I am a Primitive Man-Chapter 824: “The Spring that Breeds War
Chapter 824 – “The Spring that Breeds War
Shu Pi no longer dared to make a heated stone kang. The near-fatal experience of almost cooking the Black Stone Tribe chief, and the subsequent brutally memorable beating, had instilled in him a deep fear of constructing such a fire bed.
Although he had considered killing the Black Stone Tribe chief—or any other members of the Black Stone Tribe—he did not dare act on it now.
When people attempt significant, high-stakes actions, summoning courage is never easy. Once that courage is worn down, regaining it becomes even more difficult.
The night of his beating, Shu Pi had barely contained his fury; now, with his injuries mostly healed, summoning that level of courage again seemed nearly impossible.
However, aside from building the fire bed and killing the Black Stone Tribe chief, there were other things Shu Pi could do.
At this moment, he squatted on the ground, holding a sharp-edged stone in one hand—useful as a chopping or smashing tool—and a thick wooden stick in the other, striking the stick repeatedly.
He was preparing to craft a new bow, one that could shoot farther than the one he usually used.
This bow was not for his own use but intended as a gift for the Black Stone Tribe chief.
Shu Pi had resolved that from now on, he would act even more submissively.
The decision was motivated by two reasons. First, the severity of his previous beating had instilled fear, and he wanted to perform better to avoid future punishment.
Second, just a few days prior, he had learned a shocking truth: why the Black Stone Tribe had attacked his former tribe.
Initially, Shu Pi had assumed, as the Blue Flower Tribe chief claimed, that the evil Black Stone Tribe had discovered his tribe and intended to kill them all, seize their hard-earned food, and even consume them as food.
Because the Blue Flower Tribe chief had warned him, his tribe was prepared, repelling the Black Stone Tribe’s first attack. Shu Pi had felt gratitude toward the Blue Flower Tribe chief and her people.
However, a few days ago, casual conversations among the Black Stone Tribe revealed the truth: the Black Stone Tribe had never known of his tribe’s existence.
The attack had occurred only because the Blue Flower Tribe chief had told them about his tribe—its wealth, the rewards of conquest, and even its location.
Upon confirming this, Shu Pi’s world shook.
The same female tribeswoman who had once crawled through grass with him—strong, beautiful, seemingly kind—had betrayed them so cruelly?
Her previous kindness, warning him of the impending Black Stone attack, now seemed a false façade.
Betrayal struck Shu Pi to the point of tears. He had never imagined someone could be so wicked.
The taste of deception was bitter, especially for a straightforward, primitive person.
Where once he had felt deep gratitude toward the Blue Flower Tribe chief, now he harbored intense anger—far surpassing even his resentment toward the Black Stone Tribe chief, who had destroyed his tribe and captured him.
Part of this was fear: the Black Stone Tribe was too strong, and he dared not attack them. Thus, he displaced some of his hatred onto the relatively weaker Blue Flower Tribe.
After several days of reflection, Shu Pi devised a plan: by demonstrating increased submission, he would gain the Black Stone Tribe chief’s trust, gain access to weapons like bows and arrows, and eventually have the means to kill the Blue Flower Tribe chief.
Indeed, hatred and hardship sometimes proved the best teachers, imparting knowledge at a high cost.
In the snow-covered cave, the female chief of the Grass Tribe sat roasting a fish on a stick over the fire.
As time passed, the frozen fish softened, releasing a rich aroma.
Once cooked, she ate two fish and gave the smaller one to a nearby male tribesman—the first from Shu Pi’s former tribe to release a fish trap in the Grass Tribe. His status in the tribe had risen significantly, nearly becoming second only to the female chief.
This was evident even in food: he alone received freshly roasted fish outside of mealtime.
In this era, the ability to provide food naturally conferred high status, akin to wealth in later societies.
The male tribesman finished eating and soon followed the chief deeper into the cave, unnoticed or unremarked upon by others.
At the Blue Flower Tribe, their chief lay near a fire in a semi-conscious state, unable to sleep properly due to cold and hunger.
The cave contained stored food, but she dared not eat—rationing was necessary to ensure her tribe survived the winter.
Lying there, she recalled her tribe’s former life: winters had been milder, the Black Stone Tribe had not yet appeared, and whatever prey or fruit they gathered was their own. How beautiful life had been!
Now, that life was gone.
Her plan to use Shu Pi’s tribe to defeat the Black Stone Tribe had failed; even the seemingly strong Shu Pi Tribe had been destroyed, leaving her tribe without spoils.
Initially, she had not minded that her tribe had missed out on captives from the Shu Pi Tribe. She even worried that war captives might destabilize her tribe.
But by autumn, she realized those tribes that received the captives provided plentiful, high-quality food to the Black Stone Tribe without hesitation.
Most surprisingly, those tribes seemed joyous in doing so.
The Blue Flower chief, clever as she was, learned that the Shu Pi captives mainly produced two types of tools: bows and fish traps—both essential for acquiring abundant food.
Her tribe desperately needed these tools. Unfortunately, other tribes would not teach her how to make or use them.
Frustrated yet determined, she resolved to obtain these tools through Shu Pi.
Although Shu Pi had been a tribal leader, he was now a slave under the Black Stone Tribe. The Shu Pi Tribe no longer existed; hoarding knowledge was meaningless.
She did not worry whether Shu Pi knew why the Black Stone Tribe attacked; both he and the brutal chief of the Black Stone Tribe were not especially clever.
Having visited him twice, she had even seen him smile at her recently—hardly indicative of knowledge of her deception.
Even if he did learn, she was confident in her ability to redirect his resentment from her to the Black Stone Tribe.
The fire in the cave burned steadily, reflecting her burning resolve.
She silently urged: Spring, come quickly! Once it arrives, we can obtain the tools from Shu Pi and secure abundant food for the tribe!
Spring eventually arrived. Thick snow melted; streams gurgled once more. In the Green Sparrow Tribe, rivers swelled with melting ice, and runoff carried ice blocks downstream, sometimes forming temporary ice dams.
From afar, bare willow branches sprouted faint green buds.
After half a winter, the Green Sparrow Tribe promptly took to the fields.
Hoes lifted and turned moist soil, copper shovels pried and dug—the scent of fresh earth filled the air.
“Ha!”
“Wo!”
“Lie lie!”
Red-roped whips cracked as farmers shouted, plowing the fields with animals.
Even miners ceased work at the Copper Mountain area, joining in the tribe’s vital spring sowing.
Years of production and manufacturing had left the Green Sparrow Tribe with sufficient bronze tools and ingots. Before the new sowing season, Han Cheng had ordered the temporary halt of bronze and tin production to prioritize agriculture.
Abundant food was the foundation of the tribe.
Though heavy agricultural emphasis made sense in their context, Han Cheng did not restrict trade, knowing its vital role in society.
Han Cheng also actively participated, rolling up his sleeves and working the fields alongside the tribe.
About ten days after Green Sparrow sowing began, spring arrived at the Blue Flower Tribe.
The tribe chief, weakened after winter, called out joyfully. Her people followed, leaving their caves with crude tools, treading remaining snow.
They dispersed to survey the land. Beneath the snow, they sought stones, tree roots, and occasionally, animals that had frozen or starved over winter—cheering whenever they found such bounty.
Spring invigorated all.
Meanwhile, the Black Stone Tribe chief tested a newly crafted longbow.
Nocking an arrow, he drew and released—the arrow flew farther than any previous shot, piercing a decayed tree stump.
Grinning, he patted Shu Pi’s head in approval. Shu Pi beamed, appearing even happier than if he had hunted a large prey.
The Black Stone chief retrieved two more arrows from a Shu Pi-made quiver and shot them. Then he glanced at an older bow on the ground—the one used initially by Shu Pi.
Due to age and poor maintenance, its elasticity had declined. Though once the tribe’s best, the new bow now surpassed it.
Pointing at Shu Pi and then the bow on the ground, the chief returned ownership of the older bow to Shu Pi.
Shu Pi’s joy was immense. Before retrieving the bow, he pounded his chest, promising the chief he would use it to secure more food and protect the tribe.
The chief’s satisfaction grew at Shu Pi’s response, making him even happier.
Chapter 824: “The Spring that Breeds War
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