Chapter 173: Becoming a Free Person

Changxu felt very proud watching the birds that hopped and shifted positions on his body; his favorite thing to do in his spare time was to deal with all kinds of birds, and as Tribal Chief, the food and various grass seeds collected by his tribespeople would often be scattered by him to all sorts of birds.

His tribespeople were very dissatisfied with him, but because they were still able to get by, and the Tribal Chief also controlled the source of salt, everyone had always endured it and did not rebel against Changxu, this incompetent Tribal Chief.

Originally, if he had persisted for a few more years, Changxu might have died naturally, and then a Tribal Chief who didn't play with birds would have taken office, but they were attacked by the Suiren Clan; Changxu had no other skills besides playing with birds, and when the enemy attacked, he didn't know how to respond, relying entirely on a burst of courage, but he could not organize effective resistance, and coupled with the disparity in strength, the tribespeople also lost their spirit, so they were defeated at an extremely fast speed.

It was just that Changxu had good luck; the Soldiers of the Suiren Clan felt that there were no warriors in a tribe that was so easy to conquer, and since there were no strong men, they even skipped the procedure of using the Tribal Chief for sacrifice, otherwise Changxu would have long since become a pile of dry bones by now.

Looking at Changxu, who looked like a proud little rooster, Baifeng mocked him directly: "Didn't you say you could communicate with birds? Then ask this bird where our Baifeng Tribe is, or if there are any enemies secretly following us, and where in this river basin there is a Dahu?"

"If what you say is wrong, I will cut off your head."

As soon as these words were spoken, the proud expression on Changxu's face disappeared, replaced by shock and fear; didn't the fact that I can summon birds prove that I can communicate with them? How could I possibly ask a question like that?

Baifeng watched Changxu, who had started to break out in a cold sweat and opened his mouth but could not make a sound, and stopped scaring him: "In our Baifeng Tribe, we cannot tolerate lies; whatever you can do is what you can do. If you have real skills, we will not treat you poorly, but if you dare to lie to me, you will not have a good end."

"It seems you cannot truly communicate with birds, but what you can do now is still acceptable. If I provide you with bird nests and food, do you have a way to make some birds fly back and forth to designated places? There is no restriction on the species of bird."

Hearing this last sentence, Changxu's expression finally relaxed; this meant there was still room for maneuver. He thought for a long while and struggled with himself mentally: "I think it's possible. As long as they are familiar with it, there are a few types of birds that can fly to fixed locations."

Baifeng nodded; that would do. Actually, there was no need for the birds to be very smart or capable of adapting to changes; as long as they knew the most basic homing instinct, that was enough. When people were out and about, they could carry a few birds, and if they encountered trouble or needed to report a situation, they could release them to return to the tribe's nest.

Tying a Bamboo Tube to a leg to hold a slip of paper was the most convenient way to pass messages, but if so, the work of papermaking and teaching the Soldiers simple characters would have to begin; training birds was a relatively long process, and they still had plenty of time.

Baifeng said to the anxious Changxu: "From now on, you are no longer a Slave, but a Free Person of the Baifeng Tribe. If you can accomplish what I said in the future, then you can become a tribesman of our Baifeng Tribe."

"Whether it is tall houses, endless food, or animal skins and Hemp Cloth, or the Changdao and Sword I have, you can possess them all. This is the treatment for tribesmen of our Baifeng Tribe. Do you understand?"

At this moment, the Soldiers on the side cooperated by pulling on their clothes, showing off their sturdy physiques, and pressing down on the Changdao at their waists; the originally fierce and menacing appearance suddenly turned into that of models showing off, displaying the affluent life of the Baifeng Tribe tribesmen.

What the Slaves envied was Changxu, who had just become a Free Person, because the moment Baifeng spoke, the rope tied to his body was untied, and he was pulled out of the position of a Slave.

As for the Free People, they were envying the Baifeng Tribe Soldiers, thinking that they would also live such a life in the future; only the women and strong laborers who had been bought back at a high price had pride mixed with their anticipation, because their current status was that of Baifeng Tribe tribesmen, and once they returned to the tribe, they would immediately obtain these things.

Changxu had not yet emerged from the excitement of becoming a Free Person when he immediately looked like he had more to say; Baifeng raised his hand to signal him to speak.

"Tribal Chief, I was originally the leader of the Changxubu, but it was conquered by the Suiren Clan. My tribespeople have all become Slaves here. Can you make them Free People too?"

Many people in the group of Slaves raised their heads and stretched their necks, their eyes full of anticipation.

Baifeng glanced at them: "Can they summon birds like you?"

Changxu shrank his neck: "No."

"Then why should I let them gain freedom? They are property bought back by my Baifeng Tribe, they are Slaves. Would I just let you go easily? On what basis? If it were like this, then any tribe that couldn't survive could come to our Baifeng Tribe to be sold as Slaves; not only would we have to give them food, but in the future, we would also have to feed a group of useless people who can't even support themselves?"

All the Slaves lowered their heads, and Changxu also felt very ashamed, not saying another word.

"However, if you have other skills, it is not impossible to discuss. Even if your craft is not that good, although you would still be a Slave, you could do a job that is not as strenuous."

Seeing the operation Changxu had performed earlier, the Slaves who were a bit bolder asked what kind of skill counted as a useful skill; did knowing how to make Pottery count?

Baifeng said it did, and immediately many people said they knew how to fire Pottery, and subsequently others said they knew how to weave bamboo baskets, weave cloth, and so on. Baifeng had no time to verify it now, so he told them to wait, and after they reached the tribe, he would verify them one by one; only if they really knew how would they be able to shed their status as Slaves.

Those who considered themselves to have a craft began to look forward to arriving at the tribe quickly, while the majority of people knew nothing; their usual work was nothing more than gathering and hunting, which everyone knew how to do, and there was nothing strange about it.

So they no longer pinned their hopes on relying on a craft to shed their status as Slaves, but hoped that Baifeng would keep his word; as long as they worked hard, he would give them the opportunity to shed their status as Slaves, or at the very least, let them have enough to eat.

In the end, only Changxu had already shed his status as a Slave and become a Free Person.

After finishing with the matter of the Slaves, Baifeng had to find trouble with those who were on duty; since he had let them eat and drink their fill, and they didn't even have to pull the Boat, they had all fallen asleep while on night watch, and not a single one was useful. If he didn't deal with this, what would happen in the future?