Attack on the Marsh Tribe
In just over ten days, the Wolf Tribe's forces rolled like a snowball across the region. After Xueya annexed two more small tribes, the number of his vassal troops finally exceeded five hundred. Adding to the Wolf Tribe's own four hundred fierce and ruthless warriors, the force had swelled to nearly a thousand men!
As Xueya rode his horse, gazing at the dark mass of troops below, an indescribable surge of pride welled up within him. Although he knew that the five hundred-plus vassal soldiers were of mixed origin, demoralized, and undisciplined, more like a flock of sheep being herded, the sheer number and scale of them were enough to terrify any small or medium-sized tribe!
Duyan, Shichui, Yexiao, Tujiu, and other leaders were also extremely excited, surrounding Xueya with greedy and belligerent glints in their eyes.
"Hahaha! Chief, we now have over a thousand men! In this territory, who are we afraid of?" Shichui roared, brandishing his massive Shichui.
Duyan grinned and said, "Exactly! Those little tribes run away as soon as they see us. We can't get a single thing out of them. It's so boring!"
However, just as they were feeling triumphant, Tujiu, who was in charge of reconnaissance on the perimeter, hurriedly rode back. His face was somewhat gloomy. He jumped off his horse and walked quickly to Xueya.
"Chief," Tujiu reported in a deep voice, "I've led my men to search every place we can in the vicinity. Those small tribes that were just observing have basically all fled! The camp is completely empty; there's not a soul in sight!"
"They got away?!" Duyan's face darkened, and he spat out a mouthful of saliva. "Damn it, those rabbits, they're quick to run away!"
Yexiao narrowed his long, narrow eyes and said, "It seems the news has spread. The remaining tribes have either been coerced by us or, upon hearing the news, fled with their families. I estimate that most of them have headed west, towards the Hundred Crafts Tribe, the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Beast Taming Tribe, the Marsh Tribe, and the Green Grain Tribe."
Upon hearing this, Shichui immediately shouted, "Those small tribes are dirt poor, so it's fine if they run away. But those tribes to the west, like Pottery and Salt and Marsh Tribe, have some resources! We have the numbers now, so let's go and rob them!"
"Yes! Let's raid the Pottery Salt Tribe!" "To avenge the previous humiliations!" Several warlike leaders joined in the clamor.
Xueya didn't immediately agree. He frowned slightly and fell into a brief moment of contemplation. Shichui's idea was direct and tempting, but Xueya had thought about it more deeply.
He spoke slowly, his voice drowning out the surrounding clamor. "Jia Li of the Pottery Salt Tribe is no simple character. The last two times we tried to take him down, he immediately allied with the Fish Tribe, the Hundred Crafts Tribe, and even the Beast Taming Tribe to fight us. Although we're not afraid of them on land, they have a large number of men, good equipment, and the advantage of terrain. As for us, these vassal troops..." He glanced at the group of disorganized, terrified recruits in the distance, his tone tinged with disdain, "They look numerous, but how much use will they be in a real fight? Don't let them scatter at the first charge and disrupt our own formation."
Upon hearing this, Duyan and Shichui's excited expressions subsided slightly. Having personally experienced the defensive battle of the Pottery Salt Tribe, they knew it was indeed not an easy nut to crack.
"Then, Chief, we can't just have worked for nothing, can we?" Yexiao asked.
"Of course we can't let this go to waste!" A fierce glint flashed in Xueya's eyes as he made his decision. "We should pick on the weak! The Pottery Salt Tribe is tough to beat, so let's leave them for now! Let's deal with those two easier targets next door— the Marsh Tribe and Green Grain Tribe!"
He analyzed, counting on his fingers. "The Marsh Tribe and Green Grain Tribe didn't put up much resistance when we 'borrowed' grain last time. Especially the Marsh Tribe, whose area is damp and full of swamps, their warriors are not good at land warfare. The Green Grain Tribe mainly relies on farming, and has even fewer warriors. These two tribes are weak and not too close to the Pottery Salt Tribe. We can finish this quickly and make a fortune!"
He paused, then added, "More importantly, let's use these two tribes as training grounds for our vassal armies! Let them fight a few real battles, see some blood, and share some spoils. Only then will they gradually become true 'one of us.' Once these vassal armies have some fighting spirit, we can go back and settle accounts with the Pottery Salt Tribe and Jia Li!"
This plan was clearly more reliable and feasible, and the leaders all nodded in agreement.
"However," Xueya looked at the Tujiu, "To prevent the Pottery Salt Tribe from meddling and coming to our aid, we need to use a strategy. Tujiu!"
"Here!" The Tujiu straightened its body.
"Take fifty of your most agile cavalrymen, not the vassal troops, just our own brothers, and head towards the Tao Pottery Salt Tribe Pottery Salt Tribe. Don't actually fight; just loiter around their outskirts, creating the illusion that we're about to launch a major attack! Draw their attention to them and keep their forces as close to their own tribe as possible! If they dare send troops out, retreat—retreat to the outskirts of Wolf Fang Valley, where we fought last time. Use the cavalry's mobility to harass and distract them! Report any unusual activity to the main force immediately!"
"Understood, Chief!" A glint flashed in Tujiu's eyes as he accepted the order and left. This kind of mission—bluffing and harassing—was exactly what he excelled at.
"Yexiao!" Xueya looked at Yexiao, who was the most quick-witted.
"What are your orders, Chief?"
"You take the remaining cavalry and scout ahead for the main army, keeping a close watch on any movements in the direction of the Marsh Tribe! The main army will then set off, target— the Marsh Tribe!"
"Yes!" Yexiao accepted the order and left, quickly mustering his cavalry and heading towards the Marsh Tribe.
Xueya took a deep breath, mounted his horse, and looked at the large, mixed group before him. He gave a deep command, "Brothers of the Wolf Tribe, take our 'new friends' and set off! Destination: Marsh Tribe! Let those bastards living in the muddy swamps know who truly owns this land!"
"Roar!" The elite warriors of the Wolf Tribe roared bloodthirstyly, while the vassal army, under the shouts and shoves of their leaders, slowly moved forward, a force of nearly a thousand men pressing towards the Marsh Tribe.
Meanwhile, the camp of the Marsh Tribe was already shrouded in tension and unease.
Cangbo, the chief of the Marsh Tribe, sat in the council tent with a furrowed brow. Before him sat several of the Marsh Tribe's main leaders: Changgāo, Qiantan, Luwei, Xuanwo, and Chaoxi.
The atmosphere inside the shed was extremely tense. News of the Wolf Tribe's Xueya's recent large-scale coercion of smaller tribes and bloody suppression and massacre of resisters had already reached the Marsh Tribe. The Xueya Marsh Tribe had not yet fully recovered from the loss of one-third of its resources due to the extortion by the Wolf Tribe. Now, with an even larger force nearby, the Marsh Tribe was very likely to become the Wolf Tribe's target again.
"Chief," the leader Changgāo, spoke first, his tone indignant, "That Xueya from the Wolf Tribe cheated and extorted a lot of our supplies last time! This time he's taken so many people hostage; he's definitely up to no good!"
Qiantan added worriedly, "Several small tribes that recently fled to our area say that Xueya's methods are even more ruthless this time. Several disobedient tribes were wiped out! Of those captured, almost none, except for the young women, were spared!"
Luwei said anxiously, "We can't just sit here and wait to die, Chief! Shouldn't we quickly send someone to Chief Canglan of the Fish Tribe to ask for help? If Xueya really comes for us, we probably can't hold them off on our own!"
Xuanwo pragmatically said, "Seeking help is one thing, but we also need to prepare for the worst. I suggest we move the elderly, children, and easily portable supplies from the tribe towards the Fish Tribe. The Fish Tribe is only about two days' journey from us, and it will be much safer there."
Chaoxi then offered another idea. "Chief, quite a few people have fled here, including some able-bodied young men. Could we take this opportunity to recruit some of them and bolster our strength? The more people we have, the more confident we'll be in defending our territory."
The leaders were all talking at once, discussing the matter Cangbo. As Cangbo listened, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. How could he not know the urgency of the situation? The threat from the Wolf Tribe was imminent, and the Marsh Tribe was weak and outnumbered. How could they possibly be a match for the Wolf Tribe?
He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, his voice weary yet resolute. "We've already learned what kind of people Xueya of the Wolf Tribe are. They tasted Tiantou with us last time, and this time they're even stronger. They'll never let us go."
He looked at Xuanwo and said, "Xuanwo Chief, you're right. Go and organize them immediately. Take all the elderly, children, and weak women from the tribe, along with any easily portable supplies, and set off immediately towards the Fish Tribe! Be careful on the road. When you arrive at the Fish Tribe, first find Chief Canglan, explain the situation, and request temporary shelter."
"Yes!" Xuanwo immediately stood up.
"Chaoxi Leader," Cangbo turned to Chaoxi again, "Recruiting people is fine, but not too many. Our food reserves are limited, and we can't handle a sudden increase in population. You take some men to those fleeing tribes and select some, keeping the number around three hundred. That way, together with our own warriors, we can temporarily muster about two hundred and forty men who can fight."
Chaoxi nodded and replied, "Understood, Chief, I'll take care of it right away."
Cangbo finally looked at the remaining Changgāo, Qiantan, and Luwei, as well as the other able-bodied leaders of the tribe, and said, "The remaining able-bodied men and strong women will stay at the camp for now to quickly gather important and valuable supplies and prepare for a possible evacuation. At the same time, send out the most astute scouts to keep a close watch on the Wolf Tribe's movements!"
He paused, his tone tinged with bitterness and helplessness, and said, "Our Marsh Tribe has lived by the swamp for generations and is familiar with the terrain. If... if the Wolf Tribe really comes for us, we can't fight them head-on. We'll use our familiarity with the terrain to take our packed belongings and retreat deeper into the swamp or directly towards the Fish Tribe. As long as we don't linger and are focused on escaping, the Wolf Tribe might not be able to catch us!"
Although the leaders were unwilling, they knew that this was the safest solution at the moment, and they all accepted the order and left.
Soon, the camp of the Marsh Tribe was bustling with activity. Groups of the elderly, women, and children, organized by Xuanwo, left their ancestral homes with tears in their eyes, carrying easily portable supplies and a small amount of rations, and slowly headed west towards the Fish Tribe. Meanwhile, Chaoxi led people to select manpower from the fleeing tribes, while the able-bodied men and women in the camp silently packed up the better tools, stored food, and other supplies, ready to take them with them at any time.