Masterstroke

Foreword:

Someone is below me, and I wish to assist him. His soul has scattered; you shall divine his fate.

--Qu Yuan

[Part 1: Dark Clouds Loom Over the City]

The next morning, as fog rolled in between the mountains and the sky began to lighten, Xue Ming and his group set off to see the Buddha Sculptor.

Zhao Jianying and Zhao Jianxiong transformed into Guling and Jingguai characters, while Wu Xiuwen donned the skin of a rat doctor. The group devised a story to surprise the Buddha Sculptor.

Descending from the rocky highlands of Mujiazhuang, it started raining in the town, as if the heavens were not cooperating, making the journey up the mountain even more difficult. The mountain streams rushed across the muddy road, soon turning into small rivers, and if the water flowed any stronger, it would become a mudslide or flash flood.

Upon arriving at the Buddha Sculptor's shop, Wu Xiuwen, mimicking the cunning and manipulative manner of Wu Xiuwen, deliberately shouted loudly, "Buddha Sculptor, Zhang Guiren requests an audience!"

Buddha Sculptor's reply came from inside the door, "Did you rest well last night? Come in and have a chat!"

The group stepped into the gate at a leisurely pace and saw that the Buddha Sculptor looked nervous. He had already set out fruit platters and prepared food for five people, Xiangxiang, for fear of neglecting the distinguished guests.

As Wu Xiuwen approached the Buddha Sculptor, the Buddha Sculptor immediately noticed that the rat-faced doctor's scent seemed different.

"Wait a minute."

Xiuwen remained calm and immediately replied, "Buddha Sculptor, what's wrong?"

The Buddha Sculptor asked, "Why do you smell of musk? And where are the Zhao Brothers? Where is Wu Xiuwen?"

"Last night, Zhang Guiren was having fun with the girls. In a moment of Guling and Jingguai, she got carried away and chopped up the Zhao Brothers to eat with her wine. I also ate Wu Xiuwen, so naturally I can smell the aroma of their flesh."

The Buddha Sculptor feigned surprise, but his eyes glanced towards Zhang Congfeng.

"You ate it? You have some nerve!"

Xue Ming didn't say anything, but sat down at the table, took out some fruit and flatbread, and stuffed them into his mouth along with raw onions and garlic. He didn't dare to look the Buddha Sculptor in the eye.

"Zhang Guiren has been frightened." Wu Xiuwen muttered to himself, his face beaming, and leaned close to the Buddha Sculptor's ear, whispering a warning, "That Foreign Doctor is dishonest, full of tricks. If it weren't for the Zhao Brothers helping him, and without Wu Xiuwen's guidance, he would never have left Black Wind Ridge in his entire life—he would have been stuck obediently by Goddess Zhuzhu's side."

The Buddha Sculptor replied in a low voice, "If you eat Wu Xiuwen, how will you explain it to his father, Magistrate Wu?"

Wu Xiuwen replied, "After a few rounds of drinks, this kid started talking about the grudges between him and his son, and that's when I decided to kill him— Wu Cheng Zhang entrusted his son to Zhang Guiren, asking her to take him overseas to study and then abandon him."

"What's the point of keeping this piece of trash alive if we don't eat him?"

"As long as Senior Brother Yu Zhen is still in Zhuzhou City, Buddha Sculptor, are you still afraid of not being able to obtain a divine connection?"

From this perspective, the matter was handled very well.

The Buddha Sculptor smiled with satisfaction, then spoke with the two "Guling and Jingguai" sisters about cannibalism, wanting to see Zhang Congfeng's reaction.

He asked loudly, "Is the Zhao Brothers' meat delicious?"

Jianxiong immediately nodded excitedly. "Delicious! Delicious! Eating this will give you strength!"

Seeing Zhang Guiren trembling and looking completely disoriented, the Buddha Sculptor became excited and ordered the "spirit sister," "What kind of strength do you have? Come on! Show me some skills!"

Jianxiong looked around and searched the shop's main room. He saw a wooden carving of Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva was carved on a pillar, resembling a withered and dried tree.

The Buddha Sculptor saw this delicate little girl cling to the main pillar of the hall, her face flushed, straining with all her might. The earthen house immediately began to shake, startling him so much that he shouted, "Stop! Stop! Stop right now!"

Seeing that the main pillar had cracked, Zhao Jianxiong still couldn't pull it out and reluctantly let go.

The Buddha Sculptor gasped in amazement. "What a fine elixir! What a wonderful ingredient! It's a pity it never had a chance to be put into the alchemy furnace before filling your dog's belly. What a waste!"

Jianxiong pursed his lips and replied, "Buddha Sculptor! I've gained some skills! Why aren't you happy? My skills are your skills too!"

"Hahahaha!" The Buddha Sculptor was overjoyed. "This little puppy ate pure human flesh, and even the way it speaks is different now! It knows how to be charming!"

Wu Xiuwen quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes."

"Since Zhang Guiren is sincerely going up the mountain, we should not delay." The Buddha Sculptor wanted to speed things up and quickly send Zhang Congfeng to Guanyin Cave: "Doctor, you will lead the way. The poison and miasma will dissipate before noon. This morning dew and rain will save us a lot of trouble."

"Yes, sir!" Wu Xiuwen replied with a bow.

Just as the three were about to lead Zhang Congfeng out, the weak and feeble doctor took the initiative to speak.

"Buddha Sculptor, I have a request," Jiang Xueming said.

The Buddha Sculptor said, "My lord, just tell me what you want. As long as you can ensure the Goddess Zhuzhu and her child, I will send you anything you desire up the mountain."

Jiang Xueming: "I overheard these two Guling and Jingguai sisters talking about Goddess Zhuzhu's illness. They said she had strange red spots and sores all over her body, and she would scream, have seizures, and faint. I can roughly guess the cause of her illness."

"Covered in sores?" As the guardian deity of Black Wind Town, the Buddha Sculptor wouldn't openly visit the demons on the mountain often. There was no means of communication in the mountains, making it difficult to communicate with Pearl Fairy.

As for Jiang Xueming's fabricated illness, the Buddha Sculptor didn't question it, but simply asked the doctor a question.

"Such a thing happened? Why wasn't I told about it yesterday?"

Wu Xiuwen: "I just heard from Wu Xiuwen that the Imperial Physician has arrived! If the Imperial Physician can cure Goddess Zhuzhu, I can avoid a beating and scolding."

The Buddha Sculptor didn't delve into this explanation—given the Rat Doctor's character, it was perfectly normal for him to only report good news and not bad—so he continued to ask Zhang Congfeng.

"Does Zhang Guiren have a solution?"

Jiang Xueming: "I not only studied medical books, but also Yin-Yang and Feng Shui, read the sacred scriptures of the Nine Realms, and understand some spiritual energy. I use my method of observing mountains and qi to examine the earth's spiritual energy in Black Wind Ridge-- "

"--A wisp of black mist is rising from the northwest of the mountain valley. Could that be Guanyin Cave?"

The Buddha Sculptor replied in a deep voice, "Yes."

Jiang Xueming: "The Blood Jade Guanyin Bodhisattva possesses a magical treasure? Was it originally related to the Hundred Eyes Great King?"

The Buddha Sculptor asked warily, "Why do you ask about this?"

"It's related to the Empress's safe pregnancy." Jiang Xueming suddenly became aggressive. "A doctor's heart is benevolent. Even if she were a demon, I would still go to save her. The child in her womb is innocent. Buddha Sculptor, you don't need to question my professional ethics."

The Buddha Sculptor continued the answer to the previous question, "So what if it is?"

"This treasure has bewitched and killed countless people, accumulating a mountain of karmic debt, yet it still has to receive offerings from the people of Black Wind Town. This immense karma, when inflicted upon Goddess Zhuzhu, becomes a vicious curse—if Goddess Zhuzhu doesn't suffer, who will?" Jiang Xueming first threatened, "If the Buddha Sculptor is unwilling to hand over the treasure, there's nothing I can do."

"You mean, if I give you the magic artifact, you'll have a way to take care of Pearl Fairy?" The Buddha Sculptor's brows relaxed, realizing that Zhang Congfeng had used his most secret skills, having witnessed the Guling and Jingguai and rat-faced doctor—this trembling Imperial Physician would never dare to lie.

[Part ② - He still has to thank me]

"I can't say for sure that I can cure it." Jiang Xueming hesitated for a moment, a look of uncertainty on her face.

It was this "hesitation" that led the Buddha Sculptor to voluntarily hand over the second treasure.

"Doctor, go to the Bodhisattva and fetch the Corpse Demon Soul Dissolving Sword. This is the magic weapon of the Hundred-eyed Immortal Venerable."

The Buddha Sculptor said this, then emphasized the instructions.

"Put the Bodhi Peeling Tree back."

After Wu Xiuwen, true to his rat-faced doctor and Guling and Jingguai nature, asked a question under the guise of a bully.

"Buddha Sculptor! Could you entrust this precious tree to me for a few days? Just for a few days of leisure?"

With the pregnancy progressing smoothly, the Buddha Sculptor was naturally overjoyed and readily agreed, "No problem, you can have it!"

"Hey!" Wu Xiuwen ran out the door to get his sword.

Jiang Xueming then asked, "Is this sword the magic weapon of Hundred Eyes Great King?"

The Buddha Sculptor explained the origin of the magical artifact, "It was forged by the Lingguang Buddha from a bone extracted from this beast—taking its essence and power for my use."

At this point, the Buddha Sculptor clapped his hands in confident pride and praise.

"Otherwise, how could a monk like me, who only became a monk halfway through his life, be a match for the Hundred-Eyed Demon King? If he were to rebel, this magic weapon of mine would be his nemesis."

Jiang Xueming: "Can the Hundred Eyes Great King still live without a spine?"

The Buddha Sculptor gave a disdainful look and casually replied, "Just stuff it with some human and pig bones, give it a pot of Immortal Honey, and it'll heal. But this beast has no spine, so it's not qualified to be a furnace. It can only be used to scare the people of Black Wind Town."

Jiang Xueming: "Goddess Zhuzhu was harmed by his magic weapon. Has he ever killed anyone with this sword?"

The Buddha Sculptor, arms crossed and strutting arrogantly, said, "You should ask how many people the Hundred Eyes Demon has killed."

Jiang Xueming: "So, how many people did this Hundred Eyes Demon kill?"

"Ha! From the officials and soldiers coming and going, to the birthday gifts and festival tributes, to the caravans, bodyguards, and carriages, and to the various battles, big and small, in the Copper River Kingdom, the Great Buddha Lingguang wanted to transfer him to the main force. In these seventy or eighty years, the Hundred Eyes Great King has killed at least a thousand people, if not eight hundred."

"Oh, that's alright." Jiang Xueming quickly corrected herself. "Bad! Bad! So bad!"

The Buddha Sculptor asked, "How is it bad?"

"More than a thousand souls! All of them are going to be retribution for their actions, targeting Pearl Fairy's belly. It's really too wicked," Jiang Xueming said worriedly.

The Buddha Sculptor, "They say every wrong has its perpetrator and every debt its debtor, but how can you be so sure, sir? Are these dead souls the cause of Pearl Fairy's illness?"

"They've already died at the hands of Hundred Eyes Great King once. If you die, would you dare to seek revenge on the enemy who killed you once? If he can kill you once, he can kill you a second time!" Jiang Xueming replied firmly.

The Buddha Sculptor, however, felt ashamed and nervous upon hearing this, because the Corpse Demon Soul Dissolving Sword was itself a magical artifact used to draw out inner demons.

--As soon as you take it out and unleash your sword moves, a cold wind rises all around, and you can see grayish-white spirits emerging one by one.

Those affected by the Soul Dissolving Sword can feel these spirits rapidly transforming into real forms, such as people who have had grudges or conflicts with them in the past, or wronged souls who died unjustly at their hands, and the difficulties they feel in their hearts due to guilt and remorse.

The spirits would use iron hooks, iron chains, soul-summoning banners, and mourning sticks to strike the living. These weapons, which resembled misty vapors, could cut bloody wounds. It was as if the spirits were taking the form of sword energy to claim lives. Once the curse ritual was completed, it seemed that the cursed person had no choice but to die. After all, these spirits were also blessed by elixirs, so their endurance and range were almost unlimited.

It was precisely the power of the Divine Sword that aroused greed and fear in the Buddha Sculptor —after all, his soul power was not as useful as that of the Hundred Eyes Great King. If one day the Great Buddha of Spiritual Light no longer wanted him, he could replace him with the Hundred-Eyed King at any time.

When Zhang Guiren recounted the story of the vengeful spirit seeking revenge, the Buddha Sculptor immediately thought of this magical artifact. Perhaps it was the vengeful spirit within this artifact that was harming Pearl Fairy and causing the demon couple of Black Wind Ridge to suffer a terrible death.

Hundred Eyes Great King and the Buddha Sculptor have no past grudges or recent conflicts. If the grassroots cadres are capable, he can still play the role of the mountain king of Black Wind Ridge.

As for promotions and transfers, even the Buddha Sculptor himself couldn't get promoted, so how could Hundred Eyes possibly get a chance? Even though Hundred Eyes has the spiritual power to turn his hand to make clouds and rain—as long as the Great Buddha of Spiritual Light says a word, his spine can be pulled out at will, and his magic weapon can be forged at will.

The Buddha Sculptor wanted to see the Hundred-Eyed Demon King, a chaotic and empty shell, spending his days in confusion and idiocy.

"What are you going to do?" The Buddha Sculptor had basically come to believe Zhang Congfeng's explanation.

However, the violent mechanisms at Black Wind Ridge had malfunctioned, and if it could be resolved internally, he didn't want to trouble the Lingguang Buddha.

Zhang Congfeng: "I want Xiangxiang to come up the mountain with me to remove the spirit fetus from Goddess Zhuzhu —to find her a new mother."

"So complicated?" The Buddha Sculptor frowned, completely unfamiliar with the method of surrogacy and embryo transfer mentioned by the Foreign Doctor. "Please explain in detail, sir."

"If the sword is returned to its rightful owner, these vengeful spirits will not dare to cause trouble, and perhaps Goddess Zhuzhu can heal herself without medicine. If there is no other way—I must remove the child from Goddess Zhuzhu's womb." Jiang Xueming said confidently, "This curse is aimed at Goddess Zhuzhu. By inserting a fake body and a fake fetus into her womb, using the trick of the cat replacing the prince, we can ensure the safety of her immortal Immortal Embryo. This is the most important thing."

"The doctor has excellent skills." The Buddha Sculptor was still somewhat skeptical. "But how can I believe you have such divine abilities?"

"Call two living people here." Jiang Xueming took out sutures from his doctor's bag. "Watch my amazing skills."

The Buddha Sculptor waved his hand, and two servants emerged from the inner room.

Jiang Xueming shouted, "Take off your shirt."

The two male slaves obediently stripped off their long robes and knelt on the ground.

Xue Ming walked behind them, and the Buddha Sculptor followed to examine the sculpture closely.

The Foreign Doctor's fingers flew across the blade as he decisively slashed open the tender flesh of the two servants' lower backs, removing their kidneys. Blood gushed out, and the servants screamed in agony, their bodies curling up on the ground.

Two more bloody kidneys were found transposed and placed inside each other's bodies. The scalding blade was smeared with some Immortal Honey, and the incisions in the blood vessels and organs were sealed with a simple, scarless bandage.

Then, they stitched up the bulging flesh on the lower back, forcibly closing it up. They slowly injected the Immortal Honey, and finally, they carefully removed the red thread. The two servants were no longer in pain, with only twenty-four needle marks remaining on their backs.

Who would have thought that, in just a few breaths, the kidneys of these two servants would burrow into each other's stomachs.

The Buddha Sculptor exclaimed in astonishment, "Exquisite skill! Exquisite skill! A truly exceptional skill from a noble person!"

Is this the power of the Nine Realms Imperial Physician?

The Buddha Sculptor looked on with admiration and bowed repeatedly. If he were to encounter any calamity one day, he might need Zhang Guiren to come to his rescue!

With such methods, let alone replacing the celestial fetus in her womb, it wouldn't be impossible for her to even replace the head of the Hundred Eyes Great King.

"Sword! Sword!" The Buddha Sculptor shouted from the doorway, urging, "Doctor! Quickly, bring the sword!"

Jiang Xueming, however, remained calm and went through the kidney transplant surgery procedure again.

It wasn't that he wanted to show off his skills, but rather that the two servants had organ transplants that caused rejection, so they had to be switched back.

The Buddha Sculptor examined the astonishing technique of disembowelment once more, becoming increasingly certain that this was indeed the savior of Black Wind Town.

--If the Lingguang Buddha knew about this, he would have sent Zhang Guiren, along with her immortal embryo, to the Alliance. She would have risen to a high position and become a Buddha sculptor, no longer just Buddha Sculptor from Black Wind Ridge, but Buddha Sculptor from the Primordial Creation Sect! She would have become a member of the Immortals!