I'm involved in poverty alleviation in a primitive tribe.

The young soldier, panting heavily and pale-faced, said, "It's true! We just came back from the west, and this is what we saw with our own eyes! Our tribe has been wandering in the desert, trading with those tribes hidden there."

"This time, we originally planned to trade a batch of rare stones with the Sand Scorpion Tribe, but when we finally arrived at their territory, we found the entire tribe deserted! People, ferocious beasts, weapons, food, and even the totem poles were gone!"

Before he could finish speaking, the surrounding crowd erupted in uproar.

The Sand Scorpion Tribe is one of the most powerful tribes, with tens of thousands of warriors and countless ferocious beasts. How could they possibly disappear without a trace overnight?

Moreover, even if something really happened to them, how could they have left nothing behind?

Even if the other three tribes joined forces to besiege it, there should still be some traces of the battle, right?

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? I've been to the Sand Scorpion Tribe before. The Sand Sea is different from other places; illusions often appear there!"

A burly man with a full beard shouted in a gruff voice, his tone laced with disdain and skepticism: "People like you who have never seen it before will mistake illusions for reality. The unlucky ones die inside, while the lucky ones come out spouting nonsense like you!"

His tribe was a well-known itinerant merchant in the central region, traveling between various tribes year-round to conduct trade, and naturally he had also visited the Sand Scorpion tribe.

Sure enough, more people believed him, and the onlookers burst into laughter.

It wasn't that they thought the bearded man was entirely right, but the disappearance of the Sand Scorpion tribe was simply unbelievable and hard to believe.

The mocking laughter was extremely harsh, and the young warrior immediately became anxious, his face turning bright red: "How could I be wrong! So many people in our tribe saw it with their own eyes! The Sand Scorpion Tribe's territory was completely empty, without a single living creature! I've seen those illusions before, but this one is definitely not an illusion! We even went to other nearby tribes, and they were all empty! There wasn't a single person there except for the ferocious beasts!"

His voice grew louder and louder, almost a roar, and the veins on his face bulged.

“Absolutely impossible!” A strong female warrior stepped forward to refute, “How could the Sand Scorpion Tribe, one of the four major tribes, suddenly disappear without a trace? Even if they encountered an enemy, who could have forced them into this situation? Even if the other major tribes joined forces, there should still be traces of battle, right? This simply doesn’t make sense!”

The young soldier was forced to take a step back, but quickly straightened his back and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'm telling the truth! If you don't believe me, you can go and see for yourself! The territory of the Sand Scorpion Tribe is there, and the Sand Sea is there too! What benefit would we gain from lying to you? We have no reason to fabricate such a lie!"

The female soldier sneered, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Who knows? Maybe you're trying to stir up panic and profit from it? The situation is already unstable, and it's hard not to be suspicious when you suddenly release this kind of information."

Her words stirred up the surrounding crowd again. Indeed, although the tribes were outwardly at peace, who wasn't secretly plotting against the conflict between the Tao tribe and the Jiang tribe?

The major tribes were bound to clash sooner or later. The news of the Sand Scorpion tribe's disappearance hadn't spread anywhere else, yet it had somehow reached the trading area of ​​the Jiang tribe? This was far too much of a coincidence.

The young soldier was trembling with anger, his fists clenched tightly, almost ready to rush up and argue with her.

However, he was no match for her in strength, and if they were to actually fight, he would only humiliate himself.

He gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing his anger, and said coldly, "If you don't believe me, then go and see for yourself. The territory of the Sand Scorpion Tribe is right there. I don't think I have the ability to collude with the Sand Scorpion Tribe to fake this for me, do I?"

The man was speechless for a moment, opening his mouth but unable to find a reason to refute it.

A murmur of discussion arose from the crowd, like an unsettling wind sweeping across the trading area.

Some familiar tribes exchanged meaningful glances, while others quietly retreated and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

Some people eagerly pushed forward, wanting to hear more clearly.

A suffocating atmosphere permeated the air, like the calm before a storm, oppressive and unsettling.

The lively bargaining had disappeared, replaced by suppressed whispers and hurried footsteps.

This continent is in chaos.

Jiang Ning pulled down the brim of her cloak, completely hiding her face in shadow.

Beside her, Qi Wu was also disguised, having removed all the ornaments that clearly showed his seaside features. His gentle face was hidden under a huge feathered crown, with only his sharp eyes gleaming with wisdom.

"It seems the results are even better than we expected," Qi Wu said in a low voice, a hint of satisfaction in his tone.

Jiang Ning nodded, her gaze falling on several tribespeople arguing heatedly in the distance.

The rough fabric rubbed against her cheeks, carrying a faint herbal scent. This was a new fabric made in the workshop; it was cool and breathable, and remarkably effective at repelling insects, making it very popular among the tribespeople.

“They’ve taken the bait,” she said softly. “Now we just have to wait for them to go to the Sand Scorpion tribe and find out for themselves.”

Qi Wu chuckled and brushed aside the feathers hanging in front of his eyes: "Once they confirm that the Sand Scorpion Tribe has disappeared, they will be so terrified that they will come knocking on our door without us having to do anything."

Jiang Ning's lips curled up slightly. Yes, fear is the best catalyst.

Especially those tribes whose territories are located between the Tao and Jiang tribes, these tribes sandwiched in the middle will be the first to be affected if these two major tribes start fighting.

When these tribes discover that such a powerful tribe has disappeared without a trace, they will be in a panic and will surely make a choice.

They would either flee with their people early on, or they would be eager to seek refuge.

At that time, Jiang Ning and his group will only need to sit back and wait to easily gather a large number of tribes.

Without Jiang Ning's instruction, Hongfeng behind him took out a bone whistle from his sleeve and gently blew it.

The whistle was almost inaudible, but in the noisy trading area, several figures moved quietly.

They were pre-arranged pawns, and now, according to plan, they were spreading more information among the crowd, causing the crowd, which had been gradually quieting down, to become noisy again.

The setting sun sank slowly like molten gold, and a magnificent sunset hung on the horizon, bathing the distant buildings in a soft golden glow.

Jiang Ning stood tall and straight in the hall. Her shadow, cast by the setting sun, stretched to the corner of the wall, blending into the mottled surface.