The Dark Tide Fishman Tribe, Central Stone Hall.
Lan He, the former elder now seated on the chieftain’s throne, frowned deeply. "Still no contact with the humans?"
"No. The humans are guarding the area very strictly. Every time we send our kinsmen to approach, they are hunted down and killed," an elder below replied angrily.
Lan He fell silent at these words. Ever since Blackfin had returned injured, his prestige within the tribe had plummeted. Lan He had seized the opportunity to take control and become the new chieftain.
Currently, the tribe was split into two factions: the conservatives and the radicals.
He had risen to power as the leader of the conservatives and the new head of the Lan clan. His slogan before taking the throne had been to avenge the previous chieftain, Lan Zhuo, which had earned him the support of some of the radicals.
But after taking power, his mindset had undergone a subtle change.
’If the enemy could infiltrate the depths of the tribe to kill Lan Zhuo and the High Priest, then they could do it again to kill me.’
’Lan Zhuo is already dead. Is it really necessary to seek revenge for a dead man?’
The position of chieftain in the Dark Tide Tribe had previously been passed down from father to son within Lan Zhuo’s lineage.
’Now that it has finally fallen into my hands, if I were to die too, the position might be snatched away by someone from the Hei clan. Then I would be a disgrace to the Lan clan.’
With these thoughts, Lan He’s resolve to negotiate for peace grew even firmer. Of course, he couldn’t show this openly. Publicly, he had to maintain his determination for revenge.
Privately, he dispatched his confidants to contact the humans and open a dialogue.
"Chieftain, will these humans really talk with us? We’ve killed so many of them. Won’t they want to avenge their own people?"
Lan He calmly scanned the elders around him and shook his head inwardly. ’These kinsmen are too rigid in their thinking, like the dull catfish in the river.’
"What do they gain by killing us? Only a pile of corpses. We have so many kinsmen, how could they possibly wipe us all out!"
"We’ve been clearing out the Insect Men from the caves for years. Have we succeeded? They’re like bugs in a sewer—no matter how many you kill, you can never get rid of them. In fact, their numbers only grow, spreading to every corner of the underground world."
"There are far more of us Dark Tide Fishmen. Humans can’t breathe underwater, so at most, they can only kill a portion of us. We can just disperse our people, wait for the humans to leave this world, and then form our tribe anew."
Hearing Lan He’s words, his confidants present all nodded in agreement.
"In that case, why should we negotiate at all? Let’s just fight!" a high-ranking Dark Tide Fishman stood up, his face full of confidence.
Lan He looked at him as if he were an idiot. "We can disperse, yes, but what about our Home? What about the schools of fish we raise? They can destroy the place where we live, wipe out our underwater farms, and set us back decades to the way things were before."
The high-ranking Fishman who had stood up froze, his expression stiff. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Lan He waved for him to sit down. Though he found his kinsmen a bit dense, he wasn’t angry. He knew their intentions were for the good of the tribe.
"If the war continues, neither side will benefit. Peace talks are the only way to maximize our gains. These humans have their own people too. I refuse to believe there’s nothing they want. As long as they’re willing to talk, anything can be negotiated!"
"I thought you were all low on intelligence, but it seems there’s a clever one among you after all. My trip here wasn’t a waste," a detached voice commented.
"Who’s there!?"
Everyone present shot to their feet.
Just outside the hall’s entrance, a massive giant was squatting, having appeared there at some unknown time.
"A Fish... a Fishman?!" Lan He stared blankly at Mogu. An intense, blazing fervor then erupted in his eyes. ’That physique, those proportions, and that faint, imposing aura that makes my very bloodline tremble...’
Everything about the giant before him screamed that he was a pure-blooded Fishman of extremely high purity.
He had seen the Fishmen who came from the advent of Tuiyuan, but even they seemed far inferior compared to the one before him.
’If... if I could get this being to leave his bloodline in our tribe...’
"My master requests your presence," Mogu said, pointing at Lan He.
The guards behind Lan He were just about to step forward to show their loyalty when he shoved them aside. Lan He straightened his clothes and beamed, his face wreathed in smiles. "Please, Your Excellency, lead the way."
None of the other elders present criticized Lan He’s overly sycophantic attitude.
They all knew what this pure-blooded Fishman represented.
The Dark Tide Fishmen had only developed to their current state because their bloodline had degraded, growing thinner with each passing generation.
If there was a chance to purify their bloodline, the death of one chieftain was nothing. Even several more would be a small price to pay.
...
Mogu led Lan He to an empty room in a school building on the north side of the Gated Community, where Qin Ziwen had been waiting for some time.
The two parties held a secret meeting for an hour before parting ways.
Lan He returned to the tribe and sought out Blackfin in private.
"I’ve found the true culprit who assassinated the chieftain. You are the tribe’s greatest warrior. I can only rest easy if I entrust the task of revenge to you."
Blackfin looked at Lan He suspiciously. ’Why is this old bastard suddenly flattering me?’
’Has he finally realized he’s not cut out for the job?’
At this thought, Blackfin gave a scornful smile. "I told you long ago you weren’t up to it. You should have just passed the position to me. What’s the use of you occupying the chieftain’s seat if you don’t have the skills for it?"
Lan He’s expression was as tranquil as an ancient well. "If you can get revenge, what does it matter if I give the chieftain’s position to you?"
But Blackfin suddenly exploded with rage, like an infuriated shark. "You old bastard! I hate that look on your face! The chieftain’s position was supposed to be mine from the start! You just took advantage of my injury to steal it!"
A smile spread across Lan He’s face. "A true warrior proves himself with the heads of his enemies, not with his mouth. If you don’t dare to avenge the chieftain, then let’s just forget it."
"Who says I don’t dare!" Blackfin shot to his feet. "It’s just that the enemy is indeed quite powerful. I’ll need help."
Lan He shook his head. "The Great Rock Crab won’t work. It’s too large and can’t pass through many areas."
Blackfin said, "I don’t want the Great Rock Crab. I want to call on that... thing in the Dark Cavern to act."
Lan He’s brow furrowed deeply. "Absolutely not! It’s grown more and more insane in recent years and is nearly impossible to communicate with. Unleashing it will only bring disaster upon us."
Blackfin retorted, "Just because you can’t communicate with it doesn’t mean I can’t. Don’t forget my family name."
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Lan He’s eyes.
In truth, long ago, the Dark Tide Tribe had only one surname: Lan.
All Fishmen in the tribe bore the Lan surname. That is, until the advent of Tuiyuan and the birth of that demon. Their tribe was then split, and half of its members changed their surname to Hei, signifying their devotion to the entity that dwelled in the deep darkness.
A super weapon of slaughter, created from the corrupted body of a Dark Tide Fishman.
In the beginning, this weapon of slaughter helped them defeat the Insect Men and destroy the Insect Man alliance that opposed them.
But now, the Insect Man alliance had long since collapsed, yet they still had to continuously sacrifice their own people to maintain the weapon’s sanity. And its appetite was only growing larger.
...
...