Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

As Afu reminisced about that past event, a new sparkle appeared in his eyes.

Seeing him pause, Ren Fengjue suddenly asked, "The town you went to, is it called Ge Town?"

Afu was also surprised by this and asked in return, "How did you know that?"

Ren Fengjue was in no hurry to answer, and said only, "Why don't you finish speaking first?"

Afu nodded and continued, "The caravan we infiltrated was originally heading to the capital. When the caravan leader discovered us, he didn't drive us away; instead, he was willing to take us in..."

"He... was the first friend I ever made."

The caravan leader was a seasoned traveler, with a cheerful personality and excellent interpersonal skills.

He neither inquired about people's background nor paid attention to trivial matters.

During that period, Afu lived a very comfortable life because he trusted the other party enough that he even revealed his true identity to him after drinking once.

However, the chieftain, upon learning of this, only expressed astonishment, saying, "The folk tales that the Di people on the Silent Mountain are all inhuman, ferocious beasts are just rumors, not true at all!"

"If you ask me, the Di people are still human beings. If all Di people were like you, educated and well-mannered, they would surely understand human nature and be able to get along with others!"

Afu felt grateful, but he also understood that this was just his personal opinion.

People are multifaceted, and not everyone can accept the Di people.

After some consideration, he finally decided to release the rescued Di child back into the deep mountains.

When the head of the gang found out, he resolutely respected his decision.

But the little Di people are still very young. If they are thrown directly into the mountains, they may not be able to survive immediately.

Afu suddenly remembered the dry well in the backyard of the mortuary, and how the old coffin keeper had taught him how to survive in the deep mountains...

So, with the help of the head of the household, he found a dilapidated courtyard in town nestled against a deep mountain, where there happened to be a dry well.

If he could also dig a tunnel leading into the mountains, he could use that to help the Little Di people.

Afu spent some money to rent that courtyard and lived there for two years.

For two years, he took care of the young man like the old coffin keeper had done, digging a "path to survival" for him in the well.

However, Afu did not teach him to speak, nor did he cut off his legs. He allowed him to retain some of his wildness, but not to the point of being too ferocious.

Two years later, Xiao Di had grown up quickly and his tall stature made it impossible for him to continue to be exposed to the public.

Afu then kept him in the cave. At first, he brought him some food every day, then every two or three days, and later every ten days...

The Xiaodi people gradually learned to survive in the mountains, knowing to drink from the streams when thirsty and to gather wild fruits, catch stream fish, or some small wild animals when hungry.

When spring came, the Di people were completely self-sufficient, and Afu decided to leave Ge Town and return to the Northern Territory.

Before leaving, he had someone bring a huge rock to cover the dry well…

After returning to the North, Afu also secretly went back to the mortuary without alerting anyone.

He always had a knot in his heart about that "Dinu Camp".

So, using the "skills" he learned from the head of the gang, he bribed the cook and got a job tending the fire.

It was from that day that he learned of the inhumane lives the Di people led in their camp.

The "Di Nu Camp" was ostensibly established to tame these Di people, enabling them to eat grains, learn human language, and shed their ferocious wildness.

In reality, Wan Tingjun treated them not only as lowly slaves, but also as tools for his amusement.

In the camp, every adult Di person was bound hand and foot with heavy chains to prevent them from resisting, and their living quarters were perpetually filled with a kind of aphrodisiac fragrance.

During the day, they did hard labor for Wan Tingjun; at night, they were used as animal fighters for gambling.

The Di people have a special constitution and are not prone to illness, but every month, some Di people are tortured to death.

Even after death, their bodies have no place to rest. They are slaughtered like beasts and sent to refugee areas to be eaten by starving refugees.

After spending only half a month in the "Dinu Camp," Afu finally understood what a living hell was.

Once upon a time, he studied at the academy and read about the cruelty of war and the suffering that was everywhere in the world.

I thought that now that the world is at peace, villains will not dare to commit crimes again, and there will be no war or conflict, so the world can be at peace.

But this peace did not belong to the Di people.

Afu felt desperate, but there was nothing he could do, and he couldn't even protect himself.

He suddenly remembered that the chief had once told him, "The current ruler of Daqi is a rare and wise ruler. Now, grain and funds are allocated to the northern border every year, and the people's lives are getting better and better..."

"Not only that, those corrupt officials who take advantage of the chaos also don't have a good ending. In a few years, if I stop doing business, I'll go back to the North..."

In his agonizing struggle, Afu began to naively wonder if the emperor, knowing these circumstances, would be willing to uphold justice for them.

After an unknown amount of time, things finally took a turn for the better…

That night, a man came to the "Di Nu Camp".

His arrival made the usually arrogant Wan Tingjun all cautious and timid, not daring to even speak loudly.

They bowed their heads and hunched their bodies, respectfully calling him "the Three Holy Sons".

The three holy sons were like immortals descending to earth; with just a gentle wave of their hands, they could wipe away the pain on Di Nu's body.

His eyes were filled with pity and compassion. In his eyes, Afu seemed to see four words: equality of all beings.

The Di people also trusted him completely. Even though they couldn't speak or express themselves, they were clearly willing to submit to him.

Everything changed after that night.

The Di Nu began to become more frenzied. They were no longer driven by Wan Ting Army and struggled and roared every night, trying to break free.

Even after being beaten repeatedly, they refused to submit...

Finally, that night, a soldier, as usual, wielded a barbed iron whip, lashing Di Nu's body with one heavy blow after another.

All the Di slaves roared in succession, their pupils gradually turning red. They seemed to draw strength from nowhere, breaking free of their iron chains one after another, and pounced on the soldier like ferocious beasts.

In no time, it tore and gnawed at it, leaving it unrecognizable as a human.

The other soldiers, before they could react, were tackled to the ground one after another, and soon all met the same fate.

Driven by some unknown force, the Di slaves went berserk, slaughtering the entire "Di slave camp" and smashing down the camp gate before fleeing towards nearby villages.

Afu was also stunned by this sudden change.

One of the Di slaves saw him and immediately pounced on him, but smelled the scent of their own kind on him.

For a fleeting moment, a hint of bewilderment flashed in the other person's eyes, and then, they turned and left.

Ah Fu escaped this calamity, but the surrounding villagers did not.

The cries of agony echoed through the mountains and fields, and the silence lingered for a long time.