Blood Stained the Yellow Stone Tribe

Early the next morning, before dawn, the Full Moon Tribe's camp was bustling with activity. Xueya stood at the camp gate, watching the warriors who were assembling. More than a thousand men, a dark mass, horses snorted and pawed the ground, white breath billowing from their nostrils and condensing into a white mist in the morning light. The warriors checked their weapons.

Xueshou and Yexiao approached, both dressed in military uniforms and looking very spirited. Xueshou had Shifu hanging from his waist, with hemp rope wrapped around the handle, making it easy to grip. He patted the axe, grinned, and revealed a set of yellow teeth.

"Big brother, we're all ready," Xueshou said, his voice rough and full of barely suppressed excitement, his eyes gleaming.

Xueya nodded, mounted his horse, and rode the black poncho. The saddlecloth was made of cowhide, making it very comfortable. The Jiangsheng were made of hemp rope, strong and durable. He pulled on the Jiangsheng, the horse snorted, reared up, and came to a steady stop. His gaze swept over the warriors, and his voice, Chenwen and powerful, echoed through the valley like thunder, "Let's go!"

More than a thousand people left the Full Moon Tribe in a grand procession and headed towards the Yellow Stone Tribe. Only Xueya, Xueshou, and Yexiao knew what they were going to do. The others only knew that they were going to fight and plunder. These old men didn't care who they fought or who they robbed. As long as they had meat to eat, wine to drink, and women to play with, that was enough for them. They didn't care whether they killed good people or bad people, or whether they robbed the poor or the rich.

The group marched along the mountain road, the thunderous sound of hooves shaking the earth and raising clouds of dust. It looked like a giant yellow dragon moving through the mountains. As evening approached, the Yellow Stone Tribe's camp came into view. The Yellow Stone Tribe was built on a patch of yellow rock, surrounded by bare hillsides, like a yellow scar stuck to the earth. The camp was not large, but it was quite sturdy.

Smoke rose in wisps, drifting away in the twilight like a layer of gray mist. Figures moved about in the camp; some were cooking, some were chatting, and some were packing up. Several children chased and played in the open space, their laughter ringing out. Little did they know that death was already creeping closer.

Xueya reined in his horse and raised his hand to signal it to stop. His gaze swept across the camp and then over the surrounding terrain. The terrain was good, easy to defend and difficult to attack, but even the best terrain could not stop the Wolf Tribe's cavalry. The impact of cavalry was something that infantry could not withstand, that fences could not block, and that trenches could not stop.

"Hide, don't light a fire, eat what we prepared earlier, and rest," Xueya ordered in a low voice, his tone as cold as ice, like the biting winter wind, piercing and chilling. "We'll move at dawn tomorrow. If we attack at night, they'll easily escape; if we attack during the day, none of them will get away."

Xueshou and Yexiao Owl nodded and went to make their own arrangements. The soldiers led their horses into the woods by the roadside. The woods were not deep, but they were secluded enough. The trees were sparse and overgrown with weeds. Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground like a broken painting. The soldiers found places to sit. Some leaned against tree trunks, some squatted in the grass, and some sat directly on the ground with animal hides under their bottoms.

They took out fried rice and dried meat from their food bags and ate silently, not daring to make a sound. The fried rice was roasted, fragrant and crispy. The dried meat was air-dried, hard to chew, but filling. Someone chewed too loudly, making crunching noises, and was glared at by the person next to them, quickly slowing down like a thief. The water bag was passed around, each person taking a few sips, then passing it on again. The water was cold, carrying the fishy smell of the bag. No one spoke, only the sounds of chewing and swallowing, exceptionally clear in the silent night, like mice gnawing on something.

The horses were tethered to trees; some stood dozing, their eyelids drooping; some lowered their heads to nibble on the dry grass on the ground, their mouths making a crunching sound; some flicked their tails to swat away mosquitoes. Several soldiers were responsible for watching the horses, stroking their necks from time to time to soothe them, whispering something as if they were coaxing children.

Xueya leaned against a large tree, his eyes closed, but he wasn't asleep. His ears were perked up, listening to the sounds around him like a Jingjue wolf. The night wind blew, rustling the leaves like whispers or something crawling in the grass. In the distance came the hooting of owls, mournful and drawn-out, like the crying of a baby or the wailing of a woman.

As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, Xueya opened his eyes. The Yellow Stone Tribe's camp was faintly visible in the morning mist, like a ghostly realm or a traditional Chinese ink painting. The camp was quiet, save for the occasional crowing of a rooster and the barking of a dog, intermittent and dreamlike. The morning mist was thick, like a layer of cotton wool, covering the entire valley and shrouding everything in a hazy veil.

Xueya turned around and looked at the warriors who were waking up. They were rubbing their eyes, yawning, and stretching, like a group of bears just waking up from hibernation. Some stuffed a handful of fried rice into their mouths and chewed it with a crunching sound, some drank a few mouthfuls of water and gulped it down, and some patted the horse's neck, and the horse snorted.

"Get up! Get up, all of you!" Xueya whispered, his voice low but exceptionally clear in the quiet morning, like a knife slicing through silk. "Prepare to attack!"

Xueshou and Yexiao immediately understood. They exchanged a glance and nodded. Xueshou drew his Shifu from his waist and weighed it in his hand. Yexiao also took out his weapon. The two of them, each leading five hundred veteran soldiers of the Wolf Tribe, fiercely pounced on the Yellow Stone Tribe.

A thousand veterans, a thousand horses, their hooves wrapped in straw mats, pounded the ground with a dull thud, like drumbeats. They were like two sharp knives, thrusting towards the Yellow Stone Tribe's camp from two directions, their blades gleaming coldly. The warriors galloped on their horses, their eyes flashing with bloodlust, cruel smiles playing on their lips. They weren't fighting a war; they were hunting. The people of the Yellow Stone Tribe were their prey.

Xueya led the remaining five hundred recruits, spreading out around the Yellow Stone Tribe's camp to form a loose encirclement. He rode on horseback, his gaze cold and sharp, like a Tujiu circling high in the sky awaiting its prey. The recruits followed behind him; some were pale as paper, others trembled like leaves in the wind, and still others gripped their weapons so tightly their knuckles were white, as if their bones were about to burst from their skin. They didn't know what they were about to do, but they knew it couldn't be anything good. A tense atmosphere permeated the air, like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.

Xueshou and Yexiao's cavalry charged into the Yellow Stone Tribe's camp. The wooden fence collapsed like paper under the cavalry's charge, making a huge noise that startled a flock of birds. The warriors rode into the camp, hacking and slashing at anyone they saw.

Many people from the Yellow Stone Tribe were awakened from their sleep. Some were cut down before they could even react, their eyes still closed, and they were gone. A young man grabbed a Shifu and charged at a cavalryman, shouting, "I'll fight you to the death!" The cavalryman sneered, spurred his horse forward, and with a swing of his weapon, the man fell to the ground.

Xueshou charged ahead, wielding his Shifu. Each swing sent a spray of blood into the air, splattering his face. He didn't wipe it away; instead, he licked it with his tongue, tasting the blood. He cleaved open a wooden door with a single blow, the door shattering and fragments flying everywhere. Inside, several trembling people huddled, some old, some women, some children. He grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth, and took them down one by one with his axe, without even blinking.

The Yellow Stone Tribe's camp had become a living hell. Cries, screams, pleas for mercy, and snarls mingled together, echoing in the morning air like a symphony of hell. Blood soaked the soil, gleaming a dark red in the morning light, like a red carpet.

The elderly, women, and children were dragged out of the thatched hut and herded together. They huddled together, trembling like a flock of lambs to the slaughter. A hundred or so young women were dragged out of the crowd and roughly pulled away. They cried and struggled, their fingernails scratching marks in the mud.

Some knelt on the ground, kowtowing desperately, only to be kicked over and rolled like gourds. Others screamed, their mouths covered, and were dragged away, their screams turning into whimpers. The veterans of the Wolf Tribe took advantage of the situation, some groping the women's bodies and chuckling; others pinning them to the ground and tearing at their clothes; still others ripping at the women's clothes while letting out loud, piercing, and arrogant laughter that echoed in the morning air like the howls of wolves.

Xueya led the five hundred new recruits into the camp. When the recruits saw this and smelled the strong stench of blood, some turned pale, as white as paper; others trembled like Luwei in the wind. Xueshou had already brought Huang Da, the leader of the Yellow Stone Tribe, to Xueya.

Huang Da was a man in his forties, burly and strong, with a face full of scars, dark skin, and hands as rough as old tree bark. At this moment, he was covered in blood, being held down to his knees by two Wolf Tribe warriors, struggling desperately like a bound wild boar. His eyes were glared bloodshot, like two balls of fire, as if he wanted to devour someone. When he saw Xueya, he cursed incessantly, spitting as he spoke, his voice like thunder.

"You beasts! What grudge has our Yellow Stone Tribe ever held against you? Why did you commit such a heinous act!" He struggled to stand up, but was held down firmly by two warriors. "We are a subordinate tribe of the Great Boulder Tribe. Great Rock will not let you get away with this! You wait, the people of Great Rock will come to take revenge! They will kill you all, leaving no one alive! You damned bastards, you deserve a terrible death!"

Xueya looked at him expressionlessly, as if he were looking at a pile of rotten flesh. He was too lazy to say anything more to him, and with a wave of his hand, he summoned the five newly surrendered tribal chiefs.

Fengshou, Tiantou, Baichi, Xiaoxing, and Manyue —five people walked over tremblingly and stood before Huang Da. Their faces were deathly pale, devoid of any color, like five blank sheets of paper. Their legs trembled like leaves in the wind, barely able to stand. Their hands also shook as if they had malaria. They dared not look Huang Da in the eye, their heads bowed, like children who had done something wrong, or like students being punished by their teacher.

Huang Da recognized these people, and his eyes widened even more, becoming like two copper bells. He shouted a loud threat, his voice like thunder, making ears ring. "You dogs! Our Yellow Stone Tribe is a subordinate tribe of the Great Boulder Tribe. You attacked our tribe today without cause, and the Great Boulder Tribe will not let you get away with it! You wait, the people of Great Rock will come for revenge! They will kill you all, leaving no one alive! Your tribe will be slaughtered, your families will be killed! None of you will escape!"

His curses actually dispelled the guilt of the five people, like water washing away silt. They had felt sorry for Huang Da and the Yellow Stone Tribe, as if a Shitou was pressing on their hearts, but after Huang Da cursed them like that, they felt that Huang Da deserved to die. You threaten me, I will kill you; you curse me, I will chop you up; you don't let me live, I won't let you live either; you don't give me a way to go, I won't give you a way to go either.

Xueshou grew impatient, stepped forward, and shouted, his voice booming like thunder, "What are you all standing there for? Attack! One hit each, chop him down! Whoever doesn't do it will die in his place!"

He picked up five Shifu from the ground and threw them at their feet. The sound of the axes hitting the ground was very soft, but it was like a thunderclap, making them tremble as if they had been struck by lightning.

Fengshou was the first to bend down and pick up the Shifu. His hands were trembling, and he almost dropped the axe. He quickly gripped it with both hands, closed his eyes, gritted his teeth until his lips bled, and swung it at Huang Da.

Tiantou picked up the axe, closed her eyes, and swung it down, striking Huang Da's shoulder. Baichi, Xiaoxing, and Manyue followed suit, axe after axe, striking Huang Da's body. One axe, two axes, three axes... Huang Da's curses grew weaker and weaker, like the buzzing of mosquitoes, finally turning into groans, like wind blowing through a broken window, then into silence, like Shitou sinking into deep water. He lay in a pool of blood, his eyes still open, dying with unfinished business, his mouth still agape, as if shouting something.

The five leaders slumped to the ground, Shifu lying beside them, their hands and clothes covered in blood. Fengshou was the first to vomit, lying on the ground dry heaving, his stomach churning with a sour, foul stench. Tiantou stared blankly at his hands, as if he didn't recognize them, turning them over and over in his mind's eye. Baichi curled up in a ball, clutching his head, his body trembling. Xiaoxing and Manyue were deathly pale, unable to utter a word, their lips quivering.

Xueya didn't look at them. He turned around and looked at the five hundred new recruits. They stood there, some pale-faced, some with trembling legs, some with their heads down, not daring to look at the corpses on the ground, and some secretly wiping away tears.

"Let them do it too," Xueya said, his voice as cold as ice.

Xueshou and Yexiao, along with the veterans, drove the five hundred new recruits to the controlled elderly, women, and children. The elderly, women, and children huddled together, trembling, their cries, pleas for mercy, and screams mingling together like a pot of boiling porridge.

Some of the new recruits were so frightened that they backed away as if they had seen a ghost, only to be kicked back by the veterans and fall to the ground. Others were so weak that their legs gave way and they were dragged along like noodles, leaving a trail on the ground. Some closed their eyes and slashed wildly, their knives swinging erratically in the air. Some vomited after slashing, bent over, covering their mouths, their stomachs churning. Some people's hands trembled so much that they couldn't hold their knives, dropping them on the ground, picking them up, and dropping them again.

A young man stood frozen in place after slashing an old man, as if under a spell. He suddenly laughed, a sinister laugh that made him seem like a completely different person; his eyes became empty and crazed. An old soldier beside him patted him on the shoulder. "Kid, good job. You're one of us now." He nodded and walked towards the next man, his steps mechanical, like a walking corpse.

Xueya stood aside, watching all this with a slight smile on his lips. Their hands were stained with blood; they had killed people, making them enemies of the Great Boulder Tribe. The Great Boulder Tribe would not let them go. They had no choice but to follow the Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe; otherwise, they would die.

The Yellow Stone Tribe's camp had become a living hell. After the young women were played with by Xueya, Xueshou, Yexiao, and some leaders, they were rewarded to those who performed well that day. The new recruits who performed well were also given women.

Some of them trembled with excitement, as if they had malaria; some pounced on it impatiently, like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey; some chuckled, rubbing their hands together, their mouths practically watering. From inside the thatched hut came the woman's shrill screams, one after another, like livestock being slaughtered, or like cloth being torn apart.

The screams from the Yellow Stone Tribe camp gradually subsided around noon. The sun rose high overhead, its rays shining directly down on the dark red bloodstains, making them gleam blindingly. The Yellow Stone Tribe's supplies were gathered together—grain, animal hides, pottery, and tools—piled up like a Little Mountain, resembling a tomb.

Xueya, Xueshou, and Yexiao were eating and chatting in the largest house in the Yellow Stone Tribe. The house, which belonged to Huang Da, was fairly spacious, but it was filled with the smell of blood and burnt meat. Roasted mutton and fruit wine were laid out in front of them. The meat was freshly stolen from the Yellow Stone Tribe and was still steaming. The wine was also stolen from the Yellow Stone Tribe and was stored in a rough earthenware jar, the mud seal still intact. Xueya grabbed a piece of meat and chewed slowly, the juices dripping from the corner of his mouth, which he didn't wipe away. Xueshou drank the wine and ate the meat in big gulps, his mouth greasy and his cheeks bulging. Yexiao ate more politely, but he was still fast, one piece after another.

Xueshou put down his wine bowl, wiped his mouth, and spoke, his voice tinged with smugness and satisfaction. "Brother, these five newly joined tribes are now truly part of the Wolf Tribe. They've stained their hands with blood, killed people, and there's no turning back. They can only follow our Wolf Tribe down this dark path. Want to go back? The Great Boulder Tribe won't let them get away with it."

Xueya nodded, swallowed the meat in his mouth, picked up the wine bowl, and took a sip. The wine burned as it went down his throat. "Now they're deeply bound to the Wolf Tribe, and there's no way to break free. Killing people from the Great Boulder Tribe makes them enemies of the Great Rock Tribe, and the Great Boulder Tribe won't let them go. They have no choice but to follow our Wolf Tribe. If they don't follow us, they'll die. If they follow us, they might have a chance to live. If they don't follow us, they're doomed."

Everyone laughed for a while, the laughter echoing in the room, eerie, like the hooting of Yexiao, like the howling of wolves.

Yexiao put down his wine bowl and asked, his voice tinged with urgency and anticipation, "Chief, shall we continue to expand our power by taking over other tribes? Shouldn't we head north? There are still many small tribes in the north that we haven't touched."

Xueya thought for a moment and said, "It's true that we need to expand our strength, but we don't need to go to other places to expand our strength. We can just recruit the small tribes that these five tribes know."

He paused, then continued, "These five new members of the Wolf Tribe just participated in the raid and slaughter of the Yellow Stone Tribe. They are more afraid of retaliation from the Great Boulder Tribe than we are. The Great Rock won't let them off the hook, so they have no choice but to follow us. They are now more eager to expand their strength than we are. More people means more power, and with more people, they won't be afraid of the Great Rock. They are more familiar with the small tribes around them, so recruiting them is faster and easier than us trying to coerce other tribes. It's easier to talk to acquaintances, and their persuasion is more effective. Their persuasion is a hundred times more effective than ours."

Yexiao's eyes lit up, like a lamp suddenly lit in the darkness, and he praised, "The leader's thinking is truly thorough. This way, our manpower outside will soon reach two thousand. It won't take more than a few days to build up our forces. At that time, even if Great Rock wants to attack us, he'll have to think twice."

Xueya nodded and said, "We not only need to build up a force of two thousand, but also train them. Time is of the essence for us. The Great Boulder Tribe may have already discovered our movements, but they haven't reacted yet. Once they do, they'll attack us. So, for the next operation, I plan to have the three of us each lead five hundred men to absorb population. Split up and move quickly. Once we've expanded the population to two thousand, we'll regroup and attack the Great Boulder Tribe's affiliated tribes, pulling out their teeth one by one. Let's see how they bite then. Without teeth, the Great Rock is just a toothless tiger, at our mercy."

Xueshou and Yexiao understood, and both stood up, replying in unison, "Yes!"

The two turned and went to prepare, their footsteps thumping like war drums.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Xueya left about ten people at the Yellow Stone Tribe to wait for his logistics troops. Those logistics troops consisted of eight hundred young and strong women, drawn from the affiliated tribes. They would transport the captured supplies and prisoners back to Stone Ridge Mountain, including grain, animal hides, tools, and the young women.

Xueya, Xueshou, and Yexiao each led a mixed team of veterans and new recruits in three different directions.

Xueya led the leaders of the Abundant Grain Tribe and Sweet Fruit Tribe. Fengshou, the leader of the Abundant Grain Tribe, walked in front and pointed to a valley in the distance, saying, "There's a small tribe over there called the Stream Valley Tribe, about three hundred people. The leader is my cousin. I'll go and talk to him; he'll definitely listen."

Sweet Fruit Tribe's chief, Tiantou, also said, "There's another Orchard Tribe over there, with about two hundred people. Their chief is my brother-in-law. I'll talk to him; no problem."

Xueshou led the White Bone Tribe leader, White Bone Tribe Baichi, who walked ahead and said, "There's Little Stone Cliff Tribe over there, about four hundred people. The leader is my nephew. I'll go and talk to him; he won't dare disobey."

Yexiao led the leaders of the Little Star Tribe and the Full Moon Tribe. Little Xiaoxing, the leader of the Little Star Tribe, and Full Moon Tribe Manyue, walked ahead, saying as they went, "There's Little Bay Tribe over there, with about three hundred people."

"There's also a Great Grove Tribe, about two hundred people." "They're all acquaintances, easy to talk to."

With the help of these leaders, the Xueya tribe made great progress. These leaders knew the nearby small tribes, which tribes were easy to talk to, which were difficult, which could be persuaded, and which needed to be intimidated. They led the Wolf Tribe members from tribe to tribe, visiting each one like relatives. As a result, one small tribe after another joined the Wolf Tribe's ranks.

In just three or four days, they recruited another five hundred men, and the Wolf Tribe's force quickly grew to two thousand. Like a snowball rolling downhill, it grew bigger and bigger. Xueya asked everyone to gather at the Abundant Grain Tribe to discuss their next move.

In the Abundant Grain Tribe's camp, two thousand people sat around a bonfire, a dark mass resembling a black forest or a black ocean. Some were eating meat heartily, some were drinking heavily, some were laughing loudly, and some were talking in hushed tones. The newcomers still wore expressions of excitement and nervousness.

They didn't know what they were going to do next, but they knew it wouldn't be anything good. However, they had no way out. Their hands were stained with blood; they had killed people, making them enemies of the Great Boulder Tribe. The Great Boulder Tribe would not let them go. They had no choice but to follow the Wolf Tribe.

Xueya sat by the largest campfire, a piece of meat in his hand, chewing slowly. Xueshou and Yexiao sat on either side of him, also eating and drinking.

"Two thousand people," Xueya said, his voice tinged with satisfaction and pride. "That's enough."

Xueshou asked, "Big Brother, what's the next move?"

Xueya thought for a moment and said, "Let's attack the Great Rock's subordinate tribes first, pulling out their teeth one by one. Once they have no teeth left, we can gnaw on their bones. Without subordinate tribes, the Great Rock will be an isolated island, without food, soldiers, or reinforcements. Then we can attack however we want."

Yexiao nodded and asked, "Which one should we start with?"

Xueya stood up and walked.