The witch doctor's face was extremely unpleasant, and at this moment, he almost swallowed Yu Li's heart, considering him more a liability than an asset.
"He's slandering me; I didn't instruct him," the witch doctor denied through gritted teeth.
"I'm not slandering. Master told me to do it, and he gave me the snake blood," Yu Li said fearfully.
Yu Su looked at the witch doctor, "Witch Doctor, would you mind if we check your belongings?"
The witch doctor, with a dark expression, attempted to justify, "Even if I have Black Python blood, so what? It can ward off snakes. I carry it for self-defense. Yu Li stole the snake blood and harmed others; what does that have to do with me?"
Disappointed, Yu Su looked at the witch doctor, "You still won't admit that you're harming people."
"What evidence do you have?" the witch doctor retorted.
Yu Su looked at him and said, word by word, "You claim that Black Python blood is evil, even a trace of it can be considered an evil influence. Yet, you carry a large jar of Black Python blood, stating it's for self-defense. So, is Black Python blood an evil substance or a means of self-defense?"
"If it's an evil substance, as a witch doctor trusted by the Mountain God, using an evil substance from the hands of an evil god for self-defense, how is that different from betraying the Mountain God?"
"If it's not an evil substance, it means you lied from the beginning. You intentionally slandered me, making everyone believe I worshiped an evil god. You watched as I was chased by the Black Bear King without intervening, showing malicious intent. Your actions are wicked, and your heart is condemnable."
The witch doctor turned pale.
Others also realized the situation; even if Yu Li wasn't instructed by the witch doctor, he was still framing Yu Su.
They had always respected the witch doctor, and now, it was hard for them to accept what he had done.
"Witch Doctor, why did you do this?" the village chief asked sternly.
The witch doctor tightened his grip on his wooden staff, sneering, "You've all been deceived by Yu Su. I'm just eliminating this evil for the good of Yu Village, ridding us of this scourge."
"Yu Su isn't evil!"
"Yes, Witch Doctor, Yu Su is the chosen successor of the Mountain God. How could he be evil?"
Everyone refuted the witch doctor; they didn't believe Yu Su was evil. Even Yu Da's family, having witnessed Yu Su's miraculous abilities, couldn't bring themselves to accuse him of being evil at this moment. They remained silent.
Seeing almost no one supporting him, the witch doctor knew he had lost the battle.
He cast a sinister glance at Yu Su, "Everything I did was for the good of Yu Village. You'll regret not believing that Yu Su is evil."
The village chief shook his head, his tone solemn, "Witch Doctor, I have always respected you. I know you've been displeased since Yu Su was favored by the Mountain God. You've been opposing him at every turn, and I turned a blind eye to it. But what you did today goes against the will of the Mountain God and the rules of Yu Village. I can no longer turn a blind eye. Yu Feng, arrange for two people to guard the Witch Doctor. When we return to the village from Salt Village, we'll leave his fate to the judgment of the Mountain God."
"Yes."
Yu Feng selected two members of the hunting team to guard the witch doctor.
The witch doctor's face looked grim; he understood that he was about to be imprisoned.
"Village Chief, after all I've done for Yu Village, is this how you treat me?" the witch doctor exclaimed angrily.
The village chief looked at him sternly, "If it weren't for the many things you've done for Yu Village, I wouldn't leave your fate to the judgment of the Mountain God. I would have killed you on the spot."
The witch doctor turned even paler.
Facing the rare anger of the village chief, others dared not voice any objections.
* * *
In the following days, the group traveled for two more days.
Perhaps the bait that Yu Su had laid down earlier worked. Yu Meng and the others worked hard to cultivate, and just as they were about to reach Salt Village, Yu Meng finally broke through the first meridian.
"I did it!"
Yu Meng jumped in excitement, then hurriedly approached a tree and shouted, delivering a punch.
Crack.
The tree broke.
Yu Feng and the others gathered around, looking at him in amazement.
"How did you do that?"
"Why didn't I succeed?"
Yu Meng was ecstatic and eagerly recounted how he broke through the first meridian. Then, he ran excitedly to Yu Su.
"Brother Yu Su, look, I did it!"
"Saw it."
Yu Su was genuinely happy; he had been wondering if Yu Meng and the others would be able to break through on their own, and he had even considered using force to help them. However, he was concerned about potentially mishandling it.
"Brother Yu Su, can I learn the witchcraft you mentioned last time?" Yu Meng asked with anticipation.
Yu Su shook his head, "Not yet. You haven't guided spiritual energy into your dantian."
"Not yet." Yu Meng looked a bit disappointed.
Yu Su encouraged, "As long as you keep working hard, open up your meridians, and guide spiritual energy into your dantian, I'll not only teach you that technique but others as well."
Yu Meng cheered up again, promising to work even harder to break through his meridians in the next few days.
After Yu Meng left, Lu Yan sat down next to Yu Su.
Being tall, Lu Yan blocked Yu Su from the side. Not only did he have a strong presence, but his sturdy thighs also touched Yu Su's thighs when he sat down.
With his powerful aura and slightly higher body temperature, there was a hint of sweat on Lu Yan. When their bodies touched, the hot and slightly sticky sensation made Yu Su's scalp tingle.
"What are you doing?"
"I, too, want to learn."
"I told you, what are you doing sitting so close? Move a bit!"
Lu Yan showed a puzzled expression; was sitting closer not good? He liked sitting close to Yu Su. Yu Su's body was cool, unlike others who smelled of sweat. He also had a faint, pleasant scent of medicinal herbs. Being near Yu Su made him feel extremely comfortable.
"You smell nice."
"..."
Lu Yan's straightforwardness left Yu Su speechless again.
And besides, did he even have any fragrance?!