Chapter 107
The sudden shattering of the statue sent the worshippers into a frenzy, their voices filled with confusion and fear, speculating about the meaning of this divine omen.
Xiao Xiao, finding Wei Jie’s actions childish, pulled him out of the temple. “Why did you break it?” she asked, her brow furrowed. “Even deities enjoy offerings, the nourishment for their divine power cores.”
He shrugged, his expression nonchalant. “There is no ancient Flame Emperor. I’m just a guy. Those people, they’re fishermen. They’re not wealthy. Wasting their hard-earned money on a useless statue… they’re better off fishing.”
She chuckled, remembering his reaction to that woman’s request, his face dark as thunder. “And all those women… waiting for you to possess their husbands…”
He leaned closer, his lips brushing against her ear. “I only want to possess… you…”
She blushed, flustered by his suggestive words. She hadn’t realized her disciple was such a… flirt.
He laughed, pulling her close, his arm around her waist, letting her pinch him playfully. He looked towards the sea, his expression thoughtful. “But that temple… so many worshippers… it’s unusual. It must be related to the strange occurrences in the villages. Could it be… connected to the island?”
She had thought the same thing, hearing the villagers’ conversations.
They left the temple, heading towards a teahouse with Tang Youshu. Such places were always a source of gossip.
They ordered a pot of tea, and before they could even take a sip, they overheard a conversation, revealing the truth.
After the golden light had erupted from the island, rumors had spread among the fishermen about a sea dragon ascending to the heavens.
And when a dragon ascended, it shed scales, scales that turned to gold upon reaching the mortal realm.
That explained the golden light, didn’t it?
Fueled by greed, the villagers had set sail, hoping to find those golden scales.
And some had indeed returned with gold, their arrivals cloaked in secrecy, under the cover of darkness. They had locked themselves in their homes, refusing to leave. And then… the animals in the village, the chickens, ducks, geese, even dogs, began to disappear. Some claimed to have seen those fishermen, at night, snapping their necks, drinking their blood.
Initially, some villagers had demanded compensation.
But one, after confronting a sick fisherman, had been bitten, and he too had fallen ill, his thirst for blood growing, his sanity fading, even attacking his own wife.
It was like a contagious disease, a madness.
The infected families had been quarantined, their homes boarded up.
But more fishermen, returning from the sea, exhibited the same symptoms.
Rumors spread about the Dragon King’s wrath, a curse unleashed upon them. Some even petitioned the authorities, demanding an investigation.
And the villagers, desperate, sought solace in temples, their prayers a plea for divine intervention.
Xiao Xiao and Wei Jie exchanged glances. Those symptoms… they sounded like a demonic affliction, a burning heat that only blood could quench.
If left untreated, it could be fatal.
As they had suspected, several villagers had already died, their deaths fueling the panic. Those who could afford it sought out skilled physicians.
After finishing their tea, Wei Jie summoned Tang Youshu, instructing him to visit the sick, to observe their symptoms.
Tang Youshu, whenever he traveled, offering his medical expertise, always started with his Revitalizing Pills. They were affordable, and his diagnoses were accurate. He had quickly gained a reputation as a skilled physician.
He was led to a large, opulent house, belonging to a wealthy family.
They hadn’t been to sea. They shouldn’t have been affected.
But their son, their only heir, a spoiled child, had insisted on witnessing the fishermen’s return.
And he had been bitten, the curse taking hold.
Their wealth, their abundance of livestock, had allowed them to indulge his cravings. He consumed a chicken a day, his thirst for blood insatiable.
As Tang Youshu, accompanied by Wei Jie and Cui Xiao Xiao, entered his room, they saw him, a chicken’s neck in his mouth, blood dripping down his chin, the sight horrifying.
But as they approached, he stopped, his eyes widening, his gaze fixed on Cui Xiao Xiao. And then, like the Water Yasha on the island, he lunged at her.
Wei Jie, reacting instantly, kicked him back.
The family cried out in protest, but Tang Youshu, seizing the opportunity, collected a sample of the boy’s blood, examining it closely. “He’s been poisoned by a Water Yasha,” he said, his voice low.
Xiao Xiao’s heart sank.
She had suspected a connection to the demons, but the confirmation… it saddened her.
She had warned Madam Fu against harming innocent people. But it seemed she had ignored her, her actions now affecting these villagers…
Wei Jie, his sharp eyes scanning their surroundings, noticed movement outside the house.
He dashed out, Xiao Xiao following close behind. They reached a deserted grove, and the figure, stopping, removed their cloak, revealing a face half-ravaged by putrid sores.
Xiao Xiao recognized her instantly. It was Madam Fu! Qin He’s poisonous blood… it had disfigured her.
“You’re not satisfied with harming people at sea?” Wei Jie asked, his voice cold. “Now you’re targeting these villagers?”
Madam Fu, surprised to see them, fell to her knees before Xiao Xiao. “Saint! I knew you wouldn’t abandon us!”
Xiao Xiao, however, wanted to know one thing. “Did you poison these villagers?”
Madam Fu shook her head, her voice earnest. “Saint, you know me! Water Yasha venom… it requires their heart’s blood. I might have committed many sins, but I would never harm our warriors! Someone… someone infiltrated the island, killed several Water Yasha, and stole their venom. I had to find them. That’s why I left the island.”
When the demons had been slaughtered by the celestial army, the temple, activating its protective powers, had transported them to this island.
But it also restricted their movements, preventing them from leaving, protecting them from further harm.
Madam Fu, believing she was dying, had risked her remaining lifespan to investigate this theft, to avenge her people.
Her journey, however, had drained her energy. She collapsed, her breaths shallow.
Xiao Xiao, seeing her frail state, approached her, placing her hand on her head.
Since her demonic bloodline had awakened, she had instinctively known how to heal her people. As her energy flowed into Madam Fu’s body, she felt a soothing warmth, her pain easing, the sores on her face shrinking.
Although she knew her true nature, Xiao Xiao didn’t identify with her role as the demons’ Saint.
According to Tang Youshu’s research, the Demon Saint was traditionally a figurehead, their mind unburdened by thoughts or emotions, their power focused on reproduction, their role symbolic, a spiritual leader, worshipped and protected.
It was individuals like Madam Fu, the daughter of the previous Demon City’s ruler, who wielded true power.
A Demon Saint like Xiao Xiao, cunning, resourceful, her mind sharp… she was an anomaly.
Madam Fu, unsure how to interact with this unconventional Saint, remained silent.
Xiao Xiao, convinced she was telling the truth, knew who was responsible.
The only ones who knew about the island, who had escaped unharmed… it had to be the Dongyuan Emperor.
But why would he, a deity, go to such lengths to harm mortals, using Water Yasha venom?
“He’s gathering resentment,” Wei Jie said, his voice low, his expression grim. “He descended to the mortal realm without permission. He can’t report the demons’ return to the Heavenly Emperor. But if they cause enough chaos, enough suffering… the mortals’ resentment will reach the heavens, forcing the Heavenly Emperor to act. He won’t have to do anything.”
Xiao Xiao nodded. It was a classic Dongyuan Emperor move – manipulating events, using others as his tools, his own hands clean.
She chuckled, looking at the newly built temple, its incense smoke thick, then turned to Wei Jie. “You’ve received so many offerings today. Don’t you want to… earn them? To offer some… guidance?”
The Dongyuan Emperor, accustomed to his position of power, had forgotten that fortunes could change.
He had manipulated their fates for too long. It was time someone pulled him down from his pedestal.
And so, that day, the traveling physician, Tang Youshu, became a miracle worker. He examined the sick, his touch gentle, his needles precise, administering a dark, viscous concoction that resembled blood, and they recovered.
The villagers, their hope renewed, their gratitude overflowing, asked about his master, his lineage, his extraordinary skills.
Tang Youshu, removing his headband, revealing the ancient Flame Emperor’s mark on his forehead, said, “I am Tang Youshu of the Lingshan Talisman Sect. I follow the teachings of the ancient Flame Emperor, the vanquisher of demons.”
The recent events, the demons’ escape, had made the once-obscure deity popular.
The villagers, recognizing the mark, were impressed.
But when they asked about the cause of their illness, their connection to the sea, Tang Youshu frowned, his voice laced with concern. “Do you know… that even statues have… compatibilities? The ancient Flame Emperor, in ancient times, battled the Dongyuan Emperor. It was a fierce rivalry, like the Yellow Emperor against Chi You, Zhuanxu against Gonggong… a battle to the death. The Dongyuan Emperor, spoiled by his father, the Heavenly Emperor, is accustomed to getting his way. Our Emperor, the ancient Flame Emperor, however, is a righteous deity, intolerant of evil. And so, the Dongyuan Emperor, to ensure his victory, resorts to… unconventional tactics. Whenever the ancient Flame Emperor’s popularity grows, he unleashes plagues, curses… forcing the people to turn to him, to offer him sacrifices, to appease him…”
The villagers, captivated by his tale, listened intently, Tang Youshu himself struggling to maintain his composure.
Xiao Xiao, the master of deception, stepped in, her voice filled with emotion. “And so, the ancient Flame Emperor, out of compassion, to prevent the Dongyuan Emperor’s jealousy, allows his statues to be destroyed, sacrificing his own offerings, to protect the people…”
She even shed a tear, her performance a masterpiece, a testament to the ancient Flame Emperor’s selflessness.
“Heavens!” someone exclaimed. “The statue in the ancient Flame Emperor’s temple… it shattered earlier today! We thought it was a bad omen! But it was… a sacrifice!”
A young man, his voice filled with indignation, said, “A deity… jealous of another’s popularity? Unleashing curses upon innocent people? He’s a plague god! He…”
His mother, horrified, clapped her hand over his mouth.
But the seed had been planted. Others chimed in, their voices filled with anger. “Those bleeding statues… that was his doing! He wanted us to worship him, to offer him sacrifices!”
The conversation escalated, their anger growing. Those who had lost loved ones, unable to afford the chickens and ducks needed to quench their thirst, their deaths attributed to madness, were enraged.
That night, the Dongyuan Emperor’s statues were vandalized, their faces smashed, their bodies defaced.
And no one offered to repair them. Children even threw dung at them.
After all, the people of the Great Qi dynasty were pragmatic. If a deity brought them prosperity, they worshipped them. But if they brought them harm, they were a plague god, deserving of their scorn.
A talented storyteller, a struggling scholar, even created a play about the Dongyuan Emperor, his arrogance, his cruelty, his abuse of power, entertaining the children with tales of a spoiled deity.
After all, they were familiar with such behavior. The Dongyuan Emperor’s actions mirrored those of the corrupt officials, their power inherited, their actions unchecked. The people’s anger, their frustration, found an outlet in those clay statues.
Although their actions wouldn’t reach the heavens, the Dongyuan Emperor’s tarnished reputation, the desecration of his temples… it became known among the other deities.
They might not know the details, but to have their temples vandalized… it was a humiliation. Many enjoyed his downfall.