Chapter 12
A Visitor Arrives
However, Claire had only just gone out, and he still needed to find a stone slab, so he probably wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Taking advantage of the time, Su Yuzhi took out the Forest Map while leaving the rice seeds stored in the system warehouse.
She slowly unfolded the enormous brown sheepskin scroll, and the contents gradually appeared before her eyes.
The most eye-catching feature was the city located in the center of the forest, occupying roughly one-ninth of the entire map.
The Leopard Tribe and the Tiger Tribe were adjacent to each other, both situated in the lower-right corner of the city. They were so small on the map that each was only about the size of a fingernail. The marketplace she had visited yesterday was marked halfway between the Leopard Tribe and the city. Around it were countless small tribes of herbivorous and omnivorous beastmen, each represented by tiny black dots packed so closely together that it was difficult to tell them apart.
To the west of the city was the Snake Tribe, not far from the forest where Su Yuzhi had first awakened. It was also marked as only a fingernail-sized area. The Fox Tribe was located to the east of the city, while the Wolf Tribe lay to the north, close to the snowy plains. The remaining settlements belonged to smaller tribes. Since they lacked combat strength, many of these weaker tribes lived close together for mutual protection.
Besides the marketplace she had visited yesterday, the map also marked three additional markets.
One was located northwest of the city, serving as a trading hub for beastmen from the snowy plains and the desert, so it operated every day.
The other two markets were located in the south and the east, close to the ocean. Their primary purpose was to trade with the Sea Clan. Goods traded there included seafood, shell ornaments, aquatic plants, and, most importantly, refined salt.
Only the merfolk living in the sea possessed the technique for producing salt. After trading with beastmen at the southern and eastern markets, the goods would then be transported throughout the forest, snowy plains, and desert. Because the city had such a large population and enormous demand, it regularly sent purchasing parties to these markets to trade directly with the merfolk.
The beastmen trading at these two markets usually bought only small quantities. After passing through multiple layers of transportation before finally reaching the city, very little salt remained. It could only serve as a small supplement for daily consumption and was nowhere near enough to supply the entire city.
There were also countless tiny tribes that Su Yuzhi simply couldn’t examine one by one. There were just too many of them, all crowded together in one area.
She also noticed several rather unique tribes.
The eagle tribes and other bird tribes.
They had two permanent settlements. During the sunny season, they lived in the forest. When the rainy season arrived, they migrated near the desert because rainy weather made flying and hunting difficult.
The rainy season did not bring ordinary rain. It brought torrential downpours. Curtains of rain blocked visibility, covering the entire continent in a dull gray haze. The heavy rain soaked into their feathers, making flight extremely difficult. Although their feathers were somewhat water-resistant, they could not completely withstand such relentless storms.
Just as Su Yuzhi was carefully studying the map, a gentle knock sounded at the door.
She immediately stored the map back into the warehouse and walked toward the entrance.
“Who’s there?”
Only about half an hour had passed. Claire shouldn’t have returned so soon.
“Hello, I’m Safa, the new female’s visitor.”
A lively female voice came from outside.
Su Yuzhi opened the door and saw a tall woman with wheat-colored skin.
She was about 1.7 meters tall, roughly half a head taller than Su Yuzhi. Her hair was curly, and her bright eyes sparkled with energy. Her facial features alone weren’t particularly striking, but her large, lively eyes shone like the sun. Combined with her warm, cheerful smile, she was instantly likable.
“Hello, Safa. My name is Su Yuzhi.”
“Haha! I finally get to meet you!” Safa laughed heartily. “I heard last night that a new female had joined the tribe. The chief even said they’re holding a welcoming banquet for you tonight!”
Su Yuzhi smiled sweetly.
“Really? Thank you for telling me. I had no idea.”
Standing at the doorway felt a little awkward, so she invited Safa inside and went to fetch some fruit for her.
“Wait here for a moment, Safa. I’ll get you some fruit.”
While Su Yuzhi was looking for fruit, Safa quietly looked around the wooden house.
The cabin was almost empty, clearly showing that its owner had only recently moved in and hadn’t had time to furnish it properly. A wooden partition divided the space into two sections, hiding one side from view. The visible half contained only a simple straw bed, a ventilated corner used for roasting meat, several roughly flattened logs serving as stools, and two baskets of fruit placed on the floor.
Safa sighed.
Such a beautiful female, and yet her mate hadn’t taken proper care of her at all.
“Here you go, Safa!”
Su Yuzhi happily carried over several pieces of fruit. The two of them sat down on the wooden stools and began chatting.
