Chapter 19

Ten days ago, Lin Bei traded the wolf skin with these hunters, and they immediately left the forest.

After a good night's sleep, the next day, the hunters gathered together and talked about Lin Bei. Only then did they truly confirm that they had indeed encountered a long snake in the forest, and this snake had made a deal with them.

This seemed like a very absurd thing, but after confirming it, the first thing they suspected was whether the snake would harm them. However, Cui Ailan said, "If that were the case, we would have already been eaten by the wolves."

Faced with this undeniable fact, the hunters had nothing to say. After much thought, they could not think of anything they had that the Great Snake would covet. In the end, they all agreed that the Great Snake was genuinely sincere in making a deal with them.

With this, the hunters' minds became more active. The opportunity was right in front of them, and it was up to them to seize it. Although they could not find various wild animals and rare herbs in the forest, the Great Snake could. Through the Great Snake, the forest was like their backyard, and the price they had to pay was just some dried meat.

Thus, over the past ten days, the hunters had been thinking about how to build a good relationship with the Great Snake. They also pondered what the Great Snake should bring next time they met. With this in mind, a few hunters went to Hepu County and found a clerk from the Zhen family, who specialized in mountain goods. They finally came up with a long list. If all the items on the list were available, it would be worth more than tens of thousands of gold.

Yesterday, they set out from Xishan Township and arrived at the wooden shed, spending a restless night, fearing that everyone had just had the same dream and that the Great Snake would not come. Now, seeing Lin Bei's figure, the hunters finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Bei raised the giant bear he was carrying. This bear weighed about 500 to 600 pounds, a very large one. The bear's head was smashed by Lin Bei with a huge tree branch, but there was not a single wound on its body, and the fur was exceptionally well-preserved. Even in ancient times, Lin Bei estimated that this bear would be worth a lot. Additionally, there was the bear meat, which was a top-grade tonic, and many people would enjoy eating it. In short, this giant bear was very valuable.

Seeing the dead bear, the hunters' eyes indeed lit up. Cui Ailan stepped forward, "Lord Long, do you have the 'Bone-Growing Grass'?"

Lin Bei shook his head and also wagged his tail. Cui Ailan's face first darkened, then brightened, "Lord, do you mean you don't recognize the 'Bone-Growing Grass'?"

Lin Bei nodded.

In modern times, Lin Bei was not a doctor; he only had some knowledge of large plants. However, he did not recognize many herbs, and the names of herbs in ancient times were different from those in modern times. Lin Bei really did not know what the 'Bone-Growing Grass' looked like.

"Lord, if I bring you a 'Bone-Growing Grass,' can you help me find a few more? As you know, my brother's leg was bitten by a wolf."

Lin Bei nodded. If he had a sample, he could find it in the forest.

Seeing Lin Bei nod, the hunters said in unison, "Lord, please help us find a few as well. We enter the mountains frequently and are bound to get injured. With the 'Bone-Growing Grass,' we can rest easier."

Lin Bei nodded again. These seven hunters were his first partners. As long as they were not too bad, Lin Bei would not mistreat them and would help them if he could.

The hunters thanked him, feeling that Lord Long was indeed a good person.

After a brief conversation, the trading began. Although there were no red foxes or ginseng, a giant bear was enough. This time, Cui Ailan did not throw the package of dried meat down but came down from the stone wall to trade with Lin Bei personally.

Lin Bei could see that the girl was a bit nervous but tried to remain calm. She was probably testing Lin Bei's attitude. Lin Bei nodded at her, showing his friendliness, and in his heart, he was saying, "Actually, you don't have to be so nervous; I really don't eat you."

"Lord Long, here is the dried meat you asked for."

This package was much larger than the last one. Judging by its shape, it contained at least 30 to 40 pounds of dried meat. The hunters had invested a lot. Lin Bei nodded, picked up the package with his mouth, then placed the giant bear in front of Cui Ailan and pointed at it with his tail, meaning they should also check the goods.

Although the value of the dried meat could not compare to that of the giant bear, this was a trade, and it was about mutual consent. When needed, he would not mind trading a pound of rice for ten thousand gold, and when not needed, he would not even look at ten thousand gold for a pound of rice. The key was mutual need. Lin Bei did not need the giant bear, but he urgently needed the dried meat. This was the supply and demand relationship.

The trade went smoothly, but Cui Ailan did not look at the giant bear. Instead, she asked, "Lord, when will you have some free time?"

Lin Bei looked at her.

Cui Ailan explained, "Lord, my brother's leg injury urgently needs the 'Bone-Growing Grass.' If you have some free time, can I bring the 'Bone-Growing Grass' to you the day after tomorrow? I would be very grateful."

Lin Bei was free every day. He wanted to get some flint and other fire-starting tools through this trade to build a good relationship with the hunters. So he nodded, indicating that he was very free and did not oppose Cui Ailan's proposal. Tomorrow would be fine, and every day would be even better.

Cui Ailan indeed expressed her gratitude. In ancient times, even if a girl was capable, she was still considered someone else's daughter because she would eventually marry. Sons were the ones who carried on the family name. In terms of importance, Cui Ailan was far less significant than her injured brother, Cui Dalang.

Cui Ailan made a request, and Lin Bei naturally mentioned the flint, but not with words. Instead, he wrote the character for "fire" on the ground and looked at the hunters expectantly.

"That's the character for 'fire'?" Jiu Lang said in surprise, indicating that he recognized it.

Lin Bei was also surprised. It seemed that the character for "fire" in ancient times was not in its traditional form.

"Lord, do you need fire?"

Lin Bei quickly nodded. He needed it badly. Without fire, he could not cook, and he would have to drink egg liquid and remove the shells, which took a long time. With fire, he could cook, saving him a lot of trouble.

The hunters looked at each other. This Lord was indeed different from other beasts. Beasts were afraid of fire, but Lord Long was not and even needed fire.

Cui Ailan was straightforward and gave Lin Bei the flint, fire striker, and mugwort, and personally demonstrated how to use them.

These were the three essentials for starting a fire. Striking the flint against the fire striker produced sparks, and mugwort, a fluffy grass, was easy to ignite. Other dry, flammable materials could also be used as substitutes. Lin Bei was not stupid; he learned after just one demonstration. Whether he could start a fire or not, Lin Bei felt, was a bit challenging. If he had two tails, it would be much easier.

If the hunters knew that Lin Bei was preparing to use the fire to cook meat, they might not have given him the flint so easily. With the flint, the next trade would not require dried meat; he would need other things, like salt.

Lin Bei tried his best to live like a human.

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