Since they had the idea of reforming the tribe for better development, Shen Can and Huo Tang began a comprehensive investigation of the entire tribe.
First, they would get a clear grasp of every situation within the tribe, then improve them one by one.
On the city wall.
More than a dozen tribesmen clustered together, examining the Plague Prevention Wooden Spears, Beast Oil, bow and arrow, and other items they had made before.
This was only the stockpile from one location, yet there were already more than a hundred wooden spears.
How should one put it? Among those hundred-odd wooden spears, not even two were alike.
Some were large, some small, with varying thicknesses, while their polished surfaces were pitted and uneven.
The small jars holding Beast Oil ranged from half a foot to two feet tall, each one different in height, width, and shape.
The few bows were all single-piece Wooden Bows. Even so, they differed in size, and the beast sinews used as bowstrings varied in thickness, resulting in wildly uneven draw strengths.
The arrows were even more disorderly. The feathers at their tails differed in size and density, and the shafts varied in thickness as well. Some had bone arrowheads, while others had iron ones.
Then there were the leather armors worn by the warriors accompanying them, all in every conceivable style.
Everything the Blazing Flame Tribe ate, wore, and used was made collectively within the tribe. Put simply, they all ate from the same pot.
The arrows and leather armor used by many warriors and able-bodied adults were polished and sewn by their own wives, so naturally their designs came in all shapes and sizes.
That was normal for a small tribe.
But this created a problem: there was no standardization. If they were merely hunting and patrolling as before, with warriors bringing their own weapons, it naturally would not matter much.
But if they faced another battle like their resistance against the Possessing Plague Worms, or one of even greater intensity, then there would be a problem.
Once their own weapons, armor, bows, or arrows failed, borrowing from fellow tribesmen could leave them with a wooden bow that was too strong or too weak, or arrows whose weight did not suit their hands.
It was not that they could not be used, but if they were made more standardized, anyone could pick them up and use them at any time.
Not every tribesman was a genius or born with a divine physique. Ordinary weapons might prevent them from unleashing their full combat power, forcing them to rely on specially tailored weapons.
In truth, most tribesmen were roughly alike. When they went hunting to take down more powerful Desolate Beasts, they also hunted together.
A steadier supply of standardized weapons was better suited for large-scale equipment.
For several days straight, Shen Can and Huo Tang investigated the tribe. From every household to the storehouse reserves, from children's martial arts foundations to field cultivation, nothing was overlooked. They recorded every problem they found.
Inside the ear chamber, where the lamplight flickered.
Shen Can wrote on a Beast Hide Scroll while Huo Tang paced beside him and spoke.
From time to time, the two would stop to discuss matters.
After a long while.
Shen Can stopped writing and said, "Chief, based on what we investigated over the past few days, I've written down improvements for the tribe's problems here. Take a look."
Huo Tang snatched up the Beast Hide Scroll.
"First, establish a tribal elder system, clearly dividing responsibility for all tribal matters, with precise assignments for farming, crafting, gathering, production, taming Desolate Beasts, and so on.
Second, establish a tribal treasury to guard against natural disasters, strengthen reserves of medicinal herbs, Beast Oil, weapons, and armor, and assign dedicated tribal elders to maintain these resources daily.
Third, establish a system of rewards and punishments, with both rewards and penalties drawn from or paid into the tribal treasury.
Fourth, under current conditions, establish a martial arts training system suited to the tribe's circumstances, selecting and cultivating the best.
Fifth, relying on the martial arts training system, establish an elite force of warriors freed from ordinary tribal duties, responsible for the tribe's safety, external patrols, and reconnaissance.
Sixth, rename people and resolve the tribe's chaotic naming practices.
Seventh, absorb capable surviving outsiders from other tribes who can integrate into the tribe."
As Huo Tang read the contents of the Beast Hide Scroll, he grew more and more excited. How had he never thought of these things?
He had held some ideas before, but they had been hazy. Now, they had taken on a more concrete form.
"Good, good, good."
"Chief, if the tribe wants to develop, the old careless way of doing things simply won't do anymore."
Shen Can spoke. The tribe had essentially been eating from the same pot, disorderly and without structure, maintaining the status quo so long as everyone could survive.
But eating from the same pot came in different forms. From now on, the tribe would still guarantee every tribesman basic food and ensure that no one went hungry.
"Fine, we'll do as you say."
Huo Tang replied without even lifting his head, his thoughts still fixed on the Beast Hide Scroll.
These articles for improving the tribe were not comprehensive. They had only been written after several days of investigating the tribe.
For the tribe to establish itself, what truly mattered was becoming powerful in martial arts. Only then could it ensure stable development and smoothly carry out all supporting measures.
Likewise, only stable food, clothing, shelter, and travel could allow the tribe's warriors to cultivate without worries hanging over their heads.
These rules were not meant to be set in stone.
There might be seven today, perhaps ten next month, or perhaps only six. Whether to add or remove them would depend on the actual circumstances.
No system could remain effective forever. So long as it operated, new problems would emerge.
They had not even begun operating it yet. Who knew whether it would fail to suit local conditions?
Everything needed time to prove itself. Once specific problems were found, they could devise specific ways to improve them.
Moreover, these were only broad principles. The detailed rules would be far more numerous.
Take the first point, the tribal elder system. Once elders were assigned to relevant affairs, they would have to shoulder the responsibility of making the tribe's weapons as uniform as possible.
There was also the unmentioned issue of the tribe's muddled bloodlines and marriage arrangements.
That problem was easy to solve.
There was only one reason for marriages between close relatives in the tribe: the tribe lacked ambition and could not expand outward.
As long as the tribe's power grew, would Blazing Flame Tribe members with the Huo surname still fear being unable to find wives?
With the five hundred newly absorbed women, the tribe temporarily had no pressure regarding marriage.
For the next period of time, they should focus on cultivating their internal arts.
The Great Wilderness was so vast. There might be no nearby tribes, but there were tribes farther away.
At that moment, Huo Xian sat at another stone table in the cave, head lowered as he wrote.
"Tribal reform..."
Like a historian recording tribal history, he wrote down everything he saw at this moment on a Beast Hide Scroll.
After finishing, he carefully nodded with a smile, seemingly quite satisfied.
After a long while, Huo Tang reluctantly pulled his gaze away from the Beast Hide Scroll and said, "If we want to implement this smoothly, it would be best to hold a tribe-wide ancestral sacrifice. We can use the sacrifice to announce these rules, select tribal elders, and assign the various tribal duties."
"The tribe has endured floods and plague. Holding an ancestral sacrifice really could raise the morale of the tribesmen."
Shen Can also agreed with Huo Tang.
Especially when making sweeping changes to their established way of life, having the ancestors come forward to lend their support could effectively resolve many troubles.
In the Great Wilderness, there was no problem the ancestors could not solve.
"For an ancestral sacrifice, we need at least one Second-tier Desolate Beast. That won't be easy to find now."
"I'll think of a way regarding the Desolate Beast. I'll have Huo Shan see whether he can encounter one by traveling farther out." With that, Huo Tang prepared to leave.
"Chief, the plan I told you about before for centralized training of the tribesmen doesn't conflict with the tribal reforms. We can begin cultivation first."
"I'll take charge of capturing the Desolate Beasts. Everyone in the tribe will listen to you."
Before Shen Can could say anything else, Huo Tang had already left the ancestral temple cave.
"A-Tang has rarely shown such an impatient temperament since becoming chief. Back then, he was still a hunting team leader, just like Huo Shan."
Huo Xian carefully rolled up the Beast Hide Scroll, nostalgia in his eyes.
"If there had been anyone else capable of leading the tribe, what A-Tang truly wanted was to be a hunting team leader."
Shen Can understood at once. If everyone listened to him, then did that not make him the actual chief?
"Fine, then we'll gather the tribesmen to practice martial arts first thing tomorrow morning."
Shen Can muttered as he headed toward his own ear chamber.
After absorbing outside tribesmen once, the Blazing Flame Tribe currently had 2,433 members.
When Shen Can prepared to gather them for centralized martial arts training, he discovered that, without considering age, gender, and the manpower required for essential tribal duties, they could still field a full 1,800 people.
Men and women alike, every one of them tall, broad, and sturdy.
Seeing that everyone looked capable, he stopped selecting altogether.
There were only a little over 2,400 people anyway. They could take turns going through his hands first.
He would see who could eat and who had talent for the Kui Ox Fist.
Those with decent aptitude could stay for further training. Those who did not measure up could go back to doing whatever they had been doing.
Tribal elder Huo Yu led people carrying pots and meat to a stretch of terraced fields that had been enclosed within the city during its construction.
They quickly set up the large pots and stewed the meat.
This place had already been converted into a martial arts training ground. It had three tiers, each one smaller as it rose higher.
"A-Can, are we really letting this many people eat their fill?"
Huo Yu asked in a trembling voice. Seeing meat scooped away the moment it finished cooking, he could hardly bear to watch them eat like this.
This first batch numbered three hundred people, yet they had devoured a mountain of meat in one breath. To Huo Yu, this was not eating meat—it was eating his heart and liver.
The older generation had grown accustomed to thrift. They were more like hamsters hoarding grain.
Shen Can stood at the highest point of the training ground, smiling as he watched the tribesmen below wolf down their food.
The most distinctive feature of martial arts in the Great Wilderness was eating meat, practicing fists, and growing bigger.
"Let them eat their fill. Bring me a bowl too."
As for the naming issue in the tribal reforms, should they directly rename people on a large scale, or adopt a generational naming system to distinguish earlier and later generations? What suggestions do you all have?
I looked it up: the practice of generational names took shape during the Tang dynasty's imperial examination era.
To strengthen clan cohesion, newly emerging examination-based families imitated aristocratic clans and established generational naming sequences.
It flourished during the Song dynasty, became fixed and widespread in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and was passed down into modern times. Though nowadays, people seem not to discuss generational names as much anymore.
Please read on. Today's and tomorrow's follow-up readership will affect next week's recommendation, so please read on.
Before you continue