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

"I think it would be better to let the Black Tiger Gang come over. They might even share their hunt spoils with us, at least they won't give them to these useless kids who can only eat first!"

"All you ever do is eat, eat, eat!" The lame old man walked up to the little girl who had just picked his fruit and reached out to grab her. "You dare touch my stuff? Tomorrow, on the River God Festival, I'll throw you all into the river as a sacrifice to the River God!"

Before the dirty hand could land, a wooden umbrella suddenly swung over and struck him diagonally.

The lame old man flew out almost in a spiral, spraying blood as he crashed into a house not far away. People around him turned their heads and were almost terrified. The man's upper body was almost crushed, his left rib protruding from his right armpit, and his body seemed to have shrunk in half. His eyes were wide open, and he was already dead.

"You won't need to eat meat anymore. If you miss the Black Tiger Gang so much, go join them."

Bai Qingyu turned away with a cold look in her eyes and continued to hand out fruit to the children.

·

At this very moment in the valley, Dongqing and Changsheng were arguing about something.

The reason was that Changsheng found a nest of snakes outside the valley, and without hesitation, he killed both the big snake and the small snake.

"Longevity!" Dongqing was furious, her little face puffed up with anger. "Killing the big snake is one thing, but why kill these little snakes!"

"Hmph, I killed their parents, and they didn't hate or resent me? Besides, they were a whole nest of poisonous snakes. Since I'm going to kill them, I should cut them off completely."

Liu Changsheng stuck his blood-stained wooden sword into the ground, crossed his arms, and said, "My aunt taught us from a young age to nip problems in the bud. Have you forgotten all that?!"

"But the big snake can just kill the little snake and send it away, or we can wait for Aunt to come back and let her handle it."

Liu Changsheng said calmly, "Why bother Aunt? All things have a spirit. If I kill the giant snake, the little snake will surely hold a grudge against me for life. A single sip of its venom is enough to kill me. It's better to clean it up now!"

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Volume One: Chapter Eighteen - The Child's Tribulations and Opportunities

The town of Peach Blossom was eerily quiet. The grotesque corpse of the lame man lay by the wall, and no one dared to help him. Everyone stared blankly as the white-clad enchantress half-squatted on the ground, took two wild fruits from her basket, and handed them to a little girl. Perhaps frightened, the little girl thanked Bai Qingyu after taking the fruits and hurriedly ran away.

Humans and demons are inherently different. Although they call him "Bird Fairy," they are actually somewhat afraid in their hearts. Only innocent children know that Bai Qingyu has no ill intentions towards them, so they dare to approach him. After the lame man was killed with an umbrella, everyone instantly came to their senses.

The fairy with a human body and bird hands in front of you is actually a demoness. If you anger her, you will suffer the same fate as that lame old man.

To be honest, they were tempted by what the lame old man had just said. If this bird demon could go deep into the mountains and catch a few wild boars and deer every day, wouldn't everyone's lives be much better?

Although the lame old man was dead, his words remained in everyone's hearts, like a seed planted deep within them, quickly taking root and sprouting, stirring their hearts. They really hadn't eaten meat for far too long. After all, they called her a bird fairy, so it wasn't too much to ask her to catch some prey, was it?

In their view, if a demon wanted to be deified and become an immortal, the human race had to acknowledge it. So they did Bai Qingyu a great favor by transforming her from a demon into an immortal.

Isn't the purpose of immortals to protect them? It has always been so since ancient times.

The last child happily left with the wild fruit, and Bai Qingyu got up and left immediately, not wanting to stay for even a moment longer.

I thought it was just that the lame man was foolish, but I never expected that the people around him would actually have this idea.

Since she began cultivating, her hearing has improved dramatically. She can hear all the whispers around her. Some say she should catch some wild animals for everyone, others say she should go fish, since they are birds. Some even say that her existence has displeased the so-called river god, which is why disaster has struck.

As Bai Qingyu approached, the residents instinctively parted to either side. Once she was out of the crowd, someone couldn't help but speak up, "Bird Fairy, we haven't eaten anything for a long time. Wild fruits alone are hardly enough to fill our stomachs. If this continues..."

The speaker stopped halfway through his sentence because Bai Qingyu completely ignored him and didn't even pause in her steps, as if she really didn't care about their lives at all.

People were already whispering when Bai Qingyu was there, but after he left, the refugees' discussions grew louder, mostly consisting of belittling and insulting Bai Qingyu, saying things like he was unworthy of being a bird immortal and only fit to be a bird demon.

In the end, some people suggested capturing the bird spirit and sacrificing it to the river god, and surprisingly, quite a few people agreed with this suggestion.

Not far from the crowd, Li Guanren stroked his beard with a smile and said in a shrill voice to the guards beside him, "Let's make our move tonight. There's no need for any conflict. Remember, I want eighteen children, nine boys and nine girls. Send them to the River God tomorrow."

"Yes, my lord."

The guard nodded in agreement.

The River God Festival will be held early tomorrow in the hope of overcoming the drought. In the past, a young girl was sacrificed, but this year eighteen children are needed. These children can be exchanged from the group of refugees. A small bag of grain can be exchanged for a child. As long as there is enough grain, these refugees will rush to exchange.

Mr. Li stroked his beard, a smile spreading across his plump face.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to lead these disaster victims to Peach Blossom Town beforehand. Unexpectedly, it had this effect. With a little guidance, he angered the bird demon and drove it away. Otherwise, given the bird demon's personality, if he had offered eighteen children as a sacrifice, he probably would have had his head smashed by an umbrella before the children were even thrown into the river.

As for the river god, there is no river god at all. It is just a catfish that has become a spirit. By trading with it, you can get the elixir at the bottom of the water. It is a treasure left behind by the immortals of Tianyang Palace. It cannot be absorbed by non-humans. The catfish spirit is a monster, and the elixir is equivalent to poison to it.

Thinking of the pill that the catfish spirit had taken out last time, Li Guanren couldn't contain his excitement.

If it weren't for that damned bird demon, he would have succeeded long ago.

·

"In the face of disaster, people's hearts are unpredictable. The one thing you can't trust the most is people's hearts. This merit is better left unfulfilled. A bunch of greedy bastards." Bai Qingyu muttered to himself on the way back.

Even a clay figure has a temper, and even Buddha has moments of anger, let alone a living bird.

Today they pick wild fruit, tomorrow they catch wild boars, what will these people want the day after? I don't even want to think about it. They say, "You're a bird spirit, so you should serve me." It's utterly despicable.

You appointed this deity, it has no impact on my merits, and you even feel that you owe them a lot.

Bai Qingyu felt that he could not stay any longer, otherwise one or even many more vengeful spirits would surely emerge from under the wooden umbrella.

Their steps were light and unsteady, as if they were floating, as they made their way back into the valley.

The scenery here is indeed the best.

Wait, what's wrong with these two kids?

As soon as I got back, I saw the two little ones arguing under the shade of a tree. They were clearly both angry. You know, the two little ones have never quarreled in all these years. It's all because of Liu Changsheng's personality. He always goes along with his sister.

"aunt!"

Upon seeing Bai Qingyu, Dongqing hurriedly ran over, "Auntie, Changsheng, he, he..."

Dongqing had so much to say, but suddenly didn't know what to say. Changsheng stood to the side with his arms crossed, snorted coldly, and remained silent, exuding aloofness.

After a while, Bai Qingyu finally understood what was going on. Their argument was actually because of a nest of poisonous snakes outside the valley.

Changsheng crossed his arms and waited for Dongqing to finish speaking before speaking, "Aunt has always taught us that we must nip the problem in the bud. We must not be soft-hearted or careless towards those who threaten us. If we kill the father and the mother, and if any of these young snakes become spirits in the future and come to seek revenge, wouldn't that just cause Aunt unnecessary trouble?"

"There aren't that many spirits. How can a nest of snakes without any intelligence become spirits? They don't even have memories, so no one would know it was you who did it. Besides, there are so many wild animals in the mountains. According to you, we shouldn't eat meat anymore!" Dongqing argued, blushing.

"Even without intentional revenge, keeping this nest of venomous snakes alive will pose a great threat in the future when they grow up. A single drop of venom could kill us. Not to mention what's outside, this is around the valley!"

"With Auntie here, no poisonous snakes will get in. Changsheng, you idiot, you're ruthless and vicious, you'll definitely be a great demon in the future!"

"That's better than being too soft-hearted and kind, which could lead to your own death or even implicate those around you!"

Discussing whether or not a nest of venomous snakes should be killed is actually a very naive question. The two kids are developing early, but they are still only seven or eight years old. This matter is mainly a matter of personality. Bai Qingyu sighed inwardly. Changsheng's words reminded her of a past event.

He killed his father and then his mother...

He held down the two little ones on his left and right, saying, "Alright, let's not talk about this for now. If you encounter anything you're unsure about in the future, just let me handle it. I've finished dealing with my own business, and I have time to spend with you now."

“Yes, yes, we should listen to Auntie.” Dongqing nodded her cute little head, then turned to Changsheng and made a face. “Silly Changsheng, don’t be angry. Think about what to eat tonight. Didn’t you catch two fish? Let Auntie grill them.”

Chang Sheng blushed slightly and nodded gently, "Okay."

After a meal of grilled fish, the two little ones successfully resolved their conflict and made up.

They were both young and didn't have many thoughts, but this incident actually revealed the differences in their personalities, which gave Bai Qingyu a real headache.

As night fell, a cool breeze blew gently, and Bai Qingyu sat under a tree, weaving a new wooden umbrella by the moonlight.

I don't know why, but lately I feel like hitting people with an umbrella feels exceptionally good. I might as well make a sturdy umbrella specifically for hitting people, and I'd like to modify the handle so that a sword can be stuck directly inside.

Suddenly, Bai Qingyu saw Changsheng walk out of the wooden house, and he paused.

"Chang Sheng, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Changsheng sat down next to Bai Qingyu and asked in a low voice, "Aunt, did I really do something wrong during the day? I know that it was just a nest of snakes without intelligence, but I... I'm just a little angry. Dongqing's personality is too weak. I'm worried that she will suffer a great loss in the future."

Bai Qingyu put down the umbrella ribs in her hand and rubbed his head. "You did nothing wrong. Your worries are necessary, but there's no need to be like this. Dong Qing's kind nature is not necessarily a bad thing. Everyone has their own way."

To everyone's surprise, after saying this, the little boy, who was just over seven years old, revealed a very determined look and expression.

"I understand, Aunt. I will definitely become strong. As long as I become strong, it won't matter if Dongqing is kind-hearted. With me here, no one can hurt her. I will do the things she doesn't want to do for her, and I will kill the enemies she can't bear to kill, even if she scolds me!"

Bai Qingyu was stunned when she heard this. She swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue and suddenly didn't know what to say, so she could only rub his little head again.

Looking at Changsheng, she was reminded of all the messy things that happened in Peach Blossom Town.

Everything is about to end, but the tribulations and opportunities for achieving immortality that the old Taoist priest spoke of have not yet arrived.

“Aunt,” Changsheng spoke again, “could you take me and Dongqing to town tomorrow? Dongqing says she’s so bored at home.”

"this......"

"Didn't my aunt say she'd grant me a favor if I memorized that poem? I want to go see it with Dongqing."

If I remember correctly, tomorrow is supposed to be the River God Festival in Peach Blossom Town. The bandits in the surrounding area have all been cleared out, and there are no monsters around.

Bai Qingyu thought of the tribulations and opportunities of immortality, and after a moment's thought, nodded in agreement.

"it is good."

"Thank you, Auntie. Holly will be very happy."

·

At the same time, in Peach Blossom Town, refugees with their children were heading towards Master Li's mansion.

Thirty catties of grain for boys and twenty-five catties for girls—it's an irresistible temptation.

Since we can't raise them anyway, we might as well exchange them for some grain for Master Li's household.

They didn't know why Master Li wanted a child, nor did they care.

I'll continue with the 3,000-word update. I'll update another chapter tonight depending on my condition. Please vote! Thank you everyone!

Volume 1: Chapter 19 The Bird Demon and the Catfish Spirit

The river beside Peach Blossom Town is called the Fallen Immortal River. Legend has it that an immortal perished here, and his body formed the river. Anyone who drank its water would be immune to all diseases and even achieve immortality. Until one day, a white dragon fell into the river, and its body decomposed, causing the entire river to lose its divine power.

Years later, this river actually sustained the entire population of Peach Blossom Town; it could be said that without this river, there would be no Peach Blossom Town.

In response, generations of people in Peach Blossom Town have worshipped the river god of this river, praying for his protection and safety.

It was late at night when the carriage slowly approached. Two horses pulled a huge wooden cage, which was originally used to pull livestock. Inside the cage were more than a dozen children. The children were huddled together, their hands and feet were tied, and their mouths were stuffed with something, so they could only make muffled sobs.

As they drove on into the deep of night, the children's sobs and cries, carried on the night wind, sounded like vengeful ghosts, like a ghostly carriage traveling on the road to hell. Even if someone noticed them along the way, they dared not go to check.

Tomorrow is the River God Festival. These children are supposed to be offered to the River God, but Lord Li isn't stupid. What if something unexpected happens tomorrow? The key is to have enough children and go directly to the catfish demon to exchange for treasures. Tomorrow, just make a few paper figures and that'll be fine. We won't be afraid even if the bird demon comes.