Thirteen was completely taken aback, never expecting the conversation to reach such profound heights.
From the moment he was born, his education had been centered on the idea that to become stronger, one had to consume more people. This was the ingrained belief of all the Ghost Tribe, and he attributed his own rise to prominence to having eaten more than others.
Yet, in this very moment, the conviction he had held for so many years was shattered by Lu Wuming.
This person before him had clearly never consumed another human.
Whether from prior investigations or his current demeanor, this fact was undeniable.
Gazing into Lu Wuming's eyes, Thirteen pondered for a long time. Reluctant to accept this truth, he finally opened his mouth and said, "That... that's because you have the bloodline of that Great One within you. That's why you're different from us..."
"What's so different? Stop deceiving yourself," Lu Wuming rolled his eyes. "It's true that I have his blood flowing through me, but I also have half human blood. From a normal perspective, this isn't something to be proud of; I should be called a mixed-blood. As for you, you are what a true Ghost Tribe member should be like. So, if eating people truly made one stronger, you, having eaten so many, should be far superior to me. Yet, you can't defeat me. Don't you think you should reflect on that?"
Perhaps it was due to spending so much time with Liu Buli that Lu Wuming exhibited such wisdom and composure when conversing with others, especially those less intelligent than himself.
Thirteen listened, utterly bewildered.
He felt there was something wrong with these statements, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.
However, the fact that he couldn't defeat Lu Wuming, a mixed-blood who had never eaten anyone, was undeniable.
As chaotic thoughts swirled in his mind, Thirteen felt he might need several days to digest and accept the new knowledge he had gained that night.
After staring into Lu Wuming's eyes for a while longer, Thirteen asked with evident struggle, "If you've never eaten anyone, how did you become so strong? When one eats, they can feel the power entering their body through the food, thus becoming stronger. You haven't experienced this method of increasing strength, so..."
Thirteen trailed off, unsure of what else to ask.
However, upon hearing his question, Lu Wuming immediately understood what he meant. Although not particularly sharp, Lu Wuming remembered Liu Buli's repeated warnings that all members of the Ghost Tribe were now their enemies. As enemies, they absolutely could not reveal the simple act of absorbing malice to them.
Maintaining a poker face, Lu Wuming looked into Thirteen's eyes. Then, he pointed to his chest and said, "Sincerity of heart is key; what you cultivate yourself is truly your own. Just as human cultivators need to meditate, circulate their Qi, and regulate their breathing, you must accept your ghost Qi from within your heart, feel it, and make it more attuned to yourself. Only then will you truly become stronger. This is different from the effect of food consumed. Of course, I know that even if I tell you now, with your current understanding and intelligence, you won't be able to grasp it."
These words were taught to him by Liu Buli. They had wanted to test if Lu Wuming could improve his strength without absorbing malevolence and malice.
Naturally, the test results were a complete failure. No matter how diligently Liu Buli taught him, or how earnestly Lu Wuming practiced, the physiological characteristics of the Ghost Tribe were immutable. They were different from cultivators; their power source was never meditation and cultivation, but pure consumption. Thus, even after nearly a month of joint effort, the outcome remained unsatisfactory.
Although Lu Wuming knew the truth, he was certain that Thirteen did not.
Furthermore, he knew that given Thirteen's intelligence level, he would readily believe his current explanation and try it out diligently.
Having reached this conclusion, Lu Wuming had no intention of continuing the conversation. The battle had already concluded, and Thirteen knew he was no match for him and would not engage in any more pointless provocations.
With this thought, Lu Wuming leaned against the palace wall, yawned, and closed his eyes to rest.
After all, the Ghost King had instructed him not to enter until he had consumed the required food.
Since that was the case, he might as well wait here and see when the second automaton would arrive and what methods it would employ to force him to eat the "food" he so adamantly refused.
In his mind, he had thought that since they had cleared the air, and Thirteen seemed to have no intention of forcing him to eat, they should part ways. At the very least, Thirteen should no longer remain by his side.
However, to his surprise, no matter how long he waited, Thirteen showed no sign of leaving. He even took two steps forward, walked in front of Lu Wuming, and crouched down, bringing himself closer.
Sensing the approach, Lu Wuming immediately opened his eyes.
Aside from his master, he detested anyone getting close to him.
Even though this person was of the Ghost Tribe and not human, he still disliked it.
As their eyes met, Thirteen appeared somewhat embarrassed. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Young Master, I mean no disrespect. I just wanted to say that you are completely different from what I imagined. I apologize for looking down on you before; it was my mistake."
Lu Wuming shrugged.
Although according to Liu Buli, he was indeed hoping Lu Wuming would gain some followers during his stay in Ghost City, Lu Wuming himself, having witnessed the fanatical devotion of those individuals to the Ghost King, didn't believe they would remain loyal to him before the Ghost King's demise.
Therefore, regardless of Thirteen's feelings, Lu Wuming was not interested in understanding them. He simply raised an eyebrow and said, "If you're not going to force me to eat, then why isn't the next one coming? Or do you have something else you want to fight me over again?"
"No," Thirteen quickly shook his head.
He couldn't defeat Lu Wuming.
He was self-aware enough to know that.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally couldn't help but stammer out the question that was on his mind, "I just wanted to ask you, is the food that humans eat... really that delicious?"