CHAPTER 1505: CHAPTER 1051: CAPTIVES AND SPOILS, A TRANSCONTINENTAL CORRESPONDENCE_2

"Haha! The Chief Divine protects us! With large ships come accompanying shipwrights. Where there are horses, there are also horse breeders. There are also sailors who know the details of distant seas... Hmm, after plundering the camp and reviewing all the spoils, I will inquire further!..."

Soon, Exploration Captain Zuwaro, accompanied by several Samurai, carefully examined the supplies found in the camp. He first checked two storage cellars: one was filled with an array of exquisite furs and unidentified long-rooted herbs that made him furrow his brows.

The other cellar contained bags of food and frozen venison. The staple grains came in two varieties, one yellowish and one whitish, both in grains that Zuwaro had never seen before. Besides these, there were two kinds of yellow and white beans he had just encountered, along with jars of odd-smelling pickles. Additionally, there were over a dozen jars of aromatic liquor in the cellar, though much less than he had anticipated.

"Fox, sable, deer, rabbit, wolf, and bear skins, herbs with whiskers, two types of staple grains and beans, and peculiar pickles, over a dozen jars of fragrant rice wine... The Chief Divine bears witness! It seems like a great southern farming tribe sent a merchant ship to trade for the Northern lands’ fur?..."

Zuwaro stroked his chin, pondering silently. He continued searching the tents in the camp, discovering many ironwares in a large inner tent. There were everyday iron pots and kettles, as well as iron blades and spears for combat. The abundance of iron weapons, numbering over a hundred more than the people in the camp, suggested they were trade goods from the ship.

"O Chief Divine! How do they have so many ironwares to trade?... A southern farming great tribe rich in ironware?... Hmm! What’s this, could it be the wooden plaques of their worshipped Divines?..."

Zuwaro squinted at the wooden plaques carved by the Gold Shipwright and several small Bodhisattva statues, frowning in thought for a while.

There were quite a few of these carved sculptures, each depicting different Divine images, some male, some female, with slight smiles. These Divines seemed to have many hands, each holding various weapons or tools, with rounded contours appearing behind their heads.

"Are these the All Gods worshipped by the tribes of large ships? Hmm... the multi-handed All Gods... Could they be a clan of War Gods skilled in battle?..."

Zuwaro scratched his head for a moment, reaching the conclusion that these tribes from the large ships excelled in carving, with paintings and sculptures full of vivid detail, surpassing the Alliance’s abstract portraits...

"Interesting, truly interesting! The Chief Divine bears witness! If we could capture an outstanding painter and send him back to the Kingdom to carve a brand-new idol, the priesthood of Capital City Qin Congcan would be delighted!... Ah! The Chief Divine will surely be pleased with my devotion, forgiving my previous small mistakes!..."

Zuwaro’s eyes twinkled for a moment, clapped his hands, instructing the Samurai to pack up the spoils of war. He then sent a few people to lift the snow from a five-masted large ship frozen on the ice river for a thorough check, while he leisurely walked to the side of the two captured leaders of the large ships.

"The Chief Divine grants us generous victory! How are those two captives?"

"Praise the Chief Divine! Captain, they were shouting at first, but after I used a vine stick on them for a while, they’re now quiet and don’t dare utter a word!..."

"Hmm... You didn’t hit any vital spots, did you?"

"No! The Chief Divine bears witness! Captain, I’m an old hand at capturing; I wouldn’t make that mistake. The vine stick isn’t lethal; it just hurts. If dipped in chili water, it’s an excellent way to tame captives..."

"Hmm, no rush! We have to take these captives southward; the journey is long... As long as they don’t cause trouble for now... I’ll have a talk with them!..."

"Yes! Captain!"

Zuwaro put on a simple smile, looking at the two captured leaders from the large ships. Ship administrator Murakami Kitamichi and Monk Soldier Watanabe Masumi were bruised and beaten, sitting on the snow with their heads lowered, awaiting their fate in despair. Seeing Zuwaro approaching, Murakami Kitamichi suddenly widened his eyes and cursed angrily.

"Damn! You wolf-like, despicable ambushing barbarian! First, luring us with gold, deceiving us out of our horses, then attacking without reason!... Buddha! May you die a miserable death and be reborn into the animal realm!..."

"... Murakami-kun, stop cursing; don’t further enrage the barbarian leader! Look over there, they’re treating the wounded captives... I believe they might not intend to kill us!... Hachiman Mahasattva protects! I refuse to die silently and ignobly here!..."

"The Chief Divine bears witness! Though we captured you, O leaders of the large ships, in this freezing far north land, where blood turns to ice... we don’t intend to hold any sacrifices!..."

Zuwaro smiled serenely, squatting in front of the two and softly offering a few comforting words. Yet it was clear that the two didn’t understand a word due to the language barrier.

"Hmm... You can’t understand me... No matter! The Chief Divine protects! You’re also using the written language of our Kingdom’s Divine Revelation..."

Zuwaro’s face held a smile as he took out a ledger, which was actually a detailed account of Northern land trades recorded by Monk Soldier Watanabe Masumi for Great Merchant Mori no Kiyoshi.

"Ginseng? Twenty boxes... Horses? Three... Furs, thirty-two bundles... Sand gold, three pounds..."