The Fish Tribe's Thoughts

As dawn broke, the Fire Tribe's fleet departed from Pottery Salt Mouth. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and a thin layer of white floated on the river. The fleet sailed through the mist like a giant dragon that appeared and disappeared in the mist. Yan stood at the Chuantou, looking at the blurry river ahead, silently calculating the time in his mind.

From Pottery Salt Mouth Fish Tribe, it would take about half a day to travel downstream, and they should arrive by evening. He turned around and looked at the fleet of boats behind him: two hundred boats weighing two thousand catties each, one hundred and eighty boats weighing five thousand catties each, and forty boats weighing ten thousand catties each, lined up in a long queue in the morning mist, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Yan," Dali walked over and handed over a piece of grilled fish, "Have something to eat, we still have a long time to go before we get there."

Yan took the grilled fish, took a bite, and found the fish to be grilled perfectly, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a just-right level of saltiness.

"Uncle Dali," Yan asked between chews, "Do you think the Fish Tribe will join us?"

Dali paused for a moment, then scratched his head. "Well... it's hard to say."

Yan looked at him. "Tell me your thoughts."

Dali thought for a moment and slowly said, "The Fish Tribe is an old tribe, much older than our Fire Tribe. They have their own set of rules, their own leaders and elders. Asking them to give up all of these and listen to us completely will definitely be met with resistance from some people."

Yan nodded. "Go on."

"However," Dali changed the subject, "the Wolf Tribe is too much of a threat. The Fish Tribe suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Wolf Tribe last time, and now the Wolf Tribe has recovered its strength and is even stronger than before. The Fish Tribe must be afraid."

He looked at Yan: "When you're scared, you'll want to find someone to back you up. Our Fire Tribe is so strong now, isn't that a ready-made backer?"

Yan smiled, "Good analysis."

Dali grinned smugly. "That's right."

Yan patted his shoulder and said nothing more. He knew that the Fish Tribe was at a crossroads. On one hand, they could maintain the status quo and continue to be their Fish Tribe leaders, chiefs, and elders, but on the other hand, they would have to face the threat from the Wolf Tribe alone.

On one hand, there was the option of joining the Fire Tribe, giving up some power in exchange for safety and security. This was a difficult choice. The fleet sailed on the Fish River for most of the day. The sun rose in the east, slowly climbed to its zenith, and then slowly set in the west. By evening, the Fish Tribe was in sight in the distance.

Yan stood at the Chuantou and saw a group of people standing on the Fish Tribe's dock in the distance. The one in the lead was a burly man, none other than Julang, the leader of the Fish Tribe.

"We've arrived," Yan said.

The fleet slowly slowed down and approached the dock. Julang stood on the dock, watching the fleet getting closer and closer. He was shocked again. Although he was mentally prepared and the Fire Tribe had sent someone to inform him in advance, seeing the fleet with his own eyes still made him gasp.

Two hundred boats weighing two thousand catties each, one hundred and eighty boats weighing five thousand catties each, and forty boats weighing ten thousand catties each were densely packed on the entire river surface, stretching as far as the eye could see. There were even more boats than when we came last time. The speed at which the Fire Tribe built boats was simply like magic.

Julang secretly estimated: How much can these ships carry at once? At least 1.5 million catties? No, probably more.

He recalled the eight million catties of grain trade agreed upon between the Fire Tribe and the Valley Tribe, and the terrifying figure of twenty million catties next year. With such a fleet, these figures could really be achieved. Moreover, he had a strong premonition that the Fire Tribe was definitely still developing even larger ships.

They already had ships weighing 10,000 jin, but what about ships weighing 50,000 jin? Or 100,000 jin? They would come sooner or later. Julang took a deep breath, shaking off these thoughts. He waved his hand and led his small boats toward the Fire Tribe's fleet.

"Young Master Yan! Leader Dali!" Julang shouted from the ship, "You must be tired from your journey! Please follow me, I'll take you to shore!"

Yan stood at the Chuantou and waved to him. "Leader of the Julang, thank you for your help!"

Guided by the Julang, the Fire Tribe's fleet slowly sailed into the Fish Tribe's dock. The dock had obviously been expanded and was much larger than when they last came, but even so, it was still a bit of a stretch to dock this huge fleet. Yan looked at the ships that were packed together and thought to himself: Next time I come, I may have to trouble the Fish Tribe to expand the dock again.

After all the ships were docked and the personnel left behind were arranged, Yan and Dali, along with a few trusted confidants, followed the Julang toward the Fish Tribe's council hall. The Fish Tribe's council hall was located in the center of the camp and was the largest wooden building. At this moment, only the Fish Tribe's leader, Canglan, stood at the door. He exuded an air of competence and was smiling as he watched Yan and Dali approach.

"Yan! Brother Dali!" Canglan quickly stepped forward and warmly shook Yan's hand. "You must be tired from your journey! Please come in, please come in!"

Yan replied with a smile, "Uncle Canglan, you're too kind. I'm sorry to bother you again!"

"Not at all! We're more than happy to welcome our friends from the Fire Tribe!" Canglan took Yan's hand and led them into the council hall. Grilled fish, stewed meat, wild vegetables, rice, and several jars of fresh goat milk were already laid out on the table. As everyone sat down, they started eating and drinking and gradually opened up about the conversation.

Canglan raised his wine bowl and said to Yan, "Yan, we received the batch of pottery that your Fire Tribe prepaid for after Feiyu and Bailin helped you transport the grain last time."

His face was full of smiles. "We used those pottery pieces, added a few things, and traded them with the Horse Tribe for a hundred ponies."

Yan's eyes lit up. "One hundred horses? Congratulations!"

Canglan sighed, "Yes, now we finally have some cavalry. Although it's not much, it can come in handy at crucial moments. If the Wolf Tribe really attacks, at least we can scout the enemy's situation and pass on messages, so we won't be completely clueless."

Yan nodded. "With cavalry, mobility is much greater. Although the Wolf Tribe now has six hundred cavalry, many of them are newly recruited, and their horsemanship is definitely not as good as the elite of the Horse Tribe. Your one hundred cavalry, if used properly, can play a very important role."

Canglan sighed, "Let's hope so. Those people from the Wolf Tribe are too ruthless. Our Fish Tribe doesn't want to experience the tragedy of last year again."

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.

Canglan quickly composed herself, picked up the bowl, and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore! Drink the goat milk!"

After everyone drank a few more bowls, Canglan put down his bowl, looked at Yan, and his tone became serious.

"Yan, I just heard from Julang that your fleet has expanded again, with forty ships weighing ten thousand jin each now?"

Yan nodded. "Yes, our Fire Tribe is currently working hard to build ships in preparation for transporting 20 million catties of grain next year."

Canglan exclaimed, "The speed at which you build ships is truly admirable. Our Fish Tribe can only build a few 2,000-jin boats a year at best, but you're building so many, and they're getting bigger and bigger!"

Yan smiled and explained, "Uncle Canglan, we have no choice. The Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe downstream often have conflicts. If one day the Valley Tribe needs its own boats and can no longer help us transport grain, we will have to rely on ourselves. Therefore, the more boats the better, and the bigger the better."

Canglan nodded thoughtfully.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Yan, I heard... the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Marsh Tribe, the Beast Taming Tribe, and the Hundred Crafts Tribe are all planning to join your Fire Tribe after autumn?"

Yan's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm. "Yes, they've reached an agreement with us. They'll come over after the autumn harvest."

Canglan's expression became complicated. He picked up the bowl, took a big gulp of goat milk, and then put it down.

"Yan," his voice deepened, "I won't hide it from you, our Fish Tribe is also discussing this matter."

Yan looked at him without saying a word.

Canglan continued, "The Wolf Tribe has recovered its strength this time and is even stronger than last year. Their next target is likely to be the tribes to our west, including our Fish Tribe, Pottery Salt Tribe, Hundred Crafts Tribe, Beast Taming Tribe, Marsh Tribe... they are all their targets."

He paused, then sighed, "Now the Pottery Salt Tribe and the others are all joining you, leaving only our Fish Tribe..."

Yan asked softly, "What does Chief Canglan mean?"

Canglan looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Our Fish Tribe is in complete turmoil right now," he said. "The leaders Julang, Shentan, Feiyu, Bailin, and I think joining the Fire Tribe is a good option, but the leaders Xieqian, Langhua, Powang, Laoduo, and many elders are all against it."

He smiled wryly, "They feel that the Fish Tribe is an old tribe with its own rules, its own leaders and elders. They feel uncomfortable joining another tribe and listening to others."

Yan nodded understandingly; he had seen this mentality many times before.

Canglan continued, "We've been arguing back and forth these past few days, but we still haven't reached a conclusion. We can only strengthen our defenses and increase our strength, taking it one step at a time."

He looked at Yan, his eyes filled with expectation. "Yan, if... I mean if, our Fish Tribe also wanted to join the Fire Tribe, would you accept us?"

Yan didn't answer immediately. He picked up the bowl, took a sip of goat milk, and then slowly put it down.

"Uncle Canglan," he said earnestly, "Our Fire Tribe's principle is: as long as you are willing to follow the rules and work hard, you are welcome, whether it's a large or small tribe, whether you are a chief or an ordinary tribesman. Once you join us, you are one family."

He looked into Canglan's eyes. "As for the specific arrangements, we will organize them into family units, breaking them up and mixing them together. This will allow new members to integrate into the Fire Tribe more quickly. If anyone has special skills or abilities, we will make good use of them."

Canglan listened, seemingly lost in thought.

"I understand." He nodded.

He took another sip of goat's milk, seemingly deep in thought.

After a while, he said softly, "Actually, there's something else that worries me."

"What's up?"

"The Wolf Tribe's spies," Canglan lowered his voice, "Have been loitering around our Fish Tribe lately."

Yan frowned. "Oh?"

Canglan nodded. "The men I sent out have spotted their tracks several times. They don't get close; they just observe from a distance, looking at the terrain, the defenses, and the distribution of our manpower."

A hint of worry crept into his voice. "I suspect the Wolf Tribe might really be eyeing our Fish Tribe."

Yan remained silent for a while.

"Uncle Canglan," he said, "I will tell my father about this as soon as possible. When we return from the Valley Tribe, we can station more people at Stone Creek Mouth, ready to support you at any time."

Canglan's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Yan nodded. "Indeed, the Wolf Tribe is our common enemy. To deal with them, we must unite."

Canglan's face showed gratitude. "Thank you! Thank you all!"

The two drank another bowl of goat milk. As they ate and drank, the conversation gradually became more relaxed. Canglan arranged for Feiyu and Bailin to continue leading the team, taking ten 5,000-jin boats and thirty 2,000-jin boats from the Fish Tribe to assist the Fire Tribe in transporting grain to the Valley Tribe.

"Feiyu, Bailin," Canglan instructed, "Cooperate well with the Fire Tribe this time and follow Chief Yan's instructions."

"Yes!" the two replied in unison.

After the banquet, Yan and Dali returned to their temporary camp near the dock to rest. The night breeze brought a chill, but Yan lay there unable to fall asleep for a long time. He thought about what Canglan had said: the spies from the Wolf Tribe had appeared near the Fish Tribe, the internal debate within the Fish Tribe about whether to join the Fire Tribe, and the ever-approaching threat.

"Yan," came a Dali voice from beside him, "Can't sleep?"

Yan hummed in agreement, Dali rolled over to face him.

Are you thinking about the Fish Tribe?

Yan nodded. "Yes, did you hear what Canglan said tonight?"

Dali said, "I heard that. The spies from the Wolf Tribe, the Fish Tribe want to join us, and those elders and leaders who are unwilling."

He paused, then asked, "Do you think the Fish Tribe will join?"

Yan remained silent for a while.

"It's hard to say," he said. "Canglan and a few leaders want to join, but Xieqian and Langhua are unwilling, and the elders are even more unwilling. They have their own interests and their own positions. If they join us, they might lose those."

Dali said, "Then what should we do?"

Yan said, "We can only wait, wait for them to figure it out on their own, or wait for the Wolf Tribe to force them to figure it out."

He rolled over and said.

"Uncle Dali, if the Wolf Tribe really Fish Tribe, do you think we should help them?"

Dali replied without hesitation, "Of course we'll help! The Wolf Tribe is our mortal enemy; we can't let them grow too powerful."

Yan nodded. "Yes, we should help, but we need to think carefully about how to help and to what extent."

He closed his eyes. "Go to sleep, we still have a long journey ahead tomorrow."

Dali hummed in agreement and then fell silent.

Early the next morning, before dawn, the joint fleet of the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe set off. Ten ships weighing five thousand catties each and thirty ships weighing two thousand catties each joined the Fire Tribe's fleet, making it even larger. Yan stood at the Chuantou, looking at the densely packed ships behind him, silently estimating the total transport capacity.

The Fire Tribe's 1.7 million catties, plus the Fish Tribe's forty boats—ten boats weighing 5,000 catties each, totaling 50,000 catties, and thirty boats weighing 2,000 catties each, totaling 60,000 catties—a total of 110,000 catties.

In total, it amounted to 1.81 million jin. With the assistance of the Valley Tribe, transporting 2 million jin of grain at a time was no problem at all.

"Let's go!" Yan ordered.

The fleet slowly started and sailed downstream along the Fish River. On the shore, Canglan, along with several leaders of the Fish Tribe, stood on the dock and watched them go. He looked at the fleet getting further and further away, his mind filled with many thoughts. The Fire Tribe was really getting stronger and stronger, and what should their Fish Tribe do? He turned around and looked at the Julang beside him.

"Julang," he said, "We'll have another meeting when this grain convoy returns."

Julang nodded. "Okay."