You guys are absolute legends! đ Every Power Stone you send is like a burst of heavenly energy that keeps this story blazing forward! I can't thank you enough for all the love and support you've shown â you're the reason Ye Caiqian's journey shines so brightly.
So let's keep this fire burning! Keep showering the book with those precious Power Stones, and together we'll unlock even more epic moments, twists, and battles! Your support means the world to me â let's make this adventure unstoppable! đđ„
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Shan Liang's POV
The morning we departed, the plateau was still cloaked in a thin veil of mist, the sun only just peeking over the horizon. Dew clung to the wooden carts lined up near the southern gate, their wheels reinforced with extra bindings in case the road proved rougher than expected.
We were carrying goods that represented months of careful preparation: dried meat from the autumn hunts, bundles of herbs cultivated near the Academy's gardens, stone and bone tools, clay storage jars, and several experimental iron nails forged by one of our newer blacksmith apprentices.
Each cart was drawn by sturdy pack beastsâlean, long-legged creatures with thick fur and calm temperaments. The Protectors had spent weeks training them to remain steady even in the chaos of travel.
Beside me, Xie E inspected his spear, testing the shaft's flex and the edge's balance. He'd already walked the length of the caravan twice, checking harnesses, gear, and the readiness of the twelve Protectors who would escort us.
Before we left, the System made its presence known.
[Primary Task Progress: Establish Trade Routes â Phase 1 Initiated.]
[Advisory: Host will encounter mixed responses from external settlements â maintain diplomatic caution.]
[Tip: Identify goods unique to Host's settlement; exclusivity increases perceived value.]
[Warning: Avoid overextending defensive forces during trade expeditions.]
I acknowledged the message in my mind and turned to my apprentice, Ruo, who would be teaching in my absence. "Remember, keep the classes going. Writing practice every day, and store every clay tablet in the vault."
Ruo nodded firmly. "We'll be ready for your return, Teacher."
The road down from the plateau was a winding descent, carved over months of travel by foragers and patrols. Below, the valley stretched wide, dotted with settlements we'd only heard of in scattered rumors. Our first target was two days' travelâa riverside community said to be skilled in weaving strong fishing nets.
The first day was uneventful, the road cutting through rolling hills and sparse woodland. The Protectors moved in disciplined formationâtwo scouts ahead, two at the rear, the rest flanking the caravan.
That night, we camped near a sheltered bend in the hills. The Protectors lit a ring of small fires, careful not to make them large enough to attract distant attention. I sat with Xie E, going over the trade script we'd rehearsed:
Offer surplus goods.
Highlight their value through demonstration.
Ask about goods they have in abundance but may wish to trade.
Keep terms fair but leave room for future negotiations.
We reached the riverside settlement by mid-morning the next day. It was smaller than I'd imaginedâperhaps forty homes, built on raised platforms to avoid floods. The people eyed us warily as we approached, hands on fishing spears.
I stepped forward slowly, hands open. "We come to trade," I called. "Food, tools, medicine, in exchange for your goods."
There was a tense silence until an older woman stepped out from the crowd. Her hair was silver, her posture straight. "And why should we trust you?" she asked sharply.
I bowed slightly. "Because we have something that can make your winters easier."
I gestured to one of our carts. The Protectors uncovered the bundles of dried meat and clay jars of preserved grain. "These will last through the cold season without spoiling," I said.
The woman's eyes narrowed, then softened slightly. She gestured for me to follow her to a raised platform where the settlement leaders gathered.
The negotiation took hours. At first, they offered littleâsome woven mats, a few baskets of dried fish. But when I demonstrated how our storage jars kept food safe from moisture and pests, they began to see the value.
By the time the sun began to dip, we had an agreement: a small but steady exchangeâdried meat and storage jars for their durable fishing nets and river herbs known for healing fevers.
The System's voice chimed in my mind.
[Trade Route Progress: First Agreement Reached.]
[Assessment: Exchange balance is fair; potential for long-term relationship is high.]
[Suggestion: Send smaller trade parties in future to maintain frequency without straining resources.]
We stayed the night as guests. I watched Xie E speak with their younger hunters, explaining basic spear formations. The Protectors had earned the settlement's trust almost as much as our goods had.
Our next destination lay east, a larger community rumored to be rich in metal ore. But as we approached two days later, we found the atmosphere very different.
The guards here were not simply cautiousâthey were openly hostile, barring the gate with crossed spears.
"What's your business?" a burly man demanded.
"Trade," I said, as before.
He spat to the side. "Trade means weakness. We take what we need."
Xie E shifted his stance, but I caught his arm. This was a testânot just of our goods, but of our patience.
[Alert: Host is entering a high-risk negotiation environment.]
[Advisory: Avoid escalation; propose mutually beneficial exchange or withdraw.]
[Note: Violent conflict will reduce trust with neighboring settlements for multiple seasons.]
I took a slow breath. "You could take from us," I said evenly, "but what we offer isn't something you can steal and keep. It's knowledgeâhow to store food so no one starves in winter, how to grow more than you can eat in a season."
There was a murmur among the guards. The burly man hesitated. "Knowledge?"
"Yes," I said. "And we'll trade it for your iron ore. Not just this onceâevery season, if we can keep it peaceful."
It took another hour of careful words, but in the end, they agreedâbarely. We left with a modest amount of ore and the sense that this relationship would require constant tending.
By the time we returned to the plateau weeks later, the carts were lighter but richer in varietyâherbs, nets, ore, and a few precious items I hadn't expected, like carved bone ornaments and unfamiliar seeds.
The System's final report appeared as we passed through the gate.
[Primary Task Progress: Establish Trade Routes â 2 of 2 Minimum Routes Achieved.]
[Bonus: Early trade network forming; probability of sustained growth increased by 42%.]
[Reward Unlocked: Knowledge Module â Metallurgy Basics.]
I smiled. This was only the beginning. The road beyond the plateau had opened, and with it, the path for everything we'd dreamed to build.
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