'll go hunting later."

Goodness, at this time we definitely need to seize the moment to learn secretly; this food called taro is also available in their tribe.

After returning, we'll drive those boar beasts elsewhere, and that taro field will be taken over by the tribe.

Such a fragrant food surely tastes just as good.

In the afternoon, the three tribes' beastman warriors who went out hunting returned; hearing their clansmen say the grass eaten by the boar beasts is a very delicious food, they were somewhat doubtful.

But after following the clansmen to the field's edge to look, they instantly found it truly fragrant.

Goodness, who would have thought that so many taro could grow under each blade of grass—what kind of divine food is this?

Tempted by the taro, the three tribes' beastman warriors directly exchanged all the game they brought back from today's hunt for taro.

Don't touch the juice of uncooked taro; if it gets on you, it will be very itchy and painful.

The slave in charge of the taro conscientiously made a usage instruction; the several tribes' beastman warriors nodded repeatedly, indicating they remembered.

They showed no sign of being arrogant in front of their own tribe's slaves.

The Snow Tiger tribe's beastman warriors were friendly toward these slaves, so these outsiders had even less right to act high and mighty.

They hurried back to their dwelling, where the on-duty beastman warriors had already prepared firewood and lit a fire.

One by one, the taro were thrown in; the beastman warriors gathered around the fire kept making gulping sounds without pause.

Only when the taro in the fire began to emit a familiar aroma did the beastman warriors who had watched the Snow Tiger tribe roast taro step forward, amid the salivating gazes of all, to take those taro out.

"This thing is blackish—can it be eaten?"

The beastman warrior who had taken out the taro, upon hearing that, glanced at the speaking beastman, brushed off the ash from several taro, then, imitating the earlier half-beast warrior, split the taro in half and placed them on the prepared large leaves.

Instantly, the ever richer aroma of roasted taro spread through the air.

Goodness, the surrounding beastman warriors all reached out and grabbed a half each.

One bite in, it's soft, sweet, and simply couldn't be better.

The beastman warriors were truly delighted; after a few bites they swallowed the roasted taro in their hands, and their glossy green eyes turned to the remaining taro.

In one vigorous effort, the beastman warriors who ate ended up with bellies bulging.

Goodness, we used to just watch helplessly as such delicious food was ruined by the boar beasts.

The Mad Lion tribe's beastman warrior, rubbing his stomach, lamented with a pang of regret.

The beastman warriors of the other two tribes felt the same regret.

I've decided to return to the tribe in a few days.

The Black Wolf tribe's beastman warrior gazed at the few taro left at the bottom of the basket, his eyes resolute.