The Valley Tribe's Deliberations
As dawn broke, the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters was already packed with people. Daiyue sat in the main seat, half-leaning on the edge of the table, his robe sleeves bunching up irregularly at the elbows. He wore a dark blue linen robe, somewhat wrinkled, the collar loose, as if he hadn't taken it off the night before. His hair was also disheveled, a few strands slipping from under his wooden hairpin and hanging by his ears, swaying gently with his occasional head tilts. His eyes were bloodshot, the dark circles under them much deeper than usual, as if something had drained his already limited energy overnight. Several wooden tablets lay on the wooden table in front of him, but he didn't look at them. His gaze passed over the tablets, landing on the people who were entering the council hall one after another, as if confirming that every face had arrived.
The seven elders sat on either side of the long table. The eldest elder, Yaoshan, wore a dark gray robe of thick material, the collar and cuffs neatly arranged, his hair combed, showing no signs of panic. The other elders arrived one after another, along with the leaders and minor Xiaotou of the headquarters. Fengren stood near the door, arms crossed, his face tense, lips pressed into a thin line, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his elbows. Quyong stood beside him, holding a wooden tablet, its edges clenched white. Several young leaders huddled in the back corner, some leaning against the wall, others standing by the door, all whispering amongst themselves.
Daiyue's gaze slowly swept across each person's face, as if he were counting heads with his own eyes. He paused for a moment when his gaze swept over Yaoshan, then looked away; when his gaze swept over Hefeng, he saw the cold earthenware bowl and his eyes lingered on the rim of the bowl for a moment longer. After the last person had settled in the corner and the door had been closed from the inside, his voice, hoarse from staying up all night, said, "The first thing we need to confirm now is the exact situation at the Little Valley Camp Outpost."
He pulled his hand back from the edge of the table, rested it on the tabletop, and looked at Quyong, asking, "Quyong, you sent someone over last night, did you receive any news?"
The council chamber fell silent, even the whispers in the corners ceased, leaving only the faint flickering of an oil lamp's flame, like something breathing continuously in the distance. Everyone waited for Quyong to speak; some turned their heads to look at him, some leaned forward slightly, as if trying to close the distance with their bodies, some put down what they were carrying, some straightened their backs, and all eyes were fixed on the spot where Quyong stood.
Quyong stepped forward, standing at one end of the long table, and said, "Chief, the Little Valley Camp Outpost was indeed breached last night. The two 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) cargo ships at the Little Valley Camp Outpost dock, and the two 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) cargo ships we sent to try and support them, were all sunk. It's now certain that the Wolf Tribe and the Bear Tribe acted together. Their cavalry attacked the north and south of the camp simultaneously from land, and a fleet of ships blocked the river at the dock. We sent ships to the other side to provide support last night, but their 50,000-jin (25,000 kg)..." The larger ships outnumbered us, effectively pinning us down; our ships couldn't cross at all. Later, we used smaller boats to send a small group across, mooring at the shallow waters on the opposite bank. We quietly crept to the Little Valley Camp Outpost Valley Tribe, observed it from a distance, and returned. Their report was that the two thousand warriors at the Little Valley Camp Outpost had been almost entirely slaughtered, and the remaining survivors had no strength left to resist. Several of Daiyan's leaders hadn't been able to escape, and the captured tribespeople were being held captive in a fenced-off corner of the camp.
A moment of silence fell over the council chamber. Someone gasped, and then, as if something had simultaneously punctured it, everyone began to speak—voices surged forth from all directions like a river overflowing its banks. Someone slammed their hand on the table, causing the ceramic bowl on it to bounce. "Fight back! We can't let this go!"
Another person shouted even louder, "How can we fight back with so few people? The other side is now two combined, and they have more ships and more soldiers than us!"
"But we can't just do nothing! The people on the other side are still waiting!"
"What should we do with Chief Daiyan? Are we just going to let him fall into the hands of the Wolf Tribe?"
"Now is not the time for Guan Daiyan; let's hold our headquarters first!"
"Hold on? How? They've taken Little Valley Camp; their next target is our main camp!"
The various voices clashed together, like a pot of boiling water being stirred. Fengren took a step forward from the doorway, his voice ringing out in the council hall, drowning out some of the noise. "The people on the other side are also our brothers! Chief Daiyan's fate is still unknown, are we just going to let this go?"
His voice echoed briefly in the council hall before fading away. No one responded or refuted him. Daiyue raised his hand, palm facing outward, fingers slightly spread—a small gesture, but enough to silence those who wanted to speak. His gaze lingered on Fengren's face for a moment, then shifted, sweeping over everyone present. He said, "Alright, everyone, stop talking. I really didn't expect the Wolf Tribe and Bear Tribe to act so quickly, earlier than we anticipated. They wouldn't dare to be so presumptuous without the Tiger Tribe's backing. Since they dared to attack Little Valley Camp, it means the Tiger Tribe has already given them instructions. I estimate the Tiger Tribe's forces should arrive in the next few days. Sending people to the Little Valley Camp Outpost on the east bank of the Fish River now is of little use; it will only increase casualties and disperse our forces, leaving our headquarters vulnerable. Our current objective is to hold the Valley Tribe's headquarters camp on the west bank of the Fish River, otherwise the entire Valley Tribe will be finished."
His voice rose slightly. "Pass on my orders—light the backup beacon fires and urgently relay the situation here to the Fire Tribe. Also, send small boats to the Bean Tribe in the north, instructing them to gather all their manpower and supplies and migrate inland, bringing most of their able-bodied men to our side to aid in the battle. Fengren, you take men to reinforce all parts of the camp, inspect the watchtowers on the walls again, replace any stakes that need replacing, raise the height of any structures that need raising, and send more men to keep watch on the river, especially at night."
He then turned to Quyong and instructed him, "Quyong, you lead the fleet to monitor the movements of the Wolf Tribe and the Bear Tribe. Do not launch an attack, but find out if their fleet shows any signs of continuing its operations. If they cross the river, report back in advance."
Fengren looked at him, his lips moved as if he wanted to ask, "What about Daiyan?" But the question remained on his lips. He clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Yes." Then he turned and walked out of the council hall. The other leaders followed suit and left. The people in the council hall slowly dispersed, leaving only Daiyue sitting in the main seat.
On the east bank of the Fish River, at the Little Valley Camp Outpost, the sun had fully risen, and the morning light streamed in from behind the treetops in the east, illuminating every corner of the camp. Wolf Tribe warriors were moving about, carrying bundles of looted supplies to the open ground for sorting and stacking. Xueya stood in the center of the camp, hands on his hips, watching the supplies being sorted and counted. The morning light shone on his face, making the old scar on his left cheek, running from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, exceptionally clear. Yexiao He walked over from the warehouse and stopped beside Xueya, lowering his voice to say, "Chief, the supplies have been almost completely inventoried. The quantities of grain, cloth, leather armor, weapons, pottery, plus some copper and salt all match. According to our previous agreement, we'll take two out of five portions, and the rest will be left for the Bear Tribe to handle. Some of the larger items are difficult to carry, so we'll only take what's easy to carry and useful. Load the grain and salt onto the carts, bundle the leather armor and weapons, and fold the cloth neatly. We can move everything at any time."
Xueya took the wooden tablet, his gaze sweeping over the newly engraved numbers. He then returned it to Yexiao without saying much, simply nodding. He looked up, his gaze passing over the camp's walls and landing on the opposite bank of the river— the Valley Tribe's headquarters dock was faintly visible in the morning light, the outlines of rooftops and watchtowers appearing and disappearing between the mist and light. Occasionally, figures moved quickly across the dock, as if gathering in a certain direction.
He watched for a while, then looked away and walked to the other side of the camp. Xiong Lie was standing next to a newly erected tent, talking to two leaders of the Bear Tribe. Today he was wearing a brown linen robe with a hemp rope around his waist and straw sandals with dried mud marks on the soles. As he spoke, he gestured in the air, as if arranging the rearrangement of the camp—where to build tents, where to pile supplies, where to leave passageways. Several leaders surrounded him, some nodding occasionally, some responding with "Understood," and occasionally bending down to pick up leftovers from the ground and put them aside before straightening up to continue listening.
Around noon, the cleanup work in the camp came to an end. The captured members of the Valley Tribe were still locked up in the fenced corner. Xiong Lie ordered his men to dig a large pit in the northeast corner of the camp. The soil around the pit was piled into a semi-circular mound, and a layer of dry grass and coarse linen was laid at the bottom. The fallen were carried in one by one and buried. After all, this would be Bear Tribe's own territory from now on, so it had to be taken good care of. After doing all this, he washed his hands, squatted down in front of the basin of water next to the tent, immersed his hands in the water, and rubbed the mud and dried blood between his fingers with his knuckles. Then he stood up, shook the water off, wiped his fingers with a coarse linen, and walked towards the main tent of the camp.
Xueya was already standing outside the main tent of the camp. He didn't go in, but leaned against a pillar, his left shoulder against the wooden post, his right arm hanging naturally at his side. His gaze was fixed on the shadows of boats adjusting their positions on the river in the distance. Hearing footsteps, he straightened up, turned his head to look at Xiong Lie. Xiong Lie walked up to him, and the two of them entered the main tent one after the other. The curtains outside fell behind them, blocking the midday sun.
The light inside the main tent was dimmer than outside, with only a narrow beam of light filtering through the vent at the top. Several old animal hides were laid on the ground, their edges worn and frayed. A few bundles of arrows were piled in the corner of the tent, as if they hadn't yet been stored away. Xiong Lie sat down on the left, leaning slightly forward with his elbows resting on his knees. Xueya sat down on the other side, with several empty wooden crates lying between them.
Xueya nodded slightly at the soldier standing at the tent entrance, who then turned and left. Footsteps echoed on the muddy ground outside the tent for a few steps before stopping. Then the tent flap was lifted, and two men carried one person inside.
The one carried in was Daiyan. His hair was disheveled, and several strands of blood on his forehead had dried to a dark brown and clung to his skin. There was also blood on his face. His gray linen robe was torn in several places, with a long tear in the cuff revealing his wounded arm. Several knife wounds were still oozing blood, which dripped down the folds of the fabric, leaving irregular dark dots on the small patch of mud at his feet. He walked with difficulty, his legs moving alternately, his left leg pausing slightly before landing. After entering the tent, the two men did not let go, pressing down on his shoulders to make him stand. Daiyan raised his head and first saw Xueya sitting in the main seat, then turned his head to see Xiong Lie sitting on the other side. He roared angrily, "You two beasts! What kind of skill is it to launch a night raid! You think you can wipe out our Valley Tribe by taking over a Little Valley Camp? Dream on!"
He gasped for breath, his chest heaving, and shouted, his voice rising a mile. "You've taken everything I've saved up over the years! Those were grains of rice I painstakingly accumulated; taking them is just a waste!"
Xueya leaned back in his chair. After listening to Daiyan's words, he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he waited until the echoes of those words had faded in the tent before speaking, "Chief Daiyan, I never thought you'd have this day. Back then, you were incredibly powerful, sending men to chase our Wolf Tribe so far that we were driven out of the Big Horse River Basin. Do you remember the expression on your face when you stood on the watchtower of Little Valley Camp, watching us run south? The expression on your face now is quite different from then."
Daiyan spat, his spittle landing on the muddy ground between them, then said fiercely, "Your Wolf Tribe is nothing but a pack of stray dogs!"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Lie not only didn't frown, but burst into laughter. Leaning forward with his hands on his knees, his shoulders shook with laughter that echoed through the tent, "Wild dogs? Even wild dogs are better than you people who are holed up in the camp waiting to die! Don't you know how many losses our Bear Tribe has suffered at the hands of Chief Daiyan over the years? Today, you've finally fallen into my hands too."
Daiyan's gaze shifted from Xueya to Xiong Lie, then back again. His breathing was heavier than before as he said with hatred, "Don't be too smug! You only managed to capture our Little Valley Camp Outpost through a sneak attack. Our Valley Tribe headquarters is already on guard. You won't succeed!"
He tried to pull away from the hands pressing on his shoulders, as if trying to stand up straighter, but he didn't break free; the fabric at his shoulders simply bunched up a bit more. "Besides, we've already lit the Fire Tribe will send reinforcements as soon as they get the news, and then your deaths will be imminent! You've seen the Fire Tribe's fleet before; you ran faster than anyone else last year!"
When Xueya heard the words "Fire Tribe," his expression changed visibly. He then said, "Did you think only the Wolf Tribe and Bear Tribe were coming to attack your Valley Tribe this time? Let me tell you the truth, the Tiger Tribe's main force will arrive in the next day or two. Their fleet this time is even larger than last year's, with over twenty ships each capable of carrying 100,000 jin (50,000 kg) of cargo, and they're also sending cavalry by land. This time, they're not only going to wipe out your Valley Tribe, but also deal with the Fire Tribe. Even if you manage to get the news to the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe, it will be too late. By the time their reinforcements arrive, your Valley Tribe's main camp will have already been captured by us."
When Daiyan heard the words "Tiger Tribe," the anger in his voice seemed to be suppressed by something, pausing briefly. His gaze first fell on Xueya's face, then shifted to Xiong Lie's, as if judging the truthfulness of the statement from the subtle changes in their expressions. Then his voice rang out again, louder than before, as if trying to suppress everything else. "You think you're safe just because you have the Tiger Tribe backing you up? The Fire Tribe can defeat you once, and they can defeat you a second time! No matter how strong you are, you're just a dog led by the Tiger Tribe!"
Xueya didn't interrupt him, nor did he have anyone stop him. He sat there, watching Daiyan finish his tirade and stop, panting heavily, his chest heaving, the scabs on his forehead trembling slightly with his rapid breathing. He walked up to Daiyan, about two steps away, and glanced down at the still-bleeding wounds on Daiyan's body, saying, "You're right, the Fire Tribe is powerful, but this time is different. Last time the Tiger Tribe was careless, but not this time. Your Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp is gone, and next will be your Valley Tribe. Even if the Fire Tribe comes, they won't arrive faster than the Tiger Tribe. By the time they get here, the Valley Tribe will be gone. Then, who's the dog is still uncertain."
He didn't look at Daiyan again, turned around and walked back to his seat. When he sat back down, he leaned back in his chair, put his right hand on the armrest, and tapped his knuckles lightly on the wooden surface. The two soldiers standing at the tent entrance saw this action and helped Daiyan out.