The Wolf Tribe's Plans

On the morning of the second day after Xiong Pan arrived at the Great Boulder Tribe, the sun had already risen, shining warmly on the earth. In the Great Boulder Tribe's camp, the Wolf Tribe warriors were still busy moving supplies. Some were counting prisoners, while others were repairing the damaged walls and wooden houses. Although the camp had been breached, it would still be needed in the future and could not be left to decay.

The camp was filled with dust and noise. Xiong Pan led his group away. More than twenty riders rode on ponies and galloped off in the direction of the Bear Tribe. The clatter of hooves grew louder and louder until they disappeared on the distant horizon.

Xueya stood at the camp gate, watching Xiong Pan's group depart into the distance, a faint smile on his face, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. His eyes were slightly narrowed, like a fox plotting something. Only after Xiong Pan's figure had completely disappeared did he turn around and walk towards the largest wooden house in the center of the camp.

The cabin was dimly lit. Xueya sat down in the main seat, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath. Xueshou followed him in and plopped down on the wooden stool next to him.

He picked up the earthenware pot on the table, poured a bowl of water, gulped down more than half of it, then wiped his mouth, looked at the Xueya, and said, "Brother, the Great Boulder Tribe has now been conquered by us. Within the Great Boulder Tribe's territory, there are basically no forces that can oppose us. I've sent people to scout the surrounding areas; those small tribes have either fled or gone into hiding. Not a single one dares to show its face."

He paused, then said, "Only a small group, about a few hundred people, went north towards the Great Luwei Tribe. They ran in a hurry, taking almost nothing with them, even abandoning most of their weapons. They're like frightened birds. Should we send someone to chase after them?"

Xueya shook his head, his voice Chenwen: "No need to chase them. A few hundred defeated soldiers are no match for us. They can't cause any trouble. If they run to the Great Luwei Tribe, it won't do us any harm. The Great Luwei Tribe is still several days' journey away from us. They can't threaten us for the time being. The most important thing now is for us to figure out our next move."

Xueshou put down the earthenware bowl, wiped his mouth, sat up straight, and said with a mixture of anticipation and eagerness in his eyes, "Big brother, then tell us quickly! What's our next move? You're the leader, we'll all listen to you!"

Xueya glanced at him, his gaze calm, then turned to Yexiao, who was standing in the corner, and asked, "Yexiao, what do you think?"

Yexiao spoke up, "Chief, I think that now that we've conquered the Great Boulder Tribe, the Bear Tribe will send someone to the Tiger Tribe to explain the situation and introduce us. As long as we do as the Bear Tribe asks, the Tiger Tribe won't reject us and will accept us. However, although we've conquered the Great Boulder Tribe and this land belongs to us, our Wolf Tribe has always lived by plundering, not by planting or farming. If we want to settle here, we need to find a way to turn the produce of this land into something we can use."

Xueya nodded, his eyes filled with approval, and said, "You've hit the nail on the head. We Wolf Tribe people are used to coming and going quickly. It's impossible and unrealistic to expect us to toil in the fields like the Great Boulder Tribe people. So, I plan to take some supplies and prisoners back to our Wolf Tribe's lair first."

He thought for a moment and then said, "I plan to have Duzhu bring some people to garrison this area. She's meticulous, capable, and can keep things under control. We'll also relocate a group of tribes affiliated with our Wolf Tribe to this area. They can farm, herd livestock, and work here. They'll provide the labor, and we'll take the lion's share of the produce. This way, we only need to come and transport supplies during the harvest season. We won't need to send a large number of troops to guard this place at other times. This way, we can protect this territory without wasting too many troops here."

Xueshou frowned and thought for a moment before asking, "Brother, if we don't station a large number of troops in the Great Boulder Tribe, what if others come to raid us? For example, what if the people from the Great Luwei Tribe attack, or the people from the Bear Tribe turn their backs on us?"

Xueya smiled, a smile tinged with certainty, and said, "That's why I said we need to relocate a group of affiliated tribes here. These tribes are dependent on us. Once they settle here, they'll become our outposts. If anyone attacks, they'll be the first to hold the line. Even if they can't win, they can still send us a message, giving us time to react."

He paused, his voice becoming more Chenwen, and said, "Furthermore, we can't maintain too many troops now. Although the Great Boulder Tribe has a large territory, its output is limited. We can't continue like before, leading thousands of people to raid everywhere. Maintaining too many people means we won't have enough food or enough horses to feed. It's better to streamline our forces."

Xueshou nodded, as if processing these words, then asked, "How many troops can we maintain?"

Xueya held up five fingers and said, "Five thousand cavalrymen. That's our limit right now. We can't afford any more. We can't support any more horses and men."

Xueshou nodded, but his expression still showed some concern as he said, "Brother, what about all the ponies we've plundered? We've taken quite a few over the past few days, including those from the Great Boulder Tribe, at least two thousand. We only have five thousand cavalry; we won't need that many horses."

Xueya was silent for a moment, then tapped his fingers on the table a few more times, his voice carrying a hint of determination as he said, "I plan to give those extra ponies to the Tiger Tribe next year."

Xueshou's eyes widened in shock, and he nearly jumped off his stool. He exclaimed, "Give them to the Tiger Tribe? Brother, those horses were hard-won! We plundered them one by one! So much manpower, so many brothers died! Just give them away to the Tiger Tribe for nothing? That's such a loss!"

His face flushed with excitement, and the veins on his forehead bulged as he shouted, "Besides, even if we can't afford to keep those horses, we can sell them to other tribes! We can exchange them for grain, cloth, and salt; that's better than giving them away for free!"

Xueya raised his hand, gestured for him to sit down, and then said, "Let me finish."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable Chenwen as he said, "We have too many ponies, and we can't afford to raise them. Besides, what we lack most right now isn't horses, but boats. Without boats, we can't go very far on the Fish River. This means our Wolf Tribe's territory will be limited to land, and if we encounter enemies on the water, we'll be left defenseless."

He looked at Xueshou with a meaningful gaze and said, "I plan to use these dwarf horses to trade for some boats with the Tiger Tribe. We don't lack horses, but we lack boats. With boats, we can move around on the Fish River. The Tiger Tribe builds good boats; they even have giant boats weighing 100,000 jin. Let's go and trade for some boats."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly, and said, "Moreover, giving the horses to the Tiger Tribe also shows our attitude. Our Wolf Tribe is willing to submit to the Tiger Tribe and obey their orders. More than two thousand ponies is no small number. When the Tiger Tribe sees this, they will look at us with more respect and think that our Wolf Tribe is sensible and understanding."

Xueshou listened and remained silent for a long while. His expression shifted from excitement to contemplation, and then to a reluctant but unavoidable helplessness. He sighed deeply, picked up the earthenware bowl on the table, drank the remaining half-bowl of water in one gulp, then put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and said with a hint of resentment in his voice, "Brother... you're right, we do lack boats. Exchanging over two thousand ponies for some boats isn't too bad, it's just... I'm a little reluctant to part with them. After all, they were stolen one by one, saved up one by one."

Xueya looked at him and comforted him, "I know you're reluctant, and so am I, but now is not the time to be sentimental. These horses are just taking up space and eating fodder; we can't afford to feed them and we're useless at the same time. If we exchange them for boats, we can travel on the Fish River, which will expand our range of movement, and we can plunder more things in the future."

He leaned back in his chair and continued, "Some remnants of the Great Boulder Tribe have fled to the Great Luwei Tribe in the far north. The Bear Tribe also said that the Tiger Tribe has always wanted to expand and develop southward. When we go to the Tiger Tribe next year, I will suggest that the Tiger Tribe annex the Great Luwei Tribe."

Xueshou paused for a moment, then frowned and said, "Brother, why are you making plans for the Tiger Tribe again?"

A smile crept across Xueya's lips, a smile tinged with calculation. "It's not for the Tiger Tribe's sake, it's for our own," he said. "The Wolf Tribe Tiger Tribe can contribute to the Great Luwei Tribe's annexation, which will greatly enhance our contribution to the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe, making them value us more."

He sat up straight and said, "Moreover, when the Tiger Tribe annexes the Great Luwei Tribe, our Wolf Tribe can also take the opportunity to plunder some resources to strengthen our forces."

He paused, looking at Xueshou and Yexiao, his voice becoming even more Chenwen as he said, "As long as our Wolf Tribe is stronger than the Bear Tribe, our value in the Tiger Tribe will surpass that of the Bear Tribe, and our status will be above that of the Bear Tribe. At that time, it won't be so easy for the Bear Tribe to boss us around anymore."

Xueshou's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, shouting loudly, "That's right! Once our Wolf Tribe becomes strong, it'll be our turn to ride roughshod over the Bear Tribe! Let's see how long they can keep up their arrogance!"

He burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the cabin. Yexiao, however, remained silent, his expression grave. Xueya noticed his silence, turned to him, and asked, "Yexiao, why aren't you saying anything? What's on your mind?"

Yexiao raised his head and looked at Xueya, saying, "Chief, I've been thinking about something. If we cooperate with the Bear Tribe to take down the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost, will the Bear Tribe's strength become even greater as a result?"

Xueshou, upon hearing this, also suppressed his smile and frowned, saying, "That's right, brother. Once we take over the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost, the Bear Tribe will have territory, people, and food. Their strength will likely increase even further. At that point, even if our Wolf Tribe also develops, we might still be outmatched by them."

Xueya didn't answer immediately. Instead, he picked up the earthenware bowl on the table, took a sip of water, slowly put it down, and continued, "Have you considered what the Valley Tribe's headquarters will do after the Bear Tribe captures the Valley Tribe Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost? The Valley Tribe isn't a small tribe; they won't just stand by and watch their stronghold be taken away. They will definitely retaliate fiercely, sending troops to seize it and sending ships to attack. They won't just let it go."

He paused, then continued, "It won't be so easy for the Bear Tribe to absorb the Little Valley Camp. Once the Valley Tribe's main force launches a counterattack, they'll have to divide their forces to defend it, wasting manpower and resources. In that case, the Bear Tribe's strength won't increase; in fact, it might even decrease. But what about our Wolf Tribe? We can just plunder some supplies and return without having to defend our territory. We can easily gain benefits, use those supplies to develop, and our strength will actually increase."

Xueshou's eyes lit up again, and he nodded repeatedly, saying, "Right, right! Big Brother is right! We'll just rob them, not take over any territory! We'll grab what we need and run, letting them fight it out! They'll be fighting tooth and nail, and we can watch the show and even pick up the scraps!"

Yexiao nodded, a hint of agreement in his eyes, and said, "The chief is right. The Bear Tribe is blinded by hatred. They only want revenge and to take over the Little Valley Camp. They now believe that with the Tiger Tribe's backing, they can absorb the Little Valley Camp Outpost of the Valley Tribe, but they don't know that the Valley Tribe headquarters will never give up."

Xueya paused, his voice lowering slightly, and said, "Moreover, the Fire Tribe is an ally of the Valley Tribe. We've fought the Fire Tribe many times, and each time we've suffered heavy losses. Everyone knows how powerful the Fire Tribe is. The Bear Tribe wants to absorb the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp, and the Fire Tribe won't stand idly by."

Xueya nodded, his gaze meaningful. "That's right. The Fire Tribe is an ally of the Valley Tribe. They won't watch the Valley Tribe suffer losses. Our Wolf Tribe has fought several battles with the Fire Tribe before, and every time we suffered losses and had to slink away. Now they have bigger ships, more people, and better weapons. Even the Tiger Tribe has suffered losses at their hands. If the Bear Tribe wants to take over the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp with the support of the Tiger Tribe, they'll have to pay a much higher price than they imagine."

Xueshou listened, remained silent for a moment, then nodded vigorously and said, "Brother, you're right. We should focus on developing our own strength first."

Xueya stood up, stretched his stiff neck, which cracked slightly, and walked to the door of the cabin. He looked at the sky outside, the sunlight shining on his face, making his scars even more prominent. "Alright, that's settled then."

He turned around, looked at Xueshou and Yexiao, and said decisively, "Let's take care of what we're doing now—take the supplies and prisoners that need to be taken, and leave a cavalry force of five hundred men here to wait for Duzhu to come and take over."

Xueshou stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Alright! I'll go arrange it right away!"

Yexiao also stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I will also go and prepare for departure."

Xueya nodded and said, "Go."

The two turned and walked out of the wooden house. Their footsteps faded into the distance. Xueya stood alone at the door, looking at the sky outside and at the Wolf Tribe warriors who were busy in the distance. His gaze was as cold as the winter wind. A cold smile appeared on his lips. Then he turned and walked back into the wooden house.