Resuming the Bulk Pony Trade

While the Wolf Tribe wreaked havoc in the small villages near the Fish Tribe, the Fire Tribe's camp was busier than usual. Over a thousand new tribesmen, brought from the Valley River upstream of the Fish River, were like streams flowing into a great river, injecting fresh vitality into the Fire Tribe. Jianshi and Flame were currently settling them in. Most of the Fire Tribe's boats still shuttled between the Fish River Valley River and the Fire Tribe, transporting the last remaining possessions of the new tribesmen left on the other side of the Valley River —mostly grain, heavy stone tools, and animal hide implements. Each boat's return caused a small commotion on the shore, as people anxiously checked their meager belongings.

Amidst this busy resettlement process, some vague and unsettling messages were also intermittently relayed through leaflets from the small tribe's hunters to the Fire Tribe's cavalrymen who were on guard near the Deer Tribe, and then through the cavalrymen to the Fire Tribe.

Downstream... it seems like there's a war going on...

"I heard it's Wolf Tribe, and there are a lot of people..."

"There's a lot of smoke coming from the Pottery Salt Tribe..."

The fragmented information, though incomplete, was enough to put the Fire Tribe's leadership on high alert. After discussing the matter, Jianshi and Flame strengthened their vigilance. They left about ten cavalrymen in their own valley to maintain a high state of alert, ready to relay messages at any time. The more than twenty cavalrymen from the Deer Tribe responsible for escorting the ore also received instructions to be vigilant and watch for any unusual activity coming from the downstream direction of the Fish River.

The remaining hundred or so cavalrymen of the Fire Tribe were dispatched in batches to the lower reaches of the Fish River further north, in the direction of the small market that used to be held in the autumn, to maintain vigilance in the vicinity. At the same time, several large Muzhou were also sent out to slowly patrol along the lower reaches of the Fish River, both to keep watch and to try to gather more accurate information.

When one of the Fire Tribe's large Muzhou cautiously reached the confluence of the stream and the Fish River at the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp, the battle was already over. Outside the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp, charred remains and fields ravaged beyond recognition could be seen in the distance. They also saw the sails of the Fish Tribe's fleet departing, moving slowly but with an air of detached indifference. The Wolf Tribe's forces had vanished without a trace.

The warriors of the Fire Tribe did not approach the camp of the Pottery Salt Tribe rashly. They only stopped briefly near the river mouth to observe before turning their Chuantou around and quickly reporting what they had seen.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the Pottery Salt Tribe camp was oppressive and everyone was exhausted. Jia Li forced himself to stay awake and personally supervised the inventory and handover of the supplies promised to the Hundred Crafts Tribe and the Beast Taming Tribe —mainly salt, some grain, and "spoils of war" obtained from the dead of the Wolf Tribe. Kaishan of the Hundred Crafts Tribe and the Liequan of the Niu Beast Taming Tribe looked grim as they looked at their own casualties.

"Brother Kaishan, Brother Liequan, we, Jia Li and the Pottery Salt Tribe, will remember your rescue! We will repay you in the future!"

Kaishan patted Jia Li on the shoulder and said gruffly, "Chief Jia Li, stop talking! Those wolf cubs are our common enemy! Next time they come, just give the word, and the men of my Hundred Crafts will come again!"

The Liequan nodded, its eyes resolute. "The Beast Taming Tribe stands with the Pottery Salt Tribe."

After the warriors from the two tribes left, the camp became much emptier and quieter, leaving only the devastation and the survivors of their tribes. Jia Li stood alone in front of the almost empty warehouse, looking at the meager reserves of salt and grain, and sighed deeply, his sigh filled with helplessness and heartache.

This battle wiped out the Pottery Salt Tribe's accumulated wealth over many years. To inspire his people to fight to the death, to reward the reinforcements, and to get rid of the greedy Fish Tribe, he practically emptied the Pottery Salt Tribe's coffers. Nearly fifty tribesmen died, and many more were wounded. A quarter of the two hundred well-trained warriors were lost—the very backbone of the tribe! And then there were the burned houses and trampled seedlings outside the camp... Every single one of them felt like a knife cutting into his heart.

"Leader..." The head Biaotou) walked over, his face also full of fatigue and worry.

Jia Li waved his hand, indicating that he was fine. He recalled the private discussions between the three tribes after the Wolf Tribe retreated. Mentioning the Fish Tribe's actions, all three were filled with anger and chills.

"That old fox Canglan clearly timed it perfectly!" Kaishan said bitterly at the time.

"We'd rather rely on ourselves than on them," the Liequan said coldly.

Ultimately, they reached an unspoken agreement: to strengthen ties, exchange information, jointly guard against the Wolf Tribe, and also... be wary of the Fish Tribe's schemes.

But the most pressing problem facing Jia Li was the extreme scarcity of supplies. The tribe needed to recover, the wounded needed treatment, and the families of the dead needed comforting—all of which required resources.

Just as he was frowning in worry, a tribesman ran up to report, "Chief! The Fire Tribe's big ship has arrived at the river mouth! But it didn't get close; it looked around for a while and then left."

Fire Tribe! A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Jia Li's dull eyes! That's right! The large-scale transaction for the dwarf horse agreed upon with the Fire Tribe hasn't been completed yet! If this transaction can be completed, the profits will be enough to fill a significant portion of the resource shortage! Afterwards, by reselling discounted pottery, linen, and other goods obtained from the Fire Tribe, the tribe can slowly recover!

He immediately cheered up and handed over all the aftermath chores in the camp to his trusted escort. "Commander, I'll leave this to you! Appease the clansmen, clean up the ruins, and replant the fields that can be replanted as soon as possible! I'll go to the Fire Tribe myself!"

A few days later, riding a nimble Muzhou, Jia Li went upstream and arrived at the Fire Tribe's camp. Compared to the dilapidated state of the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Fire Tribe was orderly and full of life.

Jianshi and Yan had already received advance reports from the water patrol personnel, and had also heard bits and pieces of news about the great battle downstream from the cavalry returning from patrols near the autumn market in the north— the Wolf Tribe, the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Fish Tribe... the names were mixed up, but the specifics were like looking at flowers through a fog. Now, seeing Jia Li, who should have been overwhelmed with work, come in person, the two knew in their hearts: there must be something important.

"Brother Jia Li! You've had a long journey!" Jianshi and Yan personally welcomed Jia Li into the largest council house in the center of the tribe, their attitude warm and welcoming. Jianshi even instructed his men:

"Quickly! Bring out the best jerky, goat's milk, and sweet fruits!"

Looking at Jia Li's noticeably haggard face, Jian Shi, Jianshi the center of the wooden house, cut to the chase and asked, "Brother Jia Li, we've heard some rumors about what happened downstream, but they're not clear. You've suffered a lot this time. What exactly happened?"

Hearing this concerned inquiry, Jia Li's composure, which he had maintained all along, crumbled instantly. He thought of his tribesmen who had died in battle, of their ravaged homes, of the empty warehouses, and of the Fish Tribe's true colors... His nose stung, and tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

He lowered his head, wiped his face with his rough hands, and after a long while, spoke with a heavy nasal tone, "Brother Jianshi, Nephew Yan... this time, our Pottery Salt Tribe almost perished..."

He recounted the events haltingly: the Wolf Tribe's attack of over four hundred men, the two fierce battles Pottery Salt Tribe Wolf Tribe, how the tribesmen fought desperately, and how the brothers from the Hundred Crafts and Beast Taming Tribe came to their aid... When he spoke of casualties, his voice choked with emotion. "Nearly fifty died! They were all good warriors! And many more were wounded... Fortunately, we recruited more men in the past few months, otherwise, after this battle, there probably wouldn't be many people left in the tribe who could wield weapons..."

Mentioning the loss of supplies, he was heartbroken. "To hold off the wolf cubs, and to reward the brothers who came to help, almost all the salt in the warehouse was given away... and most of the grain and furs..."

Finally, speaking of the Fish Tribe, Jia Li's tone shifted from sorrow to barely suppressed anger and disappointment. "The Fish Tribe! Canglan! They got wind of it long ago! They dragged it out until we and the Wolf Tribe were both severely weakened before coming! Not only did they not contribute much in fighting the wolf cubs, but they also claimed the greatest merit and extorted a large amount of our Pottery Salt Tribe's goods! I couldn't say anything... I even had to put on a smiling face! Haven't we, the Pottery Salt Tribe, given the Fish Tribe plenty of salt and good things over the years? I never expected... I never expected them to scheme against us like this at such a crucial moment!"

Seeing Jia Li's bloodshot eyes and trembling hands, Jianshi and Yan exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock and disdain for the Fish Tribe's actions in each other's eyes.

"Brother Jia Li, please accept my condolences," Yan said in a deep voice. "We've all witnessed the ferocity of the Wolf Tribe. The fact that you managed to hold out and fight to the death is truly remarkable."

Jianshi nodded, his tone sincere. "What the Fish Tribe did was truly unethical. Between neighbors, honesty and mutual assistance are paramount. Their actions... have chilled people's hearts."

Hearing the Fire Tribe chief's understanding and sympathy, Jia Li felt somewhat better. He composed himself and stated the main purpose of his trip. "Brother Jianshi, Nephew Yan, to be honest, our tribe is really in dire straits right now. We've lost manpower, and we've almost run out of supplies. So, I've come here to ask if the deal for those two hundred dwarf horses that we agreed on can be completed as soon as possible? Our Pottery Salt Tribe is now entirely counting on the profits from that deal to buy some urgently needed goods and give the tribe a much-needed breather."

He paused, a pleading look on his face. "However, given the current situation of our Pottery Salt Tribe, sending people to the northern Horse Tribe on our own is simply too unsafe. We don't know what's going on with the Wolf Tribe, and other tribes might also have designs on us seeing our weakness... Therefore, I would like to implore the Fire Tribe to send some warriors to escort us to complete this transaction. Of course, we won't let our brothers from the Fire Tribe go for nothing!"

He added, "Furthermore, we hope to buy more high-quality pottery, linen, and other fine items from the Fire Tribe. As for the price... please be considerate of our long-standing friendship and the fact that we have just suffered a hardship."

After listening, Jianshi and Yan didn't answer immediately, but instead whispered a few words to each other. They truly hadn't expected the battle downstream to be so fierce, and the Pottery Salt Tribe to suffer such heavy losses. They were also more vigilant about the Fish Tribe's schemes. As for the Pottery Salt Tribe's request...

Jianshi raised his head, looked at Jia Li, and said solemnly, "Brother-in-law, we've all seen the great price you've paid to resist the Wolf Tribe. This horse deal was originally agreed upon by us, and of course it must be completed. Now that you're in trouble, our Fire Tribe should help you, and we also want to complete this deal as soon as possible."

He glanced at Yan and continued, "Here's what we'll do: we'll send a hundred cavalrymen, plus two hundred mounted warriors, to escort your people to the Horse Tribe. Once the transaction is complete, the two hundred warriors can ride back with the horses they've acquired. That way, there will be three hundred cavalrymen on the road. Unless the Horse Tribe turns against us, or the Wolf Tribe mobilizes its entire force, your safety should be assured. The price will remain as we agreed beforehand; we won't shortchange your Pottery Salt Tribe. We also hope these horses arrive as soon as possible."

Yan continued, "As for the pottery and linen, we can give you a batch on credit this year to sell at the best price. You can settle the payment once you have the funds. Chief Jia Li, this difficult time will pass; let's help each other through this."

Hearing these sincere and heartwarming words, Jia Li was deeply moved by the contrast with the Fish Tribe's cold-blooded scheming. His eyes welled up with tears again. He stood up and bowed deeply to Jianshi and Yan: "Thank you! Fish Tribe... Ah, let's not talk about it! Dealing with the Fire Tribe is much more reassuring! This kindness, Jia Li and the Pottery Salt Tribe will never forget!"

He wiped his eyes, then remembered something and said, "By the way, the Hundred Crafts Tribe and the Beast Taming Tribe have also lost faith in the Fish Tribe this time. We all feel that the Wolf Tribe might come back in the fall, and the Fish Tribe might not be reliable. At that time... we hope that the Fire Tribe can uphold justice for us downstream tribes and help us out."

Jianshi and Yan also stood up. Jianshi grasped Jia Li's hand and shook it vigorously. "Brother Jia Li, don't worry! The Wolf Tribe is our common enemy. The tribes along the Fish River should support each other. If anything happens in the future, just come to the Fire Tribe to discuss it! As long as we are united, we are not afraid of those wolf cubs!"