vstars Chapter 174, Part 3: The Predecessor Could Use the Surveillance Chain
Chapter 174, Part 3: The Predecessor Could Use the Surveillance Chain
The foot tied with a red thread first stepped onto the threshold.
The black water spread out in concentric circles.
Immediately afterwards, half a person squeezed out.
He walked very slowly.
It's not an illusion, it's not a wound.
It's like measuring the land with every step.
Chen Fan recognized him at a glance.
It was him again.
The face is still the same face.
But their eyes were different.
The two predecessors were ruthless and hasty, respectively.
This person seems more like someone on official business.
Without raising their voice or showing any ferocity, they somehow manage to make people feel uncomfortable.
He was carrying a long, narrow black box in his right hand.
The corners of the box were polished to a shine.
An old brass buckle was wrapped around the opening of the box.
That wrist was frighteningly thin, with pale ring marks, as if it had been covered by something for years.
Sun Wukong spat.
"Another one pretending to be a ghost."
The man raised his eyes but didn't even look at Sun Wukong.
He looked at Yang Jian first.
Now let's look at Chen Fan.
Finally, look at the summary page.
"We really made it this far."
"I thought you would die on the second page."
Chen Fan stared at the black box, his back tightening little by little.
"Whose line are you?"
The man smiled.
"Haven't you always wanted to know who was the first to learn how to manage people using lists?"
"It's me."
He turned the black box sideways and flicked his finger on the brass clasp.
Click.
The box opened by itself.
There was no knife or pen inside.
There is only one chain.
The chain isn't thick.
Section by section, like the copper rings under the eaves of an old temple that hang bells.
Each ring is engraved with fine characters.
Chen Fan was standing close by, and the sight made his scalp tingle.
That's not scripture.
That's a name.
One by one.
Densely packed.
Some of them have already turned black.
Some are still new.
The first two characters were—Chen Fan.
Xuanzang's throat tightened.
"A chain of surveillance?"
Yang Jian's gaze darkened.
He, who hadn't spoken until now, finally took a step forward.
"Who gave you this?"
The third predecessor shook the chain.
With a whoosh.
A cold wind seemed to blow in front of Blackwater.
"Give?"
"I found this in the box."
"Last time, I almost finished revising the entire page using it."
As he spoke, he flipped his wrist.
The chain of surveillance suddenly sprang into action.
It's not about hitting people.
It's spreading out in all directions.
The copper rings exploded in mid-air, like countless small hooks, first hooking the main page, then the Blackwater Gate, and finally striking the hands and feet of the crowd.
Chen Fan reacted extremely quickly, raising his hand to retreat.
We were still a step too late.
My ankles felt cold.
A copper ring had already fastened around him.
The next moment, his legs felt like they were filled with lead, and he couldn't lift them at all.
Sun Wukong is more direct.
The golden cudgel slammed down horizontally.
when!
Mars collapsed in a series of explosions.
The chain didn't break.
Instead, it wrapped around the shaft of the stick, all the way up to his wrist.
Sun Wukong's arm jerked, and his movements froze on the spot.
"What the hell is that?!"
The third predecessor finally showed a hint of smugness on his face.
"What the hell?"
"This is the old chain of surveillance."
"Once the name is attached, the action is archived."
"Whoever moves first, freezes first."
The more you make a scene, the tighter you'll be locked up.
With each word he spoke, the chain tightened a little more.
At the Blackwater Gate, several people slowed down their movements.
Even when Xuanzang raised his hand to form a hand seal, it was as if there was a thick layer of mud between them.
Fang Yin and Chen Fan stood aside, first stunned, then laughing.
"So you brought this line out with you too."
"well."
"It should have been done a long time ago."
The predecessors surrounding the main page also stopped.
It's as if everyone is waiting for the third predecessor to clear the field.
Chen Fan gritted his teeth and tried to touch the brass ring on his foot.
The moment my hand touched it, the words on the ring lit up.
It's not his name.
It consists of three small characters.
— Approved.
Chen Fan's heart sank.
This thing isn't for binding people.
This is for recognizing people.
After you've identified it, lock it again.
The third predecessor, carrying the chain head, slowly walked forward.
With each step they took, the brass rings on their bodies tightened a little more.
"You guys have been competing to see who can write it."
"I changed my route a long time ago."
"If we can't determine the winner on paper, then let's freeze all the people who can move first."
He lifted the chain head and aligned it with the master page.
"Who should own this page? It's not about seizing it, it's about oversight."
Sun Wukong's eyes blazed with fury, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out as he forcefully pushed his staff forward half an inch.
The third predecessor turned his head to look at him, smiling faintly.
"Don't struggle."
"The more you earn, the more it resembles a criminal record."
"That's how it was recorded when you caused trouble at the mountain gate last time."
Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's expression changed.
"You dare bring up last time?"
The black water churned.
The golden cudgel suddenly trembled.
The chain rattled and clanged.
The third figure slipped half a step, almost losing his smile.
The few predecessors who were watching had been calm, but now they all showed surprise.
"It can still move?"
"Even the chain of surveillance couldn't keep him in check?"
"How much of its strength did this monkey actually hold back?"
The third predecessor didn't expect Sun Wukong to be able to withstand it.
His eyes flashed with anger, and he pulled on the chain with both hands.
"Press!"
Whoosh!
More copper rings burst out of the black box.
This time it's not just one.
There are three paths.
A lock binds Sun Wukong.
A lock placed on Chen Fan.
The final strike aimed straight at Yang Jian's brow.
He was clearly most wary of Yang Jian.
Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat.
"Be careful!"
Yang Jian did not dodge.
He stood there, staring at the chain, as if he had finally seen something clearly.
He only raised his hand when the chain was only three feet away from him.
It's not about blocking.
It's to catch them.
Snapped.
He snapped his fingers together, hooking them onto the frontmost brass ring of the chain.
The entire room fell silent.
The third predecessor's expression changed first.
"Are you crazy?"
"That's the approved headband!"
Yang Jian raised his eyes, his voice not loud.
"You know how to use chains."
"You really think you're an inspector?"
The third person's hand trembled, trying to pull it back.
No twitching.
The bronze ring in Yang Jian's hand was gradually glowing.
The text that's highlighted isn't black.
It has silver patterns.
The third predecessor's pupils suddenly contracted.
"An old official seal?"
"That's impossible, you should have—"
"Who told you I resigned from my job?"
As soon as Yang Jian finished speaking, the vertical mark on his forehead appeared.
It wasn't the same menacing look as before.
It was an extremely cold white line.
The white line falls onto the copper ring.
The black characters on the ring looked as if a layer of skin had been scraped off, revealing another line of small print underneath.
—The old Censorate obeyed orders but not decrees.
The third predecessor froze completely.
"No! This chain has been in my box for so long, it only recognizes the person holding the box!"
Yang Jian sneered.
"The box holder is nobody."
"The first rule of the old system is that the chain belongs to the official, not the thief."
As soon as he finished speaking, he twisted his wrist sharply.
The chain that lunged at him suddenly snapped back.
A loud crash followed.
Like a snake that has mistaken its master, it lashes back along the same path.
The third one panicked and gripped the end of the chain tightly with both hands.
"Stop!"
It didn't stop.
Not only did it not stop, but the copper rings binding Chen Fan and Sun Wukong also loosened.
Section by section, they all retreated.
Chen Fan felt a lightness in his leg and immediately took half a step forward.
Sun Wukong was even more decisive, swinging his staff to smash it.
The third predecessor hurriedly dodged to the side, but still took a blow to the shoulder.
With a click.
Half of his body collapsed, leaving a long trail in the black water.
"You think you're qualified to use this to intimidate me?"
Sun Wukong kicked over the black box.
The box rolled a few times and bumped into the edge of the main page.
The third predecessor still wanted to climb.
Yang Jian had already taken a step and was right in front of him.
The chain of surveillance seemed to come alive in his hands.
With a flick of his wrist.
Encircling the neck.
Another shake.
Shoulder lock.
With the final twist, the two arms of the third torso were twisted back and tied tightly together with his waist and legs.
He was hoisted up and slammed heavily into the black box.
boom!
The lid of the box popped open by itself and then slammed shut.
The brass clasp clicked shut and locked itself.
The third predecessor is still inside, crashing.
The first blow was fierce.
The second time, it became suffocating.
The third time, all that was left was panting.
The surroundings became completely quiet.
The expressions on the faces of those former incarnations were all increasingly grim.
Fang Yin and Chen Fan both took a half step back, their eyes darting around for the first time.
Xuanzang slowly exhaled, staring at Yang Jian's hand.
"You've kept this identity all along?"
Yang Jian wrapped the chain back around his wrist, his expression indifferent.
"Nothing was left."
"It's this broken chain that recognizes me."
Sun Wukong laughed heartily and hoisted his staff onto his shoulder.
"Good for you."
"Next time someone pretends to be a government official like this, you'll be the first one they use to suppress them."
Chen Fan couldn't laugh at this moment.
He stared intently at the black box.
Although the lid was locked, words were seeping out from the cracks.
It's not blood.
It is a character.
Each stroke carefully climbs outward from under the copper clasp, ascending along the box to the main page.
It's like someone is writing something in the box.
Chen Fan strode over and pressed down on the lid of the box.
"Don't let it finish writing!"
Yang Jian flicked the monitoring chain back.
The chain head is nailed to the corner of the box.
The string of words paused for a moment, but didn't stop.
This time, however, I won't climb randomly.
They were arranged in three rows.
It's like they're explaining something.
Chen Fan had already seen the first line.
That was the remnant left by the previous two failures.
The second line is being completed little by little.
Chen Fan squinted and read it aloud.
"Third failed key..."
The word paused for a moment here.
A hoarse laugh came from the box, belonging to the third predecessor.
"You can't steal the chain."
"I can't win the debt."
next moment.
The third line suddenly appeared.
Eight characters, gleaming black.
—Hong Kong Main Ledger, Last Page Interlayer.
Chen Fan was startled.
Xuanzang's expression also changed.
"The general ledger?"
Sun Wukong frowned.
"Which port owner?"
Fang Yin and Chen Fan suddenly fell silent behind them.
"Impossible! That page was burned long ago!"
Chen Fan suddenly turned around.
"You know?"
Fang Yin and Chen Fan had just taken a half step back when another sound suddenly came from behind the Blackwater Gate.
This time it wasn't about ramming the door.
It's like someone is flipping through a very thick booklet.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
The sound was getting closer.
The edges of the main page also bulged up.
It's as if there really is an account book, pushing outwards from the paper.
Yang Jian raised his hand and pressed it on the hilt of his sword, his eyes turning cold.
"Step back."
Suddenly, a long tear appeared in the center of that page.
A yellowed page was slowly turned out.
At the very top of the page, two old characters are visible.
—The port owner.
Immediately afterwards, a bluish-black finger emerged from the bottom of the page.
Chapter 584 The Fourth Predecessor: Not Beating, But Interrogating
When the Blackwater Gate opened, the entire main page shook.
First, a bluish-black finger emerged, with scraps of paper still stuck in its nail. Next came the wrist, then half of the sleeve, and only later did a face appear.
This face is different from the previous ones.
He didn't rush to pounce on the person.
He first looked up, glancing at Chen Fan, then at Sun Wukong, and finally stopping at Xuanzang.
"Are you qualified to write page nine?"
The voice was not loud.
But as soon as he said that, everyone around him stopped.
Even the bubbles rising from the black water were a beat slower.
Sun Wukong was the first to become popular, slamming his golden cudgel on the ground.
"Who do you think you are, daring to ask him such a question?"
The man didn't look at him, but gave a smirk.
"I was asking about Chen Fan."
"I'm not asking about monkeys."
Chen Fan held the pen horizontally in his palm, not in a hurry to move it.
He stared at the calluses on the man's fingers.
Those calluses weren't formed from practicing boxing.
It was created through long-term processes of kneading paper, turning pages, altering characters, and carving.
"The Fourth Predecessor," Chen Fan said. "You came out not to ask me this question."
The man's eyes paused.
Chen Fan took a step forward.
"You're carrying on with old grievances."
"You have the power of interrogation."
"You talk more than the previous three."
"But the fact that you asked me first shows that you're afraid."
The smile on the man's face faded.
"Afraid?"
He raised his hand and tapped his knuckles three times in the air.
*Slap.* *Slap.* *Slap.*
Behind the Blackwater Gate, a series of paper-turning sounds suddenly came from behind.
It looks like someone rearranged the text inside.
"You guys look for page nine." He stared at Chen Fan. "I'm just asking whether page nine should be written by a living person."
"If you're really that capable, then don't touch a pen."
"If you dare touch it, I'll interrogate you first."
As soon as he finished speaking, he flipped his hand over.
A thin black cord shot out from the sleeve and wrapped directly around Chen Fan's wrist.
The action is fast.
It was as fast as if they had practiced it a thousand times.
Chen Fan's wrist sank, and the pen almost slipped from his hand.
Just as Sun Wukong was about to strike with his staff, Yang Jian moved first.
With a flash of light, Black Chain was cut in two.
But the broken edge didn't fall down.
As soon as the two pieces of black rope hit the ground, they crawled back like live insects, rushing along the ground to Chen Fan's feet.
"This guy can hook back," Yang Jian said coldly.
Chen Fan shifted his feet, dodging the black rope, and looked up at the fourth predecessor.
"You don't rely on fighting."
"You can ask."
The fourth predecessor's eyes turned cold.
"You learned it pretty quickly."
"But you can't answer that."
"Page nine, are you even qualified to write it?"
Chen Fan smiled.
I don't deserve it.
Everyone around was stunned when he said that.
Sun Wukong frowned, about to speak, when Chen Fan raised his hand to stop him.
"I won't write it now."
"I'll interrogate you first."
The fourth predecessor's face darkened.
"Interrogate me?"
Chen Fan raised his pen and pointed at him.
"Which page did you come from?"
"Who filled in the missing sentence for you?"
"Who granted you the power of interrogation?"
"Also, which of you predecessors touched that bone pen first?"
One sentence after another, striking quickly and directly.
The fourth precursor's eyes flickered noticeably.
He didn't expect Chen Fan to come up and not fight head-on, but to directly expose his trump cards.
"You're trying to trick me into telling you something?" he sneered. "You're far from it."
Chen Fan didn't reply, but turned to look at Xuanzang.
"now you."
Xuanzang was taken aback.
"I?"
"Yes," Chen Fan said. "Haven't you been chanting scriptures all this time?"
"Don't read it to them now, read it to this page."
Xuanzang hadn't put away the eight pages of chanting slips in his hand yet.
He glanced down, then with a flick of his finger, all eight pages unfolded.
The edges of the pages were covered with old characters.
Some are missing a horizontal stroke.
Some are missing a stroke.
When pieced together, they form a broken sentence.
Xuanzang took a breath and looked up at the fourth predecessor.
"You're asking whether Chen Fan is a good match."
"Then I'll fill in the missing sentence for you."
When he spoke, he didn't have any Buddhist air about him; instead, it sounded like he was reciting an account.
"Judgment of the person is based on the words, and the seal of the page is based on the seal."
"Judgment authority comes first, questions follow."
"If missing sentences are not filled in, the old door will not be opened."
The eight pages of reading slips were turned one after another.
With each sentence read aloud, a layer of black text on the main page was pressed down.
The fourth predecessor's expression finally changed.
He suddenly raised his hand, and a black rope formed a net from his sleeve, rushing straight towards Xuanzang's throat.
But before the net could reach them, Xuanzang had already uttered his last words.
"The fourth paragraph was mishandled."
Snapped.
The eight pages of the reading slips all jolted.
The force that had been protecting the fourth predecessor in the main page seemed to have been pulled away from its root.
The fourth predecessor's throat tightened, and he took half a step back.
The black rope in his hand immediately went limp.
No longer referring to a person.
Instead, it fell to the ground with a thud, like a dead rope.
Sun Wukong's eyes lit up.
"Hey, that's more like it."
Yang Jian didn't speak, but the tip of his blade was already pressed against the fourth predecessor's shoulder.
Chen Fan raised his hand to stop him.
"Don't cut it."
"Finish asking your question first."
The fourth predecessor twitched his forehead.
"You really think you're the presiding judge?"
Chen Fan took a step closer.
"I'm not doing it."
"I'm trying to take your place."
"Tell me, where is the failure key for the fourth segment?"
At this moment, the composure on the face of the fourth predecessor finally disappeared.
He stared at Chen Fan, his lips moving slightly.
"You think you can advance to the next level by crippling me?"
"The door you encountered was only the outer door."
"The person who opened the door on the inner floor wasn't you."
Chen Fan didn't give him a chance to keep delaying.
He raised his hand and pointed at the piece of black rope that had fallen to the ground.
Blackie shuddered violently, as if jolted awake.
Immediately afterwards, a gray-black square seal emerged from beneath the black rope.
The square seal has four creases engraved on it.
Chen Fan grabbed it.
The moment the fingertip touched it, the seal made a muffled sound.
thump.
It was like the door lock popping open by itself.
Behind the Blackwater Gate, a sliver of white light immediately shone through the crack in the second door.
The light was not bright.
When the light was shone on the ground, a line of thin characters appeared on the ground.
—The second level of the clean zone has been opened.
Sun Wukong looked down and grinned.
"It's done."
Xuanzang did not laugh.
He stared at the crack in the door, his face gradually darkening.
A long, drawn-out breath came from behind the door.
Like someone who has just woken up.
Next came the sound of paper rubbing together.
One.
Two.
Three.
It's like something bigger is slowly turning over from inside.
Chen Fan saw it too.
The first thing that reached out from the newly opened door wasn't a hand.
It is one eye.
Chapter 585 The Fifth Predecessor is a Meridian Error
When that eye peeked out from the doorway, it didn't look at Chen Fan first.
It first looks at Xuanzang.
Then look at Sun Wukong.
Finally, it landed on Chen Fan's face.
Like checking.
It's like recognizing someone.
Sun Wukong raised his staff and smashed it.
"Why are you looking at your grandfather!"
Just as the golden cudgel was swung out, the eye inside the door suddenly blinked.
Snapped.
The stick stopped in mid-air.
It's not about blocking it.
It was as if someone had pressed down on the corner of a piece of paper, pushing it downwards.
Sun Wukong's arm sank, and the ground beneath his feet sank half an inch.
"Again with this interrogation routine?"
He bared his teeth, shoved his shoulder, and lifted himself up forcefully.
A voice came from inside the door.
Not big.
But everyone could hear it clearly.
"The pilgrimage team has lost its order."
"The character is too far off-center."
"Execute the return line now."
Upon hearing this, Xuanzang's face darkened.
"Backtrack?"
The gap in the door was slowly widened.
A figure walked out with their head down.
This person is neither tall nor strong.
He was not wearing a cassock, an official robe, or demon armor.
He was covered in shredded paper.
With every step I took, pages fell from my feet.
The pages unfolded as soon as they hit the ground, covered with dense writing.
Chen Fan glanced at it, and his temples throbbed.
What's written above isn't scripture.
It's a process.
The first challenge is deciding who should step in.
The second difficulty is deciding who should be arrested.
The tenth difficulty: Who should kneel?
In the tenth tribulation, who deserves to die?
It's written very clearly.
Even Xuanzang knew when to soften his heart, when Sun Wukong should cause trouble, and when Zhu Ganglie should slack off; all of these were clearly defined.
It's like putting ropes around a group of living people.
Yang Jian sneered.
"They're treating us like a theatrical troupe."
The man looked up.
It was still Chen Fan's face.
The predecessor of the fifth.
But this face lacked vitality, and the pupils of its eyes were filled with fine lines, winding in circles.
It was as if someone had stuffed an old scripture into his head.
He stared at Chen Fan, his tone flat.
"This is the way you were supposed to go."
"Mountain pressing down, apprenticeship, escort, eighty-one tribulations, journey west to retrieve the scroll, and conferment of a title."
"You cut the thread into a mess."
Sun Wukong laughed when he heard this.
"Was I, Old Sun, suppressed back then so you could put on a show?"
The fifth predecessor didn't even look at him and continued speaking.
"Monkey, rebel when you should."
"Monk, be compassionate when you should be compassionate."
"Dragon, it's time to carry it."
"Demons, die when it's time to die."
"You've gone astray."
As soon as the last three words were spoken, all the process pages on the ground lit up.
The white dragon horse suddenly neighed and backed away on all four hooves.
The old rein marks on his neck surfaced on their own.
Pigsy's stomach twitched, and he almost dropped the rake in his hand.
"Damn, can this thing really pull people back?"
A small swastika also lit up on Xuanzang's chest.
He didn't believe it.
It's the same old stuff, just forcing its way up.
The fifth predecessor raised his hand and pressed down.
"Return to your place."
With a loud bang.
The pages seemed to come alive, sticking themselves all over everyone.
One lunged at Sun Wukong's forehead, another wrapped around Xuanzang's wrist, and yet another even climbed up the White Dragon Horse's leg.
The expressions of the onlookers all changed.
It's not that this move is particularly ruthless.
That's disgusting.
I won't fight you head-on.
It takes the path you've walked before and stuffs it into your bones.
Sun Wukong ripped off the page in front of his face and tore it in half.
The next instant, another card appeared in mid-air.
There are seven characters written on it.
—After causing a great disturbance, one should be subject to restrictions.
"Screw you!"
Sun Wukong swung his staff at it.
The page is torn.
It was born again.
The fifth predecessor finally smiled.
"Hitting me won't do you any good."
"This is not my line."
"These are the meridians that fell from the outside."
Chen Fan's eyes turned cold.
outside.
These two words don't quite fit.
The previous versions, whether they used borrowed knives, replaced people, or took over the monitoring chain, were all just moving the old things in this main book.
This one is different.
He's like an interface.
It's like someone reached in from behind the door and used it to change the words inside.
Chen Fan did not back down.
Instead, he took two steps forward and stepped on a process page that had just landed.
"So you are not the predecessor."
"You're the wrong thing to have come in."
The fifth incarnation looked at him properly for the first time.
"You deserve to be back in your place."
"After a hundred years of nurturing the fruit, he retires with his achievements complete."
"You shouldn't be at the table."
That's a really harsh statement.
The people around them all understood.
To put it bluntly, this thing never treated Chen Fan as a human being from the very beginning.
He can only be a tool.
After you've finished feeding them the fruit, get out of here.
If things continue down this path, Chen Fan won't even deserve to have his name recorded.
There was a moment of silence at the edge of the Blackwater.
The staff in Sun Wukong's hand made a cracking sound.
The fire in his eyes ignited completely.
Say it again.
The fifth incarnation looked at Chen Fan, his voice still flat.
"You are wrong."
"Errors should be deleted."
As soon as he finished speaking, the process sheets on the ground suddenly rolled up and rushed towards Chen Fan.
The page margins are like knives.
The page looks like a webpage.
Once it's attached, it even tries to tell you the order of your breathing.
Yang Jian drew his sword and slashed.
With a single stroke, he severed more than a dozen sheets.
Xuanzang raised his hand, and the Buddhist fire between his fingers burned through, leaving a patch of black ash.
Sun Wukong was even more ruthless, leaping directly in front of Chen Fan and smashing forward while bearing the weight of a layer of paper.
"I'll delete your ancestors!"
boom!
The fifth predecessor was hit in the chest and staggered back three steps.
The shredded paper on his body scattered, revealing that it contained neither flesh nor blood.
It is a rigidly defined process booklet.
Sun Wukong was taken aback.
"Is his belly filled with books?"
The fifth predecessor looked down at the cracked layer on his chest, and his tone finally wavered.
"invalid."
"You are just characters, not the writers."
Upon hearing this, Chen Fan suddenly laughed.
You're wrong.
He raised his hand and grabbed.
Grab the thickest page in mid-air.
That page was bigger than the others.
There was a line of red characters written on it.
—The main westward route must not be deviated from.
The fifth predecessor's expression changed for the first time.
"Let go!"
Chen Fan didn't loosen his grip; instead, he yanked the page sharply toward himself.
scoff!
He tore the entire page off.
That sound was so crisp.
It's like tearing someone's face off.
The fifth predecessor staggered, and the lines in his eyes instantly became jumbled.
All the process pages on the ground shook.
The swastika on Xuanzang's chest immediately went dark.
The rein marks on the white dragon horse's neck had also faded.
Pigsy's eyes widened.
"Can it really tear?"
"Nonsense." Chen Fan crumpled the page into a ball, staring at the fifth predecessor. "I stopped the pilgrimage a long time ago."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, then threw it directly at the target.
"Now, we're only overturning the verdict."
These four characters look like knives.
The fifth predecessor's lips twitched.
"Reversal of the verdict?"
"Who gave you the right to translate?"
Chen Fan threw the crumpled paper at his face.
"You wrote a hundred years down the mountain as a single chance encounter, the monkey's rebellious nature as something that deserved to be controlled, the monk's faith as something that deserved to be obeyed, and all the demons who died along the way as something that deserved it."
"I'm going to overturn this case today."
"Whoever tries to stop us, we'll tear them apart."
Sun Wukong laughed loudly and slammed his staff into the ground.
"happy!"
Xuanzang also stepped forward, flicked his cassock, and stood next to Chen Fan.
"This humble monk will not travel west."
"I'll also investigate past accounts."
Yang Jian turned the tip of his blade, pointing it at his fifth predecessor.
"You're not here to interrogate people."
"You're here to silence me."
The situation suddenly reversed.
Just now, the process was still overwhelming.
Now it's a group of people surrounding the fifth predecessor and forcing him.
The composure on the face of the fifth predecessor finally crumbled.
He raised his hands, spread his fingers, and there were thin red lines between his fingers.
Instead of being pulled outwards, the threads all pierced back into his chest.
"Then reset it!"
boom!
The pages of the book on his chest suddenly flipped open.
Five words in blood appeared inside.
— Failed segment key.
Chen Fan's gaze sharpened.
"part?"
He had initially thought this guy was just the fifth predecessor.
Now it seems that's not the case.
This is the key shell left after the fifth failure.
It is specifically designed to reclaim people who deviate from the process.
The skin of the fifth predecessor began to crack.
The cracks don't contain bone, but rather even finer characters.
The words looked like worms, crawling out quickly.
He stared intently at Chen Fan, his voice becoming hoarse.
"You think tearing out one page is enough?"
"There's another layer of censorship outside."
"If we can't go back to this point, someone will come down and re-criticize it."
Chen Fan's heart sank.
"Who?"
The fifth predecessor suddenly grinned.
This smile was uglier than any of its predecessors.
"The person who wrote you."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the five bloody characters on his chest suddenly exploded.
It wasn't shattered.
It split into five keys.
Four shots landed.
The fifth one didn't fall.
It seemed to be held up by something, suspended in mid-air.
Everyone saw it.
At the end of the key was a thin, almost invisible gold thread.
The line wasn't connected to the fifth predecessor.
It stretched straight back into the doorway.
Inside the door, it was pitch black.
next moment.
The gold thread suddenly tightened.
The fifth predecessor was dragged backward like a dead fish.
He dug his hands into the ground so hard that sparks flew from his fingertips.
He was still shouting.
"Don't let it change the main page!"
"It's not here to correct!"
"It is—"
The sound stopped.
A hand reached out from the door.
That hand was larger than normal, with white knuckles, and a square seal was pressed on the back of the hand.
Only half of the seal face is visible.
There's a character on top.
审。
That hand grabbed the fifth predecessor's face and dragged him back inside the door.
Click.
Like closing a booklet.
The entire room fell silent.
Only the fifth key remained, still gently spinning in the air.
Chen Fan was about to reach out and grab it.
Suddenly, a new page appeared from behind that door.
The paper hasn't come out completely yet.
The first line of annotations is visible at the very top.
—Request for reconsideration: Chen Fan.
Chapter 586 The Sixth Predecessor Left Behind the Tang Character Seal
The moment that annotation appeared, the atmosphere in the room instantly became tense.
—Request for reconsideration: Chen Fan.
Sun Wukong cursed first.
"Re-examine your mother."
He smashed it with a stick.
The golden cudgel, carrying the wind, struck the page of paper.
Before the pages were fully turned, the hand inside the door, the one pressing down on the seal with the character "审" (trial), lifted slightly, like swatting a fly.
boom!
The stick's shadow veered.
Sun Wukong slid three steps to the side, leaving two black marks on the ground with the soles of his shoes.
"That's pretty good."
His eyes lit up instead.
Yang Jian's sword was already half an inch out of its sheath, but he didn't rush to strike. He stared at the square mark on the back of the hand, his voice deep.
"It's not about interrogating people."
"It's on the fixed page."
Chen Fan noticed it too.
That hand wasn't aimed at anyone in particular.
It's following the rules.
Whoever causes trouble, suppress them.
Whoever goes against the rules first will be the first to be recorded.
The next moment, another half-page of paper was turned out from inside the door.
The corner of the paper was stained with black water.
The old text at the top is very eye-catching.
—Verification item: The origin of the Tang Dynasty seal is unknown, and it is suspected to have been altered.
Xuanzang's expression immediately turned cold.
Instead of retreating, he took half a step forward.
"They're coming for me."
Sun Wukong turned around and started cursing.
"I told you long ago, this thing has the word 'Tang' in it, and people are going to make a fuss about it."
Chen Fan didn't respond to that.
He stared at Xuanzang's chest.
The Tang Dynasty seal left behind was gleaming through the monk's robe. The light was weak, like a needle poking at it from inside.
Request a re-examination.
Verify the Tang Dynasty seal.
This was not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
These are buttons that were installed beforehand.
"Don't touch it."
Chen Fan reached out to stop Xuanzang.
"It wants to come out on its own now."
Xuanzang glanced down, his brows furrowing into a line.
"I didn't push you to do it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the light on his chest suddenly pierced him.
scoff.
The monk's robe had a tear in it.
An old, square seal was slowly squeezed out from the flesh.
That's right.
It's crowded.
It's like it was originally nailed into the bone, and only now has it loosened.
Sun Wukong's eyelids twitched at the sight.
"When did you swallow that thing?"
Xuanzang did not answer.
He himself was taken aback for a moment.
When the seal was turned to the front, the character "Tang" was very clear.
But once it was completely removed, everyone saw that a piece of thin iron was still nailed to the back of the seal.
It's not an iron nail.
Like thorns twisted from warp threads.
The tips of the thorns turned bluish.
There is a small red line wrapped around it.
It's exactly the same as the red thread on those keys.
Chen Fan's heart skipped a beat.
"It's not a seal."
"This is a nail."
The hand with the character "审" (meaning "to examine") inside the door stopped.
Even it seemed to pause for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, someone behind the Blackwater Gate chuckled.
She laughed very softly.
Like that gasp for breath before coughing up blood.
"Finally... someone figured it out."
As soon as the voice was heard, everyone looked up.
A figure slowly emerged from the middle of the turned pages.
He is not tall.
His shoulders were slumped.
Half of his face looked like it had been burned, the skin and flesh shrunken together.
What's most striking is his neck.
It has three loops of broken chain wrapped around it.
Each loop of the chain dug into the flesh, as if the person had forcibly tightened it before dying.
The predecessor of the sixth.
Chen Fan recognized him immediately.
The first five are all vying for, seizing, and exchanging.
No, that's not available.
He coughed up a mouthful of black blood as soon as he came out, his hand pressed against the edge of the paper, as if he couldn't even stand up straight.
Sun Wukong grinned.
"Another one."
"Do you also want to replace someone, or are you trying to use someone else as a scapegoat?"
The sixth incarnation looked up at him, his eyes filled with exhaustion.
"No change."
"We can't afford to borrow anymore."
As he spoke, his gaze fell directly on the Tang character seal in Xuanzang's hand.
"That's not evidence of a mastermind."
"That's the anti-school nail I left behind."
After those words were spoken, the room fell silent for a moment.
Then, Sun Wukong laughed first.
"OK."
"They poured buckets of dirty water on the bald man's head, and it turns out you're the one who left the bald head?"
Yang Jian's eyes grew even colder.
Explain yourself.
The sixth predecessor's Adam's apple bobbed, as if every word he spoke was painful.
"The main gate of the clean zone... cannot be opened with a single key."
The first five segments are all positive chains.
"The sixth paragraph cannot be opened horizontally. Opening it horizontally will also include the page owner in the proofreading."
Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
"Page Master, is this Xuanzang?"
The sixth predecessor nodded.
"The character 'Tang' is not an identity stamp. It's a reversed school badge."
"The head office needs to assess people, starting with Tang. Whoever is associated with Tang will be weighed first. Xuanzang has the strongest Tang traits; if the head office is truly opened, he will be devoured by the Pure Area first."
Xuanzang stared at him, the nail in his hand slightly warm.
"So you nailed it into me?"
"right."
The sixth predecessor smiled bitterly.
"This is all I had time to do before I died."
"By using the chain of reincarnation, a false seal is nailed to the back. The main page will mistake you for a dirty page, first disliking you, then avoiding you."
Sun Wukong understood and immediately cursed.
"Are you trying to whitewash him, or are you trying to sabotage him?"
"It doesn't matter."
The sixth incarnation stared straight at Xuanzang.
"If the suspicion falls on you, the door won't be the first to swallow you."
"But once the door is opened, you'll still have to take that bite in the end."
The meaning is clear now.
The Tang Dynasty seal is not evidence of a crime.
It's a nail.
It deliberately skewed the check "kill Xuanzang first" by an inch.
They've been dragging this out for so long because of this one inch.
Chen Fan's mind was racing.
"So the first five keys are all for opening the door, and the sixth key is for reversing the lock."
"right."
"Then why did you only come out now?"
The sixth predecessor raised his hand and tugged at the broken chain around his neck.
"Because I failed."
"The sixth paragraph is not connected."
"I died on the way, only delivering the nails, not the blank prayer strips."
After he finished speaking, he stared at Xuanzang.
"The remaining half-page is on you."
Xuanzang was taken aback.
"On me?"
"Weren't you just reciting that blank page of scripture?"
The sixth predecessor looked a little anxious.
"It's not empty. You couldn't see it before you ate the nail."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Tang-character seal suddenly trembled.
hum.
Xuanzang felt a tingling sensation in his palm, as if a hot needle had been inserted.
Chen Fan said in a low voice.
"Suck it!"
Sun Wukong turned his head.
Are you sure?
"Sure."
Chen Fan stared at the door, speaking rapidly.
"The fact that the review has stopped means this stuff is right. If we don't eat it now, things will get complicated once it's back inside."
Xuanzang did not hesitate any longer.
He clenched his five fingers together and pressed the Tang character seal back into his heart.
There was no swallowing motion.
The nail mark dissolved on its own as soon as it touched flesh.
The character "唐" was the first to be transformed.
The gold scattered.
What was transformed was the thorn at the back.
The thorns, like snowflakes falling into the fire, seeped inch by inch into Xuanzang's breastbone.
Xuanzang grunted, his knees buckled, and he braced himself with one hand on the ground.
Sweat immediately appeared on his forehead.
Inside the monk's robe, the skin on his chest shone brightly white.
It looks like someone is writing on it with a knife.
next moment.
He turned to page nine of the book behind him.
There are words on the first eight pages.
Page nine has been blank.
But at this moment, lines of gray text slowly appeared on the white page.
It is not a Buddhist scripture.
It is not a judgment.
It's like a series of rules to be recited.
The first line is the clearest.
—Those who chant emptiness do not enter the pure scale.
The second line then appears.
—Those who bear the responsibility for Tang's nails shall take on the responsibility on behalf of the page.
The third line is even more ruthless.
—The sixth section is unlocked and needs to be repaired with loose-leaf pages.
Sun Wukong's scalp tingled at the sight.
"Loose-leaf?"
Yang Jian had already completely drawn his sword.
"The one who mends the cracks is Xuanzang."
Chen Fan gritted his teeth.
really.
The suspicion has been transferred.
But the responsibility didn't lessen; in fact, it became even heavier.
The Tang-character seal erased the possibility that Xuanzang was the mastermind, but instead promoted him to be the successor of the sixth section.
In other words, once the main gate of the clean zone is completely opened, he will be the first one to rush up and block the gate.
Xuanzang slowly straightened up.
He looked at the ninth page, and his expression changed.
It's not a panic.
It was like finally seeing the half of the scripture that I had never been able to read aloud.
"It turns out that the blank space has always been missing my blood."
The sixth predecessor nodded, with black blood still hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"I left the nail not to protect you."
"It's so that you can stay alive and take the lead."
Sun Wukong was furious.
"You're pretty straightforward, aren't you?"
"I'll tear you apart first, then—"
Before he could finish speaking, the ground beneath his feet suddenly shook.
Click.
A very soft sound.
Like a door that has been locked for a long time, the spring loosens by one tooth.
Everyone turned around at the same time.
Deep within the clean zone, the main gate, which had always been only slightly ajar, suddenly widened by an inch.
After an inch, the black water stopped seeping out.
It's sucking in.
The torn pages, bloodstains, and broken chains on the ground were all torn away bit by bit through the crack in the door.
The fifth key was spinning in the air, and although it was floating, it suddenly veered off course and flew towards the main gate.
The sixth predecessor's expression changed drastically.
"broken."
"Although the sixth segment failed, it still encountered the final lock."
Chen Fan grabbed the key, his palm going numb from the shock.
"What will happen?"
The sixth incarnation stared intently at the crack in the door, his voice hoarse.
"The main gate must recognize the patcher in the sixth section."
"It will call out names immediately."
Almost as soon as he finished speaking.
A very calm voice came from behind that door.
Not big.
It's as if it's being read directly into someone's ear.
"Sixth segment is unlocked."
"Please use the loose-leaf manuscript to mend the seams at the beginning."
The light on Xuanzang's chest suddenly exploded.
He flipped to the ninth page behind him, to the very bottom.
The last line of text was finally fully revealed.
Chen Fan's expression changed after just one glance.
Because that last line contained more than just Xuanzang.
There are two more words.
—If you refuse, execute Chen Fan.
Chapter 587 The Seventh Predecessor Loses to the Monkey
The line of text appeared.
The air on the field felt tense.
—If you refuse, execute Chen Fan.
The light on Xuanzang's chest was still flickering.
It felt like someone was behind the door, tapping his chest repeatedly with the back of a knife.
Chen Fan spoke first.
"Don't come in."
Xuanzang turned his head and glanced at him.
"If I don't go in, you'll lose your head right now."
Sun Wukong slammed his golden cudgel on the ground.
"Then let's break down the door first."
boom!
The stick had just been raised.
That flat voice from inside the main gate rang out again.
"The loose-leaf secret manual can be used to mend the gaps within three breaths."
"one."
Black water began to seep out from under the door.
That black water wasn't flowing.
It's climbing.
Like a thin layer of skin, it rubbed against the ground towards Chen Fan's feet.
Yang Jian raised his sword and cut off the Black Water.
The blade had just pressed down.
With a sizzling sound.
A row of fine white marks appeared on the blade.
Yang Jian's eyes darkened.
"This door is starting to get urgent."
"two."
The second sound faded.
He flipped through the ninth page behind Xuanzang with great speed.
The corner of the page with his name on it curled up by itself.
It felt like a hand was pulling the paper out.
Chen Fan reached out to press it.
The moment he touched it, the page felt like a branding iron, burning his fingertips.
He gritted his teeth, wanting to press again.
Sun Wukong pulled him away first.
"retreat."
"This is not something you can touch."
Chen Fan hadn't even regained his footing yet.
Suddenly, a thin crack appeared in the center of the main page.
It's not a crack in the door.
It's a page seam.
It's like the entire black ledger has come to this point, and the dirtiest old account has been turned.
A section of chain first protruded from the seam of the page.
The iron color is dull.
A string of small bronze mirrors hung on it.
In each mirror, a monkey face flashed by.
Chen Fan recognized him at a glance.
"The predecessor of the Seventh".
"The source monkey is off-chain."
Xuanzang's expression also changed.
"It's neither an investigation nor a patching up."
"This is releasing disaster."
The pages suddenly opened.
Whoosh!
The entire chain dragged along the ground as it rushed out.
A tall, thin figure followed behind.
Half of his body resembled a monkey, while the other half retained a human form.
There was no hair on its face, only a layer of cracked, mirror-like skin.
With each step, a piece of sequin shattered beneath the feet.
The man looked up.
There were no pupils in his eyes, only two small mirrors.
He stared at Sun Wukong, and a slow smile spread across his face.
"It's finally your turn."
"You're the most disobedient one among the Source Monkeys."
"None of the six could hold you down."
"This time, I'll receive it myself."
Sun Wukong narrowed his eyes.
"Who do you think you are, talking like you own the place?"
The man swung the chain.
The bronze mirror clanged and rattled.
"I am the predecessor of the Seventh."
"The monkey that manages the chain breakage."
"You can smash the Five Finger Mountain, overturn the Spirit Mountain Situation, and change the old path."
You can't change yourself.
"You are a monkey."
"Monkeys have to wear chains."
As soon as he said that...
The bronze mirrors on the chain all lit up.
One after another, gray shadows leaped out from the mirror.
One.
Ten.
One hundred.
In the blink of an eye, it covered half of the second floor of the clean area.
They were all monkeys.
He looks exactly like Sun Wukong.
Some of them are carrying the baton.
Some of them were grinning.
Some were still laughing.
His eyes were white, and he had a thin chain around his neck.
The other end of those chains was fastened to the hands of the seventh predecessor.
Chen Fan's heart sank.
This is not a clone.
This is a group of out-of-control mirror monkeys.
Each one carries the aura of Sun Wukong.
It also carries an uncontrollable ferocity.
A mirror monkey charged at Yang Jian first.
The shadow of the stick pressed down.
Yang Jian blocked with his sword, and two craters were blasted into the ground beneath his feet.
The second one lunged at Xuanzang.
A wisp of Buddhist light swept behind Xuanzang, clearing away one area, when seven or eight more darted up from the side.
The Bull Demon King cursed and charged forward with his axe.
The axe blade struck a mirror monkey on the head.
The monkey shattered into pieces.
The next instant, the shattered mirror gathered together and grew back.
The Bull Demon King's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Can't be beaten to death?"
The seventh predecessor laughed.
"Mirror monkeys are not living creatures."
"You shattered the mirror."
"You can't cut the chain."
Before he could finish speaking...
The three mirror monkeys had already pounced on Chen Fan.
Chen Fan just raised his hand.
A monkey stick came into view first.
The wind pressure made his face sting.
Sun Wukong's figure flashed.
boom!
One stroke across the stick.
The three mirror monkeys flew out together, smashing half of the wall.
But as soon as they landed, they got up again.
They're still here for Chen Fan.
Sun Wukong understood.
These things don't kill others.
First, bite Chen Fan.
The headquarters has changed its approach.
Unable to force Xuanzang into the door, they decided to kill the mender outside first.
The seventh being raised its chin.
"See that?"
"You can't protect your people."
"No matter how good you are at fighting, you can only fight for a little longer."
"The source monkeys are detached from the chain, and the longer it drags on, the more there are."
"You refused to put on the chain back then."
"Now, I will let the entire clean zone be covered with you."
It was as if in response to his words.
The bronze mirror on the chain shone brightly once more.
More mirror monkeys crawled out.
On the wall.
on the ground.
Mid-air.
Monkeys were everywhere.
The shouts piled up together, making my ears numb.
More and more mirror monkeys gathered around.
Even Yang Jian was forced back three steps.
Xuanzang raised his hand to form a hand seal, suppressing the area.
The next moment, the shattered mirror fragments were pieced back together in the light.
The scene suddenly descended into chaos.
As Chen Fan retreated, he thought quickly.
The seventh predecessor was not as strong as the original body.
What's strong is this chain.
As long as the chain continues, the mirror monkeys will never be finished.
He had just thought of this.
The seventh incarnation had already set its sights on him, and its smile became even more sarcastic.
"Chen Fan, aren't you very good at calculations?"
"You've reached the sixth segment."
"Can you foresee that you'll die in the seventh stage?"
"You hide behind the monkey and use it as a knife."
In the end, you can't even stop a bunch of monkeys in the mirror.
"Waste is waste."
These words are both venomous and obscene.
The mirror monkeys around them seemed to understand, and they all grinned and let out shrill laughter.
Xuanzang frowned.
Yang Jian raised his sword.
Chen Fan didn't reply.
He only looked at Sun Wukong.
Because Sun Wukong didn't move.
It really didn't move.
He stood still, slowly spinning the golden cudgel in his hand.
His gaze remained fixed on the chain.
The predecessor of the seventh one is still laughing.
"What, you're scared now?"
"You know, this is an old grudge of yours."
"You fought the heavenly soldiers and the Buddha, and you fought quite well."
"Your legs went weak when you saw this chain?"
He had just finished speaking.
Sun Wukong suddenly looked up.
"Are you done talking?"
The seventh predecessor was taken aback.
Sun Wukong grinned.
There wasn't a hint of anger in that smile.
It's just cold.
"It's Old Sun's turn."
He flipped the stick over.
The old pattern on the outer layer of the golden cudgel suddenly cracked inch by inch.
Click.
Click click.
It's like something new has awakened from the stick.
next moment.
The entire stick shone with a layer of white streaks resembling shattered mirror.
The lines don't disperse; instead, they converge inwards.
Finally, press it all the way into the tip of the rod.
That little bit isn't particularly eye-catching.
But this caused the nearby mirror monkeys to freeze in surprise.
Like a mouse seeing a cat.
Chen Fan's eyes lit up.
A broken mirror, a blow.
This is a new application that was just discovered in the previous clean area.
They specialize in targeting fakes and destroying imposters.
There wasn't a chance to really fight back then.
This time, we ran right into the door.
Sun Wukong took a step forward, holding his staff in one hand.
"Didn't you say that as long as the chain doesn't break, the monkey won't die?"
"OK."
"Old Sun will show you everything today."
The seventh predecessor's expression finally changed.
He swung the chains violently.
"Go! Bite him to death!"
Hundreds of mirror monkeys pounced on Sun Wukong at the same time.
Monkeys were everywhere.
A gust of wind, claw shadows, screams, and shattered light all pressed down together.
Even the Bull Demon King felt a chill run down his spine.
"How do we dodge this?"
Sun Wukong didn't dodge at all.
He simply slung the stick over his shoulder.
Then, he slammed it to the ground.
"break."
One word.
It's as crisp as cutting tofu with a knife.
boom!
The entire clean area on the floor suddenly trembled.
White stripes burst open from the tip of the stick.
It's not a circle.
It's one side.
Like an invisible mirror, it shattered in the middle when hit by this blow.
Click!
The dozens of mirror monkeys in the front row didn't even have time to scream before their bodies split open.
It didn't shatter into pieces.
It simply disintegrates into white ash.
Those in the back row who had just pounced into the air also froze.
The thin chains around their necks broke first.
Then his head, shoulders, and limbs broke apart piece by piece.
The sky was filled with shimmering powder.
It's like someone turned a mirror-like mountain into dust.
The entire room fell silent for a moment.
The seventh predecessor was stunned.
The two small mirrors in his eyes even paused for a moment.
"impossible."
"How did you learn that move—?"
Sun Wukong was already in front of him.
So fast that it was just a blur.
"You talk too much nonsense."
The second baton was pulled out at an angle.
The seventh predecessor hurriedly raised the chain to block.
Snapped!
The chain that had been so menacing just moments before was snapped in two by a single blow.
The bronze mirror above exploded into a string of sparks.
The seventh incarnation was sent flying backward, crashing into the edge of the page seam, and half of his chest collapsed.
He spat out a mouthful of shiny black stuff.
It resembles ink, and also the water from a shattered mirror.
I haven't gotten up yet.
Sun Wukong's third strike has reached his head.
"Weren't you going to put a chain on Old Sun?"
"Come."
"Show me one."
The stick fell.
boom!
The seventh predecessor was smashed into the ground.
The ground cracked with spiderweb-like patterns.
His half-monkey, half-human body suddenly burst open with countless mirror cracks.
The skin on his face was peeling off piece by piece.
The remaining mirror monkeys around also shattered.
Not a single one was left.
The second level of the clean zone is finally cleared.
It was so quiet that only the faint sound of fragments falling to the ground could be heard.
The Bull Demon King opened his mouth, but it took him a long time to utter a single sentence.
"Damn it."
"That's too ruthless."
Yang Jian sheathed his sword, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
Xuanzang let out a long breath, and the page behind him turned more slowly.
Chen Fan charged straight forward.
He knew that once the predecessor of the Seventh would fall, the key would be released.
really.
A thin, long black piece slowly emerged from the middle of the cracked mirror.
Like half a signature.
The surface is wrapped with a broken red thread.
At the end of the red thread, there was a small monkey print.
The seventh failed key.
Chen Fan grabbed it.
It feels cool to the touch.
The black ledger's master page immediately trembled.
The first six keys flew up at the same time.
With this addition, the seven streaks of black light connected end to end in mid-air, almost forming a complete circle.
Only the last paragraph is missing.
The general ledger is still missing one piece.
Inside the pit, the seventh predecessor had not completely dissipated.
He stared intently at Sun Wukong with his cracked face.
For the first time, genuine fear appeared in my eyes.
"You... are not the old monkey anymore."
Sun Wukong, carrying his staff, didn't bother to look at him.
"It's not like that anymore."
The seventh predecessor swallowed twice and suddenly laughed.
The laughter was broken and creepy.
"pity."
"Even if you get a seventh rank, it won't be of any use."
"The last part is not inside the door."
Chen Fan suddenly turned around.
"What do you mean?"
The seventh predecessor had black water dripping from the corner of his mouth.
He seemed to want to say something, but also seemed to be deliberately keeping us hanging.
"The last paragraph... is in—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
Suddenly, a "snap" sound came from deep inside the main gate.
It's like someone flipping through an extremely thick booklet to the very end.
Followed by.
That flat voice rang out again.
This time, it wasn't whispered in my ear.
It felt like it was pressing down from all four directions of the entire clean area.
"The seventh section has been lost."
"The final page custodian is now in effect."
"Please, Sun Wukong, enter the tent alone."
Chapter 588 The Eighth Predecessor Can Change Accounts
"Please, Sun Wukong, enter the tent alone."
When that sound came down, the edges of all four sides of the clean area of paper curled up together.
It's like the entire black book has come to life.
Sun Wukong, carrying his staff, cursed first.
"Your ancestors are the only ones who are worthy of respect."
He pushed off with his foot, intending to rush into the door.
Chen Fan grabbed him.
"Don't move."
Sun Wukong turned around and glared at him.
"If we don't move soon, Old Sun will become inventory on the books."
"It's not asking you to go in," Chen Fan said, staring at the main door. "It's forcing me to panic first."
The Tang character seal on Xuanzang's chest was still shining.
Yang Jian, sword in hand, stood half a step in front of the door.
Explain yourself.
Chen Fan did not reply.
He stared at the bottom of the main page.
A new line of text is slowly emerging there.
The handwriting is very familiar.
It's not the official title from the Heavenly Court.
It is not a Buddhist sutra.
The character was slightly crooked, and the stroke ended abruptly, as if someone had been dragged away halfway through writing it.
—Chen Fan can stop monkeys.
Sun Wukong raised an eyebrow.
"This handwriting looks like you."
Chen Fan felt a chill run down his spine.
next moment.
The main page is split in the middle.
It's not a crack in the door.
It's a paper seam.
A figure squeezed out from inside, first a hand, holding a black pen. Then a shoulder, then half a face.
As soon as that face appeared, Pigsy let out an "Ah!"
"Damn it, it really is you."
The person who came out looked exactly like Chen Fan.
Even the slight bend at the end of their eyebrows is the same.
This man was even thinner, with bluish eyes, as if he hadn't slept for many days. His clothes were badly torn, and a broken piece of a token hung from his waist—the very same token that his predecessors hadn't had before.
The eighth incarnation looked up, saw Chen Fan, and smiled.
"Finally, someone who can understand the accounts has arrived."
Chen Fan remained silent.
The black book in his palm began to heat up on its own.
It's like recognizing a relative.
The eighth predecessor glanced down and smiled even more broadly.
"As expected, it's in your hands."
Sun Wukong held his staff horizontally, blocking Chen Fan's path.
"Stop trying to get close. Are you trying to rob me?"
"Rob it?" The eighth predecessor shook his head. "This was something I was about to get anyway."
He reached out and hooked his hand towards the black ledger.
The ledger in Chen Fan's hand actually trembled, and three pages flipped open with a clatter.
Yang Jian's eyes darkened.
"Can he adjust the accounts?"
"It's not that I can," Chen Fan exhaled, "it's that I'm very familiar with it."
The eighth incarnation stared at him as if looking in a mirror.
"I was just one page away from getting to this point."
The problem is that I'm too soft-hearted.
"Don't follow my example."
As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed his black pen into the air.
The entire master page unfolded instantly.
A huge canopy appeared in the air.
The top of the page had three words written on it.
——Final Page Repository.
As soon as the words were spoken, all the page-turning sounds around stopped.
Even the head of the department is waiting.
The eighth incarnation raised his hand and wrote down two words.
"Return to the granary."
As soon as the pen touched the paper, the golden pattern around Sun Wukong's feet suddenly shrank inward, as if trying to pull his entire body into the page.
Sun Wukong cursed and slammed his golden cudgel into the ground.
"Get out of my way, you old man!"
The ground exploded.
The gold pattern cracked.
But it didn't dissipate.
Instead, it only tightened its grip.
Xuanzang's expression changed upon seeing this.
"What he wrote was a 'Return to Grain' order. The account book is accepted."
Pigsy got anxious.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hit him!"
He grabbed a rake and rushed forward.
The predecessor of the eighth generation didn't even raise his head; he simply added another line with a stroke of his pen.
—Miscellaneous, sealed off.
Pigsy's mouth froze on the spot.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound for a long time, his face turning red.
Sha Wujing charged forward with his staff, but was blocked three steps back by a layer of paper light.
Yang Jian raised his sword and slashed down.
The blade sliced half an inch into the ledger pages, but it felt like cutting into a stack of wet paper, getting stuck.
The eighth incarnation then glanced at Yang Jian.
"Justice God?"
"You can review it, but you won't change it."
"This is not your territory."
That's a very harsh remark.
Yang Jian's eyes twitched, and a burst of blue light erupted from his blade.
The predecessor of the eighth generation did not accept it.
He only stared at Chen Fan.
"Come."
"Haven't you been learning how to reconcile accounts all along?"
"I'll give you a chance today."
"On the same page. Let's write together."
"Whom do you identify by looking at the black ledger?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the page in the air turned down again.
Only the middle line remains blank.
That line was placed right above Sun Wukong's name.
The eighth predecessor was written first.
"Return to the granary."
The two words were driven in like nails.
The entire page of the ledger sank.
Sun Wukong's knees were bent from the pressure, and his teeth were clenched so tightly they made a clicking sound.
He was still smiling.
"this one?"
"Even if it gets heavier, Lao Sun can still handle it."
Chen Fan had already opened the black curtain.
His breathing quickened.
The person in front of me is not like those who are crazy, disabled, or deranged.
This is the most difficult one.
Because what he can do, I can do too.
It's even more familiar to me than I am now.
The eighth predecessor spoke in a low voice.
Do you know where you're lacking?
"You're always thinking about saving people."
"That's not how the accounts are changed."
"You must first protect yourself."
With each word he spoke, the words "return to the granary" grew even darker.
The surrounding paper walls began to squeeze inwards.
The white horse neighed, its front hooves sinking into the ground.
The Tang Dynasty character seal on Xuanzang's chest vibrated incessantly, as if it were about to collapse.
Yang Jian turned around and shouted, "Chen Fan!"
Chen Fan raised his hand and pressed the black pen directly onto that blank line.
"Pending review."
Two words were uttered.
Snapped.
A black and white crack appeared in the air.
The same page of the ledger, the same line of text.
The left side reads "Return to the granary".
The right side says "Pending Review".
The entire page seemed to be being pulled by two forces, making a piercing tearing sound.
For the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared in the eyes of the eighth predecessor.
"You really dare to delay."
Chen Fan grinned.
"You almost succeeded, so I have to learn something good from you."
"Returning to the granary is a dead end."
"There's only a chance if the case is pending."
The eighth predecessor sneered.
"An opening?"
"You think headquarters will give you time to stall?"
He suddenly made his third stroke.
Return immediately.
As soon as the characters took shape, the black mist on the ledger page suddenly pressed down on the white edge.
Sun Wukong felt a weight on his shoulder, and half of his body was pulled into the golden patterns.
Pigsy's eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
He couldn't make a sound, so he could only point frantically.
Xuanzang hurriedly took a step forward.
"Chen Fan is seizing control!"
"I saw it." Chen Fan pressed his fingers firmly against the pen. "Don't rush me."
He kept his mouth shut, but sweat was already beading on his forehead.
Because the style of the Eighth Predecessor's calligraphy is too similar to his.
The other party knows how he will change.
They even know what he's going to write next.
Chen Fan just wrote the character "延".
The eighth predecessor flicked the tip of his pen, and the character immediately disintegrated.
"You want to drag it out into a supplementary review and then use Xuanzang's Tang Dynasty seal to cover up the debt."
"I tried."
"It's no use."
Xuanzang was taken aback.
Have you tried it?
The eighth predecessor didn't even raise his head.
"I'm going to die here."
In one sentence, he nailed everyone down.
Sun Wukong raised his head, a golden light flashing in his eyes.
"oh."
"So you're the one who lost."
The eighth predecessor's wrist paused for a moment.
Sun Wukong grinned, his smile growing wider the more he tried to suppress it.
No wonder he's full of platitudes.
"Those who have truly won don't come out to teach others."
That's a very harsh statement.
It was like hitting someone directly in the face with a stick.
The eighth predecessor's face darkened.
"Shut up."
He pressed down heavily with his brush.
The entire page of "returning to the warehouse" surged, as if it was about to swallow the whole "pending trial" section.
Yang Jian's sword trembled, and he was pushed back half a step by the wave of paper.
Zhu Ganglie felt a chill in his heart.
It’s over.
This time I've really met my ancestor.
Just then.
Chen Fan suddenly stopped writing.
He put away the black pen and pulled an old sheet of paper from his pocket.
The paper was badly curled at the edges, and a piece was missing from one corner.
It is the fragment of the source warehouse catalog that was pieced together from the sixth and seventh paragraphs above.
Upon seeing the eighth predecessor, his pupils constricted sharply.
How did you get this?
Chen Fan stared at him, and finally smiled.
"You almost succeeded."
"I'm different."
"I've filled in all the holes you left behind."
As soon as he finished speaking, he slapped the source warehouse catalog page directly onto the airy page.
Snapped!
Old paper is used to cover up new debts.
The words "returned to warehouse" and "pending trial" trembled simultaneously.
Immediately following, a line of very faint text appeared at the very bottom of the table of contents.
—The final page repository is an external repository to the source repository. First, check the directory, then return it to the general ledger.
The eighth predecessor's face turned pale instantly.
"I didn't see this line of text back then."
"Of course you couldn't see it." Chen Fan's pen moved like a knife, landing right next to the table of contents. "You were too hasty back then; you only wanted to grab the ledger first."
"I'm not in a hurry."
"Let me turn to the pages you missed first."
"Take the key you can't get."
The last word fell.
—Rejected and returned to warehouse, pending review, nuclear source warehouse.
boom!
The page of the general ledger in the air looked like it had been hit by a hammer.
The two characters “归仓” (guīcāng) split open on the spot.
The black pen in the hand of the eighth predecessor snapped in two with a "crack".
The golden patterns beneath Sun Wukong's feet shattered, and he broke free, swinging his staff in a swift motion.
"It's Old Sun's turn!"
The eighth person raised their arm to block.
With a bang.
His entire arm exploded into paper scraps, and he was sent flying, his back slamming heavily against the main gate.
The people watching were all stunned.
Pigsy was finally able to speak, and he roared at the top of his lungs.
"Alright! Kill this loader!"
The white horse stamped its hooves on the spot, its snorts flaring out long breaths.
Yang Jian sheathed his sword, and the coldness in his eyes finally softened a little.
Xuanzang stared at the table of contents and said in a low voice, "So the sixth section wasn't for patching up the seams, it was for pressing down the curtains."
The eighth incarnation slid down the door, its mouth full of black liquid.
He looked at Chen Fan, his eyes filled with resentment for the first time.
"impossible."
"I got here before you."
Chen Fan walked over and spread the black tent out in front of him.
"Arriving first doesn't mean you understand first."
"You will correct the accounts."
I will change you.
These words are like knives.
The eighth predecessor felt a jolt in his chest, and his whole body began to feel weak.
A short black key suddenly slipped out of his pocket.
The eighth failed key.
Chen Fan reached out and took it.
The moment I got the key, a system notification exploded in my mind.
[Ding! Eighth failed key obtained]
[Eighty percent of final page permissions enabled]
[Final page custodian detected, currently updating the entry list]
Chen Fan's expression changed, and he suddenly looked up.
Above the main gate, the pages that had just been pressed down suddenly flipped up again.
Thicker.
Even darker.
There is only one line of text above.
—Application for change: Individuals entering the tent alone are no longer limited to Sun Wukong.
next moment.
A second name slowly emerged after that line of text.
It's not Chen Fan.
It is Xuanzang.