Secret Intelligence

Luda waited until the Iron Palm Tribe's group left, and waited on the hill for more than an hour before leading his men to the open space. He examined the bodies of several men in black, but unfortunately found no clues that could prove their identities.

However, he was certain that these people were not bandits. Bandits on the grasslands were not like this; they lived a life of hardship and their skin was rougher than that of ordinary herders.

Many of these men in black clearly lived in good conditions; apart from some calluses and knife scars, their skin was not much worse than that of ordinary herders, indicating that they were warriors who had fought for many years.

There are also a few who look pampered, with excellent skin, frequent bathing, and little body odor. In most tribes, they would be considered nobles.

While Luda was still wondering who these people were, one of his subordinates shouted, "Who are you?"

They rushed over and saw three people on the riverbank, all soaking wet, who looked like they had just come ashore from the river.

Luda led his men over. The three men were very alert. Two of them immediately stood up and stepped forward, holding short swords to protect the third man behind them. Perhaps in order to hide them, they had discarded their long weapons. Now, the two men only had short swords in their hands.

Although Luda's men were few, only seven, each of them carried a long sword. Two others retreated to the back, took out their bows and arrows, drew their bows, and aimed at the three men. Seeing this, the other two men showed determination in their eyes and bent down, ready to attack.

"Stop, stop! They're not enemies," the third person said, grabbing the two in front of him.

He walked straight up and, by the moonlight, Luda could see that the man was very young, pale-faced, and looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. "I am Dane, the third son of the chieftain of the Blood Scorpion Tribe. You warriors are not from the Iron Bone Tribe or the Iron Palm Tribe, are you?"

Luda and his men exchanged bewildered glances; this man was truly beyond their expectations.

Luda hesitated for a moment, then told everyone to put down their weapons. He stepped forward alone and said, "I am a merchant. I came to the Iron Palm Tribe with a caravan to do business. I accidentally discovered the Iron Palm Tribe's unusual behavior and wanted to make some profit."

"Great! I'm willing to pay you, as long as you can take me to the Blazing Fire Tribe. My mother is the sister of the Blazing Fire Tribe chief. Once we get there, my uncle will reward you with a lot of money with just a word from me," the boy who called himself the third son of the Blood Scorpion Chieftain said excitedly.

Luda thought for a moment and immediately said, "That's great, Young Master Dane. Actually, our caravan is organized by the Blazing Fire Tribe. We came to the Iron Palm Tribe to do business on the orders of Legion Commander Huo Qing. We were using business as an excuse to gather intelligence on the Iron Palm Tribe. I never expected to have the opportunity to save you. It's wonderful. I've heard Chief Huo Qing talk about you before. It's great to meet such an important person as you. If I had known it was you, we would have risked our lives to save you."

Luda's expression was exaggerated, and his attitude changed to extreme humility, leaving the three of them somewhat bewildered.

The boy was overjoyed. "Are you really sent by my brother? How many of you are there? Take me to the Blazing Fire Tribe. I will make sure my uncle rewards you handsomely and appoints you as Legion Commander."

Luda knelt on one knee with an exaggerated expression. "Thank you, young master. Our caravan has more than three hundred people. We can definitely escort you back to the tribe. Please rest assured, young master. There is still wine and meat in the caravan. Let's leave quickly, there are still many enemies around here."

After saying that, he grabbed the boy's hand and walked towards their horses. The other two were about to say something, but seeing that the two had already gone far away, they gritted their teeth and followed. Luda's men had been watching the two, and when they saw them follow, they also let go of their weapons. The men exchanged glances and followed.

Luda personally helped the boy onto a horse, then mounted another one, leading the boy's horse forward. His men also brought horses for the other two men in black, and the group mounted and followed behind Luda. Luda's men also consciously surrounded the two men.

Along the way, Luda kept trying to please the boy, asking him all sorts of questions about the Blood Scorpion Tribe. The boy didn't suspect anything and answered all his questions. The two guards were far away and surrounded by other people, so they couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Luda quickly shifted the focus to why the boy had come here, and why the Iron Bone Tribe and the Iron Palm Tribe had attacked them.

"Captain Luda, the Iron Bone Tribe is too despicable. Our Blood Scorpion Tribe suffered heavy losses in last year's battle. Our former chieftain was killed in battle, and we also lost a 10,000-strong army. The strength of the tribe has been greatly weakened, and everyone is in a state of panic. In order to stabilize the situation within the tribe as soon as possible, the elders have decided to elect a new chieftain to lead the tribe through the difficulties."

"I understand, young master Dane. Is it because your father has been chosen as the new chief of the Blood Scorpion Tribe, and you've come to tell your uncle the good news?"

"If only that were the case. My father, as the younger brother of the former chief and also the Commander of Ten Thousand of another 10,000-strong unit in the tribe, was the obvious choice for chief and had the highest popularity. But the Iron Bone Tribe actually supported the eldest son of the former chief to run for chief."

"The Iron Bone Tribe is despicable! I've heard about their performance in last year's battle. They deserted in the face of battle and didn't dare to participate in the main battlefield at all, which caused the Iron Hoof Tribe and the Blood Scorpion Tribe to suffer heavy losses, resulting in the defeat of the entire Tribal Alliance. How dare they do this?" Luda indignantly.

"It's not that exaggerated. My father also said that the Iron Bone Tribe did have problems, but even if they had intervened, they might not have been able to save the battle. Captain Luda, stop interrupting and let me speak."

"Yes, young master, please tell me." Luda knew that boys of this age had a stronger desire to perform, and with a little guidance, he could get them to reveal more information.

"Although I had the support of the Iron Bone Tribe, my father still won the internal election and successfully succeeded as the chief of the Blood Scorpion Tribe. However, the son of the former chief was dissatisfied with the election and instead led his men to the Iron Bone Tribe. He borrowed a 10,000-strong army and ran back to the tribe to hold a new election for chief. Currently, the two sides are still facing off on our tribe's Pastureland. Originally, we planned to seek help from the Iron Hoof Tribe, but they haven't even elected a chief yet, and their internal situation is still in chaos. That's why my father sent us out to seek help from various allies. So I came to the Blazing Fire Tribe to borrow troops from my uncle."

"So that's how it is. Chieftain and Huo Qing are family, they will definitely help you. Our Blazing Fire Tribe is now strong and well-equipped, with five thousand cavalry. With these five thousand cavalry, the Iron Bone Tribe will definitely retreat. You will also be chosen as the successor by Blood Scorpion Chieftain. Young Master, you will definitely become the future Blood Scorpion Chieftain," Luda flattered.