Battle of the Bull Horns

The following morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced the eastern horizon, the Wolf Tribe set off. Several hours later, the Wolf Tribe's silhouette appeared on the horizon of the Bison Tribe's camp.

On the lookout tower of the Bison Tribe, Mangu gripped his Shimao tightly, his palms sweating. He counted the approaching figures—sure enough, more than a hundred people, about a hundred of whom were all burly and Chenwen in their steps, maintaining a basic formation even as they marched.

"Father, they've arrived." Mangu's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension.

Jijiao steadily ascended the watchtower, his piercing gaze sweeping over the Wolf Tribe's ranks. Seven years had passed, and Xueya hadn't changed much, except that the scars on his face were deeper and the ferocity in his eyes was even more intense. The leaders behind him— Duyan, Chaigou, Shichui, Fenglang ... none of them were easy to deal with.

What alarmed Jijiao even more was the equipment of the Wolf Tribe warriors. Although it looked haphazard, the bone knives and Shifu were all sharpened, and many of them wore simple leather armor. This was definitely not a rabble.

"All personnel on high alert!" Horned Commander ordered in Jijiao voice.

The three hundred members of the Bison Tribe were already on high alert. The men stood on the outermost edge, armed with various weapons; the women stood in the second row, carrying sharpened wooden sticks and slings; the elderly and children were at the rear, responsible for passing supplies and caring for the wounded.

The Wolf Tribe stopped a hundred paces from their camp. Xueya slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the Bison Tribe's ranks, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"I didn't expect this, Jijiao Brother," Xueya's voice was hoarse and grating, "Your Bison Tribe has gotten quite robust in the past few years."

Jijiao stepped out of the ranks and met Xueya's gaze across the distance. "Xueya, what do you mean by bringing so many people here uninvited?"

"Nothing much." Xueya grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Just passing through your territory, we've run out of food and wanted to 'borrow' something from you, brother."

"Borrow what?"

"Not many, just twenty cows," Xueya said casually, as if he were asking to borrow ten pieces of firewood.

The Bison Tribe's group immediately erupted in chaos.

Twenty cows? Dream on!

How many cows does our tribe have in total?

"This is going to kill us!"

Jijiao's face also darkened. Xueya knew what cattle meant to the Bison Tribe. These cattle were not only an important source of meat, but also valuable labor for transportation. In the past two years, the Fire Tribe had frequently traded pottery and grain for cattle, and the tribe's cattle herd was not abundant to begin with.

"Impossible." Jijiao said firmly, "The cattle are the lifeblood of our tribe; not a single one can be lost."

Xueya's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint in them. "Brother Jijiao, I've come with sincerity. You don't want to see us both severely injured, do you?"

The Wolf Tribe warriors behind him stepped forward in unison, the sound of weapons being drawn ringing out.

The warriors of the Bison Tribe gripped their weapons tightly, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

Jijiao quickly calculated in his mind. In a direct confrontation, the Bison Tribe had the advantage of terrain and numbers, but the Wolf Tribe had more combat experience. The outcome of a real fight was uncertain, and the Wolf tribe would definitely suffer heavy casualties.

He took a deep breath and proposed a compromise. "Since you want cattle, let's do it the rules. We'll each send three people, and we'll have three matches, best two out of three. If you win, we'll give you five cattle; if you lose, leave immediately and never harass our tribe again."

This suggestion was exactly what Xueya wanted to hear. He didn't want a direct confrontation either—although he was confident he could win, the losses would inevitably be substantial. Using force to intimidate and resolve the issue was the best strategy.

"Alright!" Xueya readily agreed. "Let's do it this way! But... if we win, in addition to the five cows, we'll get an extra fifty hundred catties of food."

Jijiao gritted his teeth. "Fine!"

Both sides retreated fifty paces, clearing a space in front of the camp. Members of the Bison Tribe and the Wolf Tribe lined up on either side, with the arena in the middle becoming the focus.

In the first match, Jijiao personally took to the field against Xueya.

The two leaders stood ten paces apart. Jijiao held a heavy Shifu, while Xueya gripped his signature bone knife.

"Seven years," Xueya licked his lips, "Let's see if this old bone of yours can still fight."

Jijiao didn't answer, but launched the first attack. The Shifu whistled through the air as it cleaved towards Xueya with Dali. But Xueya didn't take the blow head-on. Instead, he nimbly sidestepped, and his bone knife stabbed towards Jijiao's ribs like a venomous snake.

Jijiao hastily parried with his axe, and with a clang, sparks flew. The two passed each other, testing each other's strengths and weaknesses.

The ensuing battle became a contest of endurance and skill. Jijiao's axe techniques Chenwen, each strike Dali; Xueya, on the other hand, was as agile as an ape, always managing to dodge attacks at the last second while looking for opportunities to counterattack.

Fifty rounds passed, Jijiao's breathing became heavy. He was over forty years old, and his stamina was not what it used to be. Xueya, on the other hand, was in his prime and still had plenty of energy.

"Father! Watch out!" Mangu suddenly shouted.

Just as Jijiao missed his axe strike and his body momentarily faltered, Xueya seized the opportunity. He feinted with his bone knife, but tripped Horned Horn with his foot. Jijiao was caught off guard and stumbled, nearly falling. Xueya Fang took the opportunity to slash down with his knife. Jijiao barely managed to raise his axe to block, but was knocked back three steps by the impact. Xueya Fang seized the chance to throw a small hidden weapon from his waist, which struck Jijiao Horn squarely in the shoulder. By the time Jijiao reacted in pain, Xueya's bone knife had already stopped at Jijiao's neck.

"We won the first match!" Xueya announced triumphantly.

The Bison Tribe erupted in uproar. "Despicable!" "Ambush!" "That doesn't count!"

Jijiao waved his hand, silencing the commotion among his tribesmen. He wiped the blood from his body and said in a deep voice, "A loss is a loss. Second match, Mangu, you go!"

In the second match, Mangu faced off against Shichui.

This was a clash of strength. Shichui wielded his enormous Shichui, each strike unstoppable; Mangu, on the other hand, used an extended Shimao, attempting to overcome brute force with skill.

"Boy, let me show you my Shichui!" Shichui laughed wildly and smashed it down on Mangu.

Mangu dared not take the blow head-on, and dodged to the side. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Shimao thrust towards the side of the Shichui. But the Shichui Shichui reacted extremely quickly, and blocked the thrust with a horizontal movement.

The two fought back and forth for thirty rounds without a clear victor. Shichui was stronger, but Mangu was more agile.

At the crucial moment, Mangu feigned exhaustion, deliberately creating an opening. Shichui fell for it, slamming down with all his might, only to miss. Mangu seized the opportunity to thrust his spear at Shichui's knee. Although Shichui dodged the vital spot, the spear tip still grazed his thigh.

Shichui, in pain, faltered. Mangu seized the opportunity, sweeping his spear shaft across Shichui's ankle. The giant lost his footing and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"We won the second match!" Mangu raised his Shimao high, and the Bison Tribe erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

The score is now tied at 1-1. The third match will decide the winner.

The Bison Tribe sent Juti, the young warrior who had escorted the Fire Tribe to the Fish Tribe for trade two years prior. The Wolf Tribe sent Fenglang.

As its name suggests, the Fenglang howled like a wild beast as soon as it entered the arena, wielding Shifu and launching a frenzied attack. Juti calmly countered, using a wooden spear to deflect the attacks and looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

The fight between the two was the most thrilling. Fenglang completely disregarded his own safety, and every move he made was a suicidal attack. Although Juti was brave, he was inevitably restrained in the face of such a madman's fighting style.

Twenty rounds later, Juti seized an opportunity when Fenglang attacked too aggressively and thrust his spear at his shoulder. But Fenglang did not dodge or flinch, and instead took the spear with his shoulder, while simultaneously slashing at Juti's arm with his axe.

Juti hurriedly withdrew his spear and retreated, but he was still a step too slow. His arm was slashed open by the axe blade, and blood flowed freely.

"We won the third match!" Fenglang laughed wildly, ignoring the wound on his shoulder.

Best of three, the Wolf Tribe won.

Xueya stepped forward smugly. "Brother Jijiao, you flatter me. Five oxen and five hundred catties of grain, please."

Jijiao's face was ashen, but since he had made a promise, he couldn't go back on his word. He waved his hand, and his tribesmen brought over five strong oxen and five hundred catties of food.

The Wolf Tribe warriors joyfully received their spoils. Xueya called out to Jijiao, "Brother, thank you for the hospitality. Until we meet again!"

After saying that, he led his team away.

The members of the Bison Tribe watched as their cattle and grain were led away, tears welling in their eyes. It was not just food, but the culmination of the tribe's hard work.

Mangu, supporting his injured Juti, said unwillingly, "Father, we..."

"Say no more," Jijiao interrupted him. "A loss is a loss. But we must remember what happened today."

He gazed in the direction the Wolf Tribe had departed, a cold glint in his eyes. "One day, we will settle this score."

After leaving the Bison Tribe, Xueya was in high spirits. He had obtained five cattle and five hundred catties of grain without losing a single soldier; it was a worthwhile deal.

"Chief, where do we go next?" Duyan asked.

Xueya thought for a moment, "Let's go to the White Pig Tribe. I heard their pigs are fat and strong..."

Having tasted Tiantou, the wolf pack will naturally seek out their next prey. And this storm sweeping across various tribes has only just begun.