Kaz Khan, the young leader of the Red Stone Tribe, touched the amulet hanging on his chest before striding into the mud-built stone hall.
At this moment, a group of (former) Kings, (former) City Lords, and Khans, whose average age was double his own, were hotly spewing with their long tongues.
The Sand People seem to have evolved directly from reptiles (though they are actually mammals) into upright, Wisdom beings; they are covered in scales and thus have no sweat glands, often needing to stick out their long tongues to dissipate heat. Therefore, there's no such thing as being drenched in sweat. However, if the Great Elder hadn't been quietly seated at the head of the table, there might have been a room full of big men.
Yes, the Sand People, whose civilization had only just evolved to the classical city-state era, were indeed in a state of martial vigor and irritability. Some were former nomadic tribal leaders, others rulers of city-states who proclaimed themselves Kings, and none would submit to another. If words failed, they would simply draw their knives and settle it.
However, the aged Great Elder was not only the spiritual and religious leader of the common Sand People but also the true first master among them. Despite his benevolent elderly appearance, he had more than once violently crushed chieftains and "Kings" to death.
As a junior among the leaders, Kaz Khan bowed slightly to the Great Elder at the head of the table, then found a corner. Before he could even sit down, he heard a loud, bold voice declare: "Waiting, too long. Must fight, fight, fight!"
The speaker was Mo Duo, the Great Chieftain of the Red Lake Tribe. This chieftain, who commanded the strongest nomadic tribe among all Sand People, was already getting on in years; though still brave, his mind was starting to dull, and he wasn't very proficient in the "Sand People Common Tongue."
Oh, by the way, the Sand People Common Tongue was precisely compiled by their spiritual leader, Great Elder Hessen, over ten years, combining various Sand People languages. He always believed that language unification would lead to racial unification and better integration with advanced civilizations in the universe.
It must be admitted, the Great Elder was indeed very far-sighted.
However, tragically, the Sand People's simple early pictographic script could not bear the information load of the Great Universe Era. The so-called "Common Tongue" actually contained a large number of transliterations and textual variations from Imperial, Alliance, and even Earth languages.
It was truly sad, but that wasn't the point.
"It's not time yet. Our goal is always to force the Earthlings to negotiate with us!" The reply came from Han Latt, the King of Black Mountain City-State. He had a city, territory, and a throne, and had always had an unclear relationship with the Governor's Office. With more to lose, his combativeness was naturally not strong.
"Even if we have to fight, we must wait until those cannons are set up. Then they can blast through Tulon's protective shield. They will definitely surrender," another City Lord said.
"Yes, we demand to participate in the profit sharing from spice and ore sales; they can't always set the prices! Oh, right, and Sand People must be allowed to live and travel in Tulon, ah no, in the Galaxy Native Land!" An old, steady lord said so, immediately drawing nods of approval from the others.
But, isn't this our homeland? Why are so many of us gathered here just for this? Is there a difference between begging while lying down and begging while sitting down? Kaz Khan couldn't help but think.
In reality, most of the "Kings" and "City Lords" of the city-states were like this. The Governor's Office and merchants needed to "employ" cheap labor through them to obtain inexpensive spices and ores, so their small lives were naturally quite good. The city-state lords now lived in domed villas with climate control and greenhouse gardens, drinking fine wine from the Empire and watching popular Alliance dramas, living the happy life of modern wealthy homebodies. Slaves, however, could still only labor for an average of fifteen hours or more daily in mines where they couldn't stand upright and plantations where their scales would peel off from the sun, yet still struggled to ensure basic sustenance for their families.
"Rats!" a chieftain jumped up and roared.
"Lizards in the sand pile!" another chieftain slammed the table and cursed.
"Blood-suckers in the rock caves!" An ancient Sand People chieftain, as if suddenly twenty years younger, shrieked hysterically, making the loudest sound since the argument began, startling Kaz Khan beside him into a shiver.
"We have a million soldiers in our hands, why should we look to others for approval? When will those things be set up?" a slightly younger chieftain asked. His "Common Tongue" was much more fluent.
"Great Elder, let's fight!" He then sincerely requested of Great Elder Hessen, his face full of fervor and valor, looking as if he could at any moment dig out his heart and disembowel himself to prove his loyalty, letting a gush of sincere hot blood spray all over you.
"But it's not time yet... Our forces haven't fully deployed, we don't have a complete offensive plan, we don't have heavy weapon cover! Why not wait until the agreed-upon heavy artillery positions are built, until all weapons and forces are in place?" Kaz Khan felt this fellow was like a frilled lizard spreading its frills waiting to mate, and wanted to get up and retort a few sentences. But at this moment, the Great Elder, who had been silent, nodded expressionlessly and said coolly, "Do you all want to fight?"
"Fight! Fight!" Mo Duo was jumping up and down, almost breaking into an awkward war dance.
"Then let's fight," the Great Elder nodded.
"Great Elder, we can't fight..." The lords jumped up, wanting to dissuade him, but the Great Elder shut them down with a single sentence: "Or do you want to personally convince those ravenous warriors?"
The lords had nothing to say and could only disperse sullenly, while the chieftains, having gotten the answer they wanted, left excitedly. The only one not happy was Kaz Khan, who felt quite heavy as he left the stone hall. He could already see the warriors' fate and almost shed tears of sorrow... Uh, actually, Sand People don't have tear ducts either; their way of expressing extreme grief is to vibrate their eardrums to produce a very heartbreaking long tremor, which sounds like whale song and is actually quite melodious.
Kaz Khan was very disappointed, disappointed with everything, with the lords, with the chieftains, and even more disappointed with the Great Elder, who was like a spiritual leader. He wanted to leave with his subordinates, but at that moment, someone came over and discreetly called out to him.
"My teacher wants to see you, Chieftain Kaz Khan."
The person leading the way was one of the Great Elder's favorite disciples, a spiritual energy user named "Wind Fist."
The young Kaz Khan was led by the young Wind Fist through the back door into the stone hall, which was also the Great Elder's private residence. But as soon as he entered, he was hit by an unpleasant medicinal smell that made him want to run away on the spot.
Looking at a corner of the stone hall, there was a female Sand People with beautiful azure scales preparing medicine. Seeing Kaz enter, she bared her fangs and tongue at him, revealing what (to Sand People) was a sweet smile.
Her name was Mi Xun, and she was another of the Great Elder's favorite disciples who had awakened her spiritual energy.
Kaz Khan was about to return a polite smile to this famous beauty among the Sand People, but the Great Elder had already spoken directly: "You can take your tribesmen and leave, but remember to pack your belongings when you return, say goodbye to your tribesmen, and arrange for what comes next."
Kaz Khan was stunned on the spot.
"I have already negotiated with our collaborators to select a group of promising young people to study abroad. Various universities and even military academies are possible, but you have to pass the entrance exams yourselves, so you can only start from preparatory schools. From now on, you must diligently study the Alliance Common Tongue." The Great Elder thought for a moment, then pulled out a wristband-style information terminal and handed it over: "Inside is an Alliance language dictionary and a set of elementary college textbooks. Find some free time and start previewing them."
Kaz Khan, utterly bewildered, took the technological product, whose style was completely out of place with its surroundings, and mechanically listened to the Elder's earnest instructions: "Yes, the Empire's restrictions in this area are still very strict, so you can only go to the Alliance to study. However, you must still remember to keep a low profile. Many of you resent humans... I can't make you distinguish between Earthlings and Gaians, but in the Alliance, your every action represents the image of the Sand People. You must lead those young people, and you must set an example and restrain them!"
The young chieftain finally came to his senses: "But, Elder, I..."
"Whether it's victory or defeat, this place is destined to be a meat grinder. Talented young people should not waste their lives here," the Great Elder shook his head, interrupting the young chieftain.
Kaz Khan was deeply moved, but still raised his doubts: "But why did you agree to Khan Mo Duo's proposal? You know how reckless that is..."
"Even if I didn't agree, wouldn't they act on their own? I am just a Great Elder, not their King. They are all chieftains of nomadic tribes, and originally had little involvement with the human Governor's Office. Are they truly participating in this war to liberate their Sand People brethren and gain honor? Or is it to rush into that city to burn, kill, and plunder? If slaughter and plunder are their goals, how could they possibly wait for the city-state lords to prepare everything? Kaz Khan, you are also a nomadic chieftain, you should understand, shouldn't you?"
The young chieftain was speechless.
"Since that's the case, it's better to let them test the Earthlings' situation. At least, when the heavy artillery positions are built and a full-scale attack truly begins, we can also be prepared."
Kaz Khan had to admit that the Great Elder made sense, but precisely because it made sense, he felt even heavier and sadder.
"I am old. If this great battle can make the Earthlings concede, I will be satisfied. Yes, Kaz Khan, Han Latt is right, we actually don't have the ability to completely drive the Earthlings away... But you are different, Kaz Khan, you are still young, strong, passionate, sincere, and possess a calmness and composure rare for your age. You have countless possibilities, you have a future, so you must bear greater responsibility!"
"We cannot perish like this, young man. It is precisely for this reason that I have used all my influence to gather so many warriors willing to die. Let this battle be our Sand People's first cry in this universe! As for what comes after, that is up to you."
Kaz Khan looked at the aging Sand People leader, his heart filled with a thousand words, yet unable to utter anything.
The Great Elder's body was no longer upright, his scales had begun to gray, his eyes were somewhat blurry, and he even needed to take medicine for chronic health. Yet, he was still stronger than at any previous moment, stronger than when he was young.