Volume 9: Home Chapter 286 Main Force? !
Three days before the black bear troops fell into the wolves' mouths, the mixed army composed of white bears and moon bears bypassed the central grassland and officially entered the southwestern border.
The route taken by the Black Bear Army is close to the sea and is the activity range of the adventurers in the Elf Port. The area within a radius of 500 kilometers has been trampled by adventurers in the past few years. The nests of various wild beasts, monsters and demons are raided again and again by the ubiquitous adventurers every year. Even large groups of wild beasts don't like to go here. It is naturally not difficult to implement the strategy of "fortifying the city, clearing the countryside and then clearing the countryside" of Chief Ali.
The route taken by the White Bear & Moon Bear coalition was deeper into the land, so they didn't have the conditions to defend themselves, but the coalition's situation was not much better than that of the Black Bear troops - as soon as they entered the southwest region, they ran headfirst into a sea of traps laid by the grassland tribes.
On this morning, the two bear allies came to a dry river.
Moon Bear General Basel sent out scouts to walk through the dry riverbed, which was about 30 meters wide. Only after confirming that it was safe did he lead the large army across the river - that is, he walked directly across the riverbed where only silt remained.
The river crossing was smooth sailing until problems arose when they reached the other side of the river... A group of Moon Bear warriors who were walking closely together actually "collapsed" a large area of the ground and fell into a several-meter-deep pit screaming. Those with unlucky luck were directly stabbed by the pointed wooden stakes inserted upside down at the bottom of the pit, leaving bloody holes and falling to the ground on the spot.
"Don't move! Retreat!" Moon Bear General Bazel Khan came down and hurriedly called people back to the safe river channel and sent scouts to check the river bank.
The scouts nervously ran up to the river bank and walked for a long time but couldn't see anything. It was not until they took out their weapons and poked the ground around that they discovered that the entire stretch of vegetation on the river bank was camouflage!
A whole row of pits were hollowed out in the ground, and the surface was densely covered with thick tree trunks and then sprinkled with soil, and a whole piece of grass vegetation with soil roots was moved in - unlike those traps that would make you fall into them if you stepped on them, these large pits were paved very solidly, and a few people walking over them would not notice anything unusual, and they would only fall into them when a large army passed by!
Bazel and White Bear General Wood, who came over to see the situation, were sweating profusely when faced with such a solid camouflage pit... If a large army came up without knowing it, how many people would have to go in? !
The coalition forces of the two bears did not dare to be careless and sent out all their scouts to search the surrounding area. They then discovered that this trap, which was made particularly sturdy and specifically targeted large marching troops, was set up over a thousand meters in range - as long as they came from this direction and chose this dry river channel to cross the river, they would basically fall into the trap!
“Too insidious!”
Basel, who had lost several soldiers, was so angry that he jumped up and down. He sent people to search the surrounding area again, hoping to capture the grassland people to vent his anger. The result was... there was no one around, not even a single animal hair - these guys simply set up traps and left, not caring whether these traps could trap people!
With no other options, the two bear allies buried their companions on the spot and moved westward more cautiously.
That night, the cautious coalition of the two bears did not enter the valley that looked particularly suitable for camping to spend the night, but chose the back of a small hill; they did not touch the pool of water with less flow, but took a long time to find a stream that had not dried up before allowing the soldiers to use it.
In the woods near the valley, two goblins lying at the entrance of a cave stared at the movements of the two bear coalition forces with their ugly big eyes for a long time. Seeing that they were indeed not going to camp in the valley, nor were they going to use the pool water, they showed regretful expressions.
One of the goblins whispered a few words to his companions, crawled into the cave, and came out with an exquisite small cloth bag. Relying on his thin body, he sneaked to the vicinity of the valley, threw the cloth bag behind a rock, grabbed a few handfuls of grass leaves and dust and sprinkled them on the bag, then took out a few peppercorns from the bag and scattered them nearby, then sneaked back into the woods and hid in the cave.
The scouts sent out by the two-bear coalition that camped outside the valley to patrol the surrounding area found the bag of peppercorns two hours later, which seemed to have been dropped a long time ago, and they happily took them back.
The next morning, among the two bear coalition forces that set out, more than a dozen sick people appeared and needed help...
The two goblins in the woods watched the group of people walk away, then came out of the cave and carefully cleaned up the traces that the group of people had not cleaned up, mainly collecting the poisonous peppercorns... Then they went back to the woods, climbed up the tree, and continued to stare at the east diligently from the observation hole of the tree house.
The two bears left the first trap zone and rushed into the second, third, and fourth trap zones...
It has to be said that General Basel, the Moon Bear, is indeed a character. After suffering a loss in the river pit at the very beginning, he has been extremely cautious. Whether he is traveling or setting up camp to rest, he will never touch those places that look suitable. He led the coalition forces to avoid many dangerous "Jedi" that could definitely swallow them up.
But in addition to the large-scale ambush like the "Burying Valley", the grassland tribes also racked their brains to create countless small traps that were not too troublesome and did not require people to watch, and these things were very difficult to guard against... No matter how careful and thoughtful General Bazel of the Moon Bear was, on the third day after entering the southwest region, the two bear coalition forces still inevitably lost dozens of soldiers and had dozens of wounded and sick soldiers.
When the Black Bear troops were trapped in the canyon , the atmosphere of the two bear coalition forces who were marching to a birch forest for rest and recuperation was extremely low, and their morale was very bad...
Many streams on the grassland have dried up at this time of year, and flowing groundwater is difficult to find unless you are a local. The two bear coalition forces, having suffered two losses in getting water, can only use birch sap to quench their thirst. However, birch sap, which is regarded as a healthy drink in modern times, is not very tasty if it is not processed . Basel pinched his nose and took a big sip, almost vomiting. With a distressed look on his face, he hung the water bag back on his waist, forced himself to stand up, and walked towards the white bear general Wood.
The scouts suffered heavy losses due to various traps that were difficult to guard against. The two generals no longer dared to let anyone go. After a few discussions, Wood stayed behind to take charge, and Bazel led the hunting team in person. (Under heavy pressure, the relationship between the two generals became increasingly harmonious...)
When Basel led thirty soldiers out of the birch forest and was about to order everyone to disperse a little to look for traces of wild animals, a particularly appetizing and drooling food aroma wafted over.
The coalition soldiers sniffed hard and looked at General Bazel, their toes unconsciously pointing in the direction where the fragrance was coming from.
Bazel did not disappoint the soldiers and said in a deep voice, "Let's go and take a look."
General Basel naturally couldn't resist the desire for food, but he had been trapped by the enemy in the past few days, but he couldn't even see the enemy's hair. He had been furious and wanted to grab anyone and stomp him!
After bypassing a large area of bushes, on the leeward side of a low hill, General Bazel and the coalition soldiers saw... a blazing bonfire, three piglets skewered side by side on the grill, coated with seasonings, roasted until their skin was golden and greasy, and four or five adult cats looking at them in astonishment.
Without General Basel's command, the Allied soldiers pounced on them like wolves and tigers.
These adult cats were faster than them. They jumped up quickly and ran away desperately.
Then... General Bazel watched the Allied soldiers rush to the grill next to the campfire...
"Don't touch me! Chase me!" General Basel pinched his thigh in anger.
However, due to this delay, the adult cats had already run away...
The coalition soldiers who failed in the pursuit turned back and stared at the three fragrant roasted piglets on the grill.
General Bazel was furious: "Don't look at it, the food of these bastard grassland people is inedible, haven't they learned enough of the lesson?!"
After saying that, he stepped forward, kicked the roasted piglet into the fire, and carefully picked up all the spices and seasonings that the cats had deliberately left behind and threw them into the fire.
The coalition soldiers looked away in pain...
With the living standards of this world, both moon bears and polar bears can be considered well-off - food is a bit tight for polar bears, but that doesn't mean they have to starve. Compared with the snow wolf tribe ten years ago, they definitely have plenty of supplies.
As warriors in the tribe, the coalition soldiers had a much better life than ordinary people in the tribe, and they were not so paralyzed by the sight of food.
But the problem is... after living in the open air for more than a month on the grassland, even if you have seen the world and are not superficial, it is difficult to remain calm when you are attracted by this kind of food that is so spiced that it makes your mouth water...
Basel led his men to catch a few prey and returned to the birch forest. After arranging for people to process the food, he habitually counted the heads and found that there was a patrol team that should have returned from shift change but no one was seen.
The two generals were sweating as they led their men to search separately, but they still couldn't find it until the moon was at its zenith...
During this period, another patrol team, which was strictly ordered to patrol only around the birch forest that was confirmed to be safe and not to go too far, disappeared...
The cat tribe that used a simple food trap to capture hundreds of people: "It's so easy!"
If the Fire Department hadn't asked them to prioritize safety and not act recklessly, these big cats might have run directly to the enemy and set a food trap in front of them instead of sneaking up on the patrol team that had left the main force.
On the second day after General Black Bear became a prisoner, the two bear coalition forces, whose numbers had been reduced to more than 700 people, walked into the farm area of the cat farm numbly and anxiously.
Finally they saw the cultivated fields of the grassland tribe. The two bear generals almost burst into tears... They finally found the enemy! They were no longer fighting against an invisible enemy like headless flies!
When the army of the Snow Wolf Clan and the Cat Clan appeared at the end of the harvested farm, with the Wolf Cavalry lined up in a row charging in the middle, and the Cat Clan magicians riding on their own (er...) horses on the left and right to guard the Wolf Cavalry's flanks, and the mountain-like army charging forward, the two Bear Clan generals who were just so happy that they shed tears instantly felt their souls tremble...
Two hours later.
They were dispersed as soon as they met, then intentionally divided into several groups by the Snow Wolf and Cat tribes which were three times their number, then surrounded and beaten, chased and captured, and finally the two Bear generals who were taken prisoners without knowing it were tied up and taken to the temporary frontline base of the Fire Tribe's Northern District Command.
Xiao Yun, Mr. Sean, Hodgson, Hongye, Chief Arthur and other members of the command center looked at the two embarrassed bear generals with strange expressions.
"Are you the main force attacking our Fire Department?" Xiao Yun asked the two enemy generals in confusion.
Bazel stared at him angrily, while Wood raised his chin with an unyielding look on his face.
"Are you really the only ones? There are no other troops?" Xiao Yun asked again, his face full of disbelief.
Bazel said "Pah" and cursed: "Sinister and cunning rat!"
Wood snorted coldly, his face full of unyielding spirit.
"This is too strange... There is a small force of nearly 3,000 people invading the North District, why are there only so few enemies here?" Xiao Yun scratched his head and looked at Mr. Sean, "Mr. Sean, did the undead soldiers you sent out to investigate really not see any other troops?"
"Indeed not." Mr. Sean was also very surprised. "I thought they were the vanguard army and deliberately let the undead soldiers wait for three days along the route they passed, but there was indeed no follow-up troops following."
Hongye added, "The teams we arranged to guard the various trap points have not found any large forces following up until today."
"Could it be that the enemy army got lost? And separated from their vanguard?" Chief Arthur guessed.
Bazel & Wood, who were regarded as the vanguard: "..."
The words of these grassland people revealed two very important pieces of information: first, the Black Bear Army also suffered a defeat; second, the Black Bear Army, which was much larger than the Two Bears Allied Forces, was regarded as a "small force" by these grassland people.
General White Bear Wood lowered his proud head quietly and looked at his colleagues with extremely horrified eyes.
Bazel, who originally had a face full of resentment, was now shocked beyond words...
Xiao Yun, who had been carefully observing their reactions, revealed a very strange and indescribable expression.
"I say... you guys are not the only ones, are you?" Xiao Yun said with a twitch of his mouth. "The ones who came from the central part to attack our Fire Department headquarters are just you... The ones who attacked the MSG factory and the Snake Department from the coastline are just the Black Bear Unit with less than 3,000 people. There are no others, right?"
"..." Bazel and Wood said nothing, but the miserable expressions on their faces revealed a lot.
Mr. Sean, Hongye, Patriarch Arthur and others all showed indescribable expressions. (Hodgson, expressionless: I was actually shocked too)
"So, the grassroots chiefs are facing the main force?" Chief Arthur was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"Well... the MSG factory is indeed the most profitable industry. Maybe the enemy thinks that the important figures of the Fire Department should be at the MSG factory..." Mr. Sean said with a strange expression.
Hongye's balls were splitting with pain: "What the hell is this! We suspended the Grand Canal project and stopped production in the Hilly New District. We spent a lot of effort on making a lot of arrangements, but it's just to play house with others. With such a small number of people, they want to rob us. What on earth is the Beast King thinking?"
Xiao Yun, who had asked all personnel to prepare for battle, stared at the two crestfallen bear generals for a long time, and his thousands of words were condensed into one sentence: "Damn... this is not called looking at people through the crack of the door, this is letting people lie at the foot of the door and look at us from below..."
General Bazel the Moonbear suddenly looked up. He had a lot of words in his heart, but he just couldn't put them into words. He could only express his indignation with a sad and angry expression - if you hadn't played countless sinister tricks to make us exhausted and lose all morale, you would have seen if we could fight! !
Considering the fighting power of the Bear Tribe, the two expeditionary forces totaling 4,000 people are not actually that much of a sign that the Beast King underestimates the Fire Tribe... Ten years ago, if these two armies had charged into the grassland separately and had not confronted the Tiger Tribe head-on, they would have been able to pierce the grassland and then join forces in victory.
However, as the saying goes, times have changed - many tribes in the east and central parts of the country have been absorbed and transferred to the Fire Tribe. The Bear Tribe troops who were avoiding the Tauren's march would find it difficult to encounter scattered tribes along the way and replenish their food and auxiliary troops by looting.
After finally relying on hunting to kill their way into the southwest, the Fire and Flame Tribe has not given them a chance to gather their strength and go to the battlefield in full condition... Either they have to fight the Fire and Flame Tribe on an empty stomach, get bombed, burned, and showered with arrows, or they are exhausted and then hit in the face by an army that is three times their size. It would be very unfair to expect them to show their fighting power...
Obviously, Xiao Yun would not give the enemy a chance to "defeat with honor". Others have already fought at home, so there is no point in talking about battlefield justice and combat honor. Just like his war advice to St. Bridge, no matter whether it is a covert or covert strategy, as long as it works, it is a good strategy!
Since the bear general couldn't be pried open, the Fire and Flame Tribe started with the soldiers. After learning from different bear warriors that there were indeed only these two armies sent by the Beast King to the grassland, the Fire and Flame Tribe lifted the national war readiness status.
First, the gray dwarves and goblins that were scattered in various traps were recalled and sent back to the new hilly area to start construction. Second, the recalled warriors were told not to waste the opportunity and to seize the time to train in groups for confrontation. Some of the snake and cat warriors who participated in this battle were selected to be incorporated into the "regular army" - although this homeland defense counterattack was a bit of a big show but little action, it was at least a successful mobilization to unite the people. The snake and cat warriors who had performed well in the battle should be formally organized and receive the same honorary treatment as the snow wolf warriors. (Previously, only cat magicians enjoyed the treatment of formal warriors)
Anyway, with the current financial resources of the Fire Department, it is not a problem to provide a few hundred more full-time soldiers... Besides, these soldiers are not fully full-time, and they still have to work when they are needed.
After settling their own affairs, the next issue is the placement of prisoners of war.
Although the two bear coalition forces that attacked the Fire Tribe were hit head-on by the Wolf Cavalry Brigade, at least they were not bombed or burned, and their casualties were much lower than those of the Black Bear Unit. Except for the men lost in traps along the way and a small number of soldiers who died on the spot, there were more than 820 people who survived as prisoners of war.
These 800 people were detained in a temporary settlement outside the cat farm for two days, with only the minimum supply of water and rice, and only charcoal basins for warmth at night. After the North District Command sent the Black Bear prisoners to the Fire and Flame Tribe, this group of people was able to move out of the makeshift straw hut and sent to the Fire and Flame Tribe to reunite with their fellow villagers.
The Fire Department's cat resettlement site has done a good job of "absorbing and transforming". Most of the cats already have their own houses and have moved out. The vacant houses are just right for use as "prisoner of war camps" - the Fire Department has no shortage of greenhouses, so there's no rush to renovate these houses.
In the prisoner-of-war camp barracks, which were much warmer than the straw huts they had stayed in before, three bear generals wearing heavy shackles "joined forces in victory" under the escort of snow wolf warriors. They looked at each other in bewilderment, and the atmosphere was so low that it was suffocating...
"We don't have enough rooms. The seriously injured will be accommodated in 10 rooms, and the lightly injured will be accommodated in 20 rooms. Those of you who are not injured will have to squeeze in, 30 people in one room." Qiu, who was in charge of assigning the barracks, came over with a notebook. He first explained the placement of the POW camp, and then asked, "Your seriously injured need manpower to take care of them. Generals, please think about who is suitable to take care of your seriously injured. They need to be flexible, patient, and careful. Sloppy people are not allowed."
"..." The three generals said nothing.
Qiu said seriously, "Please correct your attitude and cooperate with our work of resettling prisoners of war. In this weather, the wounds of the seriously injured are not easy to worsen and become inflamed, but eating, drinking, defecating and urinating are very problematic. If no one takes care of them personally, these seriously injured may not survive this winter. You are all high-level leaders of the Bear Tribe. You can't just sit back and watch your own people lying on the kang waiting to die when they clearly have a chance to survive, right?"
Things had come to this point, so naturally the three bear generals could no longer pretend to be deep, and could only cooperate with the serious-looking caracal and shamefacedly recommended a group of "caregivers".
Qiu wrote down the names they reported and left to look for people in each barracks.
The Snow Wolf warrior in charge of guarding the prisoners of war removed the handcuffs of the three generals and left only the shackles on them. He told the three of them to get along well with the 27 people in the same room and not to fight. He also told the ordinary prisoners of war who did not have to wear shackles that if there was a fight in the same room and the others did not stop it, the rations of everyone in the room would be deducted. Then he closed the door and left.
The prisoners in the dimly lit barracks sat in silence for a long, long time...
The Snow Wolf warriors who were guarding the prisoners of war patrolled the rooms in the barracks. When they passed by the room where General San was imprisoned, they would go close to the window to listen.
"There was no quarrel!" A Snow Wolf warrior said in surprise. "I heard from the Grassroots Chief that the Black Bear General made a fuss for several days when he was imprisoned in the MSG factory. When he was transferred here, he also told us to watch carefully. I didn't expect him to be so honest now."
"Before, he was the only general. Now there are three generals in the room. No one is special. Of course, he is honest and spicy." Another Snow Wolf warrior said as a matter of course, "Didn't you hear the Grassroots Chief say that when he was given the same food as the Bear Warriors, he would lose his temper."
"It's very strange. Why should I get angry if I eat the same thing as others?" The soldier who spoke first clapped his hands and continued to patrol the camp with his companions.
"No wonder you always fail social studies and have to retake it every year. Outside of our grasslands, many people insist on receiving treatment that matches one's status. It would be very rude to them to give the same treatment to people of different status..."
"Stop talking, stop talking. I get a headache just hearing this. It's so troublesome. Can't everyone be the same? There are so many things to learn, memorize and remember, and it's annoying to have to use my brain to remember these things!"
The footsteps of the two soldiers guarding the prisoner-of-war camp gradually faded away. The atmosphere in the barracks where the three generals were imprisoned became even more gloomy and depressing, with a hint of indescribable embarrassment...
