Chapter 125: Understanding the Situation

Meng Di smiled calmly, nodded, and said to the old man, "In that case, I shall take you up on your hospitality."

The group made their way toward the tribal territory. It was evident that the people within the tribe were filled with apprehension. The Huaiyi had existed since the days of the Xia and Shang dynasties and had once been quite powerful; however, with the rise of the Zhou Dynasty, constant military campaigns had forced their influence to wane repeatedly, eventually pushing them to retreat into the Huai River region. Even so, they had retained a considerable degree of strength, though they remained in a primitive state of living due to cultural differences and technological stagnation. As the era of warring states began, the leaders of the Huaiyi started to vacillate, seeking the greatest advantages for themselves, yet their culture and technology remained largely unchanged.

The old man, seeing that Meng Di and his party showed no signs of malice, felt much more at ease and introduced himself along the way. "I am Bo, the priest of this tribe. Our leader is away hunting and has not yet returned; I ask that you wait here for a while."

Meng Di had no objections. Observing the tribe, which numbered only about two or three thousand people and was not particularly large, he couldn't help but think with a touch of dark humor that if they were to stay here and eat for a while, this tribe would likely be driven to ruin. Moreover, there was a strange phenomenon: the tribe had very few elderly people or children, consisting mostly of young, able-bodied men and women, with a severe gender imbalance. This left him puzzled, though he did not ask about it. Since his purpose in coming was to find suitable tribes for cooperation, he would naturally not cause them any harm.

Noticing the vast, open space around them, Meng Di ordered camp to be set up on the spot and said to Bo, "Old sir, I see your numbers are not large. Shouldering the burden of our food supply would likely overwhelm you. Would it be possible for us to hunt here to secure our own provisions?"

As they were on the other party's territory, the proper etiquette had to be observed. Upon hearing this, Bo nodded. "Because you have just arrived and are unfamiliar with the territories of the various tribes, I will send men to guide you in your hunting to avoid any unnecessary danger." He then turned to several sturdy men behind him.

"You are to guide our honored guests to hunt within our territory. Be sure to exercise caution."

The task naturally fell to the thousand cavalrymen. Because of the large number, they had to divide into groups of about a hundred, leaving three hundred behind to keep watch.

By the time the sun dipped behind the mountains, the tribal leader, Meng, finally returned. He was a man of imposing stature, with hair and beard matted together, and clad in animal skins with bird feathers tucked into his hair—a sight that made Meng Di think he was no different from a savage. Bo introduced him: "Honored guest, this is our tribal leader, Meng."

Meng wore a hostile expression, having already been informed by his tribesmen about Meng Di’s group. He performed a salute using Central Plains etiquette and said, "As a friend, you are most welcome in my territory. If you have come as an enemy, even if you were to strike, I would have little chance of victory. However, our leader, Ran Yi, commands dozens of tribes, and he will surely avenge us."

The words were blunt and filled with hostility, giving Meng Di an ominous feeling. During his time in Gumi City, Meng Di had dealt with such tribes before and understood clearly that they respected strength above all else. He began to consider how to break this impasse.

Suddenly, the cry of an eagle pierced the air. Meng Di looked up to see a golden eagle circling above. Without a word, he reached for his iron bow and drew two arrows. He held one in his teeth and nocked the other to the bowstring. After a moment of aiming, he released the arrow. Before the first had even reached its target, his movements remained fluid; with lightning speed, he moved the arrow from his teeth to the bow and fired again.

The sequence was as smooth as flowing water, completed in the blink of an eye. Only then did the tribesmen react, looking up to see the circling eagle suddenly cease its flight and plummet to the ground. A cheer erupted from the crowd, while the tribal leader, Meng, saw his expression shift in surprise.

Soon, the cavalrymen located the spot and returned, carrying the eagle. Two arrows were embedded in its breast. Meng Di took the bird and handed it to Meng, saying, "As this is our first meeting, please accept this small gift as a token of my regards."

Meng’s features twitched. The display he had just witnessed left him deeply shaken. In this age, limited by the technology of archery, hitting a flying eagle was a feat of near-impossibility; only one in ten thousand could be considered a master archer capable of such a deed. This man from the Central Plains had not only struck the bird but had done so with two consecutive shots. He had never seen or heard of such technique, and he was left utterly stunned.

After a moment of silence, he took the eagle, genuinely impressed. "You are truly formidable. I am most impressed and am willing to treat you to the finest food our tribe has to offer."

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Meng Di’s face. He felt a sense of appreciation; although the tribal leader was blunt in his words and actions, he was refreshingly straightforward, devoid of pretense or deceit.

Meng Di took several soldiers with him to join the tribal banquet, bringing along some of the wine he had carried with him. Because his display of strength had won Meng’s approval, the tribesmen treated him as an honored guest. During the feast, they answered his questions freely, allowing him to gradually understand their situation.

The Huaiyi were currently divided into two factions: the northern group, led by Ran Yi, and the southern group, led by Lingda. To ensure their survival, the two factions cooperated, though they occasionally experienced friction. In recent years, due to the power struggles of the State of Jin, the Huaiyi had begun to align themselves with neighboring states—the north with the State of Lu and the south with the State of Wu—which had brought them a temporary sense of stability.

Meng’s own tribe was not faring well; having been defeated by neighboring tribes, they had been forced to migrate here, settling only two or three years ago. Understanding this, Meng Di finally realized why there were so few elderly or children in the tribe: they had clearly been plundered or killed during the defeat.