At the End of the Road

Just as Yan led the warriors of the Fire Tribe back to the Great Rock River, Xueya and Yexiao of the Wolf Tribe also met up at the foot of Stone Ridge Mountain, the Wolf Tribe's stronghold. After their defeat, both of them returned via small paths and secluded routes. Xueya broke out of the camp on the south bank of the Great Rock River and ran northeast, crossing several ridges, streams, and forests, circling around before finally reaching the Stone Ridge Mountain. Yexiao, on the other hand, slipped into the dense forest north of the camp on the north bank and hid there until nightfall. Then, he followed the stream northeast, not daring to take the main road, light a fire, or speak loudly. When hungry, he picked a few wild fruits, and when thirsty, he drank some stream water. It took him several days to emerge from the forest and reach the Stone Ridge Mountain. The two of them arrived at the temporary hunting ground, which was a place the Wolf Tribe had built at the foot of Stone Ridge Mountain. It consisted of a few wooden huts and a hearth surrounded by Shitou. Most of the thatch on the roof had been blown away by the wind, and the wood on the walls was rotten, but it was still usable for resting.

After they reunited, only twenty riders remained. The others were either wounded and abandoned, or lost their way. In this desolate wilderness, the chances of survival for those left behind or disoriented were extremely slim. Some of the wounded soldiers lay in the roadside grass, some leaned against tree trunks, and some lay by the stream, their wounds festering, feverish, and delirious. Some could hold on until dawn, while others could not. Some of the lost riders ran east into the depths of the forest, getting further and further away, unable to find their way out. Others ran south into the territory controlled by the Fire Tribe and were captured by patrols. In short, those who had not kept up were unlikely to return.

After Xueya and Yexiao met up at the makeshift hunting ground of the Wolf Tribe, they sat on Shitou beside the fire pit. No fire was lit in the pit, for fear of being spotted by the Fire Tribe's scouts. They clutched dry rations in their hands, which Xueya had brought with him during the breakout: a few pieces of hard jerky and a small bag of fried rice. The jerky was too tough to chew, requiring him to tear it apart, and the fried rice was too hard to swallow, needing to be sipped with stream water. Xueya took a bite of the jerky, chewed it for a long time without swallowing, then simply placed it on his knees, rubbed his hands on his trousers, and turned to Yexiao, asking, "Yexiao, what did the scouts report?"

Yexiao sat on a nearby Shitou, his face covered in ash, the deep lines of which were studded with mud. The skin on his cheekbones was blackened by the mountain wind, making his eye sockets appear even deeper. His hair was tied back with an old leather rope, a few strands of hair stuck to his forehead with sweat and blood. He clutched a piece of dried meat in his hand, but didn't eat it, just held it, his fingers digging several dents into the meat. When he spoke, his voice was low but clear. "Chief, our scouts report that our stronghold has been captured and occupied by the Fire Tribe, and there are still people stationed there. When the scout reached the foot of the mountain, he saw the Fire Tribe's flag hanging on the mountainside wall, guards at the checkpoint, and patrols on the mountain path. He didn't dare get too close, just took a look from afar and retreated. We don't know what's going on inside the stronghold, but judging from that, the Fire Tribe intends to occupy it long-term."

After listening, Xueya placed the jerky in his hand on his knee, pressed his fingers against it, then released them, rubbing his fingertips against the rough surface of the meat. He lowered his head, his gaze falling on the cold ashes in the fire pit, ashes left by people who used to burn fires. A layer of withered leaves and twigs covered the ashes. His lips twitched down, and the hideous scar on his face, running from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, seemed to sink in, as if a centipede had crawled motionless on his face. When he spoke, his voice was filled with desolation and sorrow. "My brother Xueshou was killed by the Fire Tribe while trying to help me. If I hadn't sent someone to help us evacuate beforehand, he wouldn't have died in the Fire Tribe! If he had just held our stronghold, guarding those checkpoints with those thousand-plus men, it wouldn't have been so easy for the Fire Tribe to break through. Those checkpoints are narrow and steep; a direct assault would have resulted in significant losses for the Fire Tribe. Even if they managed to take them, they would have been badly injured. It's my fault, it's my fault as his older brother."

After listening, Yexiao tucked the dried meat into his pocket, rubbed his hands on his knees to remove the crumbs, and then said, "Chief, if you hadn't told us to evacuate in advance, we might not have been able to escape. Think about it, the Fire Tribe came in large numbers and fiercely this time. They attacked simultaneously on the Great Rock River. Their forces outnumbered ours several times over, their weapons were better, and they had more horses. If we had stayed in the camp and held out, we would have been surrounded and killed, and none of us would have escaped. Chief Xueshou was only trapped because he was trying to rescue us. Nobody could have predicted that. You can't blame yourself for this. If I were in your shoes, I would have sent people to rescue us too. Who wouldn't go to save their own brother when he's surrounded?"

After listening, Xueya withdrew his hands from his knees, clenched them into fists, and placed them on his thighs, his knuckles turning a faint white. His voice was lower than before, but his tone was heavier. "If we had retreated directly this time, without lingering over the supplies, we could definitely have safely regrouped at our stronghold. It's just that I couldn't bear to leave the food and livestock, and as a result, we were surrounded by the Fire Tribe. The brothers who charged with me fell one by one behind me. When I looked back, I saw them surrounded by the Fire Tribe, being cut down, trampled by horses. I could only run forward; I couldn't stop. If I stopped, the road ahead would be blocked. This time, Duzhu and Xueshou are both dead. Of the ten leaders of the Wolf Tribe, only the two of us are left. This time, our forces here have been completely wiped out by the Fire Tribe. We only have these twenty or so people left. The old men we brought from High Pointed Mountain are either dead or scattered. That's all that's left."

After listening, Yexiao said, "Luckily, Chief, you sensed something was wrong in advance and ordered everyone to evacuate, which allowed us to break through. It's just that the Fire Tribe arrived too quickly and there were too many of them."

Then Yexiao withdrew his hands from his knees and placed them at his sides, before speaking, "Chief, things are like this now. What should we do next? We only have about twenty people in total. This area has been completely controlled by the Fire Tribe. They've occupied our camps on both the north and south banks of the Great Rock River, as well as our stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain. They've also destroyed most of the surrounding outposts and outposts. Now, the north is Tiger Tribe territory. We can't rely on the Tiger Tribe. They refused to help us when we asked for their assistance last time. Now that we've lost, they're even less likely to help us. There's no room for us to expand here. Our only option is to find a way to cross the Long River by the Long River and develop on the Long River."

After listening, Xueya sighed, a long, heavy sigh as if released from the deepest part of his chest. He picked up the piece of jerky again, took a bite, chewed it twice, but couldn't swallow it. He put the jerky back on his knees and spoke, his voice hoarse with the weariness of someone pushed to their limit: "The only way is to go north across the Long River. We've scouted the Long River; it's sparsely populated there now, with scattered tribes. We'll conquer a few small tribes first, then cultivate the land, and raise an army with the food. As long as our warriors..." "As long as I, Xueya, am alive, our Wolf Tribe still has hope. The Fire Tribe is truly our Wolf Tribe. Just as we were starting to make a name for the Wolf Tribe at High Pointed Mountain, the Fire Tribe drove us away. Later, we developed a small force of about a hundred people in the Great Rock River basin, but now the Fire Tribe has uprooted us again. In just a few years, the Fire Tribe has grown to this size—more people, more boats, better weapons, more horses. We're so unlucky to run into the Fire Tribe; every time we just manage to establish ourselves, they attack."

After listening, Yexiao withdrew his hand from his side, slapped his knee with a short, muffled thud, and then spoke, his voice carrying a fierce intensity. "Chief, we still have about twenty men left. These twenty-odd men are veterans who have followed us for many years. They can fight, run, and endure hardship. Once we cross the Long River and reach the north bank, we can start afresh. The Long River is vast; there's bound to be a piece of land that's ours. Once we've established ourselves there, we'll come back and settle accounts with the Fire Tribe!"

Xueya took the jerky from his knees, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, swallowed it, then stood up, tightened his belt, and said, "So many of our Wolf Tribe brothers died at the hands of the Fire Tribe. Once we've established ourselves on the Long River, we will avenge them! We'll make the Fire Tribe pay for every one of our deaths. Xueshou, Duzhu, and all the brothers who died on the road—I, Xueya, will remember their grudges. I won't rest until I've avenged them!"

Yexiao stood up, moved the short sword at his waist behind him, and spoke, his voice lower than before but his tone steady. "Chief, it's getting dark. Let's take advantage of the darkness and head north to the Long River. Once we cross Long River and reach the north bank, we'll be in territory beyond the Tiger Tribe's control."

The two chatted for a while longer, recalculating the route and provisions. Xueya then had the twenty or so men bring over the horses, counted the arrows in the quiver, drew his sword from his waist to examine the blade, mounted his horse, and led the twenty men northward.