The Wolf Tribe Hunts North
Just as the Fire Tribe was engrossed in shipbuilding, land reclamation, and training, working tirelessly and enthusiastically, the hungry wolf, having recovered from its wounds and cleaned its Liaoya, once again silently slipped down the mountain from the northern High Pointed Mountain.
This time, Xueya brought along Shichui, Duyan, Yexiao, and Tujiu —several loyal (or rather, fearful) and fierce leaders—and mustered four hundred Wolf Tribe soldiers. Among them were many new faces who had been brought in during the last southward expedition and had undergone initial "training." Their target was no longer the Fire Tribe in the south, which had caused them great losses, nor the Fish Tribe, which they couldn't currently conquer, but instead, they turned northward.
"Those farming tribes near the Fish Tribe haven't harvested their summer crops yet, so we won't find much dried goods to plunder now," Xueya explained his plan to several leaders in the cave. "It's different in the north. For those tribes that herd sheep and horses, livestock are their food source, and we can 'take' them anytime. Besides, these new recruits," he pointed to the apprehensive yet somewhat fierce new soldiers in the camp, "We need to let them see blood, to toughen them up. Without bloodshed, they'll never become true wolves!"
Several leaders nodded in agreement, especially Shichui and his men, who had experienced the iron fist of the Fire Tribe. They felt that "training" the relatively loosely organized, less militarily powerful nomadic tribes in the north was a safe and practical choice. Once these new recruits were trained and the tribe's strength had recovered or even increased, it would be just in time for summer. By then, the crops of the nomadic tribes near the Fish Tribe would be ready for harvest, and they could then "visit" the areas surrounding the Pottery and Salt and Fish Tribe —wouldn't that be wonderful?
The group descended the mountain in a tense yet excited atmosphere. After traveling north for four days, Xueya discovered their first suitable target—a small tribe of about a hundred people who also made their living by herding. This tribe was situated by a stream, with tents scattered sparsely and a small number of cattle and sheep. They did not seem wealthy, but they had more than enough to "train" their troops and supplement their meat supply.
Xueya didn't act personally, but instead divided the four hundred men into two groups. He ordered Shichui, Duyan, and others to lead three hundred veteran members of the Wolf Tribe, spreading out to subtly surround the small tribe's camp, laying a trap. Then, pointing at the one hundred new recruits who had just joined the Wolf Tribe, their eyes still filled with unease and hesitation, he sneered, "See those tents? There might be meat, milk, or even women inside. Now, they're yours! Charge in and grab everything you can! Anyone who resists, kill! Anyone who retreats..." He paused, his voice suddenly turning icy cold, "The supervisory team is right behind you. Anyone who retreats even a step will be executed on the spot!"
The hundred new recruits looked at the veterans behind them, their eyes cold and their hands gripping blood-dripping Shifu, and then at the unsuspecting little tribe ahead. The instinct for survival and the fear of violence instantly overwhelmed their last shred of conscience. They let out a howl mixed with fear and ferocity, brandishing their crude weapons, and charged towards the small camp like a pack of wild beasts being driven.
The resistance was pitifully weak. There were only about twenty able-bodied men in the tribe who could take up arms, and they were quickly overwhelmed by an enemy five times their number who seemed to be insane. Cries, screams, and savage laughter instantly echoed throughout the camp. Slaughter, looting, violence... the human tragedy unfolded in a short time.
As the recruits, covered in blood, their initial unease replaced by a twisted excitement and ferocity, dragged out of the camp with a small amount of looted supplies and a few trembling young women, Xueya nodded in satisfaction. His methods of "using war to sustain war" and "tempering soldiers with blood" had never failed him. Fear and violence were the most effective catalysts for taming these newcomers and quickly assimilating them into qualified "wolf cubs."
After a day of rest, allowing the new recruits to "digest" the excitement and "spoils" of their first kill, Xueya led this even more ferocious and well-organized force of four hundred men northward the next day. This time, their targets were no longer easy prey, but three sizable herding tribes: the Sheep Horn Tribe, the Niujiao Tribe, and the strongest, the Horse Horn Tribe.
These three tribes, with populations ranging from three to five hundred, primarily engaged in herding cattle, sheep, and horses. Their large numbers of livestock made them prime prey for the Wolf Tribe. The Horse Horn Tribe, in particular, had a population of about five hundred, with nearly a hundred warriors. More importantly, they possessed over a hundred ponies! This was incredibly attractive to Xueya, who had tasted the Tiantou of horses and were eager to enhance their mobility.
"Attack the Horse Horn Tribe first!" Xueya decided in the temporary camp. "The other two tribes can't escape, but the Horse Horn Tribe has horses. If they hear the news and run away beforehand, we'll have worked for nothing. We must catch them off guard!"
The leaders all agreed. Yexiao sent out his most astute scouts to find out the exact location of the Horse Horn Tribe's camp and the surrounding terrain. The report was excellent: the Horse Horn Tribe's camp was in an open area of a valley, with abundant Water Grass, suitable for grazing, but also relatively open, making it easy to launch a surprise attack.
To avoid alerting the enemy, Xueya ordered his troops to move stealthily by night and approach the Horse Horn Tribe's camp. Less than half a day's journey from the camp, in a dense forest, the troops stopped, ate a hearty meal, and rested. Xueya's instructions were simple and clear: launch a surprise attack at dawn, when people are most tired and least alert! Aim to defeat them in one battle and seize their horses and supplies!
The leader of the Horse Horn Tribe, "Xiao Matou," was completely unaware of this. His tribe had narrowly escaped the Wolf Tribe's southward raids last year, and this spring, the grasslands had recovered, the cattle, sheep, and horses were thriving, and the tribe was relatively stable. He was planning to organize a larger trade when the summer Water Grass were at their most abundant, using the surplus livestock to exchange for better goods in the south. Little did he know that the shadow of annihilation was already looming over him.
The next day, as dawn was breaking, in the darkest hour before sunrise, the camp of the Horse Horn Tribe was silent, except for the night watchmen who were dozing by the campfire, weapons in hand.
Suddenly, several short screams rang out from the perimeter of the camp. Then, like demons emerging from hell, countless dark figures, accompanied by frantic shouts of killing, surged out of the darkness! They silently and efficiently eliminated the scattered sentries, and then rushed into the camp like a flood bursting its banks!
"Enemy attack! It's the Wolf Tribe!"
"Get up! Grab your weapons!"
The chaotic shouts were instantly drowned out by even more shrill screams and the clanging of weapons. Many of the Horse Horn Tribe warriors had just been awakened from their sleep, and before they could even put on their leather armor, they grabbed their weapons and rushed out of their tents, only to be met with gleaming blades and ferocious Wolf Tribe warriors. Outnumbered, unprepared, and out of morale, the battle was almost a one-sided massacre from the very beginning.
Chief Xiao Matou was shaken awake by his personal guards. When he rushed out of the tent, he saw a scene of carnage: flames raging and his tribesmen screaming and fleeing. His eyes widened in horror, and he immediately recognized the brutal and ruthless attackers—the very Wolf Tribe that had wreaked havoc in the north the previous year!
"Mount up! Everyone who can walk, mount up! Retreat towards the Horse Tribe!" Xiao Matou knew the situation was hopeless, and a direct confrontation would only lead to certain death. He suppressed the excruciating pain in his heart, roared hoarsely, and led the twenty or so trusted followers and the fastest-reacting warriors who had quickly gathered around him, charging towards the tribe's horse pen.
They cut down several Wolf Tribe warriors who tried to stop them, seized horses, mounted them, and, some riding and some leading, smashed their way through a bloody path, fleeing desperately towards the northern Horse Tribe. Looking back, their former camp had been transformed into a blood-and-fire hell, and the cries of their tribesmen could be faintly heard, like a dull knife cutting into their hearts.
"Xueya... Wolf Tribe... This is an irreconcilable feud!" Xiao Matou's eyes were bloodshot, and he almost ground his teeth to powder. He gripped the Jiangsheng tightly, with only one thought in his mind: to seek refuge with his sworn brother—the leader of the powerful Horse Tribe in the north! To gather strength and one day make the Wolf Tribe pay for their blood debt!
Meanwhile, the Horse Horn Tribe's camp had been completely turned into a hunting ground for the Wolf Tribe. Livestock had been driven and gathered together, supplies had been looted, and the survivors (mainly young women and a few strong prisoners) were tied up with ropes. Xueya stroked the dozens of dwarf horses he had just acquired, still in a state of panic, a cruel and satisfied smile on his face.