Translator: Lordbluefire
Intense smoke and heatwaves were seething at the volcanic crater.
âThis place has such a strong sulfur smell!â
Sun Mo covered his nose. Thankfully, this was in the game. Otherwise, there was no way heâd come to this place.
Hui Yan assumed a devout attitude, using animal blood, bones, and rocks to prepare a sacrificial altar. He then looked toward his tribesmen.
âWeâll need to offer eight lives as a sacrifice to activate the sacrificial altar. Now, itâs time for you guys to choose.â
Hui Yan looked at his tribesmen. âIs there anyone willing to sacrifice themselves?â
The aboriginals were stunned. They hadnât heard of this before!
âChief... Chieftain, youâre kidding, right?â
Hui Que laughed awkwardly.
âWeâre surrounded by enemies and time is tight. Is there a need for me to lie to you?â
Hui Yanâs countenance was cold and he asked again, âIs anyone willing?â
No one replied.
âSigh, I knew that things wouldnât be that simple!â
Gu Xiuxun sighed.
âSince we have to use human lives as sacrifices, why donât we let the Red Rock Tribeâs people kill us then? Their goal is also to stop the volcano eruption anyway!â
A middle-aged warrior couldnât understand.
âWeâre archenemies for generations with the Red Rock Tribe. The battles between our tribes have continued for over 100 years. Moreover, who can guarantee that their sacrificial ritual will definitely be a success?â
Hui Yan explained, âEach of our tribesmen is very precious. Even if we were to die, we must die with value!â
The aboriginals fell silent.
Sun Mo understood that things were difficult for Hui Yan. Even though both tribes shared the same goal, their leaders were different and their sacrificial rituals were different as well. Neither side felt that the other party would succeed.
âDying in battlefields, being eaten by wild beasts during hunting, as well as offering our lives as sacrifices like now... All of these are making contributions to the tribe. Thereâs no difference.â
Hui Yan said nobly.
Some aboriginals were clearly convinced. Hui Shi was one of them.
He raised his hand.
âChieftain, please take care of my parents!â
âBrother Hui Shi!â
Although Lu Zhiruo had only spent a few months with Hui Shi, she liked this simple and honest older brother.
Hui Shi smiled brightly. âDonât mind me. I wonât be dying. Iâm just using another method to protect my tribe and my kins!â
âTeacher, think of something!â
Lu Zhiruo tugged Sun Moâs arm, her eyes filled with tears.
Other than Hui Shi, two other aboriginals stood up as well, willing to offer themselves as sacrifices. However, it was still not enough.
âNext, weâll be drawing lots to pick the remaining five!â
Hui Yan took out the wooden lots he had prepared long ago. âI had prepared these wooden lots. To ensure fairness, Iâll be the last one to draw!â
This would prevent Hui Yan from cheating through making marks.
Everyoneâs countenances turned solemn. Some even felt scared and started shivering.
They knew that drawing the wooden lot with the red mark would mean death.
âHurry up and start!â
Hui Yan urged.
âChieftain, are there no other solutions?â
Sun Mo interjected.
âDo you think that my heart doesnât ache when I do such things?â
Hui Yanâs eyes were bloodshot. He hadnât been sleeping well all this time. âIf Iâm not the chieftain and need to continue to lead the tribe, Iâll be the first to step forward and offer my life.â
âLetâs stop the talk! Iâll do it!â
Someone stood out and drew a lot.
Suddenly, everyone showed different expressions.
Seeing that there wasnât any red paint on the wooden lot, their expressions relaxed. However, they didnât feel any joy either. They just stood by the side quietly.
It was Hui Queâs turn.
This guy who liked to fight was unlucky and drew the red wooden lot.
âWhy is it me?â
Hui Que looked crestfallen and then felt angry. âIâm not afraid to die for the tribe. But isnât such a way of dying too meaningless?â
âThis may be what life is.â
Hui Yan patted his shoulder.
âThe hell it is!â
Sun Mo couldnât hold it in anymore and dashed over, punching Hui Yan on the face.
Bang!
Hui Yanâs body shook but he didnât retaliate. Instead, he wore a cold expression and reproached. âProphet Sun, please do not interfere with our tribeâs matters!â
âWhy donât you choose to move?â
Sun Mo couldnât understand. âIs it worth it to use eight lives to trade for a chance to stay in a place like this?â
âThis is our homeland! Itâs where our roots lie! Our hearts will die if we have to leave this place!â
Hui Yan explained.
âTo hell with the roots. Youâre just afraid of change. Youâre afraid to encounter difficulties and unknowns on the path of moving. To put it simply, youâre just a coward!â
Sun Mo lashed out.
Sun Mo could tell in their time together that Hui Yan was someone who didnât seek continuous improvement. All the orders he had given were based on traditions. With that, even if the tribe were to fall, it wouldnât be his fault.
âItâs very easy to grow mushrooms, but why didnât you give the order to promote it within the tribe?
âWhat dangers can there be to rear chickens and ducks? But you didnât lead everyone to catch wild chickens!
âYou didnât care about clearing land for cultivation either. Maybe, deep inside, you just donât wish to see me succeed.â
Sun Mo stared at Hui Yan. âA useless general will strain out the entire army. The tribe will perish sooner or later in your hands.â
â...â
Hui Yanâs face turned very pale because Sun Mo was right.
Pa!
Sun Mo tugged away Hui Yanâs animal skin bag and then used all of his strength to toss it into the volcano.
âWhat are you doing?â
Hui Yan was shocked and tried to snatch it, but he was still too late.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The other tribesmen instinctively drew their blades toward each other. It was because that bag contained the last remaining ice stone.
An Xinhuiâs group also drew their weapons, ready to fight at any moment.
âGiven your capabilities, you could have jumped down, caught the bag, and thrown it up. Of course, youâll definitely die. But if this is the tribeâs last hope, why didnât you do it?â
Sun Mo questioned.
Hui Yan fell silent.
âYou can use other peopleâs lives as sacrificial offerings, but why do you cower when itâs your turn?â
Sun Mo sneered. âDonât tell me things like you have to conduct the sacrificial ritual. Everyone was brought up by their parents! No oneâs life is more precious than others!â
âTeacher said it well!â
Lu Zhiruo clapped.
âLetâs go back to the tribe and prepare to move!â
Sun Mo looked toward the group of aboriginals. âI donât understand. Why are you guys refusing to move when you have a great enemyâthe Red Rock Tribeâand are targeted by them all the time?â
âThe world is so big. How hard can it be to find a place to survive?â
âA man with a broad mind can hold the world. Why do you have to keep yourself on this small hill? Are you guys willing to waste your entire life away like this?â
Sun Mo turned to leave, bellowing very loudly.
Some aboriginals couldnât understand, but there were some whose eyes grew increasingly brighter.
Sun Moâs words had opened up a new world for them!
After walking out for over ten meters, Sun Mo stopped in his footsteps, looked back, then bellowed again, âLetâs go! Return to the tribe and then step into the world!â
The aboriginals exchanged glances. Then, some of them went after Sun Mo.
âGreat Prophet, please allow me to follow you!â
âGreat Prophet, please bring me to look at the world!â
âBring me along!â
The aboriginals followed after them in turns. No one showed any concern to the great chieftain who was kneeling on the ground.
Without any exceptions, all of them were moved by Sun Moâs words.
âTeacher is really amazing!â
Lu Zhiruo looked at Sun Moâs back view, her gaze filled with respect.
âSun Mo is amazing, but this choice might not necessarily be right!â
Zhou Zerui looked toward the volcanic crater worriedly.
âSacrificial offerings are rubbish. It should be cast away!â
After An Xinhui said that, she went after Sun Mo.
âLetâs take each step as it comes!â
Xie Enhui said to her good friend.
Sun Mo was the leader now. The tribesmen only listened to his words.
âI hate this feeling a lot.â
Zhou Zerui felt upset. It was because his life no longer belonged to himself but was decided by every decision Sun Mo made. If Sun Mo were to take the wrong pick, then everyone would have to die.
Everyone gave up on making the sacrificial offering and left the volcano.
Hui Yan had no idea if he should jump into the volcano to commit suicide or to go back. But just as he was hesitating, the Red Rock Tribeâs great chieftain appeared.
He was wearing a black cloak and his face couldnât be seen clearly.
âReturn to the tribe? Step into the world?â
The mysterious man sighed. âHis words are really domineering!â
He had follow-up means that he could use to wipe out the Gray Rock Tribeâs hunting team. However, Sun Moâs words made him give up on this plan.
As for the fact that his choice could lead to the gameâs bad ending?
The mysterious man hadnât considered this point before. When doing things, heâd only want things to go as he wished for them to. If he were to fail, then heâd consider himself unlucky. However, given his intelligence, he had also guessed some tips on clearing the stage.
The reason he had stayed here to launch an assault on the Gray Rock Tribeâs aboriginals was so that they could fail and thus choose to move.
A week later, both tribes stepped on a journey to move to a new place.
Another week later, the volcano erupted and the earth shook. Even from afar, everyone could still see scorching hot lava gushing up into the clouds, dying the sky in red.
The Gray Rock Tribeâs members dropped to their knees and prayed to their ancestors.
âGreat Prophet, if it wasnât for you, weâd all have died.â
Hui Que lowered his head, kneeling in front of Sun Mo and begging for punishment.
âLetâs go!â
Sun Mo didnât care about these things.
On the way, Sun Mo taught everything he knew about botany, beast taming, as well as herbology to these aboriginals.
A year later, the group arrived at a stretch of plains with fertile soil. The fertile land stretched out for over 1,000 lis.
âItâll be here!â
Sun Mo decided to have the tribe settle down permanently in this place. He then taught them to bake bricks, build houses, and use the cut-and-slash cultivation method.
In May, after another year passed...
Golden wheat swayed with the wind, fluctuating like waves.
It was time to harvest.
After the harvesting was done, Sun Mo made stone rollers and millstones, creating flour.
When piping hot noodles were scooped out from the pot and drizzled with piping hot meat sauce, that delightful taste made everyone almost swallow their own tongues.
âDelicious!â
Lu Zhiruo was smiling brightly as she ate.
âSuch a life isnât bad either.â
Mei Ziyu wiped off the sweat on her forehead. As long as she could be with Sun Mo, it didnât matter where they were.
Everyone led a fulfilling life over the past year.
These people were great teachers. They taught the aboriginals everything they were good at.
Mining, refining, making ceramics, weaving cloth, rearing silkworms, rearing livestock...
Of course, the most important thing was that Sun Mo had come up with a uniform set of words, allowing these pieces of knowledge to be passed down through the generations.
The Gray Rock culture was officially born.
âHaha, itâs as if Iâve returned to my childhood days! If only thereâs an ice popsicle to relieve the heat.â
âWhatâs an ice popsicle?â
Li Ziqi blinked. (Teacher has a lot of secrets. This canât do, I must uncover them.)
Just as Sun Mo was planning to divert the topic, a voice rang out in everyoneâs ears.
âCongratulations everyone on helping the Gray Rock Tribe break free from the stone age and officially lighting up the sparks toward the agricultural age. The first stage of the mission is completed!â
âThe second mission will begin one minute later. Please keep up the good work!â
60,
59,
...
The countdown started.
Everyone was stunned and then cheered.
Damn it, this damn game had finally ended.
âThereâs still a second stage?â
Gu Xiuxunâs head was hurting.
âShould we hold hands? We might be able to get sent to the same place then!â
Mei Ziyu proposed.
âThis is a good idea!â
An Xinhui approved.
Everyone immediately looked toward Sun Mo.
Sun Mo shrugged, not expressing his opinion. âEveryone, listen to me. This stage is to help the Gray Rock Tribe start up a new civilization and let the tribe be able to continue on. The second stage is likely to be similar. Everyone should be careful.â
Rather than holding hands, Sun Mo felt that there was a greater value in telling everyone the theme of the game.
Even though there wasnât any differentiation of superiority and inferiority in games, to be honest, such a game that involved civilization would appear nobler.
However, why did this notification give off the same vibe as the system?
The teleportation started. Holding hands wasnât of any use. Everyone started to disappear slowly from the spot they were at from their heads down.
âTeacher, look, Iâve forged a bronze sword.â
Hui Shi brought a bronze sword that was over two feet long, and he came to look for Sun Mo excitedly to boast to him. However, he realized that there was no one here.
Many years later, the Gray Rock Tribe disappeared. It was because they had built an even stronger city, creating a nation. The most glorious one of them all was created by Hui Shiâs descendants.
The name of their dynasty was âSunâ, and they revered the color âblack[1]â!
This was to commemorate Great Prophet Sun Mo, thanking his blessings.
At the same time, the mysterious man also teleported.
âSun Mo, I look forward to my next encounter with you.â
The mysterious man laughed softly. âBut this time around, Iâll find a way to clear the stage before you do!â
...
Sun Mo regained his consciousness once again, realizing that he was in a classroom. He was wearing a green-colored long robe.
He had one hand on the table and was reading a history book.
There were over ten young children in the classroom, shaking their heads as they read the Three Character Classic[2] out loud.
âWhat the hell? This time around, my identity is a teacher?â
Sun Mo observed the surrounding environment and then looked at the patches on his clothes, laughing. âIt seems that my life isnât good!â
Clank clank clank!
The sound of clappers rang out.
The children immediately stopped reading and looked at Sun Mo with wide eyes.
Sun Mo was stunned for a moment and then he understood what was going on. The class had ended. Therefore, he waved his hand.
âGo on!â
Buzz!
The children ran off like wild geese that were running loosely. One of them even dropped their shoe.
âLetâs figure out my identity and situation first.â
Sun Mo got up and stretched his body before he left the classroom. He then saw a lady wearing plain clothing standing along the corridor and having a bamboo basket hanging on her right arm.
âShe looks quite beautiful!â
Sun Mo couldnât help but take a few more glances at her. It was because he liked pretty girls like her who were of humble birth!
However, the lady came running over, calling out to Sun Mo, âHusband, Iâve made your favorite vegetable pancake today!â
âWhat? This is my wife?â
Sun Mo was surprised. The ladyâs eyes were filled with love and adoration. This made Sun Mo feel horrified because he wasnât her husband.
What was she going to do after he completed the game and left?
[1] The word âMoâ from Sun Moâs name can be translated to ink (used in calligraphy) or the color black.
[2] The Three Character Classic, commonly known as San Zi Jing, also translated as Trimetric Classic, is one of the Chinese classic texts.
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