Tide of the Sea

Foreword:

Unaware that locusts and insects were ravaging the land, causing immense suffering to the people and even to the king's subjects.

--Zhang Xianzhong

[Part 1: Volunteering]

A long time ago, Jiang Xueming talked about his senior brother Bu Liuxing in front of the teacher, saying that A Xing Liuxing wasn't very bright.

David Victor once said this to Xue Ming:

--Being clever is not a good thing, because it is not the same as wisdom.

At the time, Xue Ming and Liuxing were only twenty-three or twenty-four years old. The two brothers together didn't have much cunning, nor could they understand the inner meaning of "cleverness" and "wisdom".

What's the difference between them? Why discuss them separately?

It's as if they are clearly the same thing, but they are forcibly divided into two categories.

As time went on, Amin met more and more people, and the things he had to deal with became increasingly complex.

He finally realized that meteors truly possess a kind of wisdom—

This senior, who was much younger than himself, could always see through the enemy-friend relationship at a glance when faced with complex and ever-changing interpersonal structures and devils who were good at disguising themselves.

A flexible and adaptable mind can generate a lot of useless worries, which is like a self-justifying overtime mechanism.

There's no boss urging us on, no performance metrics telling us how to think and act. But my brain just won't stop, I can't achieve a completely calm state, and I have to think about every single thing someone says over and over again. It's just as Professor Victor said—being smart isn't always a good thing.

People who are addicted to this kind of mental game are smooth and polite in their dealings with others, making people feel comfortable and greasy in every way. If they have been immersed in this for many years, they can use their superb skills to remove the greasiness and make them less recognizable at a glance.

To this end, Xue Ming prepared many personas for himself, in order to separate his work and life. He separated the names of gunsmith and Jiang Xueming, and later, he did the same with "Zhang Congfeng".

But Mr. Victor still spoke to Xue Ming—

--Your acting is terrible.

Seeing Teacher David dressed in a red dress, Xue Ming suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out that a career in performing arts is not something given by God, nor is it about clumsy imitation; rather, it is an "experience" that consumes energy and requires the full investment of one's physical and mental strength.

He was constantly reviewing the first half of "Zhang Congfeng's" life. Just like a borrowed vest that never fits, he tried to lose weight and gain muscle, endured the pain of bone-breaking and height-increasing surgery to change himself and completely become that person.

After this series of rigorous training exercises, we have finally seen results.

Goddess Zhuzhu trusted the Imperial Physician's words without a doubt. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord removed Dan Chenzi's head and accepted his natal magic weapon. These two gifts made them even more "hungry," like a warming soup or a delicious appetizer before a feast.

Since Zhang Congfeng possesses the ability to successfully handle the crucial matter of ensuring a safe pregnancy entrusted to him by the Lingguang Buddha, why should he share the credit for the immortal fetus and the great undertaking of alchemy with the Buddha Sculptor?

Zhuzhu suffered hardship and torment, while Baimu worked diligently.

Without the middleman taking a cut, the couple no longer had to be slaves or treated like meat dogs. This, coupled with Bai Mu's surge in spiritual power after obtaining the magical artifact, fueled their desires.

All of this became the trigger for the subsequent series of explosions. After the desserts, how could there be no main course?

Even after the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord retrieved the magical artifact, he became suspicious, but he lost himself in the schemes of mutual benefit and the sweet calls of "husband."

It wants to kill the Buddha Sculptor, just as Dan Chenzi wants to kill Bai Mu. This power pyramid built in the feudal era can only be climbed if one or two bricks are removed and one or two powerful figures are overthrown.

This is just like the Xia Bang land where warlords rose up everywhere. If you don't burn, kill, and plunder, the land will always belong to others. If you just bury yourself in farming, you will suffer and be exploited by others for generations.

The conversation between the three people in the alchemy room was brief and monotonous, and they finished talking in just a few words.

Within three days, Bai Mu will lead the demons of Black Wind Village Stronghold down the mountain to confront the Buddha Sculptor and demand an explanation.

--This accusation was a scheme proposed by Jiang Xueming.

"Hundred Eyes Great King, your attack on the Buddha Sculptor this time was a surprise attack."

Bai Mu asked in surprise, "Doctor, you also understand military strategy?"

"Young friend Wu Xiuwen knows me very well. I work as a royal Imperial Physician in the Nine Realms, not only treating the Emperor but also tending to the wounded soldiers at the General's Mansion." Jiang Xueming spoke frankly, "I also have some theoretical knowledge of military strategy, not much, but enough."

Bai Mu: "How do we kill him?"

"To start a rebellion, you need a pretext. You cruelly severed one of Goddess Zhuzhu's arms as evidence. Exposed to the poisonous miasma of Black Wind Ridge, it turned into a piece of red, rotten flesh in less than half an hour."

"When you arrived at the Buddha Sculptor's place, you berated him for being heartless and unjust, and you even brought in a quack doctor to help the empress with her pregnancy, which ruined everything."

"The Buddha Sculptor must be terrified; his loss of composure will be the perfect opportunity."

Bai Mu found the argument increasingly reasonable, but he couldn't bear to part with his wife's arm, so he didn't agree immediately.

Goddess Zhuzhu didn't care at all. It was just a limb, and with a celestial embryo inside, its self-healing ability was extremely strong. It wasn't afraid of these "flesh and blood injuries" at all.

"--There's some truth to that, please continue."

Jiang Xueming: "If the Buddha Sculptor doesn't believe it, take him up the mountain and make him personally meet with Goddess Zhuzhu. Set up an ambush along the way. The treacherous terrain of Black Wind Ridge is your advantage."

Bai Mu became more and more alert as he listened, muttering to himself.

"Yes, even in the sunshine in town, I wouldn't dare fight the Buddha Sculptor. Once he leaves town, he won't have Guanyin Bodhisattva's magic weapon by his side. In the mountains, he's no match for me."

Jiang Xueming continued, "If one arm isn't enough, take my head."

Goddess Zhuzhu immediately shrieked, "No! Your Excellency! What nonsense are you spouting!"

"The Skinning Treasure Tree is in Jin Xu's hands." Jiang Xueming casually revealed a wicked plan. "This treasure can conjure human skin. Find any head, even a dead person's head, and make it look like me. Take it with you to be questioned—make the Buddha Sculptor's heart demonized, and when he feels guilty, he will lose his fighting ability."

Bai Mu: "If the Buddha Sculptor looked closely, he would notice something amiss."

"You peeled off the skin and dismembered the head of this quack doctor right in front of the Buddha Sculptor, ate his flesh raw, and chewed up his skull and brains. How could he examine it closely?" Jiang Xueming explained.

Bai Mu was still worried. "What if he tells Lingguang Buddha about this?"

Jiang Xueming: "That's incredibly good news."

For the sake of Black Wind Town, it would be best if Judas could personally come to the grassroots level to inspect the production of the alchemy furnace. This would save Jiang Xueming the trouble of searching everywhere.

But he couldn't say it out loud.

"--The doctor was brought in by the Buddha Sculptor. If he can't handle this matter well, even if the Lingguang Buddha doesn't blame you, the Buddha Sculptor will be the one who gets scolded. I doubt he'll dare to report it to the Lingguang Buddha."

After this analysis, Bai Mu found it increasingly reasonable.

However, Goddess Zhuzhu was wary. This old hag was much smarter than her husband, and she gradually became suspicious of the Imperial Physician.

"Zhang Guiren, you have shown me such great kindness and virtue."

"Pearl Fairy, after this is done, I have another request." Jiang Xueming winked at the spider monster.

--Bai Mu was still immersed in his dream and didn't notice this.

But to Goddess Zhuzhu, this wink was like a promise from their previous whispers about to be fulfilled. She started daydreaming that perhaps Black Wind Ridge didn't need the Hundred Eyes Demon or the Buddha Sculptor; all she needed was Guanyin Bodhisattva and Zhang Guiren.

As mentioned above, cleverness does not equate to wisdom.

Wu Xiuwen was a prime example. This kid, disguised as Jin Xu, suffered from the spiritual pressure of Zhuzhu and Bai Mu. He waited outside Guanyin Cave for a long time.

For him, waiting was torture.

His mind was racing with all sorts of thoughts. With no one to lead the team, he started to have wild ideas.

With the Bodhi Peeling Tree in his arms, he might as well find an excuse to slip down the mountain, leaving behind the Zhao Brothers and Xiangxiang. From then on, he could fly freely in the sky, becoming a free man. With a magical weapon by his side, he was no longer afraid of being chased by demons. He received the true teachings of Zhang Guiren and slowly began to comprehend the mysteries of <Knight Combat Techniques>.

But thinking of the treacherous environment around Black Wind Ridge, he felt uneasy and dared not go down the mountain alone. So he looked at Jianying Jianxiong —the clever ones—and started to suggest a crooked idea.

"Guling and Jingguai"

In front of the gatekeeper demon, Wu Xiuwen adopted an official tone and acted like the master of the house.

"Two immortals, please follow me."

The Zhao Brothers were stunned for a moment--

They couldn't understand what Wu Xiuwen was thinking; perhaps it was Zhang Guiren's arrangement?

So the Zhao Brothers foolishly followed, one carrying the luggage and the other grabbing Xiangxiang, and they walked back the way they came.

As Wu Xiuwen walked out of Guanyin Cave, into the territory of Yuehe Pass, Wu Xiuwen felt a sense of panic. The little demons and monsters at the checkpoints along the way were all very respectful when they came to ask him questions. The patrolling minions were also curious—why did they have to bring Xiangxiang down the mountain?

Wu Xiuwen forced himself to remain calm and casually replied, "Is it any of your business to ask about the affairs of an adult?"

The little demons immediately scattered like birds and beasts, and never spoke of the matter again.

They continued until they were completely out of the area of the Earth God Temple, and Black Wind Town was getting closer and closer.

[Part ②: Cleverness Backfires]

With no one around, the Zhao Brothers finally realized what was happening.

"--Wu Xiuwen! What are you doing?"

Zhao Jianxiong shouted sternly.

"Where are you taking us?"

Wu Xiuwen immediately shed his human skin, and a listless, emaciated man emerged from Jin Xu's dwarf body, revealing his true form.

"Junior brother, Master is about to undertake a great mission. Staying at Black Wind Village would mean certain death for us."

Zhao Jianxiong immediately retorted, "You didn't say a word? Master didn't know we went down the mountain and left without saying goodbye?! Isn't this harming him?!"

"We followed Zhang Guiren up the mountain, carried his loads, and helped him deceive people. We've already repaid that kindness," Wu Xiuwen casually explained. "Grandfather Zhao, think about it carefully. When gods and demons fight, their breath hurts us ordinary people, and their wave of their hand kills us. By leading you to hide, I'm helping Master!"

"If our brothers become hostages, we won't even be able to save our lives. That would be truly disastrous for our master!"

Wu Xiuwen earnestly advised him.

"Why don't we split up our luggage here, bypass Black Wind Town, and head back to the main road towards Taiye? I'll go back to my Zhuzhou City. If the two Grandfather of the Zhao family want to be the local constable, I can kneel before my godfather and beg and make a scene—it's not that difficult."

Upon hearing such good news, Xiangxiang immediately clung to Jianying's neck and kept kissing his cheek.

"Hero! Hero, take me back! Hero?!"

The prostitute could distinguish between what was important and what was urgent. To persuade Zhao Jianxiong, she had to control Zhao Jianying's manhood.

According to the rules of seniority and hierarchy, the younger brother must obey the older brother.

Zhao Jianying wanted to push the beautiful woman, but his hands remained obedient. He smelled the perfume on the woman and immediately lost his mind.

"Second son"

Jianxiong's eyes were bloodshot with rage as he roared, "You're going to listen to me? You want to ask me? Who are you asking? Your second son or me?"

Seeing that the two brothers were about to fight, Zhao Jianxiong tried to Xiangxiang away from his elder brother, but the elder brother protected the frail woman and refused to back down.

Wu Xiuwen was not giving up. He wanted to tear off the skin of the Guling and Jingguai and then use the Peeling Tree to force the two to obey.

But nothing in this world is that easy.

The hardest thing to do is to get people to obey.

When all three returned to their normal size and became their original forms, the Zhao Brothers reverted to their former state as rustic villagers, Xiangxiang's sleeves were torn to shreds, and everyone's eyes were red, yet they still couldn't agree on anything.

"If you want to safely descend the mountain and return to Black Wind Town, you can only rely on the magic weapon I possess to get past the Buddha Sculptor," Wu Xiuwen threatened. "Zhao Jianxiong! I call you 'Grandfather' because I need your protection. I call you 'Junior Brother' out of respect for our master. Don't be ungrateful."

Jianxiong got into a fight with his older brother and ended up with bruises on his face. He was furious and suddenly started crying—he was heartbroken.

He remembered his master healing his injuries, and he also remembered when he was young, going out to play and run around in the fields, catching rabbits and foxes. If he hurt himself, his parents would apply medicine to him in the same way.

Now he has no father or mother, never again.

Who killed his parents? Was it this damned God? Or was it a demon or monster?

His older brother used to spoil him and love him, and he couldn't bear to let him suffer the slightest grievance.

Is the older brother going against him at this moment because he's angry with a woman?

No, no, it's not that. My brother just wants to live. He doesn't dare say it aloud, so he can only use Xiangxiang's words to express his true feelings.

"--Master!"

Jianxiong roared loudly, shouting towards the direction of Black Wind Village.

Wu Xiuwen panicked and immediately cursed, "Beast! What are you shouting for! Are you trying to summon demons?!"

With tears streaming down his face, Jianxiong knelt down towards the four-sided earth god temple.

"Master! Master!!!"

He kowtowed repeatedly, nine times in total.

"I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to hurt you, Master!"

Wu Xiuwen was also moved; he finally understood the unspoken meaning in Jianxiong's words.

This departure is like pushing Zhang Congfeng into a fire pit. If the Hundred Eyes Great King asks about Jin Xu's whereabouts, Zhang Guiren will be unable to answer or give a coherent explanation. If the Buddha Sculptor searches the Mu Family Village again, the two demons will meet and understand everything.

Jianxiong's forehead was bleeding from the impact, and his face was flushed red.

Wu Xiuwen was finally relieved—this kid had vented his anger and resentment and wouldn't go against him anymore.

So he took out the Bodhi Peeling Tree and prepared to change the appearance of the men, making them look like ordinary people, so they could escape the interrogation of the Priest Elder of Black Wind Town.

But as soon as the crystal tree was taken out and struck Zhao Jianying, it immediately shattered, losing all its original suppleness and resilience as if it were whipping his flesh.

"What's going on!" Wu Xiuwen exclaimed in astonishment, staring at the glass handle in his hand. "How is this possible!"

Everyone stared intently at the "treasure tree," but it was nothing more than layered glass made from sand.

"Zhang Congfeng! You lied to me?!"

Wu Xiuwen's eyes were bloodshot, and he was caught in a dilemma. If he went down the mountain, he would definitely not be able to escape the Buddha Sculptor.

But how can we get to the top of the mountain without a human skin mask and pass through Yuehe Pass?

"There's something in the tree!" Zhao Jianying, with her sharp eyes, immediately alerted them.

Wu Xiuwen grasped at a straw, and pulled a piece of cloth from the glass rod; it was Xiangxiang's handkerchief.

Xiangxiang turned pale, never expecting that her personal belongings could be stolen by Zhang Guiren.

The handkerchief read --

"You traitor! I knew you wouldn't be honest!"

There's only this one sentence.

Wu Xiuwen was both surprised and delighted, angry and afraid.

Zhao Jianying quickly asked, "What did Zhang Guiren say?"

Although Jiang Xueming left no useful information, Wu Xiuwen was overjoyed. Even though the Five Elements Mountain was everywhere, his master still called him a "traitorous disciple," without calling him a "thief" or abandoning him.

Going down the mountain is definitely out of the question, and going up the mountain is even worse. So let's follow Zhang Guiren's advice and survive in the wilderness, braving the elements and finding a way to live in the wild.

"I beg you two Grandfather to spare my life."

Wu Xiuwen became obedient and began to calculate the food and Immortal Honey in his luggage, which would probably last for two more days.

"We'll continue to endure the elements around Black Wind Ridge, waiting for good news from our master."

Jianxiong couldn't understand it, so he snatched the handkerchief and looked at it. "Hahahaha! Well said!"

Wu Xiuwen muttered, "Junior brother, our future is uncertain, how can you be so happy?"

"For no reason!" Jianxiong's mind was simple. "Seeing you get the short end of the stick makes me happy!"

After a while, the group found a sheltered slope where the poisonous miasma was not as intense.

Jianxiong then remembered that he needed to ask Zhang Guiren about her arrangements.

"Wu Xiuwen, since Master had the ability to steal the magic weapon, why would he leave you a fake one?"

Speaking of this matter, Xiuwen sighed with sorrow.

"He's a mischievous old man; without this magic weapon, I wouldn't have dared to lead you all away—"

"--If evil thoughts arise in your heart, there will be retribution. But Master can't bear to see us die. He knows the mountain is dangerous, so he wants us to hide well. He will come looking for us after the disaster is over."

Jianxiong understood what he was hearing, and then headed towards the mountaintop, found an open rocky platform, knelt down, and kowtowed.

Wu Xiuwen laughed and said, "Just go ahead and kowtow! He's not even in front of you! What are you doing kowtowing? He won't even know if you crack your head open!"

Jianxiong cursed, "You treacherous bastard who betrays his master and ancestors! I'll do what I want! What's it to you!"

Wu Xiuwen was insulted, but he did not retaliate.

He felt both ashamed and angry, and from time to time, the sharp cries of strange crows echoed through the mountains.

In the distance, one could see Zhao Jianying walking down the low slope, trying to get a better look at the terrain and catch a few fish from the stream. However, these fish were also cursed by the poisonous miasma, becoming unusually ferocious. Swallowing them might cause one to contract a strange plague.

After arriving in Black Wind Town, Wu Xiuwen did not bother to observe the lives of ordinary people in detail.

Along the way, he followed Zhang Guiren through mountains and rivers to visit gods and monsters, traveling all over Black Wind Town. The townspeople seemed to live in good weather and health, but as long as they dared to step out of the town, they would be cursed by evil and doomed.

Escape? Where can we escape to?

Even if you escape Black Wind Ridge, there's still the Great Southeast; even if you escape the Great Southeast, there are still the Kingdoms of the Copper River.

Even when you're on someone else's turf, you're still subject to curses and have to worship Buddha.

Like the ebb and flow of the tide, human life is like the sea, with wave after wave crashing onto the shore, shattering into pieces and becoming medicinal ingredients in an alchemical furnace.

By leaving, am I not essentially eating my mentor's flesh and drinking his blood?

Think about it, the earliest thing you should do is take Yu Zhen to Zhuzhou to seek a connection with the immortals and accumulate merit.

Without Zhang Guiren, Zhuzhou City would have become a living hell, a city of demons and monsters, nothing more than an even bigger cage.

Wu Xiuwen

If Master didn't have the ability to steal this precious tree.

Are you even human?!