Chapter 734: Who is that lover?

The peddler's face was scorched, his hair smoking, as he pushed his cart forward. The cart wasn't in good condition either; its axle was bent and both wheels were chipped, making it wobble precariously. Ayi had covered her face, so her appearance was unharmed, but her clothes were shredded, barely covering her vital parts. Cui Tik's leg was injured. He limped behind them, complaining all the way.

"Everything was going so smoothly!" he grumbled. "At least a third of the camp had been infected with the orally transmitted disease. Who could have known there'd be an earthquake? And who would've thought you two were responsible for it! I was running in a highly difficult posture at the time, and because of the earthquake, I fell directly to the ground and injured my leg. Many of my patients also fell, which had a very negative impact on the further spread of the disease!"

The peddler said impatiently, "You've been complaining about this minor issue the whole way. How was I supposed to know the explosives were that powerful?"

Cui Tik looked at Ayi and asked, "He didn't know, but didn't you?"

Ayi thought carefully. "This time, I added some new ingredients to the explosives, making them more potent than the ones Li Qi used to blow up the altar. To be honest, I'd never tested them before!"

Cui Tik grew annoyed. "Is this your attitude towards war? You brought untested weapons to such an important battlefield?"

Ayi retorted defiantly, "What's wrong with not testing them? As long as they work, that's all that matters!"

Cui Tik disagreed with Ayi's view. "It's not just about whether they work well. This also involves safety and reliability. What if that last blast killed the peddler? Who would be the Lord of Pu'er then?"

Ayi lowered her head, a shy expression on her face. "As a woman, managing Calabash Village isn't easy, but adding Pu'er Province wouldn't be too much of a problem."

Cui Tik shook his head. "It's truly too much work for one person to manage two places simultaneously. I think it would be more appropriate for Pu'er Province to be handed over to me."

Ayi wasn't pleased. "What do you mean by that? Aren't you still managing Ghost Blade Ridge?"

Cui Tik pointed out the difference. "Ghost Blade Ridge is part of Pu'er Province, but Calabash Village is not. My simultaneous management of Pu'er Province and Ghost Blade Ridge not only avoids conflict but is also a logical arrangement."

Ayi argued there was no difference. "It's no more trouble to manage two than one. I have plenty of energy, and I can manage it just as logically."

Cui Tik still felt he was more suitable. "Since the peddler is no longer around, the choice for the next Lord of Pu'er must be made with utmost caution. We need to conduct a comprehensive comparison—."

The peddler dropped his cart and turned to look at them.

Cui Tik hid behind Ayi. "I was just making an inappropriate comparison," he said.

The three of them entered Calabash Village. Ayi first sent Cui Tik to Ghost Blade Ridge. As he was leaving, the peddler took out a medicine box containing six Xuan Yun pills. Cui Tik took out one and handed it back to the peddler. "We agreed on five," he said. "You gave me too many."

The peddler waved his hand. "Keep it," he said. "Consider it compensation for the unexpected incident."

Ayi's explosives had caused an earthquake, which indeed brought unexpected risks to Cui Tik. Cui Tik expressed his gratitude. "You are a fair person. The achievements of Pu'er Province today are thanks to your absolute fairness."

The peddler shook his head. "There's no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. Can you ensure the complete eradication of the Earth Faction's vanguard camp?"

Cui Tik was confident. "The vanguard camp is definitely gone. Originally, my plan was to have the patients run to Moyet City and share this precious pathogen with every resident in the city. But due to the unexpected incident, many patients were injured. Whether they can make it to Moyet City is currently unknown."

Qiu Luoye, listening nearby, got goosebumps. "Damn it," he muttered, "this foreigner is clearly talking about killing people, but he makes it sound like curing a disease!"

The peddler reminded Cui Tik, "Don't get overconfident just because you have the pills. You've ascended too quickly; it's best to control your speed. Don't end up like your sect's patriarch."

Cui Tik smiled. "I think I'm different from him," he said. "Fundamentally different."

Ayi instructed A Yun to see him off. Cui Tik left Calabash Village and went to Ghost Blade Ridge. A grand ceremony was being held at Ghost Blade Ridge. Cui Tik had already usurped the position of the Ancestor of Disease Cultivation and was now slowly taking over the identity of the Blade Labor War God. This popularity was too precious. He would find other ways to compensate Li Qi, but he couldn't just watch this popularity go to waste.

After the ceremony, Cui Tik, having absorbed enough popularity, entered a cave. He drew a bucket of clear water and began wiping down Greenwater Bow's body. Although Greenwater Bow was no longer the "Ancestor of Disease Cult