Dali Returns with the People

The morning sun shone through the thin mist, illuminating the valley of the Fire Tribe's headquarters. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, mingling with the morning fog and casting a hazy veil over the entire valley. In the distance, the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking drifted over, while nearby, early risers were already busy at work. In the vegetable gardens, someone was watering the vegetables; in the workshop area, the sounds of hammering and clanging filled the air; and on the dock, several small boats were unloading cargo.

Everything seemed so peaceful and serene, but Yan knew that this peace was only temporary. The Fire Tribe was in a period of rapid development, and new things were happening every day. As the young leader, he couldn't be idle. He hardly rested and ran to the Youth Team camp early in the morning.

The Youth Team's camp was situated on a gentle slope in the valley, covering a vast area. Hundreds of thatched huts and wooden cabins were arranged in a neat and orderly fashion, with a spacious training ground in the middle. At this moment, the training ground was already bustling with activity—many teenagers were doing their morning exercises, their shouts echoing through the air. Yan stood on a high point at the camp entrance, watching all of this.

The Fire Tribe Youth Team currently has over 5,000 members, divided into headquarters and outlying branches. These youths range in age from seven or eight to fourteen or fifteen. They first receive training at the Fire Tribe headquarters, learning to read, follow rules, and practice martial arts. After a period of time, some of the youths will be assigned to various outlying branches with their parents or families. Several years later, when they reach adulthood, those who perform well will become the backbone of the Fire Tribe.

"Boss!"

A voice rang out, and Yan turned his head to see Gubang running towards him, followed by Daya and Zhuangchai. The three of them reached Yan, panting heavily.

"Boss, why are you up so early?" Gubang asked.

Yan smiled and said, "I couldn't sleep, so I came to check on you."

Daya Ya chuckled, "Brother Yan, are you worried we won't be able to manage things?"

Yan slapped him on the shoulder. "Stop being so cheeky, take me to see the new guys."

"Okay!"

The three led Yan deeper into the camp. Along the way, many young men saluted them, some calling them "Boss," some "Young Leader," and some "Captain." Yan nodded in response to each of them. After walking for a while, they arrived at a newly built camp.

The people living here are all teenagers who have joined in the last few months. Some come from small tribes in the upper reaches of the Fish River, some come from refugee families ravaged by the Wolf Tribe, and some are teenagers from newly joined tribes.

Gubang pointed at the teenagers who were doing their morning exercises and said, "Boss, these are the newcomers. We'll use your method to let them get used to things for a while before gradually integrating them into the veteran team."

Yan carefully observed the boys. They were wearing uniform linen clothes, which were a bit old but clean and tidy. Although their faces still showed some childishness, their eyes were no longer as fearful and confused as when they first arrived. They were doing morning exercises with the older team members. Although their movements were not yet perfectly synchronized, they were all very serious.

"Not bad." Yan nodded. "You three have worked hard."

Gubang scratched his head and chuckled, "It's no trouble at all, it's all what I should do."

Daya leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Yan, we've found several promising talents."

"Oh?" Yan became interested. "Tell me about it."

Daya pointed to a boy running in the distance.

"That guy, Xiaosheng, runs incredibly fast, faster than a rabbit. We tried to catch him, but we couldn't."

Yan looked at the boy, who was thin and small, but ran very fast, with light steps, like a gust of wind. Zhuangchai then pointed in another direction.

"That one, Xiaotou, is incredibly strong; he can lift Shitou heavier than himself."

Yan looked over and saw that the boy was fourteen years old, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, and indeed looked very strong. The Gubang was also pointing at someone.

"That Xiaogen. He's incredibly quick-witted, learns things fast, and recognizes characters quickly. He can learn anything we teach him in no time."

Yan looked at the young men and felt very gratified. The future of the Fire Tribe rested on these people. He patted Gubang on the shoulder.

"Nurture them well; these will be the backbone of our Fire Tribe in the future."

Gubang puffed out his chest. "Yes!"

After leaving the Youth Team camp, Yan went to the stables. The stables were neatly arranged, and hundreds of ponies were kept inside. Some were grazing, some were dozing, and some were rubbing against each other. As Yan approached, several horses raised their heads and neighed happily at him.

Those were Chasing Wind and Treading Clouds, along with some of their "companions." Yan walked over, reached out and touched Chasing Wind's neck. The horse affectionately rubbed against his hand and snorted. Yan grabbed a handful of fine grain from the basket beside him, put it in his palm and fed it. Chasing Wind lowered its head and ate, nudging him with its head as it ate.

Treading Clouds also came over, squeezing past Chasing Wind, wanting to eat too. Yan smiled and grabbed another handful, feeding it to Ta Yun. After feeding the horse, Yan walked around the stable. This time, the annihilation of the Wolf Tribe resulted in the capture of more than 300 ponies. Adding to the more than 300 ponies brought by the Fish Tribe, Pottery Salt Tribe, Hundred Crafts Hundred Crafts Tribe, Beast Taming Tribe, and Marsh Tribe, the Fire Tribe now has about 1,500 cavalrymen.

Although many horses were assigned to outposts, several hundred remained at headquarters. Yan was very satisfied with the plump and strong horses. With these horses, the Fire Tribe's mobility on land was greatly enhanced, allowing them to react more quickly to any emergencies on land in the future.

After leaving the stables, Yan went to the workshop area, which was the largest area. It contained pottery workshops, textile workshops, shipbuilding workshops, and so on. A series of large sheds were connected together, and various sounds came from inside—the sounds of hammering, sawing wood, firing, and weaving, all mixed together.

Yan went to the smelting workshop first. As soon as he entered, a wave of heat hit him. Several large furnaces were burning red-hot inside, and several shirtless craftsmen were busy. Some were adding charcoal, some were blowing air, and some were pouring molten copper into molds. Dabang was patrolling inside. When he saw Yan come in, he strode over.

"Yan! What brings you here?"

Yan smiled and said, "Come and see, Uncle Dabang, how's the smelting going lately?"

Dabang wiped his sweat, his face full of smugness.

"I'm fine!"

Yan nodded and asked, "What about the 20,000-jin ship? How's the construction going?"

Dabang said, "The model is finished. Once all the materials are ready, we'll start construction. If all goes well, it can be launched next spring."

Yan's eyes lit up.

"Okay! I'll go up and try it out then."

Dabang laughed heartily, "You'll definitely be included!"

After leaving the smelting workshop, Yan went to the pottery workshop, which was even more lively. The craftsmen were busy, some kneading clay, some throwing, and some glazing. Rows of shelves were filled with all kinds of pottery—pots, bowls, ladles, bottles, jars, pots, and urns. The foreman in charge of pottery saw Yan and hurriedly came to greet him.

"Young Chief! You've arrived!"

Yan nodded and asked, "How's the production lately?"

The leader beamed, "Great! It's increased by another 30% compared to last month, especially the glazed masterpieces—the production has increased again!"

Yan nodded in satisfaction. The next morning, around noon, the Fire Tribe's main camp in the valley was bustling with activity. Several ships were unloading cargo at the dock, hammering could be heard constantly in the workshop area, and people were watering the vegetables for the winter in the vegetable garden. Everything was as usual.

But today, the atmosphere was different. At the entrance of the camp, a group of people stood, led by Jianshi, who was wearing a neat linen robe and had a smile on his face. To his left stood Qingye, and to his right stood Yan.

Behind him were leaders like Dabang and Jijiao, their gazes fixed on the path leading north in the distance. There, a procession was slowly approaching. It was a large group of young men and women from four tribes led by Dali: the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Marsh Tribe, the Hundred Crafts Tribe, and the Beast Taming Tribe. They were walking in a long procession, carrying bundles, leading cattle and sheep, and pushing wooden carts. The procession stretched as far as the eye could see. Jianshi looked at the procession and a smile of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"Here they come," he said.

Yan nodded, a surge of excitement welling up inside him. Including the elderly, women, and children who had arrived earlier, nearly six thousand people from these four tribes were all present.

As the procession drew closer, the leading figures became increasingly clear. At the head of the procession Dali, riding a tall, chestnut horse with a broad smile on his face. Behind him followed the leaders of four tribes: Jia Li of the Pottery Salt Tribe, Cangbo of the Marsh Tribe, Wu Xiong of the Hundred Crafts Tribe, and Muye of the Beast Taming Tribe.

Dali his horse to the camp gate, dismounted, and strode to the Jianshi.

"Brother!" he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, "We've brought back all the able-bodied men and women from the four tribes!"

Jianshi chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good Dali! You did a great job this time! Not only did you wipe out the Wolf Tribe, but you also captured over eight thousand laborers and brought four tribes back safely!"

Dali scratched his head and chuckled, "It wasn't hard work at all, it's all thanks to everyone!"

Jianshi then looked at the four people behind him.

"Chief Jia Li!" He stepped forward and shook Jia Li's hand. "Welcome to the Fire Tribe!"

Jia Li smiled broadly and nodded repeatedly.

"Chief Jianshi, it is our honor to have you join the Fire Tribe!"

Jianshi then looked at Cangbo, Wu Xiong, and Muye.

"Leader Cangbo! Leader Wu Xiong! Leader Muye! Welcome!"

The three of them quickly bowed.

"Chief of Jianshi, you're too kind!"

"Joining the powerful Fire Tribe is something we've always wanted!"

Jianshi laughed heartily and waved his hand.

"Come on! I've already had food prepared! Let's eat and chat!"

The group walked towards the council hall. Along the way, Cangbo, Wu Xiong, and Muye kept looking around. What did they see? More than 20,000 mu of good paddy fields, although they had already been harvested, were still impressive with their neat ridges and crisscrossing irrigation ditches. Hundreds of thousands of mu of cultivated vegetable fields, although much of them had already been harvested, were still lush and green, reserved for winter vegetables, which made them envious.

In the distance, herds of cattle and sheep graze on the grassland; closer by, flocks of chickens, ducks, and rabbits roam freely in their pens; and there are also tall wooden houses, busy crowds, and workshops with smoke rising from them...

The three had never been to the Fire Tribe before, and the more they looked, the more astonished and shocked they became. This was the Fire Tribe? This was the tribe they were about to join? The last trace of worry in their hearts disappeared. With such strength and such confidence, what was there to fear? Following the Fire Tribe would only lead to better and better times! Soon, everyone arrived at the council hall.

After everyone took their seats, Jianshi his hand, and the food that had been prepared beforehand was brought out: golden-roasted lamb leg, tender fish soup, freshly picked wild vegetables, steaming rice, and several jars of fermented, fragrant fruit wine.

"Come on, come on, have something to eat first!" Jianshi warmly invited. "You must be tired from your journey, fill your stomach first!"

Without any hesitation, everyone began to eat and drink. The steaming hot food seemed to relieve their fatigue. After eating and drinking for a while, Jianshi put down his wine bowl and looked at the four of them.

"Four leaders," his voice became serious, "I know you may still have some concerns, such as how you will be treated after joining the Fire Tribe."

The four of them stopped what they were doing and listened attentively.

Jianshi continued, "I'm telling you, there's no need to worry."

He looked at Jia Li.

"Chief Jia Li, you're an old acquaintance of our Fire Tribe. The people of your Pottery Salt Tribe are skilled in business, and our Fire Tribe desperately needs these talents. Rest assured, once they arrive in the Fire Tribe, these people will be given important positions!"

Jia Li nodded repeatedly, his eyes slightly red, and Jianshi looked at Cangbo again.

"Chief Cangbo, the people of your Marsh Tribe are skilled in fishing and water-based work. Our Fire Tribe has a fleet of boats and a water transport team, and we are in dire need of people like you. Your arrival is just in time."

Cangbo nodded repeatedly, and Jianshi looked at Wu Xiong.

"Chief Wu Xiong, many people in your Hundred Crafts Tribe are skilled in a little bit of everything—weaving, stone tool making, Xiaosheng. Our Fire Tribe needs these talents. Now that you've arrived, you can be assigned to various workshops and suitable positions to utilize your individual strengths."

Wu Xiong nodded emphatically, and then Jianshi looked at Muye one last time.

"Chief Muye, your Beast Taming Tribe is skilled at raising and Beast Taming animals. Our Fire Tribe currently has thousands of warhorses and countless livestock, and we are in dire need of such skilled people. Your arrival will be a great help to us!"

A smile appeared on Muye's face.

Jianshi glanced at the four men and continued, "As for you four leaders, we also have arrangements."

He paused for a moment, then said, "From today onwards, you will be the council leaders of the Fire Tribe. Any major tribal matters will be discussed with you. You are welcome to offer any good suggestions at any time. Your compensation will be no less than that of other members of the same position in the Fire Tribe!"

Upon hearing this, the four men felt a huge Shitou lifted from their hearts. They had thought that after joining the Fire Tribe, they would be marginalized and neglected. Unexpectedly, Jianshi not only made proper arrangements for their tribesmen but also gave them such high positions. Jia Li stood up and raised his wine bowl.

"Chief of Jianshi! Fellow chieftains! I, Jia Li, offer you this bowl of wine! Thank you, Fire Tribe, for taking us in! From this day forward, we, the people of the Pottery Salt Tribe, are the people of the Fire Tribe! If you have any orders, just say so!"

Cangbo also stood up and raised his wine bowl.

"Yes! Our Marsh Tribe will definitely work hard too!"

Wu Xiong and Muye also stood up, and the four of them raised their wine bowls together. Jianshi also stood up and raised his wine bowl.

"Okay! From now on, we're family!"

Everyone drank it all in one gulp, and bursts of laughter filled the council hall.