Chapter 615: Little Grass Grows

Song Demei looked at Liang Chongde in front of her and asked, "Did you just say you killed that scoundrel?"

Liang Chongde lowered his head and said, "I advised him to return to the village with me, but he refused. So, as you commanded, I..." Song Demei smiled faintly, "Good, that scoundrel deserved to die."

Liang Chongde lowered his head, feeling instantly relieved.

However, Song Demei's second son, Yue Congde, couldn't understand her actions. "Mother, you killed Tang Xinde. Will that foreigner just let it go?" Song Demei glanced at her second son. "Do you still expect him to let it go?"

The second son had been speaking little these days, always observing others' reactions when he did.

She knew the second son in front of her wasn't the real second son, but she never revealed it because the current one had brought her considerable benefits.

Song Demei had targeted Xiao De because she didn't want the stalemate to continue. She intended to drive Cui Tik crazy; if he didn't act soon, she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer herself.

Yesterday, Song Demei received news that Li Qi had sent a batch of grain to Desongya.

Cui Tik threatening Desongya with plague was something Song Demei could tolerate. Li Qi sending away the disciples of the various major sects was also something she could tolerate. Even Li Qi killing her son, she could tolerate.

But Li Qi sending grain to Desongya — that Song Demei could not tolerate.

She knew the nature of the De Xiu very well. If this grain truly reached Desongya, the De Xiu would have no worries about food and drink, and few would likely remain willing to fight alongside her.

This soft nail had pierced her heart, hurting so much she could barely breathe. Continuing to wear down Cui Tik would exhaust Desongya's morale, turning all her previous efforts into nothing. So, she decided to make a risky move.

If she were to lead people up the mountain to directly attack Cui Tik, it would be difficult to explain to the Peddler later.

She sent Liang Chongde up the mountain, hoping to trick Tang Dexin back to the village and force Cui Tik to come down and fight there.

Liang Chongde was chosen because the boy was very loyal, and she was certain Cui Tik wouldn't be as wary of a child.

She specifically gave Liang Chongde a Traveler Cultivator artifact. Once Liang Chongde used the artifact, he would instantly fly back to Deyuan Village, as if struck by the Traveler Cultivator's "Farewell for a Thousand Miles" technique.

Now that Liang Chongde had killed Tang Dexin, Song Demei felt this outcome was also quite good: "That scoundrel is dead. Let's see if that foreigner dares to come here and fight to the death."

Yue Congde shook his head. "Mother, what if that foreigner really comes to fight to the death?"

Song Demei asked, "Are you afraid of him?"

Yue Congde nodded. "Of course, I'm afraid. He's a disciple of Green Flower!"

Song Demei sneered, "Go gather all the men, women, and children of Desongya. Let him kill whomever he pleases. Let's see how many he dares to kill!"

Yue Congde grew increasingly confused by Song Demei's intentions. "Mother, this foreign devil is a disciple of Green Flower. The more people there are, the faster the plague spreads. Aren't we just sending him victims?"

Song Demei didn't want to be too harsh, so she patiently explained, "Do you know why that foreigner came to Desongya?"

Yue Congde blinked. "I heard the Peddler sent him."

Song Demei then asked, "If he's a disciple of Green Flower, why would the Peddler let him out to harm people?"

Yue Congde shook his head; this was something he genuinely didn't know.

Song Demei said, "I investigated this long ago. The Peddler wants him to do things, but he's forbidden from wantonly killing innocents. If he kills too many people, he'll violate the Peddler's rules. That's why he hasn't dared to spread the plague in the village all this time!"

Hearing Song Demei's explanation, Yue Congde somewhat understood her intention.

She had seized Cui Tik's weakness — his inability to kill indiscriminately. By gathering all the men, women, and children and presenting them before Cui Tik, she was forcing him to act.

If Cui Tik were to embark on a massacre, he would inevitably incur the Peddler's wrath, and to avoid punishment, he would surely have to leave Desongya.

If Cui Tik hesitated and dared not act, Song Demei would strike with lethal force. Ideally, she would drive him away; if not, she would kill him!

He had been the first to commit violence in the village, so even if the Peddler blamed her, Song Demei could justify her actions.

This risky move would not only corner Cui Tik but also unite Desongya against a common enemy.

The unity against a common enemy was especially crucial to Song Demei. In her view, if these De Xiu were unwilling to fight for her, they might as well be sent to their deaths.

"What are you waiting for? Go summon them!"

Yue Congde quickly went to summon people. According to Song Demei's plan, the more people he gathered, the greater their chances of winning.

The second son proved to be very efficient, and soon gathered all the prominent figures from the surrounding villages.

Song Demei shouted to the crowd, "That foreign villain has now shown his true colors and intends to fight us to the death. How can we, the people of Desongya, tolerate such bullying? Everyone, as long as today..."

Just as she was speaking, her eldest son, Yue Xingde, ran over, shouting, "Mother, that foreign devil has gone mad! He's brought many Blade Demons into the village!"

Song Demei's expression remained calm; this was all within her expectations. "Don't be afraid of him! Let the elderly and children go first and surround him. Let's see if he dares to lay a hand on them!"

Yue Xingde couldn't quite describe the current situation. "A few old people in the village went to reason with him. They'd only said two sentences when rashes broke out all over their bodies. As soon as the rashes appeared, these people couldn't move."

"What kind of rash?" Song Demei had dealt with Green Flower before and knew which colored rashes were most deadly.

Yue Xingde considered how to describe it. "The rash had a peculiar color; it seemed to be black..."

"Black rashes?" The old woman had never seen such a thing. "Are you mistaken?"

Yue Xingde was about to speak when he suddenly felt an itch on his cheekbone and scratched it twice.

With that scratch, his cheekbone swelled, and a rash the size of a little fingertip emerged from it.

He had been right earlier; the rash was black. Beneath the translucent skin was black fluid, with a few floating red spots within it.

Yue Xingde touched his cheek, trembling all over. The old woman immediately distanced herself from her eldest son.

She looked at Liang Chongde, then at her eldest son. "That foreigner dares not wantonly kill innocents."

The eldest son immediately understood Song Demei's meaning.

Cui Tik dared not wantonly kill innocents, so by handing over those who were not innocent to him, Song Demei gained a moral advantage. Not only could she suppress Cui Tik with De Xiu techniques, but later, if the Peddler questioned her, this would serve as justifiable evidence.

The eldest son stepped forward and bound Liang Chongde, who cried out in fear, "I was just following orders! He wouldn't come with me, so I killed him..."

The eldest son gave him no further chance to speak, first gagging Liang Chongde, then leading his men to the west entrance of the village.

Song Demei ordered the second son, "Send out all your subordinates to continue summoning people from other villages."

"Mother, this foreign devil has gone mad. I'm afraid no one will dare to come here."

Song Demei was confident. "Heavy rewards attract brave men. When you summon them, tell them that anyone who shows up today will receive a silver dollar!"

The second son quickly went to call for people. Meanwhile, the eldest son escorted Liang Chongde to the west entrance of the village, where they encountered Cui Tik on the archway road.

"Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its owner! I've brought the murderer here. You can do with him as you please today!" The eldest son pushed Liang Chongde close to Cui Tik.

Cui Tik removed the cloth gag from Liang Chongde's mouth and asked, "Who told you to do this?"

Liang Chongde cried, "It was Song Demei! It was she..."

Yue Xingde shouted, "You little beast! Everyone is responsible for their own actions. What did my mother tell you? And what did you do? How dare you slander people here? Desongya doesn't produce your kind of scoundrels. Look at your conscience before you speak! Don't ruin the reputation of our De Xiu just because you're afraid of death!"

The eldest son used a De Xiu technique, making his words resound powerfully, but Cui Tik didn't listen to a single word.

He walked past Liang Chongde and continued towards the eldest son.

Liang Chongde looked back at the eldest son. His face was covered in black pustules, growing so rapidly that they distorted his features.

The onset of his rash was brutal; with every new red spot in town, it felt as if a steel needle was boring into his flesh.

"Please spare me! I was wrong! I didn't want to kill him; I was following orders..." Liang Chongde continued to beg, but Cui Tik didn't even glance at him.

The eldest son retreated, shouting, "We don't want to fight you! This matter has nothing to do with us! If you wantonly kill innocents here, you'll be defying the Peddler's orders. If you dare to lay a hand on us, the Peddler will surely not spare you..."

The eldest son's voice grew fainter as more rashes appeared on his face. Between gasps, his mouth was full of them. He stopped speaking and could no longer move.

He slumped against the archway, his entire body like mud, pooling on the ground. He was still alive; his eyes could still move.

Cui Tik walked straight into the village, with more and more onlookers gathering around him. They dared not approach Cui Tik, only stood at a distance, pointing and murmuring, "What do you want with us? Go find whoever did it!" "We haven't offended you! Aren't you just bullying honest people?"

Their voices were smaller than mosquitoes'. The second son, Yue Congde, shouted from nearby, "Louder! Speak louder! Make sure that foreign devil hears you!" They were using a De Xiu technique, "Seeing Virtue, Thinking of Qi."

Yue Congde hoped they could use the technique to temporarily suppress Cui Tik, but it seemed to be meaningless. The volume of their voices didn't matter; Cui Tik couldn't hear them.

Rashes erupted on the faces of a group of De Xiu. All of them, like the eldest son, turned into living piles of mud, heaped on the ground.

Cui Tik fought his way to the manor. After killing so many people, the Peddler would certainly not overlook it. Song Demei felt the time was right and emerged from the manor with her subordinates. "Foreign villain! A life for a life! We've given you the prime culprit, what more do you want? Do you intend to wipe out all of Desongya?"

Cui Tik walked towards Song Demei expressionlessly.

He showed no hesitation or internal conflict, which was different from what Song Demei had anticipated.

Seeing that verbal suppression had no effect, Song Demei simply attacked Cui Tik directly.

A direct confrontation between De Xiu and Sickness Cultivators certainly wouldn't be advantageous. However, Song Demei was a cultivator from the Cloud Realm, and her techniques were highly proficient. She first used a move called "Great Virtue Sustains All Things," pressing down on Cui Tik.

She had expected Cui Tik to evade, but he didn't dodge at all, taking the full force of the blow. He staggered, tripped, and fell directly to the ground.

Had this foreigner lost his mind?

If he had lost his mind, he would be even easier to deal with!

Song Demei looked down at Cui Tik. "Let's end things here today. Considering you were momentarily confused, I won't hold it against you. Quickly cure the villagers of their ailments and leave Desongya as soon as possible. Even if the Peddler blames you, I can put in a good word for you..."

Cui Tik, still bearing the weight of "Great Virtue Sustains All Things," slowly rose from the ground.

His bones audibly creaked and popped, sounding as if several had snapped. Yet, his face remained expressionless as he continued to walk towards Song Demei.

Fearing infection, Song Demei tried to maintain her distance from Cui Tik.

She continuously increased the power of her technique, hoping to make Cui Tik retreat in the face of difficulty.

Cui Tik made no counter-moves, continuing to endure the attacks with his body, dragging his heavy steps as he slowly approached Song Demei.

What was wrong with this foreigner? Was he tired of living?

This suicidal fighting style greatly astonished Song Demei, and her previously formulated tactics faltered.

She still had many assistants around her, but seeing Cui Tik in this state, they were too scared to advance.

After a brief standoff, over a dozen Blade Demons suddenly attacked Song Demei, and she realized the situation was dire.

She had planned for everything, yet missed one crucial point: if Cui Tik truly didn't care about his life, how was she supposed to handle this? Even the Peddler's deterrent was useless, rendering all of Song Demei's calculations meaningless.

She wanted to resist the Blade Demons, but if she diverted her attention, she wouldn't be able to control Cui Tik. Should she exert more force and crush Cui Tik, at least trading one for one?

No!

The thought flashed in her mind for a moment, then vanished.

Song Demei had the courage and determination to risk all of Desongya.

But risking her own life, that she absolutely couldn't bear.

She would retreat for now, leave this place, and deal with him when the Peddler arrived. Song Demei wanted to leave, but Cui Tik pressed forward relentlessly, giving her no opportunity. A Blade Demon reached out and clawed at Song Demei's face.

Song Demei barely dodged, but a scratch was left on her face.

Song Demei's heart went cold. The Blade Demon's poison was incurable!

In her panic, Song Demei saw black rashes on the Blade Demon's face. She also felt a numbing itch on her own face, and rashes began to appear on her cheek. Could he also spread the plague through the Blade Demons?

Song Demei no longer had any will to fight. Since she was already infected, she simply abandoned her techniques, stopped trying to control Cui Tik, and fled. "Let him kill! Kill anyone you want in Deyuan Village! Once you've had your fill, I'll negotiate a price with you."

The severely injured Cui Tik didn't pursue. He ordered the Blade Demons around him to disperse and search every corner of the village.

A Blade Demon tilted its head back and let out a long, mournful howl, instructing the Blade Demons in other villages to also disperse.

Luo Zhengnan was still waiting for news about the grain at the station when he suddenly received a call from Li Qi: "Old Luo, call me back in one minute." To be honest, this instruction was baffling, but Luo Zhengnan had grown accustomed to it.

A minute later, Old Luo found a quiet spot and called Li Qi. After a moment, Li Qi flew to Luo Zhengnan's side.

Li Qi had originally intended to rush back to Desongya, but fearing he might be too late, he found a suitable person at Haichiling, gave them a sum of money, and used "Farewell for a Thousand Miles" to send that person to Kudai Gorge. He then flew to Desongya himself.

Upon meeting, he first asked Luo Zhengnan, "What happened at Desongya?"

Luo Zhengnan was startled. "Nothing happened. I've been waiting for the grain here..."

As they spoke, Luo Zhengnan's head twitched. It was a call from his subordinate: "Master Luo, it's bad! That foreigner has struck ruthlessly. Everyone in the village has rashes, and some of our brothers are affected too."

"What for?"

"I heard it seems like something happened to that child."

Li Banfeng was startled. "Xiao De? Which bastard did this?"

Luo Zhengnan looked at Li Banfeng, his expression bewildered. This had happened too suddenly, and Old Luo didn't know how to handle it. Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then said, "Tell me where our people are. I'll go save them."

"Seventh Master, I'll go with you!"

"Don't go anywhere. Wait for my news here."

Song Demei ran from Deyuan Village to Dexiao Village. Under the big tree at the village entrance sat a person covered in rashes, and several more sat on the village path, also covered in rashes. Where did their ailments come from?

Two Blade Demons emerged from a manor, silently watching Song Demei. They were the source of the plague. This foreigner truly had gone mad; he really intended to wipe everyone out!

Song Demei had no desire to fight and quickly went to De'en Village.

The situation in De'en Village was the same as in Dexiao Village: Blade Demons were sighted in all surrounding villages, and everyone in the villages had contracted the rash.

Initially, Song Demei could still fight off a few Blade Demons, but as her condition worsened, her entire body weakened, and she lost even the ability to dodge them. She then ran to De'an Village, hoping to leave Desongya's territory by passing through it, but two Blade Demons blocked her path.

She tried to bypass the Blade Demons, but her rash-covered legs simply wouldn't obey, and she eventually stumbled and fell into a field. The Blade Demons picked up Song Demei and took her to Deyuan Village.

Song Demei still tried to escape, but the layers of pustules on her body had rendered her unable to fight the Blade Demons.

Cui Tik, dragging his severely injured body, approached Song Demei step by step. Song Demei shrieked, "I didn't kill him! I didn't kill him! Spare my life, and all of Desongya is yours!"

Cui Tik asked expressionlessly, "What would I do with this place?"

Song Demei shouted, "There's something else! My second son, Yue Congde, he hasn't been Yue Congde for a long time. He's another person. I'll tell you everything, just spare me!"

Li Banfeng walked from De'an Village to Dexiao Village. Everyone he saw along the way was covered in black rashes with flashing red spots. Some of these people were still alive; others had completely turned into piles of mud.

Those who were still alive couldn't move their bodies and were also heaped on the ground like mud. This was the state of the entire Desongya region.

Li Banfeng ignored all the De Xiu. He only remembered the locations of his own people: a group of Luo Zhengnan's subordinates and the remnants of the Sand Snake Gang who had stayed to help. They were all still alive. Along the way, Li Banfeng developed rashes several times, but each time he returned to his portable dwelling and dispelled them using the "Carefree Slumber" technique.

He continued until he reached the foot of Decheng Mountain, where he saw Cui Tik. Cui Tik and a Blade Demon had dug a grave and buried the child.

"Hmmph hmmph~" The Blade Demon, incapable of crying, let out a deep, hoarse groan beside the grave.

Cui Tik stood beside the grave and said to Li Banfeng, "When I first came to Desongya, I actually thought things were very simple. I just wanted to kill everyone and then let the Peddler deal with me. If the Peddler spared me, I would gain immensely. If he killed me, at least I would have taken a big step closer to my dream! But when I arrived at the entrance of Deyuan Village, I saw him. He was being bullied and tormented by a group of people. I originally thought I shouldn't intervene, but I did. After taking him in, I wanted to find a different way to resolve this war. I wanted to avoid killing as much as possible because I believe living is a beautiful thing. How I wish I hadn't met him back then. The outcome would have been the same anyway..." At this point, Cui Tik gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Li Banfeng asked, "Did that technique of yours succeed?"

"Which technique are you referring to?"

"The one similar to a contract, which only kills those who deserve to die."

Cui Tik, who had been relatively calm, fell silent for a long time. He suddenly became less serene. He struggled to explain his technique to Li Banfeng:

"That technique, the technique is called, 'Give me noodles in broth...' Noodles in broth, you know? The noodles in broth I made. He loved to eat them. That technique, I, I can't learn it anymore. I'll never learn it again..."

Cui Tik seemed to have forgotten the language of Prou. Every sentence he spoke was a great effort. He picked up a tin can from the cave entrance. Inside it grew a wild flower.

Holding the tin can, he looked at Li Banfeng and said, "He was an angel. Even the Blade Demons loved him so much. But that group of the most 'moral' people, they took him, they..."

Cui Tik spoke with increasing difficulty, unable to complete a single sentence.

Li Banfeng said, "I estimate his soul hasn't gone far. I have some methods that might bring him back to life." Cui Tik saw a glimmer of hope. "Are you talking about resurrection?"

The child's soul indeed hadn't gone far. He sat beneath the flower petals in the tin can, looking up silently at Cui Tik. He saw Cui Tik trembling and thought he was hungry or thirsty. Having no food, he wished to catch a dewdrop and offer it to Cui Tik.

The child's soul was very weak. Cui Tik couldn't sense it, and Li Banfeng could only barely perceive it even with his "Golden Sight and Autumn Down" technique. Li Banfeng didn't know what power kept the child's soul in the human world, nor whether his Foolish Cultivation skill could revive the child. But he knew this was different from what Cui Tik understood as true resurrection.

"To be precise, if I succeed, after his revival, he wouldn't be considered truly alive or truly dead. He would be a living dead, in a sense." Cui Tik's gaze dimmed. "You mean similar to a Nightmare Cultivator's ghost servant?"

"Something like that." Li Banfeng couldn't find a more suitable analogy.

Cui Tik held the tin can, hesitated for a long time, then shook his head.

"Don't let him suffer humiliation or torment again. If there is reincarnation, let him enter a better next life. If there truly is heaven, I am willing to go there to find him."

"What are you going to do?" Li Banfeng turned to look at Cui Tik.

"The Peddler will be here soon; he won't spare me," Cui Tik put the tin can into his embrace. "Friend, you have many subordinates who must have also contracted the plague. I'll take you to save them."

Even at this point, Cui Tik still considered Li Qi his friend. The two walked along the road and encountered Song Demei, heaped by the roadside.

Song Demei had become a pile of mud, with only her head still intact. She was still pleading, "Desongya is yours! Spare me! Everything is yours! I know where our second son is. I'll tell you, I'll take you to him."

Li Banfeng looked at Song Demei. "She's not dead yet?"

Cui Tik said, "Not that quickly. She will last for a long time."

"What about the others?"

"They'll be faster than her. Sooner or later, they will all die, except for her second son, Yue Congde." Li Banfeng asked, "Is there anything special about Yue Congde?"

"According to Song Demei, the current Yue Congde is not the real Yue Congde. He is from Neizhou. Song Demei knew Yue Congde's true identity but pretended ignorance. Yue Congde is a spy sent by Neizhou, and he provided Song Demei with much assistance, both financial and material, otherwise Song Demei would not have lasted until today."

Li Banfeng said, "Where did Yue Congde go? This person cannot be allowed to remain."

"He has returned to Neizhou, carrying my gift for Neizhou." Cui Tik knelt down and saw one of Luo Zhengnan's subordinates. He withdrew the plague, and that subordinate's body recovered somewhat.

"He will recover fully in an hour. The antibodies in his body will last for five hours, so make sure he leaves Desongya within five hours."

Li Banfeng gave his subordinate a couple of instructions, then went to find the next person.

Cui Tik looked at Li Banfeng. "You don't have many lesions on you."

"No, I have a way to deal with them."

Cui Tik said, "Resisting this plague is extremely difficult. You are even stronger than I expected."

Li Banfeng looked around, shaking his head. "You are also stronger than I expected. Desongya is different from Qianliangfang; its environment isn't as confined, yet you've still thoroughly cleaned it out. What is this rash called? I've never seen you use it before."

Cui Tik replied, "This is called 'Not Even a Blade of Grass Grows.' It's a new technique I created. The people of Desongya will rot here until they become mud. Under the influence of the plague, anyone who comes here will be infected with the rash. Unless an infected person has a way to remove the plague from themselves, they will be unable to leave Desongya and will decay, becoming part of Desongya. Unlike widespread corpses, the key element of this technique isn't rapid spread, but persistence. The plague here will remain for many years, like fungal spores. During this time, it will be very difficult to find any living beings in Desongya."

Li Banfeng saw a blade of grass on the ground, its leaves covered in black spots. "Plants can also contract this virus?"

"Yes, that's why it's called 'Not Even a Blade of Grass Grows.'" As he spoke, Cui Tik was very calm, as if earnestly explaining a piece of knowledge.

"What level of technique is this?"

Cui Tik said, "It's a Cloud Realm technique, and possibly the last technique I will ever create. According to my agreement with the Peddler, if this operation had succeeded, he would have given me a territory to stabilize my standing. But now that things have turned out like this, rewards are out of the question. I will certainly face severe punishment from the Peddler, and the Path of Sickness Cultivation might become extinct because of this." Li Banfeng was surprised. "You never had a territory? How did you ascend to the Cloud Realm then?"

"My ancestor once promised me a territory, but that promise was never fulfilled. I used some ancient spells from my homeland, combined with certain unique properties of Sage Peak, to temporarily stabilize my standing. I held on for a long time, but those spells had limited effect, and now my condition is becoming increasingly unstable."

The people of Desongya weren't all dead yet. If Cui Tik was willing to withdraw the plague, they could still be saved, and perhaps there was still room for negotiation with the Peddler. But Li Banfeng didn't try to persuade Cui Tik. He knew Cui Tik would never spare these De Xiu.

After saving a group of Luo Zhengnan's and Sha Jianfeng's subordinates, Cui Tik escorted Li Banfeng to the edge of Desongya, then put the tin can into his embrace. "If one day you see my body, remember to take out this tin can and plant this flower next to my grave."

After speaking, Cui Tik bowed to Li Banfeng. "Wait a moment," Li Banfeng called out to Cui Tik.

He had many territories, and he wanted to give one to Cui Tik to help him stabilize his standing. Before Li Banfeng could speak, the sound of a rattle-drum filled the air, and Li Banfeng saw the Peddler's figure. Cui Tik was very calm. He had no desire to escape or resist.

"Things happened a bit fast!" Cui Tik smiled, pointing to his clothes. "Friend, don't forget our promise. Don't forget to plant the flower for me." The Peddler walked up to Cui Tik, asking with an icy expression, "Did you kill them all?"

"Almost," Cui Tik nodded, even though many people in Desongya weren't completely dead yet. The Peddler sighed, "Then I can't be blamed."

Cui Tik calmly shook his head. "I don't blame anyone."

Li Banfeng was wondering how to dissuade the Peddler, when he saw the Peddler take out a pair of contracts and hand them to Cui Tik. "I originally wanted to give you a good territory, but since you've handled things this way, I'll give you Desongya."

Cui Tik was stunned, and Li Banfeng also couldn't understand. The Peddler looked at Li Banfeng and snorted coldly, "Are you envious of him? I even wanted to give Desongya to you back then, but you wouldn't help me." Cui Tik asked in astonishment, "You're still paying me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" The Peddler leaned against his cart and lit a cigarette. "Losses and gains, neither owes the other. There's no business in this world where you always win. I'll consider this one a loss, but since you did the job, I have to pay you."