Chapter 718: Changes All Over the Southern Great Steppe

How could Aeryon miss these news and this information. This is not surprising

After all, while Aeryon does have an intelligence agency, that intelligence agency is not yet so powerful that it could known everything that is happening all over the Southern Great Steppe.

For now, most of the power and influence of the spy agency that Aeryon had established is mostly about catching other spies and monitor internal problem and is spying nearby neighbours.

However, there is a development that is now scary to think about in the upper north and upper east area of the Southern Great Steppe

Aeryon did not know it yet but when he knows about it, he needs to make sure he knows what is happening to Yindir.

Yindir possession of two large tribes in one swoop might not seem that big compared to the two behemoth that is now conquering left and right

If this was before Aeryon and Dama rise in the Southern Great Steppe, the Yindir tribe could boast to the entire Southern Great Steppe that they are an overlord.

But in the current situation, these large land that they semes to have conquered, these tens of thousands of horses and men that would make any other chief prideful before only could feast among their close confidantes and dare not bragged about it

If the chief of Yindir dare brag about it would be nothing more than him not knowing his limitations.

The world has changed too much and old convention should not be taken so seriously in this new era

After all, Aeryon had already conquered most of the central part of the Southern Great Steppe and he also has subdued the western tribes.

There is only a few part of the west that he did not have his claws sunken on them but with his current power, he did not ned to rashly attack those other tribes. The Aoshizan tribe for example could not give Aeryon any threat from their position.

They could not even attack Aeryon. Long before they could even reach Brolgadhr tribe, they would be stopped by Ultar , Nergui and Khagai.

Unless they took the upper northern route. But even if they took such a route, it did not mean that they could reach Brolgadhr

The threat is now Yindir and Estyin.

One might think that now Yindir and Estyin borders each other, one should not worry that they would attack Brolgadhr that is far away from them or Dama

After all both of them has now expanded and now possess tens of thousands of men and horses.

So, with these two tribes beside each other, they should clash with each other.

Estyin and Yindir would probably be like the other tribes, unable to ride away for long even if they wanted to conquer other tribes and expand.

After all, if Yindir expands, it would become a threat to Estyin and vice versa

Most campaign in the steppe is not long.

It would not take a whole season.

Even Aeryon almost a month after the battle begins, it is already considered a long battle.

The only difficulties in the Steppe is the fact that the city could be moved.

Hence, the most effective way of dealing with an enemy is to gain the submission of the chief or the surrender of the tribe or using the hardest method which is to scatter their forces

Aeryon had to compromise with Chagai, Nergui and Ultar tribe precisely because of this reason

Aeron must have made his calculation and believe that further involvement in the west could tie them down and slow down their development.

The most important enemies of Aeryon after all is not the west. And what the Khan wanted was not the annihilation of the tribes of the Steppe.

To those who had seen the way the Khan operated, the Khan wanted to unify the Steppe.

Unless one is utterly stubborn, the khan is quite generous.

As for Yindir and Estyin....the fact that they are rivals is what made them safe in the eyes of Dama and Aeryon

The fact that these two tribes have border conflicts is inevitable and since that is the case they could not come down south to weigh in the matter of the south. When the battle begins between the west and the east, when it is the time to determine the possessions of the Southern Great Steppe, the two Khans would not have to worry about those two tribes suddenly charging in and changes the dynamic of their battle.

After all, border conflict between two such tribe is not unusual.

Not to mention that if one of them managed to annex the other, then there is a high chance that they could even contend with Dama and his tribe

But of course, when these two tribes fought each other, they would be weak. And when that time comes, if the situation permitted it, either Dama and Aeryon would not reject free food.

And those two tribes also probably knows it and they would be hesitant to move against the other.

So, no one should be worried that these two tribes would change any of the current situation

But what most people did not know is that Yindir and Estyin are brotherly tribe

Estyin means the East of Yin.

Yindir means the Dirt of Yin. They are from the same roots.

The Yin tribe is one of the oldest tribe in the Southern Great Steppe.

And once a large tribe in the north.

But on the extent of their scale, no one could confirm it.

most history in the Steppe is oral history

You could hear it but you could not believe it one hundred percent

Who knows how it started and whether there is truth behind it?

But it is true that the two Yin tribe is not that hostile to each other and while there is skirmishes and battle and duels between these two tribes, it rarely devolved into a blood feued that spans generation or involve the entire tribe

And as for thee ats, did they do nothing while Aeryon consolidating the west and taking the fealty of hundreds of small clans and chiefs all over the west while maintaining control over the Cha Ner Ul tribes?

No, they did not just sit there and watch their rival become bigger.

They did not attack Altan and Timur but instead there is now diplomatic channel between these three tribes.

Somehow, someway, Katakura manage to make these two tribes to be persuaded to talk to the Esbizuk tribe

They are still wary and there is still skirmishes in the border between these three tribes but there is now talk between these three tribes

As for what they are talking about only these three tribe’s leader knows. But if one look at it, during the entire western expedition, the longest expedition to date in Aeryon campaign it might seem like Dama did not do anything

After all, they did not expands their land, they did not attack Altai and Timur tribe and instead seemingly consolidating their internal matters.

The six region under Esbizuk tribe is now being governed by the people of Esbizuk, some of which is the relative of Dama, while some others are trusted generals and his personal warriors in the past.

But did he not expand at all?

No, he did expand.

He simply did not expand in the Steppe.

Instead, Dama focused his attention to the mountain range

But that is the thing.

Even though some people know he expanded to the mountain, they did not know how much he expanded and how many people is under his control right now

Even Aeryon with his intelligence agency set up, did not know much about Dama expedition to the mountain.

This is because the mountain ranges is the specialty of the Eastern border people.

Those tribes of the Great Steppe that inhabit the eastern region always deals with the tribes on the mountain range beside them

And just like the tribes in the Steppe, these tribes in the mountain are divided. But unlike the tribes in the Steppe, most of them have relationship with each other and were not at war with each other.

Instead most of them cooperated with each other

This is not to say that these mountain tribe did not fight against each other. They do sometimes fight each other but this rarely happens.

because their target is mostly the people below the mountain.

The mountain itself is not a place easy to live. It is a harsh environment with all kinds of hazard.

This is not like the mountain in the modern world, where there is safety trails, restaurant on every stop, hiking trials and dedicated safety crewed to find you if you get lost.

The mountain in this era is something terrifying to city dweller and village people. It is only when they are desperate would they run toward the mountain

There is all kinds of beast from tigers to wolves to pigs. And the pigs in the mountain are not the same kind of pig that is domesticated. This is the kind of pig that could kill you.

And then there is the poisonousness creatures. These insects all could kill

And if you do not know any herbalism you would not last long in the mountain without some guide or luck

The mountain people is raised in such environment and that made them very hard. They are honest in their feeling and conduct.

But they are also quite hardy.

These mountain men strength is forged by the nature around them

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