The Wolf Tribe Attacked Again

While the Fire Tribe was busy working in the fields and by the water, sweating profusely, in the wolf den on the High Pointed Mountain to the north, the old wolf had recovered from its injuries and was grinding its teeth.

The scar on Xueya's face resembled a centipede crawling across it, making his smile even more ferocious. He had been bedridden for six months, but the fire in his heart had never died down. More than seventy or eighty lives had been lost in Wild Boar Gully; he held that grudge for life.

With the arrival of spring, the mountain paths became easier to traverse. The food stored in the High Pointed Mountain cave was enough to last until summer, but Xueya couldn't wait. He looked down at the four hundred men gathered below, a dark mass. Besides the dozen or so old brothers who had escaped with Shichui and Duyan last time, he had also brought Yexiao and Tujiu along this time. He left the hideout to his brother Xueshou and that woman from the Duzhu.

"Brothers," Xueya's voice was like a broken gong, "We've been cooped up all winter, it's time to go out and see some blood. That Shitou at the Fire Tribe is too hard, let's put it aside for now. But aren't there some fat meat nearby?"

He had already planned it all out. The Bison and White Pig tribes were rumored to be flirting with the Fire Tribe? Perfect! Before they really got involved, he'd squeeze them dry. Once they were inside the Fire Tribe's valley, it would be much harder to make a move.

The Wolf Tribe's men, like ghosts, sent out scouts several days in advance, deliberately choosing to infiltrate the mountain gullies and old forests, hiding during the day and traveling at night, stealthily making their way towards the Bison Tribe.

Seven days later, in the afternoon, Xueya and his men crouched in the dense forest next to the Bison Tribe, where they were well hidden.

"Has the scout reported back?" Xueya asked in a low voice.

The Yexiao slid down the tree like a leaf. "Reporting back, Chief. Nothing's happening from the Bison Tribe, just like usual."

Xueya grinned, revealing his yellow teeth. "Good! Make sure the brothers are well-fed and watered, so they can sleep soundly tonight and not make a sound. Tomorrow before dawn, we'll strike! We'll rob them!"

Night at the Bison Tribe camp. Chief Jijiao finished his meal, his heart pounding. He shook his head; perhaps he'd been thinking too much lately. He called to the patrol leader, "Send two more men tonight. Keep the sentries out further out, and be on your guard!"

"Don't worry, Chief." The leader replied and left.

Jijiao then lay down and tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.

In the early hours of the morning, it was still pitch black.

Xueya's men had already reached a point not far from the Bison Tribe's camp. The Bison Tribe's patrol team had indeed increased their manpower, and they could hear strange rustling sounds coming from the forest from afar. When they vaguely saw a large group of dark shadows looming over them, their scalps tingled with fear.

"Waaaaaah!"

The sharp blast of the Niujiao suddenly shattered the silence of the night.

Jijiao Jiao jolted awake, his heart leaping into his throat. "Damn it! Enemy attack!" He didn't even bother to put on his leather armor; he grabbed the Shifu beside his pillow and rushed out.

Torches flickered outside, and figures darted about; judging by the scene, there were at least three or four hundred people!

"Wolf Tribe! It must be them!" Jijiao's heart sank. He forced himself to calm down, shouting at the top of his lungs for the able-bodied warriors to quickly block the camp gate, while ordering his men to immediately follow the pre-arranged plan, leading the elderly, women, and children out the back gate along two separate routes—one towards the White Pig Tribe, and the other towards the Fire Tribe.

"The White Pig Tribe?" Jijiao glanced at the dense crowd outside and immediately rejected the idea. Even the White Pig Tribe was in trouble. Only the Fire Tribe! They had more people, and their attitude was alright during the last autumn market fair. Maybe they could be relied upon. More importantly, the Wolf Tribe seemed a bit afraid of the Fire Tribe; if they ran that way, the pursuers might not dare to give chase.

He knew the Bison Tribe was in serious trouble this time. But the men of the Bison Tribe were not cowards!

"Those who can fight, follow me and charge! Let's earn some more living opportunities for the women and children!" Jijiao roared, his eyes bloodshot, as he ordered his men to quickly send messages to the White Pig Tribe and the Fire Tribe for help.

At the camp gate, the bloody battle began. Xueya moved quickly; the simple wooden fences and pits outside the camp were like paper in front of the numerous and powerful Wolf Tribe. By the time they reached the camp gate, Jijiao had barely managed to gather about a hundred warriors, who set up their formation against the fences and the terrain.

"Throw Shitou! Smash these beasts to death!" Jijiao roared.

The warriors of the Bison Tribe hurled the stones they had prepared. But this time, the Wolf Tribe remained calm and composed, and those in front raised their large shields made of thick wooden planks in unison!

"Bang! Bang! Thud!" The stones hit the wooden shields, making quite a noise, but few people were actually knocked down.

Xueya watched from behind, a cruel smile on his face. After suffering a loss at Wild Boar Gully at the hands of the Fire Tribe, he came up with this trick as soon as he got back. He had tried it out last year when he sent Xueshou out to raid, and it worked well, saving many lives. This time, he had brought extra of these large wooden shields, and they proved to be very effective.

The Wolf Tribe, wielding their large shields, moved forward steadily like a moving wooden wall, and soon clashed with the warriors of the Bison Tribe.

"Kill them!"

"Stop them!"

The two groups instantly clashed. Shifu smashed against wooden shields, and wooden spears pierced through the gaps in the shields. Screams, roars, and the clash of weapons blended together. The Bison Tribe, outnumbered and without large shields for cover, suffered losses as soon as the fighting began. People were constantly being stabbed down by spears thrusting from behind the shields, or being cut down by the fierce warriors of the Wolf Tribe who bypassed the shields.

Jijiao cleaved back an enemy trying to circle around with an axe, then looked up to see Xueya charging straight at him with his sword. Jijiao's eyes blazed with fury. "Xueya! We didn't provoke you, why are you attacking us?"

Xueya swung his blade with a clang, deflecting Jijiao's axe with such force that Jijiao's arm went numb. "Weakness is a crime! I've got my eye on your grain, why would I need a reason to attack you!" With that, he swung his blade diagonally in a backhand strike.

Jijiao hurriedly dodged, the blade grazing his ribs, causing a burning pain. He then regretted not wearing leather armor. Xueya pressed his advantage, unleashing several more swift and vicious slashes. A Wolf Tribe Xiaotou nearby also took the opportunity to deliver a sneak attack. Jijiao struggled to defend himself, and within moments, several cuts appeared on his body, bleeding profusely.

Seeing that the number of soldiers at the camp gate was dwindling and the defensive line was about to be breached, the Jijiao knew they couldn't hold out any longer.

"Retreat! Retreat to the back of the mountain! Take turns!" he roared the order.

The warriors of the Bison Tribe fought and retreated, leaving behind more than a dozen corpses as they scrambled out of the camp. Xueya, of course, wouldn't let them escape. He howled, "Chase them! Don't let a single one get away!" and led his men in pursuit.

Jijiao, leading the remaining men, relied on their familiarity with the terrain to fight their way back through the forest and behind Shitou. However, the Wolf Tribe outnumbered them and pursued them relentlessly. Along the way, men were constantly caught and cut down, or struck by flying Shimao. By the time they had completely shaken off their pursuers, Jijiao had only about seventy men left with him, all wounded. He himself had also lost too much blood, his face was deathly pale, and he could only stand by leaning on his axe.

Fortunately, we increased patrols last night, and we practiced running before winter, so most of the elderly, women, and children managed to escape. But we've run out of food, the camp is on the verge of collapse, and there are so many wounded—what will we do now?

Jijiao felt as bitter as if he had swallowed a bitter pill. He used to think about letting the tribe live freely, but now he realized how incredibly foolish he had been. Look at the Deer Tribe and the Green Sheep Tribe; they joined the Fire Tribe early on and are living peaceful lives. If he had realized this sooner, the Bison Tribe wouldn't be in this predicament.

He ordered most of the able-bodied people to hurry and catch up with the fleeing group ahead to protect them, leaving only ten fast-moving individuals to keep a close watch on the Wolf Tribe's movements from a distance.

Not long after, the stalker came running back, panting heavily. "Chief! The Wolf Tribe... they ransacked our camp, taking everything edible and portable! And then... then they set it on fire! The whole camp is ablaze!"

"What?!" Jijiao's vision went black, and a sharp pain shot through his chest. He coughed up a mouthful of blood. His last remaining hope was burned to ashes by the fire. Food, shelter... everything was gone. The Bison Tribe was truly finished.

"And," the scout said, catching his breath, "They sent a hundred men back with the looters. The remaining three hundred are rushing towards the White Pig Tribe!"

Jijiao wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the thick smoke rising in the distance, his teeth clenched so tightly they were almost grinding to powder. "Xueya... I'll fight you to the death!"

His home was gone, his escape route was cut off. His only chance of survival now was to lead the remaining members of his tribe to the Fire Tribe. He struggled to his feet, and through gritted teeth, he spoke to the wounded warriors around him, their eyes fixed on him. "Let's go! To the Fire Tribe! If they'll take us in, the Bison Tribe... we'll still have a chance for revenge!"

The surviving members of the group, supporting each other, moved step by step towards the Fire Tribe Valley, fueled by overwhelming hatred and their last glimmer of hope. Meanwhile, the Wolf Tribe bandits, having looted and burned the Bison Tribe, licked the blood from their knives and, without pausing, pounced on their next prey— the White Pig Tribe.