Advancing by Land and Water
Three days later, Yan led his fleet down the Fish River towards the Willow Vine Tribe and the Great Luwei Tribe. The fleet lined up at the dock, large and small boats linked together, carrying 30,000 elite troops and corresponding supplies. It was still dark when they set off from their Great Rock River Mouth Outpost. Torches were lit at the dock, their light spreading through the morning mist. Yingmu and Shibang each led their men onto their designated boats. Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the last batch of supplies being loaded, then shouted "Depart!" into the cabin. The sound of horns rang out, and the fleet slowly left the dock.
The fleet sailed downstream along the Fish River. After several days of travel, Yan finally led the fleet to the vicinity of the Willow Vine Tribe and the Great Luwei Tribe. This section of the river was much wider than upstream, and the terrain on both banks was much gentler. Yan stood at the Chuantou, took out a wooden tablet from his pocket, and glanced at it. It depicted the rough terrain of both banks. He used a bone needle to mark the locations on the riverbank on the east bank and the dense forest on the west bank, and then said to the guards beside him, "Pass down the order: Yingmu leads the men to land on the east bank, and Shibang leads the men to land on the west bank. Tell them to act quickly and not dawdle. After landing, first secure the beachhead, then lead the horses onto the boat. Don't let the horses stay on the boat for too long; the boat's rocking will make their legs weak."
The order was quickly relayed. Yingmu's boats moved towards the east bank of the river. The hulls scraped against the shallow water with a dull thud. Some men jumped off the boats, wading through waist-deep water to pull the ropes ashore. Yingmu was the first to jump. His feet landed on the pebbles of the riverbank, splashing Shuihua that soaked his trousers, but he didn't care. He turned and shouted to the boats, "Set up the gangplank! Don't move the horses yet, get off first and hold the beachhead!" One by one, the men jumped off the boats, some carrying spears, some carrying knives, and some carrying shields. They formed several lines on the riverbank and advanced towards the low slope, which was deserted. The same thing happened on Shibang's side. The boats moved towards the west bank of the riverbank, and the men jumped off, wading through the water towards the shore. The dense forest lay behind the riverbank. Shibang led his men into the forest for a while, then stopped at the edge of the forest to set up their defensive line.
After they disembarked, Yan led the fleet downstream along the Fish River. The Tiger Tribe's remaining navy was anchored at the Great Luwei Tribe's dock. Some sailors were sunbathing on the deck, some were sleeping in the cabin, and some were fishing on the dock. They hadn't expected the Fire Tribe's fleet to arrive at this time. By the time they saw a large number of sails appearing upstream, the Fire Tribe's fleet was already upon them. Yan stood at the Chuantou, pointed forward, and shouted to the fleet behind him, "Ram them! Sink their ships!" The Fire Tribe's large ships lined up and charged towards the Tiger Tribe's fleet. The bronze ramming heads on the Chuantou gleamed in the afternoon sun. The first ship... The large ship rammed into the side of the Tiger Tribe's outermost vessel with a deafening crash. The ship tilted to the side, a large gash splitting open in its hull, and water rushed in. Some sailors jumped into the water, some ran to the shore, and some clung to the mast, shouting for help. Ship after ship crashed into the Tiger Tribe's fleet, scattering them in pieces. Some ships capsized, some sank slowly with leaks, and some tried to escape but were surrounded by the Fire Tribe's small boats, their sailors forced to jump into the water at knifepoint. In less than half an hour, the Tiger Tribe's navy was wiped out. Broken planks and overturned ships floated on the dock, and people struggled to swim ashore.
Then, with the support of Yan's navy, these two armies swiftly annihilated the Tiger Tribe's forces remaining in the Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei Tribe. Yingmu's forces sneaked up from behind the low slopes on the east bank. The Tiger Tribe had four thousand defenders in the Great Luwei Tribe, most of whom were stationed inside their camp. The camp's fence wasn't very high, and by the time Yingmu's men reached the outside, the defenders were caught off guard. Some shouted and ran towards the walls, others grabbed knives and spears, but it was too late. The Fire Tribe's men scaled the fence, their knives striking the defenders' heads, necks, and shoulders. The defenders were caught completely off guard; some retreated into the camp, others fled outside. Yingmu led his men along... They pushed inward, occupying the open space in the center of the camp. The garrison was forced into a corner on the north side of the camp. Some surrendered, while others tried to resist but were cut down with a single blow. The Shibang emerged from the dense forest on the west bank. The Tiger Tribe had three thousand troops guarding the Willow Vine Tribe, stationed in a camp near the mouth of the Willow Vine Tribe River Mouth. The camp walls were made of thick wooden stakes, making them sturdier than those on the Great Luwei side. However, the garrison didn't notice the Shibang ' men when they reached the outside of the walls. By the time the Fire Tribe's men climbed over the walls, the garrison was still sleeping in their barracks. Some ran out shirtless, some without even shoes, and were blocked at the barracks door by the Shibang ' men. With a flash of their swords, they surrendered.
In less than half a day, the Tiger Tribe's seven thousand garrison troops in these two territories were wiped out. The Fire Tribe took control of the strongholds and population in these two territories. The granaries, armories, barracks, and stockade walls at the dock all fell into the hands of the Fire Tribe. The more than 30,000 people of the Great Luwei Tribe, who had been exploited by the Tiger Tribe for a long time, immediately came to help when they saw the Fire Tribe's people attacking.
Yan stood on the dock of the Great Luwei Tribe, watching the surrendered garrison soldiers being led to the open space, and the people from the affiliated tribes pouring out of the camp, some laughing, some crying. He turned to the Yingmu beside him and spoke, his voice low but clear, a beat faster than usual. "Keep the prisoners under control for now, don't make things difficult for them. Tell them the Fire Tribe doesn't kill surrendered soldiers. Register those who want to stay, and those who don't will be dealt with later. Don't move the people from the affiliated tribes yet, let them go back to their own huts. Send someone to register them tomorrow, tell them that the Fire Tribe will provide food, and those who want to follow the Fire Tribe will be given rations after registration."
Yingmu nodded and turned to make arrangements. Yan then called Shibang over and asked him to take people to take stock of the supplies and people in the Willow Vine Tribe. Shibang responded and went off.