The Day of Departure

After arriving at the Willow Vine Tribe, Yan arranged for the evacuation of personnel and supplies with Liuren while simultaneously sending men to scout out the Tiger Tribe's movements. He dispatched several astute scouts, dividing them into two groups: one to probe along the Fish River towards the Tiger Tribe, and the other to remain outside the Willow Vine Tribe camp to keep watch. The Willow Vine Tribe had been established there for many years and still had numerous intelligence channels, which could be utilized again. Yan's scouts returned periodically to report back, and he instructed them to continue monitoring the situation, reporting any significant changes in the Tiger Tribe immediately. Every morning, he would stand for a while at the Willow Vine Tribe's dock, his gaze fixed on the stretch of water where the sky met the sea downstream—the direction of the Tiger Tribe at the Fish River Mouth. Although Yan was quite certain that the Tiger Tribe wouldn't dare to launch a large-scale intervention and couldn't mobilize a large force in a short time, it was still best to be cautious, given that the area was only a dozen days' land journey from the Tiger Tribe.

Over the past three days, people from the surrounding affiliated tribes of the Willow Vine Tribe have gradually arrived. The first to arrive were the people of the Vine Tribe, who were the closest. They formed a long line and walked along the dirt road north of the camp. Some carried vine baskets filled with folded ropes and several short knives; others led packhorses laden with bundles of vines and woven baskets. The leader of the group was a man in his forties, stocky and broad-shouldered, with an old scar on his face running from his ear to his chin, as if he had been injured in his youth. Something sharp grazed past. When he reached the camp entrance, he put down the bundle on his back, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Liuren, glanced at Yan, and then spoke, his voice low but carrying the earnestness of someone who had worked hard for years. "Chief Liuren, all of our Vine Tribe have arrived. A total of 1,200 people, 130 cattle and horses, and over 200 bundles of vines and ropes." Liuren nodded, turned slightly towards Yan, and the man clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yan, who returned the salute without saying anything more.

Next came the Thorn Thicket Tribe, who came from the south. Their group included some children, their faces still covered in mud. The Thorn Thicket Tribe was small, but they moved quickly, leading dozens of oxen laden with grain and bundles of leather armor. Their leader was a lean, middle-aged man with bright eyes. Upon reaching the camp entrance, he glanced at Yan, then at Liuren, before speaking, "The Thorn Thicket Tribe has arrived. About a thousand people, sixty-five oxen, thirteen hundred bags of grain, and one hundred and fifty pieces of leather armor." Liuren nodded and had them led to the open space on the west side for accommodation. Following them were the Green Vine Tribe and Weeping Willow Tribe, who arrived almost simultaneously at the camp entrance. They met, nodded to each other, and without saying much, each led their groups to their designated places. The leader of the Weeping Willow Tribe was a woman, around forty years old, with a slender figure, wearing a gray-white linen robe, a hemp rope tied around her waist, and her hair held back with a wooden hairpin. She paused when she reached Yan, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment, before speaking in a low but clear voice, "Our Weeping Willow Tribe has about eight hundred people. We know how to weave, and we can weave even in our new place." Yan nodded to her and said, "Your skills will come in handy when we get to the Greater Qing Tribe. Our Fire Tribe treats its skilled members well." She nodded slightly and stepped aside.

Over the past three days, Yan, led by Liuren, met with each of their leaders. He and Liuren stood in the open space in the center of the Willow Vine Tribe's camp, waiting for the leaders of each subordinate tribe to approach. Each time someone came, he would take half a step forward, clasp his hands in a salute, and then say a few words. His voice was not loud, but every word carried a calmness born of confirmation, as if placing a carefully weighed Shitou into its proper place: "It's good that you've arrived. The Greater Qing Tribe has prepared houses and food; your people can settle in immediately upon arrival. Your leader and core leaders are currently..." "After joining the Fire Tribe, you will also receive a corresponding position, no worse than other tribes of the same level who join the Fire Tribe." The leaders listened, some nodding, others asking a question or two about the specific arrangements for housing and food. Yan answered them all without being perfunctory. One older leader asked about the livestock; his furrowed brow remained unchanged, as if the cattle were his greatest concern. Yan said there were pastures along the way where they could graze as they went, and once they reached the Greater Qing Tribe, the livestock would be centrally penned up, where there were ready-made enclosures. Upon hearing this, the man's expression relaxed somewhat, and he stepped aside.

Early on the fourth day, before dawn had fully broken at the Willow Vine Tribe camp, the Willow Vine Tribe's chief, Liuren, arrived at the dock and found Yan. The torches on the dock were still lit, their soft light illuminating the outlines of the boats moored along the shore in the morning mist. A thin layer of mist clung to the water's surface, like a lingering dream from the night. Liuren wore a dark brown linen robe, tied at the waist with a hemp rope, and straw sandals. His hair was held back with a wooden hairpin, a few strands of white hair falling from behind his ears, shimmering in the morning light. He stood before Yan, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and... The sound of his hands clasping together was short and crisp, his voice carrying a sense of satisfaction that something had been accomplished. "Young Chief Yan, everyone on our side has arrived, and I've organized them into groups. There are about seven thousand able-bodied men, who will be traveling overland along the west bank of the Fish River to the Greater Qing Tribe, carrying cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, and some supplies. The elderly, women, and children will be traveling with the boat fleet. I've grouped them by family or tribe so they won't get separated. I've divided the able-bodied men into several smaller teams, each with cattle and horses, so they can look after each other along the way. Those who walk slowly are placed in the middle of the group, with strong young men at the front and back to support them, so no one will fall behind."

Yan nodded, placing the bowl of water in his hand on a wooden post by the dock. The bottom of the bowl tapped softly against the top of the post. "Okay, that's what I was thinking too. You've made very thoughtful arrangements. After you leave, I'll stay with Liutiao and some boats and warriors at the Willow Vine Tribe to guard some supplies and gather information about the Tiger Tribe. Bailin will lead the fleet upstream along the Fish River back to the Greater Qing Tribe Greater Qing Tribe. After settling the tribespeople there, he can come and help me transport the remaining supplies back from the Willow Vine Tribe. This way, we'll go in two groups, with the people going first and the supplies being transported later, so we don't have to crowd together."

Liuren nodded, his fingers pausing in front of him as if to steady his words before he spoke, "Alright, that way, our people can be safer. The old and weak will go first, the able-bodied will take the land route. This place is too close to the Tiger Tribe; we'll be basically safe once we reach the Greater Qing Tribe."

Yan then spoke to Liuren, his voice lower than before, as if to put the following words in a tone closer to a normal conversation. "Yes, I want you to lead these seven thousand young men on their migration. You are the best choice. You are familiar with the terrain and crossings along the way. You know better than any of us which places are passable and which are not. Moreover, you have more influence and are more familiar with them. You can also handle any coordination issues that need to be addressed along the way. I trust you to lead them."

Upon hearing this, Liuren's expression shifted slightly. He spoke in a low voice, but with the decisiveness of someone entrusted with a great responsibility. "Thank you for your trust, Young Master Yan. I'm confident I can handle this well. I've walked that path along the shore many times. I know exactly which sections are narrow, which are steep, and which are prone to being washed away. I'll divide the team into several groups, supporting each other to prevent them from getting separated. Each group will be spaced a distance apart. The front group will scout ahead, the rear group will bring up the rear, and those in the middle will simply follow. I know them quite well, and they trust what I say."

Yan and Liuren chatted for a while, giving some instructions. Soon, the group started moving. The elderly, women, and children, carrying essential supplies, began to board the ship one after another. Bailin stood on the dock with his men, holding a wooden tablet. He had someone mark each family they passed. His gaze moved quickly over the figures boarding the ship, his finger tracing the edge of the tablet before withdrawing. Behind him stood several soldiers, positioned on either side of the gangplank. One guided the boarding process, another confirmed the flow of each group, and a third squatted on the edge of the gangplank to check if the knots were tight. Then, the third stood up and nodded to Bailin. The elderly, women, and children slowly walked onto the ship along the gangplank. Some carried bundles on their backs, the straps leaving shallow marks on their shoulders; others held children, the children lying... On her mother's shoulder, eyes half-closed, as if still half-asleep; someone was supporting the elderly woman, her hand resting on the young man's arm, not tightly gripping, but never letting go. An elderly woman, helped by two young women, walked onto the gangplank. Her steps were slow, each one careful. When she reached the cabin entrance, she paused, glanced back at the shore, her gaze lingering between the wooden houses and shadows of the trees in the camp. Her lips moved slightly, then closed again, before she turned back and continued walking. Liuren stood on the dock, watching the figures boarding the ship. His hands were behind his back, his gaze moving from the front of the line to the back. His gaze paused in the middle of the line, as if confirming that the number of people in a certain family matched the previous registration, before continuing to move forward.

After the elderly, women, and children had all boarded the boats, Bailin led most of the fleet upstream along the Fish River towards the Greater Qing Tribe. The sails rose one by one, their white surfaces gleaming softly in the morning light. The oars dipped into the water, and the massive fleet slowly left the dock, heading upstream. The boats grew smaller and smaller, their sails merging into one in the morning mist, finally disappearing at the bend in the river. A ripple, stirred by the oars, remained on the water's surface, slowly smoothed by the current. The dock grew quieter, with only a few untied ropes hanging in the water, swaying gently with the ripples.

Liuren, along with other able-bodied men, set off with oxen and horses loaded with supplies. The more than seven Liuren stood at the very front of the procession, wearing a dark gray linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist, and holding a wooden staff with a sharpened tip. He glanced back at the procession to make sure everyone was present, then turned and led the procession toward the path along the western bank. The sounds of oxen and horses' hooves mingled with the footsteps of men, carrying far in the morning air. The procession moved slowly along the dirt path, like a dark ribbon being stretched out, from the camp gate all the way to the edge of the distant grove of trees.

Yan stood on the dock, watching the departing procession. His gaze lingered on Liuren's back for a moment before shifting to the figures leading cattle and horses, then returned to his own. He spoke to Liutiao Tiao, who stood beside him, his voice low but clear. "Brother Liutiao, during this time we need to gather intelligence on the Tiger Tribe's movements while preparing to evacuate all our supplies. We can hide or destroy many supplies that we can't take with us. The millstone is too heavy to move, so we'll unload it and hide it in the mountains. Some irrigation facilities can be destroyed, and some immature crops can also be destroyed."

Liutiao stood beside him, wearing a light brown linen robe, a leather belt with vine patterns around his waist, and his hair tied back with a leather cord. After listening to Yan's words, he nodded, his voice lower than usual, but every word carried a firm certainty. "Okay, I understand. We can't let the Tiger Tribe get away with this. I'll have the millstone moved to the mountains to the north and hidden behind the Dashi. As for the unripe crops, even if we don't destroy them, they'll still benefit the Tiger Tribe. After we leave, the Tiger Tribe will definitely take over this place for their own use. If we destroy the irrigation facilities, even if they want to use them, it will take a lot of manpower to repair them."

Yan nodded and said, "Don't worry, we'll be back here. It'll be three to five years at most, or one to two years at least. This land will still belong to us. The Tiger Tribe will likely continue to develop this place, and it will be even better then." Liutiao also nodded and said, "Yes." Then Yan's gaze shifted from Liutiao's face to the supplies that hadn't been moved yet on the dock. He looked at them for a while, then turned and walked towards the camp. His boots pounded on the compacted mud, his steps neither fast nor slow. Liutiao followed half a step behind him. Their shadows were stretched long on the ground by the morning light as they moved one after the other. Most of the torches in the camp had been extinguished, leaving only a few burning, their light growing fainter in the morning light.