Chapter Summaries

The Fire Tribe grew stronger and more self-sufficient as Wang Yan trained its youths and improved its hunting equipment while rice harvests filled the expanded storehouses. The chapter left the tribe celebrating its first abundant harvest and looking ahead to planting more fields.

• The Fire Tribe's people became healthier, and Yingmu joined the Hunting Team as a squad captain while Shibang became the strongest member of the Youth Team.
• Wang Yan trained the Youth Team in endurance, strength, and formation drills, and Hunting Team members adopted his cooperative tactics.
• Jianshi expanded production of rattan armor, helmets, and shields, and the tribe tested Wang Yan's small throwing hammers as ranged weapons.
• The Fire Tribe harvested its first thousand mu of rice, which Jianshi estimated would yield two hundred thousand jin of unhusked grain.
• Wang Yan calculated that the tribe's two thousand mu of rice fields could produce another four hundred thousand jin by autumn, and the tribespeople returned home pleased with their harvest.

The Wolf Tribe chose to extort the wealthy Pottery Salt Tribe and sent Xueya with 125 warriors toward it. Jia Li dismissed warnings about the raiders, unaware that they were already closing in.

• Xueya heard from Chaigou that the Pottery Salt Tribe was wealthy and decided to demand tribute rather than attack it outright.
• Xueya left Xueshou behind to guard the stronghold and assembled a force of 125 warriors for the expedition.
• Xueya led his warriors down High Pointed Mountain toward the Pottery Salt Tribe.
• Wang Yan supervised the installation of a waterwheel in the Fire Tribe as its fields flourished.
• Jia Li's merchant warned him that Wolf Tribe scouts were active nearby, but Jia Li trusted the Fish Tribe's backing and dismissed the danger.

When Jia Li learned that the Wolf Tribe was approaching after raiding smaller tribes, he organized the Pottery Salt Tribe’s defenses and sought help from allies. With the tribe evacuated and preparations underway, the looming battle was left about to begin.

• Jia Li learned from Biaotou that the Wolf Tribe’s main force was heading toward the Pottery Salt Tribe after looting several smaller tribes.
• Jia Li ordered Huolang to evacuate vulnerable tribespeople and supplies, Qiyue to strengthen patrols and set traps, and Qiandai to distribute weapons.
• Jia Li sent Yuantu to the Hundred Crafts Tribe and Biaotou to the Beast Taming Tribe to request fifty warriors each.
• Jia Li sent two swimmers downstream to inform Canglan of the danger and watched as the tribe prepared for the Wolf Tribe’s arrival.

Jia Li welcomed reinforcements from the Fish Tribe, Beast Taming Tribe, and Hundred Crafts Tribe, then organized an ambush for the approaching Wolf Tribe. By the next day, the allied warriors had taken their positions in Wolf Fang Valley and waited for Xueya’s force to arrive.

• Julang arrived with a hundred Fish Tribe warriors, followed by Liequan with fifty Beast Taming Tribe warriors and Kaishan with fifty Hundred Crafts Tribe warriors.
• Jia Li held a feast to welcome the reinforcements, and the tribal leaders discussed their plans for fighting the Wolf Tribe.
• Jia Li and Biaotou assigned two hundred and thirty warriors to ambush the Wolf Tribe in Wolf Fang Valley while seventy guarded the tribe.
• Qiandai announced bounties for Wolf Tribe fighters, and Huolang arranged supplies for the ambush.
• Xueya rejected Shouhou’s suggestion to scout ahead and said the Wolf Tribe would demand tribute before resorting to force.
• The allied warriors set their ambush, and Biaotou and Julang waited for the Wolf Tribe to enter the valley.

Jia Li and the allied tribes ambushed Xueya’s Wolf Tribe at Wolf Fang Valley, forcing the survivors to retreat after heavy losses. The allies celebrated their victory while Xueya turned his attention toward the Fire Tribe.

• Xueya recognized the danger at Wolf Fang Valley, but Jia Li sounded the attack horn before he could escape.
• Yuantu’s spearmen and Biaotou’s spearthrowers struck the Wolf Tribe, and Kaishan, Liequan, Julang, and Biaotou led the allied forces in pursuit.
• Jia Li’s forces surrounded Xueya’s battered survivors, and Julang revealed the heads of the Wolf Tribe’s scouts.
• Xueya admitted defeat and retreated after Jia Li ordered him to leave, while Jia Li refused Huolang’s suggestion to pursue.
• Jia Li promised the allied warriors their rewards and returned with them to a victory feast in the Pottery Salt Tribe.
• Xueya vowed revenge and chose the Fire Tribe as his next target.

After the Pottery Salt Tribe celebrated its victory over the Wolf Tribe, Jia Li assessed the danger they still posed and ordered preparations to strengthen the tribe and build alliances. He decided to visit the rising Fire Tribe, while the Wolf Tribe’s survivors headed in its direction.

• Jia Li rewarded the warriors and toasted the Fish Tribe, the Hundred Crafts Tribe, and the Beast Taming Tribe for helping defeat the Wolf Tribe.
• Jia Li and his five great warriors agreed that the Wolf Tribe was dangerous and likely to return.
• Jia Li ordered Biaotou to train more warriors, Qiyue to improve defenses, Huolang to obtain weapons, and Qiandai to maintain relations with other tribes.
• A scout reported that the Wolf Tribe’s remnants had headed toward the Fire Tribe, and Qiandai described the Fire Tribe’s recent growth.
• Jia Li ordered a generous gift prepared and said he would visit the Fire Tribe in a few days.

After the Pottery Salt Tribe’s victory over the Wolf Tribe, Jia Li suspected Canglan had deliberately allowed the enemy to escape to keep neighboring tribes reliant on the Fish Tribe. Canglan confirmed the order and revealed he was watching the rapidly growing Fire Tribe, while Jia Li prepared his tribe for future unrest.

• Jia Li worried over the Wolf Tribe’s strength and concluded Canglan had ordered Julang to let them escape to preserve the Fish Tribe’s influence.
• Qiandai told Jia Li the reinforcements would leave the next morning and agreed that the Fish Tribe had held back.
• Julang, Liequan, and Kaishan led their warriors home with rewards and stronger ties to the Pottery Salt Tribe.
• Julang reported to Canglan, who praised him for following orders and said the Wolf Tribe remained useful for now.
• Canglan told Julang he wanted to see how the Fire Tribe handled the fleeing Wolf Tribe and said its rapid growth was concerning.
• Jia Li ordered Biaotou to intensify warrior training and Qiandai to maintain ties with the other tribes.

After retreating from the Pottery Salt Tribe’s forces with heavy losses, Xueya decided to restore the Wolf Tribe’s morale by raiding nearby tribes. He targeted Little Stone Creek for the next morning and planned to attack the Fire Tribe after recovering.

• Xueya’s wounded party counted more than twenty dead, including Shouhou, after escaping the battle in Wolf Fang Valley.
• Duyan observed that the allied tribes had not fought as one, while Xueya decided the Wolf Tribe could not return to High Pointed Mountain in defeat.
• Xueya rallied his warriors by promising to replenish their supplies and take food and women from small tribes nearby.
• Chaigou reported that Little Stone Creek and Shugen were within reach, and Xueya chose to attack Little Stone Creek at dawn.
• As Xueya sharpened his knife and vowed revenge on the Pottery Salt Tribe and Fish Tribe, Wang Yan inspected a waterwheel in the Fire Tribe’s valley, unaware of the approaching danger.

Xueya led the Wolf Tribe in a raid on the Little Stone Creek Tribe, killing many and taking food and captives. Five tribespeople escaped to warn nearby tribes, carrying news that would soon spread through the region and reach the flourishing Fire Tribe.

• Xueya ordered Duyan, Shichui, and Fenglang to surround the Little Stone Creek Tribe and attack its sleeping residents.
• The Wolf Tribe killed the chief and many tribespeople, seized food, and tied up survivors, mostly women and children.
• Shichui found a hidden little girl, and Xueya ordered that she be taken along as a possible trade.
• Chaigou reported that several people had escaped west, but Xueya chose to leave without pursuing them.
• Five Little Stone Creek tribespeople fled toward nearby tribes to warn them of the attack, unaware they were the last survivors.

The Wolf Tribe robbed two small tribes as it advanced toward the Bison Tribe and the Self Pig Tribe, driving both victims to seek refuge with the Fire Tribe. As refugees and rumors began spreading, Xueya planned to rebuild his tribe’s strength before turning his attention to the Fire Tribe.

• Xueya ordered Chaigou to take thirty warriors to the Little Stone Mountain Tribe and seize half its winter food under the pretense of borrowing it.
• Shi Weng decided to move his people to the Fire Tribe after the Wolf Tribe left with their food.
• Duyan led the Wolf Tribe’s raid on the Tree Root Root Tribe, taking most of its food and forcing away two young women.
• The chief of the Little Shugen Tribe ordered his people to flee to the Fire Tribe after the Wolf Tribe departed.
• Xueya continued toward the Bison Tribe and the Self Pig Tribe, planning to attack them before confronting the Fire Tribe.

Jijiao organized the Bison Tribe’s defenses as the much stronger Wolf Tribe approached, hoping to avoid bloodshed but preparing to fight if necessary. Xueya sharpened his knife in the Wolf Tribe’s camp, leaving both sides poised for a confrontation the next day.

• Jijiao told the Bison Tribe’s council that the Wolf Tribe was less than a day away and had already destroyed or plundered neighboring tribes.
• Niujiao warned that the Bison Tribe had too few fighters to face the Wolf Tribe head-on, and Jijiao described Xueya as a vicious opponent he had once fought.
• Jijiao assigned patrols, organized the tribe’s fighters and civilians, and ordered stronger defenses and traps around the camp.
• Jijiao advised Mangu to avoid fighting Xueya directly and to retreat if the battle turned against them, while admitting he would rather surrender food than risk his people’s lives.
• Xueya sharpened his bone knife in the Wolf Tribe’s camp and threatened the Bison Tribe if it resisted.

The Wolf Tribe challenged the Bison Tribe for cattle and food, and the contest ended in a Wolf Tribe victory. Xueya left with the spoils and led his warriors toward the White Pig Tribe.

• The Wolf Tribe arrived at the Bison Tribe’s camp, and Xueya demanded twenty cattle; Jijiao refused and proposed a three-match contest instead of an all-out fight.
• Xueya defeated Jijiao in the first match using a hidden weapon, giving the Wolf Tribe the lead.
• Mangu defeated Shichui in the second match, tying the score at one win each.
• Fenglang defeated Juti in the deciding match, securing victory for the Wolf Tribe.
• Jijiao handed over five cattle and five hundred jin of food, and Xueya led the Wolf Tribe away toward the White Pig Tribe.

Zongmao gathered five small tribes at the White Pig Tribe and prepared their combined six hundred people for the Wolf Tribe's arrival. Xueya learned of their defenses and planned to confront Zongmao the next day.

• Zongmao sent Tunyong to frighten nearby small tribes into seeking shelter with the White Pig Tribe, swelling the camp to six hundred people.
• Zongmao urged the assembled chiefs and warriors to feed and arm themselves, offering food to the Wolf Tribe if its demands stayed modest and promising to fight if it demanded more.
• Tunyong, Liaoya, Houzong, Nitan, Chongzhuang, and others organized training, weapons, food, traps, defenses, and support duties around the camp.
• Xueya heard from a scout that the White Pig Tribe had six hundred people, rejected Duyan's suggestion of a night raid, and decided to meet Zongmao the next day.

Xueya’s Wolf Tribe confronted Zongmao’s White Pig Tribe and negotiated a tribute of ten pigs and five hundred jin of grain instead of risking a battle. After leaving, Xueya led his warriors toward the wealthy Fire Tribe, bringing the threat closer to them.

• Xueya led nearly a hundred Wolf Tribe warriors and captives to the White Pig Tribe, where Zongmao and his people prepared to defend their camp.
• Duyan demanded twenty pigs and a thousand jin of grain, while Zongmao offered only ten pigs and refused Xueya’s proposed three-on-three contest.
• Xueya and Zongmao bargained down to ten pigs and five hundred jin of grain, which the White Pig Tribe handed over.
• Zongmao warned the other tribal leaders to prepare for the Wolf Tribe’s return, while Tunyong questioned why they had let the warriors leave.
• Xueya led the Wolf Tribe northwest toward the Fire Tribe, hoping to plunder its wealth.

After learning that the Wolf Tribe was raiding neighboring tribes and heading toward Fire Tribe territory, Jianshi and the council assessed Fire Tribe’s strength and planned an ambush at Wild Boar Gully. Jianshi approved Wang Yan joining the battle under strict orders, and the tribe prepared to defend its settlement and strike the approaching enemy.

• Jianya sheltered survivors from Little Stone Creek Tribe, while hunting scouts reported that the Wolf Tribe had robbed the Bison Tribe and was heading for the White Pig Tribe.
• Jianshi convened Fire Tribe’s leaders, who discussed the enemy’s approach and heard Wang Yan detail the tribe’s population, fighters, equipment, and ample grain stores.
• Jianshi chose to ambush the Wolf Tribe at Wild Boar Gully with 250 hunters, and Wang Yan persuaded him to allow him to join the battle and observe.
• Jianshi assigned Dali and Dazhuang to lead forces on the eastern and western ridges, while he led fifty elites at the gully entrance and Dabang guarded the settlement.
• Jianshi ordered Jianya, the boatbuilding group, the farming group, and Qingye to prepare defenses, transport, rations, and support for the tribe and refugees.

The Fire Tribe ambushed the Wolf Tribe at Wild Boar Gully after Xueya led his raiders toward Fire Tribe territory. Jianshi defeated Xueya, and the Fire Tribe routed the Wolf Tribe, leaving the survivors fleeing into the mountains.

• Xueya rejected the idea of raiding the Deer Tribe or Green Sheep Tribe and led his party toward the Fire Tribe to seize supplies.
• Xueya stopped outside Wild Boar Gully when he sensed a trap, while Jianshi and Wang Yan watched from an ambush on the ridge.
• Jianshi ordered the Fire Tribe to strike the three Wolf Tribe scouts and charge the enemy before they could enter the gully.
• Jianshi accepted Xueya’s duel challenge and overwhelmed him, knocking away his axe and kicking him down.
• Wang Yan signaled the Fire Tribe to attack, and its warriors hurled stone hammers before charging and breaking the Wolf Tribe’s formation.
• Jianshi halted the pursuit after the Fire Tribe killed dozens of fugitives, and the warriors collected the battlefield spoils.

After defeating the Wolf Tribe, the Fire Tribe returned to camp with captured supplies and celebrated its victory. Jianshi warned the tribe to keep building its strength, while the leaders planned new security and organizational measures against future threats.

• The Fire Tribe celebrated its victory and captured supplies, while Dali reported that the wounded Xueya had escaped into the forest.
• Jianshi ordered the warriors to return to camp, where the tribespeople welcomed them and held a feast in their honor.
• Jianshi credited the victory to the tribe’s farming, equipment, training, and unity, and urged everyone to keep working and preparing for future battles.
• Jianya reported that the Fire Tribe had seven lightly injured warriors and no deaths, while the Wolf Tribe had left dozens dead and five captives behind.
• Wang Yan proposed strengthening the Hunting Team and Youth Team, and Jianshi tasked Jianya with organizing this while ordering faster wall construction and more sentries.

After the Fire Tribe defeated the Wolf Tribe, stories of its strength spread and drew survivors and neighboring settlements seeking protection. Jianshi welcomed the newcomers but ordered the tribe to integrate and train them, leaving the Fire Tribe’s population and influence growing.

• Yingmu found about a dozen survivors from Little Stone Creek, and the Fire Tribe reunited them with their former tribemates before accepting them into the tribe.
• About three hundred people from settlements near the White Pig Tribe arrived seeking refuge after the Wolf Tribe extorted the White Pig Tribe and its chief demanded they share the losses.
• Jianshi welcomed the newcomers and assigned Jianya, Qingye, and the Farming Group to settle, care for, and register them.
• Jianshi ordered the Fire Tribe to integrate and train its new members while continuing construction, farming, and military preparations.

Jia Li visited the Fire Tribe and was astonished by its population, farms, defenses, boats, and military strength. After learning that the Fire Tribe had defeated the Wolf Tribe, he saw an opportunity to build closer trade ties, and the chapter ended as Jia Li and Jianshi prepared to begin negotiations.

• Shibang reported that three unfamiliar boats were approaching, and Jianshi recognized the Pottery Salt Tribe's flag and realized Jia Li had arrived.
• Jianshi went to welcome Jia Li with Qingye, Jianya, and Yan, while Jia Li was stunned by the Fire Tribe's dock, boats, farmland, livestock, wall, and settlement.
• Jianshi and Jia Li greeted each other warmly, and Jia Li praised the Fire Tribe's transformation and growing power.
• Jia Li described how the Pottery Salt Tribe and its allies had driven back the Wolf Tribe, then learned that the Fire Tribe had killed more than eighty attackers and wounded Xueya.
• Jia Li resolved to strengthen his trade connection with the Fire Tribe, and Jianshi recognized a chance to expand trade beyond the Fish Tribe.
• Qingye hosted a lavish feast for Jia Li, while both men understood that their important trade negotiations were still to come.

At a feast, Wang Yan and Jianshi negotiated with Jia Li of the Pottery Salt Tribe to trade Fire Tribe pottery for horses and trained dogs. Jia Li agreed to arrange the animals and dogs, and both sides settled on transporting the pottery by boat.

• Jia Li praised Jianshi for defeating the Wolf Tribe and said the Pottery Salt Tribe could now trade with less fear.
• Jianshi confirmed that the Fire Tribe had mastered pottery production, and Wang Yan said it could make about five hundred pieces each month, with some available for trade.
• Wang Yan asked Jia Li to arrange fifty short-legged horses from the Horse Tribe and twenty trained dogs from the Beast Taming Tribe in exchange for pottery.
• Jia Li agreed to contact both tribes and secure the horses and dogs if the Fire Tribe supplied enough pottery.
• Wang Yan proposed delivering pottery by boat and sending a fleet to collect the animals, and Jia Li and Jianshi sealed the deal.