The orcs of Xia would yearn for the Xia clan, who came from the forest...
The beasts in the flower-growing region are much less wary of the outside world and their attack power is greatly reduced, making it the period when they are most vulnerable to successful attacks by wild beasts.
Therefore, orcs hide in the low forests around the lake when they are cultivating flowers. Orcs not cultivating flowers are either resting or patrolling the area. Orcs of different races cooperate to kill carnivorous beasts that come to the riverbank, protecting the safety of their kind.
Like other clans, the Xia clan also sent out beastmen to patrol the area.
As night fell and two moons hung in the sky, the beastmen, lacking fire, instinctively approached clans with campfires. For example, a certain beastman clan whose beast form Jiang Yunlan couldn't discern, and then there was her own clan.
At night, the orcs do not engage in sexual activity. Instead, they take out items brought from their habitats and approach other clans to exchange them.
The Xia clan, having arrived with numerous items, was undoubtedly the most sought-after trading partner among the surrounding clans.
Jiang Yunlan accepted all comers' offers, trading with them regardless of what items the orcs offered. After exchanging many items with several clans, she saw another clan approach her.
The orc that approached this time had a horn on its forehead, and she couldn't recognize what kind of beast it was.
The unicorns, seeing the items that the Xia clan had specially hung on a shelf, discussed amongst themselves for a long time. They patiently waited until the other orcs near the Xia clan left before running straight towards the squirrel orc cub.
Having observed for so long, they could naturally tell that the cub was the orc who led the Xia clan.
"Hello, this is the Xia Clan. What items would you like to exchange with us?" Jiang Yunlan sat on a detachable wooden chair and gestured for the unicorn to look at the items on the display shelf.
Many Xia clan orcs came this time, and they all stood upright beside Lan, weapons in hand.
The unicorns were seeing these cold weapons for the first time, and their bodies trembled involuntarily. Years of combat had honed their intuition, telling them that these weapons were incredibly powerful.
They dared not look at the Xia clan warriors again, and wholeheartedly turned their attention back to the item that had first caught their eye: ramie summer clothes.
"So light," a unicorn-man said, carefully touching Xia Yi. "It feels so cool to the touch."
Hearing this, the other unicorns crowded around, all wanting to touch the light and cool clothes their kin had described. The unicorns jostled and pushed, taking care not to knock over the shelves or damage any of the Xia clan's belongings.
The row of weapons gleaming coldly beside them was very conspicuous; it was hard for them not to see them.
Until the last unicorn touched the summer clothes, they exchanged a silent glance, each reading the same longing in their kin's eyes. If everyone could wear such clothes, they wouldn't have to spend the hot season constantly soaking in water or hiding in caves.
"If only every member of our tribe could have one of these," the dark-skinned unicorn couldn't help but whisper to his fellow tribesman beside him.
The other unicorn sighed, its platinum-gold head drooping dejectedly. "Yeah. If I had worn this last hot season, I probably wouldn't have caught a heatstroke..."
They are orcs disliked by the sun. The sun may bless other orcs, but it often gives them wounds.
The adults, though barely able to endure the sweltering heat of grass skirts during the hot season to venture out in search of food, often die from heatstroke. The young children in the tribe are even more vulnerable than the adults, and will catch heatstroke even if they don't go out during the hot season.
The excited unicorn, thinking of his dead kin and the approaching hot season, suddenly felt like he had been thrown into the sunlight and could no longer feel excited.
Jiang Yunlan overheard their conversation and observed them discreetly.
Their white hair had a faint golden tinge, their eyes shone with gold, their skin was dark, and their faces were covered with white patterns that looked as if they had been drawn on with a brush. From neck to toe, they were either covered with grass skirts or draped in animal skins. They were dressed too thickly and were very likely to suffer from heatstroke.
She didn't know why the unicorns were still dressed so warmly even though the weather was getting hot, but she knew very well that they needed light and cool summer clothes.
"Are the items you want to exchange summer clothes?" she asked with a smile, her voice light and cheerful.
The unicorn nodded, his longing gaze fixed on the ramie summer garment, unable to look away. Other clans that had come to the Xia clan before them hadn't managed to exchange for the garment, which showed just how precious it was.
Instead of revealing their hand immediately, they first asked what items they would need to exchange for the summer clothes.
“Anything is acceptable. Food, weapons, animal hides, methods of weaving and packing, and all sorts of strange and rare items can be traded,” Jiang Yunlan said.
Just now, a clan traded pottery for weaving and knotting techniques that the Xia clan did not possess.
The overwhelming variety of available trade items shocked the unicorns. Most clans had limited items to trade, and each trade had to bring more useful items to the clan.
Xia, who is willing to trade anything, must be even more powerful than they realize.
The unicorn looked at Jiang Yunlan, who was leading Xia, with admiration, carefully opened a leaf-wrapped package, picked up the smallest cube and handed it over, "This is our clan's usual food when we go out. It is very suitable for omnivorous beastmen who eat both meat and vegetables. This is very filling, so don't eat too much at once."
Jiang Yunlan had eaten dinner some time ago, and obediently took only a small bite, breaking the skin of the small square.
It's hard to describe the texture, and the taste is definitely not good, but the oily aroma it contains makes up for it, making it a favorite food for beastmen who are often hungry.
After silently savoring the taste of the beast-world version of compressed rations, Jiang Yunlan pursed her lips in utter despair. She was too full; she felt bloated.
“Good food, the Xia clan is willing to trade.” She said, subtly adjusting her posture to ease the pain of being too full.
After some conversation, Jiang Yunlan learned that the unicorn people could get sunburned. She thought for a moment and said, "You can't be exposed to the sun, so short-sleeved clothes are not suitable for you. Unfortunately, my tribe has run out of cloth, and these are the only clothes I can exchange."
Some of the other clothes were given as rewards to the orcs in the tribe, while the rest were still hanging in the shop for wolf orcs who didn't have summer clothes to buy.
"But once the flower season is over, my clan will have new cloth to make clothes. We can sew clothes that fit you, as well as straw hats."
“A straw hat is something you wear on your head, like this,” Jiang Yunlan stepped off the stool, picked a huge leaf, placed it on her head, looked at the unicorn man, and said with a smile, “A straw hat won’t fall off if you don’t hold it with your hands, which is more convenient than using a leaf. When you wear straw hats, you won’t need to cover your faces with animal skins during the hot season.”
The unicorn-man, who had used this method to block out the sun before, understood and revealed a look of desire in his eyes.
Seeing that they understood, Jiang Yunlan added, "You are prone to heatstroke and fever, so having a fan will help. A fan is something used to cool you down, and it will be much cooler than this, and it's better than big leaves."
She gripped the large leaf tightly and fanned it twice at the unicorn man.
The unicorns' eyes lit up even more, and they couldn't contain their excitement.
“My tribe also has a kind of food that makes you feel very cool. I didn’t bring that plant with me, so why don’t you come to my clan to take a look? I can take your measurements so that the clothes can fit you better. The gloves too.” Jiang Yunlan blatantly tempted the unicorns, her expression open and honest.
The unicorns were utterly powerless against the Xia clan, losing in an instant and accepting their invitation. They diligently memorized the way to the Xia clan's settlement, then left with silly grins, clutching the short-sleeved shirts they insisted on exchanging.
They brought not enough to pay the deposit, so they had to return to their clan first before going to the Xia clan.
The beastmen who were watching the Xia clan trade with other clans were itching to do the same, and couldn't resist going over to exchange some supplies.
Approach, talk, confide, seek answers...
After spending several days together, the beastmen who came to Crescent Lake belatedly realized that the wise Lan not only exchanged items they needed with them, but also helped them solve their problems.
Whenever the clan encountered problems or faced their own dilemmas, Lan would earnestly try to find solutions. This was something the beastmen found incredible.
Are all wise men like Lan, or is it that only orcs like Lan should be called wise men?
The beastmen didn't understand; all they knew was that they really liked the storm.
From liking the Xia clan chief who brought many good things, to liking Lan herself, only a few days had passed.
The orcs loved to trade with Lan and also liked to have Lan preside over the trade when exchanging items with other clans.
As Xia traded with the various clans more frequently, Jiang Yunlan exchanged all the items she brought back from her clan. Later, when they traded again, they used items that other clans had given to Xia in exchange for goods.
The more they traded, the more items they got. In the end, they had so much stuff that they filled the car and all the baskets.
At this time, the Xia clan had become the center of all the orc clans that came to Huayu.
The burning gaze was fixed on the Xia clan beastman.
Lup and the other orcs were considered to be members of the Xia clan, and they also felt their burning gazes, their actions naturally revealing friendliness.
Lupu was once again greeted in a friendly manner by unfamiliar orcs, leaving her somewhat bewildered.
Looking into their burning gazes, she wondered: were they envious?
No. Lup shook her head, dismissing the guess in her mind. She couldn't figure it out, and her blank gaze suddenly fell on Lan, who was talking to the other orcs.
It is aspiration.
The Chinese phrase floated into Lupu's mind. When she first learned the word, she didn't understand its meaning. But now, as she became the object of admiration for other orcs, looking up at the orcs of the Xia clan, she suddenly understood the "admiration" that Lan had explained.
They yearn for the Xia clan and to become members of the Lan clan.
And I, I was admired by them. This realization made Lup hold her head high with pride.
Although she hasn't officially joined the Xia Clan yet, the wolf-beastmen eat and live in the Xia Clan, and go about their business with the Xia Clan's beastmen. So, they're practically Lan's clansmen.
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