Chapter 788: I Have a Copy of the Seventy-Two Transformations Here

The people of Gao Zhuang were all dead.

Except for Gao Cuilan.

Their immortality was not true immortality; put simply, they were special earth-bound spirits, relying on the territory of Gao Zhuang, plus the methods of the heavenly gods and buddhas.

They could only be continually resurrected by absorbing Zhu Bajie's life force.

Moreover, even so, due to their own insufficiency, they would gradually degenerate into mindless evil ghosts.

Now, there was still a long time before the people of Gao Zhuang turned into evil ghosts.

Besides the ignited Gao Yuanwai, the rest of the Gao Zhuang people revived one by one, dazedly looking around.

Before they could figure out why Gao Zhuang had become like this,

a gaunt man appeared.

That man was very familiar to the people of Gao Zhuang; he used to be a husky fellow with a bit of fat, somewhat ugly in appearance, but a skilled worker.

He once unintentionally saved Gao Cuilan while working for Gao Yuanwai, and was appreciated by Gao Yuanwai.

So he simply took him in as a son-in-law living in the wife's family.

Gao Yuanwai's son was truly useless; with this son-in-law helping, Gao Yuanwai need not worry that after his death that good-for-nothing would squander the family fortune and end up begging on the streets.

Later, the Great Compassionate, Great Merciful Savior from Suffering, Guanyin Bodhisattva, appeared and directly stated that this person was a demon.

She forced him to reveal his true form, shocking everyone in the Gao family manor.

That pig demon was imprisoned in Gao Zhuang, and Guanyin Bodhisattva said that someday someone would come to take him away.

Sure enough, not long after, a high monk came from the Eastern Land of the Great Tang and took away the pig demon.

Gao Zhuang returned to its former tranquility.

Until that pig demon reappeared, escorted by heavenly soldiers and Buddhist arhats.

After that day, everything changed.

These people turned from humans into ugly pigs, unable to step a single foot outside the territory of Gao Zhuang.

Fortunately, at least they had an object to vent their anger on, namely that pig demon… later, another one was added: Gao Cuilan.

It was said that this woman still harbored old feelings for that pig demon, and moreover, she was the only one who would not turn into a pig.

Gao Yuanwai sacrificed familial ties for righteousness; since you won't turn into a pig, then let you become like a pig.

Watching the pig demon being sliced and bled, watching Gao Cuilan being raised as a pig, this was considered a preserved item of Gao Zhuang.

Time passed like this; after experiencing pain, the people of Gao Zhuang gradually adapted to the changed life.

Moreover, with the alternative "help" of the heavenly gods and buddhas, Gao Zhuang was operated by them into a "flaming red" demonic den.

All of this, every origin, lay on this one called Zhu Ganglie.

No matter how great his contrast with the past, no matter what form he took, even if reduced to ashes, the people of Gao Zhuang could recognize him at a glance.

"The pig demon has come out!"

"Beat him!"

"Where is the Old Master Gao! Pig demon, was our home destroyed by you!"

The people of Gao Zhuang were stirred up, rushing toward Zhu Bajie, about to brutally beat this pig demon.

These years, they had long been accustomed to venting their anger on him, even gaining pleasure from it.

Zhu Bajie grinned, fangs growing from the corners of his mouth, his body began to swell, transforming into a standing blue-faced fanged wild boar.

This appearance was not unlike Zhu Bajie's true self.

He punched the leading pig-faced person into a pulp of flesh.

The slaughter thus began.

Fleeing and begging for mercy were meaningless.

The people of Gao Zhuang were all dead.

Zhu Bajie sat in the blood pool, lightly panting.

Footsteps sounded; he turned his head, seeing Tang Luo: "When do we depart for the west?"

"Not in a hurry; the people aren't all here yet, you can stay here a while longer, when they're all here I'll find you to set off together." Tang Luo said, sounding strange.

Zhu Bajie nodded: "You take Gao Cuilan away."

"Eh, I thought you would resume your past relationship with her?" Tang Luo said.

Zhu Bajie did not answer.

"No need to make a hostage out of anyone." Tang Luo said, "Since you promised, I believe you."

"Why do you believe me?"

"No, I believe in myself." Tang Luo laughed.

Believing in oneself is also called self-confidence.

Zhu Bajie's face twitched: "I want to sleep; when the time comes, wake me up, as long as I haven't been killed by those gods and buddhas."

"They dare not; they must abide by the rules."

"What rules?" Zhu Bajie couldn't help but ask.

"All the rules I set."

"……" You're overconfident!

Tang Luo actually didn't know about the Buddha's parinirvana, but the reactions of Daleiyin Temple and the Heavenly Court were there for all to see; one could glimpse the leopard through the tube.

One could see that they now also dare not casually provoke Tang Luo.

Tang Luo re-collected the behavior of the scripture-seekers, which in the eyes of Daleiyin Temple and the Heavenly Court was even a good thing.

At least what they feared most had not happened—the Great Heavenly Demon, having repelled the Buddha's might, carrying out a great slaughter.

The Great Heavenly Demon Xuanzang collected scripture-seekers, seemingly wanting to engage in a "Dharma contest" with the heavenly gods and buddhas.

The gods and Buddhas naturally gladly accepted.

They control heaven and earth, taking all beings as chess pieces, who knows how many years it has been.

Would they still be afraid of a single heavenly demon like you?

Whether it is the heavenly court or the Great Thunder Sound Temple, neither will actively disrupt the current "favorable situation".

But the necessary postures still need to be made, such as that cannon fodder arhat.

Otherwise, proactively opening the gates and handing people over would be too embarrassing.

At the same time, it is also a probe of the heavenly demon, to see what reaction he will have.

Everything will be resolved on the westward journey.

This is the mutual understanding between the two sides.

Tang Luo, having his own purpose, temporarily does not intend to destroy it.

The heavenly court and the Great Thunder Sound Temple are unwilling, reluctant, well, and perhaps not even daring.

Even if Zhu Bajie now storms the Southern Heaven Gate, the heavenly court would at most toss him back to Gao's Old Village, holding their noses and pretending nothing happened.

"Left, left, go find Sha Wujing." Tang Luo said, "Where do you plan to go?"

The latter sentence asks Gao Cuilan.

"Can I not stay here?" Gao Cuilan asked.

Tang Luo shook his head: "He feels it is unsafe."

"Oh." Gao Cuilan nodded, "Then I will follow by your side?"

"Whatever." Tang Luo gave no clear answer, "Let's go."

Ao Yu transformed into a white dragon, carrying the two, flying toward the Flowing Sand River.

Above Gao's Old Village, Zhu Bajie's thunderous snoring paused for two seconds, then resumed.

Eight hundred li of flowing sand, three thousand zhang of weak water deep.

Goose feather down cannot float up, reed flowers sink to the bottom.

Diving in headfirst, it feels fine.

After placing Gao Cuilan on the bank, Ao Yu and Tang Luo entered the river, both as relaxed as returning home.

After entering the river, they quickly found Sha Wujing.

Compared to the situations of Ao Yu and Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing's condition looks much better.

He was merely buried in the riverbed, with only his head exposed, blowing bubbles there.

Yes, blowing bubbles, which is not quite normal.

Just how bored must one be to blow bubbles?

"What is this situation?"

"I don't know." Ao Yu shook his head blankly, and he and Tang Luo stared at each other.

The two came near Sha Wujing's head and squatted down: "Sha Wujing."

"Gurgle gurgle."

"Sha Wujing?"

"Gurgle gurgle."

"It seems he does not want to pay attention to me, so you try." Tang Luo said to Ao Yu, "You are an old acquaintance, an old horse, no, wrong, an old dragon."

Ao Yu gave Tang Luo a white-eyed look: "Old Sha, what bubbles are you blowing, want to come out?"

"Gurgle gurgle."

"Hey?"

"Gurgle gurgle."

Tang Luo and Ao Yu exchanged a glance: "What is going on, could he have become foolish?"

"Can you get him out?"

"That is not a problem." Tang Luo reached out and grabbed, pulling Sha Wujing from the riverbed.

Nothing unexpected occurred, such as only digging out a head.

Sha Wujing was unharmed, and even had no injuries on his body.

"Old Sha, wake up!" Ao Yu waved his hand in front of Sha Wujing's eyes.

Sha Wujing remained completely still, not even moving his eyeballs, persistently blowing bubbles.

"First take him out." Tang Luo grabbed Sha Wujing and brought him out of the Flowing Sand River.

"This is..." Gao Cuilan by the bank curiously approached, this woman has considerable courage, and is not shy.

But thinking about how she was willing to marry Zhu Bajie back then, she is probably also a formidable person.

After reaching the shore, Sha Wujing could no longer blow bubbles, gurgling twice.

After realizing there were no bubbles, Sha Wujing finally furrowed his brow, realizing something was wrong.

He glanced at his surroundings, moved his right hand to form a seal, water vapor condensed, forming a water ball that encased his head.

"Gurgle gurgle."

Now Sha Wujing could blow bubbles again.

"Can you cure him?" Ao Yu asked.

Tang Luo shook his head, having consumed merit power when he earlier brought out Sha Wujing, and had slightly performed an illumination treatment.

He does not mind these losses.

Unfortunately, Sha Wujing's condition cannot be considered an injury, but rather self-seclusion.

It is not within the range treatable by illumination.

"What do we do?" Ao Yu looked at Tang Luo.

"I don't know either, what do we do?" The two fell into thought simultaneously.

Killing people we can do, comforting people, that's not our forte.

"Forget it, at least everyone's here. Now let's go find your Senior Brother and Master." Tang Luo said to Ao Yu, "They might have a way."

Ao Yu nodded.

The group set off again, bringing along Sha Wujing, who kept bubbling *pulu pulu*.

"Little Wu, that's not right of you."

"First, don't call me Little Wu. Second, without my wife, I'm not going anywhere!" Sun Wu turned his head to look at Tang Seng.

Tang Luo coaxed Tang Seng successfully, Tang Seng coaxed Sun Wukong successfully, getting him to go with him to the so-called Western Heaven to fetch scriptures.

Of course, what truly made Sun Wukong agree was that this Tang Seng produced a good thing that improved his wife's illness.

That thing was actually Tang Luo's healing talisman.

It had some effect.

To cure the illness, the devoted man Sun Wu made a small sedan chair carried on his back, put Bai Gujing inside, and went to the Western Heaven to fetch scriptures together.

This PDA behavior drew opposition from the monk Tang Seng.

The journey west is so arduous, and he's a monk; traveling with a female lay devotee is inconvenient.

Hence the above dialogue.

"Can't you find someone to look after her?"

"We have no relatives or friends."

"Alright." Tang Seng said, "But carrying her like this, even a martial artist wouldn't get far. Look, I have a 'Seventy-Two Transformations' here, a legendary immortal cultivation method. Want to learn it?"

Sun Wu felt this scene was a bit familiar.

But upon hearing 'Seventy-Two Transformations,' he still involuntarily accepted the tattered little booklet Tang Seng gave him.

This booklet was naturally given to Tang Seng by Tang Luo.

Inside was the general outline of the 'Seventy-Two Transformations' — the Seventy-Two Transformations is just a general outline, a mere few thousand words; everyone's cultivation differs.

Yang Jian's is called 'Eight Nine Profound Art'; Sun Wukong's is called 'Seventy-Two Transformations'.

Tang Luo cultivated it too, didn't give it a new name; it's all just a general outline anyway, a case of the master leading you through the door, cultivation depends on the individual.

The name doesn't matter either.