After a century of worship, I became the ancestor of the tribe.

Chapter 135 Ah-chan Heads South
A strong stench of blood permeated the Yuanshan tribe's city. One after another, the antelope-like beasts were quickly butchered, their scales, armor, hides, and bones neatly arranged.

The remaining nineteen that didn't die were also riddled with bloody holes.

The dead were also gathered and placed in coffins.

The atmosphere in the entire city was stagnant, with very few cries. Since Xiaoyang went south, they had been wandering and the frequent deaths had almost numbed them.

Huoyan entered the clan hall.

He glanced at Huotang's face and found that it wasn't as pale as someone who had been seriously injured, so he felt slightly relieved.

"Chieftain, a total of 433 people died in battle, and 937 were seriously injured. Most of the injuries were caused by the rampaging of the injured beasts. Only a small number of the Heavenly Vein Warriors died."

"In addition, seventy-nine giant crossbows were damaged."

"Besides the one inside the bronze chariot, there are four other Heavenly Vein warriors who didn't die."

"According to initial inquiries, they came from the Luoshui tribe and came to unite the tribe."

Listening to Huoyan's account, Huotang nodded. "Make the arrangements so that the tribe's soldiers can strengthen the tribe's defenses, and that reconnaissance can be intensified within a hundred miles inside and outside the tribe."

"I'll make arrangements right away."

Huoyan nodded.

Jidi is different from Beidi. The tribes gathered in Beidi are mostly from small mountain tribes. The tribes are less knowledgeable and their minds are relatively pure.

The people gathered by Jidi came from different tribes, including those from upper-class tribes.

Even after a year, some people in the tribe still had mixed feelings.

……

into the night.

Bonfires blazed throughout the entire city, and torches moved about inside and outside the city, bringing a sense of quiet to the city.

At midnight, as the patrolling tribal soldiers passed by on the city wall, shadowy figures quickly scaled over the wall and disappeared.

Such scenes can be seen in all four directions of the city.

"What are you doing!"

Some of them were spotted by the patrolling tribal soldiers, who then fired rockets toward the outside of the city.

The figure who had just emerged from the city shouted, "Stop! We're on the same side!"

"Our own people! Our own people are running out of the city in the middle of the night instead of resting in the city!"

On the city wall, torches dispelled the darkness, and swords were drawn, pointing at figures outside the city.

Those outside the city, with arrows pointed at them, dared not move.

"Brothers, let's be frank, I'm running for my life, you don't want to die either, do you?"

"Damn it, they even dared to kill a member of the Bo clan, I'm not going to stay here and wait to die."

"What's wrong with following Bo Bu? Now look what's happened! You've killed so many of Bo Bu's Heavenly Vein Warriors. Isn't this just courting death?!"

"shut up!"

An arrow shot out and pinned the person speaking outside the city to death.

But on the city wall, among the figures holding torches, some had gleaming eyes.

The person who made the move was a member of the Blazing Flame tribe. Like Huo Tang, he used an alias and did not show any relationship with Huo Tang within the tribe.

Everything was done through normal fighting, step by step, he became a centurion.

"You want to leave too?"

"Is being a dog really that good?"

……

The group remained silent.

Such scenes were repeated around the city.

Despite the gaps in the tribe soldiers' patrols, quite a few people still left the tribe and headed off into the distance.

Under the cover of night, Tan Yongshan also began to move, taking advantage of his companions' unconsciousness.

After observing quietly for a while and confirming that the clan leader's azure phoenix was fast asleep on the roof of the clan hall, he jumped out of the city with peace of mind.

As for the tribal soldiers guarding the city, they were not worth mentioning to him at all.

After leaving the eastern city, Tan Yongshan quickly headed east, eventually entering a small mountain range.

"Cuckoo!"

As a cooing sound rang out, a gray eagle flew out from the hill and landed in front of him with a flap of its wings.

"Send this to the commander as soon as possible."

The gray eagle picked up the parchment and put it in its mouth, then flapped its wings and flew into the sky.

Tan Yongshan squinted as he watched the gray eagle disappear into the night sky, then headed back the way it came without stopping.

The Yuanshan tribe he entered was very different from any other tribe he had ever seen before.

The soldiers were well-equipped and had numerous large crossbows, which was not what one would expect from a newly established scattered tribe.

There were no craftsmen in the tribe, so where did these things come from?
He also took the opportunity to see the giant crossbows. They were exquisitely crafted and could even be disassembled. Several broken giant crossbows could be disassembled and reassembled into a new one.

This forging technique was not found in Jishan or Yanran, nor had he ever seen it in Luodi.

The young master from Luoshui who came today did a terrible job.

Thinking of Luo Feng's miserable state, Tan Yongshan revealed a hint of disdain. The Luo River, which has been passed down for more than eight thousand years, still can't forget those arrogant people.

They deserved to be overtaken by the Luohebo tribe.

Compared to the Luoshui Bo tribe, Luohe's methods were much more covert.

The tribe dispatched thousands of its soldiers, who disguised themselves as scattered soldiers and wandering knights, and entered the Ji region, joining different newly established tribes.

The soldiers of the Bo tribe were far superior to the remnants of the Ji tribes. After joining the tribe, they could gradually become the controllers or the ones who commanded the tribe's soldiers.

Thinking of this, Tan Yongshan's face turned somewhat grim.

The Yuanshan tribe he came to was somewhat different. Based on his performance, he should have gradually gained attention and then taken control of the military.

There are too many powerful people in the Yuanshan tribe, and the position of chiliarch has long been occupied. Now he is only a centurion.

As for the other clan soldiers who came with him, their positions are now even lower than his.

Now we can only ask the leader for help. Taking down such a secret tribe would be far more important than taking down several tribes of the same number.

……

At this moment, at the very top of the sky, Huo Lin stood on the back of the Azure Phoenix, looking down below.

Those who rushed out of the Yuanshan tribe tonight are all within the scope of the attack.

The creature below escaped from the city not long before the Azure Phoenix spotted it, but it ran too fast and disappeared into the hillside in an instant.

But not long after, another gray eagle rushed out of the mountains.

That's not right.

He glanced at the figure heading back towards the tribe.

"Do you see clearly?"

Huo Lin gently patted the Azure Phoenix, nestled against its neck, and softly asked.

"Chirp."

The Azure Phoenix opened its mouth softly. Under the cover of night, its eyes were sharper than a human's, and it had already seen what the people below looked like.

"That's good, let's go after this gray eagle."

The Azure Phoenix spread its wings, and two gusts of wind rose from beneath them, chasing after the gray eagle like sharp arrows.

They chased for dozens of miles and saw that they had already created enough distance between them.

At Huolin's signal, the Azure Phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky, swooping down from above towards the flying Gray Eagle.

"Chirp!"

A high-pitched cry rang out, and wind blades emerged from beneath the wings of the Azure Phoenix, striking down diagonally from the sky.

The gray eagle's bloodline wasn't high, but it could sense the aura of the suddenly appearing Azure Phoenix, whose bloodline was superior to its own.

However, sensing that they were at a similar level, the gray eagle was not afraid and quickly flapped its wings, trying to avoid the azure phoenix's attack.

Choo Choo Choo!
In the distance, the cry of the blue phoenix could be heard again.

These are wild pheasants from the surrounding area; they came after hearing the cries of their kind.

puff!
Upon seeing another azure phoenix appear, the gray eagle hurriedly turned around, and a series of wind blades fell down, causing its entire body to emit a gray light.

call out!
Amidst the wind blades, an arrow pierced the gray eagle's back with a 'thud'.

The gray eagle let out a miserable cry and was struck by wind blades one after another, plummeting from the sky. However, just before it hit the ground, the Azure Phoenix that Fire Forest was riding grabbed its head and gently placed it on the ground.

"Ah Lin, what's going on? Weren't we supposed to stop them?"

A distant phoenix swooped down, and its people on top asked a question.

Huo Lin jumped off the Azure Phoenix, first grabbing the Gray Eagle's claws to examine them, then tearing open the Gray Eagle's sharp beak with both hands.

The Azure Phoenix had delivered many messages, always using its beak. So, Huo Lin used his arms to forcefully tear open the eagle's beak, revealing a rolled-up piece of animal hide.

"There really is something there."

……

As dawn approached, at the Yuanshan Clan Temple.

Huotang was resting on his side on the stone bed when a soft cry rang out, and he immediately woke up.

The large beak of a phoenix was revealed through the hole above the stone hall.

Its mouth opened, and the animal skin roll fell down, landing right on the stone table in front of the fire pit.

After the firelight was unfurled, his gaze sharpened.

"Cuckoo."

As Cangluan's divine sense subsided, a figure appeared in Huotang's perception.

Huotang thought for a moment, but still couldn't remember who this person was.

The Yuanshan tribe had only been established for a year, yet it had already gathered a force of 100,000, including 5,000 tribal soldiers. How could he possibly remember so many people?

"A mixed bag, with conflicting thoughts."

Then, Huotang spread out a piece of animal hide, drew the man's appearance, and then temporarily covered it with another piece of animal hide.

Having been in Ji for so long, he was actually quite familiar with Ji's methods.

Even without Xiaoyang's southward advance, some small tribes in Ji and even most of Yongyi found it increasingly difficult to survive and develop.

Once a small tribe begins to prosper, a nearby large tribe will take advantage of the small tribe's expansion and send people to infiltrate it.

Once they have gradually gained control of the tribe, they will find an opportunity to kill the tribal chief and then install their own chosen tribesman as the new tribal chief.

In this way, their own tribe would essentially have gained another vassal tribe.

This situation is extremely common in Yongyi. The so-called superior and inferior departments, and the common respect of all departments, are no longer the path of Zhiyan's promotion to the superior department.

The superiors do not protect the inferiors and only take from them, so the inferiors naturally lose respect for the superiors.

However, now this kind of thing has happened to him.

Compared to the Luoshui tribe who came during the day, the tribe behind this messenger who delivered the message in secret was the one that truly accomplished great things quietly.

If it weren't for the fact that the commanders of the Yuanshan tribe's army were all members of the Blazing Flame Clan, and most of the centurions and squad leaders were also members of the Blazing Flame Clan, they might have been secretly switched out.

"Giant crossbow, heavy sword."

Huotang read the contents of the animal skin scroll several times, staring intently at these few words.

With the Blazing Flame Tribe providing logistical support in the mountains, there were naturally no worries about supplies. Although the craftsmanship of these weapons wasn't particularly refined, they were still quite effective.

When he took these things out, he was prepared to be watched, but it happened a little faster than expected.

Huo Tang and Shen Can had discussed this point when they were in the Blazing Flame Tribe. Weapons are meant to be used. If you're afraid of everything, how can the tribe develop?
Compared to what was sent back to the tribe from Ji, this little bit of stuff was nothing.

Furthermore, the tribe has been improving its armor and weapons generation after generation, and a new generation of giant crossbows is under construction.

……

Early in the morning, Huoyan entered the clan hall.

"Ayan, how was last night?"

Huoyan gave a wry smile. "Clan leader, the people of Jidi are really different from those of the North. More than two hundred ran away in one night, and now there are fluctuations within the clan."

Huotang didn't take it seriously and removed the animal skin paper that was blocking the table.

Do you know this person?

Huoyan glanced at it and said, "It looks familiar. I'll go ask about it."

Huo Tang nodded. Huo Yan was very cautious in his work, so he naturally asked his own people, the five centurions in the clan.

"The clan chief is Tan Yongshan, a centurion in the clan's army."

"He joined the tribe about three months ago, participated in several small-scale battles with Xiaoyang, and performed very well. In addition, he was given the position of centurion because he was still at the first level of the Heavenly Vein Realm."

"Did he have anyone with him in the past?"

Huoyan nodded. "Yes, there are more than a dozen people in his hundred-man team who have a good relationship with him."

"The information will be kept confidential for now."

After giving the order, Huotang asked, "How's the guy we caught?"

"He is indeed the young master of the Luoshui Marquisate, but there are more than a dozen young masters of the Luoshui Marquisate, and he is just one of them."

There are seven young masters from the Luo River region who have come to Ji this time.

As he spoke, Huoyan said, "I had someone inspect the bronze chariot. There are many witch runes on it, so it should be a witch artifact."

Fortunately, we acted quickly; otherwise, this chariot could easily have wreaked havoc throughout the city.

"Leaving the chariot here won't work; it's too conspicuous. We should return it to the tribe."

At this point, Huoyan said with some difficulty, "It's just not easy to move. Our magic pouch probably can't hold such a big chariot."

Huotang murmured, "Let me think about it some more."

The chariots definitely cannot be placed in Yuanshan; they are too obvious, naturally bearing the mark of the Luoshui tribe.

The tribes of Yuanshan are too diverse. Today we can stop two hundred, but we can't stop tens of thousands. Once the news spreads, it will be impossible to keep the news of the young master of Luoshui's death in Yuanshan a secret.

Although the Luoshui clan is far away in Luodi, the other young masters in Jidi have several hundred Heavenly Vein warriors under their command, which is something to be wary of.

"How many of those riding beasts are left?"

"I estimate there will be only about ten left."

Huo Tang nodded. "That's good. Don't let this young master of the Bo tribe die. If he has to die, let him die at the hands of the Xiaoyang Clan. Do everything you can to save those riding beasts."

“Gather the resources of the Yuanshan tribe and send them back to the tribe. This tribe should be abandoned.”

At this point, a murderous glint flashed in Huotang's eyes.

"Chief, are we going to abandon that chariot?"

Huoyan was somewhat reluctant. What a fine weapon, a weapon that should have been used to wreak havoc on the battlefield, was being wasted by a young master of a noble tribe.

"Why wouldn't I want it?"

Huo Tang was stunned. How could he possibly throw away such a good thing?

“I have my own plans. Tonight, you take our people to meet this Tan Yongshan. Be careful, he is definitely more than just the first level of the Heavenly Vein. I need to know who he is.”

"I'll make arrangements."

That night, the Yuanshan tribe once again experienced a mass exodus of its members.

The entire city was placed under martial law, and anyone who tried to escape was shot indiscriminately.

In the latter half of the night, a major battle broke out within the clan. Tan Yongshan was severely injured and captured, and some of the people around him were killed.

As dawn approached, Cangluan, carrying the resources accumulated by the Yuanshan tribe, returned north to the tribe, also bringing back Huotang's letter along the way.

Two days later, news spread within the Yuanshan tribe that Xiaoyang had invaded.

The entire tribe was placed under martial law again, and no one was allowed to go out.

……

The Azure Phoenix traveled north at twice the speed of usual, delivering the message into the mountains.

Outside the Cangshan tribe's territory, Shen Can opened Huo Tang's letter.

Huotang's letter was very detailed, including details of his injury.

Shen Can frowned when he saw Huo Tang was injured.

In his letter, Huotang also said that he planned to drag the young master of Luoshui to fight against Xiaoyang and let him die at the hands of the Xiaoyang clan.

Huo Ning is also ready to launch an attack to annex the Yuanshan tribe. At that time, he will take the opportunity to return to the tribe to recuperate.

Finally, Huotang asked him if he had any other ideas.

After reading it, Shen Can couldn't help but sigh.

"The tribes of Yongyi really know how to have fun!"

Then, he said to the clansmen who had come to carry supplies, "The clan leader is about to break through, I will go to Ji to bring him back."

(End of this chapter)