The Fish Tribe's Calculations

While the messengers of the Pottery Salt Tribe were anxiously rushing between the Hundred Crafts and Beast Taming Tribe, another group of messengers traveling by fast boat arrived at the heavily fortified docks of the Fish Tribe.

At this moment, Canglan, the leader of the Fish Tribe, was in the council hall with a group of high-ranking members, but the atmosphere was far from relaxed. The topic still revolved around that lingering shadow— the Fire Tribe. The intimidation of the giant ships, the shock of their manufacturing capabilities, the scale of their nearly ten thousand people... each factor Shitou heavily on the minds of the Fish Tribe's leaders. They repeatedly discussed countermeasures: how should the huge profits they had just obtained from the grain trade with the Fire Tribe be distributed? Should they immediately order more large ships from the Valley Tribe, or prioritize arming their warriors? Should they continue to act as grain intermediaries for the Fire Tribe? Should the Fish Tribe itself significantly expand its planting to cope with possible future changes? Should their relationship with the Fire Tribe be maintained through superficial trade, or should they take a more proactive approach... or even containment?

The meeting was dull and calculating, with each person's speech revealing caution and a hint of unspoken anxiety. Just then, a guard announced that an urgent messenger from the Pottery Salt Tribe was requesting an audience.

"The Pottery Salt Tribe? Jia Li?" Canglan raised an eyebrow and gestured for someone to come in.

The messenger rushed in, drenched in sweat. Forgetting all formalities, he immediately relayed the news of the Wolf Tribe's massive invasion, the dire situation of the Pottery Salt Tribe, and his urgent plea for reinforcements from the Fish Tribe, repeatedly emphasizing that "a generous reward will surely be given."

Canglan and several elders inquired about the details with apparent concern: the Wolf Tribe had more than 400 soldiers, the Pottery Salt Tribe had 200 warriors holding their ground, and whether they had sought help from other tribes.

The messenger dared not conceal the truth and truthfully informed them that he had sent messengers to the Hundred Crafts and Beast Taming Tribe to request aid.

"Oh? You only asked these two for help?" Canglan asked casually. "What about the Fire Tribe? Haven't Chief Jia Li and Brother-in- Jianshi always had a good relationship?"

The messenger paused for a moment, then replied somewhat awkwardly, "This... the chief didn't mention it. The Fire Tribe is quite far away, after all, I'm afraid... distant water can't quench immediate thirst."

"Heh." Canglan sneered inwardly, but his face remained impassive. What a convenient excuse, "distant water cannot quench immediate thirst"! This Jia Li, only after trouble did he realize who the real "nearby water" of this area was! For over a year, the Pottery Salt Tribe, by establishing a connection with the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe, had purchased pottery and other goods from them at low prices, significantly reducing their dependence on and "tribute" to the Fish Tribe, and the gifts they sent were far less lavish than before. Not only the Pottery Salt Tribe, but also surrounding tribes such as the Hundred Crafts, Beast Taming, Shuize, and Qinghe tribes seemed to have sensed something amiss, no longer treating the Fish Tribe with the same obsequiousness as before. Some were even privately expanding their population and strength without prior notice or approval, showing signs of not taking the Fish Tribe seriously.

Canglan had already sensed this undercurrent, but he was caught off guard by the sudden rise of the Fire Tribe and had no time to attend to other matters. Now that the Fire Tribe has temporarily suppressed its ambitions, or rather, has no choice but to suppress them, these restless smaller tribes need to be taught a lesson! Let them understand that even if the Fire Tribe rises, some rules in this area remain unchanged!

"The Wolf Tribe is ferocious, Pottery Salt Tribe is in peril. How can my Fish Tribe, as the lord of the great river in this region, stand idly by?" Canglan put on a righteous and stern face, gently reassuring the messenger, "You should go back first and tell Chief Jia Li to hold fast! My Fish Tribe's troops need time to assemble and prepare, but we will never abandon our neighbors to face the Wolf Tribe alone! When the time is right, our reinforcements will arrive!"

Seeing that Canglan agreed so readily, the messenger felt Dashi lifted from his shoulders, was deeply grateful, bowed repeatedly in thanks, and then hurriedly returned to deliver the message.

After the messenger left, the atmosphere in the council chamber changed abruptly. The previous "concern" and "loyalty" vanished instantly, replaced by cold and shrewd calculation.

"Those wolf cubs are truly courting death! They escaped by sheer luck last time, and now they dare to come here to die!" a leader slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed. "This time, we'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

The other scoffed, "Over four hundred? That sounds terrifying. The Wolf Tribe's rabble—how much fighting power can their newly recruited members possibly have? One of our Fish Tribe's elite warriors can easily take on three or five of them!"

But someone immediately poured cold water on the idea. "Fight? Why rush into fighting? For the past year, Jia Li of the Pottery Salt Tribe has been colluding with the Fire Tribe, how much less tribute have they paid us? I think we should teach them a lesson! Let them know that without the Fish Tribe, they are nothing!"

"Exactly!" someone echoed. "Not just the Pottery Salt Tribe, but also the Hundred Crafts, the Beast Taming, and even those farming tribes—they've all gotten too big for their britches lately! They're recruiting people, forging weapons, and they're so stingy with their gifts! They're completely disregarding us! We can use the Wolf Tribe to teach them a lesson!"

"We can't touch the Fire Tribe for now, but surely we can deal with these opportunists?" another person said sinisterly. "Once they get hurt by the Wolf Tribe, they'll know whose leg to cling to!"

Some people raised different opinions, arguing that if the Wolf Tribe were to fall, the Fish Tribe would also be at risk of being left behind. The hall became somewhat noisy again.

"Enough!" Canglan spoke in a deep voice, silencing the murmurs. He looked around at everyone and slowly revealed his plan:

"What you all say makes sense. These neighboring tribes have indeed become a bit arrogant lately and need to be reminded of their place. But after all, they are still our neighbors and 'allies' in name only. If we really stand by and watch them suffer, it will damage our reputation, and who will trust us in the future? The Fire Tribe will probably laugh at us even more."

He abruptly changed the subject, a cold glint in his eyes. "Therefore, aid must be sent! But it can't be sent too early, and it certainly can't be sent too 'practically'."

He looked at the Julang: "Julang, take three hundred elite warriors and set sail towards the Pottery Salt Tribe. But don't rush ashore to engage in battle. First, patrol the nearby waters and wait for the right opportunity."

"Waiting for the right opportunity?" the Julang asked.

"Yes," Canglan nodded, "When the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Hundred Crafts, the Beast Taming, and the Wolf Tribe have fought to a standstill, and both sides are nearly exhausted, then you should lead your army into battle. With overwhelming force, crush the exhausted remnants of the Wolf Tribe. In this way, our Fish Tribe will fulfill its 'ally' obligations, avert the crisis, demonstrate its military might, and preserve its own strength to the maximum extent, avoiding unnecessary sacrifices."

He paused, then added, "As for the 'generous reward' promised by Jia Li, it's nothing but a pittance; don't worry about it too much. What we want is long-term benefits—to make these tribes fully understand that in these waters, when faced with a real crisis, it is still my Fish Tribe that they can rely on and that can determine their fate! After this battle, let's see who dares to be disloyal and engage in underhanded tactics!"

This scheme was incredibly cunning. It aimed to maintain the dignity of the "leader," while simultaneously using others to eliminate disobedient vassals and finally reappear as a savior to seize maximum prestige and subsequent influence.

After listening, everyone in the hall nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Your insight is brilliant, Chief!"

That's exactly how it should be done!

"Let the Wolf Tribe and those few unruly fellows fight to the death first!"

Julang understood Canglan's intention and bowed, accepting the order, "Rest assured, Chief, I know what to do."

"Alright, go ahead. Gather the men and prepare the ships, but... don't rush it." Canglan gave a final instruction, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

The Julang obeyed and departed. The Fish Tribe's camp sounded the rallying cry, but the pace was noticeably slower than when dealing with their own crisis. A 300-strong elite force began boarding the ships at a leisurely pace, feigning a march to the front lines, but in reality, their commander already had a different timetable in mind. The Fish Tribe was calculating meticulously, attempting to transform this sudden crisis into an excellent opportunity to consolidate their authority and eliminate internal "destabilizing factors."