Returning with Good News

Yan led the Fire Tribe's fleet upstream along the Fish River. The weather had been fine for days. Sunlight shone on the river from morning till night, turning the water into flowing golden ripples, as if someone had sprinkled a layer of fine gold leaf on the surface. The ripples changed shape constantly, stretching from the east bank to the west, only to be shattered into countless dancing points of light by the ripples created by the Chuantou. The sails were billowing, the edges of the canvas stretched taut, making a continuous, low slapping sound in the wind. Occasionally, a flock of waterbirds would take flight from Luwei reeds, their wings shimmering in the sunlight, circling halfway in the air before settling into the Qiantan further away.

Yan spent most of his time standing at the Chuantou. Sometimes he would look at the river ahead, his gaze lingering on the horizon where the water met the sky, as if identifying a distant landmark. Other times he would turn his head to look at the crops on both banks, his gaze moving from one field ridge to another, and then from one ridge to a more distant hillside, as if using his own eyes to confirm where autumn had arrived. His hands rested on the gunwale, his fingers sometimes adjusting slightly with the swaying of the boat, maintaining a steady, effortless balance.

Around noon that day, the fleet finally returned to the Fire Tribe's management center— the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost dock.

A large crowd had already gathered at the dock, far more than usual. Most of the high-ranking officials from the Fire Tribe management center were present, standing in rows along the dock's edge. The figure at the very front was Jianshi. Today, he wore a dark blue linen robe, new in appearance, with dark stitching at the collar and cuffs, the stitches fine and neat, as if painstakingly sewn over a long period. The fabric was thick and smooth, without a single wrinkle, gleaming softly in the midday sun. A bronze-buckled leather belt cinched his waist, from which hung his usual short knife, its scabbard polished to a dull gleam in the sunlight. He wore... His leather boots were neater than usual, their surfaces reflecting his image. His hair was combed cleanly, a few strands of white shimmering in the sunlight, as if edged with a glossy sheen by the wind. His hands were behind his back, his back ramrod straight, like an old tree that had weathered many years of storms but never bent. His gaze was fixed on the gradually enlarging silhouettes of ships in the distance, from Chuantou to stern and Chuantou again, as if he were meticulously checking the order and condition of each vessel. His fingers were clasped behind his back, the knuckles tightening and then loosening slightly, as if using that gesture to compose the barely suppressed emotions within him.

Behind him stood the leaders: Dabang, Wu Xiong, Canglan, Zongmao, and Jijiao, all dressed in their finest attire. Some wore dark linen robes, others leather armor, and still others had donned new straw sandals. They craned their necks, peering at the river. Some stood on tiptoe, as if trying to see further; others shielded their eyes from the light, their gaze sweeping over the approaching sails one by one, as if counting the fleet. Dabang stood half a step behind Jianshi, his hands at his sides, his lips slightly pursed. His gaze shifted from the fleet to Jianshi Stone's back, then back again, as if waiting for an outcome in that moment of silence. Wu Xiong crossed his arms, his feet tapping lightly on the ground, a rhythm neither too fast nor too slow, as if following a beat only he could hear. Canglan stood to the side, turning his head to whisper something to Zongmao beside him. Zongmao nodded silently.

Qingye stood at the back of the crowd, wearing a dark brown linen dress. She had just rushed over from the stove and hadn't had time to brush it off. Her hair was wrapped in a dark cloth, with a few stray strands falling down beside her ears, swaying gently in the afternoon breeze. Her hands were clasped in front of her, her fingers slightly clenched, the knuckles turning a pale white. Her gaze was also on the boats, her lips slightly pursed, as if she had something to say but it wasn't the right time. She simply stood there quietly, waiting for the boats to dock.

The fleet slowly approached the shore, the hulls scraping against the wooden posts by the dock with a low, grinding sound. Shuihua splashed against the sides of the boats before falling back into the river. The gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off. Several shallow scratches remained on his leather armor, one from a graze of an arrow, revealing the lighter-colored leather beneath. Dust from his journey clung to his collar, a thin layer of grime accumulating in the folds of his clothing. His hair was somewhat disheveled, but he was full of energy, taking large, steady steps, each one firmly planted before moving on.

Jianshi strode forward, his steps faster than usual. He stopped in front of Yan, first scanning him up and down—from shoulders to waist and abdomen, then to legs and feet—as if using his eyes instead of his hands to check for injuries. His gaze lingered on the scratch on Yan's leather armor for a moment, then moved away. He reached out, first placing both hands on Yan's shoulders, pausing for a second as if to check if the thickness of his shoulders was the same as when they set out. Then he patted Yan's shoulders forcefully, the palms landing with a confirming force, two solid, short thuds that could be clearly heard on the dock. He released his hands, took a half step back, his gaze still fixed on Yan's face, and spoke in a loud voice, filled with barely suppressed joy, a joy that spread from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes. "Yan'er, you did a great job this time! Not only did you defeat the Tiger Tribe, but you also wiped out the Bear Tribe, and even the Valley Tribe agreed to join our Fire Tribe. You've accomplished a great feat this time!"

Yan was slightly jerked to the side by the pat, regained his balance, and smiled. But the smile carried a habitual, settled calm, as if he had already let those words go in his heart and was simply putting them back where they belonged. His voice was low, but his words were clear. "This was a lucky coincidence. If we had arrived any later, the situation would have been much more complicated. The Valley Tribe might not have survived, and we might not have achieved such great results. This success is the result of everyone's hard work. I couldn't have done so much by myself. If the fleet hadn't moved so fast, if Feiyu and Yingmu hadn't coordinated so well, and if Uncle Dazhuang hadn't already prepared manpower at the Green Leaf River Mouth, we would have arrived too late."

Upon hearing Jianshi's smile deepened. He glanced at Yan again, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, as if reaffirming something. "I'm very pleased that you say that. You're becoming more and more composed, not taking all the credit for yourself, nor feeling that what others do is their due. If it weren't for your decisive leadership in bringing reinforcements this time, our victory wouldn't have been so great. We all know that."

He turned to the side, raised his hand towards the council chamber, opened his palm and then closed it again. "You must be hungry too, right? Come on, let's go back to the council chamber and eat and chat. Your mother and her people got up early this morning to prepare. They heard you were arriving today, so they got up before dawn to clean the stove and stew some meat."

The group walked along the dirt road between the dock and the camp towards the council hall. Several large tables had already been set up inside, covered with clean linen cloths, the cloths undulating under the bowls and plates. Stewed meat, boiled fish, stir-fried wild vegetables, and hot soup—each dish steamed, their aromas mingling and rising from the tables, filling the room with a warm and reassuring atmosphere. Qingye walked at the back of the group, and when she entered, she was carrying a large bowl of freshly made soup, steam still rising from the rim. She walked slowly, as if to prevent the soup from spilling. She reached the table, placed the bowl in the center, and then sat down on a low stool beside it, but her gaze kept rising, falling on Yan, then back to the clothes in her hands.

Everyone sat down in turn. Jianshi sat in the main seat, Yan sat to his right, Dabang sat opposite him, Wu Xiong and Canglan took their seats in turn, and the other leaders followed suit, the chair legs scraping against the ground. The food on the table was steaming, the aroma making everyone's stomachs rumble. Some people had already picked up their bowls. Yan had been eating dry rations on the ship for several days, and seeing the hot food in front of him, he didn't stand on ceremony, picking up a piece of stewed meat and stuffing it into his mouth. The meat was stewed until tender, the saltiness just right, melting in his mouth, the sauce sliding down his tongue, a warm feeling rising from his stomach. He then picked up a piece of stir-fried wild vegetables. He chewed twice and swallowed, then drank two sips of hot soup, feeling as if a layer of warmth had been added to his body, and the fatigue accumulated from days of sailing seemed to evaporate little by little with the heat. Everyone at the table also ate heartily, the sounds of picking up food, chewing, and the clinking of bowls mingling together like a busy yet steady melody, slowly flowing in the afternoon light. Someone picked up their soup bowl, drank it dry, and put it down again. Jianshi himself picked up a few pieces of meat, chewing very slowly, as if using that time to listen to the sounds at the table and sense the presence of everyone present.

When everyone had almost finished eating, Jianshi put down his chopsticks, the chopsticks landing crisply on the rim of his bowl, as if drawing a clean line to conclude the meal. He sat up straight, leaning back in his chair, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and glanced at everyone's faces before fixing his gaze on Yan. His voice was more formal than before. "Yan'er, tell everyone about the details of this trip to the Valley Tribe, not just the fighting, but also the arrangements afterwards. Everyone should listen so they have a general idea."

Yan put down the soup bowl, the bottom of which landed softly on the table. He sat up straight, leaning back in his chair, and placed his hands flat on the table with his fingers slightly spread, as if to lay out his next words word by word. His gaze lingered on Jianshi's face for a moment, as if to confirm he was ready, then swept over everyone present, as if to use that moment of silence to draw their attention to him.

He spoke, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone in the council chamber to hear. "When I led the grain transport fleet to the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost dock, I saw the Valley Tribe's distress signal. I discussed it with Uncle Dazhuang and then led the fleet to transport soldiers to their aid. When we stopped at the Green Leaf River Mouth, Dazhuang's soldiers quickly assembled, so we didn't waste any time and set off immediately."

He stretched out a hand and lightly tapped his finger on the table, as if marking the first location on a map. "Fortunately, we arrived in time. At that time, the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost had already been breached by the Wolf Tribe and the Bear Tribe, and the Valley Tribe headquarters had been besieged and attacked for several days. Several sections of the wall had been breached, and Chief Daiyue was prepared to fight to the death. When we arrived, the Tiger Tribe's navy was arrayed on the river. Relying on our superior naval strength, we decisively defeated their navy. Seeing that they were no match for us, they broke through the encirclement and fled with a small number of boats."

His finger traced a line on the table, as if drawing a retreat trajectory, his fingertip moving slowly across the wood grain. "We also achieved a great victory on land. The Tiger Tribe, Wolf Tribe, and Bear Tribe came with about 20,000 warriors. The Wolf Tribe Tiger Tribe, including the warriors who returned, probably only has about 6,000 left. Our Fire Tribe mobilized about 12,000 troops this time, and lost less than 1,000. The Valley Tribe and Bean Tribe suffered very heavy losses; they lost at least 7,000 warriors combined, and even Chief Daiyue's younger brother Daiyan, was killed in battle."

He paused, his gaze lowering for a moment, as if giving his words some room to land. He heard someone take a soft breath at the table, and someone else place their half-clenched hands on their knees. He didn't pause for long before raising his gaze and continuing, "After this battle, the Valley Tribe was severely weakened and feared further retaliation from the Tiger Tribe, so they chose to join our Fire Tribe. The Bean Tribe, a semi-subordinate tribe of the Valley Tribe, also agreed to join our Fire Tribe after being persuaded by the Valley Tribe. Together, the Valley Tribe and Bean Tribe have more than 50,000 people."

He switched hands, as if unfolding a map, and drew a semicircle on the table with his finger. "Afterwards, I led my men to continue the pursuit and took over the Bear Tribe camp that had been attacked by the Wolf Tribe. The core members of the Bear Tribe had already been wiped out by the Wolf Tribe, and most of the remaining members were recent members of the Bear Tribe. Their status was very low, almost like slaves. This time, I brought 10,000 people back and settled them in several strongholds north of the management center. If the assessment is successful, I plan to relocate them to the Fire Tribe's main valley for resettlement and training. I plan to bring over the remaining members of the Bear Tribe after the autumn harvest."

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the council chamber as if to make sure everyone was listening. "Besides these, Chief Daiyue said that the Greater Qing Tribe downstream of the Fish River greatly admires our Fire Tribe, and he is confident he can persuade them to join. Also, the Willow Vine Tribe downstream of the Fish River, under the continued threat from the Tiger Tribe, has a very good chance of joining our Fire Tribe. If all these tribes join our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe, our population will increase by approximately 140,000."

A moment of silence fell over the council chamber. That silence lasted for about two or three breaths, then, as if someone had simultaneously lifted a lid, everyone began to speak. Someone gasped, the breath caught halfway through, then turned into a suppressed gasp; someone slammed their hand on the table, making a short, muffled thud, as if they couldn't process the weight of that statement without doing so; someone turned to whisper to the person next to them, their voice low, as if afraid to interrupt the surging emotions. Dabang's eyebrows twitched and then fell back down, his chin tightening slightly for a moment, as if he were mentally recalculating the number. Canglan's fingers stopped tapping on the table. Wu Xiong, who had been leaning back in his chair, straightened up, as if pushed upright by those words; his hand lifted from the edge of the table and then fell back down.

"140,000?" someone repeated the number in a low voice, as if confirming its authenticity with their own voice.

"Our Fire Tribe currently has less than 300,000 people. If these tribes all join, our population will increase by half!" another voice chimed in, its tone carrying a sense of astonishment as if it had just weighed the weight of the matter.

"If they take a few years to properly absorb it, the Fire Tribe will become the new overlord of the Fish River!" Someone raised their voice by half an octave before lowering it back down.

"The fields and docks in the Valley Tribe are already there; we can take them and use them right away without having to cultivate them from scratch." Someone was counting the land on their fingers, their voice coming from the end of the long table.

"The locations of the Greater Qing Tribe and Willow Vine Tribe are also crucial. If the Tiger Tribe wants to move south again, they have to pass through their territory first. If we get them, it's like having two more layers of protection." One person put down his bowl and gestured with his palm on the table, as if demonstrating the layout of the defensive line.

"Although there are many people in the Bear Tribe, they all joined later. As long as they are settled properly, there won't be any resistance!" Someone was discussing the specific execution details, glancing at Yan for a moment before looking away.

"Then our northern defense line now stretches from the management center all the way to the Valley Tribe." Another leader chimed in, drawing a long line on the table with his finger.

A cacophony of voices rose and fell in the council chamber, like a single string plucked simultaneously, echoing with similar frequencies from multiple locations. Some were weighing their order and weight, others were gathering them to one side, tilting the table in the desired direction. Someone hadn't even put down their bowl before the soup in it had gone cold; they glanced down, then placed it back on the table. Someone was quietly counting on their fingers, their lips moving silently, as if mentally adding those numbers repeatedly. Someone was exchanging a brief assessment with their neighbor, then turning back, as if mentally reconfirming their own seat's position. The voices continued for a while, neither weakening nor being suppressed, as if each had found its place, forming a low, continuous hum above the table.

Jianshi sat in the main seat, listening to the sounds. He leaned back in his chair and listened for a moment. When the sounds gradually subsided, he raised his hand, palm outward, and pressed it down slightly, as if conducting a melody that was coming to an end. The sounds quickly subsided; some people stopped talking, some put down their bowls, and some straightened up.

His gaze swept across the council hall before settling on Yan's face. His voice carried a hint of confirmed joy and further contemplation. "Yan'er, you did a great job this time. If everything goes smoothly for the next two years, the Fire Tribe be strong enough to dominate the entire Fish River Basin!"

His voice lowered slightly, as if to place his next words on a more solid footing. "However, the Tiger Tribe is, after all, a long-established overlord of the Fish River, with deep roots and abundant resources. After being defeated by our Fire Tribe this time, they will definitely try every means to convert all of their tribe's resources into military force. Although we have the advantage, we cannot be complacent and cannot relax just because we have won two battles. They won't lose everything they have accumulated over the years in one battle. They still have warehouses, people, and land."

His gaze lingered for a moment on the faces of everyone in the council hall. "We can't think that we don't need to prepare anymore just because we won this battle. The Tiger Tribe has been hurt badly this time, which will only make them more united and cohesive."

Yan nodded, as if echoing his father's words, and said, "Yes, the Tiger Tribe was badly hurt by our Fire Tribe this time. There's a high chance they'll temporarily put aside their internal strife and focus all their efforts on strengthening themselves to deal with us. We must proceed cautiously and steadily. We can't think that we don't need to prepare anymore just because we won this battle. Moreover, our Fire Tribe's goal isn't just the Tiger Tribe, and our sights aren't just set on the Fish River. The outside world is vast, and only by continuously improving our strength can we protect ourselves."

Jianshi's gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment, as if he were rehearsing his words in his mind, making sure they were in their proper place. Then he turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone in the council hall, his voice rising slightly, as if adding a solid foundation to his words: "Yes, this process requires everyone's efforts. No one can slacken. Those who need to build ships should build ships, those who need to train troops should train troops, and those who need to stockpile grain should stockpile grain! The addition of the Valley Tribe is not the end, but a new beginning. With the Valley Tribe, we have a solid piece of land in the north; with the fields over from the Bear Tribe, we have wider supply routes. But land is cultivated by people, ships are built by people, and battles are fought by people. As long as people keep moving, the Fire Tribe's path will not be cut off."

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept across everyone's faces, as if to confirm that everyone was listening and had taken it to heart. Then he placed his palm flat on the table, his fingertips slightly curled, as if waiting for the next steps, which were being arranged in order, to slowly fall under each fingertip, settling down one by one, beginning in turn. The wind from outside seeped in through the crack in the door, stirring the edge of an empty wooden tablet on the corner of the table. The tablet bounced up slightly and then fell back to its original position, as if using that turn to replace a sentence that had not yet begun, turning a new page for the days to come.