There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

Beside the lake, there is a small pile of white stones.

"Grandma Elder, I've brought Marcus to see you!"

The jay hopped over, piled a white stone on top of the pile of stones, and said cheerfully, "You've never believed what I said, have you? Look, I brought Marcus here, now you should believe me!"

The cold pile of stones and the innocent girl, the silence of death and the joy of the living, were like an oil painting rendered with the most vibrant colors, which made me fall silent.

When the jay saw that I wasn't leaving, it even waved to me, "Marcus, come here quickly."

I slowly walked over, looked at the pile of stones, and asked in a low voice, "Jay, is the elder woman you mentioned... here?"

The tribal girl looked at the solitary grave and said softly, "Yes, the elder passed away last month. She was so old, and after coming up the mountain, she worked tirelessly day and night for the affairs of the Hechi tribe. She grew thinner and thinner, and eventually couldn't eat anymore, so she died."

She carefully arranged the stones on the grave, putting the ones that had slipped off back one by one, and said to me, "The elder said she wants to rest now, and she told me to make sure she is buried by the sacred lake, and not to be neighbors with anyone, because she has heard enough of the tribe's gossip in her life, and now she just wants to stay quietly by herself."

I stepped forward and bowed, looking at Jay with a feignedly relaxed expression. "You brought me here because you miss her?"

Jay nodded subconsciously, then shook his head as if suddenly realizing something, saying, "Of course I want to... but before Elder Grandma left, she complained that I talked too much and that I could only come once every three days. Humph, I don't come normally!"

As Jay spoke, a hint of sadness unconsciously crept into her eyes. In a time of change, it seemed only this place where her old friend rested could help her overcome her fear of the unfamiliar and find a moment of peace in talking to herself.

“Marcus, do you know? Actually, when we were planning to escape, the elder only intended for Ulises and the others to take me and the women and children with them. But then someone betrayed us, which led to our camp being attacked, and it turned into a mass exodus. That day, many brothers and sisters from the tribe volunteered to stay behind, buying us time to escape.”

The jay, expressionless and lost in its memories, murmured, "The fire was huge that night. Everyone disappeared, and we were left running for our lives. As we reached the foot of the mountain, more and more people were chasing us..."

The jay's tone grew increasingly sorrowful. "In the dreams that followed, I often saw them coming to find me... They wanted me to keep going, but I was under so much pressure... You know... Sometimes I even thought, what if I hadn't been to Mineral Town... and hadn't met you..."

"Jay, wake up!" I grabbed her shoulders and abruptly interrupted her muttering to herself.

Jay suddenly snapped out of her daze, feeling a cool sensation on her face. When she instinctively wiped her face, she realized that tears were streaming down her cheeks without her noticing.

"Jay, you did a good job."

I looked at her firmly and said solemnly, "You shouldn't think so much, you know? Everything was a decision made by everyone together. You've done your best, and there's no need for you to feel guilty about these things."

I brushed the dirt off my pants, pointed into the distance, and smiled, saying, "Look over there, on the other side of the bay, lies the territory I created. I liberated the people there, gathered them together, and we fight for a common goal. In this process, many will die, many will leave in despair, and many will turn against us..."

At this point, I ruffled her hair and said in a relaxed tone, "But I know that even if life is tough, I'm still working hard for the living, aren't I? Don't worry, I came here to solve these problems, so don't worry!"

…………

On the way back, we exchanged some more information about the Brown Pond tribe.

Currently, there are about 380 people left in the Brown Pool tribe. They are all survivors who escaped along the way. They are at least in good physical condition and generally have the ability to work. They are now trying to adapt to daily life on the top of Mount Corillo.

What's special is that there are over a hundred tribal warriors among them. They are a team specially organized and trained by the tribal elders, managed by Ulises, and divided into four groups to take turns guarding the high wall and defending against attacks each day.

These hundred-plus people make up nearly 30% of the Brown Pond tribe. This has created severe food pressure, so they plan to expand the cultivated area to meet the needs of the entire tribe.

That's where the awkward part is.

A hundred or so soldiers who had been relieved of their professional duties were a lot for the Brown Pool tribe, and they had previously protected the survivors during their escape, so they were meritorious and could not be disbanded on the spot. However, compared to the thirteen allied tribes at the foot of the mountain, each with three or five hundred tribal warriors, these men were simply not enough.

While they had the strength to defend the central area, they lacked the willpower to break out and could not possibly protect the safety of the entire tribe, including the elderly, women, and children. This resulted in the Brown Pool tribe being trapped on the summit of Mount Corilo, burdened with the crime of encroaching on the sacred mountain and being condemned by the world.

Before his death, the tribal elder had done everything in his power to atone for his mistakes. For example, he granted Jay the greatest authority and fully supported her plans, even if they were somewhat naive and rudimentary. He also called on all members of the tribe to follow the instructions of the Son of Altana and to work hard on the holy mountain.

The divine right of kings was very important at this time. By honoring the Kappa as a divine messenger, the tribal elders established the legitimacy of guarding Mount Corilo among the people of the tribe.

Furthermore, by taking advantage of the kappa's special affinity for the jay, they inspired a sense of admiration among the guards and residents, which led to the jay being granted military and administrative power and officially taking over the tribe at a young age.

However, when the ruler is young and the ministers are strong, even if one possesses the greatest power, not everyone will necessarily obey orders.

For example, the situation I'm facing now.

"No, absolutely not! Such an order is utterly malicious! I will never agree to it!"

Ulises stood in the raven's shaman tent, facing all the representatives in the room, looking extremely indignant. If it weren't for the cramped space, I estimate he would have already drawn his sword.

Jay sat on the blanket in the tent and said to Ulises, “I know this plan is a bit risky, but I choose to trust Marcus, just as the elders trust me.”

At this moment, an elderly man with gray hair stood up.

He was an experienced hunter in the tribe. Although the harsh conditions of living outdoors had aged him quickly, they had given him ample courage and experience.

“Jay Shaman, we hunters have a saying: traps should be adjusted according to the size of the prey. We are very grateful that your ally was able to come up the mountain alone to support us. But what is the purpose of his plan? I would like him to explain more.”

Warrior Captain Ulisses glanced at me, snorted in dissatisfaction, and stepped aside to make room for me.

This guy came from a family of fugitives on the grasslands. His dozen or so family members had the ability to work together as a team and had developed superb hunting skills, which allowed them to slowly establish themselves on the grasslands and make a living by selling furs.

Upon hearing the call from the Brownpool tribe, Ulises, the youngest hunter in the family, came fully armed to help, which can be considered a kind-hearted act—unfortunately, his skills were as obvious as his temper.

Jay called together the entire decision-making circle of the tribe to hold a tribal assembly here, just to discuss a topic I had raised—that I would lead the Brownpool tribe to launch a proactive attack down the mountain!

This plan is the second step that Gray and I agreed upon.

However, this proposal was clearly incomprehensible and therefore met with strong opposition—the absurdity of my actions was as outrageous as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ordering Geshu Han to leave Tongguan and fight a decisive battle with the enemy.

To be honest, the fact that they didn't directly call me a mole and then set me on fire is already a huge favor to Jay.

"Gentlemen, my plan is to create an opportunity to descend the mountain. Now that Mount Corillo is surrounded on all sides and the only route down the mountain is firmly controlled, the enemy must have been caught off guard. As long as we send an elite force to attack, we can put enough pressure on them."

I spread my hands to show that I had explained without reservation, “This is a judgment based on what I saw and heard while I was undercover at the foot of the mountain. The small tribe was forcibly trapped at the foot of the mountain, and now they are extremely exhausted, out of ammunition and food, and their morale is even more precarious than yours. They dare not leave simply because of the pressure from the thirteen allied tribes.”

"As long as we launch a night attack and apply enough external pressure, most of those who are barely making ends meet will flee, and the siege facing the Brown Pool tribe will be greatly reduced!"

Chapter 510 Trying to operate a warship so quietly?

"Absolutely not! I won't let anyone go and die in vain with you!"

In the end, no matter what I said, Ulises remained stubbornly unyielding, distrusting me on one hand and refusing to send anyone down the mountain with me on the other.

Because in the minds of normal people, the legend of the hundred cavalry raiding the Wei camp can be imitated, but this success cannot be replicated.

The slogan "Those who imitate me perish, those who resemble me die" didn't come from nowhere. Ma Su knew that to replicate the prerequisite of the "fight with one's back to the river" strategy, the Wei army below the mountain knew that they should first cut off the food and water supplies on the mountain and starve them for a week before attacking.

Therefore, Gan Ning might not have succeeded even with a different enemy, and Ma Su might not have failed even with a different person. This is the wonder of history.

But it seems that, after my persuasion, the other decision-makers in the tent have begun to support my suggestion—although the rewards are tempting, is it really reasonable for these people to do this? Are they so easily convinced by my words?

“Ulysses, while we are grateful for your protection during this time, you must also consider the Brownpool tribe's perspective. We simply cannot sustain a prolonged war in the current situation. Even if we cannot defeat the tribal alliance, we must think about the tribe's future…”

Another young woman stood up and relentlessly criticized Ulises's behavior. She was dressed much like a jay, except with more herbs and minerals adorning her, suggesting she was someone in charge of medicine, metallurgy, and other technical matters.

She counted on her fingers: "The medicine is all gone, and the only salt left is stored away. The older people have already given up eating salt and are willingly leaving the resources for you. If this continues, the entire tribe will be trapped and die."

This statement is a bit of a moral blackmail. Admittedly, being trapped on the mountain is unavoidable, and the small area at the summit means they can't stay there for long, but it's not the warriors' fault. Being able to protect the rest of the tribe with just over a hundred people is already an extraordinary feat.

As soon as I turned my head, I saw Jay looking at me with a half-smile, secretly making a victory sign with a hint of pride... Well, it seems that this whole scene was arranged in advance by Jay, just to scheme against Ulysses alone.

Jay, I'm so glad to see you've grown up, but this is such a dirty trick. Doesn't your conscience hurt?

I had barely uttered a sigh when I realized my conscience didn't hurt at all; in fact, I almost laughed. I knew I'd probably stir-fried my conscience with green peppers and then drunk it with my drinks, so I made a snap decision to just watch the show.

Under the barrage of words from everyone, Ulysses was quickly defeated.

Although this guy is strong in combat, he has a stubbornness that a young man shouldn't have. He can't say things like "the Xiao family is heartless and treacherous," "things change every thirty years," or "I brought in the Lin family's 5 billion order." He naturally experiences being slapped in the face.

Perhaps due to excessive force, Ulisses, while parrying and deflecting attacks, suddenly said, "I can agree, but the people coming down the mountain must be chosen by me, and there cannot be more than ten!"

Upon hearing this, all eyes turned to me again; it seemed no one had expected such a turn of events. Their script was likely one that would force Ulysses to relinquish command in a fit of rage, leaving the battlefield in a huff, much like Achilles was angered by Agamemnon.

This angered the guy so much that he turned into Leonidas and led ten men on a suicide mission.

This is not just a simple provocation; it's a genuine act of oppressing meritorious officials and driving them to their deaths.

"Ulysses, you can't go there! The Brownpool tribe needs you!"

In a moment of panic, the young witch doctor immediately changed her attitude and spoke up to stop her. This unconscious remark, a complete 180-degree turn in attitude, immediately gave her away.

Don't think you're so good at pretending that I can't smell the stench of your romance! I never imagined this big-eyed guy had ulterior motives here… It's amazing Ulisses could find the feeling of love through her smeared face. In all the misty rain and towering pavilions, you're still too young. Naïve!

If my Legion of 460 were here, I'd light a bonfire immediately and burn these two heretics at the stake! I'm clearly excellent too, so why doesn't anyone have the discerning eye to recognize my talent? They're clearly ungrateful for my service, yet they ask me if I support them? Yes!

"Alright, I promise you! Whether you bring men or not, I'll be waiting for you at midnight tomorrow at the Forbidden City... ptooey, ptooey, I'll be waiting outside the city walls! Even if you don't bring any men, I'll go down the mountain alone and fight them to the death!"

To deal with a young man bursting with hormones like this, you can't appear mature, composed, or calculating, because that would make you look cowardly. What I need to do is show off my passionate youth, infect him with my fiery fighting spirit, and Ulises will definitely take the bait!

The reason for this is that young people are absolutely unwilling to back down in front of the girls they like, and they themselves feel that their passionate and enthusiastic demeanor is very cool! Azure beast of the Brown Pool tribe, bite the hook! Let me see your spirited youth!

"A word is settled!"

After Ulises finished speaking, he turned and left the tent without saying another word.

The young witch doctor's face... sorry, her face was covered in paint, I couldn't even make out her features. Anyway, judging from her little gestures, she was probably internally screaming: I only said a few harsh words to you, and you're taking it out on me!

"Uh, Jay, and everyone else here, I'll go make some equipment now. Come find me by the lake if you need anything."

I felt the discussion had come to an end. Although I was curious about how Jay had convinced everyone to believe in me, an outsider, I was the only actor on stage now, and I didn't want everyone to see that I was a little reluctant to leave. I had just given a passionate speech that went off the rails twice, and I really didn't have the face to stay and argue about anything.

But the elderly man with gray hair came over very enthusiastically, suddenly grabbed my hand, slapped it hard twice, his throat bobbed twice but he didn't say anything, and meaningfully left the tent before me.

...What does this guy mean? Performing a mime act? He's a master of riddles!

Then the patriarch of another family came up and patted me on the shoulder, saying sincerely, "Warrior, my family has an ancestral armor. Take it if you need it."

The next person to come up was a middle-aged woman with calluses on her knuckles; she was probably a weaver from the tribe.

"Young warrior, your clothes are torn. Let me mend them for you. It's the only thing I can do..."

...What's going on? This tone sounds off. And why didn't you prepare a new outfit for me? Am I not smart enough to see new clothes?

In the blink of an eye, I found a line had formed in front of me. The dozen or so council members in the tent were all ready to shake my hand and express their respect. Their eyes were full of gratitude and... trouble?

"Jay, come here right now!"

Seeing that something was wrong, I immediately grabbed Jay, who was hiding to the side and chuckling, and rushed out of the tent with her on my shoulder. Once we were in a secluded corner, I whispered to her, "What did you say? Why did they all sound so heavy, like they were going to a funeral?"

Jay was still suppressing a laugh, but when I asked, he managed to stop and explained in a low voice, "I had no choice. Ulysses wouldn't let you in, so I told him you only came because of Sister Cardinal! But today everyone thought you came to fight Ulysses... I don't know the rest. It seems like they've spread a lot of stories about it?"

This is clearly a scene from a Qiong Yao drama that I've imagined!

A wave of emotion washed over me. Indeed, gossip news is the world's most diverse, oldest, and most widely enjoyed form of entertainment! Even in tribes... no, it's precisely because tribes don't have many entertainment options that this form of entertainment is so full of vitality!

I can basically imagine the dramas they're telling me about: rescuing a damsel in distress from afar, a woman falling for another, love turning to hate, and a woman contemplating suicide. Even the abruptness of my arrival here seems perfectly logical.

Imagine what could be more moving than the story of a lovelorn person traveling thousands of miles to the battlefield, crossing enemy lines to find their beloved? And what could be more entertaining than watching this love triangle unfold? If I lose, that's normal; even the best screenwriter would at most add a scene of someone heartbrokenly charging into battle, perishing alongside the enemy, to elevate the theme.

But if I succeed in the competition, this love triangle can run into the season of the White Album on the snow mountain, transform into an eternal classic - the White Album, and be passed down in this tribe for generations, even becoming the intangible cultural heritage of the Brown Pond tribe. In the future, every young person, even if they have never heard "studying medicine can't save the tribe", can still say "I was here first".

I could tolerate all of that, but the way they looked at me like I was already dead, now that the truth is out, really sent chills down my spine. I only know that this mountain is called Mount Corillo, I don't think there's a place called "Luoma Slope" or "Shaku Ridge" or anything like that, right?

Not only did Jay not feel guilty, but he also fanned the flames, saying, "By the way, Marcus, Cardinal just said that if you come back alive, she might consider starting as friends with you!"

"That's enough! Why did she get into character so naturally?! How did she come to think I have a crush on her?! Is she channeling Sister Zhou?!"