A Promise to Come in Person

Yan led his fleet Fire Tribe's management center for two days of rest. Early on the third day, Jianshi and Yan led the fleet, carrying ten thousand tribesmen and some supplies, downstream along the Fish River. Yan stood at the Chuantou, his hands gripping the gunwale, his gaze fixed on the open river ahead. The morning light shone from his side, casting a pale golden glow on his face and making the contours of his shoulders and profile clearer than usual. The river breeze carried fine moisture to his skin, leaving a light, cool sensation that was constantly being carried away by the sunlight and then replaced again. Beside him stood Jianshi, also with his hands gripping the gunwale, his gaze also fixed ahead. His back remained straight, like an old tree that had been battered by the wind for years but had never bent, but his fingers would occasionally tap lightly on the gunwale, as if using their own rhythm to sense the speed of the current and the stability of the boat's journey. Each tap was spaced about two or three breaths apart, without a fixed rhythm, more like he was using the touch of his fingertips to confirm that the boat was moving at a steady pace.

The two stood there for a while before Yan spoke first. His voice was soft, as if afraid of breaking the stillness of the flowing river, or as if he were saying something he had been holding onto for a while, "Father, our Fire Tribe has developed quite smoothly these past few years. Before, our Fire Tribe only had about two hundred people, but now it has three hundred thousand. If everything goes well, and the Valley Tribe, Bean Tribe, Greater Qing Tribe, and Willow Vine Tribe all join us, our Fire Tribe's population will exceed four hundred thousand." After he finished speaking, he looked away from the river and turned his head slightly to look at his father, as if waiting for him to finish his sentence, or as if using that moment of silence to confirm whether he could really say that number.

Jianshi didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the river ahead, as if following the current to see further into the distance, watching the line where the water met the sky widen and then narrow again. After a moment, he spoke, his voice carrying a Chenwen honed by time. "Yes, the tribe has developed like this in just a few years. Neither the elders nor I could have imagined it." He gently shook his head, a slight movement, as if recalling something he had revisited many times before. His gaze followed the shake of his head, moving from the distant water to the nearby surface. "Back then in Fire Creek Valley, catching even one wild boar a day was considered a good day. In winter, everyone huddled in dilapidated huts. Who could have imagined things would turn out like this?"

He paused, his fingers hovering over the gunwale, his fingertips touching the surface of the wooden planks, feeling the continuous vibrations from the boat. He turned his gaze from the river, looking at Yan, his voice lowering, as if adding a deeper conversation to the backdrop of the river and wind, "As the tribe has grown and expanded, I feel the responsibility and burden on my shoulders growing heavier. Before, I only needed to take care of the food and clothing of two hundred people; now, I have to worry about the food, clothing, housing, and safety of over three hundred thousand people. Fortunately, you all share the burden, otherwise I wouldn't have made it this far alone."

His gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment, as if searching for a reassuring spot. "Yan'er, you've grown up so quickly these past few years. I'm planning to give you more responsibilities, and you should be prepared. Our generation should be taking a break soon." His voice didn't lower because of these words; instead, it carried the calm that comes with having things settled. "It's not that I'm quitting tomorrow, it's that we can't keep this business going forever; we have to hand it over eventually."

Upon hearing this, Yan's expression shifted slightly, as if he had been gently nudged by something. His gaze followed that nudge, momentarily shifting from his father's face before returning. His voice was softer than before, but his tone was earnest. "Father, you're still young. You have plenty of time to rest. Look at Uncle Dabang, he's older than you, yet he's full of energy every day."

Jianshi smiled, the smile spreading from the lines at the corners of his eyes to the corners of his mouth, appearing particularly relaxed in the morning light. He shook his head slightly. "Dabang is a restless person; he'd rather sit still than sit. This time, the Valley Tribe has taken the lead in joining us, and we must take it seriously. Although the Valley Tribe suffered heavy losses in the recent war, Valley Tribe are, after all, an established tribe in the middle reaches of the Fish River, having cultivated their influence for decades. They have very close ties with the tribes in the lower reaches of the Fish River; they know more people, have traveled more roads, and have conducted more business than we do. With the Valley Tribe joining our Fire Tribe, our strength will quickly rise to a new level."

He turned his head to look at Yan: "This is also an important reason why I decided to go there in person this time. There are some things that I should say rather than you say, and some things that I can see better than hear from others. Moreover, Qingsui is a very good girl. I will feel more at ease with her by your side in the future. I hope Chief Daiyue can feel the sincerity of our Fire Tribe by going there in person this time."

Yan's gaze flickered slightly upon hearing Qingsui's name, and his fingers lingered on the gunwale for a moment before releasing them. His tone remained steady, but there was a warmth that only came after being mentioned. "Yes, thank you, Father." He didn't say much more, but Jianshi could sense the weight in those few words.

The fleet continued downstream along the Fish River. When they passed the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, they docked and stayed for half a day. Yan led Jianshi around the dock. There were several more rows of newly built wooden stakes than when they last came. Several new boats were moored on the shore, their planks still gleaming with the light-colored sheen of new wood, and the tenons at the joints had not yet swelled from being soaked in water. Newly built wooden houses in the camp were arranged along the existing wooden houses. The thatch on the roofs varied in color, some were newly laid, golden yellow, and gleamed with the unique sheen of dry grass in the sunlight, while others had been drying for a while and were a bit darker, but were still thick and Jianshi without collapsing. Jian Shi walked slowly, his gaze sweeping from the dock to the camp, and then from the camp to the distant field ridges.

When the fleet passed the Little Horse River Mouth Outpost, the stop was brief. The outpost's leader stood on the dock and gave a brief report, saying that the newly cultivated land had yielded a good harvest this year, and that the warehouses had already stored enough grain to last until next spring. Jianshi nodded, asked no further questions, and boarded the ship again. He paused slightly as his boots touched the gangplank, glanced back at the newly built warehouse roofs on the dock, and then continued onward.

When the fleet passed the Clothing River Mouth Outpost, it stopped for about an hour. Dazhuang was at the dock when he saw Jianshi disembark from the boat. He strode up to him with long, quick steps, and when he reached Jianshi, his voice was loud and clear, as if he had just finished a morning's work and was still full of energy. "Brother, the Clothing River Mouth Outpost has recently expanded with a batch of houses. The row of new houses on the west side was just built last month. You've come at the right time. If you want to see them, I can take you there. The thatched roofs are newly laid, and the walls still have the marks of chisels."

Jianshi nodded and followed Dazhuang around the camp. Newly built wooden huts lined the west side of the camp, their thatched roofs still golden, gleaming with the unique sheen of dry grass in the afternoon sun. In the open space in front of the huts, someone was chopping firewood; the sound of the axe striking was short and powerful, each strike accompanied by the crisp crack of wood splitting. Nearby, another person stood, bending over and stacking the chopped firewood into a neat row. Jianshi stood in front of the huts, looking around, his gaze moving from the roof to the walls, then to the compacted earth on the ground. He then turned to Dazhuang and said, "You're doing a good job here."

After chatting for a while, Jianshi and Yan continued leading the fleet downstream along the Fish River. Ten days had passed since the fleet left the Fire Tribe's management center dock. Around noon, the fleet finally arrived at the Valley Tribe's main dock. A considerable number of people were already standing on the dock, more orderly than usual. Most of the Valley Tribe's high-ranking officials were present. Daiyue stood at the front, followed by the seven elders and several key leaders, and then by neatly armored warriors. These warriors wore clean leather armor, the edges still bearing faint marks from being washed with water. They held spears and stood in two rows, stretching from the dock all the way to the camp entrance, like... A taut line. Sunlight streamed in from their sides, illuminating the spear tips as tiny points of light that shimmered faintly in the air. Daiyue wore a new, dark blue linen robe today, its collar and cuffs edged with dark stitching. The fabric was thick and smooth, without a single wrinkle. His hair was neatly combed and held back with a bone hairpin, not a single stray hair falling. He appeared more dignified than usual. As he saw the fleet dock, his gaze first fell on the familiar figure at the Chuantou, then on Jianshi Shi standing beside Yan. His eyes brightened slightly, as if a lamp had been lit.

The ship docked, the gangplank was set up, and Jianshi and Yan disembarked. Jianshi walked in front, his steps unhurried but steady, each boot sole making a uniform, solid sound on the dock's planks. Today he wore a dark gray linen robe, the material thick, with dark stitching at the collar and cuffs. A bronze-buckled leather belt was around his waist, from which hung his usual short knife. He wore animal-hide boots, the boot tops wiped clean, as if specially prepared before going ashore. His back was ramrod straight, his gaze sweeping steadily over the soldiers lined up on the dock and Daiyue standing at the very front.

Daiyue took a few steps towards them, then stopped in front of Jianshi, clasped his hands in a salute, and the sound of his palms clasping together was crisp, like two dry planks striking each other. He bent deeply, like a bamboo stalk bent by the wind, pausing for a moment at the lowest point before slowly straightening up. "Chief Jianshi Shi, we are deeply honored that you have come in person this time. You must have had a long journey. The wind on the river is colder than on the shore. You have been on the boat for ten days. Are you alright?"

Jian Daiyue returned the greeting with Jianshi and palm salute. His movements were unhurried, yet exuded the composure unique to an elder. The sound of his hands clasping together was a low, resonant thud, like two polished Shitou striking each other. As he lowered his hands, they naturally opened slightly towards Dai Yue, as if in that single gesture he were also releasing the weight of the entire journey. "Our trip here went smoothly this time. With the Valley Tribe joining the Fire Tribe, I definitely had to come and discuss it personally. Such a significant matter shouldn't be left to Yan'er to handle alone. I came to see for myself so I could have a better understanding of the situation. The docks are even more organized than I expected."

Daiyue turned to the side and gestured towards the council hall, his movements fluid and natural, his palm facing upwards as he extended his arm. "Chief Jianshi Shi, you must be tired from your journey. Please come to the council hall and have something to eat first. I've also had food prepared for the others." As he spoke, his gaze shifted from Jianshi's face to Quyong, who was standing not far away, and he nodded. Quyong turned and said a few words to the people behind him before beginning to instruct the rest of the crew to disembark and settle in. His voice rang out on the dock, short and clear, as if he were arranging something he had done many times before.

Jianshi didn't refuse and nodded, "Okay." He then followed Daiyue along the dirt road between the dock and the camp towards the council hall. Yan followed beside him, and behind them were attendants carrying baskets filled with gifts covered in burlap. The gifts were heavy and swayed slightly with each step. The soldiers lining the road straightened their backs slightly as they passed; some tightened their grip on their spears and then relaxed them. The sunlight cast their shadows on the muddy ground beside them, the angle shifting slowly with each step.

Several large tables had already been set up in the council chamber, covered with clean linen cloths. The cloths were stretched undulating by the bowls and plates beneath them. Stewed meat, boiled fish, stir-fried wild vegetables, and hot soup—each dish steamed, their aromas mingling and rising from the tabletops, filling the room with a warm and relaxing atmosphere. Qingsui stood by the table, leading the others to place the last dish. Her fingers gently adjusted the position of the bowl on the rim, ensuring it landed precisely in the center of the table. Today, she wore a light purple linen dress, embroidered with small Little Flower, like wild chrysanthemums commonly seen in autumn fields. Her hair was tied in a braid that fell to her shoulder, the end tied with a light-colored string. As she placed the dish down, she glanced at Yan, a slight smile playing on her Jianshi, then looked at Jian Shi standing beside Yan, gave a slight bow as a greeting, and then retreated to the side.

Everyone sat down in turn. Jianshi and Daiyue sat on either side of the main seat, Yan sat next to Jianshi, and several elders and leaders took their seats in turn, the chairs making a rough scraping sound on the floor. Jian Jianshi had his attendant present the gifts: several bundles of bronze short swords were placed on the table, their scabbards engraved with simple patterns, gleaming with a bluish-green light under the oil lamp. Daiyue picked one up, examining it from all angles. He first weighed it in his fingers, then ran his thumb along the hilt to check the fit in his palm. He then slid his thumb along the curve of the back of the blade... He put down the short sword, picked up the second one, and repeated the same action, but said nothing more, only nodding slightly in the direction of Jian Jianshi when putting down the last one. The elders of the Valley Tribe's eyes lit up when they saw the bronze weapons. Someone drew a section of the blade from its sheath, slightly turning the blade under the oil lamp to check the evenness of the edge, then gently pushed the blade back into its sheath and placed it back on the table. Daiyue had the swords put away, then raised a wine bowl and gestured towards Jianshi: "Come, have a drink first. It's rare for Chief Jianshi to come here, so let's treat him well today."

Everyone picked up their bowls and drank it down in one gulp. The wine was rice wine, with a hint of sweetness and a slight sourness. It wasn't spicy when it went down, and the warmth slid down their throats, slowly spreading in their stomachs, like a warm line extending from their chests to their abdomens. Everyone put down their bowls, picked up their chopsticks, and began to eat. The sounds of chopping, clinking bowls, and hushed conversations mingled in the room, and the atmosphere quickly became lively. Daiyue toasted Jianshi several times, and Jianshi returned the toast several times as well. Their conversation gradually shifted from initial pleasantries to arrangements for future cooperation between the Fire Tribe and the Valley Tribe. When they reached the important points, they both put down their chopsticks at the same time.

After everyone had finished eating, Daiyue put down his chopsticks and said to Jianshi, "Chief Jianshi, I saw that your Fire Tribe's fleet brought a lot of people this time. I roughly counted them at the dock just now, and several ships were full of people. It doesn't seem like they're just delivering supplies. Those ships were drafted very deep."

Jianshi put down his chopsticks, sat up straight, and leaned back in his chair. His palms were flat on the table, and his voice carried a certain confidence that he had already thought it through, "Yes, this time I brought ten thousand people from my tribe, intending to settle them in the Bear Tribe and Bean Tribe camps. After discussion, our Fire Tribe has decided to use the Bean Tribe camp and the Bear Tribe camp as our Fire Tribe's forward outposts."

He paused, as if letting his words settle before continuing. His fingers spread and closed slightly on the table, as if silently measuring what he was about to say, "Furthermore, we plan to gradually relocate our Fire Tribe's management center to the Valley Tribe. Our Fire Tribe is now completely locked in combat with the Tiger Tribe. In the future, it will be either our Fire Tribe or the Tiger Tribe that falls. Keeping the Fire Tribe's management center at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost is no longer convenient, so we plan to relocate it to the Valley Tribe. This way, our Fire Tribe will be able to deal with the Tiger Tribe more easily, news will travel faster, troops can be mobilized more quickly, and resource allocation will be more flexible."

Upon hearing this, Daiyue's gaze lingered on Jianshi's face, as if he were replaying the words in his mind. His fingers, which had been resting on the edge of the table, tightened slightly upon hearing this, the pads of his fingers touching the edge of the wooden board, before relaxing after a moment. His voice was lower than before, but still steady as he spoke, "What you've done is indeed excellent. The Valley Tribe's location is perfectly situated in the northern part of the middle section of the Fish River. To the north, they can keep an eye on the Tiger Tribe, and to the south, they can use beacon fires to quickly contact various river mouth outposts. This way, as long as the Valley Tribe's territory is secured, the rear outposts can focus on production and cultivation without worrying about sudden attacks or slow message delivery."

Jianshi nodded, his voice shifting slightly as he changed direction, as if he were putting on a more fitted coat. "I've come here today to discuss the specific arrangements for joining our Fire Tribe." His gaze moved from Daiyue's face, sweeping across the council hall as if to confirm everyone was listening. "After our discussion, once your Valley Tribe and Bean Tribe join us, your two tribal leaders will directly become council leaders of our Fire Tribe. The other seven elders and the core tribal leader of the Bean Tribe will enjoy the same privileges as council leaders. All of you tribal leaders will become reserve leaders of our Fire Tribe. If you achieve military merit or perform exceptionally well in the future, you will be directly promoted to deputy leader or leader positions, and your tribespeople will also be properly resettled."

After he finished speaking, his gaze swept around the council hall, moving from Daiyue's face to Hefeng's, and then from Hefeng to Jin Ye's, as if he wanted to use that moment of silence to distribute the weight of his words evenly across every face.

Daiyue was taken aback for a moment. His gaze lingered on Jianshi's face for a split second, as if confirming he hadn't misheard. The bowl he was holding paused in mid-air before he slowly placed it back on the table, the bottom of the bowl making a soft thud on the wooden board. He leaned back in his chair, as if slowly transferring the weight of those words onto his own seat, a slight scraping sound as his back touched the chair back. The elders sitting beside him exchanged glances. Some put down their bowls, the rims tapping softly on the table; others turned their heads and whispered something, their voices carrying a hint of unexpected relief, the last syllable of their words fading slightly. It lifted slightly, like a piece of wood that was thought to be stuck in place being gently lifted a little. Hefeng leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the edges of the wooden tablets on the table. His fingers rested on his knees, then curled up slightly. Jin Ye withdrew his hand from the edge of the table, placing it on his knees, palm down, as if using that slight movement to redistribute the weight of that sentence back to himself. Zhiyun glanced down at her cuffs for a moment, as if to make sure the threads weren't loose, then looked up, her gaze briefly meeting Lin Feng's beside her before they looked away, returning to the gap between the bowls and plates on the table.

When Daiyue spoke, his voice was a little lower than before, as if to give his words a more secure footing. "Chief Jianshi Shi, we, the entire Valley Tribe, will remember your arrangement. We originally thought that after joining the Fire Tribe, everything would have to start from scratch, but we didn't expect that our starting point would be so much higher. On behalf of the Valley Tribe and Bean Tribe, I thank the Fire Tribe for their trust in us." After he finished speaking, he raised his wine bowl to Jianshi. Jianshi also raised his bowl, and the two clinked their bowls together, making a crisp sound that lingered in the council hall for a moment before dissipating. Then they each finished the wine in their bowls.