In the courtyard of the bamboo forest, Huo Meng raised his head and glanced at the tall Vine Mountain, feeling his liver and gallbladder trembling.
This is the patron saint of the Vine Tribe!
Huo Meng sighed inwardly, just looking at it can give people a huge sense of oppression.
If only the patron saint of the frog tribe was still there...
Huo Meng thought of this and shook his head slightly, because he knew very well that the totem god of the Frog Tribe had fallen long ago.
Huo Meng looked at the two tall bamboo sheds in the yard. There was a huge bird's nest in one of the bamboo sheds. A huge purple raptor was pecking at a big snake inside. Its sharp beak could easily tear off strips of meat. .
Huo Meng swallowed hard. The fighting power of this ferocious bird was absolutely terrifying, because the big snake was highly venomous. If he encountered it in the wild, he would definitely run away.
He looked at another bamboo shed, inside which lay a huge black rhinoceros, chewing young grass leisurely.
Just looking at the huge size and the sharp horns on his head, Huo Meng knew that this big guy was definitely not easy to mess with.
The most important thing is that these two ferocious beasts are kept in the yard by Jiang Xuan, and they are very obedient. They have obviously been tamed by him.
At this moment, Jiang Xuan's image in Huo Meng's heart had become extremely tall.
"Chief Huo Meng, come in and sit down!"
In the room, Jiang Xuan shouted, and Huo Meng hurried in without looking around again.
After entering the house, Huo Meng saw many animal horns and colorful animal skins hanging on the wall, including many ferocious beasts.
In addition to these trophies that showed their strength, Huo Meng also saw a large number of pottery, weapons, exquisite animal skin clothing, and some things of unknown use.
Huo Meng sighed in his heart again: The Vine Tribe is so powerful!
Jiang Xuan paid no attention to Huo Meng's inner activities. At this time, he was holding a stone knife and cutting several large mushrooms into slices, then put them into a basin together with large pieces of animal meat, and marinated them with salt and spices.
Then, he peeled off the bark and leaves from the straight branches and set them aside.
"Chief Huo Meng, you are so lucky. You just picked up some mushrooms today and also killed a black muntjac, so you can grill the mushroom skewers."
"The technique of grilling mushroom skewers is something I learned from the Shangui tribe. It's so delicious."
Huo Meng smiled and said: "Then I am really lucky."
After seeing the power of the Vine Tribe, Huo Meng has lowered his attitude, even a little restrained.
At Jiang Xuan's greeting, he sat on the stool made of tree stumps.
The tribesmen were used to sitting on the floor, and it was actually very uncomfortable to suddenly sit on a stool. However, Huo Meng did not show any discomfort, and instead praised the horns and skins on the wall.
Jiang Xuan is a very perceptive person. He noticed that Huo Meng seemed to have something to say, but he never said it.
He was not in a hurry. After marinating the mushrooms and animal meat, he tied them with shaved branches, pulled out the charcoal fire from the fire pit, and grilled the mushroom meat skewers on the charcoal fire.
After a while, under the high temperature, the mushroom slices and meat pieces stimulated a rich aroma, which whet your appetite.
While Jiang Xuan was chatting with Huo Meng about the migration of the frog tribe, he was flipping the mushroom meat skewers until they were cooked. He handed two large skewers to Huo Meng and ate two of them himself.
Huo Meng only took one bite, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Chief Xuan, you are right, these mushroom skewers are so delicious!"
Huo Meng praised it, and then started eating quickly without talking.
After finishing the two large mushroom and meat skewers, Huo Meng was still a little unsatisfied and could only wait for the new mushroom and meat skewers to be cooked.
Jiang Xuan also quickly finished the mushroom skewers in his hand. While continuing to grill new mushroom skewers, he asked: "Chief Huo Meng, your frog tribe just migrated here, did you encounter any difficulties?"
Huo Meng hesitated for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "We did encounter some difficulties."
Then, Huo Meng told how after the frog tribe migrated over, the population was less than two hundred, and there were only twenty or thirty giant frogs left, and they could only live in remote places.
Huo Meng said with a bitter look on his face: "Although the Frog Tribe migrated to the Southern Wilderness, they also paid a heavy price. The current Frog Tribe is already very weak."
After Jiang Xuan heard this, he asked calmly: "Then what are you going to do?"
Huo Meng looked at Jiang Xuan and finally spoke out his true thoughts.
"Chief Xuan, there are too many tribes that have migrated from the Western Wilderness. It is difficult for the current Frog Tribe to survive in the battles between these tribes."
"So..." Huo Meng took a deep breath and said, "I ask Chief Xuan to accept the Frog Tribe and become a subsidiary tribe of the Teng Tribe, so that the Frog Tribe can continue to survive under the protection of the Teng Tribe."
After saying that, Huo Meng became calm. He looked at Jiang Xuan, hoping to get a positive answer from Jiang Xuan.
The Frog Tribe wants to become a subsidiary tribe of the Vine Tribe?
Jiang Xuan didn't expect that Huo Meng came to him for this reason.
He has heard of subordinate tribes, but has never seen them with his own eyes, because at least the relatively powerful medium-sized tribes are qualified to provide shelter to some relatively weak small tribes and let the small tribes become their subordinate tribes.
Moreover, not every small tribe is willing to become a subordinate tribe.
Because becoming a subordinate tribe requires paying a high price and losing independence.
First, the affiliated tribe needs to pay at least 10% of the harvest to the overlord tribe, which is equivalent to paying a protection fee.
You must know that primitive tribes are generally very poor. People in their own tribe have insufficient food and clothing. If they pay more than 10% of the harvest to the overlord tribe, the consequences can be imagined.
Secondly, once the suzerain tribe goes to war with other tribes, as the subordinate tribes, they will definitely have to fight together, and they will most likely be used as cannon fodder.
Finally, there is the issue of independence.
Becoming a subordinate tribe means that many things must be decided by the clan leader. The leader and shaman of the tribe may even become puppets and lose their real power.
This is also the hardest thing to accept.
Therefore, if the tribe is not forced to have no choice but to have no other choice, it will definitely not be willing to become a subordinate tribe.
The situation of the Frog tribe is that of a desperate situation.
If there is no relatively powerful tribe to provide them with protection, any small tribe can destroy them.
What's more, with more and more tribes migrating to the Southern Wilderness, the place where the Frog Tribe lives now will be targeted sooner or later.
Once targeted by other tribes, the Frog tribe may be wiped out at any time.
Jiang Xuan thought for a while and said: "This matter is too big. I need to discuss it with the tribe members first. Chief Huo Meng, please sit here for a while."
Huo Meng nodded, then watched Jiang Xuan go out, and found a soldier to accompany him.
Huo Meng had no other choice but to wait patiently.
The other warriors of the Frog Tribe, as ordinary warriors in the residential area outside the bamboo forest, did not know that the Frog Tribe was about to become a subordinate tribe.
While eating the food provided by the Vine Tribe, they sighed at the power of the Vine Tribe, and they felt quite happy.
…
In Chishao's yard, Jiang Xuan summoned all the leaders of the Teng tribe to discuss matters regarding the Frog tribe.
Jiang Xuan first told everyone about the situation of the Frog Tribe, and then expressed his opinions.
"The Frog Tribe now has no patron saint, no powerful warriors, and no enemies in the Southern Wilderness. I think it would be a good thing to accept them as a subordinate tribe."
"If you all have any opinions, you can express them."
Everyone looked at each other, and finally Jie Jie stood up and asked: "Chief, since the Frog tribe is so weak, why don't we just annex them?"
"That's a good question."
Jiang Xuan knew that someone would ask such a question, and he had already thought of how to answer it.
"It is indeed possible to annex directly, but it will cause a lot of trouble in the future."
Jiang Xuan looked at everyone and said: "Our Vine Tribe is not short of population now, and there are still a large number of captives who have not been transformed into real Vine Tribe members."
"If we annex the Frog Tribe again at this time, we will have to face more captives who are hostile to us."
"We have to use a lot of food to feed them, provide them with food, clothing, and build houses for them to live in. We also have to send people to guard them all day long to prevent them from doing anything detrimental to the tribe."
When Jiang Xuan said this, he paused for a moment. Everyone looked thoughtful. Obviously they knew that what Jiang Xuan said was the truth.
Jiang Xuan continued: "On the contrary, if we make them a subordinate tribe, there will be no such problem."
"We don't need to take care of their food, clothing, and housing. We just need to provide them with some protection, and they will give us 10% of the harvest, whether it's food or other things. In short, we will make a steady profit."
"Moreover, in the future, we can ask them to do things that are inconvenient for us in the Vine Tribe to do. If it is inconvenient to say it, we can also use their mouths to say it. There are many benefits."
After Jiang Xuan finished speaking, everyone showed expressions of enlightenment, and they obviously had a certain understanding of the pros and cons of the Frog Tribe becoming a subordinate tribe.
At this time, Chi Shao stood up and said: "What the leader said makes sense. Annexing the Frog Tribe will leave a lot of trouble and make the Frog Tribe a subordinate tribe. There will be no harm to us, only benefits. I agree with the leader's opinion. "
The opinions of the shaman and the leader were unified, and the others were also convinced by Jiang Xuan, so they all agreed that the Frog Tribe would become a subsidiary tribe of the Teng Tribe.
"Okay, now that everyone agrees, it's decided. Let's go back to work first."
After Jiang Xuan finished speaking, everyone got up and left, walking out in twos and threes, with excitement on their faces, because the Vine Tribe was going to have its first affiliated tribe!
Jiang Xuan and Chi Shao discussed the specific matters of taking over the frog tribe, and then walked towards their own yard.
In the house, Huo Meng was still waiting anxiously.
He was in a very uneasy mood and was not even in the mood to eat grilled mushroom skewers.
He was worried that the Vine Tribe would refuse, after all, the Frog Tribe was too weak now.
Finally, Jiang Xuan came back.
"Chief Xuan..."
Huo Meng stood up to greet him and looked at Jiang Xuan anxiously, waiting for the final answer.
Jiang Xuan did not tempt him, but smiled directly and said to him: "Chief Huo Meng, after discussion, the Teng Tribe has decided to agree to the Frog Tribe's request, allowing the Frog Tribe to become a subsidiary tribe of the Teng Tribe, and provide you with the necessary protection! "
"Great, great..."
The burning heart finally let go, and there was a smile on his face, but there was an unspeakable bitterness in his heart. If there was a choice, who would be willing to become a subordinate tribe?
Jiang Xuan continued: "I have discussed with Wu that we can send some of the Vine Tribe warriors to help you move your residence here. You can choose a place to build a new residence south of the Vine Tribe."
To the south of the Vine Tribe, there is a vast forest and abundant water sources, which can accommodate a small frog tribe without any problems.
"Thank you, Chief Xuan."
Huo Meng breathed a sigh of relief because Jiang Xuan had solved all his worries.
After the Frog Tribe becomes a subordinate tribe of the Vine Tribe, they must migrate here, so that their safety is more guaranteed.
With warriors from the Vine Tribe escorting them, the Frog Tribe will be much safer when they migrate here.
