Ma Wu, naturally unbothered by such trivial matters, allowed Xu Shouming to handle all affairs. They departed Bridge Yesong without any incident, proceeding towards the Soda Kiln. Their departure was discreet, leaving behind a formidable spear for the Defense Agency.
Within the Defense Agency premises, Liao Zihui tapped rhythmically on his table, humming a tune. He mused that he had finally encountered a worthy adversary this time.
Outside the Defense Agency, the Greenwater Beggar retrieved a newspaper. After reading it thoroughly twice, he seemed to ascertain the location of his opponent.
At Boundless Hospital, the Greenwater Beggar posed a question to Cui Tiq: "Have you ever visited Black Stone Slope?"
Cui Tiq paused for a moment in thought before replying, "Indeed, I have. The last time was about three months ago, when I set up a temporary clinic there."
"Do you happen to know of the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency?"
"Yes, I do. Their newspapers and magazines are quite well-produced. I make it a point to purchase every issue," Cui Tiq affirmed.
The Greenwater Beggar inquired further, "Do you know who owns the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency?"
Cui Tiq answered with candidness, "Their proprietor’s surname is Ye, which isn't a particularly common name."
The Greenwater Beggar scooped some cold, leftover rice from his begging bowl, chewed it deliberately, and stated, "I located He Jiaqing at Black Stone Slope. He Jiaqing had crossed paths with the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency. I could have apprehended him, but then the Local Deity of Black Stone Slope intervened. Do you know of this Local Deity of Black Stone Slope?"
Cui Tiq responded with a shake of his head.
Green Flower extracted a portion of fish from his bowl, gnawed on the meat, and declared, "The Local Deity of Black Stone Slope, named Tang Shijiang, is the only Local Deity within Puluo State who commands my respect. Truly impressive."
Cui Tiq mused, "For such a powerful Local Deity to proactively defend He Jiaqing, it suggests they have already established an alliance."
Green Flower countered with a shake of his head, "I doubt Tang Shijiang is protecting He Jiaqing. His focus appears to be on safeguarding the Night-blooming Jasmine Newspaper Agency."
Cui Tiq expressed his bewilderment, "A Local Deity protecting a mere newspaper agency?"
Green Flower ejected a fish bone, chuckled, and remarked, "You fail to grasp the situation, don't you? Frankly, I don't quite understand it myself. An envoy named Xu arrived from the Outside Provinces; he held a rank officially equivalent to Liao Zihui, yet he extended an invitation to Ma Junyang for a meal. Can you fathom such a scenario?"
Cui Tiq pondered this perplexing detail for an extended period before shaking his head, "Does Ma Junyang genuinely possess such elevated standing?"
"Ma Junyang himself does not, but there exists another individual who does. This person’s capabilities are inscrutable, and I happen to have past grievances with them. Should they be secretly shielding He Jiaqing, this entire affair will become exceedingly difficult to resolve."
Cui Tiq understood implicitly who Green Flower was alluding to; it was none other than Li Qi.
Green Flower then shook his now-empty bowl, which had previously been filled with sustenance, and commanded, "Ascertain the identity of Boss Ye and report back to me immediately."
Cui Tiq felt a reluctance to mention Li Qi's name, yet he realized it was an unavoidable truth.
...
At the abandoned factory in Soda Kiln.
Shi Gongxing, wary of lingering in the workshop, swiftly exited the factory area and sought refuge within a nearby warehouse.
He was aware that the factory's pool harbored more than just the skeletal remains of a crucian carp; another individual was concealed within its depths.
Hou Haitao, the Deputy Envoy of the task force, led a contingent of over fifty men directly to the rear of the workshop.
His objective for the day was reconnaissance; should he succeed in locating the entrance to the Inner State within the workshop, he would promptly transmit this information to Xu Shouming, signifying the successful completion of their mission within Puluo State.
Three subordinates, clad in diving suits and equipped with oxygen tanks, submerged themselves into the pool. After a period of diving, they encountered the colossal skeleton of a crucian carp.
One diver expressed considerable astonishment, capturing images with a camera, while another deployed a camcorder to film the skeletal structure from various angles.
The third diver attempted a direct communication with the skeleton, gently stroking it as one might a shark in the vast ocean. This gentle approach is known to pacify certain large marine creatures and serves as a conventional gesture of peaceful intent.
The crucian carp's skeleton remained placid, suspended motionlessly in the water, behaving much like a docile pet that readily permitted the divers' physical contact.
Having gathered sufficient intelligence, the trio of divers swiftly ascended to the surface and returned to dry land.
They presented their findings, and Hou Haitao expressed profound satisfaction with the results obtained.
Achieving the task's objective was paramount; there was no necessity for any further actions. Hou Haitao, adhering strictly to Xu Shouming's directives, prepared to withdraw from the workshop without delay.
Splash~
The water churned, and a feminine voice emanated from below the surface: "Who exactly are you people?"
A wave of astonishment swept over everyone present, particularly the divers, who had certainly not anticipated the crucian carp skeleton would speak.
Hou Haitao, displaying remarkable quick-wittedness, responded swiftly, "We hail from regions beyond Puluo State, extending greetings of goodwill and friendship."
Splash~
Once more, the water's surface began to churn, and the immense skeleton of a crucian carp slowly emerged.
The divers had reported witnessing a mobile fish skeleton. Hou Haitao could never have fathomed what such a sight would truly entail.
Now, he beheld it directly: the pristine fish skeleton, devoid of flesh, oscillating gently upon the water.
Hao Houtao found himself at a loss for words to capture the essence of the scene; truth be told, he was quite unnerved.
Envoy Xu had forewarned him that the beings from the Inner States possessed a peculiar form, cautioning him against causing offense.
If one sought to avoid offense, the most prudent course of action would undoubtedly be commendation.
Hao Houtao's mind landed on a phrase: "Truly magnificent!"
Was this expression fitting? It was all Hao Houtao could summon at that moment, deferring more nuanced wording for a later time; this initial encounter was merely for greetings, with the envoy handling subsequent matters.
"You find it magnificent?" a woman's voice echoed again. "Is this how you extend goodwill?"
Even if his choice of words was unsuitable, Hao Houtao felt the other party's anger was disproportionate, suspecting a potential misunderstanding. He glanced towards the three divers.
One of the divers made a motion as if stroking something, indicating they had made physical contact with the skeleton beneath the water.
Hao Houtao quickly clarified, "Our customs may differ somewhat from yours, but our intention is to convey sincere goodwill. Every physical contact is our way of expressing..."
Thud!
Hao Houtao lost his footing and tumbled to the ground.
The earth, previously covered in dust, was inexplicably coated in a viscous layer of slime.
Two subordinates attempted to help Hao Houtao rise, but the moment they took a step, they too collapsed onto the ground.
All fifty-plus subordinates fell, writhing in a futile struggle; they slipped relentlessly, unable to maintain their footing.
Hao Houtao cried out towards the fish skeleton, "We harbor no ill intent, please believe us!"
The fish skeleton continued its swaying motion, stirring up renewed waves on the pool's surface.
Two long, serpentine forms, undulating gracefully, emerged slowly from the water.
Were these truly snakes?
Why could he discern no scales, no distinct heads?
No, these were not snakes; they were tentacles.
Beyond the tentacles, Hao Houtao caught sight of an enormous snail shell.
Hao Houtao spun around and commanded, "Quick, prepare the steam-powered machine gun!"
His order was correct, yet none of his men could regain their footing; even the two Fifth Layer Wanderers (Traveling Cultivators) remained incapacitated.
His subordinates stumbled and crawled towards the weapon, the significant boiler affixed to the barrel sliding uncontrollably across the workshop floor; they were unable to steady the machine gun, let alone ignite it to generate high-pressure steam.
The colossal River Snail Girl ascended from the pool, her gaze fixed on the distant high-pressure machine gun. She addressed Hao Houtao, "Is this also how you demonstrate goodwill?"
It was only then that Hao Houtao realized the preceding voice had not originated from the carp skeleton, but from this River Snail Girl.
The snail-like creature slithered towards Hao Houtao: "Today, allow me to reciprocate your goodwill."
Hao Houtao struggled, crawling arduously through the slick substance.
The River Snail Girl parted her immense maw, revealing concentric rings of sharp teeth.
...
The following morning, Xu Shouming arrived at the official chamber to confer directly with Liao Zihui.
Dispensing with pleasantries and indirect inquiries, Xu Shouming stated plainly, "Old Liao, I require your assistance."
Liao Zihui managed a strained smile. "Envoy Xu, what do you imply? You haven't apprehended any Inner State individuals and now wish for me to dispatch them to Yuezhou, is that it?"
Xu Shouming presented Liao Zihui with a collection of photographs. "I dispatched Hao Houtao to reconnoiter the entrance to the Inner States. He departed with over fifty individuals and has not returned for a full day and night.
Subsequently, when I dispatched a reconnaissance team to investigate near the entrance, they discovered this scene within an abandoned factory."
Rows upon rows of meticulously cleaned skeletons were suspended from the workshop's ceiling, not a shred of flesh remaining on any of them.
Liao Zihui stared, dumbfounded, for an extended period before asking, "The Inner State inhabitants are responsible for this?"
Xu Shouming replied, "I cannot be certain. I have lost over fifty subordinates; I cannot afford further experimental actions. Old Liao, you must help me."
Liao Zihui shook his head. "I cannot aid you. Submit a report to your superiors immediately and await the dispatch of the Balance squad."
PS: How will the Balance squad resolve this predicament?