A wolf scare on the journey home
As the bustle of the Fish Tribe's autumn gathering gradually faded behind them, the Fire Tribe's party set off home with gains far beyond their expectations. Compared with the exploration and anticipation of their outward journey, the return felt more fulfilling, but also called for greater caution. They carried not only precious rice seeds, instructors, and all sorts of newly traded supplies, but also those two hard-won Xiaozhou.
Considering that they would be heading upstream and the overland party would travel at a different pace from the Xiaozhou, Jianshi made arrangements. He had the newly recruited boatbuilders, Shuihen and Zhouya, each handle one Xiaozhou, with a Fire Tribe hunter familiar with the water aboard each to guide the way and assist. The Xiaozhou had shallow drafts, and although they were traveling against the current, poles and paddles kept them from falling far behind the overland party. They could also carry a considerable amount of supplies, lightening the burden on those traveling by land.
Jianshi personally led the overland party, which included Wang Yan, Dali, Dazhuang, Shibang, Yingmu, and the others. With the addition of twenty-five warriors from their four allied tribes, the party still maintained formidable fighting strength. The few lambs and piglets they had acquired through trade were carefully tended as they moved along with the party.
The first few days of the return journey passed without wind or waves. The party followed their original route through the mountain forests of late autumn. Wang Yan still spent most of his time beside Suyuan and Qingmu, seizing every opportunity to learn. He even had Suyuan take a few grains from the rice reserved for seed and begin explaining along the way how to select good seeds by examining the grains. This gave Wang Yan a rudimentary understanding of "selective breeding."
Yet this primeval wilderness was never entirely safe. When they were about a day's journey from the valley where the small gathering had previously been held, danger crept upon them.
That afternoon, the party was traveling through a relatively open stretch of shrub-covered hills. The member scouting ahead came racing back like a startled rabbit, his face tense.
"Chief! Up ahead... there's a wolf pack up ahead! Quite a few of them, around twenty!" the scout reported breathlessly.
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, numerous gray-black shapes appeared indistinctly in the bushes on both sides. Pairs of green eyes glimmered with hunger and greed in the dim woods, and low growls came from every direction as the wolves loosely surrounded the party. Tension instantly filled the air.
"On guard! Form a circle!" The experienced Jianshi immediately gave the order, his voice steady and forceful, without the slightest panic.
The hunters reacted swiftly, immediately drawing inward around the livestock and those carrying important supplies to form a tight, outward-facing defensive circle. Stone spears, Shifu, and bows were instantly aimed at the surrounding wolves. The warriors from the Bison Tribe, the White Pig Tribe, and the other tribes also showed their mettle, joining the defensive formation without hesitation and standing shoulder to shoulder with the Fire Tribe's warriors.
The wolves were clearly ravenous. They bared their deathly white fangs, saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths, and pawed restlessly at the dirt, trying to find a weakness in the defensive circle. An exceptionally powerful-looking alpha wolf with a bluish coat stood on a slightly raised mound, coldly watching the sizable party.
"Chief, do we fight?" Dali licked his lips, a hunter's excitement gleaming in his eyes. He hefted the heavy Shifu in his hand, itching to try. With their party's strength, taking on twenty wolves would inevitably mean casualties, but wiping them out was not impossible.
Young men such as Shibang and Yingmu were even more hot-blooded, gripping their weapons tightly and waiting only for their chief's command.
Wang Yan's heart rose into his throat as well. He tightly gripped a bone dagger at his waist, his gaze rapidly sweeping over the wolves' positions. He knew that once fighting began, blood would inevitably flow. Win or lose, loyal tribespeople could be injured or even killed.
Jianshi's gaze was sharp as an eagle's as it swept quickly over the entire pack and his own formation. He saw his people's soaring fighting spirit, and he also saw the wolves' desperate hunger. After pondering for only an instant, he made his decision.
"No!" Jianshi's voice was decisive as a blade cleaving iron. "Put away your weapons and back away slowly! Juti, throw out those two freshly killed deer on your back!"
The command stunned everyone. Though Juti did not understand, he nevertheless threw the two plump wild deer they had hunted that day, originally intended for dinner, hard toward the wolves without hesitation.
The scent of blood instantly stirred the pack. At first, they retreated warily, but then, at a low howl from the blue-coated alpha, they surged toward the two deer carcasses like a black tide, tearing and fighting over them frantically, with no attention to spare for the human party for the moment.
"Go! Hold formation and get out of here quickly!" Jianshi ordered in a low voice.
The party immediately obeyed, maintaining their defensive posture as they quickened their steps and swiftly left the area. Only after they had gone a long way and could no longer see any sign of the wolves did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.
"Chief, why didn't we fight back there? We clearly could've killed them!" Still somewhat unconvinced, Yingmu voiced the question on everyone's mind.
Jianshi glanced at him, then at the young faces around him that bore the same question, and explained gravely, "We could have killed plenty of wolves, perhaps even all of them. But wolves have sharp teeth and poisonous claws. Once you're bitten or scratched, the wound can easily fester and bring on a fever. That can kill people! We came out this time to make the tribe better, not to risk our lives against a bunch of beasts driven mad by hunger! Trading two pieces of game for everyone's safety was the wisest choice! Remember, true valor isn't about showing off your strength. It's about protecting your people, daring to strike when necessary, and knowing how to preserve yourselves when it isn't!"
Those words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer. Young warriors such as Shibang and Yingmu, in particular, understood with unprecedented clarity that a warrior's worth was measured not merely by how much game or how many enemies he killed, but even more by whether he could make the judgment most beneficial to the tribe in complicated circumstances.
Wang Yan looked at his father, his heart full of admiration. His father's decision was filled with a chief's wisdom and respect for his people's lives. This ability to assess the situation and weigh gains against losses was precisely an important safeguard for the tribe's long-term survival and development.
After this frightening but ultimately harmless encounter, the party's mood grew more solemn, and they became more united as well. The next afternoon, the familiar outline of the distant valley finally came into view. Although the small gathering had already dispersed, it was a place where they had stopped on their outward journey, and it also meant they were closer to home.