Bear and Wolf Set Out for the Tiger Tribe

Just as the Fire Tribe was transporting grain to the Valley Tribe, there was also movement downstream of the Fish River. In the council hall of the Bear Tribe, Xiong Lie sat in the main seat, his hands on his knees, his body slightly leaning forward, his gaze fixed on his eldest son, Xiong Pan.

Xiong Pan stood in the center of the room, his hands hanging at his sides, his back ramrod straight, as if waiting to receive some command. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his gaze met his father's without flinching.

Xiong Lie remained silent for a moment, as if weighing his words carefully before speaking, "The people we sent to the Tiger Tribe at the end of last year have returned. They brought back a message from the Tiger Tribe, saying that the Tiger Tribe's Great Elder, Tongding, wants to see me and the Wolf Tribe's leader, Xueya, to discuss the specifics of our allegiance and some follow-up matters in person."

His brow furrowed slightly, his gaze lingering on Xiong Pan's face for a moment, as if to confirm that his son was listening attentively. "The Tiger Tribe isn't pressing us too hard, but they've given us a deadline. It won't look good if it drags on too long. I plan to set off in the next couple of days with a 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) carrying capacity boat and several smaller boats, heading downstream along the Fish River to the Tiger Tribe. I'm leaving things at home to you. Take care of the tribe with your men. We'll discuss everything else when we return. Report any movement on the river, or any strangers approaching from the shore, immediately."

After he finished speaking, he leaned back in his chair, clasped his hands together on the armrests, and waited for Xiong Pan's reply with a scrutinizing and testing gaze. Xiong Pan met his father's gaze and nodded vigorously. His Adam's apple bobbed as he spoke, "Father, rest assured, I will work closely with all the leaders to maintain a tight defense. We will increase manpower at the southern outpost, keeping watch day and night. The number of guards in the camp will be doubled, and anyone entering or leaving after dark will be questioned. The patrols will be changed to day and night rotations, so that the Valley Tribe or anyone else will not be able to take advantage of the situation. During your absence, the Bear Tribe will not experience any trouble."

His voice rose slightly, as if to sound more confident, "I've already spoken to the leaders. Those who need to guard will guard, those who need to defend will defend, and the work will continue as usual. After you leave, the ships at the dock will still come and go as normal, so no one will notice that we're short-handed."

Hearing this, Xiong Lie's gaze lingered on his son's face for a moment. Seeing his serious and tense expression, he nodded slightly. He reached up and touched the short stubble on his chin, his fingertips slowly rubbing against the rough skin. He then spoke again, "We do need to be more vigilant. Although the chances of the Valley Tribe attacking our Bear Tribe are slim, and they don't have the guts right now—but small as they are, we can't afford to be careless. They were attacked by the Tiger Tribe last year, but they've recovered some strength. With the Fire Tribe backing them up, they're probably still seething with resentment. Who knows if they'll take advantage of our smaller numbers to launch a sneak attack? The Fire Tribe is far away, but if the Valley Tribe really makes a move, they might not hesitate to retaliate. Besides, our business can't stop. The ships at the docks must continue to come and go as usual, and the goods that need to be transported must be transported. We can't let anyone notice anything amiss. The soldiers' training can't stop; they all need to drill. We can't let our guard down just because I'm not here. Grain production can't stop either. The work in the fields still needs to be done. Spring planting can't be delayed; if it is, it will mean a whole year's harvest."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Xiong Pan's face for a moment, as if to confirm whether his son had truly taken his words to heart. "Can you do it?"

Xiong Pan nodded vigorously and said, "Father, don't worry. When you return, the Bear Tribe will only be stronger. I will keep an eye on these matters and won't let anything be neglected."

Xiong Lie looked at his son with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, go back and rest. There's still a lot to prepare for tomorrow."

Xiong Pan clasped his hands in a salute, turned, and walked out of the council hall. Two days later, Xiong Lie set off with his fleet. Xiong Lie stood at the Chuantou of the massive 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) ship, wearing a dark gray linen robe, a leather belt with bronze buckles around his waist, and animal-hide boots with dew still clinging to the tops. His hair was held back with a bone hairpin. Behind him followed three small boats, maintaining a safe distance. The sails of the large ship were raised, billowing in the morning breeze. Xiong Lie stood at the Chuantou, gazing ahead. Occasionally, he would glance down at the river's flow, or raise his hand to shield his eyes from the sun as he looked towards the distant bend in the river. The soldiers passing by him moved quietly, none of them disturbing him.

After traveling for several days, the fleet arrived near the dock of the former Great Boulder Tribe. From afar, Xiong Lie could see a large number of people standing on the dock, a dark mass. Most of them were warriors of the Wolf Tribe, dressed in linen clothes of varying shades. Some were standing on the dock, some were riding horses, and some were walking back and forth in the open space.

What caught Xiong Lie's attention most was the herd of horses gathered in the open space next to the dock. The ponies had mixed coat colors—black, brown, chestnut, and spotted—and moved slowly across the open space, neighing incessantly. Their hooves kicked up a light dust as they trod the muddy ground. Xiong Lie counted them quickly and estimated there were at least one or two thousand horses, a truly spectacular sight.

Xiong Lie narrowed his eyes, his gaze lingering on the horses for a while. He tapped his fingers lightly on the gunwale, his brow furrowing slightly, but he didn't ask anything. He let the boat slowly dock, the gangplank was set up, and he stepped off the boat. Xueya was standing on the dock waiting for him.

Today he wore a black linen robe, the fabric rough and thick, the cuffs and collar worn and frayed. A wide animal skin belt was tied around his waist, from which hung a bronze dagger. The scabbard was engraved with simple patterns, but they were worn and faded. His hair was tied back with a leather cord, revealing his face with a hideous scar that ran from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, like a crawling centipede, standing out prominently in the sunlight.

Behind him stood two hundred warriors from the Wolf Tribe, each with a straight back and sharp eyes, but each carrying a weapon. Their horses paced restlessly, some swishing their tails, others snorting and exhaling puffs of white vapor that drifted away in the spring sunshine.

Standing next to Xueya was a woman dressed in dark red linen clothes, her hair wrapped in a cloth, revealing a face tanned dark by the sun. She was whispering something to Xueya, but her eyes were fixed on the boats docking on the river. When she saw Xiong Lie get off, she stopped talking, took a half step back, and stood behind Xueya.

Xiong Lie glanced around at the people and horses on the dock, his gaze finally settling on Xueya's face. He paused slightly, then clasped his hands in a salute, his voice tinged with surprise as he asked, "Chief Xueya, what are you all doing? So many people, so many horses, standing by the dock—are you waiting for me, or preparing for a long journey?"

His gaze swept over the herd of horses again, and he said, "About two thousand ponies, that's quite a sight."

Xueya smiled slightly, but the smile didn't truly reach his eyes. His lips merely twitched slightly as he gestured towards the herd of horses, his voice neither loud nor soft, "These are the remaining ponies of our Wolf Tribe. We are now preparing to submit to the Tiger Tribe Wolf Tribe, and these horses are a Tiger Tribe of our sincerity."

He reached out and gently touched the hilt of the short sword on his belt, meeting Xiong Lie's gaze at the same time, and said, "Bringing these to see the Great Elder of the Tiger Tribe shows much more sincerity than going empty-handed."

Xiong Lie paused for a moment, then looked at the horses again, his gaze shifting back and forth between the herd and Xueya. He stroked his chin, as if weighing something, and said, "Xueya Chief, two thousand ponies, that's no small number. You could easily trade them with our Bear Tribe for things—grain, cloth, salt, tools—anything is negotiable. We won't shortchange you on price. Don't you think it's a waste to just give them away to the Tiger Tribe?"

His tone carried a hint of probing, yet also a genuine sense of regret. Xueya shook his head, his voice calm but resolute. "Chief Xiong Lie, I appreciate your kindness. If our Wolf Tribe has any dwarf horses to sell in the future, we'll definitely come to your Bear Tribe first. But this batch of horses is different."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Xiong Lie's face, and said, "Our Wolf Tribe has just established itself in the Great Boulder Tribe. We've conquered territory, but if we want to stay long-term, swords and horses alone aren't enough. We need approval from above. These two thousand ponies are a token of our Wolf Tribe's sincerity. If the Tiger Tribe accepts these horses, it means they've acknowledged our allegiance."

Xiong Lie looked into Xueya's eyes, as if trying to discern something from them. Xueya's gaze was calm and composed, revealing neither retreat nor hesitation. After a moment, Xiong Lie nodded, his tone tinged with admiration, "Chief Xueya is truly generous. Two thousand ponies, given away without a second thought. I admire that kind of boldness."

He paused, then asked, "So you're planning to ride horses directly overland to the Tiger Tribe this time? You've only brought two hundred warriors, plus these horses, the road might not be very safe, right? I heard you have a grudge against the Great Luwei Tribe; if they find out, they might ambush you halfway—"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. Xueya's lips twitched slightly, a hint of coldness creeping into his smile, "Our Wolf Tribe's cavalry isn't slow; they won't be much slower than your fleet by land. As for the Great Luwei Tribe— "

His voice lowered further, his gaze seemingly passing over Xiong Lie, looking into the distance as he said, "If they dare to provoke us, it will give me a reason to take action. When we beat them up, not only will the Tiger Tribe not blame us, but our Wolf Tribe will be more than happy to see them come."

He spoke softly, as if he were talking about something trivial, but the light in his eyes told Xiong Lie that he wasn't joking.

Seeing his resolute expression, Xiong Lie stopped trying to persuade him and nodded, saying, "Since Chief Xueya has said so, I won't say anything more. Take care on your journey."

He turned and shouted to his ship, "Send a ship with a carrying capacity of 5,000 catties to follow the Wolf Tribe's caravan. If they need anything along the way, they can tell the people on board."

A Xiaotou on the ship responded, and soon a small boat untied its mooring line from behind the large ship and rowed to the shore. The soldiers on the boat clasped their hands in a fist salute to Xueya without saying a word, but their gesture indicated that they intended to follow him.

Xueya clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xiong Lie and said, "Thank Xiong Lie, Chief Xiong Lie. We'll be setting off now."

Xiong Lie clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around and quickly walked onto his boat. The fleet slowly left the dock and sailed downstream along the Fish River. The boats gradually became smaller on the water, like a leaf swallowed by the river, and finally disappeared at the bend in the river.

On the dock, Xueya watched Xiong Lie's fleet depart until the white sails of the large ship were completely out of sight. Only then did he turn around to face his two hundred cavalrymen and two thousand ponies. His gaze swept over each face, then he raised his arm and forcefully waved it forward. "Set sail!"

Two hundred cavalrymen simultaneously turned their horses around, their hooves pounding the muddy ground with a dull thud, raising a thin layer of dust. The riders lowered their bodies, controlling the speed of their horses, and shouts rose and fell, driving the herd of two thousand ponies.

The horses neighed incessantly as they moved, jostling together, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, guided by the riders' shouts. The procession formed a dark brown torrent, heading north along the dirt road by the riverbank. The sound of hooves was as dense as raindrops, raising dust that obscured the sky behind the procession.

Xueya rode at the very front of the group, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his lips slightly pursed, his expression calm and focused, revealing neither joy nor anger, nor any sign of relaxation. Yexiao rode beside him, half a horse's length behind. He would occasionally glance at the trees on either side, then look up at the terrain in the distance, his eyes always on alert.

After riding for a while, Yexiao Owl urged his horse closer and said in a low voice, "Chief, we're going to pass through the former territory of the Great Luwei Tribe. Although the tribe there hasn't been much activity lately, some of them were attacked by us before and still hold a grudge. We're only bringing two hundred men this time, and with so many horses, if they ambush us on the way or try to steal our horses at night, we'll be in big trouble."

His tone was cautious. Xueya didn't answer immediately. He remained silent for a while, his gaze still fixed ahead, his fingers gently stroking the Jiangsheng. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "I'm actually hoping the Great Luwei Tribe will come and steal the horse."

Yexiao tilted his head slightly, looking at him with a hint of confusion in his eyes. Xueya continued, "Their arrival gives our Wolf Tribe an excuse to attack the Great Luwei Tribe. I was just worried about how to explain our situation with the Great Luwei Tribe to the Tiger Tribe. If they make the first move, then it will be a legitimate act of self-defense."

He turned his head and glanced at Yexiao, saying, "These horses are going to be given to the Tiger Tribe. Anyone who dares to touch these horses is going against the Tiger Tribe. When we go to attack the Great Luwei Tribe, the Tiger Tribe won't blame us; on the contrary, they'll think we're sensible and know how to handle things."

Upon hearing this, Yexiao Owl's expression shifted slightly, as if he had figured something out. He nodded slowly, his voice filled with genuine admiration, and said, "Chief, this way, whether they make a move or not, we won't suffer any losses. If they do, we'll have an excuse to eliminate them; if they don't, we can safely deliver the horses to the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe and maintain our standing with them."

Xueya didn't reply. He gently spurred the horse's belly, urging it to quicken its pace. Without offering any further explanation, the two thousand ponies stretched out as a long black line on the wide dirt road, surging towards the Tiger Tribe.