Kidnapping the entire Journey to the West, starting by turning Sun Wukong against his own side.

Chapter 182 No Name

The name wall trembled, and black ink slid down the surface of the monument like a swarm of insects eager to find their owner.

The first character that appears in the top column is "Chen".

Chen Fan looked up but didn't back down.

He knew it very well.

This lock doesn't recognize people.

It recognizes who is willing to hand it over.

The second character then appeared.

"Ordinary".

As soon as the characters were finished, the inkwell in the wall made a sound, like someone breathing on a deep well. All the old names around it tilted in this direction, a dense mass that made one's scalp tingle.

Xuanzang raised the green lamp forward.

"It recognizes you."

"You recognized him too early."

After Chen Fan finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and pulled off the old wooden plaque from his waist.

The edges of the wooden sign were polished to a shine, and three characters were engraved on it.

Chen Fanshi.

This is the account name given to him in the accounting office.

It was also a shell that the general ledger had forcibly put on him in order to complete the tenth record.

Sun Wukong understood immediately and muttered a curse under his breath.

"It's using this to seal you off."

Chen Fan did not respond.

With a flick of his fingers, the wooden sign snapped in two.

The crack was uneven, and a splinter pierced his fingertip, drawing a little blood. He didn't even frown; he simply tossed the broken plaque into the inkwell.

Snapped.

As soon as the wooden sign fell, the black water swelled up briefly before sinking deeper.

The last stroke of the newly added character "Chen Fan" on the wall suddenly fell apart.

It's like someone who was writing when their elbow was bumped and twisted.

Si Mo reacted the fastest, already having copied it down in his hand with a red pen.

"Not enough."

As she spoke, she rushed to the tent on the side wall and added four characters after "Chen Fanshi".

The self-description is undetermined.

It was bright red.

As soon as those four words were written, the paper in the ledger immediately curled up around the edge, like a live fish jerking. Immediately afterwards, a series of soft crackling sounds came from the name wall, like a row of small porcelain shards cracking in the heat of a fire.

Yang Jian had a vertical "third eye" on his forehead.

"It's stuck."

The white dragon horse suddenly turned its head.

"Where is it stuck?"

"The last hook."

Yang Jian stared at the top of the wall, his voice very low.

"The naming lock must be closed, there must be a complete name, an order, and a person who wrote it."

"He deleted the tenth accounting entry, and Si Mo added an undetermined entry."

"It only recognizes half of them now."

Sun Wukong got annoyed by the noise and had already placed his golden cudgel across his shoulder.

Speak like a human.

Xuanzang accepted it for him.

"I wanted to give Chen Fan a name for this lock."

"The current situation is not entirely secure."

"The door won't close."

As soon as he said that, the entire wall suddenly shrank inward.

It's not falling.

It's like someone behind a wall is inhaling hard, pulling all the words on the wall inwards.

A narrow opening immediately appeared in the main seam in the very center.

It's not wide; you can only fit half a finger in.

But what peeked through the crack wasn't black, but a layer of very old yellow paper.

Chen Fan's pupils contracted slightly.

Page Two.

He recognized him.

That's not ordinary accounting paper.

It is the spine of the second page of the general ledger.

Throughout this pursuit, everyone has been searching for control of the pen. The first page had already been seized, and the subsequent reversals were all based on borrowed power, not a truly secure hold. Now that this crack has opened, a small portion of the old seal inside has been revealed, dark and heavy, as if it had been pressed down for many years.

Baiya took half a step forward.

"I'll split it open."

"no."

Chen Fan raised his hand to stop him.

"This isn't just a crack in the door; it's a sign of recognition."

"If you try to chop it hard, it will just bite randomly."

As soon as he finished speaking, a black thread emerged from the crack and shot straight towards his brow.

The speed is frighteningly fast.

As soon as Yang Jian's third eye opened, Xuanzang flicked the green lamp in his hand upwards. The flame, instead of being extinguished by the wind, stretched out a wisp of bluish-white fire, which blocked Chen Fan's path.

The black silk stockings collided with it, and with a soft "plop," they scattered into a few drops of ink-like rain.

Those few drops didn't fall to the ground; they hung in mid-air, slowly forming three small characters.

Who are you.

Sun Wukong was furious when he saw it.

"What the hell are you asking!"

The golden cudgel slammed down on the edge of the inkwell with a loud thud, shaking the entire old warehouse. The hundreds of old names on the wall trembled, actually dampening some of the momentum for adding names.

But those three words are still there.

Who are you.

Chen Fan stared at it without saying a word.

He knew this wasn't a question.

This is the last claim that the lock is set up to collect.

Once you answer, it can lock down the name based on the sound.

Si Mo noticed it too, and holding the red pen, he was so anxious that sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Don't answer."

"If you agree, then everything is over."

Chen Fan, of course, would not agree.

If it doesn't work, something else has to take its place.

Otherwise, the tear will immediately shrink back, and the chance to pry open that half-inch will be gone.

The green lamp swayed gently in Xuanzang's hand.

Under the light, the old wax dripped out little by little, landing on the edge of the copper base and piling up into a crooked white border.

Chen Fan suddenly reached out and took the lamp.

Xuanzang paused for a moment.

"What are you going to do?"

Chen Fan looked down at the lamp.

The lamplight was steady, as steady as the old friend who had always stood behind him.

From Chapter 601 onwards, he understood that the "Chen Fan" under the lamp was none other than himself.

It's a fragment of myself left behind from the old accounts.

It is an old memory that has been repeatedly recorded, worn down, and suppressed by the general ledger, but has not yet completely dissipated.

That person went along with him to settle accounts, acknowledge the debts, and test the waters for him.

Now, it's time to put it to good use.

"I'll lend you some money."

Chen Fan spoke softly into the light.

The light flickered slightly.

The next instant, a figure slowly emerged from the blue flames.

Not tall, not fast; when she stands out, her shoulder line is revealed first, followed by half of her profile. She's still wearing the same old clothes, and still has that look of indebtedness towards everything.

Chen Fan under the lamp.

The white dragon horse's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Can they really get out?"

"I never left in the first place."

Chen Fan glanced at him under the lamp, then turned his gaze back to Chen Fan.

"Have you thought it through?"

Chen Fan nodded.

"This time I won't recognize the name."

"You'll take my place for a while."

Chen Fan smiled under the lamp.

"You sure know how to pick your targets."

"Aren't you me?"

"Old things are always more durable than new ones."

After saying this, he took a step forward and stood directly under the three characters "墨" (mo).

Who are you.

Under the lamp, Chen Fan looked up and answered the first question.

"I'm someone who's been given nine demerits."

The sound of ink from inside the wall stopped.

Those three words scattered for a moment, then came together again.

Who are you.

"I am someone who has sat under the lamp."

The third question came even more urgently, and the characters started to distort.

Who are you.

Under the lamplight, Chen Fan raised his hand and pressed it against his chest.

"I'm the part where Chen Fan stayed behind to pay off his old debts."

As soon as he finished speaking, the flame in the lamp suddenly dimmed by half.

It's as if a heavy stroke was forcibly drawn from the wick.

Chen Fan's palm burned, and he almost lost his grip.

He saw that Chen Fan's figure under the lamplight had faded, and the edges of his shoulders were beginning to glow. That wasn't an injury; it was him taking on the price of being "named."

Old memories are passed down.

The living person withdraws.

This was the last thing the person under the lamp could give him.

The name wall made a muffled sound.

The crack immediately widened by about an inch.

This time, not only the paper spine was exposed, but also half a seal.

The seal is square, with a small hole missing at the bottom corner, and two ancient characters pressed on its surface.

The power of the pen.

Si Mo took a breath.

That's enough.

"Almost there."

Chen Fan stuffed the green lamp back into Xuanzang's arms, then rushed to the seam and reached inside.

The crack was deeper than it looked.

It was as cold as an icebox inside, with paper edges that chafed against his hands on all sides. When he first reached in, it felt like many hands were pulling at his wrists, layer upon layer, each bearing one of those previously unresolved names.

Chen Fan gritted his teeth, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged out.

Sun Wukong could no longer hold him back.

"I'll stretch it out for you!"

"Don't break down the wall!"

Chen Fan didn't turn his head and shouted.

Sun Wukong forcefully turned the tip of his staff around and slammed it into the main inkwell next to him with a loud bang.

Ink splattered.

The entire name wall is crooked.

With this slight tilt, Chen Fan's fingers finally touched the edge of the seal.

Rough and cool, like touching a stone that has been buried at the bottom of a well for many years.

He pulled suddenly.

A piercing screech suddenly erupted from the crack, like hundreds of pens simultaneously tearing through paper. The black ink crawled up his wrist, trying to drag him back in.

Yang Jian's Heavenly Eye suddenly opened, and a beam of white light pinned the upper edge of the crack.

Si Mohong continued writing, adding three more lines of judgments to the edge of the account book, all of which were "undecided," "temporarily suspended," or "to be implemented later." With each stroke, the ink on the wall slowed down by half a beat.

Xuanzang held the green lamp and muttered something under his breath.

It is not scripture.

These are the old account names left behind by those who came before.

Read them one by one.

It was as if they were shielding Chen Fan from those rushing over to claim him.

The white dragon horse and the white cliff stood on the left and right, firmly holding the sides of the wall.

The old deacon's legs went weak watching from behind, but he still managed to swing the key chain and wed it into the lower auxiliary lock, forcefully holding the base lock in place.

Everyone was fighting for his life.

Chen Fan felt a metallic taste rising in his throat and abruptly pulled his hand out.

Snapped.

Like an old scab finally being torn off.

He forcibly ripped out the seal on the second page.

As soon as the seal was removed, the entire old warehouse fell silent for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, a long crack appeared in the middle of the name wall.

Not fully open.

It's only half open.

The upper half was still locked, but the main lock on the lower half had come undone, revealing a corner of the second page of account paper. The edges of the paper were yellowed, but the bottom of the page was covered with fresh ink, as if someone else had continued writing on the old account.

Si Mo quickly stepped forward, took the seal, glanced at it, and handed it back to Chen Fan.

"Genuine product."

"Can manage the second page."

"It can only cover half the problem."

Chen Fan wiped the ink off his hands.

The ink hadn't completely washed away; the lines on my palm were still black.

"We need to find the real origin of the half-lock at the back."

Xuanzang frowned.

"Name of the place?"

"It wasn't the name given by the accountant. Nor was it added later or a certain number of times."

Chen Fan stared at the half-open crack in the wall and spoke slowly.

"It's the earliest one."

"Where did it come from? Who wrote it before? Why did it fall on my shoulders?"

"If you can't find it, the lock can only be opened halfway."

Sun Wukong walked over carrying his staff and glanced at the crack.

"That works too. We can open it halfway first, and we'll still be able to get in."

"It's possible to get in."

Yang Jian withdrew his Heavenly Eye, his voice deep and resonant.

"If it's half-open and half-locked, what's inside will only tell you half the truth."

"That's enough."

Chen Fan held the pen and seal in his palm.

As soon as the seal touched my hand, the surging ink in my arm finally subsided a bit. It was as if there was a hand at the head office that had been trying to press me into a certain name, but now it had loosened its grip slightly.

He turned to look at the green lamp.

The light is still on.

The only problem is that the wick is much shorter.

Chen Fan was no longer visible under the lamp.

Only on the inside of the lamp wall, there was a small, very faint gray shadow, like someone sitting inside, leaning against the wall, resting with their eyes closed.

Xuanzang watched for a while, then asked in a low voice:

"Will he be able to get out?"

Chen Fan remained silent for a moment.

"able."

"Once I remove the back half of the lock, he won't have to sit under the lamp for me anymore."

After he finished speaking, no one responded.

In the old warehouse, only the soft cracking of the name wall and the sound of ink flowing back down the trough remained.

Si Mo tucked the red pen behind his ear and let out a long sigh.

"So how do we calculate it now?"

Chen Fan picked up the broken half of the wooden sign and stuffed it into his sleeve.

"From today onwards, Chen Fanshi will not be in the accounts."

"If anyone writes like that again, I'll cross it out."

He spoke calmly.

The remaining ink on the wall then splashed off in a flash.

Even the head accountant himself heard it.

The old deacon stood at the back, his throat bobbing for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"Then... what do you record in your accounts?"

Chen Fan turned around and looked at the half-open second page. His palm pressed down on the ink mark of the pen, and his voice was not loud, but very steady.

"Remember the nameless one first."

"Before I find my name, it can't hold me back."

Having said that, he stepped forward and first crossed the half-open threshold. Sun Wukong followed with his staff, Si Mo carried the tent flap, and Xuanzang carried the lantern. The group walked one after another, stepping over the shards of ink scattered on the ground.

The wind lifted a corner of the old paper behind the wall.

There's only one line of text at the top, and it's not finished yet.

Chen Fan saw it, but didn't stop.

He simply pressed the seal in his hand tighter and stepped into the yellowed light of that half-page.

Chapter 611 The Source of Rebellion

The yellow light was not wide, only enough for two people to stand side by side.

Chen Fan stepped inside, his feet sinking into a layer of old, ash-like dust—soft and stifling. Taking another step forward, he found himself surrounded by upright structures.

It's not a wall.

It is a series of suspended lock rings.

Each lock ring contains half a word, as if someone had written something and then abruptly cut it off.

Sun Wukong looked up and glanced at it, but didn't say anything.

The half of the golden band on his shoulder moved first. The golden piece left his shoulder, flew along the innermost ring, and finally, with a "clang," stuck into a black stone in the center.

The stone surface trembled.

A thin crack appeared.

Si Mo followed in carrying the ledger, and as soon as he stood still, the ledger pages turned by themselves.

It's not about flipping to the name page.

It was an old file I'd never seen before.

The paper was blackened, with burn marks on the edges. There were only three columns in the middle, like knife marks, and behind each column was an old seal.

Xuanzang brought the lantern closer and read it aloud first.

"Original Mountain Owner's Cutting Record".

Upon hearing these words, the white dragon horse paused, its expression immediately changing.

Chen Fan reached out and pressed down on the ledger page.

"Read it all."

Xuanzang looked at the three columns and read them down word by word.

"First category: Combat readiness."

"Second column: Anti-Bone Source."

"The third column, Zhenyuan's authority."

After reading it aloud, the old paper seemed to be blown by the wind, and a line of small characters slowly emerged from under the paper.

"To prevent the old mountain lord from awakening on his own, the three were separated and placed in different locations. The combat capabilities were released externally, the source of rebellion was secretly sealed, and the authority of the source sank into the depths of the original field."

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

Only the soft glow of the lamp remained.

Sun Wukong stared at the few lines of text without even blinking. After a couple of breaths, he raised his hand and tapped the black stone with his knuckles.

Speak like a human.

Chen Fan stared at the paper, his voice flat.

"That means with your current skills, you've only managed to get one piece."

"You can fight, you can kill, you can charge into battle."

"This is all about combat readiness."

The other half isn't with you.

Si Mo continued.

"Anti-Bone Source is not just about being anti-".

"That's the root of severing the old chain and establishing a new one."

"Without this, no matter how strong a person is, they are just a weapon pre-written by someone else."

Sun Wukong grinned.

"weapon?"

No one responded with a laugh.

Because a figure emerged from behind the black stone.

Like a monkey.

It was like a fragment of a shadow that had been soaked in old water for too long. The hair was indistinct, the face was not real, only the two eyes were very bright, like sparks pressed into a crack in the stone.

It walked slowly, stopping three steps away from Sun Wukong.

Then he opened his mouth.

The voice was hoarse and harsh.

"She's right."

"Right now, you're just the best piece of iron available."

Sun Wukong tilted his head to look at it.

"And who are you?"

The monkey figure raised its hand and tapped the cutting record.

"I am the old echo that has been cut off."

"The shadow left behind by the original mountain lord in the lock."

"You took the fighting spirit, like it."

"You didn't take the source of the anti-heroism, which isn't like you."

The golden cudgel in Sun Wukong's hand tilted by an inch.

I'm not going to smash it.

I lifted it up a bit out of habit.

The monkey didn't hide, it just kept talking.

"You can beat a lot of people."

"You can break a lot of locks too."

"But all you do is smash forward."

"Whoever gives you an enemy, go and fight that enemy."

"Even if someone changes the roster or the venue, you'll still end up there as a knife."

These sentences are very straightforward.

Even Xuanzang didn't say a word.

Chen Fan looked at Sun Wukong.

He knew those words were hurtful.

That's all I can say.

With so many things happening ahead, Sun Wukong kept changing his ways, yet he was still on the same old path. Smashing mountains, attacking the Heavenly Gate, scaling the Famous Wall—all were aimed at overcoming the obstacles in front of him. To truly ascend to the position of mountain master, he not only needed to know how to smash, but also how to break.

Whose pen will be broken? Whose path to fame will be cut off? And who will be the hand that puts the straitjacket on his head again?

This is not the same thing.

Sun Wukong stared at the monkey's shadow for a while, then suddenly asked.

"Where is Zhenyuan's authority?"

The monkey's shadow raised its hand and pointed downwards.

"Deep within the original field."

"The old well at the very bottom."

"The mountain lord's last seal is pressed there."

"You can't unlock the succession lock without it."

Chen Fan's eyes darkened.

"The source of rebellion and the authority to suppress it are not in the same place?"

"Not here."

The monkey shadow said, "It separated when it was cut."

"The original bone source was transferred first and used as a replacement."

"Zhenyuan's power is buried deep, specifically used to suppress the mountains."

"These two items were originally meant to prevent you from taking them all later."

"What they're afraid of is never that you can fight."

"They're afraid you'll figure it out."

As soon as these words were spoken, half of the golden hoop suddenly trembled.

It wasn't Sun Wukong who did it.

It was Liu Er, who had been silent all along, who suddenly raised his head.

He had been standing at the back, his shadow falling outside the lamplight. But now the old crack on his forehead seemed to glow, as if a thin thread was swimming inside it.

Baiya saw it first and took half a step forward.

"Six Ears".

Liu Er did not respond.

The tuft of gray hair behind his ear bristled slightly, and his breathing became heavier, as if he were listening to something far away. Immediately afterward, the broken chain around his waist began to vibrate, the links striking his leg armor with a series of crisp sounds.

Si Mo looked down at the accounting books.

Two words appeared out of nowhere in the corner of the ledger page.

Rebellious.

The next instant, the words were scratched off by someone.

Liu Er raised his hand and pressed it against the side of his ear, his jaw clenched tightly.

"There's a sound coming from inside..."

Sun Wukong looked over.

What was that sound?

Liu Er closed his eyes and uttered words intermittently.

That's nonsense.

"Like...knocking."

"Someone is knocking on the door from inside."

Chen Fan immediately turned to look at the monkey's shadow.

"Replacement parts, what does that mean?"

The monkey's eyes slowly turned towards Six Ears.

"The extracted rebellious bone material cannot be stored alone for too long."

"It must be hung next to a living organism, borrowing its shell, its voice, and its ability to navigate."

"The safest way is to make a listening hook."

Xuanzang frowned immediately.

"Six ears?"

The monkey's shadow nodded.

"Having six ears and being able to hear perfectly is not something one is born with."

"One section was added later."

"The added section is the remnant hook."

Once these words were spoken, everyone understood.

Why is it that Six Ears can always hear the sound behind the lock before anyone else?

Why does he feel pain first when the wall is opened?

Why is it that whenever Half a Golden Hoop sees him, there's always that inexplicable urge to pull him away?

It's not an enemy.

It is about recognizing the source.

Liu Er kept his head drooping, his hands still pressed against his ears, and it took him a long time to raise his eyes.

Her eyes were a little red.

"You mean, I'm carrying half of his bone with me?"

The monkey shadow said, "It's not a bone."

"That's the spirit."

"The first breath of refusal to back down."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's face finally darkened.

He didn't go to see Liu Er.

First, look at that half of the golden headband.

The gold sheet was now firmly nailed to the black stone, its edges trembling slightly, as if it wanted to fly away but was held back by something.

Chen Fan took two steps closer and reached out to touch the edge of the crack in the stone.

With a touch of the fingertip, a tiny speck of gold dust is drawn up.

It's the same color as half a piece of gold hoop.

"Successor lock".

He said in a low voice.

"This isn't just for Wukong."

"This was made to align the two remaining parts."

Si Mo realized what was happening and quickly flipped through the tent.

Sure enough, after cutting the record, another line of supplementary notes slowly appeared.

"Succession Lock Activation Conditions: Combatant Presence, Residual Source Hook Resonance, Half-Imprint Return to Position."

The white dragon horse looked at the words and let out a sigh of relief.

"Half of the seal is that half of the golden hoop."

"The Remnant Hook is the Six Ears."

"Fighting spirit, that's a monkey's."

Xuanzang moved the green lamp forward a little.

"Not a single one can be missing."

Liu Er looked up, staring at the black stone, his voice a little hoarse.

"What if I don't go?"

The monkey's shadow looked at him.

"That rebellious spirit will forever remain locked."

"The knocking on the door will get louder and louder every year."

"In the end, either it will emerge, or you will shatter."

There was absolutely no room for ambiguity in what they said.

Liu Er chuckled briefly, but the smile was short-lived.

"OK."

"Finally, it's my turn not just here to make up the numbers."

Only then did Sun Wukong turn his head and glance at him.

"Once you're inside, don't listen to anything."

Six Ears Raises an Eyebrow.

"How dare you say that to me?"

Sun Wukong struck the end of his staff.

"At least I can hit accurately."

"You listen to a bunch of people, and who knows where you're headed?"

After those two clashes, the situation actually calmed down a bit.

Chen Fan stopped them from continuing their charade.

He withdrew his hand from the black stone and turned to the monkey's shadow.

"Where is the road?"

The monkey figure raised its hand and waved.

Beneath the black rock, an even narrower crack immediately appeared. There was no light in the crack, only the sound of old water rolling downwards, like a deep well, or like someone pressing down the breath of the entire mountain.

Three words appeared at the seam.

Successor lock.

Further down, another line of small text appeared.

"There are two who enter, and one who holds the seal."

Si Mo frowned as soon as he saw it.

Only two can enter.

Bai Ya said first, "I'll go."

"No," Chen Fan shook his head. "You don't have resonance."

Xuanzang looked at Liu Er, then at Sun Wukong.

"Those are the two of them."

Monkey Shadow added a sentence.

"Someone needs to keep things under control in India."

"Otherwise, the lock will spring back."

"The person outside must be able to admit the truth and also be able to overturn the verdict."

Several pairs of eyes fell on Chen Fan at the same time.

This job can only be done by him.

Chen Fan didn't waste any words and went straight to assigning tasks.

"I will guard the outer lock."

"Wukong, Liu Er, get down."

"Si Mo, take the ledger and stand to my left. Read the supplementary characters when you see them."

"Xuanzang's lantern, don't put it out."

"White Dragon Horse and White Cliff are guarding the crevice. If anyone comes out and it's not right, detain them first."

Sun Wukong slung his golden cudgel over his shoulder and started walking towards the crevice. Halfway there, he stopped and looked back at Chen Fan.

"What would happen if I obtained the source of the anti-heroic spirit?"

Chen Fan looked at him.

"You'll be harder to manage."

Sun Wukong twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Do we even need to take this?"

Chen Fan also twitched the corner of his mouth, but then his expression returned to normal.

"Only when you get it can you complete the task."

"If you can't get it, you'll always just be the best fighter."

"This is not the mountain lord."

After listening, Sun Wukong didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

Liu Er followed behind, and when he reached the edge of the seam, the glittering pattern on the side of his ear flashed again. He paused for a moment, but still stepped inside.

Two figures, one after the other, sank into the layer of black water.

Half of the golden headband was pulled off the black stone. Instead of going with Sun Wukong, it fell back above the seam, like a broken piece stuck in a keyhole, hanging there motionless.

Si Mo took a deep breath and spread out the living account.

The ink on the ledger pages had already started to drip down on its own.

Chen Fan stood directly in front of the crack, pressing his palm against the seal of the brush, and placing his other hand on the black stone.

The stone surface was so cold it was sharp to the touch.

He heard the knocking from inside this time.

thump.

thump.

Unhappy.

It's like someone deep inside is using a piece of old bone to tap against the well wall.

Chen Fan looked down and saw a new line of words emerging from the edge of the crack in the stone.

"First, check the original files of the Six Ears and the Half-Golden Hoop."

He stared for two breaths, his voice very low.

"it is good."

"Let's bring up this old grievance first."

Chapter 612 Six Ears Hear the Truth

Liu Er did not answer immediately.

He squatted before the crack, his ears twitching slightly, as if listening to water, or perhaps to the old bones buried in the earth. The dim light illuminated half his face, the other half hidden in darkness. His expression, unusually, lacked its usual playful antics.

Chen Fan stood to the side, not urging him.

Yang Jian lowered his Heavenly Eye slightly, while Sun Wukong, carrying his staff, tapped his fingers against the shaft. Xuanzang, holding the tent flap, stood firmly. Si Mo turned the corner of a page, his pen hovering, not falling.

After a long while, Liu Er finally spoke.

"I heard you."

His voice was very soft.

"Not the current sound."

Chen Fan looked up.

"What year?"

Liu Er smiled.

"That day, the mountain hadn't crumbled yet."

He reached out and pressed his hand against the crack in the stone. The moment his knuckles touched it, the stone surface emitted a muffled thud, like someone knocking on a door from afar.

Six Ears twitched its ears again.

"Don't argue," he said.

Sun Wukong snorted and didn't move.

Liu Er closed his eyes, as if immersing himself in the sound. When he opened them again, his lips were clenched.

I heard two people.

"One of you will take the ledger."

"One of them took a name tag."

Chen Fan stared at him.

Liu Er continued, "The man who brought the account books read out a string of page numbers. He said, 'Have you finished recording things on the Buddhist side?'"

"The person with the name tag should reply, 'The Heavenly Court side is all assembled now.'"

Xuanzang raised his head, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Liu Er imitated that old phrase very well.

"Then, the bookkeeper monk said, 'The mountain lord's bones must be recorded separately. The left side goes into the Buddhist register, and the right side goes into the heavenly register.'"

The courtyard fell silent.

The wind blew in through the cracks in the warehouse door, causing the corners of the paper to flutter slightly.

Liu Er did not stop.

The naming official chuckled and said, "Don't write 'bones,' write 'monkey.' Monkeys are easy to raise."

The accountant monk then asked, "What about the outer shell?"

The naming official replied, "Throw him into Flower and Fruit Mountain. Place the rebellious bone source in its shell and nurture it with a monkey's heart."

Sun Wukong suddenly looked up, and the staff in his hand fell to the ground with a thud.

The sound was muffled.

Liu Er didn't look at him, but stared at the crevice in the rock, as if afraid of missing the next sentence.

"There's still one person who hasn't spoken."

"He's behind."

Everyone called him the accountant.

Chen Fan's fingers tightened slightly.

"Did you hear me?"

"I heard you clearly," said Liu Er. "He didn't show his face, he just reached out and turned a page. There were no names on that page, only a blank space. He said, 'It's fine to leave it blank. It's easier to fill it in later if it's blank.'"

Si Mo pressed the pen between his fingers, but did not write.

Liu Er lowered his head, and a few strands of hair fell from his forehead.

"I also heard the sound from that day at Qieshan."

"It's not thunder."

"It's a knife."

"The mountain lord cursed first, and it was a very vulgar curse. Then someone laughed and said, 'Don't struggle, just write this down and it'll be over.'"

Yang Jian's gaze darkened.

"Who is the mountain lord?"

Liu Er paused for a moment.

"The original mountain lord," he said, "was neither a monkey nor a demon. He was the earliest gatekeeper of this mountain. As long as the mountain existed, he was there. When the mountain fell, he fell too."

Chen Fan did not respond.

Liu Er listened for a while longer, as if trying to salvage the last bit of dust from the chaotic noise.

"There's one more thing."

"Let's keep the 'rebellious' element in its shell for now. Once the monkey's heart is ready, then we'll open the tent."

Xuanzang asked in a low voice, "Where is the shell?"

Liu Er raised his head, the smile gone from his eyes.

"Flower and Fruit Mountain".

"At the foot of the eastern cliff, beside the old spring."

"There's a remnant buried there."

Sun Wukong slowly bent down and picked up the staff.

He didn't swear.

But that hand gripped it very tightly, and the rod made a soft cracking sound.

Chen Fan looked towards the crevice in the rock, his voice very low.

"Can you tell the exact location?"

"Yes." Liu Er nodded. "The residual source isn't large. It's still active. It's been fed with monkey hearts from outside. Those crazy monkeys from a few years ago didn't go crazy on their own; it woke up a few times."

Upon hearing this, even Bai Ya frowned.

The group of mindless monkeys on the outer edge of Flower Fruit Mountain back then weren't actually causing trouble; someone was secretly adding fuel to the fire.

Chen Fan closed the ledger.

"Walk."

Sun Wukong followed immediately.

Liu Er stood up first, patted the dust off his knees, and muttered, "If I had known I would have to listen to the bones this time, I wouldn't have eaten so many fruits. My ears are about to burst."

No one laughed.

But as soon as that joke came out, the atmosphere in the courtyard eased a little.

It was almost dawn when the group left.

The sea breeze outside the port was still cold. The ropes on the dock had been hanging there all night, heavy with moisture, and water dripped from them at the slightest touch. Chen Fan didn't look back, leading his men straight towards the old site of Huaguo Mountain.

That place has been mostly abandoned.

The stone steps had collapsed, vines were entwined around the railings, and the old spring was half-buried in the soil. As soon as Liu Er arrived here, his ears twitched, and his steps slowed down.

"It's right down here."

He squatted down and tapped his fingers on the ground three times.

"Empty."

Baiya and the Bull Demon King worked together to pry open the rubble. Sun Wukong, finding it too slow, simply used the end of his staff to lift up half of a blue stone. Underneath, a corner of a black wooden box was revealed, with two old nails still embedded in the side, their heads worn shiny.

Si Mo opened the booklet and held the tip of his pen to the box.

Sure enough, there was a line of small characters on the lid of the box, but it was mostly covered with mud.

"Anti-Bone Source, Outer Shell."

Chen Fan glanced at it and didn't let anyone touch it.

He asked Xuanzang to bring the green lamp closer, and then asked Liu Er to listen to it again.

Liu Er crouched down, pressing his ear close to the seam of the box, as if listening to a snake that had been buried for many years.

"There's nothing else inside," he said. "Just a broken kernel. And a blank page of the ledger."

Chen Fan reached out and pressed down on the lid of the box.

"open."

Sun Wukong swung his staff and smashed it down.

The black wooden box cracked open with a snap. There was no loud explosion, only a wisp of stale, gray smoke escaping. Inside lay a black core the size of a fingernail, with half a sheet of paper pressed beside it. The paper was blank, except for a very faint stamp in the corner.

Two words.

Set up an account.

Yang Jian recognized the mark at a glance, and his eyes grew even colder.

"It's him."

Chen Fan picked up the half-page and casually lit it on the lamp.

The paper first curled up, then shrank, and finally turned into a clump of black ash, which scattered when the wind blew.

Sun Wukong stared at the black core, raising his staff to smash it.

Liu Er reached out and stopped him.

"Don't rush," he said. "It still wants to hear the monkey's heart. If you strike it, it will follow the lingering sound."

Chen Fan looked at him.

"Do you have a solution?"

"Yes." Six Ears grinned. "Let me hear it."

After he finished speaking, he leaned down and brought his ear close to the black core.

The next moment, he froze completely.

It was as if an extremely long, old sound was climbing straight up from the bottom of the box.

When Liu Er opened his mouth, his voice had changed, as if he had shaken out the plaster from the walls decades ago.

The accountant monk said, "This time, we can't afford to miss anything."

The naming official said, "It doesn't matter if we miss one. Monkeys are easy to fool."

The person who set up the account said, "Don't lie. Keep him in check. Keep him in check until he admits it himself."

He paused, sweat slowly beading on his forehead.

"Later, he said one more thing."

"Don't leave this remnant of the source to the outer heavens. Leave it on Flower Fruit Mountain. One day, someone who can hear the true voice will come and claim it."

Chen Fan's eyes darkened.

"So that's why you were let in?"

Liu Er looked up, his smile tinged with bitterness.

"I wasn't let in."

"I was standing outside that day."

"They thought I couldn't hear."

"But I happened to hear it."

He raised his hand and pressed down on the black core.

Listen carefully.

The black core jolted violently, as if trying to escape.

Before it could move, Sun Wukong's staff had already slammed down.

Click.

A crisp sound.

The black core shattered in two, revealing a bit of grayish-white bone powder inside, which was swept away by the wind as soon as it hit the ground. A hollow sound followed from below the old spring, like a well that had been buried for many years finally breathing its last breath.

Liu Er slowly straightened up, his ears drooping down.

"It's over," he said.

Chen Fan didn't reply immediately, but took the half of the golden hoop out of his pocket and placed it next to the broken core.

The golden hoop neither lit up nor made a sound; it simply lay there quietly.

It's like finally recognizing the place.

That evening, Chen Fan led his men back to the port area.

People from the Heavenly Court came to investigate, and the Buddhist sect also sent an inquiry letter. Chen Fan only replied: The old debts have been settled, there's no need to look for the person who set them up.

Later, Yang Jian personally sealed that page of the "Establishing Accounts" record in the Heavenly Court's old archives into the fire. A blank space was also missing from the Buddhist monks' register of accounts. That person never appeared again; only one line of deletion marks remained on the record, as if someone had slowly sliced ​​across it with a knife until the paper was fuzzy.

The person who set up the account was neither imprisoned nor did he defend himself.

He was removed from the general ledger.

That was the outcome he feared most.

In late spring, another rain fell on Flower Fruit Mountain.

Liu Er remained by the old spring, guarding the collapsed stone steps. He no longer feigned madness, nor did he joke anymore; he would only occasionally listen to the wind, discerning from it which sound was a new branch breaking and which sound was old wood rotting.

Sun Wukong returned to the mountain and led the monkey troop to rebuild the orchard.

Xuanzang moved his study closer to the harbor, teaching his children to read and also instructing them not to blindly trust account books.

The Bull Demon King and his son remained guarding the Flaming Mountain, sending wine during festivals and no longer mentioning going down the mountain to steal their way.

Chen Fan was still the accountant.

He put the last volume of the ledger into the iron box and pressed it down at the bottom of the storeroom by hand. That night, he neither turned the pages nor lit a lamp.

The following spring, the lamp in front of the port gate lit up again, illuminating a string of newly hung peach wood plaques under the eaves.

A gust of wind blew by, and the sign tapped lightly, making a crisp sound.

Liu Er stood by the spring and listened for a while, then turned around and waved to Chen Fan.

"That's all."

Chen Fan nodded and closed the ledger.

"That's it for now."

After the rain, the sky cleared, and the peach blossoms on the mountain were in full bloom.

The story is over.

Chapter 613 Recovering from Flower Fruit Mountain

The peach wood plaque still sways under the eaves.

A gust of wind blew by, and there was a soft tap.

Liu Er stood by the spring, his earlobe suddenly twitching, and the laziness on his face vanished instantly. He raised his hand to press his right ear, tilted his head to listen for a long time, and his brows furrowed little by little.

"It's not over yet."

Everyone in the courtyard stopped what they were doing.

Chen Fan had just pressed the iron box back to the bottom of the warehouse when he heard the sound and turned to look at him.

"What did you hear?"

Liu Er didn't answer immediately. He took two steps toward the water curtain door, his shoes making a soft crunching sound as they stepped over the wet stones. He then pressed his ear against the stone wall, as if listening to see if anyone was breathing inside.

After a few breaths, he turned around, his voice very low.

"There's something else inside the outer shell of Flower and Fruit Mountain."

The white dragon horse reacted first: "Outer shell?"

"Hmm." Liu Er pointed to the sky and then to the ground. "This is the source, and that is the shell. We only pried open a crack in the door before. The real place where things are buried is still inside that old mountain skin of the present world."

Chen Fan didn't say anything, walked to the spring, and looked down at the water.

There was no shadow in the water, only fine ripples, as if someone tapped the basin from a distance.

With a flick of his wrist, the inkstone fell into his palm.

The printing surface is a bit hot.

"Can the coordinates be fixed?"

Liu Er closed his eyes and listened for a while longer, sweat slowly forming on his forehead.

"Yes. It's right below the old stone platform at the Water Curtain Cave."

How deep?

"It's not deep." Liu Er opened his eyes and exhaled. "It's sealed very tightly. There are two layers of old seals on the outside, one from Buddhism and one from Heaven. It's as if they're afraid that the thing inside will run away on its own, and also afraid that someone will dig it out."

Zhu Ganglie clicked his tongue.

"Were the Buddhist sect and the Heavenly Court sealed off together?"

"Then it's not just any ordinary dirty stuff."

The Bull Demon King placed the wine jar on the ground, rolled up his sleeves, and said, "Just tell me the location. I'm an expert at smashing mountains."

Chen Fan looked up and glanced around.

Sun Wukong is still investigating the source of the rebellion in the hidden crevice and won't be able to return for the time being. Yang Jian is guarding the second page of the pen and cannot leave either. Right now, only these few people can act immediately.

He went over the options in his mind and didn't hesitate any longer.

"Open a temporary waterway."

Si Mo approached, carrying the tent: "You're going to hold this up all by yourself?"

"That's enough. We're not sending a large army, just three people."

He raised his hand and made a fleeting stroke on the surface of the spring. A flash of black light appeared on the inkstone, and the spring water instantly split in two. A thin, long black slit appeared at the bottom of the water, as if someone had cut a gash in the ground with a knife. No light came from the slit, only a cold wind pushed upwards, causing the peach wood plaque under the eaves to rattle wildly.

Xuanzang brought over a lantern and first held it up to the edge of the crack to shine a light on it.

As soon as the light drew near, an old pattern immediately surfaced from the crack.

On one side is a lotus platform with an imprint.

On one side is the imperial seal, a name stamp.

The two stripes interlock and bite together, like two hands pressing down on the same cloth.

The white dragon horse's eyelids twitched.

"The old power still exists."

Chen Fan nodded: "That's why we need to dig even deeper."

After he finished speaking, he raised his hand and pressed it against the edge of the crack, the veins in his palm bulging slightly. The spring water on both sides began to tremble, and small stones fell into the crack. Temporary waterways like this will backfire if they are used for too long. He didn't have time for idle talk and looked directly at the three of them.

"Go in. Don't touch the seal over there yet. Six Ears will give you the coordinates, White Dragon Horse will find the way, Old Ox will hatch, and Old Pig will retrieve it. Come back immediately after you get the item."

Pigsy shouldered his nine-toothed rake, grinning with a roguish air.

"This job sounds nice."

The Bull Demon King stepped to the crevice and glanced back at Chen Fan.

"Can you handle things here?"

"Even if you can't bear it, you have to bear it."

"OK."

The white dragon horse was the last to move. Before leaving, it suddenly took off the leather pouch from its waist and put it in Si Mo's hand.

"Leave the sample print here for now. In case something over there touches it and makes a mess, I need to be careful with my clothes."

Si Mo took the leather pouch and nodded.

Without further delay, the three stepped into the channel one after another. The wind suddenly intensified in the crevice, like a tidal wave rushing into their ears. Once the last piece of clothing hadn't gotten inside, Chen Fan tightened his grip, closing the opening to just a thin line.

The area around the spring fell silent again.

Only water droplets fell from the eaves.

Chen Fan neither sat down nor let go. He half-squatted by the spring, his palm pressed against the crack, and soon a buzzing sound filled his ears. It felt like two layers of something were being forcibly pulled together.

Six Ears stood guard on his left, their ears remaining perfectly still.

"arrive."

"explain."

"Ahead is the outer edge of Huaguo Mountain. The mountain is still there, the waterfall is still there, but it's lifeless. Like an empty shell."

Chen Fan didn't even look up.

"Keep listening."

Liu Er listened attentively while whispering the message to the outside world.

"The white dragon horse has already entered the cave."

"The old stone platform is still there. It's three feet to the left of the platform, and there's a hollow sound coming from it."

"Hmm... there really is something under the stone platform. The outer layer isn't soil, it's an old crust, like someone took melted mountain skin and flattened it."

The other side's reflection was quickly mirrored in the spring water.

The shadow was blurry, but you could still make out what it looked like.

The white dragon horse squatted beside the stone platform, its fingers tracing the edge inch by inch. Pigsy squatted even lower, pressing his ears to the ground, and gently tapped the ground with the handle of his rake. On the third tap, a muffled sound came from the ground, like an empty can.

Before anyone could give the order, the Bull Demon King had already taken a half step back and stretched his shoulders.

"This is it."

The white dragon horse raised its hand to stop him.

"Recognize the seal first."

He rinsed the water and wiped the bottom of the stone platform with his sleeve. Once the dust was gone, two old seals were indeed revealed underneath.

The round one on the left has a half-lotus pattern on it.

The square one on the right has a name in ancient seal script at its center.

Zhu Bajie's eye twitched after he finished reading.

"It really is a double ban."

The White Dragon Horse's voice was steady: "The Buddha's old seal presses down on the outer edge to prevent it from rising. The Jade Emperor's naming seal is fastened to the center line to prevent it from being listed in the first volume. One is to press down on the shape, and the other is to lock the position."

Annoyed by his words, the Bull Demon King asked directly, "Can I smash it or not?"

"Yes. We need to do it one after the other." The white dragon horse looked at him, then at Pigsy. "Break the outer shell first. Once the naming seal is loosened, the thing inside will try to squeeze out through the gap. Old Pig, your recycling seal needs to be fast; if you're even a moment slower, it will dissipate."

Pigsy spat out the grass stalks from his mouth and turned the rake sideways.

"Understand."

At the spring, Chen Fan suddenly looked up.

"Six Ears".

"I'm listening."

"Tell Old Niu not to smash it in the exact center. The naming seal is most likely buried under the heart stone; smashing it will be a waste of time."

Liu Er immediately relayed the message.

A moment later, the Bull Demon King grinned in the spring shadow and took half a step to the right.

"I know it."

The next moment, he steadied himself, his shoulders and back sinking down. He didn't take out the iron rod; instead, he used his fist. The fist rose slowly, but when it landed, the entire old stone platform trembled violently. The outer layer of the mountain first caved in, then with a "crack," a thin crack appeared around the edge.

The waterfall swayed slightly.

The outer shell of Huaguo Mountain emitted a muffled sound, as if a breath of stale air, which had been trapped inside for a century, was finally leaking out a little.

The half-lotus seal of the Buddhist temple shines first.

A flash of golden light appeared, as if trying to cover the crack again.

The Bull Demon King cursed under his breath, and his second punch was even harder, slamming straight into the edge of the crack created by the first punch. The entire outer shell instantly shattered, creating a half-foot-deep crater, with debris flying everywhere. The lotus seal held for two breaths before "crackling" into several pieces, golden dust falling down like raindrops.

"Old pig!"

Pigsy was already waiting.

He rushed forward, but instead of stabbing the rake in, he turned it around and used the grooves on the back of the rake to scrape hard against the edge of the naming seal. The black ash curled up instantly, like a piece of old skin being torn from a crack in the stone. The seal, under pressure, emitted a harsh grinding sound, and ink oozed out stroke by stroke.

There was also a very faint whistling sound mixed in with the ink.

The white dragon horse's expression changed.

"They're out."

It wasn't a living thing; it was more like a mass of old gas compressed into a core, trying to escape through a crack. As soon as it emerged, the recycling patterns on Pigsy's back lit up, and with a quick contraction and curl, they forcefully caught the mass of black gas and pulled it aside.

"Get out here!"

A patch of blackish-gold immediately appeared from underground.

It was only the size of a fingernail, but its light was very heavy, like a spark buried in coal ash.

The white dragon horse's eyes narrowed.

"That's it. The Monkey Heart Stone."

The Bull Demon King raised his hand and cleared away all the broken shells around the edge of the pit, while Pigsy took the opportunity to rake out the black gold stone completely.

The stone wasn't big, but when it landed in his palm, it felt like a small piece of hot iron. Zhu Bajie's palm burned, and he almost dropped it.

"Damn it, it's still jumping."

That stone really was jumping.

thump.

a bit.

The message traveled across the spring water to the Ninth Original Field.

The temporary channel beneath Chen Fan's hand suddenly bulged, almost collapsing. His vision went black for a moment, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. Si Mo reached out to support him, not daring to utter a sound.

Liu Er froze completely.

"The mountain is facing the earthquake."

Not only the spring, but even the wall behind the old warehouse began to tremble slightly. The peach wood plaques hanging under the eaves clattered together one after another. The ledgers in the iron box at the bottom of the warehouse also rattled, as if countless thin sheets of paper were turning pages inside.

The lamp in Xuanzang's hand flickered, casting alternating shades of green and yellow on everyone's faces.

Chen Fan swallowed the blood in his mouth and asked in a low voice, "What about the Ninth Origin Arena?"

Liu Er's ear tips trembled, and his voice was even lower than before.

"It moved too. Not collapsed, but moved in sync. As soon as that rock came out, it was like bones suddenly connecting the two sides."

In the reflection of the spring, the black gold monkey heart stone is still beating.

With each jump, the Flower and Fruit Mountain in the mortal world trembled once. The Ninth Original Field also trembled once. The ripples in the water, the patterns on the rocks, and even the rhythm of the falling water curtains on both sides all converged in one direction.

The white dragon horse stared at the stone and suddenly understood something.

"The shell is not empty."

"It has been keeping the heartbeat of the true source."

The Bull Demon King understood and replied in a gruff voice, "After being suppressed for so many years, it's still not completely dead. That means this mountain was originally capable of bearing weight."

Pigsy shoved the Monkey Heart Stone into his robes and yelled, "Don't just stand there, let's go back!"

But just as he pressed the stone close to his chest, a crack appeared beneath the stone platform.

The line wasn't large, but it was very deep.

An old line of characters slowly emerged from within.

It is neither a Buddhist seal nor an imperial edict.

There are only four characters: crooked and twisted.

—The Master of Flower and Fruit Mountain.

The white dragon horse stared at those four words, a chill running down its spine.

This wasn't newly sealed.

This is the original title that was already preserved in the old shell.

By the spring, Chen Fan watched the words emerge from the water, his fingers slowly tightening. The missing column in all the previous account books seemed to have finally sprouted from the ground.

He exhaled, his voice a little hoarse.

"Bring the stone back. Don't touch those four words yet."

Liu Er immediately relayed the message.

The white dragon horse responded, raised its hand to roll up the water curtain, signaling the two to retreat. The Bull Demon King glanced back one last time at the cracked old stone platform, his gaze falling on the four characters, then stopped smashing and turned to step into the crevice on his way back.

As soon as the three entered the channel, the surface of the spring became chaotic. The veins on Chen Fan's hand bulged, and the inkstone was almost too hot to hold. Fortunately, in the next instant, the Bull Demon King burst out from the crack, shattering two blue bricks upon landing. Pigsy followed closely behind, clutching the black-gold monkey heart stone tightly to his chest. The White Dragon Horse appeared last, pressing the edge of the channel inwards with its hand.

The crack closed.

The spring water splashed back to its original position.

The courtyard was quiet for a couple of moments.

The next moment, the entire Ninth Origin Field trembled simultaneously.

It wasn't the slight tremor I felt earlier.

This time, it was as if something heavy, buried for many years, had turned over on the ground. The old warehouse door bolt slammed shut, a deep echo came from behind the water curtain door, and even the dark crack in the distance seemed to light up for a moment.

Pigsy placed the Monkey Heart Stone on the ground.

The stone landed, but it kept bouncing.

thump.

thump.

With each jump, a ring of ripples appears on the surface of the spring.

With each jump, everyone could hear it, and there was another place on the other side of the mountain where the sound echoed back.

Chen Fan looked down at the black gold stone, and a glimmer of light finally appeared in his eyes.

"Found it."

"The shell isn't ruined."

"It still recognizes this heart."

Chapter 614, page 2, opening.

The monkey heart stone is still bouncing on the ground.

One sound after another, no rush.

The ripples on the surface of the spring spread out in concentric circles, crashed against the shore, and then bounced back. It was as if an old tendon in the mountains had finally been reconnected.

Sun Wukong squatted down first, pressing his palm down on the black gold stone.

The stone arched slightly beneath his palm.

He lifted his eyelids and looked behind the water curtain door.

"I've really admitted it."

Chen Fan nodded, not responding to that. He picked up the green lamp, took two steps forward, and the lamplight, suppressing the shimmering water on the ground, illuminated a thin ink line along the edge of the stone, slowly creeping towards the old warehouse.

The white dragon horse caught up and asked in a low voice, "Is this for rewriting?"

"It's not a rewrite," Chen Fan said, looking at the ink line. "It's the beginning of a new stroke."

Si Mo was holding the tent flap, her fingers constantly gripping the corner. Hearing this, she swallowed hard.

"The tenth time?"

Chen Fan hummed in agreement.

"Someone wrote about it the previous nine times."

"It's my turn now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ink line on the ground suddenly leaped up and darted straight into the crack of the old warehouse door. A rustling sound came from inside the wooden door, like someone turning pages through the back of a sheet of paper. Immediately afterward, the half-open yellow paper on the second page stood up on its own, its edges curling into old creases, and the unfinished ink mark on the paper became bright again.

Everyone entered the room together.

The room still had that damp smell. The scent of old wood, ash, and stale paper mingled together. When the lamp was lit, the iron hooks on the four corner shelves were exposed, and the tattered samples hanging on them clinked and jingled softly.

Chen Fan walked to the front of the page.

The second page hung in mid-air, only an arm's length away from him. The paper was densely covered with small handwriting, each line squeezed tightly together, as if deliberately preventing anyone from breathing.

At the very bottom, a column has just appeared.

For samples from the Hong Kong area that are missing their names, the sample must be corrected within three days. Otherwise, the old sample will be collected and the sample will be merged into the "No Name" field.

After Bai Ya saw it clearly, his face immediately darkened.

"Three days?"

"This isn't life-threatening."

The old deacon panicked; his beard was trembling.

"There are more than just one or two people whose names have been lost in the port. Searching for old accounts, going through old files, matching old seals—three days isn't enough! Some people don't even have their birth certificates anymore, how are we going to replace them?"

Si Mo pushed the tent forward.

"Can the judgment be amended?"

The second page remained unchanged.

Only a ring of black slowly seeped out from the edge of the paper.

Chen Fan raised his hand and pressed the seal on the pen.

As soon as the ink touched the paper, the entire sheet trembled slightly, as if blood vessels were opening in the center of the page, and fine ink spread along the paper's grain. The feeling was strange; it didn't feel like holding a pen, but rather like reaching your hand into an old well, where something was groping upwards along your fingertips.

Sun Wukong stood half a step behind him, his golden cudgel held horizontally on his shoulder, without making a sound.

Chen Fan stared at the appendix, his voice flat.

"One thing can be changed."

"Only one line needs to be changed."

Under the lamp, Chen Fan was standing in the shadow behind the paper again. It was still that face, still those eyes that showed no emotion.

"Think it through before you commit."

"The second page gives you the right to edit the appendix, not the main text. You can make minor changes, but you can't change the core. But every time you make a change, the person who created the account will wake up even faster."

The white dragon horse turned its head to look at him.

"Wasn't the person who built the account book dead?"

Under the lamplight, Chen Fan said calmly, "Those who keep accounts die the slowest."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Only the flickering lamplight tilted to the side, as if suppressed by some unseen force.

Chen Fan did not turn around.

"How can we write it in a way that leaves room for the Minato Ward to maneuver?"

Under the lamplight, Chen Fan looked at the mark on his palm and said after a couple of breaths, "Didn't you already make up your mind?"

Chen Fan's fingers slowly tightened.

"If the real names of the samples from Hong Kong are found, the deadline for merging them can be postponed."

Si Mo was startled and immediately looked up.

"Consolidation timeframe?"

"So, you mean that if the three days that were missed can be made up for later as long as the real name is found?" The old deacon reacted the fastest, raising his voice.

Chen Fan nodded.

"right."

"What it wants now is not for people to die, but for the samples to be returned to their storage. As long as this sentence is added, once the samples are found to their true names, it cannot take them away as overdue, but will have to give them back the days that should have been given."

Baiya exhaled.

"This will get people back from the abandoned pool."

"We'll take care of whoever we can."

After listening, Sun Wukong only asked one question.

"Will it recognize it if I write it down?"

Chen Fan looked up at the second page.

"recognize."

"It must abide by the rules it has set for itself."

After saying that, he pushed the pen and seal forward.

The paper immediately softened, like ice being scalded by fire, melting into a narrow opening. The ink spread outwards from the edge of the print, slowly forming a line of characters.

If the real names of samples from Hong Kong are found, the deadline for merging them can be postponed.

As the last character for "limit" was written, the entire sheet of paper suddenly plummeted downwards. At the same time, the four walls of the old warehouse made a clicking sound, as if countless tiny locks were closing simultaneously in the dark.

Si Mo stared at the new words, her eyes instantly reddening. She held back her words and first opened the ledger, quickly checking the missing entries in the port area.

As soon as the first volume was opened, words began to float on the pages.

The verdict was changed after three days.

A new plan will be made in seven days.

The white dragon horse was stunned.

"It's changed again."

The old deacon rushed over, bent over, and began to read each word carefully. Halfway through, his hands began to tremble.

"Seven days... not three days anymore."

"It's been postponed to the seventh day!"

The stuffy atmosphere in the room finally dissipated a little.

Even the guards at the gate straightened their backs a bit.

Seven days isn't long, but it's more than four days longer than three. It's about whether the port can retrieve the names scattered everywhere and whether they can get the living people out of the accounts before the old seals are recalled.

Bai Ya gritted his teeth, turned around and left.

"I'm going to the port."

"First, go through all the records of the old warehouses, stilted houses, and shipwrecks. If any match is found, we'll find the answer tonight."

The white dragon horse fastened the sample bag tightly.

"I'm going to North Street and the riverbank."

"Many old surnames are hidden over there."

Si Mo picked up the living tent and began taking notes as he walked.

"I'll go to the ranking list. I'll rescue the children first, then the elderly. Those without surnames, those with nicknames, and those whose names are no longer valid—I'll record them all separately."

They started moving as soon as they finished speaking.

This time, no one dawdled.

Three days turned into seven, like adding another piece to a rope that was about to break. The addition wasn't very neat, but at least it could hold people back.

Chen Fan, however, did not move.

He was still standing in front of the second page, staring at the small clump of newly formed black ink in the corner of the paper.

Chen Fan didn't leave under the lamp either.

The two people are separated by half a page of old paper; their shadows overlap and then separate again.

Chen Fan spoke first.

"You've been helping me all along."

"What's the point?"

Chen Fan smiled slightly under the lamp. It was a faint smile, as if he had borrowed it from a distant place.

"I'm telling you, you're not dead yet."

Chen Fan looked at him.

"Who died in the first nine deaths?"

"They're all dead." Under the lamp, Chen Fan raised his hand, pointed to the page, and then to the mountain outside. "Some died before the port samples were retrieved. Some died when the naming lock was closed. Some got the corner of the first page, thinking they could correct the text directly, but before they could get the print back, the person was erased before they could even finish writing half a word."

He paused for a moment after saying this.

"There was another time when Sun Wukong didn't return to the mountain."

Sun Wukong stood behind, his eyes darkening.

"Didn't reply, so what?"

"Huaguo Mountain has no main storyline," Chen Fan said under the lamp. "The mountain doesn't recognize the heart, and the heart doesn't recognize the shell. The main column of the supplementary mountain will remain empty, and the Nine Locks master map will merge elsewhere. Once it's merged, the port area, the old warehouse, and the live accounts will all become a set of dead accounts. In that round, I was the only one left watching the second page turn yellow."

The only sound in the old warehouse was the crackling of flames.

Chen Fan recalled the old, shattered marks in front of him, and the trailing ink marks under the name wall, and suddenly realized that those things were not left all at once.

It is nine times.

People have come here nine times.

I failed to get across it nine times.

Under the lamp, Chen Fan whispered, "Only this time, Sun Wukong returned to the mountain. The Monkey Heart Stone also returned to its shell. The main storyline is connected, and I'll only open the second page to you then."

"I'm not helping you."

"I'm betting I'll survive this time."

After listening, Chen Fan didn't speak immediately. He raised his hand and rubbed his temples, suppressing the chill that seemed to seep into his bones from the paper.

"You guessed half right."

"You'll have to rely on me for your other half."

Chen Fan didn't respond under the lamp, but simply raised his chin towards the end of the page.

"Look again."

Chen Fan bowed his head as he gestured.

At the very end of the second page, where the space had been empty, new words were now slowly emerging. The words appeared very slowly, stroke by stroke, as if deliberately meant to be seen clearly.

If you want to change the text on the first page, you must first take back the operator's seal.

Sun Wukong cursed first.

"There really is someone in charge."

The white dragon horse had just reached the door when it saw the words and took a half step back.

"Who holds the operator's seal?"

The old deacon's face turned pale.

"The first page of text... isn't that the general ledger?"

"If you can correct the text, you can also change the main column, the naming lock, the recycle bin, and even the old notes that were suppressed back then."

Si Mo stopped and looked at Chen Fan.

"Is the next step to seize this seal?"

Chen Fan reached out and touched the line of text at the end of the page.

The moment my fingertip touched it, a faint warmth immediately spread across the edges of the characters. It wasn't the warmth of lamplight, but the warmth of someone who had just finished writing and hadn't gone far yet.

He withdrew his hand, a trace of ink remaining in his palm.

"right."

"The second page only gives us a breather. If we really want to get the accounts completely corrected, we need the first page."

Sun Wukong slammed his golden cudgel into the ground with a thud.

"Then go get it."

"Whoever tries to stop us, we'll smash them."

Chen Fan turned around and glanced at him, a rare smile on his face.

"Don't smash it yet."

"Find the person first."

"Anyone who can write the first page of the main text won't hide far away. Since he knows I put pen to paper on the second page, he should start investigating me tonight."

The flame of the lamp suddenly shrank.

Outside the old warehouse door, a breeze blew through the corridor, making the hanging tattered seals tinkle. The sound was thin and fragmented, and after listening for a while, it sounded like someone fiddling with an abacus in the dark.

Chen Fan tucked the pen and seal into his sleeve, picked up the lantern, and turned around.

"The port area will first run seven days' worth of accounts."

"Keep the money coming in. Keep the mountain lord in check. Six-Eared Serpent on the lookout, Yang Jian guarding the lock, Xuanzang keeping watch on the lamp. Nobody should cause any trouble."

He walked towards the door, his steps slow.

When I reached the threshold, I paused again.

"besides."

Everyone looked at him.

Chen Fan turned his face to the side, the light only illuminating half of his eyebrows and eyes.

"From now on, I will be the one to settle this score with Flower Fruit Mountain."

After saying this, he took a lantern and left the old warehouse.

A night breeze blew in my face, and the lamplight flickered upwards, illuminating a small section of the dark path under the corridor. The sound of the spring still lingered in the distance, the echo of the Monkey Heart Stone still resonated, and I could faintly hear voices coming from the harbor. Busy, hurried, yet with a touch of liveliness amidst the chaos.

The second page slowly closed behind him.

Before the paper was sealed tightly, the last line of text lit up again.

The operator's seal is currently in the possession of the writer of the first page.

A flash of ink, and it sank completely.

Chapter 615 The Old Seal Strikes Back

As soon as Chen Fan took three steps out of the old warehouse with his lantern, the night above the port area seemed to deepen.

It's not a dark cloud.

It looked like someone had flipped two old stone slabs over and pressed them down straight down.

The first tone is "zhong".

It's so boring.

It's like it's being tapped through a thousand layers of paper.

The second tone is not like a bell, but like a wooden ruler used to turn pages in an official's office, slammed onto the table.

The noise from the people on the port side immediately became chaotic.

Someone is running.

Someone looked up and shouted.

Some children were so frightened that they cried, but their voices seemed to stop halfway through, sounding hollow.

The white dragon horse leaped onto the roof first, glanced up, and its expression changed.

"It's not a sample print."

"It is a positive seal."

Everyone looked up at the same time.

Two large seals hung in mid-air.

The one on the left was dark gold, its edges worn, yet its surface was dazzlingly bright. A ring of tiny Buddhist patterns hung around it, similar to the overlapping imprints in the old warehouse, only much heavier. Before it even landed, every wooden plaque in the port area had already begun to heat up, and the characters on the plaques shrank back stroke by stroke, as if trying to shrink back into the old paper.

The one on the right is colder, bluish-black, square and regular, with densely packed name squares inlaid along its edges. A long ink line trails down from the bottom of the seal, all the way to the port streets. Whoever the ink line touches, a small gray character appears above their head, like the name tags that old government offices hung on prisoners.

Xuanzang recognized it at a glance, and his hand holding the lantern tightened.

"Qualitative seal."

Yang Jian also saw the other one, and the vertical mark between his eyebrows split open.

"Life Register Seal"

The voice just fell.

Both seals pressed down simultaneously.

There is no wind.

Dust rose from the ground first.

One after another, the newly erected plaques in the port area reversing verdicts reverberated, cracking the peach wood and seeping black ink from the cracks. The small plaque at the warehouse entrance that read "Ding Twenty-One Returns Home" was the first to go dark, the words looking as if someone had wiped them off, leaving behind a stain that looked like dirty water.

Si Mo suddenly hugged the tent to his chest.

The ledger pages turned by themselves, making a rustling sound.

All the names that were just written on the paper are sinking.

It sank back to its original column.

Old case.

The tower guard turned pale.

"It's being changed back."

"The entire case has been reverted to the old one."

Bai Ya cursed and rushed over to support the card rack. But as soon as his hand touched it, a gray mark appeared on his arm, with four words emerging from it: "Remnant of a former offender".

His eyelids twitched, and he punched the pillar with his backhand.

The pillar was broken in half.

The words haven't fallen off.

The sound began to echo from all directions of the port area.

Crying, shouting, banging on the door.

Those whose files had just been retrieved from the old archives all had gray characters floating above their heads. Some were labeled "Fugitive," some "Fake Records," and some were even more ruthless, directly stating "Old Traitors Not Yet Eliminated."

Chen Fan stood motionless under the corridor.

He looked at the two seals.

This isn't a place to kill.

This is to rewrite the person's story.

Once the name reverts to the old format, anything done afterward will be for nothing.

"Guard the tent first."

Chen Fan shoved the lamp into Xuanzang's hand, then pressed down on the curtain in Si Mo's arms.

"Don't let it flip to the bottom."

Si Mo gritted his teeth and nodded.

But the pages were turning faster and faster, the edges of the paper curling up. She couldn't hold them down with both hands, and her shoulders trembled. The ledger was like a live fish, desperately trying to wriggle out of her arms.

Xuanzang stepped forward and placed the green lamp in the center of the curtain.

As soon as the lamp flame touched the paper, a Buddhist chant rang out from the side of the seal.

not tall.

Very dry.

It's like a crack in a dead tree.

"No double judgment shall be made for any existing rulings."

As soon as the sound came out, the middle page of the tent turned white, and the lamp flame dimmed.

Xuanzang did not retreat.

He lifted the hem of his monk's robe, sat down directly on the ground, pressed his knees against the corner of the tent, and tapped the blank page three times.

"Provisional general ledger, commence."

Snapped.

The last page of the ledger popped open.

Originally there were no words above, but now three black lines have suddenly appeared. The tops of the lines are crooked, as if they were hastily added. The first line is the current residence, the second is the witness, and the third is pending verification.

Xuanzang looked up at the sky, his voice calm.

"You gave me the old order."

"I am remembering people of today."

"As long as the person is still alive, the debt isn't considered dead."

The qualitative impression sank downwards.

The golden light, like a millstone, pressed directly onto the three black lines. Xuanzang swayed, and blood immediately appeared at the corner of his mouth. He didn't wipe it away, but instead pressed his palm down even harder, his knuckles rubbing a red mark on the paper.

"Write!"

He shouted at Simo.

Si Mo was startled awake, grabbed his pen, and buried himself in writing.

"Ding Twenty-One, currently residing at East Sixth Wharf, is a witness and tower keeper."

"Ahe, originally without a surname, now lives at South Pier Bridge, witness Baiya."

"Zhao San Niang was mistakenly recorded in the old register; now she has seven neighbors as guarantors."

With each line she wrote, the accounting became a little more stable.

The qualitative print is pressed down one inch.

The general ledger was pushed back an inch.

On the other side, the seal of destiny also moved.

It didn't rush to the living tent.

It's aimed at people.

The dark lines hanging down over the port area suddenly tightened, as if someone were drawing a brush on the clouds. Everyone with gray characters on their faces lowered their heads, as if a stone had suddenly been hung around their necks.

Yang Jian raised his hand and grabbed the three-pointed, double-edged sword, which landed in his palm.

"This thing doesn't recognize the current name, it only recognizes the old name."

Chen Fan turned to look at him.

"Can it be disassembled?"

Yang Jian stared at the square shell outside the seal, his eyes colder than the night.

"able."

"Use the old rules to dismantle its old shell."

After saying that, he pushed off with his feet and soared into the air. His third eye opened fully, and a cold white light sliced ​​across, first illuminating the four corners of the Register of Fate. Sure enough, there were locks on the four corners, and the locks were wrapped with dense small characters, all old notes, such as "Name determined at birth", "Registered and cannot be changed", "Those who violate the register will be punished together".

Yang Jian read each one aloud.

The sound wasn't loud.

With each line he read, he moved the knife forward an inch.

"In the seventh volume of the Heavenly Laws, supplementary entries must not deviate from the original names."

"In the ninth volume of the Heavenly Laws, if a child's given name is lost, a substitute name may be established."

"The Heavenly Laws are not attached at the end. Wartime refugees are first registered in the Survivor Register, and then their fate register is updated."

Upon reading this, he suddenly turned the blade and plunged it directly into the lock in the lower right corner.

Click.

The outer shell of the Destiny Register Seal had a crack.

The people on the street below all breathed a sigh of relief, as if the weight on their chests had been lifted a little.

Seeing that there was a way, the white dragon horse immediately leaped onto the other side of the roof and threw up the sample prints it had brought out from the old warehouse.

"then!"

Yang Jian caught the seal with one hand and pressed it directly into the crack.

The sample print is not large.

But when you fasten it, it feels like a nail.

The seal of destiny trembled, and the outer layer of bluish-black shell began to peel off, revealing the yellowed paper texture inside.

Chen Fan's eye twitched.

"Paper?"

"Not in Indian script."

"It's an old roll cover."

As he said this, the seal on the Buddhist side suddenly trembled.

A crack appears in the center of the seal.

A thin, dry hand reached out from inside.

He was still clutching half of an abacus in his hand.

Next, there are people.

It was an old monk. His robe was only half intact, and his chest looked like it had been scorched by fire, with patches of black and yellow. Half of his face was covered with old wax, while the other half had skin as thin as paper, but his eye sockets were bright, so bright it was irritating.

He stepped onto the edge of the seal, looked down and circled the area, first examining the living tent, then the mysterious treasury.

"Private general ledger, amend my old one."

"You dare to write?"

Xuanzang looked up at him; there was still a bit of blood at the corner of his mouth.

Who are you?

The old monk laid the abacus horizontally.

"An old Western accountant, a monk who keeps accounts."

After he finished speaking, another crack appeared in the other seal of destiny.

First, there was a tattered corner of an official's robe.

Then there's a hand holding a pen.

Finally, a tall, thin man emerged, wearing an old crown. His face looked as if it had been painted with ink, with only his nose and mouth clearly visible. He seemed to be standing on a sheet of paper, with scattered names written all over the hem of his clothes.

When Yang Jian saw him, his eyes darkened.

"Naming Officer".

The afterimage looked up, its voice high-pitched and flat.

"The old government office has been abolished, but my position remains."

"Within the tenth cycle, the register shall not be altered or falsified by outsiders."

The accountant monk also spoke up.

"Within the tenth cycle, old rules shall not be overturned, old sins shall not be absolved, and old categories shall not overstep their bounds."

The two voices merged.

The entire port area was shaken.

The newly erected wooden sign cracked again.

The last few lines of writing on the ledger were already shaky when the last stroke of the pen began to tremble.

Si Mo tilted his pen, and a drop of ink fell onto the paper, making a black dot.

Bai Ya looked up and cursed, "Go to hell with the tenth time! I haven't even seen you the first nine times, why should I acknowledge your past grievances!"

The accounting monk didn't even look at him, he just lifted the abacus.

The inscription "Remnant of the Old Offender" above Bai Ya's head immediately dropped downwards, pressing down on his brow.

Sun Wukong is not here.

At this moment, the port area lost its toughest weapon.

Chen Fan took a step forward.

Another step.

I walked all the way to the edge of the corridor and stood at the very end of the light.

He didn't look at the two mutilated bodies; instead, he glanced down at the stone slab beneath his feet. There was old ink and new ash in the cracks of the slab. The new ash pressed down on the old ink, while the old ink pushed outwards; neither was willing to give way.

He suddenly smiled.

"I see."

The accounting monk narrowed his eyes.

"What are you laughing at?"

Chen Fan raised his head.

"I'm laughing at your impatience."

"We've only just started the second page, and you guys come down here in person."

"This shows that the old accounting offices and government offices are really afraid of people finding out their secrets."

The naming official said coldly, "Outsiders, people without status, have no right to comment."

Chen Fan nodded.

"right."

"I never intended to argue with you."

He raised his hand and slapped the first page of his handwriting directly onto the pillar.

With a snap.

The light suddenly shot out along the ground.

From the old warehouse entrance, it darted all the way to the port street intersection, then up those newly cracked wooden signs. Each sign flashed briefly, but enough to make out the original words on it.

Ding Twenty-One.

Ah He.

Zhao Sanniang.

There's more.

The moment those names appeared, the people in the port who had been stunned seemed to have been given a push. The tower guard was the first to come to his senses, picked up the nearly broken plaque, and held it above his head.

"This is the person we found tonight!"

"Anyone who wants to collect it has to ask us first!"

The old deacon, also panting heavily, stepped forward, leaning on his wooden cane.

"I've guarded the old warehouse for half my life."

"I know better than you which pages are fake and which have been switched out."

He stood unsteadily, but his words were firm.

People in the neighborhood started shouting.

First, there was a sound.

Then came a whole area.

"I vouch for Zhao Sanniang!"

"Ahe ate at my house for three years!"

"Ding Twenty-One's case is not old; his mother is waiting for him at the east end!"

As soon as the voices started, the pressure of the seal was delayed by half a beat.

The accounting monk's eyelids twitched, and he frantically moved the beads on his abacus.

The naming official also picked up his pen and made several strokes in the air, intending to rewrite those voices back into the blank space.

This was exactly what Chen Fan had been waiting for.

He turned around abruptly.

"Yang Jian!"

"Has the shell opened yet?"

In mid-air, Yang Jian slashed down with his sword.

The outer shell on the right side of the register of fate suddenly cracked open, revealing a yellowed, curly old book with wormholes all over the edges of the pages.

"It's open!"

Chen Fan pointed at the old booklet, his voice hardening.

"Don't kill people."

"Seal the scroll!"

Without uttering a single wasted word, Yang Jian turned his blade and slashed horizontally at the outermost layer of the scroll.

The sound of tearing paper filled the air instantly.

The naming officer's figure suddenly swayed, and half of his shoulder faded away.

At the same moment, Xuanzang pressed down with both palms, and the third column of the temporary general ledger was fully formed.

To be verified.

Once those three words were uttered, the definitive impression could no longer be suppressed.

The old rules could cover up a dead case.

It's not acceptable to wait for verification.

It's not considered a conclusion until all the kernels are processed.

Xuanzang raised his blood-stained lips and smiled at the accountant monk.

You said I'm not qualified to write.

"Then let's go through this account together until dawn."

One by one, lights came on in the port area.

The two old seals are still there.

The two crippled bodies had not yet retreated.

But for the first time, they stopped in mid-air and couldn't press down any further.

Chen Fan stood at the very front, picked up the green lamp, and moved it forward an inch.

The lamplight illuminated the new names on the ground, and also the cracked old shell in mid-air.

His voice wasn't loud.

But everyone in the port area heard it.

"The old seal has arrived."

"Then let's see who calls the shots on this page today."