Section 72: The Plotting, Part One

A woman named Zhou Min faced the demand for surrender with unwavering resolve. “Stop dreaming. We would rather die than give in. Our chieftain will come for us soon, and your tribe is doomed sooner or later!”

The other three women villagers, seeing her stand firm, seemed to find their own courage. They turned their faces away one after another, refusing to look at the man before them.

The man with the mocking smile said, “Come to rescue you? I advise you to kill that hope as early as possible. Why should your chieftain, Li Zhan, come save you? With only a handful of militia under him, does he dare attack my tribe? Ah, I almost forgot—he’s united all seventeen tribes of Danyang County, and seems to be some kind of alliance leader as well. But I still have one card left to play. The seventeen tribes have already begun to split apart, and Li Zhan and the others know nothing of it. Among the faction that has broken away, there is a chieftain named Deaf, Lewd, and Mad. He has been in close contact with me lately, and he is the leader of that splinter group. In a little while, Deaf, Lewd, and Mad will go to the Yellow Emperor Tribe as an allied chieftain to test their strength. If Li Zhan makes any move, I will know at once, and then I’ll catch your chieftain completely off guard. Hahahaha…”

At once, the three women panicked and turned back to Zhou Min. Zhou Min bit her lip hard. Though she wore an expression of ready martyrdom, her heart had also begun to waver. If the chieftain cannot come to save us, what then? Are we truly going to die here? Chieftain, where are you now...

Danyang County, Yellow Emperor Tribe.

News that the tribe had been attacked spread swiftly, carried by wandering players from mouth to mouth, until many chieftains and drifters throughout Danyang County had heard it. The first tribe leader to arrive was Wry Radish Stick. After disembarking, he pushed through the many wandering players blocking his way and reached the wooden gate, where Zhao Ming and the others recognized him and opened it for him.

The moment he entered the tribal center, Wry Radish Stick cried out anxiously, “Brother Li! Brother Li! It’s me, Wry Radish Stick, Brother Li, where are you?!”

Li Zhan had just logged off to check the official site for the explanations about converting game currency into real currency, as well as the rules for war declarations and so on. He had only just come back online and was discussing matters with Old Tang, Wang Hui, and Feng Gang when he heard the shouting. He hurried out of the tribal hall and said to Wry Radish Stick, “Brother, what brings you here?”

Wry Radish Stick said urgently, “I heard your tribe was attacked—could I not rush over?”

As he spoke, he walked toward Li Zhan and quickly surveyed the situation in the tribe. The ruins of the destroyed wooden houses had already been mostly cleared by the villagers. Over by the dyeing shed, they were sorting through the debris, digging out looms and other items from the rubble and examining each one carefully to see how badly it had been damaged.

“Damn it, who did this? Brother Li, tell me who it was and I’ll wipe them out!”

Wry Radish Stick said indignantly.

Li Zhan thought for a moment and then said to him, “Let’s talk about that later. Right now I have more urgent matters to handle.”

Turning back, he continued the earlier conversation with Old Tang, who was still standing behind him. “Master Tang, with your skill, how many sets of leather armor can you produce in a day?”

They had been discussing leather armor a moment earlier. Old Tang’s craftsmanship with hides was truly superb. In just one day, in the joint workshop, he had produced a piece of inferior leather armor. Its durability and defense were still far from ideal, but when worn over cotton clothes, it could still raise protection significantly.

Inferior Leather Armor
Protection Areas: shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, chest, back
Defense: +5
Durability: 5
Additional Effects: None
Weight: 4
Equipment Requirement: Regular Army, level 7 or above, militia excluded

Old Tang thought about it and replied, “About three or four sets. But this inferior leather armor ought to be improved further, otherwise we’re wasting all that cowhide.”

Li Zhan waved him off, interrupting. “There’s no time. I need leather armor now, and the faster and more numerous, the better. Master Tang, Wang Hui, and Feng Gang, don’t linger in the tribe any longer. Take the cowhide to the joint workshop at once. Wang Hui and Feng Gang, work with Master Tang to make as much leather armor as possible, as fast as possible. I need it before nightfall.”

The three of them seemed to realize something. They exchanged glances, then said to Li Zhan in unison, “Yes! We will produce leather armor as fast as possible and never disappoint the chieftain.”

Li Zhan nodded, then had the three of them and a fisherman take two bundles of coarse cowhide and one bundle of fine cowhide and immediately set off by boat for Danyang.

Just after he finished giving these orders, Zhang Chong came running all the way over, crying as he rushed toward Li Zhan and Wry Radish Stick. With a thud, he dropped to his knees before Li Zhan.

“Chieftain, please, you must save Zhou Min! So long as Zhou Min can be brought back, I, Zhang Chong, would gladly work like an ox or a horse for you...”

As he spoke, he knocked his head to the ground again and again.

During last night’s attack, Zhang Chong learned that Zhou Min had been captured. He charged out of the tribal hall to fight the enemy to the death. Fortunately, Zhao Ming, Zhang Feng, and the others, following Ruoyan’s orders, protected the villagers with all their might, and in the end Zhang Chong was only rescued after being gravely wounded and knocked unconscious.

Li Zhan hurried forward and helped him up. “You need not be so anxious. I have this under control.”

His words were deliberately vague, but how could Zhang Chong be satisfied? He still pleaded through his tears. Wry Radish Stick, standing beside them, helped Zhang Chong to his feet and said quietly, “Since Brother Li said he has this under control, he will definitely bring Zhou Min back for you. There are too many wandering players outside the tribe right now. Rumors spread fastest where there is no wind, and Brother Li cannot speak too plainly, lest word get out.”

Understanding dawned on Zhang Chong. He hastily wiped his tears and replied in a low voice, “I understand. Thank you, Chieftain. If there is anything you need, just say the word. I, Zhang Chong, will risk my life without hesitation.”

Li Zhan gave a slight nod. Zhang Chong understood and quickly withdrew.

At that moment, the north gate leading to the dock was opened again, and two more chieftains and a player merchant entered. The two chieftains were the siblings Feng Xing and Feng Ling, while the merchant was Pig Is What Thought Comes Before Death. Zhao Ming knew all three, so they were allowed through very smoothly.

After learning that the Yellow Emperor Tribe had been attacked, the three had set out immediately. Once inside, they saw Li Zhan and Wry Radish Stick standing outside the tribal hall and quickly came over.

When they reached him, Feng Xing clasped his hands toward Li Zhan and said anxiously, “Alliance Leader Li, which tribe was it, exactly, that did this?”

Beside him, Feng Ling added, “Those tribes are far too outrageous, repeatedly setting their sights on our Danyang County!”