Chapter 236 - 238: A Brilliant Stratagem

Chapter 236: Chapter 238: A Brilliant Stratagem

After leaving the cliff, Su Luoluo returned to the Salt Well Cave.

Su Yang and the Wolf Clan people had already tidied up the Salt Well Cave, clearing away the bodies until it looked as if no fierce battle had taken place.

When Su Yang saw her approach, he frowned and glanced at her belly before chiding her. "You’re heavily pregnant. Next time, let the others handle this sort of thing. What are you doing getting involved in the commotion?"

Su Luoluo stroked her belly and said with a grin, "You can’t blame me for this, Father. It wasn’t me who wanted to watch—it was your little grandchildren in my belly who wanted to watch."

"What do you mean, your grandchildren wanted to watch? They’re just tiny! How could they possibly understand?" Su Yang glared, not buying Su Luoluo’s nonsense for a second.

Su Luoluo raised an eyebrow, a hint of slyness in her eyes. "How do you know the little ones don’t want to watch, Father? They’re growing in *my* belly, not yours."

"You little rascal! Is that what we’re talking about?" Hearing this, Su Yang raised his hand as if to swat her.

The few Beastmen nearby chuckled at the exchange.

Su Luoluo was so impish, always coming up with the most unexpected remarks.

Su Luoluo ducked behind Luan Ting. "How is it not the same thing? Unless... can you hear the little ones talking, Father?"

"Forget it. I can’t win an argument against you," Su Yang said, getting back to business. "How are Hei Feng and Su Nuannuan?"

"Hei Feng fell from the cliff and died while saving Su Nuannuan. As for Su Nuannuan, she’s pregnant and has lost her memory, so we didn’t bring her back. Luoluo said we should leave it up to the Heavenly God’s will whether we take her in or not, considering it a way to accumulate blessings for our own little ones," Luan Ting gently answered from the side.

"That cliff isn’t even that high. I remember he was a Fifth Rank Beastman. How could Hei Feng have died from the fall?" Su Yang was puzzled.

"He forced a breakthrough to Sixth Rank Beastification and used the Bone Shrinking Skill. His Heart Vein had already been severed. The fact that he could even save Su Nuannuan’s life by jumping from that cliff meant he was already at his limit."

Su Yang sighed with lament after hearing the explanation. "So he was a loyal and devoted man. What a pity."

Su Zhao, who had been listening from the side, was also taken aback. "Su Nuannuan has amnesia? Is that for real? She’s not faking it, is she?"

’Su Luoluo was surprised to hear Su Zhao’s reaction. She had expected the muddle-headed man to lash out and call her heartless for leaving Su Nuannuan behind. She never thought he would be suspicious of Su Nuannuan instead.’

’Su Yang was also a bit suspicious, but seeing Su Luoluo’s pregnant belly, he figured it was fine to let Su Nuannuan go. She was pregnant, after all. He could consider it a way of accumulating good fortune for his own grandchild, perhaps even helping them be born with a Talent Superpower.’

’Besides, she was badly injured. It wouldn’t be surprising if some wild beast got to her in the night.’

Bai Meng shook his head. "A few of us were suspicious at first, too. But we all took turns observing her, and none of us could find any holes in her story. It seems she really did lose her memory from the fall."

"But you just let her go?" Su Zhao pressed on. "What if she gets her memory back? The secret of the Salt Well Cave will be out again."

Su Luoluo turned to Su Yang. "Father, I have a new idea regarding the Salt Well Cave that I want to discuss with you."

Su Yang glanced around. They were all trusted clan members. "What’s your idea? You can speak freely here."

Su Luoluo didn’t see any need for secrecy either, so she said frankly, "I think that instead of spending so much energy guarding the Salt Well Cave, we should cooperate with another power and turn it into an open secret. That way, even if other tribes covet the Salt Well, they’ll be too intimidated by our combined strength to try and seize it."

Su Yang quickly grasped her meaning. "You want to cooperate with the city-state?"

"Exactly. We provide the salt purification technique, and in return, they give us Beast Crystals and dispatch guards to protect the Salt Well Cave. It’s a win-win situation."

Before Su Yang could respond, Su Zhao hurriedly cut in, "Absolutely not! Isn’t that the same as just handing the Salt Well Cave over to them?"

Although Su Yang thought Su Zhao’s words were rash, he didn’t stop him. He pondered for a moment before looking at Su Luoluo.

"If we could negotiate a deal, it would indeed be a good solution. However, if the people from the city-state learn of the Salt Well Cave’s existence, they might just try to take it by force. We’d be letting the wolf in the door."

The city-state had managed to occupy the most prosperous territory for so many years not just because of their superior salt making technique, but also because their power was not to be underestimated. The city-state was teeming with experts—hundreds of Beastmen at Fifth Rank or higher, and a considerable number of Sixth Rank Beastmen as well.

Otherwise, so many tribes wouldn’t be so obediently hunting for Beast Crystals just to trade with them for salt.

Su Luoluo had naturally considered this point, but she replied with complete confidence, "Even if they took the Salt Well, they wouldn’t know how to purify the salt. It would be useless to them."

She had already made some inquiries. The city-state’s salt mostly came from salt lakes and salt flats. Extracting that kind of salt was far less difficult than drawing it from a salt well.

They just had to scoop the salt from the surface of the lakes or flats, then let it dry in the sun to precipitate. After that simple process, the salt was ready to be distributed to the salt-starved tribes.

Refining salt from a salt well was a far more complex process.

"Besides," she added, "my purification method could also improve the purity of the salt they already produce. It would be a win-win for both sides."

Hearing this, Su Yang’s face lit up with a smile. "In that case, I’ll send a letter to their leader right away."

Su Luoluo shook her head, stopping him. "There’s no need to be so hasty, Father. A slower approach will be more effective than rushing to them."

Su Yang looked puzzled. "If we aren’t proactive about this partnership, how will they ever know we want to cooperate?"

Su Luoluo’s lips curled into a smile. "I want *them* to come knocking on *our* door, asking to cooperate."

Xi Yi’s dark eyes glinted with a hint of a smile. "So you plan to put our salt out there as bait and let them follow the scent to us?"

Su Luoluo nodded. "After all, a quality product will draw its own customers."

"Alright, I’ll arrange for a few people to go and sell our fine salt near the city-state," Su Yang said cheerfully.

"Remember to be discreet, Father," she added.

"I know what I’m doing," Su Yang said, his gaze falling on Su Luoluo’s growing belly. He couldn’t help but worry. "You just focus on your pregnancy. Don’t wear yourself out."

Su Luoluo glanced down at her own round belly and waved a hand dismissively. "I’m fine, Father. The little ones are behaving perfectly in here. They’re not causing any trouble at all."

’It was strange. A month ago, her belly had been completely flat, showing no change at all. Su Luoluo had started to think this pregnancy would last seven or eight months, just like a human’s.’

’But recently, it had started to grow at a frantic pace. She couldn’t help but marvel at how much faster a Beastman’s gestation period was compared to a human’s.’

’At this rate, Su Luoluo felt like she was going to give birth any day now.’