Chapter 228 - 226: The Xi Race and the Nameless People

After killing a True Gang-level Temple Knight, Yang Shen continued on his way.

The good news was that the arrow on his device had stopped wavering.

The bad news was that it had stopped moving entirely. No matter which way Yang Shen turned, the arrow always pointed straight ahead.

Across the desolate landscape, Yang Shen was still trying to find his way.

He wasn’t particularly panicked. The supplies on his back weren’t expensive equipment but rather drinking water, food, seeds, and the like—just standard provisions.

If he were the only one using them, they would last for at least a month. ’I can’t possibly stay lost for an entire month, can I?’

’At that rate, I’d probably have explored the other continents of the Noon Realm...’

Standing on a mountain ridge, Yang Shen spotted a figure in strange clothing below, herding sheep...

’Well, they’re probably sheep. The size and build match, but they have four horns...’

’It must be a local!’

At that moment, the sheep’s complex set of four horns was wedged in a rock crevice, leaving it completely stuck. The Shepherd was anxiously trying to pull it out.

Yang Shen observed for a moment before deciding to reveal himself. A local would know the area better than he did, and wandering around blindly was too risky.

He leaped down, plummeting several dozen meters, but just before hitting the ground, he instantly activated his Wood Element Escape to negate the momentum.

The sudden appearance of the strange man startled the Shepherd, who nevertheless kept a death grip on the sheep’s rear, refusing to let go.

The Shepherd appeared short and small, his entire body wrapped in a robe that obscured his features.

"&%￥%￥?!!"

Yang Shen took out his device and switched it to translation mode.

The advance team had already collected data on the Noon Realm’s language, but its accuracy was rumored to be questionable.

The other party: "Are you an outlander?"

Yang Shen looked at the text, nodded, and spoke into the device. "Yes, I’m lost. What family are you from?"

The word "outlander" was likely a matter of translation and colloquialism; logically, Yang Shen should have been classified as an "alien."

The Shepherd stared at the device’s screen for a moment before speaking in the local tongue.

"*&%￥..."

Yang Shen looked at the translated text: "I am illiterate."

Yang Shen fell silent.

Yang Shen was now effectively a mute.

He could "understand" what the other was saying, but the Shepherd couldn’t understand him or read his words.

He pulled out a manual and, following the phonetic annotations inside, attempted to speak the "Noon Realm language." But because of his accent, his words were completely unintelligible.

In the end, Yang Shen took a deep breath, raised his hand, and tapped lightly.

The rock trapping the sheep’s horns instantly shattered, and the four-horned sheep was finally free.

The Shepherd muttered what seemed to be thanks, pointing first to the sky and then into the distance. "Quick, follow me! It’s getting dark! A huge sandstorm is coming! I’ll take you back to my family!"

This time, Yang Shen’s hesitation was even longer...

’The only known survivors in the Noon Realm were the Twelve Clans.’

’Six of those clans were located in this region; the other six were very far away.’

’Of the six nearby clans, Yanhua had only managed to "win over" two. Some of the rest had been secured by Europe and Magna, while others had yet to accept these "outlanders."’

’The two clans secured by Yanhua were the Hei Family, who mastered "Curse Engraving: Shadow," and the Yin Family, who mastered "Curse Engraving: Wind."’

’Incidentally, when he’d mentioned "the Xi Family" to the Temple Knight earlier, he had just been bluffing.’

Yang Shen followed the Shepherd’s gesture and saw that the "yellow" in the distance had indeed grown denser, as if a great curtain was descending from the sky and drawing closer.

’A sandstorm... It’s just a routine disaster in the Noon Realm, nothing like the "Calamity Plague" that annihilated this world, but still a major nuisance...’

Yang Shen managed to choke out in the Noon Realm language, "You... welcome... outlanders?"

The Shepherd understood him this time and gave an affirmative answer.

Yang Shen decided to go have a look. Even if it was one of the unaligned clans, waiting outside their stronghold was better than being lost in the mountains.

He simply picked up the sheep, which weighed a mere forty or fifty pounds, and then scooped up the Shepherd, who didn’t feel much heavier...

Tucking one under each arm, he had the Shepherd point the way.

And just like that, he broke into a sprint.

————

「The Noon Realm, at the foot of a certain mountain.」

This place, like the rest of the realm, was nothing but barren and arid.

But on the south-facing side, there was a fissure in the solid rock cliff.

The opening was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a person to pass through. But after walking several dozen paces, it suddenly opened up into a vast, semi-concealed karst cave.

The special terrain of this Yixiantian blocked the endless dust and provided excellent defensive cover, creating one of the few habitable zones in the Noon Realm. More precious still, the valley held an underground water source that had pooled into a lake.

This place supported the most prosperous of the Noon Realm’s Twelve Clans: the Xi Family.

The cavern was tens of thousands of square meters. When the sun was high, light could still pour in from the mountaintop. With just a little light, the smooth stone structure could reflect and illuminate the majority of the area.

Hundreds of primitive, earthen-yellow houses were situated there. Any spot that received a bit of sunlight was reserved for small farm plots, where people occasionally labored with numb expressions, painstakingly tending to withered, yellow crops.

Just then, a group emerged from within Yixiantian. Several guards followed discreetly, their attention fixed on Yang Shen.

The Shepherd had kept his promise, bringing him back to the family. Although he wasn’t met with a cheering welcome, none of the usual melodramatic conflicts broke out, either.

Through a literate guard, Yang Shen had already confirmed that this wasn’t the Hei Family, but rather the Xi Family—the very one he had bluffed about earlier.

’This Noon Realm is a strange place. Speak of the devil...’

He had intended to just wait out the night outside Yixiantian, but the Xi Family invited him in.

Yang Shen recalled the briefing on their situation and ultimately accepted their request.

The Xi Family was the largest clan in the Noon Realm, one that Yanhua was actively trying to win over. The advance team had made contact before, which explained how the Shepherd had recognized him as an "outlander" at a glance.

The ideology of the Noon Realm’s clans was, in fact, extremely unusual.

Everything they did was for the sake of survival.

Even the act of living was solely for the purpose of staying alive.

Their struggles were primarily against nature, not other people. So, even though each clan possessed its "Curse Engraving" inheritance, they were generally averse to fighting.

An injury was basically a death sentence by infection; medicine was even scarcer than food.

People were the most precious resource here...

...second only to livestock.

Yang Shen couldn’t get through with the enormous boxes on his back, barely managing by lifting them overhead with one hand.

Along the way, many people tilted their heads back to stare at the boxes, their expressions a mix of awe at Yang Shen’s strength and longing for the supplies...

Yang Shen observed his surroundings. This place truly was a Grotto Heaven Blessed Land... a sanctuary for the people of the Xi Race.

Though dilapidated, the earthen houses were adorned with patterns and colorful dyes, filling the air with an exotic and mysterious charm.

Many members of the Xi Race stood by the path, a number of them bearing tattoo-like markings—this world’s most wondrous power: Curse Engravings.

These "Tattooed Guests" were staring him down, but Yang Shen wasn’t the least bit flustered. The Noon Realm wasn’t Cyan Blue; based on current intel, the strongest here were merely at the Innate Realm.

Besides, if any trouble arose, he could simply use his Earth Escape to leave.

’The Escape Technique I once disdained most is growing on me the more I use it...’

Yang Shen was led to a slightly larger earthen house where an old man sat waiting. The man’s skin was as rough as if it had been air-dried, and he had only a few teeth left in his mouth.

In the harsh environment of the Noon Realm, living to old age meant one was both incredibly important and powerful.

After all, the average age among the Twelve Clans of the Noon Realm was... seventeen.

The average life expectancy was under thirty.

There was no tea and no formal reception—not that Yang Shen would have partaken, even if they had been offered.

The old man seemed to know Yang Shen had a translation device, waiting for him to take it out before speaking. "Which faction of outlanders are you from?"

The two of them communicated with great difficulty via the translator.

Yang Shen replied, "Yanhua. We should have had dealings with your esteemed clan before."

"These supplies, are they a gift for us?"

As soon as he said this, several of the surrounding Xi Race members showed expressions of intense longing.

Clearly, to the people of the Noon Realm, any supplies were incredibly precious, regardless of what they contained.

The Xi Race was already the most populous of the Twelve Clans, but they still struggled to survive.

Yang Shen, however, denied this and played a little trick. "These are for the Hei Family."

In reality, the supplies belonged to Yanhua and were primarily for its own explorers. He had no idea if they were actually being given to the Hei Family, but that didn’t stop him from saying so.

Yanhua and the other two superpowers were all vying for the allegiance of the Twelve Clans, not only because they mastered the Curse Engravings, but also due to their status as a "rare species."

Transporting supplies to the Vast Sea was difficult, but the goods themselves weren’t particularly valuable to the three superpowers; Harmony Island, for instance, had no shortage of food or drink.

As far as Yang Shen knew, Yanhua, Europe, and Magna had all made contact with the Xi Race, but the clan seemed to be holding out for the highest bidder, so the three superpowers had turned their attention to other clans first.

This was because the Xi Family was the farthest away.

They decided to first establish complete supply lines and technical strongholds elsewhere.

What with the travel time and the difficult journey, a huge disparity had emerged: the clan holding out for a better offer didn’t get any return visits, while the other clans seemed to have benefited a great deal.

Sure enough, at his words, many of the Xi Race members looked crestfallen. A few of the younger, stronger men even shot the elder resentful looks before quickly suppressing them.

The old man fell silent for a long time before speaking. "Can we trade? What’s in the boxes?"

Yang Shen remained impassive, speaking as if he had let his guard down completely. "Food, water, seeds, medicine... it’s all in there."

The boxes were just outside the house. Each time the old man deciphered an item from the translator, he would look up and eye them.

"As for a trade, I’m not sure what you have to offer."

This time, the old man was silent for even longer. He gave a few orders, and someone led a group of people inside.

They were boys and girls, all very young, looking to be only eleven or twelve...

Every one of them was filthy; some were even barely clothed.

"These are all ’Nameless People’ whose clan has not yet been decided. If they meet with your approval, you may take them."

Yang Shen tilted his head, studying them for a moment. ’Slavery?’

’No, it’s more complicated than that...’

The Twelve Clans had a combined population of no more than twenty thousand people, with each clan numbering about a thousand. This meant inbreeding was a major concern.

The social customs of the Noon Realm before its great extinction were unknown, but now, the clans all treated "procreation" as a vital mission.

It resembled a system of walking marriages, where men from all clans typically married women from other clans. The children would then be raised by the mother’s clan.

When the children neared adulthood, the mother’s clan would keep the most talented ones, induct them into their own family, and bestow upon them a Curse Engraving. The rest would be sent back to their father’s clan in exchange for a child-rearing fee.

Until that time, they were known as the "Nameless People."

Were there exceptions? Of course. The children of the powerful and high-ranking might be exempt from this process, but on the whole, it was very common.

In the Noon Realm, one was considered an adult not at eighteen, but at thirteen.

Yang Shen’s gaze swept over the underage children, finally landing on one girl in particular.

Her skin was slightly fairer than the others, and the wind and sun had yet to completely wear away her pretty features. She was sneaking glances at Yang Shen.

Noticing Yang Shen’s gaze, the old man gave a quiet order. The girl stepped forward and knelt before Yang Shen.

The old man said, "If she is to your liking, why not bring out your goods so we can negotiate a price?"

Yang Shen glanced at the Shepherd, ignored the old man’s offer, and changed the subject.

"As the one transporting these supplies, I have some say in their use. But I have no need for a woman."

’A woman would only slow down my delivery speed.’

The old man sighed in disappointment, but then he heard the second part of Yang Shen’s statement.

"About eight months ago, you passed through that gateway for the first time and appeared on an island on the other side."

"You should have encountered some people—unofficial ones. You even helped them retrieve something from the bottom of the sea. Tell me the details of what happened then, and I might consider gifting you some supplies."

After deciphering the text, the old man looked up in surprise.

Yes...

The Xi Race was the only one of the Twelve Clans that was "adept with Water." Deep within this cavern was an Underground Lake, which was why their population was the largest of all the clans.

In a desiccated world, a group of people had mastered Water-related "Curse Engravings."

And it was the Xi Race who had helped the Rebel Species retrieve the Twin Dragon Jade from the bottom of the sea, even participating throughout the cooperation between several clans and the Rebel Species!

This was Yang Shen’s true purpose for entering this place instead of spending the night outside!