Desperate, Broken Wolves

That day outside Wild Boar Gully, when Jianshi's Dali flying kick slammed into Xueya's chest, Xueya felt a sudden darkness engulf him, as if his internal organs had shifted instantly, and a metallic taste surged up his throat. He flew backward like a tattered sack, crashing heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Intense pain and a feeling of suffocation overwhelmed him; for a moment, he couldn't even move a finger, and could only watch helplessly as the towering Fire Tribe chief, wielding a heavy Shimao, approached him menacingly.

Death has never seemed so real.

Just as the Jianshi Shimao were about to pierce through, two figures pounced like mad dogs! It was Shichui and Most Duyan, the surviving leaders of the Wolf Tribe! They had long seen that their leader was about to be defeated and had been watching him intently. Now, Xueya fall to the ground in imminent danger, they no longer cared about formation or orders. They roared and swung their weapons desperately to deflect the Jianshi spears, while the other one bent down and, with all his might, dragged the limp Xueya up and carried him on his shoulder!

"Go!!" Duyan let out a shrill scream.

Almost simultaneously, the sharp-eyed young man (Wang Yan) in the Fire Tribe formation swung his arm down, and a deafening battle cry and the terrifying sound of Shichui piercing the air suddenly rang out! The already low morale of the Wolf Tribe collapsed completely in an instant, their formation was thrown into chaos, and screams filled the air.

Shichui and Duyan dared not linger. Taking advantage of the brief chaos caused by the sudden long-range attack and the obstruction of the crowd, they carried the dazed Xueya on their backs and led their seven or eight most loyal and quick-reacting confidants, fleeing for their lives without looking back towards Forest Wood densest wooded area on the flank of the battlefield! They didn't care about their subordinates, supplies, or face! Survival was the only thing that mattered!

Their escape was like the last straw that broke the camel's back; the already crumbling Wolf Tribe tribe completely lost its last support. The defeat was swift and devastating; everyone just wanted to get as far away from the terrifying army behind them as possible. The fleeing soldiers, scrambling for their lives, actually huddled together at the narrow valley entrance, which objectively slowed the Fire Tribe's pursuit and bought Xueya's small group a precious moment to escape.

Xueya, clinging to the back of Yexiao, vomited several mouthfuls of blood amidst the jolting, his mind clearing slightly. He heard the whistling wind, the agonizing screams of his tribesmen, and the ever-growing sounds of pursuit behind him. He managed to lift his head, seeing a scene of wolves and boars running rampant across the mountains, the Fire Tribe warriors effortlessly reaping the lives of their lagging comrades as if hunting.

My heart was breaking, but the instinct to survive overcame everything.

"The mountains... further into the mountains... a place with dense forests..." He strained out a few words hoarsely into the Duyan's ear.

Duyan understood immediately and changed direction, no longer following the easy but easily pursued mountain path, but instead plunging without hesitation into the steep, Forest Wood dense primeval forest on the side. Shichui and the others followed closely behind. Under the cover of the complex terrain and the approaching twilight, they slipped into the dark depths of the jungle like startled venomous snakes.

The shouts and firelight from behind gradually faded and blurred, eventually being replaced by the darkness and the unique silence of the mountains (and their own heavy breathing and heartbeats). They dared not linger, continuing to trek through the darkness, one step at a time, until everyone was exhausted and almost collapsed, finally giving way under a hidden Shifeng in the rocks.

A small, carefully concealed campfire was lit, its dim light illuminating the faces of those still shaken, covered in blood, and exhausted. Xueya was gently placed against the cold stone wall. He looked around with difficulty, his heart sinking to the bottom.

Including Duyan and Shichui who carried him out, only fifteen people managed to escape here by sheer luck. And all of them were wounded and in a sorry state. He remembered that when he came down the mountain, not counting the captured prisoners and servants, he had 102 brave warriors under his command. Adding the various Xiaotou, that was the core strength that the Wolf Tribe had accumulated over more than ten years, dominating the surrounding area and striking fear into the hearts of countless tribes!

But now... only these mere fifteen people remain! And every single one of them is wounded! They came in a grand procession, but returned in a pitiful state!

"Pfft--!" Overwhelmed by anger and rage, coupled with his still-healing injuries, Xueya spat out another mouthful of blood, and his vision blurred.

"Leader!"

"Leader!"

The crowd gasped and rushed over, some offering him a water bag, others wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with a damp animal hide.

It took Xueya a while to calm his turbulent blood and even more turbulent emotions. The light from the campfire danced in his eyes, reflecting endless anger, regret, humiliation, and deep-seated hatred.

The high spirits he felt when he descended the mountain seemed like just yesterday. He led the most elite forces of the Wolf Tribe, ready to try his luck with the Pottery Salt Tribe. If he had the chance, he would take a big bite out of them; if not, he could still get enough to survive the winter from the Bison and White Pig, these "fat sheep." Everything should have gone smoothly, just like many years before.

First, he encountered a well-prepared allied force with the Pottery Salt Tribe and suffered a minor loss. This loss was still barely acceptable. He then turned his attention to the seemingly softer Bison and White Pig, and indeed succeeded.

And then... is the Fire Tribe.

This tribe, which he had only vaguely heard of before and which seemed to pose no threat, became his nightmare and the burial ground of the Wolf Tribe!

Thinking of the Fire Tribe's disciplined military bearing, superior equipment, and especially Jianshi's unparalleled martial prowess, like a prehistoric beast... Xueya's body trembled uncontrollably once again. It wasn't just fear, but also the ultimate humiliation!

Xueya, who prided himself on his unparalleled strength, feared no one in this mountain forest, not even the Bison Tribe's Jijiao could last twenty rounds against him! But today, in full view of everyone, he was easily defeated by Jianshi as if he were a child, kicked to the ground like a dead dog, utterly powerless to fight back! The force of that kick, that cold, contemptuous gaze, would become a nightmare he could never escape for the rest of his life!

"Ah--!" he growled, slamming his fist into the cold rock beside him. His skin tore open, but he felt no pain, only a surge of unvented rage. Tears mingled with blood, uncontrollably welling in his eyes. Shame and humiliation gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes. Several times, on the run, looking at the few remaining members of his tribe beside him, thinking of the Wolf Tribe's accumulated wealth of many years destroyed, he wanted nothing more than to draw his stone knife and end his utterly failed life! It was Shichui and Duyan that held him back.

"Chief! This isn't your fault!" Shichui's voice was hoarse, but his tone was firm. "Who the hell could have imagined that such a monster tribe would emerge from this remote mountain valley! The strength of those Jianshi is more terrifying than the Julang of the Fish Tribe! Their rattan armor is impenetrable to our Shimao! And those flying Shitou... This battle is unwinnable!"

Duyan whispered words of comfort, "Yes, Chief. If you hadn't noticed something was wrong with the valley beforehand and told us to stop outside, all of us over a hundred men rushing in would have been surrounded like dumplings, and none of us would have escaped! As long as we're alive, we can always rebuild! We still have dozens of brothers and supplies back in our stronghold at High Pointed Mountain. As long as we go back, heal our wounds, and slowly recover our strength, one day... we will definitely avenge this!"

Others also offered words of comfort, attributing the defeat to the enemy's overwhelming strength and unexpected nature. These words were like a few doses of pain-relieving herbs, temporarily suppressing the boiling self-destructive tendencies within Xueya's heart.

Yes, revenge! We must get revenge! Fire Tribe, Jianshi! This is an irreconcilable feud!

The will to survive and the rage for revenge sustained Xueya's battered body and his collapsing will. They hid in the mountains for two days, and only after confirming that the Fire Tribe had not pursued them any further did they cautiously begin their retreat towards the Wolf Tribe's lair in High Pointed Mountain.

The return journey was equally arduous and dangerous. Outnumbered and wounded, they dared not take the main roads and could only traverse the desolate mountains and forests. Their provisions soon ran out, and hunger and pain tormented everyone.

Passing near two tiny tribes of only twenty or thirty people, their wolfish instincts, driven to desperation, resurfaced. Under the cover of night, this remnant of the army pounced on the unsuspecting tribes like demons. To seize their meager rations and to prevent their news from spreading to the Fire Tribe and other tribes, a bloody massacre unfolded in the darkness. The old and weak were mercilessly killed, while the young women became tools for these defeated men to vent their fear, anger, and lust. After being wantonly violated, they too could not escape the fate of being silenced.

As dawn broke, these two insignificant little settlements had become a living hell, with only the still-burning ashes and the heavy stench of blood testifying to what had happened there.

Xueya watched all this indifferently, his heart unmoved. The law of the jungle, the survival of the fittest, is a matter of course. The anger of the losers always needs an outlet. He was only disappointed that such a small tribe offered so little in terms of resources.

They continued their escape, avoiding any larger tribes they encountered. They could no longer withstand any conflict.

Several days later, when hunters from nearby tribes stumbled upon the horrific scene of the two small tribes that had been completely slaughtered, terrified screams and angry curses echoed through the mountains.

"It was the Wolf Tribe! It must have been those beasts from the Wolf Tribe!"

"Only they would be so cruel! They wouldn't even spare children!"

"These damned dogs deserve to go to hell! They'll die a horrible death!"

"Why didn't the Fire Tribe wipe them all out?!"

The Wolf Tribe's infamy has been further tarnished by a new blood debt, adding to its already notorious brutality. Fear and hatred have deepened even more among the surviving members of the tribe. Xueya, who perpetrated all of this, and his mere dozen or so remaining followers, are now like truly wounded wolves, licking their wounds and inching their way toward their lair with endless resentment and humiliation.

The seeds of hatred have been sown deep, waiting for the day they sprout and transform into an even more ferocious flame. But for now, they need to hide, to recuperate, to wait... for the next opportunity to bare their Liaoya.