Chapter 49: We Are All Your Relatives Too
Ming Zhaoshuang said lightly, then stopped her sword in front of Shen Liqian and the others, and helped Wei Jiao down.
Fei Changxiu asked, “What’s going on? Junior Sister, how did you fly over and bring her here?”
“You might not understand, this isn’t ‘shelter,’ it’s deception.”
Ming Zhaoshuang said:
“This is one of the most disgusting and sinful ways of transaction in the common world. In some economically backward and ignorant places, female infants are killed at birth to save resources, leaving only male infants.”
“And when these male infants grow into men, they face the predicament of not having a spouse, so a transaction gradually emerged—luring women from other places, selling them at a clear price, for procreation.”
“In such an environment, women only become their tools for childbirth, confined in small, dirty rooms, eating the same food as dogs every day, and enduring their abuse.”
“Once the woman gives birth, they will try to use the child to trap her, gradually taming them and making them part of their group.”
“This is perhaps what those notices refer to as ‘shelter’.” Ming Zhaoshuang sighed, saying:
“Looking at Qian City, even the City Lord’s mansion tacitly allows, or perhaps even participates in, such transactions.”
This is truly terrifying.
Ming Zhaoshuang was born in the 21st century, with the most powerful motherland in the world, yet such transactions still existed, which she knew somewhat.
She originally thought that after arriving in the cultivation world, such things would not happen, but she did not expect that not only did they happen, but they were even more outrageous than in her previous life.
Fei Changxiu and the others were all Heaven’s Chosen, growing up in large sects, always chivalrous, how had they ever witnessed such suffering among the common people? For a moment, their curses were incessant.
“Damn it, killing their own daughters, are they even human? Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs!”
“What kind of beasts are these? Women are not objects, how can they be sold at will! Tools for childbirth, don’t they think about how they themselves came into this world!”
“Pah! Taming their grandfathers, sheltering their fathers, this is simply not tolerated by heaven and earth, and is loathed by gods and men alike!”
……
Even the usually gentle Shen Liqian could not help but comment, “It’s truly disgusting to the extreme.”
Seeing the few people getting emotional, Wei Jiao beside them was so frightened that she took half a step back. Ming Zhaoshuang gently took her hand and introduced her to everyone:
“This is Wei Jiao, one of the women who were deceived.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s hand was very cold, but Wei Jiao felt a warmth she had never experienced before.
She timidly looked at the “immortals” before her. Their eyes were filled with indignation at her encounter and with sympathy and pity, without the slightest hint of disgust towards her soiled body.
“Wei Jiao, don’t worry, we will definitely save you.”
“Wei Jiao, don’t be sad. When the time comes, we’ll tie them all up for you to vent your anger.”
“Wei Jiao, we will definitely send you home. You must believe us.”
…….
The few people spoke one after another, all crowding around Wei Jiao, their clear eyes fixed on her, leaving only sincerity.
In such an environment, Wei Jiao couldn’t help but cry again, tears falling like rain, uncontrollable.
“Don’t scare her.”
Ming Zhaoshuang pushed them aside and introduced Wei Jiao again, “My name is Ming Zhaoshuang, the Eldest Young Lady of the Ming Family. These few are my Senior Brothers and Sisters.
“This is Ming Chenxing, the Chief Senior Disciple of the Ming Family; this is Shen Liqian, a Senior Sister from the Ao Tian Sect; this is Fei Changxiu, a Senior Brother from the Ao Tian Sect; this is Ji Qi, a Senior Brother from the Ao Tian Sect; this is He Jiusi, a Senior Brother from the Ao Tian Sect; and this is He Qingqing, a Senior Sister from the Ao Tian Sect.”
“Your hometown, Kun City, falls under the jurisdiction of the Ao Tian Sect, so since we are all cultivators, we are also your family.”
At the mention of “family,” Wei Jiao’s tears fell even faster.
However, no one present found her sentimental, and instead, they used handkerchiefs to wipe away her tears.
After a long while, Wei Jiao finally stopped crying and said, “I’m fine, I’m fine. I’m just too happy.”
For three whole years, she had lived in a pigsty, eaten dog food, and endured abuse worse than that of pigs and dogs.
Now, such days were finally coming to an end, and she could finally see a faint light.
The group comforted Wei Jiao for a while longer. Seeing that her emotions had somewhat calmed down, they had Fei Changxiu and Ming Chenxing hunt two spiritual beasts in the forest to roast and fill Wei Jiao’s stomach, and only then did they have Shen Liqian take her to wash up.
After all, while the Cleansing Spell was effective, it didn’t give one a feeling of cleanliness.
Ming Zhaoshuang said, “We can now confirm that the people in this village are ordinary mortals, otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to escape just now. But Aunt Qin Zhi reached the Late Golden Core thirty years ago, it’s impossible for her to be trapped in this village by a group of mortals.”
Ji Qi said, “There are only two possibilities: first, this village possesses an unfathomable magical artifact, capable of suppressing cultivators at the Late Golden Core stage.”
“Second, Martial Uncle Qin Zhi herself has a problem, has lost her cultivation, and coincidentally was targeted by the people in this village.”
If it were the former, then their intrusion would be a dead end; if it were the latter, then they could directly storm the village and rescue Qin Zhi.
He Jiusi said, “Perhaps we can also ask Wei Jiao.”
As soon as he said this, everyone fell silent, clearly disagreeing.
Wei Jiao had finally escaped that hellhole with great difficulty, and they still wanted to question her for details, fearing they might provoke a strong reaction from her.
Since they were cultivators, they were naturally meant to protect the mortal world; there was no reason for them to stab someone in the heart out of cowardice.
Just then, the communication talisman carried by Fei Changxiu suddenly ignited, revealing Qin Du’s anxious and melancholic face.
The group quickly gathered around, six heads filling the opposite screen:
“What’s wrong? Sect Master, Uncle Qin?”
“Zhizhi’s life lamp… her life lamp is about to go out! Your Martial Uncle Qin Zhi’s life lamp is about to go out!”
Qin Du’s eyes were slightly red, his face pale, and his hands hung limply, repeatedly saying:
“For thirty years, her life lamp hadn’t changed much, but today! Today it suddenly… suddenly changed! Her life lamp has never been so weak as it is today!”
A tear suddenly fell from Qin Du’s eye, and he said to the six of them:
“How are your progress over there? Do you have any news of Zhizhi? What exactly has happened to her!”
Fei Changxiu was about to speak when Ming Zhaoshuang interrupted him and said to Qin Du:
“Uncle Qin, we have found Aunt Qin Zhi’s location. Rest assured, we will definitely be able to save her.”
Ming Zhaoshuang’s voice was firm and clear: “Tomorrow, at the latest tomorrow, I will let you see Aunt Qin Zhi.”
With that, she closed the communication talisman and took a heavy step back.
“It doesn’t make sense. If Aunt Qin Zhi was tricked into this village, her life lamp should have been weak but stable, like it was thirty years ago. Why would it suddenly be about to go out?”
Fei Changxiu’s lips also turned pale, “We should have realized earlier. If Martial Uncle Qin Zhi’s life lamp could have remained lit, why would that woman have traveled thousands of miles to the Ao Tian Sect to give us this news.”
It must be because Martial Uncle Qin Zhi was on the verge of death.
Qin Du’s words plunged the youngsters’ spirits to rock bottom.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence:
“Is the Senior Qin Zhi you’re talking about an immortal monster?”
