Blood Sacrifice and Expansion

In the camp of the Mound Tribe, Xueya sat by the largest fire, holding a roasted lamb leg in his hand, eating it heartily. The meat was roasted to a golden brown, and the fat dripped down his fingers, but he didn't wipe it off, just stuffed it into his mouth. Next to him was a bowl of fruit wine. He took a sip, and the liquid went down his throat, burning and exhilarating!

The others sitting around the table were also eating happily. The newly recruited young men were initially a bit reserved, but once the meat was in their stomachs and the alcohol was in their heads, they gradually loosened up. Some started talking in hushed tones, some clinked their bowls together, and some showed long-lost smiles. Xueya watched all this with a slight upturn of his lips. "Eat up. You need to be full to have the strength to work."

After everyone had finished eating, Xueya stood up and walked towards the largest wooden house in the center of the camp. Xueshou, Yexiao, and Duzhu followed behind him. The door closed, temporarily shutting out the noise outside. The firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, making the house warm and cozy.

Xueshou was the first to speak, his voice rough and filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Brother, now our Wolf Tribe has gathered the able-bodied men from ten smaller tribes, each with about a hundred members, increasing our strength by over two hundred. Adding the elders from our original Wolf Tribe, we now have about three hundred men! This is equivalent to the strength of a tribe of at least fifteen hundred!"

He stood up, paced back and forth, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and said, "Our Wolf Tribe has greatly increased in strength now, and we can set our sights on those tribes with two to five hundred people!"

Yexiao sat by the fire, not as excited as Xueshou, but with a smile on his face. He counted on his fingers, "We recently collected two hundred more ponies, so we have about four hundred now. Once we've trained these new recruits, our Wolf Tribe's strength will increase significantly."

Xueya nodded, his smile deepening. He said, "Now that our Wolf Tribe is much stronger, there's no need to be timid like before. It's time to lead our brothers out and show them what we've got."

Duzhu sat in the corner, silent all along. She was the calmest and most calculating of the leaders. At this moment, she raised her head and said in a measured voice, "Chief, our Wolf Tribe really needs to pull off a few big heists. Our numbers have increased significantly, and we've been indulging in lavish feasts lately. What used to be enough food for about a year now only lasts for a month or two."

Xueya's smile faded slightly. Food was indeed the most urgent matter at the moment. He knew how much food over three hundred people needed each day. If they didn't replenish their supplies soon, they would have to tighten their belts in another month.

"Everyone, get some rest today." He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the three men. "Tomorrow I'll take some men out to get some supplies! Duzhu, you take twenty men to guard the supplies at the Mound Tribe. I'll take Xueshou, Yexiao, and the rest of the men to the nearby Berry Tribe. That tribe has about three hundred people; they're a good target for our Wolf Tribe to practice on."

The three responded in unison and went to make their own arrangements. The next morning, before dawn, Xueya led his team of more than two hundred men on horseback, heading southwest in a grand procession. The newly recruited young men were sandwiched in the middle of the team, with veteran soldiers of the Wolf Tribe in front and behind them. They were used to this kind of march and were no longer as panicked as they were the first time.

As evening fell, the camp of the Berry Tribe came into view. The camp was built on a gentle slope and was much larger than the previous small tribes. Dozens of wooden houses and thatched huts were scattered around, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys and faint sounds of people coming from the air.

Xueya reined in his horse, raised his hand to signal it to stop, and ordered, "Let's hide and rest first, and we'll make our move at daybreak tomorrow."

The Wolf Tribe's forces silently disappeared into the nearby woods. Just as dawn was breaking, Xueya led his men into the Berry Tribe's camp. More than two hundred men surged in like a tidal wave, and screams, cries, and shouts erupted instantly. The young men of the Berry Tribe were awakened from their sleep, and some grabbed their weapons to fight back, but were cut down by the Wolf Tribe members in a single exchange.

Xueya stood in the center of the camp, watching everything, and nodded in satisfaction. This time, those who rushed in were all veterans of the Wolf Tribe. The newcomers only surrounded the perimeter to prevent anyone from escaping. Many of them had never seen real blood before, so they had to take it slow.

Once the camp was completely under control, Xueya called in the newly recruited young men. More than a hundred of the two hundred or so men stood in the camp, their faces pale, some trembling, and some with their heads down, unable to look at the corpses on the ground.

Xueya's gaze swept across their faces, and he said coldly, "Make your move!"

Many of the newcomers who had seen bloodshed in the Cowhide Tribe were already used to it. They picked up their knives and went towards the elderly and children who had been herded together. Some activists even rushed ahead, cutting down the elderly one by one with swift and efficient movements.

But those who were later drawn into the fray— the Quanshui Tribe, the Gale Tribe, the Mountain Valley Tribe, the Rainwater Tribe, and the Mountain Stone Tribe —had never experienced anything like this before. They stood there, their hands trembling, their legs trembling, their whole bodies trembling.

"Attack!" Xueshou shouted, kicking the nearest man in the buttocks. The man staggered forward a few steps, almost dropping his knife. He glanced back and saw Xueshou glaring at him, his hand on the hilt of his knife.

He closed his eyes, raised the knife, his hand trembling, the knife trembling too. The first strike missed, only slicing an old man's shoulder. The old man screamed and fell to the ground. Startled, he dropped the knife. Xueshou kicked at him again. "Pick it up! Try again!"

He picked up the knife with trembling hands, closed his eyes, and slashed down hard. This time, he hit the mark, and warm blood splattered onto his face. He stood there, frozen in place. Xueshou ignored him and turned to lead his men to the next target.

Screams, cries, and pleas for mercy echoed in the air. Some vomited, some knelt on the ground trembling, and some sat blankly with empty eyes after stabbing someone. But most people gradually became numb after the first blow.

Xueya stood aside, watching all this with a sinister smile on his lips. After today, these newcomers would never be able to turn back; they would only be able to follow the Wolf Tribe down a dark path! The Berry Tribe's camp instantly turned into a living hell. The elderly were hacked down, children were killed, and young women were dragged into the straw huts to become the targets of the Wolf Tribe warriors' venting. Cries, screams, and savage laughter mingled together.

Xueya didn't participate. He stood in the center of the camp, watching everything with a calm heart. This was necessary. To turn these newcomers into wolves, they had to see blood. Once they saw enough blood, they would be wolves.

As evening fell, the noise in the camp gradually subsided. Xueya called Xueshou over and said, "Tomorrow, you take twenty men and transport these supplies back to the Mound Tribe. Yexiao and I will take the rest to other tribes to expand our strength!"

Xueshou nodded and immediately made arrangements. The next day, he led about twenty warriors, along with supplies and prisoners, toward the Mound Tribe. Xueya and Yexiao led the remaining two hundred or so members of the Wolf Tribe toward the Moss Tribe. This tribe, with about two hundred people, was not far away and they would arrive by evening. As darkness fell, Xueya led his team to a stop near the Moss Tribe. Xueya instructed everyone to hide and rest, and to make their move at dawn the next day.

The next day, just as dawn broke, Xueya led his men into the Moss Tribe's camp. More than two hundred men, like wolves and tigers, quickly took control of the entire camp. Lütai, the leader of the Moss Tribe, was brought before Xueya. He was a middle-aged man in his forties, lean and wiry, his face pale and his whole body trembling. He looked at these strangers covered in blood, at the dried blood on their knives, and his legs shook.

But he still forced himself to speak, his voice trembling violently, "Fellow warriors... our Moss Tribe is just an honest tribe that farms the land. We don't know where we have offended you. If we have done anything wrong, I apologize in advance!"

Xueya and Xueshou exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. After they finished laughing, Xueya slowly said, "We are Wolf Tribe from the south. You haven't offended us. We just saw that you were having a hard time, and now that we have a good way to make money, we'd like to invite you to join us."

Upon hearing this, Lütai's heart skipped a beat. The person who said this was most likely the leader of a tribe that robbed people everywhere.

He spoke cautiously, trying to make his voice sound as respectful as possible, "Chief, our Moss Tribe is a small tribe and can't be of much help. If you need anything, you can take half of our grain. Consider it a gesture of friendship between our Moss Tribe and your Wolf Tribe."

Xueshou's expression changed upon hearing this. He stepped forward, drew a bone knife from his waist, and held it to Lütai's neck, shouting, "Didn't you hear what my elder brother said? If you dare to disobey again, I'll take your dog's life right now! We'll slaughter all of you clansmen!"

The blade was icy cold, and as it pressed against his skin, Lütai felt a sharp pain in his neck. He froze, afraid to even breathe. He looked at Xueshou's ferocious face, then at the menacing Wolf Tribe warriors around him, and finally at his tribesmen who were huddled together, trembling with fear. He knew that Moss Tribe had no choice.

"I... we, the Moss Tribe, are willing to follow your Wolf Tribe." These words, spoken with the heaviness of Shitou, carried a heavy weight.

Xueya smiled with satisfaction. "That's more like it."

With a wave of his hand, he ordered his men to bring out all the grain and meat from the Moss Tribe —dozens of loads of grain, several sheep, and several jars of wine—and pile them in the center of the camp.

"Don't be shy today, have a good meal!" Xueya shouted. "Follow our Wolf Tribe, and soon you'll get even more good stuff!"

The fire was lit, the meat was roasted, and the wine was poured. The veterans of the Wolf Tribe ate and drank heartily, laughing and talking loudly. The young men of the Moss Tribe initially dared not move, but when they smelled the aroma of the meat and their stomachs rumbled, they couldn't help but start eating as well. Once they took a bite, they couldn't stop.

They ate lunch, and then dinner. Once they were full and satisfied, Xueya stood up and looked at Yexiao. "Let's set off for the next tribe."

Xueya led his team out into the night, making their way towards the Rhizome Tribe. About three hundred men, on horseback and on foot, traversed the darkness. As night deepened, the Rhizome Tribe's camp came into view. Xueya ordered the team to stop and rest in hiding.

As soon as dawn broke, Xueya led his men in. The forty-odd able-bodied men of the Rhizome Tribe were subdued before they could even react. The same methods, the same rhetoric, the same threats and inducements—no one dared to resist, no one could resist. Over the next few days, Xueya and his men swept through the area. The Fir Tree Tribe, over two hundred strong—captured! The Pinecone Tribe, over two hundred strong—captured! The Slender Vine Tribe, over two hundred strong—captured!

Every tribe uses the same method: they rush in before dawn, take control of everyone, pick out the able-bodied men, lure them with food, and coerce them with knives and guns to make them join. Xueya rarely takes action personally anymore. He sits on his horse, watching Yexiao busy ahead, watching the newcomers become members of the Wolf Tribe one by one, his heart as calm as still water.

In five days, five tribes and about two hundred able-bodied men were all incorporated into Xueya's army, greatly increasing the size of the Wolf Tribe Tribe's force. Xueya, riding his horse, looked back at the long line behind him, a slight smile playing on his lips. Now the Wolf Tribe had five hundred warriors!