Reinforcements Arrive, Easing His Worries
Two days after the messengers were sent to request reinforcements, news began to arrive at the Pottery Salt Tribe. The first messengers to arrive were from the Hundred Crafts Tribe and the Beast Taming Tribe, bringing back confirmation that their leaders had agreed to send troops. Although reinforcements had not yet arrived, the news itself was like a shot in the arm, slightly dispelling the dark clouds hanging over the Pottery Salt Tribe.
Jia Li's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally eased a little. While ordering the tribe to strengthen its final defensive preparations, he gazed longingly at the two main roads and waterways leading to the outside world.
Not long after, a commotion arose outside the camp—the reinforcements from the Hundred Crafts Tribe had arrived! The chief of the Kaishan personally led a hundred elite warriors, who appeared on the outskirts of the Pottery Salt Tribe, covered in dust but full of fighting spirit.
Overjoyed, Jia Li immediately led the tribe's high-ranking officials to personally greet Kaishan at the camp. He tightly grasped Kaishan's hand, repeatedly expressing his gratitude and flattery, praising the Hundred Crafts Tribe and Wu Xiong leader, Wuxiong, to the skies. He personally guided Kaishan and his men into the camp, arranged for them to rest in a pre-prepared area, and provided them with food and hot water, treating them with utmost hospitality.
Shortly after the reinforcements from the Hundred Crafts Tribe were settled, commotion arose outside the camp. The Liequan leader of the Beast Taming Tribe, along with eighty warriors or those leading Liequan, also arrived.
Jia Li's smile widened as he led his men to greet them once more. Although the number of warriors from the Beast Taming Tribe was slightly smaller, their mere presence was the greatest support. He warmly welcomed the Liequan into the camp and made sure they were settled in properly.
At this point, two of the three requests for reinforcements had arrived. In the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp, in addition to the tense atmosphere at headquarters, the ruggedness of the Hundred Crafts warriors and the skill of the Beast Taming had been added, significantly boosting both numbers and morale.
However, the most crucial question remained firmly in Jia Li's mind: where were the Fish Tribe people?
He repeatedly calculated the time and route. The Fish Tribe should be fastest by water! Theoretically, they should even arrive earlier than the Hundred Crafts and Beast Taming Tribe who came by land. But now, he waited and waited, and apart from his own patrol Xiaozhou, there was no sign of the Fish Tribe's large ships on the river.
"Could it be... that we encountered some trouble on the way? Or..." A sense of foreboding rose in Jia Li's heart, but he forced himself not to think the worst. Perhaps the assembly was just a little slow? Perhaps Canglan wanted to prepare more thoroughly?
Suppressing his doubts and anxieties, Jia Li rallied his spirits and threw himself into the more complex preparations for war. That evening, he hosted a banquet, using the tribe's rare and fine meat and grains to entertain Kaishan, the Liequan, and their warriors who had come from afar, both as a reward and to boost the morale of the allied forces.
After a few rounds of meals, when the atmosphere had become a bit more lively, Kaishan and the Liequan inquired about the current situation.
"Chief Jia Li, where are the wolf cubs now? What's our next move?" Kaishan wiped the grease from his mouth and asked directly.
Jia Li's expression turned serious as he relayed the latest scout report to the two, "According to our scouts, the Wolf Tribe's vanguard this time consists of several dozen cavalrymen, and they're moving very fast. Xueya suffered a loss in Wolf Fang Valley, so he probably won't be easily fooled again and will be even more vigilant. Their vanguard should reach our vicinity as early as tomorrow, or at the latest the day after. The main force, following behind, won't be too far behind."
Both Kaishan and the Liequan nodded. The successful ambush last time had an element of luck, as well as the Wolf Tribe's carelessness and underestimation of the enemy. Now that the enemy has cavalry, their mobility and reconnaissance capabilities are greatly enhanced, and they are certainly more vigilant than last time. To replicate a successful ambush again would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.
The Liequan then asked, "Still no news from the Fish Tribe? If they came by water, they should be here soon."
Mentioning the Fish Tribe, a shadow crossed Jia Li's face, and he shook his head. "There's still no definite news. I've sent another messenger to inquire." He paused, then stated his plan. "Regardless of when the Fish Tribe arrives, we can't just wait idly. I've decided to arm everyone in the tribe who can take up arms, regardless of gender, as long as they're not old, frail, or pregnant! We can probably gather over three hundred. They may not be rigorously trained, but they can still guard the walls, transport supplies, wave flags, and boost morale!"
He calculated his forces. "In this way, our Pottery Salt Tribe has about 500 able-bodied men (200 warriors plus 300 women, the elderly, and the weak who are better armed), plus the 100 men under the leader of Kaishan and the 80 men under the leader of the Liequan, totaling nearly 700 men! Relying on the fortifications we've strengthened over the past few months, if we hold our ground and defend to the death, we should be able to hold out for a while! As long as we hold out until the Fish Tribe's reinforcements arrive, we can launch a pincer attack and surely defeat the Wolf Tribe!"
Kaishan and the Liequan exchanged a glance, both seeing agreement in each other's eyes. In the absence of a better option, relying on a fortified camp for defense was indeed the safest choice. After all, the Wolf Tribe was the attacker, having made a long-distance raid; as long as the defenders were resolute and their defenses were effective, the attackers would often pay a greater price.
"Alright! Let's do as Chief Jia Li says!" Kaishan decided. "We'll stay here in the camp and wait for the wolf cubs to come and run into the wall!"
The banquet ended, and everyone returned to their camps to rest. But Jia Li couldn't fall asleep. He secretly summoned one of his most trusted confidants and whispered, "Tomorrow morning, immediately take our fastest Xiaozhou and go to the Fish Tribe again! Don't disturb too many people. Go directly to Chief Canglan or one of his close confidants and make sure you find out exactly when they will send troops! Be extra careful on the road!"
"Yes, leader, rest assured!" the confidant replied.
Over the next two days, the Pottery Salt Tribe sprang into action like clockwork. The fortifications underwent final inspections and reinforcements, stones and logs were moved to designated locations, weapons were distributed, and the three hundred women, the elderly, and the infirm, who had been temporarily armed, were simply organized into groups and assigned auxiliary tasks such as relaying messages, carrying the wounded, and throwing stones.
In the tense atmosphere, the Wolf Tribe's cavalry scouts arrived as scheduled, appearing like ghosts on the edges of the mountains and fields surrounding the camp. They were few in number, but riding horses, they moved swiftly, spying on the Pottery Salt Tribe's defenses from afar.
Jia Li immediately ordered the leader of the tribe's most elite warriors to lead a small group of the most elite cavalry (thanks to the horses purchased from the horse tribe) and some warriors to drive out of the camp to prevent the other party from getting too close and to explore their own strength.
Small scout cavalry units from both sides engaged in several brief but fierce chases and skirmishes outside the camp, resulting in casualties on both sides. Although the Wolf Tribe's cavalry were fierce, the Pottery Salt Tribe's cavalry, relying on their familiarity with the terrain and the support of numerous warriors in the camp, did not fall behind.
However, news of the Fish Tribe seemed to have vanished without a trace. The trusted messenger they sent never returned, and there was no word from them. The familiar sails of the giant ship were never seen on the river.
As time went on, especially with the appearance of the Wolf Tribe cavalry, it meant that the prelude to the great war had begun, but the most important reinforcements were nowhere to be seen. Jia Li's anxiety grew wildly like weeds. He not only had to face the powerful enemy that was about to arrive from the outside, but also had to deal with the panic and doubts that might arise from the lack of reinforcements.
"Canglan... what exactly are you planning?" Jia Li stood on the reinforced watchtower, gazing at the empty river to the south, his fingers gripping the rough wooden railing so tightly that his nails almost dug into the wood. An ominous premonition grew stronger and stronger.