The Hungry Wolf Returns to the Pottery Tribe

Just as the Fire Tribe was busy absorbing new people, building giant ships, and planning for the future, immersed in a bustling and joyful expansion, in the shadow of the northern High Pointed Mountain, the hungry wolf, which had been recuperating and whose claws had become even sharper due to the acquisition of horses, once again revealed its ferocious Liaoya.

Xueya stood before the High Pointed Mountain camp, inspecting the force that had been painstakingly built over the past few months and was now even more ferocious. Four hundred and fifty Wolf Tribe warriors stood in a dark, dense formation, fifty of them riding captured and traded ponies. Although their equipment was haphazard, the ferocity born of years of slaughter and the mobility provided by the newly acquired horses made this force far more dangerous than ever before.

Shichui, Duyan, Tujiu, and Yexiao, several infamous leaders, stood to the left and right of Xueya, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Their target was clear— the Pottery Salt Tribe!

"Brothers!" Xueya's voice, sharp as sand scraping against gravel, echoed through the valley. "Remember last time? In the Pottery Salt Tribe, our brother Shouhou died there!"

Mentioning old grudges, especially the humiliation of being defeated by the combined forces of the Fish Tribe, the Hundred Crafts, and the Beast Taming Tamers outside the Pottery Salt Tribe, and the loss of their brothers, the Wolf Tribe warriors' eyes immediately blazed with ferocity, and they let out a low, hateful roar.

"Now, we've healed our wounds, sharpened our knives, and even have horses!" Xueya suddenly drew his bone knife from his waist, pointing it south. "The Pottery Salt Tribe, that tribe that amassed a fortune selling salt and trading goods, is now harvesting their grain! Their granaries are full, their warehouses are full! And they think they can rest easy just because they've allied with others? Dream on!"

He surveyed his men, whose emotions had been stirred. "This time, we have four hundred and fifty of our fiercest brothers! Fifty warriors who can charge on horseback and chase down fleeing enemies! Do you think the small number of people and the dilapidated walls of the Pottery Salt Tribe can stop us?"

"We can't stop them!" Shichui and the others roared first.

"Rob them all! Burn them all! Avenge our fallen brothers!" the Duyan man shrieked.

"Revenge! Revenge! Seize the grain! Seize the salt!" The roars of more than four hundred people merged into a destructive wave that echoed through the mountains and forests.

"Let's go!" Xueya mounted his horse and took the lead. The four hundred and fifty Wolf Tribe, like a black, turbid current, carrying a bloodthirsty thirst, surged down from High Pointed Mountain and swept towards the Pottery Salt Tribe.

However, this time, the Pottery Salt Tribe was not unprepared. Chief Jia Li, a merchant leader known for his shrewdness and caution, had been on high alert ever since the Wolf Tribe attacked the Bison and White Pig Tribe and heard the Fire Tribe's warning about the Wolf Tribe's coercion of people and expansion of power. He knew that the Wolf Tribe was vengeful and greedy, and that his tribe's wealth would inevitably be their target.

Over the past few months, Jia Li has made several key preparations:

First, taking advantage of the well-developed trade network of the tribe, he invested more resources and sent out a large number of informants towards the Wolf Tribe to closely monitor the movements of the wolf den in High Pointed Mountain and its surrounding areas.

Secondly, he continued to strengthen the defenses of the Pottery Salt Tribe, raising the wooden fences, digging deeper trenches, and stockpiling more supplies and defensive equipment.

Third, and most importantly, when assisting the Fire Tribe in purchasing dwarf horses last time, the Pottery Salt Tribe also gritted its teeth and bought a batch of them, forming a small cavalry messenger team. This greatly accelerated the speed of intelligence transmission.

Therefore, when the main force of Xueya had just left the High Pointed Mountain area and had not yet fully entered the open plains, the scouts of the Pottery Salt Tribe, who were stationed on the outermost edge, spotted the dusty, menacing group from afar, thanks to the speed advantage of their horses.

Without hesitation, the scout immediately turned his horse around and galloped back to the tribe to report the news. Almost simultaneously, similar messages came back from several other sentries in different directions— the Wolf Tribe had mobilized in large numbers, heading straight for the Pottery Salt Tribe! Upon receiving the urgent report, Jia Li felt a chill in his heart, but he did not panic. He had long anticipated this day.

"They've come, just as I expected!" Jia Li's expression turned grave, and he immediately issued a series of orders:

"First, all scouts and sentries on the perimeter must immediately retreat to their camps to avoid unnecessary losses!"

"Second, send the fastest messengers on the best horses to warn the Hundred Crafts Tribe and the Beast Taming Tribe! They are our allies; please request their military assistance!"

"Third, immediately send Xiaozhou to the Fish Tribe for help! Tell them that the Wolf Tribe has launched a large-scale invasion, numbering over four hundred, and includes cavalry. Ask them to send reinforcements quickly, for the sake of our trade alliance and the principle of mutual dependence!"

"Fourth, mobilize the entire tribe! All men, climb the walls; women and children, carry supplies; prepare rolling logs and stones! Inspect and distribute weapons! Prepare for a fight to the death!"

The order quickly spread throughout the tribe. The Pottery Salt Tribe's camp instantly shifted from its usual busy routine to the tension of wartime. Warriors rushed to their posts, women and children began moving essential supplies to the center of the camp, and craftsmen inspected the makeshift defensive structures.

Jia Li stood on the reinforced watchtower, gazing at the faint smoke and dust visible to the north, his palms slightly sweaty. He knew that this time the Wolf Tribe was coming with overwhelming force, far more powerful than before. Although the Pottery Salt Tribe was somewhat prepared, whether they could win remained uncertain.

But he had no way out. The foundation of the Pottery Salt Tribe lay here; its wealth and its people were here. He could only rely on the fortifications he had strengthened over the past few months, the courage of his tribesmen, and... his hope for reinforcements from allies, to prepare for this fierce battle that would determine the tribe's life or death.