Chapter 522: Come Catch Me!

Refusing is impossible to refuse, I won't refuse in this lifetime.

Acting as bait and such, for Nezha, is also a fresh experience, even though Tang Luo's words are unpleasant to hear.

But who knows, the people drawn out might all be talents, and their words pleasant to hear.

Nezha is not the kind of person who says "I don't want to, I can still lie low, I'll lie low for a lifetime"; before, he had no choice.

Now he wants to be a bait...

Mhm, from the bottom of his heart, not a bit forced.

"Master, the Great Sun Academy has made a move." While Tang Luo and Nezha were enthusiastically discussing the fishing plan, a voice came from Zhu Bajie's side.

"Great Sun Academy?" Tang Luo said, "Oh, Nezha said the ones behind this thing should be Buddhist people."

"Nezha?" Zhu Bajie's voice carried a hint of surprise.

Nezha glanced at Tang Luo, continuing to think about how to be a good bait... no, once he accepted this setting, he fundamentally couldn't stop!

"Mhm, the one behind Heaven's Gift is him, turned from a vegetable into a robot, very miserable." Tang Luo said, "We're currently discussing using him as bait to lure out the remaining 'gods and buddhas'."

"Already this miserable, and still have to be bait?"

Zhu Bajie thought to himself, but said aloud, "Mhm, if the injuries are severe, it's indeed more suitable to be bait."

"What's the situation with the Great Sun Academy? What move?" Tang Luo asked.

"Those four guys are racing wildly on the wasteland, attracting the Great Sun Academy's attention; the Great Sun Academy is currently contacting them, instigating them to go to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures."

"Oh?"

"These people are now heading west all the way, and the Great Sun Academy has also secretly sent people to hunt them down, but not really intending to kill them..." Zhu Bajie paused, "Master, it feels a bit similar to our scripture-fetching; some guys seem like they were specially arranged, deliberately creating trouble."

"Speaking of which, to this day I still don't know what the scripture-fetching back then was actually for." Tang Luo said.

"Wasn't it said to be about taming Eldest Senior Brother?" Zhu Bajie muttered.

Sun Wukong is a talent; even if he let the heavenly horses loose, stole peaches, pinned the Seven Fairies so they couldn't work, wrecked the Peach Banquet, and caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace, everyone still felt he was a good monkey.

So there was the scripture-fetching matter.

Tame the monkey and incidentally propagate the Buddhist Dharma, or swap the primary and secondary — no matter how you put it, in the end Tang Luo and the others still brought the Buddhist scriptures back to the Great Tang.

Of course, this Great Tang is different from the Great Tang in the real world.

"Forget it, you keep watching them, see what the Great Sun Academy ultimately wants to do." Tang Luo said.

"Okay." Zhu Bajie said.

"Who do you think is behind the Great Sun Academy?" Nezha asked Tang Luo.

Tang Luo shook his head: "Who knows, that bunch of bald donkeys are insidious, they even like to speak in Zen riddles; I've never known what these guys are thinking."

"Scolding yourself works too." Nezha teased.

"Didn't see my hair?" Tang Luo said, having hair means not bald.

"How do you plan to let me 'appear legitimately'?" Nezha asked.

He had hidden for so long; suddenly popping out one day would be a bit strange.

"'You' caused a scene at Heaven's Gift?" Tang Luo thought for a moment and said, "Anyway the video records have all been thoroughly destroyed; news spreads by word of mouth, distorted through retelling — whatever it turns into is still up to Heaven's Gift to decide."

"My control over Heaven's Gift isn't that strong." Nezha said.

"Rest assured, two of the Committee have already converted to my Buddhism." Tang Luo said, "Otherwise how do you think I found my way up here."

"I remember, the Committee has five people, right?"

"Those three wouldn't convert, couldn't be spiritually converted, so I had to physically convert them." Tang Luo said.

"... Are you really a Buddhist?" Nezha said.

"The Great Teaching has always been practical, hasn't it." Tang Luo said, "Did you forget how you rose to power in the first place?"

Buddhism rose amidst the internal strife between Yuanshi Tianzun and Lingbao Tianzun (Tongtian Jiaozhu).

The "Investiture of the Gods" war; many Daoist cultivators ultimately defected to Buddhism.

Buddhism flourished, and afterward co-"governed" the Mountains and Seas Realm with the Heavenly Court.

Tathagata's skill at poaching corners is not small.

"At least the Buddha wouldn't physically convert people." Nezha said.

The situation back then was similar to internal company infighting; many employees grew disheartened, and just then another company extended an olive branch, so they jumped ship one after another.

Speaking of it, it's not glorious.

But compared to a "demonic cultist" like Tang Luo who says "you won't convert, and you won't go die, leaving this poor monk in a difficult spot," the methods can be called gentle.

"Let's go, let's go." Tang Luo stood up.

"Wait a moment, I have a lot of things to pack." Nezha said.

"Pack what?"

"I'll definitely have to make a move, so of course I need to prepare well."

"With me here, why would you make a move?" Tang Luo said.

"Would you jump out just because a little fish appears?" Nezha said, and besides, how could he be the kind of bait that can't resist at all?

Half a day later, Tang Luo carried a black cubic box and walked out of Mist Valley.

The dense fog in Mist Valley gradually dispersed after a day.

The scene inside can be seen: a large lake, with some messy, unnameable plants beside it.

Silent and soundless, not a single animal's existence can be seen.

But in the lake water, some black shadows can be vaguely seen swimming past; at the position of their eyes, a faint red light seems to rise.

They sink into the deep lake water, disappearing without a trace.

A few days later.

News came out from the Heaven's Gift territory.

Their most important headquarters, the City of Watching, saw a major incident; the Hand of God squads were committed in a steady stream, seemingly battling the Unknown in the city.

According to uncertain rumors, at least over fifty Hands of God died in this incident.

You must understand, the Hands of God are the most elite individual combat units bestowed by the Heavenly God's Grace.

Their numbers are normally maintained at around two hundred.

Losing a quarter in one go — the losses can be described as catastrophic.

Fortunately, the Heavenly God's Grace ultimately apprehended the chief culprit behind this incident; however, before everyone could figure out exactly who, or what, had caused such massive losses.

The Heavenly God's Grace suffered another mishap.

Of the highest Five-Person Committee, three died directly; the cause of death was related to what happened that day in the City of Watching.

The "chief culprit" captured by the Heavenly God's Grace was not thoroughly "brought to justice"; moreover, they broke free of their bonds, assassinated three committee members, and fled.

The truly earth-shaking major event could no longer be covered up.

All kinds of news spread wildly.

Some said the cause was a brand-new monster born on the Wasteland, humanoid in shape, with three heads and six arms, eight chi tall, green-faced and fanged, swallowing a "Hand of God" in one gulp.

Others said it was actually a Burrowing Worm, a kind of gigantic worm that spends most of its time living deep underground.

Because of some unknown reason it appeared in the City of Watching, and it could split, so the Heavenly God's Grace suffered a crushing blow.

Still others swore up and down that there was no chief culprit at all; this was actually infighting among the Five-Person Committee.

The two remaining people in the end were the victors.

Besides these wildly spreading rumors, there was also an inconspicuous little piece of news that made people sneer, or made people panic.

This news went like this: That day was the day the Gods and Buddhas fell; the Heavenly God's Grace moved against the Gods and Buddhas.

The Gods and Buddhas were not that powerful, yet they still exacted a heavy price from the Heavenly God's Grace.

The Gods and Buddhas have already stepped down from their pedestals, wandering the Wasteland wilderness.

The Gods and Buddhas have fallen; the day of deicide has quietly drawn near.

No matter how the various news spread, the Heavenly God's Grace no longer had the means to interfere; their most pressing task now was to stabilize the interior and prevent chaos from erupting.

At the same time, they had to display a certain degree of strength, not letting the vicious wolves outside rush in and tear off a piece of them.

Fortunately, aside from the Hand of God losses and the Five-Person Committee missing three members, the Heavenly God's Grace suffered no other major losses.

The various arsenals were still there, the research personnel were all still there, the foundation was undamaged.

It was merely a moment of turmoil, not truly hurting the sinews and bones, causing a collapse from which they would never recover.

And this turmoil also meant that for the next period of time, the Heavenly God's Grace would contract, making it impossible to launch a large-scale manhunt for the "X" that caused all this.

They could only dispatch small-scale teams, or even hire some people to hunt and kill.

Yes, just as the rumors spread.

"X" was already roaming the Wasteland wilderness.

————

"I, Zhou Heiya, even if I die, die here, jump off from the outside! I also absolutely refuse to take this job!"

In a bar where demons danced in chaos, Zhou Heiya's shout drowned out the music.

The music gradually stopped; the people in the bar ceased their frenzied dancing and looked over.

Quite a few faces wore expressions of watching the spectacle.

"Fight!"

"Fight!"

Someone started jeering; slaughter, combat, and doing X were the "entertainment activities" of many people on the Wasteland.

Especially those who often operate in the wilderness, scarlet blood and graceful bodies can stimulate their numb souls, and grant them a brief tranquility afterward — both body and mind.

Oh, alcohol works too.

"What job, that old crow reacting so big?" someone asked quietly.

"Don't know, but looking at the white-haired person's extraordinary bearing, is it related to X?"

"Oh, that's big business; honestly, I feel Old Crow's strength isn't enough, can't get mixed up in it."

"Right, that's why he refused, no wonder he's survived so many years, his judgment is indeed good."

"Fine! I agree!"

The flattering words hadn't even "cooled" yet; Zhou Heiya, who just moments ago said "I'd rather die than accept the mission," shouted loudly, "This mission is simply tailor-made for my Heiya Caravan; if I don't do it, no one on the Wasteland will!"

"???"

The crowd stared at each other in blank dismay; whatever happened to the promised fight?

Whatever happened to the promised good judgment?

You just refused with your life, how come you agreed now? What did that white-haired person say to you?

"Good, I knew Heiya you're a smart person." Tang Luo said, "Then let's go."

Elder Tang excels at convincing people with reason.

Zhou Heiya summoned his team members and followed Tang Luo's pace.

Next, they were going to hunt the recently limelight-stealing X, unknown whether human, ghost, monster, or God and Buddha.

One foot stepping into the vortex, embarking on a grand and magnificent future path.

From now on walking the peak of life — my ass!

If possible, Zhou Heiya hoped time would return to that day.

The day he saw this white-haired man, he would immediately lead the caravan to turn around, ignore the blurry figure in the binoculars, and everyone would pretend nothing had ever happened.

Only spilled water cannot be recovered; time cannot flow backward.

Others all boarded the pirate ship; their Heiya Caravan had "the pirate boarded the ship."

Then, that thief wouldn't get off.

Where can one even go to reason about this!

Black Crow knew full well his weapon wasn't enough to account for the white-haired Xuanzang before him; he could only put up a token resistance, then followed the other party.

"Master, why are you looking for us? You want to capture that X; we can't be of much help..." Black Crow followed behind Tang Luo, unable to help asking.

The subtext was: "Why won't you let us go? I'm just a small merchant!"

"Oh, you drive quite steadily." Tang Luo said, "I actually don't like driving myself; it's too much trouble."

Black Crow nearly coughed up a mouthful of old blood; is it my fault my driving skills are good?

"Actually, I know quite a few veteran drivers." Black Crow said in a deep voice.

"You're the one I'm used to, and you understand my habits better." Tang Luo said.

Why look far when the near is at hand... though the place where Black Crow was found wasn't exactly near either.

"I..." Black Crow planned to struggle a bit more.

"Look, X has been found; these cars are all yours."

"I am the best veteran driver on the Wasteland! They simply can't compare to me; I can beat them single-handedly!" Zhou Heiya slapped his chest with one hand wildly, "If Master experiences any bumps along the way, I'll cut off my head and give it to you!"

Parked in front of Black Crow and his caravan members were one black car after another.

Products bestowed by the Heavenly God, among the highest-end vehicles; the most conspicuous one, rather than calling it a car, it would be more apt to call it a tank.

"Land King Type 5", fully armored body, equipped with six Divine Fire Cannons, top speed reaching 300 kilometers per hour, zero to 60 mph in only 2.7 seconds.

Wheels forged from enhanced composite synthetic fiber, 1.4 meters tall, half a head taller than the shortest in the caravan, Little Guo, paired with a suspension system, capable of adapting to all terrains.

Besides that, also equipped with automatic lock-on tracking missiles; the front has a flamethrower device, capable of spraying flames exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius.

The power unit is high-speed hydraulic cylinders, capable of reducing braking distance by 78%.

Not sold externally, balancing speed and combat capability, and also possessing "endurance" — a combat vehicle.

The dream of countless veteran drivers on the Wasteland.

The other cars, though not as high-end as the Land King, are still Wasteland vehicles that many veteran drivers pursue for a lifetime.

Black Crow ran trembling hands lightly over the black armor: "Master, catch the person and they're really given to me?"

Fragrant, truly fragrant!

That cold metallic fragrance, intoxicating.

"Mm." Tang Luo said, "Anyway, Heavenly God's Bestowal spent a huge sum this time; it wasn't my money."

"That, excuse me for asking bluntly, what exactly is that X?" Black Crow suddenly asked.

"... To tell the truth, I'm not too clear either; however, it's said to truly be a god or buddha." Tang Luo's face bore a trace of a heart-palpitating smile, slowly speaking.

Black Crow's expression turned solemn: "I understand!"

"Little brothers! We have a new home!" He turned, shouting loudly at the caravan members.

"Ready?"

Getting in the car, Tang Luo looked at the veteran driver Black Crow ahead and said.

"Ready!" Black Crow shouted loudly, stomped on the accelerator, the engine roaring.

Like a resurrected monster, the black motorcade left the settlement, speeding across the wilderness.

Behind, some cars still followed.

X! A big shot from Heavenly God's Bestowal, hired the Black Crow Caravan to hunt X!

Get a piece of the pie?

Never mind, just follow and see first.

"To tell the truth, all these years, I've felt I've already grown moldy; now, come catch me!"

In Tang Luo's mind, came Nezha's response.

"Actually, rusting suits the current you even better."

Tang Luo smiled and "said".