I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

The drought that the old Taoist priest predicted four years ago has indeed come.

Just now, when she went out to find a medicinal herb to improve the health of her children, she saw that the residents of Peach Blossom Town had come to the Ten Thousand Mountains, and there were more than twenty of them.

Following behind them, Bai Qingyu roughly learned their purpose.

The drought has lasted for some time, and the crops have yielded virtually nothing. It seems that government officials came to collect grain a few days ago. There is really no food left to eat in the town. Peach Blossom Town has always been basically self-sufficient, and the occasional grain collection can still yield enough to meet the quota. Not to mention, there is a large river not far away where people can fish for a living.

However, when the famine struck, all sorts of demons and monsters came out. Many people died in the town, and ghosts and monsters roamed around at night. The river next to the town was also taken over by a catfish demon, and after more than ten people died, the residents no longer dared to go there to fetch water and fish. Even if they mustered up their courage to go, they could hardly catch any fish.

With nowhere else to go and driven mad by hunger, the townspeople had no choice but to set their sights on the Ten Thousand Mountains.

In fact, this wasn't the first time they'd come here to try their luck. Even when there wasn't a drought, some townspeople would go hunting on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains. But relying solely on the outskirts wasn't enough; the prey they could catch was very limited. Not to mention, the drought had also affected the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Mountains, causing the wild animals there to retreat to the inner areas.

“Holly, longevity.” Stepping into the shade of the tree, Bai Qingyu spoke softly.

"What's wrong, Auntie?"

Upon hearing her voice, the two little ones put down their wooden swords and looked at Bai Qingyu curiously.

Whether it's their good genes or Bai Qingyu's excellent parenting, the two little ones are incredibly cute, especially the little girl Dongqing. She has delicate and pretty features with a touch of mischievousness. With her two buns and this adorable little fairy dress, she can truly melt the heart of any daughter-lover.

After practicing swordsmanship for more than an hour, the two little ones' faces were covered with fine beads of sweat. Bai Qingyu said softly, "Auntie may have to go out for a while, and may only be able to come back at night for the next few days."

Before she could even finish speaking, Dong Qing's eyes lit up. Did this mean she could slack off for a few days? However, Bai Qingyu's next sentence extinguished her hopes.

"While I'm away, there'll be no one to supervise you two, so you can't slack off. I'll check on you after I finish my work."

The little girl immediately deflated, realizing she couldn't be lazy anymore.

Liu Changsheng, standing to the side, didn't complain. As he grew older, he became less and less talkative. In reality, he was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, plus a little bit of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome).

Then he asked, "Auntie, are you going down the mountain to exorcise demons? Is there any danger?"

"Oh dear, Changsheng, you're so stupid!" Dongqing glared at Changsheng, the meaning of her words was simple.

Do you want to hear what you have to say? Your aunt is also a demon, so why doesn't she go down the mountain to exorcise demons?

Changsheng said nonchalantly, "Auntie is a good demon; she must be eliminating those evil demons who are causing havoc on the world."

Bai Qingyu didn't speak, but gave Liu Changsheng a deep look.

The old Taoist priest's words began to come true; a drought unseen for decades appeared this year. What about the calamity that threatens immortality?

Suddenly, she reached out and placed two wings on the heads of the two little ones, one on each side. The purest demonic power was slowly injected into them. Unfortunately, the two little ones couldn't feel anything, only a cool sensation on their heads that felt very comfortable.

"What's wrong, Auntie?" Dongqing tilted her head.

Bai Qingyu did not answer, but lowered her wings and said softly, "There is no danger on this trip down the mountain, so don't worry. You should focus on practicing your swordsmanship and not be careless or playful."

"Okay, Auntie."

"I will, Auntie."

Bai Qingyu took one last deep look at Changsheng before turning and leaving.

Whatever the calamity, just do your best.

·

This time, Bai Qingyu no longer concealed himself. With his left wing holding an umbrella and his right wing holding a sword, he wore a long, narrow conical hat that he had carved himself, resembling the head of a giant bird demon. And so he set off.

The straw hat looked somewhat frightening; Bai Qingyu had depicted not the eyes of an ordinary bird, but the eyes of an eagle, sharp and terrifying.

She was helping the town rid it of a menace, not doing anything else that required secrecy. She couldn't possibly hide her hands in her sleeves while fighting the thieves.

Arriving at the outskirts of Peach Blossom Town, it seemed like another world. Chaos was everywhere, with all the shops, big and small, closed and the stalls that used to be there gone. The streets paved with bluestone were filled with refugees, most of whom had fled from other towns or villages.

Bai Qingyu didn't know why these people were fleeing from one small town to another. If they really wanted to escape, they should have gone to a big city. Perhaps they thought Peach Blossom Town, with the Ten Thousand Mountains behind it, offered some hope of survival.

The actions of the government and the imperial court were also baffling.

Turbulent times produce heroes. Such a year of disaster is the perfect opportunity to raise the banner and shout "Are kings and nobles born with special privileges?" Not only do they refuse to distribute grain, but they also collect it, pushing the people to the brink of death. Such actions rarely end well.

But it has nothing to do with her.

With refugees arriving, how far away are the bandits who take advantage of the chaos to burn, kill, and plunder from here?

Please vote for me! I'm so sorry, everyone!

Volume 1: Chapter 17 The Bird Demon Kills People, Conflict Among the Offspring

The town of Peach Blossom was teeming with refugees. Every few steps along the streets of this small town, you could see refugees. She didn’t know why they insisted on coming here in groups. If she remembered correctly, there was a county town 30 kilometers away, which was much better than this place.

She didn't go down, but sat on a branch of an old tree outside the town, leaning against the trunk, resting with her eyes closed.

The old Taoist priest had disappeared, but Bai Qingyu was certain that the old fellow was no ordinary person. He had foreseen the drought four years in advance, and his longevity made it clear that he wasn't just spouting nonsense.

Time passed, and the sun began to set.

On the old tree, Bai Qingyu opened her eyes.

As the day passed, all that could be heard were the cries and sighs of the disaster victims. With no food, they were so hungry that they ate tree bark and dug up grass roots. In the afternoon, Bai Qingyu also heard bursts of crying in the town. Some elderly people, unable to bear the hunger and worried about burdening their children, ate Guanyin clay. After several days, they could not digest it and eventually died of abdominal distension.

Bai Qingyu saw all of this but didn't interfere. She was only responsible for clearing out any potential thieves. The townspeople's hunger problem was neither her concern nor her ability to address it.

As the sun was about to set and the sky gradually darkened, Bai Qingyu decided to head home.

She's not a free person; she has two children to take care of at home.

Just as I was about to leave, I suddenly felt a slight tremor in the ground, and heard shouts and howls coming from afar, like a chaotic dance of demons.

Birds have excellent eyesight and can spot more than a dozen skinny horses charging toward Peach Blossom Town from afar. They are unarmed, and some are even shirtless, wearing black headscarves and long knives at their waists.

What can be seen are more than a dozen skinny horses carrying bundles of various sizes, the contents of which are unknown, and some of the horses even have young girls tied to their backs.

I didn't expect bandits to actually come to rob a small town like this. Judging from their size, they're probably just a small gang or a small squad from a larger one.

The arrival of the bandits threw the townspeople into a panic, and they scattered in all directions to hide.

The bandits stormed into the town like locusts, leaving nothing behind. As soon as they entered, an old man was trampled to death by the horses. The bandits laughed and didn't stop. They had a target and a plan. Of course, when looting a small town like this, they would start with the wealthy landlords. What money could a group of disaster victims outside have?

Even if they are girls, they are the tender and beautiful daughters of wealthy men.

Having goals and plans doesn't stop them from rampaging through the streets, randomly drawing their knives and beheading any lucky person on the side of the road.

The bandits were running rampant when suddenly a slender, frail-looking figure holding an umbrella blocked their way.

Although her face was not visible, her delicate figure was enough to make one somewhat unable to resist.

The burly, dark-faced man at the head of the group was overjoyed, but suddenly a dark figure appeared in front of him. With a clang, his gaze abruptly dropped to the ground as a head fell to the ground.

The black phantom transformed into bird feathers and vanished. Bai Qingyu appeared among the bandits, her wooden umbrella closing up in her hands. With a whoosh, three bandits were swept off their horses. She threw her longsword, which drew a semicircle in the air, and the heads of two more bandits rolled off.

The demonic power suddenly erupted, startling the skinny horse beneath the bandit, which threw off its back and ran away.

Wearing a bird-demon hat, Bai Qingyu expressionlessly smashed the head of a bandit with an umbrella. With a flick of her right hand, the longsword that had been thrown back flew back and, to the bandits' horrified gaze, pierced their throats and hearts.

"Monster! Monster!"

The remaining bandits were terrified and ran away, but no matter how fast they ran, they couldn't outrun Bai Qingyu's sword.

With a slash of the longsword, a black, semi-transparent phantom identical to Bai Qingyu appeared in front of the bandits. The sword flashed, the bandits' heads fell to the ground, and the black phantom transformed into a stream of light and returned to Bai Qingyu's body.

This is just a small part of the results of her development of demonic power over the years.

Sheathing his sword and opening his umbrella, Bai Qingyu ignored the terrified looks of the surrounding residents and took a step to leave. A stout middle-aged man ran out from the courtyard behind him.

"Please wait, young lady. Please wait, young lady."

"My name is Li Hui, a minor official in the imperial court. Hey, miss, please wait!" As Li Hui watched Bai Qingyu leave, his already small eyes narrowed into slits as he gazed at her graceful figure.

Bai Qingyu was in a hurry to go home to take care of her child. The townspeople behind her were slow to realize what had happened. They only found out when they saw the corpses of bandits on the ground. A mother with her daughter knelt down and kowtowed, repeatedly thanking the bird fairy for saving her son's life.

·

Back in the valley, Bai Qingyu actually felt a strange power appear in her body. Her instincts told her that this mysterious and ethereal thing was the merit of heaven and earth. Although it was only a hair's breadth away, she was quite surprised. So killing people could also bring merit?

Fortunately, it wasn't because bandits were also human, and killing them would have brought him negative karma.

After preparing dinner for the children, the family of three sat under the tree, one child in each hand, telling them bedtime stories while transferring pure demonic energy to them to strengthen their bodies.

These demonic powers were quite precious to her, but it was worth it for the sake of her child's future. Moreover, the demonic power she transmitted recovered much faster than usual, so it didn't actually have a significant impact on her.

The two children quickly fell into a deep sleep, and Bai Qingyu looked at Changsheng with a bad feeling in her heart.

The next day, Bai Qingyu left food for the two children and then went to Peach Blossom Town to keep an eye on them as usual. He had collected the first merit, and perhaps the second merit would come soon. He continued to do this for the next few days.

Bai Qingyu found that his status in the town was getting higher and higher; he was no longer a bird demon but a bird immortal.

After clearing out the last batch of bandits who came to seek revenge on the fourth and fifth days, Bai Qingyu began to take charge of clearing out the wandering ghosts in the town. These ghosts were all transformed from the dead townspeople, and most of them were starving ghosts with deep resentment.

I bought a scripture and recited a few lines with the help of demonic power. It really worked. Those with weak attachments were directly delivered to the afterlife, while those who refused to leave were physically delivered using demonic power. After a few days, my merits increased a lot.

Seeing how pitiful the children in the town were, Bai Qingyu even picked several baskets of wild fruit from the mountains and brought them over. It wasn't enough to fill them up, but at least they could eat. It was this action that made Bai Qingyu extremely regretful, as the food she used to feed the children was taken away by the adults, and the children could hardly eat anything.

All the residents of Peach Blossom Town knew that a bird spirit had come to the town, chased away the mountain bandits, dispelled the evil spirits, and would even distribute food to everyone. Since food was scarce due to the famine, the teams that went into the mountains to find food returned after hearing the news, the residents who went to the river to fish also returned, and those who were digging for wild vegetables and herbs put down their work.

They cried out for the bird spirit's protection while eating the food it had brought.

One day, Bai Qingyu was feeding the children in the town with wild fruits as usual when a lame man suddenly limped over, fell to the ground and knelt down, crying with tears streaming down his face, "Bird fairy, immortal, please save me."

Bai Qingyu frowned and tossed two fruits over, but the lame old man didn't even look at them, letting them fall to the ground. He shouted, "You're a bird immortal! You must save me! It hasn't rained in a long time, and I haven't eaten meat. I'm weak. Look at my leg; without food, it's hard to heal. The injury is getting worse every day."

The man's leg was indeed injured. Bai Qingyu remained silent. If she gave it to him today, more people would come asking for it tomorrow. She couldn't possibly support the entire town. If it weren't for the fact that the little guys in the town pitied her so much that she didn't even pick wild fruit.

"Leave now, I have no meat for you to eat."

Bai Qingyu flapped her wings and spoke coldly.

Two fruits that had fallen to the ground and were covered in mud next to the man were picked up by a little girl. After wiping them clean with her sleeve, she took a big bite and her face was full of happiness. She ran over and handed the other fruit to her mother.

The man was still crying, "No, no, you may not know this, but my leg injury is because of those bandits! Bird Immortal, you must save me!"

"What does it have to do with me that the bandits injured you?"

Upon hearing this, the lame old man raised his head and glared at Bai Qingyu. "Weren't you the one who brought the bandits here? If you hadn't killed the Black Tiger Gang members, the Black Tiger Gang wouldn't have retaliated against us, and my leg wouldn't be lame!"

Bai Qingyu ignored him and continued to distribute the wild fruits from the basket to the children.

Upon seeing this, the old man simply stood up and shouted loudly, "The bird demon is killing people! The bird demon is killing people! Everyone come and see! The bird demon is killing people!"

Bai Qingyu was distributing food to the children, and the adults might be able to grab a few left over, so there were many residents around, and everyone craned their necks to watch when the man shouted.

Seeing that it was working, the man pointed at Bai Qingyu and said, "We painstakingly offered her food, but she immediately gave the food to these children, which attracted the Black Tiger Gang. After that, she didn't care about our lives. My leg was broken by the Black Tiger Gang. Without her, my leg wouldn't be broken, and I could still go out hunting on my own. Now that my leg is broken, she won't even give me some meat!"

"Bird Immortal, my foot! Is it so hard to catch a few wild boars and deer to nourish everyone?"