Chapter 1127: Great Prophet Sun Mo
After Hui Yan reached home and took a few sips of water, his irascible emotions calmed down.
He had been too rash. Even if those maggots were unintentionally caused by Sun Mo, he should have ordered for them to be burned.
After all, Sun Mo was someone who had managed to comprehend witchcraft.
“It’s just some maggots. So what if they’re burned? They can’t possibly be useful, could they?”
Hui Yan consoled himself.
Maggots manifested after corpses started to rot. Moreover, in a few days, they’d become a kind of bug that could fly, laying eggs everywhere. By then, the tribe would become so dirty that it’d be impossible to live in.
“Sigh, if only the children in the tribe can hurry up and learn witchcraft.”
Hui Yan’s head was aching.
He didn’t doubt Sun Mo’s sincerity. If Sun Mo hadn’t taught Hui s.h.i.+ seriously, it was impossible for him to perform the Witchcraft: Beast Transformation. Therefore, this showed that learning witchcraft required apt.i.tude.
Sigh, how good would it be if Sun Mo was a member of the Gray Rock Tribe.
To speak plainly, Hui Yan still had some wariness and didn’t treat Sun Mo as one of their own.
…
When Sun Mo returned to the tribe, he saw thick and seething smoke. Someone was pouring maggots into the bonfire.
When the maggots were roasted, they made crackling sounds and were giving out a bad stench.
“Please go and call the chieftain over!”
Sun Mo instructed.
“I’ll go!”
Gu Xiuxun was temporarily serving as Sun Mo’s secretary.
“Great Teacher Sun!”
Hui Yan had come and started laughing loudly from afar. He took the initiative to explain. “I saw that maggots had manifested in that stone house and had people help you clean them up.”
“I was rearing them!”
Sun Mo’s tone was icy-cold.
“Uhh!”
The chieftain was stumped.
(They were really reared by you?) He really wanted to ask, ‘Is there something wrong with your brain?’
The other primitive people also looked astonished.
“Why are you rearing these things? You can’t possibly be planning to use them for food, right?”
“These things are very dirty and one might die from eating them!”
“I don’t get it!”
The primitive people started mumbling. This era was one where food was too scarce. Therefore, some people had tried to eat maggots before. However, every single one of them died.
“The first generation of maggots are definitely filled with germs. Even animals can’t eat them, let alone humans. But after they’ve reproduced a few generations later, it’d be fine.”
Sun Mo explained.
“What are germs?”
Everyone was stunned.
“You guys won’t understand even if I were to explain it.”
“Chieftain, do you know what humans’ greatest enemy is? It’s arrogance! You’re using your backdated gaze to look at something new.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Hui Yan’s countenance didn’t look good. After all, he was the head of a tribe and cared about his face.
“You guys must have seen a lot of wild chickens and ducks on your hunting trips, right? How did they come about?”
Sun Mo asked.
“Haha, you don’t even know this? Of course, they were born from chicken and duck hens. They couldn’t have been born from rocks, right?”
Hui Que sneered.
“What happened then?”
Sun Mo asked again.
“Then they grow up and get caught by us, becoming our food.”
Hui Que smiled. “Don’t worry, we’re different from those people from the Red Rock Tribe. Even if we are intolerably hungry, we won’t kill young animals.”
“You guys are aware that you should wait until the animals grow up before you kill them?”
Sun Mo’s lips twitched. “Since animals can grow in the wild, then why can’t they grow in the tribe?”
The primitive people fell silent.
They didn’t have any ideas about raising livestock.
“If wild chickens and ducks can grow up in the village, won’t it save the effort of having to go out to hunt?”
Sun Mo asked again.
“That’s right, why didn’t I think about that before?”
“I did think about it before, but how much food will they need to eat? We can’t even feed ourselves!”
“I kept a little bird my father caught for me. It died after a few days.”
The primitive people started discussing amongst themselves again. Out of which, the children had kept chicks and little birds before, but they were more like playthings.
“Great Teacher Sun, the previous prophet has thought about this matter before. Putting aside the fact that they have to eat every day, they also keep dying. It’s very troublesome.”
The chieftain wasn’t stupid.
“That’s why we have to rear maggots. As long as we take good care of them, they can reproduce very quickly. Moreover, they’d be able to reproduce endlessly across the seasons. It’s the best food for chickens and ducks.”
Sun Mo explained. “As for the chickens and ducks falling sick, they can be treated. If you find that troublesome, you can just kill the sick ones first and avoid infecting the other chickens and ducks.”
Some primitive people fell silent.
Everyone knew about maggots. It’d take only a few days before a corpse would be filled with them. There’d be an endless supply of them, and it was sufficient to feed the chickens and ducks.
“But maggots will turn into a bug that can fly!”
Hui Que argued.
“That’s why we have to rear the maggots scientifically, forming an echelon. Before the maggots become flies, those that can’t be eaten should be gotten rid of in advance.”
Sun Mo tapped on his head. “Use your brains more.”
Hui Yan had remained silent all this while. The reason why he was able to become the chieftain wasn’t just because he was a rash brute who only had sheer strength. He was quite smart too.
If what Sun Mo said could be done, then the food in the tribe would become bountiful.
Hui Yan became agitated at the thought of the never-ending amount of chickens and ducks. Such days should be what only the G.o.ds had the right to experience, right?
“Great Teacher Sun, you know how to rear maggots?”
Someone asked hesitantly.
“If Teacher doesn’t know how to, then where did these maggots come from? I told you guys not to burn them, but you refuse to listen.”
Hui s.h.i.+ was very angry. (Teacher’s efforts have all gone to waste.)
“Great Teacher Sun, uh, Prophet Sun, it’s all my fault.”
Hui Yan seemed to be at a loss and quickly changed the way he addressed Sun Mo. He felt like a sinner.
What?
Refuse to admit his mistake to the very end?
Sun Mo would probably turn to the Red Rock Tribe out of fury. Once the Red Rock Tribe were to learn of their witchcraft, then their tribe would meet their demise.
Of course, although Hui Yan was shortsighted, he had a heart that would think for the good of the tribe. Therefore, he chose to apologize.
“Have you guys thought about this before? If it’s hard to rear chickens and ducks, then why not rear cows and sheep? These two animals eat gra.s.s.”
Sun Mo taught them. “Children are young and unable to go out to hunt. However, they should know how to cut gra.s.s, right?”
Most of the time, there wasn’t enough food for the tribesmen. Even if there was occasionally excess food, they’d be wind-dried into jerky.
“If female sheep give birth to lambs, even if the number isn’t a lot, a.s.suming two lambs each time, you’ll be able to have a herd in just a few years.”
Sun Mo continued to entice them.
As expected, the women’s gazes instantly became fervent.
Even in the modern world, who wouldn’t want to be able to lead better lives?
“When mother sheep give birth to lambs, I’ll teach you guys how to help them give birth!”
Sun Mo was unable to purchase skill books from the system now, but he had seen similar shows in which they had to help the poor. Therefore, he had some knowledge of it.
Moreover, it was just a sheep. It wouldn’t matter if it were to die.
“Prophet Sun, please teach me how to rear chickens!”
“Prophet Sun, I wish to learn to rear sheep!”
“I wish to learn to rear maggots!”
Amidst the chaotic voices of wanting to learn to rear chickens and sheep, someone suddenly said that they wanted to rear maggots. Sun Mo couldn’t help but look over.
This person was a smart one.
If the person were to specialize in selling maggots, they’d be able to live a good life.
Hui Yan’s rough and tanned face flushed even redder from awkwardness and embarra.s.sment.
“You didn’t throw away the mushrooms I grew, did you?”
Sun Mo then asked.
Hui Yan’s gaze immediately turned toward his tribesmen. If anyone were to lay their hands on Sun Mo’s things, he’d drive them out of the tribe.
“Come, let’s go and check them out!”
Sun Mo knew that it was time to deal a blow.
He led the group and headed to the planting room and opened the lock.
Hui Yan walked in and when his eyes got accustomed to the dim lighting in the stone house, he immediately let out a cry. It was because the stone house was filled with wooden racks and there were many stone basins on the racks.
Right now, cl.u.s.ters of mushrooms were growing in these stone basins.
Sun Mo casually plucked off a piece of mushroom and started chewing on it as if he was eating potato chips.
“Prophet.”
Hui Yan was so agitated that his body was s.h.i.+vering.
“It’s not poisonous. Do you want to give it a try?”
Sun Mo’s words had just finished when Hui Yan couldn’t help but reach out his hand to grab a bunch of mushrooms, stuffing them into his mouth.
Kacha! Kacha!
A taste that was unique to mushrooms permeated his mouth.
They didn’t taste too good, but they could fill up stomachs!
“Prophet, can these be grown during winter?”
Hui Yan asked.
“Yes, but the stone house’s temperature must be a.s.sured. It can’t be too low.”
Sun Mo smiled.
“That’s simple!”
Hui Yan laughed out loud. It was hard to find prey during winter, but bare trees could be seen everywhere. It was an easy task to chop firewood and start a fire.
(In the future, we’ll have an endless supply of mushrooms and won’t have to grow hungry anymore.)
Hui Yan thought this and then, with a plop, dropped to his knees, kowtowing toward Sun Mo.
“Great Prophet, please pardon my ignorance and offense!”
This time around, Hui Yan was really convinced and willingly wanted to let Sun Mo become the tribe’s great prophet.
“Get up!” Sun Mo didn’t mind it at all. “The reason I’m teaching you guys these things isn’t to become the prophet.”
After Hui Yan made a few kowtows, he left the stone house and bellowed at the tribesmen who were watching the show from outside.
“From today onward, Great Teacher Sun will be our tribe’s great prophet. Whoever treats him with disrespect will be beheaded as a penalty!”
Sssss!
Hui Yan’s words caused many tribesmen to gasp.
Was there a need to be so cruel?
Hui Que panicked upon hearing this. If Sun Mo were to become the great prophet, then wouldn’t Hui s.h.i.+’s status become higher too?
He couldn’t take that!
Therefore, he shouted, “Chieftain, Sun Mo is just an outsider! Please think twice!”
“Take him away! Hang him up and give him a beating!”
Hui Yan didn’t give any explanation and just dealt a punishment.
“Oh right, Prophet, we’ve found some of the plants you had us look for.”
Hui Yan took out some grapes and sugarcane as if presenting a treasure.
The grapes were too sour to be eaten, but they could be used to brew alcohol. As for sugarcane…
“Did you guys discover a lot of sugarcanes?”
Sun Mo was very happy that he’d be able to show off his skills again.
“A lot.”
The chieftain nodded.
“Then please chop down the sugarcanes and bring them back.”
If the chieftain had heard such requests one day ago, he’d definitely ask for the reason. But he didn’t dare to do that now and just did as he was told.
“Hui s.h.i.+, go bring people and chop down the sugarcanes.”
Hui Yan instructed.
“Alright!”
Hui s.h.i.+ was so excited that his face was flushed. He had benefited because of Sun Mo and was promoted. Otherwise, given his age, he wouldn’t have the right to lead a team.
Three days later, Hui s.h.i.+’s team brought back a lot of sugarcane. Sun Mo didn’t waste any time and had used this time to create a lot of tools.
On the fifth day, the sky was clear and Sun Mo appeared on a piece of empty land.
“Today, we’ll be making sugar!”
Sun Mo announced.
“Sugar? What’s that?”
None of the aboriginals from the stone age knew that.
“You know about this as well?”
Bai Fu was surprised.
This skill was strictly confidential even in the Nine Provinces.
Sugar was as expensive as silver, and ordinary families wouldn’t be able to afford them.
“I happened to have learned it before.”
In the modern days, Sun Mo had read ReadNovelFulls. Out of which, the methods to make sugar and salt that were mentioned in historical novels were necessary means to become rich and acc.u.mulate wealth.
Out of interest, Sun Mo had checked up on them before.
It was really simple.
First, extract the juice from the sugarcane and then filter the impurities. Next, add them into a stone pot and heat them till boiling before letting them rest and settle. An hour later, pour the contents into an even bigger stone pot and start to simmer them.
As the water evaporated, what was left would be brown sugar.
The sugar-making process started.
The most troublesome and time-consuming step was to simmer and create a concentrated mixture. The mixture must be stirred non-stop, otherwise, the sugar would burn.
It’d generally continue for a few hours.
Of course, as the sugar gradually became viscous, the fragrance in the air would also get increasingly stronger. Therefore, the people in the tribe started to gather over here, following the scent. The shorties, especially, crowded in front of the stone pot, drooling.
“Stay back a little. It’s hot.”
Lu Zhiruo kept on reminding them.
“Alright, take it out!”
After Sun Mo said that, Hui Yan personally lifted the stone pot and poured out the brown viscous content onto a piece of bamboo board.
In this process, Sun Mo continued to stir the sugar incessantly. This step was required to create granulated sugar. Otherwise, it’d just be a slab of paste.
Finally, all the process was completed.
Looking at the brown sugar on the bamboo board, Hui Yan’s throat rolled and he gulped his saliva.
“Give it a try!”
Sun Mo wasn’t interested in this.
He could turn the brown sugar into white sugar by refining and filtering it even more. However, there wasn’t a need for this step for primitive people. After all, the nutritional value was the same.
White sugar was expensive primarily because they looked good and their texture was good as well. It was sold to the rich as a luxury item.
Over ten pairs of hands reached toward the bamboo board, picked up some sugar grains, and put it into their mouths. Then, their world was drowned by an unprecedented taste.
Hui Yan was stunned and at a loss. He then uncontrollably thought back to the days in which his parents had doted on him, the times when he and his wife had gone hunting together, when their first son was born…
This sugar was filled with the taste of happiness!
Tears uncontrollably slid down Hui Yan’s face.
Having eaten sugar before, it was worth it even if he were to die down.
“This brown sugar can be used as your tribe’s key product and exchanged for other resources with other tribes.”
Sun Mo suggested.
Plop!
Hui Yan knelt again.
He didn’t know what he should say, so he just kowtowed endlessly.
The other primitive people thought that the chieftain had gone crazy. But after they had tasted the brown sugar, all of them knelt as well.
This was a delicacy that only G.o.ds had the right to enjoy!
And the great prophet had brought it to the Gray Rock Tribe.
Sun Mo’s status spiked up to be even higher than Hui Yan.
In the days that followed, Sun Mo started to teach everyone how to make ceramics and bricks. After discovering some wild silkworms, he even tried to rear them.
Fis.h.i.+ng with fish cages and using the slash-and-burn cultivation method, Sun Mo was immersed in such busy but simple days. It was like playing cultivating-typed standalone games in the past.
Three months pa.s.sed by in a jiffy. Just as Sun Mo was contemplating how he could clear the game, an earthquake erupted.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth shook and stone houses came crumbling down. It was as if the end of the world had arrived.