Bai Lingmiao hugged her drum as she waited nervously.
At that moment, the Second Deity suddenly appeared behind her silently and stared at the bolted door.
"I know that I can't always rely on Senior Li, and so I don't intend to do so this time. No need to remind me," Bai Lingmiao whispered. "Really, it's fine. Plus, what does Senior Li have to do with you?"
Hearing those words, the Second Deity placed her sharp fingernails on Bai Lingmiao's neck. "You know very well just how much Senior Li has to do with me, with us..."
Bai Lingmiao was visibly upset when she heard those words, but said nothing.
As the hall was once again plunged into silence, Bai Lingmiao started feeling scared. "What if I don't help the Immortal families do their bidding? Just what would they do to me? I'm not saying that I don't want to help, but what if I was so busy that I couldn't do it?"
When she heard the answer in her mind, she became even more upset. "Is that so... I wonder how we can stop them..."
At that moment, a knock came from the front door, surprising Bai Lingmiao.
Bam!
Something crashed into the door causing a crack to appear on the wooden door.
Bai Lingmiao peeked through the crack and saw a pair of eyes, ones that did not belong to the living.
"It's here!"
Instantly, Bai Lingmiao passed her drum to the Second Deity and covered her face with a red veil.
At the same time, a shrill female voice rang through the night. "Summon~ The~ Gods~"
Bam!
The door was knocked down, and an old lady with white hair stood in front of Bai Lingmiao. The old lady was still wearing the red graveclothes.
There were bloodstains on the old lady's mouth while her eyes looked completely soulless. She just stood there like a zombie in the night, striking fear into everyone who saw her.
Bam!
The old lady passed through the doorway and leaped into the house. Her feet were tied together with black ropes, and so she could only resort to jumping.
"The sun set on the Western Mountain, and the skies went dark~ Nine of the ten families had locked their doors, and only one remains~"
The chant was fast but the old woman paid no heed to the Second Deity. Instead, she was searching for something within the house.
When she didn't find what she wanted, the old woman stared at Bai Lingmiao before approaching her slowly.
"The East and West Dipper come together, the Big Dipper examines the cosmic dust~ The grass grows in Spring, and dies in Autumn~ The pines remain eternal and persevere through the Summer and Winter~ A faint star in the Heavens fell onto Earth and brought about life!" chanted the Second Deity.
As the chanting continued, four incense sticks appeared in Bai Lingmiao's hand. She swung her hand and the incense sticks instantly lit up without a fire.
"The Heavens have their rules and Hell has its own laws~ You've lived your life in the past, so begone and let go of the present!"
Following the rhythm of the chant, the white smoke emanating from Bai Lingmiao's incense sticks billowed toward the old lady.
But something was wrong.
As if entering a body of water, the smoke disappeared the moment it came into contact with the old lady's clothes.
At that moment, the old lady opened her mouth and bit into Bai Lingmiao's arm; however, rather than flesh, the old lady was met with a mouthful of black porcupine quills. The quills pierced through her mouth and her jaw.
"Dong dong dong~ Master Red, send your infantry~ Dong dong dong~ The first drum means the soldiers have eaten~ Dong dong dong~ The second drum means that the soldiers have donned their armors~ Dong dong dong~ The third drum means the soldiers have brandished their swords~ Dong dong dong~ The fourth drum means that the soldiers have started clashing with the enemies~"
As the drum continued beating, clumps of white fur flew out from within Bai Lingmiao's sleeves and extended from beneath her red veil. At the same time, a fox tail slowly grew from underneath her skirt.
The fur was akin to a living animal as it flew into the old lady's orifices.
The old lady wanted to struggle against the attack, but it was no use. She gradually became weaker and slower.
After a while, the old lady suddenly collapsed. Then, something soft and black came out from beneath her graveclothes and immediately ran out into the night.
"Dong dong dong~ Leave if you want to; The sovereign has given you the horse's reins~ Undo the restraints and ride the saddle, the Immortal Family will spur the horse forward~ Time to go back~ Ai Hai Yi Hou Hei~ Dong dong dong!"
After the chant finished, Bai Lingmiao returned to normal and removed the red veil. Then, she sighed in relief before letting out a happy laugh.
This was her first solo exorcism and she had done it perfectly!
She was very confident now. At the very least, she would be able to help Senior Li whenever he was in trouble.
As the saying went, the wife should always follow the husband. Bai Lingmiao would never complain about Senior Li's matters, and she would always help him if she could.
"How should I go about becoming stronger as a Shaman? I feel like my strength is still inadequate... Hm? You want me to learn how to sing and chant instead? But you are the one doing it... Oh, ok. I will try," said Bai Lingmiao.
After that, Bai Lingmiao carefully tidied up the old lady's graveclothes. The old lady was no longer moving.
"Looks like I was right. Something was indeed possessing her corpse, but I don't know what it was since it ran off so quickly."
After making sure that the old lady's graveclothes looked presentable, she called for the father and son duo. They gave her fifty coins before sending her off.
Bai Lingmiao had just walked out of the house when she was surprised by a black shadow sitting beside the door. "Who is it?!"
The shadow approached her and grabbed her hand. "At least let me know if you are doing something like this next time. Then, I can at least keep watch."
It was Li Huowang. He was worried about her and had been sitting outside for quite some time.
Bai Lingmiao was surprised by his actions and felt loved. Feeling shy, she hugged his arm. "Ok..."
Both of them walked on the muddy path back to their house, enjoying the silence; they didn't talk at all.
But the silence was soon broken.
A hunchbacked old lady was carrying a basket while holding a bamboo in her hand as she approached them.
Tok tok tok~
They saw her sweeping the bamboo stick left and right—she was blind!
When she heard their footsteps, the blind woman stopped and asked them. "Do you know the way to Qian Niusheng's house? Someone in their house was possessed and I am here to help them exorcize the evil spirit."
"Ah? Grandma, I think you are too late. The evil spirit has already been exorcized," said Bai Lingmiao.
"What? How dare they fool a blind woman like me!" raged the old lady.
The blind old woman was so mad that she shouted out profanities that neither Li Huowang nor Bai Lingmiao had ever heard of. She was cursing all of Qian Niusheng's ancestors.
At this point, even the dogs around them had started barking.
Seeing this, Li Huowang stared at the fierce old lady with interest. "You are already so old and yet you can still exorcize spirits? May I know your name and which sect you belong to?"
Hearing his question, the old lady calmed down. "My surname is Cui; you can just call me Lady Cui. Do you need my help?"
As she spoke, she suddenly felt that something was off, prompting her to place her bamboo stick under her armpit and carefully feel her way toward Li Huowang.
Li Huowang wanted to dodge but the old lady homed in on him accurately. In the end, her skinny fingers gripped Li Huowang's face like an eagle.
"Holy shit. Just what kind of sin did you commit in your previous life? This is so strange! Most people would be missing one of the five elements in their life, either fire or water. Worst case scenario, I've seen extremely unfortunate people who were missing two elements in their lives. But you are missing all five of your elements!"
Chapter 181 - Asking Rice
"Five elements... Missing the five elements?"
Upon hearing that, Li Huowang used his hand to touch his own abdomen, touching the positions where the five organs should be.
He subconsciously thought back to his actions from that day, when he had gone to seek revenge from the Sitting Oblivion Dao while intentionally seeking death.
Back then, he had used the Five Elements Intercalation recorded in the Profound Records, and offered his five organs up to Ba-Hui.
If his five elements had disappeared from his body, then it should be related to that.
However, despite missing his five elements, Li Huowang did not feel like there was anything amiss.
As he was thinking, Li Huowang reached within his blood-colored Daoist robes to touch the gruesome scar that he had carved out on himself.
Unexpectedly, the skin there was now smooth, with not a single scar remaining.
Li Huowang tried hard to think back on what had happened, but found that he had no recollection at all.
What's going on with my body? How come it's completely alright?
Puzzled, he looked up at the blind lady before him. "Lady Cui, if a person was missing their five organs and five elements, could they still survive?"
The blind woman was shocked. "Missing their five organs and five elements? At that point, how could they even be considered a person? At most, they would be a dead person."
At that moment, Li Huowang felt as though something within his mind snapped. A sharp pain started spreading from his chest and gradually grew more and more intense, making it difficult for him to breathe!
What's happening? Did she do something? Is this some sort of supernatural ability used with words? Did she see through the fact that I'm a Strayed One? Is she trying to harm me or scheme something?
Li Huowang endured the sharp pain as he stared at her, who was dressed just like a common grandmother.
Just as Li Huowang was about to stagger and fall to the ground with an ashen look, she spoke again, "However, you lack the five elements and are still able to survive. So, it may not be the best to speak in such absolute terms."
This time, the sensation of pain in Li Huowang's body vanished immediately. He clutched his chest and looked at the old woman doubtfully.
He was no longer certain about Lady Cui's intentions. If she had been the one to cause the intense pain earlier, then why had it suddenly disappeared?
If she didn't cause it, then what's wrong with my body?
The intense bout of pain he had felt was definitely not something simple; it had almost felt like he was about to die.
"However, I advise you to recover your five elements as soon as possible. If not, you will run into trouble sooner or later," advised the old lady.
Li Huowang stretched out his hand to block Bai Lingmiao behind him, and then asked with a mix of curiosity and probing, "Then, Lady Cui, do you have any solutions for someone like me?"
"I don't, but others may. If you want to find out, then I can inquire for you. You should hurry up and recover your five elements. Otherwise, even if you survive, things won't go well for you," said the old lady.
"Ask who?"
"I am a medium, so who else can I ask but rice," said the old lady in a matter-of-fact manner.
Asking rice? Something new again?
Soon after, Li Huowang and Bai Lingmiao brought this so-called Lady Cui back to their residence.
Once there, they borrowed a few kilograms of rice from their host, and then Lady Cui began the so-called process of asking rice.
First, she took out various items from her basket.
A small bronze mirror was placed on the center of the table.
Before the mirror was a palm-sized clay cauldron, along with thirteen short yellow incense sticks.
Next, the borrowed rice was placed into the basket, followed by thirteen chicken eggs that were placed atop the rice.
Once done, Lady Cui faced the basket filled with rice and eggs, and then poured a cup of wine, a cup of tea, and a bowl of rice.
Then, Lady Cui closed her eyes and placed both her hands on the eggs. With this, the process of asking rice had begun.
"Observe the moon with great respect as it protects our homes. Masters and ancestors, please come forth, Spirits and Immortals from all directions, all come together to bless us..."
As she continued to use her slang while muttering incomprehensible words, she grabbed the rice from the basket and threw it onto Li Huowang's head.
"What's this ritual?" asked Li Huowang, his guard fully raised. After going through so much, he was wary of everything, and carried a trace of doubt when looking at things.
After a while, Lady Cui suddenly stopped and reached out her right hand toward Li Huowang, her fingers trembling.
Li Huowang did not quite understand her meaning as he looked at the old hand. Fortunately, Bai Lingmiao explained it to him as she took out some pieces of silver and placed them in Lady Cui's hand.
With eyes closed, Lady Cui picked up the pieces of silver and put them in her mouth to bite them, prompting a satisfied look to appear on her face.
"Young man, don't be distracted. Report the eight characters [1]of your date of birth."
"What? Eight characters? I don't have them," responded Li Huowang.
Lady Cui sighed, then pinched her fingers toward Li Huowang before continuing to sing. Even now, Li Huowang could not understand the lyrics; however, this time was different from before.
Not long after, Li Huowang's body tensed up. With his heightened senses, he subconsciously looked toward the dark doorway, and then toward the empty rafters atop.
Some things were coming over.
Burp~
This sudden sound made Li Huowang turn toward the front to look at the medium that had begun to shake her head. He could sense that the Lady Cui standing in front of him was now completely different, as though something else was occupying her body.
Why does this feel similar to the methods used by the Shamans? Since they summon the Immortal families, then what does one summon when asking rice?
As he thought up to this point, Li Huowang vigilantly distanced himself a little.
"Who is there~ What questions~ do you have~ burp."
At that moment, an aged male voice rang out from Lady Cui's mouth with a noticeable theatrical tone.
Initially, Li Huowang had wanted to ask about his missing five organs, but decided not to. If he had indeed been lacking his five organs, then he would have already died. Though he did not know what method Dan Yangzi use to restore his five organs, he put that concern aside for now. The urgent matter at hand was to recover his missing five elements.
"Do you have any way to restore my missing five elements?" asked Li Huowang.
"Hmm~? Who is there~? Burp, Report~ your~ name!" asked 'Lady Cui' as she took a deep breath, her nostrils drawing in the white smoke from the nearby incense.
"Li Huowang. Who are you? Or should I say... What are you?" Li Huowang replied cautiously, instinctively grabbing the hilt of his sword.
"Hmph~! I am the~ Imperial Palace~ Ruler of Nine Heavens,~ the Supreme celestial being, and the Pardoner of Sins~ Little~ Strayed One~ How amusing~ Burp," said the voice.
Li Huowang's eyes shrank. The other party could tell he was a Strayed One!
"Don't be afraid~ Hahaha~ burp," said the voice, their laughter causing an eerie wind to blow through the entire house.
Clang!
Instantly, Li Huowang unsheathed the sword causing a strong aura to disperse the chilliness in the house.
At the same time, the incense sticks inside the black cauldron were also instantly extinguished.
1. basically year, month, day, and time of birth. It's used to predict your life and personality ?
Chapter 182 - Great Deity
The commotion caused by Li Huowang unsheathing his sword startled Lady Cui, instantly jolting her awake.
"Ah, what's happening? Weren't you asking rice? Why are you so worked up?" She asked in a flustered voice, as though genuinely unaware of what had just transpired.
Li Huowang had been ready to strike, but paused and looked at the bewildered Lady Cui with an uncertain expression. He couldn't determine whether she was pretending or whether she was truly perplexed. Logically, if they were interested in him as a Strayed One, then they shouldn't be acting this way.
"Are you going to ask or not? If not, I'm leaving," Lady Cui said as she lifted her basket and prepared to leave.
After a moment, Li Huowang decided that he did not want her to leave. He dragged over a nearby wooden stool and sat down with his sword. "I want to continue asking questions. Summon that supreme being back."
Hearing this, Lady Cui hesitated for a few moments, then placed down her basket and re-lit the incense sticks.
The same sequence of actions as earlier were repeated, and then the male voice reappeared.
After learning that Li Huowang lacked his five elements, the voice gave a very strange answer. "Change your name and surname! Lack five elements~ Fill five elements!"
Then, 'Lady Cui' reached into the basket and grabbed a handful of rice, scattering it onto the ground before Li Huowang.
Jin Zaomu[1]. These words appeared before Li Huowang.
Change my name?
Li Huowang looked at the name on the floor and was rather puzzled.
Could having the five elements in my name really compensate for the missing elements? Is this person just trying to deceive me?
After pondering for a while, Li Huowang decided to once again test the ability of this entity. He faced Lady Cui who was drinking the tea and wine, and then asked, "Thank you for the clarifications. I have another question I wish to ask; could you help provide an answer for it?"
"Ask~!"
"Why has the process of 'decay' stopped in this world recently?" asked Li Huowang. If this unknown entity could provide a real answer, then Li Huowang would immediately change his name.
The disappearance of 'decay' had to be related to the Abbess. He was deeply troubled by her death, and wanted to know what was going on.
"The Bodhisattva, out of compassion, sympathizes with all living beings in the world, who endure the suffering of decay," said the voice.
"You liar! You are exposed! There is no Bodhisattva or Buddha! Beyond the heavens, there are only those... those..." said Li Huowang before trailing off. Soon, fear was revealed in his eyes, and he could not continue anymore. He did not know how to describe those entities, those things that he had intentionally avoided thinking about ever since waking up.
He had believed that by not thinking about them, he could just pretend that they did not exist. Those beings were immensely more powerful than ordinary humans, and had the ability to easily annihilate anyone and everyone if they so desired.
However, when he thought about them again, Li Huowang could no longer ignore them. Instantly, his expression grew agonized and his breathing became more rapid. At the same time, some indistinct voices started echoing in his ears.
"Senior! Stop thinking about it!" Bai Lingmiao's anxious voice pulled Li Huowang's attention back.
As Li Huowang looked at the worried, delicate face before him, he took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right, I won't think about it. I won't think..."
Yes, that's right. Regardless of what those things truly are, or no matter whether what she said is true or false, this world has gone mad. Since I can't do anything about it, I just need to live my life peacefully.
With constant reassurance from Bai Lingmiao, Li Huowang gradually calmed downas he placed the things he should not be thinking about aside.
With renewed composure, Li Huowang once again looked toward Lady Cui. At this point, his trust in her words had significantly diminished.
"I have another question for you. What exactly is the Strayed One?" asked Li Huowang.
This question caused her to pause. She looked over with her blank eyes. At that moment, Li Huowang could instantly feel eight gazes examining him.
"As a deity, I of course know. But if I were to tell you, then you would die on the spot," said the voice.
This reply caused Bai Lingmiao to grab onto the hem of Li Huowang's clothes tightly.
"Hmph!" Li Huowang sneered, his trust in Lady Cui vaporizing completely. "Playing tricks with me, huh? The Sitting Oblivion Dao has taught me one thing—not to follow the path of someone else."
Then, he raised his sword that radiated killing intent, and pointed it toward Lady Cui's head. "Get lost! No matter what you are or what intentions you have. Scram! Do you hear me?"
"Little~ Strayed One~ Amusing~ Very amusing~ Since it's like this, then I shall inform you~ what a Strayed One is~ burp," said the voice.
However, before they could say anything more, a sharp crack echoed through the room. The black cauldron, the basket filled with rice, and the bronze mirror had all been sliced into two halves. The sword's edge was already on Lady Cui's neck.
"Oh my~ What's going on?!" asked Lady Cui, her voice returning to normal.
"This again? You're quite skilled at pretend acting! I'll repeat this one last time! Get lost!" shouted Li Huowang.
At this point, it was evident that Lady Cui was quite frightened by Li Huowang's killing intent. In a panicked state, she picked up her belongings from the ground and stumbled outside.
Clang!
Once she left, Li Huowang sheathed his sword, and the room gradually returned to normal.
"Let's go get some sleep. We should have a good rest while we still have a bed," Li Huowang said. As he stepped into the inner room, he put on the bronze-coin mask.
Feeling the weight of the mask, he let out a sigh of relief. "I'll need to bring this thing with me from now on. My identity as a Strayed One is too enticing to some people."
"Master~ What if... What she said was true?" asked Bai Lingmiao.
"That was the only reason I didn't strike her body. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let her leave through the door. Also, don't call me Master!" said Li Huowang.
That night, Li Huowang hardly slept, fearing a night-time ambush by the other party.
Next day, even though nothing had happened, Li Huowang had everyone hastily pack their luggage and leave this troubled area.
It was only after they arrived at the bustling streets of the border town of the kingdom of Si Qi that Li Huowang finally relaxed.
Compared to before, there was much less tension over here, suggesting that they might no longer be at war.
Li Huowang and the others took some time to rest in the town, and then prepared to re-enter Hou Shu. But before that, there was something that they needed to do.
At the Hutou Escort Office, the burly Chief Escort read the recommendation letter in his hand, while scrutinizing the peculiar red-robed Daoist with a mask of bronze coins on his face. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
After much consideration, he placed the letter back. "Alright, since Leader Zhao is taking your guarantee, then I'll trust you! However, let's make it clear beforehand. If you're escorting goods, then we'll take a twenty percent cut from each deal. After all, we're the ones signing the contracts. Is this agreeable?"
"Yes," Li Huowang readily agreed. Escorting cargo was quite convenient for his group, and the earnings were essentially free money.
"If the goods are lost, I won't hold you accountable. We have our own guarantors too. Since you said Leader Zhao is your friend, don't disappoint him," said the Chief Escort.
Chapter 183 - Village Protector
Since the Chief Escort had agreed, their next steps were quite simple—accept the contract, take the deposit, and place their handprints.
Li Huowang turned around as he observed the items being loaded onto his carriage, and then turned to the Chief Escort. "By the way, Chief Escort, I'd like to ask. Wasn't there a war recently? Did it also affect your business?"
"Why wouldn't we be affected? The escort business does make more money when the world is in chaos. But if the entire world is in total chaos, then we wouldn't be able to make any money either. You should know that once military troops are involved, those high-ranking officials won't follow any rules. Thankfully, the war has ended."
Hearing this, Li Huowang was surprised. "Chief, do you know what happened? Why did the war suddenly stop?"
He recalled that a significant number of people had died during the battles; it hadn't just been any normal skirmish.
According to normal procedures, it shouldn't have ended like this.
There must have been some reason that caused both sides to reign in their hostility so abruptly. No, not just both sides, as there seemed to have been more than two countries involved in the war.
Yet now, they had all stopped so abruptly, almost as if they had all agreed upon it beforehand; due to this, it was very strange.
"How would I know? If I did, wouldn't I be sitting on the throne of the kingdom of Si Qi right now? However, I've heard from the conscripts that while everything was normal in the beginning, one day, out of the blue, the dead suddenly stopped rotting, and no longer even attracted any flies," explained the Chief Escort.
Hearing this, Li Huowang's expression stiffened. It all related back to the Abbess's body. This unexpected ceasefire was related to the sudden disappearance of 'decay'.
Could it be that those in power feel that the disappearance of 'decay' is more important than conquering cities and seizing more land? So the emperors and the kings stopped the war to join forces and deal with this issue?
Perhaps the disappearance of 'decay' would lead to major changes in the world.
Li Huowang speculated aimlessly as he looked toward the other side of the street. The border town was very lively, with horse-drawn carriages, ox carts, and even camels passing by.
They all seemed to be completely unaffected by the disappearance of 'decay'.
From the looks of it, there were many significant events happening in this world, but they were unrelated to him. Currently, he was no different from these commoners; he was just another one of them.
There will always be someone dependable when calamity strikes.
Perhaps the disappearance of 'decay' was something very important. But ever since the Abbess's death, he no longer had any further connections with this matter.
Unknowingly, they finished loading the goods they were meant to escort. Since their two carriages were now full, they would have no choice but to sleep underneath the carriages at night.
"Young man, as long as you deliver these goods to the Fengteng Escort Office in Ji City of Hou Shu, you will receive a reward of seventy taels." [1]
Seventy taels!
Li Huowang was stunned by the reward. He remembered that back then, the Lu Family Troupe only managed to earn ten taels back when they performed for the dead.
It seems that the escort business is very profitable in these chaotic times.
"Don't think it's too little; it's your first time, after all. As long as you do a good job, your business will naturally become more lucrative. This is the escort contract, keep it safe," continued the Chief Escort.
Hearing this, Li Huowang reached out for the contract and bowed courteously. "Chief Escort, till we meet again."
"Take care, and have a smooth journey," said the Chief Escort.
After leaving the Escort Office, Li Huowang took another look at this small town that they had visited several times now and sighed with mixed feelings. He had no more attachments to the kingdom of Si Qi, and this was likely the last time he would come to this place.
Where is my home in this vast world?
Once everything was prepared, the carriage wheels began to roll again as he led his group toward the barren land of Hou Shu.
Now that they were acting as escorts, they were moving much slower than before. After all, they were carrying more goods causing the horses pulling the carts to be tired out much quicker.
To avoid facing the revenge of the relatives of the Nuo Opera performers, Li Huowang deliberately took a longer route and went around the previous town.
Due to this, they only saw another village after about half a month of travel. Worn out by their long time on the road they had cracked lips, and wanted to go in for a rest.
Not having enough water for washing up hadn't been the biggest issue for them. The real problem was having to eat dry rations every day, causing all of them to grow more and more irritable.
Li Huowang had also developed a large ulcer on the corner of his lips.
"Wooo~" Bun howled out.
Seeing this, Li Huowang patted its smooth, yellow head and said, "Keep quiet, this is someone else's place."
While enjoying being licked by Bun, Li Huowang looked at the small village.
All the houses here were painted a conspicuous red, as though to contrast them from the desolation outside. However, there was nothing else remarkable about this place.
When Li Huowang saw a man in ragged clothing step out of one of the houses, he immediately led his group forward.
"Excuse me—" Li Huowang had just begun to speak, but stopped. There was a trail of green mucus hanging from the face of the man, and it extended all the way to his chest. Its thickness showed that it had accumulated due to the air drying it over time.
"Huh? Outsiders?" The person just stood there with his legs bowed inward, smiling foolishly at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang raised his hand to adjust his bronze coin mask as he watched the man warily; he was uncertain whether this man was genuinely foolish or just pretending.
"Fool, the Wu Family is having a celebration! Come over and help! There will even be baked buns afterwards!"
When he heard the shout from an old person in the distance, this man's eyes brightened, and he turned to rush toward the source of the voice.
What sort of person is this?
Just as Li Huowang was feeling puzzled, Gao Zhijian, who was standing beside him stuttered, "Vill-Village... Protector!"
"What?" Li Huowang turned to look at him as he came to understand what that term meant through Gao Zhijian's stuttering explanation. Some of the villages had a fool, and they were usually called Village Protectors. It was claimed that they were lacking in mental faculties, but they were destined to help ward off disasters for the village.
However, this was just a nice way of putting it. The majority of Village Protectors lived difficult lives, and often went hungry. The only time they enjoyed decent meals was when they helped out during village celebrations.
Li Huowang nodded in understanding, "I see. I've never encountered them before, and so it's my first time learning about this."
When he thought up to this point, Li Huowang was suddenly startled as he looked up at Gao Zhijian's honest face. "You are slow with almost everything else, so how did you know about this so clearly? Were you... also a Village Protector before?"
Gao Zhijian shook his head vigorously, "N-n-no! I... I... I am not!"
Li Huowang nodded upon seeing his anxious expression. "Alright, you don't need to explain. I know that you're not."
At that moment, Puppy chimed in as well, "Yes, yes. You are not."
"I... really... am not!" Gao Zhijian turned red with embarrassment.
1. Interesting note: A Tael is a unit of weight and equal to 1.3 Ounces and when associated with silver in this context, it means that they will be paid 91 Ounces of silver ?
Chapter 184 - Getting Married
Seeing Gao Zhijian getting so anxious, Zhao Wu, who was driving the horse carriage, spoke up, "Puppy, don't tease him too much. If you end up making him lose his temper, then I'll smack you."
"Senior Li, seems like there's a celebration going on inside the village. Should we go over to take a look? Most of the village people should be there," suggested one of them.
Li Huowang looked up at the fiery sunset, then nodded and led his group toward the village. "The customs in Hou Shu are a little strange, huh. They hold their weddings at dusk."
"Senior Li, we also have weddings at this time back home."
"Is that so? Why's that?" asked Li Huowang.
"No particular reason. It has always been tradition."
As they chatted along the way, Li Huowang gradually made his way into the village. Locating the family hosting the wedding was not difficult; some of the villagers carrying buckets filled with rice and eggs directly pointed out the direction for Li Huowang.
They were not just carrying plain rice and eggs; some of them also carried baskets filled with other lavish offerings such as live chicken and lambs.
The villagers here seemed like their faces shining more and more brightly as they deliberately walked slower while swaying their shoulder poles flamboyantly; it was as though they were boasting to the others.
Li Huowang followed these people and quickly found the wedding house. The two stone lions at the entrance suggested that this family was different from the others in the village.
Two ushers at the entrance wore warm smiles as they rushed to welcome Li Huowang's group. "You can leave your carriages at the door, and we'll keep an eye on them."
After finding out that Li Huowang's group were escorts, and after verifying the escort contract, they were surprisingly no longer wary of them, and even passionately invited them in.
It seemed that having more guests during a wedding would add to their social prestige.
With this, Li Huowang was even more convinced that his choice to become an escort was correct.
However, there was also a possibility that their attitude might have been influenced by their attire.
Most people here wore bamboo hats and veils to protect themselves from the sandstorms. If this were within the kingdom of Si Qi, the people would not readily invite a group of veiled strangers in.
After going in, they sat around a small table. Li Huowang picked up his chopsticks and took a small portion of each dish, then discreetly passed it to Bun who was under the table.
Though it may look unsightly, Li Huowang did not care. He was more concerned about the possibility of the village being a bandit lair, and that their food might have been drugged.
They had endured through many chaotic things, and it would be quite interesting if something went wrong here.
After a while, Bun licked its face and wagged its tail, clearly wanting more food.
Seeing this, Li Huowang nodded to the others. "Eat."
After their long journey, everyone seemed to have forgotten their manners; they could not resist the delicious dishes on the table.
However, Li Huowang did not start eating. Instead, he picked up the cup of strong tea and drank it.
Given his heightened senses, the ulcer on his lips felt like constant torture to him. He had to find a way to quickly relieve himself of the heatiness.[1]
Hou Shu's cuisine was quite different from that of the kingdom of Si Qi; there were very few vegetable dishes. The majority of the food items were meat and dairy products, as well as baked buns and date cakes.
The only other options were the dried fruits that were arranged on the beautiful plates, and the tea water. Thus, Li Huowang's choices were very limited.
"Zhao Wu, try these baked buns! They are really good; crispy on the outside and fragrant on the inside. Very delicious!" said one of them.
However, not everyone just cared about the food. Bai Lingmiao stretched her white neck and curiously looked toward the entrance. There, she saw the bride, covered in a red veil, and being helped down from the wedding sedan.
At this point, a handsome young man with sharp brows who held a gong in his hands struck it and announced in a loud voice, "The bride enters! May wealth follow abundantly!"
"Good!"
The others stood up to applaud, prompting Li Huowang to nudge Gao Zhijian who was just wolfing down his food. After that, they stood up as well.
Bong~
The gong rang again. "The bride crosses the brazier~![2] Red and fiery~!"
"Alright! Well-spoken!" The entire courtyard erupted in cheers.
Bong~!!
"The bride crosses the saddle~![3] Peace and prosperity~!"
As he looked at the joyous expressions of the people around him, Li Huowang's mood involuntarily improved.
At the same time, he also noticed the strong look of envy in Bai Lingmiao's eyes.
He reached out and pinched her soft hand, causing her to turn around and give him a reassuring smile.
"Senior Li, everyone is giving them gifts. Shouldn't we give one as well? It's only right to do so," suggested Bai Lingmiao.
"Alright."
"We can give them some candied fruits produced in the kingdom of Si Qi, since they can't be found here. This will be enough to represent our goodwill, and wouldn't cost us much," said Bai Lingmiao.
Just as she said this, a fourth gong sounded. "Worship~ the~ God of Prosperity~!"
"What?!" Li Huowang could hardly believe his ears, "What did he say to worship?"
From his perspective, the warm and merry atmosphere instantly vanished, and a bone-piercing chill enveloped him.
"Senior Li, they said to worship the God of Prosperity," said Sun Baolu, his mouth filled to the brim with lamb meat.
Li Huowang watched on with shock as the newlyweds were led into the hall by their cheerful relatives. Then, they knelt in front of a red and round character that represented Prosperity[4].
Just as the smiling youth was about to strike the gong once again, he saw Li Huowang in the crowd, causing his expression to turn unpleasant.
"Brother! What are you looking at?! Strike the gong!"
As soon as the youth heard the groom's soft reminder, he struck the red-clothed mallet onto the gong.
Bong~
The jarring sound of the gong rang out once again.
"Congratulations to the eldest son of the Hou Family, Hou Qiao on marrying Luo Tian as the bride! The bride is virtuous and dignified, and we pray to the God of Prosperity to bless their family to bear many children and descendants!"
"Hehe! Good!"
At that moment, the atmosphere reached its peak with everyone smiling and cheering.
After the newlyweds left through a side door, the others gradually sat down and continued to eat and chat.
This just made Li Huowang who was standing there on his own seem even more conspicuous. When he felt someone tug on his sleeves, Li Huowang sat back down, albeit looking rather displeased.
According to the information he had received before, the God of Prosperity was an existence even more terrifying than the God of Happiness. Perhaps it was one of the things behind Baiyu Capital.
And now, such an existence had become the god of blessings for weddings; it was undoubtedly ironic.
Though he did not know how this custom came about, he was certain that the people offering their worship had no idea what the thing they were actually worshiping was!
"Senior Li, what's the matter? There's nothing wrong here, so why the displeased expression? Are you... having an episode again?" asked Puppy.
Li Huowang glanced at Puppy and then pointed at the red, giant, round character on the wall. "Do they have to worship that thing at weddings in other places too?"
Chapter 185 - Toast
"Worship... the God of Prosperity? No, at least not in our Liang Kingdom. I remember that when my second brother got married, they had to first pay their respects to Heaven and Earth, and then to her parents. But in marriages, we also have the same circular character pasted on the doors and windows," said Puppy while holding onto a lamb hoof and pointing toward the red-colored double happiness character in the banquet hall.
However, this reply didn't manage to improve Li Huowang's expression by much.
He just stood in place for a while, and only sat down after seeing that there were no peculiarities with the red-colored round character for double happiness.
"Let's eat quickly and find a place to rest afterwards," said Li Huowang, prompting the others to speed up their pace.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang took a dried date from the date cake and began to slowly munch on it, all while looking around warily. He couldn't let his guard down completely.
However, he couldn't be blamed for being overly cautious. Being too careful was never a bad thing in this crazy world.
Moreover, he had accumulated many bitter experiences.
Li Huowang did not want to know the reason behind these things. The only thing he wanted was to live on safely with the people around him.
As the evening grew darker, the torches on the walls were lit up, and the entire banquet hall grew even more lively.
The host family had been busy toasting with those seated at the other tables, and Li Huowang had assumed that they would not come and raise a toast with their group of outsiders. Who knew that one of them would actually be dispatched to their table.
The youth who had been striking the gong to welcome the bride now walked toward Li Huowang with a smile. He held a cup of wine in one hand, and a wine jug in the other.
He came to their table and filled up his wine cup first, and then held it up to Li Huowang. "Thank you everyone for rushing here for my brother's wedding! I am Hou Wen, and I would like to raise a toast to you escort masters. May everything go smoothly for you!"
Given the situation, the others could not remain seated, and raised their cups in return. Even Li Huowang did the same, using tea as a replacement for wine. After all, it was very good for them to receive such treatment as outsiders.
Hou Wen held his cup with both hands and emptied it down his throat, and then immediately filled it up once again before facing Li Huowang. "Daoist, I offer a separate toast to you. Here's to hoping that you attain the Dao and ascend to Immortality soon!"
These were kind words, but to Li Huowang, a fake Daoist, they sounded quite uncomfortable.
"You're too courteous," said Li Huowang as he raised his cup of tea and drank it, the cup obscuring his view.
Li Huowang could acutely sense that the man before him was staring at himself.
No, more accurately, it was not at himself, but at the sword on his back, the one gifted to him by the Abbess.
When Li Huowang put down the cup of tea, that gaze quickly vanished, and he was once again faced with the young man's smile. If not for his heightened senses, it was likely that he too would have missed it.
Why is this person staring at my sword? Does he recognize its power?
No matter what Li Huowang thought, the youth didn't do much after the toast. He just picked up his pot of wine and turned toward the other tables.
From the looks of it, the purpose of his visit had just been to raise a toast.
"Enjoy your meal, and leave only after you are happy!" said the departing young man. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
Li Huowang had a complex look on his face as he watched the youth depart. He turned to the others and said, "We should be done. Let's go."
Hearing this, the others looked reluctantly at the unfinished dishes. But since Li Huowang had spoken, they could only stand up and follow him.
After the feast, not only had they had their fill, it was also easier for them to find a place to rest. A landlord saw that they were the escorts who had eaten at the same feast as him, and agreed to shelter them temporarily. He even had to pretend to decline Bai Lingmiao's offer to pay rent.
"Since you came to dine at the banquet, you are our guests. There's no need for any money here," said the old man. But in the end, the elderly man with the loud voice still accepted their coins happily.
Money was indeed quite handy, and he quickly cleared out an old two-story clay building for Li Huowang's group to stay in. Even though it was old, it was a standalone structure with its own courtyard, which suited Li Huowang's preferences quite a bit.
As the night grew darker, the lively village also gradually grew quiet.
At this moment, Li Huowang stood at the window by the second floor as he gazed at the red lanterns of the house where the wedding had taken place.
Bai Lingmiao was sitting on the side of the bed as she wet a thread with her mouth. Then, under the illumination of the candlelight, she carefully threaded it through the eye of a needle before starting to sew some useless cloth onto the chains on a nearby stool.
She continued sewing until her eyes grew tired, and then looked up toward Li Huowang's broad figure. "Senior Li, perhaps he was just casually glancing at your sword. He may not necessarily be scheming against you."
"I have two swords on my back, so why did he focus on this one? It's better to be safe than sorry. When you go down later, inform the others in the house to take turns keeping watch throughout the night," said Li Huowang.
Bai Lingmiao obediently nodded before spreading open her blanket.
"Li... Li..."
"What's the matter?" Li Huowang looked down at the courtyard, to see Gao Zhijian looking up toward himself.
"I... I'm really not... a village protector," said Gao Zhijian, clearly concerned about this matter.
"Alright, I know that you're not a village protector. But then, where are you from? You couldn't have popped out from a rock, right?" asked Li Huowang.
Due to Gao Zhijian's limited intelligence and stutter, Li Huowang and the others were not keen about engaging in a conversation with him, since he often tended to be long-winded.
Due to this, aside from knowing that he was literate, Li Huowang did not know much else about Gao Zhijian.
Gao Zhijian appeared conflicted as he paused for a while, and then said, "Senior... Senior Li! Trust... trust me..."
"I trust you. Now hurry up and speak. If you keep dawdling, it's going to be dawn soon."
"You! Don't... Don't interrupt! Don't interrupt... me!" shouted Gao Zhijian. This was the first time he had used this tone to speak to Li Huowang. "I... I hate... hate it the most! When... others... Interrupt... me!"
Li Huowang looked at Gao Zhijian, whose face was turning red from agitation, and also at his tightly clenched fists, and nodded. "Alright, you can speak."
"Senior... Senior Li! Will... you be... able to believe me? No matter... how... shocking... my words are?!"
"I will believe you. Say it."
Hearing this, Gao Zhijian stomped his feet angrily and said, "I... I... I'll come up to tell you!"
Hearing this, Li Huowang glanced at Bai Lingmiao behind him, and then stopped the agitated Gao Zhijian, "Don't come up, just speak from there, and then go to bed."
Chapter 186 - Beauty
When he heard Li Huowang tell him to just stand in the courtyard and talk to him, Gao Zhijian hesitated. He looked around warily and then began to speak, "I... I... I might... I might be an emp..."
As he spoke, Gao Zhijian's voice gradually became softer and softer, turning into something akin to a mosquito's buzzing.
"Hm? An emp? What are you talking about? Speak up," asked Li Huowang.
Gao Zhijian was ashamed when Li Huowang talked to him like that and just returned to his room.
"Why did he stop talking? What was he trying to say? An emp?" wondered Li Huowang. He was about to head down and ask but decided against it. He closed the window and approached his bed.
He had many other things to do and had no time to meddle in the private affairs of others.
Plus, he was a Strayed One. He was not suited to be a counselor, lest he dragged the others into his troubles as well.
And so, Li Huowang was not interested in what Gao Zhijian was trying to tell him.
Gao Zhijian was not stupid. His mind just worked slower than the others. Gao Zhijian must've his own issues to deal with. He knew that there would come a day when Gao Zhijian would naturally tell him everything.
After Li Huowang waited and confirmed that Gao Zhijian never came up, he blew out the candle and went to sleep. As he lay on the bed, Li Huowang stared at the roof.
"Do you still remember where Simpleton wanted to go?" asked Li Huowang.
Bai Lingmiao hugged Li Huowang even while her eyes were closed. "I asked him a couple of days ago and found that he wasn't sure either. He had said the Liang Kingdom the last time but then he answered with Qing Qiu a few days back."
"Qing Qiu..." mumbled Li Huowang as the map surfaced within his mind. Qing Qiu was the next kingdom after Hou Shu, and beyond it was the Liang Kingdom.
Their journey would end once Bai Lingmiao arrived back at her village at the base of Cowheart Mountain. At that time, he would finally be able to settle down there too.
What should I do once I'm there? Should I arrange for a wedding ceremony and marry her? But since I will be staying at her house, technically she's marrying me, right?[1]
Amidst his thoughts, Li Huowang placed his jaw on the top of her head and snuggled with Bai Lingmiao.
Neither of them had fallen into love at first sight, nor had they sworn to love each other. Li Huowang didn't know how to pamper her, and Bai Lingmiao had never flirted with him. Both of them were akin to a small stream; they went on and on until they reached a lake.
To Li Huowang, nothing about it felt particularly special. It was just that he felt comfortable staying by her side and wanted to do so for his life.
But he was still worried about the one remaining issue he had.
His hallucinations.
"Is there nothing that can cure the symptoms of a Strayed One?" Li Huowang wondered aloud. This was not only a question of responsibility, but also a future threat.
Li Huowang was still unconvinced. He was afraid that he would end up treating the hallucination as the real world once more and abandon Bai Lingmiao.
For a period of time, Li Huowang was very certain that the other side was fake and that he would never doubt himself again. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
But now, the reality hit him hard. Everything was possible. He would never be so sure anymore.
Li Huowang recalled the final words spoken by one of the members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao. "Chen Hongxiu, that old nun, knew nothing! I'll tell you the truth! One of the four Joys of the Sitting Oblivion Dao, Bei Feng, is also a Strayed One! He has managed to live to a ripe old age of 190, and he's still doing well! None of a Strayed One's bewilderment or confusion bothers him!"
As he thought about it, he got more and more annoyed.
At that moment, Li Huowang suddenly realized that he had played right into that person's trap and cursed.
Fuck! That bunch of crazy lunatics are still trying to swindle me even after their death!
"Senior Li, what's wrong?" asked Bai Lingmiao.
Staring at the sleepy Bai Lingmiao, Li Huowang was about to say something when he suddenly felt his hallucination coming back. "Quick! Bring the chains!"
Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao didn't even question him. She immediately found the chain from under the bag and tied up Li Huowang.
"Tie harder! Don't ever let me go!" said Li Huowang.
When he saw Bai Lingmiao reassuring him even as she was busy tying him up, Li Huowang sighed and tilted his head back.
At that moment, the pillow filled with grain transformed into a soft pillow filled with cotton.
Li Huowang gradually raised his head and stared at the white environment. The ward looked quite different compared to the last time.
Li Huowang knew where he was. After staying in the psychiatric hospital for so long, he knew that this was the ward where they kept the patients that had to be strapped in. A normal hospital would never have such a ward.
He thought about it for a moment, and came to a logical conclusion. "I was transferred?"
Li Huowang smiled bitterly and shook his head. After all, it was a hallucination and just about anything could happen here.
Li Huowang stared at the clean white ceiling and didn't know what to do next.
He stared at the straps on his arms. After a moment, he raised his head and spoke into the microphone. "Is there a nurse? This is the thirteenth ward. Could you please bring my phone? I would like to make a call."
After some static, a male voice answered him, "You are Li Huowang, correct? I've read your report. My surname is Wang, and so you can call me Nurse Wang. Who would you like to call? I can connect them to the microphone and the speaker by your bed."
A male nurse?
Li Huowang pondered for a moment, and asked, "Nurse Wang, could you call Yang Na—"
However, as soon as he mentioned Yang Na's name, Bai Lingmiao's face popped up in his mind.
What am I doing? Why am I interacting with a hallucination? Yang Na is fake and Bai Lingmiao is real.
"Aa! Who is it? So annoying! Who's calling me so early in the morning?" At that moment, a familiar voice came from the speaker.
When he heard her familiar voice, Li Huowang stopped hesitating. "Nana."
"Huowang!" Yang Na cried out in surprise and happiness.
"Why are you still in bed? Where did you go last night and just how crazy was the night?" asked Li Huowang.
Hearing his question, Yang Na started letting out all her complains, "I didn't go anywhere to play last night. The first year of university is more or less like another advanced year in high school. I'm so busy I could die."
"You no longer have to study late into the night and you don't even have classes all day long. How could you be busy?"
"Who said that? You can only say that because you have never gone to university before! Once you are in, you will realize that all those teachers in high school lied to us about how carefree being a university student was!" said Yang Na.
After she said those words, she suddenly became quiet. After a while, she carefully probed Li Huowang. "Huowang, I'm sorry. I don't mean to trigger you."
Hearing this, Li Huowang stared at the black microphone and chuckled, "You think you can trigger me just like that? I'm pretty much unfazed. By the way, did you hear me sing Happy Birthday to you that day?"
"Yes, I did. Thank you. But... I'm still waiting for my birthday gift."
1. Usually in Chinese culture the girl would go to the boy's family after marriage, but on rare occasions where the boy lives with the girl's family instead, they will use a different Chinese character to describe it. ?
Chapter 187 - Confrontation
"A birthday gift? Sure, what do you want?" Li Huowang smiled as he talked to the microphone. He did remember promising Yang Na that he would give her something.
Yang Na's voice turned quiet. "Huowang, I wish for you to come and fetch me from the university whenever you are healed. I told everyone there that I had a cool boyfriend, but none of my hostel mates believed me. I even showed them our pictures, but they thought that they were photoshopped! Those three crazy women!"
Healed?
Li Huowang smiled bitterly.
While the hallucination was extremely logical, to the point where it was almost indistinguishable from reality, in the end, it was just that... a hallucination.
"Alright," Li Huowang lied. This was one of those rare cases where he had to lie.
"Yay! And then we can make sure that they die from jealousy!" said Yang Na in a cheerful voice.
Soon, both of them started to calm down.
"How are you in there?" asked Yang Na.
This question immediately made Li Huowang uncomfortable; he didn't know what to say. He thought about the various experiences he had so far. None of them were good.
"Not too bad," said Li Huowang after a pause.
Yang Na's voice grew even quieter. When she spoke again, her voice was filled with sadness. "Huowang, I love you, I really, really do... But, we need to maintain it together. I'm afraid that I can't maintain it on my own. I don't want to be like my parents. They loved each other when I was younger, but that love slowly transformed into hatred."
Li Huowang took a deep breath and reassured her.
However, Yang Na did not accept it. "Li Huowang! Be serious! You always said you would do it, so show me! Your mom told me that you hated seeing the doctors! You can't do that! Do you think I don't understand you? You kept everything within your heart! Where are you trying to escape to? You've always been so stubborn and headstrong ever since you were young. I know it's hard for you to be riddled with this illness, but you need to go and let yourself get treated. I need you to do it so that I can also see that you are trying. If not, I won't feel safe anymore. I keep thinking whether you are trying to abandon me."
Hearing all this, Li Huowang clenched both of his fists. "Nana, I swear that I will never abandon you, even if..."
"Even if?"
Even if you are an illusion...
Li Huowang buried those words deep inside his heart.
"...even if I can't be treated, as long as you are able to endure, then I will never give up either," said Li Huowang.
After obtaining his answer, Yang Na's voice returned to her jolly self. Then, she began to talk about her university life.
They talked for another half an hour before Nurse Wang reminded them that their time was up. And so, Yang Na reluctantly hung up.
Li Huowang sighed while lying on the bed. He knew that the hallucination was logical, but he really didn't know what to do about Yang Na's birthday wish.
After what had happened the last time, the hospital would never let him out. He would even be subjected to numerous rounds of assessment just for them to release the straps binding him.
Going to Yang Na's university? Forget it. He couldn't even leave his room.
"You were able to converse quite naturally with her today. Want to try talking with a doctor?" asked Nurse Wang.
However, due to being annoyed, Li Huowang decided to ignore Nurse Wang.
"Young man, even I was touched by the relationship between you two. You can't disappoint such a girl now, can you? Don't give up on your treatment," advised Nurse Wang.
"This is a private matter. You and I are nowhere near close enough to be discussing this," said Li Huowang, feeling extremely irritated.
"You don't know me, but I know you. I did everything to take care of you while you were strapped in, including bathing you, changing the catheter, and even changing the poop bucket. Heck, I never even treated my own mother that nicely. But at least we haven't had to flip you over. Your body is still strong and never developed any pressure ulcers. On the other hand, the patient on bed number nineteen needs to be flipped every few hours or so."
Nurse Wang happily continued to talk to him whether Li Huowang liked it or not.
But this only further irritated Li Huowang..
"I'm tired, let me rest," said Li Huowang.
"Young man, you are almost one with the bed by now. How could you still be tired? Just talk to me for a couple of minutes. This hospital is very unfriendly to us. They don't even allow us to look at our phones during our shifts. If it weren't for the pay and the benefits, I would've long since changed jobs. Are you sure you don't want to see a doctor today? What do you think Yang Na would say if she knew about it?" said Nurse Wang.
Li Huowang finally relented when he thought about how Yang Na would feel. "Fine, bring the doctor in."
Even if this was just a hallucination, he didn't want Yang Na to be sad.
"Oops, I forgot that today is a Sunday. The doctor is on break today. Would you be free tomorrow?" said Nurse Wang.
"Are you fucking with me?" At this point, Li Huowang was starting to hate the nurse.
"I wouldn't dare. After all, your mother is very fierce. I don't want her to complain about me to my supervisors. The doctor really is on break today; but, I will let them know tomorrow. Will you be fine with that? I've heard the doctor say that your illness is quite unique. They even wanted to name it after you."
At this point, Li Huowang closed his eyes and just tuned Nurse Wang out. He was done with Nurse Wang.
Amidst Nurse Wang's voice, Li Huowang soon fell asleep.
When he woke up, he once again found himself on the wooden bed, his body tied up with chains and covered with a blanket. Seeing this, he sighed in relief.
Then, Li Huowang turned to stare at Bai Lingmiao. At this moment, she was sleeping on the side. For some reason, he suddenly felt like Bai Lingmiao's face was being superimposed with Yang Na's.
But then he reminded himself that the hallucination was nothing but a fake. Now, he needed to treasure Bai Lingmiao.
This was his reality.
Numerous thoughts ran through Li Huowang's mind.
Bai Lingmiao wants the same thing that Yang Na wished for.
At that moment, Bai Lingmiao's eyes gently fluttered as she woke up. When she saw that Li Huowang's eyes were clear once more, Bai Lingmiao smiled. "Senior Li, it's only the fourth section of the night. Let me remove your chains and then we can continue sleeping."
Having said that, she removed the blanket on his body before quickly untying Li Huowang.
When her face came close to his, Li Huowang suddenly asked her. "Were you envious of the bride today?"
Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao blushed but didn't deny it. "Yeah, I was very envious. Senior Li, will you... marry me when we reach my home? You do not dislike me right?"
Li Huowang just gave her a gentle kiss as an answer.
On the other hand, Bai Lingmiao was clearly surprised by his actions and froze up.
Then, Li Huowang sat up and pulled her into the warm blanket. The next day, both of them woke up very late.
Chapter 188 - Soldiers
There was a well within the village. There was even a fireplace close to the guest house. Thus, all they needed to do was to place their pot onto the fireplace and they could easily cook a meal.
As he drank the wild vegetable soup and ate the grain bun, Li Huowang felt the ulcer on his lips slowly receding.
At that moment, Li Huowang asked Gao Zhijian about the previous night. "Did anything come close to us last night?"
"N-no. No on-one was he-here," replied Gao Zhijian.
Li Huowang glanced at Bun and saw that the dog was fine as well. He recalled the strange wedding from yesterday.
Even though everything seemed normal, Li Huowang felt that the gaze of the man was off. He wasn't sure when he had obtained the power to determine one's emotions through their gaze, but he could tell that the man who was staring at him yesterday was doing so not out of curiosity, but out of wariness.
"We will rest for today and depart tomorrow morning. Puppy, since we don't have enough food for our travels, go and gather some rations for our trip today. Gao Zhijian and Chun Xiaoman, both of you can go with him as well. Don't be careless," instructed Li Huowang.
"Sure, leave this to me, the great Cao Cao!" answered Puppy.
Li Huowang glanced at Bai Lingmiao, who was whispering something to Chun Xiaoman, before continuing with his meal.
Given that this was one of their rare rest days, Li Huowang took the chance to practice the Fiery Scripture.
However, even now he had no idea how to gather or invoke the feeling of compassion within his heart.
Just as he had barely managed to gather the white wax into a pile, he suddenly detected someone staring at him.
Li Huowang quickly stowed away the Fiery Scripture and opened the window, only to find the Village Protector sniffling and smiling at him.
Is it him? Maybe I can get some information from him.
Li Huowang immediately ran down and took some of the grain buns from the kitchen before approaching the Village Protector.
Li Huowang shook the grain buns in front of him and saw the man was staring intensely at the buns. "I will give you a bun for every question you answer. Deal?"
"Alright!" The stupid Village Protector nodded.
"What's your name?" asked Li Huowang.
"I have no idea, but my mother said my surname is Hua," replied the Village Protector.
"Alright, here's your bun."
The Village Protector was so happy about receiving a bun that his snot flew out.
"Here's another question. Who was the man hitting the gong yesterday? What is his job?" asked Li Huowang.
"That's Hou Laoer. He's a soldier. His brother, Hou Laoda, was the one getting married so he recently came back here," replied the Village Protector.
"A soldier? For the kingdom of Hou Shu?" mumbled Li Huowang.
That means he's working with the kingdom!
Li Huowang had been here for quite a while, but other than the soldiers guarding the borders, he had never met an official or a representative of the kingdom.
Now he was quite curious. How did the officials govern their countries that were riddled with evil beings in this bizarre world?
The Village Protector did not answer him but stared at the grain bun.
Seeing this, Li Huowang gave him another bun and the Village Protector once again started talking, "I don't know what kind of soldier he is nor his rank. All I know is that he's a soldier and that he wields a large spear. The spear is so heavy that I can't even lift it."
Hearing this, Li Huowang frowned and glanced in the direction of the Hou family's house. It was just further up the path, with the stone lions protecting the gates.
"Where is he now?" asked Li Huowang.
"He left. After Hou Laoda's wedding ceremony was over, he directly left," replied the Village Protector.
Hearing that Hou Laoer had already left, Li Huowang sighed in relief. Still, he would rather face a human than some evil being.
Li Huowang didn't know if he would cross paths with that man again, but if his hunch was right, then the state officials were probably very busy with the disappearance of 'decay' from the world.
Just then, an old voice came from behind, "Village Protector, did that man give you food?"
Li Huowang recognized the old man; it was the father of the groom from yesterday's wedding. The old man was still wearing his hat and coat from yesterday.
"Greetings, good sir," greeted Li Huowang.
"Aiya, you were already our guest yesterday. There's no need to be so polite," said the old man.
While the two were talking, the Village Protector saw that there were no more grain buns to be had and left.
Staring at the Village Protector's dirty back, Li Huowang asked the old man, "Sir, I've heard that the Village Protectors can protect a village from disasters. Is this true? Did he help this village before?"
Even though Gao Zhijian had just mentioned it in a passing remark, it was something entirely possible within this bizarre world. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"It's just a story that we came up with so that a mentally retarded person without any family wouldn't die from hunger. Anyone smart enough would be able to tell," said the old man.
"I see. You must be quite kind then."
"I'm afraid not. Our ancestors have told us that a single village can only contain a single Village Protector. After all, we can't feed too many people for free. That said, will you be passing by Ji City? I recall that you are offering escort services, correct?" asked the old man.
Li Huowang was surprised. From the looks of it, the old man hadn't just found him by chance, and had been actively searching for him.
"My eldest daughter is staying there. Could you pass a message to her? I need you to tell her that her brother just got married and so we will be expecting a new addition to our family. How much silver would that require?" inquired the old man.
"No need for payment. You already invited us to dinner last night. There's no reason for us to request payment just to pass on a message."
After hearing Li Huowang's words, the old man did not continue insisting. He then told Li Huowang the address of his eldest daughter.
After remembering the address, Li Huowang suddenly recalled about Hou Laoer. "I thought your second son just left? Why did you not ask him to pass the message instead? He should arrive faster while traveling on his horse compared to my carriage."
"My second son is rushing back to his camp. How could he possibly go to Ji City? In fact, it took him such a long time just to appeal to leave his post for two days. Sigh, I hope they are not going to war again," lamented the old man.
"Old man, what is the rank of your second son within the camp? He must be someone of a high rank," asked Li Huowang.
Li Huowang's question was something that the old man loved to hear. He purposely spoke in a louder voice as he started boasting, "Of course! He's a Small-arms soldier."
"A Small-arms soldier? What is that?" asked Li Huowang.
"Oh, you don't know? Well, I didn't know in the beginning either. But he told me that the Small-arms soldiers are essentially the guards that stand beside the general. How could a soldier guarding the general not be someone of high-ranking? Look at my house, my ox-carriage, and the two stone lions by the door of my house. All of those were gifts from my second son," boasted the old man.
Chapter 189 - On Their Journey
As he heard a father brag about his own son, Li Huowang gradually learned more and more about the life of Hou Laoer.
It was quite inspirational. The Hou family hadn't really been that rich in the past. They were just as poor as the others. Since the few acres of land they owned wasn't enough to feed their entire family, the second son was forced to leave the family in search of a job.
Li Huowang was suspicious about the 'general' that the old man kept talking about; from the looks of it, the old man thought that a general was the only high-ranking official within a camp.
"Sigh. It was even worse in the past. We didn't even have enough food to feed ourselves, and only had a single pair of pants. Back then, whoever wanted to head out got to wear that single pair," said the old man.
As he heard the old man's words, Li Huowang nodded.
After talking for a period of time, the old man was finally satisfied with his boasting and slowly walked back to his home.
Seeing this, Li Huowang sighed and turned back. He was glad that the old man took his leave.
After having learned so much, Li Huowang was no longer as cautious about Hou Laoer as before.
It wasn't because of his rank and identity, but because of the fact that Hou Laoer had really left the place. There was no way he could come and disturb Li Huowang anymore.
Just then, Li Huowang saw Puppy who was on his way back from purchasing some rations.
"Senior Li, look what I bought! It's a map drawn on leather!" said Puppy.
That night also passed by peacefully. At dawn, all of them departed with full spirits.
As the wheels of the carriage rolled slowly along the path, the dunes around them slowly disappeared. Gradually the path became uneven and stones started replacing the sand.
Soon, smaller mountains made of stones and rock started to appear here and there. Thanks to them blocking the wind, Li Huowang and the rest were no longer buffeted by the sand. There was even some short brown grass growing near the sides of the path.
"We will walk through here before taking a turn here," said Li Huowang as he pointed at the map and stopped at an icon representing a town. "If we do not get lost, then we will arrive at Ji City over here. As long as we reach there, we will be able to fulfill our escort mission, and we would have traveled halfway through Hou Shu. It looks like Hou Shu really is a much smaller kingdom, at least compared to the previous two."
As Li Huowang was explaining all this, he felt someone tugging on his sleeves. "Senior Li, someone is in front of us."
Hearing this, Li Huowang raised his head and saw that there was indeed someone.
As they got closer, they saw that it was an old man who was walking with a bamboo cane. He looked like a scholar. Even though he was old, his body was still fit and energetic. He showed no signs of tiredness despite the old bamboo basket he was carrying on his back.
At that moment, hearing the sound of horse hooves, Jin Shanzhao turned around. When he saw a group of people wearing black veils, he immediately stepped aside.
Who are these guys? Especially that young man in the red Daoist robes; he's even going so far as to cover half of his face with a coin veil. Looks like these are people I shouldn't mess around with. I guess I should hide then?
Jin Shanzhao analyzed the situation quickly and calmly. He wanted to slow down and let the group pass by first.
However, he had never expected the young Daoist to be the one to approach him and start talking.
"Old man, could you please lend us your map so that we can verify our map is correct?" asked the red-robed Daoist.
Hearing this, Jin Shanzhao rummaged through his bamboo basket and took out a paper map. "This map is hand drawn by me. I've been traveling around for many years and I'm quite confident that my map is accurate. You can have it if you want."
"Thanks, but there's no need for that. I just want to compare it with my own map. Once we are done, I will return it to you," replied the red-robed Daoist.
Jin Shanzhao was slightly relieved to hear how friendly the young man was. The young Daoist was by no means rude either.
"Daoist, where are you going? I'm just asking out of curiosity, maybe you are heading in the same direction as me," asked Jin Shanzhao.
"We are on an escort mission to Ji City," replied the red-robed Daoist.
However, Jin Shanzhao did not believe them. How could an escort not even know their own route? It was a blatant lie.
"Oh? You are on an escort mission? That's rare to hear. I've heard Daoists usually don't bother with mundane tasks like these," probed Jin Shanzhao.
"Even I have to eat, so I might as well earn some money along the way. Old man, why are you out here in the mountains, all by yourself? Isn't it dangerous?" asked the red-robed Daoist.
Jin Shanzhao chuckled when he saw how the Daoist was trying to probe him. Just as he was thinking about what lie to tell them, a massive rock suddenly rolled down from the mountain and crashed into the path. At the same time, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out from all around them!
Jin Shanzhao was shocked to see that they were being surrounded by bandits riding on horses. "Oh no! We have been trapped by the bandits!"
But when he turned around, he was surprised to see that the young Daoist was completely calm.
He must have a plan if he's able to remain this calm.
Thinking about this, Jin Shanzhao immediately hid behind the young Daoist while the bandits approached them from all directions.
Tak tak tak~
As the sound of horse hooves got closer, they saw an imposing bandit appear in front of them.
"Shoulders together; I'm not an outlier. Is the spring book open?" spoke the red-robed Daoist.
Hm?
Jin Shanzhao was once more surprised by Li Huowang.
To think that he knew the codewords used by those belonging to the Jianghu. He must be someone extraordinary.
But just when Jin Shanzhao had thought that the bandits would reply to the codeword, the one-eyed bandit at the front brandished his blade and shouted, "Go! Kill them all!"
Immediately, the horses all around them resumed their charge. Unexpectedly, the bandits did not even bother with the codewords and directly attacked them.
Seeing this, instead of thinking about what had just happened, Jin Shanzhao immediately ran up the boulder as he tried to climb past it; he wanted to try and escape while the two forces clashed with each other.
However, just as Jin Shanzhao managed to climb up the boulder, he heard the sound of fighting slowly dying down behind him.
When he turned around, Jin Shanzhao got one last surprise for the day. He saw that the bandits had all been defeated!
At this moment, the ground was littered with the corpses of the bandits and their horses. On the other hand, the group by the young Daoist was completely unharmed besides some dents on the carriage!
What the... What did I miss?
Li Huowang ignored the old man as he placed his sword on the neck of one of the last surviving bandits. The bandit had already lost one of its arms.
"Do you not know the rules? Why didn't you even answer the codeword?" demanded Li Huowang.
"Fucker! You dare to kill my brothers?! You are dead!"
Splurt!
One of the bandit's ears was cut off just like that.
Meanwhile, Jin Shanzhao was horrified.
Yikes! So he had just been feigning to be a kind man before this. He didn't even bat an eye when killing all those bandits!