Chapter 115: Explosive Negotiation

  The old dwarf thought for a moment, then said: "This magic stone was originally our tribe's treasure... Now it has become the spoils of war for the master wizard, and we naturally have no way to take it back by force... However, this magic stone is truly very important to our tribe, so I humbly request that the master wizard return it to us... We are willing to pay a suitable price to get it back." After saying these words, the old dwarf who never bowed his head looked somewhat embarrassed, but still stood up straight, weakly gasping for breath.

  Gua finally has a slightly better impression of this dwarf race.

  Gua swept a glance over the dwarves behind the old dwarf, those tribesmen who had been tortured by cruel punishment and hunger, unable to move along the road. They gazed at Gua eagerly, apparently this magic stone was more attractive to them than a hot beef steak and a cup of hot milk at this moment.

  The melon's psychological movement slightly moved. He smiled, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth, and said: "After you leave the cage, where are you going?"

  The old dwarf's face darkened a bit, and he said: "The dwarves of the Western Mountains have multiplied to the point where they can no longer be accommodated by the local mines, so we voluntarily came out to find new mines... Before finding new mines, we don't know where to go either... I think it's probably deep in the glaciers..."

  "Go deep into the icy canyon?! There are more Frost Giants there, aren't you going to your deaths?!"

  The old dwarf said bitterly: "There is no ore vein... We don't know where to go either... The ore vein is the foundation of our dwarves' survival."

  Gua stroked his beard, thought for a moment and said: "Alright, taking advantage of your current hunger and cold, and having nowhere to go, I'll introduce you to a mine. Specifically, how much it contains, I'm not clear either, but I know that's an extremely rich Xuan Tie mine, now belonging to my Pailaisi Castle Dragon People tribe."

  As soon as the old dwarf heard about the mineral vein, both of his eyes lit up at once, and the dwarves behind him also perked up, as if the pain and hunger on their bodies were nothing compared to finding the mineral vein.

  It seems that the dwarves' fervor for mining is indeed well-deserved.

  "I can unconditionally transfer this mine to you, return the Flame Magic Stone to you, and even provide pack horses and snow crawlers, as well as food and hot water. The condition is that every adult member of your tribe must work for me for five years when they come of age. I will pay you a salary, and I have priority purchase rights for your weapons."

  "Of course, at first there may be more IOUs and the price won't be too high, what do you think?"

  The old dwarf rubbed his hands together with some effort and said stiffly: "I, we dwarves, how can we accept... the favor of the dog-headed people!"

  The melon was suddenly furious, the scales on its neck stood up, and just as it was about to get angry, it took a deep breath, gritted its teeth and asked: "What do you want to do?"

  The old dwarf puffed out his neck, bellowing loudly, his white beard quivering wildly like lightning, as if also indicating that its owner had fallen into a state of furious rage: "Since we dwarves have occupied your mines and temporarily obtained your help, we will give you the reward you deserve! Otherwise, I will feel that we have sold ourselves to you! This is something we absolutely cannot tolerate!"

  "After we occupy your mine, our products can be sold to you first, as long as you want them. Even if others offer a higher price, we won't sell! Even if you owe us for ten years, we'll still sell to you! Every year, we'll provide you with ten sets of high-quality equipment! We'll use the best craftsmen, the best materials, and the best gems!!! We absolutely won't let you guys look down on us! No matter who it is, no matter which king, nobody can take away our freedom! We absolutely won't sell out our own freedom! We won't force our younger brothers to work for you unless they volunteer!!!"

  "What the...!!! You old turtle dare to call me a son of a bitch!!!!" Guagua was furious, jumping off his horse and striding up to the old dwarf, his hands flashing with ominous magical light. "Who are you calling a son of a bitch!!!"

  The old dwarf fearlessly poked his nose into the face of the gourd, causing him to step back repeatedly. Then, in a loud voice, he roared on his face: "It's me who called you a turtle egg! You're a dead lizard with grandma's legs! Moradin is above, even the highest god can't enslave us dwarves!!!"

  Valley Melon had never been so angry before. He finally did a good deed, but was sprayed back by someone, and he felt a fierce flame burning in his heart and lungs! He angrily sprayed: "What's the value of your dwarf freedom?! Isn't it just ten sets of fine equipment?! Spit! Garbage! Waste! Spit! I don't care!!"

  The old dwarf was furious, had already rolled up his sleeves and was ready to come over and fight. At this time, people from both sides also surrounded them, the sturdy young men of the dwarves surrounded the old dwarf inside, and the warriors of the dog-headed people also surrounded their leader, a chaotic group fight seemed inevitable.

  "You don't care!!!! Our dwarves' smelting craftsmanship is the best on the entire continent! And our Western Mountain dwarves' inlaying skills are one in ten thousand! Equipment inlaid with gems can rival enchanted equipment!!!!! You country bumpkin, you understand nothing!!!!! Ha! No matter how precious magical equipment is, it's not as important as our dwarves' freedom! As long as there are enough minerals, I can give you twenty sets every year, what can you do about it!!!!!"

  "Hah!!! Just inlaid a piece of broken stone and thought you're awesome! Bullshit! I can pick up twenty baskets of stones by the roadside in half a day! You think you can fool me?! Old miser! I saw through you long ago!!!"

  "We use gems that have been finely polished! Even the dwarves, those lazy good-for-nothings, admire us to death! The human merchant caravans from the south had their heads broken trying to steal our trade rights!!!! You dare to look down on us???? Don't worry, I'll inlay the best gems into these twenty sets of equipment!!!"

  "Hmm...alright, deal." Tuan Gu suddenly retracted his angry expression, calmly picked at his earwax, and then turned to leave. As he walked away, he said: "Remember, we have the right of first refusal, and every year twenty sets of the best inlaid gems, crafted with the finest craftsmanship equipment. And we are allies, you won't object to that, will you?"

  The old dwarf watched the calm figure of Guagua walk away, a hint of a smile on his lips, but he still jumped up and cursed: "Hmph! I won't oppose it!" Until the dwarf next to him whispered: "Great Elder... our treasure has been taken away by the Frost Giant... now it should be in the hands of the Dog Head People... what to do?"

  The old dwarf suddenly turned pale.

  Under the command of Gua, the dog-headed people quickly replenished the dwarves with dried meat and hot water and wine, and then gave them some horses and snow-crawling sledges.

  Kua also returned the stove with the magic stone to the old dwarf. The old dwarf muttered, "My name is Nabu Chisel, what's yours?"

  "My name is Gua Gu."

  The old dwarf frowned and said, "Don't you have a surname?"

  "My surname is Pasgaye."

  The old dwarf's eyes rolled around in a circle and he said, "I've never heard of this surname before, but it sounds strange and yet seems to be an extremely ancient surname." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left.

  The dwarf quickly adjusted the dog-headed snow crawler, converting all of them into labor-saving and practical devices. He then spent ten minutes making ten more snow crawlers, hitched them to horse-drawn carriages, and prioritized seating the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled on them. The able-bodied men then hastily made two more snow crawlers and followed behind the main group.