Chapter 061: Tallying the Bounty

The tug-of-war between the alpha wolf's cunning and Luo Chong's vigilance intensified. Noticing the alpha wolf's suspicious movements, Luo Chong withdrew from the frontline to scale the nearby wall for a better view of the battlefield. The frontal battleground was littered with over fifty wolf carcasses, forming a makeshift barrier at the breach. In the dead of winter, the cold was unforgiving, especially to those bleeding out, struck by the tribe's deadly triangular bayonet spears, losing consciousness within minutes due to massive blood loss.

Alerted by Luo Chong's movement to the wall, the alpha wolf, worried his deceptive tactics were compromised, howled a command, altering the assault strategy of the frontline wolves. Instead of a direct onslaught, several of the larger, elite wolves rushed towards the Han defenses, using the bodies of their fallen comrades as stepping stones to leap over the spear line, aiming to attack directly at the second row.

Caught off guard by this sudden change, Luo Chong hastily shouted instructions to adapt their formation: "Step forward, first row, and level your spears! Second row, defend the heads of the first, don't let them jump over!"

During Luo Chong's frantic reorganization, a wolf's agonized howl echoed from the southern wall. Turning, Luo Chong's eyes widened in surprise. "Damn, Meat-Meat, you're forgiven, well done!" He saw Meat-Meat by the southern wall, skillfully manipulating a spear with his trunk, continuously striking at wolves trying to scale the wall. Gray Mountain, not to be outdone, had also extracted a spear from a dead bison and joined Meat-Meat in battle. Although they lacked the finesse to thrust, their wild swinging was an effective deterrent.

With the immediate threat mitigated, the alpha wolf ceased the direct assaults to minimize further casualties, now hoping for success from the stealth attack team on the southern flank. However, his attention soon returned there, witnessing a robust wolf attempting to leap the three-meter-high wall. Just as it seemed about to clear the top, an arrow shot by Luo Chong struck it squarely in the neck, sending it tumbling back and startling the others poised to follow.

Taking command from atop the southern wall, Luo Chong unleashed a flurry of arrows, thwarting the wolves' sneak attack. With both frontal and flanking attacks failing and suffering substantial losses, the alpha wolf reluctantly called for a retreat. The surviving members of the pack retreated to the woods, conceding the battlefield to the humans.

Not one to waste such an opportunity, Luo Chong promptly issued orders for the men to remain vigilant while the women dragged the wolf carcasses inside the walls. He then instructed the elders to distribute the remaining arrows and set several women to work creating torches with the stocks of wood and pig fat. The tribe sprang into action, and within minutes, thirty adults, led by Luo Chong, ventured beyond the walls to counter-attack.

Armed with spears and torches, they approached the fallen bison, where Luo Chong skillfully dispatched several wolves with his arrows before the others scattered. The tribe quickly secured the bison carcass, attaching ropes to the heads and the arrows-struck wolves. Meat-Meat and Gray Mountain hauled their loads back behind the walls, while the people carried back large bundles of firewood with each trip.

Despite the wolves' ferocious gaze from a distance, hindered by the efficacy of the spears and arrows and the intimidating blaze of torches, they could only snarl in frustration as humans dragged away their would-be feast. Even the carrion birds that dared to feast on the bison fell victim to Luo Chong's arrows, adding to the tribe's haul.

Faced with relentless human resistance and unable to reclaim their lost bounty, the wolves finally retreated to the woods, leaving Luo Chong and his tribe to secure the perimeter around the man-made river. They ignited a formidable line of fire along the bank, using the stockpiled wood drenched in pig fat. The flames roared high, consuming the fat and illuminating the night, signifying Han's definitive claim over the spoils.

At the riverside, Luo Chong supervised the collection of their unexpected windfall. The trench held an astonishing tally: 36 alpacas, 28 deer, and 47 bison of various sizes, some injured, some dead, and some still very much alive. The pit also contained the bodies of several wolves and one crippled terror bird. It was a rich haul by any measure, and now the task was to extract these assets efficiently.

As the flames crackled and the triumphant Han tribespeople busied themselves with their bounty, Luo Chong planned the next steps for processing and utilizing every part of their windfall, ensuring the survival and prosperity of his tribe for the challenging months ahead.