What Could Be Done

Foreword:

The pear blossoms reflect against the white poplar trees, a place filled with scenes of life, death, and separation.

--Bai Juyi

[Part 1: Magical Treasures]

As the spirit sister stepped onto the corridor, she saw the devastated courtyard and noticed the wounds on the wooden beams and pillars—the battle marks left by Fragrant Dream when she subdued the wolf demon.

This jackal was far more intelligent than a wolf; upon smelling blood, it immediately snapped to attention.

--Perhaps "Sister" has already met with misfortune! The courtyard is filled with the domineering and murderous aura of swords. Stepping on the cracks in the floor makes one feel a chill in the soles of their feet, and their skin and flesh begin to ache faintly!

There's a master! A celestial being who has cultivated an external avatar, possessing pure true essence and abundant spiritual power!

"A benefactor."

When she saw Zhang Congfeng smile, she immediately felt weak all over and wanted to find an excuse to slip away.

"My lord, my legs are weak and I've caught a chill; I need to relieve myself. Could you please do me this favor?"

The puppy immediately knelt down, a stark contrast to her unreasonable and inexplicably confident older sister wolf.

Wu Xiuwen hurriedly went to help her up, insisting that the monster in human skin straighten up, and whispered, "Young lady, you are the daughter of the Young Miss of the Mu Family, how come you have to kneel and bow to your husband's family before you've even married into the family? What kind of manners are these?"

"Don't say such sarcastic things," Jiang Xueming said in a deep voice. "Xiuwen, tell the truth. Don't scare her. She's just lucky to be last in line. If she goes crazy again, this marriage won't happen."

Upon hearing the order, Wu Xiuwen, the wild child whom the eunuch had picked up, possessed a keen and shrewd mind. He naturally knew what Zhang Guiren was thinking, so he immediately changed his expression and questioned the spirit sister in a loud voice.

"There are nine corpses in this house, but not a single woman. The Buddha Sculptor and the doctor are doing nothing but despicable things, using these demons in human skin to amuse us brothers? To make fun of Zhang Guiren? Do you know who Zhang Guiren is? In the Nine Realms Court, he's a first-rank official who treats the Emperor!"

"I kindly invited this divine figure to Black Wind Ridge to take care of Goddess Zhuzhu, to give you, the Blood Jade Guanyin Bodhisattva, some face! Who would have thought you would dare to mock Zhang Guiren? A marriage alliance? Bah!"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes." The mischievous younger sister lowered her head and admitted her mistake, but after receiving a slap of spit from Wu Xiuwen, she became passive.

Wu Xiuwen is trying to be the one to accuse the guilty first. Of the "beautiful daughters" he sent, only one is still alive. Does he expect Zhang Guiren to apologize with a bundle of thorns on her back?

He then shouted, "Let me peel off your face! Let me see just how many faces you have!"

As soon as Wu Xiuwen raised his hand, the monster dared not resist and only wanted to beg for mercy.

"No! No! I was wrong! I was wrong! Please, immortals, spare me! Please, immortals, spare me!"

Jiang Xueming immediately asked, "Why did you do this? Tell the truth, or you're dead."

Wu Xiuwen then scolded, "Tell the truth! Otherwise, you'll end up like your bastard brother! Your flesh and blood will be eaten by insects, leaving you only with your fur to make clothes!"

When the spirit heard the news of her brother Wolf's death, she felt resentment, but it quickly dissipated in fear. She dared not even shed a tear, and could not express any hatred. She could only tell the truth.

"The Buddha Sculptor summoned the rat doctor to order us two brothers around."

"They want us to transform into beautiful daughters to serve Zhang Guiren, to whisper Zhang Guiren background and the purpose of our visit. The matter of Goddess Zhuzhu Zhang's safe delivery is of utmost importance and cannot be neglected. If a wicked person harbors evil intentions and tries to cause her a difficult childbirth, and the Great Buddha of Spiritual Light punishes us, then not a single living creature will remain in our little Black Wind Ridge!"

As she said this, the spirit took a few more steps forward, leaned against the door, and saw the white wolf's corpse under the bronze mirror beside the screen. She forced out a few tears and transformed into a pitiful and aggrieved young woman.

"My poor sister and I were just puppets in the hands of powerful figures, used and manipulated at will, and one careless move and we were all dead! My poor elder sister!"

"Alas! Alas!"

Jiang Xueming did not immediately believe these words, but instead gave Wu Xiuwen a meaningful look.

When it comes to Wu Xiuwen's temperament, his ability to read people's expressions is superb. Having a godfather from the palace makes all the difference; he could tell what Zhang Guiren wanted to ask at a glance.

Wu Xiuwen immediately asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

The wolfhound was about to nod when it suddenly felt a chill run down its spine.

Wu Xiuwen cursed viciously, "You slut (a derogatory term for a man who dresses as a woman), your brothers have already interrogated your elder brother, and you're still here pretending to mourn! Who are you trying to fool!?"

The little fairy sister immediately changed her tune. "I'm male! I'm male! It's true! It's true!"

Jiang Xueming was also curious. In such a large village, could they really not find a single woman? Did they have to call upon these villagers and demons to impersonate beauties? Was it like Zhao Jianying said? Were all these delicate-skinned women sent to the mountains to be steamed or boiled?

So he asked, "Raise your head, I'm asking you, where have all the women in this village gone?"

After being frightened by Wu Xiuwen, the wolfhound dared not make up any more lies and told the truth.

" In Black Wind Town, nothing is more important than childbirth. Women who are fertile are kept hidden away and protected, all under the care of the Rat-Faced Doctor."

The word "guard" infuriated Jiang Xueming.

--Because during the expedition, there were similar ghostly cities and demonic realms where Blood-giving Monster were infertile. In an environment where people ate each other, if the Madness Butterfly Sect were to grow too powerful and become all-powerful, it would have to find a way to sustainably raise humans.

The medical level in Xia Bang is still at the level of the mortal world two or three hundred years ago. When it comes to pregnancy and childbirth, the chances of the fetus dying in childbirth and the mother dying suddenly are terrifyingly high. The so-called "good fertility" is a very scarce resource, and excellent reproductive resources are exchanged for elixirs as a dowry.

Xue Ming had previously learned that only after having children could the townspeople in this area inherit the Elixir of Immortality, gaining superhuman strength and longevity through blood transfusion. The only sons of each household possessed the strength to dig wells, fetch water, and raise pigs in enclosures.

However, all of this is based on the premise of "unified supervision". The Buddha Sculptor, as the agent of the Lingguang Buddha, is like a livestock breeder. He can not only decide the birth, aging, sickness and death of every ordinary person in Black Wind Town, but also decide how men exert their strength, how women match their husbands, and how the elderly sell their flesh and blood.

The children, having been frightened by the demons of Black Wind Ridge and educated by their parents, must continue to heed the teachings and rituals of the Blood Jade Guanyin.

"My lord." Seeing Jiang Xueming's expression, the wolf-dog immediately asked, "Is my lord angry? Did I say something wrong? I'll correct it immediately, I'll correct it immediately."

Jiang Xueming asked, "Explain in detail, what does 'guarding' mean?"

"Marriage arrangements also need to be handled by the Rat-Faced Physician and the Priest. It's not that simple!" the spirit explained. "Wealthy families have many descendants and have formed good karmic connections with the Bodhisattva. They offer incense and other offerings, and there are also festival gifts and money at the end of the year. The Rat-Faced Physician will naturally take care of them and find some fertile wives for the young masters in the family."

"If they are poor and stingy, lacking wisdom and unwilling to hand over the elixir, and only have one son who can't earn much money through hard work, then they're only suited for a lowly child. Like begets like, right?"

"Although we are all from the same village, there are still seniority, social status, and rank in Black Wind Ridge. If no one takes care of the marriage arrangements, it would be a disaster if a rat were to marry into a dragon and phoenix family, disrupting the ethical order."

"Without the approval of the rat-faced doctor and the recognition of the Clan Priest, how can it be the place for lovelorn men and women to make a private vow of marriage? Therefore, those sent to you are all men—married, virtuous women cannot come, and unmarried young women of marriageable age certainly cannot come."

This is the "ghost" of the feudal era. It races forward with the tree rings and still lingers around people in modern society. It is invisible and intangible, and people feel terrified when they talk about it.

"A distinguished guest?" The wolf-dog dared not continue, for Jiang Xueming's expression grew increasingly grim. "A distinguished guest, I have spoken the truth; your word is your bond."

Jiang Xueming: "I won't kill you, and I'd like to trouble you to continue answering."

The wolfhound immediately began to fawn over them, its body language shifting as it swayed its hips and offered its hindquarters in a seductive manner.

"Hey! Ask away! Ask away!"

Jiang Xueming pointed to the corpse in the canopy bed inside the door.

"How did these men turn into beautiful women? And you? I remember that for a demon to cultivate into human form, it takes at least two or three hundred years of cultivation."

For a lapis lazuli wolfhound to gain human form and humanity, even a VIP like Wolf Brother Oscar would have to drink countless Universal Elixir and White Lady's essence to gradually alter its genes, slowly transforming from a military dog into a half-wolf. In the end, it could never completely shed its wolf head and tail. As for the two monsters, White Wolf and the wolfhound, being able to transform into lifelike humanoids is simply divine skill.

"It's the Buddha Sculptor's magic weapon!" The wolf-dog regretted its words as soon as it opened its mouth. It probably wouldn't have a good ending if it returned to Black Wind Ridge. However, Wu Xiuwen was threatening it with a gloomy face, so its mind was a little slower.

Previously, Wu Xiuwen had come to Black Wind Ridge with a large sum of money seeking immortality and had seen these six treasures. However, what the wolfhound did not know was that Wu Xiuwen only knew the abilities of the treasure tree and was unaware of the supernatural powers of the other five treasures.

Jiang Xueming: "Hmm?"

"Yes, they are magical treasures." The monster immediately confessed, having nothing to lose and only thinking about saving its own life, "There are six magical treasures! The Bodhi Peeling Tree can be used to weave skin and create flesh, allowing people to change their appearance and giving this beast of mine a human skin."

Jiang Xueming: "What about the other five?"

"This... this servant can't remember," the spirit scratched its head, its hair bun undone, transforming it into a disheveled, madwoman. "I can't remember."

It dared not say "I don't know." If Zhang Guiren could kill its elder brother, she could certainly kill it too—a useless thing, a piece of trash whose life is about to end.

"Can't remember? Don't you recall?" Wu Xiuwen's eyes widened, and he demanded fiercely, "Do you expect me to skin you alive? Only a dog's brain would become sharp?"

"I remember! I remember!" the wolfhound begged for mercy repeatedly. Seeing that the Zhao Brothers did not respond, it immediately gave Jianying some charming looks and pounced on him, thinking that this group might not be of one mind. So it pitifully begged for help.

"Don't skin me! Don't skin me!"

[Part ② - Innate Superhuman Strength]

At this moment, the Zhao Brothers, who had been watching from the sidelines for a long time, felt a pang of pity.

Zhao Jianxiong had a good impression of this "little girl" from the beginning. Zhao Jianying and his younger brother were the same; the two brothers relied on instinct to recognize people and do things, so they were naturally not as decisive and ruthless as Wu Xiuwen and Zhang Congfeng.

To put it bluntly, this wolf-dog wearing human skin just happens to be growing on the brothers' XP. People can do a lot of stupid things and say a lot of stupid things for XP.

Even if it were the great Tang Dynasty monk, upon seeing half of Guanyin, no matter how much his disciples pleaded or berated him, the monk would still rescue the beautiful demon from the tree and dig her out of the ground. How much more so would these two wild villagers?

Jianxiong had already opened his eyes and knew that these "women" were all demons in disguise, but he still couldn't get past this hurdle. He spoke some incoherent, flattering words to Zhang Congfeng.

"My benefactor, we killed its brothers, forced it to betray its master, and drove it into a fiery pit to suffer. It only wanted to seek immortality and a human skin. It has never harmed us—why torture it like this?"

"You want to become an Arhat?" Jiang Xueming turned around and asked casually, "To be by the side of the Blood Jade Guanyin Bodhisattva? To have this little dog keep you company while you read scriptures?"

Jianxiong dared not respond. When he met his benefactor's gaze, he saw a gleaming knife in his benefactor's eyes. The blade was spotless and emitted a ghostly wail. For a moment, he could not distinguish between the demon and the monster. Even though he could not sense any true essence or spiritual power, just that one glance made him tremble and dare not utter another word.

"Why don't you get a knife? I'll shave your face and give you a head shave." Jiang Xueming's cursing was incredibly vulgar. "You worthless bastard, your ancestors for eighteen generations have lived in vain, all your lives were wasted on you, you were born into the wrong world! You should have been born into the animal realm! Otherwise, why are you still having feelings for this dog? If your father heard you say that, his mother would be so angry she'd come back to life!"

"I saved your life, and you're going to speak up for this dog? It even tried to get on my bedsheets! I'll bring some good news to its blood-drinking, flesh-eating master!"

"Why don't you just become a disciple of the Buddha Sculptor? He knows the Primordial Creation Technique! He'll guarantee you immortality or Buddhahood! I don't have that ability!" Jiang Xueming shrugged and spread his hands. "I haven't even become an immortal myself, how can I teach you to?"

Jianxiong felt overwhelmed with shame. Only when he lost control of his emotions did he realize how foolish he had been. Just one more glance at the pitiful appearance of this beautiful woman in disguise, and he couldn't help but feel pity for her.

This is not Jianxiong's fault. In the eyes of the immortal Luo Ping'an, modern society is the same, and it has never changed—no matter what heinous things the clay idol has done, as long as it has a good appearance, there will be believers who will kneel and worship it.

Jianying, who had been watching from the sidelines, had learned his lesson and didn't invite the scolding. But this slow-witted and steady older brother wanted to talk to Zhang Congfeng about Xia Bang's morality.

"My benefactor, please don't blame Jianxiong. I followed Wu Xiuwen all the way here, and Black Wind Town has enjoyed favorable weather and abundant harvests, truly living up to its former name of Hefeng Town. If it weren't for the protection of the Blood Jade Guanyin Bodhisattva, and without the power of the Rejuvenating Elixir, where would we find such good livestock and crops? Even the poorest families in the town can afford cotton clothes, and they have well water in their backyards."

"You don't know this, but Jianxiong and I came from Taiguang County. A plague struck the village, and every household suffered from illness. In the autumn, during the harvest season, everyone was weak and powerless; in the winter, they were plagued by hunger and disease, unable to afford medical treatment and medicine. They emptied their savings and even resorted to cannibalism—compared to this, I wish Zhao Family Village had a Guanyin Bodhisattva. At least with a magic pill, my family wouldn't fear illness. We wouldn't have to take Jianxiong to a distant land, leaving our parents to lie exposed in the wilderness, to be devoured by wolves and insects. My brother and I will fight wild bears to the death for wealth and honor!"

Before Jiang Xueming could answer, the question was brought up.

Wu Xiuwen sneered, "How dare you assert that the plague in Zhao Family Village Taiguang County, is a natural disaster and not a demonic calamity?"

Zhao Jianying was stumped by the question; he had thought about it too.

--Last year, around the time of the Awakening of Insects, snakes, insects, and beasts in the mountains and forests all awoke. A charlatan came to the county town to preach, but had a falling out with the County Magistrate. Then, around the time of Grain Rain, the plague broke out, and by the time the County Magistrate went to seek immortality and medicine, it was too late.

"Besides," Wu Xiuwen, standing beside Zhang Guiren, his voice tinged with the arrogance of a dog emboldened by its master, "Even if it's a natural disaster, doesn't Heaven bear any fault?! Your whole family should have died in this plague? Zhao Laoda, you don't blame Heaven? You don't blame the plague? But now you blame Lord Zhang for being cruel? You want to use the sword of morality to kill Lord Zhang? To say he's brutal, ruthless, and indiscriminately killing people?"

In truth, Jiang Xueming was sweating bullets. The journey to Black Wind Ridge alone would be far more dangerous. At least Jianying and Jianxiong, the two porters, could protect his luggage and supplies, freeing him up to focus on dealing with the demons. Finding food and shelter in this desolate land was extremely difficult—completely different from his previous journeys to wipe out the Madness Butterfly Sect.

Previously, Xue Ming could travel alone, enduring wind and rain, with communication support. In a maximum of three or four days, he could return to the civilized world along the railway to rest and resupply, eat well, sleep well, and Universal Elixir, he would be a hero again.

But what about now? Going out to climb mountains, ask for directions, and fight demons and monsters, without reliable intelligence support, without preliminary work, without local support, and without trustworthy partners, you arrive on someone else's turf and start fighting, and you still have to worry about where your next meal will come from. Dying in battle is nothing compared to being trapped in the mountains with no way out, eventually becoming weak from hunger, running out of Universal Elixir, being bitten to death by poisonous snakes, or being eaten by wild animals—that's truly absurd.

The Zhao Brothers, having been misled, started discussing breaking up the group at the drop of a hat. Wu Xiuwen, Wu Xiuwen, the clever little devil, became the pillar of the team, and his words actually helped to dispel Jianying Jianxiong's inner demons.

"Damn it, what a powerful demon!" Zhao Jianying cursed inwardly. "Damn heavens! They almost turned me into an unrighteous and immoral defender of morality! I received a life-saving grace from my benefactor, but I have to be awakened by the ridicule and curses of my enemy!"

The demonic wolf-dog kneeling to the side saw that it had no way to get help, and the Zhao Brothers didn't speak up for it, so it didn't dare to speak up on its own initiative—this demon only became powerful when it gained the support of the people; without anyone's support, it couldn't do anything strange.

"Think carefully about what the other five magical treasures are capable of. If you can't give a coherent explanation, I'll skin you alive!" Jianxiong stood beside Wu Xiuwen, completely forgetting their previous hatred, but he still couldn't help but utter a few sarcastic remarks. "Letting the eunuch's good son wear it, with his crooked mouth and hooked nose, Grandfather me angry just looking at him! I'd rather skin you alive! To fulfill this spirit's wish! I ask you! Do you even remember!"

Wu Xiuwen replied in a low voice, "You're the one with the weird quirks! Disgusting!"

Jiang Xueming watched from the sidelines, feeling both amused and exasperated. He never expected that these two young men would stand together.

The wolf-dog trembled after being scolded, then looked up at Jianxiong.

"I remember! I remember! But I still have questions. If you spare my life, I need an explanation from the Buddha Sculptor."

It pointed to the corpse inside the door and asked in a gentle tone.

"These men, and my elder brother, were all killed by Zhang Guiren?"

Jianxiong shouted back, "It's your Grandfather!"

The wolfhound didn't believe it. "Really?"

Jianxiong wasn't afraid of the Buddha Sculptor causing him trouble, and immediately said, "It's me!"

Jiang Xueming nudged Jianxiong's arm. "He's naturally strong."

Jianxiong imitated and said the same thing.

"--I was born with superhuman strength!"