Chapter 017: Alliance

"I also have an idea I'd like to take this opportunity to share with everyone," Li Zhan said.

Under the astonished gazes of Lei Long and the others, Li Zhan spoke calmly and at ease:

"I'm not sure how often everyone checks the official website for game strategies, but I do so quite frequently. From my browsing, I've come across a piece of information I believe to be rather important: the morale of soldiers is affected by the integrity of a region. In short, if the territory within a county is fragmented, it will negatively impact the morale of all soldiers in every tribe within that county. For example, if one of our seventeen tribes in Danyang County is conquered by an outside tribe, the morale of soldiers in the other sixteen tribes will drop as well."

As soon as Li Zhan finished speaking, the tribal chiefs began whispering among themselves. Some had indeed seen this information on the website but hadn't paid it much attention. Now that Li Zhan brought it up, they recalled it and nodded repeatedly. Those who hadn't seen it before were enlightened by his explanation and the confirmation of their peers, surprised that the game had such a mechanic.

Once the discussion subsided, the chiefs turned their attention back to Li Zhan, unsure of his intentions in bringing this up at this moment.

Seeing that the room had quieted, Li Zhan continued:

"Currently, all tribes are still in the Age of Darkness—even the twelve elite tribes on the world rankings are no exception. The Age of Darkness is the most vulnerable period for every tribe: military forces are limited, development is slow, and technology remains conservative. At this stage, any external attack could easily lead to annihilation. Even if a tribe survives by chance, its productivity will be severely crippled. Fei Tong mentioned that our tribes in Danyang County are lagging behind those in other counties. I don't think this was a casual remark, but rather a warning from the system to us, the chiefs. Given our current means of reconnaissance, we have no way to spy on the development of other tribes. The system can only warn us through the words of the county magistrate: compared to our neighbors, we are already at a disadvantage."

It was as if his words had awakened those in a dream. The chiefs, though shocked, couldn't help but secretly give Li Zhan their approval—he could see the underlying mechanics of the system through the smallest details of the game, a level of insight even professional players might find hard to match. This player named Li Zhan was clearly extraordinary; perhaps they had all underestimated him before.

"On one hand, we must maintain the integrity of our territory to prevent our soldiers' morale from being undermined and to avoid disadvantage in future wars. On the other hand, we should strive to keep our tribes away from all conflict during the Age of Darkness and focus entirely on development. How can we achieve both? This is the most pressing issue facing us as chiefs. Lei Long's suggestion earlier gave me an idea—unity!"

"Unity?" the chiefs involuntarily echoed, their expressions filled with doubt. Lei Long was even more perplexed, mouth agape, unsure what connection Li Zhan's 'unity' had with his own idea of an 'alliance'.

"Yes, unity! All seventeen tribes should join forces, working together to defend against external threats and create a stable environment for internal development. Fei Tong said that when Danyang County's main city is threatened, all tribes must go to its aid, or face extermination as punishment. That is the system forcibly uniting our strength in times of crisis. But why shouldn't we voluntarily unite our strength during peacetime? Just as we would rescue Danyang City, why not go to the full aid of any tribe threatened by outsiders? Once we develop and enter the Feudal Age, our military, technology, and productivity will all leap to a new level, and the integrity of our territory will bolster our soldiers' morale. Then, when we face war again, we won't be as helpless as we are now."

Once more, the chiefs began whispering among themselves. Each of them found themselves quietly admiring the long-term vision and persuasive strategies Li Zhan employed—what had seemed an impossible unity, he had gradually made appear necessary by analyzing the situation and laying out the consequences. Even Lei Long, who prided himself as the leader of Danyang County's foremost tribe, couldn't help but look at Li Zhan in a new light, thinking, "I must admit, this Li Zhan is truly shrewd. When he speaks, people find it easy to accept, while my words are often met with skepticism."

After a period of discussion, a concern arose. One player stood up and addressed Li Zhan:

"Chief Li, your suggestion is excellent, but I wonder if you've considered this: the seventeen tribes can't develop together forever. As Fei Tong said, conquest and annexation are the inevitable trend of the future. If we unite now, when do we disband? Do you have an answer for that?"

This was the fundamental question in the minds of all the chiefs. At the question, they all nodded slightly, turning to Li Zhan to see how he would respond.

Li Zhan had anticipated this and smiled:

"As this chief rightly points out, conquest and annexation are matters for the future. Our immediate task is development. And I believe none of you think it's possible to wipe out another tribe with at most twenty militiamen, do you? At the very least, we should wait until the Feudal Age, when our military expands beyond a single troop type, before considering conquest. As for when to dissolve the alliance, I have a preliminary plan: once the first tribe in the alliance reaches the Feudal Age, the alliance will automatically dissolve one month later. By then, each tribe should have reached the Feudal Age and have the means to defend itself, even after dissolution."

With this explanation, the chiefs generally felt that uniting the tribes posed no disadvantage, especially as all were in dire need of a stable environment for development during the Age of Darkness. On the other hand, the alliance was not a lifelong bond—ambitious chiefs could pursue their own conquests after the Feudal Age, and the prior stability would provide a strong military foundation.

After addressing several more questions, Li Zhan saw that the chiefs had no further doubts. He then asked:

"Very well, I believe my plan for unity is clear. Now it's time for the chiefs to state their positions. Those in favor, please raise your hand. Those opposed, do as you wish."

No sooner had he finished than—

"I agree! Brother Li, your suggestion is truly excellent—it speaks directly to my heart!" Crooked Carrot was the first to jump up and raise his hand in support.

After a moment—

"I agree as well!" "And me!" These were the siblings Gale and Windchime, who had previously signaled their willingness to cooperate with Li Zhan.

Soon after—

"I support it!"

"So do I!"

"This is a great idea—I'm in favor!"

"There's no reason not to. Who doesn't want a stable environment for development?"

"Agreed!"

"Yes, agreed!"

…

In just a short while, all seventeen chiefs had raised their hands in favor; not a single one left the hall. Li Zhan was a little surprised, though it was still within his expectations. The chiefs looked at each other, hands raised, and in that moment it seemed their relationships had grown closer. They couldn't help but laugh together.

Amidst the laughter, Li Zhan cleared his throat, drawing all eyes to him. He spoke:

"Whether we call it a union or an alliance, we need a leader. Since everyone has agreed to join the united tribes, it's time to elect a chief to be our leader. I nominate…"