"Bang! Boom!"

The heavy Stone Hammer came roaring through, grazing past Zuwaro and heavily hitting the earthen wall behind, leaving a visible small pit. Maha Agudah burst forth in anger, like a raging black bear. He wielded the twenty-pound hammer, fiercely striking the walls of the mud house, sending sand and earth flying with thundering echoes!

"Bang! Boom!"

"..."

Zuwaro watched in shock, swiftly dragged a dozen steps away by two Warriors of the Kingdom. Around them, Fish-Skin Tribes buzzed with discussions, but their faces were all smiling.

"Mountain God! Didn't we win the battle? And captured so many prisoners... why is Agudah Chieftain angry again? Is it because of that dead horse?..."

"Could be! Look, Wushu is so scared, he's slipped into the horse pen!"

"What! Why is he hiding in the horse pen?..."

"It's simple! In the horse pen, Agudah Chieftain is afraid of accidentally harming the horses, so he won't use the big hammer on him. As for taking a few random punches, he's so sturdy, he won't be beaten to death..."

"Wow! Last time Agudah Chieftain was angry, he rode out alone and hunted a tiger! Will he go out this time and kill a black bear?..."

"Impossible, right? Black bears are much sturdier than tigers, how could one person defeat them? At least five people are needed! Last time they hunted a black bear, it was a five-person hunting team!..."

"Agudah can take on three by himself! Just need three people! Speaking of which, winter is indeed the best time to hunt bears!..."

"Exactly! Blind Bear is sleeping, wakes up slower! This momentary daze is enough for the Hunters to shoot two rounds of large arrows, or for Agudah to wield two rounds of the big hammer!..."

"Slurp! I want to eat bear paw... if Agudah goes out to hunt bears, I'll definitely follow! The bear meat at this time is the most abundant, most delicious... Slurp!..."

The Fish-Skin Tribes in the camp all stood watching the commotion. To the furious Agudah Chieftain, they were long accustomed, unlike the Nava Departments' awe towards the Divine Descendant.

In reality, within these Fish-Skin Tribes, apart from the newly captured tribe slaves having lower status, there isn't any harsh hierarchy, nor any noble bloodline. The tribe size isn't large, and it can be said to be distributed based on labor, relatively equal. After all, this Mahayu Fish-Skin Department was formed only two generations ago.

"Boom!!..."

After swinging the hammer, Maha Agudah finally knocked down the ancient earthen wall half collapsed. Amidst flying debris and dust, he gasped for breath, finally venting his frustration and pressure, allowing for a proper conversation.

"Zu! You're not a bad person, you've no designs on our Maha tribe, you're a trustworthy friend!..."

"But just like I said before! You know nothing about the strife in the jungle and the Great River! You're like a deer with tiger-wolf strength, foolishly charging into the Great River!..."

"In this jungle swamp, between the Great River and Great Rivers! All tribes are driven by the Mountain God, fighting for survival at all costs!… Food scarcity is dangerous, cold winters are dangerous… And even more dangerous is the relentless fighting amongst tribes!..."

"Zu! I believe in your potatoes! I really want to plant them, want to have endless food! But I don't trust our Maha tribe's strength, don't trust the tribe to hold them!... "

"Unless one day, our Maha tribe has hundreds of warriors, reaching a scale of a thousand people, becoming the strongest tribe downstream of this Great River!… Unless that day comes, I wouldn't dare lead the tribe to plant the potatoes you gave, like those large south-moving tribes, rooting in the territory!..."

"Zu! I apologize to you! I was very frustrated earlier, I couldn't articulate clearly!... Roar! Can you understand what I mean?!..."

Zuwaro kept a calm face, looking at Maha Agudah's impatient yet sincere eyes, listening to the apology beating on his chest, like seeing a caged tiger in the Mountain Forest, unable to break free. After a long time, he silently nodded.

"Hmm... I understand."

"Chief Divine protect! This cold land of tribal warfare has no order, a jungle in extreme chaos!... In this forest, the most dangerous has always been people..."

"Here, if a tribe doesn't have corresponding strength, they simply can't protect the grains planted, can't protect their wealth!...."

At this moment, Zuwaro truly understood this place, understood this vast and endless woodland swamp!

This is the Outer Northeast at the end of the 15th century. The order of the Empire has receded, and the chaotic tide has driven countless tribes, bringing endless cold and slaughter! Here, every tribe struggles for survival with all its might. And brutality and cruelty are the undertone of all surviving tribes!

To be honest, if the "Mayflower" from later generations were to arrive in the Outer Northeast in this era, landing on this coast and encountering these migrating Shengshu Jurchen Tribes, instead of the friendly-sharing Indian tribes... then, there would be no Thanksgiving! They would be completely devoured, ships and all, not even bones wasted—used to feed dogs!...

"Chief Divine! This dark forest is the tribal battleground!... The tribes here are all very capable fighters, brutal like beasts, yet extremely impoverished!... They need not consider the long-term because they face the cold and barren forest, the reality of an uncertain lifespan!..."

"Purely military power cannot conquer them! Even the mighty Ming Dynasty from the South chose to retreat after guarding behind two stone monuments... And simple food supplies cannot gather them... One must wield a Battle Axe in one hand, goods in the other, and wear the amulet of Chief Divine's faith!..."

"And as long as these skilled and brave tribes are gathered, even if only a thousand warriors! The Kingdom can firmly establish itself in the Northern Land, can completely suppress the Japanese Land of Maoshili Island, and even trade on a larger scale with the great tribes south of the Strait!..."

"Chief Divine testifies! Warriors from the Fish-Skin Tribes, fishermen from the Ainu Tribes, farmers traded from Japanese Land... Along with the warriors and priests of the Kingdom, cultivating territories on Kutadai Island!... This is the core foothold of the Kingdom on the Western Sea Continent, the forward direction guided by Chief Divine!... And the growing force of time will ultimately stand with the Kingdom!"

At this moment, Zuwaro's emotions surged as if he saw the guidance of the Hummingbird, saw the light of Chief Divine. He took a deep breath, suppressing all his desires to go southward, determined to patiently manage the Kingdom Port in the Northern Land!

Then, Zuwaro reached out, suddenly gripping Mahayu Agudah's wrist, the bright light of belief in his eyes even startled the fierce Mahayu Agudah!

"Zu! Boat-Using Chieftain! Cunning fox!... What mushroom did you just eat? Why does your gaze look so strange, so creepy?!"

"Agudah! I know what your tribe needs! This time, I will give you the best things you need!..."

"...? What good things? Are you luring me again?..."

"Agudah, listen to me! I will give you iron spears for battle, rice to feed the tribe, and even armor made of iron and copper!..."

"...! What? Rice for porridge, metallic spears and armor?!"

"Yes, Chief Divine testifies! The strength and wealth of our Boat-Using Department will exceed your imagination! Our large ship from the Boat-Using Department will continuously bring food and military supplies, trading with captured tribe slaves and horses! And your Maha tribe just needs to keep waging wars to capture, keep sweeping up and down the Great River, and keep expanding rapidly!…"

"Agudah, you are a tribe skilled in combat, and you are the fiercest leader who is best at fighting! Just do what you're best at!... Our Boat-Using Department will be with you, Chief Divine will also be with you! No, you are us, we are all Gummy People!..."

Zuwaro was excited, gripping Mahayu Agudah's wrist with force, gazing intently at the strong "Mahayu Chieftain" like a bear. Mahayu Agudah felt a chill as he was being watched, for the first time somewhat fearing him.

"Zu! Are you crazy? Have you been possessed by a spirit monster in the mountains?!"

"No! Agudah, my brother! I am clearer about the future than ever!... Our Boat-Using Department ensures military supply for you, making you stronger! And your Maha tribe only needs to fight and capture, bring back more war slaves and horses, making both sides stronger!..."

"This is a win-win trade! We will become the closest allies, jointly controlling the lower reaches of the Great River!... We will have enough sincerity, enough food and military supplies, first handed to the Maha tribe!..."

"Our warriors will teach your warriors battle formations, making you stronger! Our priests will help you, to organize the tribe, establishing a truly effective system of governance!... The priests might even make your fame spread, enabling you to transform from an ordinary chieftain into a divine embodiment, firmly grasping the expanding tribe!..."

"Of course, Chief Divine testifies! This requires a prerequisite, a simple but necessary prerequisite!"

Mahayu Agudah's whole body was tensed, feeling that Zuwaro was possessed by a spirit monster. He felt great temptation and fear, turning to leave but strangely unable to move... while Zuwaro gripped him fiercely, using unprecedented strength, imbued with unprecedented devotion and desire!

Then, under the bear-like gaze of Mahayu Agudah, Zuwaro forcefully pulled out a golden Chief God's Amulet. This Divine Revelation Priest graduate from Divine Power University, like a true Northern Shaman and like an ancestor spirit-possessed grandmother, growled weirdly, trying to put the gold talisman on the bear-like chieftain!

"Come on! Agudah! Put on this amulet, you will not only get our support but also gain the attention of Chief Divine, gain the protection of Chief Divine! You are the one chosen by the Chief Divine!"

"Put it on, convert to Chief Divine! Put it on, become the Chief Divine's chosen chieftain, become one of the Gummy People tribes!... Agudah! You will unite countless tribes below the Great River, become the most powerful Fish-Skin Chieftain, become a creator of a mighty tribal alliance!"

"Come on, Agudah! Put it on, put it on!"

"Yes! Just like that!!..."