A Feast to Welcome the Reinforcements

The setting sun cast its golden rays upon the camp of the Pottery Salt Tribe Pottery Salt Tribe, bathing it in a golden hue. However, the atmosphere that permeated the camp was no longer the usual one, but rather one of solemnity and desolation.

Jia Li stood atop the watchtower, his brow furrowed. Although he had made thorough preparations, a sense of unease still lingered in his heart. He had long heard of the Wolf Tribe's fearsome reputation; though they bullied the weak and feared the strong, this provocation must have been made with a firm resolve, and they probably wouldn't let it go easily.

"Chief! They've arrived! The Fish Tribe's reinforcements have come!"

The silence was broken by an excited shout from one of the tribesmen.

Jia Li hurriedly descended from the watchtower and saw five large ships sailing upstream, with the Fish Tribe's flag flying at Chuantou bows. On the lead ship, a towering figure stood out.

"Julang Brothers!" Jia Li quickly stepped forward to greet them.

The Julang leaped off the boat, shaking the ground. This first warrior of the Fish Tribe was nearly two meters tall, his bronze skin gleaming in the setting sun.

"Chief Jia Li, Chief Canglan ordered me to come immediately upon receiving the news. These hundred brothers are the tribe's most capable fighters!"

Jia Li excitedly grasped Julang's thick arm. "That's great! With Brother Julang here, I can finally relax!"

As the two were talking, a voice came from afar. Fifty warriors from the Beast Taming Tribe had arrived. These warriors were all imposing and tall, making them a sight to behold.

"Chief Jia Li, are we not too late?" the Liequan asked as it approached.

"Perfect timing!" Jia Li said with a broad smile.

Just then, the sound of orderly footsteps rang out again. Fifty warriors from the Hundred Crafts Tribe, led by Kaishan, marched over in perfect unison. Kaishan carried a huge Shifu on his shoulder, and his muscles were as hard as rock.

"Where are those Wolf Tribe scum? My axe has been itching for a fight for ages!" The Kaishan like a thunderclap.

Looking at the three elite units before him, Jia Li finally felt Dashi lifted from his heart. He warmly greeted the leaders, "You've all come from afar, you must be tired! Tonight I'll host a banquet in the tribe to welcome you all back!"

That evening, dozens of bonfires were lit in the central square of the Pottery Salt Tribe. The aroma of roasted whole lamb filled the air, large bowls of delicious food were brought out, and laughter and cheerful conversation filled the air.

Jia Li picked up a ceramic bowl filled with goat's milk. He stood on high ground and spoke in a loud voice:

"Fellow warriors! Today, when the Pottery Salt Tribe in dire straits, you have all come to our aid. I, Jia Li, will never forget this kindness! Tonight, please enjoy a hearty drink, for we will rely on you again tomorrow! Once we defeat the Wolf Tribe, the Pottery Salt Tribe will surely repay you handsomely!"

"Go for it!" Hundreds of voices responded in unison, creating a spectacular scene.

The escort leader and the warriors of the Taoyan tribe were busy entertaining the guests. He walked up to Julang and offered a bowl of goat milk:

"I've long admired Brother Julang's name, and meeting you today, I can confirm that it truly lives up to its reputation!"

Julang downed his drink in one gulp with hearty gusto. "Biaotou, you're too kind! I've long heard of the renown of the five great warriors of the Pottery Salt Tribe; it'll be perfect for us to fight side by side tomorrow!"

The Qiandai moved about the banquet, occasionally chatting with the tribal chiefs. His shrewd eyes scanned the warriors present, and he was already calculating how to reward them for their contributions.

On Yuantu, they exchanged ideas with the warriors of the Beast Taming Tribe, discussing how to cooperate the next day.

The Huolang busily arranged logistics, ensuring that every warrior had enough to eat and drink.

Although the Qiyue was also at the banquet, he remained vigilant, constantly patrolling the area around the camp.

After several rounds of meals, Jia Li invited the leaders of the various tribes to the council hall. In the center of the hall was a simple sheepskin topographical map, on which the mountains and rivers surrounding the Pottery Salt Tribe were simply marked.

"Gentlemen," Jia Li said gravely, "According to the latest intelligence, the Wolf Tribe will arrive around noon tomorrow. Originally, I planned to hold our ground and wait for reinforcements, but now that we have three hundred warriors, I suggest we take the initiative!"

Julang slammed his fist on the table. "That's exactly right! My hundred brothers may be skilled in naval warfare, but they're no slouch in land battles either!"

Kaishan went even further. "We'll fight however Chief Jia Li says! We've been wanting to meet these wolf cubs for a long time!"

Jia Li pointed to a point on the map. "This is Wolf Fang Valley, the only way to our tribe. The valley is a hundred paces long, with steep slopes on both sides, and the road in the middle can only accommodate five people abreast. It's an excellent spot for an ambush."

He surveyed the crowd and began to make arrangements:

"The tribe will leave seventy men for defense; the Pottery Salt Tribe will leave thirty men; the Hundred Crafts and Beast Taming will each leave ten men; and the Fish Tribe will leave twenty men. The remaining two hundred and thirty men will all participate in the ambush."

Biaotou is a person who leads a convoy) stepped forward and pointed to the sheepskin map, explaining in detail:

"I suggest the following arrangement: Yuantu will lead all the spear throwers to ambush on both sides of the hillside; Kaishan will lead the warriors of the Hundred Crafts Tribe to block the valley entrance; Liequan will lead the warriors of the Beast Taming Tribe to set up defenses at the valley end; Julang Wave will lead the warriors of the Fish Tribe and I will join them to intercept the enemy in sections within the valley. Everyone, attack on the sound of the horn."

Yuantu added, "My spearmen can launch a three-round volley once they're inside the encirclement, disrupting their formation."

The Qiyue stated, "I can set a trap at the valley entrance and then use the pitfalls to slow them down."

Qiandai laughed and said, "I've prepared the rewards: three pieces of pottery for each ordinary wolf soldier killed; fifty catties of coarse salt for Xiaotou killed; two hundred catties of coarse salt plus five sets of pottery for each Wolf Tribe leader killed; and if you can capture and kill Xueya, the reward will be twenty sets of pottery and five hundred catties of coarse salt!"

The bounty sent a collective gasp through the crowd. Such a generous reward would have driven any warrior to their death.

The Huolang concluded, "Leave the logistics to me. I've already prepared drinking water, dry rations, and enough weapons near the ambush site."

Julang laughed heartily, "Since Chief Jia Li is so generous, the brothers will certainly fight to the death for you tomorrow!"

Liequan Liequan seemed to sense the fighting spirit as well, letting out low growls.

Kaishan swung his giant axe. "I'm going to chop off Xueya's head tomorrow!"

With satisfaction, Jia Li looked at the high spirits of the crowd and raised his wine bowl. "Then let's wish each other a resounding victory tomorrow!"

"Cheers!" everyone responded in unison, drinking the goat milk in their bowls in one gulp.

While the Pottery Salt Tribe was making preparations in full swing, the Wolf Tribe's camp presented a completely different scene.

Xueya sat before the campfire, slowly sharpening his bone knife. Several abducted women served him tremblingly beside him.

"Chief, we'll be arriving at the Pottery Salt Tribe tomorrow. Should we send a few brothers ahead to scout ahead?" Shouhou cautiously suggested.

Duyan scoffed disdainfully, "What's the point of scouting? Those merchants from the Pottery Salt Tribe would be scared out of their wits by the mere mention of our Wolf Tribe's name!"

The Chaigou twitched its nose. "I heard the Pottery Salt Tribe is rolling in money! We're going to make a fortune this time!"

Shichui brandished his Dashi hammer. "I'm going to smash their warehouse open tomorrow!"

The Fenglang darted around the camp like a wild dog, occasionally letting out lewd laughter at the kidnapped woman.

Xueya finally spoke, his voice icy. "Listen up, all of you. Tomorrow when we arrive at the Pottery Salt Tribe, we'll start with courtesy before resorting to force. If they know what's good for them and obediently hand over their tribute, we won't need to go to war. If they don't..."

A cold glint flashed in his bone knife. "Let these businessmen see what a wolf pack is like!"

"Awoo--" A wolf howl echoed through the camp.

The next day, the ambush area of the Pottery Salt Tribe was set up. Warriors from Yuantu hid in the bushes on both sides of the hillside, the traps of the Qiyue were in place, and warriors from each tribe had entered their designated positions.

The Biaotou /escort) surveyed the ambush site and said to the Julang beside him, "Everything is ready; we just need to wait for the wolves to fall into the trap."

Julang gripped the harpoon in his hand, a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. "Today, I'll show these wolves what a true inescapable net looks like!"