Beacon-Fire Message

In the valley of the Fire Tribe's headquarters, the autumn sun shone warmly. In the fields, golden rice swayed in the wind, its heavy ears bowing low. This rice would be ready for harvest in a few days. On the hillside, herds of cattle and sheep grazed leisurely. In the bronze workshop area, the clanging and banging of hammers could be heard as craftsmen rushed to make bronze tools and weapons.

Everything seemed so harmonious, but that harmony was shattered in the afternoon. On the lookout tower, a soldier on lookout duty was idly gazing into the distance when suddenly his gaze froze. In the distance, on the mountain peak to the north, a plume of smoke was rising into the sky.

Those were beacon fires. The soldier rubbed his eyes and looked closely. Yes, they were beacon fires! The thick smoke shot straight into the sky, clearly visible even in the sunlight.

He turned abruptly and shouted to the audience, "Beacon fire! There's a beacon fire to the due north!"

The people below the stage were stunned for a moment, then reacted and immediately ran towards the council hall. The news spread quickly, and soon, beacon fires were lit on the nearby hilltops as well. One, two... every so often, a plume of smoke rose, like an invisible thread, transmitting the news from one stronghold to another.

That was a unique communication method of the Fire Tribe. Different numbers of beacon fires and different ways of burning represented different messages. This time, the beacon fire came from the Stone Creek River Mouth Outpost —a place specifically for monitoring the Wolf Tribe.

The beacon fires signaled unusual activity within the Wolf Tribe. In the council hall, the Fire Tribe's leaders arrived one after another. Jianshi sat in the main seat, his face grave. To his left sat Qingye, and to his right was an empty seat—that was Flame's seat, as he was currently on his way to the Valley Tribe to transport grain. Below him sat Jianya, Dabang, Binmao, Jijiao, and several other leaders who had come from various branches.

The fire in the hearth was burning brightly, crackling loudly, but the room was unusually quiet. No one spoke, except for the occasional cough. Jianshi's gaze slowly swept over everyone, and he only spoke when almost everyone had arrived.

"Now that you've all arrived here, you must have already seen the beacon fires."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet council chamber.

"Based on the information relayed by the beacon fire, it can be confirmed that the urgent message came from the Stone Creek River Mouth Outpost." He paused, "It's highly likely that the Wolf Tribe is leading an attack on the Fish Tribe, the Pottery Salt Tribe, and other tribes."

A low murmur arose inside the room.

Jianshi continued, "Everyone is preparing for the autumn harvest now. The Wolf Tribe launching an attack at this time is very much in line with Xueya's style. For them, this is the most advantageous time to act—the grain is almost ripe, and they can just plunder it and eat it; the other tribes are busy harvesting and their defenses are relaxed."

He stood up and walked to the center of the council chamber.

"The Wolf Tribe plundered a large amount of resources and people in the north a few months ago, and their strength is greater than before. If they go after the Fish Tribe or the Pottery Salt Tribe, none of these tribes can now stand against the Wolf Tribe individually."

His gaze sharpened.

"The Pottery Salt Tribe, the Beast Taming Tribe, the Hundred Crafts Tribe, and the Marsh Tribe will all join our Fire Tribe after the autumn harvest. If they are harmed by the Wolf Tribe, it will be a major loss for our Fire Tribe!"

"The Fish Tribe is now a friendly tribe of ours, and they have been helping us transport food. We can't just ignore them."

He looked at everyone and said, "I've called you all here to discuss the deployment of troops. What are your thoughts?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Dabang stood up.

He was the head of the Fire Tribe workshops, overseeing all the workshops including shipbuilding, pottery making, and metallurgy. At this moment, he stood up, a hint of confidence on his face.

"Chief, esteemed leaders," his voice boomed, "Let me first report on our current transport capacity."

He counted on his fingers. "In the past month or so, we've built ten more 10,000-jin (5,000 kg) large ships and twenty 5,000-jin (2,500 kg) large ships!"

He paused, then continued, "There are also two hundred small Muzhou, each weighing five hundred pounds. These boats can transport a thousand soldiers at a time without any problem."

He looked at everyone, his eyes gleaming. "If we go downstream along the Fish River, we can reach the Fish Tribe in about three days. It's the fastest and safest route."

"Moreover," he added, "the Stone Creek River Mouth Outpost still has six hundred cavalry and four hundred infantry, plus the forces of the Fish Tribe and the Pottery Salt Tribe, which is more than enough to deal with the Wolf Tribe."

Jianya also stood up. He was Jianshi's younger brother and the strategist of the Fire Tribe. At this moment, he frowned and slowly spoke.

"Dabang is right, sending troops to support us is necessary," he said. "But I have a thought."

Jianshi looked at him. "Speak."

Jianya said, "The autumn harvest is just around the corner. Although the Wolf Tribe's attack is urgent, we can't let it affect the harvest."

He looked at everyone and explained, "Withdrawing too many troops at once will affect our progress in other areas. I suggest we support the Fish Tribe first, use our existing forces to stabilize the situation, and after the autumn harvest, we can then join forces with the Horse Tribe and the Fish Tribe to wipe out the Wolf Tribe and eliminate future troubles."

He paused, his tone becoming firm. "The thorn in the Wolf Tribe must be removed sooner or later, but the timing and method of removal depend on the circumstances."

Binmao nodded in agreement. "Jianya is right. The autumn harvest is a major event and cannot be delayed. Our grain supply is crucial to the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people."

Jijiao chimed in, "Let's stabilize the situation first, and settle the score after the autumn harvest."

The other leaders nodded in agreement. Jianshi listened with a look of satisfaction on his face. These leaders were all veterans who had followed him all the way. They had seen storms and experienced life and death, and knew when to advance and when to retreat.

"Okay," he said, and everyone fell silent.

Jianshi stood up and began giving orders.

"Dabang," he said, looking at the workshop manager, "You'll go to the Small Gathering Valley Outpost and be in charge of defense and security. Keep an eye on the line with the Bison, White Pig, Green Sheep, and Deer Tribe."

Dabang straightened his back. "Yes!"

Jianshi continued, "The workshop affairs you are currently in charge of will be temporarily handed over to me. In addition, two hundred cavalry and six hundred infantry will be transferred from headquarters to garrison the stronghold at the Stone Creek River Mouth Outpost to monitor the Wolf Tribe's forces and prevent them from moving south."

Dabang nodded. "Understood!"

The Jianshi turned into Jianya.

"Jianya, take a thousand elite troops from the Pottery Salt Tribe and Fish Tribe. Act according to the situation, and don't act recklessly."

Jianya stood up. "Yes!"

Jianshi added, "Yan and Dali led men to the Valley Tribe to transport grain. Judging by the time, they should be almost at the Fish Tribe by now. If you encounter them, have them take this thousand soldiers and, together with the cavalry from the Stone Creek River Mouth Outpost, unite with those tribes and strike the Wolf Tribe hard."

A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Let Xueya know the power of our Fire Tribe!"

Jianya nodded. "Understood!"

Jianshi continued, "When you return with the grain transport fleet, take some more ships directly to the Valley Tribe and transport the remaining 1.5 million catties of grain for this year."

He paused, then added, "Trade with the Valley Tribe cannot be interrupted; grain is the lifeblood of our tribe."

Jianya nodded again. "Yes!"

Jianshi looked at everyone one last time.

"I will personally oversee the affairs of the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and Fire Creek River Middle Outpost. Everyone, please perform your duties. Go forth!"

Everyone responded in unison and got up to leave. Soon, only Jianshi and Qingye remained in the council hall. Jianshi stood at the door, watching the departing figures with a complicated expression on his face. Qingye walked over and stood beside him.

"Are you worried about Yan?" she asked softly.

Jianshi was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"When Yan arrived, he and his men encountered Wolf Tribe..."

Qingye held his hand and comforted him, "Yan is a clever child, and with Dali and the Dali by his side, he'll be fine."

Jianshi sighed.

"I know, and I believe in Yan, but how can a father not worry?"

He looked into the distance, towards the direction of the Fish Tribe.

"The Wolf Tribe is coming with great force this time. Xueya is ruthless and vicious. The Fish Tribe and the surrounding tribes are likely to suffer a great loss this time."

Qingye also looked in that direction.

"Hopefully, our Fire Tribe can make it in time."

Jianshi Shi nodded without speaking. The two stood at the doorway, looking at the distant horizon where the beacon fires were still burning—a signal of war. Back at the Fire Tribe headquarters, Dabang was urgently mobilizing manpower.

"You lot, take some men and head to Little Gathering Valley first!" he shouted. "Once you get there, inspect all the fortifications! Dig deeper into the trenches and reinforce the fences!"

"Yes!"

"You, go and muster two hundred cavalry and six hundred infantry! Make sure they are fully equipped and have enough rations! We'll set off for the Stone Creek River Mouth first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Yes!"

As orders were passed down, the Fire Tribe headquarters was a hive of activity. At the dock, Jianya was organizing the boarding. A thousand elite warriors were boarding the massive ships weighing tens of thousands of kilograms and those weighing five thousand kilograms, as well as the small Xiaozhou. They wore leather armor, carried weapons, had food bags hanging from their waists, and their faces were filled with a grim and murderous aura.

"Hurry, hurry!" Jianya urged, "We must set off as soon as possible!"

A leader ran over. "Chief, the ships are ready! We can set sail at any time!"

Jianya nodded and looked at the warriors, a thousand of them, standing neatly in formation on the ship, awaiting the order to depart.

He took a deep breath and shouted, "Brothers! The Wolf Tribe is attacking! We're going to support the Fish Tribe and the Fish Tribe near them! In this battle, we'll show Xueya the might of the Fire Tribe!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Jianya waved his hand. "Let's go!"

The fleet slowly started, left the dock, and sailed downstream along the Fire Creek River. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the river, turning the entire river into a golden-red color.

That red color resembled blood, but Jianya knew it was the color of victory. In the distance, the beacon fires still burned—the call of the Fire Tribe, and also the death knell of the Wolf Tribe.