Wolf Tracks on the North Bank

Some time after Dabang left, another 10,000 people were sent to settle in the Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei Tribe. This time, the fleet was smaller than the last, consisting of a dozen or so boats weighing 50,000 jin each. The boats carried people and supplies, and sailed downstream from the upper reaches of the river. After unloading the people and cargo at the dock, they loaded the people gathered in the Willow Vine Tribe and Great Luwei and transported them upstream. It took two round trips to settle everyone. In this way, the strongholds that Yan led his men to capture last year were basically completely controlled by the Fire Tribe, Willow Vine Tribe River Mouth, the Great Luwei River Mouth, Great Rock River Mouth. The strongholds of Great Rock River Mouth and Great Green River Mouth could support each other. Each stronghold was garrisoned, fortified with walls, and moats were dug. Ships were moored at the docks, and grain was stored in warehouses. The sentry posts were extended dozens of miles to the north, so they could know in advance if the Tiger Tribe made any moves. The absorbed population could be completely assimilated in a short period of time. Those who were taken in by the Tiger Tribe were later assigned to farm, work in workshops, or fish in the fleet. Their lives were much better than under the Tiger Tribe. They had food to eat and a place to stay.

During this time, Yan had Yingmu investigate the Tiger Tribe's movements while he Dali developed and constructed several forward outposts under his control. Yingmu sent out scouts in several groups: those traveling by water along the Fish River towards the Tiger Tribe's main camp, and those traveling by land along the paths on the east and west banks to explore northwards. Each group returned with news: some said the Tiger Tribe's walls had been raised, some said the Tiger Tribe's docks had more new boats, and some said the Tiger Tribe's granaries were full. Yingmu recorded all this information on wooden slips and reported it back to Yan. After listening, Yan discussed with Shibang and Daya, deciding to take precautions and make preparations as needed, ensuring the forward outposts were solidly fortified.

During this time, the Tiger Tribe also continuously produced ships and bronze weapons, and completed all the grain trade with the Western Shu Tribe. The granaries were full, and a small force was stationed to guard against and monitor the Wuyue Tribe to the east. Several scouts were placed along the border at intervals, and people were sent out every day to check if there was any movement from Wuyue. In the Tiger Tribe's main camp, new recruits trained every day, and the veterans were not idle either, some repairing ships and others farming.

On the Long River, Xueya of the Wolf Tribe stood on a small hill, looking at the thousand or so warriors before him with great satisfaction. He wore a black leather armor over a linen robe, the front of which was stained with several indelible old marks. A bronze-buckled leather belt fastened his waist, from which hung a bronze dagger with old cloth strips wrapped around its hilt. His face was thinner than last year, the skin on his cheekbones taut, and the gruesome scar running from his brow to the corner of his mouth appeared even deeper in the afternoon sun, like a centipede crawling across his face. Yet his eyes remained fierce, like a hungry wolf that had recovered its strength. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, carrying the exhilaration of finally being able to breathe after a long period of suppression. "Night Yexiao, I didn't expect that when we fled to the Long River last year, there were only a few dozen of us. Now, in just a few months, our warriors have grown to over a thousand. The north bank of the Long River is indeed a good place. It's vast and sparsely populated, with scattered tribes, and no single tribe is dominant. We were able to establish ourselves here."

Yexiao stood beside him, wearing a dark gray linen robe with frayed edges at the cuffs and collar. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, and he wore straw sandals. His hair was gray, tied back with an old leather rope, with a few stray strands falling behind his ears. His face was deeply lined, as if sculpted by a knife, but he seemed much more energetic than last year; his eye sockets weren't as sunken. When he spoke, his voice was low but clear, and his speech was a beat faster than usual, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Yes, after several months of infiltration, we began our operation against the Long River... " The raids on the riverbank tribes were surprisingly effective. These small tribes, some with dozens, others with a hundred or so people, were scattered along the riverbank, some farming, some fishing. They had no fortified villages, no sentry posts. When our men sneaked in, they didn't even have time to run. Some knelt and begged for mercy as soon as they saw us with knives. Others tried to resist, but after a few were cut down, they became docile. Now that the Tiger Tribe has withdrawn all its forces, this area is our Wolf Tribe's territory. No one is competing with us, no one is fighting us for it."

After listening, Xueya nodded, pulled his hand from his belt, pressed it in front of him, and then spoke, his voice lower than before, but with a calculated certainty. "Yes, if the Tiger Tribe hadn't been so ruthless in their plundering, we would have even more warriors now. The Tiger Tribe wreaked havoc in this area for quite some time, taking everything they could, leaving behind only insignificant small tribes. After we arrived, we gathered those small tribes together, letting those who could work work and those who could fight fight, but it's still not enough. The area along the Long River vast and sparsely populated, and our development is a bit slow. We still need to move further north. There are still many tribes to the north, some of which are larger than those we plundered before, with more people and more goods."

After listening, Yexiao nodded, withdrew his hands from in front of him and placed them at his sides, then spoke with a calculated caution in his voice, "Yes, but the Tiger Tribe has wreaked havoc in this region, which is why we were able to seize the opportunity to quickly grow from small to large. If they hadn't been so destructive, those tribes wouldn't have been so easily annexed by us. How could a few dozen of us possibly defeat them? The Fire Tribe is indeed formidable. Even a long-established overlord like the Tiger Tribe Fish River to go all out to protect itself. When we fought the Fire Tribe before, they weren't this strong. In just a few years, they've developed into what they are now, with more soldiers and larger ships than the Tiger Tribe Tiger Tribe. If the fighting continues, the Tiger Tribe probably won't last much longer."

After listening, Xueya withdrew his hand from in front of him, letting it hang at his side. He rubbed his fingers on his trouser leg a couple of times before speaking, his voice hoarse yet carrying a calmness born of being driven to the brink. "We've experienced the power of the Fire Tribe firsthand. The Tiger Tribe is probably no match for them. After the Fire Tribe annexes the Tiger Tribe, their strength will definitely increase. At that time, the entire Fish River Basin will be their territory, and we won't be able to stay here. If they attack north, we'll have to run north as well. We should continue to develop north until we're strong enough. For now, the farther away from the Fire Tribe, the better. Once we've gathered enough warriors and have enough territory, then we can think about our next move."

After listening, Yexiao nodded, moved the short sword at his waist behind him, and then spoke, his voice carrying a fierce edge. "Yes, once we've gathered enough strength, let's head north. That's the best place to develop. Further north from the Long River, there's a vast grassland with many tribes, some with several thousand people, some with tens of thousands, but they're scattered and lack a unified leader. We'll go there first, attack a few small tribes, seize their people and livestock, then attack a few larger ones, pushing north step by step. Once we have several thousand warriors and tens of thousands of horses, then we can turn our attention to the south. The Fire Tribe is powerful, but they're powerful over the Fish River. Once we reach the northern grasslands, their ships are useless, and they can't do anything to us."

Xueya nodded after listening, withdrew his hand from his waist, pressed it in front of him, and then said, "Alright, it's settled then. First, train these thousand or so men well, then sweep through the nearby tribes again, plunder what you can, and coerce what you can. Once we have about two thousand men, we'll push north. The grasslands are the best place for our Wolf Tribe to develop. After we've established a foothold on the grasslands, we can turn our attention back to the Fish River." He paused, withdrew his hand from his waist, and then... He turned around and glanced at the soldiers training below the earthen slope. Some were practicing slashing with bronze swords, others with short bows, and still others on horseback charging. Dust rose from the training ground, shimmering grayish-yellow in the afternoon light. He watched for a while, then looked away and nodded to Yexiao. "Let's go down and see how their training is going. Most of those thousand or so are newly recruited and haven't fought in a major battle. We need to train them quickly, or they'll scatter after a few battles."

Yexiao nodded and followed Xueya down the slope. The two walked down the slope one after the other, stepping on the gravel. The gravel crunched under their feet. The shouts of battle from the training ground grew closer. The sounds of knives striking wooden stakes, arrows hitting grass targets, and horses galloping all blended together, filling the Long River in the afternoon.