Strength Restored

Before dawn broke over the Fallen Flower Tribe, Xueya led over seven hundred members of the Wolf Tribe on their journey. The procession was now vast and imposing, the thunderous sound of hooves carrying far through the morning mist. The young and strong men who had recently joined the Wolf Tribe rode closely behind the leading group, not daring to fall behind, knowing that falling behind would not end well.

As dusk fell, the camp of the Firewood Fire Tribe Firewood Fire Tribe came into view of Xueya and his men. The camp was built on a high ground, surrounded by a wooden fence and a moat. It was larger than any of the tribes Xueya had seen before. Smoke rose from the camp, and voices could be heard faintly. It seemed to be a thriving place. Xueya reined in his horse and gestured for everyone to stop.

Yexiao Owl spurred his horse forward and asked in a low voice, "Chief, the Firewood Fire Tribe is a semi-subordinate tribe on the outermost edge of the Great Luwei Tribe. Our Wolf Tribe has already dealt with the subordinate tribes of the Rock Stone Tribe, and now we're attacking a subordinate tribe of the Great Luwei Tribe. Won't we offend both of these major tribes? If both of them react violently, our Wolf Tribe will be in trouble."

Xueya didn't answer Yexiao immediately. He looked at the distant camp of the Firewood Fire Tribe and remained silent for a while. Yexiao's concerns were justified. The Great Rock had more than 6,000 people and the Great Luwei had more than 7,000 people. Offending both sides at the same time was indeed difficult, but he already had a plan in mind.

"We're going to offend them all!" He turned to Yexiao. "By blocking all the paths of these able-bodied men, they'll have no way out! Otherwise, they'll always be thinking about the Great Rock and Great Luwei Tribe, and they won't wholeheartedly follow our Wolf Tribe, nor will they dare to go all out!"

Xueshou, listening to his elder brother's words, suddenly brightened up and slapped his thigh excitedly, saying, "Brother is brilliant! I hadn't even thought of this before you told me!"

Yexiao nodded, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, and said, "The leader really thinks ahead."

Xueya said no more, waved his hand, and ordered, "Take everyone and hide and rest for a while. We'll make our move at daybreak tomorrow!"

The Wolf Tribe's forces silently disappeared into the nearby woods. Xueya sat down against a large tree, closed his eyes, and thought, "Tomorrow, the Wolf Tribe will see blood again. Yexiao is right. The Great Rock and the Great Luwei will eventually realize what's happening, but once the Wolf Tribe has gathered enough manpower, they won't be so afraid."

The next day, before dawn, Xueya woke up. He opened his eyes, and the forest was still pitch black. He could only vaguely see the figures of the Wolf Tribe sentries in the distance. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and walked to the edge of the forest. The Firewood Fire Tribe's camp was just ahead, quiet except for the occasional bark of a dog.

"Leader," Yexiao approached, lowering his voice, "We're all ready."

Xueya nodded and ordered, "Then let's take action!"

Yexiao turned and waved his hand, and more than four hundred members of the Wolf Tribe surged out of the forest like a group of silent ghosts, rushing towards the Firewood Fire Tribe's camp! Xueshou rushed to the front, kicked open the wooden fence gate, and shouts of battle instantly erupted.

The people of the Firewood Fire Tribe were awakened from their sleep by the commotion. Some were cut down before they could even react. Most of the eighty-odd able-bodied men of the Firewood Fire Tribe were killed while still asleep. The few who tried to resist were cut down by the Wolf Tribe warriors in a single exchange. They were no match for the Wolf Tribe warriors. Yexiao stood in the center of the camp, directing the veterans of the Wolf Tribe to clear the battlefield, while Xueya led the three hundred-odd new recruits to form an encirclement around the Firewood Fire Tribe camp.

They rode on horseback, circling the Firewood Fire Tribe's Firewood Fire Tribe to prevent anyone from escaping. The Firewood Fire Tribe members were herded together, the old, weak, women, and children huddled together, trembling. The young women were dragged out of the crowd, their cries and screams filling the air. The veterans of the Wolf Tribe took the opportunity to grope them, some touching, some pinching, laughter and crying mixed together, creating a jarring and chaotic scene.

Xueya rode his horse and led his men into the camp of the Firewood Fire Tribe. Looking at the scene before him, he nodded in satisfaction. Yexiao came forward, still covered in blood, and said, "Chief, the people of the Firewood Fire Tribe have all been taken into custody by our Wolf Tribe. All eighty-odd able-bodied men of theirs have been killed. The old, weak, women, and children are all here, and the young women have also been selected."

Xueya dismounted, his gaze sweeping over the elderly, women, and children who had been herded together—over three hundred people, huddled together, some crying, some trembling, some staring blankly at the corpses scattered on the ground. Xueya turned to look at the three hundred-plus new recruits behind him. They stood there, their faces grim, some trembling all over, some unable to bear looking at the corpses on the ground, some unable to look away, and some already vomiting.

"Let these newbies do it!" Xueya said.

Yexiao understood and led the veterans to herd the three hundred-plus new recruits in front of the elderly, women, and children. Some were forced to close their eyes and hack wildly, some vomited after hacking, and some trembled so much they couldn't hold their knives. Xueya stood aside, watching all this, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Hack, vomit! You'll be fine once you've vomited. Once you've finished hacking, you'll be true members of the Wolf Tribe."

The camp of the Firewood Fire Tribe instantly turned into a living hell. Cries, screams, and pleas for mercy echoed in the air. But gradually, the sounds subsided. It wasn't that everyone had been killed, but rather that the newcomers had gradually become numb.

After a young man felled an elder of the Firewood Fire Tribe, he stood there, stunned. He looked at the blood on his hands, then at the old man lying on the ground, and suddenly laughed—a sinister laugh, as if he had become a different person. An old soldier beside him patted him on the shoulder. "Good lad, well done this time." He nodded and moved on to the next man.

Xueya turned away, no longer looking. He walked to the largest wooden hut in the center of the camp, pushed open the door, and went inside. The hut was in disarray, with animal hides and rough pottery scattered on the floor. The fire in the hearth had gone out, leaving only a pile of ashes. He sat in the main seat and closed his eyes.

Outside, the screams continued, but he could no longer hear them. He was thinking about what the Wolf Tribe should do next. Now that the Firewood Fire Tribe was dealt with, the Wolf Tribe's next target was the Thunderbird Tribe, which also had about four hundred people and was not far from here. Once the Wolf Tribe took down the Thunderbird Tribe and a few more, their manpower would be about enough.

Around noon, the massacre by the Firewood Fire Tribe ended. Xueya ordered that all the looted grain and meat be brought out so that everyone could have a good meal. Fires were lit, meat was roasted, and wine was poured. At first, the newcomers couldn't eat much, but the aroma of the meat made their stomachs rumble, and they couldn't help but start eating.

Xueya sat by the fire, a piece of meat in his hand, chewing slowly. Yexiao walked over, sat down beside him, and said, "Chief, I just checked the supplies. There's enough food for at least a month."

Xueya nodded and said, "That's enough. Let the brothers eat their fill for two days, then transport the supplies and prisoners back to the Mound Tribe. We'll take the rest of the men and continue north."

Yexiao asked, "Is our Wolf Tribe's next target the Thunderbird Tribe?"

Xueya tore off a piece of flesh, stuffed it into his mouth, and said, "Yes, this tribe also has about four hundred people. Let's take them down first!"

Two days later, a Xiaotou of the Wolf Tribe, along with supplies and prisoners, led about a hundred people back to the Mound Tribe. Xueya, Xueshou, and Yexiao led the remaining people and continued north. The Wolf Tribe's group arrived near the Thunderbird Tribe at dusk. The Thunderbird Tribe's camp was built at the foot of the mountain and was slightly larger than that of the Firewood Fire Tribe. The embers of the campfire were still emitting wisps of smoke.

Yexiao spurred his horse forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Chief, should we make our move under the cover of night?"

Xueya shook his head. "It's easy for them to escape if we act at night. Let's rest first and make our move at daybreak tomorrow."

The group concealed themselves in the forest. Just as dawn broke, Xueya ordered Yexiao to lead a charge into the Thunderbird Tribe's camp. Yexiao charged ahead, kicking open the wooden gate. The Thunderbird Tribe awoke with a start, some grabbing their weapons to resist, but their hands went limp when they saw the dark mass of people rushing in. Xueya had already given orders to go easy on the young and strong members of the Thunderbird Tribe; after all, they would be brothers with them in the future, and all they needed to do was keep them under control.

More than eighty young men, most of whom were still asleep, were pinned to the ground. A few who tried to resist were quickly subdued by the veterans. None of them were seriously injured. The Thunderbird Tribe's camp was soon brought under control. The Thunderbird Tribe's leader was brought before Xueya. He was an old man in his fifties with gray hair. At this moment, his face was pale and he was trembling all over. Xueya looked at him but did not say much.

"We are the Wolf Tribe from the south. We invite the people of your Thunderbird Tribe to join our Wolf Tribe," Xueya said.

The old man opened his mouth, as if to say something, but seeing the two corpses on the ground, he swallowed his words. He lowered his head, his voice trembling, and said, "We... we are willing to join the Wolf Tribe."

Xueya nodded and ordered his men to bring out the Thunderbird Tribe's grain and meat. A fire was lit, the meat was roasted, and wine was poured. The young men of the Thunderbird Tribe initially hesitated to move, but the aroma of the meat tempted them to start eating. In this way, Xueya led his men, sweeping through tribe after tribe. Stone Forest Tribe, 400 men, taken; Mountain and River Tribe, 400 men, taken; Blood Moon Tribe, 400 men, taken; Great Sun Tribe, 400 men, taken.

In five days, all five tribes and more than 400 able-bodied men were incorporated into the Wolf Tribe. With the remaining members of the Mound Tribe, the Wolf Tribe now has about 1,200 people. In the camp of the Great Sun Tribe, the campfire was burning brightly. Xueya sat in the largest wooden house, a bowl of wine in front of him, drinking slowly. Xueshou and Yexiao sat opposite him, both with smiles on their faces.

Xueshou spoke first, his voice rough and filled with barely suppressed excitement. "Brother! Our Wolf Tribe's manpower has finally returned to its former peak! We now have 1,200 warriors and over a thousand horses! As long as we train these newly joined brothers, even if Great Rock and Great Luwei come in person, we'll dare to challenge them!"

Yexiao nodded and said, "Chief, our Wolf Tribe has a lot more new recruits now. It's time to let them see some blood, and we can also gather some supplies to transport back to the Mound Tribe."

Xueya put down his wine bowl, looked at the flickering flames, and thought to himself, "The Wolf Tribe now has about 1,200 people. That's enough. If we add more now, it will be difficult to manage and we won't be able to afford to support them. We should train these people first before thinking about anything else."

"Our Wolf Tribe has enough manpower for now." He looked up at the two men. "We'll rest here for two days. After that, I'll take the new recruits out to see some blood and let the brothers vent their frustrations."

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 had no idea what awaited them in two days. Xueya's lips curled up slightly as he turned and walked back into the house.