Dark Moon Era

Tang Ling had no idea what ash lamb soup was. Based on his understanding, it was mutton sliced into thin shreds as thin as ash and cooked into a mutton paste.

Was he correct? No.

He had a great imagination, but he was headed in the wrong direction. The real ash lamb soup was a dish prepared with a lot of steps. More than a dozen special spices found only in the grassland were used to marinade the mutton. Underground spring water with a quality that ranged between Level 2 and Level 3 drinking water was added into the special clay pot that was then buried under the fire.

Specific wood materials were used to build the fire in order to add fragrance to the soup, but Tang Ling had no idea exactly what materials they were. He just knew that the pot of soup was buried under the fire for more than three hours and the wood was burned to ash, hence the name ‘ash lamb soup’.

By the time the big pot was put on the table, the sun had set and the night had arrived accompanied by a light drizzle.

Rainwater in the grasslands was considered a precious resource. In the past, Valencia would be thrilled whenever it rained because some refreshing tidbits would pop up across the grassland after the rain like the mushroom unique to the grassland. A single trip to the grassland could fill a whole basket with fresh vegetables and mushrooms.

Amu‘s grill biscuits were more than fragrant, but Valencia was not in the mood to enjoy the smell. She looked at the drizzle outside and sighed. However, in fear that she would affect Tang Ling’s mood, she forced a smile at him.

Her father, Wenbu, was able to maintain his calm. After he put the pot of ash lamb soup on the table, he lifted the lid and took the mutton out from the pot for slicing. The perfectly sliced mutton was then placed in front of Tang Ling while the rest of the lamb remained in the soup.

The soup was delicious and transparent with a tinge of yellow. Many spices floated on the surface and it had a rich and substantial flavor. Without a doubt, it was a treat for the tongue together with the slight creaminess of milk.

The tender mutton from the soup was seasoned with some coarse salt that was fried with special spices. It was slightly smoked, then a piece of garlic was added on top before eating. The taste was one-of-a-kind.

Tang Ling originally wanted to behave well in front of Valencia’s family, but after a tiny nibble, he shoved two more big slices of mutton into his mouth. He could not help it! The meat was so tender while the gamey smell was removed completely and the bite caused an explosion of meaty juice mixed with the slight fragrance of the oil. All in all, it satisfied the fantasy of a meat lover.

Even in a village such as this, the way they ate their food was a lot more delicate than in Safety Sector No. 17. The strong colorful taste and the variant of flavors reminded Tang Ling of the food in ancient Huaxia.

Although depression clouded the village, some traditions were retained strongly even in the midst of darkness such as the food culture. Tang Ling felt for the preserved tradition and was moved by the existence of human beings.

After the third slice of mutton, he stopped. He wiped his hand and drank a mouthful of thick but fresh milk tea. He looked at Wenbu with a grateful gaze. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“The courtesy is mine. No matter how difficult the times, grasslanders shall never be stingy with our hospitality in front of a friend from afar.” Wenbu took a sip of horse milk wine. Even his rough face started to look pinkish. He put the cup down and said, “I believe my daughter, so I believe you are an interesting and friendly person.”

Tang Ling did not respond verbally and smiled instead. The rain outside the tent got heavier. Although the loud roar on the tent was somewhat calming, it was also saddening at the same time.

Hence, the deeply furrowed brows that had sadness squeezed in between them were visible on the faces of Valencia’s family.

What Wenbu had done back there was actually very generous and moving. He had chased Bartu out of the tent by saying sternly, “Bartu, this is my daughter’s guest and you aren’t even my son-in-law yet. I, Wenbu, am still the man of the house and you don’t have the right to speak in my house. If you are not welcoming to my daughter’s guest, you may leave now.”

Preserving this kind of honesty and frank attitude was a rare virtue.

Maybe the grasslands sandwiched in between the mountains had always been peaceful. The life of herding might not make the people rich, but they were able to fill their stomachs and keep themselves warm.

The drastic change in the Purple Moon era shattered the shackles of evolution. It granted the barren grassland its original terrain, so it was once again blessed with rich resources. Because they were living a good life, they were able to pass down the virtues of men mentally.

Is this all going away soon? Tang Ling held the cup of milk tea with hesitation and sadness. He believed that extreme poverty was challenging for human nature. How strong would one’s will have to be in the face of extreme poverty to keep the bestiality of man in check?

However, he did not ask any of that. Instead, he chatted with the family and also asked about the black market.

As expected, the village did not have a black market. There were only merchant groups that would visit once a month. The merchant groups would bring salt, ironware, and other necessity for trading. They would also bring over training materials for great warriors and experienced hunters such as all sorts of high-level meat.

The grasslanders would have to trade for those with a great number of unique resources.

Tang Ling stroked his chin. The merchant groups could not possibly satisfy his needs, and judging from the time, they would only arrive in Barbarto Village in three days. He could not afford the delay.

He realized that in order to locate the black market, he must go to a safety sector or a bigger village that had the advantage of the terrain.

The other villages along the way were all out of the topic.

…

The casual chat soon went late into the night.

The night in the grasslands was colder than in the forest. After a day of work, Valencia’s family went to sleep soundly.

Tang Ling was the guest of the house, so he was settled down beside the brazier. Valencia’s erji brought him a layer of thick animal pelt and a mattress made of sheep wool. It seemed like she was worried that this thin young teen could not handle the chill of the grassland’s night.

Unfortunately, he had no time to enjoy the family’s goodwill. After the family went to sleep, he snuck out and found a place away from the rain and started cultivating. As though the moonbeam in the grassland was richer, his usual four-hour training was shortened to just over three hours for he had reached the limit of the day.

Tang Ling opened his eyes with a puzzled look because he heard someone weeping on and off. The weeping sounded exceptionally melancholic under the rainy night.

Frowning, he stood up and walked to the source of the sound.

Beside the tent was a stable, and Valencia was leaning on the pillar of the stable, weeping with her head down.

I’d never thought a bold girl like her has a soft side too. The thought lingered in Tang Ling’s mind as he walked closer.

“Hey, Ms. Black,” Tang Ling squatted down and called Valencia.

Valencia was startled when she saw Tang Ling, but she heard him call her Ms. Black again, so she exploded, “You are black! You are as black as the coal in the brazier! Do you know I’m the most beautiful girl not only in Barbarto but in the other neighboring villages as well?!”

Upset, she argued with a snot bubble lingering at the end of her nose.

Tang Ling laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. As a result, Valencia got angry and punched him playfully.

As a matter of fact, the grasslander girl was indeed beautiful. Her wheat-colored skin was healthy, her brows were thick, her cheeks were pinkish, and her lips were succulent. On top of that, her eyes were round and were filled with the vitality of youth like a ball of burning fire that could ignite the hearts of the young men in the grassland.

Tang Ling was the only one who noticed the other unusual details. In fact, be it darker or fairer, skin color had no difference in Tang Ling’s eyes. It was just a color, but he could not tell that to a girl like Valencia.

After some squabbling, Valencia seemed to have calmed down.

Tang Ling sat down beside her and chewed on a straw in his mouth. “It’s hard parting with Hero, isn’t it?”

“How did you know?” Valencia was shocked.

“Isn’t it obvious? Hero is a healthy horse. He seems like he’s going to have a long life and you are weeping beside him like you are going to leave him. The signs are that obvious. You are going to miss him a lot,” said Tang Ling. He turned around to Hero and tapped its hind legs.

“Be careful,” Valencia warned Tang Ling. The saying “rubbing a person the wrong way” could also be applied in this situation, so tapping a horse’s hind legs was rather dangerous.

Strangely, Hero somehow was a little afraid of Tang Ling. The feeling was indescribable. Apart from carrying Tang Ling around for a while earlier in the day, it also did not respond when he tapped it on the hind legs, much to Valencia’s surprise.

“Why are you leaving Hero?” Tang Ling leaned on the fence. The rain had gotten lighter, and the dark clouds in the sky got thinner, revealing the unique sight of the vast grassland.

“Because he is my family’s most valuable asset. Even if he is my partner, we cannot afford to keep him anymore due to our circumstances,” said Valencia sadly.

“It’s not as valuable as the seed I gave you, is it?” Tang Ling asked, attempting to find out the line. In fact, if he could help this family overcome the problem, he would not mind offering another seed, albeit he himself having a limited amount. The extra seeds had been taken from another thousand-vine sunflower before he had left for the valley.

“No, why are you suddenly so stupid? You told me not to let others know about the seed when we came back as you said it would attract trouble, but now you are telling me to…” Valencia was a little confused. She did not know whether this puffy face boy was stupid or smart.

“Are you stupid? You can say you found it along the road or stole it from someone, or wherever you want to say it comes from. Those bad guys won’t find a second one in your house anyway.” Trouble would only follow Tang Ling in the end since it was easy for people to relate the fact that Valencia’s family sudden possession of a holy fruit and the arrival of a strange young boy together. However, by then, Tang Ling would have left, so he did not care about what people think of him. They might even discover his real identity with some educated guesses.

“Tang Nee, I don’t want to,” said Valencia softly, “It’s not that I don’t want to give the holy fruit away, but it will create another powerful warrior for the Uvandidi tribe. The more resources they get, the stronger they become, and they will only bully and suppress weaker villages like ours. They are no longer grasslanders. They are traitors the moment they sided with the people with the stars.”

The people with the stars? Tang Ling repeated in his mind and sat up. “Who are the people with the stars?”

“The people that wear beautiful uniforms and have stars sewn on their chests. We call them the people with the stars,” Valencia explained.

Tang Ling did not reply as he was thinking about something else. After five minutes of silence, Tang Ling asked, “Are they bad? Why doesn’t your family side with them?”

Had the Stardust Council extended its influence here? The peaceful grassland? What are they trying to do?

“I don’t know if they are bad or not, but they asked us to pledge our loyalty and be their miners so they will provide us protection. The important thing is they want us to give up on our ancestors’ pride and glory. They want to dissolve Barbarto Village and make it an appendage of something…” Valencia had never left the grassland, so she did not know how to describe the relationship.

Tang Ling understood when he heard that. The Stardust Council had decided to bring all the villages in the area under their control, transforming them into their territory and ushering the people that lived in the grassland to collect resources for them. It was an indirect takeover.

Would the Stardust Council start a Stardust Nation when the time was right?

Valencia continued since Tang Ling kept quiet, “In fact, the offers are really tempting. Surviving in this era isn’t easy as we have to face all kinds of disaster at all times. More importantly, our younger generation has failed to get good education and resources from the outside world. They say they can provide us with everything such as beautiful clothes and powerful weapons. Many of the villagers are tempted.

“My father is the leader of a group of villagers who rejected the offer. He said that the people with the stars will enslave our children with their education, rob our freedom and make us miners forever, serving their purposes. I believe him,” Valencia said softly.

“Then, your village and the neighbours didn’t accept the offer but this Uvandidi tribe did? So what?” Tang Ling raised a brow. He knew that under the pressure of the Stardust Council, things would change sooner or later, thus compromising with their offer would be the mainstream.

However, it was not as serious as it sounded. At least, the village should not be covered with a depressing atmosphere. As a nomadic group, the village did not even want to slay a lamb, so how troubled exactly were they? The cows and sheep in the village were probably the richest resources around.

“Because the wolf disaster is coming. At most, in two days, they will arrive.” Valencia buried her head in her arms and stopped talking.

“What is the wolf disaster? What does it have to do with you giving away Hero?” Tang Ling had his speculation, but he still asked to confirm.

“Because we need the warriors from the Uvandidi tribe to help us defend against the wolf disaster,” said Valencia.