In the end, Liu Buli did not take action to eliminate the ghost. Just as he had initially planned, to contend with the current Ghost King, they needed to have some ghost forces under their command.
The solution was the same as with the few they had encountered before. Liu Buli had the ghost sign a contract with Lu Wuming, guaranteeing absolute loyalty even unto death, before sparing his life.
A contract forged with soul and blood was far more reliable than mere verbal assurances. Moreover, seeing the ghost's cowardly nature, Liu Buli had no concern that he would act in bad faith.
After they decided to let him go, the ghost vanished before them with the utmost speed, as if terrified that Lu Wuming and the others might change their minds and kill him on the spot.
Once the ghost was gone, Lu Wuming looked at Liu Buli with some displeasure. He said, "Master, why did you let him go? He doesn't seem very strong, nor does he appear to be of any help to us."
"If you look at him from the perspective of cultivation techniques and power levels, he is indeed not very strong. However, when you utilize someone, you cannot solely consider their raw strength. Sometimes, other abilities are of great importance."
Liu Buli gently stroked Lu Wuming's head, comforting his pitiful, big puppy. He paused for a moment before continuing, "Take the ghost from earlier, for example. You think he is weak, and from a standpoint of direct combat, he is indeed very weak. But he has the ability to control others. From the perspective of intelligence gathering, he is far more valuable than those who only know how to fight. Such a person can be useful, so we spared his life for now, and he might be of use in the future."
Liu Buli spoke very earnestly.
Although he knew that his little fool probably hadn't understood much of what he said.
However, as long as he explained things, Lu Wuming would obey even if he couldn't fully comprehend, which was at least a very good trait.
Just like before, after hearing his explanation, even though there was still a hint of reluctance on his face, Lu Wuming ultimately said nothing more.
Seeing that their matters were almost settled, You Siqi, who had been watching the entire scene unfold, quickly ran over. He was dragging the captured man, initially intending to bring him over with the dashing style of a martial hero from the movies. However, his spiritual energy was not abundant enough to support such an action under the circumstances. Therefore, You Siqi had to settle for second best, dragging the man along the ground, leaving a clear trail.
If the man had disliked Liu Buli the most, after the previous conversation and the current dragging, You Siqi had successfully carved his own place on the man's top three list of disliked individuals.
The man glared furiously at You Siqi's retreating back, emitting muffled "woos" from his mouth. He looked like a maiden defiled by a villain, causing the expressions of those around to become particularly complex.
Upon seeing the man's reaction, Liu Buli directly addressed You Siqi, "You Siqi, have you really become so desperate that you'll take anyone? Didn't Shen Muzhi satisfy you properly? Even if he didn't, you shouldn't be going after this kind of trash, should you?"
Liu Buli's mouth was always so venomous.
As soon as he spoke, Shen Muzhi's smile froze. You Siqi's eyes widened, and he snorted with clear dissatisfaction, saying, "Just laugh. When you find out the good news I've uncovered, you'll be praising me!"
At his words, Liu Buli's interest was piqued.
He tilted his chin and asked You Siqi, "Don't keep such important matters a secret. Tell me, and if it's not something that warrants my praise, I'll continue to mock you."
You Siqi had already experienced Liu Buli's terrible personality thoroughly. Therefore, without engaging in any futile struggle, he directly began to reveal all the information he had previously obtained.
Things unfolded exactly as he had expected. After he revealed the information, Liu Buli's eyes indeed lit up.
Smiling, he walked over and patted You Siqi's shoulder, praising him sincerely, "You Siqi, you're amazing! I originally thought you were just slacking off over there and wouldn't make any significant contributions. Now it seems I've underestimated you, kid."
"Glad you know," You Siqi nodded with satisfaction and said, "I think if that alchemy furnace is as good as he says, it will definitely be useful for you. When you want to refine yourself, it's safer to use a better furnace. So, let's go find that furnace now and put other matters aside for the moment. It would be a shame if someone else found and snatched it before us, given how poorly hidden it might be. What do you all think?"
Everyone naturally nodded in agreement.
Compared to other magical treasures, this was something that needed to be used urgently.
It was undoubtedly the priority.
Liu Buli unbound the man's mouth and looked at his face, smiling beautifully. However, the words that came out were so cold they sent shivers down one's spine. He said, "I gave you a chance, but you still dared to hide things from me. I can forgive this. So, on the way to take us there, if you dare to play any more tricks, you know what your outcome will be, right?"