The Crisis Has Arrived. Where Are the Remaining Reinforcements?
Just as Jia Li of the Pottery Salt Tribe was becoming increasingly anxious due to the delayed arrival of the Fish Tribe's reinforcements, the Wolf Tribe's unprecedentedly large raiding legion, personally led by Xueya, was surging in like a torrent at a speed far exceeding that of the last time.
This time, Xueya did not adopt the relatively slow, raid-as-you-go strategy he had used before. His target was clear— the Pottery Salt Tribe! He strictly ordered his troops to speed up their march. He didn't even bother attacking the small tribes they encountered along the way. He simply sent a cavalry unit to quickly approach, extort some readily available grain and a small number of livestock, replenish their supplies, and then immediately broke camp without lingering.
Time is of the essence! He must be at the city gates before the Pottery Salt Tribe and its potential allies are fully prepared, using overwhelming force and ferocious momentum to intimidate his opponents!
On the afternoon of the third day, the cavalrymen who had scouted ahead reported that they had encountered scouts from the Pottery Salt Tribe, and a small-scale chase and skirmish had occurred between the two sides. Upon hearing the news, Xueya was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was invigorated.
"Alright! That old fox Jia Li was watching us after all! Speed up! Speed up even more!" Xueya licked his chapped lips, his eyes flashing with even more ferocity. He knew his location had been exposed, and the enemy was definitely intensifying their preparations. But so what if they were exposed? That was the kind of pressure he wanted!
He specially dispatched a more elite cavalry unit, led by Tujiu, to break away from the main force and rush towards Wolf Fang Valley at top speed. That was the place where the allied forces had ambushed them last time, and it was also one of the dangerous passes on the way to the Pottery Salt Tribe. Xueya had learned his lesson and would never make the same mistake twice.
"Search carefully! Look behind every single Shitou, inside and outside the valley, up and down the mountain! Don't let a single rabbit escape!" Xueya roared at Tujiu.
The main force maintained its speed and followed behind. Along the way, they encountered several small tribes that were terrified of the Wolf Tribe's massive force, they gave up even a token resistance, abandoning most of their belongings and leading their people to hide in the nearby mountains and forests.
Xueya had little interest in these people. Chasing them up the mountain would not only waste time but could also cause unnecessary casualties. He simply occupied these empty camps for the night and set off again early the next morning. To him, these small tribes were merely supply points along the way; the real feast was in the Pottery Salt Tribe.
As they drew closer to the Pottery Salt Tribe, Xueya's mind became increasingly active. He felt both anticipation and his own plans for the upcoming battle.
"The Pottery Salt Tribe must have allied with someone else, just like last time," he said to Shichui and Duyan beside him, still mounted on his horse. "The Hundred Crafts, the Beast Taming, and maybe even those ducks Fish Tribe the Fish Tribe."
"What's there to be afraid of!" Shichui Hammer said gruffly. "We outnumber them!"
"It's not fear," Xueya sneered. "I'm thinking that these tribes, despite their numbers and power, are all harboring their own agendas. The Pottery Salt Tribe is wealthy, and they want a piece of the pie. But are you really going to get them to risk their lives for Jia Li? Hmph, I doubt it."
He recalled that although the allied forces had repelled them last time, their pursuit hadn't been resolute, clearly indicating a reluctance to suffer too many casualties. "This time, let's go all out! Let them see that the Wolf Tribe isn't here to beg for food, but to fight to the death! Those allied forces, though they look numerous, who will truly fight for the Pottery Salt Tribe? As long as we're ruthless enough and fight fiercely enough, they'll fall into disarray first!"
Xueya even prepared for the worst. "Even if... even if we really lose, we brought so many new recruits this time, so losing a few won't hurt. As long as our old brothers can get back to High Pointed Mountain unscathed, it won't be long before we can raise another team! In this world, there are plenty of people. As long as we're ruthless enough, we won't be afraid of not having followers!"
This almost ruthless calculation is one of the reasons why the Wolf Tribe was able to recover and even grow stronger after repeated raids and failures. They didn't care about the lives of newcomers, only about the survival of their core strength and the profits from raids.
A few days later, the main force of the Wolf Tribe finally arrived at the outskirts of the Pottery Salt Tribe. The Tujiu, who had arrived at Wolf Fang Valley ahead of time, also sent a message to report: a thorough search of the valley and its surroundings had yielded no signs of an ambush.
"Good!" Xueya was completely relieved and waved his hand, "All troops advance! Head straight to the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp! Let Jia Li see that our Wolf Tribe is back!"
No longer having any scruples, the group swaggered through Wolf Fang Valley, heading towards the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp. Along the way, in the woods and open fields, they could already see more and more scouts sent out by the Pottery Salt Tribe retreating in panic.
Finally, the outline of the Pottery Salt Tribe, which had been reinforced but still appeared somewhat isolated in the open field, came into view. There were noticeably more defensive fortifications around the camp, and many more flags than usual.
Just then, the cavalry leader in charge of reconnaissance and harassment returned on horseback, bringing the latest observations.
"Chief!" the cavalry leader gasped, "We've clashed with the Pottery Salt Tribe's cavalry several times, and we've also observed their camp from a distance for two days. We've discovered that besides the Pottery Salt Tribe's own people, there are indeed other tribes' flags and warriors in their camp. Judging from their attire and the livestock they've brought, they should be from the Hundred Crafts Tribe and the Beast Taming Tribe!"
Xueya narrowed his eyes. "Where's the Fish Tribe? Have you seen Fish Tribe big ship or flag?"
The cavalry commander shook his head firmly. "No! Apart from a few small boats belonging to the Pottery Salt Tribe, I haven't seen any large fishing boats on the river. There are no flags or equipment resembling those of the Fish Tribe in the camp either! At least not for the last two days!"
"Oh?" Xueya's face revealed a smile that was a mixture of amusement and cruelty. "The Fish Tribe didn't come? Heh... It seems that Jia Li's popularity isn't as good as he thought! Or rather... what is that old fish Canglan plotting now?"
This news is undoubtedly a huge boon for Xueya. The Fish Tribe's naval power and large ship support were one of the key factors that caused him to suffer losses last time. If the Fish Tribe hadn't come this time, or had arrived late, the pressure he faced would have been greatly reduced!
"Good! Heaven is on our side!" Xueya roared excitedly, drawing his bone knife and pointing it at the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp. "Brothers! Do you see that? Only the Pottery Salt Tribe and two henchmen! The Fish Tribe is scared and dares not come! Today is the day we get our revenge and make a fortune!"
"Awooo--!" The warriors of the Wolf Tribe let out bloodthirsty howls, their eyes greedily fixed on the wealthy camp that they already considered theirs.
Xueya reined in his warhorse and began issuing final orders, preparing to besiege and attack the Pottery Salt Tribe's camp. Meanwhile, inside the Pottery Salt Tribe camp, Jia Li had just received an urgent report from his scouts that the main force of the Wolf Tribe had arrived and was beginning to assemble outside the camp; his face was ashen. His worst fears had come true— the Wolf Tribe was at the gates, and the Fish Tribe's reinforcements were still nowhere to be seen.