Chapter 480: We're the Bad Guys, Right?

"Do you know where your mother is?" Tang Luo asked, taking over the topic.

The final decision was naturally his to make.

Liu Shenxiang shook her head: "No, but I at least know a few special and important places where my mother might be imprisoned."

"You don't care?" Tang Luo asked.

"I just haven't put rescuing my mother first." Liu Shenxiang said calmly, "As a son, if I can save her, I naturally should."

There was also an unspoken implication that Liu Shenxiang did not state outright.

If he could truly rescue his mother, the Holy Mother of Three, wouldn't that be a considerable asset?

"Cooperation..." Tang Luo did not immediately agree, "What about your father? I'd like to meet him."

"He's dead." Liu Shenxiang said, her tone slightly displeased.

Come on, he's three hundred years old, has fought gods for hundreds of years as a cultivator, not a three-year-old child—why ask about his mother instead of his father?

What on earth is he thinking...

Well—okay, if we go by this person's status and his mother, then Yang Jian is an old acquaintance, so asking these questions seems quite normal.

In his eyes, I'm really just a child!

"Dead? How did he die?" Tang Luo asked, originally still wanting to meet the legendary Liu Yanchang.

I didn't expect he'd actually died.

"He just got old, fell ill, and died." Liu Shenxiang said, any sorrowful emotion long worn away by time.

"Didn't he cultivate?" Tang Luo asked.

"No." Liu Shenxiang said, "He wasn't willing. He said being a mortal was fine, and he never thought of opposing any gods—just raising me well was his wish, and he fulfilled it, so he had no regrets."

The former Liu Shenxiang might have blamed Liu Yanchang for his weakness, but not anymore.

"Hmm." Tang Luo responded, "Then let's go."

"Go?" Liu Shenxiang blinked.

"Didn't we say we'd cooperate? Let's go to those places you mentioned and see if your mother is there." Tang Luo said.

"No rush—those places aren't somewhere you can just come and go from; we need to plan carefully." Liu Shenxiang said.

It's not like tearing apart the Black Emperor's incarnation of incense means you can run wild without consequence.

"Gloomy and stagnant." Tang Luo said, "Don't act like an old man, young man—show some vigor."

"I..." Liu Shenxiang's eyes widened like those of a three-hundred-year-old child.

He really is an old man, alright!

Tang Luo had already stood up.

"How sure are you? Recklessly going there is practically a death wish." Liu Shenxiang didn't say things like "You don't know how powerful gods are," but directly asked Tang Luo how confident he was.

"How would I know before seeing it? If you're scared, just tell me the address—no need to come with us." Tang Luo said.

When in doubt, charge first.

"I just don't like meaningless sacrifices." Liu Shenxiang said, "Since you're so confident..."

He took out a jade slip.

"This contains the locations and the information I know about gods. Take it, and I can also find you—we'll meet again later." Liu Shenxiang said.

There are many ways to cooperate.

It doesn't have to mean everyone fighting side by side.

Liu Shenxiang provided Tang Luo and the others with sufficient information.

If they truly accomplish something, it will naturally benefit the God-Slaying Society greatly.

If they fail, the God-Slaying Society loses nothing.

Originally, Liu Shenxiang planned to have these people follow her commands, but that's clearly impossible.

In their eyes, he's still just a child.

Seeing Tang Luo and the others off, Liu Shenxiang suddenly laughed—unexpectedly, he too had a day where people treated him like a child.

Thinking about it carefully, even the father who raised him never treated him as a child.

After leaving this seemingly peaceful village that could actually pick up weapons and fight at any moment, Tang Luo sat on the dragon's head, looking at the jade slip Liu Shenxiang gave him.

Ao Yulie flew slowly, a gentle breeze came, the weather was pleasant and clear—truly comfortable.

Actually, the surrounding environment is not particularly stable.

This village is remote from worldly noise, which also means the number of wild mountain spirits and monsters nearby is not small.

If ordinary people recklessly wandered around here, they'd likely be swallowed by some mountain spirits within an hour and become food.

The God-Slaying Society hides here, and they have no intention of clearing out those mountain spirits.

Anyway, with few people coming, these mountain spirits are actually a layer of "protection" for them.

Tang Luo and the others were so relaxed, not even disturbing a single bird—of course because Ao Yulie emitted a faint dragon aura.

Wherever they passed, some mountain spirits trembled in fear, so scared they even wet themselves.

How could they still have any desire to eat?

"No mountains." Tang Luo checked the location Liu Shenxiang gave, handed the jade slip to Zhu Bajie, and said.

Zhu Bajie "took a look"—indeed, there were no mountains.

Remember, their mission this time is to "prevent Shenxiang from splitting the mountain to save his mother."

Although the mission information may be lacking in various ways, it won't give misleading details.

Since the mission mentions a mountain, Yang Chan must necessarily be imprisoned in a mountain.

The location Liu Shenxiang gave is a large lake, several cities, but no mountains.

"The nearest place is called Longze Lake, Master—should we go check it out?" Zhu Bajie asked.

"Going there is fine too." Tang Luo nodded.

Didn't matter — just walking around looking at things anyway.

Having confirmed the direction, Ao Yulie immediately sped up.

Half a shichen later.

Watching a large black snake surface on the lake, Zhu Bajie looked thoughtful.

"This little snake's pretty arrogant, doesn't even know to kneel before Dragon Grandpa, still dares bare its fangs." Ao Yulie took human form, standing atop the snake corpse, white robes fluttering, looking quite dashing.

Although his narrow victory over this Teng Snake just now looked wretched, posturing after winning looked damn cool.

"By rights, with this strength it should've awakened spiritual intelligence long ago, been able to take human form, but this one's brainless, barely qualifies as a yaojing." Tang Luo said, "Someone must be deliberately keeping it here."

"So the master should've shown up?" Zhu Bajie struck suddenly.

An incense-avatar originally hidden was seized by him, yanked right before him in one motion.

"Looking like this, you're the Red Emperor?" Tang Luo asked the incense-avatar Zhu Bajie had captured.

This one's appearance bore some resemblance to the War God Black Emperor — clad in gold-red armor, fire snakes coiling around his body, a sharp sword in hand.

"Holy Monk." The Red Emperor's heart bled, yet his face squeezed out a smile.

His Teng Snake, raised for so long.

Suddenly killed by these fierce, evil-looking monks who showed up at his door.

Buddha, where are you, can't you control these people?

Is this how things should be? Any rule of law left? Any heavenly principle?

Do these people still look like Buddhist disciples at all?

"Black Emperor said you want to fight this poor monk to the death, but you look like you can actually communicate properly?" Tang Luo said, looking at the Red Emperor.

"I have no intention of being enemies with the Holy Monk." The Red Emperor said.

"But Little White Dragon killed your Teng Snake." Tang Luo said.

The Red Emperor shook his head repeatedly, face full of righteousness: "Just a little snake that couldn't even awaken spiritual intelligence — to die under the Eight Divisions Heavenly Dragon Horse is its blessing."

"Little Red, you're way more sensible than Little Black." Zhu Bajie released the Red Emperor, patted his shoulder laughing, "We really just wanted to ask about Yang Jian and Yang Chan's whereabouts, but Little Black refused to say anything. You look open and aboveboard, not like Little Black with that guilty-conscience look."

"Heh..." The Red Emperor laughed with extreme difficulty.

Guilty conscience — they're the ones who are fucking guilty!

If not for a guilty conscience, though Tang Xuanzang's fierce reputation precedes him, they weren't enemies with them.

Why else would they have such intense, wary reactions?

"Since you're willing to talk, then speak." Tang Luo said, "This poor monk isn't someone who likes killing either."

"..."

"This minor god Dai Li, pays respects to the Holy Monk." The Red Emperor cupped fists toward Tang Luo.

"So it really is you lot." Tang Luo said.

Dai Li, one of the Seven Sages of Meishan, a dog yaoguai, once occupied a mountain as king, later subdued by Yang Jian.

"Yes." Red Emperor Dai Li said.

"Then why only you five?" Tang Luo asked.

"This matter... family shame not to be spread outside, this is also why Black Emperor — this minor god means Wu Long — doesn't want to meet the Holy Monk." Dai Li sighed, "Old Jin, he's become a yaoguai again."

"Old Jin?"

"Jin Dasheng, yellow ox, horns on head, this tall, very sturdy." The Red Emperor gestured.

Tang Luo nodded, remembered — met once back then, indeed there was such a one.

Origin and background similar to Dai Li, Wu Long and the rest, all yaoguai subdued by Yang Jian.

Next, Dai Li told a sad story of brothers turning against each other.

The Seven Monsters of Meishan, besides Yuan Hong this white ape of extraordinary origin, the rest were all yaoguai Yang Jian caught like collecting Pokemon.

Between them maybe shared suffering — you got beaten by the True Lord too? What a coincidence, me too.

Relations pretty good, so they swore brotherhood as six brothers.

Also called Meishan Six Friends, Six Brothers.

Red Emperor Dai Li dog yaoguai, Black Emperor Wu Long centipede essence, Jin Dasheng yellow ox turned essence.

Shanhai Realm upheaval, everyone injured, Dai Li and the rest condensed incense power, embarked on the god path.

While Jin Dasheng was least injured, didn't take the god path, instead "returned to banditry" again, occupied a mountain as king, wanted to establish a yaozu heaven on earth.

Thus the six brothers became enemies.

Forming today's situation.

Not wanting to see Tang Luo was also this reason.

How many yaos you've killed Tang Luo, everyone has a rough idea in their hearts.

Jin Dasheng leads yaozu to cause havoc, and you won't flay him alive, boil him into a pot of beef soup?

Brothers so many years, feelings exist — even if Jin Dasheng "turned bandit", unwilling to see him meet such an end.

My brother, only we can beat him.

Even if you're Tang Xuanzang, no go.

Wu Long that hot temper, already holding fire in his heart, Tang Luo even destroyed his temple, so simply swore to fight to the death.

Worst case all die together, get a vast white nothingness truly clean, better than current stifling misery.

"So we're the bad guys then?" Zhu Bajie, having heard the Red Emperor's sad story, looked at his sorrowful face and said.

"No, no, it's our problem." Dai Li shook his head repeatedly, "Old Jin made his choice back then, fate destined this tribulation, the Holy Monk merely arrives answering the tribulation."