Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 316 - 256: Refusal

The Wild Bull Tribe wanted a Fire Totem.

Feng Shan fell silent.

The tribal Fire Seed had only granted three Fire Totem slots in total. One was given to the River Beach, and one to Kaktovik Town. Now, he only had one slot left.

Feng Shan planned to keep this last slot for himself, to find a place where he could stably obtain Soul Power—a place like the River Beach, which could provide a continuous supply of Soul Power for the tribal Fire Seed.

However, the Elder Chief sitting beside him was the slyest of old foxes. His eyes were incredibly sharp, and he keenly noticed the change in Feng Shan’s expression, feeling a secret flicker of joy.

This expression wasn’t one of simple difficulty. If it were completely impossible, his face would be filled with helplessness, and he would have refused directly. Instead, it was more of a conflicted look.

As for what he was conflicted about...

The Elder Chief had a rough idea. It was definitely related to the blessing of the Spirit of All Things.

This meant that Feng Shan had the ability to fulfill the Wild Bull Tribe’s request. It was just that the process might involve some trouble, requiring him to weigh various factors.

At this thought, the Elder Chief straightened up slightly, an earnest expression on his face.

"Feng, if you have any difficulties, you can tell me. The Wild Bull Tribe will surely resolve them."

He then paused, a spark of pride igniting in his eyes, and continued.

"You must believe in the strength of the Indians. There are 50,000 Indians in Alaska now, and 2.53 million in the United States. No difficulty can stop the Indians."

’Oh?’

’Massacred by a few thousand white men from a population of tens of millions down to just over two million.’

’What’s there to be proud of?’

Feng Shan had recently made a point of learning about the history of the Indians.

As the Indigenous People of the North American Continent, the Indians were once the masters of this land.

In 1607, the first group of settlers from the United Kingdom landed in what is now the state of Virginia in the United States. They established Jamestown, the first permanent British settlement in North America, which marked the beginning of British colonial history in North America and the start of a centuries-long nightmare for America’s Indigenous People.

The European colonizers brought with them the ideology of white racial supremacy.

They viewed the Indians, the Indigenous People, as an inferior race and subjected them to inhumane massacres.

In 1814, then-US President James Madison issued a decree that the American Government would reward anyone who handed in an Indian’s scalp with 50 to 100 US Dollars.

This decree led to the indiscriminate slaughter of Indians, regardless of gender or age.

In 1862, then-US President Abraham Lincoln enacted the Homestead Act, which stipulated that any American citizen aged 21 or older could acquire up to 160 acres (about 64.75 hectares) of land in the west by paying a registration fee of just 10 US Dollars.

Lured by land and bounties, white settlers flocked to Indian territories and launched a new wave of mass slaughter.

And so, after round after round of culling, the Indian population of nearly 30 million in the Americas had dwindled to less than 250,000 by the 19th century.

Even now, the American Government hadn’t let up on the Indians. On the surface, they’ve designated reservations to protect them, but various restrictions and intentional neglect have made life on these reservations incredibly difficult.

Take the Bear Tribe’s reservation, for example. White people could brazenly trespass to pan for gold, and the authorities would pretend not to see a thing.

If Feng Shan hadn’t intervened, the Bear Tribe might very well have vanished without a trace one night.

Facing the Elder Chief’s aged face, full of longing, Feng Shan was truly in a bind. He didn’t know how to refuse. Giving away a Fire Totem wasn’t a huge deal in itself.

But giving it to the Wild Bull Tribe for free left a sour taste in his mouth.

After all, he only had one slot left.

Seeing Feng Shan remain silent for so long, the Elder Chief grew incredibly anxious. He wanted nothing more than to grab an ancestral Long Spear and give the guy a couple of pokes to get him to make a decision.

’Just state your demands.’

’Whether the Wild Bull Tribe can do it or not, just ask!’

’What’s the meaning of this constant silence?’

Just then, as if he had suddenly remembered something, Feng Shan quickly pulled out his phone, glanced at the time, and put on an apologetic expression.

"There’s an urgent matter in the Crown Territory waiting for me to handle. I can’t delay too long. You know how it is—the Far North Tundra is in its polar night. It’s not safe to fly at night."

Without waiting for the Elder Chief’s response, he stood up and strode out of the tent, his steps hurried, as if he couldn’t stay a moment longer.

’What??’

The Elder Chief’s eyes went wide with astonishment. He hadn’t expected Feng Shan, who had been sitting there perfectly fine just a moment ago, to suddenly get up and leave.

It took him a good while to come to his senses, and he hurriedly got up to follow.

There was still no answer about the blessing of the Spirit of All Things.

"Feng, it’s getting late! Why don’t you stay the night in the village? There’s a welcoming ceremony tomorrow, and many old friends will be there."

The Elder Chief quickened his pace, shouting at Feng Shan’s retreating back, his voice full of pleas to stay.

’Tomorrow?’

’I don’t want to stay here for another minute.’

’If I stay any longer, the old man will definitely try every trick in the book to persuade me.’

’I won’t be able to resist his persuasion, and I’m afraid I won’t even be able to hold on to the last Fire Totem I have.’

’That would be a huge loss.’

Feng Shan repeatedly waved his hands, refusing the Elder Chief’s offer. "Chief, the matter in the Crown Territory is truly urgent. I have to get back right away to deal with it. I can’t afford any delays. I’m really sorry."

Arriving at his snowmobile, Feng Shan quickly swung a leg over it and turned the key. With a ROAR of the engine, the snowmobile shot off toward the Ice River like an arrow loosed from a bow.