"Your Highness! We've completed our research on Taming," Bai Shan reported, hurrying over with a delighted look just as Zhao Fu had finished giving someone an order.
At this, Zhao Fu's face lit up too. After so much research, they had finally made a breakthrough. He nodded and headed to the Taming room. Several scholars were standing there, and a stone stele had appeared beside them.
When they saw Zhao Fu enter, they respectfully stepped aside. Zhao Fu walked up to the stele and placed a hand on it, receiving a set of information.
[Tamer]: F+ rank unit. Description: After a Class Transfer, can tame beasts. Unit effect: Gains the skill [Taming].
After seeing this, Zhao Fu transferred two people into Tamers and ordered others to capture wild chickens, ducks, and other creatures that could be kept as poultry.
Great Qin Village was now seriously short on labor. There was one task to do, then another, so Zhao Fu had no choice but to put a large number of Goblins to work to make up for the shortage. As for exploring the Great Rift, he would wait until the stairs were repaired before sending people down.
Not far west of Great Qin Village stood the rebuilt Goblin Village. Zhao Fu went in and looked around. The Goblins all lowered their heads respectfully and moved aside. He found five mechanical scholars and told them to begin researching how to manufacture Ballistas.
As soon as Zhao Fu returned to the village, Bai Shan came over again and asked, "Your Highness, what should we research next?"
At this, Zhao Fu nearly forgot. Now that the research on Taming had succeeded, the scholars were free. There really was too much to do, and Zhao Fu felt a headache coming on. Still, he thought carefully about what they should research next. A moment later, he told Bai Shan, "You can start researching the Teleportation Array."
A Teleportation Array was essential. If Great Qin Village succeeded in researching one, it would be much easier to travel between villages in the future. Zhao Fu also wanted to visit the system's main city. He had nowhere to spend the coins he'd earned, so he wanted to see what was for sale.
After hearing Zhao Fu's instructions, Bai Shan took the others back to begin their research.
Just then, someone came to report that a human village had been found five li north of Great Qin Village.
Zhao Fu immediately led people to investigate. First, he needed to determine whether it was a Bandit Village or an ordinary village. Either way, he wanted to seize its population. Relying on the village's population refresh rate felt far too slow, and Great Qin Village was desperately short of people.
A little over an hour later, they reached the human village the soldiers had reported. From high ground, Zhao Fu studied it carefully and thought, Human villages really are in a different league from villages of other races.
For starters, its defenses were impressive: thick wooden planks formed the walls, and guards patrolled all around. They would sound the alarm if the village came under attack. Its defenses were tight, but life in a village out in the wilderness was full of danger, so they had no choice but to focus on protecting themselves.
The village had about four hundred people: more than sixty elderly people and children, over a hundred and sixty women, and just over two hundred men. It didn't look like a Bandit Village, just an ordinary one. Its basic patrol force already had leather armor and iron swords, making it look richer than Great Qin Village. Great Qin Village was still using weapons made from Ironwood, and it had only a dozen or so suits of leather armor.
As for its units, most were Militiamen, though a few carried bows or shields. They hadn't undergone a Class Transfer. Archers, Shield Bearers, and Cavalry could only be unlocked by researching them in advance or upgrading the village. A mid-level village could unlock Shield Bearers, an advanced village could unlock Archers, and Cavalry were only possible at the town level.
Those in the village who carried bows and shields had relied entirely on themselves. They had no class bonuses or skills and were more than half as weak as those who had undergone a Class Transfer.
If they took the village, Great Qin Village's population shortage would be filled in an instant. But if Zhao Fu led his people in a direct assault, they would face solid defenses and an enemy force more than twice their size. They would undoubtedly lose many soldiers and be driven back.
A frontal attack didn't seem like an option. Zhao Fu turned to the others and said, "Stay hidden here. Bai Qi and I will go negotiate."
Zhao Fu and Bai Qi then went to the village gate. The people standing guard immediately shouted warily, "Who are you?"
Bai Qi was about to speak, but Zhao Fu gestured for him to stop and answered himself. "I'm the village chief of nearby Great Qin Village. I've come to pay your village a visit. Sorry for the trouble, but could you ask your village chief to meet with me?"
After hearing Zhao Fu's words, someone immediately went to report to the chief. The gate then opened, and a fair-skinned young man led a group out. He smiled at Zhao Fu, cupped his hands, and said, "My father invites you in."
Zhao Fu returned the salute, then followed the young man with Bai Qi to a house. Inside, an old man with a white beard sat at the head of the room. When he saw Zhao Fu and Bai Qi, he stood and smiled, gesturing for them to sit. A maid immediately brought tea.
"I didn't expect our village to receive two honored guests. Please forgive us for not being better hosts," the old man apologized.
Zhao Fu replied with a faint smile, "You're too kind, Village Chief. Our village only moved here a few days ago, and we've only just discovered yours. I came to pay you a visit, though I'm a little late. I hope you'll forgive me."
The old man looked somewhat surprised. "I was wondering how a village had appeared nearby. So you only moved here a few days ago. But the wilderness is full of dangers. It's truly hard to find a safe place."
Zhao Fu nodded at this and was about to say something.
Just then, a young man walked in with a grave expression and reported, "Village Chief! The people from Dire Wolf Village are here for grain again."
The old man's expression grew serious. He excused himself and went out with his people.
"Your Highness!"
Bai Qi turned to Zhao Fu and called out to him.
Zhao Fu nodded, and the two followed. At the village entrance, they saw more than a dozen fierce-looking men. One of them, a dark-skinned, ugly-looking brute, shouted, "You old bastard! Hurry up and hand over the grain!"
The fair-skinned young man flew into a rage and started forward to say something, but the old man grabbed him and ordered, "Bring out the grain and give it all to them!"
Following the old man's order, the villagers carried out more than a dozen sacks of grain and set them down at the village entrance.
Seeing all those sacks, the leader wore a smug grin and called out to the old man, "You do know what's good for you, old bastard."
After that, the leader ordered the others to carry the grain away, and they left.
Watching them go, the fair-skinned young man gave an indignant snort. Zhao Fu stepped forward and asked what was going on. He learned that the village was called Li Family Village, its chief was Li Youcai, and his son—the fair-skinned young man—was named Li Wen.
Dire Wolf Village was a Bandit Village eight li from Li Family Village. It had more than three hundred people, but Bandit Villages basically had no women, elderly people, or children, so nearly all three hundred were men. Every one of them had transferred into a bandit, outlaw, or thief class, and their fighting strength was considerable.
However, an attack on Li Family Village's solid defenses would cost Dire Wolf Village many men. Li Family Village was also afraid the bandits would break in and burn, kill, and plunder, so they maintained a temporary peace. Every month, Li Family Village had to hand over a certain amount of grain, while Dire Wolf Village promised not to attack it.