When he uttered the word "Pu," he spat out a series of soap bubbles, which made him cough violently.
Li Banfeng was very disappointed in Chu Shaoqiang. "Come up with a better excuse."
Chu Shaoqiang wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. "Alright, I’ll tell you the truth. I am to deliver Knife Ghost Ridge to Sage Peak because the Saint on Sage Peak wants Knife Ghost Ridge."
"What does he want Knife Ghost Ridge for?"
"He wants an army to restore his former status."
"And what is his status?"
"He is the last emperor of the former dynasty. After losing the war, he lost his realm. His realm then split into two parts: one part came under the control of the Royal Family and is now Inner State, while the other part is present-day Puluo State."
This time, Chu Shaoqiang didn’t blow any soap bubbles; he was telling the truth.
Yet Li Banfeng didn’t understand. "If Inner State is controlled by the Royal Family, why doesn’t the Saint return there? Isn’t he the Emperor?"
Chu Shaoqiang replied, "I don’t know much about his past. He did live in Inner State for a time. However, unable to bear the Royal Family’s oppression, he left Inner State. He then took over Sage Peak and, eventually, the entirety of Cheap Person Ridge."
"The Royal Family oppressing the Emperor?" Li Banfeng was even more confused.
"It’s because the Royal Family has been thoroughly manipulated by the Inner State People. As for the origins of the Inner State People, I can’t say for certain. I only know they didn’t originally belong to this world."
Li Banfeng somewhat untangled the logic. "So the Saint wants to turn the Knife Labor Ghosts on Knife Ghost Ridge into his own army to conquer Puluo State?"
Chu Shaoqiang nodded.
"You were sent by Inner State, so why do you obey the Saint’s commands?"
Chu Shaoqiang said, "Actually, this is also an order from Inner State—BLUB BLUB BLUB..."
Soap bubbles sprayed out again. Chu Shaoqiang had lied again.
Li Banfeng shook his head. "This isn’t an order from Inner State; it’s a deal between you and the Saint."
Chu Shaoqiang nodded. "Yes, Ge Junma is dead. He was an Inner State Person. These are not consequences I can bear. If I want to survive, I need someone to take responsibility for this matter for me. The Saint took responsibility for me, so in return, I must deliver Knife Ghost Ridge to Sage Peak."
"The Knife Labor Ghosts’ minds are entirely different from humans. What will the Saint use to control them?"
"The Saint has mastered a method to control thunderstorms within a certain range. This essentially gives him control over the Knife Labor Ghosts’ advances and retreats."
Li Banfeng frowned. "Just that? He expects to control the Knife Labor Ghosts merely with thunderstorms?"
Chu Shaoqiang said, "I’ve told the Saint that this is a far cry from a true army. But the Saint believes that by mastering thunderstorms, he has already laid the foundation to domesticate the Knife Labor Ghosts. He considers it the beginning of his grand enterprise."
Li Banfeng pursed his lips, his nose twitching.
Chu Shaoqiang said, "I know the Saint’s ideas might be unrealistic, and the chances of him successfully controlling the Knife Labor Ghosts aren’t very high. That’s why I agreed to hand Knife Ghost Ridge over to him. But today, the Sky Heart Stones were lost here, and you just happened to show up. If you claim you have nothing to do with this, I certainly won’t believe you. However, if you’re willing to offer some help and recover the Sky Heart Stones for me, I will give you a generous reward."
After thinking for a long moment, Li Banfeng said, "Helping you isn’t out of the question. But you’ve lost five Sky Heart Stones. Finding all of them will be too difficult."
Chu Shaoqiang said, "We need to find at least two; otherwise, Knife Ghost Ridge can’t be moved."
Li Banfeng replied, "Finding two... there’s some hope for that. But it depends on the price you’re willing to pay."
PS: What exactly did Cui Tiq experience that night?