Improving the bow and arrow
In a relatively secluded, sheltered, and sunny carpentry shed far from the valley entrance and near the foot of the mountain, an artifact that could change the way future battles are fought is gradually taking shape in Wang Yan's hands.
After a busy period of literacy classes and attending and receiving guidance at various technical summary meetings, Wang Yan always managed to squeeze in time to come here. This workshop was piled high with hundreds of logs he had carefully selected over the past few months, which had already undergone initial air-drying—mostly Jianren, elastic, and uniformly thick logs of mulberry, elm, or other woods. The bamboo bows that the Fire Tribe originally used were, in Wang Yan's eyes, merely toys. Even with repeated improvements to the craftsmanship, their maximum range was only forty or fifty paces (about 30-40 meters), with very limited penetration and accuracy, serving only a limited harassing role in actual combat.
With bronze tools, everything changed. Sharp bronze saws could cut wood more precisely; bronze planes and chisels could refine the shape of the bow arms and cut precise string grooves; and bronze files could even be used for fine polishing. This allowed him to attempt to make a truly solid wooden bow.
After dozens of failures and adjustments—wood splitting, insufficient rebound, uneven tension— Wang Yan finally mastered a relatively mature process: material selection (straight branches of specific tree species and specific parts), preliminary shaping, long-term gentle baking and shaping (using a specially made small clay stove to control the temperature), repeated oiling (a mixture of animal fat and a small amount of pine resin) for soaking and maintenance, detailed finishing, until finally stringing.
At this moment, the newly completed tuo wood bow in his hand has a smooth body, with the natural grain of the wood and a warm luster from being soaked in oil. He takes out a Jianren ox sinew bowstring that has been repeatedly tanned, soaked in oil, and woven, and carefully hangs it on the string grooves that have been carefully polished at both ends. The process of stringing requires skill and strength, and the bow makes a slight "creaking" sound under the force of the string, forming a perfect and powerful arc.
Wang Yan took a deep breath and drew a newly made arrow from the quiver beside him. The shaft was straight (corrected with a specially made straight wooden groove), the arrowhead was a carefully polished bronze triangular pyramid with barbs, and the tail was covered with carefully trimmed feathers to ensure stable flight. He walked out of the shed and came to an open, snow-covered training ground.
He nocked the arrow, drew the string, and pulled the bow. The draw weight of a wooden bow is far greater than that of a bamboo bow, requiring greater arm strength and a more stable posture. Wang Yan concentrated and aimed at a pine tree trunk covered with snow about 70 meters away.
"Boom--Whoosh!"
The deep, resonant sound of the bowstring vibrating was completely different from the sharp whistling of the arrow piercing the air. The arrow shot out like a gray lightning bolt, covering an astonishing distance, and with a "thud," it embedded itself deeply into the target tree trunk, the fletching still trembling!
Wang Yan stepped forward to measure it, and the arrow's range far exceeded 100 paces! He then set up targets at different distances and tested repeatedly. Finally, he determined that the maximum range of this wooden bow exceeded 120 paces (about 90 meters), and within 70 paces (about 50-55 meters), the arrow's penetrating power and accuracy were sufficient to pose a fatal threat to unarmored or lightly armored targets. This was almost two to three times the performance of the old-fashioned bamboo bow!
He suppressed his excitement and, carrying the bow and several new arrows, found Jianshi, who was discussing spring defense plans with Jianya in the chieftain's mansion.
When Wang Yan easily shattered an abandoned pottery jar eighty paces away with a single arrow in the open space in front of the house, Jianshi and Jianya's eyes widened instantly.
"This... this is a bow?" Jianshi rushed forward, almost snatching the wooden bow from Wang Yan's hands. It felt heavy in his hand, the bow's limbs brimming with elastic power. He tried drawing it in the air; it required considerable strength, but the tension it exuded instantly made this veteran hunter understand its value. "A fine bow! Such power!"
Jianya quickly walked to the broken pottery jar, picked up a shard, and gasped when he saw the hole left by the bronze arrowhead embedded in the ground. "So far! So accurate! And with such force! Flame, can this thing... be mass-produced?"
Wang Yan nodded, pointing towards his workshop. "Father, Uncle, we have most of the materials needed to make this kind of wooden bow. Wood is everywhere, sinews can be collected, and feathers are plentiful. The most difficult part is processing the wood and the crafting techniques, which require time and skilled craftsmen. But I've figured out the methods, and the tools are all ready. Hundreds of suitable logs have already been air-dried in the workshop. As long as we organize the manpower, I can train a group of bow makers."
He paused, then added, "This bow, equipped with bronze arrowheads, is powerful enough to pierce ordinary animal hides and even rudimentary leather armor within seventy paces. If our warriors can master its use, whether hunting or fighting, especially in defensive combat, we can deliver several rounds of fatal ranged attacks before the enemy even gets close!"
Jianshi stroked the smooth bow, his eyes gleaming with delight. He seemed to already see the Fire Tribe warriors standing on earthen walls or high ground, using such bows to cut down hordes of charging enemies in potential future conflicts.
"Good! Excellent!" Jianshi patted Wang Yan's shoulder heavily. "This is another powerful weapon for our tribe! Even more powerful than rattan armor and Shichui! Yan, you get to work on this immediately! Select the most meticulous, patient, and steady-handed people from the Manufacturing Group and the Youth Team to form a ' Bowmaking Group,' and you will personally teach them! Provide as much wood, sinew, and feathers as you need! Make as many as you can this winter! First, equip the elite and veteran Hunting Team!"
Jianya excitedly added, "Yes! And arrows! The arrowheads will be made of bronze, and the shafts and fletchings will be made in an assembly line, separately, and then assembled at the end, which will be much faster! This must be kept strictly secret! The location for the Bowmaking Group must be carefully chosen, and all participants must be rigorously selected; not a single word must be leaked!"
Wang Yan accepted the order, his heart burning with excitement. The appearance of the wooden bow would greatly expand the Fire Tribe's tactical options and defensive depth. This was not merely an upgrade in weaponry, but a revolution in combat thinking.
However, while the Fire Tribe was busily improving its strength and acquiring new weapons, the Wolf Tribe's lair in the northern High Pointed Mountain, shrouded in the cold winter, and the Fish Tribe on the banks of the Fish River, were not entirely silent. Some subtle ripples were faintly transmitted through the frigid air.
Xueya, wrapped in a thick, dirty wolf pelt, sat on the cold stone seat, listening to the fragmented news brought back by the scouts he had recently sent out about the Bison, White Pig, and the Fire Tribe.
"... The Bison and White Pig Tribe have increased their manpower, estimated to be 500 people. The Fire Tribe... has even more people... lives in a large valley... with very high earthen walls..."
"... The Fire Tribe is very wealthy... Even in winter, you can still see a lot of smoke rising from their chimneys..."
Xueya's expression shifted between light and shadow in the flickering firelight. The crushing defeat at Wild Boar Gully was a thorn in his side. The Fire Tribe, a previously unknown tribe, had caused him to lose over seventy elite warriors! He would never forget this grudge.
"Earth wall... many people..." He chewed on this information, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. "It seems that we are far from being a match for the Fire Tribe, but the Bison and White Pig tribes are about to carry out a large-scale looting spree."
He looked at his several equally grim-faced leaders. "After spring arrives, send out several scouts to find out the patterns of the Bison and White Pig Tribe ' comings and goings! Their food and women should all be ours!"
In the Fish Tribe, in Canglan's grand house, Canglan was discussing matters with Julang, Feiyu, and others. The returning trade fleet had brought back a considerable amount of pottery, linen, and a small number of exquisite bone and horn artifacts from the Valley Tribe, while scouts had also brought back the latest news about the area near the Fire Tribe.
Feiyu reported, "The Fire Tribe is well-managed internally. They rescued many people from the Wolf Tribe, and their own development is rapid."
Canglan toyed with a two-handled pottery jar with simple wave patterns produced by the Fire Tribe, her expression calm and revealing no emotion.
"A population of over five thousand?" He gently set down the pottery jar. "This Fire Tribe has risen too quickly. So quickly... it's a little worrying."
He looked eastward, towards the vast, unknown upper reaches of the river. "They are currently focused on development, treating us with utmost respect. But a tiger that grows too fast will eventually need more territory and more prey. They will explore the upper reaches of the river sooner or later."
Julang said in a deep voice, "Chief, should we... make some arrangements in advance? Or perhaps limit the supplies given to them, especially food?"
Canglan waved his hand. "No rush. They are still good trading partners, providing us with decent pottery, which is beneficial to us. As for the upstream..."
A profound glint flashed in his eyes. "Letting them explore is fine. We don't know exactly what's there. If they can gain a foothold upstream, or even make some discoveries, it might not be a bad thing for us. We just need to keep an eye on their shipbuilding progress and track their movements."
He paused, his tone turning cold. "But we also need to make them understand who the true owners of these waters are. The trading quotas and prices for them after next spring can be slightly 'adjusted'."
Inside the Fire Tribe Valley, at the bow-making workshop, Wang Yan was unaware of the distant forces' schemes. He was fully immersed in teaching bow-making. The first batch of ten apprentices, all skilled and meticulous, were listening attentively as he explained the key points of material selection and initial shaping.
"Look at the grain of this wood; it must be straight and even. Even a slight twist will result in uneven force when drawing the bow, making it prone to breaking..."
"When baking, the heat shouldn't be too high; you need to bend the wood while baking to feel the changes in its resilience..."
He taught me step by step, sharing all the experience he had accumulated through countless experiments.
Meanwhile, in another workshop, the shaping of arrow shafts, the trimming and gluing of feathers, and the polishing and sharpening of bronze arrowheads were all carried out in an assembly line operation by different groups.