Primordial Era: The Holy Maiden Shiji, a woman of exceptional talent and beauty

Shiji walked around the hut again and again. Fortunately, the Orc Kingdom was surrounded by mountains and strong winds could hardly blow in, otherwise the shaky hut would have collapsed long ago.

After years of wind and rain, a layer of moss grew around the thatched house, and the paper-pasted windows were full of wind. However, even such a shabby house was considered a superior residence in the eyes of the beastmen. It was conceivable how simple the living conditions of other people were.

Shiji couldn't help but feel sympathy for the beastmen. Growing up in such a closed environment, it was no wonder that their development was so backward.

The breeze blew, and the house made a creaking sound, which made Shiji tremble all over. He didn't want to stay in this place for long, so he went out for a walk. He found that even the king's palace was not as good as the courtyard of a wealthy human family. It was just a tile house built with tiles. It looked solid, but in fact the foundation was unstable and could collapse at any time.

In order to better understand the life of the beastmen, Shiji made a survey and found that most of the beastmen lived in groups, with several families crowded in a tent-like building made of hay.

"Isn't this the group life of primitive society?" Shiji couldn't help but sigh. How inconvenient it would be for so many families to live together in one place!
It seems that it is not easy to make the beastmen rich. Shiji shook her head helplessly, thinking to herself, why did she agree to the king so impulsively?

As he walked, he heard a rustling sound under his feet. He suddenly had an idea, squatted down, touched the sand on the ground, and grinned.

"I have an idea!"

Shiji returned to the hut happily and began to write a development plan for the Orc Kingdom.

Not long after, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside, which got closer and closer and finally stopped at the door.

"Mr. Shiji, are you there?" A crisp voice came from outside the door.

Shiji walked to the door and saw a little kid who had just reached adulthood standing there obediently.

"Are you looking for me?" Shiji asked.

"It's dinner time, and the king invites you to come over for dinner. The king said you are a distinguished guest, so today's dinner is particularly sumptuous, and meats that you can't usually eat are all served." The little guy replied.

Shiji touched her stomach and felt a little hungry after being busy for so long.

"In that case, then you lead the way!" Shiji said. The little guy's words were so exaggerated that Shiji felt a little excited.

When they arrived at the front hall, Shiji saw the king sitting at the top seat, while the others sat on the floor. On the table in front of them was a large plate of raw meat with blood.

Shiji was delighted, it seemed like they were going to have barbecue!

"Shiji, come and take a seat. We're waiting for you," said the king.

"Let me introduce to you all. This is the human Shiji, and he is also a distinguished guest of our beastman tribe. The future prosperity of our beastman tribe depends on Mr. Shiji." The king raised his glass and introduced him to everyone.

Other beastmen also toasted Shiji.

"Everyone is here, let's start eating!" said the king.

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of beastmen grabbed the raw meat on the plates and started eating it in big mouthfuls, looking very enjoyable.

Shiji frowned, and felt nauseous when looking at the raw meat in front of him. They are really primitive people!

Seeing that Shiji had not started eating, the king asked, "Mr. Shiji, why don't you eat? Is it because the food is not to your taste?"

Before Shiji could speak, someone in the crowd said sarcastically, "King, I don't think he dislikes our food, but he looks down on it. Humans have so much to eat, how can they look down on our plates of meat!"

As soon as these words came out, the king's expression suddenly became a little ugly.

In order to avoid the king's misunderstanding, Shiji quickly explained: "King, that's not what I meant. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the best raw venison, which costs several taels of silver in our place! Ordinary people can't afford it at all."

"But I've never eaten raw meat. We always cook it." Shiji continued.

The king asked in confusion, "Cook it and eat it?"

Among the beastmen, all meat and vegetables are eaten raw and are never cooked.

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion and curiosity. They found Shiji's statement both novel and unbelievable.

Most people were skeptical in their hearts. After all, Shiji was a human being, and there had always been grudges between humans and beastmen, so his words could not be fully believed.

"King, there are many parasites hidden in raw meat. Eating it may increase the risk of disease. In the long run, it may also lead to symptoms such as loss of appetite and general weakness." Seeing that the king was listening attentively, Shiji continued to explain.

"Generally speaking, raw meat is difficult to digest and will put an extra burden on the stomach and intestines, causing abdominal pain, diarrhea and other problems. This is also an important reason why the disease rate of the beastmen is higher than that of other tribes."

The king nodded. What Shiji described did exist among the beastmen.

Every year, countless beastmen died from such diseases, but due to backward medical technology, most of them could only endure it, and those who could not endure it could only leave it to fate. The king had never thought that such a common disease could be caused by food.

"Mr. Chu, what do you think about this?" asked the king.

"Among us humans, this kind of meat is usually eaten only after it is cooked thoroughly. High temperature not only kills bacteria, but also makes the cooked meat taste better." Shiji replied.

The king was skeptical about Shiji's words. After all, the beastmen had been eating meat raw for hundreds of years and it tasted just as delicious. He had never heard that meat could be eaten cooked.

"How about this, if the king doesn't believe it, how about I demonstrate it to you myself?" Shiji suggested.

Although the king was a little hesitant, he still ordered his men to bring charcoal.

"This is simply nonsense. How can you eat cooked meat? In my opinion, the original flavor is best." Someone questioned.

"That's right, our beastmen have been eating this way for generations. Why should we change it just because he comes?" someone else echoed.

"Don't jump to conclusions, let's wait and see. In fact, what Shiji said makes sense. Many of our beastmen die from this disease every year. If this can really reduce the incidence rate, it may not be a bad thing." Some people also hold an open attitude.

Everyone was talking about it, and most of them were suspicious of Shiji's behavior, suspecting that he was tempting the beast.

Shiji found some iron racks, placed the charcoal fire underneath, and put the raw meat on the racks. The charcoal fire roasted the racks red, the meat made a sizzling sound, and oil and water kept dripping.

Soon, the large piece of raw meat shrank into a small piece, lost its blood color, and the fragrance instantly filled the entire hall.

"This fragrance is so tempting!" someone exclaimed.

Shiji picked up a piece of meat and asked loudly, "Does anyone want to try it?"

Everyone looked at each other. Although the fragrance was strong, no one dared to try it.

"Mr. Shiji, can I?" A familiar voice sounded, and everyone's eyes were focused on the boy. "Of course!" Shiji replied.

The boy seemed a little timid, but under the gaze of everyone, he carefully put the barbecue into his mouth.

The boy chewed gently for a few times, and suddenly his eyes lit up, he showed a surprised expression and gave a thumbs up.

The boy's reaction was beyond everyone's expectation. More and more beastmen were attracted by the smell and gathered around Shiji. The beastmen chattered non-stop, some were still skeptical, and some were hesitant.

Seeing this, Shiji distributed the roasted meat to the orcs, but no one dared to eat it.

Shiji could also understand their concerns. After all, they had been eating this way for a long time. Suddenly someone told them that their previous way of eating was wrong, so they would naturally feel a little scared.

The adults didn't dare to try it, but the children were very brave. They kept eating one piece after another, and their enjoying expressions were so enviable.

Shiji handed the king a few slices of roasted meat. The king was a little hesitant at first, but he finally plucked up the courage to taste it. Everyone stared at the king, expecting his reaction.

"Yes, this grilled meat tastes much better than raw meat, it's fresh and tender. This is the first time I've tasted such delicious food in all my years." The king praised it highly.

"Shiji, how many surprises do you have that I don't know about?" the king laughed.

The king spoke highly of the barbecue and set an example for other beastmen, who were eager to try it.

Everyone who has tasted the barbecue praises it highly. Shiji is also very pleased.

"King, as you can see, grilled meat is more popular than raw meat. For the sake of the health of our people, I suggest that you promote the consumption of cooked meat." Shiji took the opportunity to make a suggestion.

The king looked embarrassed and said, "But eating raw meat has been a tradition for hundreds of years. How can you change it here?"

"Tradition is dead, but people are alive..." Shiji persuaded earnestly.

After Shiji's persuasion, the king finally wavered and said that he would seriously consider this issue. Perhaps because the barbecue smelled too good, everyone drank a few more bottles of wine.

Shiji saw that everyone was a little drunk, so he didn't continue the conversation. The beastmen were talking happily, and he couldn't get a word in. Not long after, he left.

On the way back, Shiji kept thinking whether he should build a house first or plant food first. After all, food and shelter are the most basic life guarantees for the orcs.

The next morning, Shiji woke up to the noise, frowning and unhappy. Last night, the wind was strong, the hut was cold and noisy, and he barely slept all night.

Shiji rubbed his sleepy eyes and pushed open the door. The scene in front of him surprised him. He saw people lined up in an orderly manner, busy in an orderly manner, but he didn't know what they were doing.

Just as Shiji was about to go forward to find out what was going on, the little boy from yesterday came into view.

"Wait, what are they busy with so early in the morning?" Shiji asked curiously.

"Mr. Chu, we in the Beast Tribe have a tradition. We have to worship the Beast God every morning and pray for the prosperity of the Beast Tribe." The little boy explained.

Shiji nodded, not quite understanding, and muttered to herself: Beast God? How ridiculous! If worshiping him was really useful, the Beast Tribe would not have ended up in such a situation.

Shiji, who was woken up, could no longer fall asleep. After packing up, she went to see the king.

After what happened yesterday, the king became more friendly towards Shiji, and those who had once mocked him also showed him more respect, which surprised Shiji.

"King, everyone says that the Orc Kingdom is a barren land, but I found a treasure here yesterday." Shiji said shockingly.

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a burst of discussion below.

"Treasure? There is actually treasure in this remote place like ours?"

"We have lived here for so long, how come we didn't know there was a treasure? He couldn't be lying!"

"Have you forgotten what happened yesterday? I guess what Shiji said is probably true."

……

Everyone was whispering, and the king looked surprised.

"Shiji, you said there is a treasure here. Is that true? Tell me quickly." The king asked anxiously.

"Yesterday I discovered that the Orc Kingdom is rich in minerals. Before this, these mineral resources have never been mined. I guess the mineral resources underground must be very rich and priceless." Shiji explained.

"Mine? What is this?" The king was unfamiliar with the word. But Shiji was well-informed, and when he said it was precious, it was probably true.

"Different mines have different uses. Gold, magnetite, chalcopyrite, etc. can be extracted from minerals. Some ores with special colors can also be used to make pigments. For example, the green malachite and red cinnabar on the market are all extracted from mines." Shiji said in detail.

Shiji's words left everyone confused.

Although the king did not understand what the mine was or its principles, his eyes lit up when he heard that gold could be extracted from it.

He had lived here for so long, but he didn't know that this was a treasure land. He was very excited for a moment.

But on second thought, even if they dug out the ore, what would it matter? They didn't have the tools and technology to extract it, and it would take a long time to learn and buy it. In this way, wouldn't it be in vain to waste so much time and energy?

"Mr. Chu, your idea is good, but I'm afraid it won't work in the Orc Kingdom. You know our situation. Even if we dig out the mine, we won't be able to refine it." The king said worriedly.

Shiji smiled, he had already thought of a solution.

"King, I have a plan, but I don't know whether I should tell you." Shiji asked tentatively.

"Go ahead," said the king.

"The Orc Kingdom is rich in mineral resources, but they are extremely precious to humans. You can sell these minerals to humans in exchange for money. With the money, what do you want?" Shiji suggested.

Shiji was feeling proud of her clever plan, but unexpectedly the king rejected it outright.

"No! How can my beastman trade with humans? That would be humiliating for ourselves!" the king said firmly.

"Moreover, humans regard our beastmen as enemies, so how could they accept our minerals? I'm afraid they have ulterior motives," the king continued.

Shiji appeared calm on the surface, but secretly complained in her heart: If you were not jealous of humans and attacked them, how could humans regard you as their enemy? Now, you have brought this upon yourselves! (End of this chapter)