I've been transported to the orc continent.

Bai Ling gently patted Yue's back, then jumped off Yue's back with the basket on her back.

Feng, Cang, Chen, and the clansmen had already gathered around. Feng arrived the fastest. He grabbed Bai Ling's hand and looked his son up and down. Only after confirming that his son was really alright did Feng finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Seeing his father's red eyes, Bai Ling felt a pang of self-reproach. He said, "Father, it's all my fault. I was so busy looking for things that I didn't pay attention to the time, which is why I came back late."

As he spoke, he turned to look for Yue's figure. When he saw Yue emerge from behind a tree, Bai Ling continued, "Father, we were able to get back so quickly thanks to Yue. He carried me all the way back without stopping to rest."

His voice lowered, as if he were embarrassed: "Father, Father, you know I'm not very fast. If it weren't for the moon, I would have been back even later."

Bai Ling said this so that her family and clansmen would have a better impression of Yue.

After hearing this, Cang went to thank Yue, and several other clansmen also went over to ask if Yue was tired. Feng and Chen remained around Bai Ling. Feng had originally wanted to scold his son, but seeing that his son had returned safely, he forgot about the scolding and only said, "You can't do this again. There's plenty of time to find things; there's no rush."

Bai Ling nodded, and Chen craned his neck to look at the basket on Bai Ling's back: "Brother, what good stuff did you find this time?" When he saw that the basket was full of stones, the doubt on his face turned into surprise, "Brother, why did you bring back only stones?"

Upon hearing this, Feng said, "A stone is fine, it might be useful to your brother."

Bai Ling laughed and said, "Father, you're right. These stones are indeed useful, very useful, extremely useful."

Chen was still puzzled: "Brother, what great use could a stone possibly have?"

Bai Ling kept everyone in suspense: "Chen, you'll find out later."

*

To find enough iron ore and refine it, Bai Ling alone is not enough; he needs the help of his clansmen.

When Chief Zhan learned that Bai Ling wanted to find someone to collect stones, he was taken aback for a moment before asking, "Ling, if you want to make stone tools, you don't need to go so far. The stones near the tribe are the best. These stones look unusable and can't be used to make stone tools at all."

Bai Ling shook his head and said, "Chieftain, this is not a stone, it is iron ore. It is a very important thing." Bai Ling didn't know how to explain the role of iron ore to the chieftain. After thinking for a while, he said, "Chieftain, let me put it this way, even if you put Da Gen Cao and Kang together, it is not as important as iron ore."

Bai Ling gripped the iron ore in his hand, his eyes gleaming brightly: "Chieftain, this is a treasure that concerns the entire orc world."

Zhan was stunned. He looked at the iron ore in Bai Ling's hand, but still didn't believe it: "Ling, is this stone really that important?"

Yue stood beside Bai Ling: "Clan leader, I believe Ling. If he says this is important, then it must be very important."

Zhan didn't distrust Bai Ling, but winter was approaching, and the tribe needed to store as much food and fuel as possible. He planned to organize one last hunt for the tribe before winter arrived.

Zhan thought for a moment and said, "Ling, the tribe is going to have one last hunt and we need to collect wood. I can only give you ten orcs. You will be in charge of all ten of them, and the tribe will provide their food. In the end, half of what we make from this stone will go to you and the other half to the tribe. What do you think?"

Zhan glanced at Yue again: "Yue, you are one of the most powerful orcs in the tribe. You have to participate in this hunt."

Yuewei nodded slightly: "Clan leader, I understand."

Yue's expression remained unchanged, even her eyes were still calm and indifferent, but Bai Ling felt that Yue seemed a little disappointed.

However, this disappointment was fleeting, and Yue immediately agreed to go hunting with the clan leader.

Bai Ling said, "Okay, but chieftain, you should choose tribesmen who are tight-lipped and intelligent. Ironware is very useful. We can use it to trade with other tribes, not just nearby tribes, but even tribes in more distant places. We can use ironware to exchange for many good things."

According to the elders of the tribe who had traveled, the Orc continent was very large, with many Orc tribes. The High Tree tribe was located in a relatively remote part of the Orc continent and was considered a small tribe. The largest and most prosperous tribe was located in the center of the Orc continent, with tens of thousands of Orcs. The tribe's territory was larger than imagined, much larger than the High Tree tribe and all the surrounding tribes combined.

Every spring, that tribe would send out caravans to exchange goods with other tribes. The Chada Assembly was held every time that tribe came.

The High Tree Tribe and the surrounding tribes are relatively small, and they don't have many good things. The orcs here use the best things from their tribes to trade with caravans.

In Bai Ling's memory, the caravan never brought any metal products, and the orcs who traveled abroad never mentioned having any metal products. There might be a few bronze artifacts in other orc tribes, but iron was probably nonexistent.

If they actually manage to get the iron out, then it won't be them exchanging good things with the caravan, but rather the caravan exchanging good things with them.

This will not only improve the lives of the Gaoshu tribe, but also enhance their status among the surrounding tribes.

Looking at Bai Ling's slightly serious expression, and thinking about what Bai Ling had said, Zhan gritted his teeth and said, "Ling, I'll give you twenty, no, twenty-five clansmen. All of these clansmen will obey your orders. I will select clansmen who are tight-lipped and quick-witted for you. You should lead them well."

Bai Ling smiled and nodded: "Okay."

*

There were not many tribesmen left in the square; most of them had returned to their caves. Most of the torches that had been lit in the square had gone out, illuminating only a small area.

The moon in the sky remained bright, casting its silvery-white light across the earth.

The moon in this world is different from that on Earth. After the full moon turns into a half-moon, the half-moon lasts for seven days and nights, and then the half-moon turns into a full moon again. This whole process takes a total of thirty-one days.

There are twelve full moons in a year, which is twelve months, similar to the situation on Earth.

Bai Ling and Yue slowly walked towards the low hill, their shadows falling on the uneven rocks, sometimes close together, sometimes far apart.

Yue didn't speak. When the two of them were together, Bai Ling was usually the one who started a conversation first.

Tonight is no exception.