Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 356

[Qingqiu]
It's all over.

Countless carcasses of prey, including deer, antelope, bison, and gray wolves, were taken to the mountainside of Qingqiu for inspection by designated personnel.

Once properly inspected, the hunted animals are skinned, deboned, divided, and pickled on the spot.

The blood of the animals flowed gently along the terrain, gathering along the way and turning the wasteland below the mountain into a blood swamp.

No one can bypass that blood swamp; those who wish to reach Qingqiu can only continue treading through filth and mud.

In the end, countless dark red hoof prints and footprints were left on the hillside.

Although this scene only shows the Chihe tribe taking stock of their hunt spoils, the actual process is no different from cleaning up a battlefield.

As for the other hunt's spoils—the complete or incomplete human remains—they have already been collected.

The Hede tribes typically did not practice burial, but currently there were no ferocious beasts or birds of prey around Qingqiu capable of digesting such a large quantity of flesh and blood. Therefore, all the unclaimed remains were thrown into the fire pit and hastily buried.

……

Contrary to many people's expectations, the first thing the White Lion did upon returning to Qingqiu was not to suppress the rebellion, but to send troops to surround the area from all sides.

The Naiman tribe of the Chihe River split into more than a hundred Turu tribes like mercury spilling across the ground, forming a vast and inescapable net that drove most of the prey that had fled Qingqiu and the various tribes back to the hunting grounds.

The white lion's message was clear—no matter what happened, the hunt would continue.

At the same time, the tribal leaders were also informed of the great victory that the Chihe tribe had just achieved—the White Lion ambushed the Suzi tribe and the Haidong East coalition forces, who had been on a hundred-mile raid, at the mouth of the Hantuo River, killing twelve Qinglingyu, capturing sixty-four banners, and inflicting countless casualties on the enemy.

……

So the felt wall was repaired, the body was removed, the escaped beast was captured, and the escaped hunter returned.

The stage was rebuilt, but this time, when the white lion rode his horse and shot arrows, no one dared to whisper.

Everything proceeded according to the old ritual: the white lion shot the first arrow, followed by the blue-feathered members of the Red River tribe and the other tribes [Nayan], and then the red-feathered members of the Red River tribe and the other tribes [Kota].

When the noble warriors grew tired of hunting and went to Qingqiu to rest and feast, it was the turn of the common hunters to enter.

In an atmosphere filled with unease, anticipation, and the stench of blood, the hunt proceeded calmly towards its end.

Because everyone is waiting for the next ceremony, which may determine the fate of all the tribes:
"Dividing the meat".

……

[Side of Qingqiu Mountain, Exploration Site]
A stag with enormous antlers was lifted onto a cutting board.

This beautiful, large animal was struck by two arrows, one in its hind leg and the other in its rib, and has already passed away.

“[Herd words] Twelve forks.” The old man from the Chihe tribe in charge of the examination muttered a few words, placed the last bundle of dry grass between the teeth of the dead animal, and then began to examine the two arrow wounds:
If the arrow had gone a little deeper into the ribs, it could have pierced the prey's lungs. Unfortunately, the arrowhead was stuck between the ribs, resulting in only a superficial wound.

The fur below the arrow wound on the prey's right hind leg was covered with dried bloodstains.

The old man pulled out the arrow and nodded almost imperceptibly; it was indeed a crescent arrow.

Upon further examination of the wound, no major blood vessels could be felt, indicating it was likely severed by a crescent-shaped arrow. The same applies to tendons.

The old man from the Chihe tribe gave a brief explanation, then picked up the crescent arrow and made his judgment: "[Hede] This arrow is the first shot."

The two hunters who brought the deer carcass for examination, the middle-aged one with a happy expression, and the younger one, though unable to hide his disappointment, did not argue, took the arrows and left.

The old man then checked the markings on the other arrows in the middle-aged hunter's quiver—the markings matched those on the crescent arrow.

Thus, the ownership of the prey was determined.

The Bucks were quickly dismantled:

The antlers, fur, and tendons were given to the middle-aged hunter as a "reward for the first shot";
The venison is smoked and marinated, then prepared for equal distribution;
The bones were confiscated and used to make glue.

Not only is nothing wasted from the entire hunt, but even the recovered arrowheads must be returned to their rightful owners; anyone caught hoarding them will face severe punishment.

For the Hud, the distribution of spoils was of paramount importance, even more so than the plundering and hunting itself.

The distribution of spoils signifies power, and the amount of spoils one receives indicates one's status.

In accordance with the traditions of the tribes—a great reward for the first shot and equal distribution of the flesh and blood—the White Lion fairly distributed the spoils of the hunt, showing no favoritism towards the Red River tribe members, nor discriminating against or exploiting hunters from other tribes.

Regardless of what the tribal leaders thought, the commoner hunters of Hard were all completely convinced.

The chieftain might not care about such a small catch, since they already had herds of slaves and cattle.

But ordinary hunters are extremely concerned about how much meat they can get, because it is the reward for their hard work.

……

The hunt lasted for a full day and a half. While the hunters chased the wild animals in the hunting grounds, the tribal leaders gathered on Qingqiu to watch the ceremony, feast, and rest.

When there were hardly any live prey left in the hunting grounds, the leader of the Badlands tribe, Koshhachi's grandfather [Tashi], left his seat and solemnly walked toward the golden tent.

The dancing female slaves quietly left, the wrestlers turned and walked away, and the horsehair harp and tambourine fell silent. The once bustling Qingqiu was instantly eerily quiet.

The expressions of Chihe Nayan and the tribal leaders, who were drinking and laughing just a moment ago, became serious and solemn without them realizing it.

Everyone had a vague feeling that a momentous moment was about to arrive.

Old [Toya] led eight equally white-haired and bearded old men into the golden tent with the utmost humility and deference.

Living to old age in the wilderness is a difficult thing to do, and nine is the "large number" of the Hed people.

The nine old men first prayed for the white lion, and then toasted it.

The white lion took the golden cup and drank the milk wine in one gulp: "[Herd] Speak, old man, do you have any requests? Whatever you ask for, I will grant them."

“[Herd] Wise white lion, benevolent white lion, powerful white lion.” Touya bowed deeply: “[Herd] Please forgive the animals still alive in the hunting grounds, let them go to places with water and grass to reproduce, so that the next great hunt can still yield a mountain full of wild beasts, and let your beautiful voice of wisdom and benevolence spread throughout the grasslands.”

The white lion nodded in agreement.

The somber bugle call echoed across the hunting grounds; it was a command for forgiveness, a signal to end the killing.

The hunters, still in pursuit, reined in their horses at the sound, not daring to draw their bows even though they hadn't yet satisfied their pursuit. The felt wall burst open, allowing the surviving prey to escape and return to the embrace of the wilderness.

Releasing the last prey in the enclosure is a tradition of the Hed people, so no one was surprised.

What truly made the tribal leaders break out in a cold sweat was what old [Toya] said next: "[Herd] Wise white lion, merciful white lion, powerful white lion. Forgive the animals, and they will multiply. Let the wildfire rage, and it will only spread. Those who defy you, destroy them like ashes, and let every pasture and every river know your power!"

Without the White Lion's prompting, the Red River Tribe's palace guards had already brought a group of bound prisoners to the golden tent.

Among the prisoners were noble warriors from the Eastern Haidong and Suz tribes, as well as leaders of vassal tribes of the Chihe tribe who had been turned against them.

Some prisoners struggled desperately, their eyes blazing with fury; others knelt and begged, bowing and scraping; still others were like walking corpses, their spirits broken.

While the hunters from various tribes were busy hunting, the Red River tribe was also hunting down the fleeing enemy across the mountains and plains.

This time, White Lion did not directly agree to Old Touya's request. He took the silver pot and personally poured half a cup of wine.

The captain of the guard understood, picked up the horn cup with both hands, and slowly walked to the prisoner on the far left.

"[Herd] Would you like to drink this wine?!" the captain of the guard shouted.

The palace guards removed the wooden stick from the prisoner's mouth.

The prisoner took a deep breath, his eyes wide, and was about to shout curses. However, before he could utter a single screech, another palace guard behind him had already severed his head with a single stroke.

The head, losing its support, fell to the ground with a clear "thud." The body then slowly tilted to the ground, its blood staining the magnificent embroidered carpet.

None of the tribal leaders under the command were without blood on their hands, but for some reason, seeing the merciless and fierce slashes of the Chihe tribe's palace guards just now, everyone felt a chill down their spines.

The head guard walked up to the second prisoner. This time, the palace guards escorting the prisoner were smarter and didn't remove the wooden stick from the prisoner's mouth at all, leaving the prisoner only able to shake his head or nod in response.

The second prisoner was a warrior from the Suz tribe. His eyes were filled with struggle, but he eventually shook his head slowly.

The palace guard pierced the prisoner's heart from behind, leaving him with a complete corpse.

When it was the third prisoner's turn, there was no need to ask. The third prisoner nodded frantically, so forcefully that one couldn't help but worry he might break his neck.

The head guard fed the third prisoner a small sip of wine—there were others too.

"[Hede] Now that you have drunk the wine in your cup, you are my guest." The white lion's voice came from the golden tent: "[Hede] Your life is my gift; your tents, slaves, and livestock must all be given to the sons of the dead and wounded tribes as your gift."

The white lion wasn't asking questions; it was issuing a judgment.

The prisoner, who had just escaped with his life, hadn't even had time to rejoice when he heard that all his property had been confiscated, and he was overcome with grief. However, this fellow was quick-witted—if he had been killed, he would have lost all his property anyway; after calculating everything, he had essentially gained his life for nothing.

The third prisoner suddenly fell to the ground, praising the white lion's mercy with tears streaming down his face.

The head of the guards lowered his eyes slightly, and the palace guards took the third prisoner away. Most of the tribal leaders under his command were overjoyed. In the previous turmoil, many tribes had suffered losses, and some compensation would be best.

Only a few astute chieftains frowned slightly—judging from the way the meat was being distributed today, even if there was some compensation, it probably wouldn't go to the chieftains.

The prisoners were interrogated one by one, and soon all of them were dealt with. The living and the dead were taken away, leaving only a few pools of blood on the carpet.

The chief of a small tribe under the tent began, and all the chiefs and leaders raised their cups to praise the white lion's benevolence.

Mercy is a relative concept. The reason why the Red River Tribe was able to expand rapidly was largely due to the fact that the White Lion rarely used cruel methods to eliminate dissidents.

During the process of the various tribes of the Hed annexed each other, the "wheel-cutting" was a common procedure—all men taller than a wheel were killed, children too young to remember were adopted, and women were redistributed as resources. The reason was simple: only one's own tribe could be trusted, and only those raised from childhood could be trusted with peace of mind.

The Chihe tribe usually accepts adult males from defeated tribes. The White Lion tribe had just pacified the Zhuerqin tribe last year, and this year the Zhuerqin people have already become members of the Chihe tribe. Even the archers in the palace tent are not uncommon among the Zhuerqin people.

Because of the White Lion's reputation for "fairness," the lower-ranking tribesmen longed for the Red River Tribe. However, the tribal leaders and nobles were willing to submit to the Red River Tribe because of the White Lion's reputation for "benevolence."

At this moment, all the tribal leaders sitting inside and outside the golden tent of the Red River tribe had convinced themselves:

"Whatever the white lion wants, let him be."

"Let it be, whether it conforms to customs, rules, or broken promises."

“Serve him as your master, and when he wins, share in the spoils; when he loses, restore everything to its original state.”

As for the leader who couldn't convince himself... that's the one who was just taken away bound hand and foot.

All the tribal leaders were waiting for Old Toya to say those words, waiting for the White Lion to nod, waiting for the moment to loudly agree.

"[Herd's words] The greatest and most magnificent white lion!" Old Touya stood still for a moment, then suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and cried out:

"[Herd's words] I wish to make you Khan of all the tribes!"

You've become the Khan!

When hunting cunning beasts, I'm willing to chase them down for you!

With enemies at our feet, I am willing to lead the charge for you!
We'll bring all the ladies and women back to you!

We're taking back the palace tents and valuables!

We'll bring back to you the women and wealth of other tribes!

If I disobey your orders, you may separate my wives and concubines, take away my property, and throw my head to the ground!

If I break your decision, you may kill my children and grandchildren, burn my tent, and abandon me in a barren place..."

As soon as Old Tashi knelt down, all the Hed people inside and outside the palace tent knelt down as well.

Old Ta made a vow, and the leader, Nayan, Kota, the palace guards, and the quiver-wielders followed suit with their own vows.

The sound reached beyond Qingqiu, and regardless of whether it was the Chihe tribe or other tribes, all the Hede people knelt and bowed their heads towards the golden tent.

In the vast hunting grounds, only one person remained seated—the white lion.

The white lion looked at everyone's bowed heads; at that moment, no one dared to look him in the eye.

For many heroes, they reach the pinnacle of their lives at similar moments, and their bodies and souls tremble as a result, but the White Lion seems indifferent.

He listened quietly to the old man's vow, and even took a small sip of milk wine to moisten his throat.

"[Herd] I..." The white lion's voice was steady with a hint of amusement: "[Herd] I swore that I would never call myself Khan in this life, or I would rather die under a thousand arrows."

Old Toya's body visibly trembled, and the tribal leaders lowered their heads even further, none daring to move.

If Brother Reid were present, he would surely have said something sarcastic; even Winters, who had only learned a fraction of Brother Reid's humor, would probably have offered some sharp criticism.

“[Herd] White Lion!” Old Taya spoke again, his voice tinged with pleading: “[Herd] If you are not the Khan of the tribes, then no one is fit to be the Khan of the tribes!”

"[Hede] You've become the Khan!"

When hunting cunning beasts, I'd be willing to chase them away for you!
......"

Everyone inside and outside the palace tent recited the oath once more with Old Tashi.

“[Hede] I am not a Jin person.” White Lion refused again: “Red Cloud Khan swore an oath with the tribes that no one but a descendant of Jin people could be Khan. I am not qualified to be called Khan.”

"[Hard] Khan!" Old Tashi panicked, his voice already trembling with tears: "[Hard] Rivers will change course! Stones will be worn smooth! Wild grass will grow and wither, wither and grow again! The sons of the tribes will change their faces year after year! Oaths will one day be broken!"

"[Herd] I am willing to break my vows for you!"

You've become the Khan!

When hunting cunning beasts, I'd be willing to chase them away for you!
......"

This time, Old Touya didn't have a chance to finish reciting the oath; the white lion's majestic command interrupted him.

"[Herd] Shut up!" The white lion slammed the table down and stood up arrogantly. "[Herd] Raise your heads! Look at me!"

No one dared to look up.

"[Herds] All of you are looking at me!"

The tribal leaders raised their heads slightly, but their chests remained pressed to the ground.

"[Herd's words] Rivers will change course! Stones will be worn smooth! Wild grasses will die and rise again! The sons of the tribes have changed their faces!" The white lion's voice pierced the clouds and split the rocks, echoing throughout Qingqiu: "[Herd's words] But the oath of the Herd people is more steadfast than mountains! More enduring than rivers! More precious than gold!"

"[Herd's words] I have sworn an oath, and I will never break it! My ancestors swore an oath, and I will never break it! You should do the same! Whoever breaks the oath will be punished by heaven and man! Whoever lightly breaks the oath will die under ten thousand horses and ten thousand arrows!"

“[Hede] But…” Old Tashi kowtowed desperately, blood streaming down his forehead: “[Hede] If you are not the Khan of the tribes, then no one can be the Khan of the tribes!”

The tribal leaders echoed each other like insects, bowing repeatedly in response to Old Tashi.

"[Herd word] Shut up!"

With a roar from the white lion, Qingqiu fell silent in an instant.

"[Herd's words] I will not be the Khan of the tribes! I do not wish to be the Khan of the tribes! I disdain to be the Khan of the tribes!" The White Lion vented his feelings with great satisfaction.

He surveyed the area beneath the tent, quietly savoring the moment. At this moment, he truly reached the pinnacle of his life: "[Herd's words] You must abide by my laws! Respect my regulations! Follow my oaths! Then I need not be your Khan!"
“[Herdos] Abide by my laws! Respect my regulations! Keep my oath! I will be the ruler of all tribes…” The curtain slipped down, revealing a golden tablet inscribed with fine characters:
"[Herd] Legislators!!!"

……

……

"[Herd's words] First, the Great Code of the White Lion, the legislator, is beyond question;"

"[Hede] Second, the Great Code of the White Lion, the legislator, is immutable;"

"[Herd] Third..."

Winters was not present when the palace guards of the Red River tribe read the Code to the tribal leaders, Kota, and the people.

He was lying in an oxcart, slowly approaching the valley where the gold was buried.

Someday in the future, Winters might regret that he missed the most exciting part of everything that happened in Qingqiu—the entire tribe of Hede breaking arrows as a vow to forever uphold the laws of the Golden Stele.

While the Heds were demonstrating how efficiently they destroyed arrows, Winters was trying to figure out how to get Kaman to massage his legs, which were unusually sore and itchy.

He lay stiffly on the hard car floor, every inch of his skin and every muscle aching terribly, so much so that he didn't even have the strength to bend his little finger.

“…I never expected…” Winters stammered, “…that White Lion wouldn’t even use White Lion…”

This statement may seem ambiguous, but in fact, the two "white lions" refer to different entities. The former is naturally the one who receives worship in Qingqiu.

Meanwhile, the latter—a white lion named Little Guy—was fast asleep in the large truck behind Winters. Also in the truck with Little Guy were Bell and two wolf-like dogs.

"White Lion? You should worry about yourself first!" Father Kaman sat casually next to Winters, feeding him warm milk from a small silver pot, half gloating and half heartbroken as he scolded, "I really don't understand how you got yourself into this state? A normal person would have fainted or collapsed long ago before turning into someone like you. How did you manage to neither faint nor die?"

Lieutenant Colonel Moritz, sitting on the other side of the oxcart, sipped his wine and said leisurely, "The power of love."

Kaman scoffed coldly, "Indeed, you've entered a territory I don't understand."

“I…want to…die together with…you…” Winters managed to squeeze out the words with astonishing willpower…

“Okay.” Kaman continued dripping milk onto Winters’ lips. “Come on.”

Winters' eyes gradually welled up with tears: "That old man... gave me... a drink... that was suspicious!"

-----------

"...The first written law of the Hed culture as we know it today, the 'Golden Stele Law,' is also the origin of the Hed script..."

—History, Grade 7 (First Semester) [Xin Hailan Education Press]
[Highlight moments are often also moments of social demise]
[I had a lot to do today. I wrote part of it at noon, and only had some free time before leaving get off work. Sorry I'm late.]
[The oath regarding Tashi's support of the White Lion is rewritten from the oath of the Qiyan clan in *The Secret History of the Mongols*, which supports Temujin. This is likely the earliest written record of a nomadic people's oath to support a Khan.]
[There's an interesting detail in the original oath: the first sentence, "We have made you Khan." This statement indicates that the authority of the Khanate actually came from the collective bestowal of the title by the nobility. It wasn't divinely ordained, nor was it entirely inherited or earned. The fact that the early Mongol regime held a "grand assembly" for the succession of the Khanate indirectly proves this point.]
[(The following is excerpt from the book) Furthermore, although the White Lion's methods are relatively mild, the underlying strife within Hart society remains incredibly bloody and cruel. An entire family can be killed without hesitation, showing absolutely no mercy.]
[It was precisely because of this intense internal strife that the expansion of the Hard tribes was extremely difficult. The clans fought so fiercely against each other that their expansion depended entirely on their own efforts, a process that would take an unknown amount of time.]
Therefore, the people who killed the most Hud people were not the Paratul, but the Hud.
[One reason why the White Lion was able to grow so powerful within a generation is that he rarely "wasted manpower" and seldom engaged in indiscriminate killing.]
[However, it's worth noting that only people other than the Hed people would refer to the Hed people as "Hed people." For the people living in the northwestern wilderness, other tribes were not considered family, so killing each other was a natural occurrence, and there was no question of kinship.]
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(End of this chapter)