Brutal Expansion and New Ambitions
The Wolf Tribe's "triumphant" army, dragging its spoils, snaked its way back to High Pointed Mountain like a bloated and dangerous serpent. The old guard left behind in the camp looked at the mountains of grain, the herds of livestock, and the new faces with murky eyes and the smell of blood on their bodies, and all of them showed complex expressions—greed, fear, and a rekindled ferocity.
Xueya watched all this from above, a twisted satisfaction finally appearing on his pale, sickly face. His younger brother Xueshou's methods were more ruthless and effective than he had imagined.
The subsequent integration was ruthless and efficient. The more than three hundred new vassal warriors already had the blood of at least several tribes on their hands, their psychological defenses had long since collapsed, and they had tasted the "Tiantou" of subservience to the powerful through plunder. Their fear and morbid dependence on the Wolf Tribe were deeply ingrained.
As for the elderly, weak, women, and children left behind by the annexed tribes, they became a burden. The Wolf Tribe did not have the willingness or ability of the Fire Tribe to cultivate land and support a large number of non-combatants for a long time.
"Release most of the families," Xueya coldly ordered. "Leave only the relatives of the new leaders and troublemakers, taking one or two from each family as hostages. Send a few clever elders (referring to the old subordinates) to those tribes to 'keep an eye on them,' preventing them from colluding with other smaller tribes and, more importantly, from escaping."
The released families, carrying only a meager amount of plundered provisions "bestowed" by the Wolf Tribe —enough to barely last until spring—returned to their dilapidated Plain Tribe camp. The Wolf Tribe's watchmen remained like ghosts, and the families dared not resist, nor could they escape. To the northwest, their bloodstained hands had forged deep-seated hatreds with numerous tribes surrounding the Horse Tribe; the vicinity lay within the powerful Fire Tribe and Fish Tribe ' spheres of influence—who would shelter a group of people from the Wolf Tribe, who might bring disaster?
They are like lambs chained to invisible chains, barely surviving in the shadow of the wolf den, becoming the Wolf Tribe's potential manpower reserve. If a victimized tribe comes seeking revenge next spring, they can only rely on the Wolf Tribe's "protection," or be pushed out as the first batch of cannon fodder.
Through this series of bloody mergers, plundering, divisions, and controls, the Wolf Tribe's strength expanded rapidly in a distorted way. It directly controlled approximately five hundred combat personnel (although their quality varied greatly), and including the population of the tribes under its control, the total population under its influence approached two thousand!
This figure silenced many of the former leaders who had been dissatisfied with Xueshou's previous defeat, and instead filled them with fear and admiration for his methods. Duyan, Shichui, and other surviving leaders, looking at the overflowing grain in the warehouses and the livestock running rampant in the pens, and then at the vassals firmly under their control down the mountain, felt their gloom from the crushing defeat lessen considerably. Power, real power, had returned to their hands once more.
Xueshou's smile broadened. But in his eyes, which resembled Xueya's, gleamed not only smugness but also deep calculation and greed. He looked at the grain and livestock, knowing that they would eventually run out. The wolf's way of survival is to constantly hunt.
"Next spring," Xueshou set the tone at the leaders' meeting, "We must continue out there! Plunder more food, more women, and everything else! We now have five hundred warriors who have seen blood. Around here, besides those two tough nuts, the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe, who can stop us?"
Mentioning the Fire Tribe caused a slight pause in the atmosphere inside the council cave. The crushing defeat outside Wild Boar Gully, like a nightmare, still lingered in the minds of many former members. Xueshou himself was often awakened at midnight by the thunderous kick from Sharp Jianshi and the silent charge of the Fire Tribe warriors.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calmly analyze the situation. "The Fire Tribe... has gained many smaller tribes in the past few months, so their strength is definitely greater. We are probably no match for them now." He had to admit this; blindly throwing his life away was pointless.
"But!" he suddenly changed his tone, his voice turning sinister, "What about the Bison Tribe and the White Pig Tribe? Those two good-for-nothings, they only had to extort a little last time, and they obediently handed over their things! I heard that the Deer Tribe and the Green Sheep Tribe have already emptied their entire tribes and gone to join the Fire Tribe. The Bison and the White Pig, I reckon, won't be far from that day either!"
He walked to the roughly drawn map and pointed to the locations of the Bison and White Pig Tribe: "These two tribes aren't too far from us. Last time we went south, there were some small tribes nearby that we hadn't swallowed up or managed to escape. Later, we were busy with the tribes near the Horse Tribe to the north and didn't pay attention to them. And what happened? Some were taken in by the Bison and White Pig tribes, while others simply went straight to the Fire Tribe! Those opportunists!"
Xueya added menacingly, his voice hoarse, "We can't touch the Fire Tribe for now... but can't we at least deal with these two useless bastards hiding in their Fire Tribe? The first thing we'll do after spring arrives is break the shell of the Bison and White Pig tribe! We'll seize their people, cattle, pigs, and grain! If we can't avenge the Fire Tribe, we'll start by taking down these two small tribes and vent our anger!"
"And the Pottery Salt Tribe!" Xueshou chimed in, a venomous glint in his eyes. "Last time, they ambushed us alongside the Fish Tribe, causing us to lose men! This grudge must be avenged! They have some boats because they live by the river, but not many warriors. We'll find the right opportunity to raid their salt fields or trading caravans, and make them pay the price!"
"Any other direction, as long as it's not the Fire Tribe or the Fish Tribe, as long as it looks profitable... they're all our prey next year!" Xueshou concluded, his gaze sweeping over the leaders. "We will use continuous victories and plunder to make everyone remember that the Wolf Tribe is back! And they're fiercer, greedier, and more ruthless than before!"
The leaders were enraged by the speech, which was filled with bloodshed and plunder, and they roared in agreement. Their defeat and fear were transformed into doubled cruelty and greed towards the weaker ones.
After suffering the pain of a broken spine, the wolf den of High Pointed Mountain did not choose to lie low and reflect. Instead, driven by hatred and the instinct for survival, they embarked on a more sinister path of violence, plunder, and terror. Their sights have been set on the first prey of the coming spring—the alliance of the Bison and White Pig Tribe, and all the "soft meat" they deem worthy of their clutches. This time, their inflated ambition and military strength will bring a storm far more bloody than their previous extortion.