Head-on Clash

Xueya, mounted on his black ponies, swept his cold gaze across the dark mass of cavalry before him. The Wolf Tribe's two thousand cavalrymen were divided into three groups, a dense, dark mass like three black clouds or three packs of hungry wolves. He raised his arm, pointing forward, his voice deep and powerful, as if squeezed from his chest.

"Xueshou, Yexiao, we'll each lead a team and split up to abduct able-bodied men. This will be much faster. Let's be more efficient and discreet. We'll meet at the agreed location within ten days and then launch the next operation."

Xueshou and Yexiao nodded, each leading their men in their respective directions. The sound of hooves thundered, dust filled the air, and three yellow dragons roamed the mountains. The Wolf Tribe launched a three-pronged attack, like three sharp knives piercing into the territory of the Great Boulder Tribe.

In less than ten days, the three teams from the Wolf Tribe arrived at the meeting point agreed upon by Xueya and the two men. Xueya brought back more than 800 men; Xueshou brought back more than 700 men; Yexiao brought back more than 600 men, totaling more than 2,000 able-bodied men. They were crammed together in a dark mass, their clothes tattered, their faces sallow and thin, their eyes filled with fear. Some had their heads down, not daring to look at anyone; some had their necks shrunken; some were trembling, their teeth chattering. The Wolf Tribe warriors exerted a heavy pressure on these able-bodied men.

Xueya, mounted on his horse, looked down at the group, a cold smile playing on his lips. He waved his hand, his voice as cold as ice, like the winter wind, and said, "Take these newcomers to see blood first. Without bloodshed, they'll always be recruits, never true warriors of the Wolf Tribe."

Xueshou and Yexiao understood each other and led the newcomers to several small tribes that were close to the Great Boulder Tribe. These small tribes, each with a few hundred people, were scattered around the area. Early in the morning, before dawn, the Wolf Tribe members rushed into the camp like a gust of wind. The people of those small tribes were still asleep, some still dreaming, when they were killed. The able-bodied men were cut down, and the old, weak, women, and children were driven together, their cries shaking the heavens.

Xueshou stood to the side, arms crossed, coldly watching the newcomers. His face was expressionless, like a Shitou, and his voice boomed like thunder, making everyone's ears ring. "Make your move. All our men are watching. Whoever doesn't make a move will die in their place."

The newcomers trembled as they raised their weapons against the old and weak, pressured by the blades of the Wolf Tribe's veteran warriors.

Xueya stood at a distance, watching everything unfold. He nodded in satisfaction, the firelight reflecting off his face, making the hideous scar flicker. These people, from the moment they picked up weapons and drew blood today, could never turn back. Their hands were stained with the blood of those who had infiltrated the Great Boulder Tribe, making them the Great Boulder Tribe's mortal enemies. The Great Boulder Tribe would not let them go. They had no choice but to follow the Wolf Tribe and go down the same path as the Wolf Tribe to the bitter end.

After the three teams joined forces, the Wolf Tribe's strength had reached over four thousand men, a mighty force resembling a black dragon. Xueya, riding his horse, watched the ever-growing army, his eyes gleaming. He waved his hand, pointing towards the Great Boulder Tribe, and said in a booming voice, "Let's go! First, we'll wipe out the Great Boulder Tribe's two core subordinate tribes."

The first core subordinate tribe of the Great Rock was ambushed by the Wolf Tribe in their sleep. Before dawn, while it was still pitch black, the Wolf Tribe's cavalry charged into the camp like a pack of hungry wolves attacking a flock of sheep. The people of the Great Rock tribe were awakened from their sleep; some were cut down before they could even react, others were dead with their eyes still closed; some grabbed weapons to fight back, but were quickly suppressed, and in less than half an hour, the entire camp was under control. The able-bodied men were cut down, while the old, weak, women, and children were herded together, huddled in a ball, trembling; young women were dragged from the crowd, crying and struggling.

Xueya, mounted on his horse, watched everything unfold, his face expressionless, as if he were looking at a pile of Shitou. He waved his hand, his voice as cold as ice, and roared, "Leave them all alive!"

The second core subordinate tribe of the Great Boulder Tribe, although somewhat vigilant, had sent men to keep watch and set up fences, was no match for the large army of the Wolf Tribe. With a single charge by the Wolf Tribe cavalry, the tribe's fences collapsed, and the men on watch were cut down before they could even react. In the end, only a dozen or so men managed to break through the encirclement on horseback and run for their lives toward the Great Boulder Tribe, each one like a frightened rabbit.

Xueya watched the dozen or so people disappear into the distance, his brow furrowing slightly as if a knot had been tied in his skin, but it quickly relaxed. He waved his hand and said calmly, as if nothing had happened, "After we wipe out this tribe, we'll pack up our supplies and prepare to leave."

The Wolf Tribe's raid yielded a great deal. Although the Wolf Tribe's cavalry were fast, like the wind, their retreat was slowed down by carrying so much loot.

Upon receiving the news, the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe left only a little over a thousand warriors in their camp. Shizhua and Shishan led three thousand elite troops from the Great Boulder Tribe, along with over a thousand from affiliated tribes, totaling more than four thousand men, and quickly caught up. Shishan rode a tall, chestnut-red horse, clad in leather armor, a bronze broadsword at his waist, its scabbard engraved with exquisite patterns. His gaze was cold and fierce, like a vengeful eagle or a wounded tiger. Behind him, the army stretched out in a mighty mighty line. His eyes were filled with rage, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked as he roared, "Chase! Catch up with these Wolf Tribe people and wipe them out! Avenge our fallen brothers!"

The forces of the Great Boulder Tribe and the Wolf Tribe met on a plain. There were more than four thousand of them against each other, two dark masses. The wind blew by, carrying the smell of blood and the aura of killing intent.

Xueya, mounted on his horse, frowned slightly as he looked at the Great Rock tribe opposite them. He turned to Xueshou and Yexiao and said, "This Great Boulder Tribe does have some strength. If our Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe hadn't brought along quite a few able-bodied men this time, we really wouldn't be a Great Boulder Tribe for them in a head-on confrontation."

Xueshou gripped his bronze broadsword tightly, his eyes wide like copper bells, and shouted, "What's there to be afraid of the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe? We'll fight them to the death! Who's afraid of who!"

Yexiao, being more composed, tugged at Xueshou's sleeve, pulling him back slightly, and said, "Let's not rush things. Let's fight the Great Boulder Tribe first."

The two sides clashed quickly, their battle cries deafening, blood splattering everywhere. While the Wolf Tribe's veteran soldiers were fierce, they had too many new recruits and their weapons were inferior to those of the Great Boulder Tribe. The Great Rock had many weapons made of Shitou, bone, and wood, which couldn't compare to the Great Boulder Tribe's bronze weapons. Although the Great Rock Tribe's warriors had little experience with bloodshed, many had never killed anyone, but they had more bronze weapons and were better equipped. After fighting for a long time, both sides had lost several hundred men, neither able to gain the upper hand; it was like two bulls locked in a stalemate.

Xueya stared grimly at the corpses lying on the battlefield. Although many were newly recruited young men from the Wolf Tribe, Xueya still felt he had suffered a great loss. He reined in his horse, waved his hand, and ordered, "Let's retreat for a while! Let's stop fighting the Great Boulder Tribe for now. We won't gain anything from it; it's just a waste of time."

Then Xueya led the Wolf Tribe's troops to slowly retreat. The Great Rock's troops also temporarily ceased their attack and retreated as well. The warriors on both sides stood facing each other, several hundred paces apart, staring at each other, neither willing to give way.

Xueya instructed Yexiao, "This Great Boulder Tribe, relying on their superior bronze weapons compared to our Wolf Tribe, is relentlessly pursuing us. If it weren't for the fact that our Wolf Tribe has brought along many able-bodied men this time, we wouldn't be a match for them in a direct confrontation. However, the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe n't be able to cause trouble for long. After our Wolf Tribe transports these supplies back to our stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain, we'll train these new recruits thoroughly. Once they're all trained, when we come back next year, the Great Boulder Tribe will be nothing to our Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe. We've already wiped out all of the Great Rock Tribe's core and subordinate tribes, like pulling teeth, leaving them completely clean. Their supplies are almost depleted, and their warehouses are probably nearly empty. We'll come back to cause trouble for the Great Boulder Tribe next year! By the end of next year at the latest, our Wolf Tribe will have completely devoured the Great Boulder Tribe's territory."

He paused, looked at Yexiao, and said seriously, "Yexiao, you take half of the men and the transport cattle and horses, and quietly retreat back to our Stone Ridge Mountain lair tonight with the supplies. Xueshou and I will take the remaining half of the men and deal with the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe to hold them off. Once you've retreated far enough, I'll bring men to find you and rejoin you."

Yexiao hesitated for a moment, then frowned and said, "Chief, aren't you short-handed? What if..."

Xueya waved his hand, interrupting Yexiao, and said, "Yexiao, don't worry. The men I'm leading are all veterans of the Wolf Tribe, with rich combat experience, and they're all cavalry, fast runners. As long as we avoid direct combat with the Great Boulder Tribe, don't engage them head-on, and just circle around them, the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe n't do anything to us. With Xueshou and me leading the men to hold off the Great Boulder Tribe, they won't dare to split their forces to pursue you. They're also afraid that if they pursue you, we'll attack their rear camp, and they're afraid our Wolf Tribe will take over their stronghold."

Yexiao nodded and turned to prepare. That night, the darkness was so deep that one could not see their own hand in front of their face. Yexiao led half of his men and the transport cattle and horses, and under the cover of darkness, quietly left the camp with the supplies looted by the Wolf Tribe. The group moved slowly in the darkness like a black snake.

The next day, the scouts from the Great Rock discovered something amiss and immediately reported it to Shishan and Shizhua. Shishan Mountain, mounted on his horse, looked at the Wolf Tribe's camp in the distance, his brow furrowed in worry. He sent out several scout teams to investigate and received confirmation that the Wolf Tribe's supplies were gone and half of their men were missing. He gritted his teeth, wanting to divide his forces to pursue them, but he was also afraid that the Wolf Tribe would attack his rear camp.

"Chief Shishan, should we pursue them? If we don't split our forces to chase those Wolf Tribe people soon, it will be too late," a chief asked, his voice tinged with urgency.

Shishan remained silent for a while, then shook his head and sighed, "We can't split our forces to pursue them. The Wolf Tribe still has about two thousand cavalrymen here. If we split our forces to pursue those who left the Wolf Tribe, their remaining troops will likely attack our Great Boulder Tribe's rear camp and try to destroy our Great Boulder Tribe's stronghold. We must first defeat the Wolf Tribe members left here."

Then Shishan and Shizhua led their troops to attack Xueya and his men. However, Xueya and Xueshou, with two thousand men, moved about, stopping and starting, fighting and running. When the people of the Great Boulder Tribe stopped, Xueya and his men also stopped. When the people of the Great Boulder Tribe caught up, the Wolf Tribe ran away. Xueya and his men avoided direct confrontation with the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe and instead moved around with them.

Shishan and Shizhua led the people of the Great Boulder Tribe in pursuit for several days, but they gained nothing. Furious, their faces turned green with rage. Shishan, glaring at the Wolf Tribe's cavalry in the distance, clenched his fist and shouted, "Retreat! Let's go back! We'll stop chasing for now!"

The Great Rock tribe finally withdrew. Xueya, mounted on his horse, watched the Great Rock's troops gradually disappear into the distance, a slight sneer playing on his lips. He turned to Xueshou and said, "It seems the Great Boulder Tribe knows that pursuing them won't benefit our Wolf Tribe. Besides, we're getting further and further away from their Great Boulder Tribe, and they're afraid our Wolf Tribe will turn around and attack their rear camp, so they've retreated. Let's go, let's return to our stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain."

Xueshou nodded and agreed, "Okay, brother, I'll go arrange it right away."

The Wolf Tribe's forces did not launch a counterattack. Xueya's plan to bring the Wolf Tribe out this time had been successfully completed. The looted supplies were enough to last until next year, and the Wolf Tribe's military strength had been increased to five thousand. Moreover, the new recruits had all seen blood, and the core subordinate tribes of the Great Boulder Tribe had been wiped out.