Just as she was suffocating, Bai Lingmiao suddenly found herself floating above the ancestral hall's beams. When she looked down, she saw herself with her whitened eyes as well as the red-veiled Second Deity.
Is this what it's like to be dead?
Bai Lingmiao lowered her head to check her 'body', only to find that it was empty and devoid of any substance. Seeing this, she recalled something and felt a surge of joy.
My parents must not have gone too far. I can still catch up with them!
However, as she raised her head to look for her family, she noticed incomprehensible masses obscuring the entire night sky.
When she saw their ever-changing appearances, Bai Lingmiao was positive that they were the Immortal families. They appeared to be from the Bei family, because of her emotions that they had just absorbed.
"I'm already dead, so what more do you want from me?" asked Bai Lingmiao as she attempted to move right through them, only to be bounced back and end up face-to-face with her suspended body hanging from the rope.
As she looked at her current self, she noticed a drastic change. The originally pink eyes had been completely replaced by a red pair of long and menacing beast-like eyes. Even more peculiar was the fact that her own face also had several cracks, revealing several beast-like eyes staring right back at her.
At that moment, Bai Lingmiao saw herself raising her nail-covered hand and aggressively clutching at her own head as she opened her mouth to swallow herself whole. At the same time, flipping snake scales pierced through Bai Lingmiao's skin, effortlessly cutting through the tightly stretched rope.
Bai Lingmiao fell heavily to the ground. However, even before she could recover, an intense pain erupted from the depths of her brain, causing her to scream while holding her head. The pain was excruciating, completely unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
Immediately after that, a number "two" appeared in Bai Lingmiao's mind.
This was the number of tasks she had to do for the month. If she couldn't complete it, then she would have to figure out the consequences on her own. It could also be foreseen that this number would only gradually increase in the future.
Bai Lingmiao felt her bruised neck as she hopelessly looked up at the pitch-black beams above.
Ever since the day she became a Shaman, she knew that her life no longer belonged to her. Even death was not an option.
Her previous experiences had made her really pleased because she was able to help Senior Li. However, the Immortal families had finally exposed their true colors this time around.
Bai Lingmiao recalled what Li Zhi had said before he died.
It was too suffocating to be a Shaman, and he wouldn't even want to be reincarnated as one[1].
At this moment, she finally understood the meaning behind his words. As a Shaman, she was nothing but a slave to those Immortals, devoid of any freedom.
"Wu wu wu..." Bai Lingmiao covered her face with both hands as she crouched within the pitch-black ancestral hall and started sobbing uncontrollably. Her cries echoed continuously within the hall.
Upon hearing the sobbing, the Second Deity, who had been admiring the moon, appeared to recall something. With its three mouths beneath the red veil, it let out a deep sigh and retrieved a jade pendant from within its robe and started examining it closely.
——————————————
"Daddy?"
"I'm not your Dad, I am your master."
"Daddy?"
Li Huowang had been working quite hard to control his temper. He now deeply regretted going to that stall to eat noodles. How could he have imagined that trouble would arise simply from having a bowl of noodles?
Gaga, gaga!
The ducks in a nearby cage were making a racket, adding to his annoyance. He couldn't understand why there were so many people heading to the Yinling City to sell goods today, causing the normally spacious road to feel so congested today.
"...Daddy?"
"Alright, shut up," said Li Huowang as he stuffed two more wads of cotton into his ears, making sure that they were tightly sealed.
After sitting in the carriage for half the day, Li Huowang finally arrived at his destination. Once here, as soon as he presented his Surveillance Bureau badge, he was promptly granted passage into the city.
Finally back inside the bustling Yinling City, Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief. He drove the carriage toward the inn from before. After such a long journey, he had finally arrived.
When Li Huowang saw the makeshift earthen kiln at the crossroad, he felt puzzled and asked, "What is this?"
Monk quickly explained, "Daoist, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Don't you know that building earthen kilns is a tradition for celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
Li Huowang shook his head as he flicked the reins. "We didn't have this custom where I come from."
"Then what customs do you practice?" asked Monk.
"Nothing much. We just eat mooncakes," replied Li Huowang.
After Li Huowang settled into the inn, it gradually darkened outside. The curfew had been lifted in the bustling Yinling City. The brightly lit market had many children carrying pomelos and lanterns. All this had turned the entire Yinling City into a city that did not sleep.
Throughout all this, Li Huowang waited in the inn, hoping for Tuoba Danqing to come. However, after waiting for a long time, all he got was a messenger pigeon delivering a letter.
"Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I need to return home to reunite with my wife and children. Let's discuss matters in detail tomorrow evening."
Seeing this note, Li Huowang felt a little disheartened. Did the Surveillance Bureau also celebrate festivals? This new piece of information allowed Li Huowang to gain an entirely new perspective of this enormous organization.
With nothing to do, he sat inside the room, a little confused. What should he do next?
"What else can we do? Let's celebrate the festival. Besides welcoming the New Year, I love the Mid-Autumn Festival the most," said Monk.
"Celebrate? With whom?" asked Li Huowang.
"With us," Hong Zhong chimed in.
Hearing this, Li Huowang glanced at the four illusions in front of him. Then, he walked over to the window, and whistled toward the stable where Bun was guarding the carriage, causing it to bark happily as it rushed over while wagging its tongue.
Then, he summoned the waiter to book a feast from the kitchen before requesting for it to be delivered to their room.
Once the adequate amount of silver had been handed over, the table was filled with a variety of delicacies made with chicken, duck, fish, and meat. After Li Huowang watched Bun devour the food under the table, he too picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.
The chicken tasted quite good, but Li Huowang always felt that it lacked flavor. He picked up a ceramic pot filled with wine and poured a large mouthful directly into his mouth. Overwhelmed by the alcohol, he gradually became drunk. In a tipsy state, Li Huowang raised his wine cup. As he swayed, he toasted the full moon in the sky. "I would have much preferred the time when we were cooking noodles out in the wild. That had much more flavor compared to this."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah! Son!" Li Huowang kicked Bun with his foot. "The three of us are celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival!"
Li Huowang fell asleep at some point. When he woke up again, he saw Bun crouching in front of him. It was snarling and growling as it faced the black tentacles that were emerging from within his body.
Seeing this, Li Huowang curved his fingers and flicked the tentacle, causing it to instantly retract back into his belly.
Can the Black Taisui come out on its own now?
This might be bad news, but Li Huowang didn't really care about it right now.
"Go down and watch the carriage." As Li Huowang pointed toward the door, Bun slinked away with its tail between its legs.
After Li Huowang sat up, he once again picked up his chopsticks as he started eating the now cold feast on the table.
After eating and drinking to his heart's content, Li Huowang sat by the window and took out a book, this time opting for a much more advanced one.
"...The sword is named Giant Que, the pearl is called Night Light. Exquisite fruits like plum and pear, rich vegetables like mustard and ginger. The sea is salty, the river is fresh, scales dive, feathers soar..."
As he continued to recite, Li Huowang felt a vague echo in his ears. At first, it was chaotic, but gradually, it started becoming clearer.
"...Singing and music are highly esteemed, humble rites distinguish between honor and inferiority. Harmony between the upper and lower, husband sings, and the wife follows..."
1. This happened back in C66, for anyone who wants a refresher. ?
Chapter 331 - Banquet Dinner
As Li Huowang sensed the outside sky gradually darkening, he slowly stopped his recitation. His mouth felt dry and his throat was parched.
As he recalled how the Black Taisui had helped him when dealing with the Human Xiao, he touched his stomach.
As he reflected on recent events, he slowly formulated a plan on how to interact with the Black Taisui.
Although it was continuously occupying his body, it didn't seem to harbor any ill intentions toward him. Since it meant no harm, there was no need for him to treat it as he did Dan Yangzi. After all, in the past, he had done everything in his power to get rid of Dan Yangzi. However, with Black Taisui, not only could he not get rid of it, he also couldn't live without it. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
It resided within his body, and thus, a good relationship between them would bring only benefits to both of them and no harm. Perhaps, once they became more familiar with each other, he could persuade it to stop trying to encroach upon his body.
"Daddy?"
Li Huowang took a deep breath and touched his stomach again. "Listen, from now on, you'll be called Li Sui. Until we find a method to break free from the bewilderment and sense of doubt that a Strayed One suffers from, let's try to coexist peacefully. We're all in the same boat. As long as you help me, I won't ignore you. Let's work hard to achieve a relationship that is mutually beneficial for both of us."
"Okay."
Li Huowang was surprised to hear the Black Taisui's response. The fact that it agreed meant that the enlightenment books he had been reading to it previously weren't in vain; it could actually understand the things Li Huowang said.
Gu gu~
A familiar sound rang out, causing Li Huowang to instinctively look up at the beam. There was a pigeon perched there, observing him.
"Alright, behave yourself when it's time to eat later. I won't forget your portion," said Li Huowang as he stood up. Then he slung his two swords onto his back before walking toward the outside of the inn.
Back at the same familiar place as always, a booming voice rang out, "Hahaha. Brother Er Jiu, long time no see. I've missed you so much."
Tuoba Danqing walked in with his usual kind and round face. At the same time, a line of maids followed right behind him, all of them holding exquisite dishes and fine wines.
After several encounters, Li Huowang had figured out the routine. Thus, he sat down and accompanied the man in eating and drinking. At this point, he was unsure about whether this was just his personal quirk or a common trait among the members of the Surveillance Bureau. It almost seemed like he wouldn't talk if eating or drinking wasn't involved.
After several rounds of wine and dishes, the atmosphere was now more adequately set. Finally, Tuoba Danqing reached into his robe and pulled out a waist token before pushing it across the dining table. "Come, Brother Er, take a look at what this is? You did quite a good job this time. I'm afraid that I couldn't have done it any better even if I had gone there myself."
Li Huowang raised the waist token to take a look. As he looked at the characters for "Ninth Troop" on it, he suddenly felt extremely emotional. With this, he had taken yet another step closer to success.
"Enough with the token, what's so interesting about it? Let's eat, Brother Er. Now, what's the story with this recent matter? Tell me about it," asked Tuoba Danqing.
Since there was nothing to hide about this matter, Li Huowang just tucked away his waist token into his robe and slowly explained the whole situation to Tuoba Danqing.
After narrating the events, Li Huowang enquired about his earlier confusion, "Brother Tuoba, what was the deal with that Daoist Human Xiao? What's the story behind him? Why was he so peculiar?"
"Oh, there's nothing peculiar about it. That person had just lived for a long time. If he hadn't attained the Dao and became an Immortal, then he would have naturally turned into an evil spirit. After all, the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is the way of the universe. Trying to change fate and go against the order is not that simple," explained Tuoba Danqing. "I've seen many such cases. These are usually cultivators who are too stubborn and obsessed, forcefully using lifespan pills to extend their lives, only to end up becoming Human Xiaos. However, I didn't expect the commotion this time to be this big. Being a Human Xiao and raising another; that's a first, even for me."
"Using lifespan pills forcefully to increase longevity will eventually lead to one becoming a Human Xiao?" asked Li Huowang, feeling surprised. Wouldn't this make lifespan pills useless?
"Not exactly. Normally, around the age of 120 is a critical point. The closer you get to 120, the weaker the effects of the lifespan pill get. Once past 120, you have to find a way to dispel your obsessions. If you can't, then forcefully using the lifespan pills will only turn you into a Human Xiao. Each sect has their own methods for this, some good and some bad. But don't expect others to tell you all this so easily. They keep these things well hidden. There are also some methods that everyone knows about, but they are not easy to accomplish. For example, using the bewilderment of a Strayed One to dispel one's obsessions is the simplest and the best method," explained Tuoba Danqing.
Hearing this, Li Huowang's fingers bent ever so slightly without anyone noticing.
"But think about it, having a living Strayed One with you is dangerous. After all, you would have to be on guard against others trying to snatch it away. Thus, telling you this method is the same as not telling you anything, right?" Tuoba Danqing continued to talk, almost as if he was having a casual conversation with an old friend.
As they continued drinking, Tuoba Danqing suddenly remembered something and slapped his own forehead. "Oh, look at my forgetful mind. Brother Er, since you're now a Ninth Troop, why not go to the capital for a promotion? In the future, when you go to the Rites Department, you can use the lifespan pills you have earned to exchange for things inside the Bureau. There, not only is there an abundance of variety, there are also some items that you can't find in the markets outside. But remember, it must be the lifespan pills earned within the Bureau; those from the outside won't work."
"To the capital?" Li Huowang's mood tensed as soon as the headquarters of the Surveillance Bureau was mentioned. "No hurry. I haven't earned much yet. I'll go when I've earned some more."
"Hehehe, Brother Er is indeed different. Others would rush to the capital without question upon learning of this, but you always seem to avoid it. Hehehe," Tuoba Danqing tilted his wine cup toward his mouth, and then shifted his intoxicated gaze towards Li Huowang. Then, he moved his chair closer and asked, "Brother Er, since we're already so close, it wouldn't be too much to ask you something, right?"
"Brother Tuoba, feel free to ask," replied Li Huowang.
Tuoba Danqing chuckled for a moment and then pointed to the bronze coin veil on Li Huowang's face. "Why do you always wear this thing? Is there something hidden behind it?"
At that moment, Hong Zhong suddenly came to Li Huowang's side. "This old guy has been probing you ever since he arrived. Be careful."
As soon as Tuoba Danqing raised his question, the atmosphere became a little tense. Li Huowang understood that no matter how close their relationship was, everything would be over once his identity was exposed.
Seeing Li Huowang continue to remain silent, Tuoba Danqing patted his own cheeks. "Oh, I talked too much. I spoke too carelessly after drinking. Brother Er, don't be angry, don't be angry. I'll punish myself with three cups."
However, Li Huowang knew that the other party was withdrawing now just so that they could advance later. If he didn't resolve this today, then there would be more trouble later.
Various thoughts flashed through his mind as Li Huowang pressed his stomach and started retching. "No worries, Brother Tuoba, if you want to know, then I'll tell you. I have some things that tend to easily come out, and so I need to cover it up with something."
After a while, two black, sticky tentacles slowly extended from the sides of the veil. What was even more peculiar was that these two tentacles were entwined with a pair of double-pupiled eyeballs.
Tuoba Danqing's eyes twitched. "Alright, alright, quickly put it away."
Tuoba Danqing took a bite of food to suppress his shock, and then looked at Li Huowang with some trepidation. "Brother Er, I won't ask much about your cultivation methods. But aren't you afraid of going crazy with such messy cultivation techniques?"
However, Li Huowang just used two of his fingers to push the tentacles back into his mouth, suppressed the nausea and swallowed as he replied, "It's alright."
Chapter 332 - Human Cup
Within the exquisite guest room, Li Huowang dipped the duck meat in some sauce before munching on it in an attempt to suppress the disgusting feeling he had to just go through.
Even though he hated it, it was well worth it to reduce Tuoba Danqing's suspicion against him. At the very least, he now had an excuse as to why he had to wear the bronze coin veil at all times.
Judging by Tuoba Danqing's shocked expression, Li Huowang knew that he had made the right move. As knowledgeable as Tuoba Danqing was, he had definitely never seen someone who had tentacles with eyes in their mouth.
Meanwhile, Tuoba Danqing sipped on his wine to suppress his fear and shock. "Junior, I think you are treading on the path of Black Cultivation. Please excuse my rudeness in saying this, but if possible it is best if you don't cultivate such techniques, or you might find yourself getting consumed by the technique instead..."
Hearing this, Li Huowang reciprocated the man's toast. "Thank you for the advice. I have my own methods."
"It would be best if you do. But truthfully, I knew that you were destined for greatness from the moment when I first saw you," said Tuoba Danqing before proceeding to talk randomly, causing the atmosphere in the room to once again become lighthearted. Both of them kept drinking back and forth.
As he drank, Tuoba Danqing slowly got more and more excited. At the peak of his ecstasy, he suddenly looked at Li Huowang in a bizarre way and chuckled in a way that only men understood. "Junior, let me show you what those at the Ninth Troop can enjoy, but the Tenth Pawns can't."
After saying that, Tuoba Danqing clapped lightly. Immediately, four curvaceous women walked into the room.
Just as Li Huowang thought that they were going to sing for them, the four women removed their clothes and stood before them, stark naked.
Blue veins covered all four of their bodies, making them look like four delicate porcelain vases. All of them had the same hourglass body shape, something that made them look even more like vases.
However, different from vases, two of the women walked over to Li Huowang's side and coddled against his body as they offered to feed him the dishes and pour the wine. Li Huowang realized that these vases were soft, warm, smooth, and very attractive.
As if he was trying to show Li Huowang what he knew, Tuoba Danqing made a gesture of drinking wine. Understanding the gesture, one of the women carefully drank the wine. However, instead of drinking it, she held it in her mouth as she straddled herself on Tuoba Danqing's lap and rolled her tongue into a funnel before slowly pouring the wine into Tuoba Danqing's mouth.
Tuona Danqing drank the warm wine with pleasure and looked at Li Huowang. "Junior Er, do you know what this is? This is called the 'human cup'. What do you think? I bet you've never seen one of them in the kingdom of Si Qi before, right? Hahaha~"
Li Huowang looked at the two women beside him with uneasiness. "Senior Tuoba, I don't think we can discuss anything if they are here."
Tuoba Danqing was hugging one of the girls as he turned to Li Huowang with pride and said, "Don't worry. These were handpicked by me. They are deaf and can't speak. We can just talk normally and don't have to worry about them leaking anything since they can't hear. These girls were specially groomed for people like us."
As Tuoba Danqing spoke, he drank another mouthful of wine from the human cup.
At that moment, Li Huowang suddenly recalled Sun Baolu's beautiful mother who was made to lick other people's asses and felt disgusted. He had almost forgotten that the Liang Kingdom used people as tools.
"Come on, you've finally returned after quite some time; you should take some time to rest. Relax, these are being paid for by the Surveillance Bureau so we can just take it easy." Tuoba Danqing winked at Li Huowang.
Looking at the two pitiful girls hugging his sides, Li Huowang shook his head. "Senior Tuoba, thank you. But I'm just here to have a drink. I don't feel like doing anything else."
Tuoba Danqing was perplexed when he saw that Li Huowang wasn't attracted to the girls. "Oh? Are you perhaps the same as me? I've gotten bored of girls, and so I sometimes like to play with guys instead. Just wait a moment, I will ask the guys to come in instead."
Hearing this, Li Huowang's expression froze for a moment before he raised his voice a little, "Senior Tuoba, as long as my revenge is not achieved, I will not rest. I don't have time for matters like these."
When Tuoba Danqing realized that Li Huowang wasn't joking, he waved his hands, and the women instantly turned around and left.
Once they were gone, Tuoba Danqing drank his wine and sighed. "Junior Er Jiu, you are very righteous. There are not a lot of people who would go to such lengths for their Master and brothers. Everyone is just backstabbing everyone else in this world."
"They were not just my masters, but also my parents. It's the least I could do for them after they were all murdered," replied Li Huowang.
"Fine. Since that's the case, then you should just stay in Yinling City. I know that you want to take revenge as soon as possible and that will make it easier for me. If you stay here in Yinling City, then I can easily find you," said Tuoba Danqing.
"Sure. Thank you Senior Tuoba! Here's a toast for you!" said Li Huowang as he raised another toast.
When Li Huowang returned to his inn, he was covered in the scent of wine. He directly crashed into his bed with his eyes closed while slowly massaging his temples.
To him, drinking and talking with Tuoba Danqing was just as hard as fighting outside. After all, Li Huowang still didn't know the extent of Tuoba Danqing's knowledge and trust. He had to keep his guard up at all times to prevent his status from being exposed. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
At that moment, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something and took out his identity token. He saw the words 'Ninth Troop' etched on it and smiled. He was one step closer to his goal.
Li Huowang knew that the higher his rank was, the more power he could use within the Surveillance Bureau.
Bei Feng, who had lived for 190 years, was definitely strong, but it wasn't necessary for him to fight Bei Feng on his own.
When his thoughts reached this point, Li Huowang suddenly sat up and started mumbling, "Wait, since I have the Surveillance Bureau behind my back, I don't have to fight at all. The Sitting Oblivion Dao and the Surveillance Bureau are each other's arch nemesis. As long as I let them fight among themselves, I can just reap the rewards for myself."
"Hehehe."
Li Huowang turned around and saw that it was Hong Zhong chuckling to himself.
"You are so stupid. You can't even lie, so how are you going to pit them together? The Four Joys and Three Officials are incredible tricksters. Don't be surprised when you find out that they've trapped you before you could even execute your plan," said Hong Zhong.
Li Huowang didn't ignore him this time. "Didn't you say that I was the true Hong Zhong? I believe it now. Since I'm at the same rank as them, then why can't I pitch them to fight against the Surveillance Bureau?"
Hearing his words, Hong Zhong finally started getting excited. "Yeah! You are right! This might all be Hong Zhong's plan! You suppressed your own memories and sneaked into the Surveillance Bureau before causing some damage."
"Yeah! That's right! That's what I thought too!" Li Huowang stood up, looking just as excited as Hong Zhong.
Suddenly, both of them started laughing. Their laughter got louder and louder before stopping completely as both of them glared at each other in a taunting way.
Chapter 333 - Meeting Someone Familiar
After a while, Li Huowang rolled to the edge of the bed and closed his eyes.
Meanwhile Hong Zhong was smiling while thinking about something when Monk suddenly approached him. "What other tricks are you planning to do? Don't harm the Daoist. He's a good person."
"A good person? Hehe, a good person indeed."
That night, Li Huowang slept quite soundly. He wasn't sure if it was because he drank a lot of wine, but he only woke up late in the morning the next day.
After waking up, Li Huowang yawned and washed up.
Since Tuoba Danqing had told him to stay here, he knew that he would temporarily be staying in Yinling City.
Plus, he had nowhere else to go.
As to how long he would have to stay, it all depended on Tuoba Danqing. However, based on their conversation yesterday, Li Huowang was sure that he wouldn't need to wait all that long.
"Crepes~ Delicious crepes~"
"Sweet~ Sweet sweet Tanghulu~"[1]
"Scissors~ Knives~ I grind them all~"[2]
"General Jiang was eight feet tall and four feet wide! He stood in front of the enemy camp and shouted with all his might: Ai~ Hei!! The thousands of soldiers from the Qi Kingdom were instantly horrified!"
As Li Huowang strolled around, various sounds entered his ears.
"How much for a crepe?" asked Li Huowang.
"A single coin. Look at how big our crepes are. They are cheap yet filling~"
Li Huowang bought four of them, and walked as he ate. He didn't walk very fast. The reason he was taking a stroll through the city was to let Li Sui learn how to talk by listening to the other people.
Li Sui had heard someone saying 'daddy' just once and could already repeat it. Not only was it capable of speech, it could also mimic the voices of others.
Thus, Li Huowang wanted to test and see if Li Sui could speed up its learning process if there were more people talking around him. And based on the numerous fragmented words that Li Sui was parroting off, Li Huowang knew that he had made the right decision.
Unfortunately, with this approach, he could not choose what Li Sui would learn. It had even learned how to cuss after hearing some women arguing on the streets, causing Li Huowang to frown and quickly leave the area.
After a while, he stood in the middle of the street and took in the prosperous city. The Liang Kingdom was indeed very advanced and prosperous. They had everything they needed.
But at the same time, it was revolting to learn that the people with power would use something like a human cup.
Still, it was because they were so prosperous that they could afford to do something like that.
Just as Li Huowang was reflecting on the city, he saw something that caused him to frown. He quickly ran toward it.
As he ran, he quickly started picking up speed and even used his powers to shift himself as he weaved through the crowds.
After he got through the crowd, Li Huowang patted someone's shoulder. Before this, the man was staring at someone selling food.
When the man turned around and saw Li Huowang, he instantly became excited and shouted loudly, "Master!"
Lu Xiucai was so overjoyed that he almost hugged Li Huowang.
"Stop. I'm asking you a question. Why are you here? Where is Troupe Leader Lu?" questioned Li Huowang.
Hearing his father's name, Lu Xiucai scoffed. "I'm sick of him! Shit. If it wasn't because of me needing—"
However, Li Huowang's cold stare instantly made Lu Xiucai shut up.
After a moment, Lu Xiucai continued, "Master, I'm someone with special powers now! Why should I continue performing with him? I want to experience the world!"
Li Huowang looked around before pulling Lu Xiucai to sit at a food stall.
"Experience the world? Where are your spare clothes? Your travel money? Your weapon? You just came out from the village with nothing?" asked Li Huowang.
Faced with these questions, Lu Xiucai gritted his teeth while seething with anger. "I did! I bought everything, but someone stole it from me yesterday! I will tear them apart if I catch them!"
"Fine, fine." Li Huowang was annoyed. Lu Xiucai reminded him of a poodle. Small and weak, yet extremely arrogant.
However, even though the black -tassel sword changed his character, Lu Xiucai was still just a seventeen-year-old youth.
"Your travel money got stolen? You must be starving now. Boss, give us two bowls of whatever you are selling," said Li Huowang.
Lu Xiucai was so hungry that as soon as the seller brought out the dried shrimps covered in sesame seeds, he grabbed it with both hands.
As Li Huowang saw Lu Xiucai burning his mouth, he frowned and lowered his voice as he asked,. "How's the village after I left?"
"Ha~ Hah~ Hah~ It's still the same," Lu Xiucai gasped for air and swallowed the food in his mouth before continuing, "Everyone is still fine. My useless father bought several cows to prepare the fields for spring next year. He wanted to utilize all the farmland that was left behind. He also said that he didn't have enough people and was trying to find some temporary laborers."
"What about Miaomiao?"
"Senior Bai is still fine. She still eats and sleeps as normal, but she seems to always lack focus."
Li Huowang sighed, his elbows on his knees as he clasped his own face and muttered, "As long as she's fine."
Lu Xiucai had finished eating half of the bowl in no time. Once his hunger had been staved off, his spirit returned as he requested, "Master, let me follow you!"
However, Li Huowang shook his head. "No, once you finish your meal, I will give you some money for you to return to Cowheart Mountain. Do not go anywhere else. Go straight back home."
Li Huowang could not afford to have someone dragging him down right now, especially since he was not even related to Lu Xiucai. He was already being generous by giving him travel money.
"No! I will not go back! If I do, then my brother will use his fists to threaten me to work in the fields!" refused Lu Xiucai. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Hearing this, Li Huowang grabbed Lu Xiucai's shirt collar and warned him sternly. "Only your father will tolerate you, and I'm not your father! I have enough to worry about on my plate and I don't have time for this! If you say one more stupid thing, then I will break your legs and leave you out on the streets!"
Lu Xiucai's lips quivered, but he dared not say anything when he saw just how serious Li Huowang was.
"Also, when you go back, don't tell anyone that you saw me." Li Huowang took out a piece of silver the size of his thumb and placed it in front of Lu Xiucai. Then, he turned and left.
As Lu Xiucai saw Li Huowang leaving him behind, he felt extremely unreconciled. Just as Li Huowang was about to disappear into the crowd, Lu Xiucai shouted from behind, "You were the one who taught me those powers! But you only taught me how to use the sword, and didn't even give me the sword! What kind of master are you?! You are incorrigible!"
When Lu Xiucai saw Li Huowang turn to look back at him, he quickly placed the silver in his clothes and prepared to run when.
However, before he could leave, Li Huowang waved his hands and five black coins shot out, nailing themselves into the wooden table in front of Lu Xiucai. The coins were taken off the bronze coin sword. Even though there were only five, Lu Xiucai should be able to use them with the method he was trained in.
"We are even now! Don't call me master anymore!" said Li Huowang.
After meeting Lu Xiucai, Li Huowang lost all his interest in strolling through the city. He directly returned back to the inn.
"Miaomiao?" At that moment, the Black Taisui's voice rang out in his ear.
"Since Li Huowang is your father, Miaomiao is your mother." Hong Zhong chuckled as he walked beside Li Huowang.
"Mother?"
Li Huowang was stunned.
Li Sui can hear the illusions?!
1. A type of street snack. Berries and fruits are coated in liquid caramel before cooling off. ?
2. A grinder who grinds sharpens utensils for a living, ?
Chapter 334 - Ji Xiang
Dak dak dak~
The sound of horse hoofs rang out non stop. Due to the rain, there weren't a lot of people on the streets. Thus, the horses could run faster as well.
The veil of one of the riders flew in the wind, revealing Li Huowang's resolute gaze. He held the reins in one hand as he took out a letter from inside his robes. It was a letter from Tuoba Danqing. It didn't say much.
"Ji Xiang summons. Come Immediately. Yinling Prison."
By now, Li Huowang had a good grasp of Tuoba Danqing's personality. With his character, if he didn't inform Li Huowang of something over food and wine, then it meant that the mission was critical.
Li Huowang didn't know if this was a blessing or a curse. Thus, the best he could do was prepare for the worst-case scenario.
Thankfully he was all alone now, and so there was nothing for him to be afraid of.
Soon, Li Huowang reached his destination and jumped down from the horse. He looked up and observed the eerie building made from bricks. The guards guarding the door were all exuding a murderous aura, a clear sign that this was the place where they kept some of the more heinous criminals.
Li Huowang also had a faint feeling that the guards possessed a military background too.
Just as Li Huowang dismounted his horse, he felt a slight pricking sensation from his organs, a sign that someone was aiming hidden weapons at him from the shadows.
He quickly displayed his identity token and walked through the main gates. The gates of the prison were being guarded by two stone lions.
Just as Li Huowang walked in, he saw Tuoba Danqing sitting on a bench as he waved at him. "Junior Er, come here! Quick!"
When Li Huowang walked over, he saw someone familiar. It was Hong Da, the Creditor.
Without waiting for Li Huowang to greet him, Tuoba Danqing happily pulled Li Huowang and forced him to sit with him on the bench. "Junior Er, as you can see, I do care about your circumstances quite a lot. See, I notified you immediately the moment that a good mission came up."
"Oh? Is this a good mission?" asked Li Huowang as he sniffed the cold and rotten air of his surroundings. He looked around the cells and wasn't sure whether any of the prisoners were dead or alive. This wasn't really a good indication.
On the other hand, Tuoba Danqing slapped his legs and smiled happily. "Of course, it's a good mission! After all, we will be fighting against the Sitting Oblivion Dao! Since you have a grudge against them, I've nominated you to come with us so that you can have your revenge. See how well I am treating you?"
Li Huowang was surprised. "Please tell me the details about the mission."
"Don't worry. Once Ji Xiang comes, he will tell you about everything. We don't know much about it yet," Hong Da replied instead of Tuoba Danqing as he calmly sipped on his tea.
"Senior Hong, long time no see. It was only thanks to your referral that I could join the Surveillance Bureau," Li Huowang greeted Hong Da while secretly estimating the scale of the mission.
If Ji Xiang has to come here personally from the capital, then the mission this time might be quite dangerous...
Li Huowang knew next to nothing about Ji Xiang. All he knew was that he was Tuoba Danqing's superior. But since Ji Xiang was someone who could work at the headquarters, he should be quite powerful.
"No need to thank me. You were the one who chose the path. Just don't blame me for letting you join the nest of thieves if something were to happen next time around," replied Hong Da.
"Ai~ Hong Da, you can't say that. How could you compare the Bureau to a nest of thieves? You receive so many lifespan pills after every mission and they even compensate you for food and clothes. Plus, the bureau also gives out lots of mooncakes during the Mid-autumn festival. They even pay the money when you go to a gambling den. How could you insult the bureau in front of a newcomer when we are treating you so well?" questioned Tuoba Danqing.
"Fine, fine. You are the loyal worker while I'm the traitorous one." Hong Da was annoyed by Tuoba Danqing. He rolled his eyes before turning around.
Tuoba Danqing was just about to launch into another tirade when Li Huowang stopped him. "Senior Tuoba, why are we talking about the mission in a prison today?"
"Junior Er, do you see that over there? Yes, the second-to-last cage. We will be escorting the prisoner locked inside there today," replied Tuoba Danqing.
Just as Li Huowang was about to stand up and take a closer look, a shrill male voice came from behind him.
"Danqing, it seems that everyone is here. Looks like I'm the one who is late today."
Hmm? An eunuch? 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Li Huowang turned around and saw a plump middle-aged man wearing official clothes.
Li Huowang saw the man had white makeup covering his face, was wearing official clothes, and had a repulsive smile. If he hadn't walked in, Li Huowang would've thought the man was a zombie he had seen in movies.
The man stood there while holding onto a golden abacus, smiling as he looked at everyone. He was Ji Xiang.
Li Huowang got nervous and was worried his disguise would be useless. He only sighed in relief when he saw Ji Xiang did not react to him.
On the other hand, Tuoba Danqing became even friendlier when he saw Ji Xiang. He bowed and became very polite as he quickly greeted the man. "Aiya aiya~ Lord Ji Xiang. How could you say that? You are not late. It's just that we were there too early."
Tuoba Danqing held the fat eunuch's hand while wearing a jade ring before letting him sit down on the table. Instantly, a sharp fragrance burst out from within Ji Xiang, instantly causing Li Huowang to frown. Li Huowang's nose was too sensitive and he managed to determine that the fragrance was weird, because it had the scent of pee as well.
"Lord Ji Xiang, you already know Hong Da. Let me introduce you to the other person. He is Er Jiu. His powers as a member of the Ao Jing Sect are quite amazing. Even a Human Xiao on the Black level was not his opponent. He will definitely be of help to us!" introduced Tuoba Danqing.
Hearing this, Ji Xiang looked at Li Huowang, his eyes twinkling suspiciously.
Feeling uncomfortable, Li Huowang quickly greeted the man, "I greet Lord Ji Xiang."
"So you are Er Jiu? I remember you. Liu Zhongyuan told me about you before. You come from the Ao Jing Sect but it seems your temper is very bad. Last time you burned down all the members of the White Lotus Sect that was supposed to be sent to the capital. If it wasn't because of Liu Zhongyuan saying that he didn't mind it, and the fact that you were Danqing's subordinate, the Bureau might have actually wanted to summon you and demand an explanation," said Ji Xiang as sized up Li Huowang.
Hearing this, Tuoba Danqing did his best to smooth the atmosphere. "Haha, my junior over here is indeed slightly temperamental. The only person I could think of who's both strong and likable within the bureau is you, Lord Ji Xiang."
Hearing this, Ji Xiang smiled till his eyes were wrinkled. "Hehehe~ Danqing, I really love hanging out with you. Your words soothe me so much~"
Just at that moment, Hong Da interrupted both of them who were complimenting each other, "Ji Xiang, can you explain to us about the mission first before we have to continue listening to you guys talking crap?"
Immediately, both of them stopped and turned serious. Just as Li Huowang thought Ji Xiang was about to teach Hong Da a lesson, the man instead pointed his finger toward the cage.
"Danqing~ Bring Master Xin Chi[1] over here. We will explain the mission after that," said Ji Xiang.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang, a newcomer to the Surveillance Bureau, silently observed everything that was happening.
It seems that the hierarchy was not as serious as I thought.
1. Master here doesn't refer to his superior but a title for a Buddhist monk, as in Zen Master ?
Chapter 335 - Buddha's Skeleton Temple
Soon, a creaking sound rang out as a man with a massive frame walked out from the shadow of a cell.
Li Huowang raised his head and saw that it was a monk. The monk was skinny and expressionless, his body unusually tall. In fact, he was as tall as the headless Peng Longteng's illusion. The monk's hands and feet were shackled, but he didn't seem to mind. He just placed both his hands together and sat on the ground without any intention of trying to release the shackles placed on him.
"Alright~ Now that everyone's here, let me explain about what we are going to do," said Ji Xiang.
Hearing this, all of them immediately turned serious. At the same time, the prison guards surrounding them turned around and left.
Ji Xiang coughed before continuing in a slow voice, "This time we have to go to the Buddha's Skeleton Temple. We have received news that Fa Cai from the Sitting Oblivion Dao is planning to do something, but we still have no idea what exactly."
Fa Cai, one of the Three Officials!
Hearing the unexpected name, Li Huowang clenched his fist.
It's no wonder that Ji Xiang, someone that's stationed in the capital, would come all the way here. This is indeed an important mission.
I wonder if I can obtain information about Bei Feng from Fa Cai?
While Li Huowang was thinking about his chances of obtaining information, Ji Xiang continued with his explanation, "Since it's Fa Cai from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, the mission is naturally going to be difficult. This is why we have to invite Master Xin Chi to help us."
Hearing this, the three of them looked at the monk at the same time. In response, the monk also looked back at them silently.
"Master Xin Chi has taken an oath of silence. Since Fa Cai's tricks would be useless on Xin Chi, once you reach Buddha's Skeleton Temple, you must remember that whatever he says is the truth. Secondly, once there, you must never leave each other's sights. Even if it's just for a moment, it's possible for a member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao to exchange their identity with you. Thirdly, Fa Cai is a devious foe. I fought her once ten years ago and here's my advice: Don't believe her, but don't always do the opposite of what she tells you either. Basically, you can't ignore her words completely," explained Ji Xiang.
"Huh? We can't ignore her completely?" Tuoba Danqing's eyes were wide with shock as he pulled back theatrically.
"Yes. Sometimes you might end up falling for her trap even by ignoring everything she says. The best method when dealing with her is to treat a third of her words as true, a third of her words as false, and a third for yourself to decide instinctively," said Ji Xiang.
"Aiya, what a devious foe. To think that you have been fighting her for ten years. I guess we will be almost useless later," said Tuoba Danqing.
"You think she's difficult to fight against, right? Hoho~ The best method is to kill her before she even opens her mouth. Er Jiu, amongst us three, you are the most ruthless. When Master Xin Chi tells you to kill, kill immediately," said Ji Xiang.
"I understand, Lord Ji Xiang. But... I thought that Master Xin Chi had taken an oath of silence. How will he tell me?" Li Huowang thought about this problem. The monk could not speak. How would the monk tell the others even if he did manage to not get tricked by Fa Cai?
Just as Li Huowang had asked this question, a foreign voice sounded in his brain, "Amitabha, I know telepathy. You need not worry."
Finding out about the monk's telepathy suddenly reminded Li Huowang of the nuns from the Benevolent Nunnery. Since he was similar to them, Li Huowang immediately took a liking to the monk.
"Alright, we can discuss the rest as we travel."
With this, all of them stood up and walked out of the prison. There were already four carriages waiting for them.
None of them asked what Fa Cai looked like. Since she was someone from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, she could look however she wanted.
The stations within the Liang Kingdom were very complete. All Ji Xiang had to do was to show his identity plate and they could exchange their carriages at every station.
This was far beyond the speed that Li Huowang could achieve with just walking. In just two days, they arrived at Langzhong City where the Buddha's Skeleton Temple was located.
It was nighttime when Li Huowang hopped down from the carriage. He hadn't even stretched his sore limbs when he saw a temple that dwarfed the other buildings in the distance.
"Remember what I've said. Let's go," Ji Xiang reminded them once more before heading toward the temple.
As they closed in on the temple, everyone grew more serious. At the same time, Ji Xiang also started using his golden abacus, clicking away at it.
Even though it was already night, the temple was still open. Devotees could be seen walking in and out with incense.
The temple is as popular as the Righteous Monastery it seems.
The moment they walked into the temple, Li Huowang's heart became serious. There were people everywhere, but Li Huowang knew that the Sitting Oblivion Dao had infiltrated this place. Thus, except for the three people beside him, he could not trust anyone else.
Since all of them knew this, they all held onto their weapons. Ji Xiang was still using his golden abacus, the clacking sound muting the ambient sound around them considerably.
As they entered, their curious garments attracted a lot of attention from the devotees. However, the four of them just ignored the crowd.
"Come, follow me. Let's enter the front palace first," said Ji Xiang as he led the three of them.
There were no statues of Bodhisattvas or Buddhas in the front palace. Instead, sitting in the middle of the palace was a mummy. Its body was blood-red in color and its face was distorted, and yet the devotees were all praying to it.
"Is that the doing of the Sitting Oblivion Dao? Are they letting the devotees worship that corpse?" Li Huowang asked as he held onto the black-tassel sword.
"No, that is the Flesh Bodhisattva. It's a living Bodhisattva that the Buddha's Skeleton Temple worships," Xin Chi explained.
A Flesh Bodhisattva?
Li Huowang inspected the horrifying corpse. At that moment, he suddenly realized why the temple was called the Buddha's Skeleton Temple.
Just then, Xin Chi's voice exploded in his mind, "Benefactor, move now! Three steps to your left, the devotee who's kneeling and praying. Kill!"
Li Huowang's right arm moved faster than he could think as he slashed at the devotee, his sword that was cloaked in a murderous aura cutting straight through the devotee like a piece of paper.
Blood sprayed everywhere as the devotee was cut in half, his organs falling apart. The man shouted briefly before he stopped moving.
Seeing this scene, the surrounding devotees ran in fear.
At that moment, Xin Chi walked over even with his wooden shackles still on. He clasped his hands and prayed in front of the corpse before using two fingers to inspect the face of the dead man.
"Master, how is it? Was it Fa Cai or someone else from the Sitting Oblivion Dao?" asked Li Huowang as he kneeled on one knee and inspected the corpse. He thought to himself that Fa Cai would never get killed like this so easily.
"Amitabha, I was mistaken. Benefactor Er, let's continue." Xin Chi threw the head of the corpse away before standing up.
Chapter 336 - Abacus
Standing within the Buddha's Skeleton Temple, Li Huowang took deep breaths as he did his best to suppress the urge to kill Xin Chi. He had never hated someone this badly. He had listened to Xin Chi and thought that he killed someone from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, but to think that the man had claimed to be mistaken?
He knew that the Surveillance Bureau didn't care about the lives of the innocents when fulfilling their duties. But Li Huowang had never thought that he would end up being the one to do something like that! Because of Xin Chi, he had killed an innocent man!
At the same time, compared to Li Huowang, Monk's illusion was even angrier, to the point that he was jumping around and crying at the same time. "How could he do that? He doesn't have the qualifications to be a monk! He just killed someone!"
As he spoke, Monk's illusion ran over to punch and kick Xin Chi; but as an illusion, he just phased through the man's body.
"You have no qualifications to shave your head! You don't do any good deeds and only do malicious ones! You are not a monk!" shouted Monk.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang just stood up and followed after them; however, his gaze as he looked at Xin Chi was quite different now. Whatever little respect and good feeling he had for the man had now been turned into disgust and anger.
He had originally been suspicious of why Xin Chi had been locked within Yinling Prison. However, now he knew that it was too light of a sentence for the man.
Unfortunately, Li Huowang understood that now was not the time to raise the issue. If he didn't cooperate now, then they could easily get ambushed by the Sitting Oblivion Dao. Thus, Li Huowang would rather let the issue go for now. However, this didn't mean that he couldn't hate the monk right now.
"How is it, Xin Chi? Was that man someone from the Sitting Oblivion Dao?" asked Hong Da.
"No, I was mistaken." Xin Chi's voice appeared in everyone's mind.
Hearing this, Tuoba Danqing scoffed at him. "Master Xin Chi, weren't you rumored to have learned the Six Paths of Buddhism? How could you discern the wrong person? Don't forget that Lord Ji Xiang is quite busy, and that we can't delay him."
Even though he said that, Ji Xiang ignored them, which was something rare. Instead, the man was frowning as he surveyed the entire palace, all the while his fat fingers never stopping their work on the abacus.
Li Huowang noticed that something was off and quickly calmed himself down as he observed the eunuch in front of him.
Can that abacus find the members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao? Then why do we need Xin Chi?
At that moment, Ji Xiang's fingers suddenly stopped. "Let's go to the main palace."
Hearing this, everyone shut up and quickly followed after him.
Soon, they arrived at the main palace. The main palace was honoring relics[1].
Once here, Ji Xiang quickly used his abacus as the sound of clicking got faster and faster. However, he soon stopped and once again told them to move. "No, it's not here. Let's go to the next palace."
Everyone silently followed him to the next palace.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang was curious as to why Ji Xiang was doing this.
Isn't he afraid that he might end up missing someone from the Sitting Oblivion Dao?
Just as they were about to walk out of the palace, a group of monks approached them. An old monk led them as the others surrounded Li Huowang's group while holding Bo Staves.
"Who are you? Why are you breaking the rule of no killing inside our temple?" shouted one of the monks beside the old monk.
In response, Li Huowang held onto his sword and asked, "Who are you?"
"Are you blind? We are the monks of the Buddha's Skeleton Temple."
Hearing his words, the three of them turned to look at the tall Xin Chi. Only he could determine who among them was from the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
It was only when he nodded that all of them sighed in relief.
After that, Tuoba Danqing stepped forward and showed off his identity plate and said, "We are from the Surveillance Bureau. Return back to your rooms and don't come out!"
The monks who heard his words all frowned. All of them looked at the old monk.
In return, the old monk clasped his hands and asked, "Amitabha, may I know why are you here in my temple? Nothing has happened in the temple for the past few days and everything is calm."
"Of course, you would think that the temple is calm. But you have no idea that underneath the calmness, a lot of people have infiltrated into the temple. Go back to your rooms and don't come out!"
This time, the monks heeded his warning and dispersed.
Just as Ji Xiang was about to bring them to the next location, Li Huowang stopped them and asked, "Wait, don't you think that something is wrong? Everything is too normal here. The Sitting Oblivion Dao is a group of people that loves to trick others for fun, to the point that they would even risk their lives. Things would never be this peaceful if they came here."
"Don't deduce this on your own. The informants of the Surveillance Bureau are much smarter than you. If they have detected that the Sitting Oblivion Dao is here, then they are definitely here," said Hong Da.
However, Li Huowang shook his head. "No, I'm not saying that the Sitting Oblivion Dao isn't here. All I'm saying is that maybe there's another reason behind why the SItting Oblivion Dao infiltrated this place rather than just doing their regular petty tricks."
Li Huowang thought that Ji Xiang would contemplate on his words, but the man merely frowned and said, "Just do your job."
Then, he turned to exit the palace.
What's going on?
With this, Li Huowang was even more bewildered. It was as if Ji Xiang knew what the Sitting Oblivion Dao was doing.
As he followed them, Li Huowang knew that something was wrong as he followed them.
That eunuch must be holding something back from us.
At this point, Li Huowang thought that the whole mission was fishy even though he hadn't even seen the Sitting Oblivion Dao's shadows.
As Li Huowang's boots stepped onto the clean marble floor, his footsteps echoed loudly. This time, rather than observing the devotees and the monks, he concentrated on Ji Xiang instead.
After much observation, Li Huowang saw what was wrong.
If Ji Xiang had been fighting against the Sitting Oblivion Dao, then he should've been paying attention to the people around them. Rather than that, he was instead concentrating on the pillars of the temple. At the same time, his abacus never stopped; it was as if he was looking for something.
Is he looking for something specific?
Li Huowang didn't dare ask the question because he didn't know Ji Xiang's true power.
"Benefactor Er, five steps to the left, kill!"
Hearing the command, Li Huowang unsheathed his sword halfway before seeing that it was a woman praying diligently on the prayer mat. Thus, he sheathed his sword back.
1. pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are apparently found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters. Believed to embody the spiritual knowledge, teachings, realizations or living essence of spiritual masters. ?
Chapter 337 - Collapse
"Master Xin Chi, are you sure you are right this time?"
While the Surveillance Bureau would not hesitate to kill innocents for the sake of their missions, Li Huowang still couldn't stomach the fact that he had to kill innocents for no reason.
When Li Huowang asked that question, the woman's body shrank until only her clothes were left.
"Er Jiu! Why did you not listen to me?"
Li Huowang scoffed when he saw Xin Chi becoming angry, his eyes wide like an Arhat. Then, he walked over to where the clothes were and stabbed his sword into the cushion. A puppy-like cry was heard as blood flowed from the cushion.
The girl had not run away. Instead, she had shrunk and flattened herself to hide in the cushion.
"Master Xin Chi, if you were this accurate all the time, then I wouldn't have to hesitate at all."
Li Huowang did not want to become a weapon for others who killed innocent people, especially if he was being ordered by someone disgusting.
Sensing that the two of them were about to erupt into open hostilities, Ji Xiang stepped in. "Enough! I'm not dead yet. You had better be good! Don't forget why I called you here!"
Even though Ji Xiang was still smiling, both Li Huowang and Xin Chi knew that Ji Xiang was not someone to be trifled with. Thus, both of them chose to remain silent after that warning.
Time slowly passed and they circled around the entire temple. Except for that member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao that Li Huowang had killed, they found no one else even after an entire hour.
Thus, there were only two possibilities: either the Sitting Oblivion Dao had run away, or they were hiding themselves.
Still, even though they hadn't had any results in so long, Ji Xiang was not the slightest bit anxious, and was even getting more and more excited.
This only further reinforced Li Huowang's idea that there was another reason behind why Ji Xiang had come to Buddha's Skeleton Temple.
When they once again entered the palace with the dried corpse, Ji Xiang's face suddenly lit up with joy. At the same time, his fingers on the abacus started moving so fast that they left behind after-images. Sparks flew from the golden abacus.
"Come quick!" called out Ji Xiang as he stepped on the marble floor in a complicated pattern. After he circled the place three times, one of the Bodhisattva motifs on a pillar started moving on its own.
At this point, Li Huowang was sure.
I knew it! Ji Xiang is here to find something! Clearing out the members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao was nothing more than a ruse!
The motif on the pillar quickly shriveled up, turning into a dried up corpse in no time. The corpse then used both its hands to open up its torso before jamming its fingers into its ribs.
However, Ji Xiang's face went blank from surprise as he stared at the dried corpse on the pillar.
There was nothing within its abdomen.
"Where's the Muddled One? Did someone take it before me? That can't be. Only I can access it," muttered Ji Xiang.
Muddled One?
Li Huowang, who was a Strayed One, was extra sensitive to terms that were similar to it.
Is a Muddled One another type of human treasure, just like a Strayed One? If the Strayed Ones are burdened by their sense of confusion and bewilderment, then what are the Muddled Ones? What kind of curse do they have to bear?
However, before he could even ask Tuoba Danqing about it, the sound of wood creaking and groaning came from the ceiling above, causing all of them to look up at the same time.
Before any of them could react, Hong Da shouted at them, "Run! It's going to collapse!"
The moment he said this, the entire palace rumbled as the roof crashed downward, the tiles crushing everything underneath it. Dust blew up everywhere and covered the entire area.
It hurts.
Li Huowang felt pain all over his body. Everything was dusty and he couldn't see anything. He tried to move but felt that something was crushing his body. He realized that he was stuck under a pile of debris.
Just as he was thinking about how to escape this situation, the sound of roof tiles being moved away rang out. Soon, the dust cleared up a bit and Li Huowang saw a man with a strong body appear in front of him.
Li Huowang finally managed to escape when the man lifted the debris weighing hundreds of kilos from atop Li Huowang's body.
Li Huowang stood up and shook off the dust on his body as he thanked the man, "Thank you, Senior Tuoba."
Tuoba Danqing's face was dusty as he placed the debris back down. "No need to thank me. We are brothers who have shared a glass of wine together. How could I not rescue you? But, are you alright? Where are the others? The Sitting Oblivion Dao must've caused the roof of the temple to collapse."
As Tuoba Danqing spoke, he patted off the dust on his body.
Hearing his words, Li Huowang nodded. "It must've been them."
At the same time, Li Huowang carefully inched away from Tuoba Danqing, leaving a gap between the two of them while ensuring to never let the man out of his sight.
While the two of them were talking, someone else walked out from the dust cloud. It was Xin Chi with his tall frame.
As soon as he saw Li Huowang and Tuoba Danqing, Xin Chi's face became serious. Then, he pointed with his massive finger at Li Huowang. At the same time, Tuoba Danqing heard something in his mind and instantly retreated away from Li Huowang.
As the three of them stood apart from each other, Xin Chi and Tuoba Danqing stared at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang immediately realized what was going on. Xin Chi had told Tuoba Danqing something. Thus, Li Huoawng immediately shouted at Tuoba Danqing before any of them could act, "Senior Tuoba, you can suspect that I'm from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, but why aren't you suspecting that Xin Chi might be the fake one?"
"Stop lying. The Sitting Oblivion Dao doesn't know his telepathy." At this moment, Tuoba Danqing's usual friendly gaze was beyond cold.
"They don't know his telepathy? They can steal any power easily!" said Li Huowang as he unsheathed his sword.
"We knew that you would say this, but Lord Ji Xiang told us before that even if it was Fa Cai herself, she too would need to spend at least six hours to learn Xin Chi's telepathy. Thus, he is real and you are fake," concluded Tuoba Danqing.
Faced with their accusations, Li Huowang got angrier and angrier.
"He's visibly fake!" shouted Li Huowang as he pointed at Xin Chi.
However, at that moment, a familiar voice rang out inside his mind. It was Xin Chi's telepathy. "No, I am real. I also know that you are real, but right now, my voice is the truth. If I say that you are fake, then you are fake."
"What?!" Li Huowang's eyes were wide with shock. He could not believe what Xin Chi was saying! He had thought of many possibilities before this, but he had never thought about his own allies betraying him.
"Are you crazy? You are accusing me and betraying us just because of that incident from earlier? Just because I challenged your authority?" questioned Li Huowang.
Xin Chi smiled for a brief moment before once again becoming serious. "That's right. I'm a petty person."
Having said that, he and Tuoba Danqing started running toward Li Huowang.
"You crazy fucker!" Li Huowang roared as he directly slashed toward Xin Chi.
However, as he got closer, something metallic flew out from the dust cloud, aiming for Li Huowang's neck!
It was a rusted short blade, and the one behind it was Hong Da.
At that moment, Li Huowang was surrounded by three people.
What is happening? Did they find out my identity? Is this a trap for me?!
Chapter 338 - Sitting Oblivion Dao
Jiang!
The sound of metal clashing rang out as Li Huowang's black-tassel sword blocked Hong Da's rusted blade.
The rusted blade cracked and shattered, but a shrapnel still magically flew toward Li Huowang's face.
However, faced with this deadly attack, Li Huowang had no intention of guarding against it. He twisted his sword, choosing to cut off Hong Da's head at the expense of getting injured himself.
But at that moment, a strong wind came from Li Huowang's side. It was Xin Chi. He raised his right leg and stepped on Li Huowang.
At that moment, a dark shadow twisted out from within Li Huowang's Daoist robe and grabbed the bronze coin sword before stabbing it at Xin Chi's feet.
It was one of Li Sui's tentacles. He was helping Li Huowang take care of the surprise attacks.
Li Sui and Li Huowang worked in tandem, allowing them to fight against two people at the same time. However, given that there were three opponents, they were just not enough.
A dull explosion rang out as Li Huowang spat out blood and flew into the debris, sending out a plume of dust. At this point, Li Huowang's face was stabbed full of shrapnel.
Even though he felt like his organs had rearranged themselves, Li Huowang stood up. When he did, he saw that he was surrounded once more.
Suddenly, Tuoba Danqing, who had attacked him just now, warned everyone. "Don't attack his back. It seems that he has armor there. His body was tough."
Li Huowang swallowed his blood and roared at Tuoba Danqing, "Senior Tuoba, you saw the tentacles on my body just now! Ask yourself, can the Sitting Oblivion Dao copy my techniques?!"
Tuoba Danqing glanced at the black tentacle that was holding the bronze coin sword, his eyes filled with a hint of hesitation. But in the end, he decided to not believe Li Huowang. "Hong Da, lend me a blade."
Hearing this, Hong Da opened his clothes and chose the longest blade from his collection.
At this point, it was clear that they did not trust Li Huowang, and so there was no point in trying to talk any further.
"No need to explain it to them! Kill them all! Kill! Kill! Kill!" At that moment, a domineering woman's voice exploded in Li Huowang's mind.
At the same time, a surge of anger flooded into his mind as Li Huowang stood his ground, ready to fight against Tuoba Danqing.
If he wanted to survive, he needed to break through their formation, and Tuoba Danqing, without his weapon, was clearly the weakest link!
Xin Chi wanted to help Tuoba Danqing by fighting against Li Huowang first, but Li Huowang was one step faster than him. Li Huowang directly cut open his mouth, removing half of his teeth in the process. Then, from his open cheek, everyone saw Li Huowang's exposed mouth and the bloody wound.
Li Huowang took a deep breath before spitting out, sending his bloodied teeth flying out of the wound as they shot toward Xin Chi.
After making Xin Chi retreat, Li Huowang raised his black-tassel sword and charged at Tuoba Danqing. At the same time, Li Sui raised the bronze coin sword as well.
As he saw the sword stabbing toward him, Tuoba Danqing quickly used his arms to block, causing his sleeves to be torn open by the sword and reveal a pair of wristbands made from red-colored walnuts.
As Li Huowang's sword stabbed into the walnuts, the sound of metal grinding rang out.
Unexpectedly, the wristbands made of red-colored walnuts managed to block Li Huowang's sword, its edges wedged between them. It was most definitely an artifact!
At that moment, the walnuts shivered as if there was something hiding within them. At the same time, several venomous gazes trained on Li Huowang's head.
"Don't get close to him! He's raising several Gus![1]" At that moment, Hong Zhong, who had originally been invisible for some time, suddenly appeared and warned Li Huowang of the danger.
At the critical moment, Li Huowang suddenly shouted at Li Sui. "Li Sui, now!"
Immediately the black tentacle holding the bronze coin sword stabbed toward Tuoba Danqing's chest.
Ding!
However, the bronze coin sword stopped right at Tuoba Danqing's chest, unable to pierce any further.
As Tuoba Danqing's shirt was torn off, a golden longevity lock was revealed on his chest[2].
At that moment, Li Huowang's sharp hearing also picked up Xin Chi's footsteps that were approaching him from behind at the same time.
"Haha, how's this, Sitting Oblivion Dao? Didn't expect this right?" gloated Tuoba Danqing.
As he stared at the man's gloating face, Li Huowang suddenly opened his mouth and spat the two teeth that he had intentionally kept hidden in his mouth.
The teeth exploded, smashing half of Tuoba Danqing's face in.
"AAAAAA!"
Li Huowang kicked Tuoba Danqing's chest, finally allowing him to escape their formation.
However, just as he sighed in relief and was about to escape the collapsed temple, he ran into a familiar face.
It was another Li Huowang.
Looking at each other's faces, both Li Huowangs looked surprised.
"Er Jiu! Kill him! That's a member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao!" At that moment, Xin Chi's voice rang out in the fake Li Huowang's mind.
Hearing that, the fake Li Huowang revealed an expression of disgust and unsheathed the bronze coin sword on his back before running toward the real Li Huowang. "Sitting Oblivion Dao! You dare disguise yourself as me! Die!"
With this, Li Huowang was once again trapped and surrounded.
At that moment, Xin Chi ran up to the real Li Huowang before using his massive legs to step on him.
Surprisingly, the real Li Huowang just phased through his legs.
Xin Chi was caught unaware as he watched Li Huowang sink into the ground.
However, that had just been an illusion. The real Li Huowang had long since turned invisible and hidden himself away.
After escaping the encirclement, Li Huowang was currently hiding atop one of the roofs as he looked at the four people standing on the ground.
"Damn! That fellow from the Sitting Oblivion Dao knows how to travel through the ground!" said the fake Li Huowang in frustration.
Just then, XIn Chi approached the fake Li Huowang carefully and then used his telepathy to warn the other two. "Careful, this man is a member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao."
However, without waiting for the two of them to react, the fake Li Huowang showed off a surprised expression, his eyes growing wide. "Master Xin Chi, what is the meaning of this? If I'm from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, then doesn't that mean that the person from just now had been real? Since he had been real, then why were you framing him? Do you want to kill both the fake and the real Li Huowang? Just because I challenged your authority once? Are you that petty? Can you really tell the real person apart from a fake or were you perhaps mistaken once again?"
As he spoke, the fake Li Huowang retreated away from Xin Chi.
At this point, even Tuoba Danqing and Hong Da stopped as they looked at Xin Chi.
On the other hand, not knowing how to explain the situation, Xin Chi started panicking.
Meanwhile, as Li Huowang looked at the situation down below, he started chuckling. He had never thought that his enemy, the Sitting Oblivion Dao, would end up helping him like this.
1. A Gu is a venom-based poison associated with cultures of south China, particularly Nanyue The traditional preparation of gu poison involves sealing several venomous creatures (e.g., centipede, snake, scorpion) inside a closed container, where they devoured one another and allegedly concentrated their toxins into a single survivor, whose body would be fed upon by larvae until consumed. The last surviving larva held the complex poison. ?
2. A pendant in the shape of a lock. The lock shape itself symbolizes an actual security lock, embodying the parents' wish for its wearer to be "locked" to the earth or "locked to life", to ward away death. ?
Chapter 339 - Fa Cai
Faced with the accusations of the member of Sitting Oblivion Dao, Xin Chi wanted to explain himself. However, Li Huowang was not capable of hearing what he was talking about.
At this point, Xin Chi's own actions were impeding himself. He had never thought that the Sitting Oblivion Dao would copy Li Huowang's identity to try and trick them.
However, compared to seeing who would end up getting the short end of the stick here, Li Huowang was much more concerned about what he should do next.
After some deliberation, he decided on his course of action.
This mission is too dangerous. Both my allies and enemies are targeting me. Rather than going in with them, I would much rather act alone. Then once they fight, I will get to reap the rewards when the time is right. I can't trust anyone here! I can only trust myself. At least, I won't lie to myself.
He gave the four people down below one final look before scaling down from the roof while still being invisible.
He saw that the four of them weren't fighting anymore, and were instead walking together. Seeing this, he realized that Xin Chi must've chosen to remain silent and admit that the fake Li Huowang was the real one to uphold his reputation.
However, Xin Chi was still cautious, ready to fight against the member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao at any moment.
The four of them seemed to be searching for something.
Li Huowang knew what they were looking for. They were searching for Ji Xiang. Ever since the temple palace collapsed, the golden abacus-wielding Ji Xiang was missing. Li Huowang hurried his steps to follow them.
But before he could do that, a hand suddenly patted his shoulder.
Instantly, Li Huowang started sweating profusely. He was invisible at the moment, and yet someone had still managed to spot him!
He turned around with his sword unsheathed, only to see that there was a scholar standing behind him.
Hua~
The scholar opened his fan, and Li Huowang saw that there were four words written on it: Everyone has their values.
"You must be Er Jiu. I am curious as to why out of your five elements, you only seem to have fire and metal. Where are the other three?" asked the scholar.
However, Li Huowang just stared at the stranger, his guard up as he prepared himself to deal with any strange movements.
In this bizarre place, that stranger could be anyone. But it was highly likely that the other party was from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, or someone worse.
Thus, Li Huowang was ready to act the moment he detected any hostility or attacks.
"Your face... Doesn't it hurt to have those shrapnel blades embedded into your face? Those blades belong to the blade of the Creditor. If you borrow a weapon from him, then he will seek your luck and fate in payment." As the scholar spoke, he waved his fan and the rusted shrapnel blades were instantly removed from Li Huowang's face. Then, with another wave of his fan, the wound on Li Huowang's face mended itself.
Seeing the scholar's movements, Li Huowang instantly grabbed his flint and placed it against his own skin.
"Who are you?" Li Huowang stated each word clearly.
Looking at Li Huowang's wariness, the scholar sighed and thought about it. After some time, he simply answered, "Never mind. I still have some matters to attend to, and so I will leave now. Since you've joined the Surveillance Bureau, then you should live a good life. Sometimes ignorance is bliss."
Then, the scholar kneeled down and took out a black spindle and placed it on the ground. "I will leave you with something. This works much better than your coin veil."
After placing it down, the scholar didn't do anything else and just nodded at Li Huowang before turning to the temple. "We will meet again in the future, Er Jiu. My name is Zhuge Yuan. If you have problems that you can't solve, then come and find me at the Xing Island of the Western Seas. My powers are limited, but I will help you out as much as I can."
With those words, the scholar left. However, Li Huowang did not move for a long time. As he thought about the scholar's actions, he soon realized that it was the rare act of kindness exhibited in this world.
It was something that he had only ever experienced in his hallucinations so far.
Back then, even Abbess Jingxin never showed any kindness, choosing to keep it buried deep in her heart. While she still helped him, she was unfriendly on the outside.
On the other hand, the scholar from just now had shown genuine kindness.
However, after some time, Li Huowang shook his head and braced himself.
No! That scholar is definitely fishy! I cannot let him rope me in. I've already fallen for these tricks enough and I must not fall for them once again.
With these thoughts, Li Huowang took one final look at the black spindle on the ground before walking toward the side palace.
This mission and the people he had met today made Li Huowang feel restless. He wasn't sure why, but he had a feeling that he was somehow looking at everything through a veil. He could not see through any of it.
When he walked into the side palace, he was stunned.
The original group of four people had now turned into six. At this point, there was one more Xin Chi and one more Hong Da.
As Li Huowang saw them fighting, he chuckled. "Interesting."
Then, he patted the dust off his shoulder, rearranged his robes, and kept his sword before entering the side palace. This time, he was not invisible.
When the real Li Huowang stepped in, the fake Li Huowang inside directly palmed his head. "Oh shit, here comes another one!"
"This is the real Er Jiu."
"No, he is fake. He's from the Sitting Oblivion Dao."
Both Xin Chis also used telepathy at the same time and gave two completely different answers.
Li Huowang looked at the two Xin Chis and contemplated. At this point, even he couldn't differentiate between which was the fake one and which was the one who framed him.
The palace soon grew rowdy with their arguing voices. Since the extra Xin Chi had appeared, they no longer had any methods that could be used to reliably tell who was real and who was fake.
There were numerous times when they wanted to start fighting, but stopped when the others held them back. Thus, no one fought for a long time.
However, Li Huowang did not care about any of this. He did not need to know who was real and who was fake. He was just here to watch the show.
All he needed to do was to wait for them to fight and for one of them to emerge as the victor. He would act after that.
At that moment, Li Huowang smiled as he looked at the chaos in front of him. Now, he could somewhat understand the Sitting Oblivion Dao's thought process.
As long as it did not involve him, any crisis would be interesting in his eyes.
"Enough!" A shrill voice suddenly rang out, causing everyone to stop fighting as they looked toward the entrance.
It was Ji Xiang who was holding a half-shrunken head.
At this moment, Ji Xiang's sparse eyebrows were trembling from anger. It was the first time he looked this angry. He approached all of them and looked at the two Li Huowangs, the two Hong Das, and the two Xin Chis. Then, he raised his hand and showed all of them the head. "Stop playing now! This is Fa Cai's head! Fa Cai died a long time ago!"
As soon as they heard this, everyone felt a chill in their gut. Fa Cai, one of the Three Officials of the Sitting Oblivion Dao was dead just like that? Then how strong was the killer?