Simultaneous Transmigration: We Share a Role-Playing System

Chapter 166 The Journey to the West Begins Again

Half an hour later, Zhao Fangxu, covered in sweat, politely saw Guan Shihua off, saying that he would notify her as soon as he had any news. He then returned to his office, slumped onto the sofa, and gulped down a mouthful of tea without any regard for his image.

Sitting next to him, Chairman Su was still questioning his existence. After a long while, he finally asked, "Isn't Journey to the West a novel from the Ming Dynasty? Tang Sanzang's journey to the West was all in the Tang Dynasty. Even if the demon king in it was real, Hu San Tai Nai's generation should be higher than his, right? Why would she call him 'Ancestor'?"

"You're asking me? How am I supposed to answer that? Judging from their attitude, they don't seem to be faking it. We've seen immortals before, when have we ever seen them begging so humbly? Even if the Yellow Wind Great Sage isn't as terrifying as the legends say, he's still a pretty terrifying being."

Zhao Fangxu first heard the name Huang Feng Dasheng when he was a child.

At that time, he secretly took out the old copy of "Journey to the West" from his grandfather's study. He couldn't recognize all the traditional Chinese characters in the vertical text, and he was completely confused by the opening line, "The spiritual root nurtures and the source flows out, the mind and nature are cultivated and the Great Dao is born."

But the bizarre and fantastical tales of gods and demons between the lines seemed to have a hook, firmly gripping his entire heart.

He didn't understand anything about divine order or the spirit of rebellion; his heart was completely tied to the Monkey King in the illustration who was causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace.

It was in this book that he first learned about the Yellow Wind Great Sage, and saw that the yellow-haired weasel who stole the clear oil from the Ling Mountain Glazed Lamp, a ruthless character who, with his Samadhi Divine Wind, could even fight the Great Sage Equal to Heaven head-on without being at a disadvantage.

At that time, he thought it was just a myth or legend in a picture book, a powerful monster written by Wu Cheng'en. He never dreamed that decades later, he would be sitting in the chairman's office of Na Du Tong headquarters, hearing this name that only existed in the myths of his childhood from the mouth of Hu San Tai Nai, the leader of the immortals in Northeast China.

This feeling is no less than the absurdity of first hearing about the existence of aliens. Even knowing it's possible, you can't help but be surprised when you actually confirm their existence.

Zhao Fangxu sighed and looked out the window at the sky. He knew very well that if this matter was not handled properly, the Northeastern immortals in Changbai Mountain could become a destabilizing factor.

Ensuring the stability of the world of supernatural beings is his duty and mission.

Feeling immense pressure, Zhao Fangxu let out a long sigh and slowly said to the intelligent sparrow perched on a branch outside the window, "These are turbulent times."

However, before the words had completely faded, a sharp, urgent phone ring suddenly rang out, instantly shattering the stagnant atmosphere in the office.

Chairman Su subconsciously picked up his personal work phone on the table. After only glancing at the caller ID, his expression darkened, and he quickly answered the call and held it to his ear.

In just a few breaths, her previously composed and capable face turned deathly pale, her pupils contracted sharply, and she sprang to her feet from the sofa, her voice cracking with disbelief as she cried out, "What did you say???"

The moment the words left her mouth, she snapped back to reality, realizing Zhao Fangxu was still in the office. She quickly suppressed her surging fear, hastily adding "Please wait a moment" into the phone. Then, she swiftly placed the phone in the center of the coffee table, pressed the speakerphone button, steadied her trembling voice, and said in a deep voice, "Master Jiekong, can you take responsibility for what you said?"

On the other end of the phone, Master Jiekong's voice came slowly through the receiver, his speech calm yet each word carrying immense weight, as if carefully considered: "I can only say that this is something I personally experienced. Although I dare not completely rule out that it was an illusion or the work of someone other than a supernatural being, based solely on my own feelings, it is absolutely true, and I can stand by what I say."

Suppressing his fear, Chairman Su spoke into the phone in a deep voice, his tone carrying a barely perceptible urgency: "Master Jiekong, please tell me again in detail what exactly happened last night?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then Master Jiekong's slightly hoarse voice came through, echoing clearly in the office: "This humble monk said that last night at midnight, in the main hall of Lingyin Temple, I encountered a—a great deity."

After a brief pause, Jiekong continued, "This venerable deity has extensive knowledge of Buddhist scriptures and can readily recall many classic texts, far surpassing any eminent monk I have ever known. However, his understanding of the true meaning of Prajna, the core of Buddhism, remains at the level of interpreting the text literally. Therefore, it was he who personally told me that he once sat with me all night to discuss the Dao and explore Buddhist principles. He also told me that he once served as the guardian deity of Mount Putuo in the South China Sea, under the decree of Guanyin Bodhisattva, guarding the mountain gate."

"Luojia Mountain in the South China Sea?"

These five words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Zhao Fangxu's ears. Those childhood memories that had long been buried by time and almost forgotten surged up like a tide. In their memories, there was only one person who could match this identity.

That is the bear demon from Black Wind Cave on Black Wind Mountain, as recorded in "Journey to the West". Legend has it that the Black Wind Demon stole the robe from Guanyin Temple and fought wits and courage with Sun Wukong!

For a moment, both Zhao Fangxu and Chairman Su turned deathly pale, realizing something.

Two demon kings have approached the Ten Elders in succession; this was premeditated!

At that moment, the sparrows outside the window heard the conversation inside the house clearly. A meaningful look flashed in their dark eyes, and then they flapped their wings and flew away.

In the male dormitory of Nankai University, the screen light in the early morning made the room full of smoke. A few roommates who had just stopped typing were slumped in their chairs, chatting idly.

"Have you heard? Someone recently spotted a weasel begging for food in the grove near the school! Another unsolved mystery in Nanbukai has been discovered."

The roommate across the room waved his phone, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and offered them to his buddies one by one. The roommate next to him took one, put it in his mouth, lit it with a "click," took a deep drag, and then scoffed, "They've had too much to drink. This is Nanbokai, where did these weasels come from? Right, Brother Luo?"

As he spoke, he pulled another cigarette from the pack, turned around, and offered it to Zhang Chulan on the upper bunk. Locke stretched out his chubby little paw, nodded, and readily agreed, "Exactly, where did this weasel come from!"

Just then, the dormitory door was suddenly kicked open with a loud bang.

Zhang Chulan, who was home to pay respects to his ancestors during the Qingming Festival holiday, completely ignored his roommates' complaints. He threw his luggage on the ground, rushed to his upper bunk, and first respectfully greeted his master on the bed. Then he leaned closer and whispered, "Your Majesty, Xiao Lanzi—"

Before he could finish speaking, Locke raised his hand to interrupt him. The king, who was in the form of a yellow-haired weasel, slowly put a cigarette in his mouth, and a thin golden flame rose from his fingertips, precisely lighting the cigarette butt.

Like an old hand who'd been smoking a pipe for decades at the village entrance, he took a deep drag, then blew a puff of white smoke precisely into Zhang Chulan's face, and slowly said, "Let this great king guess, was it your grandfather's grave that was dug up?"

Zhang Chulan's eyes widened instantly, his face filled with exaggerated shock. He leaned even closer, his tone brimming with admiration: "As expected of Your Majesty! How do you know everything?! Could it be that my grandfather was an old friend of yours, and before he died, he specifically entrusted you to take care of me?"

Having spent these past few days together, Zhang Chulan, with his intelligence, had long since figured out the king's temperament.

Although he always talks about his "mount," he actually treats him like a little brother and is an incredibly generous boss.

Putting everything else aside, his generous gesture of tossing a wad of red bills after each task made Zhang Chulan completely erase the word "betrayal" from his dictionary.

After all, for Zhang Chulan, changing his tune and acknowledging an older brother in a second was never his limit; whether or not the money was paid properly was the real issue.

It was precisely because the other party was so kind to him that Zhang Chulan reasonably suspected that his grandfather, who had a secret, might be related to the King. Could it be that his family was a hidden cultivation family, just like in the novel?

I knew the Golden Light Mantra and Thunder Magic didn't make sense. How could someone who practices martial arts possibly learn Thunder Magic? Plus, now that even monsters are appearing, it must be cultivation!

Faced with Zhang Chulan's wildly imaginative thoughts, Locke scoffed and slapped him across the face, mercilessly denying him: "I just know more. Your grandfather may be a figure, but he's just a figure. A mount should act like a mount. Stop adding your own drama."

Although he was disappointed by the immediate rejection, Zhang Chulan quickly regained his composure and, clinging to the edge of the bed, continued to press, "Then what exactly happened to my grandfather? Why did you make me hide my cultivation techniques from him since I was little? And now, who stole his body?"

Locke glanced at him, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and slowly asked, "Want to know?"

"Yes! Of course I want to know!" Zhang Chulan nodded vigorously.

"But I cannot tell you."

"Huh?! Why, Your Majesty?!"

Locke took another deep drag of his cigarette, raised his paw and slowly pointed to the top of his head, his tone carrying a hint of cryptic meaning as he slowly explained, "Because, some things were destined long ago, and the person who should tell you all this is not me."

Every word pierced Zhang Chulan's ears, causing his pupils to shrink instantly, his body to stiffen, and he abruptly looked up at the ceiling. A name he dared not contemplate exploded in his mind, and he murmured, "Could it be—"

"Shh." Locke pressed a paw to his mouth, waving the cigarette he was holding. "You can't just say things like that. It'll be bad if you do. Since I was resurrected, that man has treated me very well. It's best not to say some things."

Now Zhang Chulan dared not say another word, only filled with anxiety. After this incident, even he, who was slow to react, realized that he had probably been unwittingly dragged into a huge matter. He could roughly guess what the unmentionable master was that the king had mentioned.

Good heavens.

Having stopped Zhang Chulan from speaking recklessly, Locke took Zhang Chulan's bedding and quickly packed up the snacks his roommates had brought him over the past few days.

He was already tired of wild delicacies from Changbai Mountain and soup made from century-old ginseng, but he loved the spicy strips, potato chips, crispy noodles and candies in his dormitory. Every bite was full of the warmth and comfort of everyday life.

He casually grabbed a thin wooden stick, hoisted the bulging bundle onto it, and with a leap of his short legs, jumped off the bed. He strolled to the dormitory door, turned back to Zhang Chulan, who was still frozen in place, and said, "Alright, this great king has some business to attend to and needs to go on a long trip. You'll have to deal with your own messes and troubles for now. I'm leaving."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chulan panicked instantly, nearly scared out of his wits, and cried out at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty! What will I do if you leave?!"

After he shouted, he pounced on the ground with a "thump," gripping Locke's furry little paws tightly and refusing to let go no matter what.

But unexpectedly, the next second, Locke's figure blurred, transforming into a swift yellow gust of wind. Carrying his small bundle, he instantly rushed out of the dormitory and disappeared among the buildings of Nanbukai University, leaving only a light, fleeting sentence that drifted into Zhang Chulan's ears on the tail of the wind: "Little Lanzi, what is meant to be will be. This is your destiny, and you can't escape it. But I, the Great King, will not stand by and watch you get into trouble, so you can rest assured."

With things having come to this, Zhang Chulan was completely at a loss. He could only press his face against the cold floor, filled with a sense of utter despair, and mumble, "Alright, Your Majesty, I've got it."

As soon as he finished speaking, his roommates, who had been completely bewildered by Locke, instantly snapped out of their daze. They all stared at Zhang Chulan, who was prostrate on the floor, and asked, bewildered, "Zhang Chulan, what are you doing? Why are you kneeling on the floor in broad daylight? Are you having an attack?"

In the days that followed, Zhang Chulan's life trajectory largely continued along the established path. He naturally connected with Na Du Tong, finally breaking through the barrier and learning about the existence of the Extraordinary Ones. He also became completely bound to Feng Baobao, who would bury people at the drop of a hat, becoming the second protector of the treasure after Master Xu.

However, after learning the truth about the world of supernatural beings, Zhang Chulan was even more surprised. It turned out that all his fuss was not about some kind of reclusive immortal cultivation. The so-called Golden Light Mantra and Yang Five Thunders were just martial arts techniques he practiced.

Sigh, he's just a martial arts practitioner. What a disappointment. I really thought I could achieve immortality with the help of the king. It turns out that all those urban fantasy novels are fake.

However, after thoroughly understanding the rules, hierarchy, and various ways of the supernatural world, Zhang Chulan belatedly realized something chilling: his sable master, who always referred to himself as "this great king," was probably not as simple as he had previously thought.

As time went on, Zhang Chulan became more and more grateful that he had kept his mouth shut and had never mentioned Locke's existence to anyone.

Even though he later subtly inquired with Xu San and Xu Si and confirmed that there were indeed such beings as shamans and wild spirits in the Northeast, his king was still an absolute anomaly, even among the immortals, and was incomparable to ordinary spirits.

During this time, Zhang Chulan secretly used his access to Na Du Tong to search through all the ancient books and secrets about immortals, monsters, and the Five Elements in the world of supernatural beings. He even dug up folk tales and mountain spirit stories, but he couldn't find a single clue that matched his king's identity.

The only thing that could be considered relevant was the phrase "metal generates wind" that the king had casually uttered. He found something about it in "The Original Meaning of Journey to the West," but he dared not confirm it at all.

This lingering worry grew heavier with time, following him all the way to the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.

The market at the foot of Longhu Mountain was bustling with activity. Zhang Chulan, holding his Longhu Mountain scenic area ticket, returned to the meeting place with his third and fourth brothers. He looked up and froze in shock, his gaze fixed on the adorable blond-haired creature holding a sugar painting atop Feng Baobao's head. He exclaimed in disbelief, "Your Majesty???"

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