The Shadow of Migration

After leaving the ruins of the Little Stone Creek Tribe, the Wolf Tribe continued their march towards the Fire Tribe. Having plundered one tribe and captured over twenty prisoners, their ranks were now much larger, but the warriors' morale had clearly recovered. They laughed and joked loudly, shoving the prisoners around, as if the crushing defeat of the previous days were a distant memory.

Xueya's face remained grim, but a hint of satisfaction flickered in his eyes. This was exactly the effect he wanted—to heal the wounds of the strong with the blood and cries of the weak.

"Chief, we've discovered another small tribe ahead," the Chaigou reported, running like a loyal dog. "It's called the ' Xiaoshi ' tribe, about fifty people, living in caves halfway up the mountain."

Xueya narrowed his eyes. "This time we don't need a full-scale attack, we can just 'borrow' some food."

Having witnessed the bloodbath of the Little Stone Creek Tribe, he temporarily refrained from instigating further large-scale killings—not out of mercy, but out of concern for provoking a united resistance from neighboring tribes. What the Wolf Tribe needed now was supplies and to recover its strength, not to make enemies on all sides.

"Chaigou, take thirty men with you," Xueya ordered. "Be polite and tell them we're 'borrowing grain,' and we'll pay it back later."

The Chaigou nodded knowingly. This taciturn leader was an expert in this kind of "negotiation."

The Little Stone Mountain Tribe was indeed small, with fifty-odd people crammed into several interconnected caves. They made a living by gathering and making stone tools, and their lives were already quite meager. When they saw more than thirty fierce-looking, unfamiliar warriors blocking the cave entrance, the entire tribe was thrown into panic.

"Summon your leader to speak." The Chaigou's voice was calm, but his grip on his weapon was firm.

A gaunt old man, supported by his tribesmen, emerged from the cave entrance. He was Shi Weng, the chieftain of the Little Stone Mountain Tribe. "Gentlemen... gentlemen, what brings you to our Little Stone Mountain Tribe?"

"We are from the Wolf Tribe, passing through this area, and we've run out of food," the Chaigou said expressionlessly. "We'd like to 'borrow' some from you."

"Borrowing grain?" A young man behind Shi Weng couldn't help but speak up, "Do you look like you've come to borrow grain?"

A Wolf Tribe warrior behind the Chaigou immediately stepped forward, glaring at him fiercely. "What? You're not happy about it?"

Shi Weng quickly stopped the young man, smiling apologetically, "Brave warrior, please calm down. It's just... it's just that our Little Stone Mountain Tribe doesn't have much food to begin with..."

"Enough with the nonsense!" the Chaigou interrupted impatiently. "Lend it or not? If you won't lend it, we'll just go in and get it ourselves!"

He deliberately brandished the Shifu in his hand; the blade was still stained with dark red blood—the blood of the Little Stone Creek Tribe.

The people of the Little Stone Mountain Tribe were so frightened that they retreated repeatedly. Several children hid behind the adults, too scared to make a sound.

Shi Weng was pale; he knew he couldn't escape this calamity today. He sighed and said to the people behind him, "Go, bring out half of the food we've prepared for winter."

"Chieftain!" a middle-aged woman cried out, "If half the grain is given to them, how are we going to survive?!"

"It's better than the whole clan dying!" Shi Weng's voice was hoarse.

Soon, several tribesmen carried out three baskets of grain—mostly dried wild fruits and vegetables, with a small amount of dried meat. This was nearly half of the Little Stone Mountain Tribe's stored grain.

The Chaigou glanced at it and frowned. "That's all?"

"This is really all we have..." Shi Weng almost cried, "Our Little Stone Mountain Tribe is small in number and poor in land, we really..."

"Never mind." The Chaigou waved his hand, signaling his men to load the grain. "Remember, we Wolf Tribe are reasonable. This is a 'loan,' we'll repay it when the opportunity arises."

The Wolf Tribe warriors laughed and carried away the grain, leaving the people of the Little Stone Mountain Tribe slumped on the ground, their faces filled with despair.

"Chieftain, what are we going to do from now on?" the young man who had spoken earlier asked, his eyes red.

Shi Weng stared blankly in the direction the Wolf Tribe had left, and after a long while, he finally said, "Pack your things, we... we have to move. We can't stay here anymore."

Where to move to?

"I heard... I heard the Fire Tribe has been doing very well these past two years and is willing to take in people from other tribes." A last glimmer of hope flashed in Shi Weng's eyes. "Let's go and join the Fire Tribe; it's better than waiting to die here."

A day later, the Wolf Tribe "visited" another tribe called "Shugen". This tribe was similar to the Little Stone Mountain Tribe, with more than fifty people who lived by gathering and hunting.

This "negotiation" was led by Duyan. His single Duyan stared at the chieftain of the Little Shugen Tribe, sending chills down the other's spine.

"Grain, women, hand over the best," the Duyan said succinctly.

The chieftain of the Little Shugen Tribe was a middle-aged man. He mustered his courage and said, "Fellow warriors, our Little Shugen Tribe tribe is already struggling, it's truly..."

"Slap!" Duyan slapped him across the face. "I said, hand over the grain and the women, don't you understand?"

Several Wolf Tribe warriors immediately rushed into the tribe and began ransacking it. They not only took most of the stored food, but also forcibly dragged away two young women.

"Let go of my daughter!" An old woman rushed forward and clung tightly to a soldier's leg.

"Get out of my way!" The soldier kicked her away, and the old woman crashed into Shitou, blood gushing from her forehead.

The people of the Tree Root Root Tribe dared not speak out in anger, and could only watch helplessly as their grain was stolen and their women were abducted. Several young men clenched their fists, but when they saw the gleaming weapons in the hands of the Wolf Tribe warriors, they finally let go.

"Remember," the Duyan said menacingly before leaving, "If you dare to spread rumors to other tribes, we won't be so polite next time."

After the Wolf Tribe left, the Little Shugen Tribe into a deathly silence. The chieftain wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said to his people, "Pack your things, we have to go too."

"Where are we going?" someone asked.

"Go find the Fire Tribe," the chieftain gritted his teeth. "If we stay here, these beasts will devour us sooner or later."

Thus, although the Wolf Tribe did not commit any more large-scale massacres, their act of "borrowing grain" had completely extinguished the two small tribes' hope of survival. And the migration of these two tribes was only the beginning of a larger wave of migration.

The news spread like wildfire among the tribes. The Little Stone Creek Tribe was wiped out, and the Xiaoshi and Tree Root Root Tribe were plundered... More and more tribes began to panic and started considering migration.

Meanwhile, the Wolf Tribe, carrying newly plundered food and captives, was slowly advancing towards the Bison Tribe and Self Pig Tribe. Their next targets were these two relatively large tribes.

Xueya gazed at the distant, rolling mountains. He knew the real challenge lay ahead. The Bison Tribe and the Self Pig Tribe were not small tribes to be slaughtered at will, but he needed food, morale restoration, and to help the Wolf Tribe regain its confidence.

As for the Fire Tribe, that's supposedly doing quite well in recent years, a lucrative emerging tribe... A cold glint flashed in Xueya's eyes.

"I'll practice against the Bison and the Self Pig Tribe first," he thought to himself. "Once I've recovered my strength, I'll go and deal with that Fire Tribe."

Meanwhile, in the more distant Fire Tribe Valley, news soon arrived from the first group of refugees: a storm was approaching the Fire Tribe.