The Demonic Cultivator In Zombie World-Chapter 321: Mind-Bewitching Ant

Night had fallen. Lie Xin sat cross-legged on her bed, her two giant ants resting below. In her hands, she held a plain leather pouch.

"It's strange. Father always carried this pouch with him, and it contains nothing but a shard of mirror," she murmured.

After Lie Zhao's death, Lie Tang and the others were preoccupied with vying for the position of the clan leader, neglecting to care for Lie Zhaos' remains. It was Lie Xin who hastily arranged the burial before the body decomposed, and thus, the nondescript pouch ended up in her hands.

At that moment, Lie Song's voice came from outside the door.

"Sister, is it really not possible to continue collecting money?"

Regretfully shaking her head, Lie Xin replied, "Second Brother, I've already declared during the day that we will no longer accept external funds."

"But I am your second brother."

"Not even for Second Brother."

"Alright then..."

As Lie Song's footsteps faded away, Lie Xin massaged her temples and sighed. She knew she had woven a vast lie. To amass a hundred thousand silver ant crystals within two months was only achievable through deception—a scheme conceived suddenly one day after she had read numerous books. Yet, it had never been put into practice before; it was merely a fraud.

Initially, only a small capital was needed to start the fraud, which could then generate more money, robbing Peter to pay Paul. However, over time, the debt would grow larger, ultimately reaching a sum she could not repay. This was precisely why she had decided to stop in time.

"The insect crystals I need to repay have now reached six hundred thousand. If I continue in my greed, collecting more and more, even selling the entire Fire Ant Tribe wouldn't cover it. Stopping now is the best decision. Not all of the six hundred thousand insect crystals necessarily need to be repaid. For example, if the Flying Sky Ant Tribe were destroyed, there would be no need to repay their crystals," she pondered.

At that moment, another voice echoed outside, "Sister! Have you gone to sleep?"

It was her younger brother, Lie Qing.

"No, I haven't. Come in," Lie Xin replied with a smile, masking her thoughts.

Lie Qing burst through the door, his face flushed with extreme excitement and his whole demeanor animated.

He already knew. He was about to become the new clan leader. Lie Tang, Lie Song, and Lieryuan had all withdrawn from the competition. From the Elder to the Fourth Elder, all had declared their support for him to succeed as the clan leader. His ascension to the leadership of the Fire Ant Tribe was now inevitable.

"Thank you, sister!" Lie Qing exclaimed.

"Ever since I came to the Fire Ant Tribe, I haven't done much; it has always been you working hard on my behalf." Lie Qing looked at Lie Xin, whose brow now bore a few lines of worry, and his heart swelled with gratitude.

Lie Xin smiled and motioned for Lie Qing to sit beside her. Her hand gently stroked his head and brushed past his ear. A tiny black shadow swiftly entered his ear and vanished.

"Silly child, you are my own brother; if I don't help you, who will I help?" Lie Xin said with a smile. "Helping you is only natural."

Lie Qing was even more moved by her words. Lie Xin's tone deepened as she whispered, "Of course, it's also natural that you should listen to me in the future, isn't it?"

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Lie Qing paused, his expression changing slowly. "Yes... indeed it is."

"Go back now, get some early rest. Tomorrow, you will be the clan leader," Lie Xin smiled.

"Thank you, sister, you are truly wonderful!" Lie Qing, once again thrilled, turned and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Lie Xin's expression gradually sobered. "The Heart-Eating Ant is not very effective; it's easily detected by more advanced insect masters. The Mind-Bewitching Ant is more useful, able to change a person's beliefs without their awareness. From now on, I might not be the clan leader, but I am more than one."

Her face calm, Lie Xin recalled how she had discovered the Mind-Bewitching Ant. It was hidden in the cover of a book—a brilliant invention by a genius of the Holy Ant Tribe, who, knowing its terrifying potential, dared not continue his research.

Yet unwilling for his discovery to vanish, he hid it in the book cover, perhaps waiting for someone destined to find it. Who this genius was, Lie Xin did not know. But she did know that the Mind-Bewitching Ant was indeed terrifying, undetectable even to a platinum insect master.

However, changing the beliefs of such a master was still too difficult. Otherwise, she wouldn't have needed to go through so much trouble to secure the position of clan leader for Lie Qing. She could have just changed the beliefs of the clan leader of the Holy Ant Tribe.

Lie Xin looked out at the pitch-black rocky dome through the window, her gaze resolute. "Grandfather, Father, I will continue your legacy and elevate the Fire Ant Tribe to a major tribe!"

Just then, the pouch vibrated unexpectedly. Startled, Lie Xin pulled out the mirror shard inside. It was the only item in the pouch, and if it was vibrating, it had to be the shard. But how could it move?

As Lie Xin pondered, the shard suddenly displayed several lines of text. "'Orifice Opening Scripture' obtained. 'Fire Gu Refinement Method' obtained. 'Great Orifice Opening Scripture' not obtained. Requires the Holy Ant Cultivation Method."

Lie Xin was astonished. The 'Orifice Opening Scripture'? Wasn't that the secret scripture her father had given her? Could it be that her father's secret scripture actually came from this mirror shard?

She suddenly remembered that her grandfather, Lieryong, had only opened two Insect Orifices at the age of fifteen. Then, one day, he had suddenly opened a third Insect Orifice, stepping into the ranks of the gold insect masters.

"Could it be... that Grandfather had obtained this mirror shard back then?" Lie Xin's eyes widened in realization.

"The 'Orifice Opening Scripture' can open an additional Insect Orifice, so could the 'Great Orifice Opening Scripture' open yet another?" Lie Xin mused. "What does it mean that it requires the complete Holy Ant Cultivation Method?"

After pondering for a moment, Lie Xin wrote down everything she knew about the Holy Ant Cultivation Method on a piece of paper and placed it beside the mirror shard. The shard vibrated again, buzzing softly, and pushed the paper away. Words appeared on its surface: "A complete Holy Ant Cultivation Method is required."

Lie Xin frowned. To obtain the complete method, she would either need to compel a platinum insect master to write down what he knew, or she would have to shatter the Holy Ant bronze statue to seize the crystal within.

"There's plenty of time ahead; I have ample time," Lie Xin nodded to herself. She returned the mirror shard to the pouch and kept it close as she fell into a deep sleep.

Chu Xuan marveled quietly. His spiritual sense had grown significantly, enabling him to encompass the entirety of the Fire Ant Tribe. He had been observing Lie Xin's actions over these days, and her adeptness elicited his admiration.

"This woman is not simple. She possesses notable talent, excelling in resilience and wisdom. I hope you bring me surprises," Chu Xuan nodded slightly.

...

The following day, the Fire Ant Tribe held a grand ceremony for the inauguration of the new clan leader. Lie Zhaos' fourth son, Lie Qing, assumed the position, becoming the thirty-seventh clan leader of the Fire Ant Tribe.

Upon his inauguration, Lie Qing immediately announced a series of measures concerning the tribe's trade, military, and laws. Additionally, he introduced high-quality seedlings and resources acquired from the Holy Ant Tribe, including Iron Turtle, Earth-Carrying Dragon, and Bull Fungus Beetles, along with a hundred thousand silver ant crystals.

The previously chaotic Fire Ant Tribe quickly showed signs of thriving progress. However, unknown to all, the petite woman standing beside Lie Qing, her face always wreathed in smiles, was the true orchestrator behind all these changes.