Ambush at Wolf Fang Valley

In the early morning, Wolf Fang Valley was shrouded in a thin mist. Hidden in the bushes on both sides of the hillside were the allied warriors, ready for battle. The spearmen on the Yuantu held their breath, the traps set by the Qiyue cleverly concealed beneath the fallen leaves; the warriors of each tribe gripped their weapons, awaiting the order to attack.

Jia Li and his leaders, including Julang, Liequan, and Kaishan Cutter, lay in ambush on a high ground, peering intently through the bushes towards the valley entrance.

"Judging by their pace, they should be arriving soon," the Biaotou) whispered, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

Time passed slowly, and the sun gradually rose higher, dispelling the thin mist in the valley. Finally, shadowy figures appeared at the valley entrance.

"Here it comes!" the Qiandai whispered, and he subconsciously touched the weapon at his waist.

The Wolf Tribe's procession slowly appeared at the valley entrance. Xueya walked at the head of the procession, his eyes scanning the hillsides on both sides warily. Duyan and Chaigou followed closely behind, Shichui carried his signature Dashi hammer, and Fenglang darted around the procession like a restless wild beast.

"Stop!" Xueya suddenly raised his hand, and the entire team stopped in response.

Jia Li, seeing everything clearly from his vantage point, inwardly cried out in alarm. Xueya, as Jingjue, had stopped just as they entered the valley.

Xueya frowned and looked around. It was too quiet, abnormally quiet. The valley should have been filled with birdsong and animal roars during the day, but now it was deathly silent. The scouts he had sent out had not yet returned, which had already made him suspicious. Now, looking at this treacherous terrain, his intuition, honed by years of raiding, made his hair stand on end.

"Chief, what's wrong?" Duyan asked, puzzled.

"Something's not right," Xueya said in a deep voice. "The scouts haven't returned. This place is perfect for an ambush..."

Before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed drastically. "Retreat! There's an ambush!"

The moment Xueya noticed the anomaly, Jia Li knew he couldn't wait any longer. He abruptly stood up and sounded the charge.

"Attack! Don't let them get away!" Jia Li's voice echoed through the valley.

The sudden sound of the horn threw the Wolf Tribe tribe into chaos. Yuantu immediately ordered, "Throw spears!"

In an instant, Shimao rained down from both sides of the mountainside. Caught off guard, ten of the Wolf Tribe's warriors fell to the ground, their screams echoing through the valley.

"Spear throwers, throw your spears!" the Biaotou shouted.

The spearmen, who were already prepared, hurled their spears with all their might, and another group of the Wolf Tribe warriors fell to the ground.

"Retreat! Retreat!" Xueya shouted hoarsely, waving his bone knife to parry.

The Wolf Tribe's ranks were thrown into complete chaos. Warriors scrambled to retreat, pushing and trampling each other. Shichui swung his massive Dashi hammer to deflect the spears, while Fenglang scattered like a frightened wild dog, with Duyan and Chaigou close behind Xueya.

"Don't panic! Maintain formation!" Xueya tried to reorganize the troops, but with little success amidst the chaos.

Taking advantage of the situation, the allied forces launched an attack from their ambush. Kaishan led the charge, wielding a great axe; Liequan led the warriors of the Beast Taming Tribe to flank them; while Julang and Biaotou led the main force in a frontal assault.

Xueya fought and retreated, finally leading his remaining troops out of the valley. He counted the number of men; of the 120 who came, less than 100 remained, and almost all of them were wounded.

"Damn it!" Xueya gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with rage.

Just then, Jia Li led the allied forces out of the valley and surrounded the remnants of the Wolf Tribe.

Xueya, his eyes bloodshot, glared fiercely at Jia Li: "Who are you? Why did you ambush us? If you don't give us an explanation today, you won't have a good time later! We are from the Wolf Tribe!"

Jia Li sneered, meeting Xueya's gaze without flinching. "Xueya, you want to ask me what's wrong? I'd like to ask you, what are you trying to do by bringing so many fully armed men to my Pottery Salt Tribe?"

Xueya gritted his teeth and argued defiantly, "We're here to trade! Why are you attacking us for no reason? Is this how the Pottery Salt Tribe has always conducted business?"

"Pah!" Julang strode forward and spat fiercely, "Xueya, you're shameless!"

As he spoke, he threw a package in front of Xueya. The package rolled open, revealing three bloody human heads inside—the very heads of the spies Xueya had sent.

"Look who this is!" the Julang roared. "We, the Fish Tribe, already know what you're up to! Today is just to teach you a lesson; next time we won't let you off so easily!"

Xueya's face turned ashen; he recognized the three scouts. The surrounding Wolf Tribe warriors began to stir, their morale plummeting further.

The Duyan Duyan's eyes flashed with ferocity, the Chaigou twitched its nose uneasily, Shichui gripped his Shichui tightly but dared not make a move, and Fenglang hid at the back of the group.

Xueya's face flushed and turned purple in turns, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! We admit defeat this time! You'll remember this!"

Jia Li waved his hand. "Get out! Don't let us see you again!"

The remnants of the Wolf Tribe, under the watchful eyes of the allied forces, began their humiliating retreat. Those they had enslaved had already scattered in the chaos.

The Huolang stepped forward and asked, "Chief, should we give chase?"

Jia Li shook his head. "Don't pursue a cornered enemy. After this defeat, Xueya shouldn't dare to come back for the next few years."

He turned to the warriors and smiled, "You've all worked hard! Tonight we'll hold another celebratory banquet, and you'll receive every reward you promised!"

A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the Allied forces.

The Qiandai had begun tallying the spoils of war and preparing to distribute rewards; Qiyue led his men to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded; while the archers on the Yuantu were collecting usable arrows.

When the Fish Tribe scouts reported to Julang that the Wolf Tribe was retreating towards the Fire Tribe, Jia Li simply nodded without saying much. He was now more concerned with how to reward the warriors who had come to his aid and how to further strengthen ties with the various tribes.

As the sun set, the allied forces returned in triumph. A victory feast had already been prepared in the Pottery Salt Tribe, and the aroma of delicious food could be smelled from afar. This brilliant ambush not only severely damaged the Wolf Tribe but also elevated the Pottery Salt Tribe's prestige to unprecedented heights.

In the distance, Xueya led his remaining troops in a disheveled retreat. He glanced back in the direction of the Pottery Salt Tribe, his eyes filled with resentment.

"I will avenge this!" Xueya vowed in his heart. But he knew that they were no longer able to challenge the Pottery Salt Tribe in the short term. Now, he had to find a new way out for the tribe.

The Fire Tribe, a tribe he had previously disregarded, has now become his new target.