The caravan was carrying a large quantity of goods, far exceeding what a small Cold Mountain tribe could possibly exchange.
After a short day of rest, Wang Xiuxiu and her group embarked on their journey again, heading deeper into the northern border.
Their next destination was the Yunchuan tribe.
This tribe lives in a relatively remote area of the North.
Unlike the Lengshan tribe, the Yunchuan tribe's settlements are mostly located in deep valleys.
According to Wu Lin, every member of the Yunchuan ethnic group is an expert in eagle training.
They are known for their bravery and have tamed the fiercest and most powerful eagles for generations to assist in their daily hunting activities.
As we approached the valley, more and more agile eagles began to circle overhead.
They spread their wings and soared through the air, sometimes swooping down, sometimes flapping their wings and flying high, as free as if they were the masters of this world.
Such a magnificent and spectacular sight is truly breathtaking.
Ulin, however, said warily, "We're almost at Yunchuan Tribe, everyone be careful."
Before he could finish speaking, a rapid and loud sound of horses' hooves came from afar.
The sound was deafening, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly.
Before long, a team of dozens of people appeared before everyone's eyes.
At this moment, Wang Xiuxiu gained a concrete understanding of the description of "leading a yellow dog on the left and holding a falcon on the right" in the book.
These people were all agile and vigorous, and from a distance, they exuded a chilling aura.
Especially the eagles perched on their arms, which looked majestic and imposing, as if they were about to spread their wings and pounce on the enemy at any moment.
Wang Xiuxiu thought to herself that, in terms of sheer numbers, her side might have a significant advantage.
But she had no doubt that if they dared to take even the smallest step forward, they would be slaughtered by the group in front of them!
Seeing this, Wulin quickly shouted, "We are a merchant caravan, and we have no ill intentions!"
As he spoke, he quickly unfolded the goods at hand to show his purpose.
Upon seeing this, the leader hesitated for a moment, then slowly loosened his grip on the reins, releasing the majestic eagle beside him.
The eagle soared into the sky, and the previously extremely tense atmosphere was slightly relieved.
The standoff continues, with neither side daring to let their guard down.
At this moment, Wang Xiuxiu stepped forward, ordered everyone to stay put, and signaled Wulin to tell the other party that they could send someone to invite the clan leader to discuss the exchange.
After an unknown amount of time, the people from Yunchuan on the other side reached a consensus after a brief discussion.
A group of people were separated and spurred their horses onward, galloping back in the direction they had come from.
The remaining people remained stationed in place, their sharp gazes fixed on Wang Xiuxiu and the others like nails, never wavering for a moment.
Feeling the intense gaze, everyone immediately felt as if they were being pricked by needles.
The crowd waited in a tense and oppressive atmosphere. After an unknown amount of time, they finally saw one of the people who had left earlier slowly returning on horseback.
He went straight to the leader of the group, bent down, and spoke to him in a low voice for a while.
Then, the man turned to face the caravan that Wang Xiuxiu was with and began to chatter in a string of unintelligible Northern dialect.
Wu Lin quickly moved closer to Wang Xiuxiu and translated what the other person had said to her.
The people of Yunchuan expressed their unwillingness to trade with the large merchants and ordered the caravan to leave the area.
Upon hearing the news, Wang Xiuxiu did not show any dejection like the others.
On the contrary, she remained unusually calm.
After a brief moment of thought, he turned and gestured to Ulin to convey his request.
It was already late, and setting off rashly would not only make the journey arduous and difficult, but also risk encountering danger.
Therefore, she pleaded with these northerners to allow the caravan to set up camp here for the night and leave at dawn the next day.
Seeing that they were about to send someone back to deliver the message, Wang Xiuxiu quickly asked Wu Lin to suggest using a falcon to help deliver the message.
Upon hearing these words, the leader of the Northerners' tense expression suddenly shifted slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
The Yunchuan people are brave and possess the purest and kindest hearts.
The reason Wang Xiuxiu dared to make such a presumptuous move was that she was betting that these people from the North might still have a sliver of goodwill towards the caravan deep down.
The messenger hawk circled gracefully in the sky several times before landing steadily on the leader's arm.
He gently untied the bamboo tube from the eagle's leg and took out a slip of paper from it.
Then Wulin translated for Wang Xiuxiu: "Their chieftain has agreed to our request, but at the same time he has also issued a warning, saying that he will send more people to monitor us and that we should not play any tricks. In addition, he has also stipulated that we must leave this place as soon as it is dawn tomorrow."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu nodded slightly to indicate that she understood, and then ordered everyone to begin setting up camp.
At that very moment, on the other side of the camp, another group of Yunchuan people quietly emerged from the dense jungle.
They brought tents that were unique to their tribe.
Everyone was on high alert, clearly prepared to keep a close watch on the situation throughout the night.
However, Wang Xiuxiu didn't care at all about this situation.
She directed her men to act quickly, first having a large open space cleared out, and then assigning Wulin to lead a group of men into the forest to capture some animals for food.
During this break, Wang Xiuxiu found a few of the team members who were good at cooking and called them together for a short meeting.
Wulin and his men returned with a full load, and even the captured animals had been thoroughly cleaned and processed.
As soon as they returned, the group that had just had a short meeting quickly took over the work.
Meanwhile, the Yun Chuan tribesmen on the other side kept their eyes glued to their every move, not missing a single clue.
Only after witnessing Wang Xiuxiu roast the prepared food over the fire did their tense nerves relax, and they began to rummage through their leather pouches to find flatbreads to eat.
A rich aroma of meat gradually filled the air above the camp. The fragrance seemed to possess some kind of magic, causing the Yun Chuan tribesmen around to involuntarily sniff the air.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiuxiu and her friends completely disregarded the bitterly cold surroundings and began to feast amidst the snow and ice.
The people from Yunchuan across the way watched this scene with wide eyes, their gazes fixed on the mouthwatering delicacies.
The leader, seeing his people's "disgraceful" performance, turned pale with anger, and veins bulged on his forehead.
He raised his hand in a fit of rage and slammed it hard against his companion beside him, muttering several words under his breath.
Before the words were even finished, the guy who had been hit jumped up excitedly like a monkey.
He then shouted a few more times at the top of his lungs, quickly gathering his other companions, and the group happily entered the woods.
Before long, the people of Yunchuan also set up a fire to roast their prey.
Until this moment, Wang Xiuxiu, who had been silently watching the other party, slightly raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a smile that was not easily noticed by others.
The leader of Yunchuan still held his head high, displaying an arrogant and haughty demeanor.
Wang Xiuxiu was truly at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
I originally thought these people from Yunchuan were all tough guys who were not to be trifled with, but who would have thought they would be so silly when they got down to business?
For the next while, Wang Xiuxiu pretended to continue enjoying her food as if nothing was wrong, but in reality, she would secretly peek at the movements of the group of Yunchuan people opposite her from time to time...
The food was finally cooked through.
The Yunchuan people were already starving, and they couldn't wait to grab food and stuff it into their mouths.
However, the moment the food entered their mouths, the expectant smile on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by deep disappointment.
Even the leader was no exception, but he endured the discomfort and forced himself to continue chewing his food.
He noticed that his companions were all reluctant and kept glancing at the other side, and he suddenly burst out.
Suddenly, a roar came, so loud that even they could hear it clearly.
Wang Xiuxiu turned to look at Wu Lin curiously and asked, "What did he say?"
Wu Lin chuckled slyly, then lowered his voice and said, "He was cursing those people for being spineless, that they were so easily tempted by such a little bit of delicious food that they couldn't move!"
Wang Xiuxiu smiled after hearing this.
Looking at the remaining amount of roasted meat, Wu Lin's eyes lit up, and he suggested, "Sir, you see there's still a lot of meat left. Why don't we give some to them too? Maybe it can ease the tension between us."
Wang Xiuxiu thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No need. They are very wary of us. If we go and deliver it rashly, they will misunderstand us as having ill intentions. Let's keep it. We can let everyone have another good meal tomorrow morning."
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