The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 888 - 488: Dou Er’s Schemes
Upon hearing the villager dare speak ill of the mistress, Dou Er’s face immediately turned as stern as frost. Though his cultivation was low, dealing with a mortal was easy for him. With a slight flick of his finger, the person screamed miserably, blood pouring from his rear, as Dou Er used a bit of his small divine power to teach him a lesson.
This person had lived in the Pu Clan Tribe for most of his life and had never seen cultivators’ means. This terrified him into covering his mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound. Yet, a thin man beside him whispered, "Grandpa Immortal allowed us to ask questions, so why are we punished for speaking?"
This statement had a bit of a provocative undertone. Dou Er smiled and said, "You may ask me questions, but you may not insult my lord. She is of great importance, and in the future, her position will be high above all. Is she the kind of person you villagers can casually criticize? Let me answer your question then."
"My lord came here to attend to matters and coincidentally encountered the Pu Clan’s calamity. She kindly wishes to save you, yet you suspect us, thinking we’re here to gain benefits from the Pu Clan’s land?" He glanced around, noting many faces and eyes reflecting the thought ’exactly so,’ and couldn’t help but sneer, "Truly frogs at the bottom of a well, the Pu Clan’s annual income is only enough to feed itself, and it cannot catch the eye of the immortals. If you think such minuscule profit can entice my lord, then why expend such effort escorting you away? We could directly kill you all with a knife, oh, I forgot, with thousands of you here, there’s no need for the guards to raise a knife. Just a couple of divine skills would turn you all to ashes!" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
His mix of persuasion and threats indeed changed many people’s expressions, realizing the person on stage was a living god, possessing various skills to move mountains and fill seas. Dou Er pressed on, saying, "Lord Mountain God is furious. Have you truly no perception of it? Not mentioning those batches of people who ventured into the mountains and hardly anyone returned alive, consider your tribe’s two springs, which were once warm throughout the seasons. Why did they suddenly become boiling springs and even cook two people to death? That is Lord Mountain God’s warning. You are truly heedless of such obvious events?"
He spoke of a deep-rooted thorn in the Pu Clan’s heart, causing the people below to exchange anxious glances, feeling mounting fear. Having lived long in the Snow Mountain, they had never seen signs of a volcanic eruption, otherwise they’d know that before a volcano erupts, it often causes underground air to escape, boiling groundwater, and other phenomena.
"Moreover, the third sign. The Pu Clan relies on the mountains for livelihood. Haven’t you noticed in the past decades, the game in the forests of Wu Chi’er Mountain has gradually decreased? No longer do you return with full loads as before?" The mistress says this is because the forests at the mountain’s foot are no longer suitable for wild animals to live, and the surviving ones, cunningly, have long migrated. However, Dou Er thought there was no need to explain such reasoning to the stupid villagers; they wouldn’t understand and it would waste time, "If I’m not mistaken, it’s not only the forests below Wu Chi’er Mountain, but your recent hunts nearby have also yielded lesser catches, haven’t they?" As the volcano nears eruption, animals’ sixth sense is far superior to humans’, and naturally they run as far as they can now.
No one refuted his words, and the scene fell silent. Dou Er continued with a cold smile, "Want to listen to more evidence of Lord Mountain God’s anger? Fine, if I don’t reveal it, you remain skeptical and unconvinced."
He paused, then spoke slowly, "Since fifty years ago, the Pu Clan Tribe’s fertility rate has plummeted."
Chief Pu raised his head in shock, but Dou Er didn’t even glance at him as he continued, "This morning, when the entire tribe gathered, there were only thirty-two children under fifteen, twenty under ten, and only seven under five; three under three years old."
"The Pu Clan is a large tribe with a population of five thousand. Chief Pu has said there has been no external calamity for years, so the fertility rate shouldn’t be this low. It seems that most women in the tribe are infertile or suffer frequent stillbirths. Am I wrong?" Dou Er said coldly, "If not for Mountain God’s punishment, who else could control human fertility numbers?" This was not his discovery, but Ning Xiaoxian’s observation. The increase in toxic gases leading to female infertility, stillbirths, and fetal abnormalities is significantly clearer, with the internal activities of Wu Chi’er Volcano growing frequent. These harmful gases disperse. While adults who are physically strong are less affected, the birth rate of healthy children in the Pu Clan Tribe naturally decreases.
Over the years, Ning Xiaoxian has traveled through most of the world, gaining a deep understanding of hearts and minds, especially the attachment mortals have to their homes. She knew Dou Er alone may find it difficult to persuade these people, so the Hidden Guard’s messages highlighted these key points for Dou Er to use his eloquent skills.
For a long time, no one spoke below. Chief Pu was overwhelmed with anxiety, muttering, "How... how did you know?" This was a secret matter of the tribe, and when the immortal questioned the village’s situation earlier, he dared not disclose it. "No descendants" is a great calamity to the clan, but no matter how many ways the tribe members have thought of, they can’t resolve this issue.
Dou Er tilted his head at a forty-five-degree angle, stared straight ahead, fully embodying the image of a divine prophet, then said proudly, "With my lord’s divine skills, what does she not know?" In truth, Ning Xiaoxian’s first impression upon seeing the Pu Clan people was the tribe’s gloomy atmosphere—despite their large numbers, there were few young faces, with most beyond forty years old. Such a tribe should be thriving unless there are fertility problems. The most plausible reason for large-scale fertility issues is changes in the surrounding environment. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)
