Brian walked out of the camp, as the victorious warriors returned one after another.

The team that had set out in relatively good order now resembled a group of refugees – their bodies stained with blood, their clothes torn and tattered. It was clear that only extremely fierce close combat could have left such marks.

In addition, the number of warriors was alarming. Of the two thousand who had formed the ambush party, less than half could still walk back. To transport the wounded, all the horses and camels were carrying two or three people each. Including the escorted prisoners, the entire formation was scattered, looking nothing like a well-trained army from afar.

However, there was not a trace of dejection on their faces, but rather a spirited look, completely different from when they had set out.

To defeat the great clans of Iron Sand City with the strength of a small tribe was unprecedented in the far south!

Brian knew that after this battle, they could truly be considered to have transformed from hunters into soldiers.

What pleased him even more was that, despite the ambush team's disheveled appearance, they had firmly remembered his teachings – that under no circumstances should a soldier abandon their weapon.

Most of them had lost their water pouches and food sacks, and some had even lost half a shoe, but their qiangzhi and sabers were still hanging on their backs.

The First Army could not forever garrison the southern border for the Sand People. They had to rely on their own strength to keep the tribes operating according to the order established by Graycastle – this was only the surface command from the King of Graycastle. Brian knew that His Majesty Roland hoped to achieve more than just that.

He needed more soldiers, he needed the Mojin people to be systematically involved in the Battle of Divine Will.

And now, these people were qualified to take a step further.

The fire qiang battalion commander turned around with satisfaction and nodded to Qiuda, "Now you can tell me the details of the battle."

The battle itself was not particularly impressive, but rather full of flaws and mistakes. According to the plan, the two thousand Sand People were divided into two groups. One group pretended to be bait, gradually sneaking back to the Silver Stream Oasis, and then taking advantage of the night to move north along the Silver Stream, creating the illusion that they wanted to sneak to the Salt Flats. The other group ambushed in advance at the last uninhabited oasis at the end of the Silver Stream.

The clans of Raging Waves and Bone Shaver, having received the news, would naturally not allow the small tribe to provoke their authority. A cavalry of over a hundred men set out from Iron Sand City, following the trail of the "deserters." Although the bait team was larger, they did not take the Sand People of a small tribe, who weren't even worth a guard dog, seriously.

The two teams, one fleeing and one chasing, quickly entered the ambush circle – this part was still being implemented according to plan, but everything that followed went wrong.

The "bait" should have dismounted and surrendered first, tricked the other party into dismounting as well, and then found an opportunity to startle the horses, allowing the ambush team to attack. However, the Sand People responsible for blocking the road lit the incendiary material in advance. Under the blazing firelight, the enemy immediately realized the situation was not good and began to break through in the direction they had come from. If a large amount of blackwater had not been prepared in advance, this ambush would probably have been a failure.

The subsequent battle turned into a chaotic melee. The bait team drew their sabers and attacked the returning enemy, and the ambushing troops had no choice but to join in – many people only fired one shot from beginning to end. The previously trained techniques of volley fire and alternating reloading were not used at all. The way to determine the victory was still the Sand People's most traditional hand-to-hand combat.

As Brian had said, they did not only have qiangzhi as weapons. Under the neighing of horses and the reflection of the fire, this small oasis, which was already shrinking, became the arena for the life-and-death battle between the two sides. Diving and tackling a rider, or having one's intestines trampled by hooves, were common sights on the battlefield. When two people embraced each other, their teeth could also take the opponent's life.

The small tribes were not without warriors. The Sand People had to face an extremely harsh living environment from birth. Those who could survive the hands of sandworms and venomous scorpions had basically mastered a good set of fighting skills. It can be said that in terms of individual strength, the gap between them and the great clans was not so great as to be insurmountable.

The disadvantage of these tribes lay in their numbers – scarce resources restricted their reproduction and expansion.

No matter how strong a warrior was, they could not defeat an enemy ten times their size. As long as the tribal form did not change, it would be difficult for them to compete with the great clans.

But now, this disadvantage no longer existed.

The warriors of the Sand People Army came from dozens of Silver Stream tribes. They no longer had to fight to the death for resources. Everyone ate the same food, wore the same clothes, trained together, and slept together – facing the powerful Iron Sand City clans, all they lacked in the end was the courage and determination to break the routine.

And the tusha of the Raging Waves and Bone Shaver clans against the small tribes, just made up for this deficiency.

The battle lasted from night until dawn.

The Sand People Army won the victory of the desperate struggle.

When the fire went out, the oasis was only left with a black charcoal ground. Without the shelter of trees, the yellow sand would soon bury the water source here, causing it to disappear completely from the surface. The Silver Stream would also shrink again, until the next oasis was exposed to the erosion of sand and dust.

But the Sand People would survive.

This battle was like a symbol, it accelerated the disappearance of the oasis, but pointed out the way for other Sand People.

After listening to Qiuda's report, Brian walked step by step to the crowd.

"Well done! You have won honor for yourselves and gained a chance of survival for the tribe! This is your victory, and the disposal of the spoils should also be decided by you!"

He pointed to the captured warriors of the great clans.

"Kill! Kill them!"

"My relatives died at the hands of these people!"

"I want them to pay for their lives!"

Brian raised his right hand in the expectant eyes of the Sand People and waved it down gently, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Then there was a sound of blades being drawn.

The hot blood immediately stained the salt sand under his feet red, like blooming flower buds on the snow, and the warriors' high morale reached its peak!

"But the threat from Iron Sand City has not been completely eliminated. The clans of Raging Waves and Bone Shaver can still send troops to the Silver Stream hinterland at any time, and your tribesmen are still under their blades!" Brian shouted, "The Grand Chieftain has granted you the power to enjoy the eternal oasis, but the rebels are trying to destroy all of this! Tell me, what should you do?"

"Occupy Iron Sand City and banish them to the Blackwater Swamp!"

"Let these people know the consequences of betraying the Grand Chieftain!"

"Commander, I still have partners in the oasis, please let them join this team!"

"And me... my sisters can also fight!"

The crowd instantly erupted into cheers, and the power contained in them made Gurz and Tulaam couldn't help but take a step back.

Brian then looked in the direction of Neverwinter City.

Your Majesty, the conspirators have decorated your enthronement ceremony with their own blood, and the scattered Mojin people are gradually gathering together. It shouldn't be long before Iron Sand City will be under your control as well.

But this is just the beginning.

The entire far south will eventually become yours, and in this desert, there will be no more resistance to your will.

I hope this gift will not disappoint you.