Chapter 18: Construction

Far away in the Barbarian Tribe, Su Xingyu slowly opened his eyes. A flash of exhaustion crossed his gaze as he reached up to rub his temples.

"That was still pushing it. I didn't expect the drain to be so massive; I almost couldn't hold on," he murmured. In just a brief moment, the Divine Source he had accumulated over half a month was completely depleted. The cost of using the Divine Descent Technique was simply outrageous. Fortunately, he had seventy thousand believers supporting him and sharing the burden, otherwise there would have been no way to intimidate those Metal Giants.

However, despite the massive drain, the effect was excellent. He had conquered this Extraordinary Tribe of ten thousand without losing a single soldier—a brilliant victory indeed! With the Metal Giants dealt with, two of the three major factions on the Black Soil Plain had fallen. Only the fiercest Jackal Werewolf Tribe remained.

The Gnolls lived in the Dark Valley, boasting a population of nearly two hundred thousand. Although Gnolls were not an Extraordinary species, they were inherently brutal and belligerent. They could be considered born warriors, and their strength was not to be underestimated.

The Barbarian Race had deeply studied their two old rivals and possessed plenty of intelligence on them. For instance, the Metal Giants were quite laid-back, lacking any desire for expansion. Aside from eating, they spent their days sleeping. Moreover, they were honest and simple-minded, making them very easy to fool.

The Gnolls, on the other hand, were highly aggressive. They monopolized the Dark Valley and forbade any other tribe from existing in their vicinity. They were a bona fide faction of bullies.

This was precisely why Su Xingyu had chosen to deal with the Metal Giants first. Those simple-minded creatures held a deep reverence for powerful beings. As long as a massive army marched to their borders, followed by a shocking Divine Descent, these honest giants would likely seize the opportunity to surrender.

As for the Gnolls? Forget about it. Those inherently savage beasts harbored no reverence for anything. Even if a Divine Spirit descended, they would bare their fangs and snap back.

Su Xingyu had no immediate plans to move against the Gnolls. He intended to wait until spring to deal with them.

***

Having resolved the issue of the Metal Giants, Su Xingyu shifted his focus back to the Barbarian Tribe. With hundreds of thousands of people waiting to be integrated, this was no simple task. He had specially transferred a group of experienced personnel from the Night Tribe for this purpose.

Yet even so, the work progressed with agonizing difficulty. Ultimately, the Barbarian Race's cultural and educational levels were far too low, resulting in many orders being completely unexecutable once issued.

Su Xingyu was somewhat helpless about this. Let alone the Barbarian Tribe, even the current Night Tribe wasn't much better off. Ignorant masses were easier to fool and simpler to convert into believers. They were like blank sheets of paper, having never received any formal education. As long as Su Xingyu instilled some basic knowledge into them, he could easily transform them into Devoted Believers.

Just like modern Primitive Tribes, they still worshipped bizarre totems to this day. By the same logic, Su Xingyu, who could manifest "miracles," only needed to reveal himself a few more times. It wouldn't take long for these empty-headed folks to pledge their allegiance to him.

Conversely, the more educated a person was, the harder it became for them to develop faith—at least, they wouldn't worship strange, obscure Divine Spirits. However, if the tribe was to develop, education had to be implemented. Su Xingyu didn't plan on keeping them in the dark forever. Faith gained through deception was ultimately hollow. True Devoted Believers should be those who understood the essence of their faith and still chose to follow it.

Returning to the matter at hand, under Su Xingyu's tireless efforts, the entire form of the Barbarian Tribe was undergoing a rapid transformation. The original structure of the Barbarian Tribe had been far too chaotic. Their operational efficiency was abysmally low, which was entirely detrimental to the tribe's development, so Su Xingyu simply dismantled it.

Su Xingyu wasn't particularly skilled when it came to institutional systems, but that wasn't a major issue. As long as it functioned, it was fine; any mistakes could be corrected later. He divided the entire tribe into several departments: Production, Manufacturing, Culture, Military, Construction, and Logistics. This was the exact system currently operating within the Night Tribe. The only difference was that the Night Tribe also had an Elder Council.

Each department had its own duties and was responsible for executing the tasks handed down by the City Lord. As for the first City Lord, Su Xingyu temporarily had to take on the role himself. He planned to build the Night Tribe's second city here. After all, the nearby resources were incredibly abundant. Transporting them all the way back would be highly inconvenient, so it made more sense to simply build a city right on the spot.

Under Su Xingyu's arrangements, the entire Barbarian Tribe stronghold was bustling with activity. Building a new city, constructing infrastructure, reclaiming land, and mining ore veins—with all these projects underway simultaneously, hundreds of thousands of people actually didn't seem like enough.

But this wasn't a big problem. With the submission of the Barbarian Tribe, the surrounding vassal tribes naturally chose to submit as well. Su Xingyu didn't immediately relocate their populations, but he did draft a significant number of their young and able-bodied men, further bolstering the labor force at the Barbarian Tribe stronghold.

Did these newly joined tribesmen have any complaints about doing so much heavy labor? Su Xingyu felt they didn't. At the very least, he hadn't seen anyone voice any objections.

Working in the bone-chilling winter was indeed grueling; every gust of wind felt like a slicing blade. However, the hot soup, strong liquor, and large meat-stuffed steamed buns provided by the Night Tribe were undeniably delicious. It was important to note that in past winters, they would mostly just huddle in their homes, eating only one meal a day. Surviving until spring was entirely left up to fate. But now? There was actually work to do in the dead of winter, and it wasn't for nothing. They were provided with generous meals and drinks—this was practically paradise!

The concept of money hadn't yet circulated here; they still relied on a barter system for trade. While the Night Tribe did have a monetary system, it was still in its infancy and lacked proper refinement. Su Xingyu didn't intend to introduce a currency system to the Barbarian Tribe stronghold so quickly; he planned to wait a while longer.

Under Su Xingyu's benevolent governance, the newly joined tribesmen gradually gave their hearts to him, beginning to support the very tribe that had defeated them. They might not understand much, but they knew exactly who treated them better.

Compared to the previous era under the Barbarian Tribe, the current situation was clearly superior. Led by that young ruler, the entire stronghold was undergoing a massive transformation. Not only was there more food, but even the houses they lived in had improved significantly. Furthermore, compared to their previous days of merely scraping by—when they were either fighting wars or on their way to fight wars—this current tribe had true vision. They couldn't quite articulate what was different, but they could distinctly feel a vibrant sense of vitality permeating the entire stronghold.

Everyone was busy. The elderly helped weave clothes and cook, the children were sent to simple schools to learn, and the adults went out to build their own homes.

Yes, their own homes.

The ruler had explicitly told them that they themselves would be the future inhabitants of this city. Since he took over the stronghold, every tribesman had lived a fulfilling life. They worked every day and were thoroughly exhausted, yet watching the city walls grow higher and higher filled their hearts with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Perhaps many years later, when they had grown old, they would be able to point at those towering walls and proudly tell their grandsons, "You see that wall? I carried every single one of those stones up there myself."