“Here he comes! The hero saves the beauty, the scholar and the beauty!”
On the teahouse’s upper floor, Zhu Si said excitedly, “Next comes the part where Zhang Tianxiang braves wind and snow at the mountain shrine, using ingenious strategies to eliminate the demon wolf…”
“Let’s go up quickly. Isn’t our main quest to make contact with Zhang Tianxiang?”
“Wait a moment!”
Ji Fu sipped his tea calmly and continued watching.
Down below, Zhang Tianxiang had just clarified the details of the incident.
It turned out that outside Qingzhu County, on Qingzhu Mountain, a demon wolf had somehow appeared. Extremely cunning, it never attacked large merchant caravans, but travelers walking alone had frequently fallen victim.
This young woman, Xue Qing, had an elderly father who was a martial arts escort leader. She had trained in martial arts since childhood and had some reputation in Qingzhu County. This time, however, she had been defeated by the demon wolf.
In the mortal world, martial arts were no match for demonic powers. With no hope of avenging her father, the woman had resorted to this last desperate measure: declaring that whoever could avenge her father would not only receive all her family’s wealth but also gain her service as a slave or servant.
“What courage!”
Zhang Tianxiang was furious, “How can such a demon wolf go unchecked?”
“How can it not be checked?”
The old man being questioned gave a bitter smile, “The county has issued official notices, sent constables and hunters into the mountains multiple times, and even invited several Taoist priests, but all to no avail. Often, the wolf would remain quiet for months, only to reappear and wreak havoc again. Eventually, even the commandery issued a reward for its capture! Tsk tsk…”
Shaking his head, the old man continued, “Young man, if you can eliminate this demon wolf, not only will you win the beauty, but the reward alone will ensure your wealth for life…”
“Men of learning do not act for such petty rewards!”
Zhang Tianxiang stepped forward and bowed to Xue Qing, “Miss, please return home and bury your father as soon as possible. Avenging him shall be my responsibility!”
“Well said!”
Hardly had this voice faded when a clear, bright female voice came from the side.
Zhang Tianxiang was startled and soon saw an elegantly dressed woman approaching, “This kind of demon deserves to be slain by all. Though I may not be talented, I would like to assist you!”
The customs of the Great Zhou Dynasty were open, allowing women to appear in public, but even so, such a declaration was still rare, causing even Zhang Tianxiang to be momentarily taken aback.
Xue Qing quickly bowed, “May I know your honorable name, elder sister? I thank you in advance!”
“Just call me Third Auntie!”
The woman in military attire laughed heartily, her gaze casually appraising Zhang Tianxiang, “Since you also have this intention, why don’t we travel together?”
…
“Was there such a scene in the storytelling?”
Back at the teahouse, Ji Fu asked solemnly.
“No… no, there wasn’t!” Zhu Si was equally confused, feeling a bit uneasy.
After all, his only strength lay in his knowledge of the plot. If this advantage were lost, he would have no place within the team.
“Then it seems the situation is quite simple…”
Ji Fu murmured, “Either your narration was incorrect, or this mission involves more than just our group of Reincarnators…”
“What should we do then? Should we still approach them as originally planned?”
Zhu Si hesitated, then received a glare from Ji Fu and quickly shut his mouth.
The two exited and made their way through the city, winding around until they reached the back door of a large mansion.
Zhu Si stepped forward and imitated the call of a partridge twice.
The back door creaked open, revealing a round face full of youthful innocence, “You’re back! I’ll go inform the Taoist and Brother Han immediately!”
Moments later, within the main hall, nine Reincarnators gathered together, their expressions grave.
“If that’s the case, there really must be other forces at play!”
Master Wuling, the Taoist priest, said solemnly, “And their target is also Zhang Tianxiang? This could be a problem…”
This group possessed martial prowess and Taoist magic. Once they abandoned the constraints of rules, accomplishing anything naturally became convenient.
After entering the Main God Space and facing reality, they immediately robbed a group of highway bandits, thereby obtaining their first fortune. Then they scattered and infiltrated the county town, finding several childless families to adopt them, using money to pave the way, which wasn’t particularly troublesome.
Moreover, after obtaining travel permits, they immediately fled far away. Even if the original county later discovered something amiss, the local constables’ usual apathy meant they would likely not take much action.
Needless to say, Wu Ming had initially been quite lenient, giving a one-month time limit, precisely to avoid eliminating too many participants.
Because of Zhu Si’s knowledge, they knew Qingzhu County was the starting point of everything. After discussing, the nine people immediately came here and rented a courtyard.
Ji Fu had the most noble bearing and thus pretended to be a wealthy young master. Han Hu reluctantly took on the role of head guard, while Taoist Master Wuling acted as the steward, with several servants and maids rounding out the group, making their cover quite convincing.
Thus, after waiting for a full month, they received a prompt that the first task was completed. However, the next step—contact—was originally thought to be easy to accomplish by seizing the right opportunity to befriend Zhang Tianxiang.
But now, other forces had unexpectedly intervened, causing alarm.
“What should we do?”
A woman murmured.
“If they are hostile, why not just kill them?”
Han Hu snorted coldly.
“It’s not necessarily hostile. First, we must investigate and confirm whether they are Reincarnators, and whether their mission aligns with ours…”
Master Wuling said slowly, “Perhaps… there might even be opportunities for mutual benefit…”
Though he appeared merely an ordinary Taoist priest, he had displayed many skills during these days.
To say the least, some soul-enchanting Taoist techniques were extremely useful for concealing identities, thus earning him great respect within the team.
“According to Zhu Si, Zhang Tianxiang has not yet risen to prominence. He must eliminate the demon wolf, gain benefits, and accumulate fortune before he can truly flourish. This is critical, and we absolutely cannot miss it!”
Master Wuling set the tone.
“Is that so?”
Ji Fu’s face bore a skeptical expression, “Earlier, I saw his fortune, soaring like a dragon in the sky. Where would he need such circumstances?”
“What?”
Master Wuling was startled, then asked carefully before slowly shaking his head, “No, no! Ordinary people’s fortune is deeply hidden, and until the time comes, they cannot even utilize it themselves. If Zhang Tianxiang was born with a red dragon embracing his chest, how could he remain an unsuccessful scholar until now? Even if he possesses the dragon’s aura now, it’s like an ordinary person possessing a treasure mountain but being unable to extract even a single grain of treasure!”
“So you’re saying that if he wants to rise, this mountain shrine demon elimination is indeed indispensable?”
Ji Fu asked slowly.
“Exactly!”
Master Wuling said slowly, “Once he passes this tribulation and gains wealth and a woman, with this fortune supporting him, it will be enough for him to pass the Xiucai exam!”
“Don’t underestimate the Xiucai degree. I have thoroughly studied the Great Zhou bureaucratic system and found that a Xiucai is practically a half-official, possessing privileges and being the lowest rank of scholar-officials. This is the key to accessing the dragon’s aura!”
“Once the dragon’s aura is activated, everything will go smoothly for him. At that point, if we want to befriend him, not only will he likely look down on us, but it will also cost us much more effort!”
Han Hu’s expression also changed, “If that’s the case, then this mysterious ‘Third Auntie’ who appeared is our opponent?”
This statement brought forth a palpable killing intent.
The struggle among Reincarnators had gradually begun to hone them, influencing their dispositions. When necessary, they would stop at nothing to complete their missions.
…
“A month has passed, and it seems they’ve all adapted well!”
Wu Ming stood on a green stone, facing several water screens displaying images of various Reincarnators.
“They seem to be doing quite well. It seems the first task being simple had its benefits…”
He glanced away from the image of Ji Fu’s group and turned to another scene.
In the image, Third Auntie rode a tall horse, finally stopping in the backyard of an official residence, where several servants respectfully welcomed her inside.
“Wow… Indeed, there are surprises. This Reincarnator is quite impressive, climbing the highest so far, managing to infiltrate the Commandery Warden’s inner quarters…”
Wu Ming smiled faintly, thinking that although these Reincarnators initially struggled to accept the situation, given time to train, the truly outstanding ones would eventually rise.
“However… after the initial warm and gentle phase, it’s now time for death and whips to push you all to strengthen quickly!”
Snap!
He snapped his fingers.
[Ding!]
A demon-like voice suddenly echoed in the ears of all Reincarnators within the Great Zhou Western Journey world: [Main Quest Step Two – Contact! Countdown begins!]
[Time limit: Before Zhang Tianxiang’s expedition against the demon wolf, elevate the relationship with him to friendly status and participate in the expedition.]
[Reward for completing the task: Unlock the final mission!]
[Punishment for failure: Erasure!]
…
“Damn it! Damn it!”
Apart from the composed Third Auntie and the cursing Ji Fu, Master Wuling, and other groups of Reincarnators, another group simultaneously heard this voice and immediately reacted with alarm.
“Just as expected!”
Among them, a young scholar with a clean-cut face, cold expression, and sharp eyes that exuded sharpness, touched his chin thoughtfully, “The second step of the contact mission having no initial restrictions was indeed a trap! Fortunately, through observation today, we’ve already identified two suspected Reincarnators. Now, whether we cooperate or confront them, we have a plan…”
His eyes sparkled with intelligence, exuding an air of “scholar” or perhaps more accurately, a “poisonous scholar”—a strategist capable of influencing the fate of nations with a single word, unscrupulous in achieving his goals.
“You young man claim to be the mastermind, right? Now tell us… what should we do?”
Two burly men immediately flanked him on both sides, their eyes gleaming ominously, “If we fail to survive, before being erased, I’ll definitely torture you, you pretty boy!”
“My face isn’t pretty!”
The young man smiled, “Haven’t I already assigned others to focus on tasks related to Zhang Tianxiang’s relatives? Through them, we will surely be able to meet Zhang Tianxiang quickly…”
Yet no one noticed the cold glint in his eyes, revealing a hint of indifference.
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