The people from Wang Gang's former settlement had all boarded the airborne warship.
This airborne warship was the same one Lin Qian had always utilized—capable of both offense and defense, and able to transport large numbers of people. It was a balanced warship.
Lin Qian took the warship to each of the settlements that Shen Zhixing had ordered attacked, asking the survivors of the four tribes if they were willing to relocate to the mountain city to live.
The settlements that had been attacked were in ruins, completely uninhabitable.
Given that the captured mountain city had plenty of vacant spaces, it was better to move them there.
After all, these people had been caught up in Lin Qian's conflict, and this was the best effort he could make to help them.
Without exception, no one refused. What was the point of staying in the ruins?
Moreover, Lin Qian allowed them to bring their relatives' remains to their new homes, so they had no reason to object.
The airborne warship was a rare sight for the four tribespeople, and the children chased each other across the deck in excitement.
When the mountain city came into view, there was some anxiety in the eyes of the people.
But once they entered the city, they were greeted by courteous humans who came forward to ask after their well-being.
What made the people from Wang Gang's settlement particularly envious was that they were immediately assigned houses in the city, complete with private courtyards. Meanwhile, others were left with only simple tents.
Curious and envious, they couldn't understand why those people received proper houses with courtyards while they only got makeshift tents.
"Because they have become citizens of the Huaxia Empire," explained a courteous scholar with a smile. "The Huaxia Empire has always treated its citizens with great generosity."
Instantly, Lin Qian gained many more citizens from the four tribes.
At this moment, Lin Qian wasn't concerned with the situation here—he trusted that the scholars of the Engineering Department would handle everything well, without his needing to worry.
On the top floor of the mountain city's luxurious mansion, Lin Qian entered the front courtyard, addressing the people behind him: "Shen Zhixing once threatened me here and killed soldiers of my empire, as well as innocent passersby."
Hearing Lin Qian's words, the people following him fell silent.
In the front hall of the mansion, Lin Qian took the main seat and gestured for everyone to sit. Those who had followed him inside also took their seats.
Those following Lin Qian were none other than Wang Qiongxing, He Baili, Xu Wuwei, and Fu Deqing—four elders of the human tribe. Sitting across from them were the elders of the Redhorn Tribe, the Dwarves, and the Lingtix Tribe.
Compared to the human tribe, the population of the Redhorns, Dwarves, and Lingtix was significantly smaller. The three tribes together had only three elders, fewer than the humans.
In terms of cultivation levels, only Wang Qiongxing of the human tribe had the strength of a master-level Awakening Realm. The other three tribes' elders were all master-level.
As for He Baili, Xu Wuwei, and Fu Deqing, they were all at the sixth level of the Awakening Realm, with one foot in the seventh level.
"Are you sure about this? Don't think you can fool me," Lin Qian said, turning to the Redhorn, Dwarven, and Lingtix elders after taking his seat.
The three tribal elders had approached Lin Qian after witnessing the earlier battle, with a simple goal: to join the Huaxia Empire.
And they didn't come alone; they intended to bring their entire tribes into the empire.
Lin Qian had already been considering how to rule the entire Ancient Forest World. This underground world was too important to him, as it was crucial for the evolution of his people and solving the issues in the southern regions.
"But I want to know, if our three tribes join the Huaxia Empire, will we be treated the same as the humans?" Redhorn elder Bard asked solemnly, looking at Lin Qian. "We don't want to join and then find out it's just another Blackhorn Kingdom."
The Dwarven and Lingtix elders nodded in agreement, sharing the same concern.
In response to their worries, Lin Qian smiled and pointed outside. "The treatment of different tribes in the Huaxia Empire is evident in this city I've conquered. Even the Blackhorns, after I discovered the truth, were treated fairly. Why would you be any different?"
"I want every tribe that joins the Huaxia Empire to find its place within it. For example, the Dwarves can join the Fireworks Department. As for the Lingtix Tribe, I plan to establish a new division called Swift Wind Couriers, where they can fully utilize their strengths."
Lin Qian's words about finding their place resonated with the three tribal elders. In fact, they had already explored the city after arriving and were very satisfied with how the five tribes were living together.
The Dwarven elder, in particular, felt gratified seeing his people working alongside humans to construct a hall.
His people weren't being enslaved—they were smiling, clearly enjoying their work.
He even asked his people about the Fireworks Department, which was responsible for various productions within the Huaxia Empire.
This showed that the Dwarves weren't being looked down upon; instead, they were being greatly valued.
The Lingtix elder, on the other hand, looked puzzled. "Swift Wind Couriers? What's that?"
"If a citizen of the Huaxia Empire needs to send something to a village three hundred miles away, what do they do?" Lin Qian asked in response to the Lingtix elder's question.
"..." The Lingtix elder was momentarily stunned before replying, "That would be quite troublesome. If they ask someone to take it along, there might not be anyone willing. Going themselves would be too far."
"The Lingtix Tribe is not only fast but also has incredible endurance. Running is part of your tribe's training," Lin Qian said with a smile. "If the Lingtix Tribe were to use these strengths to collect and categorize items that need to be sent from one city to another every day..."
"And then have Lingtix couriers from the receiving city deliver those items to their destinations?"
The Lingtix elder was dumbfounded. Indeed, running not only trained their bodies but also activated their soul force. Lin Qian's proposal was practically tailor-made for the Lingtix Tribe.
"This is a new profession, one I've designed specifically for your tribe," Lin Qian said with a smile. "Couriers!"