As the sun rose in the east, countless human tribes in the wasteland began a new day of labor. However, this kind of busy scene did not appear in the Guyuan Tribe. The streets were sparsely populated. Even some children in the city peeked their heads out of the gaps in the doors and wanted to play on the street. However, they were pulled back by the ears by the women behind them after they took a step out.
At this moment, the gate of the Guyuan Tribe was tightly shut. Behind every parapet wall on the city tower stood a fully-armed soldier. Not only that, but the giant crossbows on the top of the city were also filled with arrows that looked like porcupines. From time to time, squads of soldiers patrolled back and forth. The entire city was filled with a somber atmosphere.
It had been almost two months since Xiao Chen had left the tribe. During this time, the Guyuan Tribe had undergone significant changes. In terms of the tribe's population, there were now more than 20,000 people. The originally empty areas in the city had long been densely built with stone houses for the people who had joined the tribe to live in.
Not only that, the tribe's city had also been reinforced and expanded under Tie Wen's arrangements. Some of the tribe's main buildings, such as the chief's mansion and the meeting hall, had been renovated and became even taller and more majestic.
A stone tower had been built in the center of the tribe. At the top of the tower, a weary-looking figure stood against the wind. This tower was more than 500 feet tall. Standing at the top of the stone tower, one could see the entire Guyuan Tribe.
This figure was the Great Elder of the Guyuan Tribe, Tie Wen. When Xiao Chen left the tribe, he had handed over all the matters of the tribe to him. The heavy burden of the tribe's affairs had made him extremely tired. Although he was in the prime of his life in the wasteland, his temples had already turned white. Tie Wen could be said to be very conscientious for the tribe.
As the tribe's Great Elder, he had followed Xiao Chen's orders and strictly investigated the scattered tribes that had come to seek refuge with the Guyuan Tribe. However, in just two months, the tribe's population had increased by nearly 10,000 people.
The increase in population meant that the tribe was prosperous. However, the daily consumption of more than 20,000 people was a huge figure. The tribe's young and strong people had to enter the wasteland to hunt ferocious beasts in order to maintain the tribe's daily consumption.
"Chief!"
Looking down from the top of the stone tower, the Great Elder Tie Wen took a deep breath. Originally, it should have been a time of great hubbub of voices. In the past, the people of the tribe had already formed teams to hunt in the Great Wilderness, but now, they could only hole up in the city.
Originally, the discovery of the Primordial Stone Vein was a great thing. Unexpectedly, the news was accidentally leaked, and now they were besieged by the Mysterious Snake and Kui Tribes.
"Great Elder."
The commander of the tribe, Ding Shan, climbed to the top of the tower and looked at Tie Wen, who was supposed to be tall and straight, but now looked a little crooked. Ding Shan couldn't help but say, "Second Elder and Second Elder have been gone for more than half a month. I think the Patriarch should be back soon. At that time, I'll definitely teach the Kui Water and Black Snake Tribes a lesson."
"My Gu Yuan Tribe is still too weak. Although we have annexed the Black Mountain and Dead Wood Tribes and expanded our territory, our foundation is still too weak. As long as we have three years, I, Gu Yuan, will not be afraid of the Kui Water and Black Snake Tribes."
Tie Wen turned around and said with a bitter smile, "Currently, my entire tribe is surrounded by the two tribes within a radius of a few hundred miles. When my tribesmen go out to hunt, they have all been ambushed by the two tribes. Hundreds of tribesmen have already been taken away."
After a pause, Tie Wen said in a deep voice, "Moreover, the tribesmen who originally wanted to join my Gu Yuan Tribe outside the city have also been taken away. If I'm not wrong, I'm afraid that these two tribes are going to mine the Primordial Stone Vein. They really think that there's no one in my Gu Yuan Tribe!"
When Ding Shan heard Tie Wen's words, his expression turned ugly. "They've gone too far!
This vein was originally discovered by my Gu Yuan Tribe first. Not only did they forcibly occupy the vein, but they also took my tribesmen. "
"In the Great Wilderness, the strong prey on the weak. There's no fairness at all. Now that the Patriarch has not returned, our Gu Yuan Tribe has declined. We must strengthen the tribe's vigilance and strictly monitor the tribesmen who have just joined. If there's any abnormal movement, kill without mercy!
Also, the news of Mu Qing's recovery must be kept a secret. "
"Yes, I've already ordered Shi Ya and the others to lead the tribe's soldiers to closely monitor them. If there's any abnormal movement, kill first and report later!"
Ding Shan, the commander of the soldiers, immediately accepted the order. After a while, he said with some regret, "If Master Gu had not left our Gu Yuan Tribe, given his friendship with the Patriarch, he would definitely not have stood by and watched. Our Gu Yuan Tribe would not have suffered such a loss."
"Even so, the inheritance and development of our Gu Yuan Tribe relies on the united efforts of tens of thousands of tribesmen. We can't entrust the tribe's safety to others. It's better to rely on ourselves than others."
"Xiao Chen!"
Suddenly, a deep voice resounded in the sky above the Gu Yuan Tribe like a huge explosion. It caused the dispirited Gu Yuan Tribe members in the city to shiver in shock. Who was this person? How dare he call the Patriarch by his name? Some of the more irascible people even took out their weapons to teach this rude guy a lesson.
At the top of the stone tower, Tie Wen and Ding Shan, who were originally discussing tribe matters, had ugly expressions on their faces. To them and the entire Gu Yuan Tribe, Xiao Chen was not only their Patriarch, but also their undefeatable faith. Now, someone had come to their door and called Xiao Chen by his name. They were being looked down upon.
"Great Elder, the Black Snake Tribe and the Kuishui Tribe have gone too far. Not only did they steal our Yuan Stone Mine, but they also joined forces to attack our Gu Yuan Tribe. They captured our tribesmen and destroyed our homes. They think our Gu Yuan Tribe is a pushover that they can squash at will."
"Don't act rashly. They have two Blood Refining Realm warriors. Our tribe only has one Blood Refining Realm warrior, Mu Qing. Let's see what they're up to. Let the Guardian Soldiers retreat. They're too weak against Blood Refining Realm warriors."
Now that Xiao Chen was not in the tribe, everything in the tribe was under Tie Wen's command. Tie Wen's eyes flickered with a cold light. He took a deep breath and finally suppressed the anger in his heart. He shouted, "I didn't know the Black Snake Tribe and the Kuishui Tribe were coming. Please forgive me for not going out to welcome you."
Not long after, First Elder Tie Wen and Ding Shan walked down from the stone tower and arrived outside the city. The two of them stood side by side with grave expressions. Their eyes stared intently at the four figures that were wildly rushing over from the horizon.
The mounts that the four of them were riding were especially eye-catching. They were two Roaring Flame Beasts and two Unicorn Kings. These two types of fierce beasts were Upper One-star Fierce Beasts. Their strength was comparable to a Bone Tempering Realm warrior. If one wanted to tame them as a mount, they would need to be at the Blood Refining Realm. To have such strange beasts as mounts was not an ordinary kind of extravagance.
In the blink of an eye, the four figures came whistling over. They were two young men and two old men. They all wore arrogant expressions and did not hide the mockery in their eyes when they saw Tie Wen.
Tie Wen's heart skipped a beat when he saw their attitude. These two tribes did not come with good intentions!