Having rarely used the Star Invocation Technique: True Eye, Wu Wang marked Wang Lin and gave him two more looks.
Most of the others were pale purple mixed with white, representing ordinary people with kind hearts. The old auntie was white mixed with purple. Sure enough, what bad intentions could she possibly have?
This Ji Mo... uh, why was this thing giving off yellow smoke?
M-My respects.
He put away the Crystal Ball and dispelled the Star Invocation Technique.
"Pass down the order. Have the women of the tribe avoid them," Wu Wang said calmly. "Choose some sturdy guards to escort them to my tent. Tell everyone to stay sharp. In front of the Human Domain's human race, don't let us Northern Wilds humans lose face."
The several guards behind him answered in unison and hurried off with their weapons.
Wu Wang glanced at his outfit. He was still wearing that slightly flirtatious open-chested robe, though he now had a short undershirt beneath it.
He was not Brother Xing Tian, who liked baring his chest at every turn and constantly flexing his pecs—though perhaps that was practice for blinking in advance.
He turned and returned to the main tent, sitting in his beast-hide chair. Eighteen guards stood on either side of him, the blood vitality surging from their bodies faintly linked together like two walls standing to his left and right.
Within the Royal Court, two rows of burly men built like bears stood silently, marking out a path for the Royal Court's guests.
The female cultivator in the bamboo hat and plain dress walked at the front. Her longsword had already been stored in a Storage Treasure, and her two slender, jade-carved hands rested neatly before her.
If one looked closely, one would see that she never truly stepped on the ground. A tiny white lotus always appeared beneath her feet, leaving her shoes untouched by even a speck of dust.
Paired with her spotless long dress, flawless waistline, and taut bodice, she made people feel that when Nuwa created humanity, she had shown special favor to this woman's ancestors. Even the finest divine brush of the age could neither add nor subtract the slightest bit from her figure.
Lin Suqing had taken her master into the Royal Court to wait. Once the Young Master finished handling official business, she would introduce her master.
Behind the female cultivator, Ji Mo held his head high and looked toward the tents above, yet he did not spare the female cultivator even a second glance, as if he feared her somewhat.
Strange. Why can't I even see a single Northern Wilds woman?
The other cultivators were mostly uneasy now, looking around at the mighty men and occasionally whispering to each other through voice transmission.
"I have long heard that the Northern Wilds clans abound with warriors. The blood vitality contained in physiques like these already rivals that of Return to Origin Realm body cultivators."
"The powerful Northern Wilds clans are truly formidable."
"If clans like these could become powerful allies of the Human Domain, perhaps we could catch our breath at last."
"The Northern Wilds also possesses the rather mysterious Star Invocation Technique. It is said to draw power directly from Primordial Deities. True masters of the Star Invocation Technique are no weaker than immortals."
"How could a gift from gods be better than something obtained by oneself? The Star Invocation Technique must have many restrictions. Those gods could never be without guard against ordinary living beings."
"Silence."
The female cultivator's reminder came from beneath her bamboo hat, and the cultivators who had just begun discussing the matter immediately fell quiet.
Incidentally, Wang Lin was currently standing outside the Royal Court, surrounded layer upon layer by several hundred burly men.
To display the Bear Hug Tribe's warm hospitality, a general called out, "Why are you keeping such a stiff face? Give us a few laughs!"
The burly men said, "Heh heh!"
Wang Lin shuddered all over and nearly took off into the sky on the spot.
Before the main tent, a long carpet sewn from beast hides had been laid far into the distance. When the female cultivator reached the tent entrance, guards immediately motioned for them to stop.
The guard said, "Guests from afar, seated within is the future leader of our Bear Hug Tribe. Please state your purpose."
The bamboo hat hid the female cultivator's expression, but she clearly did not know how to respond. After a moment of silence, she finally said,
"We have come to form an agreement."
"Ahem." Ji Mo hurriedly stepped forward and said with a smile, "The human race was originally created by the Holy Mother. All humans under heaven share the same roots and origin.
"This time, our respective sects entrusted each of us with many gifts to present to the leaders of the Northern Wilds human clans. If we can befriend the heroes and great figures of the Northern Wilds, that would naturally be even better."
"Heh."
A soft laugh came from within the tent. Two guards pulled aside the tent flap, revealing the Young Master seated on a beast-hide chair atop the platform to the cultivators' eyes.
Because of his many years of cultivation, the portion of beauty he had inherited from his mother had been developed to the fullest, yet it did not diminish his masculine bearing in the slightest. His face had sharp, distinct lines with a hint of cool severity. The boldness of seventeen and his inborn composure blended perfectly upon him. Though he merely sat there casually, he possessed an imposing air of his own.
Wu Wang smiled. "Brother Ji, I have heard that Human Domain women often have slender waists. I happen to have some money and silk with nowhere to put them... know any way?"
"Eh!"
Ji Mo's eyes nearly popped out. He stared fiercely at Wu Wang for a while, his old face first turning red before realization dawned on him, after which he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahaha! It was you!
"Brother Hou Di, how did you go from the Wave Tribe to the Bear Hug Tribe? You truly made this poor Daoist suffer, made this poor Daoist suffer!"
All the cultivators froze, and the guards were equally bewildered.
Wu Wang made an inviting gesture and said,
"When I happened to encounter you all earlier, I had a whim and played a joke on Brother Ji. Brother Ji, please do not take offense.
"Brother Ji, honored guests from the Human Domain, please take your seats! I have ordered a feast prepared. Let us continue the wine from that day first; we can discuss proper matters afterward."
"Good!"
Ji Mo laughed twice. Yet after entering, he cupped his hands in a Daoist salute and called out clearly,
"Ji Mo of the Ji Family greets the Young Master of the Bear Tribe."
The female cultivator in the bamboo hat raised a hand and removed it, holding it just before her waist.
Her face remained veiled, but her beauty could now vaguely be seen. Her slightly cool almond-shaped eyes were also studying Wu Wang at this moment.
This sort of Young Master was completely unlike the broad-bodied, fat-waisted Young Master they had imagined before.
Holding her cloak, she inclined slightly and said calmly, "Ling Xiaolan of the Human Domain's Heavenly Origin Mystic Maiden Sect."
The other young cultivators entered one after another. Some were proper and restrained, some smiled with their eyes, and some wore taut expressions as they each announced their Daoist Names and names.
Wu Wang nodded to each of them, but did not exchange much additional pleasantry.
When they took their seats, Ling Xiaolan should have sat in the seat of honor nearest Wu Wang, but she voluntarily moved to the side and indicated that Ji Mo should sit there.
Once the group had seated themselves on either side, Wu Wang said, "Go call Suqing over. I do not understand the Human Domain's etiquette, so I would not want to commit any breach of manners."
"Young Master Bear is too courteous."
Ji Mo smiled. "For the Young Master to meet us amid his busy schedule, we are already deeply grateful.
"Right, this is but a small gift, hardly worthy of respect."
As he spoke, Ji Mo turned the thumb ring on his right hand. A wooden chest appeared out of thin air beside the low table. When Ji Mo opened it, treasure light instantly filled the tent.
Wu Wang nodded with a smile and said solemnly, "Thank you, Brother Ji. Someone, accept it. Prepare a few carts of ore for Brother Ji to take with him when he leaves."
Ji Mo repeatedly said it was too generous, but Wu Wang's gaze swept past Ji Mo's side as he said calmly, "You all seemed to have great fun cursing me back then."
Several cultivators immediately went tense all over.
Wu Wang said, "The Human Domain has its rules, and the Northern Wilds has ours. The Human Domain values civilization and education; the Northern Wilds is not some barbaric land either."
Ji Mo hurriedly said, "Young Master Bear, please forgive us. We were too rash in this matter, making baseless assumptions. Let this cup of wine be my apology on behalf of my fellow cultivators."
After saying that, he drained the wine in his cup in one gulp.
"Brother Ji need not do this." Wu Wang leaned against the chair back and smiled. "If I had truly minded the matter, I would have debated with you all back then. None of you would have made it here.
"I simply did not wish for my clan's reputation to be slandered.
"The Ji Family Brother Ji mentioned—is it a family that holds power in the Human Domain?"
"Young Master Bear may not know this, but what powerful aristocratic families are there in the Human Domain? Most are merely cultivation sects."
Ji Mo sighed and said slowly,
"It is only because my ancestors followed His Majesty the Human Emperor, fighting Fierce Beasts at the borders and protecting the human race's territory, that they earned some praise.
"Even with such praise, descendants as idle as myself were placed upon a high platform, left with no choice but to seek a little more enjoyment before meeting a glorious end."
"You can make seeking pleasure sound so righteous." Wu Wang raised his wine cup. "I toast Brother Ji."
Ji Mo returned the toast with a smile. After several cups of wine, neither man's expression changed.
Looking at the other cultivators, most were somewhat restrained. Before such a display, they could not even insert a word or two of pleasantry and could only watch Wu Wang and Ji Mo chat nonsense together.
The more Wu Wang spoke with this Ji Mo, the more compatible he found him.
Leaving aside his flirtatious nature, though he had been excluded by his companions earlier, he had not panicked in the face of major matters at all. He had shouldered the burden, handled affairs with seasoned maturity, spoke with propriety without crossing red lines, and possessed a rare sincerity deep in his bones.
Being friends with him was quite comfortable.
Soon, Wu Wang carried his wine cup down from the platform and drank at the same table as Ji Mo. Before long, the two were once again calling each other "brother" this and "brother" that.
"Brother Bear, let me introduce someone to you."
Ji Mo turned sideways, just enough to reveal Ling Xiaolan's kneeling profile.
He said, "Fairy Ling here is the most dazzling rising star of our Human Domain in the past century. She comes from the Heavenly Origin Mystic Maiden Sect, one of the ten great immortal sects. At such a young age, she has already formed a Golden Core and condensed a Nascent Soul. The seniors praise her as possessing the bearing of a celestial maiden.
"This trip to the Northern Wilds is also chiefly led by Fairy Ling. I am merely following behind to handle errands and social obligations.
"Fairy Ling is not skilled with words, so I ask Brother Bear to be understanding."
Wu Wang smiled and nodded. He did not look much at Ling Xiaolan, merely raising his cup and toasting her from afar.
"I heard your purpose in coming to our Bear Hug Tribe at the tavern."
Wu Wang set down his cup, his smile fading as he said seriously, "Let us discuss proper business. What sort of agreement do you wish to form with us? A sustained, stable supply of Treasure Materials for the Human Domain's artifact forging?"
Ji Mo looked toward Ling Xiaolan. She gave a light nod and said,
"Young Master Bear, the Human Domain has long lacked Treasure Materials for artifact forging. The border wars will likely rise again within the next thirty years, and we must stockpile more magical treasures and artifacts.
"The Northern Wilds is rich in treasure mines. We wish to buy out the ore output of the Bear Hug Tribe and Wave Tribe for the next three hundred years."
Wu Wang said directly, "The price?"
Ji Mo said from the side, "Brother Bear, once we buy out the output, that will mean a stable market. Shouldn't the price be lowered somewhat?"
Wu Wang smiled. "Does an exclusive buyout not require additional compensation?"
"Young Master Bear!"
A female cultivator spoke from the side. "We are all born of the human race and ought to support one another."
"It is precisely because we are of the same race that you have the chance to sit here."
Wu Wang glanced at the female cultivator, feeling rather disgusted within.
We are just doing business. Are you really trying to pull moral blackmail here?
He said calmly,
"The Human Domain resists pressure from the east, west, and north. Though I reside in the Northern Wilds, I understand how difficult things are for the Human Domain.
"But do not forget that this is the Northern Wilds. Every move we make is watched by the Star Gods.
"If this is a normal exchange of goods, then even if the Heavenly Emperor of Zhongshan sent people here to demand an explanation, my Bear Hug Tribe could still stand tall and cry out for the Star Gods' protection.
"But if the matter becomes humans supporting humans... forgive me, but I must consider matters from the perspective of my clan's survival.
"It cannot be that when you do not need us Northern Wilds clans, it is 'barbarians' this and 'backward' that, but when you need us, you raise the banner that all humans share the same roots.
"Was not the Human Domain originally made up of Southern Wilds clans as well?"
The cultivators immediately did not know how to respond.
Ling Xiaolan suddenly asked, "Can Young Master Bear make the decision in this matter?"
"Our Young Master has been granted full authority to decide by the leader."
Lin Suqing's voice came from the side. She walked slowly to stand behind Wu Wang, saying,
"Our Young Master's mother is the head of the Northern Wilds' current Seven-Day Sacrifice.
"The heirs to the leaders of the seven great Northern Wilds clans are all friends of our Young Master. The seats where you fellow Daoists are sitting were occupied by the Young Masters of those clans just days ago.
"Did you fellow Daoists not investigate before coming to the Northern Wilds?
"In the Northern Wilds, our Young Master's words carry no small weight."
Wu Wang turned and glanced at the old auntie, saying calmly, "Keep a low profile."
"Oh." The halo around Lin Suqing instantly receded, and she quietly stood behind Wu Wang.
Ji Mo smiled. "I never expected Brother Bear to be the true nobleman of power."
"Brother Ji jests." Wu Wang curled his lip. "What powerful nobles are there in the Northern Wilds? We are merely ancient clans who survive by hunting and gathering.
"But there is one thing. You actually cannot make the decision on what comes next.
"Please have the Human Domain seniors secretly protecting you reveal themselves. Let us finish discussing these worldly matters quickly. I still want to drink Brother Ji under the table."
The cultivators could not help looking at one another.
Ling Xiaolan said, "Young Master Bear, this journey was also meant to temper ourselves. No elders from our sects have been protecting us."
"Ahem!" Ji Mo coughed forcefully from the side.
Ling Xiaolan seemed not to hear him. Her almond eyes were filled with earnestness as she looked into Wu Wang's eyes and continued,
"If we do not truly face danger, how can we cultivate a complete state of mind?
"The word cultivation does not merely mean sitting withered in the mountains and comprehending the Dao of nature. One should also face dangers one cannot bear. Only then can one make great progress..."
"Fairy!"
Ji Mo hurriedly said, "Let us stop talking for now."
Ling Xiaolan's eyes were full of confusion. A paper crane flew from Ji Mo's sleeve.
The paper crane drifted three zhang away, then exploded with a bang into a cloud of green smoke, transforming into a smiling old woman leaning on a cane.
"Young Master Bear, forgive the laughter."
Under the starry night, a giant sword slowly rose from the Bear Hug Tribe's Royal Court.
Wu Wang stood before the main tent and waved warmly, bidding a lingering farewell to Ji Mo, who was hanging from the tip of the giant sword.
"That Nascent Soul female cultivator from the Mysterious Maiden Sect..."
"The Young Master has taken a liking to her?"
Lin Suqing asked softly from the side, "She is one of the top three beauties on the Human Domain's Fairy Ranking. Her appearance beneath that veil is definitely not poor."
"She is just a little too innocent."
Wu Wang gave a soft laugh, recalling the various details of that group from earlier. This female cultivator seemed to have a bit of a cleanliness obsession.
In the distance, Wang Lin, who had been left outside all along, stepped on a bronze gong and rapidly soared into the air, chasing after the giant sword that streaked past like a comet.
Wu Wang smiled. "Brother Ji is quite a good person. Flirtatious as he is, he has his own principles."
Lin Suqing did not understand. "What principles? He looked rather proper to me."
"That is because you have not seen him when he gets wild."
Wu Wang shook his head and smiled. "Did you not hear him? He has three types of women he will not provoke: women whose hearts belong to someone else, women who are already married, and women whose cultivation is higher than his.
"That fellow values his life."
"Values his life?"
Lin Suqing smiled. "I just feel that he is extremely smooth and worldly-wise."
"Where's your master?" Wu Wang asked. "I'll go pay the old man a visit. If you want to go back with your master this time, then go. We can meet up in the Human Domain."
"No! Six years means six years!"
Lin Suqing flung her head back and gave a spirited huff, all but writing the words 'my family has come for me' across her face.
"Come on, big sis will take you to meet my master."
"Hm?"
"Young Master, Little Ai's master wants to thank you in person."
"Mm."
Wu Wang smiled calmly and returned with Lin Suqing, inwardly making plans for doing business with the Human Domain.
They certainly would not be able to reach an agreement in a single meeting. Wu Wang had plans of his own, so he did not settle the matter outright this time.
To preserve his own clan, and to keep it from growing too dominant and attracting an unprepared blessing, he decided to establish a "Northern Plains Mineral Association," gathering the mineral resources of the major Northern Plains clans, setting unified prices, and prospering together.
As for supporting the humans of the Human Domain, that naturally could not be done openly. He could simply give it to them in secret.
This Ji Mo was someone worth befriending deeply. His temperament was quite good.
What a pity. When I go to the Human Domain in the future, I'll be cultivating quietly and keeping a low profile. There will hardly be another chance to meet.
Wu Wang thought so.
Thus, half a month later, at dusk.
A blood-soaked figure crashed down from the sky, landing squarely atop a tent on the outskirts of the Bear Hug Tribe's Royal Court, frightening the young man and woman inside into shrieking.
"Brother Bear... save... save me..."
(PS: Taking half the night off tonight. I'm going to finish the extra chapter Senior Brother left unwritten~)
Before you continue