Another Strike

Wolf Tribe's Xueya, leading over a hundred Wolf Tribe cavalry, finally broke through the Fire Tribe's defensive perimeter at Shinian. His chestnut horse was covered in blood, some from others, some from himself, its mane matted with blood, its ears pressed against the back of its head, already running quite fast. Xueya gripped his bronze dagger, the blade coated in a layer of sticky blood, his fingers white from gripping the hilt, his knuckles cracking. He had barely caught his breath when shouts of battle erupted from the direction of the dirt road to the east. The sounds were rapid and intense, mixed with the neighing of horses and the clashing of weapons. Xueya's ears perked up instantly, his expression tightening for a moment before slowly sinking, like a Shitou thrown into Nitan. He knew something was wrong; the sounds were coming from the direction of the supply caravan, and Duzhu's side must have also engaged the Fire Tribe.

He glanced back at the cavalrymen who had charged out with him, panting heavily. Their leather armor was askew, some had cuts on their faces, blood streaming down their necks, some had stab wounds in their arms, the bandages soaked with blood, and some had arrows in their horses' legs, causing them to limp. Yet, the cavalrymen still gripped their swords and followed him, their eyes fixed on his back, waiting for him to make a decision. Xueya withdrew his gaze from their faces and returned it to the dirt road to the east. His fingers clenched and unclenched on the hilt of his sword. He knew he had no way back. To the west were the Shinian people, to the east were the Fire Tribe blocking their way, to the north was the Great Rock River, and to the south there was no road.

Xueya jerked the Jiangsheng, and the horse galloped eastward for a while, but soon several hundred more cavalrymen charged forward. He recognized their banners; they were from the Fire Tribe. Xueya's heart sank at first, then something seemed to stir within him. He looked up at the sky; the clouds on the horizon were bathed in white light. He looked down at the cavalrymen behind him. Their faces showed fear and numbness; some had trembling lips, others had darting eyes. He knew these men had little will to fight left, and he knew it himself. The chances of getting out were slim, but staying put meant certain death. His gaze swept over the faces of the cavalrymen one by one, then he shouted, his voice hoarse with the strain of someone pushed to the limit, his throat rough as if it had been sanded, each word sharp and jagged, his pace faster than usual. "Brothers! If we don't break out, we'll all die! Charge with me! I've already sent my brother Xueshou from the Wolf Tribe's lair with reinforcements! If we break out, we have a chance to live! Brothers, charge with me!"

After shouting this, he pointed his sword forward, increased his horse's speed, and charged towards Daya's six hundred cavalrymen. The hundred or so cavalrymen behind him also charged, their hooves kicking up a cloud of dust on the dirt road. The dust shrouded the shadows of the riders and horses, making them look like a grayish-yellow mist moving from a distance.

Daya the Wolf Tribe members weren't afraid at all, but instead seemed to think it was all thanks to the movement, Da Ya grinned, revealing a row of Baiya. His eyes gleamed. He changed his grip on the bronze spear, the tip pointing forward, and then shouted to his left and right, his voice low but clear. "Everyone, split into two groups! I'll lead three hundred cavalry in a frontal charge, and the other three hundred will follow behind to launch a second attack on the Wolf Tribe!" The six hundred cavalry immediately split into two groups. One group followed Daya to meet the Wolf Tribe cavalry head-on, while the other group prepared to launch a second attack. Daya led three hundred cavalrymen and rammed head-on into Xueya's group. Bronze spears pierced leather armor, swords clashed against swords, sparks flew, and the two sides clashed.

Xueya of the Wolf Tribe had already experienced the strength of the Fire Tribe's elite troops. This time, he led over a hundred men, all bark and no bite. In a real fight, he dared not charge at the front. When his troops were about to engage Daya's cavalry, he deliberately slowed down, letting the cavalry behind him charge forward first. The remaining Wolf Tribe cavalry, roused by Xueya's shouts, charged recklessly towards Daya and his men, yelling "Kill!" with wide eyes. In an instant, they were cut down by Daya. Daya's bronze spear pierced a cavalryman's chest, the tip protruding from his back. The man opened his mouth to scream but could not utter a sound, falling from his horse. Daya sheathed his spear and thrust at a second cavalryman. The man blocked with his sword, which was knocked away, and the spear tip pierced his shoulder, throwing him off his horse. The remaining Wolf Tribe cavalry were also cut down by the Fire Tribe's swords. Some had their arms severed, some had their necks slashed, and some were knocked to the ground by their horses. More than half of the hundred-plus men fell instantly.

Xueya followed in the middle of the Wolf Tribe's ranks, his eyes fixed on the gap where the two sides clashed. When the horses collided, swords flashed, and dust billowed, he seized the opportunity to slip through. With a burst of speed, he charged through the middle of Daya's three hundred cavalry. His horse grazed the shoulder of one of Daya's riders, whose blade slashed down, cutting a gash in Xueya's leather armor but not breaking the flesh. Xueya ignored it, keeping his body low and charging forward without stopping. Once he was out of Daya's ranks... He reined in his horse, looked back, and counted his men. He found that only about fifty riders had charged out; the rest had been intercepted by Daya's men. Some had been cut down, some surrounded, and some had their horses' legs chopped off and thrown to the ground. Xueya didn't even have time to catch his breath before the second wave of the Fire Tribe cavalry arrived nearby, charging towards Xueya's fifty-odd riders. Xueya could only shout loudly to gather his men and launch a second attack on the Fire Tribe. His voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from deep within his throat, with a cracking hiss, and his speech was a beat faster than usual. "Charge with me! Don't stop!"

The fifty-odd riders followed him eastward, only to collide with the Fire Tribe's cavalry again. This time, the battle was even more brutal than before. The Fire Tribe's cavalry cut into their ranks like a knife slicing through tofu, easily severing them in two. Xueya led the first group forward, while the second group was surrounded by the Fire Tribe. Knives slashed at their leather armor, spears pierced their chests, and men were thrown from their horses. When Xueya charged out again, he turned back to count his men. Only twenty-odd had followed him out. His eyes were red, and the lines at the corners of his mouth were taut, almost bursting open. He flicked the Jiangsheng and led his men onward, fleeing eastward. The horses' hooves kicked up a cloud of dust on the dirt road, obscuring their silhouettes.

As Xueya ran, his heart pounded with increasing fear. After running for a while, he saw the Wolf Tribe's supply convoy ahead, but the convoy was gone. The carts lay scattered haphazardly by the roadside; some were overturned in ditches, others had their planks overturned, grain sacks littered the ground, some slashed open with knives, grain spilling out and piled up in small heaps. The livestock were all scattered; many cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep were nowhere to be seen. Numerous corpses lay on the ground, mostly from the Wolf Tribe, with a few from the Fire Tribe. Blood flowed... The seepage beneath the corpses stained the dirt road a dark red. Even the five hundred cavalrymen of the Duzhu had been wiped out. Their bodies lay scattered along the road, some still hanging from their horses, some face down on the ground, some crushed under their horses. When Xueya saw this, it felt as if someone had punched him in the chest, making it hard for him to breathe. His hands clenched and unclenched on the Jiangsheng, his fingers trembling. Only then did he realize that the five hundred cavalrymen of the Duzhu were all gone, and the supply caravan was gone too. All the grain, livestock, and supplies were gone.

Many of the more than three hundred cavalrymen that Daya had left here were collecting supplies. Some were carrying grain sacks to the open ground by the roadside and stacking them up, some were herding the runaway cattle and sheep together, and some were checking the overturned carts to see if they could still be righted. When they saw Xueya leading more than twenty riders charging from the east, they were stunned for a moment. Then, a man who looked like a leader put down the grain sacks he was holding and shouted to his left and right, "Enemy attack! Stop collecting supplies and grain! Take your swords! Mount your horses! Stop them!" The cavalrymen threw down the grain sacks they were holding. Some went to get their horses, some drew their swords from their waists, and some took their shields off their backs. But time was short, and they only had time to organize nearly a hundred cavalrymen to hastily set up a defensive line. The cavalrymen lined up in two rows across the dirt road, their bronze spears pointing diagonally eastward, the tips of the spears gleaming darkly in the morning light. Some of their horses had just been watered and were still chewing hay, while others had not yet been properly saddled and were swaying on their backs.

Seeing that the Fire Tribe's cavalry line could only muster its last strength to lead its men in a desperate charge, Xueya pointed his sword forward and shouted to the twenty-odd riders behind him. His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, each word seemingly forced out from his throat. "Charge with me! Charge through and you'll live!" He led the twenty-odd riders towards the Fire Tribe's line. The Fire Tribe's cavalry thrust with spears and slashed with swords, while Xueya's men charged forward desperately. The two sides clashed, bronze against bronze, sparks flying. Xueya's left arm was cut by a spear tip, blood seeping from his sleeve, but he ignored it. He simply brandished his sword and slashed forward, striking a Fire Tribe cavalryman in the neck, causing him to fall from his horse. Xueya's horse charged through the gap, followed by the cavalry behind him. Finally, they managed to break through the defensive line with difficulty. When Xueya turned around to count the number of men, only five riders had followed him out. All five were wounded. One man's horse had been hit in the leg by an arrow, causing it to limp. Another man had a cut on his face, half of which was covered in blood, and he could barely open his eyes. Another man's sword was chipped, and he was clutching a broken half of the blade, which was full of nicks.

Xueya had no time to think. He immediately led his men and fled northeast towards the Wolf Tribe's lair. His horse was covered in blood, its Zongmao matted together with blood, its ears pressed against the back of its head, and it was panting heavily as it ran. Blood was still seeping from the wound on his left arm, dripping down his sleeve onto the horse's back, but he didn't care. He just kept his body low, his eyes fixed on the path leading to Stone Ridge Mountain ahead. He had only one thought in his mind: run, run to Xueshou.