Journey to the West: Tang Monk Conquers Everything

This sudden task trigger stirred something in Jiang Liu's heart.

Although on the surface, it seemed like just a simple task trigger, it revealed a lot of information.

Firstly, there was a punishment for failure in this task; the previous task to exterminate the demon horde and the escort task had no failure punishment, but this one did, why?

Fortunately, such tasks with failure punishment were not mandatory, as he was given the choice to accept or reject them.

The non-mandatory nature of the task eased Jiang Liu's mind significantly.

Secondly, based on the two tasks previously triggered, along with his own experimentation, Jiang Liu had deduced that a task would be triggered if someone genuinely needed help and he offered to assist.

But now, it seemed that tasks could also be triggered if someone asked for his help without him offering first, right?

This point strangely felt like a déjà vu from online games.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In games, NPCs needed help from players, which led to tasks, and in Jiang Liu's reality, people seeking his help also triggered tasks, which seemed reasonable now, didn't it?

If someone asked for his help, he could choose to accept or reject, and so the triggered tasks were also optional?

However, the attachment of a failure punishment to a task, did it occur under such circumstances?

Could it be that the system silently decreed if he agreed to something, he had to succeed no matter what?

Lastly and most importantly, there was the reward of Experience Points.

The task of eliminating the demon horde only offered a meager 12,000 Experience Points, yet this task of exterminating bandits awarded a whopping 14,000 Experience Points.

Could these bandits truly be more formidable than the demons of Returning Wind Mountain?

Clearly, this was impossible.

So what, then? Seek wealth within danger, is it that because there was a failure penalty, the Experience Points reward was higher?

...

The sudden appearance of this task notification set off thousands of thoughts in Jiang Liu's heart, leading to many speculations as he mulled over them silently. The guard beside him, seeing Jiang Liu's pensive silence, thought he was reluctant to help. Although disappointed, the guard still bowed with a fist salute, "Master, are you unwilling to accept?

Forgive my presumption, but regardless, I am still grateful for your intervention."

"No, you're mistaken, what I was contemplating was simply the caliber of bandits that could be so fearsome. Naturally, I am willing to help," hearing the guard's words, Jiang Liu came back to his senses and accepted the task.

Naturally, he also took on the task that had been triggered.

For Jiang Liu, it was just about exterminating some bandits and with Sun Wukong, the super bodyguard, by his side, there was no worry about safety.

Being able to level up while fighting monsters and completing tasks was naturally worth the trip.

It was already getting dark, so after Jiang Liu used the Guanyin Mantra to temporarily stabilize the wounded guards, he discussed the plan to head out and dispose of the bandits the next morning before they parted ways for the time being.

That night, Jiang Liu and Sun Wukong found an inn to stay in within the city. Naturally, they had their meal at the inn, where Sun Wukong complained that the food was much worse than what Jiang Liu made, but let's not talk about that...

The next morning, Jiang Liu met up with the guards at the city gate. Seeing them in armor, armed with weapons, and numbering nearly a hundred, it was apparent that the bandits they were going after were quite powerful.

"Master, let's go," there is a certain solemnity that comes with a military force on the move. The leading guard greeted Jiang Liu and then headed straight out of the city gates, going westward.

"May I ask, are the bandits we're going to exterminate a large and powerful group?" Jiang Liu curiously asked as he watched the nearly hundred-strong military force set out.

"Aren't ordinary thieves just groups of a dozen or twenty people?"

"Master, it isn't a gang with a large number of strong robbers; there are merely six individuals. However, they are extremely powerful and ruthless," the guard replied upon hearing Jiang Liu's question.

"Only six people?" Jiang Liu was taken aback.

Only six people, yet so many guards mobilized to deal with them?

"Yes, those thieves are highly skilled in martial arts; they must have reached the Body Tempering Realm," the guard nodded and answered.

"Six Body Tempering Realm thieves? That's indeed a considerable force," Jiang Liu nodded upon hearing this.

Yet, he felt even more puzzled. With such cultivation, why would they resort to thievery?

The realms of human cultivators, as far as Jiang Liu knew, were divided into Qi Refinement, Meridian Unblocking, Body Tempering, Controlling-Law, Divinity Transformation, and Returning Void—six major realms. And above those was the Immortal Realm.

Body Tempering Realm, does that mean they are characters who have surpassed level 20? That's comparable to the Demon Soldier Realm. To have such cultivation, and there are six of them, yet they have chosen to become thieves? This was truly incomprehensible.

Naturally, it was no wonder that these guards were fully prepared, deploying as many as hundreds of men to deal with them.

"Master, speaking of which, these six thieves are quite strange indeed."

Next to him, a young guard, roughly fifteen or sixteen, looking about the same age as Jiang Liu and rather talkative, said, "These six bandits come and go without a trace; no one knows where their hideout is. It's said that sometimes, when you are in an endlessly open area, these six bandits just pop out from the ground all of a sudden, without any warning."

As he said this, the young fellow paused before continuing, "What's most strange is that these six operate in a fixed area. No matter how many times we go to eradicate them, they show no intention of leaving. They don't seem to be afraid of us at all. That's the most infuriating part. That's why this time so many have been dispatched, determined to obliterate these thieves once and for all."

"It seems these thieves are indeed very odd," Jiang Liu nodded slightly.

What thieves would not flee after being pursued by the government office multiple times?

"Tsk..." Sun Wukong, who had been silent at the side, suddenly spoke up upon hearing the guard's words, "From what you're saying, these six might not even be human."

"Not human? Could they be demon creatures?" The guard asked in surprise at Sun Wukong's remark.

Although somewhat strange, those six thieves clearly acted like humans and bore human appearances.

"Wukong, do you know something?" Jiang Liu also looked at Sun Wukong in surprise. "As far as I know, if a demon creature transforms into a human shape, that would mean they are at the Demon King Realm, wouldn't it? Could it be, you mean those six thieves are at the level of Demon Kings?"

Six Demon Kings coming together to become thieves? That seemed utterly implausible, didn't it?

"Well, that's not it. Master, you don't understand. For the Demon Clan to transform into a Taoist Body, indeed they need to be at the Demon King Realm. But everything under heaven, from fish and insects to beasts, and even mountains and trees, can become demons—why not humans? Like the Corpse Demons formed from dead human bodies, or demons born from the grudges of dying humans..."

"White Bone Demon!" As Sun Wukong spoke, Jiang Liu instinctively thought of the White Bone Demon.

As he recalled, the White Bone Demon was actually a human woman who, after death, had her grievances bound to her skeleton, transforming into a demon creature, right?

"Eh? That makes some sense. The names of those six thieves are indeed odd, not like human names," remarked the guard, having an epiphany.

"Oh? What are the names of those six thieves?"

"They are called Eye-Seeing Joy, Ear-Hearing Fury, Nose-Smelling Love, Tongue-Tasting Thought, Opinion Desire, Body-Originated Sadness."

Jiang Liu: "..."