The White Pig Tribe Flees
The warrior sent by the Bison Tribe to deliver the message to the White Pig Tribe ran for his life. Except for stopping to catch his breath and eat a few bites of hard, dry rations when he was too exhausted, he hardly rested. He dared not stop; the life and death of his tribe and the hatred behind him lashed at him like a whip.
In the afternoon, he encountered a small group of the White Pig Tribe members who were out hunting on the way. The leader of the group was none other than the White Pig Tribe's warrior, Liaoya.
"Who goes there? Stop!" Liaoya looked at the stranger, whose face was covered in sweat and blood, and who was barely breathing, and raised his weapon warily.
"I am... from the Bison Tribe!" The messenger, breathless, almost collapsed in front of them. "Quick! Go tell Chief Zongmao! The Wolf... Wolf Tribe! Xueya led about four hundred men and attacked our tribe before dawn!"
"What?!" Liaoya and his men were startled. "Four hundred men? Xueya?!"
"It's absolutely true! Our leader... the Jijiao Leader is leading his men to hold the rear, letting us, the old and weak, retreat to the Fire Tribe... He sent me to ask you for help!" The messenger's eyes were red with anxiety.
Liaoya knew things were serious, so he immediately ordered two of his men to support the nearly exhausted Bison warrior, while he led the rest of his men and rushed back to the tribal camp at top speed.
Late at night, the atmosphere in the largest wooden house of the White Pig Tribe was so heavy it could be wrung out. Chief Zongmao and almost all the tribe's high-ranking members were urgently summoned. The light from the oil lamp reflected on everyone's faces, making them appear unpredictable. Zongmao, too, had lost his usual shrewd and calculating composure, his brows furrowed into a knot.
"Liaoya, what did the people from the Bison Tribe say? Tell me in detail!" Zongmao's voice was deep.
Liaoya spoke quickly, "The people of the Bison Tribe said that Xueya of the Wolf Tribe led about four hundred men and suddenly attacked them at dawn. The old and weak of their tribe have already fled towards the Fire Tribe, and the Jijiao Chief is leading men to cover their retreat. He has sent someone to ask us for help!"
Four hundred people?!
"My God, so many!"
"That madman Xueya is here again?!"
The room erupted in chaos. What had been mere speculation before had now turned into a panic upon hearing the exact number. Some turned pale and instinctively said they should run; a few hot-blooded young men shouted that they should fight the Wolf Tribe to the death; while many more cried out in terror that they shouldn't go to help, that going would be suicide... The cacophony of voices made Zongmao's head buzz and he felt dizzy.
"Shut up, all of you!" Zongmao slammed his hand on the wooden stump in front of him, using a great Dali to quell the noise in the room. He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
"What's the use of arguing?" Zongmao's voice regained its cold hardness. "Xueya brought four hundred men this time, and it's definitely not just about raiding the Bison Tribe! They attacked the Bison first without warning; it must have been premeditated! Xueya suffered a loss at the Fire Tribe, so he might not dare to immediately confront that tough opponent. The next target..."
His gaze swept over the crowd. "It's very likely our White Pig Tribe! They got away with Tiantou here last time, they know the way!"
These words sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"Sending troops to the Bison Tribe now is too late. They outnumber us; our small force would be like throwing meat buns to a dog." Zongmao quickly made the decision. "Lichi!"
A lean but sharp-eyed hunter immediately responded, "Yes!"
"Take a few quick-footed, sharp-eyed brothers and head towards the Bison Tribe to scout out the Wolf Tribe's tracks. If you find them, come back immediately to report. Don't linger in battle, and don't expose yourself!"
"Yes!" Lichi turned and went out to call for men.
Zongmao continued, "The Wolf Tribe has sent too many warriors. At most, we can only muster a little over a hundred to fight to the death. A direct confrontation would be suicide; we must avoid their onslaught for now."
He ordered the steward in charge of logistics and the tribe, "Take ten warriors and immediately Weaving Tribe. Take only the necessary rations and warm clothing, and retreat towards the Fire Tribe! Be quick!"
He then looked at another trusted warrior. "Go to the Fire Tribe immediately and report that Xueya of the Wolf Tribe is attacking again with a large force. The Bison Tribe has already been defeated, and our White Pig Tribe may also be in danger. We request their assistance!"
After arranging the retreat and requesting reinforcements, Zongmao, gritting his teeth, said to the remaining men, mainly the able-bodied soldiers. "The remaining eighty-odd people, come with me and first gather up all the essential supplies we can take from the camp. We'll retreat after that! Take as much food, salt, weapons, and tools as possible! Hurry up!"
The order was given, and the entire White Pig Tribe camp was instantly awakened from its deep slumber, plunging into chaos and haste. The elderly and children were urged to assemble, the women hurriedly packed their meager belongings, and the warriors frantically carried sacks of grain and bundles of animal hides and tools.
However, there was just too much stuff. Many people were reluctant to part with this or that, and the packing process was much slower than expected. Zongmao was extremely anxious and kept urging them on, but faced with the reluctant and even pleading looks in the eyes of his people, he was somewhat helpless.
At this critical moment, bad news arrived.
Lichi led his men and made their way towards the Bison Tribe through the night, intending to scout ahead. But less than an hour after they set off (about two hours), and before they had gone very far, at the edge of a forest, they saw shadowy figures moving in the distance—not like people walking, but more like... riding on the back of some animal!
Lichi's heart skipped a beat. He immediately told everyone to lie down and hide, squinting to get a better look. By the faint starlight, he could see clearly: there were people riding ponies! About ten of them!
"It's a scout from the Wolf Tribe!" Lichi realized instantly. Xueshou had acquired some miniature horses during his raids in the north last autumn! These must be advance scouts sent by Xueya, faster than the main force!
He dared not delay, and immediately led his men back along the same route at an even faster pace than when they came, rushing back to the tribe to report the news.
When the Lichi returned to camp, the tribe's old and weak forces had only been gone a short while. Zongmao was leading the remaining warriors and able-bodied men, still struggling with the supplies they couldn't bear to part with, and their evacuation was slow.
"Chief! Something terrible has happened!" Lichi rushed to Zongmao, panting, "The Wolf Tribe... the Wolf Tribe's scouts! On horseback, they're very close! About ten of them!"
"What?!" Zongmao's head buzzed, and his blood ran cold. He hadn't expected the Wolf Tribe to act so quickly, and that they even had horses! This was far beyond his expectations.
"Quick! Forget about what you can't carry! Everyone take a bag of food, grab your weapons, and the rest... throw it all away! Throw it all away!" Zongmao roared, his eyes bloodshot. "Everyone, grab what you can and set off immediately! Towards the Fire Tribe, quick!"
Hearing that the Wolf Tribe's scouts had already reached them, the tribesmen who had been dawdling just moments before finally felt a fatal fear. No longer caring about their belongings, they threw down their heavy bundles, grabbed only the most important food and weapons, and began to retreat in a chaotic manner, following the direction indicated by Zongmao.
They hadn't gone far from the camp when the sound of hooves came from behind. Duyan, leading nine Wolf Tribe cavalrymen, appeared leisurely near the abandoned White Pig Tribe camp. They didn't attack immediately, but instead patrolled the perimeter, harassing and monitoring the White Pig Tribe tribe's disorganized retreat, while simultaneously sending a rider back quickly to report to the main force.
Zongmao was both anxious and furious as he watched the nearly ten cavalrymen who clung to him like shadows. He tried to organize his men to drive them away, but how could two legs outrun four? Duyan and his men were cunning. As soon as the White Pig Tribe White Pig Tribe tribe retreated back into their ranks, they would slowly catch up, occasionally harassing them or making bluffing charges, causing panic among the White Pig Tribe's ranks and greatly affecting their retreat speed.
Zongmao watched helplessly as these cavalrymen toyed with them like wolves herding sheep, but he couldn't come up with an effective solution. He could only grit his teeth and urge the troops to advance as quickly as possible, while arranging for some skilled tribal warriors to guard the rear of the column, barely managing to hold off the cavalry's harassment.
This nerve-wracking "escape" lasted for most of the night. The White Pig Tribe's team was exhausted and frightened, and their pace slowed down. Although they were lighter after discarding most of their supplies, the physical exertion and mental stress were enormous.
In the early hours of the morning, just before dawn, the worst-case scenario unfolded.
The sound of heavy, rapid footsteps came from behind, along with the distinctive, wild shouts of the Wolf Tribe. Xueya personally led about a hundred elite warriors of the Wolf Tribe, marching at breakneck speed, and finally caught up first!
When Zongmao turned back and saw the dark, menacing mass of enemies chasing after him, his heart sank to the bottom. He knew that if he were to be caught by this fresh force with so many ordinary tribesmen, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Throw some more! Throw away everything on you that isn't food or a weapon! Run! Run for your life!" Zongmao, enduring the excruciating pain, gave the order again. To survive, they couldn't care less about their last remaining possessions.
The tribesmen shouted, abandoning their last remaining bundles, perhaps their last possessions, and in their desperation, they mustered their last strength and fled desperately toward the Fire Tribe.
Xueya led his men to catch up. Seeing the mess of discarded items and the fleeing caravan growing ever more distant, he knew that if they continued the chase, his men would become exhausted, and the closer they got to the Fire Tribe, the greater the risk became.
"Hmph, you got away fast!" Xueya spat and ordered a halt to the pursuit. He had his men collect the supplies abandoned by the White Pig Tribe. Although it wasn't as much as what they could plunder from a direct raid on the camp, it was still a considerable haul. He led his men back to the White Pig Tribe camp, where they rejoined the one or two hundred men he had previously sent to loot the White Pig Tribe, and rested on the spot.
The White Pig Tribe, once a powerful force, was forced to follow the same path as the Bison Tribe after being ravaged twice by the Wolf Tribe's iron hooves—abandoning their homeland and fleeing with their remaining tribesmen and endless humiliation and hatred towards the Fire Tribe, the only tribe that might offer them refuge.