Chapter 394 - 194: Encountering Desert Bandits

"Please, take a look. Is there anything else you need? Our Tribe has many other good things."

"Alright, I’ll take another look."

Accompanied by the Chieftain, Zhang Peng strolled through the Tribe. It was the third day since he had left the Wraith Mountain Range, and he had found a new Tribe. It wasn’t large, with only about two thousand members, but Zhang Peng didn’t look down on it. ’Business is business, and every little bit adds up,’ he thought. ’Who knows what treasures might be hidden in a place like this?’

Learning that Zhang Peng was a Merchant here to trade, the Chieftain was very enthusiastic, having every household bring out their goods for Zhang Peng to pick from. The Wasteland was simply too barren and transportation too inconvenient. It was a difficult affair for Tribes like theirs, with only two or three thousand people, to trade among themselves. So when a Merchant arrived, the Chieftain was naturally overjoyed.

Zhang Peng primarily traded for basic materials. These were easy to offload, selling well not just among the various Tribes, but also among the Lords. Every Mobile Fortress upgrade required basic materials, and the demand was immense. Summoning and creating troops also depended on basic materials, making them a hot commodity.

Aside from basic materials, Zhang Peng would also purchase local specialties or items imbued with Magic Power. He’d toss them into his Warehouse to keep in reserve; even if he never used them, the loss would be minimal.

After a lap around the Tribe, the trading was more or less finished. Zhang Peng had acquired all the basic materials he could. As for other items, such as the Weapons the Natives were fond of, Zhang Peng had no interest at all. ’I have no use for those things,’ he thought. ’If I want Weapons, my Warehouse is full of them.’

After the battle against the Cancerous Tumor Alliance Army, there were far too many Weapons. They filled an entire Warehouse, and anyone who wanted one could simply take it.

But both Liu Xingxing’s Catmen and Zhang Peng’s Gophers were summoned with their own gear. Unlike Li Ziyu’s Skeleton Undead, they didn’t show up empty-handed. They arrived fully armed and equipped, with no need for the Weapons in the Warehouse.

In fact, many of the items Zhang Peng was now trading away were those very Weapons, and they were quite popular among the Tribes. The Cancerous Tumor Alliance Army had fielded elite Warriors, and their Weapons were a cut above what ordinary Races used.

"Alright, that about does it. This should be enough for now. I’ll be back again." Having looped back to the front of the Tribe, Zhang Peng said his goodbyes to the Chieftain.

"You’re always welcome, always! You absolutely must come again." The Chieftain grabbed Zhang Peng’s hand and shook it vigorously. Having a trade caravan visit was a wonderful surprise, especially since Zhang Peng’s goods included a considerable amount of food and Weapons—all things they desperately needed.

When he first saw Zhang Peng produce a seemingly endless supply of food and Weapons, the Chieftain had briefly entertained the idea of detaining him and seizing his cargo. But one look at the Black Armor Warriors by Zhang Peng’s side, and he quietly abandoned that notion. ’Those guys look tough,’ he had thought. ’It wouldn’t be worth getting myself killed over some goods I might not even get.’

He nodded and was about to turn and leave with his Gophers and Black Knights when a crowd of figures appeared in the distance, shambling their way toward the Tribe.

Zhang Peng peered curiously at the approaching figures, failing to notice the awful expression that had suddenly appeared on the Chieftain’s face behind him.

"Why are those guys here?"

Zhang Peng overheard the Chieftain’s quiet muttering and turned to him. "What is it?" he asked.

The Chieftain ignored Zhang Peng, spun around, and sprinted back toward the Tribe, shouting as he ran, "Pack everything up! Desert Bandits! The Desert Bandits are here!"

At the Chieftain’s shouts, the entire Tribe descended into chaos. The tribespeople, who had just been celebrating their profitable trades, were now panic-stricken. They hastily hauled their belongings indoors as women and children scrambled into the houses for cover. The men, meanwhile, grabbed their Weapons and rushed out, following the Chieftain as they surged to the front of the Tribe to stare fixedly at the approaching crowd.

The blazing sun overhead cast long shadows. Zhang Peng shaded his eyes with his hand to peer into the distance, but he couldn’t make out their faces. He counted two or three hundred people, and they didn’t seem to be from a single Race—it looked like a mix of many.

"Mr. Zhang, you should leave now. There’s still time to get away." The Chieftain, having returned to Zhang Peng’s side with his armed men, glanced at the approaching group as he spoke.

Zhang Peng looked away from the crowd and turned to the Chieftain. "Those are the Desert Bandits?"

"Yes. They’re a local band of Desert Bandits. They show up from time to time... I can’t believe you had the bad luck to be here for it. You should hurry and go," the Chieftain said, a note of urgency in his voice.

He wasn’t telling Zhang Peng to leave out of concern for him. They had only just met today, and while a visiting trade caravan was a rare event, it was insignificant compared to the Tribe’s safety.

The Chieftain’s motives for urging Zhang Peng to leave were twofold. For one, he hoped Zhang Peng might serve as a distraction for the Desert Bandits. For another, he feared that if the bandits saw them with a trade caravan, they would demand even more tribute.

Zhang Peng nodded to show he understood, but he didn’t make a move. He remained standing in place, a hint of excitement in his eyes.

Desert Bandits were essentially just robbers and brigands of the Wasteland, parasites who made a living through plunder. Zhang Peng himself had run into them several times just last month.

Desert Bandits weren’t like the Cancerous Tumor Races. The Cancerous Tumor Races were entire species that were inherently malicious and enjoyed preying on others, operating as a single-Race Tribe. The Desert Bandits, however, were different. They were composed of many different Races and were not a Tribe, but a group united purely by self-interest.