The Fire Tribe's Decision
When Yan led a cavalry unit and quickly appeared not far from the five or six hundred ragged, terrified refugees, a suppressed gasp immediately rose from the crowd.
"Don't panic, everyone! Don't panic! It might be people from the Fire Tribe! Don't panic!" The leaders of the five small tribes quickly stepped forward, trying to calm their people. They were mostly between thirty and forty years old, and their faces showed the fatigue of a long journey, but at this moment they had to become the backbone of their tribes.
Seeing that the enemy did not immediately charge forward but slowed down, the leaders felt somewhat relieved, mustered their courage, and headed towards Yan's direction.
Yan reined in his horse about twenty paces away from the crowd. The cavalry behind him also stopped in unison. He dismounted swiftly, signaled the soldiers behind him to put away their weapons, and then walked a few steps forward on his own.
"I am Yan, the son of the Fire Tribe chief! Who are you? Where do you come from?" Yan's voice was clear, carrying a majesty beyond his years and a reassuring power.
Upon hearing the words "Fire Tribe," the five leaders visibly relaxed, their tension instantly replaced by excitement and eagerness. They immediately surrounded the group and began to tell their story in a cacophony of voices.
"Warriors of the Fire Tribe! We are a tribe near the White Stone Tribe to the north... no, the White Stone Tribe is gone... we are from the vicinity of White Creek and White Tree... we are five small tribes from their vicinity!"
"The Wolf Tribe! It's Xueya from the Wolf Tribe! He's leading his men to attack!"
"They wiped out the White Stone Tribe, sparing no one except some young women, men, women, and children! It was so horrific!"
"They forced the people of the White Creek Tribe, White Tree Tribe, and other tribes to join them in raiding other tribes! They threatened to kill anyone who refused!"
"They've abducted a lot of people! They're arresting able-bodied young men everywhere!"
"We had no choice. We heard that the Fire Tribe was powerful and had taken in people in distress before, so we led our people and fled south for our lives... We begged the Fire Tribe to take us in! Please give us a way to survive!"
The group spoke rapidly, their voices trembling with excitement and fear, mixed with anger and sorrow. Yan listened patiently, quickly piecing together the whole story from their fragmented and urgent narration, and his expression grew increasingly grave.
This time, Xueya of the Wolf Tribe's actions are completely different from his previous simple raids! He's no longer content with just robbing or extorting; instead, he's systematically using terror to forcibly integrate surrounding weaker forces, binding them to his war machine and turning them into tools for his expansion and plunder! This model is devastating; those caught in the crossfire are either destroyed or reduced to accomplices; those not caught flee in terror, and the production and daily life of vast areas will be utterly destroyed. As Xueya's "snowball" grows larger, his ambition and destructive power will also expand rapidly, inevitably threatening even more distant tribes, including... the Fire Tribe!
"We absolutely cannot let him continue like this!" Yan immediately made a decision: the Wolf Tribe's snowballing, barbaric expansion must be stopped and halted at once!
He raised his hand, gesturing for the agitated leaders to calm down. His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears, possessing a calming power:
"Chiefs, fellow tribesmen! You have suffered! We, the Fire Tribe, have long heard of the Wolf Tribe's brutality and atrocities, and many of our members who joined Fire Tribe have also suffered greatly! They are our common enemy!"
His gaze swept over the hundreds of faces before him, faces filled with fear, exhaustion, and anticipation. His tone grew even more resolute. "The Fire Tribe welcomes all hardworking, law-abiding members who stand with us against external enemies! As long as you abide by the Fire Tribe's rules and are willing to create a happy life with your own hands, the Fire Tribe will treat you as one of our own, as equals, and will never bully or exploit you like the Wolf Tribe!"
He pointed in the direction behind him. "Not far over there is our Fire Tribe's stronghold in the Little Gathering Valley. There are sturdy walls, houses, and food. Come with me there to rest and settle down. We can talk about the rest later."
"Thank you for taking me in the Fire Tribe!"
"Thank you, Young Master Yan!"
We will definitely follow the rules and work hard!
Upon hearing this clear promise, the five leaders and their people were moved to tears, and they all knelt down, repeatedly kowtowing in gratitude.
Yan quickly stepped forward, helped the new tribesmen up, and after calming them down, Yan began to guide the large group slowly toward the Small Gathering Valley Outpost.
Just as they had settled the five or six hundred people in the open space outside the stronghold and distributed some hot soup and dry rations, before they could make more detailed arrangements, a messenger from the Fire Tribe headquarters arrived in Little Gathering Valley in a fast boat.
"Chief Yan! Dazhuang!" The messenger, travel-worn and anxious, said, "The chief sent me with a message! The warning messenger from the Pottery Salt Tribe arrived at our Fire Tribe Valley yesterday. The Wolf Tribe's Xueya Fang has annihilated the White Stone Tribe and is now encircling and harassing surrounding smaller tribes on a large scale. The whereabouts of their main force are unknown, but they are very likely to threaten the Pottery Salt Tribe again!"
The messenger caught his breath and continued, "The chieftain says the Wolf Tribe is acting ruthlessly this time, unlike before. They have enormous ambitions and must be on high alert. We must also prepare to support the Pottery Salt Tribe! The chieftain has now decided to personally lead the troops north!"
Yan and Dazhuang exchanged a glance, both feeling a chill run down their spines. Their father's (Jianshi's ) judgment was completely consistent with what they had just learned!
The messenger relayed the detailed deployment of the Jianshi: "The chief has personally led three hundred of his most elite warriors, carrying some light weapons and three days' rations, and they will arrive at the Small Gathering Outpost tonight! Following them, the two leaders, Dabang and Jijiao, will lead seven hundred warriors to escort a shipment of grain and supplies, arriving at the Small Gathering Valley Outpost in a few days! The Fire Tribe's main base in the valley will be guarded by the two leaders, Dali and Binmao, leading the remaining warriors to ensure the stability of the rear!"
Upon hearing this deployment, Yan quickly began to calculate. Jianya led a team to transport grain to the Valley Tribe, taking more than 400 people with him. The Fire Tribe currently has a total population of about 15,000, and about 3,000 of them are regular soldiers who can be mobilized for battle. This time, his father has mobilized almost the majority of the tribe's forces, demonstrating his great determination.
Father personally led the team north, choosing Little Gathering Valley as their first forward outpost. Their intention was clear: this place was not only crucial for defending against the Wolf Tribe's southward advance, but also the best forward base for supporting the Pottery Salt Tribe and even proactively seeking opportunities to strike the Wolf Tribe! With the 700 men brought by Dabang and Jijiao, plus the existing forces at Small Gathering Outpost and any further reinforcements, the Fire Tribe could muster over 1,500 troops in the Xiaoji direction! This was undoubtedly a Dali capable of changing the regional landscape!
"It seems Father is determined to strike at the Wolf Tribe, this major threat," Yan nodded to the messenger. "We understand. Go back and report to Father that everything is normal at the Small Gathering Outpost. We've recently gathered about six hundred tribesmen who fled from the north. We'll make preparations to receive them and will send more scouts to expand our reconnaissance range northward. We must ascertain the exact location and movements of the Wolf Tribe's main force!"
"Yes!" The messenger accepted the order, hurriedly boarded the fast boat, and went back to report the news.