Abnormally Smooth

Before dawn the next day, Xueya had already assembled his troops. In the center of the Firewood Tribe's camp, more than 800 people stood in a dark mass. Among them, more than 200 were veterans of the Wolf Tribe, each with fierce eyes. The remaining 500 or so were newly recruited young men—about 100 from the Charcoal Fire Tribe, about 100 from the Firewood Tribe, and more than 300 from smaller tribes that had been brought in from earlier.

The recruits' eyes held a complex mix of emotions. Some were filled with fear and anxiety, others with numbness and confusion, while many others had a sparkle of excitement and anticipation in their eyes—young people seduced by Xueya's promise of "meat to eat and women to play with."

Xueya, mounted on his horse, glanced at the group. In just two days, they had grown from over six hundred to over eight hundred. This rapid expansion startled him, but at the same time, an irrepressible surge of pride welled up within him.

"Listen!" Xueya's voice echoed in the morning air. "Leave fifty men behind at the Firewood Tribe to look after the elderly, women, and children. The rest of you, follow me!"

The order was passed down, and a squad of fifty men was separated and left behind in the Firewood Tribe. Most of them were older veterans or those still recovering from injuries. Although they could not participate in the next battle, they were more than capable of guarding the unarmed women and children. The remaining seven hundred men, led by Xueya, headed towards the Mole Burrow Tribe in the north.

The column moved quickly, and the newly recruited young men dared not slack off, gritting their teeth to keep up with the veterans' pace. The cavalrymen darted back and forth in front of and behind the column, responsible for scouting and guarding.

The Mole Burrow Tribe is about a day's journey from the Firewood Tribe. It is a tribe that digs underground caves. Scouts reported that the tribe has more than 500 people, with a little over 100 able-bodied men, and their fighting strength is not strong. On the morning of the third day, before dawn, Xueya's team reached the outskirts of the Mole Burrow Tribe.

This tribe's camp is quite unique—instead of building thatched huts or wooden houses, they dug hundreds of semi-subterranean pits on a hillside, with the entrances covered by wooden frames and animal hides, making it look like a cluster of graves from a distance.

"No wonder they're called the Mole Burrow Tribe," the Duyan man sneered. "They really are a bunch of burrowing rats."

Xueya didn't laugh; he carefully observed the camp.

"Yexiao," Xueya ordered, "Take a hundred cavalrymen and circle around the camp. Prevent them from escaping."

"Understood." Yexiao acknowledged the order and departed.

"Shichui, Duyan, each of you take two hundred men and flank from the left and right. I'll lead the rest to attack from the front."

With deployment complete, each team began their operation. As dawn broke, Xueya sounded his Niujiao.

"Waaah--"

The sound of horns broke the morning's tranquility.

"Rush!"

Shouts of battle rang out from all directions as the Wolf Tribe warriors rushed out of their hiding places and pounced on the burrows. The battle was easier than expected. The Mole Burrow Tribe was indeed vigilant, but their fighting strength was too weak. Many people had just crawled out of their burrows and hadn't even seen who their enemies were before they were pinned to the ground. The few able-bodied men who tried to resist were quickly overpowered.

Only a few who managed to escape showed themselves before being intercepted by Yexiao's cavalry. They were either driven back or killed on the spot. In less than half an hour, the entire tribe was under control. The leader of the Mole Burrow Tribe was a short, thin, middle-aged man named Tuzhua. When he was brought before Xueya, he was trembling and could barely speak.

"We surrender... we surrender..." Tuzhua surrendered almost before Xueya could even speak.

Xueya was satisfied. As usual, he collected weapons, reorganized the able-bodied men, left a few dozen to guard the elderly, women, and children, and then led the team, which had expanded to more than 800 people, on their way. Their next target was the Firefly Marsh Tribe.

This tribe lived on the edge of a swampy wetland. They were skilled at making Luwei boats and fish baskets, but knew nothing about land warfare. When Xueya's army arrived, the people of the Firefly Marsh Tribe were fishing in the swamp. When they saw the dark army on the shore, they were so frightened that they surrendered without even thinking of resisting.

The leader of the Firefly Marsh Tribe was an old man with a wrinkled face named Zecao. He tremblingly handed over the tribe's scepter—a wooden stick carved with fish patterns—to show his submission. Xueya accepted it all, and with the addition of about a hundred more young men, the group expanded once again.

The Wolf Tribe's next target was the Boat People Tribe, who lived by the river. Their camp was built on the high ground of the riverbank and had a simple wooden fence. This time, Xueya did not launch a surprise attack or a full-scale assault. He had Yexiao's cavalry cut off the land route first, and then he led the main force to the camp gate in a swaggering manner.

The chief of the Boat People Tribe was a burly man in his forties named Muzhou. He stood behind the fence, looking at the vast, dark mass of people outside, his face ashen.

"To surrender or not to surrender?" Xueya asked directly after chatting with him for a while while riding his horse.

Muzhou glanced at his people—over a hundred able-bodied men, armed with rudimentary weapons, mostly harpoons and wooden spears—and then at the fierce-looking warriors outside...

He sighed deeply and opened the camp gate.

"We... surrender."

Thus, in just three days, all three tribes, each with more than five hundred members, were subdued, and the Wolf Tribe's population expanded wildly like a snowball.

Including the young men from the smaller tribes they had previously captured, as well as the three hundred veterans from the Wolf Tribe, the total number of the Wolf Tribe warriors reached over 1,100.

Moreover, Xueya captured more than forty dwarf horses from these three tribes, expanding the Wolf Tribe's cavalry to more than two hundred and twenty men. Xueya stood on a high point in the Boat People Tribe, looking down at the dark mass of troops below.

Including those who stayed behind in other tribes, there are more than 1,100 people in total...

This number made his heart race and his breathing quicken! At its peak last autumn, the Wolf Tribe's vassal tribes combined didn't even reach this scale, and now, in less than ten days, he had done it again—no, he had even surpassed it!

These newly recruited young men, though forced into it, have gradually begun to resemble warriors after these few days of "adjustment." More importantly, the Wolf Tribe also holds their families in their hands—the elderly, women, and children left behind in various tribal camps. These are the best hostages and the most effective means of control.

"Chief," Yexiao approached and reported in a low voice, "The able-bodied men of each tribe have been reorganized. As you instructed, they have been dispersed and mixed together, and each squad is led by one of our veterans."

Xueya nodded. "Where are the family members?"

"Each tribe has been left with fifty men to guard the area, totaling two hundred and fifty. They are all reliable veterans, along with some young and strong men who have previously been involved in bloodshed. There shouldn't be any problems."

"Food and supplies?"

"The inventory is being taken. Preliminary estimates indicate that there are over 300,000 jin of grain, several thousand head of cattle and sheep, as well as a large quantity of tools, animal hides, and coarse pottery."

Xueya took a deep breath. Over 300,000 catties of grain... enough to feed everyone for quite some time.

"Alright." He turned and looked north. "Pass down the order: rest for a day, and depart first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Where to?" Yexiao asked.

A cold glint flashed in Xueya's eyes. "Head north, to the true territory of the Horse Tribe."

Yexiao was startled. "Chief, although we have more men now, the truly capable fighters are still those nearly three hundred veterans. Many of the newly recruited soldiers have never seen blood or experienced real combat. If a real fight breaks out, I'm afraid..."

"That's why we need to take them to see blood!" Xueya interrupted him. "Only by killing on a real battlefield will they completely give up any thought of turning back!"

He paused, then added, "Moreover, the main force of the Horse Tribe is in the grasslands further north. We only operate on the edge of their sphere of influence, raiding a few medium-sized tribes, and then running away. By the time the Horse Tribe gets the news and brings their people over, we'll have already retreated almost entirely."

Yexiao wanted to say something, but seeing Xueya's determined gaze, he could only nod. "Yes."

The order was given, and the troops rested at the Boat People Tribe. That night, the camp was unusually lively. Xueya ordered that the grain and meat captured from the various tribes be brought out and the warriors be allowed to eat to their hearts' content. Bonfires were lit one after another, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the entire camp. The veterans of the Wolf Tribe gathered around the fires, eating and drinking heartily, loudly boasting about their "victories."

The newly recruited young men were initially somewhat reserved, but under the lure of food, they gradually opened up. They listened to the veterans recount the "glorious history" of the Wolf Tribe, to hear them boast about how they had swept through the western tribes last autumn, and to describe the "good days" of mountains of looted grain and women they could choose at will...

Many young people's eyes lit up. Yes, why work so hard farming, hunting, and fishing, only to be hungry all year round? Follow the Wolf Tribe, and one raid will be enough to feed them for months!

This idea of getting something for nothing, like poison, eroded their minds. Xueya sat by the largest campfire, coldly observing everything. He saw the changes in the recruits' eyes—from initial fear and numbness to current excitement and longing. He saw some veterans teaching the recruits how to use the stolen weapons, how to wear leather armor, and how to survive in battle.

He watched as the new recruits clumsily imitated him, but their eyes grew increasingly fierce.

"It'll be soon," Xueya thought to himself. "After one or two more real battles, many of them will completely transform into wolves."

The next morning, the group set off again. More than 900 people marched north in a grand procession. The cavalry scouted ahead, the infantry followed in the middle, and the logistics and supplies brought up the rear (600 logistics personnel from the Wolf Tribe also came). The group stretched out in a long line, moving through the hills and valleys like a giant venomous snake slowly slithering toward its prey. Xueya rode on his horse, watching the terrain gradually open up ahead.

This area is already within the territory of the Horse Tribe. According to the scouts, if we travel north for another day, we will encounter the first true subordinate tribe of the Horse Tribe —a tribe that mainly raises horses, with a population of about 600, more than 100 able-bodied men, and more than 100 horses.

"One hundred ponies..." Xueya licked his lips.

If they could take down that tribe, the Wolf Tribe's cavalry could expand to more than three hundred men. At that time, the Wolf Tribe would truly have the capital to dominate this region. He glanced back at the troops behind him.

This team is still very inexperienced, with too many new recruits and varying combat capabilities, but that doesn't matter. Blood will temper them, and battle will hone them.

Once they've truly seen blood, killed people, and stolen things...

At that time, the Wolf Tribe will truly be reborn. Xueya gripped the Jiangsheng tightly, a cold yet fanatical light flashing in his eyes.

"Speed up," he told the messenger. "Reach the vicinity of the target before nightfall!"

"Yes!"

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