Winter had yet to end, but the tribe was already bustling with activity. It was no longer as cold as before. Not only that, but every Yanjiao tribesman had uncontrollable smiles on their faces. Shao Xuan noticed that Old Ke's wrinkles had deepened over the past two days.
News of Yanjiao's plan to hold a banquet had already spread throughout the tribe. Everyone was gearing up for a big event after the end of winter. No one felt that it was extravagant or wasteful. Just like Shao Xuan, they couldn't wait to raise both hands in approval.
Moreover, this banquet would not be held by a single person but by the entire tribe. Just the thought of it made them excited. Many of them had not slept well for several days in a row. They were too excited and couldn't fall asleep at all. The chief and shaman had said that each of their clans would have a chance to show off when the time came.
The number of new bronzes was still limited. Even if some people already had one, one would definitely not be enough for hunting. The rest would have to be settled with stone tools. Therefore, from the top of the mountain to the bottom, the sound of stone tools being polished could be heard all the time. Even at night, some people could see firelight seeping through the narrow gaps in their houses. Although they couldn't hit the stone tools recklessly late at night because it would be too noisy, they could still polish them.
Due to the Cataclysm, the Night Swallow that used to appear at night had disappeared for a period of time. They had not been seen recently either. Some people said that they had flown to other places with the migrating birds, while others said that they had been scared away by the Chacha. No matter what the truth was, the Night Swallow was no longer seen in the tribe. This made the tribe, which no longer had a primitive fire seed, feel safer. Besides, even if the Night Swallow returned, the tribe would wipe them out and not let them pose a threat to the people in the tribe.
Shao Xuan did a rough calculation. If they were going to hold the banquet, they would have to wait for about a hundred days after the end of winter. This way, the opening of the trading point would have to be delayed. But that didn't matter. It wouldn't be too late to open the trading point after the banquet was prepared and the invitations were sent out.
The first outsider to find out about Yanjiao's upcoming banquet was Yang Sui. He had wanted to discuss the matter of the fire seed with Shao Xuan, but he did not expect to hear such shocking news.
That was a banquet to show off the rich!
And it was held in the form of a tribe!
This was crazy!
For many tribesmen today, Yanjiao's actions were indeed shocking.
"Have you decided?" Shao Xuan asked.
"I've decided!" Yang Sui looked away from the busy Yanjiao people in the snow and nodded hard. The Drumming tribe's actions made him more determined and convinced many people in the Rain tribe. Even if there were still some who opposed, most of them still supported Yang Sui. "For us, it's not the best time to merge the fire seed, but I have to make preparations first."
Shao Xuan did not say much. He explained to Yang Sui the things he needed to pay attention to in detail. He believed that after this, Yang Sui would go to the Drumming tribe to ask for their advice.
When Yang Sui returned to the Rain tribe, he was still in a trance. When he came back to his senses, he was already sitting in the shaman's house, surrounded by a circle of people. Most of them looked at Yang Sui with condemnation, as if Yang Sui had done something wrong. But because of Yang Sui's influence in the Rain tribe, they did not dare to say it to his face. Even if they agreed to merge the fire seed, they still felt uncomfortable and kept a straight face all day. Now that Yang Sui had returned from Yanjiao, they did not smile.
"I've already learned the method of merging the fire seed from Yanjiao. I've also asked the Drumming tribe. I'll think about it carefully and make a final plan before I tell you the specific time," Yang Sui said.
Many people sitting around just glanced at Yang Sui and then lowered their eyelids again to avoid Yang Sui seeing the disapproval and anger in their eyes.
Even if Yang Sui did not see their expressions, he could guess what they were thinking. However, Yang Sui did not say much. Instead, he sighed heavily.
"This time, I went to Yanjiao and got some news."
Hearing Yang Sui's words, the surrounding people's eyelids twitched. Although they didn't look at Yang Sui, they had already pricked up their ears. They wanted to know what Yang Sui had learned. His long sigh just now contained a lot of complicated emotions.
One of Yang Sui's supporters couldn't help but ask, "Shaman, what news did you get? Is Yanjiao doing something again? "
"That's right," Yang Sui looked around meaningfully and said, "Yanjiao is holding a banquet to show off their wealth."
"What?!"
The person who was unhappy jumped up as if he had been kicked. He stared straight at Yang Sui. "It's really a banquet to show off their wealth and not something else?"
"It's true!" Yang Sui became serious too. He emphasized every word, "It's happening when the Flaming River Trading Point opens again!"
Everyone in the room gasped in unison.
The supplies they had now were only enough to ensure their survival. They still owed a lot of debt, and they had to scrimp on every meal to survive through the winter. On the other hand, the Flaming Horn tribe was already considering holding a banquet to show off their wealth.
How rich must the Yanjiao tribe be to have the idea of holding a banquet to show off their wealth?
After the initial shock, the room erupted into chaos. They also knew about the Showing-Off Banquet, but they had only heard about it and had never seen it with their own eyes. Perhaps the big tribes in the central region had held such banquets before, but the Rain tribe had always lived in a remote place and had never experienced it. Everything was just hearsay. But now, Yang Sui was telling them that they would be witnessing a grand banquet in the near future?!
Yang Sui ignored the chatter around him and continued, "I've already received the notice. The Flaming Horns will inform me of the specific time and time. I will bring a group of people to the Flaming River Trading Point to participate."
The discussion suddenly stopped.
"Bring some people?" These words were quite subtle.
"Then … can I go too?" someone asked Yang Sui.
"What about me?"
"Me too!"
Yang Sui didn't give a direct answer. Instead, he said, "We'll decide when the time comes. I don't know how many people I can bring."
"There's a limit to the number of people? What's the point of that? How many people do we have? "an elder complained. His words were laced with jealousy.
"It can't be helped. After all, the Flaming Horn tribe still needs to invite other tribes. That way, there will be more people. That's why every tribe has a quota. The Grand Elder of the Flaming Horn tribe asked me to prepare in advance so that I don't know who to bring."
"Of course you're bringing me! Shaman, I've always supported you! "
"Me too, me too!"
"Shaman, I suddenly feel that merging fire seeds isn't bad. Yanjiao can already hold banquets and they've already merged their fire seeds. You can't go wrong following them!"
Yang Sui looked at the people around him. A few days ago, they were still strongly protesting but now they had changed their minds. It wasn't that they changed their minds because of Yanjiao's banquet but they knew that the merging of fire seeds couldn't be changed. Even if they protested, it was useless. Instead of continuing this stalemate, they might as well use this opportunity to show their loyalty. Who knows, they might even be able to attend Yanjiao's banquet. They had never really attended a banquet in their lives.
In fact, the meaning of the banquet had changed a little. In the beginning, it was a way for the leaders of the tribes to show off their abilities and increase their prestige. If it was a banquet organized by a powerful tribe, the people invited were all influential figures in their respective tribes. Attending such a banquet was also a form of recognition of their status. At least, it was said that the banquets organized by the central tribes were like this. Presumably, the banquet organized by the Flaming Horn tribe would be similar.
How could they let go of such an opportunity?!
Yang Sui smiled. He mentioned Yanjiao's banquet for this purpose. Driven by benefits, these people would be more supportive of him. With the success of the Flaming Horn tribe as an example, those who had previously opposed the idea would now reconsider. Even the few stubborn old men in the tribe who were the most against the idea had begun to waver.
The banquet's impact on the tribesmen was much greater than Shao Xuan thought.
Shao Xuan didn't know that Yang Sui had already used the banquet to win people's hearts. He was also preparing for the hunting after the end of winter and the sacrificial ceremony.
Once winter was over, the annual sacrificial ceremony would begin in a few days. Returning to this place again, there were more people and the mountaintop was already crowded. He had been renovating the mountaintop with others these days.
When the snow stopped and the cold wind stopped, two thin crescent moons appeared on both sides of the night sky in the dark night. The warriors on the watchtower saw them and blew the horn.
Woo —
In the silent night, the horn sounded from all the watchtowers and spread to every corner of the tribe. Even the Drumming tribe on the other side of the Flaming River could hear it.
The Yanjiao warriors didn't even put on their animal skins. They ran barefoot out of their houses and looked at the crescent moons in the sky. They howled in excitement, mimicking the howls of the beasts in the forest. Even so, it couldn't quell the fighting spirit in their blood.
For the sake of their childhood dreams, they were about to enter the forest to hunt and show their spoils of war to more people.
Duo Kang roared, "Little ones! Are you ready?! "
"Yes!"
"We can leave anytime!"
"My big knife can't wait any longer! Roar — "
Sounds of agreement came from all over the mountain.
"Hahahaha!" Duo Kang laughed as he went back to his house to lie down. However, he was too excited to sleep. He closed his eyes and counted the beasts for a while but still couldn't fall asleep. He rolled over and ran to the next house to grind his stone tools.
On the other side of the Flaming River, many people in the Drumming tribe heard the commotion from Yanjiao. They also knew that Yanjiao wanted to hold a banquet and were very envious. Because of this, many people in the Drumming tribe felt less nervous about merging their fire seed. Yanjiao was the first tribe they knew of to merge their fire seed. The more successful Yanjiao was, the more it proved that this path was feasible. Naturally, they would feel more at ease.
Fu Shi looked at the other side of the river. He couldn't see the other side because of the trees, but he could guess what was going on based on the sounds he heard.
"We'll get better and better too!"
In the Drumming tribe, those who woke up only opened their windows or listened to the sounds. They didn't come out. A few people walked out of the houses in the centre of the Drumming tribe. They walked hurriedly and looked nervous as they ran towards the shaman's house.
Chief Fan Mu pushed open the door and entered the shaman's house. There were already a few people inside. The person in the middle was the shaman of the Drumming tribe.
At this moment, the shaman held a water moon stone in his hand.
It didn't have any light and was very rough. It looked like a normal stone in the river. Those who didn't know wouldn't even look at it.
But now, everyone who entered the house had their eyes on the small stone in the shaman's hand.
After merging their fire seed, they couldn't change the stone because there was no moonlight. Now, the moon was out and there was moonlight. This should be enough, right? Even though it was just a thin crescent moon and wasn't as bright as a full moon, they could still feel the difference.
The shaman of the Drumming tribe took a deep breath and opened the door to an empty space in front of the door. Without the trees, they could see the two dim moons in the night sky.
Taking a deep breath, the shaman of the Drumming tribe began to mobilize the power of the fire seed in his body. The power of the fire seed existed in the totem in his mind, and also in his blood, bones, and muscles.
A trace of power extended from the totem flame in his mind. It flowed down his neck, passed through his arm, and gathered all the power along the way. Finally, it was transmitted to the palm that held the stone, and merged with the stone.
The shaman of the Drumming tribe could feel that this stone was different from the ones he tried in the winter. He could feel that the water moon stone in his hand was "alive". It was no longer an ordinary stone.
Rustle, rustle, rustle —
The sound of fine particles falling was heard slowly.
It was a sound that the people of the Drumming tribe were familiar with. Every year when there was a full moon, they could hear this sound at the edge of the Water Moon Canal. Although this sound was very slow and intermittent, and was far from the movement of the Water Moon Passage when the moon was full, this alone was enough to excite them.
Even if they were very confident that they wouldn't fail, they still had to be prepared for the worst. They had even thought of the situation where they couldn't create water moonstones anymore. The scene in front of them proved that they would continue to hear this familiar sound for the rest of their lives until they could no longer hear any sound in the world.
Not far away, the chief of the Drumming tribe, Fan Mu, was holding his breath. His clenched fists were trembling because of too much force. Especially when he heard that sound, his trembling became even more intense.
The stone in the Drumming shaman's hand looked very ordinary, but now the top of the stone was shining brightly. It was the light of the water moon stone. Even though the light was very small and dim, it could be ignored if you didn't pay attention. Everyone who saw this scene waved their fists in the air excitedly.
"Yes!"
"It really works!"
"The Great Elder of the Yanjiao tribe is telling the truth! We can really make the water moon stone by ourselves! "
After the joy of the Yanjiao tribe, the Drumming tribe also laughed happily.
In the dark night, some big and small figures came out of the holes in the ground.
A crocodile looked up at the night sky and made a few low growls. Winter was over, the river was about to thaw, and the hunting was about to begin.
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