Encirclement from North and South

That evening, after resting for three hours at their temporary camp, the Fire Tribe cavalry set off northward along the road on the east bank of the Fish River. It was still late at night; not a single star could be seen, and the moon was obscured by thick clouds, its dim light peeking through only a few gaps to illuminate the road a few steps ahead. The horses' hooves pounded the dirt road, dust billowing in the night, repeatedly pushed down by the riders behind. The column stretched in a long line from the temporary camp to the edge of the distant woods. The torches howled in the night wind, their flames flickering and casting the shadows of the riders and horses across the ground. The ground swayed. These were elite warriors of the Fire Tribe, each with a sturdy build and a Chenwen born of long training. They rode lightly armed horses, carrying bronze spears on their backs, short swords at their waists, and quivers and water pouches beside their Ma'an. They carried no baggage, so their speed was not slow. The Fire Tribe's temporary camp's supplies were packed and transported by the Fire Tribe navy. The navy began loading the ships at dusk, carrying food, weapons, spare arrows, hay, and other supplies one by one. The decks were piled high, covered with burlap and straw mats, and the oarsmen sat at their oars, awaiting the order to depart.

Yan led the Fire Tribe's cavalry army for over two hours. A fork in the road appeared ahead. One road led north along the east bank of the Fish River to the Wolf Tribe's camp on the Great Rock River. The other road veered northeast, winding around a low hill, leading to the eastern side of the Great Rock River camp. Yan, riding slightly ahead in the middle of the column, glanced at the earthen slope at the fork in the road, then at Julang and Daya behind him. He pulled on the Jiangsheng, slowing his horse. He withdrew his hand from the Jiangsheng, turned his head towards Julang Julang, take a thousand cavalry and ambush the Wolf Tribe on their way back to their stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain. That road leads east from the Great Julang camp on the Great Rock River bank. There's a narrow section with forest on both sides, only wide enough for a cart to pass. Find a place there and wait. Don't light a fire, don't make a sound. As soon as you see any remnants of the Wolf Tribe running that way, intercept them. Don't let a single one get away."

After listening, Julang clasped his hands in a fist salute on his horse. His movements were swift and decisive, without any unnecessary words. He simply nodded and said, "Young Chief, rest assured. The forests on both sides of that road are very dense. The horses can't run freely, and the men are all crammed together. As long as we block them from the front and back, they'll be trapped like turtles in a jar, unable to escape. I'll be waiting over there. As soon as anyone comes, I'll cut them down one by one." After he finished speaking, he pulled the Jiangsheng to the left, and his horse turned towards the northeast path. The thousand cavalrymen behind him also changed direction. The cavalry broke away from the main force, like a forked stream, surging towards the right side of the fork in the road. The sound of hooves gradually faded away on the dirt road and was soon swallowed by the night.

Yan watched as the Julang's men disappeared around the corner of the fork in the road, then turned his gaze to Daya beside him. He spoke in a lower voice, his pace slow. "Daya, take a thousand cavalrymen and circle around to the woods east of the camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River. Go in through the small path on the east side, find a concealed spot in the woods and ambush them. When you hear the horn sound from the front, charge out from the east and attack their flank. Charge in from there and scatter their caravan and livestock, preventing them from loading their goods onto the wagons and taking them away."

After listening, Daya clasped his hands in a fist salute. His face held a composure that only comes with being pushed to a crucial position. The lines at the corners of his mouth were taut. When he spoke, his voice was not loud but very clear, and his pace was a beat slower than usual. "Don't worry, boss. We scouted that path during the day. Going through the woods will take us around to the east side of their camp. I saw it clearly during the day. I'll charge in from there, overturn their carts first, and then scatter their livestock." After he finished speaking, he pulled the Jiangsheng to the right, turning his horse's head northeast. The thousand cavalrymen behind him also turned, the cavalry splitting from the main force and surging towards the right side of the fork in the road. The sound of hooves gradually faded away on the dirt road.

After watching them leave, Yan withdrew his hand from the Jiangsheng and placed it back on his knees. Then he turned to Shinian and the others, his voice slightly louder and faster than before. "You will follow me in a frontal assault on the main force of the Wolf Tribe. We will advance from the south of the camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River, charging in from the front and attacking from both sides, catching them off guard." Shinian and the other leaders nodded. Shinian took his sword from his belt and gripped it tightly, the cloth strip on the hilt crumpled from his grip. His voice held a urgency that had been suppressed for a long time, and his speech was faster than usual. "Young Chief, we have waited for this day for years, and today it has finally come. Not a single member of the Wolf Tribe will escape." Yan nodded to him, saying nothing more, but simply flicked the Jiangsheng, and the horses picked up speed again. The main cavalry continued to advance along the road on the east bank of the Fish River towards the camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River.

Finally, shortly after dawn, Yan led the main force quietly to the outer perimeter of the Wolf Tribe's patrol camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River. There, a patch of low bushes lay several miles from the Wolf Tribe's southern fence, separated by a wide open wasteland. The wasteland was covered with withered grass and some crooked willow trees, their branches swaying gently in the early morning breeze. Yan ordered everyone to hide and rest, leading the horses behind the bushes and covering their muzzles with strips of cloth to prevent them from making a sound. The warriors crouched in the bushes, some... Some people took off their bronze spears from their backs and held them in their hands. Others took short knives from their waists and placed them on their knees. Some leaned against trees and closed their eyes to rest. Still others wiped the ash off their arrowheads with cloths. Yan squatted behind a crooked willow tree, keeping his body low. His gaze pierced through the gaps in the willow branches and looked far into the distance towards the Wolf Tribe's camp. Rows of torches were still lit in the camp, casting shadows of wooden houses and fences on the ground, sometimes long and sometimes short. People were moving around in the camp, their steps quick, as if making final preparations.

Yan sent two more men to infiltrate the area near the southern fence of the camp to gather intelligence on the Wolf Tribe's evacuation. The two men flanked the bushes from either side, crouching low as they approached the southern fence along the edge of the wasteland. Once near the camp, they hid behind a Shitou and a dead tree stump, respectively, pressing their bodies to the ground and watching intently as they observed the activity inside the fence. Inside, people were loading the last few bags of grain onto the carts. The two men watched for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, then crawled back along the same route, disappearing into the bushes. One of them leaned close to Yan's ear and whispered, his voice barely a whisper, "Young Chief, they're still loading the carts. There's an opening in the southern fence, and the carts are parked inside. The people are still gathering; they probably won't be out for a while."

After listening, Yan nodded, then leaned close to the man's ear and whispered, his voice low, "Keep watching. If they make a sound, come back and report. If they don't, stay put." The man nodded and crouched down, crawling back towards the fence. Yan crouched behind the willow tree, his fingers resting on his knees, his fingertips pressing against the fabric of his trousers before releasing them. He glanced at the Shinian behind him. The Shinian was crouching in the bushes beside him, clutching a bronze dagger in his hand. The blade gleamed darkly in the night. His breathing was heavy, his chest heaving as if a fire was burning within him. Yan gently shook his head at him, signaling him to steady himself. The Shinian nodded, slowing his breathing, and tightened his grip on the hilt of the dagger.

Just as Yan was leading the Fire Tribe in making various preparations, the Fire Tribe's navy arrived at the Green River estuary dock that very evening. When the fleet docked, a row of torches was already lit on the dock. Shibang stood at the very front of the dock, wearing a dark gray leather armor, covered by a linen short robe, with a bronze-buckled leather belt around his waist and animal-skin boots on his feet. His face was illuminated by the torchlight, revealing rough and firm skin on his cheekbones. When he saw the fleet dock, he narrowed his eyes for a moment, then strode forward to meet them. He ordered the three thousand cavalrymen who had been prepared to assemble on the dock. The horses were tied to wooden stakes along the dock's edge, and some were grooming the horses, some were checking their hooves, and some were fastening Ma'an to their backs. When Shibang saw his own navy arrive at the dock, he immediately knew that important news must have arrived. He strode quickly and walked to the gangplank and stood still.

After Gubang and Jia Li led their fleet to the dock and disembarked, Gubang was the first to jump down from the gangplank. Shibang went up to him, stopped in front of Gubang, looked him up and down, and then spoke, his voice not loud but clear, and his pace a beat faster than usual. "Gubang, Chief Jia Li, do you have important news with your navy? I see you've been traveling all night without sleeping, it must be something significant."

After listening, Gubang nodded, switched the wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand, and then spoke, his voice filled with an urgency forced by time, his speech a beat faster than usual. "Brother, there is indeed important news. The Wolf Tribe is preparing to evacuate, and it's estimated they'll be leaving in the next couple of days. Daya led some people to investigate and speculate that the Wolf Tribe will leave as early as tomorrow morning. They've prepared in advance this time; their actions are planned and purposeful. All the cattle, sheep, horses, and pigs in the camp have been driven out, the grain is almost all loaded onto the carts, and the personnel are also gathering. The front of the carts is all facing the southern exit. The road to the south turns east towards Stone Ridge Mountain, and they're estimated to be evacuating to the Wolf Tribe's stronghold, Stone Ridge Mountain. We must be prepared; we can't let them escape."

Jia Li also stepped down from the diving board and stood beside Gubang. Today, he wore a dark gray linen robe with several old, indelible stains on the front. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, and he wore straw sandals. His face was thinner than the last time we met, and the skin on his cheekbones was taut, but he was full of energy, with bright, sparkling eyes. When he spoke, his voice was not loud but clear, and his speech was a beat slower than Gubang's. "Chief Shibang, this time the Wolf Tribe should be withdrawing from both the north and south camps of the Great Rock River together. There are more people on the south bank and fewer on the north bank. There are more than three thousand warriors on the south bank and one thousand warriors on the north bank. They will leave at the same time and look after each other. The young chief sent our navy here for two reasons: one is to transport your three thousand cavalry to the east bank of the Fish River, and the other is to deter the Tiger Tribe's navy and strengthen the defenses of the Great Green River Mouth Outpost. If the Tiger Tribe dares to sneak over from the Great Luwei, our navy can intercept them on the river."

After listening, Shibang's expression shifted slightly. He slapped his belt, making a short, muffled sound, and then said, "Then we really need to cross the river immediately. We can't let those people from the Wolf Tribe on the Great Rock River escape. Although Yexiao Yexiao has about a thousand men on the north bank, he's a seasoned fighter. If he runs into the mountains in a fight, it'll be difficult for us to catch him. Now, while he's still here, we should press on." He paused, turned around, and raised his hand towards the leaders behind him, his palm hovering in the air. After a brief pause, the leaders led their men towards the dock, guiding the three thousand cavalrymen who had already assembled towards the fleet. The three thousand cavalrymen from the Great Green River Mouth Outpost boarded the ships and headed to the east bank of the Fish River. Horses were led one by one onto the gangplanks, their hooves clattering as the gangplanks bent slightly and bounced back. Some held the reins, while others supported the Jiangsheng, helping the Ma'an onto the ships one by one. The dock was bustling with people, the sounds of footsteps and horses snorting mingling together, but there was no crowding.

After arranging for all the cavalry to board the ship, Shibang turned to Gubang beside him and said, "Why did the Wolf Tribe retreat this time? They will lose a lot of supplies and people. Those large supplies that they can't take will have to be abandoned, and they won't take all the people from the affiliated tribes with them. This is a considerable loss."

After listening, Gubang put the wooden tablet in his pocket and spoke, his voice low but clear. "The Wolf Tribe has suffered heavy losses recently under the continuous attacks of our Fire Tribe. They only have a little over five thousand warriors left. They must be afraid that our Fire Tribe will continue to wage war against them, so they simply withdrew in advance. After all, they started out as raiders, so they won't particularly care about losing some useless people and resources. On the contrary, they will find it very difficult to accept a large reduction in warriors. Warriors are their lifeblood. Without warriors, they can't plunder, and without plundering, they can't support the tribe. So they would rather throw away useless people and resources than lose their warriors. As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood."

After listening, Shibang nodded, took his hand from his belt and let it hang at his side, then asked, "You're right. How are the boss and the others planning to proceed?"

Gubang pulled the wooden tablet from his robes, glanced at it again, and then put it away. His voice was low but clear. "The boss has already set off with six thousand cavalry tonight. He plans to lead the main force to attack the Wolf Tribe's main force on the south bank of the Great Rock River. He's also assigned a thousand cavalry to ambush them on their way back to the Wolf Tribe stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain, and another thousand to ambush them east of the Wolf Tribe camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River to coordinate with the main attack. The six thousand cavalry are divided into three routes: one in the front, one on the flank, and one in the rear. The Wolf Tribe's troops on the south bank definitely can't escape." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his side. "The north bank is your responsibility. You three thousand cavalry will advance. Yexiao only has about a thousand men; they definitely won't be a match for them."

After listening, Shibang tightened his belt and said, "Boss, your plan is thorough. The Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe's forces on the south bank of the Great Rock River will definitely suffer a crushing defeat. We can't let the Wolf Tribe's forces on the north bank escape either. The Wolf Tribe doesn't have any outposts left on the Fish River; they've all been wiped out by our Fire Tribe. We've set up several outposts on the east bank of the Fish River. The Wolf Tribe won't even notice if we transport these three thousand men to the Fish River. They won't know we've crossed the river. By the time they realize it, we'll already be outside their camp. The Wolf Tribe has about a thousand cavalrymen on the Great Rock River, led by Yexiao. With three thousand men, they definitely won't be a match for us!"

Before long, the three thousand cavalrymen had arrived at the east bank of the Fish River. The fleet docked, gangplanks were set up, and horses were led off the boats one by one. The horses' hooves made a rustling sound as they stepped on the pebbles of the riverbank. After Shibang led his men ashore, he organized the troops. The three thousand cavalrymen lined up in three columns and walked north along the path on the east bank of the Fish River for a while. Then they turned northeast and quietly made their way towards the Wolf Tribe's camp on the north Great Rock River.

The night was still deep, the moon completely obscured by clouds. Only the sounds of horses' hooves and the occasional clinking of armor plates carried through the darkness. After about an hour, Shibang led his men to the vicinity of the Wolf Tribe camp on the Great Rock River. He instructed everyone to rest and hide in a grove of trees on the outskirts of the camp. The trees were tall and dense, their canopies completely blocking out the sky, making the forest darker than the outside, but just enough to conceal them. Shibang crouched behind a large tree, keeping his body low to the ground. His gaze peered through the gaps in the tree trunks towards the Wolf Tribe camp. Several torches still burned within the camp, their light flickering in the night. The shadows of the wooden houses and fences cast long and short shadows on the ground. People moved about the camp, their footsteps light, as if making final preparations for their retreat. Occasionally, a hushed voice would drift from the camp, only to be carried away by the night wind. Shibang watched for a while, then pulled himself out from behind the tree, squatted down beside the trunk, his fingers resting on his knees, pressing his fingertips against the fabric of his trousers before releasing them. He turned to the leaders behind him and whispered, his voice barely a whisper, "Don't make a sound. Make sure the horses' muzzles are secure, and don't let the knives clang. We'll rest for a while, and once they've all left the camp, we'll pounce!"

The leaders nodded and dispersed to relay orders. The woods fell silent again. Shibang crouched behind a tree, his hands on his knees, his fingers tapping lightly on his trousers with a soft click. Then silence returned. His gaze returned to the camp through the gaps in the tree trunks. The torchlight still flickered, and the commotion within the camp continued. He led his men to rest and wait, waiting for the Wolf Tribe to completely withdraw from the camp, waiting to deliver a crushing blow to Yexiao and his men.