The Valley Tribe Dock's Reaction
The Fire Tribe's fleet sailed in a grand procession toward the Valley Tribe's main dock. The massive ship, weighing 50,000 jin (25,000 kg), led the way, its bow raised high like a swan holding its head back. The Chuantou was wide, much larger than any of the other ships, with thick masts and huge sails that billowed in the autumn wind, making a whooshing sound. The flags on the ship fluttered in the wind, and the Fire Tribe's emblem embroidered on them was particularly eye-catching in the sunlight.
At the Valley Tribe's headquarters dock, people were busy at work, but when they saw the Fire Tribe's massive fleet, everyone stopped what they were doing.
"Look! That's the Fire Tribe's fleet!" someone shouted.
"Why are there so many ships? There are so many more than last time!"
"That ship at the very front... what's that? Why is it so big?"
People on the dock put down their work and rushed to the edge of the dock, craning their necks to look. Some stood on tiptoe, some climbed to higher ground, and some squeezed to the front, all wanting to see more clearly.
Quyong, the defense chief of the Valley Tribe's main dock, was inspecting the berths when he heard the commotion. He looked up, squinting in the direction everyone was pointing. Suddenly, his eyes widened, his pupils contracting sharply. Quyong thought he was seeing things and rubbed his eyes vigorously. Finally, he confirmed that he wasn't mistaken—the large ship at the front of the Fire Tribe was a colossal vessel with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin! Its hull was more than twice the size of the Fire Tribe's largest ship before, and it was by no means smaller than the Valley Tribe's 50,000-jin carrying capacity ship.
"This... how is this possible?" Quyong murmured, his voice so low that only he could hear it. His hands clenched unconsciously, his nails digging into his palms, causing a sharp pain. His mind was buzzing, filled with question marks.
When did the Fire Tribe build ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin? The last time the Fire Tribe's fleet came, their largest ships were only 20,000 jin in carrying capacity. How long has it been? How many years did the Valley Tribe spend replicating a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin?
Every time Fengren from the Valley Tribe returned from the Fire Tribe, Quyong would pull Fengren aside and ask him all sorts of questions. Fengren had mentioned that the Fire Tribe's shipbuilding speed was very fast, changing every year and every time, but he hadn't expected it to be this fast. Last time Fengren came back, he said that the Fire Tribe's largest ship had a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, and they were researching and building a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin. How long has it been? The Fire Tribe has already built one? Fengren definitely didn't know, otherwise he would have told him long ago.
Quyong took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. His chest was still heaving, as if a Dashi was pressing down on it. He shook his head to clear his mind of those distracting thoughts. In any case, the Fire Tribe's ship had arrived, and he still had to do his job. He was the dock defense chief and couldn't be impolite.
"Quickly! Go and arrange berths for the Fire Tribe's fleet!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the Valley Tribe's main dock. "Make room for the largest berths on the dock! Let the Fire Tribe's ships come ashore!"
His subordinates were stunned for a moment, then quickly realized what was happening and rushed off to make arrangements.
"Also! Send a few more people to help tie the mooring lines! The Fire Tribe has many ships, but not enough manpower!"
"Yes!"
The dock at the Valley Tribe headquarters immediately became busy. People were running around, some moving the moored boats, some cleaning the berths, and some preparing the mooring ropes. Quyong stood by the dock, directing everything. His voice was loud and his gestures were decisive, but his heart was in turmoil, unable to calm down for a long time.
The Fire Tribe's massive fleet drew closer, and the colossal ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin became increasingly clear. A lifelike bird with outstretched wings was carved on Chuantou bow. The ship's wooden planks were thick, and the tung oil glistened in the sunlight. People stood on the deck, busily adjusting the sails and ropes.
The Fire Tribe's massive fleet began to dock, with the 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) massive ship at the very front, slowly sailing towards the largest berth. The ship was stable and the speed was even, showing that the crew was very skilled. Quyong stood by the dock, watching the large ship approach little by little, his heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of his chest.
"Slow down! Slow down!" he shouted, his voice strained. "To the left! A little to the left!"
The Fire Tribe's giant ship steadily docked at the berth. The mooring line was thrown up, caught by the dockworkers, and tied to the bollard. The ship rocked slightly and then came to a stop. Quyong let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and realized that his palms were covered in sweat.
One after another, the boats of the Fire Tribe docked at the shore: fifty boats with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, one hundred and eighty boats with a carrying capacity of 10,000 jin, two hundred boats with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin, and two hundred large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin. There weren't enough berths at the dock, so some boats had to be moored side by side, and some boats were moored at the backup dock in the distance. The entire dock of the Valley Tribe headquarters was packed with the boats of the Fire Tribe.
More and more people gathered at the dock of the Valley Tribe headquarters. The tribesmen of the Valley Tribe came to watch the excitement. A dark mass of people stood there, like a market. Some were counting the number of boats, some were discussing the giant ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties, and some were marveling at the strength of the Fire Tribe.
"With so many ships, how much grain can they transport at once?"
"I heard that the Fire Tribe is going to transport 20 million catties of grain back from here this year."
"Twenty million catties? How long would that take to eat?"
"The Fire Tribe has a large population; I heard they have 100,000 people."
"One hundred thousand people? My God..."
The chatter rose and fell like a flock of sparrows chirping. The people of the Fire Tribe began to disembark. Yan walked in front, followed by Feiyu, Bailin, Jia Li, Binmao, Yingmu, Shibang, and others. They were dressed in neat linen clothes, with bronze short knives at their waists. They were all spirited and walked with steady steps. The sunlight shone on them, and each of them had a confident smile on their face.
Quyong took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and quickly went to greet him. He put on a smile, but it was a bit stiff and his lips were twitching unnaturally. He walked up to Yan and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Young Master Yan! You must be tired from your journey!"
Yan smiled and returned the greeting, speaking in a clear voice, "Chief Quyong, it's been a long time."
Quyong's gaze involuntarily fell on the Fire Tribe's giant ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin. He opened his mouth as if to ask something, but then swallowed it back. He felt like a cat was scratching at his heart. Yan noticed his gaze, but did not speak. He just smiled and waited for him to speak.
Quyong finally couldn't hold back any longer and said in a slightly tense voice, "Young Chief Yan, this ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin... was it built by your Fire Tribe yourself?" His eyes were fixed on Yan, as if trying to see something in Yan's face.
Yan nodded and said calmly, "Yes, it was built by our Fire Tribe ourselves."
Quyong's hand trembled slightly, and his voice shook as he asked, "Then... how many of these large ships does your Fire Tribe have?"
Yan said, "Currently, the Fire Tribe only has this one large ship, but we plan to increase it to fifty next year. After all, the Fire Tribe and the Valley Tribe have ordered 20 million catties of grain next year, and having these large ships will make transportation more convenient."
Quyong's eyes widened, his mouth gaped open, and he couldn't close it for a long time. His mind was buzzing, like countless bees were flying around. Fifty of these large ships? Next year?
His voice had changed tone, becoming high-pitched and thin, as if someone had grabbed his throat as he asked, "The Fire Tribe plans to increase the number of these large ships to fifty next year?"
Seeing Yan nod, Quyong stared blankly for a while before he came to his senses.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm his voice as he spoke, "Your Fire Tribe... truly has guts, I admire you!" His voice was still somewhat shaky, as if it came from a very distant place.
Yan smiled modestly and said, "Our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe doing this for the convenience of transporting grain. Besides, we've heard that the Tiger Tribe at the very bottom of the Fish River isn't easy to deal with, so our Fire Tribe needs to prepare early."
Quyong nodded, his expression turning serious. The Tiger Tribe was a Jushi weighing on the Valley Tribe. He knew how much the Valley Tribe had suffered at the hands of the Tiger Tribe over the years.
"The Tiger Tribe is indeed difficult to deal with." His voice lowered, tinged with bitterness. "Our Valley Tribe has suffered quite a few losses at the hands of their Tiger Tribe, so it's understandable that your Fire Tribe feels this way."
He paused, clearing his mind of those distractions, and put on a smile again, saying, "Young Master Yan, you must be tired from your journey. I've reserved a spot for you on the open ground next to the dock. Please set up a temporary camp there and rest for a bit."
He turned to the side and pointed to a clearing not far away, saying, "I've already sent people to clean that place up, making it convenient for you to fetch water. I've also sent someone to report your arrival to Chief Daiyue."
Yan clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you very much, Quyong. We'll head over there to set up our temporary camp."
Quyong nodded and watched Yan and his group walk toward the open space. His gaze then fell on the Fire Tribe's giant ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, and lingered there for a long time. The sunlight shone on the ship, and the tung oil reflected a luster that stung his eyes. He stood there, motionless, like a statue.
"Leader?" one of his men approached and called out to him cautiously.
Quyong snapped out of his daze, shook his head, turned and walked back to the dock, his steps heavy, as if filled with lead.