Chapter 168

On New Year's Eve, Li Banfeng sat at the edge of Dumpling Village, simmering medicine.

The herbal scent spread everywhere; mosquitoes gathered in droves, and over ninety percent died upon touching the mist.

Ninety percent.

Less than ten percent had not died immediately.

That ten percent of mosquitoes could destroy a village's harvest.

It wasn't just one village—this was true across the entire Haichiling.

Like all other medicines, Yao Lao's remedy worked wonders at first, but after a while, the same problem emerged.

The village chief of Dumpling Village sat beside Xiang Jichun and Li Banfeng, laughing: "It's the New Year—come to my place, have some dumplings and a sip of liquor."

Li Banfeng shook his head: "You drink. I'm not hungry."

"Young Master, you've given your all for our village—we'll never forget your kindness."

"Stop talking nonsense. There's no kindness here—I'm just here to mooch food. Go on, get out. Someone else's coming to mooch too."

"There's still…" Xiang Jichun didn't understand Li Banfeng's meaning, and Li Banfeng refused to elaborate. The old chief sighed and left.

Not long after, Pan Dehai appeared.

"Virtue is the foundation of character, the root of self-cultivation. Do you know what true virtue is?

Thinking long-term, deliberating carefully—that is true virtue.

Acting hastily, failing to plan thoroughly—is that the conduct of a virtuous man?

Acting recklessly, ignoring long-term consequences—is that the conduct of a virtuous man?

Disrespecting elders, rejecting good advice—is that the conduct of a virtuous man?

Speaking arrogantly, behaving erratically—is that the conduct of a virtuous man…?"

"Enough with your endless lecturing!" Li Banfeng, pushed past his limit, glared angrily at Pan Dehai.

Pan Dehai jabbed his cane into the ground, equally furious: "The prescription Lao Yao sent you doesn't work at all! How much effort did I expend to procure the herbs? How much money did I spend? How many local deities did I beg? How do you account for that? You two are utterly devoid of virtue!"

Being called devoid of virtue made Li Banfeng furious.

Pan Dehai snapped: "Where's the fan I gave you?"

"Threw it away."

"How dare you! That's a treasure of the mortal realm!"

"I hid it somewhere."

Pan Dehai sighed repeatedly: "I should've taken the magic treasure back—you've been no help at all!"

Li Banfeng had no reply.

That even Yao Lao's medicine had failed was something Li Banfeng hadn't anticipated.

After a long silence, Pan Dehai sighed: "Even the Lu family's methods have failed."

Lu Dongjun had failed too?

Watching the swarms of mosquitoes filling the sky, Li Banfeng felt a deep, bottomless despair.

Pan Dehai shook his head: "I shouldn't have trusted you. In the end, I must rely on my own methods. Only when the people of Puluozhou unite as one can they withstand this disaster."

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai: "You're going to send the insects to another region again? Even Yao Lao's medicine failed—where can you send them now?"

"I'll send them into Greenwater Bay. Greenwater Bay has the most capable people. If Lu Dongjun failed, others will succeed—they'll find a way to control the pests."

"Send them to Greenwater Bay? Can you fight Greenflower?"

Pan Dehai spoke with righteous conviction: "Even if I die, I must try! This is the strength of virtue, the courage of virtue, the heart of virtue!"

Li Banfeng shook his head: "Greenflower won't help you."

From the orchard owner's description, it was clear Greenflower intended to spread plague within his own territory.

He didn't even care for his own land—why would he help Pan Dehai?

Pan Dehai shook his head: "I refuse to believe I can't persuade him!"

Li Banfeng smiled bitterly: "You're just blowing smoke."

"Impudent! How dare a youth speak so disrespectfully to his elders?" Pan Dehai rebuked sharply, then softened his tone: "From what you just said, you seem familiar with Greenwater Beggar. If you truly wish to save the region, go to him…"

Li Banfeng snapped: "You want me to go find Greenflower?"

No wonder Yao Lao had said Pan Dehai's pretty words were all worth ignoring.

"I'm not asking you to fight Greenflower. I only want you to meet him first."

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai with contempt: "You're afraid of him—you're sending me to die."

"When have I ever feared him!" Pan Dehai declared with righteous indignation. "My righteousness endures—what is there to fear in a mere Greenwater Beggar? Even if he stood right before me now, I would… What's that smell?"

Pan Dehai suddenly stepped behind Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng was startled—what was going on?

A beggar approached from afar, ragged and filthy, his body covered in pus-filled sores oozing green fluid.

Greenflower!

Li Banfeng was startled too—then he heard Pan Dehai say: "Why is Greenflower golden-haired? This isn't the Greenwater Beggar—but the smell is identical."

The approaching figure was not Greenflower—it was Disease Cultivator Cui Ti.

Cui Ti staggered up to Li Banfeng, forcing a smile across his pustule-ridden face: "I've finally found you."

Li Banfeng stepped back: "What do you want with me?"

"I've come to help you. I've come to rid Haichiling of pests. I love Haichiling."

Li Banfeng glanced at Pan Dehai: "He says he loves Haichiling."

Pan Dehai's cheek twitched—he said nothing, unnerved by the green pus.

Cui Ti lacked the Golden Eye's keen perception; though he had reached the Sixth Layer, he could not see Pan Dehai.

"Who were you just speaking to?" Cui Ti asked, puzzled.

Li Banfeng looked again at Pan Dehai, expecting him to reveal himself—but Pan Dehai had already fled far away.

"Tell the Greenwater Beggar—if he dares bring plague to Haichiling, I will never forgive him!"

Pan Dehai had run off—he feared infection.

Who would've thought the old man could run so fast with his cane!

Li Banfeng turned to Cui Ti: "Do we know each other?"

"Yes—you saw me in Medicine King Gully. I'm the real foreigner, not the fake one—the actual one."

Li Banfeng remembered him.

The foreigner covered in blisters.

Had he evolved?

How had his blisters turned into pus-filled sores?

Once he recalled, Li Banfeng quickly stepped back, clutching his key, ready to flee.

Cui Ti waved his hand: "Don't leave—I truly came to help you rid the pests."

He glanced at the simmering pot, shook his head: "This medicine doesn't work—but it's not useless. It kills ninety-five out of every hundred mosquitoes.

The remaining five survive—they breed, and their offspring won't die either. This is evolution.

Individual mutations drive species-wide evolution. In the Outer Provinces, we call it variation, we call it resistance. You're from the Outer Provinces—you understand what I mean."

Li Banfeng understood Cui Ti's meaning—he'd thought of this layer himself.

"Do you have a better method?"

"Yes. Poison can't eradicate a species—but disease can. I can infect the mosquitoes with my illness, so they infect each other—one spreads to ten, ten to a hundred. That's the true way to eliminate them."

It sounded effective, but Li Banfeng sensed a problem.

"Won't the mosquitoes develop resistance to disease?"

"Yes!" Cui Ti nodded. "Using just one disease makes it hard to wipe out this mosquito species. Of a hundred infected, one might survive—its offspring will be immune to that disease.

A fellow disciple tried this method and failed. I improved it—I made the mosquitoes contract multiple diseases simultaneously.

Among those hundred, the one survivor will be too sick to reproduce."

Li Banfeng asked: "Won't there be exceptions that can still reproduce?"

"Yes!" Cui Ti had considered this too. "Those that can reproduce will have their behavior altered by another disease—their life cycle lengthens, their diet shifts from plants to blood.

They become a new, successfully surviving species—the ordinary mosquitoes we know. This is the result of disease cross-killing and natural selection."

"Can you make mosquitoes contract so many diseases at once?"

Cui Ti nodded: "I couldn't before—but now I can. I've gained special power—from my Ancestor's power. It's immensely strong—but it nearly killed me."

Li Banfeng had no further doubts.

Based on his knowledge of biology, Cui Ti's method was genuinely effective.

It might even be the only effective method.

But why would he do this?

"Why are you helping Haichiling control pests? Don't tell me it's out of love for Puluozhou," Li Banfeng warned, fearing hidden motives—if he intended to spread plague, it would be disastrous.

Cui Ti looked at Li Banfeng: "I'm doing this to save myself. It's a bargain I made with the Peddler—he'll save my life if I save Haichiling. Here's proof."

He pulled out a feather duster: "The Peddler gave me this. He said you'd recognize it—and you'd help me."

A feather duster as proof?

Only the Peddler would think of such a thing.

With the Peddler's guarantee, Cui Ti was trustworthy—at least on this matter.

"Why didn't the Peddler come himself?"

He said he still had many things to do, and that trouble wasn't limited to Haichiling.

Li Banfeng said nothing.

Cui Ti asked Li Banfeng: "And what's your reason? What's so special about Haichiling to you? Or do you have some special arrangement with the peddler?"

Li Banfeng did not answer.

He had no agreement with the peddler.

He had delivered the prescription; his promise to Yao Lao was fulfilled. Saving lives was not his duty.

"First, tell me what you plan to do?"

Cui Ti looked at the soup pot and said: "I need to gather mosquitoes—many, many mosquitoes. To spread the disease rapidly, you need a large enough base population. What we have now isn't enough—not nearly enough."

…

Late at night, Li Banfeng stood beside the farmland, braving heavy snow, waiting for Pan Dehai's reply.

After more than an hour, he finally heard Pan Dehai's voice.

"Tell that foreigner to leave quickly—Haichiling has reached this state; we can't let him bring more plague!"

Li Banfeng shouted: "Give me more herbs! At least try once before you decide!"

Cui Ti sat at a distance, unaware of who Li Banfeng was speaking to—he often talked to himself.

Is he mad?

But this madman is currently the only person he can rely on.

PS: Thanks to the patron Shaonian Xiren, my brother—no matter how many storms we've weathered, the glory of Infinite Litchi remains!

(End of Chapter)