Chapter 42: Initial Alliance
The knowledge and insights brought back from the expedition were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples through the Silvermoon Tribe and its allies. Representatives from each tribe gathered in the expanded Garden of Knowledge, looking at the vastly expanded map and lost in deep thought.
"We are like frogs in a well," said Elder Shi Yan, breaking the silence first. "We don't realize our limitations until we see the wider sky."
Feng Yi pointed to the newly added Shell Tribe marker on the map. "Their shell processing techniques can improve our tools, and our medical knowledge can protect their health. Exchange makes us all stronger."
Shi Feng added, "The discovery of Black Blade Stone could revolutionize toolmaking, but it requires the collaboration of the High Mountain Tribe and the Silver Moon Tribe in mining and processing."
Shuihen went a step further and suggested: "Why not establish a formal alliance? Instead of occasional exchanges, we should collaborate continuously; instead of working independently, we should plan together."
The proposal sparked heated debate, with some expressing concerns about a loss of independence, others fearing cultural assimilation, and others worried about unfair resource distribution.
Lin Chen spoke at the right moment: "Alliance does not mean sameness, but cooperation that respects differences. Just like silk threads of various colors, each beautiful individually, they become a brocade when woven together."
He proposed the idea of a "Rainbow Alliance": each tribe maintains its uniqueness, but cooperates deeply in knowledge sharing, resource exchange, crisis response and other aspects.
After three days of discussion, the tribes reached a consensus and decided to form a formal alliance. The alliance charter was engraved on a special pottery tablet, written in the symbols of each tribe:
First, respect the independence and culture of each tribe; second, share knowledge and provide technical assistance; third, exchange resources fairly and jointly respond to crises; fourth, communicate regularly and make joint decisions; fifth, explore the unknown and grow together.
The signing ceremony was solemn and grand. Representatives from each tribe pledged their allegiance in their own way: the wolf howls of the Silvermoon Tribe, the eagle cries of the Mountain Tribe, the wind chants of the Nomadic Tribe, the gurgling of the waters of the Lakeside Tribe, and even the hum of the tides of the newly joined Shell Tribe, weaving together into a unique symphony of alliance.
The Alliance's first joint project was the construction of the "Tower of Knowledge"—a multi-story structure of stone and wood to store and display all the Alliance's knowledge. Each tribe contributed technology and materials to its construction.
Xiaoyu was responsible for the architectural design, integrating the styles of various tribes: the stone foundation of the mountain tribe, the movable partitions of the nomadic tribe, the water circulation system of the lakeside tribe, the symbol recording wall of the Silver Moon tribe, and the shell decorations of the Shell Tribe.
During the construction process, craftsmen from each tribe learned from each other, and their skills naturally exchanged: the Mountain Tribe acquired more refined stonework, the Silver Moon Tribe mastered water recycling techniques, and the Nomadic Tribe understood the secrets of fixed structures.
The Tower of Knowledge is more than just a building; it's a symbol of alliance. Each stone comes from a different tribe, each design reflects diverse wisdom, and each piece tells a story of collaboration.
The second project of the alliance was the "United Calendar." Each tribe contributed its knowledge of seasons, astronomical observations, and phenological experiences to compile an unprecedentedly accurate calendar to guide all activities, including agriculture, hunting, and migration.
"So the movement of the stars follows such a regular pattern!" Feng Yi exclaimed after learning the new calendar. "It can more accurately predict seasonal changes."
Spruce is more practical: "Knowing the exact planting time can increase the harvest by 20%!"
The alliance's effectiveness was immediate. Resource exchange became more efficient: the Mountain Tribe's ore was traded for the Silvermoon Tribe's pottery, the Nomadic Tribe's animal power was exchanged for the Lakeside Tribe's aquatic products, and the Shell Tribe's shell products were exchanged for medical knowledge from various tribes.
Knowledge sharing is more systematic: technical exchange conferences are held regularly, and experts from each tribe teach their expertise; a "knowledge messenger" system is established, and personnel are sent to each other for learning and exchange; and even an intermediate symbol system commonly used in the alliance is developed to facilitate the recording of complex knowledge.
The most surprising thing is the acceleration of innovation. The collision of wisdom among tribes has produced unprecedented new technologies:
The lightweight design of the nomadic tribes combined with the sturdy technology of the mountain tribes produced a new generation of transportation; the aquaculture of the lakeside tribes combined with the agricultural technology of the Silver Moon tribes developed a fish-rice symbiotic system; the shell powder strengthening technology of the Shell Tribe was combined with pottery to produce super-strong pottery.
A particularly successful innovation was the "Alliance Medical Kit": it contained the most effective herbs and medical tools from each tribe, with symbolic instructions for use so that even healers from different tribes could use them correctly.
"This can save countless lives in an emergency." Berry spoke highly of it after the test.
The Alliance also established a joint response mechanism. When a landslide struck the High Mountain Tribe, all tribes responded quickly. When a nomadic tribe encountered an animal epidemic, Alliance doctors convened for a consultation. When the Silver Moon Tribe faced drought, all tribes provided resources and advice.
Through crisis after crisis, the bonds of the alliance grew stronger, and each tribe truly experienced the truth that "one tree cannot support a forest, but many trees make a forest."
In late autumn, the Alliance held its first "Harvest Festival." Each tribe brought its own harvest and innovations to celebrate and share together.
During the festival, a special ceremony was very moving: young people from different tribes exchanged studies. Boys from the Silver Moon tribe went to the nomadic tribe to learn herding, girls from the nomadic tribe came to the Silver Moon tribe to learn agriculture, young people from the mountain tribe went to the lakeside tribe to learn fishing, and so on.
"Let the next generation grow up in the alliance," Elder Shi Yan said at the ceremony, "their hearts will have no boundaries, and their wisdom will have no limits."
On the night of the festival, Lin Chen and Canglan strolled to the top of the Tower of Knowledge. Below, people from various tribes sang and danced around a bonfire, speaking different languages but sharing the same joy; wearing different clothes but sharing the same rhythm.
"Is this the world you imagined?" Canglan asked softly.
Lin Chen leaned on his shoulder and said, "It's beyond imagination. I used to think that sharing knowledge was enough, but now I understand that sharing the heart is the true meaning."
He pointed to the mingling crowd below the tower and said, "Look! They maintain their uniqueness while creating a common harmony. This isn't assimilation, but a symphony."
Under the starry sky, the Knowledge Tower stood like a beacon for the Alliance, illuminating the path forward for each tribe. Signal points from each tribe surrounded them, like stars surrounding the moon.
In this primitive and simple era, human beings are building communities in the most essential way: not through forced unification, but through voluntary association; not by eliminating differences, but by respecting diversity; not by concentrating power, but by dispersing wisdom.
The alliance, though nascent, has already demonstrated its resilience. The tribes have discovered that, far from losing their identities, the alliance has only enhanced their distinctiveness; far from reducing their resources, it has enriched their possibilities; far from restricting their freedoms, it has expanded their space.
That soul from another world, standing on the tower of knowledge, overlooking the organic alliance that is taking shape, no longer misses the state form of modern society, but cherishes this bottom-up community network that respects differences and is a voluntary alliance.
Here, alliance is not the constraint of treaties, but the connection of hearts; it is not the calculation of interests, but the sharing of wisdom; it is not a game of power, but a dance of life.
The stars rotate, the seasons change, but the spirit of the alliance continues to grow. Between tribes, in the hearts of every individual, the seeds of cooperation have taken root, the roots of connection have penetrated, and a common garden is blooming.
As the first winter star rises on the pinnacle of knowledge, the Silvermoon Tribe and its allies are ready to embrace more challenges and grow. The alliance's journey has just begun, but the direction is clear: seek common ground while reserving differences, achieve mutual benefit, develop together, and move forward together.
On this starry night, human civilization continues its eternal exploration in the oldest yet freshest way: how to be together and yet remain oneself; how to share and yet enrich oneself; how to give and yet gain more.
And all this is just the beginning of a new chapter.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
