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.
âItâs just some maggots. So what if theyâre burned? They canât possibly be useful, could they?â
Hui Yan consoled himself.
Maggots manifested after corpses started to rot. Moreover, in a few days, theyâd become a kind of bug that could fly, laying eggs everywhere. By then, the tribe would become so dirty that itâd be impossible to live in.
âSigh, if only the children in the tribe can hurry up and learn witchcraft.â
Hui Yanâs head was aching.
He didnât doubt Sun Moâs sincerity. If Sun Mo hadnât taught Hui Shi seriously, it was impossible for him to perform the Witchcraft: Beast Transformation. Therefore, this showed that learning witchcraft required aptitude.
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 didnât treat Sun Mo as one of their own.
â¦
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.
âPlease go and call the chieftain over!â
Sun Mo instructed.
âIâll go!â
Gu Xiuxun was temporarily serving as Sun Moâs secretary.
âGreat Teacher Sun!â
Hui Yan had come and started laughing loudly from afar. He took the initiative to explain. âI saw that maggots had manifested in that stone house and had people help you clean them up.â
âI was rearing them!â
Sun Moâs tone was icy-cold.
âUhh!â
The chieftain was stumped.
(They were really reared by you?) He really wanted to ask, âIs there something wrong with your brain?â
The other primitive people also looked astonished.
âWhy are you rearing these things? You canât possibly be planning to use them for food, right?â
âThese things are very dirty and one might die from eating them!â
âI donât get it!â
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.
âThe first generation of maggots are definitely filled with germs. Even animals canât eat them, let alone humans. But after theyâve reproduced a few generations later, itâd be fine.â
Sun Mo explained.
âWhat are germs?â
Everyone was stunned.
âYou guys wonât understand even if I were to explain it.â
âChieftain, do you know what humansâ greatest enemy is? Itâs arrogance! Youâre using your backdated gaze to look at something new.â
âWhat do you mean by that?â
Hui Yanâs countenance didnât look good. After all, he was the head of a tribe and cared about his face.
âYou guys must have seen a lot of wild chickens and ducks on your hunting trips, right? How did they come about?â
Sun Mo asked.
âHaha, you donât even know this? Of course, they were born from chicken and duck hens. They couldnât have been born from rocks, right?â
Hui Que sneered.
âWhat happened then?â
Sun Mo asked again.
âThen they grow up and get caught by us, becoming our food.â
Hui Que smiled. âDonât worry, weâre different from those people from the Red Rock Tribe. Even if we are intolerably hungry, we wonât kill young animals.â
âYou guys are aware that you should wait until the animals grow up before you kill them?â
Sun Moâs lips twitched. âSince animals can grow in the wild, then why canât they grow in the tribe?â
The primitive people fell silent.
They didnât have any ideas about raising livestock.
âIf wild chickens and ducks can grow up in the village, wonât it save the effort of having to go out to hunt?â
Sun Mo asked again.
âThatâs right, why didnât I think about that before?â
âI did think about it before, but how much food will they need to eat? We canât even feed ourselves!â
âI kept a little bird my father caught for me. It died after a few days.â
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.
âGreat 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. Itâs very troublesome.â
The chieftain wasnât stupid.
âThatâs why we have to rear maggots. As long as we take good care of them, they can reproduce very quickly. Moreover, theyâd be able to reproduce endlessly across the seasons. Itâs the best food for chickens and ducks.â
Sun Mo explained. âAs 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.â
Some primitive people fell silent.
Everyone knew about maggots. Itâd take only a few days before a corpse would be filled with them. Thereâd be an endless supply of them, and it was sufficient to feed the chickens and ducks.
âBut maggots will turn into a bug that can fly!â
Hui Que argued.
âThatâs why we have to rear the maggots scientifically, forming an echelon. Before the maggots become flies, those that canât be eaten should be gotten rid of in advance.â
Sun Mo tapped on his head. âUse your brains more.â
Hui Yan had remained silent all this while. The reason why he was able to become the chieftain wasnât 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 gods had the right to experience, right?
âGreat Teacher Sun, you know how to rear maggots?â
Someone asked hesitantly.
âIf Teacher doesnât know how to, then where did these maggots come from? I told you guys not to burn them, but you refuse to listen.â
Hui Shi was very angry. (Teacherâs efforts have all gone to waste.)
âGreat Teacher Sun, uh, Prophet Sun, itâs all my fault.â
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.
âHave you guys thought about this before? If itâs hard to rear chickens and ducks, then why not rear cows and sheep? These two animals eat grass.â
Sun Mo taught them. âChildren are young and unable to go out to hunt. However, they should know how to cut grass, right?â
Most of the time, there wasnât enough food for the tribesmen. Even if there was occasionally excess food, theyâd be wind-dried into jerky.
âIf female sheep give birth to lambs, even if the number isnât a lot, assuming two lambs each time, youâll be able to have a herd in just a few years.â
Sun Mo continued to entice them.
As expected, the womenâs gazes instantly became fervent.
Even in the modern world, who wouldnât want to be able to lead better lives?
âWhen mother sheep give birth to lambs, Iâll teach you guys how to help them give birth!â
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 wouldnât matter if it were to die.
âProphet Sun, please teach me how to rear chickens!â
âProphet Sun, I wish to learn to rear sheep!â
âI wish to learn to rear maggots!â
Amidst the chaotic voices of wanting to learn to rear chickens and sheep, someone suddenly said that they wanted to rear maggots. Sun Mo couldnât help but look over.
This person was a smart one.
If the person were to specialize in selling maggots, theyâd be able to live a good life.
Hui Yanâs rough and tanned face flushed even redder from awkwardness and embarrassment.
âYou didnât throw away the mushrooms I grew, did you?â
Sun Mo then asked.
Hui Yanâs gaze immediately turned toward his tribesmen. If anyone were to lay their hands on Sun Moâs things, heâd drive them out of the tribe.
âCome, letâs go and check them out!â
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, clusters 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.
âProphet.â
Hui Yan was so agitated that his body was shivering.
âItâs not poisonous. Do you want to give it a try?â
Sun Moâs words had just finished when Hui Yan couldnât 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 didnât taste too good, but they could fill up stomachs!
âProphet, can these be grown during winter?â
Hui Yan asked.
âYes, but the stone houseâs temperature must be assured. It canât be too low.â
Sun Mo smiled.
âThatâs simple!â
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, weâll have an endless supply of mushrooms and wonât have to grow hungry anymore.)
Hui Yan thought this and then, with a plop, dropped to his knees, kowtowing toward Sun Mo.
âGreat Prophet, please pardon my ignorance and offense!â
This time around, Hui Yan was really convinced and willingly wanted to let Sun Mo become the tribeâs great prophet.
âGet up!â Sun Mo didnât mind it at all. âThe reason Iâm teaching you guys these things isnât to become the prophet.â
After Hui Yan made a few kowtows, he left the stone house and bellowed at the tribesmen who were watching the show from outside.
âFrom today onward, Great Teacher Sun will be our tribeâs great prophet. Whoever treats him with disrespect will be beheaded as a penalty!â
Sssss!
Hui Yanâs 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 wouldnât Hui Shiâs status become higher too?
He couldnât take that!
Therefore, he shouted, âChieftain, Sun Mo is just an outsider! Please think twice!â
âTake him away! Hang him up and give him a beating!â
Hui Yan didnât give any explanation and just dealt a punishment.
âOh right, Prophet, weâve found some of the plants you had us look for.â
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 sugarcaneâ¦
âDid you guys discover a lot of sugarcanes?â
Sun Mo was very happy that heâd be able to show off his skills again.
âA lot.â
The chieftain nodded.
âThen please chop down the sugarcanes and bring them back.â
If the chieftain had heard such requests one day ago, heâd definitely ask for the reason. But he didnât dare to do that now and just did as he was told.
âHui Shi, go bring people and chop down the sugarcanes.â
Hui Yan instructed.
âAlright!â
Hui Shi was so excited that his face was flushed. He had benefited because of Sun Mo and was promoted. Otherwise, given his age, he wouldnât have the right to lead a team.
Three days later, Hui Shiâs team brought back a lot of sugarcane. Sun Mo didnât 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.
âToday, weâll be making sugar!â
Sun Mo announced.
âSugar? Whatâs that?â
None of the aboriginals from the stone age knew that.
âYou know about this as well?â
Bai Fu was surprised.
This skill was strictly confidential even in the Nine Provinces.
Sugar was as expensive as silver, and ordinary families wouldnât be able to afford them.
âI happened to have learned it before.â
In the modern days, Sun Mo had read webnovels. Out of which, the methods to make sugar and salt that were mentioned in historical novels were necessary means to become rich and accumulate 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.
Itâd 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.
âStay back a little. Itâs hot.â
Lu Zhiruo kept on reminding them.
âAlright, take it out!â
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, itâd just be a slab of paste.
Finally, all the process was completed.
Looking at the brown sugar on the bamboo board, Hui Yanâs throat rolled and he gulped his saliva.
âGive it a try!â
Sun Mo wasnât interested in this.
He could turn the brown sugar into white sugar by refining and filtering it even more. However, there wasnât 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 bornâ¦
This sugar was filled with the taste of happiness!
Tears uncontrollably slid down Hui Yanâs face.
Having eaten sugar before, it was worth it even if he were to die down.
âThis brown sugar can be used as your tribeâs key product and exchanged for other resources with other tribes.â
Sun Mo suggested.
Plop!
Hui Yan knelt again.
He didnât 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 gods had the right to enjoy!
And the great prophet had brought it to the Gray Rock Tribe.
Sun Moâs 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.
Fishing 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 passed 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.
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