Chapter 477 - 476, Intense Competition_1
While the Watson Tribe was nervously searching for their missing members, on the other side, the grand trade fair was being held as scheduled.
The originally barren ground was now bustling with orcs shuttling back and forth. Each tribe occupied a space, displaying various items they had brought. There was a wide array of goods for trading, everything one could possibly need.
The orcs sat behind their merchandise, eagerly rising to explain their items whenever an interested fellow orc or divine tree person came by. The joy of exchanging for something they desired was evident.
Sitting on the high platform above this open space were several members of the Divine Tree Clan and the chiefs of major orc tribes.
"The rules of our annual trade are clear to all of us. The first to trade are chosen by tribe, and it isn’t until they have finished that other tribes can start. This year, the first tribe to trade is the Monte Tribe, so our Divine Wood Tree’s Beast God Fruit and leaves will be traded to the Monte Tribe first."
After the divine tree person finished speaking, he waved his hand backward, and several young tree people walked up carrying many bundles wrapped in beast skins.
The tree person stood up and walked to the front of the bundles, "All of these are the branches and leaves our tribe prepared for exchange this year. Like the previous year, they will first be exchanged with the Monte Tribe."
Meng Zhuo, somewhat thrilled, walked forward. The orcs behind him carried up the beast skins they had prepared. "These are the items our tribe has prepared for the trade. We should be able to exchange for five bundles of branches and leaves."
Every year, the first tribe to trade would exchange half of the branches and leaves. The remaining half would be tacitly reserved for the other tribes - a tradition that Meng Zhuo didn’t break this year.
Out of the remaining four large bundles of branches and leaves, the Gru Tribe exchanged two, the Serra Tribe one, and the last one was divided among the other tribes.
The young divine tree people put the exchanged beast skins in a corner of the high platform, anticipating the main event to come.
The oldest tree person in the middle stood up, taking out two leaf-wrapped bundles from his bosom, "These are the Beast God Fruits we’re trading this year. We originally intended to reduce the number of Beast God Fruits for exchange, but we didn’t expect the difficulties in our clan to be resolved. So, this year’s quantity is the same as last year’s - five. The Monte Tribe will start the exchange as usual."
Meng Zhuo promptly got up. Meng Tai and the other tribesmen, carrying a pile of beast skins, walked forward, wisely placing the skins directly where the divine tree people had their pile of beast skins.
The older tree man nodded, his face softening, "These beast skins can be exchanged for three Beast God Fruits."
Meng Zhuo was beyond elated. He had fallen slightly short of trading for three Beast God Fruits with the beast skins he had brought. He didn’t expect that the tree person in charge of the exchange would favor them.
Seeing only two Beast God Fruits left, the other tribes became anxious in an instant.
Bertel hurriedly stood up, "Chief Meng Zhuo, once you’re done trading, you should go back. It’s our turn next."
Mo Zha also stood up and nodded. These Beast God Fruits weren’t the same as the earlier Divine Wood Tree branches and leaves – they could enable the evolution of the orcs!
But Meng Zhuo seemed not to hear them, showing no intention of backing down. Instead, he carefully unloaded a basket from behind Meng Tai, taking out two leaf-wrapped bundles the size of orc heads and placing them in front of the old tree person, "Can you take a look at these for exchange?"