Chapter 137: Vicious and Heinous Tactics!

Over an hour later, Song Qi and Chu Shaojiang followed the trio to the Longhe Tribe’s settlement.

It was slightly different from what Song Qi had expected. While the people of the Longhe Tribe were indeed clad in animal skins, their houses were not constructed of thatch or dead branches. Instead, they were reinforced with hewn logs. There were no significant cracks or leaks; on the contrary, the structures were dense and sturdy, appearing to offer excellent insulation and soundproofing.

"That makes sense, I suppose. The people here are much stronger than your average savage. With strength measured in thousands of pounds, their fingernails are probably as sharp as files."

Song Qi and Chu Shaojiang stood waiting. Before long, the couple returned, hurrying over with an elderly man in tow. The elder was robust, his body still marked with several freshly healed scars. It seemed he was the chief of the Longhe Tribe.

The moment he reached Song Qi and caught a clear sight of their magnificent attire—which was visibly distinct from their own—all his doubts vanished. Apart from the Divine Kingdom, no place on this continent could produce such exquisite clothing! His knees buckled, and he prepared to kneel.

"Beast-blood warrior Zhao Ji pays respects to the Divine Envoys..."

Song Qi wasn't comfortable accepting a kneeling gesture from a man who looked sixty, and he started to reach out—but Chu Shaojiang was faster, stepping forward to support the man.

"No need to kneel." Chu Shaojiang’s expression was ice-cold. "The Divine Envoys are kind-hearted and prefer substance over ceremony. None of that empty flattery is necessary. Let’s get straight to the point. Prepare the information on the Witch Master, guide us on a tour of the tribe, and finally, show us the tribute you have prepared."

Song Qi glanced at Chu Shaojiang with slight confusion. *Wait. Are you a mind reader? I haven't said a word, yet you guessed everything?*

Seeming to sense Song Qi’s gaze, Chu Shaojiang turned his head. "Divine Envoy, is there anything else you would like to instruct?"

*Perhaps I could take this opportunity to inquire about the abilities and information of those so-called 'gods'?* Since they ruled this land, they must have intervened at some point. There might be records. Song Qi thought for a moment and said, "Also, the myths and legends of this place..."

Chu Shaojiang understood instantly and turned back to the chief.

"Yes, and bring out all the books you have collected for the Divine Envoys to see. Especially the ones concerning the gods! The books recording the heroic combat of the gods—bring them all out! If you can satisfy the Divine Envoys, you will be well rewarded!"

Hearing this, the elder dared not delay. "Rest assured, Divine Envoy, I will have someone fetch them at once!" He nudged his son and daughter-in-law, who understood his meaning, bowed to Song Qi, and ran off in the other direction.

"My lords, shall I lead the way?"

"That would be trouble for you, old man."

"Not at all, not at all."

The three of them began to tour the tribe. Soon, Song Qi noticed something amiss. While there were many people in the tribe, most appeared frail and weak, with only a small number possessing abnormally robust physiques. Most importantly, as they moved further into the settlement, the houses became increasingly dilapidated. Many people were even skin and bones, a stark contrast to the robust, well-built individuals they had seen earlier.

"Old man, it seems not many in your tribe have undergone the blood transfusion?" Song Qi asked. "I heard from your son earlier that everyone in your tribe had undergone the transfusion, didn't I?"

The elder replied respectfully, "The Divine Envoy misunderstands. All commoners in our tribe become beast-blood warriors upon reaching adulthood. The people we see now are actually slaves; they have no qualifications for the transfusion."

"Slaves?" Song Qi was stunned. "What are the proportions of slaves to commoners in your tribe?"

"Replying to the Envoy, there are 25,000 slaves and 3,000 commoners! The ratio is well within the limits set by the gods, ensuring we can provide the maximum tribute to them." The elder even displayed a hint of pride. "Please rest assured, Divine Envoy. Even though the Mountain Tiger Tribe stole 2,000 slaves, this year's tribute will not be reduced in the slightest."

*Slaves? Commoners? Divine Envoys?*

*BOOM!*

Song Qi’s mind exploded!

He finally understood why the couple felt no discomfort in offering infants as tribute. The problem lay in class and power! Due to the existence of the blood transfusion method, there was not only a difference in status between commoners and slaves, but an even greater gap in strength. Faced with beings they could crush with a flick of their fingers, compounded by the chasm in status, they no longer viewed the so-called slaves as their own kind.

Therefore, they felt no rage at seeing the slaves' infants being taken away. They might even actively suppress the slaves or those who sought to liberate them, fearing that their own class status would be stripped away.

*Using status as a tool to trigger class division. Then inciting mutual conflict to keep the lower classes fighting each other, ensuring they can never unite?*

*This way, the gods don't even need to worry about them. If a slave revolt occurs, or someone appears to liberate them, the humans themselves will suppress it! Because these 'commoners' have come to view the slaves as their own property and will never be willing to give them up!*

*Commoners can never see slaves as their own, and once slaves gain freedom, they will inevitably hate the commoners to the core!*

*They are fellow humans, yet they have been ruthlessly torn into two mutually exclusive groups?*

*Is this a tactic a monster could devise?!* Song Qi felt a chill run through his entire body! The entity that designed this system understood human nature to the extreme—and was also malicious to the extreme!

"In that case, these humans who look normal have actually long since become slaves to the monsters! After a hundred years of domestication and habit, they have come to take this behavior for granted!"

While Song Qi was lost in thought, the couple returned, carrying a stack of stone tablets. "Divine Envoy, the left side contains intelligence on the Mountain Tiger Tribe, and the right contains the stories we have collected about the gods."

The stone tablets were heavy, but to Song Qi, they were easy to handle. He picked up the tablets regarding the Mountain Tiger Tribe and began to read. Soon, he found the information he was looking for.

"Chief of the Mountain Tiger Tribe, Shan Ming... exceptionally intelligent in his youth..."

"Fifteen years ago, Shan Ming defied the heavenly order! He suggested that his father implement a 'slaves are also our kin' strategy to strengthen the tribe's combat power, but was harshly scolded by his father."

"Ten years ago, he became chief and performed blood transfusions on a small number of slaves. Reported by other tribes, a Divine Envoy crippled one of his arms as punishment."

"Five years ago, Shan Ming led hundreds of beast-blood warriors deep into the wild to hunt. He did not return for three months, claiming to have encountered fierce beasts; only about a hundred men returned with him."

"One year ago, Shan Ming became a Barbarian-blood warrior. An abnormal riot occurred within the tribe, but it was quickly suppressed."

"Two months ago, Shan Ming began large-scale raids on other tribes, constantly plundering their slaves! Countless commoners died at his hands!"

"One month ago..."