Sweeping Away the Outposts

Early on the third day, before dawn, torches were already lit on the dock. The flames spread through the morning mist, casting long and short shadows of the people unloading supplies onto the ships. The fleet, large and small, lined up on the dock, their sails furled and masts standing tall, casting crisscrossing shadows in the morning light. Yan stood at the Chuantou, took out a wooden tablet from his robes, glanced at it, and saw that it recorded the supplies and troops to be taken. He marked two points on it with a bone needle, then put it away and shouted "Depart!" into the cabin. The sound of horns rang out, and the fleet slowly left the dock, the oars striking the water in unison, creating a white Langhua.

The fleet sailed downstream for half a day. Yingmu was transferred from one of the boats at the back to Yan's boat. As he stepped onto the gangplank, the boat rocked, and he stumbled, grabbing the gunwale to steady himself. He then walked to Yan's side, placed his hand on the gunwale, and spoke, his voice not loud but clear, a beat faster than usual. "Boss, after our great victory over the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe last time, they withdrew from their strongholds along the Fish River. But when we returned to the Great Luwei Tribe and Willow Vine Tribe to regroup, the Tiger Tribe had reoccupied those strongholds."

After listening, Yan nodded, wrapped the Jiangsheng halfway around his finger, and then spoke in a low but clear voice, at a slow pace. "From the Great Luwei Tribe to the Tiger Tribe's base camp, it takes about fifteen days to walk, but only about five days to travel downstream by boat. How many strongholds does the Tiger Tribe still have in this area?"

Yingmu pulled the handle from the gunwale, gestured in front of him, and then spoke, his voice lower than before but his tone earnest. "According to our intelligence, most of their small outposts are now vacant. There are only eight larger outposts on both sides of the Fish River now, four on the east bank and four on the west bank. Each outpost has only about five hundred soldiers and two to three thousand people. Most of those people were coerced by the Tiger Tribe from various places. Some farm, some fish, and some repair boats. The Tiger Tribe sends soldiers to watch them work and collects their grain and fish. They can only keep a small portion for themselves, and they live a very hard life."

After listening, Yan nodded, retrieved the bone needle from the wooden tablet, and then spoke in a steady and clear voice, "Alright, then I'll lead the men to clear out the four strongholds of the Tiger Tribe on the west bank of the Fish River, and you'll lead the men to clear out the four strongholds on the east bank of the Fish River. Keep those workers under control and don't hurt them; they were coerced by the Tiger Tribe, not Tiger Tribe people. If the Tiger Tribe dares to come out of their main camp to rescue us, we'll teach them a lesson. If they don't come out, fine; but if they do, we'll ambush them and make sure they don't leave alive."

After listening, Yingmu nodded, patted the gunwale, and said, "Alright, the four on the west bank are yours, and the four on the east bank are mine. I'll lead my men up the river from the east bank, take out the outermost stronghold first, and then push inwards, dealing with them one by one. They have five hundred men per stronghold; it won't be difficult for us to fight them." After he finished speaking, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chaoyan, turned around, walked back to the gangplank, stepped onto the gangplank, returned to his ship, waved to Chaoyan, and then shouted into the cabin. His fleet then separated from the main fleet and headed towards the east bank.

Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the Yingmu fleet sail away. He then tucked the wooden tablet into his robes and called out to the fleet behind him, "Move towards the west bank. Attack the outermost outpost first. Send scouts to scout out the location of their sentry posts and the condition of their fence. Once you have a clear picture, then make your move." The fleet moved towards the west bank. The scouts, in small boats, went ahead and returned to report that the outermost outpost was built in a river bend. The fence was made of thick wooden stakes and consisted of only one layer. The sentry posts were located at two corners behind the fence, with two people squatting at each corner. The remaining three hundred-plus people were inside the barracks, while over a hundred were working in the open space outside. Some were repairing boats, some were drying fish, and some were chopping firewood. The men were not very alert, and some were even squatting on the ground dozing off.

After listening, Yan nodded, took the wooden tablet out of his pocket, glanced at it, and then put it away. He said to the leader beside him, "Go up there tonight, don't make a sound. First, take out those people at the sentry post, then rush into the barracks, take their weapons, and gather everyone in the open area to keep an eye on them. Don't hurt those who are working; they're not from the Tiger Tribe." The leader nodded and turned to give the instructions.

At night, the Fire Tribe sneaked to the outpost. The fence wasn't high, so some climbed over using human ladders, gagged and pinned the dozing sentries to the ground, then opened the gate. The rest of the group rushed in, storming into the barracks. The people inside were still asleep. Some jumped out of bed shirtless, only to be subdued before they could even touch their knives. Others knelt and surrendered. In less than half an hour, the outermost outpost had been captured. Yan ordered the prisoners to be taken to an open area and kept under guard. He woke up those who were working and told them the Fire Tribe had arrived.

Over the next few days, Yan led his men to capture stronghold after stronghold. The second stronghold was more fortified than the first, with two layers of fencing, but the garrison was still only about five hundred strong, making it relatively easy to take down. The Fire Tribe members scaled the fencing, took over the sentry posts, and surrounded the barracks. The garrison resisted for a while, but several were cut down, and the rest surrendered. The third and fourth strongholds were attacked in a similar manner, each one more fortified than the last, but the garrison became increasingly panicked. The men at the last stronghold saw the Fire Tribe... When the fleet Fire Tribe, before the Fire Tribe people could even land, they threw down their swords, raised white cloths, and walked out of the gate to surrender. In less than ten days, all eight strongholds of the Tiger Tribe were gradually eliminated by Yan and Yingmu. Yingmu's four strongholds on the east bank were also being taken down smoothly. After the last stronghold was captured, Yingmu came to find Yan in a small boat. Standing on the Chuantou, he shouted to Yan in a loud voice, "Boss, all four strongholds on the east bank have been taken down! We captured over a thousand garrison soldiers, gathered over ten thousand people, and also collected a lot of grain and fish!"

Yan raised his hand slightly and then said, "Alright, I've finished taking over here, and all four strongholds on the west bank have been captured. Let's join forces and head a bit further towards the Tiger Tribe's main camp to see their reaction."

The Tiger Tribe did not send troops to their aid. Instead, they remained entrenched in their main camp, on high alert. Archers stood in rows behind the walls, and the iron chains at the dock were taut. The fleet remained hidden behind the Tiger Tribe, too afraid to emerge. Yan led his fleet without launching a direct assault on the Tiger Tribe's main camp. He merely used his navy to intimidate them on the Fish River. The fleet sailed past the Tiger Tribe's main camp in several columns, sails billowing, oarsmen rowing in perfect unison. The Fire Tribe's flag fluttered on the Chuantou. The people on the Tiger Tribe's walls watched the Fire Tribe's fleet pass by, none daring to move, not even to fire an arrow. Yan stood at the Chuantou, glanced at the Tiger Tribe's walls, and then said to the chief beside him, "Ignore them. Let's go, take the prisoners and supplies back."

The fleet then turned its Chuantou and headed back to the Great Luwei Tribe with the more than 20,000 people they had recently captured and controlled, along with some supplies. The captured garrison soldiers on the dock lined up and walked onto the ships, followed by those who had been brought along, carrying bundles on their backs. The line stretched from the dock all the way outside the camp. Yan stood on the Chuantou, took out a wooden tablet from his pocket, and glanced at it. It recorded the number of strongholds destroyed and the spoils of the operation. He made two marks on it with a bone needle, then put it away. The fleet sailed upstream along the Fish River towards the Great Luwei Tribe.