Rout and Predation

Just as Daiyue and Yan of the Valley Tribe were discussing the Valley Tribe's joining the Fire Tribe, the remnants of the Tiger Tribe regrouped on a Qiantan in a bend downstream of the Fish River. Tong Dachui stood at the Chuantou of the largest boat, his hand on the gunwale, his gaze fixed on the warriors who were gradually disembarking on the shore. Several scratches from the previous night's battle still clung to his leather armor, and a small section of the seam at his shoulder armor was torn, the ends of the threads curling up, revealing the thick linen lining underneath, which shimmered pale in the sunlight. His hair was somewhat disheveled, with a few strands slipping out of the leather cord binding it and hanging down to his ears. His side was slightly swayed by the river breeze, and a few arrows clung to his cheeks, but he didn't brush them away. His posture remained straight, but his figure was smaller than when he set out, as if some supporting skeletal structure had been removed somewhere. He stood higher than the others, able to see the outline of the entire riverbank—the warriors gathering on the shore had left shadows of varying depths on the sand, some were squatting by the river wiping mud off their swords with damp cloths, some were piling up broken shields, making dull thuds, and others were bending over to pick up arrows scattered on the sand.

Hu Wei strode over from the bank, his boots leaving dark footprints on the water-soaked sand with each step. The edges of the sand were quickly filled in by the water, and the depressions reflected the pale sunlight. He reached the boat, looked up at Tong Dachui, and lowered his voice, as if calculating which words to say more loudly and which to save for when fewer people were around, "Dachui, the army is regrouping, and the navy still has several boats adrift on the river, badly damaged, and they are being repaired. Several smaller boats ran aground during the retreat and are being towed back to deeper water with ropes."

Tong Dachui stepped off the bow of the Chuantou, his boots making a soft, crunching sound as they touched the sandy shore. He stopped, glancing down at the wet mud clinging to his boots before looking up at the soldiers lining up on the bank. His voice was low, hoarse and strained from a long night's work, as if he were squeezing the words out of his throat with barely any strength. "How many have we lost this time?"

Hu Wei stood beside him, also stopping. He took out a wooden tablet with damp edges from his robes, glanced at the engravings on it, and his gaze swept over the tablet twice, as if using that time to sort out the numbers before speaking, "Of the giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, only ten escaped; of the ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, only a dozen or so escaped. Most of the smaller ships were intercepted by the Fire Tribe's fleet, either sunk or captured. As for the land forces, originally there were 7,000 men, but now only about 2,000 have been gathered, and the count is still being done. There may still be some scattered along the riverbanks who haven't returned to their units. Including the navy, we only have 4,000 men left this time. The rest were either killed in action or captured, and many were lost in the chaos of battle, so we can't count them yet."

After he finished speaking, he put the wooden tablet into his pocket and pressed his fingertip on the corner of the tablet, as if to make sure it was not getting wet.

Tong Dachui didn't answer immediately. He stood there, his gaze fixed on the damaged boats on the river. A large ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin had a large crack in its side. The edges of the crack were covered with light-colored new wood splinters, revealing the wood grain inside the planks. The wood glistened damply in the sunlight. Several soldiers were squatting by the side of the ship, trying to plug the crack.

After a while, Tong Dachui spoke, his voice deeper than before, as if he were mentally reviewing the numbers. He lowered his hand from the ship's railing, letting it hang at his sides, palm against his trouser seam, knuckles slightly bent. "This time, we brought 7,000 land troops and 5,000 naval troops, and now only these few remain. How are we going to explain this back? Our faction already held an overwhelming advantage, and this battle has directly wiped out the fruits of our victory over the Great Luwei Tribe. Back at the tribe, Hu Bashan won't let this opportunity pass. He's been waiting for us to make a mistake, and now he has. Although Hu Zheng doesn't usually say anything, he won't side with us either; he'll just watch as our two factions wear each other down."

As he spoke, he raised his right hand and touched the gaping seam on his left shoulder blade. His fingertips slid back and forth across the junction of the linen and leather, as if using touch to confirm the length and location of the tear. He felt the slight stinging sensation left on his fingertips by the raised edge of the gaping seam. His fingertips lingered on the tear for a moment before he lowered them.

Hu Wei stood to the side, silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the boats being repaired on the river, as if waiting for Tong Dachui to finish speaking. Then he spoke, his voice not loud, but his tone steady, as if adding a layer of solidity to his words: "Chief Dachui, the Fire Tribe's strength has developed too quickly. Even if our Tiger Tribe comes at full strength this time, we probably won't be able to do anything to them. If we continue to fight amongst ourselves after we return, the Tiger Tribe will be even less of a match for them."

He paused, as if mentally preparing the next sentence before releasing it. "When we return this time, we can exaggerate the threat posed by the Fire Tribe. As long as the other two factions in the tribe also feel that the Fire Tribe's threat has reached the Tiger Tribe's doorstep, they will have no choice but to provide resources, even if they are unwilling. After all, we are a super-large tribe that has been around for many years, and we have accumulated a lot over the years. As long as we take out all these resources and convert them into military force, we can take revenge on the Fire Tribe. Of course, if we lose this battle, the absolute initiative in the negotiations will no longer be on our side."

Tong Dachui didn't reply immediately. His gaze shifted from the river to the sand in front of him, as if there was a map on that sand that only he could see, the distribution and marks of the sand grains outlining his retreat route and next key points. After a moment, he raised his head, his voice lower than before. "This is the only way. If we had won a great victory this time, our faction could have obtained all the tribe's supplies. But we suffered a crushing defeat, and we will definitely face blame and investigation when we return. It's unrealistic for our faction to swallow all the tribe's supplies. I will discuss this matter with my father when we get back. He knows when to retreat and when to press forward. If he can stabilize Hu Bashan and Hu Zheng first, our faction can still retain half of the decision-making power."

Hu Wei nodded, then, remembering something, turned his head and asked, "What about the Wolf Tribe and the Bear Tribe? The Bear Tribe's leader, Xiong Lie, is probably dead at the south gate of the Valley Tribe's main camp. Their warriors also suffered heavy losses; their elite forces were basically wiped out in that battle. I'm afraid less than 30% of them have returned. The Wolf Tribe, on the other hand, managed to retreat to the Little Valley Camp Outpost to rest and later escaped. Unlike us, they weren't chased and attacked by the Fire Tribe. I heard they even took some of the supplies that the Bear Tribe couldn't transport in time."

Tong Dachui paused for a moment, as if the two words were lingering on his lips before he spoke, "Let's leave them alone for now. We need to take care of our own affairs first. Now is not the time to deal with them. Have the army cross the river to the east bank of the Fish River and evacuate by land. On the west bank of the Yu Fish River, there are still the Greater Qing Tribe and Willow Vine Tribe. Their attitudes are still unclear. If they get closer to the Fire Tribe, we'll be blocked on the way. We'll go from the east bank, avoiding those places where problems might arise. The navy will come with me back to the Tiger Tribe first."

Hu Wei listened without asking any further questions, then turned and ran towards the army's ranks. The Tiger Tribe moved quickly; before it was even completely dark, the army had already begun moving north along the dirt road on the riverbank. The navy, on the other hand, had gone downstream first, their sails raised again, their silhouettes gradually shrinking in the twilight until they disappeared into the bend downstream, a whole evening earlier than the remnants of the Wolf Tribe.

Xueya of the Wolf Tribe led his group along the dirt road to the north, at a slower pace than before. The group was more mixed in appearance, with cattle, horses, and oxcarts following behind. These were seized from the Bear Tribe and had left deep ruts in the mud. The carts were piled with items that the Bear Tribe had plundered from their Little Valley Camp Outpost, covered with burlap.

Yexiao rode up from the rear of the column, reined in his horse beside Xueya, turned his head, and said in a voice filled with relief at surviving a close call and the speed of the escape, "Chief, you were quick to react. If you hadn't led everyone to retreat to the Little Valley Camp Outpost early on, we would have been surrounded once the Fire Tribe's forces arrived. They were faster than us, and they had more boats. It would have been much harder to leave then."

Xueya, mounted on his horse, relaxed his stance slightly. His gaze fell on the road ahead, its surface gleaming dimly in the twilight. The hoofprints kicked up fine dust, which, in the afterglow of the setting sun, seemed to be gilded with a thin layer of old gold. The dust rose and fell, settling on the roadside Caoye like a thin, even frost. He spoke softly, with a calculated certainty. "Although we lost nearly two thousand warriors this time, we still gained a considerable amount of supplies—bronze weapons, leather armor, oxen and horses—more than we lost. Overall, we still made a small profit."

He turned his gaze away from the front, glanced at Yexiao, and said in a steadyer voice, "Our Wolf Tribe has suffered several heavy losses at the hands of the Fire Tribe. I know very well that the Fire Tribe is not someone to be trifled with. If things continue like this, I'm afraid the Tiger Tribe won't be able to suppress the Fire Tribe either. We need to make some preparations in advance."

Upon hearing this, Yexiao's expression shifted slightly. He turned his head, his gaze lingering on Xueya's face for a moment. "Chief, is the Fire Tribe really that powerful? The Tiger Tribe has been the overlord of the Fish River for many years; they've always had the most boats and the most people."

Xueya was silent for a moment, as if reviewing his past battles in his mind. His right hand gripped the Jiangsheng, his fingers slowly stroking the leather straps. "The Fire Tribe is very mysterious. I don't understand them. A few years ago, they were just a small tribe with only a few hundred people. Now they have hundreds of thousands of people and more boats than the Tiger Tribe. Although the Tiger Tribe has been the overlord of the Fish River for many years, internal strife is severe. Tongding and Hu Bashan are pulling each other down. If this continues, I'm not optimistic about them. A fragmented giant is no match for a small but clenched fist."

He paused, as if to catch up on a sentence he hadn't yet uttered. "Of course, it's still too early to say who will ultimately prevail. Our most important task right now is to improve our own strength. We suffered heavy losses this time, but we brought back enough supplies. We can use these supplies to expand our forces, train our troops, and stockpile provisions. At least we can stabilize our base for the next few years. The Tiger Tribe shouldn't be able to interfere with us anymore; they have a lot of trouble to deal with themselves."

Yexiao nodded, then remembered something else and lowered his voice. "The biggest losses this time should be suffered by the Bear Tribe. Almost all of the four thousand men they brought with them have died in battle. Even their leader Xiong Lie, is trapped near the south gate of the Valley Tribe's main camp and has been unable to evacuate."

When Xueya heard the name "Xiong Lie," his eyes flickered, like a pebble dropped into water—the ripples quickly subsided, but the pebble sank. He didn't answer immediately, but instead remained mounted, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, as if reviewing the news in his mind. After a moment, he spoke, his voice lower than before, carrying the Chenwen that only comes after a well-thought-out plan, "They were too greedy. How could the Valley Tribe be so easy to conquer? The Fire Tribe has been watching upstream. If they make a move, the Fire Tribe will know. Xiong Lie was too eager to steal the credit, wanting to use the Tiger Tribe's momentum to swallow up the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost in one fell swoop, and ended up losing his life in the process."

He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "However, this is also an opportunity for our Wolf Tribe. The Bear Tribe has brought out most of its elite troops this time, so their stronghold must be very vulnerable. As long as we seize the opportunity and deliver a heavy blow, the remaining supplies of the Bear Tribe Bear Tribe will be our Wolf Tribe 'Little Valley Camp Outpost."

Yexiao's face showed a hint of worry upon hearing this. He turned his head slightly and lowered his voice, "Won't the Tiger Tribe object to what we're doing? After all, the Bear Tribe is also their vassal tribe. Although they're currently preoccupied with their own problems, what if they find the time later and use this to cause trouble for us?"

Xueya chuckled coldly, a soft laugh that seemed to be squeezed out of his nose, never truly unfolding. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried a calculated certainty. "They've suffered heavy losses now, where would they find the strength to bother with us? Tong Dachui himself has to go back to face the accusations from Hu Bashan. After we destroyed the Bear Tribe, only our Wolf Tribe is the strongest in the vicinity. Tong Dachui and his group want to maintain their faction's dominance in the Tiger Tribe, they're too busy trying to win us over, why would they turn against us at a time like this? We're going back now because they need our help. Smart people know when to speak up and when to keep their eyes closed."

Yexiao pondered for a moment, his gaze lingering on Xueya's face, before saying, "As long as we plunder the Bear Tribe's resources, our Wolf Tribe's strength will greatly increase. Even expanding our warrior force to eight or ten thousand wouldn't be a problem."

Xueya nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the road ahead. He squinted for a moment, then spoke in a low, deliberate voice, as if stating a decision already made. "The Bear Tribe is not far ahead. Let's prepare ourselves and make sure we succeed in one fell swoop. After we've looted all the supplies and loaded everything we can carry, we'll decide on our next move."

He spurred the horse on its flanks, and the horse quickened its pace, its hooves thumping on the dirt road in the dimming light. Yexiao urged his horse to follow, and the two walked side by side at the head of the procession, the sound of their hooves steady and continuous in the twilight.