Chapter 802: Fire Spirit

The reason Tang Zhao chose that Tianmo tribe in the west was certainly not because their Shenmiao was the most opulent and prosperous, or the most in line with his own and the general Human aesthetic, but because the final Fragment of the Taiyin Domain was located to the west of Sishang City, within that tribe's sphere of influence.

Tang Zhao wanted to use the opportunity of the trade to briefly gather some intelligence on that Tianmo tribe, and then sneak in alone. The reason he said "briefly gather" was because time was not abundant now, and there was no time to collect anything particularly detailed; having a foundation and then forcibly making a move was what he wanted—a quick sword to sever the tangled hemp.

Although he did not know the local situation, Tang Zhao was the big boss, so Shopkeeper Lei naturally listened to him; besides, the four tribes of East, West, South, and North were all the same to Shopkeeper Lei. He first brought the caravan into the city, found a place to rest, and began to take the initiative to go out and make connections.

Before leaving, he still had to fulfill his previous promise to let the others in the caravan go out to relax for a few days.

However, before letting them go, Shopkeeper Lei also warned them: "You are all old hands who have walked the Yellow Line; you know what to pay attention to and what is forbidden outside. We are new here, have no backing, and have no friendship with the local Tianmo. If you cause trouble, I can pull you out if I can solve it, but I fear I won't be able to solve it; then I will have to take everyone and flee overnight. I cannot look after you, so you will have to pray for your own luck."

In fact, these people were truly old hands and had long known the word "caution." His exhortation was also a matter of routine; in truth, the person he really wanted to warn was Tang Zhao. Only, this was the big boss, his strength was high, he was the one paying, and his status surpassed his own, so he had no way to speak clearly, let alone warn him. Moreover, it looked like this person had come specifically to stir up trouble; for him to tell him not to stir up trouble was like telling a businessman not to trade or a student not to study—it was simply meaningless.

However, he still left behind a rather clever servant, saying that this kid had followed him north and south since he was small, had also traveled the Tianmo trade routes many times, was smart and quick-witted, and was more familiar with many Tianmo customs than he was himself. He told this servant to take Tang Zhao around first to get familiar with the "local customs."

Tang Zhao naturally agreed. As Shopkeeper Lei went out, he called this servant named "Xiaochong" to take him out to the streets to look around.

Skipping over the trading streets on both sides that had their own characteristics but were essentially the same, Tang Zhao's target was that Shenmiao in the west.

The main color of this Shenmiao in the west was red, a bright red like fire. The overall shape was still in line with the general Human aesthetic, using many silky, coiling lines to outline the cylindrical main body of the building, which then snaked upward, coiling until it reached a thinner and thinner spire. The color gradually deepened, using the color contrast to make the entire Shenmiao look like a cluster of leaping flames, with a very dynamic design.

Looking at the Shenmiao from afar, he saw Tianmo coming and going, all small with red hair. Apart from being relatively short, having protruding eyeballs, and having exceptionally sturdy bones, this race was not particularly strange; they were relatively "humanoid" Tianmo, clearly not of the same tribe as the blue-skinned Tianmo collecting taxes at the city gate.

Tang Zhao watched for a while and asked: "Xiaochong, do you think we Humans can enter the Tianmo's temple?"

Xiaochong smiled: "YoungMaster, the situation in each temple is different. In some temples, let alone you going in, if you even take an extra look, those believers would wish to gouge your Eye Bead out. Others have their four doors wide open, not only inviting you in but also telling you how good and how powerful their god is, wishing you would believe in their god too."

Tang Zhao was thoughtful and said: "Actually, I understand the latter kind; believers, after all, all want to proselytize. Divine light shrouds, the more believers the better. So, what is going on with the former kind?"

Xiaochong smiled: "That is because there are too many gods over there, and the rules are different. Some gods only have a certain number of believers, with names and surnames, all passed down through bloodlines; if you are not of that bloodline, they don't care for you to believe in their god at all. Others are a bit broader, also limited by race; outsiders are not qualified to believe. There are also some that are said to have very strict rules; you have to follow those rules to pass the test, and not even one in a hundred passes. But there are also very loose ones; if you are willing to believe, you are a believer, and the Shenmiao will even certify you for free. I think this might have to do with the god's personality? Some gods are strict and don't trust outsiders, while some gods are just easygoing; whether you are human or not, as long as you believe in him, it is good."

Tang Zhao listened and smiled: "You know quite a lot, and you can think; that's really not bad." His words were a bit old-fashioned; in fact, he might not even be older than this Xiaochong, but in terms of status, he was qualified to say so. He then asked: "Then do you know the rules of this Shenmiao?"

Xiaochong actually knew that Tang Zhao's status was extraordinary, and he also knew that taking this YoungMaster out was a good opportunity to show his face, so he had done his homework in advance; otherwise, how could he have been so knowledgeable just now? At this moment, he smiled even more confidently: "YoungMaster, this tribe is called the 'Fire Spirit Tribe.' Their new god is a fire god called 'Taixiong,' a god who governs burning, heat, and passion. By logic, such a god should be easy to approach and should open his doors wide. However, it seems they mainly accept believers from the Fire Spirit Tribe. It is said that the Fire Spirit Tribe has been blessed by this god because they possess all the qualities this god likes. Outsiders are not forbidden from believing, but they must pass their tests, and if they have their qualities, they can be granted the title of Honorary Fire Spirit tribesman."

Tang Zhao found it funny and said: "This is what the Fire Spirit Tribe says themselves, right? And 'all the qualities'..."

Tang Zhao was not the kind of extreme person who held the view that Tianmo did not have a single good point, but there were definitely many despicable ones among them. How could every member of a tribe have better character than other tribes? It was just gilding their own faces. It also helped that there was no shortage of gods in the Tianmo Jie, so no one cared about them monopolizing the faith of one god. But then again, the gods of the Tianmo Jie truly had consciousness and could express their thoughts; if the god himself did not object, how could others object? It seemed that their god and their tribe were already one and the same.

Xiaochong added: "Although it is hard to believe in their god, it is not hard to enter the Shenmiao. If you want to offer wealth, they are even more welcome. It is said that generosity is also a quality the god likes. It is just that you cannot go in when they are praying. Visiting at normal times is no problem; their prayer ceremony is at night, and now is not the time for prayer, so let's go in. Just be a little quiet."

Tang Zhao then headed toward the Shenmiao. In front of the Shenmiao, besides Fire Spirit tribesmen, there were others from time to time, and surprisingly, there were more Humans. Thinking about it, other Tianmo also had faiths, and there were many taboos about going to other Shenmiao; the Humans here did not have such issues, so some people treated this as a tourist attraction.

However, seeing that many people dared to enter the Tianmo's Shenmiao, the atmosphere in Sishang City was still quite relaxed, and the Tianmo, as the dominant force, were not overly oppressive to Humans. But according to Xiaochong, the more cities shared by multiple tribes, the more open they were; some cities occupied by a single tribe were extremely closed off and carried out cruel oppression against all outsiders, especially Humans. Even these demons who put on a friendly face in multi-tribal cities were exceptionally vicious when they returned to their own territory.

When they reached the gate, there was actually a large stall selling firewood.

Seeing Tang Zhao and the other Human approach, the stall owner immediately shouted in the Human language: "Sacrificial Firewood, top-quality Sacrificial Firewood, taken from the Shenghuodi, exceptional sale; you can't buy this at ordinary times."

Tang Zhao guessed that this was "incense," his heart stirred, and he said: "Shenghuodi..."

The stall owner's voice grew even louder: "Exactly, the Shenghuodi! You know, the Holy Fire is the hottest and most powerful fire in the world, and the trees around it are the hardest and highest-quality firewood in the world! They have already been stained with a trace of the Holy Fire's lingering charm. You can see that this kind of wood is the best Sacrificial Firewood and can please the god. Although you are not a believer of my god, if you throw this kind of Sacrificial Firewood into the Great Flame, the god will also bless you."

Xiaochong shook his head secretly upon hearing this. Since it was called the Shenghuodi, it must be very important. Even if there wasn't much wood inside, even if the quantity wasn't small, how could it be casually taken out and sold at the gate of an ordinary Shenmiao in a foreign land? Was he telling stories and treating others like fools?

He was also a businessman and instinctively scoffed at such things. He wanted to give Tang Zhao a reminder, but then thought: He is a very wealthy person; as the saying goes, "a thousand gold cannot buy my willingness." What if this person just likes to buy these mysterious things? Perhaps it didn't cost much for him.

Furthermore, that Tianmo was still watching him, and he was afraid that if he prompted too much, he would bring about the Tianmo's revenge. That Tianmo with the big Eye Bead and red hair, whose voice sounded like a bellows, was much scarier than Tang Zhao.

Tang Zhao said: "That Holy Fire is the hottest in the world? How many degrees is it?" Was it higher than the stability of the sun's center?

Tang Zhao was not saying that the sun's temperature was the highest in the world; there must be higher temperatures in existence, but they might not be able to exist in the form of "fire."

The Tianmo heard this, but his eyes widened, and he shouted: "How many... what? You asking this question is blasphemy! The Holy Fire is the god's fire, it is the divine body of our god Taixiong in the world; how can a Mortal measure it? Even if you had such a thought, you have no way to measure it; how can a human measure a god?"

Perhaps seeing that Tang Zhao was dressed quite wealthily, this was a businessman with professional ethics, so he continued to push the sale: "Although we would never dare to pry into the god's power, I can say that the power of the Holy Fire has no upper limit. Not only does it have no upper limit, it is getting stronger and stronger, stronger year by year." He saw Tang Zhao moved and felt proud in his heart, saying, "Yes, the color of the Holy Fire is constantly becoming purer, and its power is also becoming stronger; if you had ever admired it, you would know. The Holy Fire changes almost every year on the day of the Descending God Festival, which is also the greatest sacrificial rite of my Fire Spirit Tribe... I mean to say, because the power of the Holy Fire is getting stronger, the sacrificial wood that grows later is more precious. This sacrificial wood of mine only grew this year and is the most precious batch. If you want it, I can make it a little cheaper; others would absolutely not be able to get this price..."

Tang Zhao did not listen to his rambling sales pitch, thinking only in his heart:

Getting stronger and stronger, this matches up. This time... is it fire?