Cataclysm Chapter 82: Afterbirth 8; Rain produced by electrolysis

Chapter 82: Afterbirth 8; Rain produced by electrolysis

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

Chen Yang turned around and saw the Demon Mother sprinting behind them. “She’s still following.”

Du Shuo, who was paying attention to the road conditions, responded, “The Demon Mother will pour all her maternal love into the child she’s leaving behind. She would die for that child, so she’ll definitely follow us to the branch office.” He glanced at He An’an, who was frowning in pain and seemed to be waking up. “Don’t let her wake up, or it’ll be troublesome.”

“I know.” Chen Yang used a calming talisman and spells on He An’an. When he looked up again, he found that the car had stopped. Du Shuo calmly explained, “Red light.” The law-abiding emperor strictly followed the rules and couldn’t accept losing points for running a red light.

Chen Yang looked out the car window and saw the Demon Mother crouching on top of a car three meters away, glaring at them. She was wary of Du Shuo and was anxiously pacing, trying to find an opportunity to save her child.

When the light turned green, the Demon Mother leapt towards their car but was repelled by a golden light before she could touch the roof. She let out a painful cry, flipped in the air, collided with a truck, and fell to the ground. The truck, due to the unexpected impact, veered into the greenbelt, but fortunately, there were no casualties. The driver, who was rescued later, was terrified and claimed he seemed to have hit something huge, but the surveillance footage showed nothing.

To ordinary people, the Demon Mother’s movements were invisible. Chen Yang looked away. “She’s still following. If she wasn’t using innocent girls to give birth to ghost children to regain her strength, her maternal love would be quite touching.” The Demon Mother used ghost children as supplements. If she chose the strongest one to keep as a child, she would love and protect it wholeheartedly.

Chen Yang used a talisman given by Mao Xiaoli for smooth passage and returned to the branch office without further incidents. By the time they arrived, it was nearly dusk, with the sunset casting a warm glow over the courtyard. Many people were out walking their dogs, suddenly feeling a chill and thinking it was the weather turning cold. They tightened their clothes and planned to check the weather forecast at home to remind their children to bring a jacket to work tomorrow.

The car stopped outside the branch office. Chen Yang entered the courtyard, looked up, and said, “They’re on the rooftop.” Du Shuo carried He An’an and went to the rooftop with Chen Yang. The Demon Mother quickly jumped onto a stone table in the courtyard, making guttural sounds, her compound eyes scanning the area. Suddenly, she looked up and dashed towards the rooftop, but as she touched the edge, she was injured by the symbols of evil suppression and fell to the ground.

The rooftop was covered with yellow cloth, with the back side painted with a Taiji diagram and the front side showing dozens of young girls and old women lying on their backs. Most were old women, likely girls whose vitality had been drained by the ghost children. Among them were a few pregnant girls. Some were awake, witnessing everything with fear but also with hope.

Lu Xiuzhi set up the altar, lighting eight eternal lamps around the Eight Trigrams. Mao Xiaoli continuously drew symbols of evil suppression around the rooftop, with Zhang Qiudao providing her with a mixture of rice wine and cinnabar. Kou Xuanling was assisting Lu Xiuzhi, borrowing the vitality of mountains and rivers. The Demon Mother’s pitiful screams startled them, but they quickly resumed their tasks.

Chen Yang looked up. The sunset was breathtakingly beautiful, vibrant and awe-inspiring. The best times to gather energy in Taiji were at Zi, Wu, Mao, and You hours, corresponding to morning, noon, evening, and midnight. It was around five o’clock, during the You hour, when yin and yang energy were most abundant.

The dragon veins of the capital were endless, with vitality constantly flowing. Surrounded by the Yellow River, with Mount Tai to the left and Mount Hua to the right, accompanied by the Azure Dragon and White Tiger. The Yellow River, one of the three great rivers of China, originated from Kunlun, providing endless vitality. It was an ideal feng shui location and the best place for a capital. Therefore, borrowing the vitality of mountains and rivers in the capital was the easiest.

Lu Xiuzhi lit incense without a fire, bowed to heaven and earth three times, and inserted it into the incense burner. He then picked up a wind banner to inform the mountains and rivers. Within the four seas, all places with abundant vitality had spirits, and when borrowing something from them, one must inform them.

Chen Yang walked to Kou Xuanling and patted his shoulder. “How’s it going?”

Kou Xuanling turned and smiled at the two of them. “If nothing goes wrong, we should be able to save them all. However, their bodies have been fundamentally damaged by having their vitality drained. Unless they undergo proper treatment, their lifespans will still be affected.”

“Saving them is already much better than their current state.” Chen Yang didn’t see Ma Shanfeng and asked, “Where’s Uncle Ma?”

“He went home. We can handle it here. He needs to maintain contact with the Tibetan monks and the Taoist Association. Staying here would only distract him.” Kou Xuanling took out a Taoist instrument and listened intently. “Do you hear something?”

Chen Yang walked to the edge of the rooftop and looked downstairs. The courtyard was empty, and the surroundings were silent. Mao Xiaoli stopped drawing symbols and exchanged glances with Zhang Qiudao before leaning over to look down, also seeing the empty ground. Chen Yang said, “The Demon Mother can’t be willing to leave.” Then he heard rustling sounds, but when he listened closely, they disappeared.

Suddenly, Du Shuo grabbed Chen Yang’s wrist, pulled him behind, and quickly crushed a strange baby, killing it instantly. Everyone realized it was a one-eyed ghost child. Although the Demon Mother was suppressed in the Jokhang Temple in Tibet, she gave birth to ten ghost children daily. Even if only one survived every ten days, there would be tens of thousands over a thousand years to serve her.

Mao Xiaoli saw this and jumped to the edge of the rooftop, bending over to look down. The walls were covered with ghost children climbing up silently under the Demon Mother’s command. Mao Xiaoli shouted, “The walls are full of ghost children.”

Chen Yang asked, “Aren’t they afraid of the symbols of evil suppression?”

Mao Xiaoli looked down. “Apparently not.” She climbed back up. “Do you know how ants break out of a fire circle?”

Zhang Qiudao frowned. “Are you serious?” Chen Yang agilely jumped to the edge of the rooftop and looked down, seeing the leading ghost children rubbing against the symbols of evil suppression. After being burned, they made faint rustling sounds. He glanced at Lu Xiuzhi, who was already borrowing energy, with thick clouds forming a huge vortex above his head, a spectacular sight.

Mao Xiaoli stepped on a ghost child, took the peach wood sword thrown by Zhang Qiudao, and killed it. But seeing more ghost children climbing up, she felt it was troublesome. “There are too many ghost children. If this continues, there might be mistakes.” There were only five of them, and they might not be able to stop all the ghost children. If any disturbed Lu Xiuzhi, it would ruin everything and endanger the girls. “Brother Chen, what should we do?”

Chen Yang put away the copper coin sword. “Old Du, it’s up to you.” He stepped back to Du Shuo. “Order them to leave.”

Du Shuo gently scratched his nose and said helplessly, “I can’t order them.”

Chen Yang was surprised. “How come? Isn’t the Emperor of Fengdu the highest deity in the underworld, commanding all ghosts?”

Du Shuo replied, “Just ordering them won’t work. The ghost children obey the Demon Mother and won’t disobey. They fear and respect me, but they absolutely obey the Demon Mother. Even as the Emperor, some evil ghosts won’t obey me.” Like mortal emperors, there were always rebels. Du Shuo was a revered Taoist deity and a natural god, while the Demon Mother was also a natural god from ancient times. Her status and power gave her the qualification not to fear the Emperor. If she hadn’t been suppressed in the Jokhang Temple for causing trouble in the mortal world, weakening her power, she might have dared to confront the Emperor directly.

He took out the other half of the Emperor’s seal from Chen Yang’s necklace. “If orders alone don’t work, we’ll have to forcibly suppress them. These ghost children appearing in the mortal world are already breaking the law.”

Chen Yang’s eyes brightened, and he quickly took off his necklace and gave the other half of the Emperor’s seal to Du Shuo. “Then do it quickly.”

Du Shuo glanced at Chen Yang, took the other half of the seal, and put it on his thumb, where the other half was already placed. With a soft click, the two halves of the Emperor’s seal joined together. Chen Yang, who was closest, felt momentarily dizzy but quickly recovered. He focused on the complete Emperor’s seal on Du Shuo’s thumb, knowing its terrifying power could command and suppress thousands of evil spirits in the underworld!

Chen Yang took a step back and whispered, “It’s my first time seeing its full power. I’m quite looking forward to it.”

Du Shuo squeezed Chen Yang’s neck and kissed his ear. He stepped forward, looking down at the ghost children below. In their eyes, it was as if they were in hell, with the deity above them making any thought of resistance impossible.

But the desperate cries of their companions and the Demon Mother’s frenzied orders forced them to keep moving forward, though their actions would only lead to their suppression in hell.

“Ghost children, you have left the underworld without permission, disturbing the order of the mortal world, reversing yin and yang, aiding the wicked. You are sentenced to the Fiery Hell to atone for your sins before you can enter the cycle of reincarnation.” Du Shuo’s hands overlapped, his right thumb rubbing the Emperor’s seal on his left thumb. As he finished speaking, a seal appeared in the air, turning into light and imprinting itself on the ghost children below, becoming an indelible mark. Only when their sins were cleansed would the mark disappear, allowing them to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation.

These ghost children had been accomplices of the Demon Mother, committing evil deeds with her. Without catching them in the act, Du Shuo could only temporarily let them go. Now, seeing them leave the underworld was already a major crime, not to mention their intention to harm lives, adding to their sins.

Evil spirits and ghosts were not allowed to leave the underworld without permission, as it would disrupt the order of the mortal world, reversing yin and yang, and causing chaos. Therefore, evil spirits and ghosts, once caught and registered in the underworld, could live in the yin residences. Those without graves or tombstones would be allowed back into the mortal world for certain reasons, living by attaching themselves to plants. These all had marks. If they left the underworld without marks, they would be breaking the law of the underworld.

Mao Xiaoli pressed against the rooftop and looked down, seeing the courtyard turning into a volcano, capturing all the climbing ghost children. They fell into the lava, instantly turning into skeletons, unable to escape despite their struggles. Their pitiful cries echoed through the branch office, but thanks to the soundproof symbols she had drawn earlier, no sound escaped the branch office.

Mao Xiaoli gasped in fear and quickly climbed back up, patting her chest. “Is this the Fiery Hell? It’s terrifying.”

Zhang Qiudao teased, “If you don’t do anything wrong, you won’t fear the Eight Cold and Eight Hot Hells. Have you been cheating people out of money?”

“Get lost.” Mao Xiaoli rolled her eyes at him. Zhang Qiudao mercilessly mocked her but carefully supported Mao Xiaoli, who was weak in the legs, guiding her to a safe place. “Sit down, you coward,” he said, infuriating Mao Xiaoli, who nearly started a fight with him.

Du Shuo’s Fengdu Emperor Seal not only suppressed the ghosts below but also kept those still hiding in the girls’ abdomens at bay. Their cries gradually ceased, no longer daring to wail or absorb any vital energy. Of course, with Chen Yang and Mao Xiaoli’s talismans warding off evil spirits, the ghosts couldn’t absorb any vital energy even if they wanted to. Moreover, Lu Xiuzhi had successfully gathered abundant vital energy from mountains, rivers, and lakes to surround the girls. The external rich energy and the dry internal energy created two extremes, making it impossible for the ghosts to survive. If they crawled out of the girls’ abdomens, they would be immediately killed.

The layered clouds above resembled a magnificent palace, spectacular and grand. The rich vital energy gathered, forming a splendid glow that attracted countless birds circling in the sky. The flowers and plants in the courtyard, nearly withered from the ghosts’ yin and death energy, now revived, and even the mice and insects in the cave came out to enjoy the rare abundance of vital energy.

Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Qiudao and others sat cross-legged, breathing and absorbing the rich vital energy, which, even in small amounts, greatly benefited their bodies. The girls’ pale faces gradually regained color, and even the white-haired old women began to revert to their youthful appearances as the vital energy repaired their damaged internal functions. The generous and selfless gift from nature promised to restore their health.

The girls gradually awakened, their fear of finding themselves in an unfamiliar place overshadowed by the immense joy of regaining their original appearances. They cried and laughed, touching their faces and smooth skin, immersed in the joy of their miraculous recovery.

Suddenly, fine rain began to fall, cool and refreshing, absorbing into their pores with a comforting sensation. The rain, rich in vital energy, was enough to rejuvenate all life, akin to the first rain of spring.

Kou Xuanling suddenly opened his eyes and shouted, “Quick, get the jars to collect the rainwater! Uncle Ma specifically instructed us to do so if it rained. He plans to use it to make wine.” Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiudao, Lu Xiuzhi, and even Du Shuo silently brought jars to collect the rainwater, indicating how Ma Shanfeng’s winemaking skills attracted many enthusiasts, especially Lu Xiuzhi, who would get drunk even on beer.

Chen Yang laughed and suddenly slapped his forehead as if remembering something, “Oh no, the Demon Mother!” He quickly ran downstairs, recalling Kui Xuan and heading to her room. As expected, he found the door wide open and rushed inside to see Kui Xuan sitting on the Demon Mother’s back, seemingly prying something with a small knife. “Kui Xuan, are you alright?”

Kui Xuan had just pried a copper coin from the Demon Mother’s back and handed it to Chen Yang, “Chen Xiaoyang, I found your copper coin. Here you go.”

Chen Yang sighed in relief, picked up Kui Xuan, and glanced at the unconscious Demon Mother. His mouth twitched, “What happened?”

Kui Xuan, with innocent wide eyes, said, “I was doing my homework when she suddenly barged in and tried to put something nasty in my stomach. I got scared and knocked her out, then found this coin on her back and dug it out.”

“Were you hurt?”

“No. She suddenly became very weak.”

Chen Yang guessed that the Demon Mother coveted Kui Xuan’s body, intending to place a ghost inside her to mature and consume immediately. However, even if she succeeded in putting a ghost inside Kui Xuan, it would likely die prematurely, as Kui Xuan, being a feijiang, had no vital energy. The Demon Mother suddenly weakened because Ma Shanfeng and the Daoist Association, along with Tibetan monks, suppressed her original form at Jokhang Temple, weakening her clone. Additionally, the ghosts were suddenly thrown into a fiery hell, losing their power source, making it normal for Kui Xuan to overpower the Demon Mother.

“As long as you’re fine.” Chen Yang turned his head casually, his expression suddenly darkening. His tone was very calm, “Kui Xuan, you said you were doing homework. What are they doing?”

Kui Xuan froze, recalling she had instructed the two Maojiangs to complete their homework first, no matter what happened. So, while she was beating up the Demon Mother, the two Maojiangs couldn’t intervene. Her cold and selfish behavior now meant she faced the prospect of being skinned herself.

Author’s Note:

The next chapter is “Fu Nao’s Hell.”

I personally don’t like discussing religion. I previously considered writing a chapter about Tantric Buddhism or modern cults but decided against it. I don’t want to touch on religious topics as they can be sensitive to some believers. Although I believe in Buddhism and Taoism, I only have a basic faith without delving into their doctrines. A professor who studied the I Ching once said that believing in a religion isn’t about gaining something or superstition but having a faith that sets a moral baseline to restrain oneself. I agree with that.

 

Science Facts:

(The following information is extracted from Baidu and books, not the author’s personal opinion.)

Tibetan Buddhism is one of the three major geographical systems of Buddhism in China and belongs to Mahayana Buddhism. Judging by its doctrine, its Tantric Buddhism is relative to the Mahayana Buddhism Exoteric Teachings. Modern Tibetan Buddhism differs from pre-new China Tibetan Buddhism, which was more brutal due to the serfdom system in Tibet. However, it was their faith. Now, those outdated practices are abolished.

Tibetan Buddhism has several sects and differs from the other two major Buddhist systems because it is a combination of Indian Buddhism and the local Bon religion. Bon can be considered the origin.

As for dual cultivation and other aspects… uh… anyway, I’m just stating facts without personal bias. This is all about old Tibetan Buddhism in pre-modern Tibet, which was isolated, forming its own nation and system.

1. Consorts of different ages had different roles. Dual cultivation with them could focus the mind, achieving ’emptiness,’ believed to derive power from women.
2. The old system regarded serfs as property, especially women. Their flesh, bones, and chastity could be offered.
3. Human skin drums and A Jie drums are known. These sacrifices were voluntary due to their upbringing in that environment, considering it an honor.
4. Chopping hands and feet to make bone flutes was believed to be highly powerful.

If you’re interested, you can research it yourself. Those with weak tolerance should avoid it, as it can be quite horrifying.

 

 

 

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