Wu Liang's voice was calm, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
The captives hesitated for a moment before slowly raising their heads.
"I know what you're thinking."
Wu Liang's gaze swept across their faces, some tired, some bewildered.
"You've seen our fields, and you've seen our livestock."
"You are envious, perhaps even jealous!"
His words caused the expressions of many captives to shift slightly.
Their thoughts had been completely seen through by this man.
"You don't need to be afraid."
Wu Liang's tone softened a bit.
"It's normal to have such thoughts."
"Because you've seen a better way of life, and you, too, long to live like this."
He extended his hand and pointed toward the distant fields and animal pens.
"Look, that is the future I have created for the Black Rock Tribe."
"Our Tribe will have more food than we can eat, more milk than we can drink, and more clothes than we can wear."
"And here, no one will ever have to worry about starving to death tomorrow."
"As for everything you did in the past..."
Wu Liang's voice suddenly turned cold.
"Your so-called bravery, your so-called plundering—that is the lowest form of survival, destined to be phased out."
These words were like a knife, stabbing ruthlessly into the heart of every member of the Bloodfang Tribe.
They lowered their heads in shame.
Seeing their reaction, Wu Liang knew the timing was perfect.
He then shifted his tone, offering a carrot after the stick.
"Even though you once provoked a war against us, I will not deny you an opportunity because of it."
Hearing this, all the captives snapped their heads up.
"Your Tribe was defeated, but your people are still alive."
"From today on, I am giving you a new way out."
Wu Liang's voice was full of allure.
"As long as you are willing to let go of past hatreds and work here with sincerity, learning our techniques and rules."
"Then, you will no longer be slaves!"
"You too can become a part of this Tribe and possess a stable life!"
"Is it true?!"
The crowd instantly erupted into a commotion.
"Wu Liang... is what he's saying true?"
"We... can stop being slaves?"
"As long as we work hard, we can become people of the Black Rock Tribe?"
Immense joy flooded over them like a deluge.
For these women who had become prisoners and thought their future was pitch black, this was nothing short of a divine gospel!
However, Wu Liang's next words poured a bucket of cold water over their burning hearts.
He slowly turned around, casting his gaze toward the stone house not far away where Akomann was being held in solitary confinement.
"Those who are willing to stay in the Black Rock Tribe and become its people are welcome!"
"Of course, for those who wish to return to the ancestral lands of the Bloodfang Tribe, I will not force you to stay."
"I can preserve the name of your Bloodfang Tribe and grant you your freedom."
"But you must submit to the Black Rock Tribe!"
"And the prerequisite for all of this is whether your former leader, Akomann, is willing to be of one mind with you."
The captives' discussions came to an abrupt halt.
Everyone followed Wu Liang's gaze to the stone house, their expressions becoming complicated.
"I have given her a choice."
Wu Liang raised his voice.
He ensured that everyone, including Akomann inside the stone house, could hear him clearly.
"First! If Ake Man continues with her ridiculous pride, then she will be imprisoned until death."
"And you, the Bloodfang Tribe, will completely become history, with the name of Bloodfang never to be remembered again."
"Second, she submits to me."
"In that case, I will not only preserve the Bloodfang name!"
"I will also allocate a new piece of land to you, give you seeds, give you tools, and teach you the techniques for farming and animal husbandry."
"Bloodfang will become a subsidiary Tribe of Black Rock, and your lives will be a hundred times better than before!"
"Your future, the survival of your Tribe, now rests in her hands."
"Will you let her, for the sake of a little dignity, bury the future of the entire Tribe?"
"Or will you let her make a wise choice for the sake of all your futures?"
"I think you should know what to do."
Having said his piece, Wu Liang spoke no more and turned to leave.
This was an open scheme.
He had skillfully shifted all the pressure from himself onto Akomann.
He turned the hopes of everyone in the Bloodfang Tribe into a weapon to force Akomann's compliance.
He wanted Akomann to understand how ridiculous her so-called persistence was.
If she resisted further, she wouldn't be fighting Wu Liang, but the will of all her own clansmen!
As long as one is human, one wants to live!
And live better!
"Akomann, let's see how much longer you can hold out."
Wu Liang's face was full of the smile of a man whose plan had succeeded.
After he left, the clearing fell into a deathly silence.
After a brief silence, an unprecedented commotion broke out among the crowd.
"The leader... what will she choose?"
"She has to choose the second one! Does she want our Bloodfang Tribe to be completely wiped out?"
"But... to submit to that man..."
"What's wrong with submitting? Submitting to a powerful person is not shameful!"
"Being able to let everyone live a good life is what's most important!"
An older woman shouted loudly.
Her words ignited the fire in everyone's hearts.
That's right, there was nothing shameful about this!
They had invaded the Black Rock Tribe, yet they had received such magnanimous treatment.
The fact that they hadn't been executed back then was already the greatest leniency.
Now they could even gain a better life and return to their homeland; what was bad about that?
What exactly was their leader still holding out for?
Thud!
The older woman was the first to kneel.
Facing the stone house where Akomann was imprisoned, she kowtowed heavily.
"Leader! I beg of you! For everyone's sake, for the future of Bloodfang, please agree!"
Her voice carried a sob, filled with pleading.
Thud! Thud!
One after another, the members of the Bloodfang Tribe knelt down.
Toward that small stone house, they sent forth their heaviest plea.
"Leader! We beg you!"
"We don't want the Bloodfang Tribe to just disappear like this!"
"Please give us a way to live!"
The pleas of hundreds and thousands merged into a massive wave of sound, penetrating the stone walls and slamming hard against Akomann's heart.
This sound was sharper than any blade, cutting her final line of defense into fragments.
Her heart was wavering!
...Just one short week later.
The Tribe welcomed its first great harvest.
Under the continuous catalyst of Wu Liang's Earths Grace, the first batch of various fruits and vegetables planted had ripened.
When Eliza led the women to harvest the plump green vegetables and heavy fruits from the fields.
As they were stacked neatly in the open space at the center of the Tribe, the entire Tribe seethed with excitement.
An abundance never seen before!
Food was piled like mountains, emitting the fresh scent of soil and plants.
The women of the Black Rock Tribe cheered joyfully; they sang and danced around the piles of food, praising Wu Liang's greatness.
Meanwhile, the captives of the Bloodfang Tribe stared blankly at it all, their throats constantly swallowing saliva.
Their eyes were filled with envy and a longing for their future life.
In their entire lives, they had never seen so much food!
However, the surprises Wu Liang brought them were far from over.
On the other side of the Tribe, a brand-new kitchen built of mud and stone had risen from the ground.
Under Wu Liang's personal direction, several massive iron pots were set upon the newly built stoves.