Under the orchid shield, the light rain fell like silk threads.
As the umbilical cord snapped, the rotting Buddhist light scattered. However, the moment it touched the Myriad Herbs Life-Death Realm, all death qi was forcibly stripped away and converted into the purest vitality.
Su Xue stood at the center of the light rain. Her face, which had been pale from overextending her origin, now regained a rosy hue at a pace visible to the naked eye.
She felt the life force within her body surging like a vast sea, inexhaustible.
"This is..."
Su Xue looked at her hands in astonishment.
In the past, her spiritual energy reserves were always insufficient, forcing her to burn her own blood. Now, her reserves were locked at full capacity, and because of the overflow, she was forced to vent the energy outward.
No matter how much death qi Ksitigarbha of Great Vows released, she could convert it all into vitality.
Within the domain of the Myriad Herbs Life-Death Realm, as long as the death qi did not end, her spiritual energy was infinite!
"In that case, I can save even more people."
Su Xue infused all the overflowing vegetation vitality into the orchid. The green light rain filling the sky became denser, drenching every resident of Jiuquan Village.
"Life and death in flux, an endless cycle!"
Su Xue gave a soft cry.
Supported by the Myriad Herbs Life-Death Realm, she reversed the overflowing vitality back into death qi.
Pure vitality could not save the 'living dead,' but the reversed death qi could.
The villagers whose skin had been festering from the Buddhist light saw their wounds immediately stop bleeding and scab over, replaced by tender new flesh.
Many who had already rotted and died felt their hearts begin to drum like war beats once more.
Thump. Thump. Thump...
The heartbeats joined together, sounding like the most beautiful rhythm in the world.
Vitality flooded into Jiuquan Village like a sea.
Watching the faces below regain their color, Su Xue’s own expression brightened.
Though she was accustomed to life and death, deep down, she was still that little orchid who wished for the world to bloom in splendor.
"Do not be afraid. It is over now," Su Xue's voice was gentle, yet it reached every corner clearly.
With a wave of her slender hand, the massive amount of overflowing vitality turned into specks of fluorescent light, sinking into the frozen earth.
The crops withered by the Buddhist light and the old trees cracked by the frost suddenly sprouted tender green buds at this moment.
Red plums bloomed in the snow; the withered wood met spring again.
In just the time it took for half a stick of incense to burn, Jiuquan Village had come back to life.
"We're alive! We're truly alive!"
"The Goddess has manifested!!"
The villagers wept with joy, falling to their knees in the mud one after another, kowtowing frantically toward Su Xue in the sky.
"Big Sis Su Xue, can you even save the dead now?" Poison-Wing’s eyes widened.
Su Xue smiled faintly. Though she remained gentle, her brow held a new sense of composure.
"Since the Great Vow does not want them to live, I will make sure they live well."
"This is the only thing I can do for the Master."
As they spoke, a clattering sound of bones colliding came from the nearby ruins.
"Minions, look sharp for Lord Rat!"
The Plague Rat stood atop the gap where the umbilical cord had been smashed, directing a group of Bone Temple novice monks to clean the battlefield.
These skeletal monks, wearing their human-skin cassocks, were busily piling up the remains of the demon beasts to burn them.
"Lord Rat, what about these mortals?"
A skeletal novice monk with a missing front tooth scurried over, pointing at the kneeling villagers. "Should we... deliver their souls to the afterlife?"
"Deliver them my foot!"
The Plague Rat smacked its bald skull, spinning its head three times around.
"Didn't you see that those are the people your Sister Su Xue saved? They are the Master's future subjects!"
"Why do you think you were brought here? To take care of these mortals!"
"Hurry up! A few of you go repair the village walls, and a few more go boil some hot water for them."
"The rest of you, clear out the demonic qi around here for Lord Rat. If a single demon startles them, I'll dismantle your bones for soup!"
Hearing this, the soul fire in the skeletal novice monks' eyes surged. They huddled together, whispering with voices trembling with excitement.
"Did you hear that? The Founding Ancestor has entrusted the rear to us!"
"Think about it. The Founding Ancestor and our Master are slaughtering their way through the Wolf Court. If they conquer the Northern Region, this Jiuquan Village will be our Bone Temple's first stronghold here. It’s the cradle of the empire!"
"Exactly. The Founding Ancestor asked us to protect mortals. This isn't just protecting mortals—it’s a test of our loyalty! He’s letting us hold down the first piece of his ten-thousand-mile territory!"
"I understand! I finally understand!"
"The Founding Ancestor’s foresight is far beyond our reach!"
The group of skeletal monks suddenly acted as if they’d been injected with a stimulant, rushing toward various parts of the village with howling cries.
Some shouldered stones to fix the walls, others clumsily helped the villagers set up shelters, and one skeleton even tried to hug a crying child, only to make the child cry even louder.
The Plague Rat watched this and nodded with satisfaction before hopping over to Su Xue’s side.
"Is it all settled?"
Su Xue nodded, looking at the villagers who were rejoicing after their narrow escape. She said softly, "They are all healed. Their bodies are no longer in danger."
The Plague Rat rubbed its paws together, the eyes beneath its mask flickering with a fierce light. "But in the Northern Region, there are probably quite a few villages like this, right?"
At those words, Su Xue turned her gaze toward other settlements visible through the wind and snow in the distance.
"Besides Jiuquan Village, there are over a hundred other gathering points."
"Ksitigarbha of Great Vows is draining the vitality of the entire Northern Region. The villagers in those places... I’m afraid they won’t last much longer."
"Over a hundred?"
The Plague Rat chuckled, licking its lips.
"Then what are we waiting for?"
"Those few rotten meat tubes—Lord Rat here can snap them with a few bites."
He turned and shouted at Poison-Wing and Piao, "You stupid bird, and you, glutton, stop resting!"
"The Master is holding down the biggest chunk of meat over at the Wolf Court. We need to clear out these small scraps."
"If we’re late and the Master blames us, we’ll be in for it."
Poison-Wing rolled his eyes helplessly, but he didn't move slowly. He spread his wings, kicking up a foul-smelling wind.
Piao also stood up silently. Though she didn't speak, the hostility in her eyes began to permeate the air.
"Move out!"
With a wave of the Plague Rat's paw, he left several dozen skeletal monks to guard the village and led the rest of the army on a grand march toward the next settlement.
Their figures soon disappeared into the vast blizzard.
Old Li, the woodcutter, walked out of the crowd with trembling steps. He watched the departing silhouettes, which were the only spots of color in the snow.
With a 'thud,' he knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face as he kowtowed heavily in that direction.
"I thank the Harvest Goddess for saving our lives! I thank the Bone God for his protection!"
Behind him, thousands of villagers knelt in unison. The sounds of weeping and gratitude shook the snow above Jiuquan Village.
"We pay our respects to the God! We pay our respects to the Goddess!"
The skeletal monks left behind were so moved by the scene that the soul fire in their eyes flickered wildly. One even reached up to wipe at its empty eye sockets.
"So touching... Is this the mortal world the Founding Ancestor wants?"
"For the sake of this glorious age, it would be worth it even if someone scattered my ashes!"
"Amitabha, how wonderful. Senior Brother, hurry and fix that collapsed wall over there. Don't let the Founding Ancestor's subjects catch a cold."
"Right away!"
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