Published: March 12, 2025
Chapter 301: Captives
Zhao Hai and the others were still sitting in the camp, drinking sheep soup and eating mutton. However, they were no longer on the road; they were ready to take a good rest as they had arrived not far from the Herculean Bull Tribe Old Camp.
Wells drank a bowl of sheep soup and ate a piece of mutton before he felt strong enough to speak. He turned to Zhao Hai and asked, "Little Hai, did the Bullfighting Tribe really not find us?"
Zhao Hai nodded and said, "Don't worry, big brother, they truly haven't noticed us. Right now, the Bullfighting Tribe isn't coming out of their camp very often, so they definitely can't see us. But there's one thing you need to mentally prepare for, regarding how the Bullfighting Tribe treats your tribesmen." Zhao Hai paused at this point.
Wells looked at Zhao Hai and said, "Go on, Little Hai, what is it?"
Zhao Hai sighed and replied, "They didn't provide any tents for your tribesmen, nor any warm clothing. Even the food is given only every few days. Of the three hundred thousand captives from the Herculean Bull Tribe, fewer than two hundred thousand are left now."
Wells' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he gasped for air, the veins on his forehead bulging. Zhao Hai hurriedly said, "Big brother, don't get angry. We will be able to rescue them soon."
Wells took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and after a while, he exhaled slowly. He turned to Zhao Hai calmly and said, "Yes, we will soon get our revenge. Brother Hai, I want to thank you for everything you have done for us."
Zhao Hai smiled and said, "There's no need to be polite, big brother. I am a prince of the Herculean Bull Tribe, so this is what I should do. Now, your tribesmen are all gathered together. The elders stand on the outside, while the children and women are on the inside. Everyone is moving around to keep warm, and the Bullfighting Tribe hasn't sent anyone to watch them. Big brother, how about this? I'll sneak in first and deliver some food to them. If there are any weapons, I will give them some as well. When we launch our attack, they can help us too."
Wells shook his head and said, "Food is fine, but don't give them weapons. They have been tortured for so long that their bodies are already weak. If we make them fight now, it would only lead to unnecessary deaths. I think it's better to leave it."
At this moment, Mendez shook his head and said, "Little Seven, I agree with Little Hai. They should be given weapons. These weapons can not only be used to kill enemies but also for self-defense. What if the Bullfighting Tribe sends people to kill them during our battle? We should give them weapons."
Yale nodded and said, "Yes, I agree too. They should be given weapons, but not too large. I think some hand axes would be good; that way it won't attract too much attention. By the way, Wells, did the Elder Supreme say when we will take action?"
Wells replied in a deep voice, "The day after tomorrow. We can't delay too long; the longer we wait, the easier it is for them to discover us."
Yale nodded and asked, "In the evening?"
Wells confirmed, "Yes, in the evening, we will launch a surprise attack."
Yale then asked, "Have the elders from the mastiff race arrived? How many came?"
Wells answered, "They have arrived, two of them. I never expected that the mastiff race would have three Elder Supremes. This time, two of them came to help us."
Yale said, "That's good. Let everyone rest well tomorrow, and prepare for the evening assault the day after." Their plan required an element of surprise, so they avoided any tribes they encountered along the way to prevent the Bullfighting Tribe from discovering them.
Their approach was correct, though hiding an action of five hundred thousand people wasn't easy. Fortunately, orc tribes didn't roam the grasslands during winter; they would stay in their camps. The flying eagles Zhao Hai gifted to Wells turned out to be a tremendous help, as they could spot the tents of those tribes in advance, allowing them to detour around them.