Flames Engulf the Camp and a Blood-Red Dusk
Xueya, mounted on his horse, squinted and carefully surveyed the area outside the Green Grain Tribe's camp. His gaze was quickly drawn to the large rice paddies outside the camp. The rice had already been harvested, leaving only sun-dried straw in the fields. The Green Grain Tribe's fields were even larger than those of the Pottery Salt Tribe.
"Pottery Salt Tribe..." Upon hearing this name, Xueya's heart skipped a beat, and an extremely familiar and effective plan instantly surfaced in his mind.
During the last attack on the Pottery Salt Tribe, their defenses were equally formidable. It was only through fire attacks that they were forced to leave their camp and fight, giving him an opportunity. Although they were ultimately unable to completely defeat the tribe due to the arrival of reinforcements from the Fish Tribe, he remembered the power of that fire very clearly.
Although the Green Grain Tribe warriors before them numbered well, their numbers were clearly fewer than their own, and their morale and equipment were far inferior to those of the Pottery Salt Tribe. If they were to use fire again...
Xueya's lips curled into a cruel smile. The warriors of the Pottery Salt Tribe were similar to those of the Wolf Tribe; they only dared to fight back after being attacked by fire. But these farmers, when engulfed in flames, would not react with a desperate fight, but rather with—escape!
His gaze shifted to the rear of the Green Grain Tribe's camp, where the terrain was relatively flat, with only some sparse trees and shrubs, unlike the complex swamps that blocked the way at the Marsh Tribe. Moreover, he had cavalry there!
"Run? Let's see where you run!" Xueya seemed to already see the people of the Green Grain Tribe crying and fleeing in the flames, only to be caught up by his cavalry like rabbits. This was a golden opportunity!
Thinking of the brilliant idea, Xueya couldn't help but burst into wild laughter, his voice hoarse and triumphant, sounding particularly jarring on the grim battlefield.
Shichui, Duyan, and Yexiao, who were standing nearby, all turned their heads in confusion to look at their leader.
Xueya's laughter subsided, a cunning and excited glint in his eyes. He beckoned to the three men. "Yexiao, Duyan, Shichui, come here!"
The three leaders, bewildered, quickly gathered around Xueya Horse.
"Yexiao," Xueya lowered his voice, pointing towards the rear of the Green Grain Tribe's camp, "You take all the cavalry and quietly circle around to the vicinity of their camp's back gate. Find a place to ambush them. Remember, be concealed; don't let them spot you!"
Yexiao immediately understood. "The leader wants to..."
"That's right!" Xueya grinned maliciously. "I'll have someone set fire to the place and force them to escape through the back door! Your task is to intercept them when they all rush out! Especially the warriors of the Green Grain Tribe and those young women, don't let a single one escape! Also, pay attention to those who look like leaders or are carrying valuables, try to capture them alive! Understand?"
"Understood! Don't worry, leader, I'll make sure none of them escape!" A fierce glint flashed in Yexiao's eyes, and he immediately took the order and left.
"Shichui! Duyan!" Xueya then looked at the other two.
"Exist!"
"See those dry straws in the rice paddies outside? And the firewood nearby! Each of you take fifty of our own brothers, and each of you lead a hundred vassal soldiers, and go collect them immediately! Shichui, you go to the left! Duyan, you go to the right! Tie the straw and firewood to long bamboo poles and wooden sticks to make long torches! Wait for my order, and launch a fire attack from both flanks! Throw them at their wooden walls and thatched huts!"
"Yes!" Shichui and Duyan were also excited; fire attacks were now one of their Wolf Tribe's specialties.
"The rest of you, follow me, gather firewood from the front, and attack the main gate!" Xueya gave the final order, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "Remember, once the fire attack begins and they're thrown into disarray, we charge! Once inside, act quickly, prioritize extinguishing the fire, and salvage food and valuables! Don't let it all burn down!"
"The leader is wise!" the three leaders praised in unison, their faces revealing a bloodthirsty anticipation. If they conquered the Green Grain Tribe, they wouldn't have to stand outside in the cold wind tonight, and they could finally enjoy themselves!
The order was quickly relayed, and the Wolf Tribe's forces immediately sprang into action. Under the urging and shouting of the Wolf Tribe warriors, the vassal army hurriedly bundled dry straw. Soon, simple "fire spears" with large clumps of straw or firewood tied to their tips were produced.
In the Green Grain Tribe's camp, Uncle Sui and several leaders were initially puzzled by the Wolf Tribe's unusual behavior. Instead of attacking immediately, they went to gather firewood... Were they going to wait until tomorrow?
The thought had barely formed when they saw the Wolf Tribe lighting makeshift torches. The orange flames leaped in the dry air, illuminating the ferocious faces of the Wolf Tribe warriors.
"Fire... fire attack!" Uncle Sui felt a "boom" in his head, as if all the strength in his body had been instantly drained. His legs went weak, and he could barely stand. He was only able to stay upright with the help of the Shinian beside him. His worst fears had come true! Most of the buildings in the Green Grain Tribe's camp were made of wood and thatch, and in this dry autumn, they were practically a huge pile of firewood!
When the other leaders saw the Wolf Tribe approaching the camp from three directions, carrying burning torches and under the cover of wooden shields, attempting to throw the torches at the wooden fence and the nearby thatched huts, they all turned pale with fright.
"Smash the Shitou! Stop them!" the Shinian roared.
The warriors and able-bodied men of the Green Grain Tribe frantically threw stones. Some of the Wolf Tribe's vassal soldiers fell, causing a brief period of chaos, but the elite warriors of the Wolf Tribe quickly stepped up, continuing their advance with stronger shields and a more ferocious momentum.
"Whoosh--"
Several burning torches were thrown with all their might over the not-too-high wooden fence and landed on the thatched roof inside the wall. The dry thatch was instantly ignited, and flames shot up!
Immediately afterwards, more and more torches flew in from three directions, the wooden fence began to burn, and the wooden houses near the fence caught fire one after another, thick smoke billowed and flames soared into the sky, and the camp was thrown into chaos.
Coughing repeatedly from the thick smoke, Uncle Sui looked at the rapidly spreading fire and the terrified, helpless faces of his tribesmen. His heart was filled with endless grief and despair. He knew that the camp could not be held.
With all his might, he pushed aside the Shinian was helping him up, and shouted hoarsely to the leaders, "Leaders! Don't worry about me! You... you immediately take the able-bodied warriors, protect the tribe's elders, women, and children, and escape through the back door! Hurry! Just take some dry rations, don't take anything else! Run now! It's getting dark, every person who can escape is a success! Green Grain Tribe... I'm afraid it's all over!"
"Leaders! Let's go together!" Several leaders cried, unwilling to escape alone.
"Go!" Uncle Sui shoved the Shinian with all his might, tears streaming down his face. "I'm old, I can't run anymore, I'll only be a burden to you! You must go! You must survive! Later... later we'll find a chance to avenge the Green Grain Tribe!"
Seeing the resolute yet sorrowful look in their leaders' eyes, and hearing the increasingly close shouts of battle and the crackling of fire around the camp, the leaders knew they could no longer hesitate. They kowtowed heavily to Uncle Sui, turned away with tears in their eyes, and roared as they rallied the warriors and able-bodied men who had not yet completely collapsed. Protecting some of the elderly, women, and children, they carried a small amount of food and surged toward the back gate of the camp.
They had barely left when a loud crash occurred. A section of the burning wooden wall at the main gate of the camp finally gave way and collapsed. Xueya, leading the charge, brandished his bone knife and laughed wildly as he rushed into the camp.
"Charge in! Seize the food! Capture the women!"
The Wolf Tribe's warriors and vassal troops swarmed in like hyenas smelling blood.
Xueya rushed into the camp, and with a quick glance, he found that the resistance was weak and a large number of figures were fleeing towards the back gate. He was overjoyed.
"Some of you, put out the fire! Rescue the food and supplies! The rest of you, follow me!" Xueya Blade pointed to the back gate of the camp and led a large group of men in pursuit.
Rushing out the back door, the scene before him excited him even more. He saw Yexiao leading his cavalry, galloping back and forth on the outskirts, constantly attacking and dividing a group of about two hundred Green Grain Tribe. They held them firmly in a relatively open area, preventing them from escaping smoothly. The elderly, weak, women, and children who had escaped were scattered further away, crying and running away in all directions.
"Surround them! Don't let a single one escape!" Xueya roared.
Soon, Shichui and Duyan also led a group of the Wolf Tribe warriors to flank from both sides. Under the encirclement, the Green Grain Tribe warriors who had been tied down were immediately in a desperate situation.
The battle, or rather the massacre, was almost entirely one-sided. The Green Grain Tribe's warriors, already demoralized, were further scattered and divided by the cavalry. Facing an enemy several times their size and incredibly fierce, they could barely muster any effective resistance. Soon, their formation was completely broken, and the people began to fight individually, only to be cut down one after another, or to throw down their weapons and try to escape, only to be caught up and slaughtered by the cavalry.
The Yexiao's cavalry swept across the battlefield like combs, specifically hunting down fleeing warriors or dragging any attractive young women from among the fleeing crowd.
Xueya led his men in a chase after the slow-moving elderly and children, their sinister laughter and screams echoing across the twilight fields.
As darkness fell rapidly and visibility became blurry, the pursuit gradually ceased. The Wolf Tribe warriors, carrying their loot and driving away their captives, returned one after another to the Green Grain Tribe's camp.
The fire in the camp was brought under control thanks to the efforts of some Wolf Tribe warriors. The main granary and some intact houses were saved. The air was filled with the smells of burning, blood, and the ecstatic joy of looting.
Duyan and Shichui excitedly found Xueya and loudly praised, "Chief! Your move was brilliant! You took over the Green Grain Tribe with minimal effort! Now we have food, women, everything!"
Yexiao also led over, escorting dozens of sobbing young women, his face full of smugness. "Chief, as you ordered, we intercepted quite a few!"
"Good! Well done!" Xueya looked at the mountain of grain, the terrified prisoners, and the admiring gazes of his subordinates, feeling extremely pleased. This raid had yielded far greater results than the Marsh Tribe!
He waved his hand dismissively. "Close the camp gates! Send the brothers to take turns on guard duty! The rest of you, have a good time tonight! Plenty of food! And these new 'guests'..." His lewd gaze swept over the captured women, "... treat them well!"
"Ooh-hoo!" The Wolf Tribe warriors roared like wild beasts. The leaders and Xiaotou rushed towards the female captives, while the ordinary soldiers began to scramble for food and the few scraps they had plundered.
Surrounded by several leaders, Xueya walked towards a large, relatively intact house that had been seized. Inside, another crime was about to unfold. This night would be one of destruction and sorrow for the Green Grain Tribe, but a night of exhilarating revelry for the Wolf Tribe.