The Quest for Immortality

Mo Hua’s expression was somewhat nuanced.

Indeed, many times, the external differences between people are distinguished by hairstyles and makeup.

Without a hairstyle or makeup, everyone looks like an ordinary person.

This Elder of the Shugu Skill Department, without his distinctive attire, looks even more honest than an honest person.

Of course, his arms and legs are still broken.

”Mr. Witch... Mr. Witch... Is there something you need from me?”

Iron Skill Bone had the White Bone makeup wiped off his face, and his ”personality” seemed wiped away too, becoming much more docile. He was also quite sensible and actually addressed Mo Hua as ”Mr. Witch.”

Mo Hua glanced at Iron Skill Bone, finding it a bit strange.

But he didn’t think much of it.

To know the times is to be a hero.

This ”staunch” Iron Skill Bone being so perceptive saved a lot of trouble.

Mo Hua asked him, ”In your Shugu Department, where is the main department, how many wandering tribes are there? Are there any other secret departments?”

Iron Skill Bone knew that Mo Hua was probing the structure of the Shugu Department.

In the past, he wouldn’t have spoken, but now under the eaves, he had to bow.

Iron Skill Bone then recounted everything:

”Reporting to the Shaman, my Shugu Department has one main department, four main departments, beneath which are divided into twelve sub-departments, and below these, there are nearly a hundred small departments. Besides, there are more than thirty external departments...”

”This is the formal tribal structure.”

”In addition, there are the unofficial wandering tribes, and some unknown secret departments used for storing resources and sealing secrets.”

”The wandering tribes move constantly without fixed positions.”

”Secret departments are confidential, and their locations are rarely disclosed to others. The only secret department of the Shugu I know of is this one serving the ’Barbarian God.’ I know nothing of the others...”

Hearing this, Mo Hua nodded slightly.

The internal structure of the Shugu Department is actually more complex than that of the Danque Tribe.

Yet from the barbaric history Mo Hua studied based on the barbaric texts of various tribes, the structure of the Shugu Department is actually the most ”orthodox” and complete barbaric system.

The direct lineage of the tribe is divided into main departments.

Within each main department, the strongest and most respected, those with ”leadership” power, are the ”main department.”

The chieftain of the main department is the Great Chief of the entire tribe.

After the Great Chief’s death, a powerful successor elected from the main or other primary departments inherits the position of the Great Chief.

If no one is ”chosen,” then it’s ”battle.”

The strongest one makes the decisions.

Survival of the fittest, the victor is king, war is the most persuasive ”electoral” method here in the barbaric wilderness.

Below the main departments are sub-departments, small departments, and external departments.

These tribes have no ”electoral” rights; they can only attach themselves to the main department.

Unless they can massively gain strength, annex main departments, and destroy the main department, they will always be subordinates, with little voice in the tribe.

The wandering and secret departments are distinguished by characteristics, relatively special and not part of the formal structure.

Thus, while the barbaric wilderness seems ”savage,” its internal system and power rules are not simple at all.

And within the tribe, the order of strength is approximately aligned with this sequence.

For example, in the Third Grade Mountain Realm tribes.

The main department’s power is undoubtedly the strongest.

The Great Chief’s realm is also in the Late Golden Core Stage.

The primary chieftains of the departments under the main department are generally above the Middle Phase of the Golden Core, occasionally reaching the Late Stage.

A primary chieftain of the Late Golden Core Stage actually has the strength to compete for the main department.

Below the main departments, the chieftains of the sub-departments or some leaders are only in the Early Golden Core Stage.

Further down, in the small and external departments, the highest cultivation usually only reaches Foundation Establishment.

In these small and external departments, occasionally someone breaks through to the Golden Core, but these Golden Cores will no longer stay in their original small tribes and will enter the primary or main departments to take positions as protectors or elders.

The two guard elders by Dan Zhu’s side, Ba Shan and Bachuan, come from small tribes of the Danque Tribe.

Thus, when Bi Jie previously sneered, saying that the low-class tribespeople of the small tribes were not worth saving, and mocked Dan Zhu for risking his life to save people from the small tribes of the Danque Tribe, it was completely meddling.

Elder Ba Shan was very angry because he is from a small tribe and sympathizes with the plight of the barbarian cultivators from small tribes.

This complicated relationship is something Mo Hua has studied for a long time to understand a little.

Here in the barbaric wilderness, with many tribes, differences in power structures, diverse customs and beliefs, and constant warfare, combined with the mixed use of barbaric and Taoist Court scripts, the ever-changing cultivation system, and messy transmissions, many things are truly brain-twisting.

Mo Hua delved into the barbaric wilderness, infiltrating major tribes as a ”shaman,” collecting and researching for a long time to understand these internal secrets.

If it were someone else, especially a cultivator of the Taoist Court, they would surely be in the dark, unable to understand anything.

If one blindly participates in tribal wars or power struggles, knowing nothing about the myriad origins, identities, taboos, beliefs, and power structures of these tribes, they won’t know how enmities are formed or how they get killed in the end.

To thrive smoothly in the barbaric wilderness, even to change the entire Great Wilderness, one naturally cannot neglect mastering these factual situations.

Mo Hua glanced again at Iron Skill Bone.

Iron Skill Bone’s position is actually not low.

He is a leader of a Shugu wandering tribe.

In his wandering tribe, Iron Skill Bone, with his Early Golden Core Stage leadership, is theoretically ranked at the ”sub-department” level.

Below the main and primary departments is the sub-department.