The Hand of Omnipotence

As a station attendant, Xiao Qi couldn't figure out why the three teachers were behaving strangely.

She had only eight years of experience traveling in the underworld, and the roads she had traveled, the people she had met, and the unusual experiences she had had were not many.

The three teachers were like they had entered a land of women and soaked in a spring of female excrement. In just twelve hours, they were transformed from men into women.

Without any external or internal injuries, and without any hidden ailments of the organs, except for the extra skin, hair, and foul-smelling bodily fluids that appeared on the ground when they woke up, the three teachers felt almost no pain or discomfort in their new bodies.

In modern society, we need several days to get used to a new pair of shoes.

Within just a few hours, these three teachers reconciled with their new physical essence, achieving a unity of spirit and body, and fully adapting to their new bodies.

These phenomena seemed incredibly strange to Xiao Qi.

In particular, Teacher Zongzhu's blonde hair and European features suggest that this mysterious and unpredictable fate almost sent Li Zongzhu back to the womb to be reborn, fully expressing the recessive genes of her grandfather, and ultimately presenting the European physical characteristics inherited from a previous generation in a female body.

This is not simply a sex reassignment surgery.

--It is not so much a change as an adjustment to the physical and mental structure.

Based on information provided by Coach Zhou Wenlan, this body has reduced explosive power but increased stamina and endurance. At the same time, its energy requirements and diet have also changed, as have its nervous system and hormones.

--It's a complete [start over] at the genetic level.

This kind of change is something that modern medicine cannot achieve. No matter how powerful the combination of medicine, internal medicine, and surgery, or the combination of genetically modified drugs and surgery, it is impossible to directly turn a man into a woman.

After Xiao Qi explained these things to Xue Ming and Liuxing, the three of them immediately began to speculate.

--Could it be a very special kind of soul power that produced this unexpected effect on the three teachers?

"But... if the teachers were affected by something like a Soul Power superpower, what exactly is this mysterious senior trying to do?" Bu Liuxing didn't understand.

Jiang Xueming then asked, "According to the registration and physical examination at the special teahouse, the VIPs with Soul Might in the Abyssal Railway System should all have their special characteristics and specific abilities registered. Can we find the corresponding individuals?"

Xiao Qi shook her head and patiently explained, "Not everyone with Soul Might is willing to work for the BOSS. And not all VIPs possess Soul Might. If you are strong enough and capable of exploring unknown territories, you can obtain this VIP pass by passing the VIP assessment."

"In other words, even if you complete your transformation, emerge from your cocoon and gain soul power, your mind is still immature, and your willpower and mental strength are not strong enough to guarantee your survival probability in unknown areas. The VIP certificate is meaningless to you."

"So," Meteor finally understood, "The guy who turned the teachers into women probably wasn't from the station?"

"I'm not sure, we'll have to ask the boss," Xiao Qi said, rubbing her forehead. "I guess I haven't read enough books; I'm suffering from a lack of cultural knowledge."

Jiang Xueming continued calmly and methodically, "Can you take your time to think about it, see the essence of this phenomenon, and understand its inner meaning to trace its origins?"

"Ah!" Xiao Qi's eyes lit up. "I have a way!"

Meteor: "What method?"

Xiao Qi took out her phone. "Off-site assistance, make a video call to the Cat Tree Lady, let the BOSS see what's going on."

Jiang Xueming: "Good idea."

Fifteen minutes passed.

From the other end of the phone video, the Black Cat looked very serious.

On the other end of the video call, the three teachers had different expressions. Looking at the cat with wide eyes on the screen, they felt a sense of embarrassment, as if they were seeing a doctor in an online chat room.

The boss casually asked while filing his nails.

The problem is quite simple.

Have you been bleeding recently?

Zong Zhu: "Wow! It can talk! Is it a facial capture effect? That's amazing!"

Wenlan: "No, I don't know if this body can menstruate."

Only the sexy woman who had Bao Quan nodded hesitantly, her voice very soft, "My wife made me bleed this morning."

The BOSS asked incredulously, "What?"

Zong Zhu looked like he'd seen a ghost. "What's going on?"

Wenlan moved a little further away. "Is this the kind of trouble you're talking about?"

"No jokes, I don't have time for your periods and personal stuff." The boss tossed aside the file and impatiently pressed, "I'm asking! Before you became women, did you bleed for no reason?"

Zong Zhu answered truthfully, "I'm a martial arts master, how can I not see blood? I see blood every day. Sometimes I don't even know why, but I'll get a scratch on my arm, or bloodstains from the gauntlets."

Wenlan said the same thing, "I'm a fitness coach, and when my muscles get congested with blood, my skin can rupture and bleed easily."

The Bao Quan finally came to mind--

"--lemonade!"

Upon hearing this, Meteor immediately called out, "Aunt Wang! The teacher would like some lemonade! Could you please make me a cup?"

"No, no, no! It wasn't me who wanted to drink it!" Bao Quan grabbed her two best friends and started telling them about the strange thing that happened at the mall. "Just yesterday at noon, in the internet cafe salon in the mall, when you were drinking lemonade, your tongues started bleeding for no reason! Do you remember?"

Zong Zhu immediately realized, "That's right! You drank it first, Wenlan!"

Zhou Wenlan also remembered this incident. "Did the cashier drug us?"

The boss snapped his fingers, signaling the three to remain calm.

"I understand. Please return the phone to Bai Qingqing. You guys go cool off somewhere else and get some rest."

The three sisters anxiously delivered their cell phone to their seventh brother, sensing that this matter was far from simple and might be related to supernatural phenomena. However, they were all ordinary people and could only obediently wait for instructions.

Xiao Qi pulled the two passengers aside and had a private talk with the BOSS.

The boss said, "Call Bailu over too."

Before she could finish speaking, Bailu popped out from under Xue Ming's armpit. "I'm here! I've been secretly listening!"

Jiang Xueming didn't know why the BOSS had summoned Bailu, but he felt a strong sense of unease. If this matter was related to Bailu, did it mean that his sister was also going to the dangerous underworld to make a living?

The boss first discussed the matter privately with Bailu.

How much do you know about us?

Bailu immediately replied, "I basically know everything. I care a lot about my brother! My sister-in-law and Sister San San wouldn't hide anything from me, but I don't know if what they're saying is true. I know you! Big Kitty! You're so good to my brother!"

After filing his nails, the boss started licking his paws incessantly. "Then I'll just say what I want to say, there's no need to hold back anymore."

Jiang Xueming immediately interrupted, "Wait a minute, BOSS!"

The Black Cat immediately began to wait, waiting for Jiang Xueming to find out everything. During this time, the cunning and clever cat quietly smiled.

Jiang Xueming hugged his sister. "Do you want her, Jiang Bailu, to also go on an adventure in the underground world? The more you call her over, the closer she gets to your station—I've told you repeatedly, family is very important to me, and I don't want them to put themselves in danger."

"Oh! Oh, oh, oh!" The BOSS looked surprised. "9527, did you hear that? He said [they]! Not [her]!"

Xiao Qi hugged Xue Ming's arm and nodded vigorously. "Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Jiang Xueming made no attempt to hide anything; he was a cold-blooded man. If Bailu couldn't avoid this mess, he would have to find a way to handle it properly. "Boss, please make sure you explain things to me clearly."

"You're the strangest and most earnest little darling I've ever met." The boss said seriously, his face full of satisfaction. "Few people in this situation still have the determination and rationality to get to the bottom of things. When I had similar questions and answers with Xiao Qi's father before, he scolded me terribly, calling me a demon who stole his daughter and wife—his tone was like that of a victim in a porn movie who had his wife and child taken away, it was so weird! But when I talked to this father about Xiao Qi's salary and benefits, he immediately changed his tune."

Xiao Qi snapped, "Can we not talk about my family matters?"

"Okay!" The BOSS got back to business. "Jiang Xueming, listen carefully, what I'm about to tell you is very important. You need to analyze it carefully and think it over. And the same goes for Jiang Bailu."

Jiang Xueming: "Hmm."

Jiang Bailu: "Mmm!"

From the video call, BOSS pulled out a sketchbook, about the same size as its own height of only forty centimeters. With the help of the Cat Tree Lady, it turned to the first page of the sketchbook.

"This is the essential scripture of the Madness Butterfly Sect— "

The opening page features a hand.

On each of the Five Fingers of the palm stands a person whose face is obscured by a coat and hood.

They had no weapons or clubs, but their hands were intertwined, and they stood together like brothers and sisters, or twins.

"--It's like a variant of the image of 'The Hand of Omnipotence,' and also the opening chapter of the Butterfly Cult, an underground culture independent of the station."

In the past, when discussing organizations related to the Madness Butterfly, such as the Dragon Blood Skull and Bones Society that Xue Ming and Liuxing had already met, and the Bat-shaped Freak Vampire Organization they were about to encounter—these were all heinous scum and villains who could no longer be considered human.

Therefore, the two of them had a preconceived notion that anything related to the Madness Butterfly was not a good thing.

When the BOSS brought up the origins and culture of the Madness Butterfly again, the pressure on them increased.

"But it wasn't the same as the Skull and Bones Society cannibals you encountered at first—"

The Black Cat turned to the next page of the scripture, which contained two cards from Tarot culture.

The figures are the red [Fool] and the blue [Magician].

"--It is pure, just like how I used my body to feed the butterflies to create the Universal Elixir, it is extremely pure."

"Before you undergo a transformation in your lives, you are all [Fools] with boundless energy, needing a [Magician] to guide you, teach you skills, awaken your wisdom, and experience life."

"The Madness Butterfly Sect has undergone numerous changes, evolutions, corrections, splits, and reorganizations. It relies on the railway network I created, hiding in dark corners to build its own stations, and using various methods to enslave the Madness Butterfly, raise the White Lady, and attempt to combine the power of the Vita Imprint with various non-human monsters, ultimately turning the physical bodies of its followers into monsters as well."

"Is that so?" Meteor suddenly realized. "So most of the calamity beasts we see, especially the Earth Dragon and Wyvern dragons of the Skull and Bones Society and Bones Society, don't seem very smart. They can't even understand a few words of human speech and can only obediently follow the simple orders given by Principal Koman. So they're just tool dragons?"

"Speaking of which, thanks to you all for eradicating the Skull and Bones Society, we have this new batch of human-dragon hybrids. Besides Wool Sheep, we'll see some new faces. These sub-dragon races will find new jobs and new ecological niches at my station—" After explaining to Meteor, the BOSS immediately changed the subject. "Back to your matter, Xue Ming and Bailu..."

The Madness Butterfly is about to turn a new page.

The picture book immediately became terrifying and eerie.

It was a scene of hundreds and thousands of naked men and women struggling in agony in underground caves, fighting against the insects in their bodies and against White Lady —there were also leaders who had gained the power of the soul standing on high places, raising their fists and calling out the true name of the soul.

"The original intention of the Madness Butterfly Sect was to help people undergo a complete transformation, gain extraordinary abilities, and seek the seeds of power from the Madness Butterfly."

"White Lady gnaws at the internal organs of these people, and the intense pain and fear can cause their Inspiration and Madness Index to increase rapidly."

"Before this chronic disease fully manifests, in just ten months, people must use their willpower to fight against the madness brought on by the Vita Imprint. There are no radiant stones, no clubs, and no organizations like the Skull and Bones Society that use a jumble of Dragon Blood mixed with the Vita Imprint as a means of power."

"These people must fight against the pain brought by their physical bodies and the fear of their spiritual bodies, ultimately transforming from mortals into superhumans and gaining the glory of their souls."

"In the final stage, people help each other, removing the White Lady parasitizing each other's bodies, and turning these gifts of the Madness Butterfly into medicine to heal the sores on their bodies, thus achieving the unity of spirit and body."

"My starting point and that of the Madness Butterfly Sect were on the same path. To be precise, I was once a member of the Hand of Omnipotence." At this point, the BOSS became very serious. "I used the power of the Madness Butterfly to create medicine for you using my physical essence— the Madness Butterfly's original doctrine was to transform everyone into extraordinary beings through a ritual of mutual devouring and tearing apart with White Lady, allowing each person to possess their own unique, radiant soul."

Bu Liuxing: "What a terrifying ideal."

Jiang Xueming: "It sounds like an evolution."

The boss nodded. "Yes, it's a kind of evolution. If we Vita Imprint as a type of retrovirus, fish, with the help of both the environment and viruses, eventually crawled ashore to survive on land."

Xiao Qi immediately asked, "What does this have to do with these three teachers turning into women?"

The boss started talking about rumors from recent times.

"There is a connection, and a significant one."

"If we were to divide the ranks according to its original doctrines, the Madness Butterfly Sect would have very few fundamentalists left. People are all using the guise of a cult to run pyramid schemes—like the Skull and Bones Society you've seen, which is pure terrorism."

"They exploit people's strong self-destructive desires, using slogans like 'all things return to oneness' to make the world pure and beautiful, a world without beauty, ugliness, good, or evil, and then collude with people who have suffered setbacks in life, or those who were originally not strong-willed and were full of bad intentions to make dirty money."

"But even now, there is still the Hand of Omnipotence roaming the underworld, occasionally returning to the surface world to preach and teach."

The boss closed the book, deciding not to continue displaying this cult classic.

"The soul power attacks that your three teachers suffered likely came from a member of the Hand of Omnipotence —the soul power of these people has a very special shape, nature, and ability; it needs to come into contact with blood or mucous membranes and enter a person's body to activate its power."

"The Hand of Omnipotence is born from pain and fear. They will not accept my invitation, they despise my radiance stones and clubs, they only believe in their own will and flesh, and in the friendship of helping each other among like-minded people."

"The success rate of this method of feeding butterflies with one's own body is extremely low. During the child's growth, he will inevitably suffer the pain of being skinned, having his tendons pulled out, and being devoured by Gu worms. If it fails, there is medicine made by White Lady to remedy the situation, which can make the child bear the Vita Imprint again and awaken repeatedly in the painful cycle of reincarnation."

"However, the morphing butterflies that emerge from this environment possess fragmented soul power, making them extremely easy to shatter. They linger on the Gate of Death, only a step away from it."

"Like the VIPs at the station, you've seen Victor and Wen Bucai; their soul power manifests as complete human forms, and this intense spiritual power can split mountains and shatter rocks."

"Like the [flight] and [reproduction] of the Morpho Butterfly, these shattered souls can also guide others onto the path of transformation— the Hand of Omnipotence is a group of fundamentalists who use their Soul Power to expose people to the extraordinary and implant the Vita Imprint on ordinary people."

Jiang Xueming's expression suddenly changed. "These are the people who caused Bailu to get sick?"

Xiao Qi could clearly sense it from the side.

--An employer's temperament is like a sharp, gleaming knife.

The boss thought for a moment and then explained in a more respectable way.

"The Hand of Omnipotence used to only do this in the underworld. For Vita Imprint patients, encountering the Hand of Omnipotence is a stroke of luck. They won't die from the disease, and the Hand of Omnipotence will take care of them throughout their lives. These patients can actually have another wonderful life."

"I know what you mean." Jiang Xueming said slowly and deliberately, "I know what you're explaining. You're no different from these the Hand of Omnipotence. The tickets, the radiance stones, the sticks, and Xiao Qi and the meteor—all of this was given to me by you. Fate is in my hands."

If Bailu hadn't contracted the disease, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's neither good nor bad luck. I don't want to complicate a simple matter; I just want to know—what exactly is the background of this group of people?

The boss carefully considered his words and spoke last.

"Just like your three teachers—they inexplicably turned into women. It's neither a good thing nor a bad thing. I think the Hand of Omnipotence is searching for Jiang Bailu. According to these three teachers, they mentioned Jiang Bailu's name while chatting in the mall, so the Hand of Omnipotence used its special Soul Power ability on them. It wanted to show Bailu this divine power of recreating physical bodies."

Jiang Xueming: "Is Bailu so special that it's worth these people coming down to the surface to stir up trouble?"

The BOSS revealed a sinister smile, "Is it possible that these guys were originally targeting you?"

Jiang Xueming: "It's me?"

The boss explained.

"Their first target was probably you."

"It's just that you exert too much Inspiration Pressure —these fragile morpho butterflies have no ability to fight head-on. Compared to Wen Bucai's soul power, the soul power attacks your teachers suffer are like a drizzle. Turning into a woman will not affect their combat ability at all."

"Therefore, I have reason to believe that the Hand of Omnipotence chose Jiang Bailu, who is relatively approachable and seems easy to talk to, in an attempt to use your sister to tell you about another beautiful chapter of life."

Jiang Xueming: "I don't understand."

Jiang Bailu: "I don't understand."

Bu Liuxing: "I don't understand either."

Xiao Qi: "If these guys turn Xue Ming into a woman, then I can understand it. It's a good thing! A really good thing!"

The boss finally emphasized the explanation.

"Hard to understand, isn't it? I think so too. The Hand of Omnipotence's deeds in the underworld are both loved and hated. They only lend a helping hand to those with a strong will to survive—like Xue Ming and Bailu, this brother and sister who fled to a distant land to struggle for survival. In their eyes, they are targets in need of help, but their methods of helping are like a torrential downpour and thunder."

"The environment of the underground world is actually unsuitable for human reproduction. The radiation energy of complex magnetic fields can give rise to many deformities. There are many deformed children abandoned by their parents— the Hand of Omnipotence will also help these deformed children rebuild their lives without hesitation."

"They take on all sorts of commissions to earn a living, earning Universal Elixir at the train station or buying various products made by White Lady. They see themselves as agents of the Goddess of Life, as caregivers, spending their hard-earned money on these children, nurturing them to grow up. No matter what kind of people they become in the future, good or bad, at least they won't be dead. Even if their souls are shattered, they will still be outstanding individuals."

"Jiang Bailu is a case in point—the first Vita Imprint patient we encountered on the surface world. Based on the clues we've gathered, the Hand of Omnipotence has extended this violent yet gentle charitable work to the surface."

Or perhaps

The boss suddenly changed the subject...

"--Jiang Xueming, your figures are simply too tempting. These the Hand of Omnipotence, these wet nurses who are usually busy adopting abandoned babies in the underworld, have come to the surface world to find you."

"Like most viruses in nature, Vita Imprint is extremely photosensitive. The Madness Butterfly cannot survive more than two hours in sunlight."

"Even under such harsh conditions, your ternary essence still attracts them, prompting these wet nurses to try and get close to your sister indirectly, using the miraculous transformation of male and female bodies to demonstrate to you the wondrous power to reshape one's life."

"I almost fell for it," Jiang Bailu murmured. "Brother, can't I really become your little brother? Do you know how painful it is to train to be strong? Uncle Wenlan told me the training standards are 1.5 times that of yours, and I still don't gain much muscle. I want to become strong! I want to protect myself! I can't be a burden to you, right? I want to be handsome. I really envy A Xing —not you going to the underworld to find potions for me, but us going together!"

Jiang Xueming grabbed a box of Qiaoxin Cui (a type of crispy pastry) and stuffed it into his sister's mouth, Bailu to stop overthinking.

"Actually, there's a more impressive arrangement and a more compelling story."

He earnestly discussed another paradigm with Bailu.

Bailu: "Hmm! You go ahead."

Xue Ming: "In stories, there's always a princess who gets kidnapped, by some dragon or demon king, who locks her in a tower and waits for people to rescue her, right?"

Bailu: "I hate this kind of thing! Otherwise, why would I have the idea of becoming a man? This 'The Hand of Omnipotence' is really good at marketing; it hits my sore spot perfectly."

Xue Ming continued to feed her younger sister cookies.

"But Bailu, think about it, what if, unfortunately, the hero didn't come—but the princess pulled a greatsword from under her skirt, cleaved the tower in two, killed the dragon, and twisted off the demon king's head to kick around like a ball? Wouldn't that be amazing?"

Bailu immediately abandoned the idea of becoming a man.

"I want this! Give me this!"

The BOSS clasped its hands together, giving Xue Ming a final reminder.

"I know you can handle this, right?"

Jiang Xueming: "What do you mean by 'handled well'?"

BOSS: "For example—if the person who Vita Imprint on your sister falls into your hands."

Jiang Xueming: "I'll take this guy to the hospital."

BOSS: "Just a beating?"

Jiang Xueming shook his head. "No, I want this person to ingest cyanide, develop red sores on his body, and have his internal organs ripped open with a scalpel so he can experience the harm that White Lady inflicted on Bailu. Then I'll give him an injection of Universal Elixir and talk to him about how to do charity work. Perhaps I can help him rebuild his life in his own way."

The BOSS, a cat who had seen it all, praised Jiang Xueming's methods highly.

"I have to thank the Hand of Omnipotence for sending such a gem like you to me. I'm so touched, I don't even know how to thank these people—you're so naughty!~ I love you so much!~"

The video call has ended.

To find the member of this mysterious the Hand of Omnipotence, we must look for clues from the three teachers' trip to the shopping mall.

When Xue Ming returned to the restaurant, he overheard the teachers spouting philosophical nonsense, trying to convince each other to accept this kind of life.

Aunt Bu Mei takes it all in stride.

"When a person has a lot of money, it means they have a lot of money."

Teacher Baoquan was speaking with righteous indignation.

"The greater a person's ability, the greater their capacity."

Coach Wenlan is paralyzed and the team is giving up.

"When a man becomes a woman, it means he becomes a woman."

Only Teacher Zongzhu was very energetic. She had just sent a message and immediately threw her phone out like a grenade.

Bu Liuxing caught it steadily and asked curiously.

"Teacher Li! What's wrong? Why are you so nervous?"

Li Zongzhu covered her face, smoothing her hair. "My eldest apprentice confessed to me! Is he crazy?! I don't even know how to reply! I yelled at him and then threw my phone away! It's so weird!"

Jiang Xueming didn't understand. "But... didn't you tell the students that you're a man?"

Li Zongzhu slammed his fist on the table, causing the blonde woman's face to turn bright red; she was furious and extremely annoyed.

"The problem is that my apprentice says he hopes I can change back to normal soon! He's finding it very difficult to adjust!"

Everyone fell silent.

Jiang Bailu sorted out the logic behind it.

She first pointed at Teacher Zongzhu, then at the ceiling, using a lot of body language.

She thought of Teacher Zongzhu's strict and serious eldest disciple—who must have paid the most tuition, worked the hardest, and was also Teacher Zongzhu's benefactor.

So, the senior brother doesn't like Teacher Zongzhu's blonde older sister appearance; on the contrary...

--Bai Bailu finally figured it out.

"Oh! Oh! Wow! This is amazing! It can make things that were invisible before suddenly clear."