The exquisitely tailored beast fur clothing was very tight, giving Autumn Leaf a hint of a heroic air. She stood in the open space outside the Metalstone Tribe, staring into the distance.
Her figure also attracted the gazes of the youths of this simple and honest tribe. Ever since Autumn Leaf had come to the Metalstone Tribe, she had unquestionably become the most beautiful girl in the tribe…one youth after another fought to display their valor in front of Autumn Leaf, but not a single one of them could attract Autumn Leaf's attention.
"Miss Autumn Leaf must be waiting for her young master.”
"En, I heard from Uncle Dala and the others that the young master was very powerful. The hundreds of Blue Armor Guards of the Ironwood clan were all killed by the young master in the blink of an eye!”
"Only such a formidable young master is worthy of the beautiful Autumn Leaf.”
"What a pity! That powerful young master probably wouldn't be able to survive if he encountered a great demon. A great demon's anger could cause the world to change colors. At that time, a large group of people had frozen to death. Uncle Dala and the others had escaped by luck because they had run fast. If that young master died, Lady Autumn Leaf would have to find someone else to marry!”
The young men of the tribe stood guard at the gate and whispered to each other.
In their eyes, a girl like Autumn Leaf was like a fairy from the legends…when the girls of their tribe were compared to Autumn Leaf, the difference was like heaven and earth.
……
Autumn Leaf stood there, staring off into the distance.
She was waiting, waiting for the most important man in her life.
"Autumn Leaf." A burly figure walked out of the tribe. It was the other servant, Mowu. Mowu advised," You should rest first. Once Young Master comes, the guards at the entrance of the tribe will naturally see him.”
"No." Autumn Leaf gently shook her head.
Mowu glanced at Autumn Leaf, then sat down on a nearby tree stump that had been chopped off. A look of worry appeared on his face as well. Uncle Dala had already informed him that Ning had been engaged in a battle with the Diremonster, the Aquatic Rhino King…as for the outcome of the battle, he didn't know. Although he hoped that his young master would return with the leather goods, his rationality told him…that his young master was most likely doomed!
This was because Uncle Dala and the others had spent nearly two days returning from the Eastern Mountain Great Marsh.
Given young master Ji Ning's speed, if he was still alive, he would probably be able to reach the Metalstone Tribe in less than half a day. Logically speaking, he should be able to reach the Metalstone Tribe before Uncle Dala and the others! However, Uncle Dala and the others had already returned two days ago, but Ning still hadn't returned.
"If Young Master dies, Autumn Leaf and I will probably be buried with him.”Mowu said quietly.
If the master dies, how can the servant live?
An overlord like the Ji clan had very strict internal rules.
"Hmm?" Mowu suddenly blinked. There was a figure in the distant forest. That figure was very familiar…It looked like Young Master!
"Young Master!" Autumn Leaf had already flown over.
"Young Master?"
"Lady Autumn Leaf has flown over."
"Look, there seems to be someone coming over there. Could it be the young master that Lady Autumn Leaf is waiting for?”The young guards at the entrance of the tribe whispered. At the same time, some guards immediately ran into the tribe to inform the people in the tribe.
……
Autumn Leaf looked at the smiling fur-clad youth as he walked over. The fear, panic, anxiety, worry, and many other emotions that she had been suppressing over the past two days caused tears to instantly flow out of her eyes.
"Young Master." Autumn Leaf looked at Ning."I-I…"
"Didn't I come back?" Ning's astonishing vision allowed him to see Uncle Dala, the one-armed man, and the others walking away from the distant tribe. He couldn't help but laugh."So Da has already returned. He was the one who told you about my battle with the Aquatic Rhino King? I haven't been back for a few days, and you're already so scared?”
Autumn Leaf tried her best to hold back her tears.
"An Aquatic Rhino King is nothing to your young master.”Ning raised an eyebrow, appearing to be in high spirits.
"Young Master, you killed a Diremonster?" Autumn Leaf cried out in alarm.”
"Yes." Ning nodded smugly.
"Wow, big demon, young master killed a big demon.”Autumn Leaf was extremely excited."Young master is only eleven years old, and you killed a Diremonster. This, this…" As her personal maid, Autumn Leaf's life revolved around Ji Ning. Ji Ning was her most important family member in this world. For Ji Ning to be able to kill a Diremonster, Autumn Leaf was naturally filled with excitement from the bottom of her heart.
"Don't tell anyone.”
"Yes, yes." Autumn Leaf hurriedly nodded.
"Let's go and take a look at the Metalstone Tribe.”Ning said. Over the past few days, Ning had spent his time in the forest reflecting on his two previous battles. During those battles, he had discovered some of his weaknesses. After carefully reflecting on them, he once again carefully studied his two sword-arts and felt that he had improved quite a bit.
Ning led Autumn Leaf towards the main gate of the Metalstone Tribe.
Uncle Dala and a group of tribal men took the initiative to welcome them. The one walking at the front was a bald, white-haired old man. After the bald, white-haired old man walked over, he bowed to express his respect."I am Tie San of the Metalstone Tribe. Thank you, great young master, for saving my clansmen so many times. All of my clansmen are extremely grateful to you…and have been looking forward to your arrival.”
"I'll be staying with your Metalstone Tribe for a period of time. However, I did it in passing. Also…I don't want to be disturbed.”
"I understand, I understand." The bald, white-haired elder nodded.
"Da." Ning looked over.
Uncle Dala, who was as tall as a black bear, rushed forward and appeared very excited."Young Master, seeing you come back, I…"
"Alright." Ning smiled."You've helped me for over a month in Eastmount Marsh. I told you that I'd reward you handsomely when I returned to the Metalstone Tribe. Take it."”As he spoke, three pieces of beast-head gold appeared in his hand and he threw them over. Each of them weighed ten pounds, causing the big black man, Uncle Dala, to be instantly dumbfounded.
Immediately after, he caught it. The other clansmen beside him were very envious.
"Let's go." Ning glanced at Mowu and Autumn Leaf, then walked towards the Metalstone Tribe.
Ning could have given them even more valuable gifts of thanks, but the Metalstone Tribe was a small tribe with a population of roughly a thousand people. Items that were too precious would be a disaster!
******
Within the Metalstone Tribe.
"Young Master." Autumn Leaf poured Ning a cup of fruit wine, then offered him some fruit and delicacies."Mowu and I have been in this tribe for more than a month now. Not long after we arrived, we contacted our Ji clan.”
"Yes." Ning nodded.
When he was adventuring outside, every month he would contact the West Prefecture City through the various garrisons of the Ji clan.
"There's also a letter from West Prefecture City for Young Master.”Autumn Leaf produced a scroll from her bosom.
Ning accepted it, then unfurled the earthen yellow scroll. Upon seeing it, he couldn't help but smile. This was a letter from his mother! There wasn't much in the letter. It was mostly words of concern, but his mother's nagging caused Ning, who had just experienced a life-and-death battle, to feel a warmth in his heart.
"Alright, Autumn Leaf. It seems you haven't had a good rest in days.”Ning said.
"I'm not sleepy." Autumn Leaf said hurriedly.
"Yes." Ning barked.
Autumn Leaf hurriedly lowered her head, obediently returning to her own residence to rest.
……
Time passed. He would go to Eastmount Marsh every ten days or so, spending most of his time in the Metalstone Tribe comprehending sword techniques. In the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.
"Tsk." Ning was seated on the roof, holding a bamboo tube that contained a top-quality fruit wine.”
He rested at sunset and worked at sunrise.
The Metalstone Tribe was very united. They helped each other like brothers.
"Quick, quick, quick."
"All of you, go back."
"Quick, put them away."
Suddenly, the originally peaceful and quiet tribe suddenly became noisy and chaotic. This caused Ning, who was drinking fruit wine on the roof, to feel puzzled. He immediately leapt down from the roof and grabbed a youth who was running past him."You."
"Young Master." When the youth saw that the person who had captured him was Ning, he immediately replied respectfully.
"What happened?" Ning asked,"Why is the entire tribe in such chaos? Weren't you all training in the spear arts earlier? Why aren't you all training anymore?"”
"It's the people from the Black Mountain Tribe!" The youth said immediately," The people of Blackmountain Tribe have come to our tribe to collect furs. We should hide more of the good furs in the tribe. Otherwise, if the people of Blackmountain Tribe discover us and take them away, we'll be in trouble. Young Master, I have to hurry back…"
"You can go.”
Autumn Leaf stood in front of the house, looking at all this. She said,"The Blackmountain Tribe is a super large tribe with tens of thousands of people. Some small tribes have to hand over some goods to them every year.”
"Humph." Ning frowned."This land is the territory of our Ji clan! Only our Ji clan can levy taxes. Isn't it the same as levying taxes when the Blackmountain Tribe asks the surrounding smaller tribes to hand over their goods?”
The Ji clan collected taxes from every single tribe within their territory.
At the same time, the Ji clan was an official of the Grand Xia Dynasty, and most of the taxes they collected had to be given to the Grand Xia Dynasty!
"That's what you said." Autumn Leaf shook her head." Would these small tribes dare to refuse? If they did not, the Blackmountain Tribe could simply destroy a small tribe and sell them as captives.”
Ning sighed.
Yes.
Because there were too many tribes, there was no way to control the conflicts between the tribes. The Ji clan could only indulge in them. It wasn't just the Ji clan…even the Grand Xia Dynasty, which ruled over countless territories, had no choice but to let them be. Weren't the Ji clan and the Ironwood clan like mortal enemies? The place was too big, it was not easy to manage!
"He's here." Autumn Leaf said," The people from Blackmountain Tribe are here.”
Ning turned to look as well. He saw a group of half-armored guards, led by a fur-clad man, swaggering about in the air, as if they were patrolling their own territory. As for the Metalstone Tribe's leader, Uncle Dala, and the others, they all accompanied him obediently and didn't dare to disobey.
Braveshell, the leader of the Black Mountain Tribe, was looking at this small, dilapidated tribe with a smug expression.
"Humph." Braveshell glanced at the Metalstone Tribe members beside him. Seeing their terrified and fawning expressions, he couldn't help but feel even more pleased with himself.
He was a core member of the upper echelon in the Blackmountain Tribe, so he could do whatever he wanted in a small tribe like the Metalstone Tribe! If he was enraged, this small tribe would probably be finished. Just the hundred armored guards he led could sweep through this small tribe. He had absolute authority over such a small tribe.
"Hmm?" Braveshell's eyes lit up when he saw a young man and a young lady standing not far away. Some of the armored guards beside him could not help but hold their breaths when they saw this.
"Beautiful, beautiful." Braveshell was instantly shocked. Immediately after, a strong possessiveness rose in his heart. He must capture this beautiful girl and make her his personal maid. He must pamper her every day! Braveshell felt as if his entire body was filled with blood.
" Hahaha…" Braveshell laughed loudly as he walked towards the young man and the young lady.
Ning frowned slightly as he stared at the tall man who was walking towards them. The tall man wore exquisite ornaments on his body, and he glanced at Ning and Autumn Leaf with the gaze of a high-class tribal man who was inspecting his goods. When he looked at Autumn Leaf, he didn't hide his greed at all."The cut of this animal skin is very exquisite. Did you make it yourself? What dexterity? The youngster beside him is wearing the same fur coat. Is he your brother?”
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