After walking around, the information Shao Xuan gathered was limited. However, Shao Xuan and Lei clearly understood the status of those slave masters here. In this city, the slave masters had the right to define right and wrong.
What made Shao Xuan distressed were the text and language used by those slave masters. His understanding towards the language used by the slave masters was limited to the words engraved on the slaves, because these words also appeared in the tribal languages and Shao Xuan had seen them when he was in the other traveling team. However, to understand language and text used here, in the city, was much more difficult.
What Shao Xuan set out to do didn’t go well and the information that Tuo got was not good either.
“Can’t act at will?” After hearing Tuo’s words, Shao Xuan began to consider what to do next.
As per Tuo, people of other nearby tribe emba.s.sies told him that anyone who acted, whether in or outside the city, without certain permission and pa.s.s token would likely be considered as enemies and be attacked.
The so-called special permission was the kind of token that the team showed when entering the city, but Shao Xuan didn’t have that. It was not easy to get such a token and other people who had stayed here for a few years only owned one or two. They would not be so generous to give one to Shao Xuan. After all, one or two tokens were not enough even for people from the same tribe.
For this reason, they had to give up on building a stone house.
“Forget about the stone house. I am going to look for someone.”
After taking a short break in the house, Shao Xuan went to the Mang tribe to look for Huang Ye, but the Mang tribe seemed to be discussing something important and Huang Ye didn’t have time for him. Shao Xuan then went to the Hui tribe and on the way he met Chacha who stayed with the two eagles of the Hui tribe.
People of the Hui tribe were not busy and Shao Xuan asked for advice from an elder named He She, who had helped Shao Xuan on this trip. Although what he said did not help much, his att.i.tude was much better.
Instead of asking for the token, Shao Xuan asked He She if he knew someone who was proficient in the slave masters’ language and text. He was willing to pay the person if they could help.
There were several people from the Hui tribe who had stayed in the city most of the time for more than ten years. They were not busy at the moment and were willing to help Shao Xuan.
“Well, could you please tell me something about the slave masters in Fallen Leaves City? I met a female slave master today…”
Shao Xuan briefed them about the things that happened, hoping to get some information from He She.
If Shao Xuan didn’t ask, He She wouldn’t tell him, but since Shao Xuan asked, he didn’t refuse. He couldn’t tell him more about other things, but talking about the slave masters didn’t require any restraint. He She had heard about Shao Xuan and the eagle Chacha from Gu La before the traveling team was formed. When he met Shao Xuan, He She felt a good vibe coming from him.
He She was mild and did not talk too much nonsense. With just a few words, He She helped Shao Xuan get a general understanding of the slave masters in the city.
The great slave master of the Fallen Leaves City was the Fallen Leaves Lord whose name was Su Lun. Since Su Lun attacked and slaughtered slave masters of the Fallen Leaves City twenty years ago, there were less slave masters in the city. Those of the slave masters who were still alive and had a high status were Su Lun’s three sons as well as his two half-sisters.
Su Lun had five sons, but two of them didn’t survive due to various reasons. Now there were three left: the eldest young master Su Ka, the second young master Su Le and the third young master Su Gu. They were born to different women.
In the past two years, the compet.i.tion between the three young masters of the Fallen Leaves City had become increasingly fierce. Though the Fallen Leaves Lord had cooperated with the tribes, he was not much concerned about the tribes’ affairs. However, the young masters were willing to help solve the problems that seemed trivial in the Lord’s mind.
Of course, this was a mutually beneficial relationship.
The Tribesmen could get some information and benefits from the young masters of the Fallen Leaves City to deal with matters relating to their tribes, the success of which could be credited to these young masters. Thus, they could gain more supporters in their compet.i.tion while being recognized by the Fallen Leaves Lord.
“The Hui tribe has an alliance with the second young master Su Le?” asked Shao Xuan. When He She talked about three young masters just now, he paused when mentioning the second young master Su Le.
He She looked at Shao Xuan and didn’t refute it.
The tribesmen regarded slaves from other cities as whetstones and they hoped potential young warriors could be trained by fighting against these slaves. Only by constantly fighting could they become more and more brave, and at the same time, they would grow wary of the slave masters. As the saying goes, “Know your enemy and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.” It was too comfortable for warriors inside their tribes and their vision also becomes narrow. Many warriors who had not seen the slaves thought that slaves were inferior and could be killed at will, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Shao Xuan asked if there were other tribes which had an alliance with any other young master, but He She did not answer this question.
Observing that Shao Xuan seemed to be interested in it, He She reminded, “If you wish to have an alliance with one of the young masters, you’d better choose the eldest young master Su Ka or the second young master Su Le, the third young master…”
“What about the third young master?” asked Shao Xuan.
“It’s said that the third young master doesn’t own any slaves until now.”
The number of slaves a slave master owned could reveal the wealth and strength of that slave master directly. With the ability to enslave, the slave masters would empower those who did not have any faith and then enslave them. Thus, for a slave master, it was considered quite a failure if he did not own any slaves.
The ages of the three young masters of Fallen Leaves City were not much different. However, from the number of slaves they owned, people could understand the difference between their strength.
“Did any tribe choose the third young master so far?” Shao Xuan asked again.
“No.”
Shao Xuan nodded, “I understand, thank you.”
In the next few days, Shao Xuan came to the Hui tribe’s houses every day to learn the language of the slave masters. The language and text of the slave masters were not difficult. Moreover, Shao Xuan was good at memorizing, so he acquired knowledge of the language in just a few days.
After three days, Shao Xuan had learned most of that language. With a hide roll containing the words used by the slave masters, he kept learning after returning to his house. In addition, he often went to the streets and communicated with native speakers. It seemed like it would not take a long time for him to become proficient in the language.
That day, Shao Xuan, who had been in the house learning slave masters’ language for the last few days, took Tuo out. Most of the goods sold in the Fallen Leaves City were simpler and cruder than the ones sold in marketplaces between the tribes, but some were quite novel to the tribesmen, such as animals, herbs, ornaments, etc.
However, it was not their lucky day since they saw the female slave master being carried around again.
As per He She, this slave master must be one of the two half-sisters of the current Fallen Leaves Lord. There may be some reasons why only the two girls among all the brothers and sisters survived. According to the information Shao Xuan obtained, he speculated that these two girls are either smart or brain-dead.
In any case, Shao Xuan did not intend to have any dealings with these slave masters for now. He had not yet decided on a young master to have an alliance with. Only three people of the Flaming Horn tribe came on this trip and they were not well known in the city. So, Shao Xuan was not sure if the cooperation with any slave master would go smoothly.
When Shao Xuan and Tuo were about to leave, someone shouted to them. It was the voice of the female slave master from the wooden sedan.
Shao Xuan pretended he didn’t understand and ignored her.
However, before they could leave, the slaves in front of them had blocked the road.
“Stop!” This time, the slave master used the tribal language, but it sounded a bit coa.r.s.e.
Tuo looked at Shao Xuan, with his hand holding the handle.
Shao Xuan signaled him to be calm and turned to look at the female slave master who was coming close.
“Who are you?” The voice was proud. A hand wearing a variety of ornaments pulled aside the strip in front of the wooden sedan and a face that could not be recognized was shown.
“We are from the Flaming Horn tribe.” replied Shao Xuan.
“Oh? The Flaming Horn tribe? I haven’t heard of it.” said the slave master slowly, “but it doesn’t matter. I believe it’s not a big tribe. Are you willing to follow me?” Her words were full of arrogance and charity, as if it was very glorious to become her slave.
To follow a slave master meant to be a slave, but not to cooperate.
Tuo’s eyes were filled with anger. When he was about to pull out his knife, Shao Xuan stopped him.
Shao Xuan looked at the person on the wooden sedan, “I’m not interested in it.”
The woman on the wooden sedan loosened the strip and snorted.
Next to the wooden sedan, a burly man strode out with a big stone hammer. With his every step, deep footprints were left on the ground. When each step fell, a “bang” sound could be clearly heard and the sand on the ground was shaken.
According to the word on his face, it was a “Pu” slave.
Before Tuo could take action, Shao Xuan stepped forward. When the slave waved the hammer, he escaped sideways. Both his hands took advantage of the situation and directly grabbed the handle of the long stone hammer and then he pulled hard.
The slave holding the hammer suddenly felt a stinging sensation as if his hands were getting roasted and being tossed in the hot desert. He wanted to hold the hammer handle tighter, but he couldn’t resist the greater power of Shao Xuan. Although he tightened his grip, the hammer still got pulled out of his hand.
Crack!
Under the st.u.r.dy force of this action, the arms of the “Pu” slave got dislocated!
Bang!
The “Pu” slave who lost the stone hammer was kicked by Shao Xuan and flew out ten meters before crash landing. He wanted to rise up, but the pain made him sweat and he couldn’t get up for a while.
When the person who had been standing outside the crowd saw this scene, he was a little stunned and then his face beamed with delight. When the person on the wooden sedan was about to call more people out, he shouted, “Stop!”
Hearing this voice, the people who had just gathered around all stepped back. Lowering their heads, they respectfully said, “Young master!”
The people who were ready to fight against Shao Xuan also smoothened their expression and became silent in a moment.
“When did Fallen Leaves City start forcing the tribesmen to become slaves?” asked the young man righteously, while walking towards the crowd.
Hearing his words, Shao Xuan pouted his mouth. You’ve been standing by for so long. Why didn’t you speak out until now? What the h.e.l.l were you doing?