Chapter 188: Each Harboring Their Own Schemes
Yun Ce looked down on the Fire Tribe’s treasury, as befitted his position as their Lord.
If the subordinates did not value what their Lord did not, that would be their failing.
For a tribe or a group to grow, it must have the magnanimity to accept all rivers. The Lord is responsible for guiding the great rivers, and the subordinates are responsible for guiding the trickles. Only by not letting a single drop of water escape can greatness be achieved.
Feng An was very interested in the Fire Tribe’s treasure vault. If the Yun Clan had enough armor, they could attract more warriors, especially those wandering warriors outside the Iron Enclosure Pass. Yun Ce had long coveted them, but Qin Shu, that stubborn fellow, was unwilling to recruit them.
Actually, it’s not Qin Shu’s fault. Those people are staying outside the Iron Enclosure Pass because they dream of one day achieving merit there, receiving titles, and finally returning home in glory.
In other words, without sufficient benefits, those people will not leave.
“See, now you have an opportunity, but you still can’t kill Cao Kun. However, truthfully, the person you should really kill is your uncle, Huo Minggong. It was he who colluded with foreign enemies to breach your Danwang Mountain, he who forced your father to his death, and he who killed your brothers and sisters.
So, it was Huo Minggong who colluded with Cao Kun. If Huo Minggong had colluded with another noble, would you still go and kill that other noble?
Therefore, Huo Minggong is your father’s murderer. Without his betrayal, the tragedy at your Danwang Mountain would not have occurred.”
Huo Liao looked at Feng An and said, “They are all my enemies.”
Feng An nodded and said, “You can only say that when you are powerful yourself. I think it would be better for you to focus your revenge on Huo Minggong first.”
“I dream of killing that traitor every night, but he hides in Danwang Mountain, and I can’t kill him.”
Feng An took a thin booklet from his chest and placed it in Huo Liao’s hand. “This is all we can do to help you. How you proceed from here depends on your own wisdom.”
Huo Liao lowered his head and looked at the thin booklet. On the cover were three large characters: Steel Smelting Technique.
“This is a secret technique of my Yun Clan that can solve the problem of brittle wrought iron and soft pig iron. You come from a family of iron smelters, so you should understand if it’s feasible at a glance.”
Huo Liao looked at Feng An and said, “Are you trying to use me and this Steel Smelting Technique to lure Huo Minggong out of Danwang Mountain?”
Feng An smiled and said, “I knew you were a smart child.”
“I don’t have enough men.”
“That’s your problem. Even if you are captured alive and interrogated, we will not admit to anything.”
“So, if I want revenge, I must use my own strength, and your Yun Clan will ultimately reap the benefits without taking any risks?”
“《The Steel Smelting Technique》 is the capital our Yun Clan is putting forth. This single secret recipe is worth no less than the treasury of your Fire Tribe.”
“I need help. Since we are setting a trap for Huo Minggong, we need some detailed planning. I and my men can’t manage it.”
Feng An thought for a moment, feeling that he had studied 《The Art of War》 thoroughly and had intuitively grasped many new insights. Perhaps, possibly, he could help with the planning.
The Shehuo Festival at the Yun Clan Villa was still continuing; in fact, the people’s celebrations were still going on. Because everyone had been given double the food today, and the cooks had added many good things, everyone was very full. With full stomachs, they had the surplus energy to devote to the celebrations.
The large-scale celebration turned into a more intimate festivity. Although the Yun Clan Villa was vast, laughter was constant.
Merriment belonged to the majority, while calmness was usually for a select few.
Cao Kun was very calm right now, even somewhat chillingly so.
“This is the first time I’ve seen an elephant pig use its nose to pick up stones and throw them at the sky.”
“Did elephant pigs not have this skill before?” Yun Ce asked.
Cao Kun shook his head. “No, nor has it ever been discovered in any records.”
Yun Ce fell silent and said no more. Just a moment ago, Cao Clan men had ridden albatrosses to scout Eddy Bay. As a result, the albatrosses involuntarily lowered their altitude. If not for the warriors on their backs controlling them with all their might, the albatrosses might have landed directly in Eddy Bay.
When the albatrosses lowered their altitude, they were attacked by elephant pigs, which broke their leg bones with large stones. They would need to recuperate for at least a year before they could fly again.
Even so, the albatrosses, with a broken leg, still attempted to attack the elephant pigs. This was contrary to the albatrosses’ usual gentle nature, as if they saw an elephant pig as an enemy.
Cao Kun might not have noticed, but Yun Ce did. A beast as stupid as a pig had learned to use tools in a very short time. What did this portend?
It was a sign of rapid evolution.
Yun Ce now prayed that Cao Kun had enough adventurous spirit and initiative to lead everyone in uncovering the evolutionary mystery of the elephant pigs in Eddy Bay.
In fact, this level of shock was the second time for Yun Ce. The first was that damned artificially ripened Thousand-man General from Gui Fang. At that time, Yun Ce suspected that the Gui Fang people had mastered a method to accelerate the speed of evolution.
Now, the same thing was happening again in Eddy Bay. Both times were related to Yun Ce, so the situation had reached a point where it had to be resolved.
“Can the traps to control the elephant pigs’ living area be dug today?”
Seeing Cao Kun’s question, Yun Ce quickly replied, “My vassal Liang Kun is digging them. He has guaranteed me that by tomorrow morning, the sixteen hundred traps, three feet in diameter and three feet deep, that we need will be dug as scheduled.
However, I would like to ask Brother Cao, Eddy Bay is surrounded by water on three sides and wasteland on one. If we only block the wasteland direction, what if the elephant pigs cross the water to leave?
You must know that the Qingshui River is at its lowest in winter, not exceeding twozhang in depth. This would be no problem for elephant pigs that are nearly threezhang tall.”
Cao Kun said, “After injuring the albatrosses, the elephant pigs did not pursue. This means they are unwilling to leave Eddy Bay.
During the second probe, the warriors threw iron spears from the sky. The iron spears pierced the bodies of two young beasts, and the herd of elephant pigs only wailed, but did not leave Eddy Bay.
Therefore, everyone, I conclude that there must be a treasure in Eddy Bay that the elephant pigs would rather fight to the death than abandon, even if it means leaving their young.”
Seeing the eyes of everyone begin to shine again, Yun Ce said with a smile, “You take the benefits, and I’ll just take the elephant pig meat. We’ll prepare more marching rations then, which you can all take to test. If you find it good, the Yun Clan will prepare to put in the effort to make it.”
Cao Kun did not agree nor refuse. He said to Yun Ce, “We will break camp for Eddy Bay tonight and begin killing those elephant pigs as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow to see what good things are inside.”
The group of dandies were also filled with righteous indignation by Cao Kun. They abandoned their plans for the hot springs and began packing their belongings to leave, much to the disappointment of the Yun Clan’s maidservants who had prepared for prosperity.
After leaving the Yun Clan Villa, Cao Kun looked back at the giant bonfires lit by the Yun Clan and said, “Your family doesn’t have Shehuo, so why prepare so thoroughly?”
Yun Ce looked at the busy people and smiled. “They are all people with no homes or livelihoods. Having finally found a place to survive, they’ve unconsciously come to consider it home.
They deeply hope to have the protection of Shehuo, but sadly they do not. To deceive themselves, they must make a Shehuo Festival lively.”
Cao Kun thought for a moment and said, “The Cao Clan is preparing to shift its family focus northward. If we have to move our Shehuo as well, your Yun Clan might then fall within the protective range of Qiu He Prefecture’s Shehuo.”
Cao Kun had spoken, but receiving no response from Yun Ce, he sighed. “Is surrendering to the Cao Clan really that difficult for you to accept?”
Yun Ce said earnestly, “I want to build a city called Yun City. I want to build this city according to my dreams, and in the end, there will be a city that belongs to me.
Brother Cao, I don’t know if you have such a dream in your heart. I do. I want to build a city where I can live freely. If this city cannot be built, I will consider my life a failure.”
Hearing this, Cao Kun gave a wry smile to the assembled dandies. “No wonder my father always said that when people’s hearts are scattered, the team becomes difficult to lead. When everyone has dreams in their hearts, many bizarre things will happen.
Let’s all take our time. Whether they are heroes or cowards, I think in less than ten years, there will be a conclusion.
However, before that, let’s first see what kind of wonder lies within Eddy Bay that can hold the elephant beasts and make the albatrosses always want to land there.”
As Yun Ce and the others moved below the horizon, the sky gradually darkened. Yun Ce looked back and saw only a plume of fire rising from the horizon.
This must be E Ji and the others lighting those giant bonfires. Tonight, they will dance around the bonfires until dawn.
The Shehuo within Yun Ce’s bracer leaped incessantly. It was truly very happy. If Yun Ce were by the bonfire at the Yun Clan Villa at this moment, the Shehuo would definitely join the bonfire and dance with E Ji and the others, its flames flickering.
As the group gradually approached Eddy Bay, the once lively Shehuo gradually quieted down, returning to a single candle flame, burning silently on one of Doggy’s tentacles, appearing somewhat dazed.
The Red Date Horse under Yun Ce was also more restless than usual. The last time they came, the Red Date Horse had come filled with anger. This time, it was somewhat uneasy.
Yun Ce raised his hand, grabbed the Red Date Horse’s ears, and pulled them apart. The Red Date Horse immediately quieted down because Yun Ce told it to run quickly if anything seemed wrong.
If Yun Ce were to run, he would not be much slower than the Red Date Horse.
Facing this large group of people, the only one Yun Ce worried about was the Red Date Horse. As for Cao Kun, if he didn’t run with him, he would have repaid his kindness.
