Chapter 1198, Yong’an City

Translator: Silavin

 

After the eternal night passed safely, the Flame Dragon Tribe welcomed the arrival of spring.

 

The forest that had been blanketed in silver and white began to thaw. Many of the trees had already pushed out fresh buds.

 

Looking out across it all, there was a faint wash of yellow-green. It had not yet reached the point of being fully green, but compared to the endless white of before, it was a far more welcome sight.

 

“Shaman, spring has finally arrived. I am so happy.” Yu Ying’s soft, gentle voice rang out.

 

Yu Ying was dressed rather perkily today. By the standards of the snow season, she was wearing very little, though she still had a hoodie on.

 

It was a hoodie with a drawstring. The design had of course come from Su Bai. He simply wanted everyone to dress both nicely and warmly.

 

So, the first thing that had come to his mind was a hoodie. Made from Animal Hide, naturally, which gave it a slightly wild look.

 

“Yes, it has been a long time since I could take a proper walk like this.” Su Bai said, stretching lazily.

 

After finishing breakfast, he had come out to walk along the riverbank at the edge of the Tribe. The great river was no longer frozen solid, though a few scattered chunks of ice could still be seen drifting along its surface.

 

The Tribe’s main gate had been completely repositioned. It no longer faced the forest. It now faces the great river.

 

Of course, the side facing the forest was not being done away with. When the roads were built, they would still go out through that gate.

 

Visitors from other Tribes coming to the Flame Dragon Tribe would likewise enter through that gate. The reason the main gate had been moved to face the river was simply that water trade routes were going to be the priority going forward.

 

“Shaman, looking at it from here, that wall is really very tall. Should we build a wall on this side too?” Sha Lan asked curiously.

 

She kept her eyes on the wall facing the forest. It stood a full fifteen meters high, completely unlike the wooden walls they had used before.

 

That wall had been built during the snow season. The Totem Warriors had spent several months raising it.

 

In truth, the Totem Warriors had little to do during the snow season beyond training and patrol, so they had been assigned to build the wall.

 

And it had to be said, the Totem Warriors had been remarkably fast at it. With their naturally greater strength and a well-coordinated division of labour, they could finish a full meter in just a few days.

 

“Of course. When the snow season comes this year, the Warriors will come and build the wall here as well. There are more of them now, so it should not take nearly as long.” Su Bai said.

 

He had chosen the Warriors for this work rather than ordinary people precisely because of their strength. During the snow season, the Central Market had no visitors from other Tribes. Why not make good use of the time?

 

If ordinary people were set to building the wall, it would likely take an entire year, and all other work would grind to a halt.

 

“Once the wall is finished, the Tribe is really going to feel really special.” Yan Hua said, visibly delighted.

 

Yan Hua still remembered the design blueprint she had seen before, the city plan that Su Bai had drawn, where tall, square walls formed the outer boundary.

 

The moment she had laid eyes on those walls in the drawing, she had been captivated. She had simply not expected them to appear so soon.

 

“Yes. It will start to feel like a proper city. And from this year onwards, the Tribe is going to be given a new name. We can no longer call it a Tribe.” Su Bai smiled.

 

He felt that the Flame Dragon Tribe had been developing steadily toward something modern, and that the name could not keep carrying elements of the Primitive Era.

 

It did not quite fit with his vision of urbanising the Tribe. If they were truly going to make the change, there were things that had to be left behind.

 

“Shaman, what will it be changed to? And why can we no longer call it a Tribe?” Yu Ying asked, puzzled.

 

She had never really understood the word ‘city’. The word ‘Tribe’ was something she had grown up with from birth, and it had taken deep root in her.

 

“Yong’an City. That is the new name for our Tribe. It borrows from the name of the Yong’an Building. The reason we are moving away from the term ‘Tribe’ is precisely to leave old things behind and declare our growth.” Su Bai smiled slightly and continued to explain. “In my homeland, the word ‘Tribe’ carries certain associations. Among them is savagery, outdated customs, and backwardness. That is also why I want to change the name.”

 

“So that is why. But we are not savage. We are not backwards at all. We are far more capable than other Tribes.” Yu Ying said with great pride.

 

“Of course, we are not backwards and certainly not savage. But we need a better name to represent who we are. What do you think?” Su Bai said gently.

 

In truth, the main reason was that he wanted a completely fresh start, and he wanted a city that felt like his own. The old name always felt slightly removed from him.

 

But once a new name was given, everything would change in quality.

 

“I think Yong’an City is a beautiful name. We need a new name to represent ourselves. We cannot be the same as the other Tribes.” Yu Ying kept swishing her pink fox tail back and forth.

 

She did not mind the name change at all; she was just curious. The characters for ‘Yong’an’ had long been familiar to her. It was the name of where she lived.

 

And that was actually a small piece of forethought on Su Bai’s part. When the Yong’an Building had been named, the name had been chosen specifically to lay the groundwork for the city’s future name.

 

“Shaman, why the word ‘city’, then? Does it represent us moving forward?” Yan Hua blinked her bright eyes as she asked.

 

“Something along those lines. One might also say it stands for civilization, creativity, and the future. Those are exactly the things we are striving toward, are they not?” Su Bai said with a laugh.

 

“I think so too. I love the name. Yong’an City sounds great. I think everyone in the Tribe will love it as well.” Yan Hua nodded emphatically.

 

Yan Hua thought Su Bai was extraordinarily learned. Every new word he introduced carried layers of meaning, completely unlike anything she had known before.

 

It was a pleasant feeling, hearing it. Yan Hua had been studying diligently lately. In just over a year, her literacy had reached the level of a sixth-year primary school student.

 

That was still far from enough, of course. But for someone of this era, who had no exposure to such things before, Yan Hua was already remarkably fast at learning.

 

“Shaman, though the name is lovely and what it represents is meaningful, I am worried that many of the older folks in the Tribe will not be able to accept it.” Sha Lan said with concern.

 

She thought of the older people in the Tribe, those who had been with the Flame Dragon Tribe for a very long time. If the name were changed all at once, some of them might react poorly, or even stage some kind of collective protest.

 

“I have considered this as well. But I have a plan for it. You will see when the time comes.” Su Bai said with confidence.