Chapter 22 I Became a Beast God in the Beast World (12)
Zhou Jue, along with Xiao Bai and Luo Ying, like three drops of water merging into the ocean, quickly joined the bustling orc gathering.
Instead of rushing to ask at any stall, she started "market research" mode, leading the two orcs on a leisurely stroll around the outskirts of various tribal settlements, carefully observing the rules of survival there.
She quickly figured it out.
This so-called gathering of a hundred tribes was not a peaceful and friendly trading market at all, but a naked microcosm of a jungle society.
At the very center of the gathering, in the best and most spacious area, were occupied by the three major tribes.
The Ironwall Ape Tribe. The orcs there are all burly and muscular, like moving hills.
Their goods were also the most abundant, including sharp weapons, polished stone tools, essential salt, and many rare minerals and fruits that Zhou Jue had never seen before.
However, they were rude. Any orc they didn't like would be violently driven away if they got too close, while cursing and swearing. Their attitude was extremely bad.
They live right next to the Red Monkey tribe. They are not as tall as the Iron Wall Apes, but they are more agile.
They occupied another core area, mainly selling brightly colored feathers, exotic plants, fruit wines, and some pottery that looked like handmade items.
Their behavior is more in line with the characteristics of 'shrewd merchants'. Many of the red monkey beasts are eloquent and can obtain the most goods at the lowest cost.
The Iron Claw Wolf tribe was located next to the Red Monkey tribe. Surprisingly, their main products were meat, various kinds of recently dead prey, as well as dried meat that looked like it had been sun-dried, and a few special fruits.
The three tribes stood in a tripartite balance, while other smaller tribes were scattered around the perimeter.
But where is the Giant Lion tribe?
As soon as Zhou Jue stepped out of the center of the three tribes, he spotted the scarred werewolf from that morning. At that moment, he was swaggering around in front of a small, weak deer-beastman tribe's stall, accompanied by several of his men.
"This year's harvest is quite good. We want 30% of these fruits." The scarred werewolf pointed greedily at the goods of the deer-beastman tribe.
The Deer Beastman tribe dared not speak out in anger, and could only watch helplessly as the Iron Claw Wolf tribe's beastmen brazenly took away the fruit they had painstakingly gathered, and then, as if bestowing charity, threw away a Cuckoo Bird.
Zhou Jue believes that if it weren't for the protection provided by the gathering, the Iron Claw Wolf tribe wouldn't have even left behind the Cuckoo Bird.
She also discovered that several tribes seemed to be dependent on the Ironclaw Wolf tribe for survival. After their arrival, they voluntarily handed over some of their supplies in exchange for the right to set up a stall there and so-called "protection".
"These werewolves are even worse than robbers!" Xiaobai muttered to Zhou Jue, her face flushed with anger.
Zhou Jue remained silent and continued to observe.
She discovered a very special area.
On the other side of the plain, near a grove of trees, lived an equally powerful tribe.
Giant Lion Tribe!
Their warriors, each exuding a terrifying aura, had golden manes that blazed like flames in the firelight.
They occupied a large territory, but the atmosphere was completely different. They simply stayed quietly in their own land, neither actively trading with other tribes nor driving anyone away.
Many smaller tribes carefully set up their stalls near the Lion Tribe, but at a safe distance.
The Giant Lion tribe ignored this completely, as long as no one crossed the line they had drawn, they paid no attention to it, as if everything around them was irrelevant.
They were like a group of sleeping kings, lazy and arrogant, yet exuding an aura of authority, forming a peculiar "safe zone".
So this is where the Giant Lion Tribe is.
"Brother Tongzi, analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these major tribes," Zhou Jue silently prayed to himself.
[Iron Claw Wolf Tribe: Highly aggressive and greedy. Alliance with them carries extremely high risk; you will be continuously exploited. Not recommended.]
[Iron-Wall Ape Tribe/Red Monkey Tribe: Powerful and resource-rich. However, they are extremely xenophobic and have strong racial discrimination, making integration difficult. Forming an alliance is extremely challenging, and even if successful, the Rabbit Beast Tribe may be relegated to the lowest rung, treated as a vassal.]
[The Giant Lion Tribe: The strongest, arrogant, and disdainful of exploiting the weak. They are ideal partners or allies. Gaining their approval provides the Rabbit Beast Tribe with the most stable security.]
Zhou Jue had made up his mind.
The best way for the Rabbit Beast Tribe to establish itself in this cruel world is to align itself with the Giant Lion Tribe. Even just becoming their undisturbed neighbor is better than constantly being on guard against being swallowed up by a tribe like the Iron Claw Wolves.
Having made up her mind, Zhou Jue decided to first test the waters with a few tribes. She left Xiaobai and Luo Ying behind, while she tidied her animal skin clothing and headed towards the Iron Wall Ape tribe. She didn't bring anything with her; she just wanted to test their attitude first.
Before she even reached the Iron Wall Ape Tribe's stall, she was stopped by two tall ape warriors.
"Halt! This is no place for you rabbits!" a gruff ape warrior shouted, his eyes filled with undisguised contempt.
Zhou Jue spends every day with rabbit-beastmen, and his body is covered in their scent, so it's only natural that he's mistaken for one.
“I hope to exchange something with you,” Zhou Jue said calmly.
"Exchange? What will you exchange? Your laughable rotten grass roots?" another ape warrior laughed loudly.
"What? Before, some of your warriors brought animal hides to trade for salt, but this time we only sent you, a little female, and you didn't bring anything? Do you expect us to give you charity?"
The surrounding ape-men also cast mocking glances: "Get out of here, or don't blame us for being impolite!"
Zhou Jue didn't say another word and turned to leave. The outcome was as expected; these muscular guys were also filled with prejudice and arrogance.
Then, she took a deep breath and walked towards that quiet and majestic area.
The territory of the Giant Lion Tribe.
The closer you get, the stronger that invisible sense of oppression becomes.
A lion warrior on guard stopped her.
He was two heads taller than Zhou Jue, and the shadow cast by his massive body almost completely enveloped her. He didn't even look down, only glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
"What is it?" His voice was deep and powerful, devoid of any emotion.
“Honorable warriors of the Giant Lion Tribe,” Zhou Jue said neither humbly nor arrogantly, “we are the shamans of the Rabbit Beast Tribe, and we hope to trade with your tribe. We have food you have never seen before, as well as herbs that can heal wounds.”
She specifically emphasized the identity of the "shaman" and the "food she had never seen before".
However, the lion warrior simply replied, "We don't need it."
After saying that, he ignored Zhou Jue and continued to stand like a statue, gazing into the distance.
The rejection was swift and decisive, without a trace of sarcasm, yet it left one feeling even more powerless than the iron-walled ape's mockery.
It was a disregard stemming from absolute confidence; they simply didn't believe that the weak rabbit-beast tribe could offer anything that would interest them. Food, herbs—their tribe had all of those.
Zhou Jue was rebuffed and had no choice but to retreat.
She returned to a corner of her tribe, and her people immediately surrounded her.
"Master Wu, how is it?" Benyue asked anxiously.
Zhou Jue shook his head.
Gray Ears sighed, "Sigh, I knew it would be like this. We rabbit-beast tribes have no say here."
The tribesmen's spirits instantly plummeted. The little confidence they had gained from defeating the Ironclaw Wolves was crushed by the harsh reality.
Zhou Jue looked at them, then at the Giant Lion Tribe in the distance, and fell into deep thought. Forcing their way in wouldn't work; they needed to find a way, a way to make the Giant Lion Tribe take them seriously.
But where is this opportunity?
Looking at the treasures in the basket, Benyue couldn't help but ask, "Master Wu, what do we do now? Are we just going to stay here? Or should I take these things and go exchange them?"
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