A Date

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the Fire Tribe's temporary camp was already awake. Yan and Dali emerged from their respective tents almost simultaneously, quickly splashed their faces with cold water to dispel the last trace of sleepiness, and immediately threw themselves into the intense preparations.

The Valley Tribe had clearly made arrangements in advance. Soon, the Second Elder Hefeng and Daiyue's trusted general Fengren arrived at the dock with a group of men. Hefeng was in charge of the tribe's farming and storage, and was extremely concerned about the quantity and quality of the grain. Fengren, on the other hand, remained Chenwen and capable, and was responsible for the specific handover, transportation, and coordination of the guards.

"Young Master Yan, Dali, good morning!" Fengren clasped his hands in greeting.

"Leader Fengren, Elder Hefeng, thank you both for your hard work!" Yan and Dali quickly returned the greeting.

After a few pleasantries, the two sides immediately got down to business. The quantity of pottery brought by the Fire Tribe this time was astonishing. In addition to paying for the one million catties of grain, they had also prepared enough pottery to cover another one million catties of grain, as well as various transportation and labor costs. This sincerity in making an advance payment and the strong "financial resources" they demonstrated brought satisfied smiles to Hefeng and Fengren's faces. The stronger the Fire Tribe was, the more reliable this cooperation would be.

The handover proceeded smoothly, efficiently, and in perfect harmony. The warriors of the Fire Tribe and the laborers of the Valley Tribe were divided into several teams, and under the supervision of their respective leaders, they began to count and move the Gucang. Baskets of exquisite pottery were unloaded from the Fire Tribe's ships and sorted and stacked on the open ground of the dock, where Hefeng and his men carefully inspected and counted them. On the other side, the prepared granaries were opened, and baskets of heavy grain were carried out. Under Fengren's command, the grain was steadily loaded onto the ships of the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe along the gangplank, while the remainder was loaded onto the Valley Tribe's ships.

Having learned from their previous two collaborations, both sides were very familiar with the process and highly efficient. Yan and Dali frequently inspected the various loading and unloading points to check the quantity and progress of the goods; Fengren and Hefeng also worked closely together to ensure accurate quantity and quality.

As Yan watched bags of golden rice being loaded into the ship's hold, the pressure of the enormous demand for food eased slightly. This food was the cornerstone for the Fire Tribe's stable development.

Time flew by in the midst of their busy work. As the sun rose higher, by noon, most of the one million catties of grain had been loaded onto the ship, and the handover of the pottery was basically complete. The afternoon's work mainly consisted of replenishing the fresh water and a small amount of fresh food needed for the return voyage, as well as coordinating the return route and determining several reliable rest stops along the way. Dali took the initiative to handle these details. He was experienced and familiar with the leaders of the Fish Tribe, so he was able to manage them with ease.

"Yan, that's about it. I'll take care of the rest of the chores. You've been busy all morning, go and take a break," Dali said, Dali the sweat from his forehead. He winked at Yan, meaning, "Don't forget our agreement at noon."

Yan checked that the loading and unloading of goods was indeed in its final stages, then nodded and said, "Alright, then thank you for your hard work, Uncle Dali. I'll go to the camp to make some preparations."

Back at the temporary camp near the dock, Yan greeted the soldiers on duty and explained the situation. Soon, a small campfire was lit in a corner of the camp, near his tent. Yan was adding firewood of suitable thickness to the fire to make the flames burn steadily when a light figure ran over.

"Yan! Look what delicious food I brought!" Qingsui arrived at the campfire like a spring breeze, carrying a small wicker basket and a bright smile on her face. Today she was wearing a clean linen dress, and her hair was simply tied up with a bone hairpin, making her look exceptionally fresh and lively.

Yan looked up and saw a shimmering silver fish, a piece of pork with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, a few bunches of vibrant green vegetables, and several bright red wild berries in the basket. "You brought so much!" Yan smiled and took the basket. "Sit down and rest for a bit; you've come all this way." He gestured for Qingsui to sit on a clean mat next to him, and then deftly began preparing the ingredients.

Qingsui didn't stand on ceremony and sat down, resting her chin on her hands, watching Yan busily at work with curiosity. Yan skillfully fetched water and quickly washed the fish, meat, and vegetables. Then, he untied a leather pouch from his waist and pulled out a sheathed dagger. The sheath was made of ordinary leather, but when he drew the dagger, Qingsui's eyes widened—it was a bronze dagger with a metallic sheen! The blade had smooth lines, and the edge gleamed with a cold light.

In the Valley Tribe, bronze is a precious material, mostly used for weapons, important tools, and ceremonial objects. She rarely saw anyone use a bronze knife to prepare food! Yan, however, remained calm, using the sharp dagger to quickly scrape off the Yulin, remove the internal organs, and then make beautiful cuts on the fish meat. Next, he sliced the pork into even, thin slices and cut the vegetables into appropriate sizes. The whole process was fluid and graceful; the bronze dagger seemed to come alive in his hands, leaving Qingsui amazed and wishing she could memorize every single movement.

"You're using this knife... to cut vegetables?" Qingsui finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"Just doing it." Yan replied simply, his hands still moving. His attitude made Qingsui feel even more that he was unfathomable—either he was extremely wasteful, or... the bronze artifacts of the Fire Tribe might not be as "rare" as she had imagined? This thought made her heart skip a beat.

Next, Yan took out another "treasure" that made Qingsui's eyelids twitch—a round-bottomed copper pot! The pot wasn't particularly large, but it was well-shaped and polished smooth. Yan placed the pot over the fire, greased it with animal fat, and once the oil was hot, poured in the sliced meat. With a sizzle, a rich aroma of meat instantly burst forth!

Yan held a wooden spatula and quickly stir-fried the ingredients. He then added some powder that Qingsui didn't recognize but had a unique aroma. Qingsui watched intently, her nostrils flaring, her stomach rumbling with anticipation!

Soon, several dishes were ready: stir-fried pork, braised fish, scrambled eggs, stir-fried greens, and a simple wild vegetable soup. The rice cooking in the earthenware pot next to it was also steaming with a sweet aroma.

Yan first took a portion from each dish, put it in a large ceramic bowl, and called over a soldier, "Take this to Uncle Dali, and say it's an extra meal." The soldier responded and ran off with the fragrant bowl.

"Come, try some of our Fire Tribe's cooking." Yan handed Qingsui a pair of clean chopsticks (also made of wood), and sat down opposite her.

Qingsui couldn't wait any longer. She picked up a piece of stir-fried pork and put it in her mouth. The meat was tender and savory, with an indescribable complex aroma that exploded on her tongue. It was better than any roasted or stewed meat she had ever eaten! She didn't have time to talk and kept eating with her chopsticks. The fish was tender and not fishy, the eggs were smooth and tender, and even the simplest vegetables were stir-fried crisp and refreshing. With the fragrant rice, she ate until her forehead was sweating and her eyes were squinting with happiness.

"It's so delicious! Yan, you're amazing! How did you make it? What are those fragrant powders?" Qingsui asked as she ate, one question after another.

While eating, Yan gave a simple explanation of the cooking techniques and the combination of spices. During the meal, Qingsui brought up the Wolf Tribe battle she hadn't finished listening to yesterday, asking about the details of the battle, the Fire Tribe's tactics, and the scene of Yan chasing after them on his Chasing Wind. Yan picked out some less bloody and exciting parts to tell her, which made Qingsui sometimes clench her fists in tension and sometimes clap her hands in delight, making the meal very lively.

After eating and drinking their fill, the two cleaned up the dishes and sat by the fire to rest for a while.

"Yan, are you free this afternoon? Shall I show you around our Valley Tribe?" Qingsui suggested, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Great! It'll be a good opportunity to see the customs and culture of the Valley Tribe." Yan Xinran agreed, as he also wanted to learn more about this powerful neighbor and partner.

The two left the temporary camp and, led by Qingsui, strolled around the outer area of the Valley Tribe headquarters. Qingsui was the chief's daughter and had a special status. Except for a few clearly marked restricted areas (such as important workshops and armories), she could pass through most places, and no one stopped her from showing Yan, this "distinguished guest," around.

The layout of the Valley Tribe was more orderly than that of the Fire Tribe, with crisscrossing roads and clear divisions. As they walked, Qingsui's gaze was drawn to something hanging from Yan's waist. She hadn't seen it clearly in the darkness of the night, but now, with the sunlight shining brightly, the object reflected a warm luster.

"Yan, can I see that knife on your waist? It's so beautiful!" Qingsui said, pointing to the bone knife.

Yan untied the bone knife and handed it to her. Qingsui carefully took it, drew the blade, and found that the bone knife was not made of bronze, but rather carefully crafted from the hardest leg bone of some large animal. The blade had beautiful and smooth lines, and the edge was polished to an extremely sharp point, gleaming with an ivory-like white luster. The hilt was comfortable to hold, and near the guard, there was a clear pictographic symbol representing "first" and a simplified flame totem.

"This is..." Qingsui stroked the "first" symbol and looked up at Yan.

"Last winter, our Fire Tribe held its first martial arts tournament," Yan explained. "These are the prizes awarded to the top ten warriors; each place receives a bone sword with slightly different patterns and markings."

Qingsui's eyes widened instantly. She looked at the bone knife in her hand, clearly the most exquisite one, marked with "First," then at Yan's young yet Chenwen face, her voice filled with disbelief. "This... what place reward is this? Yan, you... you're the number one warrior of your Fire Tribe?!"

After receiving Yan's affirmative nod, Qingsui couldn't help but circle around Yan twice, looking him up and down. Then she reached out and curiously pinched Yan's arm. The muscles in his arm were taut and elastic under the linen clothes. They weren't exaggeratedly bulging like those of Dabang or Dali, but they contained a kind of lean and strong sense of power.

"My goodness... Yan, you're amazing!" Qingsui exclaimed sincerely, her eyes sparkling. She only knew that Yan Xiaoxing smart, could make pottery, and knew a lot, but she never expected that his personal martial arts skills were also so formidable! This was completely different from the chieftain successors she had in mind who only knew how to bury themselves in tribal affairs or were simply brave and valiant.

In the following days, Qingsui asked even more questions, pressing for details about the martial arts tournament, including which masters participated and how the competition was conducted. Yan patiently answered her questions, telling her how he fought his way up match by match and finally defeated Uncle Dabang in the final.

"Uncle Dali is third place? Wow! Then... what about your father, Chief Jianshi? How powerful is he?" Qingsui asked curiously. In her mind, tribal chiefs were always the strongest warriors.

When his father was mentioned, Yan's face showed respect. "My father didn't participate in the competition. He is the strongest in our Fire Tribe. I... am still no match for him." He spoke frankly, without the slightest hint of discouragement, but rather with a sense of purpose and motivation to catch up.

Qingsui nodded thoughtfully, gaining a deeper understanding of the Fire Tribe's power structure.

After discussing the martial arts competition, Yan steered the conversation further afield. He casually asked, "Qingsui, have you heard about the specifics of the Tiger Tribe and the Bear Tribe? What's their situation? It seems the Valley Tribe is quite wary of them."

This information wasn't top secret, and Qingsui, as the chief's daughter, was aware of it as well. She gathered her thoughts and said, "The Tiger Tribe... they're located at the very bottom of the Fish River. My father and the elders say it's a very powerful tribe, with a population of over a hundred thousand!"

"Over 100,000?!" Yan was shocked to receive an affirmative answer. The Fire Tribe was currently doing its best to develop, and even with the continuous absorption of population, it had only barely reached around 20,000. Over 100,000... that was an unimaginably huge scale.

Qingsui continued, "However, the Tiger Tribe doesn't seem to have time to bother us right now. The Fish River is actually a tributary of a very, very large river. The Tiger Tribe is often at war with powerful tribes on two other tributaries of that great river, and I've heard that sometimes the fighting is quite fierce. Moreover, Father said that the Tiger Tribe doesn't seem to be very united internally, with several dissenting voices, so for the time being, they can't afford to pay attention to our tribes."

She paused, her tone becoming somewhat worried. "But Father often says that the Tiger Tribe is like a dozing tiger. Once they finish their war or unify internally, they will definitely turn their attention to the wealthy middle and upper-class tribes. At that time, our Valley Tribe, the Fish Tribe, and even your Fire Tribe will probably face threats."

Yan silently noted down key information such as "the great river," "powerful tribes along other tributaries," and "internal disunity." It seemed that the conflicts in the Fish River Basin were just a corner of a much larger picture.

"What about the Bear Tribe?" Yan asked.

"The Bear Tribe is just a little downstream from our Valley Tribe, facing our Little Valley Camp Outpost across the river." Qingsui's tone was clearly tinged with disgust and resentment when she mentioned the Bear Tribe. "They've only suddenly become powerful in the last ten years or so. Now they have nearly nine thousand people, and I've heard that almost two thousand are warriors. They've even acquired two ships with a carrying capacity of fifty thousand jin each! Although our Valley Tribe still stronger overall, in that specific area across the Fish River, they actually have the advantage against our Little Valley Camp Outpost, which only has six thousand people. That's why Father is so anxious, needing to use the money earned from trading with you to desperately buy bronze weapons, strengthen our Valley Tribe's forces, and maintain Valley Tribe military advantage over the Bear Tribe."

"So that's how it is," Yan thought with sudden clarity. The Valley Tribe's active large-scale trade with the Fire Tribe to reap huge profits was primarily aimed at countering the threat from the nearby Bear Tribe and maintaining regional hegemony. Behind the Bear Tribe, however, lay the shadow of the Tiger Tribe downstream (providing bronze weapons). This complex triangular relationship made the situation in the middle and lower reaches of the Fish River full of uncertainties.

Listening to Qingsui's story, Yan could almost see that colossal creature with a population of over a hundred thousand slowly turning around in the distance, and he could feel the tense atmosphere of the Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe facing each other across the river. A strange sense of urgency quietly crept into his heart. The Fire Tribe's rise was already very fast, but the vastness and power of the outside world far exceeded his imagination. The Fire Tribe had to become stronger as soon as possible!

The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, the sun was already setting.

"Come on, let's go back and eat! I still have some ingredients, I'll make you something nice!" Yan suggested. He knew this might be the last time he cooked for Qingsui for a while.

"Okay!" Qingsui replied happily.

The two returned to the temporary camp. Yan used the remaining ingredients, along with some fresh produce that Qingsui had later sent over, to prepare a simple but heartfelt dinner. Dali and the two leaders of the Fish Tribe "happened" to come and freeload, making the atmosphere lively.

As night fell, campfires flickered in the camp. Qingsui reluctantly left just before curfew was approaching, urged by her attendants. Yan stood at the camp gate, watching Qingsui's figure disappear into the night.