The Valley Tribe's Alliance
That evening, when Yan and the others from the Fire Tribe returned to their temporary camp, the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters was already full, with all seven elders present. Their seating arrangements were fixed—Elder Yaoshan sat in the first chair to Daiyue's left, as if that position was never open to discussion or ever changed. His posture hadn't relaxed with age; his shoulders remained straight and level, as if he were always carrying a heavy burden. He wore a thick, dark gray linen robe, the collar neatly trimmed without a single frayed edge. His hair was combed and held back with a bone hairpin, no stray hairs falling. His elbows rested on the table, his hands clasped together, his knuckles large, with old marks from ropes etched on his fingertips. His gaze was fixed on the wooden tablet before him.
The Second Elder, Hefeng, sat opposite him, wearing a grayish-white linen robe with worn edges, clearly an old garment he had worn for many years. He held a ceramic bowl in his hand; the steam had dissipated from its rim, and the water inside was cold. He didn't put it down, but held it, his fingers slowly circling the rim, as if using that movement to steady his breathing. His gaze was fixed on the still surface of the water, as if looking through it at something else—at the fields he hadn't had time to plant, at the half-empty grain shelves in his granary.
The Third Elder Jin Ye, sat beside Hefeng, wearing a dark brown linen robe with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. His expression was more somber than usual, his lips pressed into a thin line, and his fingers tapped unconsciously on the table, the rhythm irregular, as if he were repeatedly calculating an unfinished account in his mind. His gaze fell on the scattered wooden tablets on the table, but his eyes were not focused on any one spot; rather, it was as if he was looking through the engravings to something further away—at the unresolved situation at the Little Valley Camp Outpost.
Fourth Elder Lin Feng sat beside Yaoshan, his hands resting on his knees, his back ramrod straight, his gaze shifting back and forth between the window and the table. Fifth Elder Shuize sat near the door, the wooden tablet in his hand having been turned over and over several times. Sixth Elder Zhiyun sat beside him, head bowed, his fingers fiddling with the edge of his sleeve, as if trying to smooth the fabric. Seventh Elder Weigeng sat at the other end of the long table, leaning back slightly, his gaze fixed on the beams in the ceiling, as if counting the joints of the timber.
Several important leaders also arrived, sitting on the benches behind the elders. Fengren stood near the door, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe. The bandage was still wrapped around his left arm, the edges tightly tied. There was no blood seeping through the cloth, but it was clear that he would occasionally unconsciously press the edge of the bandage with his right hand, as if to confirm that it was still in place. Quyong sat on a low stool against the wall, holding a wooden tablet in his hand, his head bowed as if adding something to it. His pen moved slowly across the tablet, pausing after each stroke, as if waiting to confirm that the symbol was not crooked before continuing. He would occasionally glance up at the people present, then lower his head again, his gaze returning to the carvings.
Daiyue sat in the main seat, and only after the last person was seated and the guards at the door closed did he speak, "As everyone has seen after this great battle, the Little Valley Camp Valley Tribe breached, Chief Daiyan was killed in battle, and the main Valley Tribe camp also suffered heavy losses. Although we held out and were not breached in the end, including the warriors from the Bean Tribe, we now have less than three thousand warriors who are capable of fighting, of which only about two thousand can barely fight. The rest are all wounded and will not recover for a while."
As he spoke, his palm rested flat on the table, his fingertips slightly curved, as if he were feeling the warmth of the wood. His gaze was lowered, seemingly fixed on his own hand, or perhaps on the grain of the wood on the table beneath him, tracing each line as if trying to trace its entirety. After a moment, he raised his head again. "If the Fire Tribe hadn't arrived in time, we would have been wiped out. Although we defeated the Tiger Tribe and killed Xiong Lie, the leader of the Bear Tribe, the price of this victory was too high."
The council chamber fell silent for a moment. No one spoke, and all eyes were on Daiyue, as if waiting for him to fully release the weight of his words.
Elder Yaoshan looked up as he paused, leaning slightly forward, and opened his hands from their clasped state, placing them flat on the table. His gaze lingered on Daiyue's face for a moment before shifting away, as if he were rearranging his words in his own way. "We also killed Xiong Lie this time, but the Tiger Tribe is still here. Although they suffered considerable losses, they are, after all, a long-established and powerful tribe. They won't lose everything they've accumulated over the years in a single battle. After this major defeat, they will definitely realize that the Fire Tribe is too strong, forcing them to fight with all their might. Even if there are internal conflicts within the Tiger Tribe, as long as the existence of the Fire Tribe threatens their survival, they will temporarily put aside those conflicts and use all their accumulated resources to upgrade their military."
He pointed a finger and tapped it lightly on the table. "The Fire Tribe and the Tiger Tribe will have another battle then. Our Valley Tribe is caught in the middle, and as an ally of the Fire Tribe, we will definitely be Dali attacked by the Tiger Tribe. They won't let us go, because we are the fist that the Fire Tribe extends to the north."
Second Elder Hefeng placed the now-cooled ceramic bowl back on the table, its bottom tapping softly against the wooden board. He straightened up, cleared his throat, and spoke in a low, pragmatic tone. "Our soldiers suffered heavy losses in this battle, and we also consumed a lot of supplies. Many fields were not planted in time, missing the optimal sowing season. Even if we try to replant in the next few days, it will definitely be too late. This autumn's harvest will be at least 30% less."
He gestured with his finger on the table, as if calculating a rough number. "Based on previous years' harvests, if winter comes early, it might be even more than this. The reserve food is for emergencies, we can't use too much of it. We've already started living off our savings."
The Third Elder Jin Ye, spoke up, his voice slightly louder than the previous two, as if the words had been stuck in his throat for a while, and his words carried a hint of anger. "Chief, our Valley Tribe suffered heavy losses of weapons and leather armor this time. We should find a way to replenish our supplies, and the dock camp should also be repaired as soon as possible. That way, if they come looking for trouble again, we will at least have some ability to resist."
He slammed his hand on the table as he spoke, making a short, muffled thud. "Moreover, Chief Daiyan and many of his warriors have fallen into their hands this time. We can't just let this go. Even if we can't defeat the Tiger Tribe for the time being, we can't let the Bear Tribe and the Wolf Tribe get away with it. The Wolf Tribe escaped from the Little Valley Camp, and although the Bear Tribe's leader is dead, the remnants are still there. Someone has to clean up this mess."
The Fifth Elder, Shuize, spoke from near the entrance, not loudly, but clearly. "Repairing the wall requires manpower, and we are currently short-handed."
The Sixth Elder Zhiyun, also spoke, her voice softer than the others, as if she habitually added a few words only after everyone else had finished, "The linen and medicinal herbs in the warehouse have been mostly used up."
Fourth Elder Lin Feng continued, his voice not loud, but his pace even, as if he were listing items from a list he had thought of many times, "The existing defensive formation needs to be adjusted. The previous formation was designed with the north side, which was the target of the attack, in mind."
The Seventh Weigeng remained leaning back in his chair, not sitting up straight. His gaze fell from the ceiling beam, paused on the table, and he spoke in a low voice, but with a tone that suggested he didn't really want to speak but had to, "The breach in the wall has been repaired, but it's not secure. Next time you come, you can easily break it open with a little force."
Their voices rose and fell in the council chamber, like waves crashing against the same reef at different times. Some whispered in agreement with others, some gestured with their hands to indicate the thickness and location of repairs to the wall as they spoke, some stroked their beards, and some turned their heads to listen to the opinions of those around them before turning back, waiting for their turn to be picked up.
Once the noise subsided slightly, Elder Yaoshan turned to look at Daiyue. His gaze lingered on Daiyue's face for a moment, as if waiting for him to gather all the differing opinions into a single container before speaking, "Chief, please share your thoughts with us all. We're all waiting for your final decision."
Daiyue didn't answer immediately. He sat there, his hands flat on the table, his gaze seemingly looking beyond the wood grain into something far away. After a moment, he spoke, his voice lower than before, but clear enough. "Our Valley Tribe has suffered a great loss this time. Even if we find a way to recover our strength, in three to five years, we can only recover to our original state at most. Our Valley Tribe doesn't have many distinctive industries—no salt production, no copper smelting, no powerful shipbuilding workshops. Our population will only grow to a maximum of 40,000."
He slightly clenched his fist on the table, as if to grasp the weight of those words: "Instead of this, why don't we all join the Fire Tribe now? That way, we can escape the front lines of the conflict and find a way to avenge ourselves against the Tiger Tribe. Everyone knows about the Fire Tribe; they treat all new tribes equally, providing them with food, land, and housing. They never make things difficult for anyone, so we don't need to worry about our people being mistreated in the Fire Tribe."
He sat up straighter, lifting his back slightly from the chair, and raised his voice a little. "Moreover, everyone has seen the Fire Tribe's development and shipbuilding speed. Their manpower and resources will only become more abundant. The sooner we join, the better for us."
After Daiyue finished speaking, the noise in the council hall instantly rose again. Some people were whispering to each other, some were gesturing to express their thoughts, some were shaking their heads as if weighing the weight of the decision, and some were nodding as if they had already thought of what to say. Some turned their heads to listen to the people next to them, then turned back and sat down in their seats again, as if to make sure that their seats had not been affected by the conversation.
After a while, the noise subsided slightly. Elder Yaoshan's gaze slowly swept across the faces of those around him, and only after confirming that most people's eyes were on him did he speak, "Then we should also think about how exactly to join the Fire Tribe."
Daiyue had been waiting for this question. He slightly opened his palm on the table, as if taking out his thoughts one by one and placing them on the table, pausing after each one as if to make sure it was accepted before moving on to the next. "I plan to have the Fire Tribe leave a few thousand warriors in our Valley Tribe. One reason is to strengthen our strength here, so that we won't be taken advantage of after the Fire Tribe leaves; another is to seize the time to rush to plant crops. It doesn't matter if the autumn harvest is a little less, but the land cannot be left barren. What needs to be tilled must be tilled, what needs to be planted must be planted. If we miss it, we'll have to wait until next year; the third is to prepare to take revenge on the Bear Tribe and the Wolf Tribe. Even if we join the Fire Tribe, we still need to finish this matter."
He held up another finger, as if unfolding the next section of a map. "Our tribe has quite a few people, and the Fire Tribe can't settle them all at once. I plan to send them in two or three batches. The first batch will be settled after the autumn harvest, sending those who need to leave first and those who need to recuperate. The rest will be moved over next spring."
He withdrew his palm and flattened it again. "In addition, I plan to find an opportunity to contact the Greater Qing Tribe and Willow Vine Tribe downstream of the Fish River. They have been caught between us and the Tiger Tribe for many years and have a good relationship with us. If they are also willing to join the Fire Tribe, we will have done a great service in front of the Fire Tribe, and our words will carry more weight."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the council chamber, as if taking in everyone's expressions to make sure no one was frowning, no one wanted to interrupt. No one immediately spoke, but no one shook their head either. Elder Yaoshan nodded first, a small nod, but enough for everyone to see. Then Hefeng nodded silently. Jin Ye clenched his fist on the table, then relaxed it, finally nodding as well. Fourth Elder Lin Feng followed suit, Fifth Elder Shuize nodded, and the Sixth and Seventh Elders then raised their eyes and nodded as well.
Daiyue's gaze swept across everyone's faces, as if waiting for the last person to give their opinion. When a leader in the last corner nodded, he withdrew his hand from the table, resting it on his knees, his ten fingers pressed against the fabric, fingertips slightly curled towards his palm. He turned to Fengren, who was standing in the doorway, and said, "Fengren, tomorrow morning, go and invite Young Master Yan of the Fire Tribe over. We'll discuss the specifics of the Valley Tribe joining the Fire Tribe."
Fengren clasped his hands in a fist salute and replied in a short, crisp voice, "Yes."