With the strength of Yu Meng, twenty lashes would cripple these six slaves.
Yu Su specifically instructed him to hold back a bit, not to truly incapacitate them.
Yu Meng patted his chest and said, 'Yu Su, you can rest assured. I know how to handle it.'
These slaves were intentionally brought back by Yu Su; they would be needed for work in the future when developing the salt field. There was no way he would render them useless.
Seeing that Yu Meng understood the severity of the situation, Yu Su didn't interfere further. He entered the thatched hut to observe the condition of the young man.
The young man was still in a deep sleep, but his body temperature had returned to normal.
Observing Yu Su's concern for the young man, Lu Yan asked, 'Why bother saving him?'
In his view, the young man was almost dead, seemingly frail. Saving him not only exhausted Yu Su but also wasted precious herbs. Additionally, the young man might not be able to do much work in the future.
Yu Su briefly explained, 'This young man is the leader of that group of slaves. Saving him is beneficial for subduing the rest of the slaves.'
Lu Yan responded, 'Not saving him, still works, subduing them.'
He still couldn't articulate long sentences, but his tone had improved significantly. It probably wouldn't be long before he could communicate normally.
His thoughts were simple; if those slaves didn't obey, just beat them until they did. As long as Yu Su handed over those slaves to him, he was confident he could control them.
Yu Su looked at him with a half-smile, 'I also saved you.'
Lu Yan immediately said, 'It's different.'
Yu Su raised an eyebrow inwardly. This guy was quite confident, huh? Initially, he saved Lu Yan because of the iron piece. Later, keeping Lu Yan around was due to his high comprehension.
Then Lu Yan continued, 'I am useful.'
Yu Su: '...'
He underestimated this guy. Lu Yan was quite clear-minded.
'You don't think I'm too utilitarian?'
Lu Yan, not understanding the term, prompted Yu Su to explain. Lu Yan quickly grasped the meaning, but his expression remained unchanged. He questioned, 'I'm useless, why did you save me?'
Yu Su: '...'
This guy's psychological resilience is abnormally strong. He lost."
Yu Su understood his meaning and said, "It's not like that. You are mine now. As long as you don't betray me, I'll rescue you no matter what danger you face."
He had promised not to mistreat Lu Yan as long as he remained loyal. This commitment held true at all times.
A bright light burst in Lu Yan's eyes as he stared at Yu Su.
Yu Su commented, "Off topic. You asked me why I didn't use force to subdue those slaves, right? Using force to suppress is ultimately the last resort. Winning people's hearts, making them genuinely work for us, is the better strategy."
Lu Yan, curious, said, "I don't quite understand."
Since they were already discussing this, Yu Su didn't mind explaining the difference to him.
Lu Yan listened, somewhat comprehending, lost in his thoughts.
Yu Su didn't elaborate further. He believed that with Lu Yan's insight, even if he didn't fully understand now, he would figure it out later.
The rescued young man woke up the next morning, surprised to find himself in an unfamiliar environment.
After understanding the situation, he fell silent for a moment.
But it didn't take him long to express his gratitude to Yu Su, "Thank you for saving me."
Knowing he was close to death yesterday, he understood that no one would go to such lengths for a dying slave. Yet, Yu Su had saved him. Even if he were foolish, he knew to be grateful.
Moreover, hearing that Yu Su was the heir to the Mountain God, he believed it. The means that pulled him back from the brink of death must be divine, so when the young man looked at Yu Su again, he felt a natural awe.
"You were originally from Ma Village," Yu Su said.
The young man nodded, revealing his name, "I'm called Xin Ya. My father was the chief of Ma Village, and the six people who were with me were originally guards from Ma Village."
Xin Ya explained that Ma Village relied on farming and hunting for livelihood. They were skilled in cultivating corn, planting and processing hemp for clothing, leading a prosperous life with a large population. However, everything changed half a year ago.
The previous chief and shaman of Salt Village died while passing through Ma Village, leading Salt Village residents to believe that Ma Village people were responsible. Despite Ma Village's attempts to explain, Salt Village residents didn't believe and attacked Ma Village, resulting in its destruction.
Many people in Ma Village died, including Xin Ya's father and the village shaman. The survivors either fled into the wilderness or were captured by Salt Village as slaves.
Xin Ya was fortunate to have guards like Xin Dong protecting him, so even as a slave, he didn't suffer much. Yet, because they were difficult to tame, they changed owners several times before Yu Su exchanged them back.
"My feet were injured a few days ago in Iron Village. When they sent us back, I thought I was done for," Xin Ya said, as those selling slaves wouldn't bother treating their injuries.
Xin Ya was full of gratitude towards Yu Su.
Yu Su asked, "You mentioned that the previous chief and shaman of Salt Village suddenly died in Ma Village. Do you know what happened?"
Xin Ya's expression changed, becoming stern, "They were lodging in Ma Village. They suddenly died in their own houses at night, and we have no idea how they died. My father said they were likely killed by their own people."
"Their own people killed them?" Yu Su raised an eyebrow. "Did your father find out anything?"
Xin Ya replied, "My father said they were poisoned."
Yu Su asked, "What kind of poison?"
"We haven't had a chance to check. Salt Village people took their bodies away. Although they stayed in our village that night, their guards had surrounded their house tightly. We couldn't get close. Even though my father prepared food for them, I'm sure that food wasn't poisoned!"
While Xin Ya's words couldn't guarantee absolute truth, about 80% seemed credible. At least, the chief of Ma Village wouldn't be foolish enough to poison the chief and shaman of Salt Village on their own turf.
However, from the fact that Salt Village's chief and shaman stayed overnight in Ma Village, there shouldn't be much conflict between the two villages.
But...
"Why did they go to your village to stay?"
"They were returning from Feng City and passed through our village."
Feng City?
This was the first time Yu Su heard this name. He immediately felt that this Feng City wasn't simple. He inquired, "Feng City, do you have any records about it?"
"No, there are no records about the main forces at this time having a place named Feng City."
Since Xin Ya hadn't been to Feng City, he couldn't provide more detailed information. Moreover, according to Xin Ya, Feng City was extremely distant from here, requiring at least half a year of travel.
Yu Su could only set aside this matter for now; even if he had the intention, it wasn't the time to visit that Feng City.
Moreover, he had more important matters to attend to.
Things here were mostly settled, so Yu Su informed Yu Feng and the others about his plan to go to the Black Flame Valley.
"You're going to the Black Flame Valley?"
"Brother Yu Su, the Black Flame Valley is where the mountain god of Salt Village resides. Outsiders are not allowed in."
Yu Feng and the others thought Yu Su's decision to go to the Black Flame Valley was risky.
Yu Su said, "My father's illness lacks a certain herb. I need to go to the Black Flame Valley to find it. I have no choice."
Hearing that it was related to Jian Yunchuan's illness, Yu Feng and the others refrained from advising further. Still, they all wanted to go with him.
Yu Su refused, "The people from Ma Village just arrived. Although they are obedient now, I still need you to keep an eye on them for my peace of mind. Also, if I haven't returned in a couple of days, accompany the village chief in escorting everyone back to the village."
"What about you?"
"I will catch up with you."
"I'll go with you," Lu Yan said.
Yu Su didn't want to take anyone, but Yu Meng and the others insisted that Yu Su must at least take one person with him, either Lu Yan or one of them, or else they wouldn't feel at ease.
Yu Su looked at Lu Yan, who was determined to come along.
"..."
Fine, tag along. He was used to it. If this guy ever stopped being a tail, then he would find it strange.
*
The Black Flame Valley was to the north of Salt Village, and it would take a day to reach from there.
Both Yu Su and Lu Yan were cultivators with enhanced physical abilities, so they arrived near the Black Flame Valley before noon.
As they approached, they noticed that the soil and stones in this area were black, and the vegetation was unusually lush. Before reaching the valley entrance, they could already smell a sulfuric scent.
Lu Yan became alert upon smelling this odor, as the wind carried a dangerous hint.
Yu Su found a higher vantage point to observe. Inside, he saw a vast valley with a towering black mountain at its center. There was a gap at the summit, and the surroundings were barren, likely cooled magma and ash residue.
There should still be flowing magma inside the mountain, but it seemed like it hadn't erupted in a long time. Besides that mountain, the entire valley was covered with flourishing vegetation. Towering trees obstructed the view of the valley's interior, making it hard to discern what was inside.
A black python lived in the Black Flame Valley, revered by the people of Salt Village as their mountain god. Its strength was undoubtedly much greater than that of the Black Bear King, making it even more challenging to deal with.
Yu Su instructed the all-encompassing spirit, "Keep the scan active. Alert me immediately if anything seems wrong."
All-encompassing spirit: "Understood."
With the scanning enabled, Yu Su told Lu Yan, "Let's go, into the valley. Remember to stay close to me. When I run, follow immediately."
Lu Yan nodded.
The two walked into the valley.