Chapter 28: The Wild Oxen (2)

The Barbarians had already become very familiar with this routine. While some were sent to collect the spoils, they had the Goblins tie each other up. As expected, this Goblin Tribe still offered little profit, with very few iron weapons. Apart from the Goblin slaves, there was basically no extra income.

After a brief rest, they split the group in two. One group of Barbarians escorted the more than two hundred Goblin slaves back to the base, while Su Lun led the others to continue patrolling the area.

…

The army moved through the woods toward the northeast. A long, rolling mountain range appeared on the distant horizon, like a giant beast lying across the land. That was the Kandar Mountains, stretching for hundreds of miles. The White Water River, which flowed through their territory, originated in these mountains.

The wasteland in autumn looked a bit worn. The grass and trees were turning yellow. Animals that needed to hibernate were already storing fat for the winter. This was also the time when animals were at their plumpest. Finding a spot with a good view, Su Lun ordered the whole army to rest and prepare to eat. A Barbarian Warrior had hunted an antelope nearby.

These Barbarian Warriors used to be hunters in the wilderness, so catching an antelope was easy for them. Soon, after a simple cleaning, one of the Warriors started roasting the antelope.

“Boss, boss, about five kilometers to the east, we found a herd of Wild Oxen,” a Barbarian who had been sent out to scout ran back and reported, just as Su Lun was about to cut the roasted meat.

“Wild Oxen? How many are there?” Hearing about the Wild Oxen, Su Lun forgot about the meat. He handed it to a Barbarian Warrior beside him, grabbed the returning scout, and pressed for more details.

“A big, big herd,” the Barbarian said, gesturing with his hands to show a large circle. They weren’t very good with numbers.

“Are there more of them than the Goblin Tribe we just wiped out?” Su Lun took a piece of roasted meat from a Soldier behind him and handed it to the scout.

Grabbing the meat, the scout took a big bite and said, “Not as many as those Goblins, maybe about half. They seemed to be getting ready to move.”

“Half, huh,” Su Lun’s eyes lit up, and he started calculating in his mind. Half meant around a hundred head. A hundred Wild Oxen was no small number. They couldn’t let them get away, whether they were caught for meat or for plowing fields.

The territory planned to clear five thousand acres of land. Even with many laborers, progress was still slow. With plow oxen, those five thousand acres could be plowed in just a few days. And next year, they could cultivate even more land.

“Everyone, eat faster. We assemble in ten minutes,” Su Lun said immediately. He intended to capture the entire herd right away. After all, these Wild Oxen had legs. If they were late, who knew where the oxen might run off to?

Soon, all the Barbarian Warriors were ready. Led by the scout, Su Lun hurried toward the Wild Oxen herd. In this world, both oxen and horses were used for plowing. Horse plowing was faster, while ox plowing was a bit slower. Each had its advantages and disadvantages.

The group moved quickly toward the northeast. After about fifteen minutes, Su Lun and his men reached the spot the scout had mentioned. It was a high slope with a clear view of the surroundings. Below the slope was a plain, and the herd of Wild Oxen stood grazing peacefully on the wasteland.

There were quite a few Wild Oxen. Su Lun counted roughly at least a hundred and thirty. Such a large herd was rare in the wilderness. Although Wild Oxen were ordinary beasts, they were quite fierce. These animals could weigh up to a ton, with body lengths of at least three meters. They had a pair of curved, sharp horns on their heads, making it clear they were dangerous.

These Wild Oxen also lived in groups, which made them even more hazardous. Imagine over a hundred Wild Oxen, each weighing more than a ton, charging together like thunder. The damage they could cause was no less than that of an empire’s heavy cavalry Charge.

“With so many Wild Oxen, we can’t let even one escape!” Su Lun said excitedly. With these oxen, the land clearing work in the territory could speed up.

The Barbarians had plenty of experience taming Wild Oxen. After all, when they lived in the wilderness, their tribes raised many Wild Oxen. Now, having them capture Wild Oxen was just like going back to their old trade.

Worried that the herd might scatter and run, Su Lun decided to capture the leader of the Wild Oxen. He spread out his men, positioning the Barbarians around the outskirts of the herd to form an encirclement. Then Su Lun personally went to catch the herd’s lead ox.

Identifying the lead ox wasn’t difficult—the strongest one was the leader. Su Lun stood on the high slope, scanning back and forth until he finally spotted the lead ox in the herd after a few looks.

As Su Lun approached the herd, the grazing oxen grew wary of his presence. A few of them even seemed ready to charge and knock him over. They let out low moos, pointed their horns at Su Lun, and pawed the ground with their front hooves. Su Lun paid no attention to their threatening behavior and walked straight toward the Wild Oxen without stopping.

Seeing that Su Lun ignored their warnings, several of the more aggressive male Wild Oxen charged directly at him. Su Lun simply punched each one on the forehead, knocking them out cold. Since he wanted to use these oxen for plowing, he couldn’t hit them too hard—what if he killed them by accident?

After knocking out those oxen, Su Lun didn’t hesitate. He quickly rushed toward the lead ox in the herd. The lead ox didn’t back down either and charged straight at Su Lun.

As the lead ox, it was even larger, with a body length over three meters, and it had many other oxen following it. Unfortunately for the ox, it met Su Lun. Before it could show off its strength, Su Lun punched it down with one blow.

The lead ox shook its head and wobbled back to its feet. As soon as it stood up, Su Lun jumped onto its back. Feeling someone on its back, the lead ox went wild, trying to throw Su Lun off. But no matter how hard it tried, Su Lun sat firmly on its back.

In the end, the lead ox was exhausted and still couldn’t shake Su Lun off. It had no choice but to lower its head and surrender to Su Lun.

After successfully taming the lead ox, the remaining hundred or so Wild Oxen were no longer a problem. The lead ox mooed a few times at the herd, and the previously restless oxen calmed down. Then, Su Lun rode the lead ox and guided the herd of Wild Oxen back toward their territory. The other Barbarians followed closely on either side. The sight of over a hundred oxen running together gave off an unstoppable momentum.