The Fish Tribe's Calculations

The trade between the Fish Tribe and the Fire Tribe concluded successfully. Not only did they receive a large quantity of pottery, but what truly satisfied the Fish Tribe's leader Canglan, and many of its high-ranking members was the "sincerity" shown by the Fire Tribe's leader, Jianshi —generous gifts, a humble attitude, and a clear expression of his desire to strengthen trade and maintain friendly relations.

Inside the council chamber, the aroma of fine wine and grilled fish still seemed to linger. Several elders, who had received exquisite pottery and top-quality furs, wore satisfied smiles.

"Jianshi is quite sensible!" A stout elder stroked the newly acquired painted pottery wine vessel, squinting his eyes as he said, "He knows that our Fish Tribe is the backbone of this great river."

"Yes, we made quite a bit of money from this transaction. Although the Fire Tribe has risen to prominence, they still know their limits and need to buy grain from us." Another elder in charge of trade stroked his beard, quite pleased with himself.

Canglan sat upright in the main seat, listening to these discussions. The tension in his heart caused by the rapid rise of the Fire Tribe seemed to ease slightly. It seemed that the temporary high prices for grain and the appropriate appeasement had worked. At least on the surface, the Fire Tribe was willing to maintain the status quo and acknowledge the Fish Tribe's position. This allowed him to shift his attention slightly back upstream.

The population expansion plan, which was forced to be launched in response to pressure from the Fire Tribe, encountered resistance within the tribe as the Fire Tribe "showed goodwill" and sold large quantities of food (in exchange for wealth).

"Chief, our population has increased to 2,500, and we have 500 elite soldiers." An elder in charge of the warehouses and resource distribution frowned as he calculated, "But raising these elite soldiers—equipment, training, food—all cost money! The expenses are much greater than those of the smaller tribes! Now we've lost 200,000 catties of grain (sold to the Fire Tribe). If we blindly increase the population again, the warehouses will probably run out! And the price of grain from the Valley Tribe isn't cheap either."

"Yes, Chief Canglan," another elder chimed in. He had just received a complete tiger skin from the Fire Tribe, and his tone was relatively mild. "Since the Fire Tribe is willing to befriend us, our pressure is much less. We should focus on stabilizing the situation, training our current personnel, and accumulating wealth. Blindly recruiting too many idle people will only be a burden."

These elders were not entirely short-sighted; they were greedy, but also shrewd. Maintaining an elite armed force far exceeding that of ordinary tribes was an extremely resource-intensive endeavor. The trade benefits brought by the Fire Tribe and their temporary "yielding" made them feel relieved and no longer needed to rush to expand their numbers, lest it affect their own enjoyment and the tribe's financial balance.

Canglan listened to these objections and weighed his options. He was well aware of the enormous cost of maintaining elite troops, but as the leader, he saw further ahead. The threat from the Fire Tribe was only temporarily alleviated, while the shadow of the Wolf Tribe had resurfaced.

Just then, an envoy sent by Jia Li, the chief of the Pottery Salt Tribe, arrived, bringing detailed information about the Wolf Tribe's Xueya, who was not dead and was expanding wildly through bloody means.

Canglan immediately sent people to verify the information, and their reports confirmed its reliability.

"Gentlemen," Canglan convened the core meeting again, his expression grave, "We have just received confirmed information that Xueya of the Wolf Tribe is not dead, and under the leadership of his brother Xueshou, he is aggressively annexing tribes with extremely cruel methods. His strength is likely even greater than during the last invasion!"

The council chamber fell silent for a moment after the news was announced.

"Hmph! Just a bunch of stray dogs!" A warrior leader known for his bravery broke the silence, scoffing, "Last time we, along with Pottery and Salt and Hundred Crafts, drove them away. So what if we outnumber them this time? If they dare come, we'll still throw them into the river to feed the fish!"

"Excellent! Our Fish Tribe has five hundred elite warriors, plus large ships and sturdy armor. What do we have to fear from the Wolf Tribe?" Another general was also full of confidence.

The elders, however, were more pragmatic. "The Wolf Tribe is causing trouble far from us. They just suffered a great loss at the hands of the Fire Tribe and might not dare to provoke us immediately. Our focus now should be on reaping the benefits of our trade with the Fire Tribe and consolidating our own power."

Canglan looked at everyone and slowly said, "The Wolf Tribe is vengeful and greedy. Now that their strength has recovered, they are bloodthirsty again, so we must be on guard. They may not dare to directly attack us and the Fire Tribe now, but what if they attack our trade routes? Harass our vassals? Or what if their strength grows even more?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the disgruntled elders. "I know that increasing the population will increase consumption. But compared to the potential threats, it's always better to prepare in advance. My mind is made up. Before the heavy snow blocks the roads, we will recruit about five hundred more people, bringing the tribe's total population to three thousand! The new recruits can mainly engage in farming, shipbuilding, fishing, and other labor to supplement our production. Some can also be selected to join the Warrior Team. As for the food issue... the wealth we obtained from the Fire Tribe this year is enough for us to purchase another batch from the Valley Tribe. Safety is the greatest wealth!"

Canglan's tone was resolute, demonstrating his determination as leader. Although the elders in charge of finances still harbored resentment and grumbled about the increased expenses, they could no longer strongly object in the face of Canglan's insistence and the reality of external threats. After all, if losses were incurred due to insufficient preparedness, their interests would also be harmed.

"Alright, since the chief insists..."

"Then let's recruit another five hundred people, but we must be very selective; we can't just take anyone!"

"There must be enough food to ensure that the quality of life for the existing members of the tribe is not affected..."

Ultimately, the resolution was passed. The Fish Tribe, once again leveraging its substantial wealth and the prestige of being the "River Overlord," successfully recruited approximately five hundred members from its smaller settlements before the harsh winter arrived, bringing its total population to the three thousand mark. Although the integration and management of the newcomers brought new challenges, the Fish Tribe's size and strength undoubtedly increased further.

The expansion of the Fish Tribe was like another ripple after Jushi was dropped into water, affecting the tribes at the next level. The dozen or so small tribes (most with populations under 150) that depended on the Fish Tribe and the five slightly larger tribes of Hundred Crafts, Beast Taming, Shuize, and Qinghe were keenly aware of the changing winds.

Even the Fish Tribe is continuing to increase its manpower!

"The Hundred Crafts and Beast Taming haven't been idle either..."

"It seems things are really not peaceful anymore; the Wolf Tribe is likely to make a comeback."

"If we don't increase our manpower, won't we be at their mercy if something happens?"

Based on these simple and realistic considerations, these dozen or so small tribes followed suit and began to absorb and merge with even smaller settlements. Although their resources were limited and their expansion was not significant, on average, each tribe increased by twenty or thirty people, which quietly increased the total population of these dozen or so tribes by about three hundred, with each reaching a scale of nearly three hundred people.

In a short time, the area centered on the Fish River, from the Fire Tribe (nearly four thousand) in the upper reaches, to the Fish Tribe (three thousand) and its affiliated small tribes in the middle reaches, and then to the Hundred Crafts (one thousand two), Beast Taming (eight hundred), Shuize (nine hundred), Qinghe (eight hundred and fifty) and other tribes in the lower reaches, and even the Pottery and Salt (one thousand) further downstream, all expanded their populations to varying degrees in this chain reaction indirectly caused by the bloody expansion of the Wolf Tribe.