He hadn’t guessed wrong. Some of the Knife Labor Ghosts had already started fighting—all part of Cui Tiq’s pre-arranged plan for the infection process.
"They’re still..." Cui Tiq froze.
A male and a female, two Knife Labor Ghosts, were clinging to each other.
Cui Tiq had thought they were struggling, but then he realized parts of them were connected.
Then, a large number of Knife Labor Ghosts began to embrace, their jubilant roars echoing one after another.
Cui Tiq pursed his lips. "Li Qi, it seems an ingredient in the potion was overused. They’re too agitated now. I think we should leave. Li Qi! Li Qi..."
Cui Tiq looked beside him. Li Qi wasn’t there. Li Qi had already left, quite some time ago.
The Knife Labor Ghost awakened by the Morning Glory approached Cui Tiq, slithering on its belly and circling him.
Cui Tiq detected hostility from her; this Knife Labor Ghost sensed something alien about him.
She opened her mouth, possibly to spray poison or to roar.
If she only sprayed poison, Cui Tiq might have managed to defend himself. But if she roared to summon her companions to spray poison together, it would be fatal for him. He couldn’t possibly control such a vast number of pathogens in so little time.
At this critical moment, Cui Tiq relaxed his suppression of the pathogens within his body. His face quickly swelled, his features blurred, and his body became covered in viscous fluid.
Seeing Cui Tiq transform, the Knife Labor Ghost’s hostility gradually dissipated, but she didn’t leave.
She moved behind Cui Tiq and slowly wrapped her arms around him.
Cui Tiq had much to say, but at that moment, he didn’t know what language to use.
...
After a night passed, Cui Tiq reached the foot of the mountain. He looked at Li Banfeng angrily. "You left me alone on the mountain! That severely damaged our friendship."
Li Banfeng asked a serious question, "How did you escape?"
Cui Tiq didn’t answer directly. "I saved your life! Is this how you repay me?"
"Repaying a kindness and joining you in courting death are two different things," Li Banfeng retorted.
"How can you call this courting death? We’re resolving a disaster together!"
"Was the disaster resolved?"
Cui Tiq fell silent for a moment, then said, "The process was a bit... convoluted. I didn’t anticipate the Knife Labor Ghosts’ vitality would be so tenacious. The lesion I created couldn’t kill them, but we did achieve some results."
"What results?"
Cui Tiq explained, "Previously, the Knife Labor Ghosts would only appear during thunderstorms because they needed to drink water. Now, under the influence of the lesion, their physical characteristics have changed somewhat. They can visually sense and actively seek out water sources. This means that in the future, during thunderstorms, we won’t have to worry about being ambushed by Knife Labor Ghosts. Their behavior is no longer necessarily linked to thunder and lightning."
Li Banfeng felt a jolt in his head and asked in a low voice, "Can you be more direct?"
After a moment of reflection, Cui Tiq said, "It means they can come out now even without thunder."
A cold wind blew past. Li Banfeng looked up at Cui Tiq. "I should have killed you before I went up the mountain."
Cui Tiq sighed. "Don’t be so pessimistic. I’ll make some improvements to the lesion. I promise better results next time."
"When is next time?"
Cui Tiq thought for a long time, then looked towards Knife Ghost Ridge. "That’s not up to me; it’s up to them. The lesion has... agitated them. After all, being able to find water on their own is an exciting development for them. As things stand, I don’t know when they’ll calm down. Perhaps they never will."
Li Banfeng looked towards Knife Ghost Ridge, at a loss for words.
Cui Tiq returned to his camp, and Li Banfeng prepared to return to his Portable Residence. Halfway there, a man in a gray trench coat blocked his path.
Chu Shaoqiang approached Li Banfeng with a smile. "I don’t like to think badly of people, but there’s something I really don’t understand. Why is it that you’re involved in every rotten mess I’ve encountered recently?"
Li Banfeng asked, "Are you here for Knife Ghost Ridge?"
"Yes!" Chu Shaoqiang didn’t deny it.
"Did you bring Knife Ghost Ridge here?"
"Not exactly." Chu Shaoqiang shook his head. "On the way here, I was using Sky Heart Stones to guide it, but they disappeared—all five of them. Perhaps you know their whereabouts."
Li Banfeng didn’t answer, asking instead, "Where were you planning to move Knife Ghost Ridge?"
"I can’t disclose that to you."
"If you want my help, you must tell me the truth."
After a moment’s hesitation, Chu Shaoqiang said, "This was Peddler’s order. He told me to move Knife Ghost Ridge elsewhere. As for the specific purpose, I don’t know either..."
He couldn’t finish his sentence. He was blowing soap bubbles, rose-scented ones.
Since Li Qi saw the soap bubbles, he naturally wouldn’t believe his lies. So, Chu Shaoqiang quickly concocted a more euphemistic explanation:
"This actually has nothing to do with Peddler, but what I’m doing is for the people of Pururururuluo State..."