Operator #7: Powerful Looking

Miyamoto Kumata – as his name suggests, he was tall and imposing.

He rings the bell at the west wing viewing platform of Reidai Fukuyama Temple. He has no bad habits, doesn't smoke, but enjoys drinking.

They work fourteen hours a day, from eight in the morning to ten at night, ringing the funeral bells and performing rituals for the dead souls of Shinto City in batches. When the wandering ghosts near Reidai Fukuyama Temple hear the bells, if their Liman thought models are nearing the end of their lifespan, they will go to the Black-Eyed Goddess's incense hall to carry out the reincarnation process.

"Is Mr. Xiong Tai's daily job just ringing the bell?"

Xue Ming squatted in the corridor outside the teahouse, watching the giant man sitting on a bench in the distance, enjoying the cool air.

--The man's hair was dirty, his thick beard almost blended into his hair, half of his arm was exposed, and a sleeve of his monk's robe was cut off.

These monks seemed to be self-taught monks who had entered the monastic order halfway through their lives. They claimed to be working for the Bodhisattva Hei Mu Qianshou. Neither the White Ape Old Man nor Xiong Tai had shaved their heads, so they naturally couldn't be said to have been ordained with shaved heads or observe the rules of monastic discipline.

Mr. Xiong sat cross-legged, his large knuckles kneading his toes. It was because he had exerted all his strength and held his breath so many times when he rang the bell that his toes were sore and swollen from standing barefoot on the compacted earthen brick ground.

Following the strange clicking sound from his toes, Xiong Tai lowered his head and casually responded to Xue Ming.

"That's right, serving the Black-Eyed Goddess is considered doing good deeds and accumulating merit in secret."

Xue Ming her chin on her hand, continued, "Mr. Xiong Tai, how long do I have to wait here?"

Xiong Tai seemed to have thought of something happy, and said with a smile, "Once the tables and chairs in the teahouse are full, you and the other children will bathe and have your heads shaved. The white ape will then take you to the Black-Eyed Goddess —to have your deeds weighed on a scale, and to burn incense and chant scriptures to dispel your troubles."

Xue Ming: "So getting rid of troubles means forgetting everything and starting life anew?"

"Um."

Speaking of this, Xiong Tai lowered his strong right leg and switched to his left, rolling up his linen trousers as well.

Xue Ming took a good look at the leg. With Mr. Xiong Tai's burly physique, this calf was almost thicker than his waist when he was eight years old.

Based on the six-meter-high beams and pillars of the bell tower, Mr. Xiong Tai's height is estimated to be around 228 centimeters. In the eyes of the children, he is an invincible and unyielding giant.

Just then, Xiong Tai meticulously washed his hands, rubbed some grease on Zhong Ting's pig pancreas, and washed away the grease and grass clippings from under his fingernails—dirt from the straw rope and wooden stake.

Clear water gushes from the tiger's mouth of the bronze beast statue, flowing along the moss-covered stone walls of the ancient temple into the depths of the forest.

While washing his hands, Mr. Xiong muttered something to himself.

"In this mundane world, there are countless troubles. The longer a person lives, the heavier their burdens become. The more they see and experience, the more their hearts gradually become tainted and corrupted, unlike the innocent and pure hearts of children."

"People come to rest at the Black-Eyed Goddess's place, just like travelers trekking through mountains and rivers, always carrying heavy burdens due to various greed, anger, and delusion."

"These souls, cleansed by [Thousand Red and Ten Thousand Purple Flowers], become pure and natural again, and travelers are given strength to embark on a new path in life—this is a perfect and virtuous act."

Xue Ming immediately said, "Doesn't this sound like the habits of insects to me?"

"Hmm?" Mr. Xiong shook the moisture off his hands, his strong arms creating a humid, hot gust of wind that swept the fallen leaves from the bell tower's brick floor into the deep forest. "What are you saying?"

The moment this burly, seemingly simple-minded monk stood up, he became incredibly imposing. Compared to him, Xue Ming was like an elephant compared to a jackal in terms of size.

But young Xue Ming wasn't afraid. He had always been a boy with a sweet tongue, and his words could make the blood pressure of any wicked person who was up to no good soar.

"I say, Mr. Xiong, what you just said is like ants and wasps—the queen ant and the queen wasp both send their children out to gather food, but they don't have the chance to live a second time. But the people of Kanto City can die and come back to life, live and die again."

"These travelers kept bringing their belongings, and the Black-Eyed Goddess kept all their memories. Since this mortal world was so terrible and painful in Mr. Xiong Tai's heart, why did the Black-Eyed Goddess still allow people to be reincarnated and live again?"

"Little friend," Miyamoto Kumata's expression turned terrifying. He frowned and glared, his facial muscles, along with the hair, practically forming several traditional Chinese characters. "Are you questioning the achievements of Reidai Fukuyama Temple? Are you implying that what we're doing is wrong? That it's bad?"

"No." Xue Ming did not back down, staring straight into Mr. Xiong's eyes. "I'm just curious, and I want to read it again word for word—since this mundane world is so terrifying in Mr. Xiong's heart."

"I'm different!" Before Xue Ming could finish speaking, Xiong Tai immediately interrupted, "I am an immortal under the Black-Eyed Goddess, with a more important position, so naturally I don't have to be trapped in the cycle of reincarnation forever."

Xue Ming then said, "Oh, I see?"

Mr. Xiong Tai immediately nodded and smiled, "That's right."

It seems this Black Bear Immortal isn't quite right in the head.

--Xue Ming pouted, becoming a parrot again.

"But you still haven't told me the reason! Since this mortal world is so painful, the memories that travelers painstakingly bring back are just heavy burdens, yet they have to keep living and dying, unlike worker ants and worker bees, insects probably don't feel pain—but what about these dead souls? Can't they rest? Can't they die completely?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" Mr. Xiong looked angry. He picked up a broom from the bell tower to hit the talkative child.

But halfway through his sweeping motion, the burly giant hesitated—

He saw Xue Ming's watery eyes and wanted to run away, but he couldn't squeeze through Xueming's broad arms. He could only stand frozen by the threshold of the teahouse, not daring to make a sound.

So Xiong Tai put down the broom again, angrily leaning on his back, and saw Xue Ming clutching the <Sunny Day> doll as a talisman, finally giving up the idea of violence.

"Why not let the travelers die?" Xiong Tai rubbed his fingers, squatted down next to Xue Ming, and continued, "Your question has stumped me."

Xue Ming moved closer to the door frame, trying to stay away from the man who was agitated and unpredictable.

"So you knew? Right? You knew it wasn't right, you vaguely sensed that this didn't make sense, didn't you, Mr. Xiong?"

"Shut up!" Miyamoto Kumata shouted, waving his hand to Xue Ming up. "You keep asking such weird and difficult questions!"

"I only know a few things: if travelers don't let go of their burdens, they will go mad and turn into monsters!"

"By then, they won't even be able to remain human. The Thunder God and the Wind God will then wield divine weapons capable of slaying demons and wipe them all out!"

Xue Ming: "Going mad? Turning into a demon?"

Xiong Tai: "That's right! If someone lives too long and refuses to reincarnate, they'll definitely turn into a man-eating monster."

The psychic power of the VENOM Organization originates from the Original Seed, and like the Madness Butterfly Sect, it has undergone Blood Ceremony.

If the Liman model begins to disintegrate, like a blood donation unit, these people living in the virtual and real worlds become [carnivores]—either through cannibalism or by continuing to purchase modular experiences to maintain their human nature.

The process of these ghosts being reborn time and time again begins with a fresh clone brain, gradually giving them complete artificial organs, with not a single piece of flesh on their bodies being their own.

In the Extreme Bliss Space, they savor the memories of others, much like infusing new nourishment into Liman models.

When the Liman model exceeds its lifespan, the monster encased in steel armor will gradually revert to its carnivorous nature, which is what Mr. Xiong Tai calls "personality fragmentation and demonization."

From this information, Xue Ming obtained a crucial clue.

"Mr. Xiong Tai, you just said that Thor and Wind God possess the ability to slay demons? Is that right?"

When this matter was mentioned, Xiong Tai immediately became excited. Once he was associated with the six heavenly gods of the Shinto People, these divine servants and officials seemed to be imbued with divinity as well, and immediately turned into fans, starting to talk big.

"Of course! The two incarnations of the gods, North Wind and Jifeng, are the most powerful and greatest heroes in the Shinto City!"

Xue Ming: "They can kill demons? And they can also completely kill these travelers?"

Xiong Tai sensed something was off, but continued talking about it anyway.

"Uh, the gods wouldn't harm ordinary people."

Xue Ming: "Just tell me if you can kill him or not?"

Xiong Tai: "The Thunder God and the Wind God possess sharp blades to destroy spirits."

Xue Ming immediately put on the act of a little fanboy, his eyes practically sparkling!

"Oh! What does it look like?!"

Mr. Xiong was at a loss for what to do. Faced with the enthusiastic and eager-to-learn children, he simply couldn't resist their gazes.

"Legend has it that in the coal mines of the desolate mountains south of Kansai Wild Tomb, a man-eating tree has transformed into a demon."

"When travelers pass through that forest, women and children mysteriously disappear."

"The villagers prayed to the gods for blessings, so the Shinto People sent the Thunder God to the human world to investigate the matter."

"There was a skilled craftsman whose wife and daughter were eaten by a demon while trying to bring him food."

"The craftsman's surname was Murasame, so he volunteered to forge a treasured sword for the Thunder God—"

"--Kill whales from the sea for their skin, and use the cedar wood from around Fukuyama Temple to make the handle and scabbard."

"Copper and iron utensils are the kitchen knives and sewing needles used in every household, embodying the hopes and aspirations of countless families."

"The moment the long scroll-shaped greatsword was forged, it could cleave the branches of eight demon trees in one stroke—hence its name [Divine Sword: Eight Pine Village Rain], capable of severing the souls of demons and utterly killing their spirits."

"Thor, wielding his sword, vanquished the demon, shattering the tree demon's roots and trunk, and those who had been eaten were returned to their families."

"But many families, many men, will not live to see their missing wives and children."

"So Thor was angry, because these women and children were probably not killed and eaten by demons, but were eaten by the men of their families while they were weary from their journey. The men would boil water in an iron pot, cook them into stews, and eat them."

"Thor, wielding his sword, slew countless demons disguised in human skin, and the entire Grand Canal of the six cities of Guanzhong was stained crimson with blood."

"This is the origin of the Eight Pine Sword, little friend."

Xue Ming: "So where can we get them?"

Mr. Xiong felt as if he had been struck hard by a hammer.

--His mind hadn't caught on yet; he hadn't reacted.

It felt like a bratty kid pointing at the top-selling item in a Gundam toy store and yelling, "That one! I want that one!"

"That's Thor's sword! How dare you lay a finger on a god's weapon?"

"So, let's get back to the previous question, Mr. Xiong Tai!" Xue Ming asked methodically, "Since the mortal world is so terrible and so arduous, why not let Thor take his sword and kill all the suffering people?"

Mr. Xiong muttered, his voice trailing off.

He looked down at the innocent and adorable child and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Hayabusa and Jester are the principals and teachers of a classic human education institution whose teaching philosophy is to turn children into weapons.

At this moment, Xue Ming's "childlike innocence" became quite reasonable.

Xue Ming continued, "So even though the Black-Eyed Goddess knew about this, she still wanted the travelers to keep living. Otherwise, how would she collect nectar? How would she collect food? Right?"

Mr. Xiong's voice grew softer and softer, sounding confused and mystical.

"No. No."

Xue Ming: "Gods need slaves. If these slaves didn't bring more module experiences, the Artificial Intelligence wouldn't be able to kick its own feet and update the version number, right?"

The Liman model of thought is an electronic brain based on the structure of the human brain. Experience is the most important thing for the gods; it allows them to maintain their human form and not become completely subservient to the Original Seed or the divine beast.

Xiong Tai then muttered, "No, what slave labor? Where are there slave laborers?"

Seeing that Mr. Xiong's CPU was about to smoke, Xue Ming immediately stopped asking questions and returned to the previous one.

"Since this Eight Pine Divine Sword can kill ghosts, what is the origin of the other treasured sword? What are its functions?"

Mr. Xiong seemed to have grasped a lifeline and suddenly perked up. He was about to continue telling folk tales and talk to Xue Ming about the corporate culture of the Shinto City, spreading the truth, goodness and beauty of the gods.

Just then, a dozen or so children came from the welcoming path in the west wing. They were the newly arrived travelers, and they had all turned into eight -Thousand Red and Ten Thousand Purple year-old children.

Xiong Tai didn't have time to argue with Xue Ming any further. The old white ape leaned against the alley wall and told the children to hold hands so they wouldn't get lost.

Upon arriving at the teahouse, the old man saw Xue Ming and Xiong Tai chatting happily and congenially. He was delighted and pleased, and without asking any further questions, he handed the child to Xiong Tai and left immediately.

Xue Ming remained silent, staring at the dead souls attacked by the soul's power.

These toddlers have very strange appearances--

Their hair and beards were gray, but they did not look old. They were all dressed in well-fitting burial clothes. They held hands, silent, wary of each other, their eyes fixed on one another with a sinister and ruthless look.

On the backs of these children, the seams of their burial shrouds had a specially left opening, from which a huge fleshy tumor emerged, like a heavy baggage.

Xue Ming thought to herself, this might be what Xiong Tai meant by "burden"—memories and experiences that travelers cherish and find hard to let go of.

Upon closer inspection of the tumor, a mound about fifty centimeters long rose up behind the leading boy, and an old, decrepit face emerged from within the tumor, like parasitic conjoined twins.

The boy seemed to be influenced by the mound of flesh, adopting the same gloomy expression as the old man on his back. With his head down and eyes drooping, he looked around furiously. When talking to Mr. Xiong about the reincarnation ceremony of the Black-Eyed Goddess, he seemed to be in a bad mood, as if he felt that the money was not enough.

Two little girls in the back of the line started fighting.

Xue Ming saw it clearly: a girl at the back reached out and touched the tumor on her companion's head, then fiercely ripped off a piece of flesh and put it into her "burden's" Barry. She saw the old woman on the tumor grow two rows of sharp teeth, chew the flesh and blood into pieces, and swallow it. As a result, the tumor grew a little bigger, as if it could bring more blessings in the next life.

Hearing the sounds of fighting and cursing from within the ranks, Xiong Tai shouted—

--A terrifying roar emanated from the burly man's throat, like the Black Bear or the low growl of a tiger or leopard.

The line immediately fell silent; the children became timid and withdrawn, no longer making noise, but the faces on their backs each displayed a unique and expressive range of emotions.

There are those who laugh and mock, enjoying the spectacle, and there are those who anxiously try to curry favor.

Xue Ming looked closer and saw a child at the very back of the line whose body was swollen beyond recognition. The "burden" on his back had six faces, as if his personality had fractured and he was on the verge of collapse before being reincarnated.

Such a terrifying and bizarre sight would probably drive an ordinary person crazy in the mortal world, but for Xue Ming, it should be nothing more than a minor scene. He was still pondering to himself.

The last diligent worker bee must have found a new way to get rich. Before the Liman mental model collapsed, the symptoms of schizophrenia emerged, which allowed it to acquire more memories and split them into different personalities to shoulder several times the burden. Unexpectedly, it encountered the King of Reincarnation in this underworld place. He is a powerful figure who is single-mindedly studying the science of reincarnation.

As for the two little girls fighting in the group, their conflict stemming from the "burden" of theft, Miyamoto Kumata seemed to have no intention of dealing with the matter. It was as if this divine servant was not very bright and had no concept of upholding justice. In Mr. Kumata's eyes, the things these children possessed were not considered wealth, but rather the karmic debts that dead souls had begged for in the mortal world.

Xue Ming followed the children into the tea room and saw Xiong Tai slip through the curtain and run to the kitchen to prepare tea.

As he walked, Xiong Tai said, "Children, don't worry, I'll make you some soup to relieve your fatigue and pain."

Later, Hei Mu Qianshou will probably cut off all these tumors. The process of peeling away memories is like performing brain surgery on Liman's mental model. The snacks and tea in the West Wing Tea House are special; they are sacred wine and cakes used to numb travelers before the death ceremony.

In that brief moment of free time, Xue Ming could hear the children whispering all around her.

"Wow, that tumor on you is huge! It must be worth a lot of money, right?"

"What nonsense are you talking about! Once we're on the Black-Eyed Goddess's iron hook and scales, won't we know exactly how much weight we have?"

"That wretched fellow behind me is so cunning! He has six faces and carries six 'burdens'! What if the Black-Eyed Goddess makes us bring six next time?"

"Don't blame others for things you can't do yourself!"

"Shh, don't talk."

"When it was time to hang the iron hook, we banded together and complained to the Black-Eyed Goddess, saying that the guy with six faces was actually a man-eating monster."

"What nonsense are you spouting!" The six-faced child, burdened with a heavy load, was tense and anxious, cold sweat dripping down his face.

"Hello"

Just then, a child with a gloomy face and a terrifying expression approached Xue Ming.

"You seem to have no burdens on your shoulders? Why is that?"

He moved closer to Xue Ming, showing her the tumors on his body. His aged face, visible through the tumors, was forced into a smile as he and Xue Ming exchanged a forced grin.

"Young man, you look all alone and helpless. You are probably a lonely ghost who died a violent death and lost your burdens."

"We're all neighbors from the same village, and we should look out for each other when we're out and about. Why don't we become friends?"

Xue Ming: "What do you mean? How should I address you?"

The child whispered something in the ear of the old man inside the tumor.

"Just call me Taro. You heard it just now. As long as you tell us the same thing, keep the same story, and complain to Lady Kuroki that your burden has been eaten up by this six-faced monster—we'll all complain to Black-Eyed Goddess together, put pressure on this guy, and make him hand over all his treasures."

"If we help each other, when the karmic retribution is settled, you will also receive a share of the benefits, so you won't return to the Shinto City empty-handed."

"We are all respected elders of our village. If you come to seek refuge with us, we can look out for each other. It's a win-win situation no matter how you look at it."

Xue Ming wasn't frightened by these strange tumors; instead, he was sent chills down his spine by those few words.

--This child's prosthetic body is fair and tender, but his tone is that of an old man, full of cunning and scheming, fearing that he will never get a bite of fresh human flesh.

"Have you thought this through? There are so many of us. If you don't want to cooperate, you'll probably be in a lot of trouble." Taro kindly advised, "Mr. Kumata's eyesight is poor, his heart is as rough as his fingers, and his ears have long been deafened by the sound of the bells—there are children openly stealing treasures in the line. Foolish Mr. Kumata is both deaf and blind; he can't see or hear it. If we want to make this happen, and do it well, there shouldn't be any risk."

"If you don't know what's good for you, the loss of a baby in this teahouse wouldn't be surprising to us local gentry."

"You can get lots and lots of money just by talking."

"I don't think this is difficult. A wise person avoids dangerous situations, and a discerning person is one who knows when to yield."

"People strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. To possess a precious treasure but fail to protect it is a sin."

"That six-faced freak seems pretty powerful, able to carry so much burden—but actually he's the weak one. It's the most reasonable and kind thing for the weak to be devoured by the strong."

"So, buddy, have you thought it through?"

Taro extended his hand, inviting Xue Ming to shake it as a gesture of respect upon completion of the transaction.

Xue Ming stretched out his hand, then clenched it into a fist.

Taro's expression changed drastically.

"--What do you mean by this? Do you intend to use this weak and powerless body to fight against so many of us?"

Before he could finish speaking, his fist had already slammed into Taro's cheek!

The broken tooth flew into the face of another girl beside him, and her scream immediately echoed throughout the teahouse.

Dark, foul blood gushed from the mound of flesh, the vicious punches like the beating of a war drum, tearing open new wounds time and time again.

Within a minute, Mr. Xiong heard the commotion and rushed outside in a rage.

He lifted the curtain and saw Taro slumped weakly beside the small table, his limbs twitching, barely breathing.

Large splatters of blood were splattered on the children nearby, Xue Ming was almost covered in blood, yet she remained dignified in her sitting posture.

"I'm really scared, Mr. Xiong Tai."

Xue Ming spoke with certainty, pointing to several children present who had bloodstains on their bodies.

"They suddenly stood up and pounced on Taro- nii together; it all happened so fast!"

The local elders who were being criticized wanted to say something, arguing that things were clearly not like that.

"--Mr. Xiong Tai, I feel like they're going to tear me to pieces!"

Xue Ming swung his arm, splattering thick, black blood all over the face of the younger sister who was trying to speak up.

Suddenly, these cunning youngsters seemed to fall silent.

Taro was still struggling beside the table and chairs, his skull caved in, his eyeballs bulging out as if they were about to pop out. He couldn't utter a word, his eyes fixed on Xue Ming with venomous resentment. But when their eyes met, Xue Ming's gaze terrified him so much that he dared not look at her again.

Miyamoto Kumata surprised he couldn't close his mouth, and he finally angrily warned the travelers.

"If I see you bullying someone again, I won't make you any more snacks! I'll roll you into a big ball of flesh and put you on the scale! No one can escape!"

He glanced at Xue Ming again, then changed his mind.

"Besides you! You're the most well-behaved!"