We just snuck right in like that?
Just giving away Origin Force Honey worth 2,000 Source Stones?
White Ivy Mountain Lord, always so lavish and bold!
Grass Dragon quickly scuttled along on White Ivy's left side.
Lupine squeezed past Red Peach to walk on White Ivy's right.
Grass Dragon: "Is this my most, most, most respected elder, White Ivy Mountain Lord?"
Lupine: "So clever and decisive, so mighty and commanding."
White Ivy: "Back when lde and I were making our way on the continent, neither of you had even hatched yet. Watch and learn, both of you."
White Ivy snorted haughtily, full of swagger, not wanting to say more, secretly heartbroken.
2,000 Source Stones is no small number. If I wasn't afraid of getting stopped and losing face in front of these two juniors, how could I bear to give it away?
Grass Dragon: "...Got it."
Lupine: "...Lesson learned."
Grass Dragon: "White Ivy Mountain Lord… I have sothing I'd like to discuss with you…"
Red Peach, unhappy with these two freeloaders mocking them, jumped in directly: "Nothing to discuss!"
Grass Dragon said angrily, "Red Peach, I've worked with Yellow Peach Mountain Lord too, you want to arrange for him to sort you out when we get back?"
Red Peach: "I don't believe you."
Red Peach: "You want a few cans of Bee King Honey, right? Keep dreaming!"
Grass Dragon: "...It's dark."
Red Peach: "Even when it's dark, it's not the ti for your wild fantasies."
Grass Dragon: "Oh, Red Peach. You mantises really are so petty."
Grass Dragon didn't wait for Red Peach to retort, speaking rapidly: "White Ivy Mountain Lord, what I an is, we can cooperate."
Grass Dragon: "Red Peach, don't talk, I don't want to bicker with you."
Grass Dragon: "Stone Pattern Kingdom has an insect population close to ten thousand. There are five thousand Stone Pattern Mantis Warriors based on Hidden Wing Mountain. Every autumn, there's trade, and on top of that, Mantis Warriors from neighboring Jade Peach Kingdom and Mountain Brown Kingdom co here for business."
Grass Dragon: "White Ivy Mountain Lord, do the math. Even if just one out of every ten warriors buys a can of Origin Force Honey from us, that's a massive amount, more than 500 cans a year. Can you transport 500 cans, White Ivy Mountain Lord? I bet not! We could cooperate, do it together."
Grass Dragon: "We're all spiders from the sa nest, we ought to unite, help each other, grow big and strong."
Grass Dragon: "We could unify the shape and style of the tal cans, and the pattern symbols on the wooden tags. Every year at this ti, we gather together at Hidden Wing Mountain, or at Yellow Peach Mountain Lord's territory, and co as a group. That'll make our caravan look well-established and powerful."
White Ivy asked suspiciously, "You two just couldn't get in yourselves, so you're trying to tag along with , huh?"
Grass Dragon: "No!"
Lupine: "The continent's so big. If we wanted to wing it, there are plenty of other places."
Lupine, sounding serious: "Grass Dragon and I lay at the entrance for three days. From our observation and count, during that ti, 48 caravans of all sizes and 131 Fla Spider Roving rchants entered Hidden Wing Mountain…"
Upon hearing that, White Ivy couldn't help but look down on them: "You two are so useless! Staking out for three days and still couldn't sneak through?"
Grass Dragon replied weakly, "We were just surveying the area…"
White Ivy: "Surveying? Counting caravans? Wouldn't going straight to the trading plaza have been easier?"
Grass Dragon: "…"
Lupine: "White Ivy Mountain Lord, you're a spider who does great things, don't get hung up on these trivial details. Let's cut to the point…"
Lupine: "Hidden Wing Mountain is too close to Fla Spider Kingdom. Every year tons of caravans co here for business, the competition is brutal. Without solid backing, even if you manage to sneak in, it's hard to get a footing. White Ivy Mountain Lord, Grass Dragon and I can help you boost your presence."
I, the dignified White Ivy Mountain Lord, need help from you two penniless brats to boost my reputation? White Ivy mulled it over… and had to admit they had a point.
Looking across the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent, Hidden Wing Mountain is top tier, much bigger and richer than Vinegrowth Mountain and Purple Back Mountain.
But it's also where competition among Fla Spider Roving rchants is most fierce. Without strength, you couldn't even get in touch with those mantises handling tribe affairs.
White Ivy shot a glance.
Red Peach caught on, and shouted, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, look how pitiful Grass Dragon and Lupine are! You're their elder, be kind and help them out."
White Ivy: "It's nothing. As their direct elder, it's only right that I should look out for them."
White Ivy: "Alright then. Grass Dragon, Lupine, from now on, you two stick with ."
White Ivy added, "But only at Hidden Wing Mountain!"
Lupine: "...Thank you so much!"
Grass Dragon: "...No wonder you're brave enough to walk alongside Spider King Spurge and never got beaten up, White Ivy Mountain Lord!"
...
The wealth of Hidden Wing Mountain was truly eye-opening for the bugs.
After entering the trading plaza and asking around, they learned that the Divine-Given Seed towering at the mountaintop produces over ten thousand Divine-Given Hidden Wing Seeds every year.
After they mature and drift away, those Mountain Lord Level and Lord-Level Stone Pattern Mantis Warriors won't bother to pick them up; it's the primary, mid-level, and high-level Little Warriors who gather them.
These Little Warriors then sell them at the trading plaza for 40 to 50 Source Stones each to rchant caravans, buying their favorite Origin Force Food.
That's like Hidden Wing Mountain handing out 400,000-500,000 Source Stones a year in welfare for their tribe's Little Warriors.
The key point is, Hidden Wing Seeds are King Level Divine-Given Origin Force Food; plus, they're in high demand for strengthening Wind Elent Abilities.
This is what a true powerhouse of a tribe looks like!
...
Five days later,
Outside Hidden Wing Mountain, on a winding mountain path,
White Ivy led Red Peach, bouncing rrily ahead.
Grass Dragon and Lupine trailed behind, just as happy.
After running a good ten kiloters, White Ivy suddenly turned off and darted into a patch of wild woods.
No nonsense; she opened her Spider Silk Bag, took out a tal cylinder, pinched out 21 Spider King Silk Scrolls worth 1,000 Source Stones each, and handed them to Lupine.
"As your elder, I won't take a cut of your profits. Take it all."
"A truly venerable elder respected by all insects."
Lupine accepted gleefully.
This year, the 21 extra cans of Origin Force Honey that Grass Dragon brought sold out easily.
So maybe next year, we can bring even more!
Looking at the stone slab on White Ivy's carapace, covered all over with pattern symbols, Grass Dragon and Lupine were drooling with envy.
A Lord-Level Stone Pattern Mantis Warrior had actually heard about Origin Force Honey and ca up to place an order for 100,000 Source Stones' worth in one go.
That's a breakthrough at Hidden Wing Mountain! Nail this deal, and every year from now on we'll make it bigger and better.
"Lupine, Grass Dragon, don't keep looking at with so much admiration. When you two are grown, you can do the sa."
In a brilliant mood, White Ivy pulled out a second, petite Spider Silk Bag. Inside, she'd conveniently collected so Divine-Given Hidden Wing Seeds.
Not many, just about 200, and pretty small too.
But the quality was super high—they're King Level, after all.
White Ivy split them in half and handed so to Lupine, saying: "It's not easy traveling the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent. Take these this year—100 seeds as a gift. Next year, you'll have to pay fair price, and after each deal, I'll split half of any Hidden Wing Seeds I acquire with you two."
"Okay! Thank you, White Ivy Mountain Lord." Lupine was overjoyed.
"This is why I respect White Ivy Mountain Lord the most." Grass Dragon's eight eyes stared at White Ivy, filled with jealousy.
"Alright, alright. Grass Dragon, once you strike out on your own, I'll give you a batch too."
White Ivy adjusted her tone, and said seriously, "Red Peach and I are heading west to open fresh trading routes. Now that we've cracked Hidden Wing Mountain, we're stopping here before Lord-Level. This year's trade is over; we're going to rest at Yellow Peach Mountain Lord's place for half a month. What about you two?"
Lupine: "We're done running for now, planning to head back to the Kingdom."
Grass Dragon: "That's just perfect, we're going the sa way."
White Ivy: "Again, sa route?"
White Ivy: "Then co with ! Let's move!"
Red Peach: "Charge!!"
Grass Dragon: "..."
Grass Dragon: "W-wait, don't charge yet—"
Grass Dragon took a breath and calmly said, "White Ivy Mountain Lord, there's a big thing… I think it's worth us giving it a try."
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