After reaching the summit, Yusu and Luyan found a vast highland plain, lush and undulating. In the middle, a long canyon, like a brown scar, cut through the plain, notably sizable. Venturing closer, they discovered a village nestled under the canyon, its structures ingeniously carved into the rock walls.
These villagers had set traps anticipating intruders, but Luyan's fiery arrows quickly drove them back into their caves. The village chief, mistaking them for divine beings, pleaded for forgiveness, explaining coercion by Fengcheng's envoy. The villagers, coerced into sabotage, revealed knowledge of Yucheng and offered goods traded from there.
Realizing Fengcheng's pervasive influence, Yusu and Luyan contemplated a different approach, envisioning a northern road as a boon to these villages, fostering gratitude towards Yucheng. The plan aimed at leveraging Yucheng's living deity, differentiating from Fengcheng's defunct pantheon, and influencing belief shifts.
The intention was clear: establish Yucheng as a benevolent force, transcending mere military dominance. The game plan involved tangible benefits, visibility of their deity, and exploiting the void left by Fengcheng's dissipated mystical influence. The duo aimed to not only counter Fengcheng's control but also potentially convert these villages into loyal allies.
"Besides, Yucheng is closer to Fengcheng, and relying on Yucheng is more reliable than relying on Fengcheng. As long as there are enough miracles and sufficient benefits, I don't believe they won't be tempted. If there are any tough issues, we'll just handle them directly." Yusu revealed his cunning nature.
"Good!" Yumeng enthusiastically applauded. "Yusu is right. Whoever doesn't obey, my fists will make them obedient."
Luyan added, "Yes. If Yucheng wants to confront Fengcheng, we need more support and control over a broader territory. Otherwise, even if we build a city, the surroundings will still be under Fengcheng's watchful eyes."
Yusu nodded in agreement; that was the idea.
He couldn't let Fengcheng choke him.
Jian Yunchuan chimed in, "Alright, let's go with your plan, build the road!"
...
In Yucheng,
Upon receiving a letter from the eagle and understanding Yusu's intentions, Yufeng immediately smiled. He knew Lord Yusu wouldn't quietly head north; there would be significant actions.
He summoned Yuye, discussed the matter, and then had Yuye lead a team north. Over a hundred soldiers and various road-building tools were added to the group.
The team quickly reached near the Snake Village, the endpoint of Yucheng's northern road. Meanwhile, Jian Yunchuan, accompanied by Yumeng and Yushan, returned to the Snake Village. After joining forces with Yuye's team, they began the grand construction of the road.
The people from Iron Eagle Village came out to watch the excitement. Excited about Yusu's intention to build a road to Fengcheng, Iron Eagle, after discussing with Iron Cang, expressed their desire to send a team with Yucheng north. They aimed to do business with the villages along the road.
Iron Cang said, "I heard there's gold in the north near Fengcheng. Lord Yusu said gold is more valuable than silver, so we must go and bring back that gold."
Yusu couldn't help but acknowledge their ambition. He hadn't even thought about profiting from Fengcheng's gold, and Iron Cang already had a broader vision.
If Iron Eagle Village doesn't make money, who will?
...
The road-building team from Yucheng was not inconspicuous. The village that had previously ambushed the Yucheng team in the forest had already discovered them. After being severely dealt with by Yumeng, even the village chief was disabled. Now, they dared not provoke the people of Yucheng. However, witnessing Yucheng's team transforming a large area of soft mud into a sturdy stone floor was still awe-inspiring.
"This is the power of gods."
"No wonder the rumors say Yucheng not only has living deities but also the bestowed power. It turns out it's all true."
"We offended them before; will we be killed?"
The villagers shivered, regretting their previous chief's decision to ambush Yucheng's people on the orders of Fengcheng's envoy.
Yumeng intentionally played tricks, frightening them with his magical skills several times. He scared the villagers so much that they retreated to their village and dared not come out.
"We can't wait for the people from Yucheng to deal with us."
"What should we do then?"
"We can shift the blame to the former village chief, tie up his trusted aides, and send them to Yucheng's people."
"But this way, won't we offend Fengcheng and essentially surrender to Yucheng?"
"Fengcheng is so far away, and Yucheng's army can reach us in a few days. Yucheng is much more dangerous than Fengcheng!"
"Moreover, didn't Iron Eagle Village join Yucheng? Look at how well they're living!"
This was an undeniable fact.
After discussions, the villagers decided to surrender to Yucheng. They bound the trusted aides of the former village chief and had the shaman deliver them to Yumeng and the others.
"Lord Yusu, the people from Aya Village have come to join us." Yumeng sent someone to report to Yusu.
"Aya Village? Which village is that?" Yusu wondered.
"It's the village that ambushed us in the forest."
"Oh, them. How did they come to surrender? There must be sincerity when seeking allegiance."
"They bound the trusted aides of the former village chief and brought them to us, claiming that the ambush was solely the idea of the former village chief and his aides. They insisted they were innocent, stating that only the former village chief and his aides had connections with Fengcheng, not them."
"Well, they've cleared themselves entirely. Inform Yumeng to handle the people they sent, accept Aya Village's surrender. But since they've surrendered, they must adhere to Yucheng's rules. If they dare to violate the rules, Yucheng's army will flatten their village."
"Understood."
After receiving Yusu's instructions, Yumeng smirked, raised his hand, and swiftly dealt with the trusted aides of the former village chief.
The shaman and others from Aya Village, witnessing the scene, involuntarily shrank their necks.
Yumeng stated, "Our High Priest has spoken. We accept your surrender, but from now on, you must follow the rules of Yucheng. Anyone who pretends to follow them openly but undermines them in secret will face the wrath of Yucheng's army, trampling over their corpses!"
"We dare not, we absolutely pledge to wholeheartedly follow Yucheng's commands," the shaman from Aya Village hastily assured.