Returning to Camp

Three days after Yan and Julang led their men to breach the Wolf Tribe's lair, Shinian led his men to the foot of Stone Ridge Mountain. Shinian rode a chestnut horse, its body covered in dust, its Zongmao soaked with sweat, and his face was also covered in ash. The skin on his cheekbones was blackened by the mountain wind, but his eyes were still bright. Seeing the winding path of Stone Ridge Mountain in the distance, and the Fire Tribe's flag fluttering halfway up the mountain, a smile spread across his face. He flicked the Jiangsheng, increasing the horse's speed, and led his men towards the foot of the mountain. Behind him followed two thousand men, who had come after clearing the battlefield on the Great Rock River. Some rode horses, others drove oxcarts, forming a long line stretching from the foot of the mountain all the way to the main road behind.

Yan ordered Julang to lead eight hundred men to garrison the area. They rebuilt the mountain passes and stockade walls, repairing and patching what needed repairing. They also replaced the traps and tripwires. They left some of the grain from the granary on the mountain, enough to feed the eight hundred men for a year, and packed the rest to be transported down the mountain. Yan and Shinian inventoried the captured supplies, which were loaded onto many carts and driven by Shinian's men, preparing to return to the camp on the Great Rock River.

Yan stood at the crossroads at the foot of the mountain, watching the carts drive down one by one. The wheels crunched on the gravel road, and the drivers gripped the Jiangsheng, urging the oxen and horses on. After watching for a while, Yan wrapped the Jiangsheng halfway around his finger, then turned to Julang and said, "Julang, I'm leaving the matters on the mountain to you. Arrange the shifts for those eight hundred men. Make sure there are enough men at the checkpoint. Lock the gates at the grain depot. If you need anything, send someone to the Great Rock River to deliver a message, Daya will provide the necessary supplies."

Julang stood at the crossroads at the foot of the mountain, clutching the bronze dagger he had picked out from the Wolf Tribe. The scabbard was made of Yingmu covered with cowhide, and the hilt was wrapped with new cloth. He hung the dagger on his belt, then nodded to Yan and spoke in a loud voice, "Young Chief, rest assured, I'll guard this place. I've been watching Stone Ridge Mountain for several days. There's only one path from the foot to the mountainside, narrow and steep, with bushes and vines on both sides. I've had some of the bushes cleared, making the view much wider. From the mountain, we can see people coming from the north in advance. I've stationed two hundred men at each checkpoint, in three shifts—one during the day and two at night. There won't be any problems. I'll guard this place, and I'll send someone to report any movement from the Tiger Tribe immediately."

Yan nodded to him, took his hand off the Jiangsheng, let it hang by his side for a moment, and then spoke, his voice a beat higher and faster than before. "Alright, be careful yourself, send someone to deliver a message if anything happens." After he finished speaking, he flicked the Jiangsheng, spurred the horse's belly, and the horse headed towards the main road to the south. Shinian and his men followed behind, and the carts followed one after another. The convoy drove out from the Stone Ridge Mountain and headed along the main road towards the camp on the Great Rock River.

Walking along the road, Shinian spurred his horse to catch up with Yan. His chestnut horse and Yan's black horse walked side by side, their gaits almost the same, the hooves making a dull thud on the dirt road. Shinian wrapped the Jiangsheng halfway around his fingers, then turned to Yan and spoke, his voice not loud but clear, a beat faster than usual, his expression relaxed, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Young Chief, this time we wiped out the Wolf Tribe in one fell swoop. Now we can focus all our efforts on dealing with the Tiger Tribe. We no longer need to worry about the Wolf Tribe holding us back. Now that this thorn in our side is gone, we can fight the Tiger Tribe however we want."

After listening, Yan nodded and said, "Yes, you all made great contributions this time. When we get back, I will ask my father to recommend you for credit. Shibang surrounded the Yexiao Owls on the north bank, Daya intercepted the Duzhu on the east, you fought Xueya on the south bank, and Julang ambushed Xueshou in the valley. You fought your way through, and we wiped out all the Wolf Tribe forces in less than half a month. This speed is even faster than I expected. You deserve a lot of credit for easily eliminating the Wolf Tribe this time."

After listening, Shinian withdrew his hand from the Jiangsheng, waved it at his side, and then said, "Thank you, young chief. I feel relieved that we were able to deal a heavy blow to the Wolf Tribe this time. The credit is secondary. I've been holding back a grudge for years. Ever since the day the Wolf Tribe killed our people, I've been waiting for this day. Today, it's finally here. I've vented my anger, and a Shitou has been lifted from my heart. But I still feel a little regretful that I didn't get to kill Xueya this time. That kid ran too fast. Daya intercepted him twice, but he fought his way out both times. I keep thinking about it, and it makes me uneasy."

After listening, Yan wrapped the Jiangsheng halfway around his finger and then released them, saying, "Although Xueya of the Wolf Tribe escaped this time, we destroyed the force they painstakingly built. He won't feel good about it. Think about it, the men he brought from High Pointed Mountain are either dead or surrendered. His brother Xueshou is dead, his leader Duzhu is dead, his lair was destroyed by us, and all his supplies fell into our hands. When he escaped, he only had a few riders left, and he was wounded. The wealth he painstakingly accumulated was all gone in less than half a month. Even if he escaped, he's all alone, which is worse than death. We've at least gotten our revenge. Although they've escaped, as long as our Fire Tribe starts to develop and continues to develop, they won't be so lucky next time they encounter Xueya and his gang. They'll have to pay back the blood debt they owe us sooner or later."

After listening, Shinian withdrew his hand from his side, patted his belt with a short, muffled thud, and then said, "Next time we encounter Xueya and his gang, I'll volunteer to be the vanguard again! They got away this time, but I'll make sure they don't get away again next time!"

Yan nodded at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Okay, next time if we run into Xueya, I'll come back and ask you and Julang to be the vanguard! You lead the charge, Julang will follow behind, and the two of you will go in front and behind. If Xueya runs into you again, he won't be so lucky."

Upon hearing this, Shinian's expression relaxed. He gave the Jiangsheng a sharp shake, increased the horse's speed, and then spoke, his voice filled with a sense of relief at being assured, "Thank you, Young Chief! I'm relieved to hear that. Next time Tiger Tribe, please let me and Julang lead the charge!"

Yan nodded and said, "This time, we only lost a few hundred people when we wiped out the Wolf Tribe, but we gained a lot. From the south bank of the Great Rock River to the north bank, and from the south bank of the Great Rock River to Stone Ridge Mountain, we captured a lot of grain, leather armor, bronze weapons, salt, dried vegetables, animal hides, and cattle and horses. The Wolf Tribe's hard-earned wealth has all gone to us."

After listening, Shinian also spoke up, "Yes, this time we not only reclaimed all of Yuan Great Rock's territory, but also captured more than 30,000 people from the Wolf Tribe's affiliated tribes. If we carefully examine and screen them, we can still find more than 20,000 people. The rest can also be used as labor."

After listening, Yan nodded and said, "Yes, this time we seized a lot of supplies and cattle and horses. Eliminating the scourge of the Wolf Tribe will make dealing with the Tiger Tribe much easier. Now that the Wolf Tribe is gone, we can fight however we want. The Tiger Tribe has no help in the south anymore; they have to bear it all by themselves. Meanwhile, we have gained more territory, more supplies, and tens of thousands more people. After we return to the Great Rock River and settle things there, I will go back to the Valley River Mouth to inform my father that the battle here is over and the Wolf Tribe is gone, so he can breathe a sigh of relief."

The two walked and talked, their expressions much more relaxed than when they arrived. They led the group towards the camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River to the southwest.