.
After the bustling days in the trading market, it gradually quieted down. Some villages, having exchanged what they needed, left, leaving fewer people behind.
Observing the now quiet market, those who initially opposed its grand scale shook their heads, thinking it was a waste of manpower and resources.
"I said it before, there's no need to build such a large market for outsiders, but Lord Yu Su insisted."
"Lord Yu Su is too kind-hearted; there's no need to bother about those outsiders."
Such voices echoed in the village, especially among the elderly who believed the large market was unnecessary.
Displeased, conflicts arose between them and Yu Meng's group.
Liu Yan and Jian Yunchuan received complaints about soldiers abusing their power.
By the time Yu Su learned of it, the matter had already been resolved.
"How was it resolved?" Yu Su asked Liu Yan.
Liu Yan: "Yu Meng and the others willingly accepted punishment."
Yu Su immediately understood; Yu Meng's group didn't want to make things difficult for him.
Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Start the construction of the eastern trade route tomorrow."
Being older individuals, Yu Su didn't want to argue with them. He aimed to make them realize their mistake through actions.
...
The next day, Liu Yan announced the start of the construction of the eastern trade route on behalf of Yu Su.
Yu Meng's group eagerly prepared for the task.
"Finally, something to do. If those old folks keep complaining, I'll start hitting people."
"Exactly. Without Lord Yu Su, would they have such good days?"
"They criticize everything but have time to meddle."
"Alright, let's stop talking."
Passing by, Yu Ye advised with a somewhat helpless expression.
When Yu Meng's group spoke, deliberately raising their voices, the surrounding elderly were close to fainting from anger. Yu Ye worried they might be driven to death, and in the end, it would be Yu Meng's group facing punishment.
Yu Meng snorted, those old folks weren't that easily angered.
Yu Ye helplessly said, "Don't make it difficult for Lord Yu Su."
Only then did Yu Meng's group refrain from further comments.
News of Yu Village building the eastern trade route quickly spread to various settlements, and both the Barbarian Forest and Ironsmith Village were the most supportive, sending people to assist.
However, no one saw Yu Su. He wasn't part of the team constructing the trade route.
...
Eastern Plains.
Yu Su flew over the eastern mountains and arrived on the plain. He gathered information about the villages near the mountains, intending to organize it later. After the trade route opened, he could prioritize contact with these villages.
When near a village, Yu Su planned to record and leave, but he heard a loud cry, prompting him to look around. Recognizing the village as Bear Butchering Village, he decided to land and check what was happening.
The guards recognized Yu Su and called for the village chief, who came out excitedly, greeting him warmly.
"Yu Su, long time no see."
Yu Su also greeted, "Chief, it's been a while."
The village chief patted his shoulder, looking behind him and asking, "Why isn't that kid, Liu Yan, here?"
Yu Su replied, "He's busy with something, so he couldn't make it this time."
The guards and villagers gathered, curious about Yu Su's sudden appearance.
"Yu Su, why are you here all of a sudden?"
"I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me!"
They asked inquisitively. Yu Su explained he was traveling nearby and decided to visit old friends.
"I heard crying when I came over. What happened?"
The villagers' expressions turned grim. Even the village chief wore an unpleasant look.
The village chief said, "Indeed, something happened. Monsters from the mountains have been harassing us lately. Even our village's warriors were eaten."
Yu Su frowned, "Monsters appear frequently?"
The village chief nodded gravely, "Yes, just this morning, a three-eyed tiger appeared and ate one of our warriors."
A three-eyed tiger? That was indeed a demonic beast.
Weren't these beasts supposed to retreat into the deep mountains? How come they were appearing frequently on the outskirts?
Yu Su asked, "Where did the three-eyed tiger appear?"
It happened near a forest close to the mountains, one of Bear Butchering Village's hunting grounds. Since the incident, no one dared to go there today.
Yu Su said, "Take me there."
The village chief hesitated, but Yu Su assured him, "I can help you deal with it."
...
With the people of Bear Butchering Village, Yu Su arrived near the forest.
"The three-eyed tiger is in that forest, and we dare not approach anymore," the villagers said nervously.
Using his divine sense, Yu Su confirmed the presence of the three-eyed tiger in the forest. It had already noticed their approach and was running towards them.
"Roar!"
"It's here! The tiger is here!"
The villagers panicked and ran away. At that moment, a three-eyed tiger leaped out of the forest, heading straight for Yu Su.
With a cold snort, Yu Su summoned Teng Man and bound the three-eyed tiger.
After a loud crash, the tiger fell to the ground, wailing.
Others, astonished, hadn't expected Yu Su to have such powerful abilities, swiftly restraining the three-eyed tiger.
The old village chief and others walked over, looking at the three-eyed tiger solved by Yu Su. Their expressions were filled with awe; such divine ability was unprecedented for them.
"Yu Su, your divine ability is incredible!"
"How did you manage to do this?"
Yu Su told them it was a skill imparted by their mountain deity at Deer God Mountain.
The villagers of Bear Butchering Village listened in awe. For them, the mountain deity was a divine being, and they dared not ask more questions. They warmly escorted Yu Su back to Bear Butchering Village, thanking him for avenging their warrior.
The old village chief said, "Last time when you and Liu Yan came, I knew you were not ordinary people, but I never expected you could receive teachings from the mountain deity. I indeed did not misjudge you."
As everyone chatted, they discussed Yu Village's unique aspects. Learning about Yu Village's distinctiveness, the people of Bear Butchering Village became greatly curious.
Taking advantage of this, Yu Su extended an invitation, "You are welcome to visit my Yu Village in the future."
The people of Bear Butchering Village showed expressions of longing but also regret. Yu Village and their village were separated by vast mountains, and there were monsters in the mountains. Without Yu Su's divine abilities, it was impossible for them to cross the mountains to reach Yu Village.
Yu Su didn't immediately mention the matter of the trade route; they would know sooner or later.
Later, Yu Su inquired with the old village chief about the recent events on the plain in the past year. He learned that many villages that had moved away, including Rice Village, had returned after the disappearance of the Lion Tribe.
"Until now, no one knows who eliminated the Lion Tribe."
"Legend has it that it's a divine punishment because the Lion Tribe committed too many sins and was punished by the gods."
They discussed the Lion Tribe's matters, and with the shadow lifted from the plain, everyone's lives had improved over the past year.
The incident of Yu Su and Liu Yan eliminating the Lion Tribe was unknown, so their heroic deeds behind the scenes remained a secret.
...
Two days later, Yu Su returned to Yu Village.
He compiled the collected information into a booklet, leaving it for the future use of the trade caravan heading east.
Days passed amid the bustling construction of the trade route in Yu Village.
In a blink, over a month had passed.
At this moment, the distant city of Fengcheng finally sensed that something was amiss.
The team sent to Salt Village had been gone for a year, with no signs of returning. Even considering the long winter that hindered travel, it had been almost half a year since the end of winter.
"High Shaman, Ming Shi and the others haven't returned. Could something have happened?"
The High Shaman of Fengcheng frowned, "No message returned?"
"None. Ming Shi took nearly a thousand warriors with him. They should have quickly retrieved the goods. But it's been delayed for so long over there. I'm worried something might have happened. Would you consider using divination to check?"
The High Shaman's dark gaze looked towards the distant south, and he uttered two words, "Useless."
Others dared not speak, including the one who spoke before, who now lowered their head.
Finally, the High Shaman reluctantly divined the life and death of Ming Shi and the others. The ominous divination made the High Shaman instantly furious.
In the hall, everyone cowered on the ground in terror.
Someone spoke, "High Shaman, calm down. Perhaps Ming Shi and the others encountered some danger. I'll immediately send someone to Salt Village to investigate."
The High Shaman's tone was ominous, "Once you find out who targeted them, don't kill the person. Bring them back to me alive. I want to see who dares to lay hands on Fengcheng's people."
The people below shivered, and someone replied, "Yes!"
No one knew who had the audacity to harm Fengcheng's people. When that person fell into the High Shaman's hands, they would understand that being alive was more terrifying than death.