Attacked from Both Sides

After assembling his troops, Yan Dian swept his gaze over everyone present and shouted, "Brothers, the Wolf Tribe has committed countless evils. This time, we must wipe them out completely! Let Xueya know that this land is not something they can simply take!"

The crowd responded in unison, their voices echoing through the night sky.

"Kill the Wolf Tribe! Avenge our humiliation!"

As night deepened, outside the Fish Tribe camp, four hundred cavalrymen were fully prepared for battle. Each rode a tall warhorse and was equipped with fine weapons—a bronze spear, a bronze saber, and a bronze dagger. Two hundred of them also carried powerful horse bows, and their quivers were full of arrows. Under the moonlight, the bronze weapons gleamed with a cold, eerie light. Yan stood at the front of the column, inspecting the equipment of each person.

Is the spear sharpened?

"It's sharpened!"

Is the knife sharp?

"Very fast!"

Is the bowstring tight?

"It's urgent!"

Yan nodded in satisfaction and turned to look at the guide beside him. He was a man in his forties from the Fish Tribe named Baitou. He had grown up on this land and knew every path like the back of his hand.

"Uncle Baitou, we're counting on you to lead the way."

Baitou nodded repeatedly. "Young Master Yan, don't worry, I've walked that path for decades, I can walk it with my eyes closed."

Yan mounted his horse and waved his hand.

"Set off!"

Four hundred cavalrymen left the camp silently and disappeared into the night. Their hooves were wrapped in thick linen, making almost no sound as they stepped on the ground. The four hundred men moved silently through the darkness like a group of ghosts.

The Baitou walked at the front, holding a long pole in his hand. He would occasionally probe the path, gently tapping at any ditch or bump; when he encountered a fork in the road, he would wave his hand. The rest of the group followed his guidance, advancing silently. After walking for more than an hour, the group arrived at the edge of a forest.

Baitou stopped, pointed ahead, and said, "Young Chief Yan, once you cross this forest, you'll reach the Wolf Tribe's temporary camp. They're on that small hill over there."

Yan nodded and led the team into the woods. The woods were even darker, almost pitch black, but Baitou was very familiar with the place. He led the team through the woods, turning left and right, and soon appeared behind the Wolf Tribe's temporary camp.

Yan raised his hand, and the group stopped. He carefully observed the camp, which was built on a small hill surrounded by a simple wooden fence. Dozens of campfires were burning inside, and people could be vaguely seen moving around. In the center of the camp, several large tents were pitched, which should be where the leaders lived.

Yan turned to look at the cavalry behind him and said in a low voice, "Let's ambush and rest at the place where the Wolf Tribe fled. Don't make a sound. We'll attack as soon as the Wolf Tribe comes to safety after dawn!"

The cavalrymen traveled some distance before finding their ambush spot. They dismounted, sat down against the tree trunks, and silently ate their rations and drank water. No one spoke; only the rustling of the wind through the treetops could be heard.

Before dawn broke at the Fish Tribe camp, Jianya led his troops out: 1,500 infantry, 300 cavalry, plus over 200 from the Fish Tribe, totaling about 2,000 men, marching in a mighty force toward the Wolf Tribe camp.

Jianya rode at the head of the column, flanked by Dali, followed by three hundred cavalrymen, and then a dense array of infantry.

"Hurry!" Jianya urged, "We must get there before dawn!"

The group quickened their pace, covering seven or eight miles in the blink of an eye. When the Wolf Tribe's camp came into view, it was already dawn. Inside the camp, the Wolf Tribe members had just gotten up and were preparing breakfast. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, creating a bustling scene. Suddenly, someone spotted the group in the distance.

"Enemy attack!"

A scream shattered the morning's tranquility, and the camp instantly descended into chaos. Some searched for weapons, others frantically led their horses, and still others ran around in a panic. Xueya burst out of the largest tent, his face ashen.

What happened?

A sentry stumbled over. "Chief! The Fire Tribe is here! A lot of them! At least two thousand!"

Xueya shuddered. Two thousand men? He abruptly turned his head towards the camp. Sure enough, a dark mass was surging toward them from afar. At the forefront were more than three hundred cavalrymen, followed by a dense array of infantry. So many people! Xueya gasped in shock!

"Gather! Gather now!" he shouted.

But it was too late. Jianya, leading three hundred cavalry, had already reached the camp gate. Instead of charging in directly, they galloped back and forth outside the camp, firing arrows as they ran. Arrows rained down on the camp, and screams echoed everywhere. The Wolf Tribe warriors had just picked up their weapons when they were shot down in droves. Xueya's eyes turned red, and he mounted his horse.

"Charge with me!"

He led over three hundred cavalrymen out of the camp and charged towards the Jianya's cavalry. The two groups of cavalry clashed, swords flashing and shouts of battle deafening. But as soon as they engaged, Xueya realized something was wrong. Every cavalryman from the Fire Tribe possessed bronze weapons! Their swords were far sharper than the stone swords of the Wolf Tribe; their spears were far stronger than the wooden spears of the Wolf Tribe; and their armor was far more durable than the leather armor of the Wolf Tribe.

In a single encounter, dozens of members of the Wolf Tribe fell, and Xueya was terrified.

"Retreat!" he roared, "Retreat now!"

He turned his horse around, spurred it on, and charged out of the camp. Behind him, more than three hundred cavalrymen followed closely. He ignored the entangled cavalrymen, the infantrymen who couldn't run anymore, and the panicked logistics personnel...

"My own life is the priority!" Jianya sneered as he watched Xueya flee in a disheveled state.

"Chase!"

He led two hundred cavalrymen in hot pursuit. Outside the Wolf Tribe's camp, chaos reigned, with corpses and the groans of wounded soldiers everywhere. The infantry and logistics personnel who hadn't managed to escape were surrounded by the Fire Tribe's warriors, kneeling on the ground, trembling. Dali led his infantry into the camp, hacking and slashing at anyone they saw. The piles of rice, like Little Mountain, and the supplies that hadn't yet been loaded onto carts, all became spoils of war.

"That's great!" Dali laughed Dali. "Let you rob me! What you've got is just giving it to us!"

The Julang and Shentan also brought the Fish Tribe people in. When they saw the captured Wolf Tribe warriors, their eyes turned red.

"Kill! Avenge our fallen brothers!"

They pounced on them, hacking and slashing wildly. Screams and pleas for mercy filled the air. Xueya led his remaining troops in a desperate eastward retreat. Of the more than three hundred cavalrymen, less than two hundred remained, and all of them were wounded and in a sorry state.

"Faster! Faster!" Xueya whipped the horse desperately, wishing it would grow eight legs.

Behind him, the pursuers from Jianya were getting closer and closer. Suddenly, a series of rapid hoofbeats came from ahead. Xueya looked up and his face turned pale instantly. A troop of cavalry, at least four hundred men, had charged out from the path ahead, forming a neat formation and blocking their way. There were two men leading the way.

One was Yan, the other was Dali. Xueya suddenly reined in his horse, his eyes wide open.

"The young chieftain of the Fire Tribe?"

Yan, mounted on his horse, watched him coldly.

"Xueya, I've been waiting for you for so long."

He waved his hand.

"Release the arrows!"

Two hundred powerful bows were released simultaneously, and arrows rained down on the remnants of the Wolf Tribe. Screams rose and fell, and dozens of the Wolf Tribe cavalrymen were hit by arrows and fell from their horses, rolling on the ground screaming. Xueya brandished his bone knife, desperately trying to block the arrows, but those around him fell one after another.

"Charge! Charge through!" he roared frantically.

The remaining cavalrymen spurred their horses on desperately, charging towards Yan's troops. Yan sneered and drew his bronze sword.

"Kill!"

Four hundred cavalrymen charged down the mountain like tigers, rushing towards the remnants of the Wolf Tribe. The two groups of cavalry clashed violently, and Shichui, wielding his Shichui, charged toward Yan.

"You little brat, you're going to die!"

Yan coldly stared at him, spurred his horse forward, and the two horses passed each other. Yan's bronze sword flashed, and a spurt of blood shot out from Shichui's chest. He stared wide-eyed at the wound on his chest in disbelief, then collapsed to the ground with a thud. Yan reined in his horse and glanced back.

Shichui lay in a pool of blood, twitching a few times before moving slower and slower. He turned his head and looked ahead, where Xueya was leading his remaining troops, desperately charging outwards.

"Chase!"

Wan led his cavalry in hot pursuit, killing and slashing all the way. When Xueya finally broke through the encirclement, he had less than a hundred men left with him. Yexiao, covered in blood, followed beside him.

"Chief... let's go..."

Xueya glanced back; behind him, Yan's pursuers were getting closer and closer. He gritted his teeth and spurred his horse on with all his might.

"Walk!"

The remnants of the Wolf Tribe fled in disarray, disappearing at the crossroads ahead. Yan reined in his horse, watched Xueya disappear into the distance, and smiled coldly.

"We might be able to run today, but we can't run tomorrow. Let's clean up the battlefield first."