Inside the main tent of the Li Tribe leader, there was a great commotion. Loud voices filled the air due to the tense arguments. Most of the Tribe elders of rank three, along with the rank four Tribe leader, had gathered there. Their faces were dark as they argued loudly.
"Those dogs from the Gan Tribe dare to kill our men as a warning! This is excessive and a demonic act!" one of the elders shouted angrily at the Tribe leader, his voice filled with resentment.
"Tribe leader, I ask you to lead us to question the Gan Tribe!"
"Wait! What if there is a third clan secretly stirring conflict between us to reap the benefits after we weaken each other?" another elder of seniority spoke wisely, raising a crucial point. His words reduced some of the uproar, though not entirely.
Some elders continued pounding their chests and shouting all kinds of demands at the Tribe leader, their voices even reaching outside the tent.
This situation caused Li He'an, the Tribe leader, to frown deeply. He struck the armrest of his chair several times with force until all the elders fell silent and looked at him expectantly.
The Tribe leader released a sorrowful sigh and gestured with his hand.
"The Gan Truve intends to create many troubles for us, even though the ten-year snowstorm is still five years away. But that does not necessarily mean the Gan Tribe killed the Gu Masters who were patrolling as a warning to us. As Elder Chun said, there might be a third party provoking conflict between us so that we clash directly with the Gan Tribe. At that point both Tribe would weaken—or be destroyed entirely. Most likely our Li Tribe would suffer the greatest damage. Then that third party would come and harvest the benefits over our corpses. Therefore we must isolate our camp from the outside world. And if we send patrols, they must include at least one elder."
"The Trive leader is wise! By isolating our camp we can reduce our losses while also slapping that third party in the face and forcing them to direct their pressure toward the Gan Tribe!"
"Our Tribe leader truly is a great figure who led our tribe to become a medium-sized Tribe!"
The elders flattered their leader without any shame. This was not merely because of his authority—his proposed solution was indeed very suitable for the situation.
However, of course, some people thought about matters others did not consider.
"Tribe leader! This son has a point he does not understand. What will the Gan Tribe do? They certainly will not silently agree with us to isolate themselves in their camp and investigate their dead Gu Masters. Instead, they will immediately look for trouble with us."
The old Tribr leader looked at his son Li He, a tall young man with a powerful build, thick eyebrows, and bronze skin covered with scars. He felt proud that his son had raised this sensitive issue.
"Li He… what you say is something that must be considered carefully. After all, the Gan Tribe is not an ally but an enemy of our Tribe. They will certainly seek trouble with us whenever they find an opportunity. But if there truly is a third party wishing to see us clash with the Gan Tribe, then they will certainly harm the Gan Tribe as well, making conflict inevitable. However, the Gan Tribe is not completely foolish. They will realize that someone wishes to reap benefits from this conflict, so they will not attack recklessly or create problems we cannot handle. And we also know what may come, so we will be prepared for confrontation."
"Tribe Leader, this son understands!"
Li He placed his hands on his chest and bowed to his father, the leader of the Li Tribe. This conversation caused the elders to look at Li He approvingly.
Under the harsh living pressure of the Northern Plains, the Li Tribe was very united. Internal conflicts among its members were rare to the point of being almost nonexistent. This unity allowed the old Tribe leader to lead the Li Tribe to greater heights, turning them into a medium-sized clan and a force to be reckoned with.
It also allowed the Tribe leader's son to live comfortably despite his somewhat lacking intelligence.
Tribe leader Li He'an waved his hands toward the elders and pointed at the map showing where the Tribe had settled.
"Our camp lies upon a hill several meters above the surrounding land, giving us a natural defensive advantage, and we have already constructed fortifications there. But under the current circumstances, I want eight elders to guard the four directions of the camp—two on each side. Also, open part of the Tribe treasury to strengthen the fortifications and increase the number of Gu Masters ready to defend the Tribe…"
Elsewhere, Fang Tian was already inside the Gan Tribe camp. He had concealed his aura and appeared no different from an ordinary rank one peak stage Gu Master. Wearing the thick leather robes of the Gan Tribe, he moved among the tribe members as if he were one of them.
At the outskirts of the Gan Tribe camp, circular tents were spread everywhere. Small stalls had been opened where meat, hides, clothing, herbs, long swords, and common weapons used by mortals were sold.
In another area there was an open market where large-bellied horses and other beasts were sold—such as wolves, Sword Rats, Poison Black Hawks, and several other creatures.
Fang Tian found the unique environment of the Northern Plains quite interesting. It reminded him of the Mongols and the peoples who lived in Central Asia back on Earth. One could say the similarities were extremely great—even the environment resembled them.
Fang Tian spent some time wandering around the edges of the camp, skillfully gathering up-to-date information.
"I have searched the souls of Gu Masters from both the Gan Tribe and the Li Tribe, obtaining a large amount of recent information. But due to the repeated attacks on patrols, both Tribes have stopped sending Gu Masters outside, which has caused my information to become outdated by several weeks… And it is truly strange that the Gan Tribe has not taken any action against the Li Tribe."
Fang Tian realized that both Tribes had discovered that a third party was secretly provoking their conflict. However, they had restrained themselves and secretly searched for that third party instead, which caused Fang Tian's plans to stall.
But would he accept this? Of course not.
That was why he had infiltrated the Gan Tribe with great difficulty. He intended to create a major incident that would enrage the Gan Tribe and force them to attack their neighbor, the Li Tribe.
"This incident will be extremely troublesome for the Gan Tribe, as it will threaten their internal security, forcing them to attack the Li Tribe… And why? Of course—to preserve the reputation of their Tribe and the morale of their members! The righteous path is nothing but a joke."
Fang Tian laughed inwardly as he moved closer to the heart of the clan camp.
The closer he approached the center, the fewer ordinary people there were and the more Gu Masters appeared. The tents became fewer but larger and more luxurious, and soon house-type Gu worms began to appear.
These Gu worms were called Lizard House Gu, a common rank two Gu worm used by most Northern Plains tribes during migration.
"So this is a Large Lizard House Gu… This should be where the elders live, right?"
Fang Tian looked at a house-type Gu worm resembling the Lizard House Gu, but this one was far larger and emitted the aura of rank three. The Large Lizard House Gu was used only by the clan elders.
And it was precisely Fang Tian's target.
"Little brother, if you know what's good for you, you should stay away from Elder Zhang residence, or you will be punished!"
A rank two Gu Master approached Fang Tian threateningly, driving him away from the Large Lizard House Gu.
Fang Tian looked at him politely and spoke with a perfect Northern Plains accent, placing his hands on his chest.
"Elder brother, forgive me. I was simply thinking deeply while admiring the elder's impressive residence."
Fang Tian spoke with admiration, which caused the Gu Master in front of him to laugh before immediately driving him away.
"Ah… these people are truly rough and do not know how to behave politely. It seems I must move at night to tamper with that Large Lizard House Gu."
Fang Tian moved away from the Large Lizard House Gu and approached one of the luxurious tents. He entered it and waited inside for night to fall.