Chapter 576: New Ore

Wu Yue and Tongzi had just reached the entrance of the trading venue when they saw Fuer, who was in charge of order today, escorting several thin-built males out from inside.

Hmph! You're too bold, daring to deceive our Snow Moon Tribe like this. If we don't give you a lesson today, you won't know why the flowers are so red!

Among the thin-built males with heads bowed, the one leading turned his head to the speaking beastman warrior and asked: "Then tell me why the flowers are this red?"

Fuer, who hated sudden silence, seemed to have his throat gripped by an invisible big hand as he held his neck high and chirped; his slightly immature face instantly flushed red.

How could a lowly male from a small tribe know this? Get lost!

He didn't know why the flowers were red anyway; the two beastman warriors had said the same when they punished them, and they had memorized it from hearing it.

Seeing Fuer flushed with anger, Wu Yue also found it amusing in her heart; this remark was surely made by Teng Qian or Teng Kun.

"Fuer, what's wrong with these people?"

"Shaman Wu Yue!"

Fuer hastily led the crowd forward to pay respectful respects.

"Shaman Wu Yue, these small-tribe people dared to use moss-covered stones to impersonate stones that could be ground into sharp tools; after the tribe responsible for the exchange discovered it, we arrested them."

"Oh?"

Wu Yue turned her head to look at the group of thin-built males kneeling and trembling on the ground: "Show me the stones you brought."

Upon hearing this, the small-tribe people trembled again; good grief, is this shaman sir going to deal with them right now?

While several people were feeling anxious, the thin-built male who had spoken earlier took out a stone from his bosom and placed it on the ground before him.

"Shaman Sir, this is the stone we brought; we didn't intend to deceive the Snow Moon Tribe, and we've never seen the kind of stone the Snow Moon Tribe spoke of, so we brought any stone that looked different."

The male appeared to be the leader of this small group, his courage somewhat greater than that of the others.

Wu Yue said nothing, merely stepped forward a few paces, gathering shamanic power in her palm; the stone originally placed on the ground seemed to be attracted by something, whooshing up and landing in her fair hand.

Seeing this, the Snow Moon Tribe's people's eyes grew ever more reverent and fervent, while the trembling bodies of the small-tribe people kneeling on the ground shook even more violently.

Feeling that even their frail little bodies might not be saved, they wailed: "Waaah!"

"Damn! Damn! Damn!"

Wu Yue was about to examine the oddly colored stone in her hand closely when Tongzi's startled cry suddenly rang in her mind.

It startled her, and the stone in her hand almost slipped out.

"Tongzi, what are you shouting about?"

The short-statured little Tongzi excitedly fiddled with the small screen, his little butt involuntarily swaying left and right, his soft, sweet voice tinged with undisguisable envy and jealousy.

"You dog host, your luck is really great—this is copper ore!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yue's eyes instantly brightened; she hadn't expected that, while she merely wanted to gather more iron ore, she would also get this unexpected joy.

She gazed smilingly at the thin-built male kneeling at the front: "Where did you find this kind of stone, and how much is there?"

The male, who had been expecting punishment from the shaman, hadn't expected this powerful shaman to be unangered; for a moment he was stunned.

Beside him, Fuer frowned, about to scold, but seeing his own shaman wave a hand to signal him to stay silent,

he retreated to the side with a grunt, his gaze toward the leading thin-built male tinged with a little resentment.

The male cautiously lifted his head to glance at the shaman, whose brows and eyes bore a light smile; his heart eased, and he quickly replied: "Shaman... shaman, our tribe's territory has this stone everywhere, even many in the caves."

"Tsk tsk, it seems these thin-built folks live inside a copper mine."

The short little Tongzi crossed his legs, gnawing on an ice pop, looking utterly carefree.

"I want this stone from your tribe's lands; however much you have, you can bring it to the Snow Moon Tribe to exchange."

The male involuntarily widened his eyes in shock, staring at the shaman standing ahead, surrounded by sunlight due to backlighting.

"Shaman, you... you really mean it?"

The male, incredulous, crawled forward a few steps, but was stopped by Fuer just before he could approach Wu Yue.

Wu Yue's eyes held a faint pleasure: "I am the shaman; my words are naturally true. As long as you bring this stone, after our people inspect it and it meets the re‑check requirements, you can exchange it in our Snow Moon Tribe for whatever you need."

She slightly bent her waist to look at the young‑faced male kneeling before her: "This is my promise as Wu Yue to your tribe."

Having said that, she straightened up: "Which tribe are you from?"

The male's eyes brightened as he replied: "Shaman Wu Yue, our tribe has no name, but I am Mo Sen."

Wu Yue smiled; this young male named Mo Sen was the bravest and boldest pure‑human male she had ever seen.

"Fuer, this stone is important; from now on, you will handle trade between our tribe and the Mo Sen Tribe. After today ends, go swap duties with the other squads, and an ox cart will be assigned to you—bring back as much stone as you can."

Only after their shaman had been away for a long time did Fuer approach the group of thin-built males: "Come with me to get some food first; tomorrow we'll set out for your tribe."

The next day, Fuer bade farewell to Ayun, taking a shamanic talisman bestowed by their shaman, and led those thin-built small‑tribe people away.

Meanwhile, Yuan Lang and his party, following the direction the small‑tribe people remembered the Wuke Tribe having left, tracked them to a hidden valley.

"Yuan Lang Sir, the people in that crevice ahead are indeed from the Wuke Tribe, led by two beastman warriors; I dared not get too close for fear of being discovered."

Perhaps because they had eaten and drunk well in the Snow Moon Tribe, Laman now looked much younger than when they first met, the weathered lines on his face smoothed out.

"Don't move here; I'll go take a look."

His gaze was cold; if it were only two beastman warriors, it would be easy to settle, but he feared other tribes might be involved behind them.

Watching his silhouette disappear into the woods, the remaining Laman and the small‑tribe people buried themselves in the surrounding fallen leaves, their breathing seemingly blending with the wind's sound; without close attention, they would be utterly undetectable.

Yuan Lang's figure kept flashing through the forest until he reached the rear of the crevice where the Wuke Tribe people were hidden; only then did he feel a mighty, suppressive beast‑god force straining to hold back, his eyes deepening and the corner of his mouth curling into a cold arc: "Indeed, there is an ambush."