Forcing More Young Adults into the Ranks

In the Mound Tribe's camp, Xueya sat in the largest wooden hut, a bowl of hot soup with a few pieces of meat floating in front of him. He sipped it slowly, his gaze peering through the crack in the door at the warriors sitting around the campfire outside.

After two days of rest, the Wolf Tribe was indeed in much better spirits. In particular, the newcomers' eyes were no longer as evasive as when they first arrived. Some started talking loudly, some were playfully fighting, and some were singing around the campfire. They were starting to resemble the Wolf Tribe.

Xueshou was the first to speak. He sat by the fire, gnawing on a bone with grease dripping from his mouth, and said, "Brother, the brothers have recovered these past two days. Shall we set off tomorrow?"

He tossed the bone aside, wiped his mouth, and said with a fierce glint in his eyes, "If we rest any longer, the brothers won't even want to move."

Xueya nodded, put down the soup bowl, and said, "Two days of rest should be enough. Although our Wolf Tribe's previous operations were well-hidden, there's still a possibility of being discovered if it goes on for too long. Once those tribes realize what's happening and start taking precautions, things will get difficult."

He looked at Xueshou and Yexiao and continued, "This time I'm taking over four hundred people out. You two will come along too. Duzhu will stay behind to guard the Mound Tribe."

Duzhu sat in the corner, fiddling with a bone knife in her hand. She raised her head and said in a moderate voice, "Chief, rest assured, with me watching over the Mound Tribe, nothing will go wrong. I plan to organize those able-bodied women to help guard supplies and patrol and keep watch."

Xueya nodded in satisfaction and said, "The Mound Tribe is now our Wolf Tribe's main supply base. We can't afford any mistakes. With you guarding it, we can go out with peace of mind." He paused, gave a few more instructions on the guarding of supplies and the allocation of personnel, and then waved for everyone to prepare.

The next morning, before dawn, Xueya led his team to set off. More than four hundred people rode horses and galloped northward in a grand procession. The new recruits were already used to this kind of march and were no longer panicked. They rode their horses and followed closely behind the team in front. Occasionally, someone would whisper a few words, but they were quickly silenced by Yexiao's gaze.

As dusk fell, the Wild Pig Tribe 'Wild Pig Tribe camp came into view. Nestled in a mountain hollow, the camp was quite large, surrounded by a wooden fence. Several rows of brambles grew outside the fence, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. The sounds of people could be faintly heard. The defenses seemed more robust than those of other tribes. Xueya reined in his horse, raised his hand to signal everyone to stop, and then said, "Let's hide and rest for a while, and 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 Wild Pig Tribe's camp. More than four hundred men surged in like a tidal wave, and screams, cries, and shouts instantly erupted in the Wild Pig Tribe's camp. Most of the Wild Pig Tribe's sixty-odd able-bodied men were still asleep when they were pinned to the ground. The few who tried to resist were quickly overpowered by Yexiao and his men.

In less than half an hour, the entire Wild Pig Tribe's camp was under control. The Wild Pig Tribe's leader, Tooth, was brought before Xueya by Yexiao. He was a man in his forties, with a stocky build and a round face full of terror. He knelt on the ground, trembling all over, and could barely speak.

Now that the Wolf Tribe's strength has greatly increased, Xueya didn't bother with further words. He squatted down, looked into Fang's eyes, and said, word by word, "We are Wolf Tribe from the south, living by raiding and plundering. We would like to invite your Wild Pig Tribe to join our Wolf Tribe. What do you say?"

Tooth opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but no sound came out. Xueshou's knife was already at his neck, cold and sharp, pressed against his skin. Tooth could feel the chill from the blade. If he dared to say no, the knife would cut him.

"My elder brother is asking you a question!" Xueshou's voice boomed like thunder. "Agree and join our Wolf Tribe to eat meat and drink wine to your heart's content! Disagree and we'll slaughter you all!"

Tooth shuddered, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed. He looked at Xueya's cold face, then at the ferocious Wolf Tribe warriors, and then at his tribesmen who were being herded together and trembling. He knew that the Wild Pig Tribe had no other choice.

"We... the Wild Pig Tribe are willing to follow your Wolf Tribe." These words came out as if he had swallowed Shitou, and as soon as they left his mouth, he went limp and collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Xueya and Xueshou exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. The laughter echoed through the camp in the early morning, sounding particularly jarring. The warriors of the Wolf Tribe joined in the laughter, which then spread throughout the entire camp.

After everyone finished laughing, Xueya personally untied Tooth, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "That's more like it. From now on, we're all brothers."

He pulled his teeth up from the ground, his tone as warm as if he were an old friend. "Your Wild Pig Tribe works hard all year round and still can't get enough to eat. Now, if you work with our Wolf Tribe, you'll soon be living a better life, definitely much better than your hard work farming."

Tooth forced a smile, which looked worse than a Xueya. Then, with a wave of his hand, he ordered his men to bring out the Wild Pig Tribe's grain and meat. Dozens of sacks of grain, dozens of pigs, and over a dozen jars of wine were piled up in the center of the Wild Pig Tribe's camp. He said, "Everyone, have a good meal today!" He shouted, "As long as you follow our Wolf Tribe, you'll have food every day from now on!"

The fire was lit, the pig 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 Wild Pig Tribe were initially hesitant to move, but the aroma of the meat and their rumbling stomachs made them unable to resist starting to eat. They hadn't eaten such fatty pork in a long time. Tooth sat next to Xueya, eating and drinking heartily, and a smile gradually appeared on his face. He had stopped trembling.

As evening fell, having eaten and drunk his fill, Xueya stood up, looked at Yexiao, and said, "Let's get ready to set off. We're heading to the next tribe soon."

Xueya led his team out into the night, making their way towards the Ape Tribe. The Wolf Tribe over five hundred, moved through the darkness. The newcomers from the Wild Pig Tribe followed in the procession, walking silently. They did not run, nor did they dare to.

Night fell, and the Ape Tribe Ape Tribe's camp lay ahead. Built by the river, the camp was larger than that of the Wild Pig Tribe. The embers of the campfire still emitted wisps of smoke, and all was quiet. Xueya ordered the group to stop and rest in hiding. As soon as dawn broke, Yexiao led his men in. The sixty-odd able-bodied men of the Ape Tribe were subdued before they could even react. The same methods, the same rhetoric, the same threats and inducements—no one dared to resist, and no one could resist.

Xueya stood in the center of the camp, looking at the Ape Tribe tribe members who had been herded together. His heart was as calm as still water. A tribe of three hundred people, sixty able-bodied men were not enough, he needed more. In the next few days, Xueya led his men to sweep through the area! Thicket Tribe, three hundred people, taken down; Wilderness Tribe, three hundred people, taken down; Fallen Flower Tribe, three hundred people, taken down.

Every tribe used the same method: they stormed in before dawn, took control of everyone, picked out the able-bodied men, lured them with food, and forced them to join with knives and guns. In five days, all three hundred or so able-bodied men from the five tribes were incorporated. The Wolf Tribe's force grew from over four hundred to over seven hundred. Including the people left behind by the Mound Tribe, the Wolf Tribe warriors now numbered eight hundred. In the Fallen Flower Tribe's camp, the campfire was burning brightly. Xueya sat in the largest wooden hut, a bowl of wine in front of him, slowly drinking. Xueshou and Yexiao sat opposite him, both with smiles on their faces.

Yexiao spoke first, his voice low but clear. "Chief, in the past five or six days, our Wolf Tribe has recruited another three hundred young men, but they haven't seen blood yet and are not yet official members of the Wolf Tribe."

He paused, then looked at Xueya and continued, "Only after these newcomers have seen blood will they be truly devoted to following our Wolf Tribe."

Xueshou nodded, downed the wine in his bowl in one gulp, and said, "Yes, brother, it's time for these newbies to see some blood. The brothers should vent their frustrations too."

Xueya put down his wine bowl, looked at the flickering flames, and remained silent for a while. Those newcomers really need to see blood. If we don't let them get their hands dirty soon, some of them will start to have other ideas. We need to make arrangements as soon as possible to let these newcomers get their hands dirty, so that we can cut off their escape route.

"You guys are thinking about the same thing." He looked up at the two of them. "Everyone, get ready today. Tomorrow I'll take the brothers out to let loose."

Xueshou and Yexiao exchanged a glance and smiled. Xueya stood up, walked to the door, and outside, the campfire was bright. The newlyweds sat around the fire, some eating meat, some drinking, and some chatting. They didn't know what awaited them tomorrow. Xueya's lips curled up slightly, and he turned and walked back into the house.