Giant Ships Like Clouds

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During these three days, Yan worked almost non-stop. He spent his days at the dock overseeing the loading of ships and his nights checking the supply lists in the council hall. Sometimes he was so busy that he couldn't lie down until midnight. But no matter how busy he was, he felt at ease—things were being arranged one by one, ships were being prepared one by one, and people were being in place one by one.

Three days later, at dawn, the dock at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost was already brightly lit. People were coming and going, and the sounds of footsteps, voices, and things clattering together created a lively atmosphere.

Sixteen massive ships, each with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, were neatly moored on the dock. Their sails were slowly being raised, creating a vast expanse of white. The bronze rams at the Chuantou gleamed in the morning light. Behind them followed ninety large ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, one hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, and two hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 10,000 jin, densely packed together, filling the entire waterway and stretching as far as the eye could see.

Yan stood at Jianshi Chuantou of the largest ship on the dock. Jian Shi, along with several key leaders including Dabang, Canglan, Wu Xiong Zongmao, Zong Mao, and Jijiao, came to see him off. Jianshi was wearing a blue linen robe, a leather belt with bronze buckles around his waist, and animal skin boots. His hair was neatly combed, and he had a smile on his face.

Dabang stood beside him, wearing a gray linen robe with a rope tied around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. He stood straight and had sharp eyes.

Canglan stood beside the Dabang, wearing a blue linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. He was the former leader of the Fish Tribe. After the Fish Tribe joined the Fire Tribe, he became an important leader of the Fire Tribe. He had a smile on his face and his gaze was calm and unfathomable. Wu Xiong, Zongmao, Jijiao, and others stood behind him, all wearing their most respectable clothes.

Jianshi walked to the dock, looked at Yan standing at the bow of the Chuantou, and said loudly, "Yan'er, be careful on the road! Don't be reckless if anything happens. The grain can be transported back a few days later, but you must return safely!"

Yan bowed respectfully at the bow of the Chuantou and said in a loud voice, "Father, rest assured! I will be careful! You may go back now, we are setting sail!"

He turned around and shouted, "Let's go!"

As the horn sounded, the Fire Tribe's grain transport fleet slowly left the dock, one after another sailing into the main river channel, drifting downstream along the Fish River. The boats moved quickly, and the trees on the banks rushed past. Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost grow smaller and smaller, farther and farther away, until it finally disappeared at the bend in the river channel.

He turned around and looked ahead. A few days later, the fleet arrived at the Big Horse River Mouth.

At the dock at the Big Horse River Mouth, Feiyu was already unloading supplies and tools with two thousand soldiers. They were elites drawn from various strongholds, each one strong and sharp-eyed, clearly capable of both fighting and working. Yan disembarked and waited at the dock for a while.

Feiyu quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Young Chief! We've all disembarked, and our supplies are complete. We're ready to begin work at any time!"

Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers and supplies on the dock before settling on Feiyu's face. He said, "Feiyu, you've done a good job following me these past few days. We've all seen your abilities. This time, I've applied for this mission for you with the leader. I hope you'll do a good job."

He paused, his voice becoming more serious as he said, "Although the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost is currently a temporary outpost for our Fire Tribe and isn't large in scale, its location is extremely important. It's our Fire Tribe's current forward outpost. To the north from here is the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost; to the south is the Horse Tribe's sphere of influence; and to the west is the Clothing Tribe's territory. This location is like the keyhole of a lock, wedging itself between these several forces."

"If everything goes smoothly from now on, this stronghold will definitely continue to expand. As long as you build and defend it well, you'll make a significant contribution. You must take this seriously."

Upon hearing this, Feiyu puffed out his chest even higher, his eyes filled with gratitude. He nodded vigorously and said in a loud voice, "Young Chief, rest assured! I understand the importance of the Big Horse River Mouth Temporary Outpost! This place is the Fire Tribe 'Fire Tribe outpost, its eyes and ears. I will definitely build it up and defend it well! I will not let you down, I will not let the Chief down!"

Seeing his earnest expression, Yan felt much more at ease. He patted Feiyu on the shoulder and said, "I'm relieved to hear that. If you encounter any difficulties during this time, you can send someone to tell me directly. Whether you need supplies or manpower, as long as the Fire Tribe has them, I will try my best to coordinate them for you."

He paused, then added, "Also, you should spend more time with the people of the Valley Tribe. They are our allies, and we'll have many opportunities to help each other in the future. You should also keep an eye on the situation in the north— the Tiger Tribe, the Bear Tribe, and the Wolf Tribe. If there's any trouble, send word back immediately."

Feiyu nodded repeatedly, keeping every word Yan said in mind. After Yan finished speaking, he looked at the supplies and soldiers on the dock, considered it in his mind, and felt that nothing had been missed before nodding.

At this moment, Bailin walked over from the side with a smile on his face, patted Feiyu on the shoulder, and said, "Feiyu, you're quite lucky! This time, the young leader has secured this great mission for you—the head of the stronghold at the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost. This is a truly independent position! You must do a good job and not let the young leader down!"

Feiyu staggered from the slap, but his smile widened, "That's right! You can rest assured when Feiyu does things!"

He looked Bailin up and down, his eyes darting around, and said, "Don't be too envious, Fire Tribe is developing so fast, there are plenty of opportunities. As long as you work hard with the young chief, you'll definitely get credit. Maybe next time, you'll be the one leading the charge!"

Bailin chuckled and said, "I'll be waiting for that day!"

The two exchanged a few more playful banter, one after the other, like old friends or brothers vying for dominance. The soldiers nearby laughed along, lightening the atmosphere considerably.

Yan glanced at the sky; it was getting late. He turned to Feiyu and said, "Alright, it's getting late. We still have a long way to go. I'll leave things here to you. If anything happens, remember to send someone to deliver a message."

Feiyu clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and said, "Young Chief, rest assured! Leave this to me; there won't be any trouble!"

Yan nodded, turned and boarded his boat. The fleet continued downstream along the Fish River. After leaving the Big Horse River Mouth, the river widened and the scenery on both banks changed again. After traveling for several days, the fleet arrived near the dock of the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost that afternoon.

From afar, Yan could see a number of people standing on the dock of the Little Valley Camp Outpost. On a large boat on the dock stood a man wearing a gray linen robe, with a hemp rope tied around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. He was craning his neck to look in this direction. It was Daiyan, the person in charge of the Little Valley Camp Outpost of the Valley Tribe.

When Daiyan saw the Fire Tribe's fleet come into view, his eyes widened in shock. He counted the giant ships—one, two, three... all the way up to sixteen—his mouth agape, his jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

Sixteen giant ships, each with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin! Last time the Fire Tribe came, there were thirteen ships, and now, three more have arrived! How did the Fire Tribe build these ships?

Moreover, there were so many boats with carrying capacities of 50,000 jin, 20,000 jin, and 10,000 jin following behind, densely packed, covering the entire river surface.

Daiyan swallowed hard, secretly marveling at the Fire Tribe's strength. They hadn't been lying; their power was real. With so many ships, the Fire Tribe could transport the ten million catties of grain agreed upon with the Valley Tribe Fire Tribe back in one trip, without needing to make a second journey.

He quickly ordered his men to row over and meet them. Two small boats emerged from the dock and sped toward the Fire Tribe's fleet. The warriors on board waved their flags, signaling the fleet to follow them.

Yan stood at the Chuantou, saw the two guide ships, nodded, and said to the helmsman, "Follow their ships."

The fleet followed the guide ship and slowly headed towards the Valley Tribe's headquarters dock on the opposite bank. Quyong had already received the news at the Valley Tribe Valley Tribe warriors to clear enough space for the Fire Tribe's fleet to dock. The debris on the dock was removed, the excess cables were taken back, and the gangplank was prepared. Everything was arranged perfectly.

When the Fire Tribe's fleet came into view, Quyong stood on the dock, shading his eyes with his hand and squinting for a long time. His gaze swept over the giant ships one by one, silently counting them in his mind. Finally, he let out a long breath.

Sixteen ships! Last time it was thirteen, and this time it's sixteen. The Fire Tribe's shipbuilding speed is truly unimaginable. If this pace continues, next year the Fire Tribe's giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin will probably surpass those of the Tiger Tribe.

As he was thinking, the fleet had already docked. Yan stepped off the ship, and Quyong quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and greeted him with a warm smile.

"Young Master Yan! Welcome, welcome! Our leader is already waiting in the council hall, and the banquet is ready! Once you're settled in here, our people will come to pick you up!"

Yan returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, a smile on his face, and said, "Quyong, you've worked hard. Thank you for your help again."

Quyong waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No trouble at all! We're overjoyed that your Fire Tribe could come! You helped us so much last time, what's a little thing like this?"

He turned to the side and pointed to the familiar open space next to the dock, saying, "It's the same old place. We've already cleared out your temporary campsite. You can just go there, prepare, and settle in. No need to bother with anything else."

Yan nodded and said, "Thank you, Chief Quyong. I'll go settle in first, and then I'll come over to bother you once I'm done."

Quyong nodded and said, "Alright! Young Master Yan, please take care of things. Call me anytime if you need anything!"

Yan turned around and began arranging the berthing of the fleet and the construction of the temporary camp. By the time everything was in place, it was getting dark. The setting sun hung on the western mountains, dyeing half the sky orange-red. Yan returned to the temporary camp, washed his face, and changed into clean clothes. Just as he finished, Fengren arrived.

Fengren wore a dark blue linen robe, a bronze-buckled leather belt around his waist with a bronze knife hanging from it, and his hair was neatly combed and held in place with a bone hairpin. With a smile on his face, he said in a loud voice, "Young Master Yan! The leader sent me to invite you to a banquet! The feast is ready, we're just waiting for you!"

Yan nodded and said, "Okay, Leader Fengren, please wait a moment, I'll call a few people."

He turned and called out to the camp, "Jia Li, Shibang, Yingmu! Come with me to the feast!"

Jia Li emerged from the camp, having changed into a clean white linen robe. Shibang and Yingmu also changed into clean clothes, though not as meticulous as Jia Li's, but still neat and tidy, without wrinkles or stains. The four of them, accompanied by their attendants, followed Fengren toward the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters.

The council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters was brightly lit. Several oil lamps hung on the wall, their flames flickering and bathing everything in a warm glow. Several wooden tables were pushed together to form a long table, which was covered with burlap and filled with ceramic bowls and plates.

Daiyue stood at the entrance, followed by the seven elders of the Valley Tribe. Seeing Yan approach, he strode forward, grabbed Yan's hand, and shook it tightly. "Young Chief Yan! You've finally arrived! Please come in! Please come in!"

Yan said, "Chief Daiyue, you're too kind. We've bothered you again."

Daiyue released his grip, patted Yan on the shoulder, and said, "What do you mean by disturbing us? We're overjoyed that your Fire Tribe could come! Please! Please come in!"

The group entered the council hall and sat down in order. Daiyue sat in the main seat, Yan sat to his right, the seven elders sat down in order, and Jia Li, Shibang, and Yingmu sat in the lower seats.

Daiyue called out towards the back of the council hall, "Qingsui! Bring up all the good food!"

A moment later, Qingsui emerged from the back of the council hall with several maids, each carrying a ceramic plate filled with various dishes—grilled fish, stewed chicken, boiled beans, stir-fried wild vegetables, hot rice, and hot soup—all piled high and emitting a delightful aroma.

Qingsui wore a light purple linen dress today, with a few small white Little Flower embroidered on the hem. Her hair was tied in a simple bun, secured with a copper hairpin, with a few wisps of hair hanging down beside her ears, gleaming softly in the firelight. A faint smile graced her face as she walked up to Yan, placed a ceramic plate on it, and said softly, "Young Chief Yan, please enjoy your meal."

Yan looked up at her and their eyes met. They both smiled slightly, as if exchanging a greeting with their eyes.

Yan had his attendants present the gifts: three loads of bronze daggers, each exquisitely crafted with a sharp blade and a scabbard engraved with flame patterns that gleamed under the lamplight. In total, there were over a hundred daggers.

Daiyue's eyes lit up when he saw the bronze short swords. He picked one up and examined it closely, his fingers gently tracing the blade to feel its sharpness.

"Fine sword! Fine sword!" His voice was full of praise. "Chief Yan, the bronze weapons of your Fire Tribe are getting better and better! This batch is even more exquisitely crafted than the last one, and the blades are sharper!"

Yan smiled and said, "I'm glad Chief Daiyue likes them. This batch of bronze short swords is the latest from our Fire Tribe. We used a new smelting method, making them sharper and more durable than the previous swords. Next time we come, we'll bring even better ones."

Daiyue nodded repeatedly, carefully putting away the dagger and saying, "That's wonderful!"

The seven elders smiled even more broadly upon seeing these valuable gifts and treated Yan with even greater enthusiasm. Some elders offered him wine, others served him food, and still others chatted with him casually. The scene was lively and bustling, like a celebration of the New Year. Soon, the council hall was filled with excitement.