Chapter 744: The Second Clash Between Two Tribes (Part 3)
At Han Cheng’s command, nearly thirty bowmen from the Green Sparrow Tribe immediately drew their bows and released their arrows.
Without much aiming, they shot towards the running leader of the Semi-Farming Tribe and those accompanying him.
The feathered arrows sliced through the cold air, arriving instantly.
Some arrows missed, but three or four Semi-Farming tribe members were hit, tumbling to the ground with painful wails.
Without needing Han Cheng’s further orders, the archers quickly pulled more bronze-tipped arrows from their quivers and fired a second volley.
With the twang of bowstrings, several more runners fell wounded.
By this time, the terrified Semi-Farming tribe Chief had fled with his lucky followers to the back of some houses.
Glancing back at the snow-covered ground, seeing their kin pierced with feather-tied arrows, writhing in pain, and the striking contrast of bright red blood on white snow, the Semi-Farming leader was filled with terror and fury.
“Why are they attacking our tribe?”
“Our tribe has never encountered a tribe this formidable before!”
Thinking this, he hurriedly ran to the donkey pen, yanked open the gate, and jumped in. The donkey brayed loudly, startled by his sudden action.
“Quick, get on the donkey! Quick, get on it!”
If he could ride the donkey, he might scare these attackers and fight them fiercely, buying some survival chances for his people.
Han Cheng ordered arrows to be shot at the Semi-Farming leader not because he had any prior knowledge of the unfamiliar leader, but because it’s best to “strike the exposed rafter first.”
Another reason was that from yesterday’s scouting, he remembered where the donkey was. Since the enemies were rushing toward the donkey pen, it was natural to attack there.
Plus, coming here to kill the chicken to warn the monkey was necessary.
People are always precious assets. To measure a tribe’s strength, besides abundant food and sharp weapons, another factor is population size.
The reasons for attacking the Semi-Farming tribe this time included avenging the Sheep tribe, eliminating potential threats, and seizing the donkeys and some unknown crops.
So after the two volleys of arrow rain killed and wounded some, Han Cheng ordered the archers to cease fire.
He was confident about the Semi-Farming tribe’s weakness and wanted to avoid unnecessary casualties, whether his own or theirs.
This wasn’t excessive mercy but practicality, since properly used slaves could create great wealth.
The allied tribes did not charge in for a massacre but rather half-surrounded the Semi-Farming settlement as before.
It was a “half surround” because the northern side was bordered by steep hills requiring no manpower to guard, and the relatively flat eastern side was left with a gap. Official source is N0veI.Fiɾe.net
Leaving one side open was a wise move, allowing the surrounded people a glimmer of hope, avoiding desperate, cornered fights, and thus effectively reducing casualties among their troops.
However, many allied warriors didn’t understand this deep strategy. That’s why they questioned the Divine Child’s decision to leave that gap.
“Shouldn’t we surround the entire Semi-Farming tribe and slaughter them all?”
“Why stop here and leave an opening?”
Many wanted to charge at the panicked Semi-Farming tribe members, but recalling the Divine Child’s orders and seeing the Green Sparrow warriors standing still in the center, they held back with great effort.
At this moment, Han Cheng had two captives — both bound hand and foot — brought forward. After untying the cloth from their mouths, Mao was instructed to convey the message of “surrender and live.”
Then the captives shouted this message loudly to the panicking Semi-Farming tribe members.
The two captives felt conflicted — wanting to break free and return to their tribe, or to cry out in despair — but they obeyed Mao’s instructions, calling out obediently to their people.
They had seen too much shocking strength from the opposing tribe and deeply understood their tribe’s weakness.
Though not very smart, they knew their people could not withstand this force.
The gap between the two tribes was just too big. Even if they didn’t want to admit it, there was no chance that fighting would break out.
Hearing their language from these fierce invaders, the chaotic Semi-Farming tribe fell silent somewhat.
Some sharp-eyed Semi-Farming people recognized the two captives as those who had left the tribe long ago and never returned.
Seeing them with the fierce invaders, speaking , changed the atmosphere instantly.
Previously, they mocked the Sheep tribe for having traitors, but never imagined their tribe could have traitors who brought the enemy right to their doorstep.
Not only that, these traitors told them not to resist!
The Semi-Farming tribe’s female shaman recognized these two as the spies she had sent earlier to scout the Sheep and Green Sparrow tribes, and her head was spinning.
“They’re from the Green Sparrow tribe?!”
“This is that mysterious Green Sparrow tribe? They have so many people?!”
As her head buzzed, she recalled what the tribe leader had said about the long, tall, earth-yellow cliff and the many clearings around it.
Her expression grew more dazed, her mind louder.
“Could all my previous guesses be true?!”
“This tribe isn’t one we can resist.”
“It seems there’s no other way but to surrender.”
But if they surrendered, their tribe would disappear!
Even spying on that tribe before, no good result would come from surrendering.
Their tribe’s people might end up like those Sheep tribe slaves — captured and enslaved.
But what else could they do if they refused to surrender?
Suddenly, she noticed the gap on the east side of the encirclement…