We made you the chief, and now you've become the world's chief?

Chapter 142 Research on Mulberry-Dyke Fishponds and Fire Totem
The Wa clan members were all assigned to collect vines and branches, while Xia Minghao led his original Xia tribe members to the stinking pond.

The stench was so strong that everyone behind him could barely open their eyes, and Xia Minghao also felt terrible.

At the time, I gradually got used to it, but now I immediately feel surrounded by this stench, and it stings my eyes.

Despite the stench, they found a long branch nearby and stuck it into the pool from the bank.

Unexpectedly, the depth near the shore was quite shallow, probably only reaching about calf-deep.

"Go cut down a tree, dig a hole, and use it as a boat."

Xia Minghao wanted to build a boat so he could explore the depth of the stinky pond, get a general idea of ​​how to treat it.

"It's the chief!"

A craftsman who wasn't involved in the fight immediately took out his bronze axe.

At that moment, Huo Li's expression changed.

"It's a divine stone!"

"Divine Stone, what do you need this for?"

Xia Minghao was immediately taken aback by Huo Li's reaction.

Did the Fire Tribe also discover bronze artifacts?

If that's the case, then the Fire Tribe will be even more difficult to deal with.

While ranged attacks are the most effective method, the Fire Tribe is essentially carrying a "flamethrower".

If they come over with their faces covered, our own people don't have bronze weapons, so it's difficult for them to defend in close combat. As a result, they can't maintain continuous ranged attacks.

If the Fire Tribe also develops bows with bronze arrowheads, their disadvantage will widen further.

“We use these beautiful divine stones to slaughter human-made objects, and then we put the flesh of the human-made objects into divine objects made of divine stones for the fire god to eat.”

Is it a sacrificial ceremony?
Xia Minghao's brows remained furrowed, but when he looked at Huo Li and told her about such a cruel act, his face remained calm.

Perhaps, apart from herself, all the other members of the Xia tribe, and even all those who do not possess totem power, are truly just tools in her heart.

It's perfectly normal for Huo Li, as the daughter of the murdered leader of the Fire Tribe, to have this kind of mindset.

However, in the Xia tribe, which was about to embrace civilization, such ideas could not exist. They could only be kept by their side and gradually corrected through training.

"Where did you find the stone that produces this kind of divine stone?"

Xia Minghao looked at Huo Li and then asked.

But this time, after thinking it over, Huo Li shook her head.

"I don't know, but it's rare. Once the knife used for butchering breaks, it's gone for a long time."

few?
Malachite is usually found in concentrated areas. Even if you find some on the outskirts, it should be very easy to find the concentrated distribution areas of malachite if there is a demand for it.

How could there be too few? It's just that we made a few bronze artifacts and then there weren't enough.
Could it be that the Fire Tribe didn't find a malachite deposit?
Huo Li didn't know, so naturally she couldn't get the answer through mere speculation.

But at least we can know one thing: the Fire Tribe did not have enough bronze, and all the bronze they had was used for sacrificial purposes.

In this way, the threat has been reduced considerably.

After learning a little more, the craftsman and several members of the Wa clan came over carrying a piece of wood.

"Chief, this piece of wood is hollow."

Looking at the empty logs that had been moved over, Xia Minghao examined them and noticed some obvious marks, which were traces of a beehive.

It seems there used to be a beehive here, but it's been hollowed out.

Beekeeping is also on Xia Minghao's agenda, but it requires more things, so he doesn't plan to arrange it right now.

The most urgent task is to solve the problem of the foul water first, and then we can talk about other things.

Hollow, rotten wood is naturally better than dug wood; it has lower moisture content and is completely rotten, making it much lighter than dug wood.

Xia Minghao pushed the log into the water and tested it first. Seeing that it didn't leak, he was about to stand on it.

But then I thought, although this natural canoe looks safe, if I fell in, I would not only smell bad, but I might also be bitten by insects in the water.

They simply summoned a man from the Wa clan.

Although it was caused by stupidity, it is only right that the Wa clan itself should deal with this mess.

Xia Minghao didn't recognize this member of the Wa clan, but he was still very obedient. Once on the boat, he rowed to the very center of the stinky pond.

Then he inserted the branch and picked it up again.

It's so far away that it's impossible to estimate the distance, so Xia Minghao told him to put the tree branch next to him.

In this way, the approximate depth can be easily observed.

About 1.5 meters tall...

He pondered this to himself, and then sent the man to several other places to measure the depth, and finally he safely reached the shore.

One and a half meters deep is the deepest part of the pond.

With depth, tools for cleaning up stinky ponds could be created by tying long enough branches to bronze shovels.

The craftsmen he brought went to search again, and Xia Minghao specifically instructed them to cut down these old, hollow trees that had already died, and not to cut down new trees if none were found.

Soon, more than twenty extended shovels were securely tied together with vines, and at the same time, enough old trees were found.

With a little processing, the cleaning team's equipment was complete.

The work of the Xia tribe was considered complete. The remaining task was for the Wa clan to do the dirty and tiring work, which involved cleaning the silt from the bottom of the river.

The stench isn't from the water itself, but from the impurities in it, especially the silt at the bottom.

The Wa tribe had been throwing animal carcasses and all sorts of insects into the water for who knows how long, so the stench naturally grew stronger.

Now that all this silt has been removed, not only will the water quality be improved, but the silt can also be treated to render it harmless, and then used to plant mulberry trees, as well as flowers and grasses that bees can collect nectar from.

There is no such thing as real garbage, just a lack of proper usage.

Now, this is a true transformation of waste into treasure, providing support for Xia Minghao's "bee farming" and "mulberry-dike-fishpond" projects.

Whether it was due to the natural transfer of power or the terror displayed by Liba, all the men of the Wa clan were very obedient, even when they were standing on the surface of the pool and their eyes were stinging from the fumes.

“Go and tell Lipa to start catching fish with nets. Also, call over a few dozen men from the Wa clan. When the time comes, put the fish in earthenware jars and bring them all over.”

Seeing that work had already started on the pool, Xia Minghao finally thought about the issue of food.

Fishing is not just for eating; there is another reason, which is the second step in cleaning up the stinking pond, and also the core step in building the mulberry-dike-fishpond system.

But before that, there is one more thing to do, which is to further purify the water.

In this kind of water, only plecos can barely survive; normal fish can't survive at all.

Further purification of water quality means turning "stagnant water" into "living water".

The stinky pond wasn't completely stagnant; otherwise, it would have evaporated long ago.

There must have been groundwater seeping in, and then flowing out from the other side towards a lower-lying area.

Nowadays, these seepage inlets and outlets are most likely blocked. If they can be cleaned, the speed of water circulation in the pool can be increased.

Xia Minghao summoned a group of men from the Wa clan and had them all carry wooden strips that the carpenter had just chopped with an axe.

He then observed the terrain and found a place with obviously higher ground. Xia Minghao then began to poke downwards along the bank.

Sure enough, after poking around for a while, he quickly found a spot where he could clearly feel the water flowing underneath, even with a stick in his hand.

Based on his previous experience digging wells, Xia Minghao had sensed that the water pressure was not low. Now, having cleared the blockage in the stinky pool, it was like discovering a woman in her thirties or forties.

"You'll have to come here every day from now on, remember that?"

“Yes, Father, no, Chief.”

The man hadn't changed his way of speaking yet, and seemed to have thought of the hole and the clitoris, so he quickly said it.

Xia Minghao continued searching along the edge and soon discovered five more areas of seepage that were clearly blocked.

People stayed behind to continue the work. Once the shovels were cleared, they would dig deeper to expand the seepage area.

The water level in the stinky pond has risen significantly. The next step is to locate the outflow area; otherwise, as the water level rises, the water pressure increases and the flow rate slows down.

After a while, the area where the seepage had occurred was located, and more people were left to continue clearing it. Otherwise, the water in the stinky pool would carry silt and other impurities out and quickly become blocked again.

It took a total of forty male laborers. Looking at this group of busy Wa clan members, Xia Minghao felt that the stench didn't seem so strong anymore.

More than forty male laborers, none of whom had ever fought such a wealthy battle before.

In addition, there are almost twice as many male laborers picking up stones and digging large pits.

With so many people, they can easily handle all the work on the plains, such as quarrying and logging, which will greatly reduce the difficulty of settling down.

At this moment, Xia Minghao saw that the people from the Wa clan who went to collect wood had all returned, and the amount of wood and vines was sufficient.

This group of people didn't rest; they also started digging a large pit.

The purpose of digging a large pit was certainly not to dig a well or a new pond.

Instead, they wanted to dig an underground building so they could have a decent place to live.

The pit was almost completely formed by then, and it was estimated that it would be finished by dusk.

They found the group of six they had initially encountered, and these people were still in a daze, unsure of how to face Xia Minghao.

Xia Minghao handed the carpenter's shovels to the group of people. They had a more important job: processing the long logs. Therefore, the work of cutting down trees needed to be done by them.

Arno was slightly smarter; although he was a bit sharp-headed, he quickly realized what was happening and led the six-man team to cut down trees. Xia Minghao sent an armed team to accompany them, in case they got into any accidents and were hit by falling trees.

"Okay, first dig a small hole, then stick a wooden stick in and gradually widen it."

The wooden stick was inserted into a small hole dug next to the large pit. At such a shallow depth, there was no need to worry about it spraying out groundwater.

The current insertion method is no longer the straight insertion method of the past, but rather an angled insertion method.

Because Xia Minghao didn't plan to build any kind of shed, but rather to construct a pyramid-shaped frame.

Just like a yurt, covered with hay and bark, it can provide shelter from the wind and rain.

This can be said to be the simplest way to build a dwelling, and since the Wa people originally slept in pits, digging them was also simple; they just needed to connect the pits together.

After all the manpower had been arranged, looking at the tireless Wa clan men, Xia Minghao asked Huo Li.

"Is there also a god in your Fire Tribe?"

After listening, Huo Li nodded and then gave a more detailed explanation.

"The fire god shines upon our fire tribe, bestowing upon us the totem power to control fire."

“The power that the Fire God gave to my father, who is also the leader of the Fire Tribe, is the Fire God’s child.”

"Besides the elders, there are also the fire disciples."

……

As Xia Minghao listened to the woman's story, he not only learned about the Fire Tribe's hierarchical system, but also discovered that this fire god worship was practically identical to the Wa clan's Pushi worship.

No wonder they were able to tame these people so well using theocratic thinking, making them like docile lambs; it turns out they relied on the advanced experience of the Fire Tribe…

The people of the Fire Tribe are the sons and daughters of fire, or what are known as the Fire Followers.

Those without totem power were described as wood by Huo Li.

Wood is destined to be burned into charcoal.

This mindset directly establishes a fixed status. With the initial advantage of having a "flamethrower" built in, this theocratic brainwashing makes other tribes afraid to resist, rather than unable to resist.

Xia Minghao then found a place for Huo Li to demonstrate how the power of the fire totem is used.

Once a small fire was lit, Xia Minghao instinctively grabbed a wooden box in his hand, just in case.

Huo Li secretly saw Xia Minghao's actions, and a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes, as if she sensed that distrust.

But he immediately turned his head away, pretending not to see it.

"Use your maximum strength first."

Xia Minghao said to Huo Li, and then he saw that Huo Li stopped frowning and seemed to be exerting all her strength.

The next second, a pillar of fire shot into the sky!

The others were terrified by the destructive power of the pillar of fire, and even Liba took two steps back.

"stop!"

Xia Minghao had anticipated this, so he wasn't frightened. He immediately got up and looked at the burning fire.

There wasn't much firewood to begin with, and now it's almost all burned down to embers.

Based on the amount of firewood, Xia Minghao estimated that it was roughly equivalent to four or five palm-sized pieces of charcoal.

In other words, the power of the fire totem can instantly catalyze the calorific value of four or five palm-sized pieces of charcoal.

Based on the column of fire we just saw, it was indeed comparable to a flamethrower, and even had the power of the military flamethrowers we'd seen in movies.

"How many people in the Fire Tribe are like you? How much worse are the bad ones than you? And how much better are the good ones than you?"

Huo Li seemed extremely tired, and for a moment even became somewhat dazed.

After thinking for a long time, he finally replied to Xia Minghao's question.

"Only my father and uncle can control larger pillars of fire. The elders are about the same as me, but they don't control them as well. Most of the others can only control half of the pillars of fire."

After hearing Huo Li's account, Xia Minghao gained a deeper understanding of the Fire Tribe and was able to roughly estimate the level of their combat strength.

"Could you continue by demonstrating how to control the fire?"

But Huo Li shook her head.

"I have no strength left..."

Seeing Huo Li's reaction, Xia Minghao thought for a moment.

It seems that the Fire Tribe, like the Wolf Tribe, also needs to rest when using totem power, unlike the Wind Tribe, which can maintain its extreme state for a long time.

The next step is to explore specific data to determine what kind of intensity corresponds to what kind of fire totem skill cooldown.

But seeing how tired Huo Li looks now, it's definitely not the right time to investigate.

Since Huo Li would be by his side in the future, he had plenty of time, so he simply asked about the exact number of people in the Huo tribe.

The upper class numbered over fifty, while the other so-called fire followers numbered nearly two hundred.

The three tribal alliances controlled by the Fire Tribe were beyond Huo Li's ability to give an exact number.

The number of people in the Fire Tribe was previously obtained through the analogy with the Biwa Tribe.

The combined population of the three tribal alliances was so large that even the Iwa tribe could not compare.

Several thousand, or even tens of thousands?
While the individual combat ability of the Fire Tribe people is not particularly strong, a "fire-breathing army" with so many flamethrowers is simply too formidable.

And that doesn't even include the enslaved tribal alliances, all of whom are potential enemies.

Xia Minghao felt a headache coming on and couldn't come up with a complete solution.

At the same time, she was glad that, according to Huo Li, the Fire Tribe did not have any boats that could cross the river, and that she had chosen to settle on the opposite side of the Fire Tribe.

A solution to deal with the Fire Tribe cannot be devised in a short time.

Looking at the group returning with the earthenware pots, and at Lipa's surprised expression upon seeing the number of males in the Wa clan.

Xia Minghao decided to put his thoughts aside for the time being. Since things had come to this, he figured he should eat first.

One after another, earthenware pots were set up and placed on the fire.

All the blackfish in the jar were put into the pot, along with some red salt.

The fragrance quickly spread, beginning to counteract the stench that had lessened considerably after a whole day of treatment in the stinky pool.

The Wa clan members still sat in the same place where they used to eat.

The Xia tribe members came to the low-lying area where Xia Minghao had previously slept, which had now become a well area.

The stench is almost completely gone here.

"This is made of clay."

"Do you have any too?"

Upon hearing the woman's words, Xia Minghao casually inquired.

Huo Li also gave an affirmative answer.

This didn't surprise Xia Minghao. Pottery making wasn't difficult to begin with, and the Fire Tribe played with fire every day, so the probability of discovering that burning clay could produce pottery was very high.

"But, your kindness..."

Looking at the earthenware pot and stroking the earthenware bowl in her hand, Huo Li couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

The pottery bowl also has patterns on it, which Huo Li can't understand, but she finds them very beautiful. They are actually Chinese characters.

Hearing this praise, Xia Minghao simply smiled faintly.

This batch of pottery has been improved, with the addition of quartz, making it more durable, and the clay has been filtered multiple times using special linen.

It can be considered a truly high-quality pottery.

The Fire Tribe mostly lacks ambition. After all, they already have so many "human tools," they just use them without thinking about improving them or making progress.

After blowing on the soup in the bowl to cool it down, Huo Li carefully drank it.

It brought not only warmth to dispel the chill of late autumn, but also a taste of a delicious flavor I had never experienced before.

"This is delicious."

"Of course it tastes good. I added brown salt. Do you have any of that? It can make things taste better."

Looking at the red salt, Huo Li took another sip and shook her head.

Only after a fish was in her stomach did Huoli feel full, and her energy was no longer focused solely on the delicious food in the bowl.

She looked at the clothing of the Xia tribe men and the bronze artifacts gleaming in the firelight.

Suddenly, I thought of all the legends about this man.

"He will bring many things. Did he bring all of these? Countless divine artifacts forged from divine stones, and delicious red salt..."

Huo Li immediately thought of the busy work Xia Minghao and his men had done today.

She had never really known what she was doing, but now she suddenly had some guesses.

Does doing those things bring anything in return?

But what happens when you clean up a stinky pond?

(End of this chapter)