The Divine Image of the Main Deity was shrouded in mist. Cui Tiq took out a folding fan, waved it twice, and dispelled the mist.
The statue of the Main Deity emerged, and all the Knife Labor Ghosts bowed their heads.
This statue of the Main Deity was personally carved by Cui Tiq. The statue consists of six triangular prisms and six spheres. No one can accurately describe its shape; every extra second one looks at it, its shape changes again, and after more than five seconds, it will infect with stone disease.
The Knife Labor Ghosts infected with stone disease are placed next to the Greenwater Beggar and Wan Jinxian, becoming followers of these two Lesser Gods.
The ritual follows the traditional ceremony of Puluo State, kneeling three times and kowtowing nine times, requiring over seventy kneels and more than two hundred kowtows.
The ceremony was designed by Cui Tiq because he discovered that the rituals of Puluo State are stricter and more binding.
Wanting to restrain such a large number of Knife Labor Ghosts is a severe challenge for Cui Tiq, and Puluo State's rituals are evidently more effective.
After the ritual, enough space must also be given to the Knife Labor Ghosts to relax.
Cui Tiq built a huge dance hall, purchased many musical instruments, completed planting and hunting tasks. In the wild and uninhibited music of western Amikan, the Knife Labor Ghosts began their daily three-hour carnival.
In the dance hall, there are two camps: one group of Knife Labor Ghosts worships the Ancestor of Disease Cultivation, and the other group worships the Blade Labor War God. During the carnival, conflicts often occur between the two groups. Cui Tiq generally takes a laissez-faire attitude towards such conflicts.
Conflicts within a certain range are a good thing for Cui Tiq. If both sides stopped conflicting, then Cui Tiq would be in trouble because they would unite to resist this newly appointed leader.
Today's carnival had an additional segment: the Knife Labor Ghosts together welcomed a new member, a Lost Soul who appeared much like a Knife Labor Ghost, yet was not one.
This new member was well hidden, so much so that neither Cui Tiq nor the other Knife Labor Ghosts initially identified him.
Until the last stage of the carnival, when male and female Knife Labor Ghosts embraced and danced, the Ghost Servant Ah Zhong, disguising as a Knife Labor Ghost, finally showed his fear because he wasn't familiar enough with the rules of the carnival.
During the early phase of the carnival, the two camps played separately. During the mid-phase, the two camps would provoke each other. By the late phase, intense conflict would break out between the two camps. But by the final segment of the carnival, the Knife Labor Ghosts would break camp boundaries and embrace each other while dancing.
Ah Zhong did not know the rules here; he refused to dance with women from the opposite camp, turning down several in succession.
Cui Tiq noticed the anomaly and instructed the Knife Labor Ghosts to catch the Lost Soul and present him before the Plague Sovereign for judgment.
So-called judgment is to stare at the Divine Image.
Stone disease can infect Lost Souls. Ah Zhong could feel the power of this statue as he stood before it, holding his head high and chest out, eyes closed, shouting loudly at Cui Tiq:
"I am a tough bone, a fierce person when alive, a Fierce Ghost when dead. My master sent me to find the Golden Thorn Peach here. He's waiting in Respect Virtue Village at the foot of the mountain—other things, I won't reveal a word!"
Cui Tiq instructed, "Go to Respect Virtue Village and meet our guest."
Ah Zhong walked toughly at the forefront of the crowd: "I won't lead you there, I just want to return quickly to the master's side."
Ah Zhong got his wish and soon returned to Gui Jianchou's side.
Seeing the heavily surrounded Knife Labor Ghosts, Gui Jianchou desperately wanted to make Ah Zhong vanish into thin air yet restrained himself.
Fear of death is only human; sending Ah Zhong on such a dangerous mission, failing the mission meant he would promptly surrender, a result Gui Jianchou could foresee.
Moreover, executing Ah Zhong now was useless, the priority was how to break out of the encirclement.
Gui Jianchou instructed a flying-skilled Ghost Servant to survey the condition of the encirclement; he chose a relatively weak spot to prepare for a breakout.
Cui Tiq was just outside the farmhouse; he knew people like Gui Jianchou were troublesome. If pursuing a full-force siege, the Knife Labor Ghosts would suffer significant losses; however, if Gui Jianchou could be captured, Sage Peak would gain a powerful combat force.
After weighing the situation, Cui Tiq first negotiated with Gui Jianchou: "Stranger, what's your purpose in stealing the Gold Thorn Peach? Do you intend to use it to concoct poison to harm others?"
Cui Tiq could recognize Gui Jianchou; they had met on Sage Peak, but now with Cui Tiq's appearance, Gui Jianchou couldn't recognize him at all.
Judging from the question asked, the Knife Labor Ghost leader seemed to have some moral standards. Gui Jianchou replied from inside the farmhouse, "I came for the Gold Thorn Peach, not to harm, but for medicinal use, to treat illnesses."
On hearing about treatment, the Knife Labor Ghosts who believed in the Ancestor of Disease Cultivation were furious, issuing coordinated and low-pitched roars outside the farmhouse.
Gui Jianchou felt his chest tickling and growing numb; he knew the power of this roar was significant, he couldn't wait any longer, he must break out desperately.
Cui Tiq halted the Knife Labor Ghosts' rage and shouted toward the farmhouse: "I'll give you some Gold Thorn Peaches, take the peaches and prepare your medicine. Next time you come back here, show me your medicine, let me see what kind of therapeutic effect it has."
Two Knife Labor Ghosts threw a bag of Gold Thorn Peaches into the yard, Gui Jianchou had the Ghost Servant bring the peaches inside.
Gold Thorn Peach is a valuable alchemical auxiliary and an expensive medicinal material. Gui Jianchou had seen it, naturally couldn't mistake it.
Cui Tiq commanded the Knife Labor Ghosts to open a path, allowing Gui Jianchou to leave.