Chapter 81: Luo Si

Page (1/3) Chapter 81: Luo Si

“Why couldn’t I be here? Are you so surprised to see me?” Luo Si stood before Li Hongshen, his expression utterly calm, revealing not the slightest trace of astonishment at their encounter. He exuded a composed and steady air.

Li Hongshen, on the other hand, stared in amazement at his senior. The person was the same, the face unchanged, but Luo Si’s attire was now on an entirely different level. The rough beast-hide coat, so characteristic of the Boundless Wilds, had been replaced by a finely crafted silk robe.

The silk garment shimmered with a subtle spiritual glow, and Li Hongshen could sense delicate currents of spiritual energy flowing through it. It was clearly no ordinary item, but rather woven from the threads of spirit beasts—whether spider silk or cocoon, he could not say.

Around Luo Si’s waist was a green beast-hide belt, fastened at the center with a buckle carved from snow-white jade. The buckle, too, gleamed with spiritual light, clearly more than a mere ornament; Li Hongshen guessed it bore inscribed shamanic runes, likely granting it practical uses in battle.

Below, Luo Si wore a pair of leather shoes, which seemed unremarkable at first glance. Yet Li Hongshen recognized the material—so like the guiding map wielded earlier by the Shaman Guide—and guessed they were made from the hide of a wild beast. Envy welled up within him.

Luo Si’s once-burly frame now resembled a tailor’s mannequin, displaying his ensemble with imposing grandeur. Next to him, Li Hongshen’s own finely woven linen clothes seemed rather plain and humble.

“It’s not that, Senior Brother—you’re, of course, free to come here. I just… I just…”

“You feel as if I’ve become a different person, and perhaps you expected to surpass me by now, didn’t you?”

“No, actually, I’d somewhat prepared myself for this. On my way here, I hadn’t heard any word of you. At first, I thought I’d simply missed you, but I also wondered if you’d ended up deep in the Hundred-Thousand Mountains.

So when you appeared before me now, I was still taken aback. I didn’t realize at all that the person I’d traded with earlier was you. And looking at you now, you clearly don’t lack for salt, do you?”

Li Hongshen had found it strange, not hearing any mention of Senior Luo Si during the migration. After all, his first camp had been one of Luo Si’s cast-offs.

By rights, Luo Si should have traveled the same path, but for some reason, there was no trace of him. None of the passing senior brothers or sisters had seen Luo Si’s tribe.

Later, Li Hongshen reasoned that it was not so unusual. The Hundred-Thousand Mountains had several routes, each with numerous branches. Missing news of Luo Si wasn’t so strange after all.

Page (2/3)

After all, under the pressure of external competitors and the Void Enemy Clans, civilization had resorted to training lords in batches, like a production line, so there was little opportunity for newcomers to get to know one another on a large scale.

Middle schoolers might still attend orientation sessions and make friends outside their own class, but high schoolers were thrown straight into the Boundless Wilds on the second day, with no chance to meet others.

The so-called classes were little more than assignments of guidance teachers; most lords graduated high school without even recognizing all their classmates, interacting mainly with members of their own alliances.

Li Hongshen had considered that the camps near the Savage Beast Forest were under no small amount of pressure, being so close to the entrance of the Hundred-Thousand Mountains, and the number of beasts there would not be few.

As for the native tribes, the teachers would certainly have arranged for Luo Si to have one—if not the Lang, then another tribe. Even if there were none nearby, people would be deployed from the Outer Domain to form a native tribe.

So it was no surprise that Luo Si was one of the top students of his year. Now, finding him deep in the Hundred-Thousand Mountains, Li Hongshen felt nothing odd.

“You’re the one who really surprised me! I expected to run into you in the middle circle, not so soon—and yet here we are! How long have you been here, anyway?”

“Five years. I came after the small trade fair five years ago. By then, the rainy season had already begun, which is why you didn’t see me last time.”

“Impressive. But even if you’d been at the last trade fair, I wouldn’t have met you. I only attend the major trade years, which happen once every ten years. Only then does our alliance send out merchant caravans from deep within the Hundred-Thousand Mountains.

This time, it was my turn to lead the caravan. Ha! Fate truly brings people together.”

Li Hongshen smiled at his side, though he doubted it was merely fate.

“I doubt it’s just fate. You haven’t told me yet—if you can organize caravans and travel freely through the Hundred-Thousand Mountains, you must have no shortage of salt or resources. And you don’t look like someone who’d be swept out by the Wilds, so why were you out there that day, dressed in such rustic attire?

I was curious before—why would a senior brother, able to trade livestock in bulk, be peddling goods in the open? You must have had your reasons.”

Page (3/3)

Hearing Li Hongshen’s words, Luo Si’s laughter faltered, becoming somewhat awkward.

“Are all the new students these days this sharp? I certainly wasn’t so observant back then, noticing such blind spots.

Well, the truth is, I’d accepted a task from the Society, to scout and select new members.

The number of new lords within our civilization is steadily growing, and the school continues to expand, but the quality varies greatly. If we want reliable new members, we have to start screening early.

A new student who arrives on campus ahead of time, instead of at the last minute, shows seriousness and responsibility.

Those who know about the campus marketplace have already researched the school’s culture and information, which marks them as prepared and steady.

And those who can conduct trades—especially with me—demonstrate real capability.

After all, I chose ordinary livestock as my trade goods because it’s ideal for new students: not too valuable for the seniors, who already have their own supply chains and access to hunting grounds, but just right for the newcomers, who need such beasts to establish their internal cycles. Even those who already have some wouldn’t mind getting more, and at worst they’d come and ask questions, allowing me to glean information—new students are always easier to trick.

Of course, I’m just one of the scouts. Other society members were out selling different goods, all to evaluate the newcomers. So—are you interested in joining my society?”

Hearing this, Li Hongshen suddenly understood: Luo Si’s real intent had been to recruit new members. No wonder he’d behaved that way and even offered Li Hongshen advice on a good camp location.

But then again, Li Hongshen wondered if he’d been taken in by Luo Si’s tricks—had he ever been deceived by him? He wasn’t sure… or had he?

(End of Chapter)