The Wolves Return and the Boulder Plots

Seeing that the Great Boulder Tribe's forces had ceased their pursuit, Xueya and Xueshou led half of the Wolf Tribe's army to catch up with Yexiao's group. The two groups joined together and marched back towards the Wolf Tribe's stronghold, Stone Ridge Mountain. The procession stretched out long, with oxen and horses laden with heavy supplies, causing the animals to pant heavily, white mist billowing from their nostrils and some foaming at the mouth. The prisoners, bound by ropes, staggered behind. The Wolf Tribe warriors were also exhausted; after fighting for so many days, even their iron bodies couldn't withstand the strain. Some dozed off on horseback, their eyelids drooping; others led their horses on foot, their steps heavy.

Stone Ridge Mountain soon came into view in the distance. The Wolf Tribe's camp was faintly visible halfway up the mountain. At the foot of Stone Ridge Mountain, Duzhu and her men waited. She wore leather armor, the plates sewn from snakeskin, light and soft, clinging to her body. A bone knife hung at her waist, its hilt wrapped with hemp rope, the blade worn white. Her hair was tied in a bun, secured with a wooden hairpin, a few stray strands falling beside her ears, fluttering in the wind. Her face was pale, devoid of any color, like a sheet of white paper. Her lips were thin, pressed into a line, and her eyes were long and narrow, with upturned corners like a venomous snake. Seeing the Wolf Tribe tribe approaching, she hurried forward to meet them.

"Chief, you're amazing! You led the brothers to another victory!" The Duzhu's voice was high-pitched, filled with genuine admiration. "I heard you've already wiped out two core subordinate tribes of the Great Boulder Tribe, expanded your forces considerably, and plundered so much food and supplies—piled up like mountains! Enough for our Wolf Tribe to eat until next year, until spring, and even until summer."

Xueya, riding on his black ponies, glanced at the laden herd of cattle and horses, a satisfied look on his face, a slight smile playing on his lips. He nodded, his voice hoarse, and said, "This Great Boulder Tribe has some depth, as tough as a bone, not so easy to chew. If we hadn't taken so many newcomers with us and shown them blood, we probably wouldn't have escaped so easily if the Great Boulder Tribe had caught up with us. Even now, if we were to confront the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe head-on, our Wolf Tribe wouldn't have gained any advantage."

He paused, his gaze turning cold and sharp. "However, the Great Boulder Tribe won't be able to keep up for long. They're like grasshoppers after autumn, like toothless tigers. Our Wolf Tribe went out this time, taking with us many able-bodied men, over two thousand people, plundering a mountain of supplies, and even wiping out the Great Boulder Tribe's last two core vassal tribes. Next year, we'll lead our trained warriors to attack the Great Boulder Tribe. Those smaller tribes won't dare to help us then. They're afraid of our Wolf Tribe, afraid of being wiped out, afraid of being uprooted. Then we can focus all our efforts on attacking the Great Boulder Tribe without being distracted or afraid of being stabbed in the back."

Xueshou chimed in, "Let's Great Boulder Tribe a break this year, let them live a few more days, catch their breath. Next year, I'll make them pay! We'll uproot them, leave no one alive! We'll kill all their men, take all their women, and burn their houses down!"

The Yexiao's voice was deep and resonant, as if squeezed from its chest, as it spoke, "Next year, if our Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe win one or two more battles against the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe, crushing their morale, they'll be forced to passively defend against us, like turtles hiding in their shells, like snails burrowing into their shells. If all goes well, by the end of next year we can take over the entire Great Boulder Tribe's territory, seize their land, eat their food, sleep with their women, and use their weapons."

After exchanging a few more words, the Duzhu Spider gestured for them to proceed, saying, "Chief, you've all had a tough time out there, fighting and traveling. You must be tired and hungry. I've prepared food and wine in the council hall. Let's all go back and rest for a bit, have something to eat, and chat while we eat. This will warm you up and help you relax."

Xueya nodded, dismounted with swift and decisive movements, tossed the Jiangsheng to the person beside him, and strode towards the mountain. Behind him, Xueshou, Yexiao, and Duzhu followed, and the group headed towards the council hall of the Stone Ridge Mountain camp.

After some time, Xueya and his men arrived at the council hall of the Stone Ridge Mountain camp. It was a large house built of logs, with thick walls, airtight doors and windows, and a fortress-like interior that was warm in winter and cool in summer. Two thick pillars stood at the entrance, carved with wolf heads, baring their teeth and looking incredibly lifelike. Their eyes, inlaid with rubies, gleamed blood-red in the firelight, as if they were alive. Inside, a fire pit burned, the firewood crackling and sparks flying as it burned. The air was filled with the scent of pine resin, mixed with the aroma of wine and meat, making one's mouth water. Food was already laid out on the low table, steaming hot and fragrant. There were also several jars of fruit wine, the mud seals on which had just been broken, the aroma of wine mingling with the smell of food, filling the air and making one's mouth water.

After everyone sat down, Duzhu ordered his men to bring out the best food and wine, adding several more dishes and jars of wine, filling the table to the brim. Everyone immediately began to feast. Xueya also gave the order for the Wolf Tribe to celebrate wildly, drinking until they were completely drunk. The news spread like wildfire, and the camp erupted in a frenzy. Bonfires were lit, one after another, illuminating half the sky; meat was roasted, its fat dripping and sizzling, filling the entire camp with a fragrant aroma; wine was poured, and warriors sat around the fire, eating meat and drinking wine with gusto, laughing and talking loudly. Some boasted about what they had stolen, holding up bronze knives that gleamed coldly in the firelight; others groped women they had taken, chuckling and laughing. Cries, screams, and snarling laughter mingled together, drifting through the night air.

Just as Xueya and the Wolf Tribe were celebrating at the Stone Ridge Mountain camp, Shishan and Shizhua led the elite troops of the Great Boulder Tribe Great Boulder Tribe back to their camp. The column stretched out long, the warriors with their heads down, their steps heavy. No one spoke, no one laughed, only the rustling of footsteps and the clattering of horses' hooves. The warriors from the smaller tribes who had come to help also returned to their own tribes, each one covered in dust and looking like they had suffered a defeat, heads bowed, hands hanging limply, without uttering a sound.

Inside the council hall of the Great Boulder Tribe, the atmosphere was as heavy as the sky before a storm, like a Jushi pressing down on everyone's heart. The firewood in the hearth burned brightly, crackling and sparks flying, but the hearts of those inside felt as heavy as if a Shitou were pressing down on them, making it hard to breathe. Chief Dashi sat in the main seat, his face ashen, like the sky before a storm, overcast with dark clouds. His fists were clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turning white, veins bulging like earthworms wriggling beneath his skin. His eyes were wide open like copper bells, bloodshot and filled with veins.

"This time, the Wolf Tribe has abducted so many able-bodied men! Your scouts have been out for days without finding any trace of the Wolf Tribe force. Are they all useless? Blind? Deaf?" His voice boomed like thunder, echoing through the council hall. "This has allowed the Wolf Tribe's strength to continue to expand, and they even silently wiped out our last two core vassal tribes!"

He slammed his hand on the table with a loud bang, making the dishes clatter and spilling tea. He continued loudly, "This time you led the elite of the Great Boulder Tribe in pursuit, and you couldn't even defeat the Wolf Tribe on the front lines. What were you doing? We spent so much resources and recruited so many people. Were the bronze weapons we bought at high prices from the Tiger Tribe just for show? Were those bronze weapons just for decoration?"

Shishan stood up, walked to the center of the council hall, lowered his head, and dared not look Dashi in the eye, like a child who had done something wrong. His voice was hoarse, as if he had sand in his mouth or a fishbone stuck in his throat, as he spoke, "Chief, this Wolf Tribe is very cunning, like a fox, like Niqiu. This time, they went to abduct young men in three groups, attacking from three directions like three sharp knives. Their movements were also very covert, specifically taking small paths and traveling at night. They hid during the day and traveled at night like ghosts, and were also very fast, like a gust of wind. Our people couldn't find them at all, nor could they catch up with them. Moreover, they..." After abducting the able-bodied men, they led these people to wipe out several smaller tribes that were close to our Great Boulder Tribe, staining their hands with blood, cutting off their escape route, and leaving them no way to turn back. The Wolf Tribe's strength increased rapidly in this way. Our Great Boulder Tribe's scouts were also constantly searching for the Wolf Tribe's main force, searching day and night without blinking an eye, sending out wave after wave. By the time I received the news, they had already swiftly wiped out two of our Great Boulder Tribe's core vassal tribes. We couldn't arrive in time to rescue them; by the time we got there, everyone was dead, and the houses were burned down."

Dashi shouted, his voice growing louder, like thunder, causing dust to fall from the roof beams like snowflakes. He said, "Even if the Wolf Tribe's Wolf Tribe has increased, can't you even defeat them head-on when you catch up? Four thousand against four thousand, who's outnumbered? Half of them are new recruits, how can you not win? Are the bronze weapons you're carrying firewood sticks?"

Shishan raised his head, looking at the Dashi, his eyes filled with resentment, like two burning flames. He said, "Chief, although half of the Wolf Tribe's soldiers were newly recruited young men, they were trained by the Wolf Tribe, allowed to see blood, kill, and get their hands stained with blood. They quickly became combat-ready. Although our Great Boulder Tribe has more bronze weapons than them, many of our warriors have never experienced real bloodshed, never seen blood, and never killed anyone. This time, in our direct confrontation with the Wolf Tribe, although we didn't suffer any losses, we didn't gain any advantage either. The two sides fought to a draw." It was a stalemate; neither side could gain the upper hand. This Wolf Tribe was cunning and ruthless, like venomous snakes and jackals. At night, they secretly sent half their troops away with their looted supplies. By the time we discovered them, they were already gone for most of the night. The remaining half of their forces kept circling us, refusing to engage us directly. They would run when we chased them, stop when we stopped, and chase when we retreated—it was incredibly frustrating. After chasing them for a while, fearing they might attack our Great Boulder Tribe's rear camp, we led our troops back first."

Shizhua stood up, walked to the side of the Shishan, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Chief, we've been ambushed, tricked, and suffered losses at the Wolf Tribe. We must be more cautious and learn from our mistakes. If we chase after them and fall into an ambush, the losses will be even greater, and we won't even have time to cry then."

Hearing their words, Dashi's heart was in turmoil, like a turbulent sea, like a jumble of mixed emotions. He opened his mouth, wanting to curse, but swallowed it back, his throat moving slightly. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, his chest heaving, trying to calm himself down.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, his voice low and deep, and said, "The Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe's strength has greatly increased. In a while, they'll be able to absorb all these resources and people. New recruits will become veterans, and cowards will become tough guys. Their strength will increase even more. Our Great Boulder Tribe has had two more core subordinate tribes wiped out by the Wolf Tribe. Now, all of our Great Boulder Tribe's core subordinate tribes have been destroyed by the Wolf Tribe Great Boulder Tribe. We have no core subordinate tribes left. Although our Great Boulder Tribe headquarters has absorbed some people, and we still have nearly five thousand warriors, which is a considerable number, after these defeats, our Great Boulder Tribe's prestige here has plummeted." Like a collapsed wall, our Great Boulder Tribe's influence over non-core subordinate tribes is not as strong as before. These small tribes are starting to hesitate on our orders and are ignoring our commands. This time, our Great Boulder Tribe could still muster over a thousand men to help us, but next year is uncertain. Perhaps none of those tribes will come; they'll all be avoiding our Great Boulder Tribe. Moreover, the Great Luwei Tribe is also hesitant now. This year, when we harassed the tribes coerced by the Wolf Tribe, the Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe was incredibly ruthless, ignoring us completely. The more we pressured them, the deeper their hatred for us deepened; they treat us like enemies, wishing they could devour us.

Shizhua asked, his voice tinged with worry, anxiety, and fear, "What will our Great Boulder Tribe do if the Wolf Tribe attacks again next year? What will we use to defend ourselves? What will we use to fight?"

Dashi gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and said, "Let's contact the Great Luwei Tribe again, explain the advantages and disadvantages to them, appeal to their emotions, and lure them with benefits. If the Great Boulder Tribe is defeated, their Great Luwei Tribe will definitely not have an easy time being neighbors with the Wolf Tribe. The Wolf Tribe will not let their Great Luwei Tribe off the hook; they will come knocking on our door sooner or later. In addition, we will buy more bronze weapons from the Tiger Tribe downstream of the Fish River. Buy more, buy the best, take out all our resources, sell our pots and pans to buy them. This Wolf Tribe is fierce and brutal; they often wipe out entire tribes, leaving no one alive, not even children. Many tribes are relatives of those wiped out by the Wolf Tribe; they have blood feuds and deep-seated hatred for the Wolf Tribe. We will absorb them and unite them well. As for resources, our Great Boulder Tribe will grit our teeth, tighten our belts, and live frugally to get through next year's crisis first."

The leaders of the Great Boulder Tribe continued their discussion, talking amongst themselves for about half an hour. Some slammed their fists on the table, some sighed, some cursed, and some remained silent. Then, they gradually left.