Chapter 586: Chief Leader 104 - 6000-Word Chapter_4
The combined reputation attracted many Traveler Tribes to voluntarily come and seek alliance with the Yanhuang Tribe, eliminating the need for Yanhuang Tribe to dispatch warriors to search for them.
With the voluntary alliance of the Traveler Tribes, the population of Yanhuang Tribe naturally grew rapidly. Now, the cave can no longer accommodate so many people, and many have built stone houses outside. Fortunately, the tribe has a large population and they have learned cultivation methods, making their combat power strong enough to live safely outdoors.
Of course, alongside the fortunate increase in population, some troublesome matters have occurred. First, the Yanhuang Tribe has been confronted multiple times by the Cannibal Tribe, engaging in several battles with them.
Following Yan Shuangshuang's advice, tribe members have located and destroyed several lairs of the Cannibal Tribe. However, some within the Cannibal Tribe persistently ambush Yanhuang Tribe members, evidently finding Yanhuang's rise and their episodes of annihilating the Cannibals intolerable.
However, the Cannibal Tribe matters are considered relatively minor, as there are no Cannibal Tribes near Yanhuang that can rival a Super Tribe. These ordinary Cannibal Tribes are presently of little concern to the people of Yanhuang Tribe.
What really troubles Yanhuang Tribe is the issue of food. With thirty thousand people - thirty thousand mouths to feed daily - vegetables are abundant thanks to the supply of sweet potatoes and White Stone Fruits, but meat is scarce. The population is too large and the nearby wildlife has sharply decreased, making it impossible to supply everyone with meat.
To ensure a supply of meat, the tribe has reluctantly resorted to fishing for Cannibal Fish multiple times outside the cold and hot seasons meant for food storage, but Cannibal Fish cannot entirely solve the meat problem. With frequent fishing, the Cannibal Fish in the river have also begun to decline.
Without meat, physical fitness dwindles, hindering high-intensity training, leaving cultivation as the only means to enhance combat power. However, cultivating only Warrior Power without improving physical fitness makes the growth in Warrior Power extremely slow.
This issue is indeed a significant problem. Medium and small tribes lament a lack of warriors to hunt prey, while great and super tribes bemoan a lack of prey to hunt. Super Great Tribes solve this by running Mutual Markets, collecting jerky as protection fees for providing security, thus addressing the lack of meat in the tribe.
But Mutual Markets are monopolized industries by the Super Great Tribes. If Yanhuang Tribe recklessly intervenes, it's akin to snatching meat from the hands of those Super Tribes, who certainly won't allow it.
Although Yanhuang Tribe now has a population of thirty thousand, far exceeding those of Great Tribes, they cannot compare to Super Tribes and lack the capital to snatch food from Super Tribes.
The upper echelon of Yanhuang Tribe have been so troubled recently that their hair was on the verge of falling out, even considering trading salt with surrounding Great Tribes for meat, but of course, that's not a good idea. Like Mutual Markets, salt is the monopoly industry of those two salt-producing Super Tribes.
But Yan Shuangshuang is not particularly worried about this matter, as she has found a place large and safe enough to begin animal husbandry.
Previously, Yan Shuangshuang considered large-scale animal husbandry, as having a Great Witch guarantees no worry about animal epidemics.
The reason Yan Shuangshuang did not undertake animal husbandry was the fear that the scent from gathering a large number of herbivorous animals would attract formidable predators. At the time, Yanhuang Tribe's capabilities were insufficient to fend off one or two such predators, let alone a whole pack.
However, now things are different. First, the Yanhuang Tribe's population has grown, and their combat power has improved. Secondly, she has discovered a place resembling Paradise, capable of isolating most dangers, allowing her to confidently attempt animal husbandry.
Once she can breed large numbers of animals, the meat problem will no longer be a concern, and once the consumption of meat is resolved, the warriors' combat power will continue to enhance.
Naturally, not everyone can relocate to Paradise as Yanhuang's base camp cannot be abandoned. For one, Traveler Tribes are constantly coming to Yanhuang Tribe for refuge, and if it's deserted, what would happen to these seeking tribes?
Moreover, Traveler Tribes are Yanhuang Tribe's largest source of population growth, which Yan Shuangshuang will never abandon, let alone forsake the White Stone Fruit Forest, abundant salt fruits, and sweet potato cultivation areas here.
Of course, having too few people left also won't do, as the place is still under the harassment from the Cannibal Tribe. If too few people remain, the harassment could escalate into a complete subjugation.
Yan Shuangshuang and the others deliberated for a long time, ultimately deciding to leave three thousand people behind. With three thousand people, the prey in the vicinity is still sufficient.
Currently, eighty percent of Yanhuang Tribe's members are warriors, including over four thousand Second-level Warriors, more than four hundred Third-level Warriors, and Sang Nan is nearing the breakthrough to Level 4 Warrior. If Yan Shuangshuang hadn't been absent, Sang Nan would likely have ventured out for warrior travels to seek advancement to Level 4.
For this time, Yan Shuangshuang decided to leave two hundred Second-level Warriors, twenty Third-level Warriors, and one Great Witch, sufficient in combat power to deter the Cannibal Clan and ensure everyone's safety.
Yan Shuangshuang is always resolute, and as soon as she decides, she acts. Early the next morning, news of Yanhuang Tribe's relocation was spread. Thanks to Yan Shuangshuang's now-deified image, her orders were executed thoroughly, and even the newcomers had unwavering confidence in Yan Shuangshuang.
The departure involved a lot of stuff; apart from what was left for the ones staying behind, the remaining White Stone Fruits, salt fruits, sweet potatoes were to be taken away, along with a heap of Fire Stones for tanning.
For lighting, enough Bright Light Seeds had to be collected, as Yan Shuangshuang hadn't seen any Bright Light Seed production near Paradise, thus the entirety of preparatory work took up almost ten days to complete.
The journey was safe. Yanhuang Tribe's great number of people, such a large group entering deep forests, meant that no predators dared to attack. Yanhuang Tribe members were different from those herds of galloping herbivores on the prairie vulnerable to hunters.
In fact, Yanhuang Tribe's weak ones were in the center of the group, surrounded by fierce warriors exhibiting the dangerous aura typical of powerful predators, with nothing blind enough to dare approach.