"Please invoke the spirits, a hundred thousand warriors?!"
Masate exclaid in shock. He was stunned for a mont, then suddenly laughed.
"Ozoma, you’re definitely bluffing ! I don’t know where you heard such nonsense."
"It’s not nonsense, it’s my personal experience. The Cactus Tribe really does have a hundred thousand warriors, capable of invoking the War God who can unleash thunderbolts."
Zucata hung his head in silence, and it took him a while to finally say this much.
Hearing this, the Red Deer Chieftain looked doubtful.
"You? Personal experience?"
The Red Monkey Chieftain said with a calm smile.
"He’s from the Divine Eagle Tribe. The small phalanx with long spears, he’s the one who helped train them!"
There was a mont of silence in the woodland. Masate pondered without saying a word, Ozoma’s eyes flickered, Zucata continued to stand stiff as a stick, and only the clashing at the edge of the forest continued.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
A barrage of arrows flew out from the woods, felling dozens of charging Guamare samurai. Hundreds of samurai braved the rain of arrows, rushing into the woods, trying to save Quino trapped deep within. They fought hand-to-hand with thousands of Canine Descendants from two tribes, then entwined in death together.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"
Soon, the archers from the rear finally caught up, shooting desperately into the woods. Further away, one could see hundreds of Jaguar warriors. Clad in white-golden armor, holding patterned shields, and gripping sharp war clubs, they ford a well-ordered battle formation. They appeared indifferent and bloodthirsty like restrained beasts, quickly advancing from the camp.
"Chieftain, the Jaguar warriors of the xica are coming! They are more elite than the Red Dog Hunters, excel in close combat, are familiar with the terrain of the forest, and now they are all clad in copper armor... With so few n, it’s definitely impossible to resist! We can’t stay in the woods, it’s ti to leave."
Upon seeing the signature tiger heads, Zucata’s pupils contracted violently, as terrible mories surged to his mind. He hung his head and hastily suggested.
"Thick-skinned tiger heads!..."
Ozoma’s expression changed drastically. He took two steps forward and grabbed Masate’s arm.
"Quick, gather the tribal warriors! Retreat to my camp together!"
"Ozoma, the woodland is our territory! Even if the enemy is more elite, what’s there to fear in the woods?"
Masate objected loudly.
"Praise the Chief Divine! Roar, roar!..."
The tiger roars of the Jaguar warriors beca clearly audible, a sign that they were about to attack.
"Enough talk! Gather the warriors! Retreat!"
Ozoma’s expression was stern. He took out a short bullhorn and blew a hurried, blaring sound. In the Red Monkey Tribe, a long horn call signified attack, a short horn call ant retreat. The Red Monkey warriors heard the brief horn sound, paused in their movents, and then swiftly turned and fled.
"Damn it!"
Masate protested with a curse. He also took out a Red Deer bone horn and blew a mournful call. Red Deer warriors hurriedly dropped their enemies and quickly fled into the woods. With no one left to obstruct them, the phalanx of Guamare samurai charged in, but they could not move quickly through the forest. Both chieftains imdiately turned and, under the escort of their guard, quickly fled toward the Red Monkey camp to the East.
"Ozoma, tonight I’m going to lead the redheads on a night raid, trying to recapture the camp! We must let the warriors of the Cactus Tribe know our ttle!"
While fleeing, Masate still had the energy to speak.
"Huff... Masate, don’t waste the lives of your warriors! Your camp is too far forward, and the terrain is not formidable enough, it’s indefensible. In my view, we should abandon it and join in defense!"
"Hmph! Ozoma, your camp isn’t exactly impregnable either. According to what you’re saying, if the warriors of the Cactus continue their assault, it’ll be just as indefensible!"
"Huff... Then we abandon the camp, fight a battle in the woods, then retreat further back!... Huff... Don’t run so fast!"
Ozoma followed Masate, running through the rough mountain forest, swiftly leaping over tree roots and rocks. Soon, he gasped out loud. The front-running Masate slowed his pace, stretched out his hand mockingly to lend Ozoma support, and the Red Monkey Chieftain was finally able to relax a bit.
"Masate, there are plenty of camps behind us! Behind us is the Red Deer camp, behind the Red Deer is the main camp of Red Dog, the most defensible and capable of holding out for a long ti. And behind the main camp of Red Dog, there is the camp of Red Salamander. Huff... Further back, the Chichika leader has mobilized many tribespeople and continues to build camps. The mountain passages behind, they stretch for a good seventy or eighty li! As long as we occupy and defend the key points, even if the xica are fierce, we can hold them off for half a month to a month!"
"Ah? Just half a month to a month?"
Masate’s expression changed upon hearing this.
"You an, hold them off until all the corn has been harvested?... But, the chief of Chichika demanded..."
"Huff... Exactly, don’t be fooled by Chichika! Chichika has been dazzled by the rich lands to the south, has burned foolish with the heat of power, he’s forgotten he’s a wolf on the wilderness. Ha! He has no idea how powerful the xica Alliance is! He still thinks he’s the fierce Jaguar of the jungle, or even the unbeatable Black Bear of the mountains!"
Ozoma’s eyes twinkled as he scoffed.
"Masate, as I see it, if it’s defensible we defend, if it’s not, we retreat! Just hold out for a while, harvest the corn, then it’s freedom to return to the wilderness. These xica have co from the mountain city, pursuing us four hundred li, so we flee four hundred li north. At worst, after the xica are gone, we could move back south in a couple of years!"
Masate was silent, his feet swift as the wind. Under the escort of a hundred trusted aides, they had already fled to the edge of the Red Monkey camp. The sounds from the Allied Forces behind them had vanished, seeming to have stopped the pursuit.
Inside the camp, a red monkey flag fluttered in the wind, with a glint of red in the monkey’s eyes. The guarding Canine Warriors watched briefly and then opened the camp gate, moving aside the wooden obstructions to welco the honored Chieftain.
Arriving here, the two Chieftains slowed down. After a long silence, Masate sighed softly.
"Ozoma, you are the cunning Red Monkey, you do have a point. It’s just that the Chichika leader doesn’t think so. He has great prestige, commands over four thousand warriors, stationed in the formidable main camp, and controls the old camp at Pamus City... All the Great Tribes have to follow his orders."
"Heh! Masate, Chichika now basks in prestige because the southward journey went smoothly, and he annexed a good number of small tribes! Look, these past few days, after two battles with the southern Allied Forces, he has already lost over seven hundred of his elite, and his influence has wavered. Let’s retreat to the main camp, and have him face off with the xica again..."
The Red Monkey Chieftain paused, stopping outside the camp. He looked at the Red Deer Chieftain sincerely.
"Anyway, Red Deer, in all these years, I’ve never hard you! Today, I even sent troops to assist you... From now on, you must advance and retreat together with !"
"Ah! Red Monkey, you want to..."
Masate’s eyes widened, speechless for a mont, looking into Ozoma’s eyes. Then, he bit his lip fiercely and hissed.
"Red Monkey... Give the heavy hides you’ve captured today, and I’ll agree with you!"
"... Haha, agreed!"
Ozoma paused for a mont, then burst into laughter. Without speaking further, he turned toward the camp, raising his voice to command those around him.
"Send out two teams of red-haired Scouts, to gather the scattered warriors in the forest, and keep an eye on the enemy’s movents! Tidy up the camp supplies, transfer the prisoners and food to the rear! Also, set up two teams of warriors in the forest to build thatched shelters for encampnt. Right, stack the dry wood at the front camp, ready the fire. With the air crisp in autumn, if the xica co attacking, we’ll give them a surprise!"
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