Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters-Chapter 964 - 39: The Hunt (10)

Chapter 964 -39: The Hunt (10)

[Qingqiu, Erhulan’s palace tent]

Outside the palace tent, it was very cold; inside, it was very warm. Yet Winters was burning with anxiety, not daring to stay for even a moment.

“Why are you here?” Winters tried to get up.

Erhulan hurriedly supported Winters, her voice barely audible, “I’ve been here the whole time.”

Winters stumbled as he reached for his clothes, not daring to meet Erhulan’s eyes, because in truth, the White Lion had already informed him: Erhulan was in Qingqiu.

“The hunting outfit you took off has been stained with blood.” Erhulan gracefully picked up the clothing, helping Winters dress, “This is a new set; I’m not sure if it will fit.”

All Winters could do was softly murmur “Mm-hmm,” in response.

Dressing in winter was a painful affair, especially with undergarments. The fabric, devoid of warmth, would be as cold as ice and as hard as stone, making the process of putting them on feel like being dipped in icy water.

However, Erhulan had prewarmed the clothes until they were toasty, so putting them on felt comfortable and warm.

Tightening his belt, Winters moved his hands simply, feeling some strength return. The dizziness and fatigue he experienced upon waking were gradually replaced by adaptation, and the wound on his left shoulder no longer hurt so much.

Having assured himself he was ready, he took a deep breath, turned to face Erhulan, “Erhulan… I need to see the White Lion.”

Erhulan lowered her head, “Brother is not in Qingqiu.”

Erhulan’s words revealed too much, and Winters became instantly alert, pressing urgently, “Where are the Red River Tribe’s troops?”

“I… I don’t know.”

‘I don’t know’ had two implications. First, Erhulan did not know the current whereabouts of the Red River Tribe’s troops; second, whatever their location, they were definitely not in Qingqiu.

This was in stark contrast to what Little Lion had said.

Putting away the distractions, Winters quickly reviewed everything he had seen, heard, and known in his mind:

A show-of-force spectacular hunt;

A massive mobilization that engaged hundreds of tribes, conscripted tens of thousands of able-bodied men, and covered the entire territory of the Red River Tribe’s influence;

The far-reaching impact of the unexpected disastrous defeat of the Terdun Tribe;

The small and medium tribes wavering over whether to submit to the Red River Tribe;

The mismatch between the White Lion’s unprecedented personal prestige and the seriously weakened strength of the Red River Tribe…

Though it seemed like a tangled web of issues, Winters vaguely grasped the thread—power, on the harsh Great Wilderness, everything was closely related to power.

…

In the battle on the Great Wilderness, the Red River Tribe and the Terdun Tribe shed the most blood.

Thus, after the battle, the Red River Tribe and the Terdun Tribe had to huddle together for warmth, to claim the original position of the Terdun Tribe, and to avoid being consumed by the Suz Tribe and the Haidong Tribe.

However, the further damage to the strength of the Terdun Tribe—particularly the death of the fire-tenders—broke an already fragile delicate balance.

The disastrous defeat at the Battle of Blood Mud not only made the Terdun Tribe into a vulnerable target but also left the Red River Tribe in an isolated and desperate predicament.

But, a great crisis also signifies a great opportunity, and the White Lion is undoubtedly the leader best at utilizing crises that Winters had ever seen.

A devastating defeat deprived the Terdun Tribe of its status among the great tribes, yet the population, pastures, and herds of the Terdun Tribe would not disappear due to that defeat.

There was more than one predator eager to feed on the flesh of the Terdun Tribe, with the Red River Tribe being merely one of the weaker ones. Moreover, in the eyes of the other beasts, the White Lion himself was also prey.

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Thus, the Red River Tribe launched this unprecedented hunt while the dust from the Battle at Blood Mud had barely settled, and the other tribes did not yet react.

This hunt was not only about hunters encircling sheep and deer but also about giving ravenous beasts eyeing the Red River Tribe a chance to hunt the White Lion, and it was also the White Lion’s setup to encircle all enemies within and outside the Red River Tribe.

…

A complex mix of emotions surged within Winters, feeling anger, heartache, helplessness, and frustration.

Winters looked at Erhulan, exhaustedly asking, “Is this the ‘safest place’ the White Lion spoke of? Did he use you as bait too?!”

“No, brother is not like you think, he explained it to me carefully.” Erhulan was eager to clarify, “When the men are not at the old camp, Qingqiu is the safest place. If anything unexpected happens, the quiver-bearers will protect everyone and leave. I never thought you would get involved; I had no idea you would come to Qingqiu. Originally, I wanted Little Lion to bring the clothes to you…”

As she spoke, tears began to well up in Erhulan’s eyes, she cried without being able to make a sound, repeatedly murmuring, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

“I’m not blaming you.” Seeing Erhulan weeping made Winters feel uncomfortable; he could not bring himself to harbor resentment against Erhulan.

He wanted to wipe away Erhulan’s tears, but could not reach out his hand, eventually only able to softly comfort her, “My coming to Qingqiu was also not out of being fooled or lured by someone; it was by my own will. As for the White Lion and Little Lion keeping secrets from me… that’s their business…”

“I’m sorry.” Erhulan sobbed, “I’m sorry.”

“But I did not come to Qingqiu alone, Erhulan.” His breath agitated his injury, and Winters began coughing violently, “My companions are still in danger. I need weapons, armor, and a warhorse, I must return to their side as quickly as possible.”

…

[Outside the hunting grounds, temporary fortifications of the Iron Peak County Delegation]

Most of the attacking Cavalry had been killed, with only a few scattered riders escaping with injuries.

Amidst the swirling sand and dust, old Sergei dragged the body of an attacking Cavalry back within the felt wall, spitting a mouthful of sandy saliva venomously, “Look at this!”