Under One Person: One Person Goes

Chapter 525 One Person Today: Biyou Village Chapter (Part 3)

Biyou Village, formerly known as Ma Mao Village, has a permanent population of 800 households. The only extraordinary person in the village is Ma Benzai, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills Masters who came here in the last century disguised as a branch of the Ma family in the village to avoid disaster. He is also known as the Divine Hundred Refinements Ma Benzai and his descendants.

"Although that's what the records say, it seems there are more than 800 households in Biyou Village now, and everyone living here is an extraordinary being..."

Under the arrangement of Bi Yuan, the senior in charge of receiving them in Biyou Village, Zhang Chulan and his group were settled in a nice place to stay. After a long and tiring journey, no one was in the mood to explore Biyou Village or exchange information, so they simply slept in separate beds.

After waking up and washing up, Zhang Chulan looked at the empty room and could only look at the data on the tablet he had brought with him.

Just as he was pondering how Zhao Fangxu had summoned him, a descendant of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, to witness the demise of the myth of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, footsteps sounded outside the door. Six temporary workers from the company's six major regions entered the courtyard with several acquaintances.

"Hey, Bilian, did you sleep well?"

The first to greet them were the descendants of Feng Tianyang, a member of the Tianxia Hui Group, and the siblings Feng Xingtong and Feng Shayan, who were the descendants of Feng Tianyang, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, which was the Spirit Binding and Commanding Technique.

Next is Wang Ye, one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, and the successor of Feng Hou Qi Men. Then there is Zhuge Qing, the successor of Wu Hou Qi Men, who has intricate connections with the company. Finally, there is the acquaintance that Zhang Chulan least wanted to meet when he came to Biyou Village, or rather, the one he felt awkward greeting.

Zhang Lingyu, a former disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion and an inner disciple of the Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei.

Even though Zhang Lingyu was no longer a member of the Celestial Master's Mansion, Zhang Chulan didn't know how to properly address his junior uncle, who was a few years older than him.

Should I call him "Uncle-Master"? Or "Brother"? No matter what I call him, Zhang Lingyu is taking advantage of me! Damn it, how come this glutton gets all the good things?!
Despite his displeasure, Zhang Chulan still had to go out to greet him, and he was met with Zhang Lingyu's handsome face, who seemed unsure how to greet him.

This story begins with a private conversation Zhao Fangxu had with six temporary workers from the company's six major regions after he had finished assigning them tasks.

"Chairman Zhao, Elder Xu, you two aren't joking with me, are you? What did Uncle Lingyu do that made the Master make such a big fuss, going so far as to resign from the sect and publicly expel Uncle Lingyu from the sect? Could it be related to the woman who took Uncle Lingyu's virginity?"

Zhao Fangxu and Xu Xiang exchanged a strange look, while the two old men, Wang Zizhong and Mendel, burst into laughter.

"Chu Lan, how did you come up with this idea?"

"Isn't this obvious? With Master's personality and cultivation, does it really matter whether Aunt Lingyu is a virgin or not? It's just that Aunt Lingyu herself can't get over that mental hurdle. Besides, the Zhengyi sect doesn't prohibit marriage. Master wouldn't hate Aunt Lingyu just because she lost her virginity, unless the confidante who took Aunt Lingyu's virginity is not pure. Is she from Quanxing or from outside the sect? Has Aunt Lingyu fallen in love with someone she truly loves?"

This analysis is reasonable and well-founded. Although Zhang Chulan only met with the elderly Zhang Zhiwei and Tian Jinzhong during the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, ever since he entered the circle, every time he investigated, he could not avoid his own advisor and Wang Yi, the predecessor of the company. In addition, the actions of the elderly Zhang Zhiwei when he broke into Longhu Mountain and caused a ruckus at Quanxing were completely different from their style, which made Zhang Chulan understand one thing.

If we're talking about impeccable lineage, his own advisor Zhang Zhiwei is definitely among the most senior. Combined with his own speculation about the Celestial Master's Degree, he understands that Zhang Zhiwei isn't incapable of ascending, but rather that he doesn't want to.

Because he couldn't bear to leave, because he wanted to finish his last shift.

Given this premise, there is only one thing that could make his advisor so furious: his descendants are disappointing.

Who are the descendants? I'll count myself as one, and Zhang Lingyu, who is favored by all three generations of disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion, is definitely one as well.

Zhang Lingyu had overcome the mental hurdle of cultivation by competing with him in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. With the internal cause removed, only the external cause remained. Given his master's qualifications and methods, coupled with the company's channels, Zhang Zhiwei couldn't possibly not know who the confidante who had deflowered Zhang Lingyu was.

He didn't make it clear because he wanted to see how Zhang Lingyu would handle this relationship. Obviously, Zhang Lingyu's handling of the situation disappointed his advisor.

The reason why Zhang Lingyu's confidantes are limited to Quanxing or even overseas is because Zhang Lingyu himself is a reclusive cultivator who lives a secluded life. Not just anyone can go to the back mountain of the Celestial Master's Mansion, except for that Quanxing's night raid on Longhu Mountain.

This modern Quanxing has survived the chaos of the old society and the crackdowns of the new society. The only reason it is still preserved today is that the company does not want to get rid of it.

However, it's unknown how many of these modern Quanxing members are genuine, how many are just shills planted by the company, and how many are infiltrated by foreign or other forces.

When Zhang Chulan shared his reasoning, the two old men, Wang Zizhong and Mendel, couldn't stop laughing.

"I told you, this kid's brain is just as cunning as his grandfather Zhang Huaiyi's. He works fast and figured out 80 or 90 percent of it in no time."

Zhang Chulan could only chuckle and scratch his head at Wang Zizhong and Mendel's evaluations of him.

There was nothing he could do; these two men were of a higher generation, and they must have worked with his grandfather before. He could only accept whatever they said about him.

"But seniors, I still don't understand why Master punished Uncle Lingyu so severely. Uncle Lingyu couldn't possibly not understand Master's good intentions. Why didn't the master and disciple just talk about it behind closed doors? Why make such a big fuss about the abdication of the master?"

Seeing that Zhang Chulan's puzzled expression seemed genuine, the two old men stopped joking and just stared at Zhang Chulan, feeling a chill run down their spines.

"Chu Lan, are you really unaware, or are you pretending not to know?"

"what do you know?"

"What is the relationship between your Uncle Lingyu and your master?"

"Aren't they master and disciple? What other relationship could they have?"

"Haha, we thought you knew. After all, everyone in the circle knows, yet no one told you. This 'resignation petition' might seem like a big fuss and an excessive punishment to you, but to those in the circle, it's just a trick played by the Old Celestial Master. But no one can criticize the Old Celestial Master for this trick, because it's in accordance with the rules."

"Hey Chairman Zhao, Mr. Xu, could you two stop being riddle solvers?"

"Let me put it this way: your Uncle Lingyu and your grandmaster are not only master and disciple, but also grandfather and grandson, just like you and your grandfather. By the way, your father is currently on a mission with Lingyu's father. So, the petition to resign from the master seems like a big fuss, but it's just that your grandmaster is worried about you and feels that his grandson has been too detached from worldly affairs these past few years. He's looking for an excuse to kick him out of the house and let him make his own way in the world."

Although the Old Celestial Master has confined himself to Longhu Mountain for over forty years since that incident, he did so as a Celestial Master. Once his resignation was announced, if either of you were to encounter trouble, he wouldn't descend the mountain as a Celestial Master, but as a family member. For both public and private reasons, we have no reason to stop him, nor can those remnants of the Jia Shen rebellion. So, Chu Lan, do you understand? This is your master's painstaking effort.”

what?
Zhang Chulan didn't know what his expression was like when he heard those words, but it must have been absolutely hilarious.

During his trip to Tongguan County in Xi'an, he learned too many inside stories. Whether it was Feng Baobao's resurrection, the emergence of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, or the Jia Shen Rebellion of that year, he had already connected most of them.

During the trip to Tongguan, the contents of "Wang Yi's Life" in his hands were unlocked, revealing that Wang Yi and Zhang Zhiwei felt guilty for not being able to protect Wugensheng's only daughter, Feng Baobao, from her death. Starting with Feng Baobao's death, the Eight Extraordinary Skills were born, and Feng Baobao was resurrected but forgot everything before.

Connecting these clues reveals that because of Feng Baobao's death, Wang Yi and Zhang Zhiwei felt guilty towards Wugensheng, and the three of them reached some kind of agreement in that chaotic era.

Wugensheng, as the leader of Quanxing at the time, commanded Quanxing to fight against the enemy. Wang Yi and Zhang Zhiwei were responsible for covering for Wugensheng when he did something, which led to the birth of the Eight Extraordinary Skills and Feng Baobao's resurrection.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why Wang Yi and Zhang Zhiwei, despite possessing unparalleled cultivation levels that dominated the world, still risked public condemnation to forcibly suppress the potential chaos in the world of supernatural beings caused by the emergence of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques.

Here, only a few mysteries remain regarding the truth of the past: First, is Senior Wang Yi, who, along with his own advisor Zhang Zhiwei, was hailed as one of the two most outstanding individuals in the world of supernatural beings, alive or dead? Second, where did Wugensheng, one of the Thirty-Six Thieves, go? Third, how will the company deal with the legacy of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques that have reappeared in the world today?

As for the roles that his grandfather and other masters of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques played in the past, that was no longer his concern. He didn't have the burden of revealing all the truths of the past, at least not now.

As for how to deal with the lingering calamities caused by the reappearance of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, the company seems to have already come up with a plan. This trip to Biyou Village is the first of the Eight Extraordinary Skills that the company needs to deal with.

But what Zhang Chulan didn't expect was that his father's disappearance after his grandfather's death was also related to the company, and he had even met his advisor Zhang Zhiwei long ago.

Grandpa Zhang Huaiyi was a member of the company back in the day, and his father seems to be one too. Looking at it this way, it seems he's been branded with the company's mark since birth, he just didn't know it. Seeing the surprised expression on Zhang Chulan's face at the revelation, the oldest member, Mendel, sighed and stood up.

"Chu Lan, I know you must be having a hard time processing this right now. We also have a rough idea of ​​how much you've found out in your investigation. To be honest, if we could, we wouldn't want to meet you in a place like this. You, your father, your grandfather, and the other descendants of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques shouldn't be living like this. But we have no choice. Development always comes at a price. We old guys have been holding on all these years simply so that you young people don't have to bear these costs for us. We should be the ones to solve them."

So there are some things we can't tell you, and we can't let you know. I don't expect you to understand us, nor do I expect you to forgive us. I only hope you can cooperate with us and try to talk to Lingyu. Your grandmaster hasn't had an easy time these past few years either.

Thoughts brought back to the present.

Seeing Zhang Lingyu arrive with the company team, Zhang Chulan didn't greet him immediately. The reason was simply what he had thought of earlier: he didn't know what to call Zhang Lingyu—Shishu or Gege (brother).

The reason Zhang Lingyu was here was because he accepted Zhao Fangxu and Xu Xiang's arrangement to contact Zhang Lingyu, who was performing under the overpass after being expelled from Longhu Mountain, so that he could make contact with the company.

But he had no contact with Zhang Lingyu after that, until he arrived in Biyou Village.

I suppose this is a double insurance measure the company has implemented.

It's certainly a good thing to shatter the myth surrounding the Eight Extraordinary Skills in the hearts of people in the domestic community of supernatural beings. After all, once the filter of invincibility for something is broken, there will be far fewer people who covet it, and even if trouble arises later, it won't be a big deal.

The problem is that the first wave of backlash is bound to be intense. The company also arranged for Zhang Lingyu to participate in this trip to Biyou Village, thinking that if something really went wrong, their advisor would have an excuse to come down the mountain to help suppress it.

Zhang Chulan found it difficult to speak, and Zhang Lingyu, who had come to Biyou Village at the company's arrangement, was even more unable to speak.

After all, it's rare in the long history of the Celestial Master's Mansion to be expelled from the sect by his own grandfather and master, Zhang Zhiwei, with such a grand gesture as a letter of resignation. He has brought such a great loss of face to the Celestial Master's Mansion. After entering the world, he didn't even know how to support himself by setting up a stall. It was only with Zhang Chulan's help that he was able to make a living. Now, he doesn't know how to face Zhang Chulan at all.

Zhang Chulan, however, quickly grasped the situation and spoke first.

"Uncle-Master, would you like to go for a walk with me?"

"it is good."

Zhang Lingyu remained concise, replying briefly before turning and leaving the house, with Zhang Chulan following behind.

The others wisely refrained from following, leaving space for Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu, the modern-day servants of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

As Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu traveled through Biyou Village, now teeming with extraordinary individuals, many of the people they had met at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony looked at them with strange eyes.

It could be said that Zhang Chulan saw far more people from the same circle in Biyou Village at this moment than during the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony. He just didn't know whether these people were looking at him, or at Zhang Lingyu who had been expelled from the sect, or both.

Besides these people in the industry, there is another group of people.

These people are also extraordinary individuals, but Zhang Chulan can see the difference between them and people in the industry at a glance. Some are dressed in suits and ties, like successful people who only appear on TV, while others are arrogant and look down on everyone around them.

These people were ordinary people with certain social resources. They knew that there was a group of extraordinary people in society. They found out about Biyou Village through their own means and came here because of its reputation. They were transformed into extraordinary people by the descendants of Ma Ben, one of the Eight Wonders, through the Divine Hundred Refinements and another of the Eight Wonders.

They hadn't experienced the hardships of entering the path of cultivation; they were just a group of outsiders who had stumbled into the world of supernatural beings. But it was precisely these outsiders who were the key people the company needed to deal with this time.

Zhang Chulan was very uncomfortable with being stared at and exposed to the public eye, while Zhang Lingyu was better at it than Zhang Chulan.

It wasn't until the two of them walked out of the village that Zhang Lingyu broke the deadlock.

"Zhang Chulan, no one is following us anymore. Tell me, what do you want me to help you with?"

"Uncle-Master, no, brother, we brothers shouldn't be this distant."

"What did you call me?"

"Brother, I only found out now that you and Master are grandfather and grandson, and Uncle was a colleague of my father who I don't even know is. Tell me, what kind of mess was that fight between us at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony?"

Hearing Zhang Chulan's blunt words, Zhang Lingyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

"How do you know about my relationship with my master... and my grandfather? I never mentioned it to anyone when I joined the Celestial Master's Mansion. Only Master Jinzhong knew about my relationship with my grandfather. Did Master Jinzhong tell you?"

"No, it was Chairman Zhao, Mr. Xu told me."

"How did Chairman Zhao and Elder Xu know?"

"How could Chairman Zhao and Old Master Xu not know? Not only do they know, but everyone in the industry who is influential knows."

Zhang Chulan's direct question caused Zhang Lingyu to break down completely and sit on the ground. "Heh, so all these years, people in the industry have respected me and treated me well because of my status as the grandson of a grandfather?"

"That's not quite right. Anyone with eyes could see that my victory in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony was unfair. It was a setup by the advisor specifically for me. Brother, your strength truly deserves to be called one of the best among the younger generation. You earned it yourself."

Seeing Zhang Lingyu's unexpected expression, Zhang Chulan sat down next to him without ceremony.

"To be honest, brother, I really admire you. You had the unparalleled connections of your advisor, yet you relied on your own efforts to enter the Celestial Master's Mansion and become his closed-door disciple. Your cultivation, food, and lodging were all the same as other disciples in the Celestial Master's Mansion. You deserve all the success you have now. If it were me, I would be eager for everyone to know that I have a Celestial Master as my grandfather, wouldn't you say, brother?"

"Thank you, but I didn't know that my father and your father were colleagues. Since I can remember, it was the villagers and my grandfather who took care of me. I only achieved Foundation Establishment and Qi Acquisition after I joined the Celestial Master's Mansion. I have only met my parents a handful of times, and I have never seen your father with my parents."

“I can think of that. If I hadn’t entered this circle, I wouldn’t have known that my grandfather and father were involved in so many things in the past. You are the grandson of the master’s advisor. The master’s status and identity are there. If someone really makes a fuss about you, with your current skills, you might suffer a loss without even knowing it.”

"So you didn't just come to me to talk about this, did you?"

"Of course not. I've figured it out along the way. There are too many people from the circle gathered in Biyou Village now, as well as ordinary people who have been transformed into superhumans. But I still haven't seen the real master of Biyou Village. Brother, will you come with me? I want to meet Ma Xianhong, who is also a descendant of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques like me."

"Well, let's go."

Zhang Lingyu seemed unaware of his own actions; he did not reject Zhang Chulan's way of addressing him. He got up and headed towards the village.

Zhang Chulan followed closely behind, and the two walked side by side, just in time to come face to face with Bi Yuan, the old man who was in charge of Biyou Village and was known as one of the twelve superior talents.

After explaining his purpose, the other party seemed to have been waiting for Zhang Chulan, and without saying much, simply told Zhang Chulan to follow.

Led by Bi Yuan, Zhang Chulan and Zhang Lingyu, the two modern-day Zhangs from Longhu Mountain, also saw a group of mechanical figures carrying heavy objects in the back mountain of Biyou Village, and also saw the houses in the center of these divine mechanical creations.

One of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements Horse, is here waiting for him in his lineage.

(End of this chapter)