"Six hundred ninety thousand Eternal Coins! My heavens, this is… a fortune!"
Even the tribal chieftain was left dumbfounded in that instant. His mouth hung agape for a long time, his shock self-evident. This was utterly unprecedented. Who would've thought that these slaves, people they never once cared about, could be worth so much?
"Ow, my mouth…"
One of the Hu people suddenly slapped his own mouth hard, his face contorted with regret, as though he was in excruciating pain, struggling to forgive himself.
They recalled the human civilians they had eaten in the past—those were all money, golden Eternal Coins! That wretched mouth of theirs—why did it have to eat people? Those were Eternal Coins!
Just thinking about it made them ache to the marrow.
"Spread the word. From now on, it is strictly forbidden to eat humans in our tribe. No one is to touch the slaves. Also, give them an extra portion of food—ten percent more than before. I don't care about other matters, but no human slave is allowed to starve in our tribe. If anyone dares let that happen… I'll starve them myself!"
The chieftain gave the order without hesitation.
His gaze was nakedly greedy. In his eyes, these human civilians had already transformed into glittering Eternal Coins. As long as they could be traded for money, these slaves were the most valuable assets in the entire tribe—the tribe's greatest treasure. No mistake could be allowed. Any loss was a loss of wealth.
"Well then, these are your Eternal Coins. But our Merchant Alliance also offers a wide variety of rare treasures. For example, I have a spiritual brew here called Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine. It's extremely bold and fiery. Drinking it will make your blood boil, strengthen your physique, temper your muscles and bones—and the taste is exquisite. It's perfect for the heroes of the grasslands. I guarantee, once you taste it, you'll want more."
He Shen pulled out a jug of spiritual wine.
This brew, the Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine, was quite rare and magical. It was brewed primarily from the blood essence of a hundred beasts, supplemented by all kinds of rare spirit herbs. Drinking it brought great benefits to one's cultivation—and naturally, the price wasn't cheap either.
Just one jin (roughly half a kilo) cost a hundred Eternal Coins.
"Good wine. Damn good wine!"
After He Shen served a cup to the tribal chief, the moment he took a sip, he felt like every wine he'd ever tasted before was no better than horse piss—completely worthless in comparison.
In the end, the chief ordered a large quantity of Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine, obviously smitten.
Not long after, the Skyship set off once more, heading for distant lands, bound for other tribes. Before leaving, He Shen laughed and said, "These kinds of slaves, no matter how many your tribe has, our All-Domain Trade Alliance will take them all. We'll buy as many as you're willing to sell."
Those words sent the Hu people present into a frenzy.
Their hearts surged uncontrollably.
"Brothers, once we've eaten and drunk our fill, it's time to go out and harvest some grain. This time, the target is nothing else but those human civilians. If you spot any, capture them all. We want them alive, not dead."
The tribal chief shouted loudly.
In his eyes, a strange gleam flickered.
It was ambition, a powerful greed and desire.
Skyhawk Royal Court
The royal court resided within an enormous Immortal City.
The Skyhawk Dynasty's royal court was peculiar. It wasn't made up of yurts, after all—those couldn't possibly represent a royal dynasty's dignity. An Immortal City had been constructed, yet within the palace grounds, there still stood numerous yurts—strange-looking structures within the city. But these yurts had been forged through unique means, perhaps even birthed by the world itself.
They were not only exquisite but imbued with a regal elegance.
Inside a massive tent sat a middle-aged man in military garb, upright and brimming with vigor. He wore a strange headdress with a golden eye-shaped ornament on his forehead—it looked like a hawk's eye.
He was none other than the Skyhawk King, Tuoba Tao.
A brutal aura exuded from his body. Though infamous for cruelty—reportedly even for cannibalism—his capabilities were undeniable. He was one of the most formidable leaders among the Hu.
His political instinct was formidable.
At this moment, Tuoba Tao sat calmly on the throne, rotating two iron balls in his hand—one black, one white. They looked unusual. As they spun, it was as though life and death danced between his fingers.
It was as if he could reverse fate at will.
"Speak. What do you all think of this All-Domain Trade Alliance? Recently, they've been making quite a stir across the land. Their influence is not small. They're no ordinary force."
Tuoba Tao spoke slowly.
In the grand hall, heavyweights of the Skyhawk court stood in rows. In front of them were long tables set with delicacies and jugs of Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine. Naturally, the Skyhawk King was the first to enjoy the new brew.
It was very fine wine. Even he had never tasted anything like it before. And the flavor matched their fiery temperaments perfectly. From the very first sip, he was hooked. He couldn't even imagine what he'd do if it ran out.
"The All-Domain Trade Alliance is extremely powerful. They travel across the realm in their Skyships, with elite troops aboard. Any tribe foolish enough to challenge them has been annihilated. They're far too mysterious to provoke. We'd best stay on good terms with them—otherwise, we'll lose our supply of spirit wine."
Someone spoke up immediately.
"Indeed. They've brought us good fortune. My tribe sold over seven million Eternal Coins' worth of human slaves. They're true goldmines. Not only should we avoid offending them, but we should offer them VIP treatment. Maybe even station one of their merchants in our court—to cement ties."
Everyone voiced their support for the alliance.
Why? Because it brought them tremendous profit. By selling slaves, they gained a flood of Eternal Coins—which could buy a mountain of cultivation resources. Offending such a power would be sheer idiocy.
This slave trade was a long-term business. No one wanted any surprises.
"We must not sell all the slaves," Tuoba Tao said slowly. "Keep a portion back. After all, our own numbers are few compared to the slaves. Mass selling of them will weaken the dynasty's destiny."
It was true.
As an Imperial Dynasty, their destiny was tied to their population. Even if the slaves had no loyalty, sheer numbers still generated fate energy. Selling them off in bulk weakened that flow. Already, the drop in population had slowed the court's accumulation of fate. If it dropped further, even Tuoba Tao's throne might grow unstable.
After more discussion—still unable to discern the alliance's origin—Tuoba Tao finally gave an order:
"From now on, no arbitrary selling of slaves. Even when selling, ensure enough labor remains."
With that, the meeting ended.
Once the court had emptied, a shadow silently emerged from behind the curtains.
"Sir, what do you make of thisAll-Domain Trade Alliance? I don't know why, but lately I've had a persistent sense of unease. I've investigated, but found nothing. Now this alliance appears—mighty and mysterious. It's hard not to be curious."
Tuoba Tao sighed.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. But the source remained elusive.
"This merchant alliance is odd," the man replied. "But as long as they pose no threat to the Skyhawk Court, let them be. We're gaining wealth through them. It's highly profitable. Even if there's some hidden agenda, as long as we get our Eternal Coins, who cares? Besides, with so many slaves sold, we've freed up elite warriors."
In the past, no tribe dared send out all their forces. They had to leave behind guards—for the slaves and for their families. But now, with the slaves sold off, there was no longer any need to stay behind.
Now, they could unleash their full military might.
"Master Jia, Master Zhuge—how do you see the current situation?"
Yi Tianxing was playing Go with Zhuge Liang. On the board, the black and white stones turned into two writhing dragons, locked in deadly combat. Every move was perilous.
"We've only just begun disguising the Skyship as a merchant vessel. But already, we've rescued tens of millions of human civilians from the Skyhawk Grasslands. This plan is proving absolutely correct. The Hundred Beast Blood Spirit Wine will have a lingering effect on these Hu warriors. And this is merely the beginning of the Falcon Plan," said Jia Xu with a smile.
"The first phase of the Falcon Plan—using trade to purchase slaves—has been a resounding success," added Zhuge Liang.
So far, the number of rescued civilians was astronomical. The real challenge now… was how to settle and manage them.