Chapter 1553: The Opponent with a Wooden Stick

Having camped by Boshui for three days, the alliance had harvested a considerable amount of fish; at the very least, the protein supply for the next few days could be stabilized.

The main reason was that they had been fishing a bit too ruthlessly these past few days; regardless of size, as long as they could catch it, they kept it all. That stretch of water was already nearly devoid of fish. Furthermore, the salt they brought could not withstand such massive consumption. If they wanted the fish to last a bit longer and not rot within these few days, they had to rely on salt curing or smoking them.

The surrounding land also looked as if it had been plowed; every edible plant had been dug up, and even the topsoil had been turned over. It was even more destructive than sheep. If one were to scatter a handful of Wax Seeds now, the wasteland could be used as farmland.

In any case, multiple factors led them to have no choice but to set off and continue moving forward.

Xingtian did not stop by Boshui. By walking along Boshui, they could indeed catch some fish, but their fishing ability was quite average. Net fishing and angling with live bait were skills that their ancient, large tribe was proficient in, but they were in the middle of a march, and the time they could spend fishing each day was not much. However, following Boshui at least allowed them to supplement their food and not worry about water sources; this was also the reason the Jiang Surname Tribe chose this route.

And the two sides met unexpectedly on the road.

As Hun was the vanguard, when the troops set out, they were certainly scouting the path ahead first. If they were moving forward, they were certainly following the route of the Jiang Surname Tribe. This way, not only could they find the correct path to Changyang Mountain, but they could also encounter their target enemy.

Horses had advantages: they were fast, tall, and provided a better field of vision. Not to mention, as a scouting vanguard, a Telescope was standard equipment.

Upon discovering movement, Hun raised his Telescope, and then he saw the bustling procession. Looking at the configuration, it was undoubtedly the Xingtian Tribe.

Because some of the people at the very front looked very tall and strong, and the Weapon they were equipped with looked very good, as it was wrapped in animal hide rather than being exposed. If it were a stone tool, it certainly would not need to be wrapped in animal hide or Hemp Cloth, because it did not fear rust, and bumps did not matter.

But metal, whether copper or iron, feared rust. Copper was more stable than iron and did not rust as easily. Iron, when exposed to the air, would rust very easily even if the air was slightly humid, so a scabbard was essential.

Besides preventing accidental injury to oneself, a scabbard could also provide a certain degree of protection and insulation from humid air. Those blades of Huaxia needed to be well-maintained every few days to keep them dry and sharp at all times. If a Soldier's Weapon rusted, that was a major disqualification.

Since Hun could see at a glance that these people opposite him had many Soldiers with metal Weapons, it indicated that they were a powerful and highly valued tribe.

Several Jiang Surname Tribes did not seem to have such specifications, so it was easy to judge that they were the Xingtian Tribe. Encountering the Xingtian Tribe, Hun was naturally happy because their goal for this year had appeared, but there was also worry, because they did indeed look quite powerful.

No matter how powerful one is, one certainly hopes to encounter a weak opponent. Just like an adult man holding a Weapon, between an adult man holding a wooden stick and an empty-handed adult man, one would of course choose the empty-handed one. If one could have a child as an opponent, that would be even better.

Last year and the year before, the enemies Huaxia encountered could be said to be empty-handed, but the Xingtian Tribe could definitely be counted as enemies with wooden sticks, or even stronger. A wooden stick did not cause as much damage as a Knife, but it could still break your bones. If a stick hit your head, you would also bleed, so one must never underestimate them; one must take them seriously.

Hun ordered his left guard: "Go back first, report the situation, and let the King make a decision. We two will circle around and see how strong they are."

"Yes!" The left guard did not hesitate at all. After receiving the order, he turned the horse's head, squeezed the horse's belly, and rode back at high speed with his back arched.

Hun could be certain that the two of them had not been discovered yet. After all, the distance was so great, and the three of them were small targets. He could see them because he had a Telescope, which increased his field of vision by several times. The enemy certainly did not have one; if they had seen him, they certainly would not still be acting as they were now, without the slightest movement.

"You go to that position, find a place with many trees to hide. I will go deeper to scout the general situation. If they discover me, listen for my signal. Two whistles, and you come to support me; three whistles, and you retreat first, go back, and don't worry about me."

"Brigade Commander, why don't I go? My horsemanship is more skilled; if I'm discovered, I can still get away."

Hun did not agree: "Obey the order. My trip over there, besides scouting the enemy situation, also requires me to act according to circumstances. Furthermore, I cannot attack them, and I cannot expose the situation of our Cavalry. You just listen to the order."

"Yes!"

After arranging the men, Hun circled a large loop and then quickly ran toward the direction of the Xingtian procession. He tried his best to crouch his body onto the horse's back. Even at a relatively close distance, people who did not know about Cavalry would not associate a horse with a person on it; they would only observe this strange, never-before-seen animal, as the forms of a horse and a person were very different.

As for his right guard, he rode his horse to the predetermined position, then chose three trees that were relatively close together, and there was a bush with vines nearby that could be used to weave baskets, which was the best position to hide himself.

Xingtian was still sitting on his sedan chair. The sun was very scorching, so he ordered someone to make a grass ring to wear. He was not afraid of getting tanned; in this era, no one was afraid of being tanned by the sun. It was just that the sunlight would affect his field of vision, and the lack of shade also made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. If one could enjoy comfort, who would want to suffer?

He also had his subordinates chant the poems he had newly written a few days ago at intervals. His tribesmen initially praised their Tribal Chief's talent; after all, the Tribal Chief was one of the few people in the entire Shennong Clan who could write poems, and his poems could all be used in sacrificial rites.

It was just that reciting them every day, every little while, made them feel a bit annoyed. However, such a situation should be better in a few days; they still had experience. Xingtian did not write such a poem only once every few years; he could write two or three in a year, and every time, it was the same process.

After Hun got relatively close, he slowed down his speed. Although humans do not have dynamic vision, the attraction of slowly moving objects to the human eye is far less than that of objects speeding by.