Invited to the Central Wilderness

"Me? Lord Qu Shan overpraises me. My strength is meager, and I have no particular talents. How could I deserve to be called talented? I merely know a few more words and speak somewhat smoothly. I am unworthy of such high regard from you, my lord."

Feng Xu politely declined. If he left the Wind-Fire Tribe, the later Dharma Artifact orders would be impossible to fulfill.

"Young friend Feng Xu is far too modest. I already asked Chief Feng. He said the tribe's tremendous development was entirely due to you. There are indeed many in the Great Wilderness with strength above that of a Heavenly Immortal, but talents like yours are sorely lacking."

Qu Shan stroked his goatee with a beaming smile. Clearly, he already knew everything.

That guy Feng Sui—why did he tell outsiders everything?

Feng Xu grumbled inwardly, yet still declined politely.

"I was born here and raised here. Going to another tribe would certainly feel unfamiliar. Besides, I am from the Wind-Fire Tribe. Even if I were to go elsewhere, I would need the chief's consent."

"He has already agreed."

Qu Shan looked at Feng Xu and chuckled.

What?

Feng Sui had agreed?!

What was that man thinking? Someone was poaching his people right in front of him, and he was actually cooperating?

"I still need to consider this matter. I will give you my answer in three days."

Feng Xu neither agreed nor refused.

"I will be leaving tomorrow. How about this? When the Central Wilderness trade envoys come next time, if you are willing, come with them to my Central Wilderness Tribe."

Qu Shan was slightly regretful upon hearing this.

Although he did not particularly like Feng Xu's slippery personality, after seeing the Wind-Fire Tribe's development, he had a premonition.

This boy might bring earth-shaking changes to the entire Human Race.

The greater the talent, the less one could rush things. At worst, he could come a few more times in the future.

"Think it over carefully. I will wait for you in the Central Wilderness."

The next morning, the skies were clear and the air refreshing.

Qu Shan greeted several chiefs and left.

Seeing that no one accompanied the envoy, Feng Sui turned back and sought out Feng Xu.

"Lord Qu Shan did not ask you to go to the Central Wilderness? Why are you still here?"

Feng Xu deflected the question and ignored him.

"The Central Wilderness Tribe is powerful. It is precisely the place for a talent like you to show your abilities. How can you miss such a good opportunity?"

Feng Sui was somewhat anxious now and directly interrupted Feng Xu's martial arts practice.

"Boss, talented people do not necessarily have to go to places with better conditions. I grew up here, so I should help this place develop rather than run elsewhere the moment I have a little ability."

A good bird chose a worthy tree to roost in, but people were different. They should not forget kindness or betray those who had helped them.

"The Central Wilderness Tribe is the core of the entire Great Wilderness Human Race. If you can help the Central Wilderness Tribe develop better, the entire Great Wilderness Human Race will benefit. You should understand that."

Feng Xu was somewhat surprised. When had the chief become so clever?

"Back then, you saved me, and I saved you. Whatever I did, you gave me your full support. But there are so many people in the Great Wilderness. They have never even met me, so how could they trust me as you do?"

That was the greatest problem. Ruler and subject had to trust one another completely, without the slightest reservation, before they could truly accomplish great things.

In the Wind-Fire Tribe, Feng Xu's status was nearly the same as the chief's. In some respects, his words carried even more weight than the chief's.

But in a place like the Great Wilderness, where powerful figures gathered, how could a youth like him possibly command respect?

"Ah."

Feng Xu sat down nearby. Recalling what had happened back then, Feng Sui still found it frightening.

Without Feng Xu, he would have died long ago. If he had died, Feng Xu would also have died, and the tribe would never have achieved its present prosperity.

"Actually, you can go and try it first. If it does not work out, come back. We are not short on a few years."

By this point, Feng Sui's determination was clear.

Feng Xu fell silent, indicating that he needed to think it over.

There were more people in the central Great Wilderness, making Merit easier to earn.

But the relationships there were far more complicated. He might not necessarily be able to establish himself there.

The Wind-Fire Tribe, meanwhile, only needed another ten years. Leaving aside military strength, in every other aspect it would be able to crush the Great Wilderness's other Human Race forces.

But could the Wind-Fire Tribe develop peacefully for ten years? Could the Great Wilderness withstand the demon beasts of the central region?

Would the Sky Wolf Demon King attack the Human Race?

Feng Xu came to the doorway and woke Bai Hao, who was sleeping in.

"Little White, what do you think of the Heavenly Wolf Demon Race?"

Bai Hao stretched out all four limbs and replied lazily.

"Strict hierarchy, the strong devouring the weak. Anyway, I was uncomfortable there."

The days of freeloading and waiting for death were still better.

"What about the Sky Wolf Demon King?"

Feng Xu pressed further.

Bai Hao tried to recall the past, and scenes from childhood surfaced in his mind.

Back then, he was often bullied within the clan. Later, he went to seek the Wolf King, who was in seclusion.

He would never forget that look. The Wolf King had looked at him as though he were a delicacy. There had been extreme desire, yet also struggle, as if... a Baleful Demon?!

Bai Hao suddenly shuddered and only said that he never wanted to return to the Wolf Race.

"If I go to the central Great Wilderness, I may encounter your kin, perhaps even the Wolf King. Will you come with me?"

The trip was filled with uncertainty, and Feng Xu did not want to force Bai Hao to follow him.

"Whoever wants to go to a dangerous place like that can go. I am not going."

Bai Hao lay back down and resumed snoring.

Feng Xu shook his head with a bitter smile. Staying behind was fine too. Bai Hao could keep those wild wolves in line.

He had already decided to make a trip to the Great Wilderness.

Not only to farm Merit, but also to understand the situation.

Without the hide, where would the hair attach?

He would contribute however much he could.

After all, he had made it through all these years.

How could it be such a coincidence that something happened the moment he went?

There was no telling how long this trip would take, so before leaving, he needed to arrange the tribe's next development priorities.

First, they needed rules.

The Wind-Fire Tribe already had more than three thousand people. Since everyone was busy every day and had little spare time, there were not many conflicts.

But all sorts of hidden problems could still be felt.

Feng Xu took out the Record of the Great Wilderness and organized his thoughts as he flipped through it.

The academy currently only offered two subjects: literacy and arithmetic.

Even the most difficult part of arithmetic was merely the four basic operations applied to practical matters.

Feng Xu planned to add three new courses.

They would be artifact refining, herbal medicine, and etiquette studies.

Among them, etiquette studies would be compulsory, while the other two would be electives. Any Wind-Fire Tribe student who had studied for a full year had to choose one elective.

The other tribes could decide for themselves.

Feng Xu compiled and organized his understanding of artifact refining, systematizing the entire process from easy to difficult.

For now, only the fundamentals would be taught.

For herbal medicine, he combined the Ginseng Compendium of a Hundred Medicines with the principles of yin, yang, and the five elements, organizing it into a volume.

He selected the most common medicinal herbs from it and added basic pharmacology to create teaching materials.

He did not keep the remaining contents secret either. He left a set in the academy library, where all academy students could read and copy it.

Etiquette studies were the simplest.

Drawing upon his memories of the Book of Rites from his previous life, Feng Xu removed a great many unnecessary rituals, then compiled what remained according to current circumstances.

This book would become the daily code of conduct that everyone in the tribe followed.

They would first govern the people through rites. Once the scale grew larger and cultural literacy improved, they would implement rule by law.

Feng Xu handed several booklets to Feng Yuqi and asked her to find people to make more copies.

He then went to find Feng Sui again, intending to discuss the tribe's development.

Behind Bamboo Mountain, at the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Several chiefs sat in a circle, each wearing a grave expression, as though discussing something important.

The moment Feng Xu reached the lakeside, Feng Sui pulled him into the lakeside pavilion.

"What is so urgent?"

"The four major tribes want to merge with our Wind-Fire Tribe. I want to hear your opinion."