Near a courtyard fenced with wooden slats, a crowd had gathered, all standing in strict vigilance. At the entrance, a banner was planted, bearing a large character: "Lu."
Charles Grant entered with Joseph Qiao and his younger brother Quentin Grant, leading their men inside.
"Ada, it's been over a year since we last met."
Louis Yu greeted them warmly, but suddenly froze, his gaze fixed on Charles Grant's left hand.
"Got it while hunting in the mountains last time. It's nothing."
Joseph Qiao looked at Louis Yu with obvious aversion, his face set in a rigid expression. He deeply disliked his father relying on other tribes. The Grant Tribe had barely managed to gather enough tribute in previous years, only with the help of Louis Yu's people.
At that moment, Joseph Qiao noticed a filthy little girl on the open ground beside the main house, struggling to draw a bow that she clearly couldn't manage. He snorted coldly and followed his father inside.
"The matter you asked about earlier is already taken care of, Ada. It's fine."
Louis Yu looked at Charles Grant's haggard appearance with deep concern. He knew the Grant Tribe had struggled for years. Though they lived off the riverbed and survived by fishing, the weather had worsened, with only a few months each year fit for fishing. The rest of the time, heavy snow was a constant threat.
"It's alright, don't worry. This time, we won't trouble you. Someone, come here."
As Charles Grant spoke, two men carried in a cage woven from vines, covered with a large piece of animal hide. Small holes were cut into the hide, giving the whole thing an air of mystery.
"What is this...?"
Charles Grant lifted the animal hide.
"Wow, they're beautiful! What are these?"
Lucille Xing burst in from the doorway, her face alight with excitement. She ignored the guards completely and squatted beside the birdcage, staring at the two Ninefeather Birds. Louis Yu watched in shock, swallowing repeatedly.
"Ada, did you really get these from Hedeli?"
Louis Yu's voice was full of disbelief. Charles Grant smiled and lifted his head.
"Heaven hasn't abandoned us. We found them by chance. These should be worth several years of tribute."
"These Ninefeather Birds, with their dark green plumage and nine-colored tail feathers, are extremely rare. Every tribal leader dreams of owning such a treasure. With these, you truly won't need our help this time."
Louis Yu spoke, gripping Charles Grant's hand in excitement.
"Get your hand off—what do you think you're doing?"
Joseph Qiao glared at Lucille Xing with undisguised resentment.
"I just want to touch them. What's the big deal?"
Joseph Qiao grabbed Lucille Xing's hand, but to his surprise, the little girl was stronger than him. She easily pried his fingers away and reached into the cage. Suddenly, the male Ninefeather Bird pecked at her.
"Ouch!" Lucille Xing cried out and quickly pulled her hand back. Louis Yu rushed over and grabbed her.
"Xing, these birds are extremely valuable. You can't be reckless with them."
With that, Louis Yu ordered someone to take Lucille Xing away. Watching from the side, Joseph Qiao couldn't help but laugh when he saw the small hole pecked into Lucille's hand. As she left, Lucille turned back and made a face at him.
"Who is that girl?"
Charles Grant asked in confusion. Louis Yu sighed helplessly and explained Xing's situation.
"So that's how it is? Yu, I've always despised slavery, even from a young age. We're the same in that regard, which is why our tribe has no slaves."
Louis Yu nodded and sighed.
"Alright, I've had food prepared. Let's sit down and talk. Soon, King Grant's third daughter will be born—it's truly worrying."
Charles Grant seemed to catch the deeper meaning in Louis Yu's words and nodded.
More and more people were arriving in Grant City. Every tribe in the Grant Domain had come, each strictly limited to no more than a hundred members. Nearly fifty tribes gathered, and tribute items were everywhere.
The streets were filled with soldiers carrying bone spears—these were the Grant Family's troops, deployed both inside and outside the city.
Members of every tribe waited quietly. The annual Tribute Ceremony was imminent, coinciding with the birth of King Grant's third daughter, so the ceremony was set for that very day.
"Idiot, that's not how you use a bow. You need to stand firm and draw it slowly."
Joseph Qiao watched Lucille Xing's awkward movements. For some reason, learning she was a slave made him feel a bit of sympathy for her.
"If you're so good, why don't you try? All you do is chirp like a bird."
Annoyed, Joseph Qiao took the bow, his face turning red as he struggled to draw it even a little. Lucille Xing rested her chin on her hand, smiling.
"That's barely anything. I can pull it farther than you."
Watching the two play happily, Louis Yu's earlier worries faded. He could tell that Charles Grant's son resented him deeply, mostly because of Charles Grant's kindness to their tribe; the help they received made Joseph Qiao uncomfortable.
"Ada, your son will make a fine leader one day."
"We'll see. I've already told everyone to start cultivating the land next spring and plant plenty of grain. Let's hope for a good omen next year."
Their main worry now was the situation in the north. Both tribes lived in the northern part of the Grant Domain, close to the Jiang Territory, where conditions had deteriorated badly in recent years. While the northern Grant Domain suffered droughts and snow disasters, other areas remained abundant.
Rooted in the northern Grant Domain, the two tribes had repeatedly clashed with those from the Jiang Territory.
"This time, I hope to take the opportunity to speak to King Grant. The disasters in the north have already pushed most tribes to the brink, and the annual tribute has become a burden for us."
Louis Yu stared blankly at Charles Grant.
"We'll see. Don't be too hasty, or else..."
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"I know. There are plenty of petty people, but King Grant is not unreasonable."
They had already been in Grant City for a week, but that morning, news arrived: King Grant's wife was in labor. Upon hearing this, all the tribes gathered their tribute and headed together to the Grant Family's residence.
On a vast platform, goods were piled high. At the entrance to the Grant Family palace, soldiers bustled about setting up, with a sprawling complex of buildings stretching all the way to the distant mountains.
This was on the western edge of the Grant Domain, near the Jiang Territory. Most of the Grant Family's troops were stationed in the palace, while others from the surrounding wilds had gathered as well. This show of force was meant to impress the subordinate tribes.
Both Charles Grant's and Louis Yu's tribes were small, so they stood at the back of the line. The larger tribes were at the front, especially the three major tribes under the Grant Family, whose combined strength could rival the Grant Family itself. Their chieftains stood side by side at the very front.
At that moment, the palace gates opened and a middle-aged man in a lavish white tiger skin robe strode out. He looked resolute and moved quickly, followed by many attendants. He wore a round hat and sported a tuft of beard.
"Chieftains, thank you all for coming."
As soon as the man spoke, all the chieftains bowed and called out in unison.
"King Grant!"
King Grant laughed heartily, his voice booming like a bell. He walked over and exchanged pleasantries with the three chieftains at the front, then began greeting the leaders of the other tribes.
King Grant greeted each chieftain in turn, omitting no one. When it was Charles Grant's turn, King Grant looked curiously at his hand.
"Ada, what happened to your hand...?"
"It's nothing, King Grant."
King Grant reached out and patted Charles Grant on the shoulder.
"I know your tribe has had a hard time these past few years, so I've reduced your annual tribute. I also heard that the previous envoy was quite harsh—he's been dealt with."
Charles Grant's eyes widened, and he immediately thanked King Grant profusely.
After King Grant finished exchanging pleasantries with the chieftains, the presentation of the tribute offerings began.
Grain, meat, and weapons were the three main categories year after year. King Grant looked over the offerings from each tribe with satisfaction. Soon it was Charles Grant's turn.
All eyes turned to Charles Grant's tribe—just a dozen people, carrying only a single birdcage wrapped in animal hide.
"Charles Grant, what is this supposed to mean? Are you looking down on the Grant Family?"