Langling had not expected that among the exiles who came to join them on the very first day, there would be an expert like Gangtuo.
Over ten years ago, Gangtuo had already become a ten star Great Demon Warrior, only half a step away from becoming a Demon Martial Grandmaster.
Back in the Northern Wilderness, he had served as the Chief Hunting Leader of a Near Human tribe, commanding more than a thousand warriors.
The Flame Demon Tribe now possessed two Demon Martial Grandmasters.
Suomo was a peak Demon Martial Grandmaster.
Duoduo was a four star Demon Martial Grandmaster.
Both Duolong and Gangtuo were top tier Great Demon Warriors.
At present, Langling served as Chief of the Flame Demon Tribe.
Suomo was the First Elder.
Duoduo was the Second Elder.
From the Chimera Tribe they had seized nearly two thousand warhorses, enough to establish a cavalry force of one thousand riders.
Although the Wilderness contained vast forests, most tribes were built on open ground, making cavalry extremely effective.
Langling summoned Duolong and Gangtuo.
“Which of you is stronger?” he asked.
Duolong replied, “Our cultivation levels are about the same. But if we actually fought, I’d probably lose.”
Gangtuo said, “I have more experience. Brother Duolong is more fierce.”
Langling nodded.
“Duolong, when you were with the Wild Horse Tribe, you commanded three thousand cavalry, didn’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Gangtuo, when you were in the Northern Wilderness, you served as your tribe’s Chief Hunting Leader. That was effectively the commander of one thousand cavalry as well, wasn’t it?”
Gangtuo shook his head.
“I commanded a thousand men, not a thousand horsemen. Our tribe was too small to own that many horses.”
Langling said, “We have two thousand warhorses and intend to establish one thousand cavalry. I plan to choose one of you as the first commander of a thousand.”
Gangtuo looked surprised.
“I’m not suitable. I’ve only just arrived. I’ll gladly assist Brother Duolong.”
Originally, Duolong had assumed the position would naturally be his.
After all, he had once commanded three thousand cavalry and had shared hardships with the Flame Demon Tribe for months.
But after hearing Gangtuo’s humble words, he suddenly felt embarrassed.
Ignoring Gangtuo’s refusal, Langling did not bother with speeches about fairness or seniority.
Instead, he spoke directly.
“In the coming days, more and more people will join the Flame Demon Tribe. I’ll give each of you five hundred cavalry.”
“You have one month.”
“Only one month.”
In the human kingdoms, building a cavalry force from nothing in one month would have been impossible.
But this was the Wilderness.
Wild horses were everywhere, and nearly every barbarian knew how to ride.
Furthermore, the exiles who survived the journey from the Northern Wilderness were the strongest and toughest.
Many had already served as cavalry before.
One month was tight, but with enough recruits it would not be difficult to build a thousand strong cavalry force.
“After one month, each of you will lead your five hundred cavalry into a competition.”
“The winner becomes commander of the thousand.”
Duolong asked, “What kind of competition?”
Langling looked at them.
“What do you think our tribe lacks the most?”
Duolong answered immediately.
“Food.”
“Cloth.”
Both were indeed in short supply.
Apart from fish, almost all food came from gathering.
Wild grains and starchy fruits had not yet ripened.
As for cloth, wild flax grew abundantly outside, but it was not yet ready for harvest.
So both remained scarce.
Gangtuo replied instead.
“Iron.”
Langling nodded.
“We lack food, cloth and iron.”
“But what we lack most is iron.”
Duolong scratched his head awkwardly.
His judgement had clearly fallen short.
Langling explained.
“If food is short, we can still fill our stomachs with fish and wild vegetables.”
“If cloth is short, animal hides will do.”
“Besides, we killed more than twenty thousand enemy soldiers.”
“Their clothes are enough to wear.”
“As for weapons, we aren’t lacking.”
“Every one of those dead soldiers carried weapons.”
“But iron is different.”
“We don’t even have a city gate.”
Duolong slapped his own forehead.
How had he overlooked something so obvious?
Without enough iron to forge gates, the walls of the Flame Demon Tribe remained completely sealed.
People could only climb in and out using ladders.
That could never continue forever.
Langling continued.
“Our tribe will expand rapidly.”
“We’ll need more weapons.”
“We’ll need armour.”
“We’ll need heavy siege equipment.”
“All of that requires iron.”
“So in one month’s time, I’ll lead you out to raid.”
“We’ll seize the enemy’s iron.”
“We’ll also take food and cloth.”
“But iron is our primary objective.”
“Especially the Chimera Tribe’s iron mine.”
“We must capture it.”
“When the time comes, whichever of your cavalry units brings back the most supplies and kills the most enemies wins.”
“That man will become my cavalry commander.”
“Excellent!”
Duolong’s face lit up.
Now this was a competition worth having.
Going out to plunder.
What could be more exciting?
Gangtuo’s face also flushed with excitement.
He was filled with determination.
“Then it’s settled,” Langling said.
“You may leave.”
“Yes, Chief.”
The two men departed.
…
The next person Langling met was the former Chief of the Wild Horse Tribe, Duoduo, now serving as the Second Elder of the Flame Demon Tribe.
“Chief.”
Duoduo bowed respectfully.
“Second Elder,” Langling said, “our tribe is about to enter a period of rapid expansion. More and more exiles will arrive every day.”
“Eating only fish isn’t enough.”
“We also need meat.”
“I want you to take several dozen Berserk Warriors and select our best archers.”
“Go hunting and bring back enough meat.”
“Understood.”
Duoning, standing nearby, suddenly asked,
“Chief, should we hunt only within our own territory, or…”
Langling smiled.
“Hunt only inside the territories of the Chimera Tribe and the Ankara Tribe.”
“If conflicts arise and you can win, kill every one of them.”
“If you can’t, come back and report immediately.”
“I’ll ride the griffin over and kill them myself.”
Duoduo’s spirits soared.
“Excellent!”
For some reason, although he had once been a chief and now served beneath another, he had expected to feel humiliated.
Instead…
Working under Langling was unexpectedly exhilarating.
…
After Duoduo left, the Near Human woman Amo entered.
“Greetings, Chief.”
Langling asked,
“How many women are there in the tribe now?”
“Three hundred and seventy six.”
She answered with absolute precision.
Langling sighed.
“Still far too few.”
Amo looked puzzled.
Wasn’t having more men always better?
Women were usually considered a burden.
Langling smiled.
“I wanted every brother to receive a wife.”
Amo immediately replied,
“Then give me to Brother Suomo first.”
She truly was bold.
Langling laughed.
“I’d like to.”
“But in personal matters, I’m the one who listens to my uncle.”
“He doesn’t listen to me.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Then his expression became serious.
“Over the next few days, all three hundred of you will wash twenty to thirty thousand sets of clothing.”
“Yes, they were stripped from dead bodies.”
“You’ll also gather wild vegetables throughout Mirror Mountain.”
“You’ll prepare meals.”
“Keep the tribe clean.”
“And help the newly arrived women settle into the tribe.”
“Any problems?”
“None.”
“It’s easy.”
“But there is one issue.”
“As more and more people join us, the nearby wild vegetables won’t be enough.”
“The women can’t travel too far because it’s dangerous.”
“And sending soldiers to gather vegetables would waste valuable manpower.”
Amo had good insight.
Everyone in the Flame Demon Tribe was precious now.
Especially strong young men.
Each day they trained for four hours and worked for ten.
Construction had not slowed after the battle.
It had become even more intense.
Besides, no one could live forever on fish and meat alone.
They needed vegetables.
Langling nodded.
“I understand.”
“I’ll solve it.”
“I’ll make sure the tribe has enough vegetables.”
“Yes, Chief.”
…
The next person Langling summoned was Mu Chi.
He was the disabled veteran who had made countless toys for the little girl and had served Suomo for many years.
He had never imagined that even a disabled man like himself could become an official.
He had been placed in charge of the Worry Free Camp.
The meaning behind that name was simple.
Whether someone grew old, became injured or disabled, they would never need to worry.
The tribe would never abandon them.
They would always have food, clothing and shelter.
That promise was genuine.
Disabled members of the Flame Demon Tribe lived exactly the same as everyone else.
In fact, their homes were made even more convenient.
None of the disabled veterans wished to become a burden.
Instead, they worked tirelessly to master new skills and continue contributing.
The Worry Free Camp had now become the tribe’s workshop.
They produced bows, arrows, furniture and many other necessities.
“Mu Chi,” Langling said, “your people are going to be very busy.”
“You must continue making bows and arrows.”
“You’ll also need to build much more furniture because our population is growing.”
“And I have another task for you.”
Mu Chi thumped his chest.
“Just give the order, Chief.”
“We’ve got plenty of spare time.”
In truth, the disabled veterans worked more than thirteen hours every day.
There was nothing leisurely about their lives.
“In another two months, the wild flax will be ready for harvest.”
“I’ve designed a loom that should increase weaving speed many times over.”
“But I’m not sure the design is completely correct.”
“So I need you to build it.”
“Then keep testing and improving it.”
Langling laid several sheets of sheepskin on the table.
Thanks to his extraordinary memory, he had pieced together fragments of knowledge from Earth and designed what would become the most advanced wooden loom in this world.
Even so, he knew it would require continuous experimentation.
Mu Chi accepted the drawings.
They were packed with detailed diagrams.
He was already becoming familiar with blueprints.
This was the fifth set Langling had given him.
After Langling’s instruction, he could now understand these relatively simple designs.
In the future, Langling intended to transform the Worry Free Camp into a true engineering workshop.
The loom was only the first step.
Later they would build siege engines, giant crossbows and many kinds of catapults.
As for cannons and gunpowder…
Langling had searched hundreds of miles without finding any deposits of saltpetre.
He might eventually need to search across the sea.
For a long time, however, he had no intention of introducing gunpowder.
Doing so might reveal his true identity and attract the attention of the Divine Dragon Temple.
…
On the first night after the battle, neither Langling nor Suomo slept.
There was simply too much to arrange.
At dawn the next morning, the entire Flame Demon Tribe once again became a hive of activity.
Training.
Cooking.
Gathering.
Building houses.
Making furniture.
Five hundred people were also assigned to the giant death pit.
Their task was to recover the corpses, strip off every piece of clothing, collect every weapon and gather every coin of gold and silver.
Everything the dead carried now belonged to the Flame Demon Tribe.
Even their bodies belonged to the tribe.
Langling planned to bury every corpse together.
After filling the pit, it would become the tribe’s very first experimental farmland, growing vegetables, fruit and grain.
Would that be disturbing?
He did not care.
Food mattered more.
Hopefully, the decaying bodies would enrich the soil.
After assigning everyone’s tasks, Langling took Duoning and five griffin riders to the coast.
Their purpose was simple.
Solve the tribe’s vegetable shortage.
When he had first landed in the Southern Wilderness, he remembered seeing rocky shores covered with kelp and laver.
Just as on Earth, they existed here too.
An hour later, the six griffins landed beside the coastal rocks.
Sure enough.
There was kelp everywhere.
And endless laver.
“Chief…”
“We can actually eat this?”
Duoning shivered.
For some reason, the kelp and laver reminded her of dead people’s hair.
Langling tore off a strip of kelp and pushed it into her mouth.
“What are you doing?”
She glared at him.
After chewing a few bites, her expression changed.
It was crisp.
Tender.
Naturally salty.
Surprisingly delicious.
“Start harvesting.”
Langling gave the order.
“Each of you will make five trips today.”
“One thousand pounds each trip.”
“Once we return, dry everything in the sun.”
“When it’s dried, simply soak it in water before eating.”
Thus the proud griffin riders became kelp riders.
And laver riders.
Even Langling joined them in harvesting seaweed.
…
At midday, the Flame Demon Tribe gathered for lunch.
Besides fish, meat and millet rice, there was a new dish.
Seaweed, bone and meat soup.
“It’s delicious.”
“A little fishy.”
“It tastes like vegetables and meat at the same time.”
“So fresh.”
“My goodness.”
“Eating this well every meal feels almost sinful.”
“Exactly.”
“When we were starving, we ate tree bark and leaves.”
“Compared with that, this feels like a dream.”
“Long live the Chief.”
“Long live the Flame Demon Tribe.”
…
On the first day, more than one thousand exiles joined the tribe.
On the second day, just over one hundred arrived.
On the third day, another two hundred.
The fourth day, another two hundred.
Then on the fifth day, the numbers suddenly surged.
More than five hundred people joined.
From then on, the number of exiles arriving each day continued to grow.
On the tenth day, it exceeded one thousand once again.
Seventeen days later…
The population of the Flame Demon Tribe surpassed ten thousand.
And new arrivals continued to pour in every single day.
Most were Near Humans.
A smaller number were native barbarians who had lost their homes.
These native barbarians had been driven from their tribes by Rakshasa clans.
When they came seeking refuge, they were deeply anxious.
They feared they would become slaves, or even lower.
Instead, they found themselves eating, dressing and living exactly like everyone else.
Because they were physically stronger and faster, they quickly became valuable recruits.
Many were selected for the hunting teams and cavalry.
During these twenty days, after repeated reorganisations, the Flame Demon Tribe now possessed one thousand cavalry and three thousand infantry.
A total army of four thousand.
Although still weaker than the major tribes of the Silver Alliance, they were already comparable to the current Chimera Tribe and Ankara Tribe.
And this was only the beginning.
Every day more exiles arrived.
Every day the Flame Demon Tribe grew stronger.
…
Everyone in the Flame Demon Tribe was busy.
Everyone except one person.
The prisoner, Gou Li.
As Constantine’s lawful wife, Langling neither released nor mistreated her.
He did not force her to work.
Although he had slept with her twice before, he had never touched her again after bringing her to the Flame Demon Tribe.
Watching the tribe grow stronger and busier each day, Gou Li sank into deep thought.
She knew she had to make a choice.
Otherwise she would have nowhere left to go.
Unless she chose death.
Clearly…
She did not want to die.
Could she return to the Chimera Tribe?
Obviously not.
Constantine would never accept her.
Neither would the people of the Chimera Tribe.
Then where could she go?
Furthermore, after those two encounters with Langling, she felt as though her body had become addicted.
The restlessness.
The emptiness.
The overwhelming longing.
All of it became increasingly difficult to endure.
On the twenty first day…
Langling had finally managed to lie down and get some sleep.
Suddenly, a naked body climbed onto his bed.
Warm lips pressed against his.
She straddled his waist.
It was Gou Li.
How had she been released?
“I want to join the Flame Demon Tribe,” she said between heavy breaths.
“I want to become your woman.”
“I’ll prove my worth to you.”