Continue the pursuit

By the time Yan arrived with his two hundred guards, the people of Daya had already clashed with Xueya and his men. Yan, mounted on his horse, tightened the Jiangsheng and scanned the dirt road. He saw the bodies of the Wolf Tribe cavalry lying haphazardly by the roadside. Some were still hanging from their horses, some were crushed beneath them, and some lay face down on the ground, blood seeping from beneath them, staining the dirt road dark red. Scattered grain sacks lay piled up by the roadside, some slit open by knives, spilling grain that was trampled into the dirt by horses' hooves. The overturned carts hadn't been righted yet, and a few sheep were penned in a small clearing by the roadside. A warrior from the Fire Tribe squatted nearby, watching. In the distance, several people were gathering the scattered cattle and horses.

Daya emerged from the crowd, his bronze spear resting across his horse's back, blood still stained the tip. His face contorted in a grimace, his brows furrowed, the lines around his eyes tightening. He approached Yan, first bowing respectfully, then spoke, his voice filled with the self-reproach of someone pushed to the edge of a cliff. "Boss, it was my fault. Xueya and his men broke through. When I led three hundred men to block him head-on, he deliberately lagged behind, letting those in front charge first, then finding an opening to slip through. He tore a hole in my line, and he charged out with fifty-odd riders. Then a second wave intercepted him, leaving him with only twenty-odd riders. I thought he couldn't escape, but then he charged again from the grain-gathering area. There were only three hundred-odd men there, most of them busy gathering grain and moving supplies, unable to form a proper formation. They only managed to muster about a hundred cavalry to set up a defensive line, and Xueya and his men charged desperately, breaking through again."

After listening, Yan wrapped the Jiangsheng halfway around his finger and then loosened them, tapping the reins lightly with his Jiangsheng before asking, "How many Xueya left?"

Daya shifted his grip on the spear, the tip pointing downwards, and spoke, his voice lower than before, but still tinged with self-reproach. He spoke slowly, "Including Xueya himself, there were only six riders. The rest were all cut down on the road. Duzhu's five hundred cavalrymen are also all gone. Duzhu himself was speared off his horse and is dead. We also intercepted all the supplies from the Wolf Tribe's transport team. We moved some of the grain sacks to the roadside and penned up some of the livestock, but we haven't had time to gather them all together yet."

After listening, Yan dismounted, his feet thudding on the dirt road. He walked to Daya, patted him on the Daya with a light but steady hand, his palm lingering on the leather armor before he withdrew. Then he said, "Daya, you killed the Duzhu's men and slaughtered so many of Xueya's men. Not only are you without fault, you've done a great service. I will ask for credit on Father's behalf when we get back. This time, we're not just dealing with Xueya; we also need to take this opportunity to eliminate all of the Wolf Tribe's forces here. Xueya may have escaped, but that's all." "What's all this commotion? Let's settle things here first. You take three hundred cavalrymen from your force and lead them to pursue Wolf Tribe and Xueya Wolf Tribe, and destroy their stronghold. You yourself will lead a group of wounded warriors and cavalrymen who need rest to stay behind and clear the battlefield. Take over the Wolf Tribe's camp on the Great Rock River, and take over the Wolf Tribe's affiliated tribes. Have Shinian bring the remaining men to the Wolf Tribe's stronghold. There should be fighting on the Great Rock River as well. Send someone to Shibang to tell him to bring a group of cavalry to the Wolf Tribe's stronghold after you've dealt with the situation on the north bank of the Great Rock River."

Upon hearing this, Daya's expression relaxed somewhat. He slammed his spear into the ground, the tip digging into the soil, and then said, "Alright, I'll go pick men now. Are three hundred cavalry enough? Should we bring more? Although Xueya only has a few riders left, he's heading towards his stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain. There are still over a thousand Xueshou on the mountainside there. If you take three hundred men and run into Xueshou ' forces, it might not be enough."

Yan shook his head, withdrew his hand from his side and placed it on the hilt of his sword, then said, "No need to bring more. Give me three hundred men, plus my own two hundred, that's enough for five hundred cavalry."

Daya nodded, pulled his spear from the ground, slung it over his shoulder, and turned to walk towards his troops. He strode quickly and boldly, reaching the cavalrymen who were gathering supplies. He patted one man on the shoulder, then beckoned to another, selecting three hundred cavalrymen. Those chosen put down what they were carrying, went to fetch their horses and prepare their saddles, took their swords from their waists to inspect them, and counted the arrows in their quivers. Soon, the three hundred warhorses were lined up in three rows on the dirt road, snorting and pawing the ground, awaiting the order to depart.

Yan walked to his horse, mounted it, wrapped the Jiangsheng halfway around his finger, and then called out to Daya, "Daya, I'm leaving this place to you. Don't make things difficult for the affiliated tribes for now; we'll make arrangements once things are more stable here. Have Shinian bring his men to Stone Ridge Mountain. Send someone to the north bank to deliver a message to Shibang, telling him to finish dealing with Yexiao and then bring his men to join us. I'll be waiting for you at the foot of Stone Ridge Mountain."

Daya stood on the ground, looked up at Yan, and clasped his hands together with a short, crisp sound. He then said, "Don't worry, boss. I'll handle things here. I'll take care of the people from the affiliated tribes. I'll send someone to deliver a message to Shinian and also to Shibang on the north bank. You can go after Xueya with peace of mind. Don't let him get away. He hasn't paid off his blood debt to us yet."

Yan nodded to him, then flicked the Jiangsheng, spurred his horse, and led five hundred cavalrymen eastward down the dirt road. The five hundred warhorses galloped, their hooves pounding the dirt with a dull thud, raising a cloud of dust that obscured the shadows of the riders and horses, making them appear from afar like a gray-yellow torrent sweeping towards Stone Ridge Mountain. Daya stood on the dirt road, watching Yan's figure disappear at the eastern end. He slammed his spear into the ground, the tip digging into the earth. Then he turned and shouted to the cavalrymen still gathering supplies, his voice booming, "Don't stand there! Stack the grain sacks together, move the livestock to the roadside, and help the wounded brothers to rest! Hurry!" The cavalrymen sprang into action again, some carrying grain, others herding livestock, and the dirt road bustled with activity once more.