Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 274 - 235: Meeting (Part 2)

"Feng, it’s been a while. You passed through Mangting Village last time, why didn’t you come to Norton Bay? The scenery in Clark is just as beautiful as in the Crown Territory."

"I had urgent business that day. My apologies. I’ll definitely visit when I have the chance."

Feng Shan played along, extending both hands to clasp the Elder Chief’s. He returned the chief’s polite invitation with a tone just as full of warmth.

Inwardly, however, he was on high alert, wary that the old man was trying to trap him.

After exchanging false pleasantries for a while, the two of them, like a pair of incredibly close old friends, walked together onto the bearskin rug laid in the center of the clearing and sat down.

"Feng, I hear your Crown Territory plans to take in the Yosemite Bear Tribe."

Chief Welta turned slightly, his gaze fixed on Feng Shan. His eyes seemed to pose a simple question, but they held a faint, probing glint.

Hearing the Elder Chief’s question, Feng Shan frowned slightly and lowered his head, pondering for a moment.

"Not exactly, Chief. You may have misunderstood."

"Nash is my good friend, and as you know, his father was seriously injured. His condition is poor, and he needs a significant amount of time to rest and recover."

"But I can’t travel frequently between the Crown Territory and Susitna. It’s a long journey, not to mention I have many matters to attend to in the Crown Territory."

"So, I plan to bring Nash’s family to the Crown Territory. It’ll be more convenient to care for his father and allow the old man to recuperate in peace."

Chief Welta gave a slight nod, the expression on his wrinkled face still holding an inscrutable depth.

He picked up a cup of fruit wine that had been prepared beforehand from the bearskin rug. He brought it to his lips, took a drink, and an imperceptible glint flashed in his eyes.

Then, he said casually, as if it were an afterthought.

"But, Feng, you must understand—in the view of the Assabasca people, all members of the Bear Tribe are considered Nash’s family."

"We are all connected by blood, an indivisible whole. You can’t just take a portion of them. That would be tantamount to splitting the tribe."

"You must understand that according to Assabasca tradition, splitting a tribe is an extremely serious matter. It requires a ritual duel."

"The victor inherits the current territory, and the loser is exiled."

The Elder Chief’s voice was neither loud nor soft, but it carried clearly across the firelit clearing, ensuring everyone present heard him distinctly.

Feng Shan, who had been sitting casually on the rug, was just reaching for the fruit wine in front of him.

But in that instant, the Elder Chief’s words struck him like a clap of thunder, and Feng Shan’s hand froze in mid-air.

’What does he mean?’

’A duel?’

’The victor inherits the territory, and the loser is exiled.’

’I was clearly just trying to do a good deed, taking Nash’s father to the Crown Territory to recuperate so the old man could recover his health in a better environment.’

’How did this inexplicably turn into splitting up the tribe?’

’And now it’s about inheriting territory? This is getting more and more ridiculous.’

Feng Shan couldn’t help but wonder. The more he mulled it over, the more he thought the Elder Chief must have misunderstood him.

At this thought, he hastily tried to explain.

"Chief Welta, you might not have understood what I meant."

"I simply want to take the Dene Chief to the Crown Territory to recover. The medical conditions there are relatively better, and he can receive more proper care."

"Once the Dene Chief has fully recovered, I will personally escort them back to the Bear Tribe. I have no intention of splitting the tribe or coveting the Bear Tribe’s territory. Please, don’t misunderstand."

Just then, Nash suddenly stood up without warning. He looked directly at the Elder Chief, his eyes filled with determination.

"Chief Welta, I want the tribe to move to the Crown Territory. We won’t be bullied by the white men there. My father was injured because he stopped white men from panning for gold on the Bear Tribe’s land."

’Goddammit!’

’Nash, you idiot, you just had to bring up the one thing we shouldn’t be talking about.’

’I was doing my best to explain things to the Elder Chief, and now it’s a hopeless situation. I look guilty no matter what.’

Feng Shan felt like his head was about to explode.

After hearing Nash’s words, Chief Welta merely smiled serenely.

His smile held an inscrutable depth, as if he had long been aware of the situation Nash described, yet at the same time, seemed completely unconcerned by it.

His gaze slowly swept over every member of the Bear Tribe, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"People of the Bear Tribe, is this what you all think?"

As soon as his voice fell, a Tribal Elder stepped forward.

He first bowed deeply and respectfully to the Elder Chief, his posture both humble and solemn, displaying the utmost reverence.

"Great Wild Bull Chief, the Spirit of All Things blessed the Yosemite Tribe with the Elf, Khilla. To the Bear Tribe, Khilla is like a guardian spirit, protecting us for generations as we have lived and thrived on this land, allowing our tribe to endure to this day."

The elder paused, a pious light in his eyes, and continued.

"The Yosemite Bear Tribe will unconditionally obey any decision Khilla makes. Even if faced with death, we will not shrink back; we will carry out the order without fail. For it is the will of the Tribal Elf, the very foundation of our tribe’s survival."

After he finished speaking, the pious expression on the Tribal Elder’s face deepened, as if he were lost in the profoundest reverence for his tribe’s faith.

Then, an astonishing scene unfolded. One by one, all the members of the Bear Tribe, including Nash, walked toward Feng Shan.

Before Feng Shan’s dumbfounded eyes, the members of the Bear Tribe, their faces solemn and without a hint of hesitation, knelt down in unison.

They lowered their heads, touching their foreheads lightly to the ground in an extremely formal bow of supplication.

’I... ’

Feng Shan was completely stunned. His eyes were wide, his jaw was slack, and his face was a mask of utter disbelief.

’What is this?’

’A formal confession?’

’No, they’re roasting me over an open flame!’

’What do I do now?’

’Running is definitely not an option.’

Suddenly, Chief Welta, who had been sitting to one side quietly observing everything, began to laugh.

The sound began as a low chuckle in his throat, carrying an indescribable meaning, as if he’d seen through an amusing little trick.

Then, the laughter grew louder, drawing the attention of everyone present.

Chief Welta laughed, shaking his head gently. His wrinkled face was wreathed in smiles, but his eyes held an inscrutable depth.

"Bear’s Fang, are you trying to fool me? Don’t forget, the Wild Bull Tribe are also children of the Spirit of All Things."

The Bear Tribe elder who had led the pledge of loyalty, the man called Bear’s Fang, slowly raised his head upon hearing this.

He grinned, the smile made slightly comical by a few missing teeth, but his eyes held a cunning glint.

"Great Wild Bull Chief, I am only following the command of the Tribal Elf. The Tribal Elf is above all else in the Yosemite Bear Tribe."

’Old fox!’

Chief Welta stared at Bear’s Fang, a storm of envy, jealousy, and resentment brewing inside him.

’He can’t say a single sentence without mentioning the Tribal Elf, as if no one knows the Bear Tribe found their Tribal Elf, the Iron Brown Bear.’

’Damn it!’

’Why did it have to be the Bear Tribe’s Iron Brown Bear, and not the Wild Bull Tribe’s Barbaric Bull?’

However, Chief Welta was a man who had weathered many storms and seen much of the world. He forcibly suppressed his anger and worked to restore a calm expression to his face.

"So what does the Bear Tribe plan to do? Follow Khilla and migrate to the Crown Territory?"

"That’s right. We, the Yosemite Bear Tribe, have made our decision. We will follow Khilla to the Crown Territory."

Elder Bear’s Fang nodded resolutely, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen with his determination.

As Elder Bear’s Fang’s words faded, the surrounding members of the Bear Tribe nodded in agreement, exchanging glances as if they could already envision a wonderful future after migrating to the Crown Territory.

At this, Chief Welta shot to his feet, his tall figure appearing especially imposing in the flickering firelight.

"Then what about the Bear Tribe’s reservation? Return it to the American Government? As a board member of the Alaska Native Federation and the Athabasca Federation, I do not approve of this migration. You are being irresponsible to the Assabasca people."

...