Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 560 Visitors
As the words fell, a figure emerged from the doorway.

His back was hunched, he was old, and his body was deformed like an arch bridge. His two legs also seemed to have suffered a severe disability, making it impossible for him to walk straight. He could only move outward little by little.

However, upon seeing this guy, both Chongxuzi and his fellow disciples stood up, bowed, and said in unison.

"Uncle Chen."

The man who walked in was the same old man from the library.

But faced with these unanimous greetings, Uncle Chen did not respond at all. He simply moved slowly to the front of the curtain and then knelt down on the ground, trembling.

During this time, some people tried to help him up, but Uncle Chen glared at them with just one look.

Then, he put down his cane and prostrated himself in a deep bow.

"Your unworthy disciple, Chen Wen, pays his respects to his master."

for a long time.

A hoarse response came from behind the curtain—this time it was spoken with a laugh.

"Chen Wen, you've aged so much in such a daze. What, how many more days do you think you have left to live?"

Is that how you ask a question?
Zhou You, standing beside him, hesitated to speak, but Uncle Chen didn't seem to care. He simply pressed his forehead to the ground and then said.

"Reporting to Master, my body is now completely rotten, and the decay has spread to my brain. I'm afraid I don't have much time left. At most, it'll only be a month or two."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion arose in the area where the Eight Gates were located.

—Although Uncle Chen has been disabled for a long time, his status in the Five Aggregates Temple is exceptionally high. Moreover, all those present, whether they are of Chongxu's generation or his disciples and grand-disciples, have basically received guidance from Uncle Chen.

In terms of status alone, he was the second-in-command of this sect—otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to protect Zhou You so easily in the first place.

Now, not only is the sect leader dying, but this ballast-like figure is also nearing the end.
Unbeknownst to them, a gloomy atmosphere settled over the participants.

However, the person behind the curtain remained quite calm, still expressing their feelings with a sigh.

"Well, that's fine. At least we can keep each other company on the road to the underworld. But I still need to trouble you a bit—with your current condition, are you still capable of taking the position of high priest?"

After a long silence, Uncle Chen finally answered with only one word.

"can."

Then, the old man behind the curtain laughed.

With that laugh, the exhausted body seemed to regain some vitality. He struggled to sit up, leaned against the headboard, and then said...

"In that case, you should take your place. We both don't have much time, so we need to get this done as soon as possible."

Uncle Chen kowtowed several times, then picked up his cane and struggled to support himself.

Then, he walked step by step to the first place of the Ancestral Hall, fished out a token from a dark basin, held it in his arms, and sat down cross-legged between the steps.

Finally, as if using all his strength, he took a deep breath and then shouted loudly.

"This begins with the grand ceremony of the Five Elements Temple. Disciples from all eight branches of the temple have gathered here. This unworthy disciple, Chen Wen, shall be the chief officiant. I earnestly request the blessings of all the ancestral masters, that our Five Elements Temple may flourish like mountains and rivers, continue for ten thousand years, and that our lineage may never be broken."

At this moment, everyone stood up in silence. Even Zhou You was pulled up by Lin Yunshao, and then they all prayed in unison.

"My Five Aggregates Temple will remain evergreen like mountains and rivers, continuing for ten thousand years, its lineage unbroken!"

At this moment, Uncle Chen inserted three long incense sticks into the incense burner, and then coughed as he spoke intermittently.

"Disciples of all sects are ready. Please welcome our guests!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the doors of the Ancestral Hall swung open.

The next moment, a fawning laugh followed.

A scholar with slicked-back hair and a powdered face walked in with an air of nonchalance. Upon meeting, he cupped his hands and smiled.

"Master Chenming of Tiansheng Sect, along with his disciples, has come to offer congratulations. May the Five Elements Temple's Jade Forest bloom with nine golden buds, and may the Jade Steps float on auspicious clouds of three colors. May the Daoist feast continue as long as the Crimson Light Calamity, and may the Dharma heirs flourish as abundantly as the pines of Kunlun!"

Compared to Chen Bo's simple blessing, this guy's words seemed particularly fancy and extravagant.

In the end, this guy was just a minor sect. I did have some impression of his travels, but his territory was even smaller than that of the Wusheng Sect, which was schemed against and destroyed by the old monk Hongyi.

Wait a minute, haven't I seen this scene before?

Just as Zhou You was scratching his head in confusion, the guy who called himself Chenming Daoist had arrived. Sensing his gaze, he raised his head obsequiously and threw over an almost fawning wink.

Before Zhou You could make a move, Lin Yunshao, standing beside him, glared back at him like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Honestly, the little girl had very little intimidation power, especially with her baby face. However, the slick-haired guy still seemed to have been greatly frightened, hurriedly offering his congratulatory gift before retreating to the area reserved for guests.

Only then did Zhou You remember his true identity.

Ha, this time the tables have turned, and I'm the host now?

He pressed down Lin Yunshao, who was about to bite, then glanced at his master, who remained calm and unmoved, pursed his lips, and sat down again.

The transition continues.

The next one was a man dressed in shorts. If Zhou You remembered correctly, this should be a guy from the Qiaozhen Sect, a minor sect affiliated with the Wuyun Temple. There was nothing to worry about.

but.

Unlike the one who was just passing by, after offering his greetings, this person didn't return to the entrance. Instead, he turned to a senior disciple, bowed briefly, and then led his disciples to stand at the very back—naturally, they had no seats.

The same was true for the following ones.

After several rounds, Zhou You finally understood that these so-called subordinate sects' congratulations were actually just a way to bring in outside help for their own forces. These guys might vary in skill level, but simply piling up their numbers to serve as cannon fodder was more than enough.

The issue is.
Zhou You glanced at Uncle Chen and the sect leader behind the curtain.

Despite this blatant behavior, the two remained silent.

These two old devils are becoming more and more unpredictable these days.

Seeing that there was no result from that side, Zhou You looked at his master again.

Well, this side is even more tragic.

Of all the sects that came in, not one sided with this side—even the few that I had heard of and were very close to Master Chongxu either sided with the other side or went to the door and lowered their heads to show their neutrality.

Even Li Chengfei, who was standing next to him, couldn't stand it anymore and said through gritted teeth.

"A bunch of treacherous bastards. When the sect was at its peak, they were all eager to come and be its lackeys. But now that it's only been a short time since it lost power, they all act like they don't even know each other."

Zhou You shook his head and smiled.

"It's just a dog-eat-dog world. You can't blame them. After all, attaching themselves to the strong is how these guys survive."

Despite saying this, Zhou You still showed a hint of worry on his face. Others assumed he was concerned about the future of the sect, but in reality...
He glanced casually to the side—Yun Zhongzi's side was doing slightly better than theirs, having at least brought in two or three foreign players. His round face still wore a mask, seemingly unconcerned about the outcome.

But where did Aqua go?

After thinking it over for a long time, Zhou You's unease grew stronger and stronger. In the end, he couldn't help but squeeze the paper figure in his hand.

A moment later, Wang Chongming's voice came from inside.

"Sir, what's wrong? Is there anything else you need me to do?"

Zhou You hesitated for a few seconds, but finally spoke.

"Senior Brother Wang."

"You flatter me, sir. Just tell me what you need."

"As you know, sir, I'm not qualified to participate in the sect's grand ceremony."

"Have you prepared everything I asked you to?"

They immediately burst into laughter.

“Sir, you can rest assured. I, Wang Chongming, may not have much talent in cultivation, but I am absolutely adept at these kinds of chores. All the necessary preparations have been made, and I am just waiting for your command.”

Do you have any spare manpower on hand right now?

"What are you planning to do, sir?"

Having said that, Zhou You spoke frankly.

"I'm still a little worried about my junior brother. If you have any spare manpower, please send them out to search carefully and see where he went."

That's a bit of an overstatement. He's not just dealing with his own family anymore; this plan involves the lives of many people. If something goes wrong now...
As expected, Wang Chongming remained silent for a few seconds after hearing this.

However, just as Zhou You felt that this was unlikely and was about to reject it himself, Wang Chongming laughed and spoke up.

"Master, I thought it was nothing serious. Don't worry, thanks to Senior Sister's help these past few days, I've gathered quite a few people. Sending them out to search a few more times shouldn't be a problem."

Zhou You took a deep breath and then said.

"Then it's all your fault."

"Oh, sir, you're being too formal. There's no question of whether it's a favor or not; it's just my duty."

But this time, before he could finish speaking, Zhou You suddenly hung up the call.

It wasn't his little trick that got discovered, but...
The guests who came had changed again.

Previously, they were a sect affiliated with the Five Aggregates Temple. Rather than guests, they were more like highly independent servants. Even the few who were independent were the smallest of the small fry. The ones who have arrived now are the real 'guests'.

In the blink of an eye, a bare foot had stepped inside the door.

The creature, barefoot and seemingly unconcerned about the filth on the ground, casually landed—and then a colossal object nearly three meters tall squeezed in.

Upon seeing him, even the usually composed Venerable Chongxu couldn't help but frown.

"Chen Luo? What's this guy doing here?"

Who is it?

Zhou You has only been in this world for a few months, so naturally he doesn't know many outsiders.

Fortunately, he had a shrewd and knowledgeable housekeeper by his side.

Seeing Zhou You's bewildered expression, Lin Yunshao spoke softly at the opportune moment.

"This is the deputy steward of Wanfa Mountain. Although he is not the sect leader, he is one of the most core people in the entire sect. If we were still ranked among the thirty-six sects, Wanfa Mountain would not be anything, but now, he is one of our main competitors. Moreover, we have always had a grudge against each other. I don't know why he came here to celebrate."

Lin Yunshao's voice was very low, but for some reason, the giant-like man suddenly turned his head and looked at them with piercing eyes.

“This girl knows quite a bit about us, but you don’t need to be so secretive. Although we have many conflicts, to be honest, we’re just here to wish Mr. Chenghua a happy birthday. After all, Mr. Chenghua is dying, and it would be really inappropriate for us, as his juniors, not to come and pay our respects.”

But despite saying that, his gaze showed no sign of abating. His eyes were like those of a hungry beast, ready to tear the girl to shreds at the slightest opening.

Lin Yunshao's cultivation level was not high, and she began to tremble under such gazes—but in the next second, a figure blocked her way.

The giant raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, then laughed.

"You've got guts, huh? I never thought that in this day and age, I'd still see a hero saving a damsel in distress. And under my Nine Tribulations Marrow-Stripping Scripture, even seasoned veterans would be turned into idiots, yet you managed to withstand it. Kid, what's your name?"

Zhou You shielded Lin Yunshao with his body, while cheerfully cupping his hands in a salute.

"This humble one, Ling Yuan, greets Senior Chen Luo."

Upon hearing the name, the giant raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zhou You with a slightly surprised expression.

"The Heaven-Reaching Sword?"

".Exactly."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the giant burst into laughter.

"Good, good, your reputation is indeed well-deserved—Chongxu, you have truly taken on a good disciple."

Master Chongxu snorted coldly and ignored him.

The giant didn't seem to care and casually walked to another table.

This time, it's the drunkard uncle's side.

The giant glanced at his drunken uncle, who reeked of alcohol and was completely intoxicated, and mocked him without any restraint.

"So many years have passed, and you still haven't escaped? I'm not saying this to be mean, but your master and his gang brought this upon themselves. Master Chenghua was already quite lenient, merely wiping them all out. If it were us, we wouldn't have been satisfied unless we infiltrated Wanyuan and let them wail for centuries."

However, the drunken uncle ignored him, merely raised his eyes, and continued to pour wine into his mouth.

The giant, however, showed no sign of letting him off the hook and continued to laugh.

"The once-proud genius, the Unseen Blade that nearly cleaved me in three pieces, has fallen to this state. What's that saying again? People are always troubled by love. I can't blame you, after all, your master is practically your lover now."

The drunken uncle finally looked up and stared at the giant with a cold gaze.

The giant laughed fiercely, seemingly eager to make a move.

Just now.

Uncle Chen's cough suddenly rang out again.

"Hey you guys, what are you here for? If you're not here to celebrate, then get out of here now."

(End of this chapter)