Chapter 78

At this moment, every face in the crowd beamed with radiant smiles—sincere, as if gushing forth like a spring from the deepest depths of their hearts. Their excitement was boundless, never exhausting.

Compared to their earlier lifeless state, they now seemed reborn, brimming with vibrant energy and endless enthusiasm.

Guo Jing was delighted, for he felt this was how people ought to be.

That night, after the assembly ended, the herders eagerly rushed to the Pastoral Reform Office with their documents to exchange for cattle and sheep; once they received them, they hurriedly drove the animals home.

As the herders and their livestock departed, though five hundred soldiers remained, the camp still felt strangely empty.

Looking at the slightly desolate camp, Nie Huaishang half-joked, “Do you think those herders might take their cattle and sheep straight home and then defect to another tribe?”

“No,” Guo Jing said firmly. “It’s simple—they know other tribes only seek to take from them: their cattle and sheep, their labor, even their lives in battle to protect those lords.”

“No one has ever thought of giving them anything—only taking. They understand that perfectly.”

Nie Huaishang chuckled lightly. “I can’t compete with you, Great Sage. My moral awareness as a petty villain is far too low.”

“But petty villains are often better at deceit and more sensitive to it. While I sent men to the Jin market to procure supplies, I had them watch for members of the Kiyat tribe—and sure enough, their numbers increased.”

“So what?” Guo Jing asked, puzzled.

Nie Huaishang slapped his forehead in exasperation. “Have you forgotten the Kiyat tribe’s rebellion against Jin? The Kiyat raided Jin’s wealth, and the Jin chancellor Wanyan Xiang crushed them with troops. Temujin led his army alongside Wang Han to attack the Kiyat.”

Guo Jing suddenly understood. “Now I get it. When I saw the Kiyat rebel, I wondered—why? They were backed by Jin and had alienated all their western neighbors. It made no sense. You’re saying Temujin orchestrated it.”

Realizing Temujin was the greatest beneficiary, Guo Jing asked, “Then let’s gather proof of Temujin’s plot and expose him.”

Nie Huaishang spread his hands. “What good would exposing Temujin do us? Remember, when Temujin merely distributed stolen wealth to his men, it angered other tribes. Our actions—giving away cattle and sheep, abolishing slavery and human sacrifice—are seen by the Kiyat as the ultimate betrayal. If we keep this up, other tribes will unite against us sooner or later.”

“Jin and Temujin are drawing the fire. We should be glad. When Temujin and Jin have crushed the Kiyat, we’ll swallow them whole. After absorbing the Kiyat, we hand the evidence to Jin—then Jin’s army has reason to strike Temujin’s Qiyat and Wang Han’s Kerait. Temujin can no longer claim authority as Jin’s appointed tribal chief to command the noble families.”

“Huaishang, your wisdom is astonishing. No wonder your fans call you ‘Director Nie.’” Guo Jing couldn’t help but praise.

That night, the herders drove their cattle and sheep back to their yurts.

Ha Shi, Ha Ming’s younger brother, burst excitedly toward the yurt and shouted, “Mother, come out and see—what are these?”

Ha Mu, still half-asleep, trudged out of the yurt, ready to scold—but froze at the sight of the cattle and sheep Ha Ming had driven home.

The sight struck her with overwhelming force. The elderly woman trembled as she whispered, “Son… where did these cattle and sheep come from?”

“Mother, the Saman gave them to us. His decree: every herder gets eight sheep and two cattle. Since my brother serves as a soldier, bearing the duty to protect everyone’s lives and property, our family gets one and a half times the allotment—sixty sheep and fifteen cattle.”

The shock overwhelmed Ha Mu. She trembled, murmuring over and over, “Impossible… impossible… what could that Master Saman want from us? Even if we all died as sacrifices, we couldn’t repay such cattle and sheep.”

Seeing his mother’s mind unraveling, Ha Ming quickly explained: “Mother, the Saman says the Eternal Heaven appeared to him in a dream. Heaven could not bear its children suffering under noble lords, living in poverty—so it freed the slaves, abolished human sacrifice, and gave us these cattle and sheep.”

“The Saman also says he’ll make our lives better. He plans to open night schools—first to teach literacy to some, then to the whole tribe.”

Hearing this, Ha Mu knelt reverently toward the sky and wept, “Eternal Heaven, have you finally seen the suffering of your children? Have you sent a true god to save us?”

Seeing his mother kneel in prayer, Ha Shi hurriedly said:

“Mother, the Saman has already decreed: no one in the tribe may kneel.”

At Ha Shi’s words, Ha Mu stood up at once. “If the Saman says we must not kneel, then we won’t kneel. Ha Shi, now that we have so many cattle and sheep, and your brother studies under the Saman, it’s time to find him a bride from another tribe.”

“Got it!” Ha Shi exclaimed, joyfully driving the cattle and sheep to the pen and corral. In their former state, they could barely feed themselves—let alone afford a bride.

But now? Sixty sheep, fifteen cattle—plenty of girls would gladly marry in. Besides, his brother had told him the Saman held him in high regard, valued his opinions, called him the smartest among his students, and taught him many skills.

At the time, Ha Shi had felt nothing but envy—and pride that his brother could bring home twenty extra sheep and five extra cattle, and earn the Saman’s attention.

If he were as outstanding as his brother, his goddess, his jewel Black Ni, would surely fall in love with him. The thought made his chest pound.

Within two or three weeks, soldiers began being approached by family members about marriage. The soldiers grew awkward. As the Saman said, this was the critical moment to elevate their overall quality—transforming ordinary men into excellent ones.

In such a time-sensitive moment, how could they be distracted by romance? Guo Jing and Nie Huaishang noticed this. Over dinner, Guo Jing joked, “I’ve heard your families are arranging marriages for you—but neither I nor Director Nie received a single invitation.”

Nie Huaishang chimed in, “Exactly. I’ve been teaching you wholeheartedly, yet you won’t even invite us to your wedding feasts? That’s not fair.”

The soldiers, eating, scratched their heads sheepishly. “It’s not that we didn’t want to invite you—we just felt this was the crucial time for training and study. We didn’t want to delay.”

“That thinking is wrong. Marriage is natural for grown men. But if you all marry at once, the tribe’s security becomes a problem. How about this: hold your weddings here. Five hundred men, spread over three days. Take turns standing guard for your comrades.”

Nie Huaishang paused, thinking. “Make the weddings lively and festive—have the whole tribe attend. We’ll even officiate and write wedding blessings for you.”