A Clash in the Tiger's Den

Yan's cozy days at the management center didn't last long. Three days later, the people gathered upstream on the Fish River had arrived at the Fire Tribe's management center. They came from several tributary outposts upstream, walking in groups to the dock. Some carried bundles, some had their wives and children with them, and some came alone. They waited for arrangements along the pier at the dock. Yan led the fleet and these people from the Valley River Mouth Outpost outpost to the lower reaches of the Fish River. Before leaving, he divided the people into two groups, one going to the Great Rock River Mouth and the other to the Great Green River Mouth. The dock was busy all morning, and it wasn't until noon that everyone was arranged to board the boats. The fleet sailed downstream along the Fish River.

Just as the Fire Tribe was making great strides, the Tiger Tribe's council hall was filled with people. A large Hutou banner hung on the wall, its surface sewn from a single tiger skin. Two obsidian stones were inlaid in the Hutou's eyes, gleaming dimly under the lamplight. Several Tongding were placed in the corner, their bodies engraved with cloud and tiger patterns.

Hu Zheng sat at the head of the table, wearing a long black robe with gold trim on the collar and cuffs. A wide leather belt with a bronze buckle hung at his waist, from which hung a bronze dagger, its scabbard inlaid with turquoise. He glanced at everyone present, withdrew his hand from the table, and then spoke, his voice low but clear. "This time, the Fire Tribe swiftly uprooted the Wolf Tribe's power, completely eliminating our Tiger Tribe's southern barrier. With the Wolf Tribe destroyed, the Fire Tribe's forces will now directly reach the mouths of the Willow Vine Tribe River Mouth and the Great Luwei River Mouth. Everyone, please feel free to share your thoughts."

The eldest elder Tongding, spoke first. He sat in the first seat to Hu Zheng's right, his hair held back with a bronze hairpin. His face was etched with deep wrinkles, as if carved by a knife, each line embedded in his skin. His cheekbones were high, his eyes deep-set, yet his gaze remained sharp. He wore a dark gray robe, the front embroidered with the Tongding pattern, the symbol of the Great Copper Tribe. His fingers were large, with prominent knuckles and calloused fingertips. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, carrying a urgency that had been suppressed for a long time. "Now the Fire Tribe has..." The Wolf Tribe has seized the territory and population of the Great Boulder Tribe, and their strength has increased. With the threat from the Wolf Tribe to the north gone, their next move will undoubtedly be to extend their influence further north. The territories of the Willow Vine Tribe and the Great Luwei Tribe to the south of our Tiger Tribe are directly exposed to the threat of the Fire Tribe. Those two places are under our control; if we lose them, it's not just a matter of losing territory, but the entire operation of the tribe will be affected. I suggest strengthening the defenses of these two places, transferring as many people as possible there, constructing fortifications, stockpiling boats, and placing sentries far away."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Bashan spoke up. He sat in the first seat to Hu Zheng's left, the elder brother of the previous chieftain. Broad-shouldered and thick-backed, he wore a dark brown leather armor over a black linen robe. A wide leather belt with a bronze buckle hung at his waist, from which hung a bronze broadsword with a cowhide scabbard. His face was dark and rough, the skin on his cheekbones reddened by the river wind. The lines at the corners of his eyes looked as if they had been carved with a knife. His eyes were not large but fierce, and when he looked at someone, his gaze seemed to pierce into their flesh. When he spoke, his voice was loud and clear, with a kind of anger that only came from being offended. "Right now, a lot of the tribe's mobile forces are absorbing people north of the Long River. They can't be moved around easily. If those troops are transferred away, things on the Long River will have to stop. We invested so much food and manpower there last year, and we can just stop like that?"

The First Elder Tongding Ding, immediately spoke, his brows furrowing and the lines around his eyes tightening. He tapped his fingers heavily on the table, the knuckles making a thud on the wooden board, before speaking, his voice slightly louder than before. "You can't recruit many people on the Long River anymore. Deploying a large number of mobile troops there won't be very useful. The Fire Tribe's threat to us in the south is the most urgent. They've wiped out the Wolf Tribe and are at the height of their power. Their next move will definitely be northward, with the Willow Vine Tribe River Mouth and the Great Luwei River Mouth bearing the brunt. I suggest that it's best to deploy these mobile troops to the south to defend against the Fire Tribe."

After listening, Hu Bashan withdrew his hand from the table, slapped it on his knee, and then spoke, his voice filled with the annoyance of someone whose sore spot had been touched. His speech was faster than usual, and his brows furrowed. "What about our plan to absorb population on the Long River if we transfer all these mobile troops to the south? If those troops leave, things on the Long River will have to stop. We've invested so much food and manpower; how can we just stop like that? Besides, you and the Fire Tribe have been defeated twice in a row, suffering heavy losses. What if you transfer these mobile troops to the south and then mismanage them, wasting them? Those troops are the foundation of the tribe, not your Elder's private army. You can't just use them to fill any gaps!"

Upon hearing this, Tongding's face flushed crimson. He slammed his hand heavily on the table, causing the earthenware bowl on it to bounce and make a crisp sound as it struck the surface. Then he spoke, his voice filled with the fury of someone publicly exposed. His speech was faster than usual, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth. "If you hadn't withdrawn your troops the first time, leaving us short-handed, how could we have lost to the Fire Tribe? When we fought the Fire Tribe in the south, we only had so many men. And you, you took away our elite troops! We suffered a defeat in the south, and you can't escape responsibility for that either!"

After listening, Hu Bashan slammed his palm on the table, making an even louder thud, and then spoke, his voice a beat higher than before, so loud it shook some dust off the roof, and his pace quickening. "What does this have to do with us? This is just normal troop deployment! You guys can't fight a war well, so you blame us for deploying troops!"

The argument between the two factions escalated, and Tong Dachui, the son of the Great Elder Tong Tongding, joined in. He wore a dark gray short robe with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms, which bore several old scars from the furnace. He slammed the earthenware bowl he was holding onto the table, the bottom of which made a dull thud, and then said, "Back then, how many of you lost when you led your men to fight the Wuyue Tribe? If it weren't for my father supplying you with food from the rear, you wouldn't be where you are today!"

Hu Zhenshan, from the Hu Bashan faction, also joined in. He was the third brother of the previous leader, wearing a black leather armor over a short linen robe, with a bronze-buckled leather belt around his waist. His eyes were small but very bright, darting around as he looked at people. When he spoke, his voice was low but sharp, and his speech was faster than usual, as if he were pricking fabric with a needle. "Tong Dachui, you're wrong. The matter on the Long River is a major issue for the tribe, not just for our Tiger family. Your faction, led by the Great Elder, manages the bronze workshop and the shipbuilding workshop. You have money, grain, and manpower, so why don't you send people to guard the south?"

Hu Dingshan also joined in; he was the fourth brother of the previous leader.

Seeing the argument escalating, Hu Zheng repeatedly intervened, slapping his hand twice on the table, making the ceramic bowl on it bounce. He then said, "Everyone, stop arguing! What good will this do? Now that the Fire Tribe has cleared our southern barrier except for the Wolf Tribe, we really need to make some preparations. I suggest sending 70% of our mobile forces to the south to defend against the Fire Tribe, and the remaining 30% to continue absorbing people on the Long River. What do you think? With 70% of our forces there, the southern defense will be sufficient; with 30% remaining in the north, things won't completely stop there. We'll save face on both sides, and no one should criticize anyone else."

After some discussion, the two factions agreed on the plan. Tongding withdrew his hand from the table, placed it on his knee, tapped his fingers lightly on his knee, and then spoke. His voice was lower than before, but his tone still carried a suppressed anger. "Seventy percent complete. The matter in the south cannot be delayed; the longer it is delayed, the more passive we become. I will make arrangements tomorrow to build up the fortifications at the mouths of the Willow Vine Tribe River Mouth and the Great Luwei River Mouth, prepare enough boats, and send out sentries far away."

Hu Bashan also withdrew his hand from the table, patted his belt, and then spoke, his voice lower than before, but still carrying the reluctance one feels after being cut off. "It's fine for 30% to stay in the north, but things in the north can't stop. I'll have someone pack up the stalls in the north tomorrow, and that will be enough for 30% of the troops."

Soon, everyone began to leave one after another. Tongding was the first to stand up. He gathered the hem of his robe and walked towards the door. He paused at the door, glanced back at Hu Zheng, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he turned around and strode out. Tong Dachui followed behind, taking large, fast strides. He almost bumped into a servant who was coming in, but the servant moved aside. He snorted and walked away without looking back. Hu Bashan also stood up, took his broadsword from his belt and hung it up, then lifted the hem of his robe to both sides and strode towards the door. Hu Zhenshan and Hu Dingshan followed behind. The three of them whispered something at the door, but their voices were not loud and were carried away by the wind, so they were not clearly heard. Then they each went in different directions.