Duan’er and the werewolves quickly finished cleaning up the battlefield.
The clothes and equipment of the defeated werewolves were all stripped off, and their bodies were thrown directly into water pits. In a few days, they would turn into piles of white bones.
Once it was safe, Yan Xing climbed down from the tree.
Duan’er immediately came forward to ask what to do next.
After some thought, Yan Xing said, "By sending people here to transport the agarwood, Steel Fangs must be planning to relocate all your tribe’s women and children. With the remaining werewolves, he could then retreat or fight more freely.
Now that we have killed twenty-one werewolves from Stenchwater Forest and captured three, and Olaf said another ten were sent out to scout your whereabouts, that leaves Steel Fangs with fifty-seven werewolves by his side.
If we can further divide and eliminate some of them, Steel Fangs will be like a turtle in a jar."
Duan’er asked, "How can we divide them further?"
Yan Xing squatted down and gave Duan’er a stick to draw a map of Red Mud Wetland, marking the location of his homeland, the Arbor Forest, and the route Steel Fangs would take if he retreated.
After Duan’er finished drawing, Yan Xing took the stick and made circles and dots on the map.
"We can now be sure that Steel Fangs, who entertains the idea of retreating at any time, will not fight to the death for Red Mud Wetland. He has two options, but whether he fights or retreats, he must prioritize taking your tribe’s women and children away.
So, as long as you reveal your presence in Red Mud Wetland, Steel Fangs, not knowing how many troops you’ve brought back, will definitely dispatch some werewolves to escort the women and children away immediately, without waiting for the werewolves from the Arbor Forest to bring the agarwood.
Then he will stay behind to buy time. If you’re weak, he’ll attack you; if you’re strong, he’ll run. In any case, by taking away the foundation of your tribe, Stenchwater Forest will have already secured an unbeatable position.
I’ll take some men toward Stenchwater Forest to set up more ambushes and rescue your tribe’s women and children. Then we can launch a pincer attack on your homeland without any further concerns."
Duan’er listened, nodding continuously in agreement.
Having his women and children in Steel Fangs’s hands indeed made Duan’er hesitant to act decisively, fearing that the Stenchwater Forest werewolves might kill them during the fighting.
If he could rescue his own women and children... in his own territory, he could fight however he wanted. Not a single one of these invaders would escape.
"We’ll fight according to Lord Yan Xing’s plan!"
With the plan set, Yan Xing and Duan’er split their forces.
Duan’er went to find a place to reveal his presence, while Yan Xing went to set up an ambush.
Events unfolded just as Yan Xing had predicted.
When the Stenchwater Forest werewolves discovered Duan’er’s appearance in Red Mud Wetland, they simultaneously sent werewolves to the Arbor Forest to recall those collecting agarwood and dispatched fifteen werewolves to escort the bound women and children of the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe toward Stenchwater Forest.
These werewolves were ferocious, kicking and punching anyone who walked too slowly.
Duan’er’s arrival was somewhat unexpected, and they had to move the women and children away as quickly as possible.
In their haste, they naturally neglected to scout the path and unknowingly walked right into the ambush Yan Xing had prepared.
With one ambush experience already, Yan Xing repeated his tactics, even without the help of the Poison Flies. The fully armed werewolves and militia of Eternal Domain held an overwhelming advantage against the fifteen werewolves.
The Steel Armored Werewolves and Steel Armored Militia launched a surprise attack from both sides of the path.
A single charge knocked down and impaled the Stenchwater Forest werewolves escorting the women and children.
The women and children of the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe were thus rescued. They were immediately armed with seized weapons and wooden clubs, instantly swelling Yan Xing’s forces to over a hundred.
At this point, only forty Stenchwater Forest werewolves remained occupying the Red Mud Wetland homeland, and their retreat route to Stenchwater Forest was completely cut off.
When Duan’er and Yan Xing led their troops to surround the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe’s homeland, Steel Fangs of Stenchwater Forest could only lead his remaining men to lay down their arms and surrender.
[You have fought a fierce battle and achieved a glorious victory.]
[You gain Experience: 16,000]
[You have gained Prestige: 1,000]
[As a reward for your outstanding zero-casualty performance in battle, you have been awarded Experience: 16,000]
[Your level has increased.]
[You have obtained a special building blueprint: Fountain (Can increase the prosperity of your domain).]
[You have received God-given gold coins: 1,000]
[Your hero level has increased to 10. Please head to the Knights’ Guild as soon as possible to find a Knight Instructor and learn new knightly combat skills. Hint: A warhorse of excellent pedigree, fine and sturdy armor, and standard knightly etiquette can make a good first impression on the Knight Instructor.]
What on earth is a Knights’ Guild? And where is it?
Yan Xing was invited by Duan’er to enter the homeland of the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe.
The so-called homeland was a collection of low, humble shelters constructed from branches and leaves on relatively high ground.
Steel Fangs from Stenchwater Forest and the other invading werewolves were all tied up, surrounded by the furious members of the Red Mud Wetland Werewolf Tribe in the center of their homeland.
It seemed that with just one command, all of them would be executed.
Duan’er once again asked Yan Xing how to deal with these captives.
He failed to realize that with Yan Xing at his side, he himself seemed to lack a backbone.
"Since they have surrendered, they definitely shouldn’t be killed. If word of such cruelty were to spread, it wouldn’t do Red Mud Wetland any good." Yan Xing’s words seemed to spare the captive werewolves for the moment. But then he added, "However, we can’t forgive them easily either, or it won’t deter the werewolf territories surrounding us."
Duan’er understood that Yan Xing had already set his sights on the werewolf territories around Red Mud Wetland, recalling the words he had spoken earlier in the Arbor Forest.
"Unifying the Werewolf Tribes on the outskirts of Thunderous Swamp."
The heart of this Werewolf Clan Leader, in his prime, was instantly ablaze with excitement.
"Whatever Lord Yan Xing says to do with them, that’s what we’ll do. I’ll listen to you completely..."
"Send them all to my Eternal Domain to work!"
Duan’er’s mouth fell open. "That... That’s letting them off too easy!"
In Duan’er’s mind, going to work in Eternal Domain was hardly a punishment; it was practically a blessing.
But for Yan Xing, Eternal Domain lacked nothing except labor.
He reassured Duan’er, "Although the Stenchwater Forest werewolves invaded Red Mud Wetland, they didn’t cause your tribe significant casualties. Moreover, try to see the bigger picture. We’re now looking at the entire periphery of Thunderous Swamp, so don’t keep dwelling on the grudge with the Stenchwater Forest tribe."
Duan’er felt Lord Yan Xing was right. His own kin had indeed suffered practically no deaths or injuries, while over thirty werewolves from Stenchwater Forest had been killed. What truly angered him was the Stenchwater Forest Werewolves stealing his agarwood; for so long, he had no idea how much they might have taken.
But since Lord Yan Xing put it that way, Duan’er’s anger subsided. "The wisdom of Lord Yan Xing is like the river of stars in the sky! I may not understand it, but I know I just need to follow what Lord Yan Xing says.
You can take these prisoners.
What should I do next?"
Yan Xing took a piece of agarwood from Eddie, who stood beside him, and said with a smile, "Of course, you should let all the Werewolf Tribes on the borders of Thunderous Swamp know that Lord Yan Xing of Eternal Domain is willing to trade grain for their agarwood, without limit, at a rate of two hundred kilograms of grain for one kilogram of agarwood.
Remember to have the Werewolf Warriors who deliver the message bring Steel Chains and slingshots. Tell those Clan Leaders how you used these weapons, with only thirty warriors, to defeat over a hundred invaders from Stenchwater Forest."