We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 721: Hokkaido Giant Bear (Part 1)

Seeing that the worry on Li Lin's face did not seem fake, Li Che also became serious:

"Fourth brother, the wind is too strong outside. Let's go into the tent and talk."

The two walked side by side towards the main tent deep in the camp.

Along the way, Li Che keenly noticed the unusual atmosphere in the camp.

Whether it was the elite troops of the Yan clan brought by Li Lin or the veterans of the Fengtian Army belonging to Li Che's headquarters, everyone looked dejected.

What made Li Che even more concerned was that many soldiers looked at him vaguely, with a sense of vigilance.

Li Che frowned slightly and looked at one of the soldiers, who immediately retracted his gaze.

Only then did Li Che realize that these soldiers were not looking at him.

That line of sight actually looked over his shoulder and towards the small group following behind him.

Whispers can be heard faintly in the cold wind:

"That beast behind your Highness...is it a bear?"

"With such a large body, I'm afraid... the monster in the forest has followed us?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" an older veteran shouted to his companions, "This bear and that tiger are both your Highness's war pets. Many of our brothers have fought alongside them. They are definitely not man-eating beasts!"

"Yes, yes! This bear is white, and that monster is brown and black, like a moving hill!"

"Got it. The white ones are good bears, and the brown and black ones are bad bears."

Li Che did not stop, but his heart was filled with turbulent waves.

Most of the soldiers who could follow Li Lin as the vanguard were the elite of the Fengtian Army, tough men who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

What kind of situation haven’t they seen?

Now he's so frightened by a wild beast that he's terrified of a bear?!

That man-eating bear...how terrifying is it?

As you step into the tent, the warmth from the charcoal fire greets you.

Li Che dismissed his attendants and left only Li Lin and a group of trusted generals.

"Fourth brother, tell me in detail, what happened to that bear?" Li Che said straight to the point.

Li Lin sat down dejectedly and rubbed his face vigorously with both hands:

"It was initially reported by the local Ezo indigenous people. They said there was a huge black bear, probably at least ten feet tall, running at terrifying speed, like a black whirlwind with a fishy wind. It specifically targeted convoys transporting food and fodder to the forward stronghold."

"I didn't take it seriously at first. You know, the indigenous people of Ezo are not as civilized as the Japanese. I thought they were lying to fight against the Fengtian Army."

The indigenous people of Hokkaido are the Ainu people, not the Wa people in the traditional sense, but the indigenous people distributed in Sakhalin Island, Hokkaido, the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka.

These weak ethnic groups have always been the objects of Fengguo's unity, so Li Che's attitude towards them is conciliatory.

Hire them to join the food team and logistics, give them relatively generous compensation, and exchange basic tools for food from them.

However, due to the language barrier and huge cultural differences, the Fengtian Army has not yet been able to gain full trust. Some indigenous people have even joined the rebellious Japanese army, which has caused Li Lin a headache.

"A few days later, our own grain transport team was attacked." Li Lin's voice trembled slightly. "Seven militiamen were killed. All of them had their stomachs ripped open. They didn't even have a chance to resist. They were torn to pieces..."

The logistics militia sent to the front line were mostly composed of able-bodied men from the Mohe, Goryeo and Khitan tribes. They were by no means without any combat capability and they certainly had no problem drawing bows and shooting arrows.

If ordinary wild beasts meet them, they will only be eaten as extra food.

Li Che frowned and said, "Why don't you send your regular army to encircle and suppress them? What about the musketeers?"

"I thought so too," Li Lin said anxiously. "I've organized at least five hunting expeditions. Each time, I selected the bravest soldiers in the army and paired them with the most experienced local Ezo hunters to form a hunting team and head into the mountains."

"But that beast...it's like a spirit!"

"As soon as the hunting party makes a noise, it disappears without a trace. No matter how hard the hounds sniff, they can't find a trace of it."

"But once the hunting team retreated, it seemed as if it had gotten the news and immediately started attacking the food transport team again."

Li Che was secretly shocked when he heard this. This beast has really become a smart one. Will he start stealing the robes in a few years?

"Later, I strengthened the guards of the grain transport team and even issued them muskets, but it was no use! The animals were very cunning and seemed to be able to distinguish who was the guard and who was the laborer."

"It specifically targets isolated militiamen, those who have fallen behind, or those whose guards are lax. After a successful attack, it disappears into the depths of the jungle, dragging the corpses with it... It's impossible to guard against!"

Li Che pondered for a moment and then asked, "This place is desolate and full of wild animals. How can you be sure that it was the same bear that attacked the grain transport team? And not just a group of them?"

A hint of certainty flashed in Li Lin's eyes. "I personally led the team on the last hunt. I once saw its back from afar. It was just a glimpse, but I couldn't be wrong."

"Eyewitnesses in the army also said that the beast had a huge, extremely conspicuous old scar near the upper part of its shoulder blade, visible even from a distance."

"That's it! Only it!"

"I see." Li Che nodded slowly. "It seems that our army's supply route passes through the core territory of this giant bear. It regards this as a provocation."

Xue Wei, who was standing by, asked curiously, "Can't we go around it?"

"There's no way around it!" Li Lin shook his head firmly. "You haven't looked closely at the topographical map of Ezo."

"This damn place is all primeval forest. The only road to the front line suitable for heavy vehicles is this small path that was barely carved along the coastline."

"The rest of the country is just desolate mountains and wild hills with few people, densely covered with thorns and swamps. It's hard for people to walk, let alone transport grain."

"Forcibly changing the route will not only waste time, but also increase the risk of getting lost and encountering other accidents, and the food and supplies will not be able to be transported up at all."

"To be honest," he sighed heavily, "if it weren't for that damned beast messing around behind my back, I would have brought my brothers to hunt down and slaughter every last one of those remaining Japanese soldiers hiding in the mountains. There wouldn't be any point in finding ourselves in this predicament!"

Wang Sanchun, who was standing by, said disapprovingly, "Your Highness, Prince of Yan, please forgive my frankness. He is nothing but a beast."

"No matter how big or fierce it is, can it really defeat muskets and an army? The men you sent are still not enough. Mobilize several thousand elite soldiers, equip them with enough musketeers, and search the mountain like a dragnet."

"No matter how good it is at hiding, can it fly or hide? A few volleys of gunfire would turn its iron body into a sieve!"

Li Che heard this and slowly shook his head: "On the contrary, it was because Fourth Brother sent too many people and the battle was too big that the beast escaped again and again."

Wang Sanchun was stunned: "Why do you say that, Your Highness?"

Li Che said calmly: "Don't underestimate the wisdom of wild animals. Look at Xiaotuan and Xiaosong. They have followed me in battle for many years and have been with me day and night."

"How much worse is his mental and spiritual intelligence than that of an ordinary child?"

"This giant bear lurking here has grown to such a terrifying size, repeatedly inflicting harm and eating people without being hunted. Its intelligence far surpasses that of ordinary beasts."

"Fourth Brother always makes a big show of himself, sending hundreds or even thousands of people into the mountains to encircle and suppress the enemy. The noise is overwhelming, with people shouting and horses neighing. How alert is that bear? It can sense the threat from a long distance away."

"It only needs to dive deep into the dense forest or find a hidden cave to lie dormant. Even if you have thousands of troops, how can you easily find it in the vast forest?"

Li Lin was horrified. "Sixth Brother, are you saying... send a small group of men into the forest to ambush and kill them?"

Li Che nodded slightly.

Li Lin's face suddenly changed. "This is too dangerous! That beast is extremely ferocious and powerful. If a small group of people encounter it, I'm afraid..."

At this moment, the tent curtain was suddenly lifted.

A soldier rushed in breathlessly: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened!"

Li Lin stood up suddenly: "What are you panicking about?!"

The scout raised his head, his eyes filled with fear:

"Another grain transport team was attacked. Four brothers were killed and their bodies were torn to pieces."

"The surviving militiamen were terrified. Many of those responsible for transporting food gathered together, seething with anger. They said they wouldn't dare leave again! They were all going on strike!"