"Father, I plan to go to Iron Casting Village with Lu Yan to explore the trade route," Yu Su informed Jian Yunchuan of his next plan.
Jian Yunchuan nodded without the worry He Qiang had. He believed Yu Su could handle any danger, considering he was now a Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivator.
"Alright, how long will you be back?"
"Not sure, at least five or six days, but not more than a month. I'll return as soon as possible. During this time, you'll take care of Yu Zhou, and I might consult you about other village matters."
"No trouble at all. Take care, and your safe return is what matters most."
"We will. Now, let me explain the expansion plans for the village. You can start working on it during this time, no rush."
Yu Su handed the detailed expansion map he had drawn to Jian Yunchuan.
"Hmm!" Jian Yunchuan, after a quick glance, expressed surprise. Then he looked at Yu Su, "This plan is quite extensive. Are you planning to overhaul the entire village?"
Yu Su smiled slightly, "Might as well take this opportunity to rebuild and give you some practice."
Jian Yunchuan carefully examined the expansion map, rolled it up, and tucked it into his clothes, "Alright, leave this to me. I promise to build a village exactly like the one on the map."
Others might struggle, but Yu Su trusted Jian Yunchuan to handle it.
Firstly, Jian Yunchuan was an Earth-element cultivator, the most suitable for the job. Secondly, coming from Feng City, he had seen large-scale cities like Feng City itself. How could he not understand Yu Su's intentions?
In fact, Jian Yunchuan believed he could do even better.
With confidence from his time guarding a large city like Feng City, he understood every aspect of city planning. What should be done where, the functions of different structures—everything was clear to him.
Yu Su's detailed drawings included elements Jian Yunchuan hadn't seen before. Still, understanding their purpose, he was confident he could recreate them!
After delegating tasks, Yu Su set out with Lu Yan.
He left the two snow wolves in the village to defend it alongside the patrol team.
Traveling lightly with Lu Yan, there was one stubborn companion—perched on his head was a determined little fluff.
The small black bird insisted on following, and Yu Su had no choice but to bring the little troublemaker along.
"Don't show any strangeness, okay? In case we encounter a big monster, you might get eaten," Yu Su cautioned the bird.
The fluffy ball, with eyes the size of green beans, showed a hint of indifference. It was a majestic divine bird; which big monster would dare to eat it?
"Yes, yes, you're a divine bird, but right now, you're just a little chick," Yu Su teased.
Infuriated, the usually obedient fluff bit onto Yu Su's hair and tugged.
"Hiss!"
"Don't pull, you might pull all my hair out!"
After a hiss, Yu Su quickly had it released, and Lu Yan reached over to help untangle his hair from the little fluff's grasp.
Yu Su quickly plucked the fluff off, staring at it, "You're getting temperamental?"
The fluff expressed its displeasure with a couple of chirps, indicating it didn't want to be called a little chick.
"Alright, alright, I won't call you a little chick anymore, but look at your small size. How much combat power can you have? I've heard that eggs and chicks of divine birds are excellent nourishment for other big monsters. Be careful not to be swallowed in one bite."
The little black bird chirped twice, indicating it was a destined divine bird, and no monster would dare to eat it.
However, its chirps were overly complex, and Yu Su couldn't quite understand. Unaware of the concept of a destined divine bird, he told it, "Just be careful, okay?"
The little black bird remained silent.
Feeling annoyed, the little bird squatted on his hair, not saying anything. It displayed a sense of elegance and loneliness with its fluffy, raised feathers.Lu Yan glanced at it and felt that its state was a bit strange. He said to Yu Su,
Yu Su thought for a moment, "Perhaps it's hungry."
He and Lu Yan went into the mountains to find some food for the little black bird. When the bird saw the food, its eyes lit up, and it chirped happily while eating. The previous depression was forgotten.
Lu Yan: "Looks like it was really hungry."
Yu Su also nodded.
The little black bird missed the opportunity to express itself just because of a mouthful of food.
Yu Su and Lu Yan traveled quickly, familiar with most of the terrain on the east bank of the river. Soon, they arrived at the long and narrow plain mentioned by He Qiang.
It was actually a river valley plain, but the river here was not as turbulent as the main river outside Yu Village. It flowed gently, and tall trees grew on both sides of the plain, flourishing with vitality.
Following the river, they gradually left the plain and reached the vast land to the north.
"No wonder there are many villages here. It's so vast and looks fertile, indeed suitable for habitation," Lu Yan commented.
Surveying the surroundings, Lu Yan said, "I've been here before."
Yu Su asked, "You've been here? Which villages have you visited?"
"Many, but I haven't entered any villages, just observed from a distance. I am a wild man, a dangerous presence for them. If I appear near a village, I'll be surrounded," Lu Yan explained.
Understanding, Yu Su comforted him, "It's all in the past."
Looking at him, Lu Yan knew Yu Su was comforting him, but he didn't feel any shame in those days. He and the people on this land were not so different, all struggling to survive.
Except for Yu Su. Yu Su not only desired to live but also thought about many other things.
For example, Yu Su valued cleanliness and hygiene, preferred cooked food, and rarely touched raw and bloody meat. He considered others' thoughts, respecting their dignity. Currently, he was teaching characters to Yu Zhou and others, a skill usually considered exclusive to divine messengers. In Yu Su's eyes, everyone could learn...
There were many things, and Yu Su could articulate many truths he had never considered before.
Yu Su was different from the people on this land, different from the witch doctors and great witches. Perhaps Yu Su himself hadn't noticed, but many people should have.
So, everyone hoped to earn Yu Su's approval. They responded enthusiastically to his orders, hoping Yu Su would be satisfied with them.
Lu Yan also didn't plan to reveal his thoughts. Yu Su comforted him, and he obediently nodded, "You're right; I'm your person now."
Yu Su choked and almost choked on his words.
He knew what Lu Yan meant, but it sounded so awkward.
"You are an independent person, not mine. Now, um, you are my subordinate and also my companion," Yu Su thought that saying Lu Yan listened to him but was different would be fine.
Lu Yan grasped the key words, pondered for a moment, and nodded, "You're right."
He and Yu Su were companions, constant companions.
The little black bird scratched Yu Su's hair a few times, found a more comfortable position, and crouched down. It couldn't understand the conversation, but it was greatly shocked.
Its inherited memories told it that the phrase "your person" had a special meaning. Companionship was also a term used between like-minded demon birds, and sometimes even demon couples. Or was it different in human terms?
Never mind, it didn't matter. It was just a little chick... no, a little black bird.
Better think about what to eat for the next meal.
In this lush wilderness, they frequently encountered barbaric beasts foraging and hunting teams.
Those teams were just like the hunting teams from Yu Village in the past. Each member wore a beast skin skirt around their waist and could run around carefree, paying no attention to the risk of exposure. Yu Su found it quite uncomfortable to watch.
He and Lu Yan were both neatly dressed, appearing out of place among these people.
Sometimes when they encountered these people, they would be vigilant and stare at them.
Some even attempted to approach, thinking of them as fat sheep to be slaughtered.
At such times, Lu Yan would either show his strength to drive them away or defeat them.
Gradually, no one dared to provoke them.
Yu Su also breathed a sigh of relief. The barbaric people were indeed unrestrained, both fierce and free-spirited, a paradise of natural freedom.
It didn't seem so bad, as long as they didn't go hungry.
Throughout the journey, they followed the route provided by He Qiang, and the all-encompassing elves scanned diligently.
Yu Su made adjustments to the route map, creating a detailed strategy.
Along the way, they observed the villages carefully without entering them. Sometimes, they would sneak in at night to take a look and then leave.
They avoided direct contact with those people.
One reason was not to cause alarm, and the other was to save time.
In this way, it took them at least six or seven days to thoroughly understand the dangers hidden in this wilderness—villages, lairs of barbaric beasts, and so on. The final stop was Iron Casting Village.
This time, Yu Su didn't intend to avoid it.
Iron Casting Village was their largest potential customer for future trading. Surface observation was not enough; they needed to have direct communication with the people of Iron Casting Village to grasp more information. If everything went well, they could inform them in advance, making it much more convenient when the trading caravan arrived.
Yu Su tidied up his attire and, together with Lu Yan, walked towards the gate of Iron Casting Village.
"Let's go, and let's talk to the people of Iron Casting Village."