Going to the Willow Vine Tribe

After Yan pounded the Wolf Tribe with Yingmu and Shibang, the Wolf Tribe dared not deploy their forces along the banks of the Fish River again. Xueya sat in the Shitou- built council chamber for the entire morning. The light inside was dimmer than outside, with only a few thin streaks of light filtering through the cracks in the door and windows, illuminating the varying shades of texture on the smoke-blackened stone walls. In front of him lay a repeatedly folded animal hide, on which the riverbank and several marked ferry crossing locations were drawn with charcoal sticks, each line bearing the faint indentations left by repeated rubbing of fingers.

When Xueshou pushed open the door, he had an outer garment draped over his shoulder, the collar askew, as if he had just rushed back from some corner of the camp where people were working. He stood in the doorway, his gaze lingering on Xueya's face for a moment, then glancing at the folded animal hide on the corner of the table, before speaking, his voice carrying a certainty that he already knew the answer, "Brother, you were looking for me?"

Xueya nodded, picked up the animal hide, and handed it to him. He tapped his fingers twice on the hide, his knuckles resting on the ferry crossing marked by the red charcoal strips. His voice wasn't loud, but each word seemed to have been slowly polished before being uttered. "The Fire Tribe has fortified the riverbank, and they've occupied all the ferry crossings. Our people are now walking along the riverbank, but we won't go far before we run into their sentry posts. The navy is gone, and the cavalry can't cross either. We can't infiltrate the area between the Greater Qing Tribe and the Bear Tribe right now. Even our scouts have to take a long detour and find a way to sneak over, and even then, they can't stay long. The Fire Tribe's patrol boats are constantly moving back and forth on the water."

Xueshou unfolded the animal hide and glanced at it, his gaze shifting back and forth between the ferry crossings marked by red-hot charcoal strips. His finger traced one of the lines, pausing at a certain point, as if trying to determine the distance between that riverbank and their current location. Then he folded the hide back up and placed it on the corner of the table. He didn't speak immediately, but his finger tapped the edge of the hide, his fingertip gently pressing against the fabric, as if pressing the markings into his memory as well.

Xueya stood up, walked to the door, pushed it open, and glanced outside. A gust of wind blew in through the cracks, carrying the dampness of the river and the moist scent of the distant fields turning over, ruffling the hem of his robe and the stray hairs on his forehead. The camp was quieter than a few days ago; the sentry posts that had been set up along the riverbank had been withdrawn, and everyone was concentrated inside the camp. Leather ropes spun softly between their fingers. His gaze swept over the tents and huts, then returned to Xueshou, his voice lower than before. "Take half the men back to our stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain. That's our foundation. We have too few men there. If someone takes advantage of our predicament here to attack our rear, we won't even have a place to retreat. Take half of our food and supplies with us too; what we stored up over the winter should be enough until spring."

Xueshou nodded after listening, asking no further questions. He turned and walked out of the stone house towards the center of the camp. As he walked, he raised his hand and made several short hand gestures to the leaders, the gestures moving through the air as if conveying orders in another language. That afternoon, half of the Wolf Tribe warriors packed their belongings and retreated along the northeastern mountain path towards Stone Ridge Mountain. The column formed a long line, some carrying bundles, some driving packhorses, and some leading spare mounts. The hooves and footsteps pounded continuously on the ground mixed with gravel and mud. The tail of the column had not yet disappeared at the edge of the forest when... By then, Xueya had already had Yexiao Owl reorganize the remaining men into two teams, taking turns to guard and patrol the camp. Each team patrolled a different route; sometimes they would circle the perimeter of the camp, sometimes they would explore the hills to the east and then return. The routes changed daily to prevent anyone from figuring out a pattern. He himself led a team and personally patrolled twice at night. During the night patrol, he walked in the middle of the team, carrying a short knife in his hand, the scabbard not fully closed, ready to be drawn at any moment. His boots trod on the dew-dampened mud, each step carrying a restrained caution.

Duzhu was assigned to cultivate the fields at the former Great Rock Camp. She led several hundred people to oversee the affiliated tribes turning the soil on the gentle slope south of the camp. She rarely spoke while working. Every day after work, she would walk around the field to check if the ridges had been washed away by water or if the turned soil had dried out too quickly by the wind. She walked slowly, but each step was precisely on the center line of the ridges, as if she were measuring the daily changes of the land with her own footsteps. Once, she squatted down and pressed the soil at the edge of the ridge with her palm to make sure it hadn't been softened by water. Then she stood up, shook off the loose soil from her palm, and continued walking.

Xueya breathed a slight sigh of relief after seeing that Yan hadn't launched any further inland attacks for several days, but he still maintained a high level of vigilance, keeping patrols frequent and not relocating sentry posts. Every night, he would walk around the camp, sometimes standing on the eastern watchtower, leaning on the wooden railing, watching the occasional flashes of light on the distant river—traces of the Fire Tribe's fleet still operating in that area. He stood on the watchtower, his gaze shifting between those lights. Once, he stood on the watchtower for a long time, until the night wind chilled the hem of his clothes, before turning and descending the steps.

As he made these plans, he sent messengers to the Tiger Tribe at the Fish River Mouth to relay news of Yan's large-scale stay in the Greater Qing Tribe. The scouts left at night, their horses' hooves wrapped in cloth, making little noise. Xueya stood at the camp gate, watching the figure disappear into the darkness, before turning back after a long while. He knew that it was uncertain whether the Tiger Tribe would come to their aid, but as long as the message was delivered, at least the Tiger Tribe would know what was happening in the south.

Yan hadn't been idle during his days at the Greater Qing Tribe. He had Qingshi lead men to reinforce the camp's walls again. The new stakes were thicker than the old ones, with sharper tips, gleaming with a light woody sheen in the afternoon sun. He also had the Greater Qing Tribe's existing granaries reorganized, turning over the old grain to the top and stacking the new grain at the bottom. A layer of dry grass and charcoal was laid at the bottom to prevent moisture from seeping up from the ground. The air inside the granaries carried the dry smell of grain and the distinctive bitterness of charcoal, a mixture that wasn't pleasant, but it was reassuring. Qingsui also led men to walk around the camp with him, sometimes... She helped him count the supplies, and sometimes bent down in the granary to check if the burlap sacks were sealed tightly enough. She did these things quietly, pressing her fingers on the surface of the sacks and releasing them, as if using her sense of touch to check if the grains inside were dry. Once, she squatted in front of a sack of grain, untied a corner of the sack, reached in and grabbed a handful of grains, examined their color in her palm, smelled them, and then put the grains back and retied the sack. Yan stood at the granary entrance watching her bent-down figure checking, then turned back to continue discussing the defense of the ferry crossing with Qingshi Shi.

That morning, Shilin finally returned after settling the people of the Greater Qing Tribe in the Fire Tribe. When his ship docked, the draft was much shallower than when he set out, and the gunwale was higher than the waterline. Shilin jumped off the ship and stood on the dock. He glanced around at the boats that were furling their sails along the dock, and then saw Yan waiting for him. He strode over, stood in front of Yan, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Young Chief, I have settled the remaining 10,000-plus people of the Greater Qing Tribe. As for the Valley Tribe and Dazhuang at the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth, everything is well arranged. The people settled in as soon as they arrived without any chaos. Food and tools have been distributed, and every household has received what they were entitled to. Now I have brought my ship to report back."

Yan smiled, the smile slowly spreading from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes, "Good, you did a good job. We haven't been idle either; we dealt a heavy blow to the arrogance of the Wolf Tribe. We wiped out their navy, and we also destroyed more than a thousand of their cavalry on the riverbank. This will make our trip to the Willow Vine Tribe to retrieve our people much smoother." He paused, looking at Shilin's face, which was a little chapped from the wind, and added, "You must be tired from the journey. Have some water and rest."

Shilin shook his head, wiping his palm on the hem of his clothes as if to remove the sweat from his hands. "It's not hard work. It's easier on the ship than on land. Now that there's no leader, what are the arrangements?"

Yan said, "I'm all ready now. I'll take some men and go with you to the Willow Vine Tribe to pick up the people. After you and I return, you'll take over Shibang's Bean Tribe. I'll arrange for Shibang to be stationed in the Greater Qing Tribe. The Greater Qing Tribe is close to the Tiger Tribe and the Wolf Tribe, so we need someone to keep an eye on it. We also need a reliable person to guard the Bean Tribe."

Shilin nodded, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment, before he spoke, "Alright, young chieftain, I've been to the Bean Tribe a few times before, I know the way. Once I bring them back, I'll go directly there to hand them over."

While Yan and Shilin were chatting, all the members of the fleet had successfully boarded the ships. The number of people on the dock was less than before, and the warriors had all returned to their respective boats. The sails were half-raised, gently billowing in the wind. Seeing that it was almost time, Yan nodded to Shilin, and the two walked onto the gangplank one after the other. Yan stood at the bow, waved to the Chuantou, and then shouted into the cabin, "Let's go!" The sound of the bull horn rang out, deep and long, carrying far across the river. The fleet slowly left the Greater Qing Tribe's dock, sailing downstream along the Fish River towards the Willow Vine Tribe.

After several days of sailing, the fleet finally arrived at the Willow Vine Tribe's dock. From afar, Yan could see the original Great Luwei Tribe dock, a half-day's boat ride away on the opposite bank—now entirely under the Tiger Tribe's control. Several boats were moored at the dock, their flags fluttering in the wind, some with frayed edges. The Tiger Tribe's boats, seeing the Fire Tribe's massive fleet, almost simultaneously launched three 100,000-jin (50,000 kg) heavy ships and several smaller vessels. Oars dipped into the water, Chuantou turned, and they paddled frantically downstream. Their speed was high, but their formation was somewhat scattered; several small boats were huddled together, their oars colliding and making intermittent noises. One small boat was grazed by a larger ship beside it, tilting for a moment before regaining its balance. Faced with the Fire Tribe's two hundred or so 100,000-jin heavy ships and numerous smaller boats, they dared not venture forward to their doom. Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the fleeing boats, but did not order a pursuit. He simply watched them disappear around the bend in the river, then turned his gaze to the Willow Vine Tribe's dock ahead.

A number of people were already standing on the dock. Liuren stood at the very front, wearing a dark brown linen robe with dark stitching on the collar and cuffs. His hair was held back with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of white hair fell from behind his ears, shimmering in the afternoon light. He was slightly thinner than Qingya, but his posture was steady. Behind him stood Liutiao and several leaders, all dressed in clean clothes, craning their necks to look out over the river. Liutiao stood at the front, his gaze fixed on the large boats that were approaching the shore, his eyes sweeping from Chuantou to stern.

The ship docked, the gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off. Liuren stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Young Chief Yan, welcome to the Willow Vine Tribe! Your fleet is truly magnificent. I counted them at the dock, and they are at least twice the size of the Tiger Tribe's fleet. It is our Willow Vine Tribe Willow Vine Tribe's good fortune to join such a powerful and sincere tribe as the Fire Tribe."

Yan also returned the greeting with clasped hands. "With a tribe like the Willow Vine Tribe joining the Fire Tribe, our strength will increase considerably, which we naturally welcome. Chief Liuren, rest assured, our Fire Tribe will take good care of you. Houses, food, and tools will all be prepared in advance, so you can settle in as soon as you arrive."

Liuren nodded, his fingers pausing in front of him. His gaze shifted from Yan's face to Liutiao behind him, then returned to his own. His voice was lower than before, but every word carried the earnestness of a father. "Young Chief Yan, I believe in you. My son Liutiao Tiao rarely submits to others, but since his duel with Young Chief Yan last time, he has spoken highly of you, calling you the number one warrior of the Fish River. He feels honored to have fought you. My son Liutiao wishes to follow you for life, like Qingshi of the Greater Qing Tribe. I hope you can accept this."

Yan followed his gaze and glanced at Liutiao. Liutiao stood half a step behind Liuren, his shoulders straighter than when they last met. His gaze didn't waver, landing on Yan's face, as if waiting for an answer in his own way. Yan withdrew his gaze, looked at Liuren, and slightly raised the corner of his mouth. "Brother Liutiao is exceptionally skilled, a rare warrior in the Fish River. I'm overjoyed that he's willing to join my ranks, how could I refuse? From now on, he'll follow me, just like Qingshi of the Greater Qing Tribe. I won't mistreat him."

Upon hearing this, Liuren's expression visibly relaxed. He nodded and said, "Thank you for taking me in, Young Master Yan. I have prepared hot food in the council hall. Let's eat and chat. Today, I stewed a pot of wild boar meat, which was just hunted today. The meat is stewed until very tender. I also prepared several jars of fruit wine, which was brewed last autumn. It's not strong and will warm your stomach."

Yan nodded and, along with Bailin and several others, followed Liuren toward the council hall of the Willow Vine Tribe. Liutiao followed behind his father. As he passed Yan, he slowed his pace slightly, glanced at Yan, his lips moved slightly before closing again. Then he continued walking forward, his steps a little lighter than before.