Chapter 3927: The Demand Of The Prisoners
Chapter 3927: The Demand Of The Prisoners
Several younger hunters quietly exchanged uneasy glances.
One of them instinctively tightened his grip around his weapon while another slowly stepped sideways, creating additional space between himself and Lin Mu. The strongest men of the settlement gradually gathered near the front.
Without speaking, they formed a loose semicircle.
It wasn’t an attack formation, it was merely caution. If fighting became unavoidable they intended to stand together. Even so, none of them felt particularly confident. The broad shouldered hunter who first detected Lin Mu quietly glanced toward his companions.
Several subtle looks passed between them and everyone seemed to be asking the same question.
Could they actually defeat this man?
No one possessed an answer.
Fortunately for them, the stranger had spoken first. That alone eased a great deal of tension. Many communities of prisoners surviving deeper within the forest followed an extremely simple rule.
Attack first and search the bodies afterward. Questions could always wait until the enemy stopped breathing. Compared to such people a stranger willing to begin with conversation already appeared far more reasonable.
The hunter slowly took one step forward.
Although his spear had been destroyed, his posture remained firm.
"Who are you?" His voice carried neither hostility nor friendliness. "What’s your name? And what do you want here?"
Lin Mu calmly looked across the gathered settlement.
"My name..." He paused briefly. "...is Lin Mu."
He decided to not use the name Little Bull here just in case there was some investigation. Lin Mu simply reckoned that there were others with large bodies too and in case investigation happened, which was unlikely, they wouldn’t suspect him.
Several prisoners quietly repeated the unfamiliar name under their breath.
Lin Mu continued speaking. "I’m simply another prisoner."
His shackled wrists rose slightly. "As all of you can plainly see."
The prisoners instinctively looked toward the restraints once more.
"I came here because I need some information. Nothing more."
The hunter remained silent for several breaths and his sharp eyes continued observing Lin Mu. The answer seemed straightforward, almost too straightforward.
Finally he slowly nodded.
"If you want information..." He crossed his arms. "then this becomes a transaction."
Lin Mu showed no surprise. "Fair enough."
The hunter continued. "If it’s a transaction you’ll have to pay first."
Several nearby hunters quietly watched Lin Mu’s reaction. Unknown to the stranger, this question carried another purpose entirely. Different prisoner communities possessed vastly different customs.
Many groups considered any request for payment an insult and some interpreted it as weakness. Others simply attacked whoever dared make such a demand. The hunter wanted to discover exactly what sort of man stood before them.
"That’s reasonable." Lin Mu merely nodded. "What do you want?"
The calm response caused several hunters to exchange surprised looks. The broad shouldered man himself blinked once before quickly recovering. He hadn’t expected agreement.
After thinking for several moments he finally answered.
"Two stalks."
Lin Mu waited.
"Two stalks of Diza Herb."
Hearing that Lin Mu’s brows slowly furrowed. "Diza Herb?"
He quietly repeated the unfamiliar name and looked directly toward the hunter. "I’m afraid I don’t know what that is."
This time the surprise belonged entirely to the prisoners.
"What?" One younger hunter frowned.
"You don’t know Diza Herb?" Another looked genuinely confused.
The settlement immediately broke into quiet discussion.
"How is that possible?"
"He came all the way here."
"He crossed the forest."
"He survived."
"And he doesn’t know Diza Herb?"
Several women gathering herbs stared toward Lin Mu with expressions filled with disbelief.
One elderly prisoner scratched his beard. "Then how did he survive the insect swarms?"
Another immediately nodded. "He should’ve been eaten alive."
"The blood gnats alone would’ve followed his scent for miles."
"What about the biting flies?"
"The poison moths?"
"The flesh mosquitoes?"
None of the questions received answers and Lin Mu quietly listened while quickly piecing together the information. The repeated mention of insects combined with the strange paste covering everyone’s skin immediately suggested a connection.
"I see." He looked toward the hunter. "Is the herb related to that paste?"
The hunter pointed toward his own arm.
"This?" He rubbed the dark gray coating covering his skin. "It’s one of the main ingredients. We call it Scent Masking Paste. The Diza Herb carries a strong scent and when mixed with clay, river moss and several other herbs..." He lightly tapped his shoulder. "...it hides our smell."
Other hunters continued the explanation.
"The insects stop following us."
"The beasts have a harder time finding us."
"It doesn’t make us invisible."
"But it keeps us alive."
One of the women carefully reached into a woven basket resting beside her feet and after some hesitation she withdrew a single green stalk. Even while showing it she remained cautious and her arm never fully extended.
She clearly feared Lin Mu might suddenly rush forward and seize it.
"This." She held the plant where everyone could see. "This is Diza Herb."
Lin Mu carefully examined it from a distance. The herb measured roughly half a meter long and its stem carried a pale green color with faint silver stripes running along its length.
Several narrow leaves spiraled upward around the stalk while tiny yellow flowers clustered near the tip. Most interesting of all, the herb possessed fine hairs covering every leaf. Even from several meters away, Lin Mu detected a peculiar fragrance drifting from the plant.
It was sharp and earthy with a bit of spicy scent mixed in it.
He silently searched through every memory he possessed but did not recognize it. He had genuinely never encountered this plant before. Which actually made sense as the Mad Demon Depths remained completely isolated.
Unique species naturally developed over countless generations.
"This herb..." Lin Mu admitted honestly. "I’ve never seen it before."
The prisoners quietly watched him.
"I don’t possess any." He paused briefly before continuing. "But I do have many other herbs that repel insects. I can trade those instead."
The broad shouldered hunter immediately shook his head. "We only need Diza Herbs. It grows nearby and we already know how to use it. Unknown herbs are useless to us."