On the other side, Song Liyun's group not only included Zhao San in his disguise, but also two Uda cavalrymen wounded by arrows, forcing them to slow down.
Fortunately, Song Liyun, who was lagging behind the group, held the line, and everything turned out alright.
Whenever the soldiers of the Ping Shan tribe approached, their horses would stop and circle around, refusing to move an inch further.
No matter how much Ping Shan whipped his horse, he couldn't get what he wanted.
He could only order the shooting of arrows.
As a result, Song Liyun and Ju Qingma became targets.
Arrow after arrow, Song Liyun carried the door of a prefab house on her back, listening to the incessant "thud" of arrows hitting her back.
When they reached the entrance to the valley of the Wuda tribe, the door panels on Song Liyun's back were already filled with sticks.
At this time, the wooden walls and barricades at the valley entrance had been lowered, layer upon layer, tightly connected to form a defense, completely blocking the valley entrance.
Elder Shan hadn't even arrived yet when he started shouting for the door to be opened.
The Uda tribe, behind the wooden wall, also saw the danger to their elder and immediately took action, opening the gate before the Uda tribe even arrived.
Elder Shan and his group charged into the valley at full speed, while the pursuing Ping Shan tribe was hit by a crossbow bolt. The three slave soldiers at the front were simultaneously pierced through the chest by crossbow bolts, and they flew up and crashed heavily to the ground, their blood splattering everywhere.
Ping Shan, who was following behind him, was almost hit by an arrow. He was so frightened that he pulled on the reins and lay down on the horse's back to avoid the danger.
Behind the wooden wall, the Uda tribesmen put down the crossbow bolts, and with the creaking of the bolts, the second crossbow bolt was fired with a whooshing sound.
The second volley of crossbow bolts missed its mark; three arrows were embedded deep in the ground, with half of their dark shafts protruding, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
These crossbow bolts, as thick as a wrist, were already incredibly powerful, and the Uda tribe used oxcart crossbows.
Three arrows in one shot are enough to overwhelm even armored soldiers carrying hard shields.
Having narrowly escaped death several times, Ping Shan's forehead was drenched in sweat. Standing against the thick wooden wall, with arrows raised behind it and the creaking sound, Ping Shan waved his arms and shouted, "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"
At this moment, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth and a sense of unease in his heart: Had he done something wrong again?
He tried to recall that when he was in the tribe, Bawan said that the Uda tribe's entire army had come out, leaving their headquarters vulnerable, and that if they came secretly, they could definitely launch a successful sneak attack.
How can you launch a sneak attack... or is a sneak attack guaranteed to succeed?
Actually, Ping Shan was really just unlucky.
The crossbow is a rare and valuable weapon, and the Uda tribe is reluctant to leave it outside exposed to the sun and rain for a long time.
Especially those crossbow strings made of ox tendons, which are usually coated with grease and wrapped in felt for storage.
To facilitate the entry and exit of large flocks of sheep and cattle, the valley entrance is simply separated by wooden fences, with minimal wooden walls and no large, heavy barricades.
In such an unprepared situation, if cavalry were to suddenly charge in and launch a surprise attack, the Uda tribe could suffer heavy losses, or even be destroyed.
As soon as Song Liyun and her twenty-odd companions stopped their horses, the two elders who had been waiting behind the wooden wall all night immediately came out to greet them.
Before Elder Shan could even speak to them, he ordered people to carry soft couches and take the injured to the medical tent for treatment.
When the two elders saw the bloodied wounded man, they quickly found a soft board to send him over. When they saw Song Liyun, who was completely unharmed, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Granny Qi valued this distinguished guest highly, and was just glad that she wasn't injured.
The two congratulated Elder Shan, who was covered in grime, saying, "We didn't expect Elder Shan to be as brave as ever. He managed to return safely from the enemy cavalry with only a dozen or so men."
"Yes! Yes! It's all thanks to Elder Shan for saving the young mistress. If anything had happened to her, the madam would definitely be unhappy!"
Elder Shan's face instantly turned ashen. He coughed and looked sternly at the messy side: "You two are wrong. Actually... it was the young mistress who saved me."
"ah!"
The two elders looked at each other, completely baffled: if it was the young mistress who was trapped, how could it be the young mistress who rescued Elder Shan?
Song Liyun was taking down the door panel she was carrying on her back and said to the person next to her, "These arrows can still be used after they are taken down."
Elder Shan walked to her side and softened his voice, saying, "Young Madam, you don't need to worry about these trivial matters. Someone will take care of them. Please come with me to the main tent to rest and have something to eat."
Song Liyun threw down the door panel: "Fine, I also have something to see Madam!"
She brought Shi Tou and Zhao San back with her. Although she knew that the Wuda tribe would take them in, as a guest, she still needed to inform Madam Wuya.
Upon hearing that he wanted to see Lady Wuya, Elder Shan stammered, "Lady Wuya is not in the tribe. She went to Mudan yesterday and hasn't returned."
Song Liyun's heart skipped a beat: "Does Madam know about the attack by the Ping Shan tribe?"
“They must know…” Just then, Granny Qi, who had already received the news, arrived with Yuquan.
Sitting in the main tent, Song Liyun ate her meal while listening to Granny Qi recount what had happened after she left.
At this moment, Song Dekui, Wudan, and the others also arrived.
Upon hearing that the Ping Shan tribe still had about sixty or seventy cavalrymen outside the Kara Valley, Song Dekui asked, "Granny Qi, how many cavalrymen does the Wuda tribe have?"
Granny Qi's expression was solemn: "Only twenty of the tribe's soldiers in the valley are capable of fighting, but there are at least a hundred who know how to operate crossbows and arrows."
From this perspective, the Uda tribe has no shortage of manpower, only skilled warriors who are proficient in archery and horsemanship.
Cavalry has its advantages and disadvantages in both defensive and offensive operations.
The Ping Shan tribe had cavalry guarding the outside, so the Wu Da tribe dared not easily engage in battle.
However, the Uda tribe had a row of crossbows and wooden chevaux-de-frise, which would not be easy for Ping Shan to breach even with hundreds of cavalry.
But Uda could not remain trapped here.
The valley has tens of thousands of cattle and sheep, and the amount of fodder and grain required is staggering, so they still need to graze outside on a regular basis.
If they stay indoors and only eat the fodder transported from Dongshan, the fodder will run out in three days at most.
Clearly, the problem of the Pingshan tribe needs to be resolved within three days.
Song Dekui said, "Isn't Madam in the Mudan tribe? As long as she brings people back, this matter will be resolved."
Granny Qi and Elder Shan exchanged a glance but did not respond. Neither of them was sure whether the lady could really bring back the clan soldiers after a day and a night since she left.
After saying only a few words, Granny Qi told Song Liyun, who had also been on the run for a day and a night, to go and rest.
With the valley entrance heavily guarded, the Wuda tribe will be safe for at least three more days. We can take our time to plan and there's no need to rush.
Outside the valley, Ping Shan led his men back several miles and met up with Zhang Qishan, who was cleaning up the battlefield.
"Pingshan chieftain, eight bodies have been found so far, and five others still need medical treatment."
"Look, we don't even have tents now. Should we... let the gods arrange these few?" Zhang Qishan said with a troubled expression.
Song Liyun's animal-driving device only disturbs the horses and has little effect on people.
Therefore, apart from the tribesmen who were caught off guard and injured by the horses, the rest of the fallen soldiers were still capable of fighting.
The Ping Shan tribe was numerous and powerful, and arrows were constantly being shot at from the outside.
It was already quite impressive that Lao Qian and his men were able to kill eight people amidst a hail of arrows.
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