Due to the shock, Yu Zhou remained silent throughout the journey, not even the event of flying in the sky could lift his spirits.
Back in Yu Village, Yu Su, concerned about potential nightmares, recited a calming mantra for him to rest well. Yu Zhou, once somewhat introverted, had emerged from his shell in recent years, and Yu Su feared this incident might leave a psychological impact.
Fortunately, after a brief rest, the young one regained some spirit.
"Scared? Will you still go out in the future?" Yu Su asked, placing a hand on his forehead.
After a moment of hesitation, Yu Zhou responded, "Yes!"
Yu Su praised him, "Good, your courage remains."
"Brother, is Dad's injury okay?" Yu Zhou inquired.
Sitting nearby, Jian Yunchuan, after expelling the evil energy from his back and waist, had taken the medicine given by Yu Su. His bleeding had stopped, and the wounds were beginning to heal.
"Just minor injuries, can't trouble your old man much," Jian Yunchuan reassured.
Relieved, Yu Zhou, like a little adult, said, "That demonic beast and those barbarians, why did they turn out like that?"
Yu Su's gentle expression turned serious, "Still don't know how they got infected with evil energy, need to investigate."
Jian Yunchuan added, "The evil energy is powerful. One villager from Da Feng Village touched a corpse of the transformed barbarian and got infected. Cut off his arm too late, turned into a threat, had to end his life."
After hearing the details, Yu Su connected it to the evil energy associated with the dark god, similar to past encounters. It sent shivers, but he knew it needed further investigation.
After sending Jian Yunchuan and Yu Zhou back to the village, Yu Su returned to Da Feng Village. There, retribution unfolded as the villagers faced consequences for their betrayal.
After dealing with them, Yu Su instructed his group to return home, abandoning plans for trade with Sanhe Village. The injured desert leopard was transported on horseback.
Watching them leave, Yu Su told Land Yan, "Have you checked the forest?"
Land Yan replied, "Not yet."
Yu Su instructed, "Go take a look."
Following the lingering traces of evil energy, they arrived at the forest Jian Yunchuan mentioned, where the remnants of dark energy were more concentrated.
Yu Su and his group entered the forest, where they discovered the bodies of the barbarian trade caravan.
This time, the barbarian trade caravan consisted of more than thirty people. Except for the five barbarians transformed by evil, the rest lay here.
It was evident that they had been attacked by the demonic beast that turned them evil. The scene was tragic, with bodies showing signs of being gnawed, and the ground covered in blood.
Yu Su sighed and after a while said, "I informed the Barbarian High Shaman, and he insisted on coming to collect the bodies for the tribe, to return them to the embrace of the Beast God. They are on their way."
"But these bodies are severely damaged. I fear they might rot and attract other creatures before the Barbarian High Shaman arrives. Not sure if they'll undergo a mutation. It's best to burn them. I'll use my sword to bring the High Shaman here to decide. You search the vicinity for any other situations."
Lan Yan nodded, "Alright."
At that moment, the Barbarian High Shaman and others emerged from the eastern mountain path.
Yu Su landed on his sword and informed them about the barbarian trade caravan's bodies.
"It's a bit complicated, High Shaman. I'll take you there first to see."
The Barbarian High Shaman had anticipated something and nodded, "Thank you for your trouble."
Yu Su, with the Barbarian High Shaman, ascended on the sword, flying towards the direction of the forest.
It was the first time in his life that the Barbarian High Shaman flew in the air. Looking down at the mountains and rivers, his face turned slightly pale.
"Lord Yu Su, I won't fall, right?" The Barbarian High Shaman stood stiffly on the flying sword, not daring to move, afraid of falling off.
Yu Su told him to place his hand on his shoulder to stabilize the sword. "If you're afraid, don't look down, focus on what's ahead."
Taking this advice, the Barbarian High Shaman felt much better.
After some time, they arrived above the forest. Yu Su controlled the sword to descend slowly. Once on the ground, the Barbarian High Shaman heaved a sigh of relief, feeling stiff and sore after the experience.
Yu Su didn't land directly at the scene to avoid shocking the Barbarian High Shaman just after descending from the sky. It proved to be the right decision as the Barbarian High Shaman's face was quite pale, and his condition wasn't great.
"High Shaman, are you okay?" Yu Su asked.
The Barbarian High Shaman awkwardly replied, "My feet are a bit numb, let me rest for a moment."
Yu Su performed a small healing technique, clearing the blood circulation in his body.
The Barbarian High Shaman's pale face quickly regained color, and his feet were no longer stiff. Grateful, he said, "Thank you, Lord Yu Su."
"Don't be too polite. The entrance to the forest is just ahead; follow me."
The Barbarian High Shaman composed himself and followed Yu Su into the forest.
Inside the forest, they saw the tragic bodies of the barbarian trade caravan. The Barbarian High Shaman's expression turned grim. He tightened his grip on the wooden staff, muttered some words Yu Su couldn't understand, and approached the bodies. After inspecting each one, he realized five were missing.
Yu Su then informed him about the situation of the missing five individuals.
The Barbarian High Shaman's face showed a painful expression. "Our barbarian warriors are good sons, devout followers of the Beast God. Their souls will surely return to the embrace of the Beast God."
After the Barbarian High Shaman somewhat calmed down, Yu Su said, "I regret to inform you that we can't leave these bodies for too long. We need to burn them now for a more secure outcome."
The Barbarian High Shaman, understanding the situation, nodded, "I understand. Please allow me to recite a spell to guide their souls back to the Beast God's embrace."
Yu Su agreed, and the Barbarian High Shaman began chanting over the bodies.
Meanwhile, Lan Yan returned after searching the surroundings.
Yu Su asked him quietly, "Any findings?"
Lan Yan replied, "The evil energy extends eastward. I found a distressed small village along the way, and then the evil energy abruptly stops in the mountains to the east. Judging by the direction, that area is where the Source Shaman Tribe is located. I suspect that the demonic beast is the one we killed on the way."
Yu Su frowned, "My father also mentioned that the demonic beast, which was supposed to be dead with a wooden stake through its abdomen, was encountered again on our journey. However, when we killed the demonic beasts along the way, we disposed of their bodies. Could it be..."
They encountered a Three-Tailed Tiger on their journey, a mere ordinary third-tier demonic beast whose strength was inferior to the Desert Leopard King. If it hadn't been corrupted, boosting its strength significantly, it wouldn't even be able to defeat the Desert Leopard King.
Initially, they encountered it on a cliff. The Three-Tailed Tiger, after being pierced by a wooden stake, fell off the cliff. Since the Three-Tailed Tiger had no breath at that time, and the cliff was rarely visited, it was the only demonic beast whose body wasn't disposed of.
Yu Su: "Could there be something beneath that cliff?"
Lan Yan: "We'll only know by going to see."
Yu Su's mood is now somewhat complicated. If he had known that today's events would unfold, he should have checked beneath the cliff back then.
Lan Yan: "No one could have anticipated this. It's not our fault but the fault of the evil entity."
They have done their best, and it's impossible to handle everything perfectly. Considering others, how many would go out of their way like Yu Su, making a trip to the Source Shaman Tribe and clearing out the demonic beasts running into the plains along the way.