Chapter 27: Planning

"Lu Li, that is enough for now. You should get some rest. Let Feng Yu examine those two black shards this afternoon; notify me once you have results," the Great Elder said comfortingly.

"According to these seven hexagrams, someone is planning to incite an internal uprising, likely within the next two days—perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow," the Witch Doctor said.

"I suspect tonight is more probable," said the Fourth Elder, Leopard Si.

"I agree, it could very well be tonight," added the Third Elder, Bear Jiang.

"Regardless of whether it is tonight, we must prepare in advance," the Fifth Elder said.

"How are we to prepare? We have over five hundred households, more than fifteen hundred people in the tribe. How can we prepare in just one afternoon?" the Second Elder, Tiger Man, asked with a furrowed brow.

They needed to assemble the able-bodied beastmen, but they did not know who among them were followers of Hu Wei. They could not alert the enemy, or it would only accelerate the rebellion.

"The Divine Maiden? Who is the Divine Maiden?" the Fourth Elder asked.

"With the rebellion imminent, we have no time to identify the Divine Maiden. Besides, we cannot reveal her existence now; if the rebels were to counter or exploit her, it would be even worse. Furthermore, our attitude toward her must be considered carefully. We will address the matter of the Divine Maiden only after the rebellion is quelled. Everyone must keep silent about her. Do you understand?" Lion Yue instructed solemnly.

The other five answered in unison: "Understood!"

However, none of them could think of an effective way to prevent the rebellion. Just as the six sat in dejection, a voice called out from outside: "Is the Great Elder home?"

The Great Elder stood up and replied, "Who is it?"

"It is Qi Yue. I am not sure if the Witch Doctor Lu Li is here? I have some business with her," Qi Yue said, quickly explaining her purpose.

"Come in."

As Qi Yue and Feng Yu entered and saw all five elders and the Witch Doctor present, she realized her timing was poor. "I am sorry to disturb you all. We will look for the Witch Doctor later," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait a moment. I actually have something to ask Feng Yu," Lu Li said, picking up a small black shard and handing it to him. "Feng Yu, you have traveled to many places. Do you recognize what this is?"

Feng Yu took it, weighed it in his hand, and tapped it with his knuckle. It was hard and heavy, but he did not recognize it and shook his head at Lu Li.

Qi Yue looked at the object, her eyes brightening. She snatched it from his hand, bent it slightly, and sniffed it. Seeing another piece on the table, she walked over, picked it up, and clinked the two pieces together. "Where did you find this? Are there any more? If there are many, would you be willing to give me some?"

"Yue, do you recognize this?" Feng Yu looked at her with surprise. He had visited so many tribes and had never seen such a thing, let alone known what it was. How could Qi Yue know?

The five elders and Lu Li also looked at Qi Yue in astonishment. Lu Li was the first to react. "Qi Yue, what is this? What is it used for?"

"Uh..." Oh no, she had let it slip again. Never mind; since it was already said, she might as well explain. "This should be an iron shard. Iron is a metal. At a certain high temperature, it can melt into liquid, and then be cast into many shapes using molds. It can be used to make many things," Qi Yue said, giving the simplest explanation she could think of.

However, the elders and the Witch Doctor did not get the information they were so desperately seeking.

The six looked at each other, and the Great Elder asked, "If this material were mixed into the Witch Doctor’s divination tools, would it affect the results?"

"Divination tools?" Qi Yue thought for a moment. This was not something she should involve herself in, so she said, "This material is heavier than ordinary things. If it is not placed exactly in the center, the object will be affected by its center of gravity as it falls, and the side closest to the iron shard will land first. Also, there is something called a magnet, or lodestone, which has an attraction to iron. If there is a magnet near the iron shard, it will also affect the results. Witch Doctor Lu Li, we will talk about my business later. You are busy, so we will head back now." With that, Qi Yue took Feng Yu’s hand and walked out.

"Qi Yue, wait! I have a question, and I hope you do not mind. If—and I mean if—someone were to lead a part of the tribe in a rebellion, how could we stop it? How could we preserve the tribe?" Seeing that Qi Yue was almost out the door, Lu Li blurted out the question. She did not know why she was asking such a confidential matter to a young female without hesitation.

"Find an excuse to evacuate all the elders, cubs, and females. As for the remaining beastmen, let them fight however they like! Today, we heard nothing and saw nothing here!" Qi Yue said, pulling Feng Yu away.

"That’s it! If all the females and cubs are evacuated, the beastmen who are not rebelling will not be coerced, and those assisting the rebellion will be held in check. The elders, cubs, and females will not be harmed. Even if both sides are devastated, the tribe will have preserved its seeds. A brilliant plan!" Tiger Man slapped his thigh and exclaimed.

"Of course it is a good plan, we all know that, but what excuse can we use?" Lu Li asked.

"Alas! It is a pity Qi Yue is a female. If she were a male, she might have been able to succeed as the tribe leader in place of Qi Xiao. And Feng Yu is an outsider, so that is impossible. Those detestable god-defilers! If it weren't for them, there wouldn't be so much trouble," the Third Elder said with regret and indignation.

"Stop thinking about that for now. Let’s focus on how to evacuate the elders, cubs, and females!" the Great Elder stopped him.

"We cannot use an excuse that is too sudden, or it will arouse suspicion," said the Fourth Elder, Leopard Si, who was the most meticulous of them all.

Lu Li hesitated and said, "I have an idea for an excuse, but perhaps not all the elders, cubs, and females will go."

"Tell us, Lu Li. We must minimize the losses," the Great Elder urged.

"This morning, Qi Yue and Feng Yu held their bonding ceremony. Customarily, they should hold a celebration tonight. Since something happened this morning, the tribe should offer them some compensation. We can have the tribe use the celebration as an excuse to send beastmen out to hunt. Then, in my name, I can claim that because the females and cubs have suffered harm, they must go to the Sacred Mountain to pray for blessings. Since the Sacred Mountain is not far and there are no large beasts on the road, we can have the elderly beastmen escort them. What do you think?" Lu Li said, resting her chin on her hands.

"The harm suffered by the females and cubs during this incident is indeed shocking! Speaking of the situation, this would not arouse suspicion. Once you get them to the Sacred Mountain, Lu Li, your responsibility will be great. You must prolong the prayer ceremony until one of us sends word for you to return," the Third Elder added.

"You will also need a few strong beastmen for protection. Find ten absolutely reliable ones. After the hunt, have them bring the game directly to you. There are some docile herbivores near the Sacred Mountain that can sustain you for two or three days. Persuade Qi Yue and Feng Yu to go as well. Feng Yu’s strength is formidable; just look at how his guardian stone repelled Hu Li’er—it shows he is much more powerful than Lion De. He is not suited to participate in the war here, but he surely will not refuse to protect you," the Fifth Elder suggested, still worried about their safety.