Chapter 1257: Forming an Alliance

Beyond the sand waterfall lay a hidden paradise.

It was a naturally formed stronghold of perilous terrain, with a vast stretch of rolling hills inside, broad and solid. Upon the reddish-brown hilltop stood a large tribal garrison, lit by firelight, with bright crimson banners bearing a soaring Vermilion Bird.

This should be another secret garrison of the Vermilion Bird Tribe.

Moreover, judging by the sandstone features and architectural style, it was a very ancient secret garrison.

Chi Yan led Mo Hua and Dan Zhu's party into the tribe.

Along the way, many Vermilion Bird Tribe barbarian cultivators, upon seeing Dan Zhu, showed surprise amid their astonishment and joyfully called out:

"Young Chieftain!"

"It's Young Chieftain Dan Zhu!"

"Young Chieftain Dan Zhu has returned!"

Dan Zhu's prestige within the Vermilion Bird Tribe was very high, and he was deeply beloved.

Dan Zhu suppressed the unease in his heart, smiling gently as he returned their greetings. His temperament was refined and scholarly, his bearing auspicious and dignified, winning the affection of all.

Even Mo Hua secretly sighed within — Dan Zhu's manner, his disposition, his bearing truly looked at a glance like the deportment of a "leader."

The upper echelons of the Vermilion Bird Tribe might not think so.

But among the lower-ranking barbarian cultivators, this kind of wise and virtuous nature had taken deep root in their hearts.

Amid the crowd's adulation, Chi Yan led Dan Zhu all the way to the great hall at the highest point, then turned and said:

"Young Chieftain, the Great Chieftain is waiting for you inside."

Dan Zhu felt inexplicably nervous, his gaze sharpening slightly as he said, "I'll go see Father." Then he couldn't help turning back to look at Mo Hua.

Mo Hua said, "I'll go in with you."

Dan Zhu felt somewhat reassured and nodded.

Chifeng and the others were stopped outside.

Dan Zhu then entered the Vermilion Bird great hall together with Mo Hua.

Inside the great hall — a golden-platformed hall, quite grand — ancient Vermilion Birds danced upon the walls, though they bore some mottled traces of time.

Though aged, one could still glimpse the former splendor.

At this moment, seated upon the high seat at the very center, was the tall, mighty, and imposing Great Chieftain of the Vermilion Bird Tribe — Dan Lie.

But compared to before, there were no beautiful concubines surrounding him, no warbling songs and coquettish chatter — only cold wine and weapons.

He no longer wore a splendid chieftain's barbarian robe, but a suit of battle armor as red as fresh blood.

His face, too, had lost its languor; instead it bore the weathering of famine and hardship, and the weariness of long warring.

Seeing Dan Lie, Dan Zhu felt both joy and a pang of guilt, and couldn't help murmuring, "Father…"

Great Chieftain Dan Lie, upon seeing Dan Zhu, let a trace of warmth show in his cold, stern eyes.

But after a moment, this trace of warmth was once again hidden behind his composure.

Dan Lie's expression gradually cooled as well, bringing a certain aloofness. He merely nodded lightly and said, "Back?"

Dan Zhu suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, a surge of emotions stuck in his throat, unsure what to say, so he said, "Mm, Father, I'm back."

After those words, both fell silent, and the great hall sank into a brief stillness.

Father and son reunited after long separation, clearly full of thoughts, yet suddenly finding themselves with nothing to say.

Just then, a somewhat abrupt voice rang out:

"Fourth Brother, travel-stained as you are, take a seat first, have some wine and food, and rest a while."

The speaker wore a light barbarian robe, with hawk-like brows and a long face, eyes bright and piercing, and was seated at Dan Lie's right hand at this moment.

Mo Hua recognized this person as well — it was Dan Zhu's third elder brother, Dan Bie.

The Great Chieftain of the Vermilion Bird Tribe had four children in total. Eldest son, second daughter, third son Dan Bie, and fourth son — also the youngest — Dan Zhu.

Dan Lie also waved his hand. "Sit."

Dan Zhu cupped his fist and said, "Yes, Father."

Dan Zhu took his seat respectfully.

Mo Hua, as if no one else were present, sat down beside Dan Zhu.

On the table before him were wine and food.

Mo Hua happened to be hungry, so he ate a piece of meat, found it difficult to chew, then took a sip of wine and found it cold.

Mo Hua looked up and surveyed the great hall.

At this moment the entire great hall was very spacious; within it were only Great Chieftain Dan Lie and Dan Bie.

Before he and Dan Zhu had entered, this father and son pair seemed to have been discussing some matter for a long time — the wine and food had gone cold, and no conclusion had been reached.

Barbarian cultivators were mostly body cultivators, each one like a brute ox, able to eat anything; a bit cold or tough was nothing to them.

But Mo Hua was different — he had been sickly since childhood, his body was "precious," and he couldn't stomach this "raw meat and cold roast." So after a tentative taste, he politely set it down again.

On the other side, Great Chieftain Dan Lie gazed at Dan Zhu for a long while before slowly opening his mouth to ask:

"You… are with the Bone-Art Tribe?"

Dan Zhu tried to explain, "No…"

Dan Lie asked, "No?"

Dan Zhu froze, thought for a moment, then could only admit, "Yes…"

After all, in fact, he was indeed with the Bone-Art Tribe now.

Dan Lie's gaze grew several degrees colder, even tinged with anger, but he still held his temper in check, a note of interrogation in his tone:

"What exactly is your relationship with the Bone-Art Tribe now? You wouldn't really have… submitted to them, would you?"

Dan Zhu shook his head repeatedly. "No, we… no, I just… I'm working together with the Bone-Art Tribe. Serving the Divine Lord together…"

Dan Lie frowned. "Serving the Divine Lord?"

He felt this statement was as absurd as a fairy tale.

He wasn't unaware—the Shu Gu tribe worshipped savage gods, and numerous crude, backward barbarian deities—when had they ever worshipped the "Divine Lord"?

"Divine Lord" is an ancient divine name passed down since antiquity, a collective term of olden days—whether it even exists is debatable.

How could the Shu Gu tribe suddenly change their faith?

Dan Lie couldn't help turning his head toward Mo Hua beside him. "Mr. Wu, is Dan Zhu's claim true?"

Mo Hua nodded. "True."

Dan Lie asked, "The Shu Gu tribe's former deity… wasn't the Divine Lord, was it?"

"No," said Mo Hua.

Dan Lie asked again: "Now they worship the Divine Lord?"

Mo Hua nodded: "Yes."

"Why?"

"I made them worship him," Mo Hua replied without shame.

Chief Dan Lie was momentarily speechless, exchanging a glance with Dan Bie.

This Mr. Wu before them was young, yet eloquent, his tongue blossoming like lotus flowers—they all knew this.

But this was simply too outrageous.

You changed a tribal faith that had lasted for generations with a single sentence?

Dan Bie's gaze turned cold as he stared at Mo Hua and asked: "I heard the new chief of the Shu Gu tribe is now Lord Lugu?"

Mo Hua nodded. "Yes."

Dan Bie asked: "Several years ago, Lord Lugu was merely a general—how could he now become chief?"

Mo Hua answered without modesty: "I guided Lord Lugu to become chief."

Dan Bie asked: "Has the Shu Gu tribe been unified?"

Mo Hua nodded: "I guided the Shu Gu tribe to unification."

Dan Bie's eyelid twitched.

He felt Mo Hua's cheek was thicker than the Gobi of the Great Wasteland; in his entire life, he had never seen anyone with such audacity.

By this logic, he'd soon claim he had created the Shu Gu tribe's present and shaped its civilization.

He'd have to be the Shu Gu tribe's god.

Dan Bie clearly didn't follow Mo Hua's line of thought—he seized the core issue and spoke darkly:

"So you are, in truth… the Lord Wu Zhu of the Shu Gu tribe?"

Mo Hua paused, then admitted: "In a sense."

Dan Bie frowned. "What do you mean, 'in a sense'?"

Mo Hua said: "I act by the Divine Lord's will. Since the Shu Gu tribe worships the Divine Lord, I am also their Lord Wu Zhu. But ultimately, I am not the Lord Wu Zhu of any tribe in the Great Wasteland—I am the Lord Wu Zhu of the Divine Lord."

"What a splendid 'Lord Wu Zhu of the Divine Lord'—you spin such dazzling tales…" Dan Bie sneered, his gaze suddenly chilling:

"Weren't you sent from the very beginning as a spy of the Shu Gu tribe? Pretending to infiltrate the Dan Que tribe, you used words to bewitch my fourth brother, plotting treachery. Your master behind the scenes… is Lord Lugu? Are you obeying Lord Lugu's orders?"

Dan Zhu couldn't help glancing at Mo Hua.

Chief Dan Lie's gaze also turned icy.

Mo Hua's heart tightened slightly—he thought: Dan Bie may be mediocre in other ways, but his skill in stirring trouble and twisting truth was indeed impressive.

Mo Hua shook his head. "You've got it backward."

Dan Bie frowned. "Backward?"

Mo Hua nodded: "I am the Lord Wu Zhu, acting as the Divine Lord's emissary. Even if Lord Lugu is chief, he must obey the Divine Lord's commands."

In other words, I do not obey Lord Lugu's orders.

It is Lord Lugu who must obey me, the Lord Wu Zhu.

Dan Bie stared blankly for a moment, then let out a cold laugh:

"Do you think I don't know who Lord Lugu is? He's a late-stage Jin Dan general, cruel and ruthless—now even chief of the Shu Gu tribe, wielding absolute power. Would he listen to you, a late-stage Foundation Establishment Lord Wu Zhu?"

Dan Bie's gaze was icy as he stared directly at Mo Hua: "Don't you understand the weight of the words 'chief'? Don't you know the chasm between late-stage Jin Dan and late-stage Foundation Establishment?"

Mo Hua remained calm, his eyes holding a faint disdain—"You cannot explain ice to a summer insect"—and said solemnly:

"I've said it many times: I am the Lord Wu Zhu, the Divine Lord's emissary. My strength cannot be measured by realm."

Dan Bie felt a constriction in his chest, his scalp prickling slightly.

He was a man who thrived on verbal manipulation, and thus despised those whose tongues outmatched his own.

Especially someone like Mo Hua, who could speak nonsense with such solemn conviction.

He is the Divine Lord's emissary. He guided Lord Lugu. He unified the Shu Gu tribe. Even a late-stage Jin Dan chief must obey him, a late-stage Foundation Establishment man…

He spouts these claims as easily as breathing, utterly unaware of shame or the meaning of guilt.

Dan Bie's breath choked in his chest; after a long pause, he managed only:

"Don't lie—even to yourself…"

Mo Hua said solemnly: "I never lie. The Divine Lord can bear witness!"

Dan Bie had no reply.

"Enough," the silent chief finally spoke slowly, glancing at Mo Hua. "Mr. Wu… I'll call you that for now…"

"Since you are now the Lord Wu Zhu of the Shu Gu tribe, why have you come to my Dan Que tribe? Do you intend to meddle in Dan Que's affairs?"

Dan Lie's eyes held a trace of authority.

Mo Hua shook his head. "I came here regarding the alliance."

At these words, Dan Bie's expression changed instantly. "Who told you about the alliance?"

Mo Hua was taken aback, feeling something was off. After a moment's thought, he immediately understood.

The Dan Que tribe was also considering an "alliance."

Only their "alliance" was different from what he'd been told.

Most likely, the Dan Que tribe wanted to ally with the other major third-grade tribes in the area. As for the purpose of the alliance… in a flash, Mo Hua could roughly figure it out:

To resist the Wu Jiu tribe.

The Wu Jiu tribe was a formidable enemy, with the bearing of Wang Ting's soldiers, now sweeping across Zhu Que's mountain borders, unstoppable.

From the current situation, the Dan Que tribe was clinging to one corner of land. Great Chieftain Dan Lie looked weary, clearly having already clashed with the Wu Jiu tribe, and the situation was not optimistic—he'd likely suffered his share of defeats.

But they certainly wouldn't sit and wait for death.

Since a single tribe was no match for the Wu Jiu tribe, naturally they could only join hands, form an alliance, and together resist the Wu Jiu tribe's army.

In an instant, Mo Hua worked through these connections, and before Dan Lie and the others could speak, he immediately said: "The Shu Gu tribe can also form an alliance."

Both Dan Lie and Dan Bie were somewhat startled.

Dan Bie sneered, "This is a matter for great chieftains to discuss. It's not for you to inquire into."

Mo Hua said: "I've said it before—I'm a Lord Wuzhu. I can represent the Shu Gu tribe's great chieftain, Lord Lugu, to negotiate this matter."

Dan Bie's sneer deepened.

This kid really did think himself somebody.

Dan Lie glanced at Mo Hua, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "My Dan Que tribe has a grudge with the Shu Gu tribe. We cannot…"

Mo Hua countered, "Among your tribes here, which ones don't have grudges with each other?"

He'd been mixing about in the Great Wilderness for so long—how could he not know that the relationships between tribes here were like mud mixed with shit, with no way to tell which was which?

Betrayal, traitors, scheming, murder, adultery, stealing women, stealing men, stealing property…

Count back three generations between any two tribes—wasn't there some dirty business?

It was just that the Dan Que tribe and Shu Gu tribe's current generation had a colder relationship, and the conflict was sharper, that's all.

But now, this was a matter of life and death.

Mo Hua said in a low voice, "Famine runs rampant, the starving lie everywhere, the Wu Jiu tribe's formidable enemy presses at the border. This is no ordinary year—it's an omen of the clan's destruction."

"First join hands to defeat the powerful enemy and survive, only then do we have the right to talk about the future. Otherwise, both the Dan Que tribe and Shu Gu tribe will only die together."

"Endure some tribal grudges and join hands, or remain hostile to each other and perish together? Great Chieftain, you should know the answer in your heart."

Great Chieftain Dan Lie looked deeply at Mo Hua, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and slowly asked:

"Can you truly… represent Lord Lugu?"

Mo Hua nodded: "I can."

Dan Lie was still not entirely at ease. "Your promise won't do, your stepping forward won't do either. Lord Lugu must come in person to talk with me."

Mo Hua still nodded. "That can be done."

In his heart, Dan Lie still didn't quite believe that the notoriously fierce Lord Lugu would listen to Mo Hua's opinion, but seeing Mo Hua's assured expression and composed bearing, he nodded and said:

"Very well. I can let you, and Lord Lugu, attend this alliance meeting."

"Father…" Dan Bie grew anxious and tried to dissuade him again. But Dan Lie shook his head. "It's settled. No need for further words."

Dan Bie had no choice but to swallow his words back.

Mo Hua also quietly let out a breath of relief.

No matter what, being able to sit at the same table and talk was, after all, a good start.

"However…" Dan Lie deliberated for a moment, looked at Mo Hua, and said, "There is one more thing, Mr. Wu, that you yourself need to be mindful of."

Mo Hua was slightly startled. "Me?"

Great Chieftain Dan Lie nodded.

Mo Hua didn't quite understand. "What should I be mindful of?"

Great Chieftain Dan Lie's gaze flickered slightly, and he said: "This Buluo Alliance meeting has quite a few attendees. Besides the great chieftains, great elders, and trusted barbarian generals of each tribe, two have also been invited… who truly hail from Wang Ting…"

Great Chieftain Dan Lie looked at Mo Hua, his gaze somewhat meaningful, "…Lord Wuzhu, my lord."

Mo Hua's heart skipped a beat, though his face remained unchanged as he said:

"Oh…"

(End of chapter)