Merchant From Earth in the Magical World
Chapter 44 The Thief of Stenchwater Forest_1

Chapter 44: Chapter 44 The Thief of Stenchwater Forest_1

Yan Xing first looked around. This was indeed the dangerous arboreal forest Duan’er had described, its environment certainly unique. Between each small water pit lay only narrow strips of land, themselves overgrown with densely foliaged trees, offering few places to set foot. The branches and leaves obscured the stars above. Green bioluminescence from floating plants on the water’s surface illuminated the relatively enclosed waterbody, making it seem like a fantasy realm. He took a deep breath; even the air carried a subtle, elegant fragrance. But beneath the beautiful exterior, danger lurked everywhere.

It’s really strange for the Stenchwater Forest werewolves to come to such a dangerous place at night, Yan Xing mused. Despite his internal griping about encountering enemy werewolves here, he believed Duan’er must have chosen this location because it was sufficiently dangerous and concealed. The objective of these four werewolves, coming here in the dead of night, surely isn’t simple.

Yan Xing walked toward the captured werewolves, and the surrounding pack automatically made way for him. The four werewolves from Stenchwater Forest had clearly been beaten up. Their hands and feet were bound, and they were thrown on the ground, their mouths also gagged to prevent them from howling any alerts. Scattered around these four werewolves were pieces of rotten wood, some as large as tires, others as small as a cup. The surface of these pieces of wood was pockmarked and eroded by running water, looking very unsightly, with no apparent abnormalities.

But why would the Stenchwater Forest werewolves, having just occupied Red Mud Wetland, hurry to send their kin here to salvage these things? Filled with such doubts, Yan Xing squatted down and picked up a piece of wood from the ground. The sheer weight of it in his hand startled him. Why is it so heavy?

At that moment, Yan Xing recalled what one of his subordinates had said over the walkie-talkie: "I really don’t know what use they have for this rotten wood that’s heavier than stone and sinks immediately in water."

Yan Xing then felt the texture of the wood and sniffed it, having a good idea of what it was. It’s still odd. This type of wood is neither edible nor suitable for building houses. So what are the Stenchwater Forest werewolves doing, salvaging this stuff in the middle of the night?

Yan Xing threw the piece of wood onto the ground and pulled out the steel pipe hanging at his waist to knock on the head of one of the captured werewolves. "Now I’m going to loosen your gag. If you dare make a sound, my men will immediately stab you to death."

After speaking, Yan Xing waved his hand. The militia closed in around the werewolf, the tips of their spears aimed at his vital points. Eddie then took out a dagger and cut the rope binding the werewolf’s mouth.

Facing the spears before him, the werewolf didn’t dare make a sound. He looked at Yan Xing and Duan’er fearfully, his face full of concern for his own fate. He hadn’t expected Duan’er to arrive so quickly. And he saw Duan’er was wearing steel armor; most of the werewolves and all the humans here were wearing it too! Hadn’t Duan’er taken all the tribe’s Werewolf Warriors to attack the human camp? How did he end up here with humans, and where did they get so much steel equipment?!

Yan Xing tapped the distracted werewolf’s head again with the steel pipe. "Look this way. I have some questions for you," he said.

Duan’er flaunted the Steel Chains in his hand. "This Knight Lord has some questions for you," he said. "If you don’t answer properly, I’ll throw you into the water and drown you!"

"What do you want me to say?" The werewolf leaned back, dodging the iron ball that nearly struck him, and said in a seemingly cooperative tone.

Yan Xing nudged the rotten wood on the ground with the tip of his boot. "What are you doing salvaging this wood here?" he asked.

"Recently, some human merchants have come to the swamp. They offer a high price for this wood that sinks in water. We knew this kind of wood was in the water holes of this part of Red Mud Wetland’s forest, so Steel Tooth told several of us to come and salvage it."

Yan Xing hadn’t expected to hear about humans in this place. However, considering the wood’s potential uses, he understood. Indeed, wherever there’s wealth, no matter the danger, people will dare to venture.

Yan Xing continued, "How much do the human merchants pay you for this kind of wood?"

"Ten kilograms of grain for one kilogram of this rotten wood. Some of better quality can be exchanged for twenty kilograms of grain. A few days ago, we stole some of this wood from here, and those human merchants traded for it at a rate of twenty kilograms of grain per kilogram of wood."

When talking about exchanging for grain, the werewolf’s tone even held a hint of smugness, as if he thought exchanging such inedible, unusable rotten wood for so much grain was a great bargain.

The surrounding Red Mud Wetland werewolves couldn’t help but gasp in surprise. This type of submerged, rotten wood truly was everywhere in the water holes of Red Mud Wetland’s dense forests. Ordinary quality could be exchanged for grain at a ten-to-one ratio, yet the wood from this arboreal forest could be exchanged at twenty-to-one!

To think they had been sitting on such immense wealth yet still going hungry every day... Their anger towards the Stenchwater Forest werewolves for stealing the wood intensified.

Duan’er cursed as well, "No wonder the Stenchwater Forest clan frequently crosses the border! When we drive them off, some of those werewolves are clutching this very wood! You’re stealing our Red Mud Wetland clan’s grain, stealing our wealth! Stenchwater Forest thieves, I will make you pay!"

After cursing, the furious Duan’er moved to beat the captured werewolves but was stopped by Yan Xing. "Clan Leader, wait a moment," Yan Xing said. "I still have some questions."

Duan’er was very grateful to Yan Xing. If Yan Xing hadn’t asked about the wood, they would have captured these invading werewolves without paying any attention to the wood on the ground, thereby missing the secret of their own unexpected wealth.

"Lord Yan Xing, please!" Duan’er stepped aside.

Yan Xing didn’t waste more time on the wood. Without reclaiming Red Mud Wetland, everything else is moot, he thought.

"How many Werewolf Warriors were part of your invasion of Red Mud Wetland this time? What kind of magical beasts did Steel Tooth bring, and how many of them?"

"If I tell you, will you let me go?" The werewolf, sensing the rage of Duan’er and the Red Mud Wetland werewolves, feared that he might still be torn apart after speaking.

Yan Xing said, "Just tell the truth. Once we reclaim Red Mud Wetland, we will let you go."

At this, another bound werewolf made a whining noise, warning the one who was considering revealing clan intelligence.

Duan’er stepped forward and smashed that werewolf’s head with his Steel Chains.

Seeing his comrade’s corpse, the werewolf grew even more terrified. "No, no, no! You’ll definitely kill me! If I speak... Stenchwater Steel Tooth and Stenchwater Li Zhua will kill me too!"

Yan Xing reassured the werewolf, "If you speak, I guarantee the Red Mud Wetland clan’s werewolves won’t kill you. If you don’t dare return to Stenchwater Forest, you can come to my territory. I’ll give you a job, a house, and daily food."

The werewolf was still doubtful. "You... you’re not deceiving me, are you?"

At that moment, Eddie called out in a low voice, "Lord Yan Xing always keeps his word!"

The militiamen and the Steel Armored Werewolves also shouted in unison, "Lord Yan Xing always keeps his word!"

Duan’er then said with a hint of envy, "Lord Yan Xing is willing to take you in; your good days are coming. Just answer whatever Lord Yan Xing asks, and we won’t make things difficult for you..."