I Steal the Ancestors' Sacrifices to Nourish Myself-Chapter 59 - 30: Five-Year Plan, New Clan Land

"The Upper Huang Division is truly a tribe with over 500 years of inheritance; the resources they’ve gathered are more than five times that of our tribe, with over seven thousand jun of crude iron alone, and countless minerals."

"The armor from Lingyu Tribe was gathered from Upper Lake and Upper Huang, totaling twenty-five sets, along with thirteen Witch Bows."

This fierce battle allowed the Blazing Flame Tribe to acquire a significant amount of resources, making Huo Chang naturally pleased.

"By the way, Acan, didn’t you say earlier that Upper Huang exchanged for ironwood, so we won’t have to bother with acquiring ship materials?"

Shen Can raised his head and gave Huo Chang a look implying that he should figure it out himself.

Damn, who would have known that Upper Huang exchanged cultivation materials, causing their own tribe division to collapse?

He had been preparing for a major showdown with Upper Huang.

But it turns out, the ones who took down the opponents weren’t them, but a Blood Witch from across the realm.

This is a bloody lesson; the unseen enemy is the most terrifying.

Without allowing Huo Chang a chance to speak further, Shen Can kicked him out of the Ancestral Temple.

Three days later, the tribe held a sacrificial ritual for those who died in battle.

Even the injured tribe members received varying compensation resources, and those who participated in the battle were rewarded.

Inside the Ancestral Temple.

In the fire pit, the flames danced, and the hanging pottery pot bubbled with hot water.

Huo Xian, Huo Chang, Huo Yuo, and other clan elders gathered together.

It’s worth mentioning that this time, the ability to annex Upper Huang was thanks to Upper Lake Division near the Ruins Market and the Blood Witch.

Upper Huang’s regular resources are more than five times that of the Blazing Flame Division, especially in grain supplies, medicinal herbs, and iron ore, though not much in meat.

What truly strengthens the Blazing Flame Division are the Martial Arts Technique and ironwood ships.

"I’ve gathered everyone here to discuss the future development direction of our tribe."

Huo Chang started to speak, "The previous tribal reforms were just the beginning. Acan and I have discussed that we must have a clear goal. Acan, please speak."

Shen Can nodded, "Previously, the captured Lingyu tribesman revealed quite a bit and mentioned the conditions needed to become an upper-class tribe.

Although Blazing Flame grew rapidly after the flood, becoming an upper-class tribe isn’t something achievable in a few years.

The simple goal of becoming an upper-class tribe is too distant, making it seem unrealistic.

Therefore, I suggest we set yearly goals and take three to five years as a development milestone.

Upon reaching these, we should summarize whether we’ve achieved them, figure out where improvements are needed, and set the next few years’ goals based on this.

By breaking the overall goal into smaller ones, the tribe won’t feel overwhelmed.

Only visible progress provides encouragement."

Next to the fire pit, several clan elders listened and nodded.

"Acan’s suggestion makes sense, wandering aimlessly won’t work." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Acan speaks logically."

...

"To become an upper-class tribe, development is needed in martial arts, witchcraft, sacrificial artifacts, population, agriculture, and herbal medicine."

"Based on our tribe’s current situation, let’s discuss how many years to set for smaller goals."

After a while, Huo Chang spoke up, "Three years is too short, let’s make it five."

"Five years."

"I’ll go with Brother Tang."

...

"Acan, the witchcraft aspect is entrusted to you."

Shen Can nodded in acceptance.

"I’ll strive to compile basic witchcraft within five years and establish our tribe’s Witch Hall, enrolling apprentices for training."

Jifu’s confessions only covered certain Chapters of witchcraft, and within each Chapter, even basic spells have many variants.

To enrich our knowledge, significant lifespans are needed for deducing.

Only by establishing the basics can the tribe increase witch apprentices, innovate continuously, like the Lingyu Tribe’s constant research and expansion.

Though we learned from the Lingyu Water Control Book, Blazing Flame’s true development might not mimic Lingyu exactly.

In the future, if our tribe captures another Water Disaster Beast, a different path may emerge.

Learning is just the entry point; individual cultivation varies. Witchcraft is wildly diverse, its end results unknown until the very end.

Huo Chang spoke again, holding a small beast hide scroll with names recorded.

"In martial arts, the Celestial Vein Realm includes me and Huo Kui, but our potential is low.

Now Ashan has acquired the Power of Sixty Desolations, Aqi has acquired forty-some, and Huo Qingg and Huo Muu have acquired Thirty Desolations.

So, I’ve set development goals for everyone to examine.

Within five years, both Akui and I will be practicing the Martial Arts Technique obtained from Upper Huang, seeking paths and finding a feasible way to open the first Celestial Vein.

Ashan will focus on enhancing Qi Strength to the Power of Seventy-Two Desolations, with the hope of advancing to Celestial Vein using Seventy-Two Desolations.

Aqi, Huo Qingg, and Huo Muu will strive to break through to Celestial Vein with all their efforts.

Additionally, we aim to cultivate three to five quasi-Celestial Vein martial artists from within the tribe.

Thus, five years later, besides Ashan, we should have at least five Celestial Vein martial artists.

As for detailed cultivation plans for Mountain Opening Realm and Stone-Breaking Realm martial artists, we will collectively discuss candidate selections later."

As Huo Chang spoke, he rolled up the beast hide scroll and continued, "Earlier, Acan mentioned establishing our Witch Hall; I think a Martial Hall should be established too.

All tribe children should enter the Martial Hall for training, developing our tribe’s martial arts cultivation system."

...

"On agriculture, from terrestrial millet to aquatic rice... Herbal cultivation, establishing our Medicine Mountain."

"Animal taming, structuring even the rudimentary training methods."

"In forging, we need to create exclusive standardized armor for our tribe, starting with regular fine armors. The Iron Steward should focus on researching fine iron forging methods..."

"Furthermore, in trade, repair the ironwood ship, study shipbuilding techniques, and explore a water route to Copper Shell Ruins Market. However, we must avoid repeating Upper Huang’s downfall."

"Regarding sacrificial artifacts, try to find any information related to them."

...

A tribal council meeting lasted an entire day, even until the oil lamps were lit, it was not yet finished.

Beast hide scrolls were filled one after another, densely recording the goals to be achieved within five years.

The entire five-year plan was extensive.

It covered all aspects of the tribe, from Martial Dao to farming, from beast taming to forging iron, and grain cultivation.

In Martial Dao, aim to cultivate five Celestial Vein practitioners, three to five Quasi-Celestial Vein practitioners, and fifty Mountain Opening practitioners.

In the Witchcraft Path, try to select three Wizard Apprentices.

Each has corresponding goals in beast taming, herbs, grain cultivation, and iron forging.

And the first item of the five-year plan.

Is the relocation of the tribe!

The entire tribe will move to the Blazing Flame Mountain in the Eastern Marsh.

Blazing Flame Mountain is the name given by the tribe itself.

It is a gently sloping mountain range extending over twenty miles.

The south side and eastern part are adjacent to water, the southwest is a vast shallow water area, and the north and west are mountainous.

The new clan land needs transformation, and currently, not all areas are needed by the tribe; there are a total of thirteen peaks on the mountain.

The tribe plans to level the sixth, seventh, and eighth compact peaks counted from west to east, leaving only a small part of the seventh peak, digging it into a cave to serve as the Ancestral Temple, while the rest will be used for tribal living.

As for the vassal tribes, they will live at the foot of the new clan mountain, engaging in farming, gathering, and other activities for the tribe as before.

To adapt to changes in clan circumstances, a new position of Civil Servant has been established to manage the tribal dependent members.

If dependents wish to join the Blazing Flame Tribe, they either marry into it as women or earn merit.

The previous chaos in the tribe, where marriages were difficult, is bygone.

The council further agreed on the proposal to continue expanding the dependents, ensuring that tribal people will no longer worry about finding spouses as long as there are enough dependents.

Single? Impossible.

Upon turning fifteen, you’ll be given two wives.

With merit, you’ll get more.

The Ancestral Temple Keeper agreed.

Additionally, the Ancestral Temple Keeper is impartial; if a female tribe member earns merit and fancies a young, sturdy dependent, she can also have him tied up and thrown onto her bed.

A Shipping and Trading Department will be established to prepare for creating Blazing Flame’s own trade routes.

The five-year plan was soon shared with each tribe member.

Accompanied by rewards for those contributing to tribal development, such as discovering new methods in beast taming or cultivating better wheat millet—all are merited.

For this purpose, the tribe established a three-member Rewarding Commission consisting of the Ancestral Temple Keeper, the Clan Leader, and Huo Xian to assess rewards and penalties.

...

Though called a tribe relocation, it wasn’t immediate.

Huo Chang led some tribe members along with some young dependents to the new clan land to begin transformation, building houses, cultivating fields, etc.

Once everything is ready, a direct migration will allow them to move in.

Under the night sky, inside the Ancestral Temple.

In the eastern ear chamber, Huo Xian was already asleep.

In the other ear chamber, Huo Chong was intently focused on the Witch Rune.

Shen Can sat cross-legged beside the fire pit, drifting into sleep.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, he jolted awake, seemingly hearing a call again.

"Damn it, if you truly want to turn to ashes, I’ll prepare ten thousand jars of beast oil and a million hundredweight of fine firewood for you."

"Burn your Golden Core out of you."

Rising to poke the charcoal fire in the pit, Shen Can squinted while contemplating.

The ’Iron Wood’ and the distance between them was over three thousand miles, and he had no intention to dig further into what that thing was.

Stepping out of the Ancestral Temple, the cold wind cleared Shen Can’s thoughts considerably.

"Ayu, go inform Uncle Huo Shan to strengthen the defenses of the clan city, and also take a closer look at the remnants of the Upper Huang Division."

"Also prepare some wine and meat, make it as sumptuous as possible, the more the better."

Half an hour later, Huo Yuu carried and dragged five jars, with a jug of wine around his neck.

Shen Can turned and walked towards the holding cave, having Ayu set up a table to place the dishes.

Jifu woke up with a frown, feeling severe pain all over his body.

The aroma filled his nostrils, his eyes gradually making out the soup dishes on the table before him.

These soup dishes were quite sumptuous for a small tribe.

Jifu couldn’t help but lick the corner of his mouth; he hadn’t had a full meal in days, only fed gruel.

He heard a sigh and followed the sound to see Shen Can coming over with two clay bowls, placing one in front of him and pouring him some wine.

Behind Shen Can, Ayu was clutching a beast sinew in both hands, pulling it until it buzzed.

"Thank you for these past months."

Shen Can raised his cup, gesturing to Jifu.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing!"

Suddenly, Jifu snapped wide awake, the pain in his limbs and the soreness in his kidneys gone.

"No, no, let’s talk this over, let’s talk this over!"