Chapter 39

The matter at Yushan Mountain had come to a temporary conclusion. Although Li Dayin was very angry at Ye Yu's cruel methods, he did not say another word in the end. After releasing Su Yueyun, She Tongcheng, and others, he carried the four one-armed bandits back to the mountain.

The caravan still needed to head to Shouzhou, but after what Su Yueyun had experienced, she was both physically and mentally exhausted and could not continue the journey. Therefore, Ye Yu let her return to Qingliu County with Liu Yuanshan. As for the trip to Shouzhou, he would personally handle it.

Under the moonlight, the night was as clear as water, and a gentle breeze brought a fresh scent. At this moment, in a pavilion on a hill, Ye Yu was sitting alone with his eyes closed, deep in thought.

At this moment, a string of copper bells hanging from the eaves of the pavilion rang out. Ye Yu's brows furrowed slightly, and he then said, "You finally came..."

Ye Yu's words, without a beginning or end, seemed like he was talking to himself. But shortly after he finished speaking, a figure appeared behind him.

The person was dressed in night clothes and had a black mask covering his face, leaving only a pair of bright eyes visible in the darkness.

"Surprised? Did you know I would come?" The black-clothed person did not look at Ye Yu but instead gazed at the bright moon in the night sky.

"I didn't know..."

Ye Yu shook his head, paused for a moment, and then continued, "We are strangers, but you helped me without any reason. There must be a reason for your actions!"

The black-clothed person was slightly taken aback by Ye Yu's words, then pondered for a moment before asking indifferently, "That's true. I just have one question for you!"

"I am deeply grateful for your help in this crisis. As long as I know, I will answer your question without reservation!"

Ye Yu was not surprised by the black-clothed person's request but responded with great sincerity, as the favor left him no reason to refuse.

On the day he prepared to go to Yushan Mountain to ransom the captives, the black-clothed person appeared that night and informed him of the conspiracy by the Lu and Pan families, and even gave him a map of Yushan Mountain's defenses.

He never expected such a vicious plot to be hidden in this matter. He did not tell anyone about it, not even Liu Yuanshan, to whom he only briefly mentioned the conspiracy and did not reveal the map.

Ye Yu knew that if he had given the map of Yushan Mountain to Liu Yuanshan, Liu would have mobilized the troops to besiege Yushan Mountain.

Sieging Yushan Mountain would not benefit him, not to mention the safety of Su Yueyun and others during the conflict.

Even if everyone was rescued safely, he would have unnecessarily provoked the bandits, which would be a headache for a merchant.

He did not believe that the government troops could completely eliminate Li Dayin and his gang. Li Dayin, who had survived for so many years, was not an ordinary person. If he left any roots of trouble, it would be a threat to his own safety.

Therefore, it was better to resolve the matter peacefully.

Thus, he went to great lengths to persuade Liu Yuanshan to cooperate with his plan. Otherwise, with his abilities, he could not have rescued the captives from the prison.

However, this experience also showed Ye Yu that Liu Yuanshan was not a stubborn and inflexible person. Although he was forced to make a private deal with the bandits, he had no complaints afterward.

Trading four lives for dozens of others was, in a sense, worth it. This change in thinking was rare for Liu Yuanshan.

Not wanting something did not mean being afraid of it, which was Ye Yu's motto. Therefore, during the process of paying respects, he always maintained a polite and peaceful attitude.

This approach showed his sincerity and his stance. He did not want to resort to violence, but that did not mean he was afraid.

Thus, the swift and decisive actions in the assembly hall and the ruthless severing of limbs at the foot of the mountain conveyed a clear message to Li Dayin and his gang.

...

Seeing Ye Yu's sincerity, the black-clothed person nodded slightly and said, "Then tell me, do you have a birthmark on your left arm?"

A birthmark? Ye Yu's brows furrowed at this question. After a brief pause, he smiled lightly and said, "I don't have a birthmark, but I do have several scars! Sir, if you could describe the shape of the birthmark, I will do my best to find the person for you..."

Ye Yu wanted to call the black-clothed person a hero, but seeing his slender figure, he changed his mind and called him a knight.

"No need! You... really don't have it?" The black-clothed person turned around and stared directly at Ye Yu.

Ye Yu felt uncomfortable under the intense gaze and smiled wryly, "Why would I lie to you?"

"Since that's the case, forget it. Pretend I never mentioned it..."

The black-clothed person stared at Ye Yu for a long time, his feet moving slightly several times but finally stopping. He said quietly, "I see some struggle in your eyes."

Bathed in the moonlight, Ye Yu did not see any abnormalities in the black-clothed person's body, but he could see some struggle in his eyes.

He then took out a map from his sleeve and placed it on a stone table, "This is the map of Yushan Mountain you gave me. Now it's back to its rightful owner."

"Forget it. You could copy a sheepskin map for Li Dayin, so you must have memorized this map. It's useless now."

The black-clothed person turned to look at the map on the table and praised Ye Yu, "But you used this map to its fullest potential! You not only rescued your beloved safely but also gained the favor of the bandits at Yushan Mountain. I believe these bandits will become your allies in the future."

Ye Yu smiled slightly. He knew the black-clothed person's intention when he gave him the map was to have him hand it over to the government, so they could rescue the hostages and eliminate the bandits.

In his situation, if he had not had the courage to take the risk, he would have taken this path. Reflecting on it now, Ye Yu believed the black-clothed person must have a grudge against the bandits at Yushan Mountain, otherwise, why would he give him the map?

But how did he know so much about Yushan Mountain? Could he be from the bandit camp? These questions were too complicated, and Ye Yu did not want to delve too deeply, as they were not related to him.

"Who can predict the future? If, as you say, I can influence these people to turn from evil to good, it might not be a bad thing! What do you think?"

The black-clothed person sneered, "Hmph! A bandit is always a bandit!"

Ye Yu did not argue with the black-clothed person's view but bowed and asked seriously, "We have met twice, but I have not yet learned your name, Sir!"

"No need to ask. Take care of yourself. Goodbye!" The black-clothed person said, and without waiting for Ye Yu to respond, he quickly left the pavilion and disappeared into the night.

Ye Yu watched the direction in which the black-clothed person disappeared, his eyes showing a complex and unfathomable expression.

At this moment, Guo Xiaotian walked over from a distance and muttered, "Master, this friend's behavior is truly strange!"

He had been standing guard about two hundred steps away from the pavilion. Although he could not hear what Ye Yu and the black-clothed person were saying, he felt that the black-clothed person was strange.

"Friend? Perhaps an enemy in the future..."

Ye Yu did not explain much to Guo Xiaotian but subconsciously touched his left arm and said softly, "Let's go back!"

...

After passing Yushan Mountain, the caravan arrived in Shouzhou City a few days later. After settling in Shouzhou City, Ye Yu began to address the issues in the shops one by one.

The biggest problem was not his fabric business but the fact that many people who used the Qiulan brand soap developed red spots of varying sizes on their skin.

This issue not only affected the shop's reputation but also led to the shopkeeper being detained in the government prison.

After investigating, Ye Yu found that the soap these people bought was not from the shop but was counterfeit, bought cheaply on the side.

Ye Yu was helpless about this situation, thinking that the problem of counterfeiting and piracy could not be eradicated even after a thousand years, let alone in this era.

However, since the problem had occurred, he had to find a way to control it. Although such issues were hard to prevent, he had to do his best to avoid a vicious cycle.

Therefore, Ye Yu not only compensated the victims with medicine but also provided them with appropriate assistance. Although many people did not understand his decision, thinking that these people were getting what they deserved for being greedy, and that it had nothing to do with their shop, Ye Yu did not see it that way.

While this move was to win back consumer confidence and also served as effective advertising, it was beneficial for future business development.

In the modern world, how many food safety issues has KFC faced over the years? Yet, despite the shocking harmful food, the number of customers did not decrease but increased, which was puzzling.

This was actually a reverse marketing strategy. The more exposure, the more people were drawn to it.

In comparison, Ye Yu's positive marketing approach not only improved his reputation and customer flow but also set an example for other merchants.

It showed that while merchants are driven by profit, they should also operate with a conscience.

Afterward, Ye Yu did not pursue the source of the counterfeit soap because he already knew the answer.

In the plan to deal with him, Lu Kun had bribed the bandits at Yushan Mountain to kidnap him, which required him or his caravan to pass through Yushan Mountain. Otherwise, the bandits could not have attacked him in the county.

Therefore, a bait was needed, and the soap incident in Shouzhou City was a bait with a hook. This bait was originally intended for Ye Yu. As long as he went to Shouzhou to handle the matter, he would have to pass through Yushan Mountain.

However, Su Yueyun volunteered, which led to the kidnapping and ransom incident. The person who cast this bait was Pan Chengfeng, the second son of the Pan family.

Lu Kun was an official, and he had the final say in Qingliu County. Pan Chengfeng, as the second son of the Pan family, was a powerful figure in Qingliu County. Ye Yu originally did not want to confront them directly, as he did not want to make enemies everywhere.

But after the incident at Yushan Mountain, his thoughts changed. Since they had already decided to kill him, why should he hold back?

He never considered himself a purely good person. If someone wanted to make his life miserable, he would extinguish the evil source!