Last Resort (Thanks to Alliance Leader Young Hero Xi Renxia)

On New Year's Eve, Li Banfeng sat at the Potsticker Village, brewing medicine.

The aroma of the medicine filled the air, attracting mosquitoes to swarm around it. More than 90% of them died upon contact with the mist.

Ninety percent.

Less than 10% did not die immediately.

Just one tenth of mosquitoes can ruin a village's harvest.

This is true not only in one village, but throughout the entire Sea Eat Ridge.

Like all other medications, Yao Lao's medicine was very effective at first, but after a while, similar problems would appear.

The Village Chief of Potsticker Village sat down next to Xiang Jichun Li Banfeng, and said with a smile, "It's the New Year, come to my house for a bowl of dumplings and a drink."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "You drink it, I'm not hungry."

"Seventh Master, you have done your best for our village. We will never forget your kindness."

"Stop talking nonsense. There's no favor between us. I'm just here to freeload. You'd better leave now, or another person will come to freeload in a bit."

"And..." Xiang Jichun didn't understand what Li Banfeng meant, and Li Banfeng refused to say more. Helpless, the old Village Chief sighed and left.

Not long after, Pan Dehai appeared.

"Virtue is the foundation of one's character, and the basis for self-cultivation. Do you know what it means to be great in virtue?"

A long-term perspective and careful consideration are the hallmarks of great virtue.

Acting hastily and without careful consideration, is not the behavior of a virtuous person.

A person who is impetuous and lacks foresight is not a virtuous person.

How can someone who disrespects their elders and refuses to heed good advice be considered virtuous?

His words are arrogant and his behavior is eccentric; how can he be a virtuous person...?

"Stop babbling on and on, what's wrong with you?" Li Banfeng couldn't take it anymore and glared angrily at Pan Dehai.

Pan Dehai jabbed his cane, equally angry. "The prescription Yao Lao sent you is completely ineffective! How much effort and money did I spend to procure the herbs? How many Local Earth God did I beg for help? How are you going to settle this score? You two are utterly shameless!"

Li Banfeng was furious after being called immoral by Pan Dehai.

Pan Dehai angrily retorted, "Where's the fan I gave you?"

"Throw it away."

"You dare! That's a priceless treasure!"

"I found a place to hide."

Pan Dehai sighed repeatedly, "I should have asked for the magic weapon back; you weren't helpful at all!"

Li Banfeng was speechless.

Even the Medicine King's medicine wasn't working; this was something Li Banfeng hadn't expected.

After a long silence, Pan Dehai sighed and said, "The Lu Family's methods are also ineffective."

Lu Dongjun also failed?

Looking at the mosquitoes swarming everywhere, Li Banfeng felt a deep sense of despair.

Pan Dehai shook his head and said, "I shouldn't have trusted you. In the end, you still have to do things my way. Only when Pro State is united in its hatred of the enemy can we stop this disaster."

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai and said, "Are you going to send the insects to another place again? Even the Medicine King's medicine isn't working anymore, where else can you send them?"

"I'll send the insects to Green Water Bay. Green Water Bay has the most capable people. Even if Lu Dongjun isn't good enough, there are others who will surely be able to find a way to get rid of the insects."

"Send it to Green Water Bay? Do you think you can beat Green Flower?"

Pan Dehai said righteously, "Even if I perish, what harm is there in giving it a try? This is the fortitude of virtue, the courage of virtue, and the heart of virtue."

Li Banfeng shook his head and said, "Green Flower won't help you."

From the description of the Orange Garden Owner, it can be inferred that Green Flower wanted to spread the plague on her territory.

He doesn't even cherish his own territory, so how could he possibly help Pan Dehai?

Pan Dehai shook his head and said, "I don't believe I can't persuade him!"

Li Banfeng said with a wry smile, "You're just talking nonsense."

"How dare you! How can you be so disrespectful to your elders at such a young age?" Pan Dehai rebuked him angrily, then softened his tone, saying, "Judging from what you just said, you seem to be acquainted with the Green Water Beggar. Since you have the heart to help with disaster relief, why don't you go and help him..."

Li Banfeng angrily retorted, "You want me to go find Green Flower?"

No wonder Yao Lao said that he treated all of Pan Dehao's nice words as nothing but farts.

"I didn't ask you to fight with Green Flower. I just want you to meet him first."

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai with disdain. "You're afraid of him, so you send me to my death."

"When have I ever been afraid of him!" Pan Dehai declared righteously. "My integrity endures forever. What is there to fear from a mere Green Water Beggar? Even if he were right in front of me right now, I would... What's that taste?"

Pan Dehai suddenly stood behind Li Banfeng.

Li Banfeng was startled. What was going on?

A beggar approached from afar, dressed in tattered clothes, his body covered in sores from which green pus oozed.

Green Flower!

Li Banfeng was also startled, when he suddenly heard Pan Dehai say, "How did Green Flower turn into Golden Hair? This isn't Green Water Beggar, but the smell on him is exactly the same."

The one who came over was not Green Flower, but Disease Cultivator Cui Tike.

Cui Tike staggered up to Li Banfeng, forcing a smile on his face covered in pustules, and said, "I've finally found you."

Li Banfeng took a step back and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"I'm here to help you. I'm here to get rid of the pests at Sea Eat Ridge. I love Sea Eat Ridge."

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai: "He said he loves Sea Eat Ridge."

Pan Dehai's cheek twitched, but he didn't speak. The green pus made him feel uncomfortable all over.

Cui Tike did not possess the Golden Eyes Autumn Down Technique; although he had a cultivation level of six, he could not see Pan Dehai.

"Who were you talking to just now?" Cui Tike asked in surprise.

Li Banfeng looked at Pan Dehai again, thinking he would show up, but found that Pan Dehai had already run far away.

"Tell Green Water Beggar that if he dares to bring the plague to Sea Eat Ridge, I will never let him off the hook!"

Pan Dehai ran away, afraid of contracting the disease.

I never expected that this old man could run so fast even with a cane!

Li Banfeng turned to look at Cui Tike: "Do we know each other?"

"I know you. You saw me in Medicine King Gully. I'm a foreign devil, not a fake one, but the real one."

Li Banfeng remembered him.

That foreigner covered in blisters.

He evolved?

How did herpes turn into pustules?

After remembering, Li Banfeng quickly retreated, clutching the key in his hand, preparing to escape.

Cui Tike waved his hand and said, "Don't go, I really came to help you get rid of the bugs."

He glanced at the soup pot on the ground, shook his head, and said, "This medicine isn't very effective, but it's not entirely useless either. It can kill pests; it can kill ninety-five out of a hundred mosquitoes."

But the remaining five won't die; they will survive and continue to reproduce. Their offspring will also survive. This is the evolution of life.

Individual cases contribute to the overall evolution of a species. In Outer State, this is called variation, this is called resistance. You're from Outer State, so you should understand what I mean.

Li Banfeng did understand Cui Tike's meaning; he had also considered this aspect.

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Yes, poison cannot wipe out a species, but disease can. I can spread my disease to mosquitoes, allowing them to infect each other, one to ten, ten to a hundred. This is the right way to eliminate mosquitoes."

It sounded very effective, but Li Banfeng felt there was a problem.

"Don't mosquitoes develop resistance to diseases?"

"Yes!" Cui Tike nodded. "It's difficult to eradicate this type of mosquito using just one disease. If a hundred mosquitoes are infected, perhaps one will survive, and its offspring will be immune to the disease."

A colleague of mine used a similar method but failed. I improved upon his method, making the mosquitoes infected with multiple diseases simultaneously.

Of those one hundred mosquitoes, the only one that survived will be unable to reproduce due to a disease.

Li Banfeng asked, "Aren't there any exceptions among them that are capable of reproduction?"

"There will be!" Cui Tike had also considered this. "The few individuals capable of reproduction will change their habits due to another disease. Their lifespans will lengthen, and their diet will change from food to bloodsucking."

They will evolve into another species that successfully survives, which is the most common mosquito we see. This is the result of disease selection through cross-killing.

"You can make mosquitoes contract so many diseases at the same time?"

Cui Tike nodded. "Originally it was not possible, but now it is. I have a special power, the power from the ancestor. This power is very strong, but it almost cost me my life."

Li Banfeng had no more questions this time.

Based on his knowledge of biology, Cui Tike's method was indeed effective.

This may be the only effective method.

But why did he do that?

"Why are you helping Sea Eat Ridge control the pest infestation? Don't tell me it's out of love for Pro State." Li Banfeng was worried that he had ulterior motives. If he wanted to use this to spread the plague, things would be troublesome.

Cui Tike looked at Li Banfeng: "I did it to save myself. It's an agreement between me and the Peddler. As long as I save Sea Eat Ridge, he can save my life. This is the proof."

He took out a Feather Duster: "The Peddler gave it to me. He said if you recognize this, you'll definitely help me."

Using Feather Duster as evidence?

Only Peddler could come up with this method.

With the Peddler's assurance, Cui Tike was trustworthy, at least in this matter.

"Why doesn't the Peddler come himself?"

"He said he still had a lot of things to do, and that Sea Eat Ridge wasn't the only place in trouble."

Li Banfeng remained silent.

Cui Tike asked Li Banfeng, "And what is your purpose? Is there anything special about Sea Eat Ridge to you? Or is there some special agreement between you and the Peddler?"

Li Banfeng did not answer.

There was no agreement between him and the Peddler.

Having delivered the prescription, he had fulfilled his promise to Yao Lao; disaster relief was indeed not his responsibility.

"Tell me what you want to do first?"

Cui Tike looked at the soup pot and said, "I need to gather mosquitoes, lots and lots of mosquitoes. To spread the disease quickly, we need a large enough population. Right now, this isn't enough, far from enough."

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

After waiting for more than an hour, we finally heard Pan Dehai's voice.

"Make that foreigner leave immediately. Sea Eat Ridge is already in this state; we can't let him bring any more disease!"

Li Banfeng shouted, "Give me more medicinal herbs, at least let's try it once!"

Cui Tike sat in the distance, unaware of who Li Banfeng was talking to; he often talked to himself.

Is he crazy?

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

PS: Thanks to Alliance Leader Young Man of the Righteous Knight, my brother, no matter how many storms we've weathered, the glory of the infinite lychee remains!