Postwar Council

After Yan and Shinian led the team back to the camp's council hall on the Great Rock River, they immediately summoned Shibang and Daya. The council hall was the same one that Xueya of the Wolf Tribe had used before. The room was small, with a few animal bones and a chipped pottery bowl scattered on the floor. No one had cleaned it up, so Yan had someone wipe the table and bring in a few good stools. Everyone sat down around the long table.

Yan sat at one end of the table, took the wooden tablet from his robes and placed it in front of him. Shinian sat beside him, took his knife from his belt and leaned it against the stool. Daya and Shibang sat on either side. Da Daya's leather armor was still covered in dust, and there was a tear in his sleeve that revealed the turned-up edge of the cloth. Shibang's leather armor was covered in mud, and there was a shallow scratch on his cheekbone from a branch. But both of them were in high spirits, their eyes shining. Yan saw that everyone was seated, took his hand from the wooden tablet, and then said, "Everyone's here. Let's talk about the situation of this attack on the Wolf Tribe. Daya, you go first. How many people were controlled on the south bank? How much supplies were seized? You know the situation best on your side."

Daya pressed his palm on the table, rubbing his fingers along the wood grain, then spoke, his voice booming with the satisfaction of someone who had just finished a task. His speech was a beat faster than usual. "This time, we controlled over 20,000 people from the Wolf Tribe's affiliated tribes on the Great Rock River. Most of them were coerced by the Wolf Tribe from various smaller tribes; most haven't shed blood, and they're not relatives of the Wolf Tribe warriors. I had them registered one by one, clarifying their backgrounds, and selected over 10,000 qualified individuals. These people genuinely want to join our Fire Tribe. We explained the Fire Tribe's rules to them, and they all said they were willing to follow the Fire Tribe. We plan to further investigate the others. Those with blood on their hands, those who have oppressed others with the Wolf Tribe, or those of unknown origin will be set aside for now and investigated later." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "We've captured quite a lot of supplies this time, including grain, leather armor, bronze weapons, salt, dried vegetables, animal hides, and cattle and horses. There are also many crops outside the camp that will be harvested in the fall; the crops in those fields are growing well."

After listening, Yan nodded, flipped the wooden tablet over, drew a line on it with a bone needle, then turned to look at Shibang and spoke, his voice lower than before. "Shibang, what's the situation on the north bank?"

Shibang pulled his hand from the table, patted it on his knee, and then spoke, his voice low but sincere. "This time, we've also controlled over ten thousand Wolf Tribe dependent tribes on the Great Rock River. There are fewer people on the north bank. I had them registered one by one, clarifying their origins. Nearly ten thousand are genuinely loyal to our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe. Those people said they'd wanted to run away for a long time, but were afraid to, fearing being caught and killed by the Wolf Tribe. Now that the Fire Tribe is here, they're willing to follow us. We're also going to investigate the Fire Tribe. Some are related to the Wolf Tribe warriors, some have managed affairs in the camp; we need to carefully screen them." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "We've also seized quite a bit of supplies this time. There are also fields outside the north bank camp. The crops aren't growing as well as on the south bank, but there's still a harvest. Once we take over, we'll send people to harvest them."

Yan listened, nodded, and retrieved the bone needle from the wooden tablet. Then he spoke, his voice low but clear. "Good. This time, we can absorb over 20,000 more people here, and we've also seized a considerable amount of supplies. We've completely eradicated the Wolf Tribe, and we've also wiped out their two leaders, Xueshou and Duzhu. Only Xueya and Yexiao Wolf Tribe with a few dozen men, but they can't cause much Langhua. You've done a good job this time. Now we can focus all our efforts on dealing with the Tiger Tribe." He paused, pushed the wooden tablet on the table, and continued, "Has the Tiger Tribe made any moves lately?"

Shibang withdrew his hand from the table and placed it at his side, then spoke, his voice lower than before. "After we defeated the Wolf Tribe, the Tiger Tribe came to scout with their boats. They came from the Great Luwei Tribe, sailing upstream along the Fish River. They stopped near the mouth of the Great Rock River Mouth. The people on their boats stood at the Chuantou, looking towards the shore for a long time. Our fleet happened to be patrolling there. When we saw their boats, we went to meet them. Our boats were bigger than theirs, and we had more people. When they saw our fleet approaching, they didn't dare to go any further and Chuantou back. We didn't chase after them, but followed them until their boats left the Great Rock River Mouth before returning. The Tiger Tribe hasn't made any major moves for the time being. Their boats are still the same; they haven't dared to go upstream from the Great Luwei Tribe's side."

After listening, Yan nodded, retrieved the wooden tablet from the table, and then spoke, his voice steady and clear. "Alright, the Tiger Tribe hasn't made any major moves yet, but we can't let our guard down. Their inaction now doesn't mean they won't act later. They're waiting for an opportunity, waiting for us to show a weakness. When we attacked the Wolf Tribe, they sent ships to scout, just to see our reaction, how many ships and how many men we had. They'll definitely be discussing their next move after they get back, so we can't give them a chance." He paused, then turned to look at Daya, his voice a little louder than before, "Daya, I plan to return to the Valley River Mouth in a few days to report the battle situation here to my father. You'll be in charge of guarding the camps on both banks of the Great Rock River. Contact Shibang and the others frequently. Shibang is at the mouth of the Great Green River Mouth, close by. If anything happens, send a ship there; they can come to our aid at any time."

After listening, Daya nodded, pressed his palm on the table, and then spoke, his voice carrying the reassurance of someone who had been given a task. "Okay, I'll take over the camps on both the north and south banks. The camp on the south bank will be the main garrison, and some people will be sent to guard the camp on the north bank. The supplies on both banks will be inventoried and stored first."

Yan Chao nodded, then shifted his gaze from Daya's face, scanned the people present, and said, "Next, everyone pay attention to the movements of the Tiger Tribe in the north, especially the strongholds at the Great Green River Mouth Outpost and the Great Rock River Mouth Outpost. We must strengthen our defenses. The Tiger Tribe's ships are near the Great Luwei Tribe, not far from the Great Rock River Mouth. If they want to attack, their first targets will be the Great Rock River Mouth Outpost and Great Green River Mouth Outpost. If these two places cannot be defended, the Tiger Tribe's ships can sail upstream along the Fish River. Therefore, we must ensure sufficient ships and personnel at these two strongholds, and place sentries far away. If any situation is detected, send someone to relay the message." He paused, tapping his finger lightly on the table. "At the same time, we must also develop and build up this area. Our Fire Tribe might soon launch an attack on the Tiger Tribe's Willow Vine River Mouth Outpost and the Great Luwei River Mouth Outpost. You all need to prepare as well, get the ships ready, train the soldiers, and stockpile provisions. Once Father has made his decision, we will make our move."

Shibang and Daya nodded simultaneously. Shibang pulled his hand off the table, slapped it on his belt with a short, muffled thud, and then spoke, his voice carrying a triumphant elation. "Good, I've been prepared for a long time. We can attack at any time, as long as the order is given. I've had my men scout out the Tiger Tribe's two strongholds at the Willow Vine Tribe River Mouth and the Great Luwei River Mouth several times. I know their troop deployment, sentry positions, where their ships are moored, and where their granaries are. It won't be difficult to take them down."

Daya nodded, pressed his palm on the table, and then spoke, his voice a little louder than before. "I will also guard and develop the camps on both the north and south banks well."

After listening, Yan nodded, put the wooden tablet into his robes, stood up, pressed his palm on the table, looked around at everyone present, and spoke in a low but clear voice, "Don't let your guard down. We've only removed one thorn in our side by destroying the Wolf Tribe. The Tiger Tribe is still behind us. The Tiger Tribe is much larger and stronger than the Wolf Tribe. Fighting them will be a tough battle, and we can't be careless. This time we've seized a lot of supplies and recruited many people, making us stronger than before, but compared to the Tiger Tribe, we don't yet have an overwhelming advantage. We must continue to develop and grow stronger." After he finished speaking, he took his hand off the table, raised his hand to everyone, indicating that they could disperse. Everyone stood up and walked towards the door, their footsteps gradually fading away in the corridor.