Chapter 552 Harmony is the Most Important Thing
"I have a friend. For many years, she only knew how to wash clothes and cook, but she sings very well and looks good too."
Mudhead smiled and looked at the silent young man sitting opposite him.
"Later, she sang at the Kingdom Theater in Resurrection City. She had no worries about food and clothing and was loved by many people. People gave her flowers every day."
“Everyone has their own gifts and talents, it just depends on whether they can find a place to display them.”
Mudhead said as he looked at the other person.
The young man was wearing a straw raincoat woven from palm leaves and a straw hat with torn edges. He was between eighteen and twenty-five years old. His hands were broad and strong, and there were old wounds on his fingers, indicating that he worked frequently.
The young man had a hunting knife tied around his waist, a leather bag on his back, and straw sandals on his feet. There were many cracks and solidified mud on his toes and insteps.
He took no sip of the beer that was before him.
Mudhead continued, "You look strong and capable. You might be suitable to be an explorer or a guard. Goblin merchants and Yao scholars are always recruiting these two types of people."
"If you need anything, I can introduce you."
"You know, this is what the Brotherhood does here. It sends the right people to the right places. It's mutually beneficial and everyone makes a little money. So if you decide to cooperate with us, we will also receive a commission after the success."
At this time, the young man finally spoke.
He spoke a rare jungle language, and Nitou had already prepared some mind-stimulating mints, so it didn't seem like a problem for him to understand.
"I am Zaha, the chief of the "Time Tribe."
The young chief said in a formal tone: "I am here on behalf of the Time Tribe, hoping to get help from the Brotherhood. If we can get assistance, we will be very grateful."
Nitou had heard of this tribe, but that was all he had heard of.
The various ethnic groups in the Mystic Kingdom live scattered, and each group holds the Mystic Deterrence, so they don't interact much with each other. For many small tribes and groups, the Brotherhood may not interact with them for hundreds of years.
"What kind of help do you want?" asked Mudhead.
"I want money."
Chief Zaha's face showed no embarrassment, but determination and resolve, as if he had already made up his mind to give everything and didn't care about face.
"There are fewer and fewer people in the Shixu tribe. Everyone has fled because of the various temptations from the outside world. The witch doctor also ran away. My sick child died, my brother also died, and my wife is still sick."
The young man said: "I need money. The tribe needs money. Only with money can we find a doctor and treat illnesses."
"I know the Brotherhood, I know you, Brother Mudhead, I hope you can give me money, I am willing to exchange this."
The younger brother standing behind Ni Tou moved his lips and frowned, but still said nothing.
Because what Zaha used to exchange for money was a dry branch.
The branch did not display any mystical powers. It was entangled with tufts of hair, all tied in knots, and looked like some kind of ancient necromancy device.
"This is the hair whip of the Chronological Tribe. It is the most precious treasure of the tribe. It contains the power and soul of generations of tribal warriors. I will exchange it for money."
According to Zaha, there are currently 15 people in their tribe, 10 of whom are sick. He has been hunting outside for many years, which has helped him avoid the disease.
"good."
Mudhead took the whip carefully and said, "Use this treasure as collateral to borrow money. When you have money in the future, you can come and get it anytime. Forget about the interest. Just consider it as making friends with you and the Chronological Tribe."
He stood up and walked to the cabinet beside him, took out a stack of papers and placed them in front of Zaha.
"These are city bonds, more usable and more tradable than gold. 2,400 seashells are enough to hire a Yao tribe doctor to come to your tribe for treatment."
Zaha grabbed the money, looked at it carefully, and his face showed hesitation and embarrassment that he had not seen before.
“…”
Nitou guessed that the other party was probably illiterate, and then said, "Douzi will go with you to find a doctor. He is familiar with the doctors here."
He looked at his younger brother behind him and said, "Go, take Chief Zaha to Friendship Road on the other side of the temple, and try to find a Yao Clan doctor, they are very experienced."
"Yes, brother."
The younger brother Douzi nodded and walked to Zaha: "Mr. Chief, please follow me."
Before leaving, Zaha looked at the whip reluctantly.
…
The Brotherhood's shop returned to peace.
Nitou put the hair whip into a special box and classified it with other collateral.
He grabbed a handful of melon seeds, drank a cup of Zhoudao tea, opened the latest issue of Ben Daily, and started to eat them slowly.
There are two eye-catching news in the newspaper.
"The last dance of the Green Forest Dance Company tour: Ms. Tatar will select a lucky audience member for dinner"
"Major counterfeit drug case solved: Black Templars officially restricted from entering the country"
Ni Tou had already heard of these two pieces of news before they were announced to the public.
After several major associations settled in the Resurrection Kingdom, they had exchanges with each other and were often invited to attend some activities. In addition, Earl Sidal would also come to talk to understand the situation.
It is probably hard for the natives of the Resurrection Kingdom to imagine that the Green Forest is actually a ferocious group full of barbarism and blood.
But in the kingdom, they are popular dancers in the troupe.
Green Forest took Sidal's original suggestion to heart.
Salt Lady Tatar brought her people to the Resurrection Kingdom. With Sidar's help, she quickly gained recognition from the theater and completed her first stage performance.
Ni Tou was also invited to watch that time.
How to say it?
The lively and unrestrained dance of the salt girls, accompanied by the cool and eye-catching novel folk costumes. The clear ringing of the bells on the wrists and ankles, the small drums in the hands of the salt girls, and the natural vitality and young bodies of the forest girls, constitute an unforgettable beautiful scenery.
They only need to remove the bloody parts and the rituals of praying and chanting. The dance that has been practiced for years is enough to make people unable to take their eyes off it.
On the stage, the salt girls are passionate, spinning and dancing tirelessly. Off stage, they also show a kind of worldly innocence and cheerfulness, which makes them loved by the audience.
They soon became household names in the kingdom, touring various cities.
The Resurrection Kingdom tour will end in Resurrection City. The next stop will be the distant Sand City, where they will continue to win the love and flowers of new audiences.
Today, Nitou and Tatar have become familiar friends. They often meet, chat and drink tea.
The direct cause lies in the fraternity’s special management.
After Ni Tou arrived in this strange kingdom, he found that there was a lack of a local civil organization that could serve as a bridge with the Kingdom of Mysticism.
After all, Earl Sidal represents the official kingdom and only has time to deal with major issues. If some ethnic minorities and associations run into trouble, they will have no way out.
Ni Tou thinks that Brother is very suitable for this role.
Firstly, the Brotherhood is a local force in the Mystic Kingdom. Since they started out as farmers, they have a good reputation and credit.
Secondly, the fraternity has a large number of people and is good at gathering information, running errands and uniting the group.
The brothers agreed with the idea and let Ni Tou go ahead and do it.
Now, the Harvest Brotherhood is more like an intermediary chamber of commerce in the Resurrection Kingdom.
Mud heads provide merchants with the workers and guards they want, guide those who have the labor but cannot find a way to make money, and act as matchmakers for various organizations and groups.
Some people need to recover debts, some people are in urgent need of money, and some people want to barter things, they can all turn to the brotherhood.
Most importantly, the Brotherhood has also been working closely with the Resurrection Kingdom.
The Green Forest Dance Troupe is very popular, but it also encounters trivial troubles, especially in the base camp of the Mystic Kingdom. Because now the girls there all want to become dancers and join the dance troupe, and they practice dancing and musical instruments desperately, the locals are seriously short of manpower and their strength has declined sharply.
The Brotherhood became Green Forest’s best partner.
Even Tatar sighed to Mudhead: "We may look glamorous, but you are the ones who are actually living the best. The goblin merchants' group now has many requirements, and we have to dress according to their requirements. We can't even pick our noses, fart, or lift our skirts in front of others... Hey, it's more tiring than bleeding in the past."
She put one foot on the chair, grabbed the bottle and took a gulp of the wine, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a happy expression on her face.
"It's better to stay here with you. You can drink whatever you want!"
"Come on, if you're a brother, drink a bottle with me."
"...I have business to discuss this afternoon. Let's have some tea."
“It’s boring!”
…
Ni Tou came to his senses and suddenly remembered that he had to go to show his support tonight, and that Tatar might not come back until ten years later.
Or dress formally.
He put on a new white lining, a short leather jacket on the outside, a new pair of trousers and a belt, shaved with a knife, and washed his hair.
The person in the mirror looked much more refreshed.
Nine years have passed, and the silent and dull follower in Nitou's memory has become as distant as a child.
Now I have become the big brother and started to teach people how to do things. I also dare to speak and voice my opinion.
What he says is useful and many people will listen.
Ni Tou would think of Tiejiao from time to time. If he had been the one who stayed behind, it would probably be Tiejiao who was standing here.
And Camilla, whom he had always missed in the past, was the friend that Ni Tou had mentioned to Chief Zaha before. She had also achieved great success in singing.
Camilla soon married a goblin merchant and stopped singing. She went to settle in the Twin Snake Merchant Republic and lived a life of plenty with her husband.
Many people have found a new way of life in the Resurrection Kingdom.
The same goes for the Black Templars.
Ni Tou looked at the newspaper.
"...In the past five years, this criminal gang codenamed 'Mole' has been selling and smuggling fake drugs, disguising them as legitimate Yao clan magic potions, causing a large number of buyers to lose both their money and their lives..."
"It has been verified that all 22 moles are registered members of the Black Templars. The Kingdom Investigation Team has officially moved into the Black Templars headquarters to conduct further investigations. From today on, members of the Black Templars are prohibited from entering the Kingdom."
Ni Tou was not surprised.
He had known this day would come.
After the Black Templars entered the Resurrection Kingdom, they initially traded taxidermy and leather products.
They wanted to learn from Sihai Temple and use specialty products to obtain stable sales, thereby transforming the underground society into a formal chamber of commerce.
However, the Resurrection Kingdom is a leather producing area and has no demand for it.
There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!
The Temple lacks solid production and sales capabilities, and its greatest competitive advantage is that there are many people who master the mystic arts. Members of the organization are hired as killers and mystics.
In the peaceful and powerful Restoration Kingdom, hiring a killer comes at a heavy price, and the business of the temple is bleak.
So they chose to make fake medicine, which was a very profitable business. The mystics could imitate highly similar potions.
Of course, it was only a matter of time before he was caught.
This is a microcosm of the Black Templar's failed transformation.
…
Douzi came back sweating profusely and reported: "Brother, I have found a Yao clan vampire doctor for Chief Zaha, and he has already gone there."
"Wipe the sweat off."
Mudhead threw him a towel.
Douzi wiped his face and neck with a towel. He couldn't help asking, "Brother, why did you lend it to Chief Zaha? His hair whip is just a decoration. It is respected in their tribe, but it is of no use to us."
Mudhead took a sip of tea and said, "Douzi, you are different from the me of the past."
"You always talk a lot, which is not a bad thing. But you should learn to think first, observe more, and think clearly before speaking."
He began to teach the young brother: "The Brotherhood has been able to develop to this point. Apart from the protection of God and the Kingdom, we rely on peace."
"Harmony is the most precious thing, and we should make many good friends."
"This is the business we are in. The more and wider the channels are, the more stable and long-lasting the fraternity will be."
"When it comes to large societies, we are generally very cautious. We do not form alliances, target or confront them. Societies must be balanced, and no one group can dominate."
Nitou explained in detail: "But for the weak and minority groups, anyone who has the ability can help them. The most important and core thing for the Brotherhood right now is credit and reputation."
“With credibility, there will be cooperation; with reputation, there will be people who will speak for us.”
…
The theater was packed that night, and Nitou and Douzi were watching in the first row.
Tatar's dancing was as pleasing as ever, and her earrings and clothes became more and more beautiful. Just as the goblin merchants said, they turned her into a goddess on the stage.
When they said goodbye, Nitou gave Tatar a gold pocket watch, which could be set to make a cooing sound.
Tatar gave him the bell on his wrist in return.
"See you in ten years, God Yao bless you." Tatar waved at him and was pulled away by the sisters behind her.
She had a lot to do: be interviewed by reporters, take photos, share dinner with lucky audiences, change clothes, take a shower, and then take the train to Shacheng.
…
Nitou wrapped the bell in a handkerchief and put it in a box.
It was late at night when we returned to the Brotherhood's shop.
A man in a straw coat stood outside the closed door.
"Chief Zaha?"
Nitou was a little surprised and quickly took out the mint to wake up the brain: "What's wrong? Is the treatment going well?"
"It's cured. The doctor is very good."
The young chief finally showed a smile on his face: "Thank you, Brother Mudhead, you are a good friend who saved the Chronological Tribe from danger."
"I'm glad you're okay."
Nitou said, "Come in and sit down."
Zaha shook his head and took out a small exquisite green treasure chest from the leather bag on his back: "This is for you."
Nitou didn't answer: "Don't be so polite, this is what the Brotherhood does. Everyone has difficulties sometimes."
"This 'Disaster Chest' comes from a long-lost secret cult, and has been passed down from generation to generation among tribal chiefs. It contains monsters that are powerful enough to destroy the world. Once opened, it will be released, causing the sky to collapse and the earth to split." Zaha said with a heavy face.
“Only a powerful god can tame a monster, and once it is tamed, it will become an invaluable treasure.”
"I originally thought that if I couldn't find a doctor and had to watch my people die, I would return to the country of mystic arts, open this box, and let us all die together..."
Ni Tou remained calm, but his younger brother Douzi, who was standing next to him, turned pale.
"You helped me, Brother Mudhead. You prevented me from doing such a sinful and stupid thing. Now I give this to you. You can go to the temple and offer it to the gods. The powerful Yao God will probably like it."
Ni Tou was puzzled: "Why don't you offer it to Lord Yaoshen yourself?"
The young chief shook his head: "Although God Yao is an extremely powerful god, I will always believe in the original faith of the tribe, the God of Youth and Spring. We will not betray the gods and our origins just because we are weak now."
After Zaha left, Douzi said with some concern: "Brother, what should we do with this thing?"
“…”
Ni Tou thought for a while and decided to believe Zaha.
The temple was still brightly lit at night. Ni Tou came outside the temple and expressed his purpose to the temple guards.
After getting the consent of the apostles inside, Nitou held the black box in his hand, walked up the steps, entered the gate, and knelt down beside the campfire.
The Cat Grass Apostle said with his back to him: "Pray, just pray."
"yes."
Ni Tou knelt in front of the statue of God Yao, put the box in his hand on the ground, and told Mao Cao the origin of the disaster treasure chest.
Then he prayed silently in his heart.
The green treasure chest slowly flew up and floated in the air.
Mao Cao's ethereal voice came again: "If the Lord God were to pay attention here, you would know. Go back and rest."
"yes."
…
One day three years later.
Ni Tou was looking through the fraternity's recent income and expenditure statements when he suddenly felt some kind of mysterious will looming over his head.
His body was suddenly filled with surging power, which quickly transformed his torso, making him feel as if he was immersed in a warm current from head to toe.
God’s gift!
He listened to the silent oracle.
I...became a hero?
Ni Tou had seen a lot of storms, but at this moment he was still at a loss.
But the little brother Douzi next to him reacted.
"Brother! You've become an apostle!"
"…He's a hero, a hero."
"I know, it's just a joke, hahahaha, congratulations, bro! Congratulations, bro!"
Ni Tou thought of it immediately.
It's that "Disaster Chest".
Zaha is right, that could indeed be something remarkable.
Just as Zaha was excited, suddenly a strong wind blew and a pink furry giant beast appeared in front of him.
It is Totoro of Cat Grass-sama.
The chinchilla grinned, revealing its sharp and interlaced teeth: "Congratulations, Lord Yaoshen wants to summon you."
Lord Yaoshen?
Mudhead's whole body suddenly froze.
In an instant, he seemed to have returned to more than a decade ago. Standing in the shadow of the giant fortress, the suffocating tension, fear, and insignificance all surged into his mind...
A lot of things have changed, but it seems like nothing has changed.
(End of this chapter)