The Moment Was Approaching

Just as Yan was leading the main cavalry of the Fire Tribe on patrol and resting outside the Wolf Tribe camp on the Great Rock River, one of the two men Yan had sent out to monitor the Wolf Tribe's movements rushed back. Crouching low, he squeezed through the bushes, the dry grass crunching under his feet. He knelt down in front of Yan, panting heavily, his chest heaving, beads of sweat on his forehead. He spoke in a low voice, but faster than usual. "Young Chief, there's a big commotion at the Wolf Tribe camp!"

Upon hearing this, Yan straightened up from behind the willow tree. His expression, which had been somewhat somber from waiting, suddenly tightened. He stared at the soldier's face, his gaze lingering there for a moment, before speaking in a low but clear voice, "What happened? Take a breath and tell me slowly. Don't rush. Tell me everything you saw from beginning to end."

The soldier took a couple more breaths, rested his hands on his knees, and leaned forward slightly, as if to let the breath out of his chest. Then he spoke, his voice low, but every word carried the urgency of witnessing the scene firsthand. His speech was slow but rapid. "Young Chief, the news that the Wolf Tribe was withdrawing from their camp on the Great Rock River must have been discovered by their affiliated tribes. Those tribes gathered together. I saw it clearly from behind that Shitou. More and more people gathered. At first, there were only a few hundred, then several hundred more surged forward, and eventually they surrounded the entire transport convoy. People pushed forward, and the circle got smaller and smaller."

He paused, rubbing his fingers on his knee as if rearranging the images, then continued, his voice lower than before. "Later, Xueya's guards charged out on horseback, hacking and trampling indiscriminately. Dozens of those who were slow to run were also cut down, leaving a trail of corpses on the ground, their blood staining the dirt road red. The people from the affiliated tribes scattered immediately; some carried children, some helped the elderly, and some ran on their own, stopping only behind the outer fence of the camp, daring only to watch from afar, no longer daring to take another step forward."

Upon hearing this, Shi Nian, Shinian beside Yan, took the bronze dagger from his belt and gripped it tightly. The cloth strip on the hilt was crumpled from his grip. He spoke urgently in a low voice, his voice filled with the restlessness of someone who had been holding back for too long and was finally getting their chance. His speech was faster than usual, his brows furrowed, and the lines at the corners of his eyes tightened. "Young Chief, let's hurry over, or the Wolf Tribe will escape! They've killed someone and caused this commotion; they'll definitely leave soon. If we don't act now, it'll be too late!"

Yan didn't reply immediately. He pulled his hands from his knees, placed them at his sides, his fingers clenching and unclenching, the knuckles turning a faint white. He paused for a moment, then fixed his gaze on Shinian's face, speaking in a low but clear voice, "The way the Wolf Tribe treats their subordinate tribes is practically handing a gift to our Fire Tribe. Think about it, those subordinate tribes were still somewhat hesitant, some still clinging to a sliver of hope for the Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe, thinking that although life would be hard with them, at least they could survive. Now, with the Wolf Tribe's actions, all that hope is gone. After what the Wolf Tribe has done, their subordinate tribes should be mostly disillusioned. It will be much easier for our Fire Tribe to absorb these people then. We won't even need to..." "We'll go and persuade them, and they'll come running to us on their own. We just need to lay out the food and tell them that they'll have food if they follow the Fire Tribe, and they'll follow us. The Wolf Tribe took so many supplies with them this time, they definitely can't run fast or move easily. Shinian, I know you want revenge, you've been waiting for this day for years, but don't rush. I'll have the brothers prepare first, feed the horses, sharpen the knives, and count the arrows. We'll attack after all their troops have left the camp. If we charge now, the people in front can still retreat to the camp, and the people behind can hide behind the fence, so we'll suffer more losses in the fight. The best time will be when they've all left the camp and are on the road, unable to support each other or rely on each other."

After listening, Shinian released the knife from his hand, hung it back on his belt, clenched his fingers on the hilt for a moment before letting go, and then spoke, his voice lower than before, but still carrying a suppressed anger. "Alright, young chieftain, I'll listen to you, but when the fighting starts, you have to let me charge first! I've been waiting for this day for years, ever since the day the Wolf Tribe killed our people, burned our houses, and stole our food. If you don't let me be at the forefront today, I won't be able to get over this."

Yan Chao nodded, the corners of his mouth relaxing slightly, and then said, "Don't worry, when it's your turn to deal with them, I'll have you lead the charge. You lead your men to charge from the front, intercept their convoy, and make sure they can't leave or be pulled away. Then Daya and I will flank them from both sides. They won't be able to escape."

He paused, then turned and beckoned to the leaders and chieftains crouching in the bushes behind him. Lowering his voice, he said, "Get ready. Feed the horses, sharpen the knives, count the arrows. Be quiet, don't light any fires. Slowly approach. Once the Wolf Tribe forces have all left their camp, when you hear the horn, give them a good beating!"

The leaders and chieftains nodded and dispersed to make arrangements. Some led the horses out from behind the bushes, re-checking Ma'an girths and Jiangsheng; others took their knives from their waists and rubbed them on their trousers; still others took the arrows from their quivers one by one to check the arrowheads; and some untied their shields from their backs and placed them on their knees. The bushes fell silent, save for the occasional clanging of metal and the low snorting of horses. Yan crouched behind a willow tree, took the wooden tablet from his robes, and glanced at it again. It contained a charcoal drawing of the terrain on the south bank of the Great Rock River. He used a bone needle to mark several points on the road leading east from the south gate of the camp, then put it away. He turned his gaze back towards the camp. More carts were emerging from the south gate, their loads of grain sacks piled high above his head. The carts were slightly slumped under the weight, their wheels sinking into the dirt and then pulling themselves out. One after another, they turned onto the dirt road to the east, followed by groups of people, forming a long line stretching from the south gate all the way to the eastern dirt road. Dust billowed up behind them, enveloping the entire group. Yan watched for a while, then placed his hands on his knees, tapping his fingers lightly. He waited quietly, waiting for the Wolf Tribe's forces to all leave the camp, waiting for the entire group to enter the eastern dirt road, waiting to deliver a crushing blow to Xueya and his men.