The Return Voyage and Daiyue's Plans

On the morning of the fourth day after Yan arrived at the headquarters of the Valley Tribe, before dawn and while the surroundings were still shrouded in gray, the temporary camp of the Fire Tribe was already bustling with activity. Several early birds were chirping in the trees by the river, their clear voices drifting in the morning breeze, as if bidding farewell to the fleet that was about to embark on a long journey, or as if singing a song for a new day.

Yan got up early in the morning and took a walk around the camp. By the time Yan had arranged everything, it was already getting light. At this time, Daiyue brought the seven elders of the Valley Tribe to the dock to see Yan and his group off. The seven men were dressed in neat linen robes, their hair was combed in a neat comb, and their expressions were solemn. Daiyue stood at the front, with a smile on his face and his eyes narrowed into slits.

After the two sides exchanged greetings, Daiyue grasped Yan's hand and shook it firmly. His voice Chenwen and powerful, like a hammer striking iron, as he said, "Young Chief Yan, your Fire Tribe is truly straightforward, generous, and magnanimous! You never compromise on what you promise, you give what you say you'll give, and you do what you say you'll do, without any hesitation. Our Valley Tribe will definitely be able to prepare the 20 million catties of grain for next year. Rest assured, we've got the grain covered; not a single grain will be missing. Your Fire Tribe can come and deliver it whenever you like. The grain is waiting in our Valley Tribe's warehouse, ready for your Fire Tribe to come and load it onto our ships."

Yan smiled and said happily, "Chief Daiyue, I feel much more at ease knowing that you said that, and I can sleep well tonight. Chief Daiyue, please rest assured that our Fire Tribe will definitely fulfill the promises we made to you. We will keep our word and never go back on our word. We will not let your Valley Tribe down. Just wait for our good news. Our Fire Tribe will come next spring."

Daiyue nodded and said, "Alright, your Fire Tribe should come earlier next year. Our Valley Tribe has prepared all the grain for your Fire Tribe, not a single bag less or missing. Be careful on your return journey, safety first."

The two chatted for a while longer, discussing the details of next year's grain trade, the advance payment period for bronze weapons, the movements of the Bear Tribe, and the evil deeds of the Wolf Tribe. Then, Daiyue looked at the sky; the sun had already peeked over the eastern mountains, its golden rays shimmering on the river's surface.

"Chief Yan, it's getting late. You should set off back to the Fire Tribe as soon as possible. The sooner you travel against the current, the more distance you can cover before dark. The sooner you arrive, the sooner your people will be at peace. I wish you a safe journey and a safe return home."

Yan nodded in agreement, then nodded to Qingsui in the crowd. Qingsui stood in the crowd, quietly looking at him, her eyes filled with reluctance. She wore a light-colored linen dress, with several Little Flower embroidered on the hem, the petals pink and the leaves green, lifelike. Her hair was tied in a simple bun, secured with a wooden hairpin, a few strands falling beside her ears, shining in the morning light like golden threads. A faint smile graced her face, but deep longing lingered in her eyes.

Yan nodded to her, and she nodded back. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back. Then Yan turned around and led Yingmu, Shibang, Feiyu, Bailin, and Jia Li onto the largest ship, which had a carrying capacity of 100,000 catties.

Soon, the Fire Tribe's horn sounded, and the Fire Tribe's fleet slowly started, departing from the Valley Tribe's main dock and sailing upstream along the Fish River. The giant ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin led the way, its Chuantou raised high, cleaving the river and stirring up white Langhua, splashing like a giant plow tilling the land. The oars cut through the water, making a splashing sound like fish swimming, and the sails billowed in the morning wind, making a whooshing sound like birds in flight. The entire fleet resembled a giant dragon, slowly moving through the morning mist, sailing majestically into the distance.

On the shore, Daiyue stood with the seven elders, watching the fleet depart. Qingsui stood in the crowd, looking at the largest ship, at the figure at the Chuantou, at that familiar face, her eyes glistening with tears, which welled up but did not fall. The Fire Tribe's fleet sailed further and further away, becoming smaller and smaller, like a leaf floating on the river, like a small bird flying into the sky. Only when the last ship disappeared at the bend of the Fish River, becoming a blurry dot, did Daiyue turn around and lead the seven elders toward the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters. Urged by her attendants, Qingsui also slowly turned and left.

Once everyone was seated in the council hall, the firewood in the hearth crackled and sparks flew, warming the room and dispelling some of the chill. Daiyue, seated in the main seat, glanced at everyone present and said, "The Fire Tribe Fire Tribe's strength is developing incredibly fast, changing every day. I never expected them to build a ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin so quickly. A few months ago, they said they were confident they'd have it by the end of the year, and I was skeptical. But they've built it ahead of schedule, several months ahead of time! Although the Fire Tribe only has one ship now, given their Fire Tribe speed and capabilities, increasing to twenty ships next year wouldn't be difficult, maybe even thirty. And I've also heard that the Fire Tribe's population will reach around 150,000 by the end of this year. 150,000! In the Fish River, only the Tiger Tribe has a population exceeding 150,000. The Fire Tribe's population is almost catching up to the Tiger Tribe's."

The Second Elder Hefeng, stroked his beard, his fingers trembling slightly. His voice, aged yet Chenwen, like the roots of an old tree or Shitou rolling across the ground, spoke, "Yes, the Fire Tribe's rise has been too rapid, it's unbelievable. The Tiger Tribe probably hasn't even reacted yet, they're still in the dark. Our Valley Tribe is currently sandwiched between two major tribes, we also need to improve our strength. We can't just watch, we can't fall behind, we can't sit idly by and wait for our doom."

Daiyue nodded, his gaze becoming serious, his brows furrowing slightly. "Yes," he said, "Our Valley Tribe is currently purchasing large quantities of bronze weapons from the Fire Tribe. Our Valley Tribe's military strength has increased significantly. Our warriors are more confident, more assertive, and their morale is high. We've already suppressed the Bear Tribe again. Next year, when the Fire Tribe's bronze weapons arrive, our Valley Tribe will have about 80% bronze weapons, and most warriors will be able to equip themselves with bronze weapons—one for each person, and one set for each person. At that time, we will be able to face the Bear Tribe's provocations more calmly. Even if the Bear Tribe secretly receives support from the Tiger Tribe, our Valley Tribe will not be afraid of the Bear Tribe."

Then, Daiyue's voice, tinged with worry, anxiety, and a sense of urgency, continued, "However, I recently heard that the Bear Tribe is still recruiting people, pulling them from surrounding smaller tribes. Although our Valley Tribe's total population exceeds that of the Bear Tribe, our Little Valley Camp Outpost still has fewer people than the Bear Tribe's. The Bear Tribe has more people on their side, while our Little Valley Camp Outpost has fewer, creating a significant disparity. Moreover, our old enemy Wolf Tribe, has recently been causing trouble downstream of the Fish River, and their strength has increased again. Their warriors have grown to over three thousand, and their three thousand cavalry are incredibly fast. Therefore, I think our Valley Tribe needs to recruit more people. I suggest increasing our Valley Tribe's population to around forty thousand. This way, our Valley Tribe can deploy enough manpower to the Little Valley Camp on the east bank of the Fish River to deal with various troubles, to defend against the Bear Tribe, to defend against the Wolf Tribe, and to defend against any possible threats."

Daiyue's proposal was approved by the Second Elder, Third Elder, Fifth Elder, Sixth Elder, and Seventh Elder.

Second Elder Hefeng nodded, stroking his beard, and said, "It's only right, it's only right, it should have been done a long time ago."

The Third Elder Jin Ye, slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, causing the dishes to clatter, and exclaimed, "Yes, it should have been done long ago; we can't delay any longer!"

The Fifth Elder, Shuize, the Sixth Elder, Mulin, and the Seventh Elder Caoye, all nodded in agreement, saying "Yes," "Right," and "Good." Now that the Valley Tribe was facing external threats, even the First Elder and the Fourth Elder, who were usually dissenting, did not object this time. The First Elder closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair as if dozing, and neither spoke nor shook his head. The Fourth Elder Lin Feng, picked up his teacup, took a sip, put it down, and remained silent; silence meant acquiescence.

Then everyone discussed how to allocate the deposit brought by the Fire Tribe, who should receive it, how much should be kept, and which warehouse it should be stored in. They also talked about how to distribute the bronze weapons that the Fire Tribe would bring next spring, how many should be given to the Little Valley Camp, how many to the headquarters, who should receive them first, who should receive them last, who would be responsible for escorting them, and who would be responsible for safekeeping them. Everyone talked and debated for about half an hour before they reached a rough conclusion, and then everyone gradually left.