Defeated Wolves Seek Food

The Wolf Tribe's group trudged through the mountains and forests, each member dejected and bearing injuries of varying degrees. Xueya's face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water. He glanced back at the path they had come from; the scouts from the Pottery Salt Tribe's allied forces who had been following and monitoring them from a distance were nowhere to be seen, which finally allowed him to breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"Pah!" Xueya spat fiercely, his blood-tinged saliva creating a small crater in the dust. "I didn't expect those Pottery Salt Tribe to be so well-prepared, even calling in reinforcements!"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it. He had originally thought that the Pottery Salt Tribe had at most a hundred or so warriors, but today more than two hundred people suddenly appeared in the valley, and they were well-equipped and well-trained. This did not even include those guarding the home—normally, the Pottery Salt Tribe would leave at least a few dozen people to guard the home.

"That Julang from the Fish Tribe is a tough nut to crack." Xueya touched a newly added bloodstain on his face, a mark left by Julang Wave's harpoon. That guy was incredibly strong, with ferocious moves, and several others surrounded him like wolves. If he hadn't handled it well, he probably wouldn't have fared well.

Duyan covered his shoulder wound with a dirty rag, his Duyan filled with resentment. "Chief, we've suffered a huge loss this time. More than twenty brothers died, and even that Shouhou monkey couldn't escape..."

Mentioning Shouhou, Xueya's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. That short guy, skilled in climbing and stealth, was one of his most capable subordinates, but he never expected to meet his end in Wolf Fang Valley.

"That chief of the Pottery Salt Tribe, Jia Li, I heard he was a friendly businessman, but I never expected him to be so treacherous!" The Chaigou twitched his nose, which had almost been chopped off this time. "If you hadn't noticed something was wrong beforehand, chief, we would all be dead here today!"

Xueya nodded grimly. He had sensed something was wrong as soon as he entered the valley—it was too quiet, unnaturally quiet. Years of living a life of constant danger had honed his beast-like instincts, and it was this very instinct that had saved the entire tribe.

"However, they may not be of one mind," Duyan calmly analyzed. "Those reinforcements came from different tribes, and they clearly had their own agendas when the fighting started. Especially when they surrounded us at the end, they didn't dare to press too hard, for fear that we would fight to the death and cause them too much loss."

These words cheered Xueya slightly. Indeed, if they had been surrounded by a united front of mortal enemies, none of them would have escaped.

"But the loss is too great..." Shichui said in a deep voice, the big man unusually dejected today. His Shichui had knocked down several enemies, but he had also been hit in the back by a spear.

Fenglang was still the same crazy guy, but he had the most injuries—this reckless fellow was always at the forefront.

Xueya surveyed the ranks. Of the 120 men who had come, less than 100 remained, and almost all of them were wounded. More importantly, morale was at rock bottom. The soldiers hung their heads, their steps were sluggish, and they had completely lost the arrogance of the previous days.

"We can't go back like this!" A ruthless glint flashed in Xueya's eyes.

He knew that if he returned to High Pointed Mountain in such a disheveled state, the morale of the Wolf Tribe would suffer a devastating blow. More importantly, the surrounding tribes that they had long oppressed might become restless once they learned that the Wolf Tribe had suffered a great loss.

"I need to find something to Tiantou with to boost the morale of the brothers," Xueya thought to himself.

He looked ahead. The Wolf Tribe hadn't been in this direction for a long time. They used to think there wasn't much to gain here, and the journey was too far, so they never paid much attention to it. But now the situation was different.

"I can't go to the Fish Tribe for the time being," Xueya thought. Today's battle made him realize that the Fish Tribe and its affiliated forces are not something he can shake right now. He had suffered a loss in the conflict with the Fish Tribe a few years ago. At that time, the Wolf Tribe was not as powerful as it is now. After suffering a loss, he wisely avoided the core sphere of influence of the Fish Tribe.

"I didn't expect that even though I've become so much stronger, I still can't beat them..." A sense of resentment welled up in Xueya's heart, but it was quickly suppressed by reason.

Therefore, this is the only direction we can go.

"I heard there's a Fire Tribe around here," Xueya recalled the news he'd heard from the Fish Tribe, "They've traded a lot of good stuff with the Fish Tribe in the last year or two, and they're even expanding their population..."

A greedy glint flashed in his eyes. A developing tribe often meant more food, supplies, and... women.

"We have to teach them a lesson!" Xueya resolved. "Otherwise, everyone will dare to piss and shit on the Wolf Tribe's head!"

He turned to his men and shouted, "Brothers! We suffered a loss today, but a wolf is always a wolf; it won't turn into a dog just because of one defeat!"

The crowd gradually quieted down, and everyone looked at him.

"This is territory we haven't been to much before! There are many small tribes here, with food and women!" Xueya's voice rose. "Let's rest here for a few days, replenish our supplies, and restore morale! Once we've recovered from our injuries, we'll settle accounts with that Fire Tribe —they've recently traded a lot of good stuff from the Fish Tribe!"

These words had an effect. The warriors' eyes lit up again. Yes, although they had suffered a loss today, they could recover quickly by raiding a few small tribes.

"Now, let's find a place to camp!" Xueya ordered. "Chaigou, take a few men ahead to scout out the way and see if there are any suitable tribes nearby."

The Chaigou obeyed and left; his keen nose was perfectly suited for this kind of reconnaissance work.

Duyan began to take stock of the remaining supplies, some people were responsible for setting up guard posts, while Shichui and Fenglang led the able-bodied warriors to hunt in the surrounding area—they needed food.

As dusk fell, the Wolf Tribe set up camp in a sheltered mountain hollow. A campfire was lit, and the aroma of roasting meat temporarily dispelled the gloom of defeat.

The Chaigou returned, excitedly reporting, "Chief! Half a day's journey east, there's a tribe called ' Little Stone Creek,' about fifty or sixty people who live by fishing and gathering. A day's journey north, there's a tribe called ' Shugen,' about seventy or eighty people who are skilled at making woodenware."

Xueya nodded in satisfaction. "Good! Tomorrow morning, head to that Little Stone Creek Tribe first. Remember, this time we need to finish quickly and try not to let the news get out."

As night fell, suppressed laughter and chatter filled the Wolf Tribe's camp. Although they had suffered a defeat today, their morale would quickly recover as long as they could seize food and women tomorrow.

Meanwhile, dozens of miles away, the small tribes targeted by the Wolf Tribe remained completely unaware. They were still preparing for food, oblivious to the fact that a pack of hungry wolves was stealthily approaching.

Xueya sat by the largest campfire, sharpening his bone knife. The blade gleamed coldly in the firelight, reflecting his sinister face.

"The Pottery Salt Tribe... the Fish Tribe... you just wait," he muttered to himself. "Once I recover my strength, one day I'll make you pay!"

The distant howls of wolves mingled with the laughter and chatter from the camp, creating an eerie atmosphere in the silent forest. Further away, in the valley of the Fire Tribe, Wang Yan was inspecting a newly built waterwheel, completely unaware that a crisis was approaching his tribe.