Nighttime Discussions and Preparations

Jianya's figure disappeared into the night. The lights at the entrance of the Valley Tribe's headquarters swayed in the night wind, casting flickering shadows. Daiyue stood at the entrance, looking in that direction. The night wind blew, ruffling his clothes and tousling his hair, but he paid no attention. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were thinking about something or worried about something. After a while, he turned around and walked back into the council hall.

None of the seven elders left; they followed Daiyue back to the council hall and took their seats. The firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, crackling and sending sparks flying, tracing brief arcs in the dim room like shooting stars. The room was warm and cozy, dispelling the chill of late spring and making one drowsy. Several animal hide maps hung on the wall. Qingsui sat quietly in a corner, ready to listen in. She held a wooden board with some numbers written on it, which she had compiled herself. She wore a light-colored linen dress with a few Little Flower embroidered on the hem. Her hair was tied in a simple bun, secured with a wooden hairpin, with a few stray strands hanging by her ears, gleaming in the firelight. Her face was expressionless, but her eyes were bright. She occasionally jotted something down on the board, then looked up at her father and the other elders, her ears perked up.

Daiyue sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

"As you elders have seen, the Fire Tribe's naval strength is developing rapidly. Last time they came to the Valley Tribe, they only brought ten ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin each. This time, they have brought twenty-three ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin each."

His voice Chenwen and powerful, echoing in the quiet council hall. "I just heard from Jianya that they left two more ships at their tribal stronghold for their own use. The Fire Tribe is still producing these large ships on a massive scale, with shipyards working day and night, three shifts a day. At this rate, it won't be long before the Fire Tribe has fifty ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin! Fifty ships! That's five times more than our Valley Tribe!"

Second Elder Hefeng stroked his beard and said, "The Fire Tribe's strength has increased too quickly. I think in a year or two, the Fire Tribe will have the strength to challenge the Tiger Tribe. Now we are the Fire Tribe's secret military partners. As long as the Fire Tribe can manufacture its 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship by the end of the year, the two tribes can unite as one and protect themselves even when facing the Tiger Tribe. We won't have to be afraid of them anymore, and we won't have to be subservient to them anymore."

Fourth Elder Lin Feng also spoke up, his voice tinged with sourness and resentment. "The Fire Tribe has a lot of technology, so they're bound to develop quickly. If our Valley Tribe also had these technologies, we'd develop very fast too, maybe even faster and stronger than the Fire Tribe."

The Third Elder, Jin Ye, stood up and walked to the center of the council hall, saying, "Chief, the Fire Tribe has brought some bronze weapons again this time. Should we distribute them all to the Little Valley Camp Outpost as we did last time? Or should we keep some for our headquarters? Our warriors also need good weapons; we can't just focus on the Little Valley Camp."

Daiyue thought for a moment and said, "Let's distribute all the bronze weapons over there this time. Little Valley Camp Outpost is our Valley Tribe's most important stronghold on the east bank of the Fish River, the place the Bear Tribe most wants to eliminate, a thorn in their side. Recently, the Bear Tribe has been acting like they've gone mad, frequently sending scouts near our Little Valley Camp Outpost, circling right under our noses. Lately, when they see our scouts coming to chase them away, they don't avoid them like before; instead, they fight us head-on, like they've been injected with adrenaline. Recently, both sides have suffered losses, which is a harbinger of war. We must be vigilant and not be careless."

He paused, his gaze turning cold and sharp, and said, "Although the Bear Tribe has the covert support of the Tiger Tribe and has acquired a considerable amount of bronze weapons, we have also been improving our strength recently, recruiting soldiers, expanding our ranks, and training our warriors. We can still handle the Bear Tribe alone, and we can hold our own."

He paused, then continued with a hint of urgency and anxiety in his voice, "I recently heard that the Bear Tribe is secretly recruiting people, pulling them from smaller tribes. Bear Tribe population is now approaching 20,000, much more than our Little Valley Camp Outpost. This means we need to increase our manpower as well. We must continue recruiting and increase our population to 30,000 by the end of this year."

The Second Elder Hefeng, frowned, his brows furrowing into a deep knot. Deep lines, like knife cuts, etched onto his forehead. His voice held a hint of worry and hesitation as he said, "Won't this anger the Tiger Tribe? They've been watching our Valley Tribe closely. If they discover we're secretly absorbing people and blame us, things will get complicated."

Daiyue shook his head, his gaze resolute, and said, "After the Wolf Tribe caused a ruckus downstream of the Fish River, other tribes are all absorbing people. As long as we do it discreetly and quietly, without making a fuss in the open, the Tiger Tribe won't find out for the time being. Even if they do, they won't be able to attend to us for now. The Tiger Tribe is currently tied down by the two major tribes in the east and west. They can secretly support the Bear Tribe Bear Tribe send them bronze weapons, while we can also secretly develop our strength to protect ourselves."

Everyone nodded in agreement and expressed their support. Now, facing external pressure, the Valley Tribe is more united than before. Many opposing voices that were once common are now rare. Everyone's attention and sense of crisis have been drawn to external conflicts, and now everyone is united against external forces.

The Second Elder, Hefeng, spoke again, his voice filled with concern and worry. "Chief, the first harvest of this year's grain is about to begin. Will the Wolf Tribe downstream of the Fish River still come out to plunder? They looted quite a lot last year; will they come again this year?"

Daiyue thought for a moment and said, "This Wolf Tribe doesn't have a proper production base. They don't grow grain, raise livestock, or weave cloth; they only rely on plunder. They have quite a few people now, and they need to eat every day, so their resource consumption is very high. The resources they plundered last year are probably almost used up. They will definitely come out to plunder again then."

He paused, then continued, "However, I heard that the Great Boulder Tribe recently purchased some bronze weapons from the Tiger Tribe at a high price and strengthened the defenses of its affiliated tribes. It won't be so easy for the Wolf Tribe to wipe out the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe in one fell swoop. Even if the Wolf Tribe wants revenge, they'll definitely have to wait until they've taken down the Great Rock Tribe before they can spare the resources. By then, our Valley Tribe's strength might have greatly increased, and we might be able to handle facing both the Wolf Tribe and the Bear Tribe simultaneously."

Everyone nodded and chatted for a while longer, discussing the early rice harvest, the defenses of the Little Valley Camp, the resettlement of the new tribespeople, and the distribution of bronze weapons. Then, they all took their leave and departed one after another.

Daiyue sat alone by the fire, watching the flickering flames, motionless for a long time. The firelight reflected on his face, revealing a tired and solemn expression. Qingsui stood up, walked to his side, and said softly, "Father, it's getting late. You should rest early; there's a lot to do tomorrow."

Daiyue nodded, stood up, patted her shoulder, turned and slowly walked away, his shadow stretching long in the lamplight.