The Migration of Five Thousand People

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, Fire Creek Wharf was already bustling with activity. Yan stood on the shore, looking at the Fire Tribe's fleet of boats before him, silently counting in his mind: more than a hundred small Muzhou 500 jin each, two hundred large Muzhou 2,000 jin each, forty large boats weighing 5,000 jin each, and ten giant boats weighing 10,000 jin each, a total of more than three hundred boats, densely packed on the river, like a floating forest.

"Brother Yan," Daya ran over, holding the wooden board marked with charcoal, "Everything's ready! Food, water, medicine, and all the necessities are packed. The dry rations we brought this time are enough for half a month."

Yan took the wooden board and carefully looked at the numbers on it: Water River, about two thousand people; Forest River, about one thousand five hundred; Stone River, about one thousand five hundred. Adding them up, there were a total of five thousand people.

He looked up at the ships that were about to depart in the distance. The soldiers on board were doing their final checks; some were tightening the ropes, some were adjusting the sails, and some were stuffing the last few bags of rations into the hold.

"Five thousand people..." Yan muttered to himself.

Dali walked over, stood beside him, and also looked at the ships.

"Yan'er," his voice was filled with excitement, "If this succeeds, the strength of our Fire Tribe will increase greatly."

Yan smiled and said, "With five thousand people joining, plus the previous two thousand, our Fire Tribe's population is approaching fifty thousand."

"Fifty thousand!" Dali's eyes lit up. "A few years ago, how many people did we have? Only about two hundred!"

"Yes," Yan nodded, "In just a few years, it has increased at least twentyfold!"

He paused, his voice becoming serious. "But with more people comes greater responsibility. These five thousand people will be our brothers and sisters from now on. Whether they have enough to eat, enough to wear, and enough to live in is all our concern."

Dali scratched his head and chuckled, "All I know is fighting and killing. You guys should think about these things."

Yan patted him on the shoulder. "Let's go, let's set off."

"Good!"

The fleet slowly started moving, with more than three hundred boats forming a long line on the Fire Creek River, heading towards the Fish River with the current. Yan stood at the Chuantou of the largest boat, weighing ten thousand catties, facing the river wind, silently calculating the mission in his mind.

The Water River, the Forest River, and the Stone River are the three tributaries on the east bank of the Fish River that are closest to the Fire Tribe. These three tributaries have a larger population than those upstream, and they are not far from the Fire Creek River, making transportation convenient.

According to the news brought back by the trade fleet, the people of these three tributaries had long been looking forward to joining the Fire Tribe. They had already moved their food and necessary supplies to the river mouth, waiting for the fleet to arrive so they could board directly.

"This time it should go smoothly," Yan thought to himself.

But he also knew that five thousand people was no small number. Just arranging them to board the ships and allocate cabins would be a huge undertaking. Fortunately, he had brought enough people. The fleet sailed on the Fish River for two days and arrived at the mouth of the first tributary— the Water River. From afar, Yan could see the dark mass of people on the shore.

They stood on the riverbank, densely packed together, numbering about two thousand people: the elderly, women, children, and young people. Some carried animal skin bundles on their backs, while others led children by the hand.

"We're here!" Dali shouted excitedly.

As the fleet slowly approached the shore, the crowd on the bank stirred. They looked at the massive fleet and the tall figures on board with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. A middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd. He was burly and had dark skin, clearly someone who had worked hard all his life. He walked to the shore and bowed to the people on the ships.

"Excuse me, is this the Fire Tribe's fleet?"

Yan jumped off the boat and strode up to him.

"I am Yan from the Fire Tribe, and you are from the Water River side?"

The man nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes! My name is Shuigen, and I'm the chieftain elected by several tribes on this side of the Water River. We... we've been waiting for you for a while now!"

He turned and pointed to the crowd on the bank. "These are the remaining people along this side of the Water River, only about two thousand."

Yan looked at those thin faces and felt a pang of sadness. Two thousand people, living on this not-so-fertile land, relying on hunting, fishing and growing a little bit of crops to survive, it was already a miracle that they had survived so many winters.

"Genshu Shuigen," Yan said, "We are very happy that you are willing to join the Fire Tribe. From today onwards, you are members of the Fire Tribe."

Shuigen froze, then his legs went weak and he was about to kneel down.

Yan quickly helped him up. "Genshu, don't do this, our Fire Tribe doesn't do this."

Shuigen's eyes were red, his lips trembled, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

After a long while, he choked out, "Thank you... thank you Fire Tribe... thank you for taking us in..."

Yan supported him and said to Dali behind him, "Dali, arrange for people to go ashore, help carry things, and get people onto the boat."

"Alright!" With Dali wave of his hand, hundreds of warriors from the Fire Tribe jumped off the ship and began to get to work.

The more than two thousand people on this side of the Water River were divided into several groups and arranged to board the boats in an orderly manner. The elderly and children were arranged on the most stable boats with a weight of 10,000 jin and 5,000 jin. The women helped take care of them, while the young people helped move their belongings. Yan stood on the shore, watching all this, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart.

From this day forward, these people were his people, and their lives were intertwined with his. A young woman walked over carrying a child who was as thin as a bundle of firewood, but had large, wide-open eyes that were curiously staring at Yan.

"Young Chief Yan," the woman said timidly, "I... can I ask, is it really possible to get enough to eat over at the Fire Tribe?"

Yan looked into her expectant eyes and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

"Yes," he nodded earnestly. "Not only will they have enough to eat, but they'll eat well. There will be rice, meat, vegetables, and fish. The children will also learn to read and write and acquire skills. As long as they are willing to work and follow the rules, they won't have to worry about not having anything to eat!"

The woman's eyes reddened; she lowered her head, hugged her child tightly, and her shoulders trembled slightly.

"Thank you..." her voice was very soft, almost inaudible, "Thank you all..."

Yan didn't know what to say, so he just nodded slightly. An hour later, everyone on the Water River side boarded the boats and returned to the Fire Tribe. Yan left some people behind to look after their belongings and food, while he took the remaining boats and continued towards the Forest River.

After another two days of sailing, at the mouth of the Forest River, a dense crowd of about 1,500 people were packed together. Their eyes were filled with the same anticipation, and their expressions were equally apprehensive. Yan repeated the same procedure: docking, picking up people, and arranging for them to board the ship.

The head of the Forest River was a woman in her fifties named Lin Po. Her hair was gray and her face was full of wrinkles, but her eyes were exceptionally bright.

"Young Chief Yan," she said, holding Yan's hand, her eyes filled with tears, "We people from the Forest River have been waiting for this day for so long. We've heard that the Fire Tribe has an endless supply of food and countless wooden houses. We've wanted to go there for a long time, but... we were just afraid you wouldn't accept us."

Yan smiled and comforted her, "Lin Po, we're overjoyed that you've come, how could we refuse?"

Lin Po wiped away her tears and nodded repeatedly. Another hour passed, and all 1,500 people from the Forest River's side boarded the boats and returned to the Fire Tribe. Yan left some people behind to look after their belongings, while he took the remaining boats and continued towards their final destination— the Stone River.

Two days later, when Yan's fleet arrived at the mouth of the Stone River, it was already evening of the sixth day. The setting sun dyed the entire river mouth a golden red. On the shore, more than a thousand people waited quietly, like a flock of birds returning to their nests. Yan jumped off the boat and walked towards the crowd. A young man came up to him. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a lean build and bright eyes.

"Young Master Yan!" he ran over excitedly, "My Xiao Shijian, and I'm the chief of this side of the Stone River! We've been waiting for you for days!"

Yan smiled, "Sorry to keep you waiting, there was a slight delay on the way."

"No delay, no delay!" Shijian waved his hands repeatedly, "It's good that you can come! It's good that you can come!"

He turned and pointed to the crowd on the bank. "We still have more than 1,400 people left along this side of the Stone River, they're all here."

Yan nodded and looked at the people who were waiting. Their eyes were the same as those of the people before them—expectant, apprehensive, and grateful.

Yan took a deep breath and announced loudly, "Brothers and sisters of the Stone River, I am Yan of the Fire Tribe. From today onwards, you are all members of the Fire Tribe!"

A cheer erupted on the shore. Some cried, some laughed, some hugged each other, and some knelt on the ground and kowtowed. Yan watched this scene and felt a surge of warmth in his heart. This was the meaning of everything he had done: to ensure that more people could have enough to eat, warm clothes to wear, and a stable home.

He turned to Dali and said, "Arrange for people to board the boat, prioritizing the elderly and children, and the young people last."

"Understood!" With Dali of his hand, the soldiers got back to work.

This time, Yan didn't sit idle. He personally went into the crowd to help carry children, support the elderly, and move things. When a five- or six-year-old boy was being carried onto the boat, he suddenly turned around and looked at Yan.

"Uncle," he asked, "Does the Fire Tribe really have a lot of food?"

Yan crouched down to meet his gaze.

"Yes," he said seriously, "More than you can eat."

The little boy's eyes lit up. "Then will I be able to eat my fill every day?"

"Yes," Yan nodded. "Not only will we be able to eat our fill, but we'll also eat well, with meat, fish, and fruit."

The little boy smiled, a smile as bright as the sun. An hour later, everyone on the Stone River side boarded the boat. Dali didn't leave immediately; he still had something to do.

"Yan'er," he said, "You take the fleet first, I'll take a few boats and head to the Wood River."

Yan said, "Wood River? Isn't that where we went last time?"

"Yes." Dali nodded Dali. "Last time we only took the people; their supplies were left there. This time we'll go and bring them back."

Yan thought for a moment and asked, "How many people are you bringing?"

"Fifty ships will be enough," Dali said. "You take the main force back first, I'll catch up after I'm done."

Yan hesitated for a moment. "Then be careful."

"Rest assured."

The two fleets separated. Yan led the main force downstream, while Dali led fifty ships upstream towards the Wood River. Five days later, Dali arrived at the mouth of the Wood River. The dozens of people who had stayed behind last time were still there. When they saw Dali's fleet, they jumped and cheered with excitement.

"Leader Dali! You've finally arrived!"

Dali jumped off the boat with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. Are the supplies still there?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" a young man nodded repeatedly. "We've been guarding it every day, and not a single thing has been lost!"

Looking at the mountains of supplies piled up at the temporary dock at the river mouth—food, tools, animal hides, pottery, woodenware— Dali secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Load it onto the ship!" he waved his hand.

Fifty boats were quickly loaded with supplies. Dali led the fleet downstream along the Fish River. When the fleet appeared at Fire Creek Mouth, the shore was in an uproar again. The person in charge of the Fire Creek Mouth Outpost had already received the news and was waiting at the dock with his men. The fleet slowly docked, and the newcomers disembarked one after another. Under the guidance of the Fire Tribe people, they went to the designated places to rest, eat, and settle down.

After more than ten days of sailing, it has finally come to an end.

"Dali!" a familiar voice rang out.

Upon Dali inspection, they were Jianya.

"Jianya!" Dali greeted him with delight, "You're back?"

Jianya laughed heartily and patted Dali's shoulder Dali: "We've been back for three days! And we've brought back another 1.5 million catties of grain!"

Dali's eyes lit up. "Great! With this food, we can safely absorb these people!"

Jianya nodded. "Yes, how's it going on your end? How many people have you picked up?"

"The Water River, the Forest River, and the Stone River, plus those we went to fetch earlier, make a total of about 7,500 people," Yan said beside him. "Now, the population of our Fire Tribe should be around 48,500."

Jianya gasped, "Around forty-eight or forty-five hundred people?"

"Yes," Yan nodded in agreement. "Moreover, news has come from the Pottery Salt Tribe that the Hundred Crafts Tribe, the Beast Taming Tribe, and the Marsh Tribe are all willing to join. They together number over five thousand. In addition, there are quite a few small tribes on the west bank of the upper reaches of the Fish River that also want to join."

Jianya spoke up, "Then by the end of the year, won't we be breaking 60,000?"

"Possibly." Yan smiled.

The group stood side by side, watching the bustling crowd at the dock. The newcomers were being guided by the Fire Tribe members to their new homes. They had smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes, constantly turning back to look at Yan and Dali, their eyes filled with gratitude.

"Flame," Jianya Fang suddenly spoke, "How big do you think our Fire Tribe can grow in the future?"

Yan thought for a moment and said seriously, "I don't know, but I feel that as long as we keep going like this, one day, everyone on this land will be our people."

Jianya was silent for a moment, then laughed.

"Okay," he said, "Then let's continue together."