The Bison and White Pig Tribes Pledge Their Loyalty
The Wolf Tribe fled in disarray, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation. The warriors of the Fire Tribe quickly regained control of the battlefield, began treating the wounded, and collected the spoils.
Dali moved Dali and quickly finished the count. He excitedly ran to Jianshi, Wang Yan, and the pale-faced Mangu and Zongmao to report, "Chief! A great victory! We killed more than sixty of the Wolf Cubs! And more than a dozen were seriously wounded and couldn't escape, but..." He glanced at Mangu and Zongmao beside him, his voice lowering, "... were killed by the brothers of the Bison Tribe and the White Pig Tribe in a fit of rage..."
He then reported the spoils, "We've captured over 150 broken stone knives, Shimao, and bone spikes; about 80 sets of leather armor, most of which are torn. The grain and other miscellaneous items add up to an estimated 5,000 jin! On our side," he puffed out his chest, his voice booming again, "Not a single one of our Fire Tribe brothers has died in battle! Only nine brothers sustained minor injuries, which can be bandaged up! The five seriously wounded are all... all warriors from the Bison and White Pig Tribe."
Hearing Dali's report, Mangu and Zongmao felt a burning sensation on their faces, both ashamed of the heavy casualties suffered by their tribe's warriors and embarrassed by their men's unauthorized killing of prisoners. They knew that Jianshi and his men probably wanted to extract some information about the Wolf Tribe from the prisoners.
But more than anything, he felt an indescribable shock and awe. Mangu's mind replayed the breathtaking scene from the battlefield—the Jianshi Chief, alone with a heavy Shifu, had withstood the combined attack of four infamous Wolf Tribe leaders: Xueya, Shichui, Duyan, and Yexiao! Far from being at a disadvantage, he had forced the four into a chaotic and disorganized frenzy! He had personally witnessed Xueya's ferocity in injuring his own father, and he knew he might not even be a match for Xueya in a one-on-one fight. But the Jianshi Chief... his strength was simply superhuman! Just thinking about it made Mangu's blood boil, and he was filled with utter admiration.
Zongmao was equally thrilled. He had witnessed Xueya's arrogance and cruelty, but the once invincible Xueya was now like a mouse before a cat in front of Jianshi. The undisguised fear he felt was far more impactful than anything he had ever heard of. Zongmao had seen the fear on Xueya's faces clearly, and the thought of it now filled him with immense satisfaction! What shocked him even more was that the Fire Tribe's strength wasn't just limited to Jianshi. Jianshi's son, Flame, was young yet exceptionally brave, killing enemies cleanly and efficiently; the one reporting the battle Dali, Dali, was clearly a formidable general. Most importantly, it was the Fire Tribe's ordinary warriors! Despite being outnumbered by the Wolf Tribe, their excellent teamwork and superior equipment (their rattan armor looked incredibly sturdy) allowed them to defeat the Wolf Tribe with overwhelming numbers, routing them and suffering almost zero casualties!
The difference... it's just too great! Think of our own Bison Tribe and White Pig Tribe; facing the same Wolf Tribe, they were practically powerless. Their homes were burned down, and most of their food was stolen. If our tribe's warriors were even half as skilled as the Fire Tribe's, how could we have ended up in this state?
Moreover, they heard that this wasn't the entire force of the Fire Tribe! The one brought by Jianshi was only a small part of the tribe's military strength! Just how powerful was the Fire Tribe? The Bison and White Pig tribes used to think about forming an alliance for self-protection, but now they realized how ridiculous that was! Look at the Deer Tribe and Green Sheep Tribe, they joined forces early on and are living peacefully.
In the end, this world is still ruled by the strong. Only by following the strong can one survive, and thrive. After this near-annihilation disaster, the remaining people of the two tribes had their last vestiges of "independence" burned away by reality and the raging fire. Their houses were gone, most of their food was looted, there were countless wounded, and the elderly and weak were crying for food... What other way out was there but to seek refuge with the Fire Tribe?
Zongmao, after all, was a former leader, and he knew when to yield and when to stand firm. He took a deep breath, suppressed his complex emotions, adjusted his mindset, walked up to Jianshi, bowed deeply, and said sincerely, "Chief Jianshi, if it weren't for your Fire Tribe's timely arrival, let alone revenge, without food and shelter, our White Pig Tribe would probably have very few people left. We have witnessed the strength of the Fire Tribe with our own eyes and are completely convinced of its power. Your righteous intervention saved our tribe from dire straits; this kindness will be forever etched in the memory of Zongmao and all the people of the White Pig Tribe."
He raised his head, looked into Jianshi's eyes, and uttered the most crucial words. "Now, our White Pig Tribe's houses have been burned, our food supplies stolen, our foundation destroyed, and we have nowhere to turn. I, Zongmao, on behalf of the entire White Pig Tribe, sincerely beg to join the Fire Tribe and submit to your command! We beg Chief Jianshi to take us in and give us a way to survive! From this day forward, the White Pig Tribe is willing to obey the Fire Tribe's orders and will never have any disloyalty!"
Seeing this, Mangu immediately stepped forward. He was younger than Zongmao and more direct in his emotions. Recalling his father Jijiao's dying words, the tribe's dire situation, and the invincible figure he had just witnessed on the battlefield of Jianshi, he knelt on one knee with a thud, clasped his hands, and said, "Chief Jianshi! My father Jijiao had long intended this! Our Bison Tribe is in even worse shape than the White Pig Tribe! We have many elderly people and children, many wounded, and all our food and supplies are gone! We have no other way to survive except to seek refuge with the Fire Tribe! I, Mangu, and the remaining Bison Tribe brothers sincerely beg the chief to take us in! We are willing to abide by all the rules of the Fire Tribe and will never bring shame to the chief! We only ask that the chief give us a chance to avenge ourselves!"
The two tribal chiefs spoke one after the other, their voices earnest and their postures humble. The warriors and tribesmen behind them also looked expectantly at the Jianshi, their eyes filled with a desire for survival and awe of the strong.
After hearing Dali's report, Jianshi felt a little regretful about the Bison and White Pig Tribe warriors killing prisoners to vent their anger (losing a source of intelligence), but he understood their resentment and didn't blame them too much. Now, looking at the Zongmao and Mangu who had genuinely submitted to him, he was also moved.
He glanced at Wang Yan beside him, Wang Yan slightly, clearly in agreement. He then looked at Dali, Dali grinned broadly, his face saying, "Great news, Chief, please agree!"
Jianshi Shi laughed heartily, stretched out his hands, first helping the kneeling Mangu, then patting Zongmao on the shoulder, his voice loud and sincere. "Good! You two, and brothers and sisters from the Bison and White Pig Tribe, your willingness to join our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe is an honor! I, Jianshi, on behalf of the Fire Tribe, welcome you!"
He looked around at the newly joined people and solemnly said, "However, let's get this straight. The Fire Tribe Fire Tribe has its own rules, and whoever joins must abide by them! Work, training, assignments, rewards and punishments will all be conducted according to the tribe's regulations! But I, Jianshi, also assure you all that as long as you sincerely contribute to the tribe, the Fire Tribe will never mistreat anyone! Food, lodging, and supplies will be provided equally! The past is past! From today onwards, you are all members of the Fire Tribe! Let's work together to make our lives better and build a stronger tribe!"
These words demonstrated both sincerity in accepting them and established rules, employing a combination of kindness and firmness. Zongmao and Mangu felt both reassured and intimidated. They quickly bowed again. "We will obey the chief's orders! Thank you for taking us in!"
"Alright!" Jianshi waved his hand. "Dali, arrange for men to escort the wounded and take the spoils. We're going back to the tribe! Zongmao, Mangu, your men are coming with us too. Send about ten clever brothers to stay behind and keep an eye on the Wolf Tribe's movements. The rest of you, go home!"
"Go home!" the warriors of the Fire Tribe shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the mountains and forests.
The returning caravan was much larger than the one that had come, and although most were exhausted, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. For the people of the Bison and White Pig Tribe, although they had lost their old homes, ahead lay the powerful Fire Tribe, representing new hope and a chance for survival.