Back home, Jian Yunchuan and Yu Zhou were waiting for them.
Jian Yunchuan had already heard about Hedong Village, and after hearing more details from Yu Su, he frowned.
"Father, do you know what Witch Fruit is?" Jian Yunchuan asked.
Jian Yunchuan shook his head, "I haven't heard of such a thing as Witch Fruit. That thing turns people into monsters. Calling it Witch Fruit insults Lord Witch God."
Yu Su agreed, wondering where the Lion Tribe people got it from.
"When you arrange the patrol teams, include me," Jian Yunchuan suggested.
Yu Su didn't refuse and nodded, "Alright."
At night, while Yu Zhou and Jian Yunchuan snored on the warm kang, Yu Su sat cross-legged beside the fire pit, absorbing spiritual energy. The embers of charcoal in the fire pit provided some warmth.
Thinking about the day, he asked Lu Yan, "Can you understand the language the slave leader spoke? Did you learn it in the east?"
Lu Yan nodded, having wandered there for a long time. However, he subconsciously avoided revealing what he did in the east, as Yu Su, being the descendant of the Mountain God, might disapprove.
"Your language talent is quite high," Yu Su remarked, noticing Lu Yan's quick learning abilities.
"When you have time, teach me," Yu Su continued.
Lu Yan was puzzled, "Why learn?"
Yu Su said, "Someday, we will leave this valley surrounded by mountains. We will inevitably deal with the people from the east. Learn in advance, be prepared."
Understanding Yu Su's intention when they leave the area, Lu Yan agreed to teach him.
Yu Su smiled, pleased. "Xiao Quanzi, remember to record when he teaches."
[Got it.]
*
The next day, He Qiang came with fellow villagers to pick up the people.
He expressed gratitude again to Yu Su, especially for providing fur for the children's warmth and allowing them to eat their fill. Adults having only a bit of hot soup didn't bother him.
It demonstrated that Yu Village was not affluent in food either. They should appreciate Yu Village's goodwill in giving them two bags of grain.
"Here are two bags of grain, take them back."
Looking at the bags of grain, He Qiang's eyes reddened. He clenched his fist, faced Yu Su, and thumped his left chest.
Yu Su understood it was a gesture of gratitude, smiled, and nodded slightly.
Helping Hedong Village also had Yu Su's considerations. Yu Village was too small, and to grow, they needed more people. He eyed Hedong Village, hoping they might consider merging with Yu Village.
After Hedong Village left, Yu Su divided the strong labor force in the village into ten teams, patrolling the village at different times and locations.
During other times, he took Lu Yan and others out, using snow wolves to pull sleds, expanding the range of their patrols to almost all the terrains on the other side of the river.
[The land here is quite fertile; anything can grow.]
"I agree, it's truly a treasure land here."
They needed careful planning on how to utilize it. There was also the matter of opening up roads and the salt field...
Thinking about it, there was indeed a lot to do. However, he enjoyed the feeling of building his own influence from scratch, so he didn't mind the hard work.
*
Hedong Village.
After He Qiang brought back the women and children, they searched the vacant houses, gathered any available food, and combined it with the grain given by Yu Village.
"Village Chief, this food might only last us for ten days," a Hedong villager worried.
He Qiang also noticed. With about fifty people, half of them women and children, it was impossible for them to search for food in this season. Even the remaining young adults, injured or not, he dared not send all of them out, fearing more accidents.
"If the Witch Doctor were still here, it would be great. He should have found a solution," someone said, teary-eyed.
The Witch Doctor of Hedong Village died resisting the monsters, along with the former village chief. Now, they had no Witch Doctor.
Even the medical treatment for the villagers was assisted by people from Yu Village.
"Speaking of it, the Witch Doctor of Yu Village is so powerful, almost like a god."
"They are only seven people, yet they killed the monsters that attacked our village."
Hedong villagers were impressed with the abilities of Yu Village's Witch Doctor and his guards, possessing god-like powers. The fact that the Witch Doctor could tame snow wolves to pull sleds amazed them.
If they had such a Witch Doctor, none of their people would have died.
People couldn't help but envy Yu Village.
He Qiang also felt envious, but that Witch Doctor belonged to Yu Village.
"Stop talking about this. The Witch Doctor is kind-hearted, willing to give us two bags of grain to survive the winter. We can endure for ten more days and will surely find more food."
"Don't forget, there are women and children waiting for us to take care of."
He Qiang's words lifted the spirits of others. They formed a hunting team, ready to go outside and find animals that might be foraging in the snowy weather.
Initially, it went smoothly, but trouble arose within two days.
They encountered a Mammoth foraging in the snowy field since there were no other prey available. They decided to target the Mammoth, thinking its large size would provide enough food for a long time.
However, their optimistic thoughts were shattered by reality. Instead of killing the Mammoth, several of their people got severely injured.
"Village Chief, what do we do? He Cai can't hold on much longer!"
Yes, the unfortunate person was He Cai, who was hit on the thigh by the Mammoth, creating a bloody hole.
If it weren't for the prolonged nourishment from spiritual energy during this period and He Cai's decent physical condition, he might not have held on until they returned to the village.
With enough deaths already in the village, He Qiang didn't want He Cai to die as well. Gritting his teeth, he led the way to Yu Village, seeking Yu Su's help.Since Yu Su wanted to bring the people of Hedong Village under his control, he wouldn't refuse to help.
"Take a rest and head back when you're ready. I'll go ahead," Yu Su said.
In the shocked eyes of He Qiang and the others, Yu Su sat on the sled, and in the blink of an eye, he disappeared. The few guards following Yu Su were also incredibly fast, almost at a speed that didn't seem human.
"Vil... Village Chief, it turns out what He Cai and the others said is true!"
"Witch God above, I've never seen anything like this..."
He Qiang was also shocked, but he was still concerned about He Cai. After calming his emotions, he hurriedly led the group back.
By this time, Yu Su and the others had already reached Hedong Village.
Seeing Yu Su coming on the sled, the villagers of Hedong Village were equally stunned. Especially those two snow wolves, they were unbelievably well-behaved.
Seeing is believing, and at this moment, the villagers of Hedong Village completely believed He Cai's words. The Witch Doctor of Yu Village truly seemed god-like.
"Respected Witch Doctor, please save He Cai. He's been gored in the thigh by a Mammoth and is near death," a villager from Hedong Village pleaded.
Yu Su had already heard from He Qiang how He Cai got injured. "Lead the way."
The villager from Hedong Village took a moment to understand Yu Su's meaning and quickly led him to He Cai's house.
The room had a strong, unpleasant smell of blood and mold.
Yu Su frowned. Was the environment meant to make He Cai die faster?
"Find a more spacious place. Lu Yan, take He Cai to the Village Chief's house."
"Yes."
Lu Yan and the others quickly carried He Cai out. The villagers of Hedong Village, seeing this, dared not obstruct and followed to the Village Chief's house.
The Village Chief's house was indeed much brighter and spacious. Yu Su asked for hot water and then examined He Cai's wound.
The wound was quite large, covered with a layer of mashed herbs that obscured its shape. It barely stopped bleeding, but any movement would cause it to reopen.
"The wound needs to be cleaned again. I need these things..."
The people from Hedong Village quickly brought what Yu Su needed, and then they were promptly kicked out of the house.
So many people crowding would hinder him in saving the person.
"Xiao Quanzi, scan the specific condition of his wound and check if there are other injuries," Yu Su instructed the all-encompassing spirit.
[Understood.]
The master and servant cooperated seamlessly, and with Yu Su's experience in handling such matters, they quickly re-cleaned He Cai's wound and bandaged it.
He was given a bowl of Purple Cloud Herb and Ganwu Soup.
He Cai's groans soon stopped, and his condition gradually stabilized.
After dealing with He Cai's injuries, He Qiang and the others had not returned.
Yu Su instructed others on how to take care of He Cai in his absence.
Seeing He Cai, who was now fine, the villagers felt relieved. They increasingly believed that Yu Su possessed divine abilities. Healing such a serious injury in such a short time, not to mention the previous deceased Witch Doctor, even the ones before him couldn't have done it!
Yu Su noticed the awe in the villagers' eyes. After thinking for a moment, he deliberately touched He Cai's forehead, just like he did with Yu Bei that day.
The gentle Wood Spirit Power healed He Cai, rapidly restoring color to his face and bringing back blood to his pale lips.
Thud.
Witnessing this scene up close, a villager's knees went weak, and he knelt down.
"Witch God above, this is the power of the gods!"
"Witch Doctor, please forgive us for our previous rudeness..."
Yu Su's brother, Yu Meng, snorted silently, thinking these people really lacked knowledge. They were scared by just a bit of Wood Spirit Power.
Also, Yu Su's brother knew well that Yu Su was the descendant of the Mountain God, not some Witch God.
Despite these thoughts, Yu Meng kept them to himself, understanding that this wasn't the time to be verbose. He silently stood to the side.
"Cough, get up. There's no need to keep kneeling," although Yu Su intentionally showed off, the villagers were overly fond of kneeling in excitement.
"No, no, no, we should be kneeling to you," insisted a villager from Hedong Village.
"Cough, cough..."
At this moment, He Cai on the bed woke up.