Encirclement

When Wu Xiong, the leader of the Hundred Crafts Tribe, heard that the powerful Fire Tribe leader Jianshi was personally leading his army north to invite everyone to ambush and kill the Wolf Tribe, he excitedly exclaimed, "Good! Good! Good!" Wu Xiong's voice boomed like a bell, "Those beasts of the Wolf Tribe, they've finally met their match!"

The Hundred Crafts Tribe now has nearly 1,800 people, including more than 300 warriors. Wu Xiong immediately summoned the two leaders, Shifu and Kaishan.

"Shifu, you take one hundred infantrymen, all equipped with the best weapons and leather armor!" Wu Xiong ordered. "Kaishan, you take five cavalrymen with Shifu and go with the Fire Tribe brothers to teach the Wolf Tribe a lesson! Remember, this time we not only fight, but we also want to show the might of our Hundred Crafts Tribe!"

Shifu nodded heavily, then turned to assemble the team. Kaishan rubbed his hands excitedly, "Don't worry, Chief, we'll definitely teach the Wolf Tribe a lesson this time!"

Meanwhile, at the Beast Taming Tribe's camp, Chief Muye listened to the accounts from the messengers of the Fire Tribe and the Pottery Salt Tribe, and then carefully inquired about the Fire Tribe's troop deployment.

"Chief Jianshi of the Fire Tribe has come in person... and with seven hundred soldiers..." Muye pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded. "The Wolf Tribe has been wreaking havoc for so long; it's time for an end to this."

The Beast Taming Tribe now has a population of about 1,200, with about 240 warriors. The Muye, Muye, summoned two leaders: the Liequan and the Jiangsheng.

"Liequan, this time you'll take fifty infantrymen," Muye ordered. "Jiangsheng, you'll take five cavalrymen, responsible for liaison and reconnaissance. You'll go with the Fire Tribe and be under the command of Chief Jianshi."

The Liequan licked its lips, its eyes gleaming with ferocity. "Those wolf cubs, this time we'll teach them a lesson in the might of our Beast Taming Tribe!"

The Fish Tribe camp was shrouded in a low-pressure atmosphere. In the largest wooden house, the Canglan chieftain's face was ashen. Before him knelt Julang and Shentan. Julang lowered his head, while Shentan was pale.

"A field battle? You knew the enemy outnumbered you and still chose to fight the Wolf Tribe in the field?!" Canglan's voice trembled with rage. "Three hundred elite troops! Those were the elite soldiers our Fish Tribe had trained for so many years! You wiped them all out in one fell swoop! Even the leader of the Powang is gone!"

Julang's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately it turned into a painful sigh. Shentan quickly spoke up, "Chief, what happened at the time..."

"Shut up!" Canglan interrupted him, "You're not immune to this either! As a deputy general, how could you not try to stop it!"

Just then, an announcement came from outside. "Chief! Messengers from the Fire Tribe and the Pottery Salt Tribe have arrived! They came by fast boat from the water!"

Canglan was taken aback, then a glint flashed in his eyes. "Please come in quickly!"

When the messenger entered the cabin and explained in detail the invitation from Jianshi and the current state of the battle, the atmosphere inside the cabin suddenly changed.

Canglan abruptly stood up, the gloom on his face vanishing instantly. "Chief Jianshi has come in person? And with seven hundred soldiers? Good! Excellent!"

He paced back and forth, his mind racing. "According to Julang and the others, the Wolf Tribe and the Fish Tribe lost at least 200 men in the battle. Subtracting the wounded, even fewer are fit to fight! The Fire Tribe has sent 700 men this time, with 200 cavalry already deployed, and 300 elite troops following behind. Pottery and Salt Hundred Crafts, and Beast Taming will also participate, plus our Fish Tribe..."

He turned to look at the Julang and the Shentan still kneeling on the ground. "Do you want to perform meritorious service to wash away your shame?"

Julang suddenly raised his head, his eyes blazing with renewed fury. "Chief, let me go! This time I will definitely bring Xueya's head back!"

Shentan quickly declared, "I am willing to go with the leader of the Julang!"

Canglan pondered for a moment and considered the situation. The Fish Tribe still had over four hundred warriors, but the camp also needed defense. Canglan quickly made a decision. "Julang, you take one hundred warriors. Shentan, you take five cavalrymen. Also, go to the nearby small tribes and recruit thirty more men. In addition, the remnants of the Marsh Tribe and the Green Grain Tribe are also nearby. Ask them for twenty more men. Once we have one hundred and fifty men, let's set off immediately!"

He stared at the Julang, his tone stern. "You'd better remember this time—all actions must be under the command of the Jianshi Leader! If you dare to act on your own again, you'll pay with your head!"

"Yes!" the Julang and the Shentan responded in unison, then rose and hurriedly departed.

Outside the Little Leaf Tribe's camp, the siege entered its second day. In the morning, the camp gate suddenly opened, Xueya personally led more than eighty cavalrymen and more than three hundred infantrymen out.

"Trying to break through?" Jianshi could see clearly from the distant high ground. "Yingmu, take a squad of cavalry and intercept their left flank! Flame, you take another squad to harass their right flank!"

The Fire Tribe cavalry reacted swiftly. Yingmu led his cavalry in shifts, flanking the Wolf Tribe infantry with Shimao like rain, while Flame led his cavalry in shifts, harassing them with stone ropes.

Just then, shouts of battle suddenly came from not far away. A group of about 150 people appeared in the distance, with Julang at the forefront. His eyes were bloodshot, and he held his harpoon high, roaring, "Xueya! Prepare to die!"

The Wolf Tribe's ranks immediately erupted into chaos. Xueya looked up and his expression changed drastically—there were still people, and quite a few of them!

"An ambush!" Yexiao cried out. "Leader, we've fallen into a trap!"

Xueya gritted his teeth, watching the approaching group draw ever closer. He made a snap judgment—there was no way to break through.

"Retreat to camp!" Xueya roared unwillingly, "Quickly!"

The Wolf Tribe tribe retreated like a receding tide, leaving behind more than twenty people, and fled back to the Little Leaf Tribe's camp in a sorry state, closing the gate tightly.

Julang led his men to the camp's gates. Seeing the gates tightly shut, he was so enraged he nearly vomited blood. Holding a harpoon, he roared at the gates, "Xueya! You coward! Come out and fight me if you dare!"

Jianshi Stone rode over and stopped the impulsive Julang: "Julang Leader, calm down, they can't escape."

Yan also advised, "If we launch a strong attack now, they will hold their ground and we will suffer unnecessary losses. Once our main force arrives and we surround them from all sides, they won't be able to escape."

Julang, panting heavily, finally calmed down after a while. He looked at Jianshi, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "Chief Jianshi, this time our Fish Tribe will certainly obey your command!"

In the afternoon, the allied forces' follow-up troops arrived one after another. There were 100 infantrymen from the Pottery Salt Tribe and two cavalrymen who went to make contact; there was also a team from the Hundred Crafts Tribe, with Shifu leading 100 infantrymen and Kaishan leading five cavalrymen; the Beast Taming Tribe Liequan 50 infantrymen, while the five cavalrymen of the Jiangsheng patrolled and guarded the perimeter. The main force of 300 infantrymen from the Fire Tribe also arrived. As soon as they arrived at the battlefield, they automatically lined up and awaited Jianshi's orders.

Jianshi stood on a high ground, looking down at the troops gathering below. Yan quickly tallied the numbers. "Father, we now have two hundred cavalry and three hundred infantry from the Fire Tribe; twenty cavalry and one hundred infantry from the Hundred Crafts Tribe Pottery Salt Tribe; five cavalry and one hundred infantry from the Hundred Crafts Tribe; five cavalry and fifty infantry from the Beast Taming Tribe; and five cavalry and one hundred and fifty infantry from the Fish Tribe."

He paused, then summarized. "A total of over two hundred cavalry and seven hundred infantry. More than nine hundred in total."

Jianshi nodded. This force already gave them an absolute advantage over the Wolf Tribe, who were trapped in the Little Leaf Tribe camp.

He surveyed the warriors of the various tribes below. These warriors wore different styles of leather armor and carried different types of weapons. Standing together, they appeared somewhat disorganized, but they all shared the same thing in their eyes—hatred for the Wolf Tribe and a desire for victory.

"Send word to all tribal leaders," Jianshi said to Yan, "That they come to me to discuss the overall offensive plan."