The southern valley was known as the Netherworld Valley, while the northern valley was called the Bear Valley. They were, in fact, the same valley.
Zhou Fugui and nearly two hundred other Yan army soldiers, having endured hardships, finally emerged from the Netherworld Valley or Bear Valley, descending upon the northern grasslands like divine soldiers or "peerless heroes."
However, this group of "peerless heroes" terrified the Agudamu siblings, leaving them stunned as they gazed at these "peerless heroes" who resembled savages or demons.
If not all divine beings or peerless heroes were graceful and extraordinary, they should at least have dignified appearances and be neatly dressed, shouldn't they? Yet, these people were all disheveled, their armor tattered and torn, like beggars.
The group of "peerless heroes" looked like savages emerging from the mountains, with fierce expressions on their faces, as if they were about to devour people.
These "peerless heroes" were only missing tusks and fangs...
After emerging from the Netherworld Valley or Bear Valley, the "peerless heroes" "whooshed" and surrounded Agudamu. After a brief glance at Agudamu, their gazes fell upon the flock of fat sheep behind Agudamu and his sister...
"General Zhou did not deceive us!" the Yan soldiers thought with great sighs. They had encountered a drool-worthy little beauty and fat sheep as soon as they exited the valley...
"What are you doing? Why are you surrounding me?" Zhou Fugui, a deputy general of the Great Yan Kingdom and the commander of the Yan army, holding the Heaven-Shaking Dragon Spear, a heavy sword at his waist, and the Moon-Chasing Bow on his back, shouted at his men and ordered, "Suo Dacheng, Xu Mancang, and Baimawu, each lead a troop to patrol the surroundings. Bring over anyone who is panting, but do not kill indiscriminately."
The Agudamu siblings were like timely rain to Zhou Fugui at this moment.
Having left the Netherworld Valley, who knew where they had ended up? And heaven had arranged for two people to guard the valley entrance, waiting for Zhou Fugui to question them? Wasn't this like timely rain?
Therefore, Zhou Fugui did not permit his subordinates to harm them or to frighten them.
"Your subordinate obeys the order!" The three generals Suo Dacheng, Xu Mancang, and Baimawu saluted and accepted the order. Each led a troop and galloped out to survey the surroundings.
"Get out of the way, and keep an eye on the surroundings." Zhou Fugui waved his hand to disperse the crowd, then held his spear and walked to the front of the Agudamu siblings. He dismounted, planted the Heaven-Shaking Dragon Spear into the grass, held his heavy sword, and sat on a rock, beckoning the Agudamu siblings to come over and talk.
The Agudamu siblings had no choice but to support each other and walk tremblingly to Zhou Fugui.
A gentle breeze blew away the messy hair on Zhou Fugui's head. The Agudamu siblings then realized that the leader of these "peerless heroes" was actually remarkably handsome and exceptionally young.
Now, they somewhat resembled divine beings or peerless heroes...
At the same time, Zhou Fugui and his men began to speak human language, which indicated they were not demons or monsters...
"Please do not be alarmed, we are... we are... you wouldn't know even if I told you... " Zhou Fugui looked at the siblings and asked, "What are your names?"
Zhou Fugui asked in both Xiongnu and Chinese, and then he carefully looked at Abi Yasi again.
"Lucky," Zhou Fugui thought with a secret smile.
He had encountered such a beautiful young lady as soon as he left the valley. She was not old, not yet fully bloomed, like a flower bud waiting to burst open on the grassland, yet she was so delicate and fair.
This put Zhou Fugui in a difficult position.
He was unfamiliar with the area and had no idea where he was. What if he had stumbled into a wolf's den? He had to be extremely cautious. Therefore, after questioning them, Zhou Fugui intended to eliminate them. But how could Zhou Fugui bring himself to harm this delicate, beautiful young lady?
"My name is Agudamu, and this is my younger sister, Abi Yasi. General, you are...?" Agudamu replied softly.
"Agudamu, Abi Yasi? Good names, very pleasing to the ear," Zhou Fugui praised and then laughed, "We are heavenly soldiers and generals, descended to cleanse injustice and punish evil. Do you believe us?"
Zhou Fugui spoke nonsense, assuming they would not believe him. But to his surprise, the Agudamu siblings nodded slightly, which made Zhou Fugui somewhat astonished.
No one who entered the Netherworld Valley had ever been known to come out. And no one had ever entered the Bear Valley, so there was no talk of entering it.
Once, someone had attempted to enter the Bear Valley, but before even reaching the entrance, they had died a violent death. Thus, legend had it that the Bear Valley was where the gods resided. Over time, the people of the grasslands had come to revere the Bear Valley as a sacred and forbidden place, and they often held ceremonies outside the valley to worship heaven and earth and inform the spirits.
At this moment, someone had actually emerged from the Bear Valley, and Zhou Fugui and his men had appeared in the Agudamu siblings' time of peril. If they were not gods, then what were they? Thus, Abi Yasi timidly asked Zhou Fugui, "Are... are you... immortals?"
"Hahaha!" Zhou Fugui heard this and shook his tattered clothes, laughing heartily. He looked at Abi Yasi and replied, "No! Do immortals look like this? We are humans, not ghosts or gods. Alright, enough nonsense, where is this place?"
Besides the iron armor, Zhou Fugui's cloak, outer leather robe, and other garments were all in tatters. He looked not only like a beggar but also somewhat like a reanimated zombie...
"The royal court of the Great Warrior Chanyu, Great Marsh Lake," Agudamu replied somewhat disappointedly.
"The royal court of the Great Chanyu?" Although Zhou Fugui had some psychological preparation, he was still shocked to hear that he had stumbled directly into the Chanyu's royal court.
Zhou Fugui had originally planned to kill a few Xiongnu soldiers or capture a few Xiongnu nobles after exiting the valley, gather some intelligence about the Xiongnu, and then return south. This would have been a great achievement, and he and his brothers might have received some recognition from the Yan court.
But who would have thought he had truly stumbled into Duoyongjian's lair, the Xiongnu royal court at Great Marsh Lake? Naturally, there would be many Xiongnu soldiers there, countless numbers of them, and Xiongnu nobles, as numerous as the hairs on a cow. With only Zhou Fugui and his hundred or so men, what could they possibly kill or capture? Not being killed or captured would be like their ancestors' graves emitting green smoke...
However, it was too late for regrets or fear. There was only one path forward. Zhou Fugui made up his mind and then asked the Agudamu siblings, "And who are you two?"
Since Zhou Fugui and his men were not gods or peerless heroes, Agudamu was unwilling to say more. He merely shook his head and did not answer. Abi Yasi hid behind her brother and was unwilling to look at Zhou Fugui anymore...
With a "swish," Zhou Fugui plunged his heavy sword into the ground and said calmly, "Although we are not gods or demons, we have done many things that gods and demons would find difficult. Do you see this sword? It is stained with blood. I hope you two will answer truthfully, otherwise, though I am reluctant, I cannot guarantee that my subordinates will not do anything to you."
"Your surname is Zhou? A Han?" Abi Yasi peeked out from behind Agudamu at the sound of this, looking curiously at Zhou Fugui and asking.
"Yes, is it that strange?" Zhou Fugui put on a fierce expression and said, "Han people also kill, and they also eat people."
"Ah!" Abi Yasi screamed in fright and shrank back.
"Kill us if you want to," Agudamu said, protecting Abi Yasi and glaring at Zhou Fugui. "We siblings can't live anyway. Dying at your hands is much better than dying at that person's hands."
"Oh? What do you mean you can't live? Who is that person?" Zhou Fugui asked curiously. "Speak quickly. As long as you tell the truth, I will never harm your lives. How can I, so dashing and handsome, be a cruel and ruthless person? Don't you have any discernment?"
"Hehe..." Zhou Fugui's words made Abi Yasi unable to help but giggle.
It seemed that this handsome older brother was not a bad person, Abi Yasi thought to herself.
In Abi Yasi's young mind, someone who spoke humorously was not a bad person...
"We are slaves," Agudamu said, pulling Abi Yasi, and had no choice but to answer truthfully.
"Hmm, I can see that," Zhou Fugui said, leaning on his heavy sword.
Their clothes were extremely tattered, and they were out herding sheep in this cold weather. It was clear that they were not Xiongnu nobles, but at most, poor people from the grasslands.
Agudamu told Zhou Fugui everything that had happened at home.
"It seems that wrongdoing and bullying the weak are everywhere!" Zhou Fugui sighed when he heard this.
Such a young girl, and that chieftain would have designs on her and could bring himself to act? Zhou Fugui then craned his neck to look at Abi Yasi behind Agudamu and thought to himself.
In fact, Zhou Fugui did not know that it was not just Abi Yasi, who was already fifteen years old. Even girls of ten or eleven or twelve would attract such attention and be married or taken into a tent, especially female slaves.
"What do you want to do?" Agudamu asked warily, looking at Zhou Fugui.
"Hehe, kid..." Zhou Fugui found this amusing and thought, what kind of person does he think I am? He pulled out his heavy sword, patted Agudamu's body, and laughed, "Do you have the guts?"
"No one on the grasslands lacks courage," Agudamu replied, puffing out his chest.
"General, please don't hurt my brother..." Abi Yasi again peeked out her small body and said, "Are you hungry? But if you are hungry, I can't help you..."
"Aren't there a group of fat sheep over there?" Zhou Fugui asked with a smile.
"That won't do. If even one sheep is missing, the chieftain will beat us to death," Abi Yasi shook her head.
"Oh? Is that so?" Zhou Fugui said, then looked around and said, "Someone, slaughter a few fat sheep, and let the brothers have a good meal."
The Yan soldiers, hearing this, responded with a roar and went to catch the fat sheep.
Their mouths had been watering for a long time, and they were just waiting for Zhou Fugui's words.
"Ah?" Abi Yasi looked at Zhou Fugui in shock, tears about to fall.
"Wuwuwu, bad person, you're not a good person, you're a bad person!" Abi Yasi finally couldn't hold back and burst into tears.