Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Chapter 115 Figure it out

Perhaps it was a habit he developed from wandering the world, but wherever Ma Jiepu went, people could always see him carrying a small package, which always contained some emergency supplies.

Each time he took something out, it was a small item, so it didn't attract much attention. But if someone accompanied him for a long time and paid close attention, they would find that the items he took out were larger than the package's capacity.

Unlike the luggage carried on the donkey, Ma Jiepu carried only a cloth bundle, inconspicuous, yet always able to produce some magical items, such as the snuff bottles containing stimulants last time, and now, he pulled out a packet of unknown powder.

He poured a glass of water and dragged Yang Wanshi, who was shouting for help and trying to escape outside, back into the house. Yin was afraid of Ma Jiepu, and seeing him being dragged away, she didn't dare to get angry anymore, even though she was holding a kitchen knife. She went straight back to her room.

Anyway, Yang Wanshi couldn't stay by the other party's side for a whole day; he would have to come back eventually, and then they could settle accounts.

Ma Jiepu pulled Yang Wanshi back, and in front of him and Yang's father, he opened the packet of medicine powder, poured in a little powder, and handed it over.

"This medicine is called 'Husband Rejuvenation Powder,' which can stimulate a person's courage and fighting spirit. It is a miraculous medicine that I obtained by chance during my travels."

From the outside, the powder disappeared after being poured in, and when Yang Wanshi took it, it looked like just an ordinary cup of tea.

"We didn't take it out before because this medicine has side effects and is slightly harmful to the body, but now..."

Seeing Yang Wanshi's cowardly and timid appearance, he couldn't think of any other way to help him except by using external force. They had become sworn brothers, and he had initially thought the Yang brothers were gentlemen before forming the bond, but he never expected that Yang Wanshi's humility and gentleness would be seen as cowardice and inability to be helped.

"You've already exposed my magic, so I have no choice but to let you drink a little to try it out."

Yang Wanshi was cowardly and timid, but he was also truly obedient. Faced with Ma Jiepu's medicine, which he had never seen before and whose effects were strange, he obediently drank it.

The medicine itself was no ordinary medicine; it took effect immediately upon being taken. Yang Wanshi felt a surge of rage rising in his heart, his anger instantly filling his chest. He roared and rushed out, heading once again towards Madam Yin's room.

It was obvious that the medicine he had drunk was taking effect. Old Mr. Yang had never seen his eldest son have such an imposing presence. This time, they all went out with him to watch Yang Wanshi's actions.

As soon as the door opened, Madam Yin saw that he had returned and instinctively wanted to slap him again. But this time, to her surprise, Yang Wanshi jumped up and kicked Madam Yin, who was about to hit him, to the ground.

In all the years that Madam Yin had been with the Yang family, she was always the one chasing after people and beating them, with Yang Wanshi being the one who was mainly beaten. But today, things suddenly turned against her. Before she could even slap him, she was kicked by Yang Wanshi first.

Suddenly kicked, Yin was naturally furious. Before she could even get up, she was already cursing. But before she could finish her sentence, Yang Wanshi's fist swung at her face.

For a moment, the room was filled with a series of loud bangs as Yang Wanshi fought with Madam Yin like a madman, and even gained the upper hand.

"I've heard that fox spirits are mostly skilled in medicine and can cure all diseases and have countless miraculous medicines. Seeing them today, I can confirm that their reputation is well-deserved."

Hu Sijie stood beside Ma Jiepu. At this moment, the Yang family's attention was entirely on Yang Wanshi, who had drunk the "Husband Rejuvenation Powder". The Yang family had always been chased and beaten by Yin Shi. Today, seeing Yang Wanshi fight back, they didn't say anything, but they were secretly delighted.

"My medical skills are not high, but I have traveled to many places and naturally collected a lot of rare and unusual things."

While Ma Jiepu was talking to Hu Sijie, who was hiding her figure, his eyes were always on Yang Wanshi's movements. Since the Yang family couldn't see Hu Sijie, if he turned his head to face Hu Sijie, it would look like he was talking to thin air to others.

In terms of proper medical skills, Ma Jiepu was not very proficient. Compared with his colleagues, he could not bring the dead back to life or restore the consciousness of a congenitally mentally challenged person. For proper treatment, it was better to consult a mortal doctor.

When it comes to strange and unusual medicines, he had them all. The "Husband Rejuvenation Powder" he gave to Yang Wanshi was just one of his many strange collections.

But as things stand, the only thing that can help Yang Wanshi right now is this packet of powder with some side effects.

While they were chatting, Yin had already sustained many injuries. Yang Wanshi seemed tireless, each punch he threw at her was harder than the last, as if he wanted to make up for all the grievances she had suffered over the years.

Even so, Madam Yin continued to hurl insults. She had clearly seen that Ma Jiepu had pulled the man away for a short while, and in the blink of an eye, the cowardly Yang Wanshi had become a different person. It was obvious that Ma Jiepu had done something again, so she was still unconvinced.

As the fight went on, Yang Wanshi found the kitchen knife that Yin had used to threaten him earlier. He was very familiar with this knife. That night, Yin had used it to cut her father’s new clothes, which ultimately drove her younger brother, Yang Wanzhong, to jump into the well.

Driven by rage, Yang Wanshi raised his knife and brought it down. Those around heard Yin Shi scream in agony as Yang Wanshi ripped a piece of flesh from her leg. At this, Yin Shi dared not curse anymore.

Yin calmed down, but Yang Wanshi's emotions had not subsided. He picked up a knife and was about to strike again, as if he wanted to hit her in the chest.

Seeing this, Ma Jiepu intervened. Whatever the fight had gone on before could be considered a family matter for the Yang family. If it really resulted in a death, they would have to face legal trouble.

With the aid of a miraculous medicine, Yang Wanshi became ruthless and his strength increased several times over. He pinned Yin Shi, who had previously suppressed him, to the ground and beat her mercilessly until now, showing no signs of fatigue and becoming increasingly fierce as he beat her.

Ma Jiepu looked like a young man, and no one could tell whether he had come of age or not. Yet, this young man was able to grab Yang Wanshi's hand that was wielding a knife with one hand and pull him back to the side room with overwhelming strength, only releasing him after the effects of the drug wore off.

As the effects of the medicine wore off, Yang Wanshi's aura immediately deflated. Recalling what he had just done, he looked at his hands in disbelief. Although the knife and the meat had been thrown away, the blood on his hands was not completely dry. If he wiped it on his clothes, it would leave bloodstains.

Despite the assistance of external forces, this time Yang Wanshi truly rebelled against Madam Yin, even knocking her to the ground. In the past, he would never have dared to even think about it.

……

“…Say it again.”

Upon receiving the new intelligence, several transmigrators within the White Lotus Sect were somewhat reluctant to believe their ears.

Several strongholds where monsters gathered were destroyed, and all the monsters they had captured escaped. At first, they thought that more powerful monsters had come to retaliate. It was expected that capturing too many small monsters would inadvertently attract some powerful ones.

This isn't too bad. If all else fails, we can rely on our own people. As long as we don't run into any real gods, the transmigrators' various cheat codes are still quite powerful.

However, this idea was quickly shattered, because the demons would not turn around and report to the authorities after saving their own kind, handing over the White Lotus Sect members to the government.

What kind of shady tactic is reporting to the authorities? The White Lotus Sect's own stance is already very sensitive. It's a folk cult with a history of various rebellions. If the world becomes even more chaotic, attacking White Lotus Sect strongholds will be just like earning military merits.

Monsters can be caught again if they escape, but once the stronghold is discovered by the local government, it becomes difficult to rebuild.

After all, on the surface, the imperial court and several orthodox religions suppressed the development of the White Lotus Sect. Even if those who joined the White Lotus Sect had high secular status, under such circumstances, the convenience they could obtain within the sect was limited, and once exposed, they would be in danger of losing their lives.

Even if you are exceptionally talented and rise to the rank of general, you must lead troops into battle if ordered by your superiors. If the affairs of the White Lotus Sect are discovered, you will be the first to be executed.

Once the outpost is exposed to the local government, it's equivalent to being blacklisted, making it very difficult to rebuild.

What's even more outrageous is that this isn't just one lost outpost; several have been lost recently, both in the north and south, as if we've suddenly started a war of attack and defense against an unknown enemy.

"Forget about the stronghold for now, the important thing is the captured cult members."

If we can keep them around to guard the monsters, there are one or two people in each place who have real skills and decent cultivation. If we can rescue these people, we can recover some of our losses.

"Where's Ah Ying? Come back and get him!"

The so-called A-Ying is someone whose abilities are linked to shadows, leaving Shuang Xiu completely confused. These two transmigrators, who are not human in the mortal world, one named Yan and the other Ying, directly use their ability characteristics as code names.

Such a title seems perfunctory, but it is also very representative. Anyway, everyone is only cooperating temporarily, and we may not see each other again in the next world. We can just come up with any code name as long as it sounds nice to us.

The missions are divided into two parts: Yan will lead a group to find the leader of the Three Treasures Sect, who previously failed in his rebellion, and bring back the soul of the person in question; Ying will lead a group to capture monsters and coordinate with other locations.

These two tasks were not difficult in the first place. Both of them had special abilities that allowed them to appear and disappear unpredictably and to hide their bodies at any time, thus avoiding physical damage. But now, things have gone wrong.

The former encountered several unexpected obstacles while searching for someone, and returned early, bringing back only one of the three leaders' heads; the latter did not return early, but he returned late and has not come back yet, and it is unknown what he is doing.

We need to get people out of prison. Shadow can pull people into his shadow and take them away. And because shadows are illusory, there's no need to worry about them being attacked. This ability is perfect for saving people.

So where are they? Where did they go?!

"He's entangled with those golden and silver horns and can't come back for the time being."

The two beauties' gold and silver outfits were so distinctive in this world that it would be hard for others to find a similar combination. As enemies, they didn't want to give each other any nice nicknames, but they also wanted them to be unique enough for their own people to know who they were talking about.

Then someone mentioned "Golden Horn and Silver Horn," and someone else chimed in, but in the end, the terms "Golden Horn" and "Silver Horn" became synonyms for "Juan Shoutian" and "Yuan Wuxiang" among the illegal transmigrators. At first glance, they seemed unrelated, but upon closer listening, they made some sense.

This is truly an epic collaboration! Don't you think so? The two main characters from The Way of Gold and Silver?

Ever since they discovered that their attacks were ineffective against the strange shadow ability, Juan Shoutian and Yuan Wuxiang have been locked in a battle with the enemy, relentlessly pursuing their subordinates. Currently, the two heroes are unable to harm the main body, but the shadow dares not return to the main camp.

The two men had been following his movements. Returning to the main camp at this time would be like leading the Japanese into the village, which was absolutely unacceptable.

This guy's ability is really too strange. When Shuangxiu realized that his attacks couldn't hit him, he realized the seriousness of the situation. If they couldn't figure out his ability, this guy would be the biggest variable when the plan was about to be completed and everyone was wiped out.

As for Liu Qingyuan himself, he didn't mind giving the other side more time, but he didn't want someone to slip through the net when he was finally ready to wipe them all out.

So now, the most peculiar of abilities, Ying, is being targeted by Juan Shou Tian Yuan Wu Xiang. His own mission is to lead his subordinates to capture monsters. The two of them are keeping an eye on him and can also rescue the little monsters and suppress the White Lotus Sect, which can be considered as killing two birds with one stone in another sense.

Now, the problem lies with the illegal transmigrators. The one with the most convenient abilities can't return, and multiple strongholds have been destroyed. What can they do?

"...Go find King Asura and discuss his proposal again."

Previously, Shou Wanjie said he wanted to bring people to join, but it was rejected by several people. They already had enough to think about with Shou Wanjie alone, and now they wanted to bring in a new one, who was some kind of Taoist, whose background overlapped with the enemy's, or who might even have the same origin as the enemy.

Just thinking about it makes me think it won't work. If things continue like this, they will really be replaced by the other side step by step. Even if they manage to complete the mission in the end, the extra personnel will be an unavoidable variable.

They never truly trusted this uninvited Asura King; they simply accepted him because his actions had always been beneficial to them. However, this did not mean they could accept him joining their companions.

However, the plan has been thwarted once again, and in terms of strength and security, Shou Wanjie has become the best candidate.

After the proposal was rejected, Shou Wanjie stopped paying attention and just watched from the sidelines, saying he was giving the others time to consider. But in reality, it was obvious that the other party was waiting for their agreement and believed that they would definitely agree.

Very good, he guessed correctly.

"Go find him and see what kind of companion he is."

Lan Ying said this through gritted teeth, knowing that the other party had calculated that they would eventually agree.

The reasoning is simple: the sunk cost effect. In the beginning, Shou Wanjie was incredibly generous, rescuing people, helping to fight, and providing conveniences for illegal transmigrators, thus building a platform that exceeded their original capabilities and efficiency.

Now, the group stands on this high platform built under the guidance of outsiders. Looking back, they see the preparations for the foundation that Shou Wanjie deliberately raised. Looking ahead, they see the completion conditions that were raised along with the first half because it was too big. If they cannot maintain this level, they will not be able to finish.

He can leave at any time, but the illegal transmigrators can't do without him right now. The initial investment was too large, and the involvement of the "Asura King" character is too high.

Even more seriously, the reason these people can boss the White Lotus Cult around so easily is because of the "Asura King's" reputation. If they break up now, not only will their plans and itinerary have to be overturned and revised, but the members of the White Lotus Cult may also stop obeying their commands.

At this point, they were completely at each other's mercy. Without the other party's help, they couldn't get off this high platform unless they were willing to harden their hearts, jump down, and start over.

"King Asura, let's have a proper talk."

It's obvious they can't bring themselves to be ruthless.