The Fish Tribe's Banquet

The morning after the allied forces annihilated the main force of the Wolf Tribe at the Little Leaf Tribe camp, Shentan led two cavalrymen back to the Fish Tribe to report the victory. In the afternoon, the Fish Tribe camp was in sight. Despite his horse's exhaustion, Shentan urged it to speed up. The guards at the camp gate recognized him as their leader and quickly let him pass.

"Chief! Great victory! Utter triumph!" Shentan practically tumbled off his horse and staggered into the largest wooden hut.

Canglan was discussing matters with several leaders when he heard this and suddenly stood up. "Speak carefully!"

Shentan, panting heavily, recounted the entire battle with the Wolf Tribe: how the Fire Tribe led everyone to besiege the Wolf Tribe, how they attacked the camp with fire, how they annihilated the Wolf Tribe's infantry, how they pursued the remnants... He spoke in detail, especially about the Fire Tribe's wooden shield and spear formation, the cavalry's pursuit tactics, and how Xueya led several leaders to escape into the mountains.

When Canglan heard that the Fire Tribe had almost completely annihilated the Wolf Tribe's main force with minimal losses, his pupils contracted slightly. He knew the Fire Tribe was strong, but he hadn't expected them to be this strong.

"... When the spoils were distributed, Chief Jianshi gave most of the horses, leather armor, and weapons to the other tribes," Shentan Pool said with admiration. "Our Fish Tribe received over a dozen ponies, nearly a hundred pieces of leather armor, and over a hundred weapons of various kinds. The Fire Tribe only kept a dozen or so good horses for themselves."

The room was silent for a long time before Canglan slowly sat down. His heart was filled with turmoil. The Fire Tribe's battle had not only demonstrated its military strength but also its strategic vision. The resources they had given up would earn them the respect and hearts of all the tribes in the region.

The Fish Tribe is no longer the strongest tribe in this land.

"Chief," Shentan hesitated for a moment, then added, "the Green Grain Tribe and the Little Leaf Tribe... have both joined the Fire Tribe. Although the other tribes haven't explicitly stated they've joined, they've all indicated they'll follow the Fire Tribe's lead in the future."

"Understood." Canglan waved his hand, his voice sounding somewhat tired. "Sit down and rest for a while Canglan. I'll also instruct my men to summon all the leaders and elders for a meeting."

Soon, the leaders and high-ranking members of the Fish Tribe gathered in the council hall. Langhua, Xieqian, Laoduo, Julang, Shentan... a dozen people sat on both sides, while Canglan sat in the main seat.

Shentan gave another detailed report on the battle and its results. When he mentioned that the main force of the Wolf Tribe had been completely annihilated, a burst of excited whispers rang out in the room; but when he mentioned that Xueya had escaped, the discussion turned to worry.

"Alright." Canglan tapped the table to quiet everyone. "Although the main force of the Wolf Tribe has been wiped out, Xueya is still alive. Our Fish Tribe previously lost three hundred elite soldiers. Although we recently recruited two hundred new soldiers, our combat strength is far less than before."

He surveyed the crowd. "To prevent the Wolf Tribe from making a comeback, I suggest that the tribe recruit more people to expand its military strength."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room became noisy.

Langhua spoke first, his brow furrowed. "Chief, the population of our Fish Tribe has grown too fast in recent years, from less than two thousand to three thousand, and now to four thousand. With each additional person, food, housing, tools... all of these require resources?"

He paused, then emphasized, "Moreover, with this area being ravaged by the Wolf Tribe, our sales of coarse salt and pottery will decrease significantly, reducing profits by at least 30%! And if the population increases, how will we feed them?"

Xieqian chimed in, "Yes, Chief. Just training the two hundred new warriors consumes a lot of food every day. We also need to replenish their weapons and leather armor. The compensation for the three hundred elite soldiers who died in battle is another huge expense. The resettlement of the more than one thousand newly recruited tribesmen will take time, and they won't create much value in the short term."

The other elders and leaders nodded in agreement, offering their opinions in a cacophony of voices. Their reasons were practical: increased population meant diluted resources, which would harm their own interests. In a crisis where the Wolf Tribe was besieging the city, they might have been able to unite; but now that the crisis was over, their individual calculations resurfaced.

Canglan looked at everyone's reactions and sighed inwardly. He knew their concerns, but he also knew that the threat from the Wolf Tribe had not been completely eliminated.

"Gentlemen," the Laoduo began slowly, his voice low but instantly silencing the room, "Although the main force of the Wolf Tribe has been wiped out, Xueya has escaped back. The camp at High Pointed Mountain is easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as Xueya is alive, the Wolf Tribe still has the possibility of rising from the ashes."

He glanced at Canglan and continued, "The chief's concerns are valid. Although the Fire Tribe is strong, they are far away. If we wait for them to come to our aid, we may have already suffered heavy losses."

"What does the Laoduo mean?" Langhua asked.

"My suggestion is," Laoduo pondered, "We can continue recruiting, but there's no need to rush. Let's hold off for now and expand when the tribe's resources are more plentiful. Also, we can establish closer alliances with the surrounding smaller tribes—they'll need to help if the Wolf Tribe comes again."

This compromise was accepted by the majority. After some discussion, it was finally decided that the Fish Tribe would absorb another 500 people from the refugee tribes, which would strengthen their forces without placing too much burden on the existing tribesmen.

After the meeting, Canglan sent Xieqian with men to the refugee camp, where nearly three thousand small tribes had gathered. They had heard that the main force of the Wolf Tribe had been wiped out, and although they were relieved, they dared not return to their original homes after learning that Xueya had escaped—who knew if that madman would suddenly come back?

The Fish Tribe was willing to accept 500 people, and as soon as the news spread, many people wanted to join. After a Xieqian selection process, the 500 spots were filled in no time.

As for the dozen or so small tribes that had come to take refuge near the Fish Tribe, they were preparing to return to their homes one after another. Now that the main force of the Wolf Tribe had been wiped out, they believed that with their fortifications and proximity to the Fish Tribe, they were no longer too worried about the Wolf Tribe.

The next day, around noon, when Jianshi and Yan's main force arrived near the Fish Tribe, Canglan, who had already received the news, led the Fish Tribe's high-ranking officials out of the camp to greet them.

From afar, the Fish Tribe members spotted a well-organized army: two hundred cavalrymen in the lead, their horses powerful; and three hundred infantrymen in the rear, their formation impeccable. Although they had just experienced a great battle, the entire army did not exude fatigue, but rather a formidable aura forged in the crucible of war.

"This... this is the Fire Tribe's army?" Langhua exclaimed in a low voice.

Xieqian was also dumbfounded. "Much stronger than the most elite warriors of our Fish Tribe..."

Canglan was shocked, but he remained outwardly calm. He composed himself, put on a smile, and greeted Jianshi and Yan, who were riding towards him.

"Brother Jianshi! Yan'er!" Canglan's voice was full of enthusiasm, "If it weren't for your Fire Tribe's timely support, this land would have been completely ravaged by the Wolf Tribe!"

Jianshi and Yan dismounted. Jianshi grasped Canglan's hand and said modestly, "Brother Canglan, you're too kind. The complete annihilation of the Wolf Tribe's main force was the result of the concerted efforts of all the tribes. It's a pity..."

He sighed. "Xueya got away."

Julang hurriedly stepped forward to apologize. "Chief, it's my fault for being incompetent; I failed to stop Xueya..."

Canglan waved his hand. "Shentan has already told me the details of this matter. Xueya is cunning; it's no wonder you're not blamed." He turned to Jianshi, "Brother Jianshi, I have prepared a banquet to welcome the warriors of the Fire Tribe. Please!"

Jianshi Stone nodded, then turned to Yingmu behind him and instructed, "Take the brothers to set up camp and rest outside the camp. Maintain discipline."

"Yes!" Yingmu accepted the order and left.

Canglan saw this and felt a chill run down his spine— the Fire Tribe's military discipline was far superior to that of the Fish Tribe.

The banquet was held in the largest wooden house in the Fish Tribe, Fish Tribe offered their finest food to their distinguished guests, including fresh goat milk, grilled fish, sweet fruits, honey, and roasted meat.

After everyone was seated, Canglan raised his glass. "This first toast is to the Fire Tribe! Thank you for ridding this land of a great scourge!"

Everyone raised their glasses in a toast, Canglan spoke again, "Brother Jianshi not only led his troops to avenge us, but also generously distributed most of the spoils of war to the various tribes. Our Fish Tribe also received more than a dozen horses and nearly a hundred sets of leather armor, which solved our major problem of resource shortage. The Fish Tribe will remember this kindness."

Jianshi smiled and said, "Brother Canglan, you're too kind. The Fish Tribe warriors fought bravely in battle; they deserve all of this."

Canglan knew that the Fire Tribe had gained not only supplies, but also hearts and minds. The addition of the Green Grain Tribe and Little Leaf Tribe was further increasing the Fire Tribe's population. Meanwhile, the more than two thousand refugees surrounding the Fish Tribe...

He had a plan in mind. The Fish Tribe couldn't handle those refugees. Rather than letting them return to their original places only to be coerced by the Wolf Tribe again, he might as well do them a favor.

"Brother Jianshi," Canglan said, "There are still more than two thousand refugees from small tribes outside our camp. They are afraid of retaliation from the Wolf Tribe and dare not go back. If the Fire Tribe is willing to take them in, it would be a great act of kindness."

Jianshi's eyes lit up, and he smiled, saying, "Okay, I'll go take a look later."

The topic quickly shifted to the Wolf Tribe. Wang Yan analyzed, "We learned from the prisoners that the Wolf Tribe's lair is located halfway up High Pointed Mountain. The terrain there is treacherous, with only one road leading up. Although there are many trees around, the Wolf Tribe's camp is built among piles of rocks, so fire attacks wouldn't be very effective."

He paused, then added, "More importantly, it's a place that's easy to defend and difficult to attack. Even if we assemble a large force for a direct assault, we'll suffer heavy losses."

Canglan nodded. "I have the same concern. However, after the ravages caused by the Wolf Tribe, there are no tribes left in this area that the Wolf Tribe can coerce. As long as the tribes are on high alert, the Wolf Tribe will not be able to replenish its food and population, and will naturally decline quickly."

Jianshi agreed, "Brother Canglan is right. The most urgent thing now is to help each tribe resume production and rebuild their homes. Only when everyone lives a good life and unites can we not be afraid of the Wolf Tribe's harassment."

The conversation turned to the current situation of the Fish Tribe. Canglan sighed, his face showing worry. "To be honest, the Fish Tribe suffered heavy losses this time. Three hundred elite soldiers died in battle, and the compensation will be a huge expense; the newly recruited tribesmen need to be settled; and we also need to train new soldiers... Supplies are already very tight."

He paused, then looked at Jianshi: "I heard that the Fire Tribe will be transporting grain to the Valley Tribe again next spring? Our Fish Tribe is willing to lend a hand once more to help the Fire Tribe alleviate the transportation burden."

Jianshi and Yan exchanged a glance and both understood Canglan's meaning— the Fish Tribe needed this transportation fee to overcome their difficulties.

"What a coincidence," Jianshi laughed. "We were just about to discuss this with Brother Canglan. Next spring, our fleet will head north again, and we would certainly welcome the Fish Tribe's fleet if they wish to join us."

Canglan was overjoyed. "That's wonderful! As for the shipping costs..."

"Uncle, don't worry," Yan continued, "We will prepay the next transportation costs, food expenses, and compensation for your hard work."

Canglan was overjoyed and quickly raised his glass. "Brother Jianshi, Yan'er, on behalf of the Fish Tribe, thank you!"

The atmosphere at the banquet became even more lively, with the leaders of the Fish Tribe offering goat milk to the leader of the Fire Tribe. The relationship between the two sides grew increasingly harmonious amidst the feasting.