Chapter 1322

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

"So this is the Eight Hundred Li Bi Bo Lake?"

"How vast and magnificent!"

Xu Zhangqing and Zhang Daoxuan were here for the first time, so they stood in place and watched for a good while.

When they were still three li from the lakeshore, the dirt road under their feet turned into a stone slab road.

The stone slabs were cut square and neat, the gaps between them filled with fine gravel; stepping on it was not hard on the feet at all, but instead gave a sense of solidity.

On both sides of the road, large stretches of farmland began to appear.

The field ridges were built straight with stone blocks, and water channels were drawn in from the river channels at the lakeside.

Every so often there was a water diversion outlet, and each outlet was fitted with a sluice gate.

In this era, ordinary mortal tribes were still using beast bones and stones to till the land.

Yet in the farmland within the Territory of the God, there was already a simple irrigation system.

Zhang Daoxuan looked at the large patch of houses distributed along the lakeshore in the distance and couldn't help but smack his lips: "Just how many people does this manage?"

Xu Zhangqing shook his head: "At least several hundred thousand, I'd say?"

Knowing Bi Bo Lake was a Great God's territory, he hadn't expected it to be this extraordinary.

At first glance, it was no different from the legendary Peach Blossom Spring.

Especially compared to the Xi Tribe, it was simply a world of difference — one in heaven, one on earth.

The further the two walked forward, the denser the population became.

Rows of wooden houses began to appear on both sides of the road; their foundations were raised over a foot with stone blocks, and under the eaves hung strings of wind-dried fish and bundles of aquatic plants.

The cooking smoke drifting from the houses carried the fresh scent of fish soup and the fragrance of rice, far richer than the smells on the Xi Tribe's side.

Walking further on, the wooden houses gradually turned into houses with stone foundations and mud walls, their roofs covered with neat thatch, and polished smooth stone benches placed at the doorways.

Some households even placed a few brightly colored stones on the window sills as decoration.

Then, the god statue appeared.

The statue of the Eight Hundred Li Bi Bo Jun!

Located in the very center of the square, eight zhang tall, its left hand holding a huge piece of Qingbiyu.

The jade was carved into the shape of a lotus flower, its petals layered and spreading outward in all directions, each petal engraved with water ripple patterns.

A human face, cheeks covered in fine scales, corners of the eyes slanted upward like fish eyes.

Draped in a Shuwen Clothes, its lines flowing smoothly.

The waves beneath its feet were carved into layered, curling cloud shapes.

Before the statue sat a coarse pottery bowl, filled with more than half a bowl of rice; the grains still clung with water droplets — clearly just freshly replaced.

Zhang Daoxuan jerked his chin toward the depths of the tribe.

Xu Zhangqing followed his gaze and discovered that at the doorway of every household stood an identical small stone statue.

Their placement orientation, all facing the direction of Bi Bo Lake.

"This isn't just placed randomly."

Zhang Daoxuan said blandly: "The orientation of every statue, the type and quantity of offerings — without exception, they all exude rules."

The people of this tribe were many, and very lively.

Most men wore short coats woven from coarse hemp, grass ropes tied at their waists, straw sandals on their feet.

Some carried fishing nets on their shoulders, some carried loads on carrying poles.

Women wore darker hemp skirts, their heads wrapped in cloth towels, gathered in groups of three or five, rubbing hemp thread in their hands while conversing in low voices.

A gaggle of half-grown kids darted back and forth through the crowd, quite happy.

What truly caught Xu Zhangqing's attention was not these ordinary villagers at all.

But near the statue's position, stood two rows of strong, burly men.

They wore uniform Lan Se Muyi, belts tied at their waists, each gripping a Chang Mao in hand.

But not stone spears — bronze spears.

The spear tips flashed with a cold, sharp luster in the evening sun.

Their standing posture was completely different from ordinary villagers.

Each and every one with spine ramrod straight, feet spread shoulder-width apart.

Gazing straight ahead, treating the people coming and going around them as if unseen.

Xu Zhangqing noticed that when villagers passed before this group, they would subconsciously detour, heads lowered, quickening their pace, not daring to look up at all.

And below the statue stood a middle-aged man wearing a Yue Se Changpao.

His long robe differed from the common villagers' hemp clothes; it was made of some kind of finely woven fabric.

The cuffs and collar were embroidered with hidden water ripple patterns, and a bi-colored silk ribbon was bound at his waist.

At the end of the silk ribbon hung a piece of top-quality Green Carp.

His hair wasn't loosely scattered or simply tied up like other men's, but pinned high atop his head with a single jade hairpin, revealing his entire face.

This man had a pale, beardless face, very well-maintained.

Standing together with the surrounding villagers who were weather-beaten with rough, dark skin, he looked like someone from two different worlds.

"That one is the Priest."

Zhang Daoxuan's voice rang out again: "I remember now, the senior brothers mentioned before that there are two tribes near Bi Bo Lake."

One is called the Bi Tribe, in charge of agricultural resources.

One is called the Bo Tribe, in charge of aquatic resources.

In the tribes, the person with the highest status is not the Clan Leader, but the priest.

Males are collectively called 'Xi', females are collectively called 'Wu'.

The Bi Tribe has a male 'Xi', the Bo Tribe has a female 'Wu'.

Between the two tribes, they have openly and secretly fought for many years."

Xu Changqing was very curious: "Fight over what?"

"Fight over the gods' favor!"

Zhang Daoxuan said mockingly: "Whoever makes Bi Bo Jun more Satisfaction gets more Benefits."

This Bi Bo Jun loves Jade, and to the point of obsession.

Thus, a profession called Jade Collector was born.

People of the Bo Tribe specially scoop Water Jade from the lake bottom.

The Bi Tribe has no Water Jade, they can only dig Jade Stone from inside the Mountain.

However, Mountain Jade is not as nourishing as Water Jade, so for these years the Bi Tribe has always been at a disadvantage, going through several male 'Xi'!

Hearing this, Xu Changqing's Gaze slowly swept across the Square.

Soon, he saw the Jade Collectors Zhang Daoxuan spoke of.

They squatted in the corner at the Edge of the Square, separated by a clear Distance from those villagers Carrying fishing nets and bearing baskets.

They wore Rough hemp clothes, some not even having hemp clothes, only wrapping a crude beast hide around Yao Jian.

Everyone's hands and feet had Injuries.

Some were old Injuries scarred over, some were new Wounds still oozing blood, with mud and stone powder that could not be washed off embedded under their Nails.

Several people were sorting through Jade Stones just carried back from inside the Mountain.

Laid out one by one on coarse cloth, varying in Size, with uneven Color.

The best batch was picked out and placed to one side, while those remaining with cracks and mixed Color were pushed to the Left Side.

A young Jade Collector was now squatting in front of that pile of eliminated Jade Stones, head bowed, tears in his eyes.

Beside him squatted a younger Jade Collector.

Looking only about ten years old, he was turning over a piece of eliminated Jade Stone to look at it.

Xu Changqing asked in puzzlement: "Since Jade collecting is so Critical, why is the status of Jade Collectors so low?"

"Because Jade collecting is not safe at all, so those who go are people with no one to rely on."

Zhang Daoxuan said in a Deep Voice: "With constant collecting, whether Water Jade or mountain Jade, the amount is becoming less and less, yet every sacrifice requires offering Jade."

The rarer the Jade the better, the bigger the better.

The Bo Tribe offers Water Jade.

The Bi Tribe offers mountain Jade.

Collecting Water Jade requires diving into deep water, seeking gaps.

Collecting mountain Jade requires entering deep mountains, drilling into caves.

These places, even gods are unwilling to set foot in!"