I'll steal Gao Qiu's life and lead the Song Dynasty to prosperity.

Chapter 64 A Hidden Arrow Strikes

More than 200 li south of Shanzhou City, deep in the Qilian Mountains, lies a hidden valley called "Wolf Walk Ravine".

This place is surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides, with only a narrow, winding path along the cliff face connecting it to the outside world.

The valley has babbling streams and lush meadows, enough to shelter thousands of people and horses.

This is the temporary stronghold of Xisheluosa, the leader of the Tibetan resistance army.

The tallest tent in the middle of the mountain stream is the royal tent of Xisherossa.

Inside the tent, a cow dung fire burned, dispelling some of the chill, but the smoke also made the air a bit choking.

Xi Sheluo sat cross-legged at the head of the table.

He was about forty years old, tall and robust, with a typical Tibetan face, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a scar on the side of his face that almost reached his neck.

These are the descendants of the Quesiro royal family, and one of Qingtang City's former rivals.

There were seven or eight people sitting below.

He had a cousin and trusted general of Xisheluosa, as well as several tribal leaders from nearby areas who still obeyed his orders.

"Gyachagabu————"

Xi Sheluo Sa pronounced the name in broken Chinese.

"Good tricks! Li Bancheng: Hu Bapi and his bunch of good-for-nothings, how they always boasted about how great they were and how they colluded with the Song Dynasty's military command, what was the result?"

They didn't even bother with a proper trial; they just chopped him off and hung his head out to dry like cured meat! They confiscated all his property! All the money we spent, all the jewelry and leather goods we bribed him—it was all for nothing, and we even lost several undercover agents for nothing!"

Xi Sheluo Sa became increasingly angry as he spoke.

He grabbed a wooden bowl, drank the murky mare's milk wine in one gulp, and then smashed the bowl.

A general with a scar on his face said in a muffled voice.

"Chief, that Song official is really ruthless. The words we spread at first had some effect, but now—the people in the market, seeing the head hanging on the high pole, are scared like quails. They continue to do business as usual, but they don't even dare to talk loudly."

Regarding the land reclamation, although some people still hesitate, the number of refugees and barbarians going to apply for the positions doesn't seem to have decreased. If this continues, he'll truly have a firm grip on Qing Tang City!

"Sit tight?" Xi Sheluo sneered. "If he sits tight, we'll be stuck like rats forever, hiding in this ravine, starving! The grain, salt, and weapons sent by the Xia Kingdom are getting increasingly meager. Seeing that we're not making any progress, their faces are turning grim. Without the Xia Kingdom's support, what will we, these two thousand-plus people, eat? What will we drink? How will we survive this winter?"

Mentioning the Xia Kingdom (Western Xia), the faces of the people in the tent turned even more grim.

Xisheluosa is now dependent on others, barely surviving on the grain and weapons secretly provided by the Xia Kingdom.

But the Xia people weren't fools either.

The Xia Kingdom's aid came with conditions.

They were required to continue causing trouble for the Song state in exchange for subsequent weapons and food supplies.

Zhao Mingcheng's strategy is now beginning to show results.

They could barely stand up straight in front of the Xia Kingdom's envoys.

"A direct assault is definitely not going to work," an older man dressed as a tribal chief shook his head. "Wang Shan, that butcher, is despicable, but he's a master at defending the city. We're outnumbered, and attacking would be suicide. Our previous raid on the grain convoy was by catching them off guard, but now the Song people are more vigilant, and there are more cavalry on the roads, making it harder to strike."

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch that guy surnamed Zhao use salt and tea to win over the hearts of all the tribes? Once the military farms are established and there's plenty of grain, the Song people will have a firm foothold in the Hehuang region! At that point, will we even have a chance to survive?" the scarred-faced general said irritably.

Xi Sheluo squinted at the leaping flames, and after a long while, slowly said.

"If force doesn't work, we'll resort to underhanded tactics. If spreading rumors openly doesn't work, we'll sabotage covertly. What does Zhao Mingcheng rely on to gain a foothold? Isn't it just his market trade and his still-undeveloped military farms? We'll target those two places!"

"How can we fight? The market is guarded by soldiers, and the military settlements are right under the nose of the fortress," someone asked.

"Who told you to raid the markets and military settlements?" Xi Sheluo's eyes flashed with cunning and ruthlessness. "Strike at the heart of the matter. Markets and military settlements rely on people and the flow of goods. If no one dares to buy or sell there, and no caravans dare to transport goods, his tricks won't work!"

He leaned forward and lowered his voice.

"Our people can't take direct action; it's too conspicuous and could easily attract the Song army's encirclement and annihilation. But—this Hehuang region isn't just home to us and the Song people; there are also many opportunistic tribes that sway from one side to the other. For example—the Langga chieftain of the Wild Wolf tribe to the west."

"Langga of the Wild Wolf Tribe?" The scarred-faced general frowned.

"That old fox is slippery. When we win, he comes up to try and get a share; when we lose, he runs away faster than anyone else. When Wang Shan first entered the city, he didn't resist and even sent cattle and sheep as a gesture of goodwill. Now that the Song people have opened a market, he's secretly sent people to exchange goods. He tries to please both sides and doesn't offend either. Ask him to deal with the Song people? I'm afraid he won't."

"He refuses?" Xi Sheluo chuckled softly.

"Then it's not up to him anymore! We used to be powerful, so we could let him sit on the fence. Now that we're in trouble, if he still wants to sit on the fence peacefully, there's no such thing as an easy thing."

Didn't the Xia envoy say last time that he could give us another batch of iron armor and bows and arrows? We'll use these as carrots.

Go to the Wild Wolf tribe and tell Langga that if he's willing to help, they can get a small portion of the iron armor and arrows! His tribe's tattered leather armor and bone arrows need replacing.

"And what about the big stick?" the older chieftain asked.

"We're the big stick!" Xi Sheluo's eyes turned cold. "Tell him that if he refuses or pretends to comply but then goes against our wishes, he shouldn't blame us for not showing any mercy."

"We may be in dire straits, but dealing with his few hundred-strong Wolf Tribe is more than enough! The Song people can protect him for a while, but can they protect him forever? Can they protect his scattered pastures and livestock every moment? Let him think about it!"

Xi Sheluossa paused, then added.

"Don't let him openly attack the Song army, that would be forcing him to his death. Let his men disguise themselves as wandering bandits, no, let them say they are a group of runaway slaves or defeated soldiers who can't survive in the mountains, and target lone or small groups of Song merchants, or those settlements that are a little far from the military fortress!"

Loot the goods and grain and run. Killing people is fine too, just do it cleanly, leave no survivors, and don't expose your identity.

I'll do this every now and then, so that those merchants and Tibetans who want to go to the market will be terrified when they walk on the road!

Let those displaced people and barbarians who want to go to the military settlements feel that leaving the military fortress is tantamount to suicide! How can the Song people maintain their fair trade and stable military settlements then?

Upon hearing this, the eyes of the people in the tent gradually brightened.

This plan is ruthless and feasible.

The Wild Wolf tribe is familiar with the terrain and moves like the wind, making them difficult to track down when disguised as bandits.

Even if the Song people had suspicions, without solid evidence, it would be difficult to do anything to the Wild Wolf tribe, since there were already quite a few small bandit groups in the Hehuang region.

But the resulting panic is very real.

"Brilliant plan, brother!" The scarred-faced general clapped his hands. "That's it! I'll take a few men tomorrow to find that old bastard Langga! We'll use both soft and hard tactics; he'll surely give in!"

Several days later, at the Wild Wolf Ranch.

Langga, the leader of the Wild Wolf tribe.

This was a thin, frail old man in his fifties with loose skin, drooping eye bags, and a pair of small eyes that darted around very quickly.

He sat in his rather shabby tent, wearing a worn-out fur robe.

Opposite them was the scarred-faced general Dawa, sent by Xishelusa, along with two valiant followers.

After hearing Dawa's purpose, Langga's old face scrunched up, and he remained silent for a long time, simply holding a cow horn cup, taking a sip...

He took a sip of mare's milk wine.

"Brother Dawa," Langga finally spoke, his voice hoarse, "it's not that I don't cherish our past friendship, it's just that—it's difficult. You know, our Wild Wolf tribe is a small and insignificant family, we can't afford any more setbacks."

The Song forces are powerful, and that Zhao Fuyu is ruthless; Li Bancheng and his men are still hanging by a thread. Are we supposed to rob their caravans and destroy their military farms? This—isn't this just courting death?

Dawa had anticipated his refusal, and with a cold snort, he slammed the short knife in his hand into the low table in front of him with a clang, the blade trembling.

"Chief Langga, we Tibetans value old friendships, we value strength, and we value our current livelihood!"

Do you think that by pleasing both sides, sending some cattle and sheep to Wang Shan, and secretly exchanging them for other goods at the Song market, you can rest easy?

Don't you know what kind of people the Song people were?

There's a saying among the Song people: "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts!" They might give you a taste of what they need, but once they've firmly established themselves in the Hehuang region, a fence-sitter like you will be the first to be dealt with!

He leaned forward, staring into Langga's gleaming eyes.

"Our great leader may be in trouble, but even a starved camel is bigger than a horse! If we can't deal with the Song army, surely we can deal with your Wild Wolf tribe?"

Otherwise, think about it: if your cattle and sheep roam freely at night, won't some herds get lost? When your people go out to graze or hunt, won't they encounter packs of wolves?

This is an obvious threat.

Langga's face turned pale, and his hand holding the cup trembled slightly.

He knew of the notorious reputation of Cishloth; he was a man who truly dared to kill.

Although we have been defeated, we can indeed wipe out the Wild Wolf Tribe.

"Brother Dawa, you can't say it like that—" Langga's voice was weak.

"Let's get down to business." Dawa's tone softened slightly, but remained firm. "Our chieftain said that if your Wild Wolf tribe is willing to help with this, we will reward you with fifteen suits of iron armor, thirty strong bows, and nine hundred sharp arrows!"

These weapons are unavailable in the markets of the Song Dynasty. Chief Langga, if your tribe's warriors donned iron armor and wielded powerful bows, who in the Hehuang region would dare to look down on them? Would they still need to be beholden to the Song people, exchanging cattle and sheep for meager salt and tea?

Iron armor! A strong bow! Sharp arrows!

Langga's small eyes widened suddenly, and his breathing became more rapid.

In the eyes of the grassland tribes, these things are hard currency more precious than gold, symbols of strength, and guarantees of survival.

The entire Wild Wolf tribe was cobbled together; they were lucky to have seven or eight tattered leather armors, and their bows and arrows were crudely made.

Zhao Mingcheng's market sells salt, cloth, tea, iron pots, and needles and thread, but weapons are nowhere to be found.

If we truly possess fifteen suits of iron armor and thirty strong bows—

That tribe's strength would instantly rise to a whole new level! In the dog-eat-dog world of the Hehuang region, they'd stand taller!

Langga was torn between his inner turmoil and his forehead beaded with sweat as he pondered the situation.

Dawa didn't rush him. He slowly pulled out the short knife from the low table and wiped the sharp edge with the hem of his leather robe.

After a long while, Langga exhaled a heavy breath and said in a hoarse voice.

"How can we help? Be specific. Let me be clear from the start: if we openly fight the Song army, that's suicide, no way. Attacking markets and military settlements would make us too conspicuous, no way that either."

Dawa sneered inwardly, knowing that the old fox had given in. He sheathed his dagger and lowered his voice.

"Of course we won't send you to your deaths. Listen, your men, pretend to be scattered defeated soldiers or runaway slaves who have escaped from the mountains and can't survive, and form small bands of horse bandits."

They specifically targeted small caravans traveling between Qinzhou and Hezhou and Qingtang, especially those that were separated from their owners and had few guards.

Also, some of the newly established military settlements outside Qingtang City must be far from the military fortress. Take advantage of their small numbers and lax defenses to rob their grain and burn their shacks!

Remember, be quick, ruthless, and thorough. Leave no survivors if possible. Once you've taken the loot, flee immediately and don't linger in one place.

After pulling off one heist, he'd hide back in the mountains and wait for things to calm down before making any further moves.

As Langga listened, his fingers unconsciously tapped his knees, his mind racing as he calculated the risks and rewards.

Looting caravans and attacking military settlements, though dangerous, are certainly more feasible than directly confronting the Song army.

He could disguise himself as a bandit and still get away with it.

If things are done cleanly, the Song people might not be able to trace it back to the Wild Wolf tribe.

Even if there were doubts, given the current situation where the Song people are focused on stabilizing the borders and appeasing the enemy, they probably wouldn't easily launch an attack on a large tribe.

And the profits—

Besides the coveted armor and bows and arrows, the looted goods and grain were also a considerable windfall.

Langga was increasingly tempted by it.

"After the mission is accomplished, when will the armor and bows arrive?" Langga asked, staring at Dawa.

"After the mission is accomplished, the first batch of ten suits of armor, twenty bows, and six hundred arrows will be handed over to you by someone at Black Wind Cliff north of Wild Buffalo Gully. The rest will be distributed in batches depending on how well you perform."

Dawa made a commitment.

Langga gritted his teeth, a glint of greed and ruthlessness flashing in his eyes, and finally nodded emphatically.

"Alright! We, the Wild Wolf Tribe, will take this job! However, we'll only do three! And we'll choose the targets; we won't touch anything too tough. After we complete the three jobs, regardless of whether they succeed or not, the remaining armor and bows and arrows must be delivered!"

"Deal!" Dawa extended his hand and gave Langga a big high five.

With the agreement reached, the Wild Wolf tribe began its quiet operation.

Langga selected three thousand of the most valiant and cunning, as well as the poorest and most desperate members of the tribe, and had them led by one of his brave nephews.

These people took off their tribal clothing, put on miscellaneous and deliberately dirty and torn fur coats, smeared soot on their faces, and chose some inconspicuous variegated horses as their mounts.

In terms of equipment, in addition to his own tattered swords and arrows, Langga gritted his teeth and gave them the few relatively intact leather armors and slightly better bows and arrows that the tribe had in its inventory, and also provided them with some slings and lassos.

Their targets were clear: small caravans with weak guards traveling on relatively remote routes, or isolated settlements with insufficient manpower.

-

Although Tong Guan's scout network was formidable, it was ultimately limited in manpower, mainly covering the area around the market, major thoroughfares, and the known area of ​​activity of Xi Sheluo Sa.

Given that local strongmen like the Wild Wolf Tribe choose more secluded and desolate attack locations, it's inevitable that some oversights will occur.

The opportunity came quickly.

A small caravan from the direction of Hezhou, laden with pottery, needles and thread, dyes, and some dried goods transported from the interior, was traveling towards Shanzhou City along an ancient road that had long been abandoned.

The caravan employed seven or eight workers and five temporarily recruited bodyguards with mediocre martial arts skills, totaling less than twenty people, a dozen horses, and four carts.

They took this abandoned ancient road to avoid checkpoints and tax stations that might charge them "tolls".

They heard that a new market had opened in Shanzhou City, with high profits, and these people wanted to make a fortune before the end of the year.

As dusk approached, the sky over the wasteland was overcast, and a cold wind howled.

The caravan was traveling through a dry riverbed area between two mountains, with jagged rocks.

This place is called "Ghost's Sorrow" because the roads are difficult to travel and the view is limited.

The head of the escorts was somewhat uneasy and urged the team to speed up, hoping to get out of this dangerous area before nightfall.

Suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out from behind the rocks ahead!

Immediately afterwards, more than thirty riders suddenly sprang out from the hillsides on both sides and behind the boulders!

These people, dressed in a jumbled mess and with indistinct faces, uttered incoherent howls as they rushed down the steep slope like ghosts!

They did not form ranks, but rather went in groups of three or five, brandishing scimitars, spears, and slings, and fiercely attacked the caravan!

"Robbers! Form a defensive formation! Protect the truck!"

The head of the bodyguards shouted and drew his sword to meet the enemy.

The men were terrified and in complete chaos.

However, the two sides are vastly different in strength.

The ruthless bandits of the Wild Wolf tribe were all warriors who grew up on horseback and were given a strict order from their leader not to leave any survivors, so they were extremely vicious.

The five bodyguards and their somewhat strong companions were instantly overwhelmed by enemies who outnumbered them several times over.

The dull thud of a scimitar slicing into flesh, the dying screams, the startled neighing of mules and horses, and the crashing sound of overturned goods instantly shattered the silence of the wasteland.

The battle, or rather the massacre, lasted less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

All the caravan members, including the three merchants, lay dead in pools of blood; not one survived.

The bandits quickly looted the valuables from the corpses and took the valuable and easily transportable cargo from the wagon.

They looted everything, especially the exquisite pottery, the brightly colored dyes, and the bundles of dried needles and thread, loading them onto their own horses and the mules they had stolen.

Then, they set the remaining vehicles on fire and stabbed the corpses indiscriminately a few more times.

With a whistle, just as they had come, they quickly disappeared into the twilight-shrouded, rocky, desolate mountains.

It wasn't until noon the next day that another caravan that had set out from Shanzhou and was passing through the area discovered the scene of the tragedy.

The scene was so horrific that it made the other bodyguards pale.

The news was reported back to Shanzhou City at top speed.

Almost simultaneously, a newly established settlement, located thirty miles north of the city and home to only seven or eight refugee households who had just set up their makeshift shelters, was also attacked in the dead of night.

Several riders stormed into the camp, set fire to two shacks, stole the few bags of food and an iron pot they had, wounded a refugee on night watch, and then sped away.

Although the losses were not significant, the fear they caused was immeasurable.

The people's hearts, which had just calmed down a little after "Gyachagabu" killed the traitor, were instantly seized by a huge panic again.

"Have you heard? On that road in the west, known as 'Devil's Sorrow,' an entire caravan was wiped out! Not a single survivor was left!"

""

"That's not all! The newly established settlements in the north have also been robbed! Those barbarians—no, they're bandits! They're incredibly fierce!"

"Weren't they supposed to be protected by the Song army? How could something like this still happen?"

"Can the Song army protect the markets, and also all the roads in the desolate mountains and wilderness? Can they guard the military settlements every day?"

"Is this business even viable? No matter how good the money is, you need to be alive to enjoy it!"

"Reclamation land? I think it's suicide! Stay away from the military fortress, and you might lose your head tonight!"

The number of people in the market had visibly decreased, and many foreigners and merchants who had originally planned to come from afar to trade had given up after hearing the news.

The registration point for the settlement became deserted again, with some refugees and indigenous people who had already registered even deserting.

And the one who started all of this.

The ruthless bandits of the Wild Wolf tribe had already returned to their tribe with the looted goods and the promised first batch of armor and bows and arrows.