Secret Discussions and a Nighttime Conversation

Led by Fengren and Qingsui, Yan and his group walked through the stone path of the Valley Tribe camp toward the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters. On both sides of the road were densely packed wooden houses and thatched huts, with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys and faint sounds of people. Several children squatted by the roadside playing with pebbles. When they saw the group, they quickly stood up and stood properly to the side.

Soon they arrived at the council chamber of the Valley Tribe, a huge wooden house. The roof was covered with thick thatch, pressed down firmly so that rainwater could not seep in. The walls were made of whole logs, thick and sturdy, and could not be cut by a knife. Several thick wooden pillars stood at the entrance.

Daiyue, the leader of the Valley Tribe, stood at the entrance, followed by the seven elders: Elder Yaoshan, Elder Hefeng, Elder Jin Ye, Elder Lin Feng, Elder Shuize, Elder Liu, and Elder Qi. The seven stood in a row, dressed in neat linen robes, with solemn expressions. The sunlight shone on them, gilding them with a layer of gold.

Yan strode forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and bowed deeply, saying, "Chief of Daiyue, elders, you are all too hospitable! How could I trouble you to come out and greet me personally?"

Daiyue laughed heartily, stepped forward, grasped Yan's hand, shook it vigorously, and said, "It's only right! We're currently under sanctions from the Tiger Tribe, and things aren't going well for us. The Fire Tribe is our largest trading partner, so we must treat them with the utmost respect and not be negligent!" He paused, then gestured for them to enter. "You must be tired from your journey. Come in and have some hot food and soup. You've been on the boat all day; you deserve a rest."

Yan nodded and followed Daiyue into the council hall, with the others following behind. Inside, the firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, crackling and sparking, making the room warm and cozy, dispelling the chill of spring. A long table was already set with food and wine—roasted mutton, stewed pork, fresh fish soup, rice, wild vegetables, and several jars of fruit wine. The mud seals on the wine jars had just been broken, and the aroma of wine mixed with the smell of food filled the air, making one's mouth water. Several plates of sweet fruit, stored from last autumn, were also on the table, their bright red color glistening in the firelight.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Daiyue immediately ordered his men to add a few more dishes. Once the food was plentiful, he waved his hand, dismissing all irrelevant personnel. The servants, women carrying dishes, and attendants pouring wine all withdrew, and the doors to the council hall were closed, shutting out the noise from outside. The guards outside were trusted core members of the Valley Tribe, each with a bronze sword at their waist, standing ramrod straight like pine trees.

After seeing Daiyue's actions, Yan knew that they were about to get down to business. He stood up, walked to the door, and had his trusted confidants carry the gifts in. Ten attendants, each carrying a load of gifts, filed in one after another. The loads were so heavy that the carrying poles bent into bows. Then, he told them to wait outside and closed the door again.

Yan walked up to the ten loads of gifts, bent down, and lifted the burlap covering them one by one. The first few loads contained pottery, coarse salt, and burlap, each one better than the last. The last load contained bronze weapons.

The seven elders of the Daiyue and Valley Tribe watched with gleaming eyes, like hungry wolves spotting prey or children seeing candy. The eldest elder, Yaoshan, stroked his beard, his fingers trembling slightly, his eyes narrowed to slits. The second elder, Hefeng, craned his neck, his eyes nearly popping out of their Jin Ye, froze in mid-air, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time. The fourth elder Lin Feng, stepped forward, picked up a ceramic Shuize, and examined it closely, admiring it greatly. The fifth, sixth, and seventh elders also stepped forward, each taking a bowl and praising it enthusiastically.

When Yan took several bronze weapons out of his carrying pole and handed them to Daiyue, Daiyue's eyes lit up even more. His hands trembled slightly as he took the bronze knife and examined it carefully. The scabbard was made of wood and covered with hemp cloth, with simple patterns engraved on it. He slowly drew the knife, and the moment the blade left its sheath, it gleamed with a chilling light. The blade was sharp, with simple patterns engraved on the back. The hilt was wrapped with hemp rope, making it easy to grip.

Yan stood aside, smiling as he watched their reactions. After a while, he finally spoke, "Chief Daiyue, elders, these are gifts my father asked me to bring. It's a small token of my appreciation, and I hope you like them. The pottery, coarse salt, and linen are all produced by ourselves. These bronze knives were also forged by us; the craftsmanship is rough, so please forgive us."

Daiyue examined the bronze knives, turning them over and over, then flicked the blades with his fingers to listen to the sound. He exclaimed in delight, "Fine knives, fine knives! Jianshi, just the right weight! Chief Jian Shi has put in so much effort, so much effort! I was skeptical that the Fire Tribe could mass-produce bronze weapons, but now that I see such fine bronze knives, I know your bronze-making technology is already superior to the Tiger Tribe's. They're even better and sharper! Your Fire Tribe is truly amazing, unbelievably amazing!"

He paused, sheathed the knife, placed it on the table, and said with a gleam in his eyes, "Young Master Yan, how many of these knives can you make in a day? How many in a month? How many in a year?"

Yan said, "Chief Daiyue, rest assured, the bronze weapons we have left are more than enough to trade for grain with the Valley Tribe. We will supply you as much as you need, and the quality will only get better, not worse."

Daiyue nodded and said, "Your bronze weapons are not only of better quality than those of the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe, but they are also half the price. The money the Tiger Tribe sells us for one knife can buy two from you. After this year's trade, the proportion of bronze weapons among our Valley Tribe warriors will reach more than 50%. If our two tribes can cooperate for a few more years, in three to five years, every warrior in our Valley Tribe will be equipped with a bronze weapon!"

Yan said, "But it's better for us to keep the transaction secret for now. Let's not make a fuss about it. Tomorrow, we'll exchange grain and salt during the day, pretending it's normal trade, and then exchange the bronze weapons at night. That way, no one will know."

Daiyue nodded, his gaze becoming cautious, and said, "Okay, a secret deal can avoid a lot of trouble. I'll have Qingsui handle these matters."

Yan nodded, glanced at Qingsui, and Qingsui nodded slightly in return without saying a word.

Dai Yue spoke again, with a bit of emotion and admiration in his voice. "I heard that your Fire Tribe brought ten ships with a load capacity of 50,000 kilograms to transport food this time? Your Fire Tribe's shipbuilding speed is so fast. It took our Valley Tribe decades to accumulate ten ships with a load capacity of 50,000 kilograms. I didn't expect that your Fire Tribe researched and built them in just a few years. Such a gap..."

Yan explained, "We're doing this to make transportation easier! Twenty million catties of grain is no small amount; one trip by a large ship is equivalent to dozens of trips by smaller ships."

Daiyue exclaimed, "I understand, I understand. Seeing how fast your Fire Tribe is building ships, I now believe you can build ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin by the end of the year. I didn't quite believe it before, but now I do."

He paused for a moment and continued, "If you can build ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, could you sell some of them to our Valley Tribe at a low price? Our Valley Tribe's ships need an upgrade."

Yan thought for a moment and said, "Okay, but our tribe still has great use for ships with a carrying capacity of over 20,000 jin, so we can't sell them for now. However, we can sell some ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin and some with a carrying capacity of 10,000 jin."

Daiyue nodded happily and said, "Sure, sure. Your construction costs Valley Tribe lower than ours, and the quality is much better. Buying your ships is much more cost-effective than building them ourselves."

Then, Daiyue continued, "Last year, the Wolf Tribe, which fled from High Pointed Mountain with about a hundred remaining soldiers, caused a great disturbance in the Great Boulder Tribe. Their warriors have rapidly grown to over two thousand. Even the Great Boulder Tribe suffered a heavy loss at the hands of the Wolf Tribe, losing nearly five hundred men in their own territory, and two of their core subordinate tribes were wiped out. It's very chaotic there now!"

Yan was slightly startled upon hearing this, and his brows furrowed as he said, "This Wolf Tribe is fierce and brutal, killing without hesitation. They don't farm or raise livestock; they only know how to rob. The Great Boulder Tribe might not be a match for the Wolf Tribe. It seems the Wolf Tribe has its eye on the Great Boulder Tribe, wanting to devour them and seize their territory! The Wolf Tribe doesn't produce anything and has no food. They'll likely try to take over the Great Boulder Tribe again next year. I wonder how long the Great Boulder Tribe can hold out!"

Daiyue said with a hint of relief, "Fortunately, we discovered their disturbance in the Big Horse River Basin in time and drove them out. Otherwise, if they had gained momentum and taken root in our area, even if our Valley Tribe had suppressed them, it would definitely have affected our Valley Tribe's food production."

Yan nodded, his gaze turning cold and sharp. "The Wolf Tribe is extremely vengeful. They hate whoever attacks them. If they annex the Great Boulder Tribe this year and their strength increases significantly, they might join forces with the Bear Tribe to deal with your Valley Tribe. The Bear Tribe has been eyeing your Little Valley Camp Outpost for a long time and wants to take it down. You'd better be extra careful with your Little Valley Camp Outpost!"

Daiyue nodded, his gaze turning serious, and said, "Okay, we'll pay close attention to that. As for the Little Valley Camp, I'll have Daiyan strengthen the defenses. If the Bear Tribe dares to come, make sure they don't leave alive."

Then, everyone ate and chatted for a while, talking about this year's grain yield, the movements of the Bear Tribe, and the sanctions imposed on the Tiger Tribe. The atmosphere gradually relaxed, and there was more laughter.

As darkness fell, Yan stood up, clasped his hands in farewell, and said, "Chief Daiyue, elders, it's getting late, we should head back. We still have grain to deliver tomorrow, there's a lot to do."

Daiyue stood up and, with the seven elders of the Valley Tribe, personally escorted Yan to the entrance of the council hall. At the entrance, a gentle night breeze blew, the stars filled the sky, and torches lit up the distant dock, while lights twinkled in the Fire Tribe's temporary camp.

Qingsui quickly stepped forward and said to Daiyue, "Father, let me see them off. I also want to discuss the details of the bronze handover with Chief Yan. The handover is tomorrow night, so we need to agree on the time, place, and personnel."

Daiyue looked at his daughter, then at Yan, nodded, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and said, "Go."

Qingsui nodded, turned and walked to Yan's side, and the group headed towards the dock.