Chapter 25 "Total Destruction" - He's almost dead!
The reason why the Qinghua Divine Cult was able to rise so rapidly within a few years and receive the secret support of countless local gentry, wealthy merchants, and even aristocratic families is because several years ago, in Pingshi Prefecture, the Qinghua Emperor, pitying the calamities of mankind, appeared in his divine form and personally sent his attendants to descend and save people from suffering.
At that time, several cities in Ping Shi were shrouded in thunderstorms, as if they were old places abandoned by the gods, and heavy rain fell for two months in a row.
Pingshi has a concave terrain, surrounded by rivers on three sides, and originally backed by mountains on one side. By cleverly utilizing the difference in elevation between the two rivers and their east-west flow, diversion dams were built.
The rainy season often brings rising water levels upstream, prompting flood discharge downstream.
The governor of Pingshi Prefecture, relying on the convenient waterways and the constant flow of merchant ships, amassed a fortune and became extremely wealthy.
However, he would sit in the prefectural government office every year, listening to the reports on flood prevention work submitted by several cities, and never sending anyone to verify or inspect them.
Two months of torrential rain and thunderstorms caused the dikes, which had been in disrepair for years, to collapse, resulting in a once-in-a-century flood and landslide in Pingshi.
After a major disaster, there will inevitably be a major epidemic. The capital city is far from the emperor's reach, and although the disaster relief and epidemic prevention troops dispatched were timely with supplies, after layers of embezzlement, the amount of relief funds and grain that could actually be delivered to Ping Shi was already a drop in the ocean.
Once they entered the disaster relief team in Ping Shi, they were swept away by a trickle of water into a deep, dark pool, never to return.
The epidemic was fierce and spread extremely quickly. The corpses of the victims piled up in the city, and there was no time to cremate them. They were almost level with the city wall of Pingshi.
Ping Shi Prefecture became a living hell in an instant, with flies and the stench of corpses covering several cities. However, in order to prevent the spread of the epidemic, defensive passes had to be built in the surrounding areas, and nearby troops were sent to guard them to prevent riots.
Those who are squeezed into "hell" will become "vengeful ghosts" while they are still alive.
After all, beside him lay the rotting corpses of his mother and wife, and in his ears echoed the dying cries of his young son. The road out of the city was lined with mountains of corpses belonging to acquaintances.
Behind them—the porridge distribution tents for disaster relief—the iron pots were overturned and the wooden frames had collapsed.
In this situation, a person is no longer a person, nor can they be a person.
The disaster victims climbed up the city wall along the corpses of their relatives and friends who had died from the plague, and jumped off with a gamble on their lives, scattering and fleeing into the forest, all for a sliver of hope.
By the time the plague began to spread to the towns surrounding Ping Shi, it was too late to send more troops to seal off Ping Shi.
For a time, the entire southern Sichuan province was in a state of panic, with towns and cities closed and passage prohibited.
Beggars, vagrants, and even new merchants were turned away. Anyone who coughed or blushed was dragged away by people who feared the plague, beaten to death, and burned.
The abbot of the Imperial Capital Star-Picking Terrace and the Great Compassion Temple, while observing the stars all night, received a warning from Heaven.
It is said that the stars Tanlang, Pojun, and Qisha are emitting ominous light, and turmoil is about to begin.
If the obscurity of the Purple Star is not dispelled, the dynasty will collapse, and the world will surely descend into chaos.
Emperor Huiwei, who holds the throne, bears undeniable responsibility for the current predicament.
The emperor's poor judgment of character, his bloodthirstiness, his greed for the throne, and his failure to establish a solid foundation for the nation are the root of his obscure imperial destiny.
Furthermore, they blindly trust treacherous officials and bestow titles upon kings of different surnames in all directions, thus inciting chaos in all directions. They must sincerely repent and kneel in the ancestral temple for a long time, observe vegetarianism and burn incense, in order to receive the favor of the gods and have the disasters slow down.
The old emperor was forced to issue several edicts of self-reproach, but the epidemic would not stop spreading just because the emperor regretted it.
Just as public resentment was boiling over, the Tsinghua Emperor miraculously appeared.
It is said that on the day the Rainbow Bridge was built, the Tsinghua Emperor looked down upon the human tragedy and wept with sorrow.
Special attendants were dispatched to the human world to relieve suffering and disaster, and to quell the grievances of the people.
Then, someone actually brought a prescription that could cure the epidemic to Ping Shi, preached and distributed medicine, and provided relief to the disaster victims.
The epidemic was quickly brought under control, and the doctrine preached by the Tsinghua Church was: "To relieve human suffering and to compassionately guide all souls to heaven."
Bitao left the mountain village and sold herself into a cult in order to make a living.
But from the day she heard the doctrine, she concluded that it was a cult.
It is true that gods have the mission of saving all living beings, but is it really "compassionately guiding all souls to heaven"?
Even if the Great Emperor of Fengdu, who controls the underworld, went mad and used all the power of the underworld, he still couldn't save a single ghost.
In ancient times, one breath transformed into three pure ones. From then on, pure breath ascended to heaven, while turbid breath descended to earth. The five elements' vitality permeated the human and celestial realms, creating an endless cycle of life.
The alternation of Yin and Yang, and the cycle of life and death, cannot go against the order of heaven and earth.
A cult claims it can send ghosts to heaven?
Bitao had no one to teach her, and she couldn't remember why she knew, but she just knew that the souls of mortals should return to the underworld after death.
If a person's soul does not return to the underworld, the cycle of reincarnation will surely collapse, a hundred ghosts will roam the night, and ten thousand souls will bring calamity to the world.
Therefore, the Tsinghua University cult is a complete and utter evil cult.
Not only are their doctrines utter nonsense, but Bitao also knows that their so-called "salvation of human suffering" is completely false!
On the day she was sold to the Tsinghua Divine Cult to be a celestial maiden, she overheard the matchmaker and her companion discussing the Tsinghua Divine Cult's practices and methods of spreading its teachings.
It was not at all that a great emperor's attendant was carrying a miraculous medicine to save people from suffering.
He was just a self-proclaimed, unlicensed doctor who intercepted a prescription from a physician sent by the imperial court. After taking the medicine himself, he found that it had a very good effect on controlling the epidemic.
He killed the doctor and seized the prescription. He also had a few "brothers" who had become outlaws on the mountain, and they were just about to go down the mountain to make a living because they couldn't survive there.
Several people hit it off immediately, spreading rumors and trying to emulate the fat, big-eared monks of Buddhism who swindle believers out of their offerings.
Just as the rain cleared and a rainbow stretched across the sky, they used the prescription to create hype, thus perpetuating the rumor that the Tsinghua Emperor had miraculously appeared.
As the saying goes, when people are desperate, they will grasp at anything they can find as a lifeline.
Moreover, the prescription was indeed effective. Only those who joined the religion could obtain the medicine. Between life and death, whether or not one actually saw any extraordinary phenomena had become unimportant.
Thus... the Tsinghua Cult rose to power.
But years have passed, and their methods of preaching have not changed at all.
The founders of the sect were not virtuous gentlemen, but a group of uneducated peasants and mediocre doctors. Therefore, the celestial maidens and celestial rulers within the sect were not sacred, unlike the Buddhist disciples who sat regally on lotus thrones, incomparably noble and revered.
No matter how nicely they are called celestial maidens and celestial rulers, they are still just for gathering resources and for being defiled, played with, tortured, and killed by others.
In order to keep believers convinced that the Tsinghua Church could "save the world from suffering," they preserved the plague that broke out in Pingshi years ago.
They then repeatedly used the same trick, spreading plague in the places where they wanted to spread their teachings, then sending followers to administer medicine and treat the sick, while also winning over local gentry and establishing new branches of the cult.
It's so simple and crude that it almost makes you laugh.
But it works.
Epidemics are like evil spirits, just like pure air; they don't linger or wreak havoc in one place.
Even if it is not removed, it will dissipate on its own as the five elements in the universe flow and interact with each other.
They wanted to preserve the plague for its spread, but keeping the belongings of those who had suffered from the disease, even flesh and corpses, was not an option.
Therefore, their method of preserving the plague was to raise "poisonous people".
"Poisonous people" are those who have been infected with an epidemic but have not yet died, and are highly contagious.
The cultists gave them the medicine to prolong their lives, but the dosage was far too low.
As a result, those infected cannot be cured, but they also do not die easily. They must remain bedridden and exhaust their life force before they finally perish.
The quality of a person's physical condition determines the length of their lifespan. In order to prolong the life of a person with "poisonous constitution," they are often given tonics to keep them alive.
Typically, "poisonous people" are people that cults buy from displaced people or from the slave market.
Once the mission of spreading the teachings is completed, the "poisonous person" will naturally only face death.
Bitao's initial plan was to come to this nonsensical cult and make some money.
For a woman from a small mountain village to be able to survive in this chaotic world and not do anything to cheat good people or commit heinous acts is already a great virtue.
However, after joining the cult, Bitao befriended the fallen Heavenly King and Heavenly Maiden, and seeing young lives teetering on the brink of death, she ultimately could not bear it.
So he decided to do what he could and changed his plans.
She planned to set a fire before the cult used "poisonous people" to spread their teachings, rescue the Heavenly Maiden and Heavenly King, and then intercept and kill the "poisonous people" and the preachers.
We must do our utmost to stop the plague from spreading throughout the city.
If she succeeds, she will have lived up to the kindness of being raised by her guardian spirit.
If she fails, she will take the money and hide away in the mountains to live a carefree life.
War is raging, the nation is on the verge of collapse, the world is shrouded in darkness, and cults are corrupting the world... What does all this have to do with a mere village girl like her?
If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Life is short, so eating good food is the most important thing.
But that day, after she learned from the seventh steward about the function of those "young boys and girls who scatter wealth," Bitao changed her mind again.
Since we're already here...
She wants to send these bastards, whose minds are full of lewdness and malice, to "ascend to heaven" first and see if their Tsinghua Emperor is really up there!
She was given the task of taking care of the "poisonous people" by her fellow cult members, which was just a matter of a word.
"Really?!"
The pockmarked man was so excited he almost knelt down before Bitao, looking at her as if she were a savior goddess.
"I haven't been feeling well lately, would you really be willing to take my place?"
Although caring for drug addicts means they get a bowl of "antidote" every day, it's also an extremely risky job!
The poisonous person is infected with a plague. If a person with a weak constitution gets infected, they will die very quickly, and it will be too late to drink the "antidote"!
Originally, the "poisonous people" were supposed to arrive at the end of February, and they would only begin preaching after these celestial maidens and celestial rulers were "handed over".
For some reason, this time the "poisonous person" appeared more than half a month earlier than expected.
Unfortunately, Pockmarked Man has been catching a cold these past few days. If he were to contract the plague as well, the combination of the two might cost him his life.
He hated himself for having "run a small business" with a group of people that day, and for being tricked into taking on the job of taking care of drug addicts!
"But..." He wasn't exactly a saint, and he was still quite wary of Bitao.
Why did you do it for me?
Bitao smiled gently: "It's not that I wanted to help you, but I just angered Steward Qi yesterday."
"I want to calm down Seventh Steward. If I do a good job of spreading the word, maybe Seventh Steward will be so happy that I can get a promotion. I definitely won't forget you then, brother!"
Upon hearing this reason, the pockmarked man found it perfectly reasonable!
He even winked at Bitao: "Hey, Manager Qi really treats you differently. He rarely promotes anyone."
“If you really do a good job of spreading the teachings, maybe the Seventh Steward won’t ‘hand you over’.”
In Ma Lian's opinion, this celestial maiden was as beautiful as a flower, but to actually give her to those old men to squander would be a disgrace to her talent.
"Thank you for your kind words." Bitao patted his shoulder.
Then, quite naturally, he swaggered into the "poison man's" courtyard.
She met the man she had previously "released".
The man lay half-reclined on the bed, his eyes closed in a daze, his cheeks flushed.
He looks very ill.
As soon as Bitao entered the room, a cool breeze swept in, and he burst into a fit of heart-wrenching coughing.
"Cough cough cough cough cough..."
After finally catching his breath, he opened his eyes and saw Bitao.
The wariness in his eyes changed in an instant, and although his face was ashen, he revealed a gentle smile.
"Brother... has not disobeyed my younger sister's orders."
Bitao: "..." She's practically dying, yet she still tries to get the upper hand verbally. This person is really...
But he did not fail in his mission.
According to Bitao's estimate, the "poisonous person" should arrive in a few days.
Although it overlapped somewhat with the time for handing over to the Heavenly Maiden and Heavenly Lord, making the process more complicated, that was still the fastest possible time.
But he arrived in less than two days. He must have seen Bitao and then rushed over overnight despite his illness.
Kill the cult members, bury the poisoners to prevent the spread of the disease, infect yourself with the disease, and drag all these medicinal herbs back...
"Big brother, you've worked hard."
Bitao's address of "Big Brother" was sincere.
Cang Ling was so happy he couldn't suppress his smile. You see, although he was barely a god, back in the celestial realm he was often the one following behind Bi Tao.
Bitao refused to call him "elder brother" because of his age and his divine status. Instead, she always called him "younger brother" because of his gentle appearance and lack of Bitao's cleverness.
Upon hearing that "Big Brother," Cang Ling felt that all the suffering she had endured was worth it.
When he returns to the Heavenly Realm, his friends will surely admire him for making Bitao submit.
Bitao walked up to him cautiously and said, "You look very unwell. You should take the medicine to cure the plague immediately."
"You don't need to get involved in what happens next. In a couple of days, I will arrange for the 'poison man' to die."
Bitao took the water glass next to his hospital bed, brought it to her lips, and said, "Go out and take good care of yourself. Leave everything here to me."
"Hey! What are you doing! That's mine... I..."
Cang Ling saw that Bi Tao was actually drinking water from his cup!
He hurriedly got off the bed to stop it, but because his limbs were weak, he collapsed by the bedside.
He looked at Bitao with a panicked expression, only now realizing that he had been so caught up in his joy that he hadn't even noticed Bitao entering his room without taking any precautions.
He lay half-prone on the ground, looking up to meet Bitao's calm eyes.
A moment later, Bitao finished drinking the water in her cup, and Cangling understood Bitao's plan.
"But..." This is just too crazy!
Cang Ling gritted her teeth and got up from the ground, shouting in a deep voice to the outside, "Medical Physician Wu, quickly bring a bowl of antidote with sufficient potency!"
He pulled Bitao over, his face serious: "Listen to me, you can't do this."
"Plagues and plagues are beyond human control. If innocent people are killed by mistake, there will be no turning back when one passes away!"
"Tao Tao, drink the antidote later. I will find an opportunity to rush into the mansion. I am the 'Poison Man' and I will definitely cause a riot."
"Take this opportunity to take whoever you want, or if you want to kill any villain, tell me, and I'll help you."
"When you descend to the mortal realm this time, remember not to exploit the loopholes in the Heavenly Rules as you have done before."
The main personnel were the four duty officers and the examiners, most of whom were from the ancient immortal clan.
Who knows if their pen slips and they might intentionally violate the heavenly rules by writing about Bitao?
Cang Ling looked at Bi Tao with a face full of anxiety, wanting to touch her, but afraid of infecting her with the plague.
Despite his lengthy explanation, Bitao seemed unmoved.
He had no choice but to stand back a bit and lower his voice to Bitao, saying, "We have dozens of immortals accompanying us in the competition. One wrong move and we'll lose everything, Bitao!"
Bitao couldn't understand again.
But that didn't stop her from remaining calm and composed.
Moreover, although Bitao did not understand what the man in front of her was saying, she could see his sincere concern.
Bitao smiled at him, reached out and took his hand, which he dared not extend, and placed it on her head.
His tone was gentle and mild, but he was absolutely disobedient.
"Big brother." Bitao really wanted to find an opportunity to trick this man into revealing his name.
But he couldn't care less about that now, and besides, Bitao was willing to call him "Big Brother".
After all, this man was the only person in the world besides her mother-in-law who truly cared about her.
Bitao smiled, her tone as light and pleasant as ever.
His words left no room for ambiguity: "I'm not only taking everyone I want with me."
"I want them dead."
"They all must die."
Cang Ling and Bi Tao had been friends for decades, and Cang Ling knew that once Bi Tao made a decision, not even nine heavenly oxen could pull her back.
Just like many people advised her not to get entangled with Mingguang Tianxian and not to make enemies with the immortal lords of the ancient immortal clan.
But no matter how readily Bitao agreed, she never listened.
She was so ambitious that even Zhu Mingxiandu couldn't do anything about her, so what could Cang Ling possibly do?
All I can do is follow her, indulge her, and help her.
"Fine... since you won't listen to me, I won't listen to you either."
Cang Ling smiled weakly and flicked Bi Tao's forehead.
"I will not leave the manor. All the immortals in Youtian have promised Immortal Supervisor Zhu Ming that you will be the priority in everything."
This had nothing to do with Zhu Ming's orders or the outcome of the competition.
Rather, all the immortals in You Tian have received some form of "help" from Bi Tao over the years.
She has extensive connections and many friends in the celestial realm, and many ancient immortal clans give her special treatment.
Many "minor matters" that Zhu Mingxiandu couldn't handle were resolved through Bitao's mediation and smoothing.
Those who attain the rank of Immortal through Merit are people who ascend from the lower realms, not those "donkeys" who abandon humanity and are born from the Heavenly Dao.
They all regarded Bitao as their junior.
It can't be considered repaying a debt of gratitude, since protecting their own juniors is simply their duty.
Cang Ling introduced the person who had brought the medicine into the house to Bi Tao: "This martial arts doctor is not someone sent by the cult. I hired him on the way here at a high price."
"And those medicinal herbs were all bought in Chongchuan City. It will take at least three days to haul back the several cartloads of medicine that the cultists brought."
"I've already dragged those medicine carts into the mountains and covered them with tree branches. It's freezing cold here, and there are no mosquitoes or other insects around. If you need to use them in the short term, it shouldn't affect the efficacy of the medicine."
"Although the medicines we brought were purchased according to the prescription for the antidote, some of the ingredients have not yet been collected."
"The only antidote I have right now is some that I brought back from the cultists on horseback."
"If you insist on taking this gamble... then go for it!"
"These antidotes can save the people you want to save, and the prescriptions that you haven't collected can make the people you want to kill die as you wish."
After Cang Ling finished speaking, Bi Tao nodded happily.
He handled things as if Bitao herself had done them, with thorough consideration and meticulous action, yet leaving room for maneuver, which was exactly what I wanted.
He didn't take advantage of being called "Big Brother" to lecture Bitao or try to change her mind.
There's even a sense of satisfaction in Bitao killing someone and burying the body.
Bitao looked up at him, thinking that although she didn't know who he was, if the two of them really "knew" each other, they must have a very good relationship.
No matter how good their relationship was, Bitao couldn't just watch him die.
So Bitao beckoned to the man urging her to drink her medicine, and as he looked down in confusion, she swiftly chopped down on the back of his neck with her five fingers forming a blade.
Cang Ling was already weak from her injuries and the plague, and was barely holding on when Bi Tao knocked her unconscious.
Bitao then turned around, took the medicine from Physician Wu's hand, squatted down, pinched open Cangling's chin, and poured it into his mouth.
To protect the plague virus in her body, Cang Ling has not taken enough antidote these days.
After taking this bowl of medicine, his illness should be mostly cured.
Bitao roughly finished feeding Cangling the medicine, then shoved the bowl back into the hands of the martial arts physician.
Then, seemingly without any effort, she dragged a man much taller than her to the bedside.
He pulled her onto the bed, arranged her limbs, and covered her with the blanket.
Doctor Wu's eyelids twitched; this woman was incredibly strong!
Bitao then turned around and spoke to Doctor Wu.
“I don’t care how much money your brother gave you to entice you to come to this cult’s den to make money.”
"But you didn't come to the wrong place. These beasts are rolling in money."
"People die for money, birds die for food. I promise to give you five times the amount you gave me, and I will pay you back all at once after the matter is settled."
"Or wait until things get completely chaotic here, then you can search all you want, and all the money and items you find are yours."
"I have only two requests of you: do not ruin my plans, and provide my people with a sufficiently potent 'antidote'."
"If you do things well, I guarantee you will leave the cult in good health and wealth."
“If you harbor any cunning intentions and obstruct my actions, I guarantee that you will not only lose a single penny, but you will also not be allowed to leave this courtyard with your body intact.”
When Bitao threatened someone, she didn't glare or speak harshly.
Her clear, bright eyes were like autumn water, clear and bright, like a mirror reflecting people's hearts.
A mirror doesn't reflect lies or bluff; it's not a threat, it's just stating the facts.
Doctor Wu was an old man with white hair at the temples. He was thin and ordinary-looking, and would not even be noticed at first glance in a crowd on the street.
Only when you're face-to-face with him can you discover his strengths.
That was his pair of eyes, which possessed a clarity that belied his age and appearance, as if his body had endured the ravages of time, but his soul remained ever new.
After listening to Bitao finish her long speech, he suddenly threw the medicine bowl in his hand to the ground.
He looked at Bitao with unwavering eyes, like allies with a common goal, signaling each other by smashing a cup.
He clenched his thin fist, waved it in front of Bitao, and said, "I'm an old man with no parents, no wife, and no children! At this age, I'm not here for money! I'm here to kill these bastards!"
Bitao: "..."
"Your brother's body really can't take it anymore! It's alright! I'm in excellent health, I'll be the poisoner!"
"Infect them all, and none of them will survive!"
"Doctor Wu, do you... have any family members who have been harmed by cult members?"
Bitao cautiously took a small step back, trying to guess his purpose.
Doctor Wu paused for a moment, his hand, which had been striking his chest to express his determination, froze.
"No! My parents died early, and I have never married. I am completely devoted to medicine!"
"I also traveled to Ping Shi several years ago and studied the plague that ravaged Ping Shi Prefecture."
"Although the plague spreads quickly and comes on strong, it does not cause people to die quickly. The people of Pingshi suffered terribly back then, and the rise of this cult is really strange."
"Back then, I thought the prescriptions from Tsinghua University were nothing special. Over the years, I've heard that they kidnap men and women everywhere."
"I reported to the authorities several times, but as a lowly person, my voice carried little weight, and with corrupt officials colluding with each other, nothing came of it."
"Now that the sinister intentions behind this are clear, it is truly outrageous that they deliberately risked human lives to spread the plague in order to spread their religion and amass wealth!"
"Now that you two siblings have risked your lives to eliminate the cult, I, an old man with nothing to lose, will do my utmost to help you!"
Doctor Wu's voice trembled with passion, and even after he finished speaking, the echoes of his words still resonated, resounding and thought-provoking.
The old man has a strong voice.
Bitao was abandoned at birth and never believed in the inherent goodness of human nature.
She was just making a casual threat to the old man to prevent him from making a mistake out of cowardice.
Unexpectedly, this ignited his passion, causing him to smear peach blossoms all over his face.
In this chaotic world, some people, driven by selfish desires, exploit the people, their minds bloated with greed, and trample on human life.
There are always those who disregard life and death for personal gain, and who, for the sake of justice, lead the charge.
Ten years of drinking ice water cannot cool the burning passion in my blood. ①
Bitao smiled and exchanged blows with the withered old man in the dark room where plague floated.
Then, with great enthusiasm, they took all the still-useful items that the "poisonous people" had used and went off separately to spread the plague.
To prevent the spread of the plague and its impact on the missionary work, the hospital gates were closed and believers suspended all activities when the "poisonous person" entered the hospital early.
This turned this secluded cult branch into a breeding ground for the spread of its scourge.
Bitao took on the job of taking care of the poisoner, but the news did not spread quickly.
She took advantage of the time difference, actively reaching out to everyone she could within a day and a night.
By the time Steward Qi learned that Bitao, that fool, had gone to take care of the "poisonous man" on her own initiative in order to please him, and was even wandering around the courtyard aimlessly, it was already too late.
The reason why Ping Shi transformed into a living hell in such a short period of time is because of this.
Natural disasters and man-made calamities both contributed to the spread, but the most fundamental factor was the rapid speed at which the plague spread.
Although it doesn't cause immediate death, once you come into contact with it, even if you take precautions and cover your mouth and nose, it's difficult to resist.
In addition, to preserve the plague virus, it has been passed down through human bodies for so many years. The virus, like insects and ants, nests and reproduces in the human body, and has long since evolved a more intense and rapid mode of transmission.
Two days.
In just two days.
Bitao used her body to spread the "plague," and all those she came into contact with and intentionally infected developed symptoms of the plague.
The main gate was completely locked, cutting off all communication between the courtyards.
Those with symptoms were all herded to a corner courtyard and given "antidote" three times a day.
Those without symptoms were also afraid of getting infected, and even though the Seventh Steward repeatedly forbade it, they still secretly went to Doctor Wu to get medicine for prevention.
The effect of "prevention" is naturally "outstanding".
Bitao was flushed with heat, her cheeks were rosy, yet her lips were always upturned, like a blooming peach blossom on a branch, in full bloom.
More and more people are following Bitao through Yinhan Gu, but because of Bitao's extreme and biased behavior, the voices against her are also getting stronger.
On the Milky Way, the water boils and overflows all day long because of her, like oil being cooked in a raging fire.
She was clearly just a minor fairy, yet she became a "strange voice" among all the celestial beings, one that was impossible to ignore.
"Is she trying to kill everyone? Can she still be considered a sage? To come up with such a method is more terrifying than a demon!"
"That's really too extreme. Everyone's constitution is different. What if someone dies because of this..."
“Using extreme means to do good things… I really don’t know how to define this.”
"This is no longer just taking a risky approach; how is this any different from the actions of cult members? What if the plague spreads?"
"Yellow River Net is filled with pure air, and the peach blossoms have not been punished for violating the law. You all spout morality and righteousness, so why don't you descend to the mortal realm and risk your lives to save the common people?!"
"That's right... Bitao herself got sick too."
"And don't you really think it's gratifying that these people are reaping what they sowed?"
"But how can an immortal use such methods to retaliate against mortals?"
"What's wrong with immortals? What's wrong with mortals? Cause and effect are inevitable, and heavenly rules will distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous. What are you all shouting about! Bah!"
...
Looking at the silver net, Zhu Ming secretly resented Cang Ling for being so useless, but he also knew that even if he were by Bi Tao's side at this moment, he could not persuade her.
He could only shake his head and sigh, "What a brilliant plan to perish together! What a formidable fairy, Bitao..."
The commotion above was deafening, but Bitao remained calm and content.
She was behind the screen in the inner room, taking care of Cangling as she drank her medicine.
Cangling is much better now. Bitao was in charge of things in the inner courtyard yesterday, the one who was "incompetent in that way." They found a ginseng root in the room.
I stewed some for Cang Ling to nourish her body.
I drank a bowl myself.
Bitao listened as the physician in the outer room brought a bowl of herbal tea, contaminated with the plague, to the person seeking medicine, boasting that it would surely "cure the disease instantly."
This man is impotent, but he's very good at hiding his true abilities.
Bitao drank a bowl of antidote and a bowl of ginseng soup, and that night she broke out in a sweat and was full of energy again.
On the fourth day, the people who came seeking medicine began to wail and scream.
Some people discovered that the "antidote" was not working at all and tried to break through the yard and run outside.
Bitao led people to patrol the area every day, sprinkling medicinal powder along the walls and at the gate of the courtyard. Following Doctor Wu's advice, they also fumigated the area with mugwort to prevent the spread of the plague.
If you encounter someone trying to run away, just have them cover their mouth and drag them into the cellar.
Illness is the cruelest punishment in the world.
Those guards, who were once as strong and robust as wild boars, were utterly helpless in the face of illness.
Previously, they were the ones who suppressed the Heavenly Maiden and Heavenly Lord in the cellar, preventing them from going to heaven or entering the earth, from living or dying.
But now the order of things has reversed, and circumstances have changed.
The celestial maidens and celestial lords in the cellar were moved by Bitao and her people last night and settled in a courtyard.
The "full dose of antidote" was provided three times a day, and some people contracted the disease but recovered quickly.
After recovering, the people followed Bitao around the yard every day, catching people.
Then throw those cultists who are completely powerless and desperate, who can only cry and beg on the ground, into the cellar.
This was an extremely satisfying process of revenge, and no celestial maiden or celestial ruler wanted to miss it.
Having spent their lives being manipulated and exploited, how could they not become addicted and go mad when they first held a knife in their hands and controlled life and death?
Even Bingjing and others, who had previously attacked Bitao without any regard for the facts, were now engrossed in the incident.
Bitao led Bingjing and the others, who had taken the "antidote" and recovered most of their strength, to the door of the Seventh Steward.
The Seventh Steward was Bitao's first target.
Although she did not personally show herself to infect him, she instructed the servants to immediately use a cup that Cang Ling had used to pour tea for the Seventh Steward.
The reason why the people in the courtyard were thrown into such chaos so quickly was entirely due to the fact that the seventh steward had contracted the disease early.
He was not a fool; he realized Bitao's plot the moment it happened.
"I took on the job of the 'poison man' in order to curry favor with the Seventh Steward." This lie might fool the others in the courtyard, but it couldn't fool the cruel and cunning Seventh Steward.
But there was nothing that could be done; he was the first to develop the disease, and because of his advanced age, the symptoms progressed rapidly.
On the night he had a high fever and his vision was blurry, Bitao locked his door and stood outside, listening to him stumble and cry out to heaven and earth in vain.
If he still had any strength left, he would have killed Bitao long ago.
Bitao deliberately kept him alive, letting him desperately try to survive for several days, before finally deciding to meet him.
Bingjing saw Bitao standing in front of the locked courtyard gate, still not understanding what was going on.
She wanted to keep catching people; it was the most fun "game" she had ever played in her life.
Catch all those "rats" hiding in the shadows and throw them into the cellar!
It's much more fun than traveling through the myriad realms with General Kunyi and slaying those newly conceived and still immature demons!
Those who haven't experienced it firsthand don't understand how amazing it feels.
That was awesome!
Although Bingjing was indeed stunned for a while by Bitao's crazy revenge when she first learned about Bitao's plan after contracting the disease.
Because the Ice Mirror possesses memories of the celestial realm, she knows what an immortal should and should not do.
But soon, Bingjing watched those cultists, those villains who treated human life like pigs and dogs, fall one by one. Fear and collapse enveloped them, forcing them step by step toward the "cliffside dead end".
This is a very long, profound, and persistent process that continues day and night.
Bingjing was so excited that he didn't want to sleep. He had never experienced such a satisfying taste of revenge.
This is the true meaning of how good and evil will ultimately be rewarded!
She watched helplessly as the group of people succumbed to illness and listened to their wails and cries, and even felt as if her own soul had been cleansed by pure, divine spirits.
Even before changing out of the filthy clothes, Bingjing already felt that he was shining brightly.
After recovering, the two young generals from Leibu became even more devoted to Bitao.
The courtyard was almost completely cleared out, and upon closer inspection, there weren't many cult members left.
Not a single cellar was filled.
Bitao left the seventh steward until the very end.
Bitao said to Bingjing and the others, "Wait here for me a moment. There's another 'rat' here. I'll go take a look."
The room reeked of a foul stench. For the past few days, Bitao had only allowed people to throw a little something into the Seventh Steward's mouth to help him survive.
He was not dead yet, but due to prolonged high fever, the plague virus entered his body, causing him to lose his mind.
He fell down next to a round table, lying on a pile of broken porcelain shards, seemingly trying to pour himself a drink of water.
But Bitao didn't ask anyone to give him water.
He was curled up like a dying fish, his cracked mouth agape, panting heavily.
He coughs every now and then.
The phlegm sounds like a broken bellows, indicating that the disease has already entered the lungs.
Bitao slowly walked in, walked to his side, and was so disgusted by the smell that she gently covered her nose with her hand.
He was kicked several times before he finally managed to open his eyes and look at the person who had come.
It's probably because Lai Ba is so tough that he's practically unrecognizable to ordinary people.
Hate is always more intense and lasting than love. After the Seventh Steward barely focused his eyes and recognized the person as Bitao, a glint of light suddenly appeared in his dark and murky eyes.
"It's... huff... cough cough... you!"
He shakily raised his hand, trying to grab Bitao, but his hand fell limply to the ground after he only lifted it a little.
Bitao slowly squatted down and met his eyes.
He was so fierce, the hatred in his eyes almost turned into a tangible arrow that would pierce through Bitao's chest.
He wasn't even particularly afraid of death; he just felt hatred, resentment, and incomprehension.
Why?
He moved his lips but couldn't ask the question, but Bitao understood what he meant.
Why should I?!
He didn't understand. He had committed many evils in his life and had thought about retribution, so why should he be ruined by the little bit of "goodwill" he had?
He did have a little bit of goodwill towards Bitao, just a tiny bit, not much.
It was only a tiny bit that the Seventh Steward had squeezed out from the rotten, pus-filled internal organs.
Otherwise, how could Bitao have used his influence to swagger around in this courtyard?
Just as the matchmaker was destined to die at Bitao's hands, the Seventh Steward was also destined to die at Bitao's hands.
The more one lives in darkness and is surrounded by shadows, the more uncontrollably one will be drawn to "bright" things.
No matter how ruthless Bitao disguises herself as evil, she may still manage to make herself qualified as a cult member.
Couldn't the Seventh Steward see that her so-called "admonition" was actually allowing those celestial maidens and celestial lords who should have died to live a few more days?
However, things that grow in the shadows probably don't know that they die when exposed to light.
Bitao was the "light" that he, the matchmaker, and all the cultists in the courtyard should never have come into contact with from the very beginning.
The seventh steward was panting heavily, looking like he was about to die.
Yet he still stared intently at Bitao, as if determined to pry an answer out of her eyes and her mouth.
Bitao didn't say anything grand or righteous.
No one was filled with righteous indignation to accuse him of committing all sorts of evil deeds and that he deserved this retribution.
Bitao frowned slightly, as if recalling some unpleasant past events.
After a long pause, he finally spoke: "I hate chattering brats the most. When I was little, I was always bullied by a bunch of brats."
"They called me an unwanted child, saying that children can be more wicked than adults can imagine."
“I was often pushed down the hillside and covered in dung.”
"I even want to drag them all to a dark place and strangle them one by one."
Bitao clicked her tongue.
I still feel annoyed when I think about it.
But Bitao looked at the Seventh Steward seriously and said, "But... children can't be used for that kind of thing."
After Bitao finished speaking, she didn't pay any more attention to the Seventh Steward's reaction.
He got up and left.
He's about to die; just have someone drag him to the cellar in a bit.
Bitao turned around, naturally not seeing the even deeper confusion that flashed in the eyes of the Seventh Steward because of her words.
Why can't children?
Why didn't anyone tell him he couldn't when he was a child?
Was the person he admired and emulated throughout his life... a "demon" who should not be tolerated in this world?
The seventh steward refused to close his eyes.
He died unable to rest in peace.
Just as Bitao reached the door, she was about to order someone to go in and drag the Seventh Steward into the cellar.
Bingjing suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Bitao's hand, and cried out in a voice trembling with tears, "What do we do! What do we do!"
Bitao almost made her head fall off her neck.
He raised his arms and put them around her, asking, "What's wrong?"
Bingjing let out a wail, her voice distorted and torn: "Mingguang's illness hasn't been getting better despite taking medicine, and he just vomited blood! He's almost dead!"
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