Simultaneous Transmigration: We Share a Role-Playing System

Chapter 187 The Death of the Great Sage, Zhang Chulan's Eight Extraordinary Techniques Squad

"Brother Yong, do you think Zhang Chulan is really as powerful as Luo Tian Da Xing said? I've seen everyone say that Zhang Chulan is undoubtedly the number one among his peers. Could he be even more powerful than the sect leader?"

In Biyou Village, or rather, Bilian Village, Zhong Xiaolong, who was at the eleventh level of the root cultivation stage, squatted on the rooftop, his eyes following Zhang Chulan, who was leading the Lu siblings around not far away. He nudged Jin Yong beside him with his elbow, his face full of curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Jin Yong subconsciously touched his arm. The image of Zhang Chulan defeating three masters single-handedly and overwhelmingly during the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony instantly flashed into his mind, and a bead of cold sweat involuntarily appeared on his forehead.

He pondered for a moment, then said in an as objective tone as possible, "Little Dragon, you know the leader doesn't like fighting. Besides, the leader's Divine Hundred Refinements aren't for fighting. What's the point of comparing it to Zhang Chulan's Qi Source Flow?"

Although young, Zhong Xiaolong was not stupid at all. He instantly understood the implication in Jin Yong's words. His eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "Good heavens! No way, Brother Yong? So even you think the Sect Leader can't beat Zhang Chulan? Really? Is this Body Source Flow technique really that powerful?"

I don't think it's entirely due to the Qi Source Flow; Zhang Chulan himself is probably quite remarkable. He might even become the second Heavenly Daoist.

Just as the two were chatting animatedly on the rooftop, Qiu Rang, who had just finished arranging the reception for the Ten Elders, strode up the roof with barely suppressed excitement. He waved to the two from a distance, "Hey, hey, hey! Stop chatting! I have some juicy gossip to tell you! Just now, Old Master Lu Jin from the Ten Elders had a fight with Senior Zhou, and I overheard it. I've got some shocking news!"

Upon hearing there was some juicy gossip to be had, Zhong Xiaolong and Jin Yong instantly forgot about Zhang Chulan and immediately perked up their ears to listen. Even Zhang Kun, who had been squatting in the corner of the roof practicing his skills and had been completely invisible the whole time, quietly moved over. The three grown men huddled together, looking exactly like three badgers squatting in a melon patch.

"What gossip? What gossip?! Brother Qiu, tell me quickly! Stop keeping me in suspense!" Zhong Xiaolong slapped his thigh anxiously.

Qiu Rang cleared his throat smugly, deliberately lowered his voice, and looked around mysteriously: "You know what? I heard that when Old Master Lu Jin was young, his family held a birthday banquet and invited all the top martial arts masters of his generation in the martial arts world. They even set up a martial arts arena for entertainment. And guess what happened?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" the three asked in unison, craning their necks.

Qiu Rang slapped his thigh, his voice filled with unbelievable excitement: "Old Master Lu! The once arrogant eldest young master of the Lu family was slapped into tears by Zhang Zhiwei, the Taoist priest of Tiantong!"

Zhang Kun: "Huh? Holy crap, no way!"

Zhong Xiaolong: "Wow, no wonder you're a Celestial Master now, that's impressive."

Jin Yong: "This is really amazing. I only heard my master say that Tian Tong Dao Ren was the number one young person in their time. I didn't expect the difference in power to be so great. Now there are probably not many people in the circle who can beat Elder Lu, but to be able to cripple Elder Lu with one slap, no wonder he is a top-notch person."

After marveling at the supermodels of Longhu Mountain, Jin Yong's gaze unconsciously fell on Zhang Chulan. Recalling the similar supermodel performance at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, he shook his head.

This Longhu Mountain is truly extraordinary! It produced an old Celestial Master, Tian Tong Dao Ren, who dominated his era, and now it has produced an invincible Zhang Chu Lan of the same age.

That's incredible!

While the students were chatting, Zhang Chulan was completely under Lu Linglong's thumb. This girl was just too frank, and he couldn't handle her at all.

Ugh, it's all because of this damned restriction that he developed a weakness for women.

"Hey, Zhang Chulan, say something!"

Lu Linglong stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at him angrily.

"Just like my brother, he pretends to be mute whenever he encounters a difficult question!"

Lu Lin, who had been silently following along without saying a word, was suddenly called upon. She looked up blankly, her forehead covered in question marks: "?"

""

"My dear lady, how am I supposed to answer that question?"

Zhang Chulan shrugged, looking utterly dejected.

"How am I supposed to know why your great-grandfather suddenly came here, and insisted on bringing both of you with him? You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Hearing him say that, Lu Linglong wasn't angry at all. Instead, she scratched her head sheepishly and chuckled, "Then tell us why you're here, and we'll be able to guess why Grandpa came, right?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chulan instantly realized what was going on, and the helplessness on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by his signature teasing smile.

He didn't say anything, just crossed his arms and looked at Lu Linglong with a half-smile, until her cheeks turned red and she was about to get impatient, before he slowly spoke: "Hey, so that's what you wanted to get this out of her? Why didn't you say so earlier? Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"Hey, that's enough, or I'll really lose my temper!"

"Actually, it's not that I can't tell you, but I also have a question for you. How much do you actually know about Elder Lu suddenly bringing you here?"

Seeing this, Lu Lin immediately stopped smiling and her tone became serious: "About two days ago, Grandpa suddenly woke us up in the middle of the night and booked the earliest flight to come over. He looked terrible and was trembling all over. The last time I saw him so angry in my life was because someone mentioned Wugensheng."

Upon hearing the name "Wugensheng," Zhang Chulan's brows furrowed sharply. Zhou Sheng had mentioned this name to him long ago; he was the fourth-ranked of the Thirty-Six Thieves, yet he was the most central and crucial figure in the Jia Shen Rebellion.

Because he is the leader of Quanxing.

If we exclude Yang Zhu, the ancestor who proposed the core concept of "preserving the truth of Quanxing," then from ancient times to the present, only two people have been truly recognized by everyone in Quanxing and rightfully assumed the position of leader.

One was Yao Guangxiao, the black-clad prime minister who assisted Zhu Di, the only emperor in history to successfully rebel as a prince, and orchestrated the Jingnan Campaign, leading the Quanxing sect to overthrow the empire during a time of peace.

The other one is Wugensheng, the man who stirred up the entire world of supernatural beings, single-handedly facilitated the sworn brotherhood of the Thirty-Six Thieves and the emergence of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, triggering the Jia Shen Rebellion that swept the world and becoming the source of all chaos in the past hundred years.

"Interesting, so interesting!"

Zhang Chulan stroked his chin, his mind racing through the village's current population, instantly grasping the crux of the matter. He looked up at Lu Linglong and Lu Lin, asking directly, "I'm asking you, has your great-grandfather's Heavenly Talisman been passed down to you?"

"No, our Lu family only teaches how to be a good person, not skills, but my brother is an exception." Lu Linglong stared wide-eyed at Zhang Chulan with a blank expression, completely unaware of the riddle he was speaking of.

Zhang Chulan stopped keeping you in suspense, leaned forward, and his tone suddenly became more serious: "Then let me ask you another question—you all think I have the Body Source Flow, right?"

"Isn't that right?" Lu Linglong nodded matter-of-factly. "Otherwise, why couldn't even Master Lingyu beat you?"

"What are you saying!"

Zhang Chulan instantly bristled and slapped his thigh in rebuttal.

"I defeated my junior uncle through genuine hard work and sweat! My unparalleled talent, which I am so proud of, is being accused of cheating with the Eight Extraordinary Techniques. This is an absolute insult to my character!"

He roared righteously for a while, then sighed deflatedly and waved his hand: "Forget it, I'm used to it. Let's get down to business. In the eyes of outsiders, I am the inheritor of the Eight Extraordinary Skills, and so is your great-grandfather. So, you all count, how many inheritors of the Eight Extraordinary Skills are there in this village now?"

"A few? Aren't they you, my great-grandfather, and that Taoist priest Wang who's suspected of having Feng Hou Qi Men?"

Zhang Chulan shook his head and counted them one by one with his fingers.

"No, it's far more than that. There were already more before you arrived. As for Old Wang's Feng Hou Qi Men, Old Ma's Shen Ji Bai Lian, Old Lu's Tong Tian Lu, and the Feng family's Ju Ling Qian Jiang, you count how many that is?"

"Four, four? That's more than half—wait!" Lu Linglong suddenly realized, her eyes widening in shock. "You mean...!"

"That's right."

Zhang Chulan nodded, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.

"Someone is deliberately bringing the descendants of the Thirty-Six Thieves and the inheritors of the Eight Extraordinary Skills to this village. And there's something even more interesting."

At this point, his gaze darkened slightly, and his voice lowered: "Among the Ten Elders, the Lu family possesses the Heavenly Scroll, and the Feng family has the Spirit-Binding and General-Commanding Techniques. Both are families that openly possess the Eight Extraordinary Techniques. But—the Lü family, who came with them, seems to have nothing, doesn't they?"

"The Lü family? Of course not, definitely not, I've never heard of them."

Lu Linglong was initially quite confident, but when she met Zhang Chulan's unfathomable eyes, she suddenly lost her composure.

At this moment, Zhang Chulan's mind was racing through the fragmented messages that Lü Liang had secretly sent him not long ago. Back then on Longhu Mountain, Lü Liang's various unusual behaviors were quite intriguing.

It turns out that from beginning to end, the family that was the most deeply hidden and had the biggest problems was the Lü family.

Thinking of this, he suppressed all the playfulness on his face, looked seriously at the Lu siblings, and asked a completely unrelated question: "Hey, why are you two so concerned about this?"

Lu Linglong frowned, her expression matter-of-fact: "Zhang Chulan, that's a strange question! How could we not be worried about Grandpa suddenly turning into this? We have to do something!"

After receiving the answer, Zhang Chulan did not speak, but simply narrowed his eyes and stared intently at Lu Linglong.

His gaze was so sharp that it made Lu Linglong feel uneasy, and her scalp tingled.

Just as she was about to ask, Zhang Chulan finally spoke, but his words were like a thunderbolt, striking her into a daze.

"Miss Lu, do you remember? Back on Mount Longhu, you seemed to owe me a favor."

"Of course I remember! You saved me and Hua'er; you saved our lives. As long as it's not something immoral or against my conscience, I'll do anything you ask! What do you want me to do for you?"

Zhang Chulan looked at her, remained silent for a full three seconds, and then spoke, each word distinct and calm, yet carrying a weight that Lu Linglong could hardly bear: "Then if I said I wanted you to use this favor in exchange for you completely ignoring Master Lu this time, could you do that?"

Lu Linglong stared at Zhang Chulan in utter shock, as if she were seeing him for the first time, her voice rising eight octaves: "Hey! Zhang Bilian, are you crazy?! This isn't something to joke about!!"

Zhang Chulan didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly, his face showing no hint of joking.

"Are you serious?" Lu Linglong's voice turned serious, her brows furrowing tightly. "If we really do as you say, and something goes wrong, the consequences would be unimaginable. What are you trying to achieve by doing this?"

Zhang Chulan remained silent, but the seriousness in his eyes deepened.

The air froze instantly.

After a long pause, Lu Linglong bit her lower lip, glared fiercely at Zhang Chulan, and said, word by word, as if she had made up her mind: "Fine. Since you've decided, I agree. This is something I owe you, and I should repay it. But let me make this clear: if my decision causes anything to happen to Grandpa, although it was my own decision and the main responsibility still lies with me, I will hold you accountable for what is owed to you."

She paused, her eyes filled with seriousness, and said, "Zhang Chulan, although I don't know what you're planning, I sincerely don't want things to come to that."

Seeing the determination and composure in Lu Linglong's eyes, Zhang Chulan finally felt relieved. He had truly witnessed the Lu family's traditions. "Excuse me, because what I'm about to say is somewhat important, I need to confirm something first. Forget about what I said earlier. You two, come with me, I have something to say to you."

On the other side, Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye were lounging on bamboo recliners in the courtyard, basking in the sun. Bored, they played chess by manipulating small pebbles on the ground, suspended in mid-air—Wang Ye played black, and Zhuge Qing played white, the pebbles shimmering in the sunlight.

"Hey Lao Qing," Wang Ye asked, his mouth full of a blade of grass, "weren't you always wandering around the village? How come you're stuck here with me today?"

He paused, then turned his head, revealing a smug, almost punchable expression, and raised an eyebrow at Zhuge Qing: "Could it be because the King said the other day that he foresaw your destined marriage with that girl named Fu Rong? Tsk tsk tsk, I never expected you, Young Master Zhuge, to be the kind of person who falls for beauty at first sight?"

Touched on a sore spot, Zhuge Qing instantly bristled, his hand trembling so much that the white pebble in mid-air almost fell: "What are you saying! What are you talking about! Do you think I, Zhuge Qing, am that kind of person? I'm just... just too lazy to move!"

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right." Wang Ye suppressed a laugh and nodded seriously.

Just as Zhuge Qing was about to lose his temper and roll up his sleeves to beat him up, Zhang Chulan walked in with Lu Linglong and Lu Lin.

He looked up at the crookedly arranged stone array in mid-air, his expression instantly turning incredibly strange: "No way? Old Qing, Old Wang, you two are supposed to be top-tier sorcerers of our time. Using magic to play chess remotely is one thing, but how come you're actually playing Connect Four?!"

"Hey, playing Go takes a lot of brainpower!" Wang Ye retorted confidently. "What's it to you!"

"Alright, alright, I let it slide. You two continue, just ignore me." Zhang Chulan quickly raised his hands in surrender, then looked around. "By the way, where's Bao'er? And where's the King?"

"Miss Bao is catching up on sleep in the inner room. His Majesty and Elder Zhou went to the back mountain to discuss matters." Zhuge Qing straightened his disheveled collar, regaining his usual composure. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"That's perfect."

Zhang Chulan nodded and waved to the two of them.

"I'll go call Bao'er, and you guys come over too. Let's find a place to talk about something important."

Later, when Feng Baobao arrived, Zhang Chulan had two sorcerers set up a barrier and then shared his conversation and speculations with the Lu siblings: "Back in Longhu Mountain, I was curious about the Lü family's Minghun Technique. However, I heard from others that four or four years ago, the Lü family didn't have the Minghun Technique. Now, two families possessing the Eight Extraordinary Techniques have appeared in the village alongside the Lü family. Don't you find that strange?"

Lu Linglong swallowed hard, somewhat shocked, and said, "You mean, the Lü family also possesses the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, perhaps even the Soul-Clearing Technique?"

"It wasn't certain at first, but now it's very clear. Whoever led them to the village, their purpose is the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, or rather, the Jia Shen Rebellion."

At this point, Zhang Chulan became even bolder, revealing some of his assumptions based on his observations over the past few days.

"The Eight Extraordinary Skills, the Thirty-Six Thieves, the Rebellion of Jia Shen—these are all secrets to us. But do you know what the biggest mystery is right now?"

Feng Baobao: "What is it?"

"They are the Five Great Demon Kings. The Great King once told me that he was originally an ordinary ferret, but one day he suddenly gained intelligence and recalled his memories of his previous life, and even regained the power to overturn mountains and seas. Don't you think that's unreasonable?"

Zhuge Qing: "Of course that's unreasonable, but some things are inherently unreasonable. For example, our ancestors had endless lifespans thanks to the Seven Star Lamp, and people from the Three Kingdoms period were reincarnated through jade. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it no matter what I said."

Lu Linglong: "Wait a minute? What are you talking about? Ancestors? Seven-Star Lamp? Endless lifespan? Jade? Reincarnation? I don't understand a word you're saying!"

Wang Ye: "It certainly doesn't make sense, but there has to be a reason for everything. Zhuge Liang has lived until now to end the cycle of reincarnation; he gave up ascension and chose this path. So why is Your Majesty doing this? What choice did you make, and what is your purpose?"

Lu Linglong: "Hey! You guys aren't talking about Zhuge Liang, are you? Is he still alive? Don't joke around!"

Zhang Chulan: "That's right. At Longhu Mountain, the Great King stood up for the sake of all living beings and to atone for his past sins. But I've been thinking about what exactly happened back then, and why it just so happened that five demon kings were resurrected."

Lu Linglong: "Hey, can anyone talk to me?! Don't just talk to yourselves! Bro! Look at them!"

Enraged, Lu Linglong nudged Lu Lin, only to find Lu Lin staring intently at Feng Baobao. Feng Baobao patted Lu Linglong's shoulder, reassuring her, "It's alright, they're in the zone. We'll ask them later."

"I spent the most time with the Great King, and I also know the most secrets about their reincarnations. According to the clues I know, in addition to all being demon kings in Journey to the West, the five of them have another thing in common."

Zhuge Qing, Wang Ye, and Lu Linglong: "What do we have in common?"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Chulan said solemnly, "They killed Sun Wukong together."

Zhuge Qing, Wang Ye, Lu Linglong, and Lu Lin: "?"

Compared to Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye, who knew some secrets, the Lu siblings were too shocked to speak. After all, they only knew that the Demon King was causing trouble and who the five Demon Kings were, but they didn't know anything else.

So now you tell them that these demon kings killed Sun Wukong!

Who? Sun Wukong! The Great Sage Equal to Heaven!!!

"Bi Lian, you're not kidding, are you?! If Sun Wukong really existed, how could he have been killed by these monsters?! Was the Yellow Wind Great Sage involved too?"

"It's true. Although Your Majesty didn't say it explicitly, I can piece together a little bit of the truth from the details Your Majesty has mentioned over this period of time."

At this point, Zhang Chulan shared his conjecture: "Not long after the Journey to the West ended, for some unknown reason, the Victorious Fighting Buddha Sun Wukong probably escaped from Mount Ling, and was then besieged by the Heavenly Court. The five great demon kings and Erlang Shen Yang Jian participated in this battle, after which Sun Wukong died."

At this moment, Lu Linglong felt dizzy. The Heavenly Court actually existed. Erlang Shen and the Demon King joined forces to fight Sun Wukong and were even killed by the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Where did this unofficial history come from? It's too far-fetched.

Ah, the Great Sage Huang Feng said it himself, so it's alright, never mind.

Lu Lin: "Wait a minute, if the five demon kings were resurrected because of the Great Sage, then why wasn't Erlang Shen resurrected? Or perhaps Erlang Shen was actually resurrected but just didn't appear?"

Zhang Chulan: "I don't think so. If I did, I should be able to sense it, but I don't feel anything right now."

Wang Ye: "What do you mean you should have sensed it? You scoundrel Sun, you still have secrets!"

At this point, Zhang Chulan glanced at everyone present. Since obtaining the mental cultivation manual of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, his style of doing things had changed. This was a change brought about by power.

Now it seems he enjoys this change, because he no longer needs to consider many things or expend extra energy, because he is a strong person, and the strong have privileges.

For example, even if he were to tell his secrets to these "friends" now, he wouldn't need to worry too much.

"Actually, it's not a big deal. I'll tell you the truth. I really don't know anything about Body Source Flow. The reason I was able to become stronger in a short time is because of the mental technique that the King gave me. And its name is the Eight-Nine Arcane Technique."

Zhuge Qing, Wang Ye, Lu Linglong, Lu Lin, and Lü Liang: "?! ...

"Of course, these are not big deals, but the key point is that the Jia Shen Rebellion and the Yi Wei Rebellion are definitely connected. If I'm not mistaken, the village may have already gathered all the inheritors of the Eight Extraordinary Skills."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the wooden gate to the courtyard creaked open. A completely unfamiliar man strolled in, clapping his hands as he walked, a half-smile on his face.

The already tense atmosphere was instantly brought to its peak.

"As expected of you, Zhang Chulan, you guessed almost exactly what I was thinking," the man said, his tone tinged with amusement.

"Who are you?!" Zhuge Qing shouted sharply, already prepared to attack.

"What? You don't recognize me anymore?" The man raised an eyebrow.

Zhang Chulan: "I've never even seen you before!"

As he finished speaking, a strange smile appeared on the man's lips.

His right hand suddenly glowed with an eerie, blood-red light, and his fingertips lightly traced his cheek. His skin rippled like water, and his facial features twisted and changed rapidly, transforming in the blink of an eye into a familiar face.

"And now?"

Lu Liang tilted his head, his face still bearing that smug smile.