Great Wilderness Demon Lord

In late July, as the summer heat gradually subsided, the caravans coming and going in Wangbeibao became increasingly bustling, and the once quiet main road outside the fortress gradually began to show signs of being filled with the sounds of cooking fires.

The changes in the border markets were the most obvious.

Every evening at dusk, Xiao Yu would compile the trade records. As he flipped through the lines of entries, he could clearly see that the number of tribes coming to trade had increased significantly recently.

Besides the regular visitors, the centaur tribe and the grey-horned deer people, several new faces have also appeared at the market.

A rabbit tribe called "Long Ears" consists of people who are all agile, with fine downy hair covering the tips of their ears, and move as swiftly as the wind.

A sheep tribe called "Short Tail" is known for its honest and simple nature, and its speech carries a gentle quality.

Another mixed tribe consists of fox-people with cunning figures and gleaming eyes, as well as badger-people with sturdy builds and steady gaits.

Their faces were weathered and weary, and they spoke of migrating from the colder north, enduring hardships along the way, seeking only a safe place to settle down.

The goods they brought were all precious items from the depths of the wilderness, and were of a wide variety.

There are tanned animal hides that are supple and firm with clear patterns, sun-dried exotic flowers and herbs, mountain delicacies that can be used as medicine, air-dried meat that is durable and has a subtle aroma, and rich, mellow, sweet and fragrant dairy products.

There were also several heavy pieces of ore, gleaming with a pale blue light, and exuding a subtle spiritual aura; they were clearly not ordinary objects.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yu immediately invited an experienced craftsman from the fortress who was familiar with minerals to come and examine it.

The old craftsman picked up the ore and examined it from all angles for a long time. He then brought it to his nose and smelled it. The warmth between his fingertips intensified, and he could even feel subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy.

The old craftsman immediately said, "This is 'Azure Spirit Copper.' Although it is only a low-grade spirit ore and its spiritual essence is not very rich, it is several times purer than ordinary crude copper. After smelting and refining, it can be used to forge simple spirit weapons. With a little tempering, it can also be used to forge low-grade magic weapon blanks."

If combined with some auxiliary ores, it can also be used to craft basic armor and magical artifact parts, which are extremely useful.

Upon hearing about the uses of the Azure Pattern Spirit Copper, Xiao Yu's heart stirred.

He immediately sent people to inquire about the origin of the ore from the tribe.

He then hurriedly went to Xiao Yunlan's residence to report.

Upon seeing Xiao Yunlan, he bowed and said, "Grand Uncle, the tribe that came to the border market today brought a kind of spiritual ore. The old craftsman examined it and found that it is called Qingwen Spirit Copper. It has great uses and can be used to cast the blanks of spiritual weapons and magical artifacts."

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Xiao Yunlan raised his eyes, his tone calm: "Oh? You've found out their background?"

Xiao Yu replied, "I've already sent someone to inquire, and I expect to receive a reply soon."

I have another plan. If we can cooperate with these barbarian tribes to develop this mine, it will not only solve the problem of the shortage of spiritual materials in our fortress, but also further win over these tribes, which will be a great help to the development of Wangbei Fortress.

Xiao Yunlan nodded slightly and calmly instructed, "Keep an eye on this matter. First, find out the origin of the ore. There's no need to rush into cooperation. Let's wait until we understand the tribe's background before discussing it further."

Xiao Yu bowed in agreement and hurriedly returned to the market.

The newly arrived tribespeople were still waiting for the transaction, and he dared not delay.

After quickly returning to the market, he began to oversee the transactions according to the rules set by Xiao Yunlan.

These newcomers to the tribe were already somewhat reserved.

They were extremely cautious during transactions, fearing that they might unintentionally break the rules of the market.

Xiao Yu saw this and always upheld fairness, neither deceiving nor oppressing, and always negotiated prices transparently.

After the deal was finalized, the transaction was completed on the spot. Finally, the staff specially brought well water so that the tribespeople could rest their strength before setting off on their return journey.

The news of such fair treatment spread like wildfire throughout the surrounding areas of the Great Wilderness.

The number of tribes coming to the trading market increased more and more.

At the same time, caravans from Zhenhuang Pass began to frequently travel to and from Wangbeibao.

Initially, only the Xiao Family Chamber of Commerce's convoy was present.

Liu Heyang was always true to his word, and every month he would send at least two caravans to transport grain, cloth and iron, as well as furs, medicinal herbs and dried meat from the border market.

Later, other businesses saw this and also got the idea.

Some small-time merchants who ran errands came to scout ahead, following the momentum of the Xiao family's caravan.

Seeing that the defenses of Beibao were solid and the city was peaceful and undisturbed, and that the trade at the border market was fair, he felt at ease to travel and trade alone.

At the end of July, Xiao Yunlan encountered a newly arrived caravan at the city gate.

The team leader was a middle-aged man in his forties surnamed Chen, who was the owner of a long-established business in Zhenhuangguan.

Ten large carts, loaded with cloth and salt, followed behind him.

Manager Chen planned to stay overnight at Wangbeibao and continue north the next morning to purchase supplies from the Maren tribe.

Upon seeing Xiao Yunlan, Manager Chen quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

He said respectfully, "General, I am Chen Youfu, and I pay my respects to you."

Xiao Yunlan offered a helping hand and asked, "Where are you headed, Manager Chen?"

Chen Youfu bowed and replied, his tone full of gratitude: "General, I would like to try my luck at the centaur tribe."

I heard they acquired a lot of good leather goods this year, so I brought some cloth and salt to exchange for some of them.

The roads used to be dangerous, with many bandits, so I never dared to go there rashly.

Now that the general has wiped out the bandits along the way and cleared the roadblocks, I dare to take this trip.

Xiao Yunlan then asked, "Was the journey smooth sailing?"

Chen Youfu smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Smooth sailing, so smooth!"

From Zhenhuang Pass to Wangbei Fort, the road was smooth and there wasn't a trace of bandits in sight.

I had heard that there were several dangerous places where bandits often roamed, but when I went there this time, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Thanks to the general's strict discipline and protection of us merchants, I am truly grateful.

Xiao Yunlan nodded slightly, said nothing more, and told him to make his own arrangements.

Chen Youfu thanked him profusely and then hurriedly arranged for the convoy to unload the goods and rest.

Xiao Yunlan stood at the city gate and watched quietly for a moment.

In the distance, several caravans were busy unloading their goods, the shouts of the workers rising and falling, accompanied by the sounds of carts and horses, creating a lively scene.

The open space outside the city gates was no longer enough, so some caravans simply parked their carriages and horses by the roadside and took their people into the city to rest.

He turned and went into the city, where he found Steward Wu.

He said bluntly, "Now there are more and more caravans, so there needs to be a special place for them to stay."

We need to build a spacious inn on that open space outside the city, one that can accommodate people, store goods, and also have a kitchen to prepare meals.

Upon hearing this, Steward Wu's eyes lit up immediately, and he quickly bowed and replied, "General, that's a great idea!"

I've been worrying about this for the past few days. Several caravans have come to ask if we can find a place to rest in the city.

But the city is already full, where is there any empty space?

If we could build an inn outside the city, it would not only solve the caravan's difficulties, but we could also collect some fees to subsidize the expenses in the fortress. It would be a win-win situation.

Xiao Yunlan said calmly, "We can discuss the expenses later."

We must build the post station as soon as possible, and it must be completed before August.

Manager Wu bowed and agreed without delay, then hurriedly turned around to arrange the construction of the post station.