Joining Forces for Self-Preservation
News of the Fire Tribe's crushing victory over the Wolf Tribe spread like wildfire, first reaching the White Pig Tribe, which was closer to the battlefield.
On the afternoon the news arrived, the White Pig Tribe leader, Zongmao, was sitting in his hut, listening grimly to his subordinates report on the situation of several nearby small tribes. Ever since the Wolf Tribe extorted them and left, the small tribes he had "summoned" to "fight the enemy together" had been restless and showing signs of slipping out of his control after sharing some of the losses (mainly forced upon them by Zongmao).
"People from some small tribes have secretly gone out in several groups over the past two days, as if they're scouting ahead..."
"Some of the old men in small tribes keep complaining that they don't have enough food and want to lead their people to find new hunting grounds..."
"Some smaller tribes are even more decisive; people are already packing their belongings..."
Listening to these reports, Zongmao felt both angry and helpless. He was angry because these tiny tribes were ungrateful; if it weren't for his White Pig Tribe "taking them in" and "wisely" sending the Wolf Tribe away with food and pigs, they would have been slaughtered and robbed by the Wolf Tribe long ago! Now, they all acted as if they had suffered some great injustice. He was helpless because he really didn't have a good way to force them to stay. Although the White Pig Tribe had more than six hundred people (including those from the tiny tribes), they were not united, and if he really tried to force them, they might start fighting amongst themselves first.
Just then, a hunter who had been sent out to scout the Wolf Tribe's movements rushed in, his face filled with disbelief and... a hint of pleasure?
"Chief! Chief! Something terrible has happened!"
"What's the panic! The Wolf Tribe is here again?" Zongmao's heart tightened, and he stood up abruptly.
"No! It was the Wolf Tribe... the Wolf Tribe was defeated by the Fire Tribe!" The hunter gasped for breath, gesturing wildly. "We saw the remnants of the Wolf Tribe in the mountains, only a dozen or twenty men, all wounded, fleeing towards their lair in High Pointed Mountain like rabbits being chased by dogs! We caught one who had fallen behind, and he said... he said they were ambushed by the Fire Tribe in Wild Boar Gully, and dozens of them died! The Xueya chieftain was seriously injured by the Fire Tribe's Jianshi and almost died!"
"What?!" Zongmao's eyes widened instantly, and he grabbed the hunter's shoulder. "Explain yourself! The Fire Tribe? They defeated the Wolf Tribe? And injured Xueya?"
"Absolutely true! The prisoner was so scared he wet his pants, and he explained it all clearly! The Fire Tribe had many people, all wearing rattan armor, and arrows rained down on them. They were completely overwhelmed and had no chance to fight back! The Xueya chieftain fought Jianshi one-on-one, and was kicked to the ground, vomiting blood, after only a few blows..."
The shack was deathly silent. Everyone was stunned by the news.
The Fire Tribe? That tribe we've had to trade piglets with for the past two years, and which seems unremarkable except for their relatively brave Hunting Team? They actually... actually annihilated the main force of the infamous Wolf Tribe? And even left Xueya severely wounded and on the verge of death?
This is simply a fantasy!
But soon, more details came through various channels. Hunting groups returning from further afield brought back similar accounts; scattered refugees fleeing from the direction of Wild Boar Gully (having escaped the battle) confirmed the outbreak of the great war; and even the very next day, members of a small tribe that had previously been affiliated with the White Pig Tribe came to say goodbye, bluntly stating that they were going to join the powerful Fire Tribe because "the White Pig Tribe can't even protect itself, there's no future in following them."
Zongmao's feelings quickly shifted from initial shock and disbelief to a complex mix of bitterness, jealousy, relief, and deep helplessness.
The bitterness and jealousy stemmed from the Fire Tribe's rapid rise and astonishing expansion of its power. Those once "poor relatives," who had to look up to the Fish Tribe and even cultivate good relations with the White Pig Tribe, had now become a behemoth capable of crushing the Wolf Tribe. This reversal of fortune left Mane, who had always considered himself superior and believed the White Pig Tribe to be a significant Zongmao in the region, feeling deeply resentful.
Fortunately, the Wolf Tribe, their greatest threat, had been severely weakened. At least for the next few years, the White Pig Tribe would no longer have to live in fear of those hungry wolves. This was undoubtedly a heavy burden lifted off his and his tribe's shoulders.
The feeling of powerlessness was the strongest. He clearly saw that after the news of the Fire Tribe's great victory over the Wolf Tribe spread, several small tribes that were already restless began to migrate to the Fire Tribe on a large scale and openly without any hesitation. More than three hundred people! Right under his nose, they left the White Pig Tribe's territory with their families and went to join the more powerful Fire Tribe.
He tried sending people to persuade them, even using a slightly threatening tone, reminding them that the White Pig Tribe had once "protected" them. But the men he sent returned dejected, bringing with them news that only added to his frustration:
"They said... that even the White Pig Tribe is afraid of the Wolf Tribe, and they only gained peace by paying for grain and pigs, but that couldn't protect them."
They also said that the Fire Tribe could defeat the Wolf Tribe head-on, and that only by following the Fire Tribe could one be safe and have enough to eat.
"One old man even said... that our sharing of the losses was bullying them because they were outnumbered..."
"Damn it! A bunch of ungrateful bastards!" Zongmao smashed a pottery jar in his hut, gritting his teeth. "If I hadn't gathered them together, would the Wolf Tribe have let them off so easily? Giving away a little food is better than bloodshed and death! I was doing it for everyone's good! What do they know! Now that they see the Fire Tribe is strong, they all run over there. They're cowards, utterly without honor!"
But he could only vent his anger in his own hut. Faced with the now-powerful Fire Tribe, he dared not openly stop these smaller tribes from joining him. It was ridiculous; even the Wolf Tribe had been beaten half to death by the Fire Tribe. Could his White Pig Tribe's resources possibly be enough to satisfy their every whim? If he angered the Fire Tribe, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Looking at the campsites that were suddenly much emptier, and at the complex and unreadable expressions on the faces of the tribespeople (awe of the Fire Tribe's power, and worry about the relative decline of the tribe's strength), Zongmao felt a deep sense of exhaustion and crisis.
But not long after, the messengers of the Bison Tribe arrived.
The messenger brought a message from the Jijiao chieftain: Although the Wolf Tribe had suffered heavy losses, it had not been eradicated. To prevent future retaliation, he proposed that the Bison, White Pig, deer, and Green Sheep tribes form an alliance for mutual defense.
After hearing the envoy's explanation, Zongmao clapped his hands in agreement almost without hesitation. "Excellent! Jijiao Chief's suggestion is excellent! That's exactly what we should do!"
He knew perfectly well what was going on. The Fire Tribe was powerful, powerful enough to inspire fear, but that also meant it was difficult to attach oneself to, and one was more likely to lose autonomy. He was extremely unwilling to give up his position as chief and his relatively free and easy life like those smaller tribes, to the Fire Tribe to abide by its strict rules and accept the leadership of others.
However, forming an alliance with tribes like the Bison, Deer, and Green Sheep —tribes he knew well, with similar strength and circumstances—was a more realistic and desirable path. While they wouldn't be as powerful as the Fire Tribe, they should be able to protect themselves. If the remnants of the Wolf Tribe dared to come again, they would have to think twice before facing the combined strength of several tribes.
"Go back and tell Chief Jijiao that our White Pig Tribe fully agrees to the alliance!" Zongmao solemnly told the envoy from the Bison Tribe tribe. "We will follow Chief Jijiao's arrangements regarding the specifics of the alliance, when and where to hold the meeting! From this day forward, we, the White Pig, Bison, Deer, and Green Sheep, are brother tribes who advance and retreat together! If the Wolf Tribe dares to invade any one of us, it is an invasion of all our tribes!"
After seeing the envoy off, Zongmao breathed a long sigh of relief, finally feeling more at ease. Although an alliance meant paying a price, such as possibly sending troops to help allies or sharing resources and intelligence, it was still better than being exposed to potential risks alone or being forced to depend on an overly powerful neighbor.
He walked outside the hut, looking at the somewhat empty campsite, and at the smoke rising from the distant mountains in the direction of the Fire Tribe (the tribe that had sought refuge there was settling down), his eyes filled with complex emotions.
The rise of the Fire Tribe has already altered the power structure of this land. These established tribes must either integrate or unite in order to find their own space to survive under the new order.
"Freedom..." Zongmao murmured the word, clenching his fist. For this freedom and for its continuation, unity was the only way forward.
Soon, similar envoys were dispatched to the more distant Deer Tribe and Green Sheep Tribe. It was foreseeable that a small alliance concerning survival and the future would quietly take shape in this region stirred up by the powerful rise of the Fire Tribe.