Chapter 109: The Schoolhouse

Watching the self-inflicted death of Deaf-Mute-Mad-Man, Thunder Dragon felt a flicker of surprise, though it was far from enough to warrant forgiveness. Although the resources offered by Deaf-Mute-Mad-Man as a peace offering far exceeded his own losses, the memory of his arrogant posture while attacking the tribe kept Thunder Dragon’s fury burning, leaving him with an urge to march his troops into Wild-Lust Village and raze it to the ground.

What puzzled Thunder Dragon was why Li Zhan was treating Deaf-Mute-Mad-Man and his cohorts with such courtesy. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Thunder Dragon suppressed his anger and looked at Li Zhan, sensing that the leader had something to say to him.

Feng Xing, who had remained silent, noticed the tension. He walked over, pulled Li Zhan and Thunder Dragon aside to keep them out of earshot of the three tribal chiefs, and whispered to Li Zhan, "Alliance Leader Li, we are out of earshot now. Please, speak your mind."

Li Zhan smiled slightly at Feng Xing, admiring the chief who usually spoke little but could always read the intentions of others at critical moments. It was true; with those three chiefs standing nearby, it would have been inappropriate for Li Zhan to speak his mind, and pulling Thunder Dragon aside for a private whisper would have signaled to the others that his forgiveness was merely a calculated move.

Being pulled aside by a "third party" like Feng Xing, however, gave the situation a completely different nuance. After casting a smiling glance at Feng Xing, Li Zhan turned to Thunder Dragon and voiced his concerns.

Waiwai Radish Strip joined them as well. After listening to Li Zhan’s explanation, the three men nodded, their expressions clearing as they finally understood his reasoning. After a moment of careful thought, Waiwai Radish Strip added with a touch of worry, "Brother Li, if these six tribes can remain peaceful, that would be for the best—we certainly don't want to keep fighting tribes within our own county. But what if they decide to stab us in the back when we least expect it? We can't be on guard against them every single moment!"

Li Zhan nodded. "I have considered that problem as well. However, this union of six tribes is merely a temporary, fragile arrangement. They have no solid emotional foundation or inseparable interests. After this crushing defeat, they have lost all faith in such weak, temporary alliances. Furthermore, by sparing them, we have ensured that at least one or two of their chiefs will be truly grateful to us. If they ever attempt anything in the future, those grateful chiefs will be our best informants."

Feng Xing added, "Alliance Leader Li is right. After this disastrous defeat, the six tribes are already divided. By accepting them at their lowest point, we ensure they will view our mercy with gratitude. From now on, if any of the six tribes tries to stir up trouble, those who are grateful to us will warn us in advance and act as our best internal allies."

Li Zhan patted Feng Xing’s shoulder and turned to Thunder Dragon. "The most severely damaged by this civil war was the Thunder Roar tribe, and it was the direct target of Deaf-Mute-Mad-Man’s forces. While my proposal is to pardon these six tribes, the final decision rests with you, Alliance Leader Thunder. After all, you have the greatest say in how to deal with them."

Facing the expectant gazes of the group, Thunder Dragon remained silent for a long time. He clenched his fists several times before finally relaxing them. With a long, heavy sigh, he said, "Fine, Alliance Leader Li. I will listen to you; I trust that your judgment is correct."

***

Li Zhan nodded with a smile, pleased that Thunder Dragon had chosen to prioritize the greater good. Although he had verbally deferred to Thunder Dragon, he had prepared for the worst: if Thunder Dragon had insisted on destroying the six tribes in his rage, Li Zhan would have stood by the other five tribes, even at the cost of a confrontation. He would have allowed only the destruction of Wild-Lust Village and explained the strategic necessities afterward, trusting that Thunder Dragon would eventually understand his painstaking efforts.

With Thunder Dragon’s cooperation secured, the rest was easy. The group returned to the three waiting chiefs, and Feng Xing addressed them: "After some deliberation, and thanks primarily to Alliance Leader Thunder’s magnanimity, it has been decided that we will not hold this against you. You will remain members of the alliance, standing as equals with everyone else, and there will be no discrimination or neglect."

Upon hearing this "verdict," the three chiefs were moved to tears, bowing and kowtowing repeatedly to express their gratitude. One chief, acknowledging that his tribe’s strength was inferior to that of Wild-Lust Village, offered five hundred units of food and five hundred units of wood as a gesture of apology. The other two chiefs, prompted by this, also pledged the same amounts, hoping the alliance leaders would accept their sincerity.

Before Li Zhan could reply, Waiwai Radish Strip stepped forward quickly. "It is only right. This is for your own good, to ensure you remember this lesson so you don't repeat the same mistakes in the future."

The three chiefs nodded submissively. Behind them, Li Zhan, Feng Xing, and Flower Pot exchanged glances, smiling wryly and shaking their heads.

Afterward, Li Zhan introduced Wu Fan to the other chiefs and vice versa. Wu Fan laughed heartily, explaining that he usually kept his head down growing dye plants and rarely interacted with other players; Li Zhan was his only player friend. He was delighted to suddenly have so many new acquaintances and to be part of an alliance.

Wu Fan had a habit of asking for players' ages. Having already learned that Li Zhan was younger than him, he began asking the others. When the chiefs revealed their ages, Wu Fan was once again satisfied—everyone was younger than him, which meant he would soon have several people calling him "Old Brother."

As the others reported their ages, Li Zhan realized he was among the older ones in the group. Aside from Wu Fan and Thunder Dragon, everyone else was younger than him. Wu Fan was two years his senior, Thunder Dragon was one year older, and Feng Xing was the same age, though his birthday was two months later.

Just before the troops withdrew, Wind Chime and Wooden Fish arrived in a hurry with their militia. Neither had been online when Li Zhan sent his messages—Wind Chime had been out at a night market with her mother until midnight, and even Feng Xing couldn't find her—but upon logging in and seeing the messages, they had immediately led their troops to the Thunder Roar tribe. Learning from Thunder Dragon’s men that the group had already pursued the retreating forces of Deaf-Mute-Mad-Man, they had pushed their march forward to catch up at Wild-Lust Village.

Feng Xing gave a brief summary of events to his sister and Wooden Fish. Upon learning that the fighting had ceased, they finally felt at ease. By this time, Deaf-Mute-Mad-Man had finished his ten-minute wait and logged back into the village (after upgrading to the Feudal Age, mayors could set respawn points in their villages). Accompanied by several wandering players, he appeared in a weakened state to apologize once more to Thunder Dragon and the other chiefs. Thunder Dragon waved his hand, signaling that he would pursue the matter no further. Thus, the civil war incident concluded.

When the two arrow-ships docked at the Yanhuang village shipyard, it was already five in the morning, and the sky was beginning to brighten. As always, the early-rising villagers were busy at their posts: fields, lumber mills, dye workshops, cotton fields... figures could be seen scattered everywhere. Li Zhan stepped onto the dock and scanned the area. He noticed that almost all fifteen pairs of villagers who had joined the "Family Mode" were among the early risers, proving that the system was highly effective in fostering their sense of private ownership.

Entering the village center from the west gate, Li Zhan saw Ruoyan and Zheng Jun in the southwest corner, measuring land with cautious, careful movements. Curious, Li Zhan had Jin Xue take thirty units of high-quality venison from the village hall to reward the seven war wolves, then instructed Zhao Ming and Zhang Feng to take their men to rest. With those orders given, he walked toward Ruoyan and Zheng Jun.

As he drew closer, he heard their conversation:

"I think we should widen this area; it will serve as a lecture hall, allowing more villagers to attend lessons in the future."

"And this part should be planned separately so that villagers have more spacious room to research related technologies."

"It's so complicated. I wonder if the Mayor will be satisfied."

Li Zhan stepped forward and said, "What are you two doing? Why are you so nervous?"

Ruoyan turned and, seeing Li Zhan, said happily, "You're finally back! You've been out fighting all day, and the friend function is disabled. Our village can now build an Academy, and Zheng Jun and I are planning the construction site."

Academy: Feudal Age Building
Function: Lectures, Research
Description:
—Lectures: Villagers with advanced skills can conduct lectures here, benefiting villagers with lower-level skills (rapidly increasing skill experience). If a villager has potential, they can break through the advanced limit and continue to upgrade their skills (normally, villager skills cap at advanced. Levels above advanced are: Expert, Master, Legendary). There is a very slim chance of learning a skill they have not yet mastered.
—Research: Villagers of the same profession with advanced skills can gather here (at least two) to conduct research related to their work to improve efficiency. Research costs and time depend on the number of participating advanced-skilled villagers; more villagers mean lower costs and shorter time, while fewer mean the opposite.
Upgrade Building: University (Castle Age)