Returning to Camp Laden with Spoils
The return journey was much slower than the outward journey. The caravan was now filled with herds of herds of cattle and sheep being driven, dozens of newly acquired ponies (including foals), cattle carrying grain, furs, and various miscellaneous items, and nearly a hundred women with blank stares, like walking corpses. The caravan was bloated, so naturally, the pace was slow.
On the afternoon of the third day, Xueya led his team, laden with "harvest," to the meeting point near the former Niujiao Tribe, the agreed-upon meeting point with Duyan.
Duyan had been waiting there with his men for some time. When he saw the massive, winding caravan approaching in the distance, especially the herds of livestock and the dark mass of prisoners, a greedy and excited glint immediately appeared in his Duyan. He strode forward, his voice trembling with excitement. "Welcome, Chief! Welcome, brothers! Victory is on your way!"
Xueya, riding a newly acquired, exceptionally robust ponies, looked at Duyan with smug satisfaction and the arrogance of a conqueror. He waved his hand dismissively. "Those two tribes? Dali could they possibly cause? We just sneaked in, hacked away, and wiped them out." He paused, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "This trip was truly lucrative! We got over thirty good horses to ride! And those women... tsk, the women herding in the north have a unique charm. You can have a good 'taste' when we get back."
Upon hearing Duyan, the one-eyed man's Duyan practically shone with light. He nodded repeatedly and rubbed his hands together, eager to lead his men back immediately.
Looking at the mountains of supplies and the densely packed prisoners, Xueya's plundering lust burned even brighter than before. He licked his chapped lips and said to Duyan, "This northward expedition was quite fruitful. But it also taught me a lesson—these herding tribes are like rabbits; they run away at the slightest disturbance! Just scaring them and extorting a little something, like before, is too boring and not worth it. They ran away this time, but next time they might run even further away."
His eyes flashed with a fierce light. "Next time we encounter a tribe like this, we can't hold back! We'll wipe them out completely and make our money back in one go!"
He hesitated for a moment, then issued a new order, "Duyan, you choose a hundred brothers to escort these supplies and prisoners back to our High Pointed Mountain camp. Be careful on the way, and don't let any other fools target you."
"Yes! Don't worry, Chief!" Duyan patted his chest and assured him.
"I'll take the remaining three hundred brothers," Xueya, gazing at the vast grasslands and hills, "And we'll wander around this area a bit more. We pried the Vultures out of the mouths of those cowards from the Green Grass Tribe and the Niujiao Tribe. There are a few other small tribes nearby, each with a hundred or two people. Before the Tujiu Horse Tribe reacts, let's 'visit' a few more, and make some money if we can! I reckon once news of our annihilation of these tribes spreads, the rest, even if they don't run away, will be scared into hiding. Then, making money won't be so easy."
Duyan received the order and immediately began selecting men and organizing the escort team. Although the Wolf Tribe warriors were exhausted, their morale remained high as they looked at the rich spoils that were about to be transported back to their lair and their leader's ambition to continue "hunting".
Xueya rested for a day at the rendezvous point with the remaining three hundred-plus men. He didn't rest, but sent Tujiu with his most elite cavalry unit to act as the vanguard and eyes and ears, searching for new targets in the surrounding area based on the intelligence they had previously obtained.
The next morning, the Tujiu's messenger brought back news: a settlement called "Short Grass Tribe," with a population of about two hundred, had been discovered about a day's journey to the northwest.
"Good!" Xueya was greatly encouraged. He immediately assembled his troops and led about three hundred fierce-looking warriors on a rapid march towards the Short Grass Tribe. The thrill of plunder and the desire for more spoils dispelled the fatigue of the past few days of travel.
The next few days were a true nightmare for the scattered small tribes in this area. Xueya's Wolf Tribe swept across the grasslands like a swarm of locusts, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake.
They gave their opponents no chance to negotiate or beg for mercy. Once they spotted their target, they would launch a surprise attack under the cover of night or at dawn, swiftly crushing any weak resistance with overwhelming numerical superiority. Then came the usual massacre, looting, and abduction of women...
Before the supplies and prisoners became so plentiful that the troops could barely carry them and their mobility was severely hampered, Xueya visited and destroyed three more small tribes of similar size.
Each "success" fueled the Wolf Tribe warriors' ferocity, and made Xueya even more confident and enamored with his new tactic of "lightning raids and annihilation." This was far more satisfying and lucrative than the previous haggling and slow-burning extortion!
Xueya only stopped when the stolen cattle, sheep, horses, grain, and furs piled up Little Mountain, the number of captured women was so great that even the guards were struggling, and the bloated team could no longer move quickly. He ordered the team, which was loaded to its limit, to turn back to its lair in High Pointed Mountain.
When their massive, bloated force, reeking of blood and the stench of livestock, slowly appeared at the foot of High Pointed Mountain, Xueshou, the second leader of the Wolf Tribe who had already received the news and was responsible for staying behind, was already waiting there with a group of men.
Looking at the caravan almost "drowned" in spoils, at the plump, sturdy ponies, the herds of cattle and sheep, the piles of supplies, and the astonishing number of prisoners who, though haggard, were captured, Xueshou couldn't help but grin wildly. His face, somewhat similar to Xueya's but even more sinister, couldn't help but reveal a wildly joyful smile. He strode forward, his voice booming, "Brother! Brothers! You've worked hard! This trip has been... incredibly fruitful! Our Wolf Tribe is becoming more and more prosperous!"
Xueya dismounted, his face showing weariness from days of battle and travel, but his eyes shone with undiminished pride and excitement. He patted Xueshou's shoulder forcefully and laughed heartily, "That's right! This trip was worthwhile! We've acquired no fewer than fifty good adult horses! Adding to our previous reserves, our Wolf Tribe now has over a hundred adult ponies ready for battle! After raising those foals for a few more years, our cavalry can grow even larger!"
Xueshou was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly. "Over a hundred horses! Brother, now that we're on land, the Fish Tribe will avoid us!"
"Of course!" Xueya said confidently.
Xueshou turned to a leader beside him and ordered, "Yexiao! Don't just stand there, quickly take the brothers and these 'harvests' back to camp! I've already had a good feast prepared; tonight, we're going to have a proper celebration and reward these brave warriors who have made such a contribution!"
"Good!" "Thank you, Second Leader!" The warriors of the Wolf Tribe cheered upon hearing this.
Under Yexiao's command, the large and chaotic group began to move in an orderly fashion toward the camp halfway up the mountain. Xueya and Xueshou walked side by side at the back, talking in hushed tones, both wearing smug smiles.