Chapter 448: First Strike
The Great Moon Tribe was very efficient in handling matters. Following Yan Liqiang’s request in the morning, 107 Great Moon Tribe warriors were already lined up in front of Yan Liqiang by noon.
Among the 107 warriors, a hundred of them were archers handpicked by the Great Moon Tribe. The remaining seven were people fluent in the Shatu language. When these people lined up in front of Yan Liqiang, there was a big pile of Shatu attire on the ground in front of them.
Those clothes were removed from all the Shatu people who were killed yesterday. They contained complete sets from head to toe. Although they weren’t new and some were even bloodstained, wearing them would make their disguise much more convincing.
All the Great Moon Tribe’s warriors were looking at Yan Liqiang. None of them could figure out his intentions.
The assembly wasn’t held the Great Moon Tribe’s mountain village but a forest outside it. The operation was very secretive. Up to this point, no one knew what kind of mission they were about to undertake.
Yan Liqiang’s gaze swept across the Great Moon Tribe’s warriors.
Although the Great Moon Tribe was a small and weak tribe, there were still warriors among them. Yan Liqiang nodded in approval as he looked at these people lined up in front of him. They were all fine men who were not afraid of dying.
“All of you probably know who I am by now. If you don’t, then allow me to introduce myself. My name is Long Aotian, the Great Moon Tribe’s Elder Guardian. You are all on a secret mission led by me. I have only one request, and that is to obey my orders. To put it simply, you shall do whatever I tell you to. If I order for you to leap, then you will leap even if there’s a pit of fire or a cliff in front of you. Also, without my permission, all of you are wooden logs that are mute and deaf. You are not allowed to scream even if you get struck by an enemy’s blade. I shall personally execute those who fail to obey my commands and orders before the Shatu people can even kill you. Understand?”
“Understood!” All the Great Moon Tribe warriors shouted in unison, causing the birds in the forest to fly off in shock.
“Good. My first order is that you will strip every piece of your clothing!” Yan Liqiang pointed to the pile of Shatu clothes on the ground. “Then put these on!”
While speaking, Yan Liqiang took the lead in taking off his own clothes, then changed into the Shatu clothes on the ground in front of him.
Seeing Yan Liqiang’s actions, the Great Moon Tribe warriors very quickly changed their clothes without any hesitation too.
In just ten minutes, everyone including Yan Liqiang was dressed like the Shatu people. If one didn’t pay attention, one would think it was a group of Shatu people standing here.
“This is a paste made by mixing ashes from stoves with mud and insect repellent liquid. Smear some on your face like what I’m doing so you won’t get recognized…” Yan Liqiang demonstrated by smearing the black paste on his face. The Great Moon Tribe warriors followed his lead and did the same. In just the blink of an eye, everyone had painted their faces. The disguise concealed their distinctive facial features so well that 99 out of 100 people would be convinced that they were Shatu people.
Although the Great Moon Tribe warriors couldn’t figure out the meaning behind Yan Liqiang’s actions, they were quite entertained.
“Very good!” Yan Liqiang nodded. “Those fluent in Shatu language may come forward…”
Seven men stepped forward from the line. Yan Liqiang pointed at them and solemnly told the others, “From now on, all of you are mutes except these people. Do not speak to anyone beside you without good cause. If you need to speak to someone next to you under special circumstances, try to keep it low. Do not let the others around you hear you, understand?”
“Understood!”
“As for the few of you…” Yan Liqiang turned to those fluent in Shatu, “From now on, you are only allowed to communicate with each other using the Shatu language. Understand?”
“Understood!” The seven men quickly nodded.
“Good, you’ll be given two minutes to check your equipment and rations. If there’s no problem, we’ll set off…!” While speaking, Yan Liqiang also checked his personal belongings: a water canteen, some beef jerky, the Horned Python Bow he looted from the Shatu man, and a quiver full of arrows.
Two minutes later, there were no problems, so Yan Liqiang started the journey. Under his lead, everyone disappeared into the forest.
Selena and her mother only appeared in the forest after Yan Liqiang and the others left.
“Mother, do you know what Brother Long is planning to do with them?” Selena looked in the direction where Yan Liqiang had disappeared to as she asked worriedly.
Seranchi was also looking in the direction where Yan Liqiang and the rest had gone off to. Although she had a hunch, she also didn’t know how Yan Liqiang was going to pull his plan off. Therefore, she could only shake her head in response to Selena’s question.
…
Yan Liqiang led his men through the hills in Mount Jade Dragon.
He wasn’t familiar with the roads and terrain on Mount Jade Dragon. There was no need for him to be familiar before he came into contact with the Great Moon Tribe. However, these 107 warriors had grown up on the mountain. Almost everyone on the mountain was very familiar with the roads and terrain here enough to become a guide. Yan Liqiang only had to tell them where he wanted to go and these warriors would eventually be able to find the way without Yan Liqiang worrying about it. Although he was the leader, he was merely following these warriors for three days and three nights on Mount Jade Dragon in reality.
It was only then that Yan Liqiang realized how much determination the Shatu people from the Dark Wood Tribe had during their operation. The mountain path was craggy and hard to travel on. Man-made roads were pretty much non-existent. He could see nothing but rocks, rivers, cliffs, forests, and ravines. It was extremely difficult for even Yan Liqiang and the 107 warriors from the tribe to travel along the route, let alone two thousand Shatu warriors. Even with the help of a traitor from the Great Moon Tribe, the Dark Wood Tribe must have gone through an ordeal to reach the Great Moon Tribe’s mountain village.
It was unfortunate for the Dark Wood Tribe to meet with Yan Liqiang. Without him, the Great Moon Tribe would perhaps find themselves in a completely different situation by now.
In the evening on the fourth day, Yan Liqiang and the Great Moon Tribe warriors finally reached the Scale Fragments Valley…
The Gulang Plains was just beyond the valley. It was currently occupied by the Shatu Seven Tribes.
By sunset, Yan Liqiang and the 107 warriors were standing on a mountain in the Scale Fragments Valley. The long and narrow valley beneath them was as vast as the sea. The grass in the plains rolled in the breeze, revealing the cattle and goats that were hidden among the bushes.
Even Yan Liqiang was dazed by the spectacular scenery before his eyes. Five minutes later, he turned around to the other Great Moon Tribe’s warriors and said, “Let’s go down!”
Yan Liqiang led the 107 warriors to find a hiding spot in the Scale Fragments Valley. After that, he called the warriors who were fluent in Shatu language and another seven or eight that he deemed to be more quick-witted to his side to start ‘training’.
Out of respect and trust for Yan Liqiang, the other warriors from the Great Moon Tribe didn’t question his orders. If Yan Liqiang asked them to conceal themselves in the Scale Fragment Valley, then they would.
Two days later at noon, a group of about three hundred Shatu men appeared on the plains beyond Scale Fragments Valley, then charged right into it!
“Relay these orders! We shall strike only when the Shatu people reach the gap below us! All of you are only allowed to shoot when you see my first arrow later. Whoever dares to alert the enemies by mistake can go slit their own throat! From this moment on, no one will be allowed to speak except for those who can speak Shatu!” Seeing that the Shatu people had entered the Scale Fragments Valley, Yan Liqiang immediately issued his orders to the person beside him and had the man pass the orders down to everyone else.
