Simultaneous Transmigration: We Share a Role-Playing System

Chapter 182 What does it mean that the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord stole the Gu-body Holy Child?

"Mr. Zhuge, I am very sorry. We have tried all methods, but Red Boy's Samadhi True Fire has already invaded your meridians and bone marrow. Although we have already cleaned the wound, we still cannot help you expel the fire Qi left by the Samadhi True Fire using known methods. We have really done our best, but there is nothing we can do to reverse the situation."

Inside a medical room in an underground bunker in the East China region of Nadutong, Zhuge Liang, dressed in a loose white hospital gown, listened quietly to the remorseful apology from his supervisor. The left sleeve of his gown hung empty, looking rather jarring.

"You all saved me when I was engulfed in flames; that is already an immense favor. How could I possibly blame you for losing an arm?"

Zhuge Liang spoke calmly and gently, without a trace of resentment. He simply lowered his head and squinted at his empty left shoulder, where there was nothing left, and it always felt like it was burning.

"I know the power of the Samadhi True Fire better than anyone else. After all, I am the creator of this Samadhi True Fire, so how could I possibly stop it—"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhuge Liang suddenly paused, then smiled knowingly, slowly changing his words. A look of melancholy crossed his face, and his tone carried an indescribable sadness: "No, perhaps from beginning to end, I can't be considered the creator of this divine power. I suppose I was merely guided by fate to relearn an incomplete version of it. Even though I've immersed myself in this path for a thousand years, I'm still worlds apart from him. To be honest, his Samadhi True Fire is the true 'true fire.'"

Even though he and Yan Huan had already recognized the gap between themselves and the Demon King after witnessing the True Samadhi Fire, which had the power to burn the heavens and boil the seas, a month ago, he still felt a little bitter when he said those words himself. If he hadn't cultivated in seclusion for a thousand years, he probably would have developed inner demons.

The fortress's commander stood aside, listening to this nearly two-thousand-year-old Zhuge Liang personally state that there was an insurmountable gap between him and even the weakest of the five demon kings. His lips twitched involuntarily, and only one thought remained in his mind:

Damn it, even the weakest of the five demon kings could pass over Zhuge Liang, the strongest man in the world who has lived for over two thousand years and is the idol of countless people, as if he were a speed bump. Just how powerful are the other strong ones?

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but recall the man Old Dou had brought over some time ago. Old Dou had ordered them to dismantle the guy's modified secret technique. That evil technique relied on stealing other people's souls to refine pills. They had initially thought it was just a rumor, but the guy had actually mastered this evil method. On the day they figured out the principle of the technique, they destroyed all related materials according to procedure.

After dismantling the technique, they realized that the effort and reward were completely disproportionate. Even the Wild Maoshan sect looked down on it, and its elimination was entirely deserved. He was cursing in his heart at the time, thinking, "What era are we living in? To still practice such evil arts is just plain stupid."

During the interrogation, he even mocked the other party to his face, saying that times had changed and it was no longer the era of the extraordinary. But not long after he said that, the Yiwei Rebellion broke out, as if slapping him hard in the face, telling him that times hadn't changed at all, and making his face swell up with embarrassment.

Damn, has the world changed or not? How come it has changed back?

Coming to his senses, the supervisor quickly closed Zhuge Liang's medical report, gathering his scattered thoughts, and his tone returned to respectful and meticulous: "Thank you very much for your understanding, sir. However, at this moment, there's nothing more we can do to help with your injuries. If you wish to leave, we can arrange it at any time, but we must strictly keep your identity confidential. We hope you can understand."

"I'm already very grateful that you've kept my identity a secret, but as for Mizukage—"

"Mr. Yan Huan's condition is not good. We suggest that he stay here for treatment while we find a way to resolve the fire. If we can find a way to resolve the fire, we will notify him to come back as soon as possible. Of course, if he finds a solution first, please contact us in time."

"It's my pleasure. Thank you for taking care of me during this time. But please let me stay a little longer. There are still some things I haven't figured out."

"If you wish to stay longer, that's perfectly fine. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime. I won't bother you any longer."

The supervisor put down the medical report and was about to turn and leave when the satellite phone in his pocket suddenly rang. He quickly answered it and listened to the words of Dou Le, the regional head, on the other end of the line. His face showed a mixture of surprise and confusion. He then turned to look at Zhuge Liang and asked, "Sir, have you ever told your descendants about your life?"

"No. I've just been taking care of them secretly, and I've never told them I was still alive. I remember telling you from the beginning."

"However, Zhuge Qi, the village chief of Zhuge Bagua Village in Lanxi, sent a message through headquarters, specifically requesting to see you, and his attitude was very firm."

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang was quite surprised. His descendants wanted to see him? Had the company leaked the news? How unreliable!

But then he thought again, now that the Demon King has appeared in the world and the three Demon Kings have fled and their whereabouts are unknown, it is hard to say whether the world can continue to be peaceful. Since the other party already knows, there is no harm in meeting him.

"Okay, I understand. Please arrange for my discharge as soon as possible, thank you."

"Yes, sir, you're too kind."

After saying that, the supervisor went to arrange the formalities, but a question lingered in his mind: How did Zhuge Qi find out about the news? Could it be that there really was a mole in the company?

"Your Majesty, is it really appropriate for me to discuss your affairs with my father so directly over the phone? I have a feeling it's not a reliable thing to do."

After confiding in his father, Zhuge Qing still felt worried after much deliberation. So, he composed himself and went to Feng Baobao's room to tell the Yellow Wind King about his concerns.

Locke, who had conjured a spirit to lie on Feng Baobao's head watching TV and sharing her taste buds, waved his hand and said, "Hey, I said it's no big deal, I did it on purpose. I just wanted the company to know I was here, and to help you guys get some special privileges."

"My physical body certainly won't cross the Shanhaiguan Pass, but that doesn't mean I can't enter using a shamanic method, right? There shouldn't be any problem with that, should there?"

Zhuge Qing paused for a moment, then his mind raced, and he instantly understood the situation. As long as the company could find his call records with his father, they would naturally know that it was this "King" who had specifically requested them to join the game. This was equivalent to playing a semi-open game with the company. I won't say it directly, but you know what's going on. You don't expose me, and I won't overstep my bounds. That's how we reached a tacit understanding.

Realizing the true intentions of the Yellow Wind King, Zhuge Qing stared in shock at the illusory figure of the Yellow Wind Great Sage, his heart filled with self-mockery. He had been far too foolish to have prejudicially lumped this demon king, who had lived for countless years, together with those unfeeling mountain immortals.

Just then, Zhang Chulan from next door finished packing and entered the room with Wang Ye, carrying bags of snacks. After handing a large bag of snacks that the king had specified to Feng Baobao, he said to Locke in surprise, "Your Majesty, amazing! I asked my third and fourth brothers for leave earlier, and they said it wasn't convenient, but they called back a little while later and said it was okay. Your Majesty, you didn't use any tricks, did you?"

Locke glanced at Zhang Chulan, who looked perfectly normal, then, without even looking at him, said, "Don't you already know why? Why are you asking me?"

Realizing he had been seen through, Zhang Chulan scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly and explained, "I was just afraid of misunderstanding. Now that you mention it, I understand. It's true that it's right not to tell Fourth Brother and the others some things. I think Fourth Brother will understand."

Zhang Chulan was very clear about one thing: although he was a member of the company, his real backer was the King. To be precise, since the Yiwei Rebellion, he had been affiliated with the company. If the King and the company had a conflict one day, he would not help the company, and the company would not treat him as one of its own.

After all, he understood a principle long ago: where you stand determines where you think, and choice is more important than effort. He chose the king, so his stance will always be on the king's side.

But he knew better than anyone that there was one thing he could never let go of, and that was Bao'er.

Bao'er's background and her core secrets are inextricably linked to Na Du Tong. Right now, the existence of the Great King is indeed like a huge target, drawing away more than 90% of the attention of the company and the entire supernatural community. Conversely, Bao'er, who is seen by outsiders as being very close to the Great King and still a temporary worker, will inevitably become particularly conspicuous in the company's sight. This is unavoidable.

Especially those directors at the company headquarters, if they want to know more about the King and dig deep enough to uncover Bao'er's secret of immortality, things will get complicated. Although with the King around, their lives won't be in danger, but their future will definitely not be easy.

This matter is not only troubling him, but Xu San and Xu Si have also been extremely worried every day. Especially now that the entire Na Du Tong and even the entire world of supernatural beings are in turmoil because of the birth of the Demon King, they are more afraid than anyone else that this upheaval that will sweep everything will only make Bao'er's situation more and more difficult.

Two days ago, Zhang Chulan originally planned to talk to Xu San and Xu Si to explain the plan to go to Biyou Village, but Huang Feng Da Wang stopped him.

At that time, he was still puzzled: Xu San and Xu Si were allies bound together by Bao'er, a shared secret, and it was impossible to keep such a big thing from them.

But after today's events, he instantly understood everything. On the surface, King Huangfeng's move distanced him from Xu San and Xu Si, but in reality, Xu Si would soon realize that this was a show the king had deliberately put on for the company.

If Xu San and Xu Si knew about it beforehand but kept it from the company, it would be disloyal to the company. Given how much the company values ​​them, any slight mistake would be noticed. In that case, the three brothers would inevitably be dragged down and tied to him and Huang Feng Da Wang. The company would definitely follow the clues and investigate matters related to Bao'er.

But if he never told Xu San and Xu Si about it from beginning to end, the nature of the whole thing changes completely. It becomes that Zhang Chulan and Huang Feng forcibly abducted the company's temporary workers, and Xu San and Xu Si were completely unaware of it and were pure victims.

Even if the company holds them accountable, it won't be their fault, so naturally they won't focus too much attention and suspicion on Bao'er.

After figuring it all out, Zhang Chulan looked at the king with great admiration. This move of feigning one move while secretly advancing another was truly brilliant. However, Wang Ye, standing to the side, was completely bewildered and couldn't understand what they were talking about at all.

"No, Lao Zhang, what kind of riddle are you using? I can't understand a word you're saying!"

"Old Wang, it's better if you don't know. By the way, have you contacted Senior Zhou yet?"

"We've made contact. They said they'd meet us at our destination."

Just then, Zhuge Qing's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and saw it was his father calling. He immediately answered and asked, "Hello, Dad, how is it? — Grandfather called you personally? What should I say? Wait a minute, let me ask."

Zhuge Qing covered the microphone of his phone, looked up at Locke, and asked respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Ancestor asked why we're looking for him. What should I say?"

"Just tell him I can cure the poison in his body. That good-for-nothing Red Boy is the only remaining bloodline of the Yaksha King's royal family, so his Samadhi True Fire is impure and contains fire poison. In this world, besides Red Boy, I should be the only one who can cure it."

Zhuge Qing gave an OK sign and said to his father on the other end of the phone again, "Please tell the old man that this place can cure the fire poison in his body. I'll send you the address later, please pass it on to him."

After saying this, Zhuge Qing hung up the phone. Looking up, he realized that in the short time he'd been on the phone, Feng Baobao had already packed everything. Seeing this, Huang Feng Dasheng immediately called out, "In that case, let's go!"

Just as the group was heading to Biyou Village, the company began investigating matters related to Biyou Village. Before Zhang Chulan and his group arrived, they discovered the anomalies in Biyou Village and sent Wang Zhenqiu, a temporary worker from the Southwest, to participate in the operation.

However, considering the other party's special background and extremely unreliable reputation, the board of directors decided after careful consideration to have Ren Fei, who has a special status, send her temporary worker, Hei Guan, to clean up her mess.

Meanwhile, in the primeval forests of the Ten Thousand Mountains in southern Hunan, the thick, damp miasma, mixed with the stench of decaying leaves and rotten wood, filtered the midday sun into a dim, grayish-green hue.

Chen Duo, a temporary worker in the South China region assigned a special mission to investigate by headquarters, was walking barefoot on the muddy ground covered with half a finger's thickness of humus. Her footsteps were as light as a wisp of mist drifting down into the forest, without even disturbing the insects under the fallen leaves.

In her outstretched palm, a Gu worm with a gilded head was spinning, its faint buzzing audible only to her. The worm's body stubbornly remained facing the cave entrance, which was completely covered by gnarled vines and moss.

Chen Duo lowered her eyes, her fingertips gently touching the tip of the Gu worm's wing, silently exchanging information with her Gu for a moment. Then she raised her hand and pressed the earpiece, her cold, emotionless voice coming through the electrical current: "Uncle Liao, target detected."

"Alright, just like the previous times, let's go in and see if they've left anything behind. Right now, of the three demon kings, only we've found some clues. For your future, we really need to find them."

As a Gu-body Saint Child, Chen Duo left behind this Golden-Headed Gu, which once belonged to the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, on the battlefield of Longhu Mountain during the Yiwei Rebellion.

After the chaos subsided, she became the only person in the world capable of tracking down the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord. For the past month, she has been solely responsible for investigating the whereabouts of this demon king.

During these thirty days, they found traces of the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord several times, but each time he managed to escape first, leaving not a trace.

Over time, the doubts from headquarters grew louder and louder. Now, only Liao Zhong in the entire Na Du Tong still believed that Chen Duo could really find the other party. But even he had long since given up hope of catching this thousand-year-old demon king.

Therefore, Liao Zhong's biggest dream was to find some traces left by the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord to prove Chen Duo's value. However, he never imagined that as Locke's clone, the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord had been using himself as bait to lure Chen Duo.

Chen Duo slowly walked into the cave. A damp, fishy smell hit her face. Cold water droplets condensed on the rock walls, and the gravel under her feet was trudged silently.

The golden-headed gu in her palm flapped its wings more and more rapidly, leading her deeper into the cave. The further they went, the denser the crisscrossing scratches left by centipedes crawling on the rock walls became. Scattered along the path were the remains of many animals whose bodily fluids had been drained, their white bones stark and devoid of any sign of life.

A chilling unease crept up Chen Duo's spine and spread throughout her body. Her Gu was frantically warning that deep within the cave lay something terrifying beyond measure, capable of crushing her.

"Uncle Liao." She pressed the earpiece, her voice still calm and steady, without a trace of panic.

"What's wrong, Duoduo? Did you find anything?" Liao Zhong's voice tightened instantly in the earpiece.

"It seems he's still here this time."

"What?!"

These words struck Liao Zhong like a thunderbolt. His face drained of color instantly, and instead of the joy of a successful mission, he was overwhelmed by panic. He gripped the walkie-talkie tightly, his voice cracking, and screamed into the microphone, "You didn't go too deep, did you?! Get out immediately! Get out right now! I'll get backup right now, you absolutely cannot get hurt!"

Listen, Duoduo, catching the Demon King isn't important, your safety is more important than anything! Get out of here!

Before the words had even finished fading from her earpiece, a chilling gust of wind swept up behind Chen Duo, carrying a putrid, demonic aura. A cold, hoarse voice rang out against the back of her neck: "Is that so? Then I'm afraid it's too late. You've been chasing me for a whole month; it's time for me to collect some interest."

Chen Duo whirled around and crashed into a pair of golden, vertical pupils. The Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord, covered in hideous wounds, stood behind her. Black blood still seeped from the mangled legs of his centipede form, and the hundred eyes that had been closed on his chest and abdomen opened all at once, the blinding golden light instantly engulfing her vision.

The next second, everything went black before Chen Duo's eyes, and she completely lost consciousness and awareness.

On the other end of the headset, Liao Zhongqing clearly heard the Hundred-Eyed Demon Lord's chilling threat. He screamed Chen Duo's name into the walkie-talkie like a madman, over and over again, but all he got in response was the crackling static of the electricity; there was no longer any of the girl's cool reply.

The teammate beside him rushed over, his face pale, his voice trembling: "Boss! Chen Duo's location signal! It's completely gone!"

At that moment, the walkie-talkie slammed to the ground from Liao Zhong's limp hand. His mind went blank, leaving only one heart-wrenching thought that echoed repeatedly in his boundless panic:

He lost Chen Duo.