Pressing More Into Service!

On the second morning after the arrival of the White Sheep Tribe, the atmosphere in the camp had completely changed. The newly recruited young men, after a night's rest and the "hospitality" of the Wolf Tribe —large chunks of roasted meat, piping hot meat soup, and even sheep milk scavenged from the White Sheep Tribe —had gradually recovered from their initial fear and guilt.

They sat in twos and threes around the fire, gnawing on meat and drinking soup. Their eyes were still somewhat dazed, but they were no longer as dull as they had been yesterday. Some of them were even talking in hushed tones, and occasionally a few dry laughs would escape their lips. Their animal skin clothing was still stained with blood, and the aura they exuded had taken on the distinctive ferocity of the Wolf Tribe warriors.

Xueya stood in the center of the camp, silently observing the people. He noticed that several young men who had been particularly "brave" in yesterday's massacre were now surrounded by other newcomers, who were enthusiastically recounting their "heroic deeds" of "one kill per person." Meanwhile, those who had retreated, vomited, or even cried yesterday were marginalized and could only huddle in a corner, silently eating their food.

"Very good." Xueya nodded inwardly.

He was very skilled at using the tactics of dividing and winning over, setting examples, and eliminating the weak. After only a few uses, this group of new recruits would be completely transformed into qualified Wolf Tribe warriors.

He turned to a Xiaotou beside him and said, "Go and call over those few who performed well yesterday."

Soon, seven or eight strong young men were brought before Xueya. Most of them were in their early twenties, with burly builds and eyes that held both trepidation and a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.

"You all performed well yesterday," Xueya said slowly, his gaze sweeping across each person's face. "As agreed, there will be a reward."

With a wave of his hand, several veterans from the Wolf Tribe came over carrying bundles of things and threw them on the ground—several relatively intact leather armors seized from the White Sheep Tribe, along with a few well-polished Shimao and bone knives.

"These are a reward for you," Xueya said. "Put on your leather armor and take your weapons. From today onward, you no longer need to follow others. Each of you will lead a squad of new recruits and act on my orders."

The young men were stunned, then their faces lit up with ecstatic joy. They hurriedly picked up their leather armor and weapons, repeatedly expressing their gratitude. "Thank you, Chief! Thank you, Chief!"

"Work hard." Xueya patted one of them on the shoulder. "Follow the Wolf Tribe, and you'll have meat to eat, soup to drink, and women to play with. Those who disobey—"

He pointed to the pile of corpses outside the camp that hadn't been dealt with yet.

The men shuddered in fright and nodded repeatedly, "Understood! Understood!"

Xueya waved for them to leave, then walked to a high point in the camp and shouted to everyone, "Listen up! Finish eating, pack your gear, and get ready to go! The dozen or so wounded and the logistics personnel stay behind to organize the supplies and return to High Pointed Mountain first. The rest of you, follow me!"

The camp immediately sprang into action. Wounded warriors were selected to stay behind with the logistics personnel, while the others began packing their belongings, checking their weapons, and preparing to depart. Half an hour later, a group of over three hundred people left the White Sheep Tribe camp and headed north towards the Black Sheep Tribe.

Xueya rode at the head of the column, followed by a dozen or so cavalrymen, the most elite warriors of the Wolf Tribe. The remaining cavalrymen were scattered on both sides and at the rear of the column, responsible for guarding and relaying messages. The Black Sheep Tribe was only half a sunset's journey (about half a day) from the White Sheep Tribe. Xueya led the cavalry ahead, while the rest of the group, led by a few Xiaotou, followed behind.

They rode very fast, and in less than an hour, Xueya encountered Shichui, Duyan, and Yexiao coming from the opposite direction.

These three men also arrived on horseback, followed by a dozen or so cavalrymen. They had received a messenger from Xueya yesterday and knew that they would be discussing the next steps today, so they set off from the Black Sheep Tribe early this morning to meet up.

"Chief!" Shichui was the first to spur his horse forward, his face full of excitement. "Chief, we had a blast fighting the Black Sheep Tribe yesterday!"

He spoke with spittle flying and his eyes gleaming with excitement, "We only wounded a dozen or so brothers, and we wiped them all out! We looted a huge amount of grain, cattle, sheep, and horses! Awesome! So awesome!"

Duyan urged his horse forward, grinning maliciously, and said, "We've also captured over forty ponies. Now our cavalry exceeds one hundred and fifty men! In this area, we can fight whenever we want and leave whenever we want. Who can stop us?"

Yexiao was relatively calmer, but couldn't hide his delight. "Chief, we've arrived on horseback first, and the main force is not far behind. What do you suggest, where should we attack next?"

Xueya looked at the three of them, feeling quite satisfied. So far, the northern raid had gone smoothly.

"Well done." Xueya nodded. "Not a single person escaped, that's crucial. As long as the Horse Tribe hasn't received the news, we can continue our activities for a while longer."

He dismounted and said to the three men, "Let's talk down."

The four dismounted and formed a circle. Xueya took the simple animal hide map off the horse and spread it on the ground.

The map was drawn with charcoal on tanned animal hide. The lines were rough, but the general locations and markings were still clear. It marked the tribes that the Wolf Tribe had already raided, as well as some surrounding targets that had not yet been targeted.

"Look," Xueya pointed to the map, "We're here now. In this battle, more than thirty of us were wounded and stayed behind in the White Sheep and Black Sheep Tribe to organize supplies with the logistics personnel. We'll return to High Pointed Mountain first."

He drew a circle on the map with his finger. "Right now, we have over 660 capable fighters at our disposal."

"Over six hundred and sixty people?" Shichui Hammer grinned. "That's quite a lot! At our peak last year, we only had a little over nine hundred people outside!"

"That's a lot," Xueya nodded, "But not enough."

He looked up at the three of them. "My goal is to regain the strength I had last autumn!"

Duyan gasped. "Restored to last year's strongest strength?"

"Yes." Xueya's finger moved across the map. "Nearby, there are five other slightly larger tribes: Charcoal Fire Tribe, Firewood Tribe, Mole Burrow Tribe, Firefly Marsh Tribe, and Boat People Tribe. Each tribe has over five hundred people, and if you add up all the able-bodied men, the total is at least over five hundred."

Yexiao frowned. "Five tribes... can we handle them all?"

"Divide and conquer," Xueya said. "We won't fight head-on; we'll use the old methods—sneak attacks, night raids, and coercion! First, subdue their able-bodied men, control their leaders and families, and force them to join us."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, we now have over 150 cavalrymen, highly mobile, so taking down all five tribes quickly shouldn't be a problem."

Shichui was filled with excitement. He slapped his thigh and shouted, "Let's do it! Chief, you tell us what to do, and we'll do it!"

Duyan grinned sinisterly, "That's right, let's seize the moment and press on!"

Yexiao thought for a moment and asked, "Then... what's the order? Which one should we attack first?"

Xueya tapped the map twice with his finger. "Let's attack the Charcoal Fire Tribe and the Firewood Tribe first. These two tribes are closest to each other, both to the east, about a sunset away from our current position. We can control one tribe first and then quickly take control of the next one!"

He then pointed to three other locations. "After dealing with these two, go to the Mole Burrow Tribe. Then turn west and deal with the Firefly Marsh Tribe, and finally the Boat People Tribe —this tribe is by a small river, so we need to be careful and not let them escape."

The plan was clear, and the four discussed some details. As they were talking, the main force from behind arrived one after another, joining together. The nearly 600-strong force kicked up a cloud of dust.

Xueya put away the map, mounted his horse, and said, "Send the order: rest here for a bit, have something to eat, and set off in half an hour. Destination— Charcoal Fire Tribe!"

The order was quickly passed down, and the troops stopped to rest. The soldiers took out their rations and water and ate silently. Xueya and the three leaders also dismounted, found a place to sit down, and Shichui handed over a piece of charred jerky. Xueya took it and chewed it slowly.

"Chief," Yexiao suddenly spoke, "I have a question."

"Explain."

"What we're doing is creating too much of a commotion," Yexiao said worriedly. "Five medium-sized tribes, totaling over two thousand people. Even if we act quickly, it's impossible to keep it completely secret. What if the Horse Tribe gets wind of it beforehand and brings their people over..."

Xueya was silent for a moment before saying, "You're right, so we need to be quick and ruthless, to achieve our objective before they can react."

He stood up, dusted himself off, and said, "Besides, even if the Horse Tribe comes, we're not afraid."

He pointed to the troops resting in the distance. "Once we take down these five tribes, we'll have over a thousand men! With that kind of strength, the Horse Tribe will have to think twice before they try to take us down, unless they can unite with other tribes, but that will take time."

Shichui chimed in, "That's right! As long as we're fast, we can get out of there before they gather their forces!"

The Duyan sneered, "Even if a fight breaks out, we're not afraid. Every brother in our Wolf Tribe has crawled out of piles of corpses. Can those farmers and herders compare to us?"

Xueya remained silent. He knew in his heart that Yexiao's concerns were valid. This operation was extremely risky, and if they were intercepted by the Horse Tribe, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But he had no choice. If the Wolf Tribe wanted to rise again, it had to take risks, seize enough people, food, and horses, and grow rapidly to a point where its enemies dared not provoke it easily.

This is the only way out for the Wolf Tribe! Half an hour later, the group set off again. The group of more than 600 people headed east toward the Charcoal Fire Tribe, with cavalry scouting ahead, infantry in the middle, and scouts guarding the rear.

The Charcoal Fire Tribe has about 500 people, with about 100 able-bodied men, and their fighting ability is average.

"A sunset..." Xueya murmured to himself, "Time's up."

He looked back at the ranks behind him. The newly recruited young men, after yesterday's "baptism of blood," were gradually taking on the appearance of warriors. They were no longer as timid as they had been at the beginning; their eyes held a fierce glint, and their gait was more powerful.

"A few more times," Xueya thought, "And they'll completely turn into wolves."

The group moved through relatively flat, gently rolling hills. No one spoke; everyone knew that another bloody battle was likely ahead, but no one retreated, for they all knew the consequences of retreat. Xueya looked up at the sky; the sun was high overhead, the hottest time of day. He licked his chapped lips, a cold glint in his eyes.

"Speed up," he said to the messenger beside him. "Reach the outskirts of the Charcoal Fire Tribe before nightfall."

"Yes!"

Once the order was given, the team's speed noticeably increased.