The Pottery Salt Tribe Delivers Horses
The day after the Fire Tribe's trade fleet Fire Tribe with 100,000 catties of grain, the tranquility on the outskirts of the valley was shattered.
A patrol of the Fire Tribe, during a routine patrol, discovered about a dozen people who looked extremely disheveled and were almost naked. Their faces showed a mixture of grief, fear, and a near-numb despair. Seeing the fully armed and disciplined Fire Tribe patrol, these people did not run away. Instead, as if they had seen saviors, they staggered forward and incoherently begged to be taken to see the Fire Tribe's leader.
Seeing that they didn't seem to be faking it, the patrol captain questioned them carefully. Upon hearing information such as "Wolf Tribe" and "extinction," his expression immediately turned serious. He dared not delay and personally led the dozen or so people back to the valley as quickly as possible.
At this moment, Jianshi Shi was discussing matters with Wang Yan, Jianya, and several core high-ranking members who had just returned, in the largest wooden house. The topic had turned to the dwarf horses that the Pottery Salt Tribe had helped purchase. Jianya estimated, "According to Chief Jia Li, these one hundred dwarf horses should be delivered in the next day or two. With these horses, our patrol range and message transmission speed will be greatly improved."
Everyone's faces showed anticipation. The mobility advantage brought by horses had begun to show recently, although at that time there were too few of them.
Just then, an announcement came from outside. The patrol captain arrived at the door with a dozen or so disheveled strangers.
Jianshi had them invited in. The sight of the dozen or so people entering the house, looking so miserable, made everyone present frown. Jianshi had a vague impression of them; he seemed to have seen them at the autumn market a couple of years ago. They were from a small settlement called "Little Mountain Tribe," with a small population of about a hundred. They lived on the edge of the Wolf Tribe's territory, not too far from the former Bison and White Pig Tribe, in a relatively secluded location.
"You... are from the Little Mountain Tribe?" Jian Shi asked in Jianshi voice, a sense of foreboding already creeping into his heart.
The leader was a young man who looked to be in his early twenties, with a fairly strong build, but his eyes were unfocused, and his face was streaked with tears and dirt. Upon hearing Jianshi's question, he knelt down with a thud, unable to hold back any longer, and burst into tears. "Yes... yes! Chief, we are from the Little Mountain Tribe... the Little Mountain Tribe... gone! All gone!"
As soon as he cried, the dozen or so people behind him all knelt down, sobbing uncontrollably, and an atmosphere of grief and despair instantly filled the entire room.
Jianshi's heart skipped a beat. He waved for the others to remain silent and patiently said, "Don't rush, tell me slowly, what exactly happened? Who did it?"
The young man, who called himself Xiaoshitou, was the son of a chieftain in the Little Mountain Tribe. He suppressed his immense grief and recounted the devastating disaster in broken sentences.
That day, a dozen or so able-bodied men from the Little Mountain Tribe (almost half of the tribe's fighting force) went out hunting as usual, hoping to stockpile more food for the tribe. When they returned with their prey, they were met with a scene straight out of hell—the tribe's camp had been occupied by a group of ferocious strangers, the remaining tribe warriors lay scattered in pools of blood, the elderly and children had not escaped either, and the few young women were dragged aside, letting out piercing screams... They wanted to rush forward and fight to the death, but were held back by several older hunters who had seen more of the world. There were too many of them, too vicious; rushing forward would only lead to their deaths.
Hidden in the distance, tears streaming down their faces, they watched helplessly as the bandits reveled and plundered their tribe. From their behavior and the snippets of conversation they overheard, they deduced that this group was the infamous Wolf Tribe! Only they could be so bloodthirsty, brutal, and vicious. After ravaging their tribe, the bandits split into two groups and attacked two other nearby small tribes of similar size—the "Little Water Tribe" and the "Little Flower Tribe." The same tragedy unfolded in quick succession within a day or two.
After resting for two days, the demons, carrying the looted supplies and a few abducted young women, retreated towards the Wolf Tribe's stronghold, High Pointed Mountain. Xiaoshitou and his dozen or so survivors, driven by hatred and grief, followed at a distance, hoping for revenge. They witnessed the Wolf Tribe's forces, along the way, using force to coerce and abduct at least five or six other small tribes, totaling about five hundred people, and herding them back to High Pointed Mountain like livestock.
"We... we know we're outnumbered and weak, we can't possibly take revenge... we can only watch helplessly..." Xiaoshitou pounded his chest, his voice hoarse. "We remembered the Fire Tribe! In the past two years at the market, we've seen the Fire Tribe's wealth and discipline, and we've heard Fire Tribe defeated the Wolf Tribe! We thought that only by joining the Fire Tribe could we have any hope of revenge!"
He tearfully recounted that the Little Mountain Tribe had considered seeking refuge with a more powerful tribe, and the Fire Tribe was one of the options. However, they felt that the distance was too great and they didn't know much about the tribe, so they wanted to learn more. They also thought that their tribe's location was secluded and they might be able to escape the Wolf Tribe's sight. Who would have thought that this wishful thinking would lead to the annihilation of the entire tribe?
The wooden house fell silent as Xiaoshitou recounted his heartbreaking accusations. Jianshi, Wang Yan, Jianya, and the others looked extremely grim, their fists clenched, their eyes burning with rage. Even though they had heard about the Little Stone Creek Tribe's plight before, hearing such a detailed and intimate account of the tragedy still filled them with a suffocating mix of anger and pity.
"Beasts! What a bunch of inhuman beasts!" Dazhuang slammed his fist on the table and roared.
"Xueya... If this scoundrel is not eliminated, it will be an injustice to Heaven!" Jianya gritted his teeth as well.
Jianshi took a few deep breaths, suppressing his rage, and walked to Xiaoshitou. He personally helped Xiao Shi Tou up, then gestured for the others to rise as well. Looking at these young people who had just lost everything, their eyes filled only with hatred and confusion, he spoke in a heavy but firm voice, "Xiaoshitou, and the brothers of the Little Mountain Tribe, we, the Fire Tribe, will remember your grudge! The blood debt owed by the Wolf Tribe is not just this one!"
He looked around at everyone and said loudly, "From today onwards, you are people of the Fire Tribe! As long as you abide by the tribe's rules and work diligently, the Fire Tribe will never treat you unfairly! Here, many people have had similar experiences to you. The brothers of the Little Stone Creek Tribe, the Bison Tribe, and the White Pig Tribe were all killed and their families destroyed by the Wolf Tribe! You are not alone! Live well, train hard, and hone your skills! One day, we will lead you to personally find the Wolf Tribe and Xueya, and avenge this blood debt with interest!"
These words not only gave Xiaoshitou and his friends a clear sense of belonging and a promise, but also rekindled the almost extinguished flame of hope in their hearts. The dozen or so men knelt down again, choking back tears as they thanked him, vowing to abide by the rules and train hard, hoping to one day avenge their enemies.
Jianshi arranged for someone to take them downstairs, give them a proper wash, arrange food and lodging, and have a doctor examine their injuries. Even after the people were taken down, the atmosphere inside the room remained heavy.
Wang Yan broke the silence first, his tone icy. "Father, judging from what Xiaoshitou and the others said, although the Wolf Tribe was repelled by us this time, their main force was unharmed. They not only stole a large amount of grain from the Bison and White Pig Tribe, but also replenished, and may have even increased, their population by coercing surrounding small tribes. This scourge has not been weakened; on the contrary, it may have become even more troublesome because it has absorbed fresh blood and resources. We must be even more vigilant in the future."
"Yan is right!" Dali said hatefully, "This wolf cub is just like a hyena on the savanna. It pounces at the slightest smell of blood, and you can't kill it or shake it off!"
Others were eager to fight. "What's there to be afraid of! If he comes again, we'll fight again! Our Fire Tribe is strong and well-equipped now, what are we afraid of?"
Jianshi raised his hand to silence the murmurs, and said in a deep voice, "We must avenge our grievances, but not recklessly. The Wolf Tribe is cunning and ruthless. Our most important task now is to continue strengthening ourselves! We must grow more grain so that everyone has enough to eat; we must train more warriors so that our fists are stronger; we must make our walls more fortified and our weapons sharper! Only when our own strength is sufficient can we completely eradicate this scourge and protect all the tribes that have come to our aid from further harm! That day is not far off!"
The crowd roared in agreement, and the atmosphere of shared hatred for the enemy surged once again. Two days later, an excited commotion arose outside the Fire Tribe Valley. The warrior Biaotou of the Pottery Salt Tribe, leading a team of one hundred dwarf horses, arrived wearily from their journey.
Seeing the horses, though small in stature, with sturdy limbs and full of spirit, Jianshi, Wang Yan, and all the high-ranking officials who had heard the news were overjoyed. With these hundred horses, the Fire Tribe's mobility would experience a qualitative leap! Whether it was expanding patrol and surveillance areas, speeding up message transmission, transporting important supplies, or future rapid assembly and pursuit operations, everything would become much more efficient.
"If we had these horses last time, none of those Xueya bastards would have escaped!" Dali said, stroking a docile pony beside him, with a mixture of regret and excitement.
Jianshi and Wang Yan personally welcomed the escort and his entourage and hosted a banquet. During the banquet, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves. Thinking that the Taoyan tribe where the escort was also facing the threat of the wolf tribe, Jianshi specially asked Xiao Shitou, who had already settled down, to come over.
With Xiao Shitou's explanation, Jian Shi let the escort know exactly what the Wolf Tribe did after they were defeated by the White Pig Tribe. Instead of restraining themselves, they intensified their latest atrocities, slaughtering three small tribes and tying up more than 500 people from the Five and Six Tribes.
Upon hearing this, the head Biaotou's smile vanished instantly, replaced by deep shock and worry. He could no longer remain seated and abruptly stood up. "Chief Jianshi, Captain Yan, this news is extremely important! I must return to the tribe immediately to report to Chief Jia Li! The Wolf Tribe's expansion is so frantic; their next target could very well be our Pottery Salt Tribe or other wealthy tribes in the surrounding area! We must prepare for this!"
Jianshi expressed his understanding and reminded the Pottery Salt Tribe to strengthen their vigilance and fortify their defenses. He also stated that the Fire Tribe was willing to maintain close contact with the Pottery Salt Tribe, exchange information, and jointly deal with the threat from the Wolf Tribe.
The situation was urgent, and the Biaotou /escort) declined the offer to stay a few more days. Jianshi immediately arranged for several of the fastest Muzhou and dispatched warriors skilled in water to escort the head Biaotou and his party back to the Pottery Salt Tribe by water. Water transport was much faster than land transport and could avoid potential risks along the way.
After sending away the escort leader who carried heavy news, the Fire Tribe was full of energy because of the arrival of a hundred ponies. New stables began to be planned and expanded, and tribesmen who were good at domesticating livestock (especially the newly joined buffalo tribe) were transferred to take care of these precious horses, and the work of selecting and training cavalry was also put on the agenda.