An Unthinkable Trade
The remaining bloodstains on the ground slowly seeped into the surface mud and stopped overflowing.
The Black-Winged Kite was completely dead. Its body lay limply on the muddy ground, all the strength from its frantic convulsions and struggles gone. Its broken bones and torn flesh were lifeless, and it remained motionless.
There was no movement, no sound, on the battlefield.
The gazes of the Digger Ants Ant Queen and the Swamp Slippery Fish King were fixed on the corpse of the Bronze Tier alien beast. The tacit understanding that had just been formed to fight against the enemy completely collapsed the moment the crisis disappeared. The two high-level clan leaders were still wary of each other, their bodies tense, facing each other fiercely, their only attention focused on the spoils at their feet.
They all wanted the corpse.
The flesh, bones, and wings of Bronze Tier beasts are extremely scarce nourishing resources for the two major races that have long occupied the swamp, enough to strengthen their races' foundations. Neither side is willing to back down, yet neither is willing to be the first to provoke a war, resulting in a silent stalemate.
Lu Heng saw every detail and understood everything perfectly.
He took two steps forward, standing firmly in front of the Black-Winged Kite's corpse, lightly pressing the hilt of his knife with one hand, holding the Hunting Blade horizontally in front of him.
There was no fierce posture; they simply and plainly stated their ownership.
This was the prey he hunted himself.
The Ant Queen and the Slippery Fish King, who had been tentatively moving forward to get closer to the corpse, suddenly froze. All their probing movements were instantly cut off, and their massive bodies remained firmly in place, not moving an inch further.
The two strange beasts shifted their gaze from the corpse and fixed it heavily on Lu Heng.
Their intelligence far surpasses that of ordinary wild beasts. They witnessed the entire battle clearly. The human before them, though of low rank, was extremely steady in his attacks and ruthless in his nature, managing to defeat the Bronze Tier Black-Winged Kite while maintaining a low-ranking status.
In the survival logic of mythical beasts, level is never the only standard of strength.
Being able to defeat a powerful enemy of a higher level means that you have the ability to threaten them.
A rash confrontation might not guarantee a victory; instead, it could result in mutual destruction, allowing a third party to profit. This precise weighing of pros and cons completely suppressed the instinct for a strong attack from the two originally restless hegemons.
Lu Heng clearly saw through their concerns and fears.
He knew perfectly well that he couldn't possibly fight against both major native tribes alone. If he insisted on keeping the entire corpse for himself, it would only escalate the conflict and lead to endless entanglement between the two tribes. But to simply hand it over without any gain would be a complete loss.
In the midst of the stalemate, an idea that seemed absurd to outsiders took root in his mind.
Rather than engaging in a stalemate and fighting, it would be better to barter and each get what they need.
Lu Heng raised his eyes, looking directly at the two high-level alien beasts that were silently confronting each other. His tone was calm and firm, without the slightest hint of probing.
"You understand what I'm saying."
This is not a guess, but a conclusion he has drawn from long-term observation.
A high-ranking commander who can lead a tribe, tolerate long-standing feuds, and temporarily join forces to defend against enemies possesses extremely high wisdom, understands the pros and cons, comprehends the rules, and is capable of handling transactions.
The Ant Queen's fine mandibles stopped opening and closing, Slippery Fish King's unsteady body instantly stabilized.
The entire swamp fell silent, and both strange beasts focused intently, awaiting his next move.
Lu Heng worried that the two wouldn't understand the form of human materials, so he raised his hand in mid-air and slowly sketched out a square outline again and again. The lines were neat and the edges were sharp. He repeated this several times to accurately simulate the shape of the treasure chest, eliminating any cognitive biases.
After making the gesture, he bluntly stated the terms of the deal.
"I can give you this body."
"Use the strength of your tribe to search every corner of this swamp and the edge of the forest, and hand over all the treasure chests you find to me."
Simple and straightforward, without any beating around the bush.
He had it all figured out perfectly in his mind.
The terrain in this area is complex, with countless mud caves, puddles, and tree root crevices, making the treasure chests extremely well hidden. Even with his limited vision and search speed, it might take him two or three days to uncover all the hidden resources. But the local tribes are different; Digger Ants and burrow underground, and lurk fish in deep pools, knowing every nook and cranny of their territory intimately. Their search efficiency is several times that of his.
For both races, treasure chests are useless junk, while the corpses of Bronze Tier alien beasts are essential resources for their groups.
This deal is absolutely fair.
After a brief silence, the Ant Queen and the Slippery Fish King exchanged glances, silently completing the communication and strategic maneuvering between their respective groups. Two low growls followed in succession, devoid of ferocity, serving as clear signals of agreement.
The deal is officially done.
In the next instant, the two previously silent races mobilized in full force.
Swarms of Digger Ants emerged from their underground nests, some spreading out along the forest edge, meticulously searching through decaying wood, rock crevices, and grass roots; others darted across the swamp surface, shoveling through floating mud and lifting withered grass to search for supplies. In the water, schools of slippery fish darted between deep and shallow layers, diving into dark caves and silt, sweeping away all hiding places.
The entire area was instantly covered by a dense search network.
The group's actions were efficient and orderly, with no hoarding or fighting. All the searched supplies were collected and neatly stacked in front of Lu Heng by specialized individual beasts.
The final inventory is complete.
Each clan handed over one Bronze-Tier Treasure Chest, for a total of two Bronze Treasure Chest; in addition, they collected five Black Iron-Level Treasure Chest and seven Wooden Treasure Chest.
Looking at the pile of resources in front of him, Lu Heng understood.
As expected, relying on the advantages of the local tribe, he quickly gathered all the resources that he could not have found on his own. Without any politeness, he waved his hand, and his Wristband flashed, collecting all the treasure chests without missing a single one.
After collecting the resources, Lu Heng bent down and picked up the corpse of the Black-Winged Kite from the ground.
He precisely tore off the massive, intact wings from both sides of the corpse and distributed them strictly according to the rules he had planned.
He raised his hand and threw one of the feathers precisely to the edge of the water in front of the Swamp Slippery Fish King.
Then, raising its hand again, it precisely tossed the other wing in front of the Digger Ants Ant Queen was perched.
Each clan is assigned to a separate wing, with clear allocations, showing absolutely no favoritism or hoarding.
After separating the wings, Lu Heng picked up the remaining intact torso of the kite with one hand, stepped to the center of the confrontation between the two kings, and let go, placing it down.
The intact corpse landed steadily between the neutral open spaces of the two major groups, becoming the target of their subsequent struggle.
After completing all the assigned tasks, Lu Heng stood up straight and spoke again, setting the rules for their long-term relationship.
"I will be staying in this area for a long time to gather resources for survival."
"I have no intention of encroaching on your territory and will not provoke your people."
"Similarly, none of your beasts are permitted to initiate an attack against me."
"Non-aggression and peaceful coexistence are the best outcome for all three of us."
He spoke at a steady pace, each sentence clear and distinct, giving the other person ample time to think and understand.
The Ant Queen and the Slippery Fish King focused most of their attention on the corpse in the middle and the wings in front of them, and heard every word of Lu Heng's agreement.
After a few seconds of silence.
The Swamp Slippery Fish King lowered its heavy head slightly and tapped it gently.
The Digger Ants Ant Queen taut limbs slightly relaxed, nodded in agreement.
The two major local swamp rulers have fully accepted this peace treaty.
Lu Heng couldn't help but feel a little surprised as he watched this scene.
He had expected there would be several rounds of probing and negotiation, but he hadn't anticipated that the two proud, high-level beasts would so readily abide by the deal and accept the rules. Upon closer reflection, however, everything made perfect sense.
The law of the jungle always dictates that strength reigns supreme.
His ability to kill the Black-Winged Kite was his best bargaining chip, giving him the right to negotiate on equal footing with the two overlords.
Lu Heng did not linger.
He had no interest in prying into the subsequent conflicts between the two races, nor did he care whether they peacefully divided the corpses or reignited the war for resources. The deal was complete, the resources were in hand, the agreement was finalized, and his objective had been fully achieved.
Unnecessary entanglements are meaningless.
Lu Heng turned around, his steps steady and deliberate, and walked away from this swampy area where a silent game of strategy and resource exchange had been completed, completely withdrawing from the situation.