Chapter 1324: Chapter 1324

Under the vigilance of the Tolowa hunters, the exploration fleet rested for three days at the Redwood Tribe’s territory, but never entered the village of the tribe. The great chief of the Redwood Tribe appeared twice, wanting to negotiate with the fleet to exchange for some useful bronze weapons.

"What do you want? We don’t have much grain, can’t trade it with you. However, the freshly caught fish and shrimp can be exchanged!..."

At the first meeting, the great chief’s eyes were still full of wariness.

"Moreover, if you covet the tribe’s villages, hunting grounds, and fields... it will be a fight to the death!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro was at a loss for words. He rubbed his temples and said with a smile.

"I heard that your Redwood Tribe has many excellent hunters who know the ways of survival in the forest and the Northern Land! We will keep heading north; can we hire some hunters and guides to accompany the fleet on our journey?"

Hearing the translation from Hunter Tuowu, the great chief’s eyes widened, and he roared angrily.

"Absolutely not! Absolutely impossible! Warriors and hunters are the roots of the tribe! You people on the longship, don’t even think about tricking away the roots of the Redwood Tribe!"

Hunter Tuowu hesitated for a while before translating tactfully.

"The chief doesn’t like the warriors leaving the tribe and disagrees with exchanging people for weapons... Hmm, I owe a debt to the South Shaman, I can go north with you, as a translator..."

"However, I will never mediate between you and the opposing Leaf Grass Tribe! Hmm... You also need to promise me to ask the Cedar Shaman for some more herbs!..."

Speaking of which, Hunter Tuowu saw the surprised expressions on everyone’s faces and mumbled an additional sentence,

"Of course! Not for myself, but prepared in advance for my ten-year-old son!..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro nodded with a smile, consulted with Scholar Mikki for a moment, and asked.

"Tuowu, your tribe often hunts in the mountains, have you ever come across peculiar, specially colored, shimmering stones? Tell the chief, if there is a stone we need, we are willing to trade weapons for it!..."

Two days later, the great chief appeared again. This time, he said little, only waved his hand for the tribespeople to pour out a basket full of stones before everyone.

"Hmm... gold ore, seems to be of low quality... Much worse than those collected by the North Bay Tribe..."

Squatting in front of a pile of colorful stones, Scholar Mikki carefully examined them. He first identified the gold ore, but didn’t pay much attention. In the land of Golden Bay, whole mountains full of gold, large gold mining areas awaited excavation. Nonetheless, gold was worth so little in the Northern Land, it couldn’t even be exchanged for food...

"White, sparkling... Hmm? It seems like the one needed by the special trade bureau when making Lake Gem, that kind of... stone essence?"

Scholar Mikki’s eyes widened as he looked at the excellent quartz mineral in front of him and hesitantly asked.

"Zuwaro, can you help me see! Is this the raw material for Lake Gem?"

"...Looks a bit like..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro squinted, looked at it under the sunlight for a while, and then confirmed.

"Indeed, it’s the gemstone raw material! Previously, when I led the fleet, we dug out stone essence by the seashore for the special trade bureau, which was much smaller than this, but with the same color and luster!"

"Ah! High-quality stone essence! The raw material for Lake Gem..."

Excited for a moment, Scholar Mikki suddenly sighed.

"Too bad... This place is just too far away! The Lake Gem isn’t very valuable among the northern tribes... These Northern Land tribes are too practical; only copper and tin ore are really useful!..."

The two discussed for a while, then looked at the most abundant black crystals on the ground, unable to figure out what they were for a long time.

"Tuowu, what is this?"

"Oh, that’s Earth Mother Stone! It’s the hair of the Earth Mother Goddess that fell into the mountains while she slept underground. There’s a lot of it, the whole mountain range is full! They’re very hard, just a bit brittle... Sometimes the tribe’s hunters use them as arrowheads."

"Black and lustrous... Earth Mother Stone... hard and brittle..."

After pondering for a while, Scholar Mikki’s eyes suddenly shone with light.

"Hmm? What’s the matter?"

"By the Chief Divine’s witness! Doesn’t this stone feel a bit like the iron ore mined at Black Rock Mountain?"

"Uh... it does a little. But it seems like Black Rock Mountain’s iron ore isn’t this hard and doesn’t have such a lustrous color... Strange! What exactly is this? This is the first time I’ve encountered it on our journey..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro held up the black, hard crystal stone, gazing at it under the sun for a long while, full of questions in his eyes.

At this moment, the two Divine Revelation Priests of the Kingdom didn’t know that to the east of the Redwood Tribe, in the Siskiyou Mountains, known as the Chetco-Tolowa area by the Tolowa tribes, lay the largest chromite-rich region in the entire future United States, with reserves amounting to millions of tons!

However, in this era, the greatest value of chromite is the iron associated with it, high-quality chromite! And based on high-quality chromite, with relatively primitive smelting and forging techniques, the "divine weapons" of this era can be produced: high hardness and high strength chrome steel!

"May the Chief Divine bless the Kingdom! Since we haven’t seen it before, let’s keep it! I hope it’s a useful mineral..."

Scholar Miki sincerely prayed and asked in a deep voice.

"Tuowu, how do we exchange these few baskets of gold ore, stone mine, and black crystal stone?"

"Hmm, the Chieftain said... ten... no, eight copper spears! All of these will be yours!"

Saying this, the Hunter Tuowu tugged at his hair, speaking somewhat ashamed.

"If you feel it’s not enough... there are plenty of black crystal stones! More than enough!..."

"Praise the Chief Divine! Let it be so then!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro nodded and said with a smile. The most update n0vels are published on NoveI(F)ire.net

"We’ll just bring back some samples. However, Tuowu, you must come north with us! We leave tomorrow!"

"Ancestor witness! No problem!..."

Early the next day, five exploration longships set off north again with the collected baskets of ore. In less than a day, they traveled fifty or sixty miles and arrived at the territory of the Leaf Grass Tribe, where they saw a cluster of low, dense tribal huts.

Tall totem poles stood on the shore, with all other details exactly the same, only the abstract cedar tree of the Redwood Tribe changed to a more abstract broadleaf grass.

Before the fleet could dock, hundreds of Tolowa warriors gathered on the shore, howling and roaring as if they had been waiting for a long time. Twenty or thirty canoe warboats, filled with over a hundred tribal huntsmen, patrolled along the coast outside the village. Their faces were full of hostility and animosity, staring at the longships coming from the South, gripping stone spears and javelins, ready to fight at any moment.

This time, Exploration Captain Zuwaro was utterly certain that if the fleet advanced any further, even if only along the coast without landing, a battle would be inevitable!

"Oh Chief Divine! How did it come to this?!"

Scholar Miki widened his eyes, looking at the Leaf Grass Tribe on the brink of rage, asking in surprise.

"What? These warriors of the Leaf Grass Tribe have already completely taken us for enemies! Yet we’ve never even seen them!"

"Chief Divine witness! The news of our stay at the Redwood Tribe must have already reached here..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro’s face darkened, and he spoke in a deep voice.

"They must have mistaken us for the allies of the Redwood Tribe!..."

"Ah! Who spread this news?"

"Heh! Perhaps within the Redwood Tribe, the Leaf Grass Tribe has their informant..."

Exploration Captain Zuwaro narrowed his eyes, glancing at the silent and uneasy Hunter Tuowu. Then, his expression gradually darkened, keenly confirming his suspicion.

"But I think it’s more likely... that it was the Great Wood Chieftain of the Redwood Tribe who deliberately spread the news... so that the Leaf Grass Tribe would come looking for a fight with us!"

Scholar Miki widened his eyes, pressed his lips together, and tore at his hair in frustration. Intent on exploring north, he had no desire to get tangled in the mess of these tribes, but the chaos was being thrown at him directly.

"Le Tian, can you try and communicate with them? Be cautious!"

Cloaked Hunter Le Tian nodded cautiously and approached the shore. This time, he did not remove his leather armor, merely setting aside his empty bow and arrows, making a gesture of embrace.

"Get lost! Enemies from the South! Colluding with the Redwood Tribe, you snake and eel!"

The Leaf Grass Chieftain of the Leaf Grass Tribe glared with wide eyes, unable to suppress his anger. He shouted as he stepped out from the crowd, taking an arrow and breaking it fiercely, tossing it onto the sandy beach.

"Enemies on the ship! This is our tribe’s hunting ground, fishing ground, and fields! If you take one step further, the Ancestor’s wrath will swallow you whole! ... Get lost! Go back south!..."

"Get lost! Go back south! Ahh-hoo!..."

Saying this, hundreds of tribal warriors stood at the seaside, growling threateningly like brown bears in the mountains. And more than twenty canoe warboats seemed eager, ready to charge forward at any moment!

Cloaked Hunter Le Tian hurriedly turned and agilely jumped back onto the longship. He shook his head helplessly and reported back.

"No talking it out! Either retreat or advance... if we advance, we’ll have to fight!"

Exploration Captain Zuwaro pressed his lips tightly, looking intently at the group of canoes on the coast ahead, his eyes sharp as he tightly grasped the bronze axe at his waist, turning to the Scholar Miki beside him and asking in a low voice.

Scholar Miki gritted his teeth and, after a moment of silence, spoke harshly.