Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, but Thunderbolt Taoist Sect

Liu Qingyuan was completely bewildered upon receiving the message.

"What the hell? The Asura King of the White Lotus Sect, huh?"

Liu Qingyuan read the message over and over again. Because the aliases were scattered and included various supernatural beings, he adopted a completely laissez-faire approach, especially towards Shou Wanjie, who was going to make contact with the enemy.

After all, the other side also has a system. The connection between the main body and the disguise is very subtle. To the naked eye, they are independent individuals, but their souls are from the same source. In order not to reveal any flaws, Liu Qingyuan will not take the initiative to contact and collect Wan Jie. He will only let Wan Jie grow up completely on his own.

Indeed, it's normal to pull off some fancy moves to gain the other side's trust, since it's necessary to differentiate it from one's own style. That's why he sent Shou Wanjie. Shou Wanjie has fewer Taoist elements, and he also has the identity of a Japanese person and the title of Asura King. If all else fails, he can use Orochi as a shield.

But he didn't expect that Shou Wanjie could be so resourceful, leading the enemy to infiltrate the White Lotus Sect and even making a name for himself. So, is the next step to rise up in rebellion and create a counter-revolutionary alliance?

This guy is clearly having too much fun! We put you in the villain group, and you've even surpassed them? These illegal transmigrators never even considered joining a cult. Taking on Wan Jie has opened up a new path for them.

"fair enough."

Zhao Shiming said with a smile.

"In the end, wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

As outrageous as it may seem, this "Shou Wanjie" isn't actually a villain. He's brought together the rebellious White Lotus Sect and the illegal transmigrators who want to destroy the world, so he can take them all down at once when the time comes. Once they're done, the local people can have some peace and quiet.

"The Asura King of the White Lotus Sect is quite adept at manipulation."

Asura King is a Buddhist term, and the White Lotus Sect originated from a branch of Buddhism. So, it seems quite logical that Shou Wan Jie joined the White Lotus Sect... what a load of rubbish!

Liu Qingyuan tried to understand that Liu Qingyuan surrendered because of insufficient information. Knowing how to play the game also depends on the alias. Having a character bonus makes a difference.

"Forget it, as long as he doesn't actually lead the White Lotus Sect in a rebellion... Will he really rebel?"

If Liu Qingyuan were to do it himself, he definitely wouldn't resort to rebellion. Putting aside the fact that it would ultimately harm the common people, he believed his values ​​were sound, and launching an armed uprising under the banner of a cult was simply too much.

"That depends on the White Lotus Sect itself. Speaking of which, which era do you think this world is closer to?"

Worlds derived from literary works are mostly fictional, but they are often based on a certain era. If the era that served as the prototype was the site of a White Lotus Rebellion, it might happen here as well.

However, the stories in Liaozhai themselves span a time period, with many scattered across different dynasties, resulting in a unique timeline.

"The powerful Yan family in the capital, the emperor's superstition in magicians, the appearance of supernatural beings... It's a bit like the Jiajing era, isn't it?"

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, Liu Qingyuan immediately contacted the system and began frantically searching, muttering to herself.

"Could it be a coincidence? But this is too much of a coincidence..."

"what happened?"

Seeing the original form like this, Zhao Shiming put down his teacup, got up and came to Liu Qingyuan's side, watching him continuously search.

"...I've discovered something quite interesting, what era are we living in?"

"...Are you asking about the state of suffering?"

When we say "we," we can only refer to Jianzi Xianji, Zhaoshi Mingdeng, and others on the surface. As for the historical background of the Bitter Realm... In those few years, the Bitter Realm suffered a great calamity that lasted for decades or even centuries, and the ages of the innate beings became a mystery. Is there really a precise timeline?

"It doesn't just refer to the suffering, it's the very beginning, the starting point of the story."

"Thunderbolt Sect, the Ouyang family?"

"It's not about when Su Huanzhen debuted, it's about an earlier time, the first one... oh, I found it, the background of the plot of 'The Great Confucian Hero of Yunzhou'."

I finally remembered, the coincidence is right here.

Zhao Shiming looked at the information that had been turned out and began to read it aloud from the first word.

"During the mid-Ming Dynasty, during the Jiajing era... wait?"

……

"So, you know that scary-looking guy who killed the giant turtle?"

Wang Liulang huddled in the water, only his head showing. Although he was a water ghost and had seen many dead people, some drowned in pig cages and others whose bodies were dumped and destroyed, he had never seen such a large area stained red with blood before. This was the first time he had ever seen such a sight.

"I don't think so. By the time he started to make a name for himself, we, Deng Daoan, had already retired. We had only heard of him briefly."

After Shou Wanjie left with the giant turtle's corpse, Ling Ziling's initial excitement subsided. Only then did she realize that she shouldn't have asked Ren Yunzong for weapons; she should have run!

Damn it, it's all because we're used to playing around together all the time and have completely forgotten the current situation. She's playing "running away from home," while Ren Yunzong is playing "parents catching people." As soon as they meet, she'll be back to work and go home.

Fortunately, Ling Ziling remembered that she was entrusted by Mu Longjun to protect the Mu family's ships and cargo. With a mission to complete, Ren Yunzong would not force her to leave. He would simply go back with her first and wait for everything to settle down.

Fortunately, there is still some room for maneuver, Ling Ziling thought.

"Oh right, Ah Zhen told me about Old Master Zhang. That old gentleman over there should be Miss Zhang's father. Give me the hairpin, and I'll go ask him."

Because Wang Liulang is a water ghost, he is invisible to ordinary people with the naked eye when he does not deliberately reveal his form. Therefore, from Zhang Lao Xiangong's perspective, he can only see Ling Ziling squatting alone on the riverbank.

He didn't know what the girl who knew Ren Yunzong was doing. He only glanced at her before looking away, staring blankly at the location of the giant turtle's corpse.

As a mortal, he couldn't keep up with Ren Yunzong's speed. By the time he arrived, the giant turtle had already been taken away by Shou Wanjie. All that remained was broken stones and blood. Ren Yunzong told him what had happened, but Old Master Zhang found it hard to believe.

Is a giant softshell turtle, which is enormous, really human when it can be cut in two?

"Although it happened suddenly, the giant turtle is dead, sir..."

"In the end, I still couldn't take revenge with my own hands..."

Old Master Zhang sighed. His enemy was dead, but he hadn't had a chance to take revenge. His family had come all the way to Jiangnan to prepare a dowry for their daughter, but now he was the only one who could go back.

"Mr. Zhang, do you recognize this hairpin?"

Ling Ziling took the hairpin from Wang Liulang's hand and ran to Old Master Zhang. Judging from her appearance, Ling Ziling was about the same age as his daughter, but compared to the well-behaved daughter raised in the inner chambers, Ling Ziling had a distinct uninhibitedness that did not belong to women in this society.

She held a women's hairpin in her hand. It wasn't a particularly ornate or expensive style, and the design was quite simple. But when Zhang Lao Xiang Gong saw this hairpin, his hand couldn't help but tremble.

"This……"

This was the hairpin her daughter wore most often. When he left the large ship to run errands, the hairpin was still on his daughter's head, and the ship was still steadily on the water, with his wife and daughter both there.

"...Where did this come from?"

“Someone… no, a kind ghost gave it to me.”

Ling Ziling glanced in the direction where Wang Liulang was and felt that things had come to this point, so there was no need to hide Wang Liulang's identity.

Ren Yunzong followed Ling Ziling's gaze and looked in that direction. Old Master Zhang was a human and couldn't see Wang Liulang hiding in the water, but he was different. He directly met the gaze of the water ghost that had poked its head out.

"Water ghost?"

Ren Yunzong turned around.

"Yes, a very special water ghost."

Wang Liulang is truly special. Water ghosts are trapped in the place where they died. The small area of ​​water where they died is a prison from which they cannot escape until someone comes to take their place.

Those who tried to capture Bai Qiulian before were people who died on the river in ancient times because of war. They died on the main channel of the river, which is why they were able to track and obstruct Bai Qiulian.

Wang Liulang, on the other hand, only accidentally fell into a small tributary, yet he was able to escape the current and swim upstream to the main channel. As a water ghost, he was truly extraordinary.

Ling Ziling almost wanted to drag him to find Mu Longjun and ask if this person was of the same kind as him.

Wang Liulang was entrusted by Miss Zhang, but it was still broad daylight, so it would be difficult for him to show himself in front of people. Old Master Zhang had also suffered several shocks, and his physical and mental health were not good, so he was not suitable to open his eyes to see ghosts.

So in the end, Ms. Zhang's instructions were conveyed by Ling Ziling.

The main way it's presented is that several people stand by the water, with Wang Liulang hiding behind and saying a sentence, while Ling Ziling repeats it from the front. From Ren Yunzong's perspective, it's like a charade.

Perhaps it was because the giant turtle was dead, and in such a miserable way, that Old Master Zhang felt somewhat comforted. Or perhaps it was because Ling Ziling looked to be about the same age as Miss Zhang, and her words caused Old Master Zhang to have some hallucinations. In any case, he seemed to feel a little better.

The giant turtle died suddenly, so I need to go back to the temple and tell them the news so they don't have to go through the trouble of making offerings anymore.

When they arrived, they learned that someone had come ahead of them to inform them. It was a group of people dressed in white robes who claimed to have different backgrounds, such as "Guangmu Sect" and "Maitreya Sect." The locals were already used to these names and categorized them under one unified name: White Lotus Sect.

However, the White Lotus sect often engages in infighting, with various factions fighting each other to the death. It is truly rare for two different factions to coexist peacefully and even come to the temple to announce this.

After all, from today's perspective, they are legitimate official religions. Although the White Lotus Sect also originated from Buddhism, it was labeled as a heretical sect and boycotted hundreds of years ago. If the internal feuds within the White Lotus Sect are called "enemies among peers," then the entire White Lotus Sect and the current mainstream Buddhism must be "blood feuds."

When members of the White Lotus sect come to a temple, the only thing that comes to mind is to cause trouble. But this group of people didn't come to cause trouble at all. Instead, they came to tell them that the giant turtle was dead and that the people in the vicinity no longer needed to worry about being eaten by the giant beast in the river.

Although the other side spoke arrogantly and haughtily, shouting things like "the great Asura King," this group of outlaws actually did something righteous this time, and they thought they were hallucinating when they heard the monk.

"The giant turtle is dead, that's true, but the White Lotus Sect..."

Hearing about the "Asura King" again, and being confirmed to be associated with the White Lotus Sect, Ling Ziling tried her best to control her expression. Even though she had been traveling around with Shiyilang and heard so many acquaintances being misrepresented and spread rumors, she still found this shocking.

Ren Yunzong had dealt with the White Lotus Sect members a few times before coming here, and had some inside information to prepare for the worst, so he wasn't too surprised to hear this.

Since the people here are quite familiar with the White Lotus Sect, out of caution, he decided to inquire further about the detailed characteristics of the Asura King as described by the White Lotus Sect members.

In addition, he was about to get involved with Han Xiangzi, and he was curious about how his strange and inhuman appearance, coupled with the name of the Asura King and the exaggerated methods unique to the White Lotus Sect, had been spread.

A strangely shaped knife with pointed ears and a striking red and blue body, and a butterfly that always emanates a cold blue light... Wait a minute, a butterfly?

"Butterfly?"

Ren Yunzong interrupted the other person, "Where did these butterflies come from beside Wan Jie? Those emitting blue light aren't..."

"I've never seen it. Everyone says that beautiful butterflies that emit blue light and flutter around the Asura King."

"What butterfly? Isn't that a cicada next to him? And blue... is it possible that it's cyan?"

It's harmless for ordinary people to not be able to distinguish between blue and green, but what's with that butterfly?

Ling Ziling peeked out from Ren Yunzong's body. She was also surprised to hear this. Shou Wanjie had put the cicada in the poem. How could so many people not be able to distinguish between a cicada and a butterfly?

Wait a minute, ordinary people's eyes don't seem to be as good as theirs, and they don't know the function of the poem. With the intensity of those cicadas' glow, if you don't look closely, you really can't tell what is glowing.

Thinking of this, Ling Ziling and Ren Yunzong couldn't help but exchange a glance. Could it be that ever since Shou Wanjie appeared, these people have always thought that the blue butterfly was flying around Shou Wanjie?

"Ah Zhen, do you think he knows?"

"If they found out, they'd probably be furious."

Unfortunately, the person involved already knows.

"Can you say that again."

After Shou Wanjie left with the giant turtle's corpse, he and Yi Yang returned to one of the White Lotus Sect's strongholds in the area. Watching Shou Wanjie bring back such a large creature with a wave of his hand, he couldn't help but sigh.

He had only intended to offer some praise, but the praise turned out to be misplaced. When he said, "I never imagined your butterfly could be used like this," Shou Wanjie suddenly interrupted him, his tone icy, as if he could stab him at any moment.

Knowing that his new companion was unpredictable, Yi Yang genuinely didn't know what he had said that offended him. However, due to the undeniable pressure emanating from Shou Wan Jie, he repeated himself.

"I say, you butterfly, oh dear!"

The next second, the sharp blade of Xue Luo Dan Qing was placed against Yi Yang's neck, and the approaching Wan Jie was so close that the hair on his forehead had already touched his face.

This was the first time I had sensed such obvious anger emanating from this unfathomable Asura King.

"cicada."

Shou Wanjie uttered only one word, and the chill in it made Yi Yang feel that his head was about to roll on the ground in the next second.

"what?"

"It's a cicada, a cold, cicada!"

As the knife-wielder spoke through gritted teeth, blue light reappeared around them. Following its master's movements, it pressed directly in front of Yi Yang's eyes, so that he could only see a blue light and the things emitting it.

This time, Yi Yang saw it clearly. These glowing things were indeed not butterflies; their shape was more like cicadas. He had never seen cicadas fly like this before, since he usually only saw them on trees during the hot summer months.

As for whether it's blue light or cyan light, let's leave that aside; it's really hard to tell.