Chu Shaoqiang’s figure had already disappeared into the Lime Snow, but his voice lingered. "Everything that needs to be said has been said. Indeed, it’s time for us to end this. Green Flower, I remember you still have one move: you can enter The Unnameable Place. This is your last chance. I’m very interested in The Unnameable Place. Show me this move, and you can escape with your life while I study it thoroughly. That would be the best of both worlds."
Green Flower didn’t move. He was covered by lime, already turned into a snowman. He was unwilling to open The Unnameable Place; it was too precious. The situation now was that even if he opened The Unnameable Place, he might not be able to escape, and it was very likely that Chu Shaoqiang would take it from him, including his Contract Book.
Chu Shaoqiang stood amidst the lime, silently watching Greenwater Beggar. "I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn. Now I can only send you on your way."
A sudden gust of wind swept up, carrying dust that clung tightly to Greenwater Beggar’s body. The pus on his body completely scabbed over and hardened, and the skin beneath it hardened and cracked as well. Beneath the skin lay flesh and bone, and beneath those, internal organs. In no time, Greenwater Beggar was filled with lime from head to toe, becoming dry and hard.
Chu Shaoqiang lit a cigarette and casually tossed his lighter onto Greenwater Beggar’s body.
BANG!
The lighter shattered Greenwater Beggar’s body. Like a shattered plaster statue, his brittle remains scattered across the ground.
Was this Greenwater Beggar’s corpse? Yes, this was the body of Greenwater Beggar himself. Chu Shaoqiang had prepared too thoroughly. From the moment Greenwater Beggar entered the house, he had lost any possibility of escape; his body was completely petrified by the lime.
Was Greenwater Beggar dead? Chu Shaoqiang was somewhat doubtful.
Outside the courtyard, several Supports still stood in their places. The head of one Support suddenly exploded, emerald green pus swaying back and forth within its body cavity.
Chu Shaoqiang grabbed a handful of lime and threw it out the window, landing accurately on one of the Supports. At the same time, the pus within the Support’s body cavity rapidly coalesced, forming a little green man over a foot tall, who instantly disappeared from Chu Shaoqiang’s sight.
Had Greenwater Beggar resurrected? Why had he suddenly vanished? He had gone to The Unnameable Place, also referred to as the Dark Dimension Space by those from the Outside Provinces. For Chu Shaoqiang, understanding the truth of the Dark Dimension Space was far more valuable than killing Greenwater Beggar.
Thinking of the Dark Dimension Space, Chu Shaoqiang felt a pang of annoyance.
Greenwater Beggar had left too quickly, and Chu Shaoqiang had not seen the details of the Dark Dimension Space clearly. But that was alright; Greenwater Beggar still had lime on him, and Chu Shaoqiang could find him. Greenwater Beggar was very weak and couldn’t stay too long in The Unnameable Place. He needed to return to the regular territory to replenish his strength.
「Boundless Hospital」
Cui Tiq sat in his office, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. He was nervous. A powerful enemy was drawing near. But at that moment, he had no choice; he had to confront this enemy.
Cui Tiq put on a mask, opened the door to his office, and saw a man in a greyish-white coat and a greyish-white top hat standing at his office entrance.
"Sir, are you looking for me?" Cui Tiq asked politely.
Chu Shaoqiang, standing in the doorway, was somewhat surprised. Logically, the foreigner before him should not have been able to see him.
Chu Shaoqiang looked behind Cui Tiq. "I’m not here for you, but the person I’m looking for is here."
Cui Tiq turned to look. "Are you here for a patient? This is my office. To find a patient, you should go to the patient wards."
A "snowflake" drifted down from the air, landing in Chu Shaoqiang’s palm. He was certain Greenwater Beggar was in this room.
Chu Shaoqiang said with a smile, "I don’t want to kill you—not right now, anyway. Just step aside, and this whole affair will have nothing to do with you."
Cui Tiq shook his head. "I’m sorry, but this office, indeed the entire hospital, is my private territory. I cannot step aside."
Chu Shaoqiang’s smile didn’t waver. "Then I can’t let you live. You’re really not very perceptive."
Tiny snowflakes slowly drifted down. Although this wasn’t Chu Shaoqiang’s house and Cui Tiq wasn’t Greenwater Beggar, the lime Chu Shaoqiang carried was enough to kill him.
Green pustules swelled on Cui Tiq’s body. Many burst rapidly, their ichor spraying amidst the snowflakes.
Chu Shaoqiang grew more cautious, but his expression remained steady. "So, you’re a Disease Cultivator. Do you really intend to fight me to the death? I didn’t expect your Taoist Sect to have such a loyal cultivator."
Cui Tiq said, "I am indeed a loyal man, willing to give my life for my Taoist Sect."
Chu Shaoqiang nodded. "I can grant you that."
Cui Tiq still stood in the doorway. "Don’t be so rash. I believe you are also a loyal man. You were sent by the Inner State. If your master doesn’t wish to offend allied territories, I suggest you refrain from attacking me."
The word "master" was grating. Chu Shaoqiang’s cheek twitched, his smile gradually fading. "Foreign Devils, what do you take yourselves for?"
Cui Tiq calmly replied, "I am nothing remarkable. But this is my hospital, my territory. It houses many Spiritual Objects and Magical Treasures—not for combat, but for communication. If you insist on trespassing on my territory, I will fight you to the death. If you kill me, the news will spread instantly, leading to a great deal of trouble. I advise you to think thrice before acting."
Chu Shaoqiang fell silent for a moment, then left Boundless Hospital.
Cui Tiq took off his mask and sat in a chair, gasping for breath for a long time. He was terrified. Ever since the Peddler had helped him control Greenwater Beggar’s power, Cui Tiq had never felt such an intense threat to his life.
A small green man over a foot tall materialized on the table.
"Chu Shaoqiang has changed. The Inner State has changed him too much," the little green man sighed. "If it were the Chu Shaoqiang of old, you’d have been dead long ago. That’s why I refuse to go to the Inner State, no matter what."
Cui Tiq bowed to the little green man. "I revere the Ancestral Master, and my loyalty to the Taoist Sect will never waver."
The little green man chuckled. "I trust you. Daring to stand up to Chu Shaoqiang—you certainly have guts. What’s your current cultivation level?"
Cui Tiq said, "I’m at the Seventh Layer for now."
The little green man placed his right hand on his left shoulder, twisted forcefully, and snapped off his own left arm, handing it to Cui Tiq. "Eat this. It will help you reach the Eighth Layer."
"Thank you, Ancestral Master, for your generous gift!" Cui Tiq did not hesitate to eat the arm.
The little green man nodded. "I have another task for you. Go to Cheap Person Ridge and deliver some ’good things’ to that wretch. If you succeed, I’ll help you reach the Ninth Layer!"
PS: The Unnameable Place, that is, the Dark Dimension Space, first appeared in Chapter 401, where Liao Zihui used the Dark Dimension Space to dodge Li Banfeng’s sneak attack.
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