A Contest of Strength and the Journey Home

Most of the bowls and plates in the Greater Qing Tribe's council hall had already been cleared away, leaving only a few teacups and scattered dried fruit shells on the table. Several wooden slips lay scattered on the corner of the table, covered with dense markings—records of the population counts over the past few days. Liutiao put down his teacup, tapping the bottom lightly on the table. He looked up at Yan, his voice driven by a direct curiosity. "Young Chief Yan, I heard from Brother Qingshi that he was defeated by you in just three moves last time. Is that true? Qingshi is a top warrior in the lower reaches of the Fish River. I've known him for so many years, and I've never seen him lose so quickly to anyone. No warrior in this area dares to challenge him. If he lost so quickly, then your strength must have truly reached another level."

Yan put down his teacup, his gaze lingering on Liutiao's face for a moment before he nodded slightly and said, "Yes, if Brother Liutiao doesn't believe me, we can have a contest."

Qingshi sat down beside him and said frankly, "Brother Liutiao, don't humiliate yourself. You and I are about the same strength, how could you possibly be a match for Young Master Yan? I was disarmed in three moves that day, I didn't even have time to react. If you want to try, I can fight you first to warm up."

Liutiao became serious. He sat up straighter, his gaze quickly shifting between Yan and Qingshi before settling on Yan's face. He said, "I still want to try. Not weapons, not techniques, just strength. Qingshi says you're strong, and I want to test it myself and see where the difference really lies."

Yan smiled, the smile slowly spreading from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes. He stood up and nodded to Liutiao, saying, "Alright, how about this? Let's have a strength contest. We'll arm wrestle and see who's stronger. What do you think, Brother Liutiao?"

Liutiao stood up as well, and nodded, saying, "Okay, let's arm wrestle."

Qingya sat in the main seat, watching the two stand up. He glanced at Yan first, then at Liutiao, and seeing that they were both in place, he raised his hand to the two soldiers standing beside him, his fingers drawing a short arc in the air. The two soldiers quickly went out and soon brought in a low table, placing it on the open ground in the center of the council hall. The tabletop was a single thick wooden plank, its edges smoothed, and its four legs were thick and sturdy, as if it were specifically designed for this purpose. After stabilizing the table, the two soldiers tested the legs to see if they wobbled, pressing their palms on the tabletop to confirm that it wouldn't slide under pressure, before stepping aside to stand still.

Yan and Liutiao sat down facing each other, separated by a low table. Liutiao had already heard Qingshi talk about how powerful the young chieftain of the Fire Tribe was. Seeing Yan's relaxed expression, Liutiao became even more cautious. He rested his elbow on the table, adjusted its position to make sure it wouldn't slip, and then reached out to clasp Yan's hand. Their fingers intertwined; Liutiao's hand was slightly narrower than Yan's, but his knuckles were thicker. He slightly adjusted his grip to make sure it was secure, then his gaze fell on their clasped hands, looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy. His lips were slightly pursed, his jawline taut, and his feet subtly planted on the ground under the table, his left knee slightly bent, as if searching for a stable foothold for the power he was about to unleash.

After Yan clasped Liutiao's hand, he didn't launch an attack first. He simply maintained a steady grip, his fingertips pressed against the back of Liutiao's hand, and then he spoke, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. "Brother Liutiao, you go first."

Liutiao, of course, didn't hold back. He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling, his shoulder blades tightening for a moment beneath his clothes, and then, in the instant of exhalation, he channeled all his strength into his right arm and slammed it down. His arm taut on the table, the muscles in his forearm bulging, the veins beneath the skin faintly visible, his shoulder slumped, his center of gravity shifting to the right, and his face flushed red at a visible speed, starting from his cheekbones, spreading along the curve of his cheeks to his ears, his lips pressed even tighter, the gap between his upper and lower lips almost invisible.

Then he stopped. His hands didn't press down any further because Yan's hands showed no sign of lowering. The two clasped hands remained in place, completely still. Liutiao exerted force again, the muscles in his forearms tensing even more, but his fingers remained in place, without even the slightest downward tilt.

His face flushed red, and fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead. His breathing became rapid, each exhale a compressed, short sound. He lifted his gaze from their clasped hands and placed it on Yan's face, but he saw that Yan's expression remained relaxed, even with a slight smile. The smile wasn't deep, but it was enough for Liutiao to understand that he hadn't truly begun yet.

He gritted his teeth and persevered for a while longer, until his arm began to ache and his grip on his fingers started to loosen slightly. Just as he was about to let go and admit defeat, Yan spoke. His voice was an octave higher than before. "Now it's my turn." Then he gave a sudden burst of strength.

The force pushed Liutiao's hand, causing it to first turn slightly, then tilt towards the table and rest on it with a dull thud. The sound wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone around to hear.

Liutiao's hand rested on the table, his fingers still intertwined with Yan's. His arm was outstretched on the table, his whole body seemingly nailed to the chair by that force, his upper body leaning forward, his shoulders not yet fully back down. He paused for a moment, his fingers loosened slightly, then tightened again, his gaze falling on the back of his hand, then moving to Yan's wrist.

Then he looked up, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment. His lips moved, and Yan released his hand, pulled his arm back onto the table, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a steady voice, "Brother Liutiao, forgive me."

Liutiao recovered from his shock. He slowly withdrew his hand, clenched it on the table, and then released it. He flexed his wrist, opening and closing his palm in the air. When he spoke, his voice carried the emotion of someone thoroughly convinced, each word as if carefully crafted before being uttered. "Chief Yan's strength is extraordinary, I, Liutiao, admire it. Brother Qingshi is right, Chief Yan's strength is truly unmatched in the Fish River Basin. When I return, I will persuade my father to join the Fire Tribe as soon as possible. Our people will not suffer if they work under someone like you."

Yan nodded, his voice low but clear. "Our Fire Tribe welcomes the Willow Vine Tribe to join us. This time, I'll take a few of you with me for a tour of the Fire Tribe. Afterwards, if you're willing, I'll first arrange for you to be settled in the Greater Qing Tribe or the Valley Tribe. This way, you can stay away from the threat of the Tiger Tribe. Seeing the conditions and settlement process there with your own eyes is more practical than hearing about it from others."

Liutiao nodded, placed her hand, which she had already withdrawn, on her knees, her palm pressed against the fabric of her trousers, and then said, "Okay, I'll go back to the tribe first thing tomorrow morning to report this. My father has been waiting for this news for a long time. When I go back, I'll tell him everything I've seen and heard here."

Yan chatted with everyone for a while longer before getting up to say goodbye. Qingya arranged for him to rest in an empty house near the camp. The bed in the house was newly made, with a thick layer of animal hide added on top of the straw mat. A small oil lamp was lit in the corner, casting a warm yellow glow on the wall. Yan lay down on the bed, listening to the sound of the river flowing outside the window and the occasional barking of dogs from the distant camp. He quickly fell asleep.

Early the next morning, Qingya, the leader of the Greater Qing Tribe, handed over the 20,000 people he had gathered to Yan. The dock was already packed with people, the tail of the procession stretching all the way to the camp entrance, like a dark ribbon spread across the ground, gradually being illuminated by the morning light. Liutiao also arranged for a few people to accompany Yan and the others back to the Fire Tribe to take a look. These people stood on the other side of the dock, wearing light brown short robes that were different from the others, carrying simple bundles on their backs, and not carrying any extra items in their hands. Their eyes were on the boats that were docking. Yan ordered his men to arrange for the 20,000 people to board the boats. Warriors stood on both sides of the gangplank to guide the flow of people. After the last person boarded the boat, Yan also turned around, walked onto the gangplank, and stood at the Chuantou.

The fleet slowly departed from the Great Green River Mouth dock and sailed upstream along the Fish River. The sails rose one by one in the morning light. When they passed the Valley Tribe, Yan had the fleet stop for an hour and settled 10,000 people at the Valley Tribe headquarters and Little Valley Camp. Yan stood at the Chuantou and watched the people gradually disappear along the boardwalk. Only when the last group of people disappeared at the entrance of the camp did he allow the fleet to continue its journey.

The fleet then passed the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost and the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, leaving the remaining people at these two locations. Feiyu and Dazhuang had already prepared reinforcements. A row of warriors stood on the Big Horse River Mouth estuary, and straw mats for resting were laid out in advance on the open ground at the Green Leaf River Mouth estuary. As soon as people arrived at the estuary, they were guided to the camp without any congestion. The few people from the Willow Vine Tribe who had accompanied them stood at the Chuantou, watching the people disembarking and forming long lines on the estuary, then being guided to different camps. Their faces showed a silence of awe at the scale and order before them. They looked at the ships on the estuary, the warehouses on the shore, the fields in the distance, and the wooden houses in the camps. One of them whispered something to the person next to him, his voice partly carried away by the river wind, only the last few words were heard. "... bigger than they say." The other person did not answer, but only nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the operating estuary and camps on the shore.

When Yan returned to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost with his fleet, he could see from afar that the camp was already adorned with red ribbons, creating a festive atmosphere. The red ribbons tied to the doorframes and eaves of the wooden houses fluttered gently in the afternoon breeze, as if someone had strung the entire camp together with a thin thread. Someone on the dock saw him return and called out towards the camp, their voice filled with laughter and cheers. Yan disembarked and headed straight for the council hall. The members of the Willow Vine Tribe who had accompanied him were naturally given a tour of the camp. Someone showed them the granary, the shipyard, and the training grounds, explaining everything at each location. These individuals had gained a completely new understanding of the Fire Tribe's strength, and now, seeing the grandeur of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, they had no objections to joining the Fire Tribe. They had made their decision; upon returning, they would persuade their own tribes to join the Fire Tribe as soon as possible.

When Yan entered the council hall, Jianshi Shi was sitting in the main seat. Seeing him enter, a smile appeared on his face. Yan walked over and sat down, his voice steady and clear. "Father, this trip went very smoothly. Your prediction was correct. The Wolf Tribe has some designs on the Greater Qing Tribe again. As soon as our fleet arrived, several of their ships were frightened and fled. They probably won't come to the Greater Qing Tribe to cause trouble again. I've already settled two thousand elite troops in the Greater Qing Tribe. The Wolf Tribe is probably more afraid of us causing them trouble now. I've already settled twenty thousand Greater Qing Tribe members in the Valley Tribe and several strongholds in the north. It will be much easier for us to pick up people next time."

Jianshi nodded, tapping his finger lightly on the table. "That's good."

Yan continued, "When I went to the Greater Qing Tribe this time, I also met Liutiao, the young chief of the Willow Vine Tribe. He strongly agrees with joining our Fire Tribe and will persuade the entire Fire Tribe to join us when he returns. He also sent a few people with us to take a look. These people speak highly of our Fire Tribe. If nothing unexpected happens, we should hear good news from the Willow Vine Tribe soon."

Upon hearing Jianshi's expression relaxed slightly, as if something had been moved from his shoulder. "Alright, with the Willow Vine Tribe joining, the Fire Tribe's strength will increase further, and the Tiger Tribe will also lose a member to boost its power. You saw the festive decorations at the tribal camp when you returned; your wedding preparations are almost complete. Rest for two days, then take a boat to the main valley to pick up Qingsui and the others to come to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost for the wedding. The Willow Vine Tribe members will just visit; they'll return tomorrow. Don't worry about them; just have someone show them around."

Yan nodded and said, "Okay." The two chatted for a few more minutes about the wedding preparations and the arrangements for the Willow Vine Tribe tomorrow, then Yan got up to say goodbye and left. As he walked out of the council hall, the setting sun was slowly sinking below the western horizon, turning the red ribbons in the camp into a warm orange hue.