"""
The crowd carried Er Hei out of the cave, and when they saw the village chief who had stayed up all night, they were still in that frightened, paralyzed state.
The Black Mountain Sheep was constantly switching between trembling and stiff pleading, terrified beyond measure.
The village chief propped himself up with a cane, his gaze somewhat somber as he looked at the person and the sheep sprawled on the ground. After a moment of silence, he waved at the crowd.
"You all go out first, Yu Ziqing and Er Han stay back."
Once everyone had left, Yang emerged from the earthen kiln's interior.
The village chief and Yang exchanged a glance before the village chief spoke to Yu Ziqing.
"Have you thought about how to deal with these two?"
"Uh, village chief, whatever you say is fine," Yu Ziqing replied somewhat surprised. He knew well that in the village, decisions like this were always left to the village chief and he would never overstep.
A faint smile appeared on the village chief's face as he looked at Yang.
"I wasn't wrong, was I? This time, you were wrong."
Yang grinned nonchalantly. When he learned about this matter, he thought Yu Ziqing would kill the intruder on the spot.
Being decisive in killing was a virtue in the current environment, but he had taught Yu Ziqing many things, including some about killing. Facing and killing enemies would be something he would inevitably encounter in the future, but being too impulsive was not a good thing.
In this world, there were countless means to track down the killer, but it depended on whether the opposing forces were willing to pay the great price.
Especially when not wanting to expose oneself, striking and killing the opponent upon meeting was the worst strategy.
People who dared to do so simply didn't fear being discovered, like Mu Zhiqiu from the Langya Institute's Martial Arts Academy.
But Yu Ziqing didn't possess such strength and methods now, so restraining oneself was definitely the right choice.
"This Black Mountain Sheep is a demon beast that belongs to the Seventh Floor, with numerous shepherds under its command. It is one of those in charge of spies in the Seventh Floor.
To put it simply, the Seventh Floor is a force that steals and sells intelligence everywhere, but in Daqian, Dazhen, and Dali, it is regarded as the Evil Dao, and everyone is entitled to kill them.
And this person, according to the Seventh Floor's tradition, should control the Black Mountain Sheep. Their combination, along with numerous shepherds under their command, is a standard intelligence-gathering team.
Every year, countless people are forced to leave their homes and are sold everywhere because of them. The number of families destroyed is countless. Once they are discovered in Daqian, they will inevitably suffer a lightning strike."
After Yang finished speaking, he looked at Yu Ziqing.
The village chief continued,
"Decades ago, when the Wilderness was not so desolate, people who couldn't survive near the mines would come to the village. Some who couldn't afford to raise their children would also bring them here. At least here, there was a meal to eat, and they wouldn't starve.
But in recent years, the Wilderness has become increasingly barren and desolate. The number of people living long-term in the Wilderness has decreased, and villages have disappeared one after another.
Those villages were of people with no means to move or cross the Wilderness to seek a livelihood in Daqian. They were trapped in the Wilderness, enduring, and eventually perished completely.
Later, the village relied on the shepherds to bring them across the Wilderness to the village. On one hand, they had a chance to survive; on the other hand, it supplemented the village's population."
The village chief paused slightly, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness.
"Have you not noticed that there are no children in the village?"
"I noticed..." Yu Ziqing nodded. He noticed this on the first day he arrived but never asked, knowing these questions were undoubtedly sensitive.
"Because people in the village can't have their own offspring, the people brought by the shepherds are the descendants.
I hate those shepherds but have no choice but to trade with them. Without them, no one would bring people here anymore. Without them, those people would remain in the Wilderness and not survive.
By today, I've heard from Yang that the weather in the Wilderness is bizarrely getting colder. All beings have vanished. There are probably no villages left and no living people. You are likely the last people to come."
After Yang and the village chief finished speaking, they both looked at Yu Ziqing. The village chief gestured toward the Black Mountain Sheep and the Black Robed Man.
"Now, how do you want to deal with them? You make the decision."
"Grandfather..." Er Han scratched his head, looking bewildered.
"You shut up," the village chief harshly reprimanded Er Han, not allowing him to speak. Moreover, seeing Er Han's expression, he knew he hadn't understood anything, making him even angrier. He had nothing but muscle and strength, and nothing else had grown.
How could such a person dare to entrust the village to him in the future?
The more he thought, the angrier he got. The village chief swung his cane and struck Er Han on the forehead.
Er Han didn't move, stared blankly at the cane that struck his forehead, paused for a moment, then cried out "ouch" and squatted down, pretending to wail.
Yu Ziqing remained silent, watching Yang and the village chief before him.
He now somewhat understood why the villagers seemed not entirely normal, yet normal enough.
They were once a group of people who couldn't survive and were on the brink of starvation. Their obsession with not starving was so great that they were willing to abandon having blood relatives to cling to the village as their last lifeline.
The people brought by the shepherds were once them, gambling with their lives to come here.
If they won, they rooted in the village and were blessed by fortune; if they lost, they surrendered their lives willingly without regret.
It's not the shepherds who need the village, but the village that needs the shepherds. Without the shepherds as guards, achieving the Beast Creation, and significantly reducing dependency on survival resources, ordinary people wouldn't survive the dangerous Wilderness to reach the village.
But what Yang said was another perspective. According to Yang, these two were heinous criminals, active not only in the Wilderness but also under the command of the Black Mountain Sheep, the shepherds extending their reach to Daqian and Dali, sparing not even those who lived well, including children.
By Yu Ziqing's simple thinking, these two were doomed to die.
Now the two elders had passed the decision to him, letting him decide.
Yu Ziqing was quiet for a long time, and the elders didn't rush him. They just waited patiently.
Now, he could either kill the two or make a deal, letting them continue to kidnap people from further away, like the borders of Daqian and Dazhen, to sustain the village. Seeing how the Wilderness was now, the places bordering it were likely not havens with abundance.
From the villagers' perspective, this place was their only hope and anchor for survival, and preserving the village was their top priority. Anyone who obstructed that was a mortal enemy. You couldn't expect them to stand as bystanders, acting as traditional sense of righteous people who hate evil.
He looked down at the two on the ground; they both rolled their eyes in fear incessantly, while the Black Mountain Sheep soiled itself in terror.
Yu Ziqing didn't know how much sedative they had taken to have their five senses distorted like this, nor did he know what he looked like to them. But it definitely seemed terrifying enough.
"I'll separate them for detoxification first, and then ask them some intelligence. Once I've asked, I'll kill them.
Even if we let them go this time, they won't stay honest. Even if they bring people again, who knows whether those people are all impoverished sufferers. Among those sent this time, there were some wicked-minded individuals.
Allowing them once would only make them assume you'd consent a second time.
The Wilderness is ruined, and the village can't depend on them anymore. Since we can't have offspring, we should slowly seek ways to find a solution, to see if a different environment might resolve it or if there are deeper human problems.
If all else fails, once I leave, I will find a suitable place to settle and then arrange to safely relocate everyone from the village.
I think nobody in the village would care about the mines here."
Yu Ziqing finished in one breath and looked at the two elders.
The elders didn't hesitate, immediately nodding together.
"Alright, we'll do as you said."
Yu Ziqing was a bit surprised, but then understood: the two elders weren't giving him a choice between two options.
They just wanted to see what he would do.
No matter the choice, they would've nodded.
Glancing at Er Han beside him, Yu Ziqing suddenly understood. They just wanted the younger generation to start taking charge. The choice itself wasn't the test; what followed thereafter was.
And the village chief genuinely saw him as one of their own. The chief likely understood the village's current difficulties better than him and realized the need for change.
Simultaneously, he understood more clearly that the village's core was its people, those striving to live, and not the land itself.
Yu Ziqing looked at Yang, acknowledging that he probably shared a lot with the village chief. Otherwise, no matter how open-minded, the chief wouldn't suddenly make such significant changes.
Yu Ziqing went out, went to the kitchen to prepare an antidote for the sedative, and had Er Han dislocate the Black Robed Man Hei Wu's joints, restraining his body and neck before feeding him the antidote.
After consuming the antidote, the Black Robed Man remained somewhat disoriented, but his consciousness cleared significantly.
He saw others return to normal, regained normal hearing, but when he looked at Yu Ziqing, Yu Ziqing still appeared as an indescribable monstrosity.
"I ask, you answer."
"Feel free to ask, my lord. I swear to tell all I know," the Black Robed Man shivered, finding it even hard to breathe, not daring to raise his head, fearing to look again.
"Name."
"Hei Wu," he hurriedly added after, fearing Yu Ziqing might think the name was fake, "I didn't have a name as a child, and only got named Hei Wu after joining the organization."
"Identity, background."
"I'm the Black Mountain Sheep's reins in the Seventh Floor, following it to gather intelligence for the organization for many years..." The Black Robed Man feared not saying enough, being accused of hiding information, speaking endlessly for an hour.
"Cultivation Technique, Magic, Divine Skills, Magical Treasures."
"The Seventh Floor's 'Mist Truth' and 'West Wind Secret Jue'; the Magic spells are complementary, no Divine Skills, just two Magic Artifacts..."
He pointed to his chest, receiving permission before taking out a Storage Bag, retrieving several books and two Magic Artifacts, placing them on the ground.
He was extremely cooperative, explaining everything after much torment. Yu Ziqing glanced at the rusty sword in his hand—at some point, he had finished weighing matters.
He proceeded to the next question.
"Where is the Seventh Floor's stronghold?"
"In the northwest of Daqian..." the Black Robed Man said in a wooden, numb voice, yet as soon as he spoke a few words, his voice abruptly stopped.
Terror filled his face as he clutched his neck, a ring of tattoos surfaced on his neck, emitting a faint glow, swiftly converging into a force that entered his head.
In an instant, the Black Robed Man slowly collapsed to the ground, his pupils dilating.
Dead.
"""