Others follow advice and imitate celebrities, but you start by pretending to be a god?

As the outline of Wangjia Village gradually came into view, Wang Wu felt a mix of emotions.

A flood of thoughts rushed into his mind, making it difficult for him to calm down.

"I wonder how my parents are doing now, and whether they are in good health," he murmured to himself.

And then there's Xiao Cui from the village, the farm girl he misses so much; he wonders how she's doing now.

With these complex thoughts in mind, Wang Wu slowly stepped into Wangjia Village. The village still looked familiar, but the houses appeared dilapidated, as if telling the story of the vicissitudes of time.

"Hey, isn't this Wang's fifth son?" a villager recognized Wang Wu and exclaimed in surprise.

Wang Wu was the fifth child in his family. He was the fifth child in his generation, so everyone called him Wang Wu.

Besides him, there were Wang Da, Wang Er, Wang San... They were all Wang Wu's cousins.

"Didn't Wang Wu go to join the army? Why is he back?" another villager asked curiously.

"Haven't you heard? Wang Wu's army was almost completely wiped out by the Datong Society. Only a few people survived, like Wang Wu." Someone in the village who knew the inside story explained to the others.

Wang Wu ignored the discussions, simply nodded slightly, greeted the other villagers, and then walked towards his home.

His steps were heavy as he walked, his heart filled with longing and anticipation for home.

Not long after, Wang Wu finally returned home. However, the house was empty; his parents were still working in the fields.

In recent years, crop yields have been declining, causing great concern among many farmers in the Tang Dynasty. They work diligently in the fields every day, hoping to restore yields to their former high levels.

Wang Wu's parents were no exception. As tenant farmers in the village, they had to pay rent to the landlord and taxes to the government for the crops they earned through hard work every year.

It was precisely because of this that Wang Wu had no choice but to join the army.

As news of Wang Wu's return home spread, someone quickly informed his parents. Not long after, Wang Wu's parents rushed home.

When they saw Wang Wu, their eyes were filled with surprise and excitement. They were surprised to finally see their son whom they had been longing for day and night; they were excited that their son had returned safely.

It should be known that the outcome of the Battle of Tiger Ridge was known throughout the land, even in this remote village.

Countless children from various families joined the army to participate in that war, only to die on the battlefield, plunging countless families into grief.

Wang Wu's parents had also thought that Wang Wu had died in battle at Huju Ridge. Now that they saw their son safe and sound, their joy was beyond words.

Back home, the family sat together, and Wang Wu's mother busied herself preparing a welcome feast for him. They ate and chatted about recent events. Suddenly, a piece of news made Wang Wu's eyes widen in anger.

"What? Xiao Cui is going to marry the landlord?" Wang Wu asked incredulously.

Xiao Cui, also known as Wang Xiao Cui, is the farm girl from Wangjia Village who tugs at his heartstrings. As for the landlord of Wangjia Village, Wang Wu is all too familiar with him.

He was not a kind-hearted landlord; he had done plenty of things to exploit and bully the people.

Otherwise, how could a landlord own so many properties? He simply used various means to lend money at exorbitant interest rates, oppress the people, and seize the land of other people.

Day after day, year after year, the landlords' businesses grew larger and larger. Most importantly, the landlords in Wangjia Village were old enough to be Wang Wu's father.

"Xiao Cui!" Upon hearing this news, Wang Wu was filled with rage and couldn't help but clench his fists.

That night, after finishing his dinner, Wang Wu sat restlessly at home. The image of Xiao Cui kept flashing through his mind, filling him with worry. Finally, he could no longer contain himself and left home. Unconsciously, he arrived outside Wang Xiao Cui's house.

In the stillness of the night, Wang Wu faintly heard the sound of a young girl crying. The sound was like a sharp blade, piercing his heart.

"Xiao Cui?" Wang Wu's heart was deeply moved. He couldn't help but step forward, gently knock on Xiao Cui's door, and then go inside.

"Xiao Cui, what's wrong with you?" Wang Wu asked Wang Xiao Cui with concern in a soft voice, inquiring about what had happened.

It turned out that Wang Xiaocui did not marry the village landlord willingly. It was just that the landlord was very powerful and took advantage of the situation, using the excuse that Wang Xiaocui's family could not repay the rent they owed to force them to agree to the marriage.

"This..." After hearing what had happened, Wang Wu clenched his fists even tighter, his heart burning with rage.

Wang Wu is no longer the naive and ignorant boy he once was. In the past, he might have passively accepted everything, without even understanding the intricacies of the situation.

However, after spending some time in the Datong army's prisoner-of-war camp, and even briefly learning to "read," Wang Wu's thinking underwent a tremendous change. His knowledge also improved significantly without him even realizing it.

At this moment, listening to the landlord's actions, Wang Wu easily recalled the evil deeds of Huang Shiren in the movie he had seen in the prisoner-of-war camp.

"These are the landlords of the old society!" he cursed inwardly.

"They acquire land, accumulate wealth, and exploit ordinary people through all sorts of illegitimate means. Everything about them is filthy and sinful. Even so, they are still protected by the government. This is the government's fault!"

The movie he had watched in the prisoner-of-war camp kept replaying in Wang Wu's mind.

At this moment, he felt even more deeply empathetic, as if he were personally experiencing everything exactly like in the movie.

"What should I do?" he asked himself repeatedly.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch, detached from the situation?"

“In the movie, the Wang family brother once said, ‘When an avalanche occurs, no snowflake is innocent.’ If I ignore Xiao Cui’s situation, wouldn’t I also become a snowflake in this old society?”

Thinking of this, Wang Wu immediately shook his head, his eyes becoming much more resolute.

"No, I absolutely cannot be that kind of person. I... I want to be like Brother Wang! A single spark can start a prairie fire. I can use my own strength to contribute to breaking down this old society. Even if I fail, I will not regret it!"

Wang Wu firmly made his decision. Since returning from the Datong army's prisoner-of-war camp, his mindset was vastly different. He could no longer return to his former state of ignorance. Wang Wu's current understanding and awareness led him to make this decision.

After comforting Xiao Cui, Wang Wu returned home. He sat down at the table, lost in thought. It wasn't so much a mental exercise as a recollection. He carefully recalled the movie he had seen, and the actions of "Brother Wang" in the film flashed through his mind.

"The first step is to unite the people..." Wang Wu pondered to himself. "Only when the people's strength is united can we have more possibilities. Secondly, we need to..." Wang Wu outlined the things he needed to do one by one.

The next day, Wang Wu began his mission. He resolutely embarked on the path to change his destiny, his heart filled with determination and courage.

Meanwhile, in the distant Kingdom of Chechi, in the most blessed land of the country, Mount Jiuji, an important gathering is underway.

Lin Nan sat upright in the Nine Extremes Hall, while his disciple Liu Er gently knocked on the auspicious bell inside the hall.

The melodious sound of the bell resounded throughout the entire Jiuji Mountain, and even faintly spread throughout the entire Chechi Kingdom.

The bell rang three times, signifying a "summoning".

Throughout Mount Jiuji, many Taoist priests who were in seclusion for cultivation awoke from their practice and headed towards the Jiuji Palace. Dressed in Taoist robes, they moved with light steps, seemingly blending into the mountain breeze.

On Bamboo Mountain, a group of lions of various kinds, upon hearing the bell toll, all looked up towards the direction of Jiuji Mountain. Some were majestic and awe-inspiring, while others were endearing and clumsy, but at this moment, they were all filled with reverence.

From the winding cave on the mountain, a lion's roar suddenly resounded. The roar was deafening, seemingly able to pierce the clouds. Accompanying the roar, a nine-headed lion slowly emerged. It exuded a powerful aura, causing the lions on the mountain to pay homage.

"The Dao Lord has issued a summons." This nine-headed lion was none other than the Nine Spirits Primordial Saint, the progenitor of all lions.

Nine-Headed Lion Saint stepped out of his cave, his voice booming like a bell, and commanded his seven lion cubs: "Follow me to answer the Dao Lord's call!"

On this day, the sky above Chechi Kingdom was filled with dazzling light and auspicious clouds, all converging towards Jiuji Mountain.

Ordinary people, though unaware of the situation, speculated about it and discussed it extensively in the streets and alleys.

Before long, outside the usually empty and quiet Jiuji Hall, figures suddenly appeared, accompanied by a constant stream of announcements.

"Zheng Yi Lie, summoned here!"

"Master Furnace, I have come to answer the summons."

"Nine-Headed Primordial Saint, together with his lion grandson, went to the appointment with the Dao Lord."

"The Taoist Zhang Guo is also among them..."

"Iron-Crutch Li has answered the call."

"Yin Xi of Shushan respectfully obeys the Dao Master's command."

One by one, the Taoists, all belonging to the Chechi lineage and listed above the "Nine Extremes Alliance Majesty Talisman," revered Lin Nan as their Taoist Master and stepped into the Nine Extremes Hall.

Once everyone had gathered, Lin Nan sat upright and slowly began to explain the reason for summoning them.

"Now, within the territory of the Great Tang Dynasty, war is raging."

“There is a ‘Great Harmony Society’ that upholds the same Great Harmony ideal as Che Chi’s. They have risen up in rebellion, intending to create a prosperous world of Great Harmony.”

"Of course..."

Lin Nan explained the situation in detail: "On the Tang side, there is the assistance of the Buddhist sect, which has intervened many times."

After speaking, Lin Nan glanced at the crowd and said in a deep voice, "I wish to use the strength of Chechi to lend a helping hand to the Datong Society. Are there any gentlemen willing to go?"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone responded and came forward.

"Dao Lord, the Nine-Headed Primordial Saint is willing to go!"

"Yin Xi of Shu Mountain is also willing to go!"

"Iron-Crutch Li is willing to do his part for the Taoist sect."

"Pindao..."

The responses were overwhelming, demonstrating the influence of Lin Nan, the Daoist leader. Even when facing Buddhism, these Daoists showed no fear.

However, on the Buddhist side, even the Bodhisattvas had been mobilized. Although Che Chi and his fellow Taoists were not without their strengths, they were no match for the Bodhisattvas. Lin Nan's decision to send them out at this time was naturally for another purpose.

Lin Nan sat cross-legged like a bell and said in a deep voice, "I will personally go to the Western Paradise to compete with the Buddha. Afterwards, I will restrain the Western Paradise from sending any powerful beings above the level of Arhat to assist the Tang Dynasty." After speaking, Lin Nan looked into the distance with a deep gaze.

At another location, in front of Eagle's Sorrow Stream, the atmosphere was completely different.

A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from the foothills ahead, sweeping through the jungle like a whirlwind.

"Hehehe!!"

The horse was startled, trembling violently, its limbs shaking uncontrollably. It was just an ordinary horse; if Sun Wukong hadn't been standing in front of it, it probably would have already knelt down.

"Wukong?"

On horseback, Tang Sanzang swallowed hard, his eyes filled with fear. Even with his shallow cultivation, he could sense the strangeness ahead.

The jungle rustled, and the dark trees in the distance resembled an abyss; taking even a step forward seemed like being swallowed up completely.

"It doesn't matter."

Sun Wukong, dressed in a tiger-patterned robe, looked solemn. He raised his head, took the golden cudgel from his ear, and gazed into the distance, his brows furrowed.

How can there be so many different auras? It seems that it's not just the demon race; there are other auras mixed in as well.

Sun Wukong's expression was unpredictable, his eyes blazing with fire and golden light. He opened his fiery eyes and looked ahead.

Upon seeing this, he was immediately shocked.

One after another, vast and extraordinary auras rose into the sky from the center of Eagle's Sorrow Gorge. Among them, three auras were the most terrifying.

A golden demonic aura, domineering and incomparable; a magnificent aura of a human emperor, majestic and solemn; and an ancient aura as black as ink, incredibly viscous, so that looking at it was like peering into an abyss.

How could there be so many powerful individuals? Especially those three extraordinary auras, who were not inferior to him at all. And around him, there were about ten slightly weaker, but still extraordinary auras.

Seeing so many fluctuations, even Sun Wukong felt somewhat troubled.

"Wukong, they're out."

On horseback, Tang Sanzang spoke with some fear.

Sun Wukong looked and, sure enough, from Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, one after another, demonic creatures emerged. One after another, they were all real.

One after another, powerful demons and figures emerged slowly from Eagle's Sorrow Gorge. These were none other than disciples from the Daoist temples who had finalized many details regarding the attack on Mount Ling.

"Hmm? Who's that over there?"

Suddenly, the great demon at the front narrowed his eyes.

"They look like the pilgrims on their journey to the West?"

"They do look a bit alike..."

"Wait a minute, I think one of my subordinates was killed a few days ago, it was done by the pilgrims. Judging by the timeline, it seems we really are heading this far..."

A powerful demon, chin in hand, asked in confusion.

Upon hearing this, the disciples from the Daoist temple who had emerged from Eagle's Sorrow Gorge all wore strange expressions. They had just finished discussing how to deal with Mount Ling, and then they encountered the pilgrims? Their luck was rather unusual! (End of Chapter)