568: Chapter 563 The Devil from the Civilized World

"Its throat is choked by the ignorance of mortals."

He walked to the side of the dry holy well.

"There is no longer any divine grace here."

"The new spring lies beneath the feet of the sleeping god."

He pointed to a plain, unremarkable patch of ground on the other side of the plaza.

The Priest’s face turned ashen.

"Nonsense!"

"Blasphemy against the holy ground! You will be swallowed by the quicksand!"

Shen Yan looked at him.

"Whether it is true or not, let’s dig and see for ourselves, won’t we know then?"

"If I am wrong, my life, along with all the supplies on my vehicle, will belong to the Tribe."

"If I am right..."

He paused.

"I want to see the Elder."

This was a massive gamble.

What was at stake was his own life and the Tribe's faith.

The tribesmen began to stir.

Thirst was more real than reverence for the sand god.

Someone picked up a tool.

The Priest tried to stop them but was held back by several young men.

They looked at Shen Yan with complex expressions.

There was suspicion, but more so, a flicker of ignited hope.

Kade stood to the side, his palms sweating profusely.

He didn't know where Shen Yan’s confidence came from.

The digging began.

The hard, sandy ground was excavated inch by inch.

One hour.

Two hours.

The sun began to set in the west.

Nothing but sand, still just sand.

Mocking laughter rose again.

A cold smile reappeared on the Priest's face.

"Seize him!"

Just then.

"We hit it! It’s wet! It’s wet sand!"

A young man’s voice, choked with tears, came from the bottom of the pit.

Everyone went wild.

They rushed over, using their hands, using everything they could, digging frantically.

Soon, a stream of murky water seeped up from beneath the ground.

Although it wasn't much, it was water!

It was life!

The entire Tribe erupted in earth-shattering cheers instantly.

People scooped up the muddy water and smeared it on their faces, weeping with joy.

The Priest stood frozen, the scepter in his hand drooping powerlessly.

He looked at the Easterner.

That outsider was currently standing calmly outside the crowd.

As if all of this had nothing to do with him.

Under the fanatical gaze of all the tribesmen, Shen Yan seemed to truly be cloaked in a divine radiance.

Kade’s mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.

He finally understood the meaning of Shen Yan’s words.

He wasn't joking.

He truly intended to make the god open the way for him.

Just then, the curtain of thick beast hide covering the largest stone house was pulled back.

An old but robust voice rang out.

"Let him come in."

Inside the stone house.

The light was dim.

The air was filled with a mixed scent of herbs and leather.

An old man wearing a dark robe sat cross-legged on a beast hide mat.

His hair and beard were snow-white, and his face was covered in knife-cut wrinkles.

However, his eyes were not cloudy like the Priest's.

They were deep and bright, like the stars on a desert night made of black gold.

This was the Elder of the Sand Viper Tribe, Wu He.

Shen Yan sat down opposite him.

Kade stood at the doorway like a guardian statue, not daring to enter.

Wu He didn't look at Shen Yan, but instead busied himself carving an unknown piece of wood with a small knife.

"That spring wasn't told to you by the sand god, was it?"

His voice was calm, as if stating a fact.

Shen Yan did not conceal anything.

"No."

"Gods are meant to unite the hearts of the people."

"Not to solve the direction of underground water veins."

Wu He’s hand carving the wood paused slightly.

He raised his head and looked directly at Shen Yan for the first time.

"You are very honest."

"Much smarter than that Priest who only knows how to pray."

He tossed the carved piece of wood into a nearby brazier.

"Speak, outsider."

"You went to such great lengths to come before me; it wasn't just to find us a well."

"What do you want?"

Shen Yan leaned slightly forward.

"I want what is beneath your feet."

Wu He’s eyes instantly sharpened like knives.

"Many people have said that before."

"Their bones are now the nests of scorpions."

Shen Yan shook his head.

"No, you misunderstand."

"I am not here to rob."

"I am here to make a trade."

"A trade?" Wu He let out a cold laugh, "What do you have that the Sand Vipers need?"

"The future."

Shen Yan uttered two words.

"I have observed your Tribe, Elder."

"You are formidable, but you are declining."

"Lacking water, lacking food, lacking medicine. The survival rate for newborns is very low."

"You guard the holy ground, guard your so-called glory, yet you are slowly being swallowed by this desert."

"You speak the truth."

Wu He’s gaze dimmed slightly.

These were the questions he pondered every night.

"So, what is your trade?"

"I want to mine minerals beneath the Scorpion Tail Rock."

"In return."

Shen Yan held up one finger.

"First, I will establish a complete water purification and recycling system for you, enough so that all of you, and your livestock, will never worry about water again."

He held up a second finger.

"Second, I will provide the technology and equipment to build indoor farms underground, allowing you to grow your own vegetables and grain."

He held up a third finger.

"Third, five percent of the annual mineral profits will be given to the Tribe in the form of medicine, cloth, educational resources, and cash."

Wu He fell silent.

Every condition Shen Yan proposed struck precisely at the lifeblood of the Tribe.

This was not charity.

This was truly a future that could allow the Sand Viper Tribe to survive and thrive better.

After a long time, Wu He finally spoke slowly.

"You only want the stones underground?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you afraid that after I agree, once your people and equipment are inside, I will kill you all and seize everything?" Wu He’s eyes narrowed, radiating a dangerous light.

Shen Yan smiled.

He knew the real negotiation was just beginning.

"You won't."

"Because I can give you more than just these things."

He looked into Wu He’s eyes and spoke word by word.

"I also know what is slumbering deeper than those ores."

Wu He’s pupils contracted sharply.

"The power of your ancestors slumbers there."

"The 'Divine Armor' and 'Spear of Thunder' that you speak of as gifts from the sand god."

"You have guarded them for hundreds of years, yet you do not know how to awaken them."

"But I can."

The air inside the stone house seemed to solidify in that instant.

Wu He’s previously impassive face finally revealed unconcealed shock.

That was the Tribe's most core secret.

Passed down only orally among successive Elders.

How did this outsider know?

Shen Yan leaned back against the wall.

"Elder, faith cannot be eaten as food."

"But power can."

"Give me the stones underground, and I will return to you a Sand Viper Tribe that can truly stand tall and dictate the rules in this desert."

"Will you make this trade?"

The charcoal in the brazier let out a slight crackling sound.

Wu He stared fixedly at Shen Yan, his expression shifting constantly.

He knew that the young man before him was not a divine envoy.

He was far more terrifying than a divine envoy.

He was a devil from the civilized world.

A devil who came knocking with an irresistible temptation.