The Green Leaf River Basin

Three days after Yan led the Fire Tribe's fleet away from the Red Flower River, they arrived at the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth on the west bank of the Fish River. Standing at the bow of the Chuantou, Yan carefully examined this Fish River. The Green Leaf River had a larger volume of water than the Red Flower River. The river was wide and the current was gentle. The trees on both banks were lush and green, stretching as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, a few water birds could be seen skimming across the river, making clear calls.

"This river is nice." Yan nodded.

Feiyu walked over and stood beside him.

"Young Chief, this is the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth." He pointed ahead and said, "This tributary has a slightly larger population than the Red Flower River basin, about fifteen thousand people."

Yan's heart stirred. If all 15,000 people could be absorbed, the Fire Tribe's population would increase significantly!

Feiyu continued, "There are two tribes in the Green Leaf River Basin with about a thousand people each, one called the Long Leaf Tribe and the other called the Short Leaf Tribe. The other tribes are small tribes with populations ranging from several dozen to four hundred people."

He paused, his tone becoming cautious.

"The two larger tribes in the Green Leaf River basin can barely feed themselves, but the smaller tribes live a very ordinary life. If our Fire Tribe wants to continue absorbing people, these smaller tribes are the best targets."

Bailin also came over and added, "However, it might take some effort to get these two large tribes to join us. After all, they have around a thousand people, and their leaders won't easily give up their own interests to join another tribe."

Yan nodded and pondered for a while.

"No pressure," he said slowly. "I'm actually more interested in those smaller tribes."

He looked at the Feiyu and the Bailin, and said seriously.

"We came from the Orange River and the Red Flower River. Once the tribes from those areas go to the Fire Tribe's headquarters, they will basically join us. For the people here, we'll focus on trade first and get to know each other better before making any further moves."

He paused, then continued, "If we need to absorb people this fall, we can consider these tribes then."

Feiyu and Bailin replied in unison, "Understood!"

The fleet sailed into the Green Leaf River and went upstream. The scenery on both banks was even more beautiful than that of the Red Flower River. From time to time, you could see several cultivated fields planted with rice and wild vegetables. Occasionally, a few women who were drawing water from the river would stop what they were doing in surprise when they saw the huge fleet and stare at it in amazement.

After sailing for a while, a sizable camp appeared ahead.

"Young Chief, that's the Long Leaf Tribe," Feiyu said, pointing to the camp.

Yan carefully examined the camp. It was built on a wide, flat area on the riverbank, surrounded by a tall wooden fence. Inside, there were at least two hundred wooden houses and thatched huts, with smoke rising from their chimneys and a bustling atmosphere. On the dock, there were about ten Xiaozhou with a carrying capacity of five hundred kilograms each, and a large Muzhou that looked like it could carry a carrying capacity of one thousand kilograms.

"This tribe is quite large," Yan said.

Feiyu nodded. "Yes, the Long Leaf Tribe has over a thousand members and is one of the largest tribes in the Green Leaf River basin. Their leader is called Gaogan, and he's a shrewd and capable man."

The Fire Tribe's fleet slowly docked. A group of people were already standing on the pier, led by a middle-aged man. He was tall, with dark skin, and wore an exquisite linen robe. He stood there with piercing eyes, surveying the fleet. When he saw the Feiyu and the Bailin, his eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward.

"Feiyu Leader! Bailin Leader!" he shouted, "It's so good that you've come! We're almost out of salt, and the other tribes don't have much left either!"

Feiyu laughed and jumped off the boat.

"Don't worry, Gaogan, we're here now."

He pointed to Yan behind him and said solemnly, "However, there is something I need to tell you. Our Fish Tribe has completely joined the Fire Tribe. This is Yan, the young leader of our Fire Tribe. From now on, our Fire Tribe will be the ones trading with us."

The Gaogan was stunned.

"Your Fish Tribe... have all joined the Fire Tribe?"

Feiyu nodded. "That's right! Not only our Fish Tribe, but also the nearby Pottery Salt Tribe, Green Grain Tribe Marsh Tribe Beast Taming Tribe, and Hundred Crafts Tribe have all joined the Fire Tribe. And those tribes upstream of the Fish River have all voluntarily joined the Fire Tribe."

Gaogan was utterly shocked. His eyes widened, his mouth agape, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time. Of course, he knew about the Fish Tribe; it was an old tribe in the Fish River Basin that had grown to over four thousand people last year, plus the nearby tribes and those upstream of the Fish River...

How many people would that be? It took him a long time to finally speak.

"How many people are there in the Fire Tribe now?"

Bailin walked over and said with a smile.

"The Fire Tribe currently has around 85,000 people. We just came from the Orange River and the Red Flower River. The tribes there are also very interested in joining the Fire Tribe. If they join as well, our population will reach around 100,000."

One hundred thousand people! Gaogan felt his head buzzing. He subconsciously looked downstream. The Valley Tribe, the powerful tribe he had looked up to for many years, now only had about 20,000 people. The Fire Tribe, however, had one hundred thousand people?

The way he looked at Yan completely changed. This young man looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, but standing there, he had an aura that made people dare not underestimate him.

"Young Chief Yan!" Gaogan quickly bowed, his face beaming with smiles. "I didn't react in time, my apologies! Please come with me back to the Long Leaf Tribe's council hall to rest!"

Yan nodded and followed him into the camp. Along the way, Gaogan enthusiastically introduced the situation of their tribe.

"Our Long Leaf Tribe has over a thousand people. We farm, hunt, fish—we do everything, and we manage to get by..."

As Yan listened, he looked around. The camp was indeed quite large, with wooden houses and thatched huts arranged neatly, leaving a wide path in the middle. Some elderly people sat in the doorway sunbathing, women were busy at work, and children were curiously watching the group of strangers. When they entered the council hall, Gaogan warmly invited Yan to sit down. It was a large wooden house, much larger than the one in the Flower Tribe. In the center of the house was a large hearth, where a bonfire was burning brightly. Several wooden benches were placed around the perimeter, covered with thick animal hides.

"Young Chief Yan, please have a seat!" Gaogan greeted. "I've already sent someone on horseback to invite Zhuangzhi, the chief of the Short Leaf Tribe. Our two tribes are very close, both located on the Green Leaf River. He'll be there soon."

Then Gaogan had plates of fruit, dried meat, and other snacks brought out.

"Young Chief Yan, please try our local specialties. Although they can't compare to those of your Fire Tribe, they're just a small token of our appreciation."

Yan picked up a fruit, tasted it, and found it quite delicious, sweet and sour. He nodded and gestured to his attendant, who immediately stepped forward and presented the gifts he had brought: several exquisite pieces of pottery, a small bag of coarse salt, some fine linen, as well as cured meat, straw sandals... The table was filled with these items, Gaogan's eyes lit up.

"These... these were all produced by the Fire Tribe themselves?"

Feiyu nodded. "Yes, our Fire Tribe can make pottery, salt, hemp, and large ships. These things are all produced by ourselves."

Gaogan gasped in astonishment. No wonder the Fire Tribe had developed so quickly! He picked up a pottery bowl and examined it closely. The craftsmanship was exquisite, better than any pottery he had ever seen before.

"Great stuff! Really great stuff!"

As everyone was talking, footsteps came from outside, and a burly middle-aged man strode in. He was wearing an animal skin coat, had a Shifu hanging at his waist, and had a fierce face.

"Gaogan, you were looking for me?"

Gaogan quickly stood up and pointed at Yan.

"Zhuangzhi, come and pay your respects to Young Chief Yan of the Fire Tribe!"

Zhuangzhi paused for a moment, his gaze falling on Yan.

"Fire Tribe?"

Gaogan quickly explained the situation briefly. Zhuangzhi's expression changed repeatedly after listening. The Fire Tribe, with 85,000 people, knew how to make pottery, salt, hemp, and build large ships...

This strength is terrifying; he quickly stepped forward and bowed.

"Young Master Yan! I've heard so much about you!"

Yan returned the greeting with a smile, and everyone sat down again. Gaogan ordered food to be served, and soon everyone began to eat and drink. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere became increasingly lively. Gaogan and Zhuangzhi were very interested in the supplies that Yan had brought. Coarse salt, pottery, and linen were all things they needed, and the prices Yan offered were reasonable, much cheaper than what they had previously obtained from other places. The two of them made a large purchase.

"Young Master Yan," Gaogan smile, "You must come often! We welcome you anytime!"

Yan smiled and nodded.

"Okay, I'll come often from now on."

Yan added, "If your tribe has anything good, you can trade with us—fur, herbs, wild fruits, anything."

Gaogan nodded repeatedly. As night fell and the banquet ended, Yan was arranged to rest in the best wooden house in the Long Leaf Tribe. He lay on the animal skin rug, reflecting on what he had seen and heard that day.

The Long Leaf Tribe and Short Leaf Tribe are relatively wealthy compared to other small tribes. They have a stable source of food, their own small-scale trade, and they can make a living. It is indeed not easy to persuade them to give up all of this and join the Fire Tribe. But it is different for those small tribes. They live a difficult life, and the Fire Tribe is more attractive to them.

The next morning, Yan got up early. After a simple breakfast, he led his fleet away from the Long Leaf Tribe and continued sailing downstream along the Fish River. Their next destination was the Yihe Clothing River. Along the way, Feiyu and Bailin introduced Yan to the situation of the Clothing River.

"We've been to the Clothing River a lot before," Feiyu said. "The Clothing Tribe there can weave a very fine cloth, and they're also very skilled at processing animal hides. We usually go there to sell them some animal hides and pottery, and then buy some animal hide armor and other supplies from them."

Bailin added, "The population of the Clothing River basin is also quite large, around 20,000. Among them, the Clothing Tribe has more than 4,000 people, making it the largest tribe in the Clothing River basin."

Yan nodded and silently kept it in mind. Four days after the Fire Tribe's fleet left the Green Leaf River, a tributary with a considerable volume of water appeared in front of the Fish River.

"Young Chief, that river ahead is the Clothing River," Feiyu said, pointing to the river.

Yan carefully examined the Clothing River. It had a larger volume of water than the Green Leaf River, a wide surface, a gentle current, and beautiful scenery on both banks.

"Let's go in and take a look," Yan said.

The fleet sailed into the Clothing River Mouth and sailed upstream along the river.