Chapter 70: Two Choices

“Lord Martin, welcome! May I ask what brings you here today?” Sun Licheng greeted him with a smile. Martin, with a carefree gesture, swung himself down from his elk in one swift movement.

“Haha, I’ve come bearing good news, of course!” Martin replied jovially, handing his reins to one of his attendants before striding over and embracing Sun Licheng with such enthusiasm that he caught him off guard.

“Is there news about forming my own tribe?” Sun Licheng, momentarily suspicious of Martin’s intentions, was instantly cheered by his words.

“Really? Tell me quickly!” he urged, unable to contain his excitement.

Martin waved his hand with a laugh. “Is this how you host your guests? At the very least, offer me some hot water.”

Realizing his oversight, Sun Licheng patted his own head with a sheepish grin, apologized, and led Martin and his group of elk riders into the small camp. At that moment, Little Cabbage arrived with her people and began preparing to boil water.

After a short while, as Martin sipped his hot water, he shared the news. The Star-Moon Tribe had agreed to allow Sun Licheng to establish his own tribe and had announced the decision to the entire Moon Alliance. None of the other tribes objected, so the formalities were complete.

“So, Lord Sun Licheng—no, I suppose I should call you Chieftain Sun Licheng now—you must come with me to the Star-Moon Tribe to choose the location where your new tribe will settle,” Martin said, his tone playfully teasing.

“Must the settlement location be designated?” Sun Licheng asked, puzzled.

Martin nodded. “Of course! If you settled wherever you pleased, you’d likely end up encroaching on someone else’s land, and that would lead to war. The Moon Alliance must designate the site for any new tribe. It’s the rule, as you surely know.”

Naturally, Sun Licheng understood. It was both a monopoly on power and a demonstration of dominance. As the alliance leader, the Star-Moon Tribe’s actions were entirely reasonable.

“Very well. When do we depart?” Sun Licheng agreed readily.

“At dawn tomorrow. Tonight, you’ll treat us to your best dishes. I’ve heard your cooking is exceptional, and today, we intend to enjoy that for ourselves. No objections, Chieftain Sun Licheng?” Martin burst into laughter, and the elk riders around him looked on in eager anticipation.

Sun Licheng, of course, would meet their request. He decided to prepare a feast of his specialty: giant blackfish.

Through much experimentation and improvement, Sun Licheng had perfected his method of preparing the giant blackfish. With his razor-sharp Jade Breaker knife, slicing the fish was effortless. Soon, a platter of sashimi was served.

Though he couldn’t find wasabi, Sun Licheng had discovered several spicy condiments in the forest that, when mixed, created a flavor even more intense than wasabi. Following his instructions, the elk riders dipped the thin fish slices into the sauce, hesitated, and then placed them in their mouths—only for their eyes to widen in amazement.

“Delicious! Delicious!” Martin exclaimed, letting out a breath before lunging for the sashimi platter. His attendants, too, were instantly won over.

After a time, as Martin finished the sashimi, he watched Sun Licheng bring out a large spit of roasted fish, its fragrance irresistible. Martin’s mouth watered as Sun Licheng deftly carved golden slices of fish into everyone’s bowl.

“Delicious! So delicious!” Martin praised between mouthfuls, giving Sun Licheng a thumbs-up—a gesture he’d learned from Sun Licheng himself.

After the sashimi and roast fish, Sun Licheng finally served a large clay pot of fish-head stew with cassava cakes. The giant blackfish’s head was enormous, but Sun Licheng used only the choicest parts, simmering them into a rich broth poured over the cakes—a taste so divine the goblins nearly ate their own tongues.

Watching Martin and his men eating with such relish, Sun Licheng took the chance to ask a question he’d prepared in advance. “Martin, why do you fight the goblins?”

Martin paused, thought for a moment, then shook his head. “How would I know? It’s been like this for thousands of years. No one’s ever told us why. All we know is that we must never allow goblins into the Moon Alliance—otherwise, our entire race would be finished.”

“Are the goblin slaves in the alliance all prisoners of war? There seem to be so many,” Sun Licheng pressed.

Martin laughed heartily, put down his bowl, and explained. The goblins, it turned out, were not as innocent as Sun Licheng had imagined. Because they controlled Full Moon Valley, the goblin troops could frequently raid goblin villages across the valley, even attacking their military camps. According to Martin, such raids disrupted enemy deployments, though Sun Licheng suspected their motivations were more self-serving. In any case, these raids brought back many slaves and resources. Sometimes, the raids failed and men were lost, but in the goblins’ harsh world, death was commonplace, and slaves meant more hands for labor—a net gain in Martin’s view.

“So, it’s just pillaging,” Sun Licheng thought to himself.

“I’ve noticed that goblin women are all quite ugly,” Sun Licheng asked, voicing a particular curiosity.

Martin, tearing at a piece of roasted fish, nodded. Once he’d swallowed, he replied, “They are. The gods have abandoned them, so they grow uglier with time. We goblins aren’t interested in them, but if you manage them with sticks, they’re good workers.”

Having gleaned all the useful information he could, Sun Licheng spent the rest of the evening eating and laughing with Martin and his men in high spirits.

The next morning, Sun Licheng mounted the Wolf King, with Gou Rou beside him, and set off with Martin’s party. As all were mounted, they traveled swiftly, reaching the Star-Moon Tribe in less than three days.

Upon arrival, Sun Licheng, used to the modern metropolis, was nonetheless impressed. As the alliance leader, the Star-Moon Tribe’s strength was truly formidable. The territory was vast, with the main settlement surrounded by a constellation of smaller villages. Sun Licheng estimated the population at over ten thousand. The central stronghold was much more orderly than those of other tribes, with not only wooden walls but also packed earth reinforcing the center and sides, providing excellent fire and impact resistance. Patrols of goblin warriors in leather armor marched along the walls, each armed with a bow and arrow, their vigilance unmistakable.

Many of these goblin warriors appeared to do no productive labor; Sun Licheng guessed they were professional soldiers—the sign of a tribe with real power.

“To support so many full-time soldiers, the Star-Moon Tribe must be truly strong,” Sun Licheng silently admired.

In a large house, Adolf received Sun Licheng warmly. After a few pleasantries, Adolf led him to the tribal council hall, where the old chieftain and the high shaman were in discussion. The old chieftain was Adolf’s mother.

“Welcome, Chieftain Sun Licheng,” she greeted him with warmth and a gentle voice, like a kindly old neighbor. Yet Sun Licheng, ever perceptive, caught the keen glint in her eyes. “Like mother, like son,” he thought. “This old lady is just as shrewd as Adolf. If only Martin were older and more seasoned, this family of smiling tigers would be even harder to handle.”

After the introduction, Adolf presented Sun Licheng to the tribe’s high shaman. Unlike the chieftain’s kindness, the shaman was aloof and barely acknowledged Sun Licheng.

Sun Licheng took no offense. The weak have no dignity; he simply smiled and let it pass. Still, he sensed that this shaman was formidable. Considering that the Silvermoon Tribe, reputedly the oldest, had only the Silvermoon Saintess, the disparity in power was clear.

Back in his room, Adolf personally offered Sun Licheng a cup of water. “Although your new tribe has been approved, you still need to choose its settlement.”

“What are my options?” Sun Licheng asked.

“There are two valleys, one to the north and one to the south,” Adolf replied.

“What’s the difference between them?” Sun Licheng pressed.

“The northern valley is remote, far from other tribes, and quite barren. The southern valley is much better—close by, convenient for travel, and there’s a cinnabar mine there. Cinnabar is valuable for rituals, and if you can mine it, aside from the fixed tribute to the alliance, everything else belongs to your tribe.”

“If the southern valley is so good, why hasn’t any other tribe settled there?” Sun Licheng was even more curious.

Adolf bared his teeth in a wry smile. “Who said no one has? But after some problems arose, the previous tribe moved away, leaving it vacant.”

“So it’s dangerous!” Sun Licheng realized.

“Of course it is! Otherwise, you wouldn’t have a chance at it. But you’re a hero—I’m sure you can handle whatever trouble is there. And, if you settle there, our tribe will gift you a team of slaves. All we ask in return is an additional share of cinnabar from you in the future.” Adolf laughed heartily, finally revealing the full truth.

Sun Licheng felt a chill run through him. “So there’s a trap after all. But the conditions are tempting. What should I choose?” He fell into deep thought.