Private Talk in a Secret Room

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of the council hall, a tall wooden house, even larger than the council hall of the Fire Tribe. Four guards in leather armor stood at the entrance, holding spears and looking solemn. Qingsui stopped and turned to look at Yan.

"You go in first," she said with a slight smile. "I'll wander around here for a bit, and then we'll go play after you've finished chatting."

Yan nodded. "Okay."

Qingsui turned to the guard at the door, her tone casual yet authoritative. "The young chieftain of the Fire Tribe has arrived. Go and inform my father."

A guard immediately saluted, turned around, and strode into the council hall. Yan stood at the door, watching the guard's back disappear inside. He felt a little uneasy. Daiyue's private conversation with him was definitely not just a simple exchange of pleasantries. Soon, the guard came out.

"Young Master Yan, the leader requests your presence."

Yan took a deep breath and stepped into the council hall. Behind him, Qingsui waved to him, then turned and walked to the open space next to him. There were several large trees there, and stone benches under the trees. She could wait for him there. In the main seat of the council hall, someone was sitting.

Daiyue, the leader of the Valley Tribe, walked in. His gaze quickly swept around the room. There was no one else in the council hall except Daiyue. He walked to a suitable position and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Yan has met with the leader of Daiyue."

Daiyue raised his head and looked at him. Sunlight shone in from behind Yan, casting a faint halo around him. Daiyue squinted and carefully examined the young man.

Since the last time we met, Yan had grown taller. Although he looked a bit thin, he was all muscle and had a straight posture. He had an imposing presence, especially his eyes, which were clear and sharp, with the vigor unique to young people, but without the arrogance of someone who didn't know his place.

Daiyue nodded inwardly, thinking to himself, "This young man is no ordinary person."

"Young Master Yan, please have a seat." Daiyue gestured to the seat next to him with a smile.

Yan walked over and sat down. The two exchanged a few pleasantries, nothing more than "You must be tired from your journey" and "Thank you for your hospitality." But Yan knew that this was just the beginning. Sure enough, Daiyue quickly got to the point.

"Young Chief Yan," Daiyue began, his tone casual, but his eyes focused intently, "Yesterday at the banquet you mentioned that the Fire Tribe will need 20 million catties of grain next year, and also a large amount of grain in the following years. I wonder... exactly how much?"

Yan's heart skipped a beat; this question was very detailed.

He thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "Chief Daiyue, to be honest, our Fire Tribe now has a population of over 54,000."

Daiyue's eyes widened slightly. Fifty-four thousand people! He remembered that when he last saw Yan, the Fire Tribe had less than forty thousand people. How long has it been? In just a few months, they've increased by more than ten thousand?

Yan continued, "In the past few months, we've absorbed some small tribes that were struggling to survive in the upper reaches of the Fish River. Adding to this the new population that hasn't been tallied in recent years, the actual number of people in the Fire Tribe should now exceed 54,000."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, our Wolf Tribe has recently become rampant again. Several tribes that had grudges against the Wolf Tribe in the past are afraid of the Wolf Tribe and are preparing to join us after autumn. By then, the Fire Tribe's population will reach around 60,000."

Sixty thousand people! Daiyue took a deep breath.

The Valley Tribe has developed for so many years, and even with the population absorbed this year, it has only barely reached 20,000 people. The Fire Tribe, on the other hand, is almost 60,000 people! This rate of development is terrifying.

"Therefore," Yan continued, "Our Fire Tribe has seen a significant increase in population, but we are still not fully self-sufficient in food. In the next few years, our demand for food will increase even more. To put it simply, if the Valley Tribe can provide us with 20 million catties of grain every year, we will buy it. Of course, more would be even better."

Daiyue remained silent for a while. Twenty million catties—that's a huge sum for the next few years, but the Valley Tribe could probably come up with it if they gritted their teeth and thought of a way. However, that wasn't what he was concerned about. What he was concerned about was where the Fire Tribe got the confidence to expand its population on such a large scale.

He remembered that every time Fengren helped the Fire Tribe transport grain back, he would tell him about what he had seen and heard there. The Fire Tribe headquarters now had 20,000 mu of paddy fields and hundreds of thousands of mu of vegetable fields. In addition to the output of several outposts outside, they also produced a lot of grain themselves. But even so, to feed 60,000 people and continue to expand, it was definitely not enough to rely on themselves alone.

Therefore, it's understandable that they need to purchase large quantities of grain from outside sources, but the problem is—

"Chief Yan," Daiyue began, his tone turning serious, "Aren't you afraid that your Fire Tribe's massive population expansion and large-scale pottery sales will attract the attention of the Tiger Tribe at the very bottom of the Fish River?"

He looked into Yan's eyes and said, word by word, "The Tiger Tribe isn't so easy to get along with."

Yan listened and smiled, a smile that held a hint of confidence, but also a touch of helplessness.

"Chief of Daiyue," he said, "It's precisely because we know the Tiger Tribe is difficult to deal with that we've taken the opportunity to absorb its members and strengthen the tribe."

He looked at Daiyue with a sincere expression. "Moreover, even if the Tiger Tribe has some bad intentions, the Valley Tribe will be the first to be threatened."

Daiyue was shocked. These words were blunt, but they were true. The Valley Tribe was located upstream of the Tiger Tribe. If the Tiger Tribe wanted to expand upstream, the first thing they would have to deal with was the Valley Tribe.

"Therefore," Yan continued, "Our Fire Tribe very much hopes to strengthen relations with the Valley Tribe, and even form a military alliance to jointly deal with the threat from the Tiger Tribe."

He paused, his tone becoming even more resolute. "Our Fire Tribe will soon reach a population of 60,000, and we will continue to absorb more people to strengthen our power. I estimate that next year the Fire Tribe's population will reach at least 80,000. If the Valley Tribe is willing to cooperate with us, we should be able to protect ourselves in a few years."

Eighty thousand! Daiyue gasped. This number was too large, so large that it seemed unreal. But looking at Yan's serious expression, he felt that this young man wasn't bragging. The Fire Tribe truly had the resources to back it up. But where did this confidence come from? Was it just because they knew how to make pottery?

No, Daiyue shook his head. Relying solely on pottery making, it was impossible to contend with the Tiger Tribe. He remembered clearly that decades ago, there was a fairly powerful Pottery Tribe in the lower reaches of the Fish River. Just because they knew how to make pottery, they were targeted by the Tiger Tribe. And what happened? They were easily swallowed up, leaving not even a trace.

What makes the Fire Tribe so powerful? Salt? That's right, the Fire Tribe sells large quantities of dried meat cured with coarse salt, but never buys salt from the Valley Tribe. What does that mean? It means they can produce their own salt! If the Fire Tribe can both make pottery and produce salt, then they can indeed develop into a powerful tribe.

But that's still not enough. These two things alone aren't enough to fight the Tiger Tribe, unless...

Unless the Fire Tribe can still forge bronze! A thought suddenly flashed through Daiyue's mind. The Fire Tribe had built a large number of ships in the past year or so. Shipbuilding requires tools, especially bronze tools. If they didn't have enough bronze, how could they have built so many ships?

Unless... they can produce bronze themselves! The more Daiyue thought about it, the more sense it made. If the Fire Tribe really knew how to make pottery, salt, and bronze, then they would indeed have the conditions to compete with the Tiger Tribe. No wonder they were so eager to expand their strength! They were also afraid of being discovered by the Tiger Tribe!

Once the Tiger Tribe finds out that a tribe with so much technology has quietly emerged upstream of the Fish River, the consequences will be unimaginable. Thinking of this, Daiyue suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

He recalled that last year, Elder Yaoshan had suggested detaining Yan when he first came to the Valley Tribe and interrogating him about his pottery techniques. He had stopped him then, and now, looking back, he was truly fortunate!

If they had actually done that back then, let alone failing to capture Yan, even if they had, would the Fire Tribe have let it go? Daiyue wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and his gaze towards Yan became even more complex, filled with amazement, lingering fear, and a touch of relief.

"Young Chief Yan," he said cautiously, "Does your Fire Tribe... also produce salt?"

Yan was taken aback. He hadn't expected Daiyue to ask this, but then he thought about it and it wasn't surprising. The Fire Tribe never bought salt and sold large quantities of salted dried meat. Anyone with a discerning eye could probably guess. Without hesitation, he nodded frankly.

"Yes, Chief Daiyue, the Fire Tribe has indeed learned to produce coarse salt, but the production is still low, and it is only sold to some tribes in the upper reaches of the Fish River."

Daiyue took a deep breath. Sure enough! The Fire Tribe could make salt! He suppressed his shock and didn't ask any further questions. He dared not ask any more, fearing that further questions would lead to inquiries about bronze. If the Fire Tribe really could also refine bronze, then the problem would be much bigger. Daiyue quickly calculated in his mind. If the Fire Tribe truly knew bronze, then they would have the qualifications to challenge the Tiger Tribe. Although their current strength was far inferior, the Fire Tribe's development momentum was too strong. In a few years, they might very well be able to compete with the Tiger Tribe.

As for the Valley Tribe, they were caught in the middle, not daring to offend either side. But how long could they hold out like this? Daiyue didn't know. He only knew that he had to stabilize the Fire Tribe for now and wait until later.

"Chief Yan," Daiyue said with a sincere smile, "I truly admire the strength of your Fire Tribe. Rest assured, our Valley Tribe will continue to strengthen trade with the Fire Tribe. In the coming years, we will also find ways to conduct more large-scale grain transactions with you, and try our best to meet your demand of 20 million catties of grain for the next few years."

He paused, then added, "As for the military cooperation alliance, I will continue to push it forward. As our trade deepens, this will only get closer. Go back and tell Chief Jianshi that I, Daiyue, am sincere in this regard."

Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"Daiyue, Chief Daiyue! I will certainly convey your message!"

Daiyue also stood up, walked over, and patted Yan on the shoulder.

"Young Master Yan, you are a capable young man. If you need anything in the future, you can come to me anytime."

Yan nodded. "Definitely!"

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Yan got up to take his leave. As he walked out of the council hall, the sunlight made him squint. Outside, Qingsui was sitting on a stone bench under a tree, holding a blade of grass in her hand, seemingly weaving something. When she saw him come out, she immediately stood up, a smile blooming on her face.

"Yan! Are you done chatting?"

Yan walked over, smiling and nodding, "Finished talking?"

Qingsui looked at him with curiosity in her eyes.

"What did you talk about? You've been talking for so long."

Yan thought for a moment and said, "We talked a lot, about food, future cooperation, and..."

He paused, looked at Qingsui, his eyes filled with warmth.

"And you."

Qingsui blushed slightly, but quickly regained her composure.

"What do I have to talk about?" she said softly.

Yan smiled, "Your father praised you."

What did you praise me for?

"I praise you for being sensible, I praise you for being smart, I praise you for having good judgment of people."

Qingsui was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening, and her face turned even redder.

She glared at Yan, but wasn't really angry.

"Let's go for a walk along the banks of the Fish River."

Yan agreed, "Okay."