Leroy had not seen such a disregard for life in a long time. Not counting the dumping of people into the Corpse Pit of course. He stared at the man with a very neutral look that Tang Suo took note of it.

Unlike Tessi who like most froze when dealing with Nobility.

"Don't mind those two, they were part of the group that left me and the other Akademy Teachers when we were ambushed by the Sucking Plant the other day."

"Have they found the one Demon Plant that attacked you yet?" Leroy gave a simple nod of understanding not caring too much after hearing that. 'This place is not that different than Earth after all...'

"Yes, it was sighted heading back here to its Nest as we thought."

"Huh?" The merged soul froze and felt his blood race at that. No way did he just put himself in deep danger like this. "Say that again..."

"Oh, I am sorry but the Demon Plant chased us from its Nest last week. Chased us for several days as we tried to trap it. Of course for good reason as we wanted to finally get rid of the nasty thing." Tang Suo still hadn't found those from the Akademy yet. He had some choice words for the cowards as they could have joined forces and knocked the Demon Plant far enough back for him to escape with them. "I didn't take you for a Mercenary."

"Not a mercenary. I am just a doctor assisting, I assure you. I have a really bad feeling about this situation though." Leroy sped up the mixing of the pesticides to help himself. "I really wish I had more of this to kill those plants. Do Sucking Plants have a natural predator?"

Considering there was none mentioned in the books and most of the forest area was barren it didn't seem like it. Those around shook their head as they didn't know of any either. Of course, they were from the Hamlets and did not have access that the Clear Tang Family did.

"It's natural Predator would be us, humans." Tang Suo smiled but it was not reciprocated. "Don't be so serious. We are quite equipped to deal with this. Just didn't expect the maturation of so many at once."

"So many at once? How many are in it's nest and how many do you usually deal with?"

The others grumbled under their breath that the numbers were a bit unusual this year. Higher than they should be and more aggressive than they should be. even a few were bold enough to shout how warnings were delivered to a few Noble Houses but nothing was done.

The uneasy alliance between Houses Dark Tiger-fire and Clear Tang was rumored to be dissolving if this situation was not done correctly.

"Through the year possibly four cows and a couple of rodents on average." Tang Suo paused thinking the last time numbers were so high such as this. "at the worst ever recorded an entire herd of Buffalo was taken out and Horses. The only time they went after much higher prey. Usually content with us humans since so many are vulnerable until reactions of more worthwhile prey."

"I'm sorry but are you saying that these plants are smart enough to bait adults into attacking?"

"Yes but that has only been the case when food was really low. That would cause the Sucking Plant to Connect themselves to each other and form Nucleus that are very much the same as humans. They go from demonic plant behavior to full-on human tactics." Slipping into lecture mode easily, the frown forming on his face and the others did not help the situation. "Tactics and behavior that is shown in higher Tier Demon Beasts start to show."

The Old Tiger gave a growl as it was a creature Tier that would do such a thing early on. Way before gaining full human intellect that comes at the Nascent Soul Realm.

"Oh hell no!" Leroy started packing his shit up as he spoke about how dangerous the situation they were in had developed. "Everything you have said is happening right now on a larger scale! All the possible resources from the Hamlet I resided in to here have been swept away!"

Having eaten ants and other low-tier resources that he didn't think he would unless in a shitty combat zone, Leroy saw the patterns. By the looks of it, some of the Clear Tang family had already and either were playing dumb or had other plans.

"The numbers are high here to be able to defend.. Leroy." Tesssi muttered lowly not sure of that himself.

"Good luck with that!" Good to go he grabbed a few makeshift pouches of pesticides and moved to leave. "I am gone! Tell Votley I will pay him back later!"

As a few other Hamlet members started to look for their Leaders, Tang Suo followed Leroy after sending a message to another Tang member to get some guards and increase scouts around the perimeter.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

As they moved, the Old Tiger ears flickered as it was listening intently to the surroundings. even it was scary as the Streak could be in danger with how dangerous a large scale movement by the Sucking Plants that would grow stronger faster they would by eating so many humans and uncontrolled increase in their numbers.

A small delegation of people however was at the checkpoint Leroy tried to exit from. A large batch of people who had eggs inside them was brought in. Ranging from different Hamlets, Towns, and a few City folk.

"Goddamn infestation..." This was worse than a possible solution of just burning a few areas. Which he was about to recommend, vegetation be damned. "..need way more than just a few pesticides."

"Pesticides?" Tang Suo observed the pouches he had and contemplated briefly. A message was delivered to a guard via sound transmission to investigate the conversations Leroy had since arriving and even further when he met with the others. "You mind sharing the details before you go."

"Before he goes?" Hamlet Leader Votley came over covered in blood and all sorts of powders from a set of the wagons. "I was needing your help with a few difficult patients. Even found variations than the typical seeds."

"Sure, as long as it is nowhere near this place I will help cause this is a death trap someone organized and I am not about a very stupid avoidable death."

"That will not work, so far the procedure has not saved many." A man that resembled Tang Suo stepped over with a grisly hardened look. Appraising Leroy critically but found the young man didn't even bat an eye to his presence. Earning slight approval during the situation because of it. "We will not risk so many to move to a safer area."

"Ah, so you admit this is a hostile area. That is just great." Leroy wished he had a gun for he could kill whoever was remotely behind this. "What are the variations doing Votley?"

"The seeds are actually releasing a.. what did you call it again? Oh, a paralytic but not taking away any Qi. Another is causing a blockage in limbs past one or two Meridians, the blocked location then turned into.. Qi. A weird twisted Grayish Qi." Votley turned to the person in charge with respect. "Elder Tang Ru, with the assistance of Leroy here the numbers who survive should increase exponentially."

"Yeah is m leaving like you should to." They gave him an odd look. "So someone is purposely doing this and you want to stay.. that is dumb. If variants never existed before and show up now when the situation turns differently, logic dictates someone did this. Considering you are a Noble Family odds are you have enemies or members of your family who are disgruntled. I don't care what ti is so no need to give any type of protests of fake ass family loyalty."

"How do you figure?" Tang Suo had to ask all the same. But he changed the subject remembering how two family guards let his group before. He had enemies but to risk the Akademy getting screwed over in the process as well as bold. "Nevermind, how about this.."

A few were surprised that Tang Suo was actively trying to convince for all intent and purposes a lowly Hamlet member to stay. Though the Tang Family were known for being one of the nicer Noble families that did not mean they were not prideful.

Mixtures of Pesticides were gathered as well as tools to help deal with the new variant infection. A harsher procedure was developed by Leroy when they hard-pressed him to help. He was petty and when forced to work on patients in unstable dangerous conditions, he developed in the worse way to get free.

He long made a solemn vow to make it hard on people who did this to him in the future. The critical cases that the Clear Tang Family had used rare resources to stall the depletion of the Qi in the various members.

The boy he saw previously was one who needed work done quickly. A young noble whom the Family had high hopes for. If he was so smart the best thing would have been to get him out of the hostile zone beforehand when they lost several of the guards in one of the smaller newer nests.

One thing that came from operating on the young noble he found out was named Tang Bo, Foundation establishment Realm Cultivators learned quickly. They had observed Votley do the procedure on a few that didn't make it.

Well, their Cultivation Realms were not saved and they reverted back to Body Tempering Realm 1st rank. But watching Leroy work on the young Noble and seeing the procedures done with more appropriate tools the success and removal rate increased.

Especially since they had no hesitation with using cadavers living or dead like the Hamlet members such as Votley. In less than 6 hours a procedure that took decades to improve and make viable already evolved to the naked eye.

'Even the Qi Condensation Realm cultivators are doing better than myself and Votley.' Leroy took a step to the side and switched over to pointing out other issues when they operated. "See that hole right there, that is spreading out?"

"Yes.."

"That is called Avascular Necrosis, it is the death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply. Also called Osteonecrosis. This can lead to tiny breaks in the bones and cause the bone to collapse if not treated. The process usually takes months to a year to develop in regular people. But the decay we are seeing is that of a person who has suffered for over 2 years."

"That sounds about right." The Tang member was a guard that worked on the Nest crackdown for years. "That would be around the time an increase of attacks started. But then that was also when the number of deaths was the lowest."

"Oh yeah, a lot of guards were suffering from fatigued caused by blood loss. It was determined the water was poisoned with insects that left the body after a small time period. A lot of Qi Refining Realm guards decreased back to the 1st Rank." Another guard said as he sewed the nerves in place behind Leroy for a Hamlet member. "I think Tang Hution was one of them and he went back to work a few months later. Well, a decreased salary awaited him but he didn't die."

"Is Tang Hution here?" Leroy asked as he started walking around and pointing out the Osteonecroses holes to others. They only needed to be shown once to remember and didn't need another explanation after the first time on how to deal with it. "Any way I can check any of the other guards who worked in that area at that time?"

"Sure, come here. The name is Tang Xuan by the way." The Tang Guard that worked directly with him introduced himself. "Never got your full name by the way. He looked at the Old Tiger that watched them all with an intense look.

Several assumed Leroy was a member of the Dark Tiger-fire Family.