Shit-Stirrer

Isabelle's return finally gave Lu Yao someone he could communicate with directly and issue complex instructions to.

[Drifting Letter] now had only one sheet of letter paper left. Once it was used up, it would become invalid. Lu Yao needed the +1 Faith it produced every hour, so he could basically only treat it as a lucky charm.

In the past, Lu Yao had needed the Prophet to interpret his instructions before passing them on to the tribe. But after that whole process of speculation and retelling by the Prophet, Lu Yao, the God, became even more obscure and unfathomable in the eyes of the tribal people.

The whole process was like picking your nose while wearing woolen gloves.

Neither the hand nor the nose felt right.

Through Isabelle, Lu Yao, confined to his fixed overhead perspective, could finally learn what was actually happening in this Pixel Game world.

"According to the Bedou Tribe, desert bandits only began appearing in recent years. Before the monsters attacked the Oasis, something happened."

Isabelle's statement appeared above her head.

"The Salt Pool Tribe once approached the Bedou Tribe, asking them to transport goods through the desert for the Salt Pool Tribe and establish a Salt Pool Tribe outpost at the Oasis."

"The Bedou Tribe opposed and rejected this."

"Not long afterward, the desert monsters that had originally stayed far from the Oasis suddenly went berserk and swarmed toward it. The Bedou Tribe could not hold them off, so they had no choice but to abandon the Oasis and flee temporarily."

"During their escape, the Desert Bandits took the opportunity to strike. They killed many Bedou Tribe members and seized their Camels and flocks of sheep."

"The Salt Pool Tribe is very dangerous," Isabelle concluded.

Lu Yao thought, What was coming would come eventually.

If the Garlic Tribe had refused to trade with them back then, they might have been overwhelmed by all kinds of unexpected trouble too.

The Salt Pool Tribe's reach extended throughout the surrounding region. The Garlic Tribe had to prepare for them as well.

Lu Yao glanced at the eleven Salt Pool Tribe prisoners and suddenly got an idea.

He quickly typed on the keyboard.

--Send all eleven prisoners to the East River Tribe as aid.

"Yes, my lord."

--Also, ask the East River Tribe about their cooperation with the Salt Pool Tribe.

After receiving the order, Isabelle met with [Grandmother].

"An Apostle!"

[Grandmother] looked utterly stunned, with a question mark appearing above her head.

She thought, Good thing the tribe has always prayed and made offerings. Ordinary Gods cannot possess Apostles. It seems God Yao is a terrifying God on the same level as Prayer God.

That put Lu Yao on alert as well.

That Prayer God also had an Apostle. He would have to be especially careful if they ever crossed paths.

[The East River Tribe's attitude has become intimate.]

As expected, sending over those prisoners earned the East River Tribe's gratitude and goodwill.

Lu Yao then shifted his attention elsewhere.

The arrival of the Bedou Tribe remnants brought a series of major changes to the Garlic Tribe.

[The Garlic Tribe has learned how to raise and use Camels.]

[The Garlic Tribe has learned how to raise and use sheep.]

[The Garlic Tribe now possesses livestock.]

[The Garlic Tribe has discovered Wool.]

The two fully domesticated types of livestock each had their own uses.

After the Garlic Tribe began raising Camels, Camels gradually replaced human labor in carrying heavy items such as wood, stone, and fish, greatly improving transportation and gathering efficiency.

The Pixelated Villagers began riding Camels everywhere to explore. With this means of transportation, their range of movement expanded dramatically. They could enter and leave the forest and mountains in a short time, and the Garlic Tribe set foot in the desert for the first time in search of useful resources.

The appearance of sheep brought two more important resources.

Meat and Wool.

In the past, the Garlic Tribe relied entirely on Hunters to obtain meat. Hunting was not only seasonal, but dangerous as well. Even though they were now equipped with Bow and Arrow, Hunters were still often injured.

After domesticating sheep, they gained a stable supply of meat.

Wool was also an important material for keeping warm.

The Bedou Tribe people were all skilled animal handlers. They were not only good at raising Camels and sheep, but also knew how to spin and weave Wool. As they integrated into the population, their techniques became knowledge of the Garlic Tribe and spread throughout it.

The one Lu Yao focused on was Shahan, the leader of the Bedou Tribe remnants. He was a gray-haired old man with the title [Astrologer] above his head.

[Astrologer Lv4] Shahan

Attack 0 Defense 0 Knowledge 4 Mana 2 luck 0 Morale 1

[Ability]

Astrology Lv3: Uses celestial phenomena to predict weather changes, fortune, and misfortune.

Similar to Shahan was the Shaman Lie Cang.

[Shaman Lv3] Lie Cang

Attack 0 Defense 0 Knowledge 2 Mana 2 luck 0 Morale 1

[Ability]

Healing Lv2: Can treat all kinds of illnesses and injuries. Healing effectiveness is related to ability level, Knowledge, and Mana.

Both the Astrologer and the Shaman possessed highly practical, useful abilities.

After arriving at the Garlic Tribe, the Astrologer sat beside the Temple and set up a sheepskin tent. He worshipped the God while observing the stars and divining the future.

Most of the time, he served as the tribe's weather forecaster.

"There will be plenty of rain. This spring is suitable for planting."

"Strong winds are brewing on the horizon. Everyone, pack up and take shelter early."

"The mountains will erupt in fury. Do not enter them."

Lu Yao specifically tested it and found that Shahan was highly accurate when predicting major disasters such as heavy rain, Earthquake, and Hurricane.

The Garlic Tribe had absorbed the Bedou Tribe, further expanding its territory and industries. With food becoming even more abundant, smiling faces appeared above the Pixelated Villagers' heads most of the time.

Meanwhile, the East River Tribe's situation continued to worsen.

The Sea Monsters had already been steadily weakening and dying from an incurable disease. Now, only two living Sea Monsters remained.

Isabelle returned to the Temple and reported, "My lord, I used Lingering Prayer in the East River Tribe to awaken Sea Monster Undead. After questioning and verifying them, I determined that the cause of their illness was poison."

"Sea Monsters usually forage in the water, eating fish, shrimp, and shellfish. But over the past year, some very strange meat suddenly began appearing on the riverbed."

"This meat was all very fresh, and the Sea Monsters liked it very much. Although they are huge, they are not very intelligent—about as clever as infants."

"After eating the meat, the Sea Monsters began displaying symptoms of varying severity. Their scales festered, their bodies became weak, and they grew drowsy and constantly wanted to sleep. As the symptoms worsened, the Sea Monsters died."

The Sea Monster poisoning incident had been aimed at the East River Tribe.

That shit-stirring style immediately reminded Lu Yao of a certain group.

He typed on the keyboard.

--The Salt Pool Tribe.

"My lord has indeed seen through everything."

Isabelle continued explaining what she had discovered.

"I used Lingering Prayer to question the Undead in the East River. The Undead said that a group of mysterious people came by boat after nightfall. They deliberately approached a place not far from Ship Island, where the East River Tribe lived, and threw meat into the water. It has been confirmed that the Salt Pool Tribe was responsible."

"According to the East River Tribe, they have had conflicts with the Salt Pool Tribe. The Salt Pool Tribe has always wanted to trade slaves and salt for Sea Monsters, but the East River Tribe refused."

"The Salt Pool Tribe strongly resented this, believing it to be a betrayal and a sign of distrust. The relationship between the two sides grew colder and colder, and their trade volume kept declining."

Lu Yao understood.

Lingering Prayer was not only useful for summoning Undead to fight. Gathering intelligence with it was practically a divine skill.

After thinking for a moment, he made a decision.

--Tell the East River Tribe the truth.

--Then tell them that the Garlic Tribe is willing to provide land by the river for them to settle and live on land. That way, they will no longer need to worry about storms and weather on the water. They will be closer to the Garlic Tribe, making trade more convenient, and both sides can look after each other.

"Yes, my lord."

Isabelle accepted the order.