"When I still had my artifact, money would hop into my pouch by themselves! I didn't have to pay any attention to bronze coins," Lu Xiucai said, scoffing at the waiter, who had just booted him out of the restaurant.
"I'm sorry, dear customer. Regardless of what you say, our shop will not shoulder the payment for your meal," the waiter said, slinging a white towel on his shoulder before returning to his post.
"Hey!" Lu Xiucai exclaimed. He was about to go on a tirade, but the woman next to him stopped him in time. The woman was none other than Tao'er, and she was the wife Lu Xiucai had bought for himself.
Tao'er opened up a pouch and took out two vegetable crackers from it before handing it over to Lu Xiucai.
"No! I don't want it! You can eat it. I'm a man, so how can I eat the leftovers of a woman?" Lu Xiucai said, pushing the vegetable crackers back to Tao'er.
Lu Xiucai's plan was to return to Cowheart Mountain to look for Li Huowang, but he no longer had any money for the trip. The trip wasn't that far, but he had no money, so he struggled quite a lot.
He approached the gangsters he had shared some drinks with and asked them for some money, but they all ignored him decisively.
"Why is the great Lu Xiucai starving on the streets?" A feminine voice echoed from somewhere.
Lu Xiucai was instantly furious at the remark. He turned around and saw two young women—Chun Xiaoman and Bai Lingmiao.
"What a coincidence! So, it's guys! Are you going back to Cowheart Village? Let me go with you! I'll drive!" Lu Xiucai got ready to hop onto the carriage, but Bai Lingmiao kicked him in the head.
"Did I say that you can get on the carriage?" Bai Lingmiao asked, looking down at Lu Xiucai from the window.
Tao'er helped Lu Xiucai up.
Lu Xiucai cast a confused gaze at the white-haired woman in front of him.
Bai Lingmiao was giving off a completely different air. She had become arrogant and unruly, which was a stark contrast to her previous gentle and quiet self.
"What's wrong with Miss Bai?" Lu Xiucai asked Chun Xiaoman holding the reins.
Chun Xiaoman sighed lightly. "What else? She became like you."
"Oh? She touched Master's sword as well?" Lu Xiucai's eyes widened in surprise.
"Xiaoman, stop talking to him. Let's go," Bai Lingmiao said. Ignoring Lu Xiucai, she pulled Chun Xiaoman into the restaurant.
However, Lu Xiucai followed them and sat down at the table with Tao'er in tow. Bai Lingmiao coldly glared at Lu Xiucai, asking, "Did I say that you can sit here?"
"Hey! Miss Bai, don't be so cruel. We're—" Lu Xiucai started.
"What is even our relationship?" However, Bai Lingmiao interrupted coldly, "Are you a fellow comrade of mine who had experienced hardships with me, or are you from my Bai Family?"
Lu Xiucai was infuriated by Bai Lingmiao's words. She used to be so kind, so how come she became so annoying to deal with?
"Fine! It's just a meal. I'm not going to starve to death by just skipping a meal!" Lu Xiucai exclaimed and pulled Tao'er to sit at a nearby empty table.
Chun Xiaoman wanted to say something to diffuse the tense atmosphere, but Bai Lingmiao kicked her lightly. With that, Chun Xiaoman dared not to speak.
The dishes and soup were soon served.
Lu Xiucai couldn't help but gulp a mouthful of his own saliva as the munching noises of the people around him pervaded his ears.
"Oh, right," Bai Lingmiao said.
Lu Xiucai's ears perked up, but he pretended that he wasn't interested.
"You don't need to follow us. Go and look for food elsewhere. Cowheart Village belongs to my family, and I decide who can stay there. I feel nauseous just from seeing you, so you'd best not go there."
"What?!" Lu Xiucai jumped up in anger. "You can't do this to me! The Lu Family Troupe lives there!"
"You really think it's their home just because I allowed them to stay there? Follow me there, and I'll chase them away," Bai Lingmiao said coldly.
Lu Xiucai was rendered speechless. He wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat when he saw the eerie Second Deity. In the end, Lu Xiucai smacked the table and stomped off with Tao'er in tow.
Chun Xiaoman finally spoke, asking, "Miaomiao, don't you think you were a bit too harsh? He's still Troupe Leader Lu's son, you know?"
"I did not beat him up, much less scold him. What do you mean 'too much'? Did you not see the way he treated his own father? Why should I help such an ungrateful bastard? I don't understand why he's so arrogant even though he needs help," Bai Lingmiao replied and proceeded to eat her fourth bowl of rice.
Bai Lingmiao wasn't in a hurry to leave. She was planning on having a good sleep at an inn before continuing their journey.
Meanwhile, Lu Xiucai grumbled as he walked down a flea market. He gnashed his teeth and repeatedly cursed under his breath. Unfortunately, cursing wouldn't assuage the rumbling of his stomach. Lu Xiucai glanced at the woman, who had been following him quietly without any complaints, before pulling her away.
Lu Xiucai looked everywhere for food, but his efforts were to no avail, as they had no money. Soon, it was sunset, but they had only managed to fill their stomachs with water.
"Hey!" A man standing in an alleyway waved at Lu Xiucai. "Do you need money?"
Lu Xiucai walked over in surprise. "What's going on?"
The man opened his hand, revealing several silver pieces.
Lu Xiucai's eyes brightened, but the man put the silver pieces away.
Lu Xiucai was thrilled and was about to start asking questions when the man pointed at Tao'er behind him. "I'll give you three taels of silver in exchange for your wife becoming a concubine for a year. How about that?"
"A concubine?"
"What? Do you not understand? I want to borrow your wife to have a son, and I will return her to you once she's given birth."
"You son of a bitch!" Lu Xiucai roared and punched the man.
The two of them proceeded to fight each other.
However, Lu Xiucai wasn't as tall and as big as the man. He was hungry as well, so he was easily overpowered.
Tao'er ran over to stop them, but the man slapped her away.
Lu Xiucai saw red upon seeing his wife getting slapped in the face.
"You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" Lu Xiucai roared and whipped a small dagger.
The man stopped abruptly upon seeing the dagger, and he sobered up when he saw the hostility in Lu Xiucai's gaze. Eventually, he scoffed and turned around to leave.
The crisis had been averted, so Lu Xiucai automatically relaxed. He grimaced upon getting struck by extreme pain that radiated all over him. Then, he rolled his tongue in his mouth and spat—two molars covered in blood rolled on the ground.
"Damn it! Why am I so unlucky?"
Chapter 421 - Stepmother
The next morning, Lu Xiucai woke up feeling sore. He had no money to stay in an inn, so he hugged Tao'er and slept underneath the eaves of a house. The two slept hungry and cold.
Lu Xiucai regretted spending all the money he had been earning rather than saving a portion of his earnings. If he had some savings, he wouldn't have to suffer like this today.
To make matters worse, he had nowhere else to go, as he couldn't go to Cowheart Village.
"Husband, why don't you just rent me out as a concubine?"
"No!" Lu Xiucai firmly refused. "Where would my dignity go if I allow other men to impregnate you?"
Tao'er was sad as well as she said, "I don't want to become someone else's concubine, too, but we'd starve to death without money. My dad sold me off as well for food, as he didn't have any money."
Lu Xiucai gnashed his teeth and punched the ground out of frustration. He had just realized that Tao'er's visage was becoming yellow from hunger. If I were as strong as Li Huowang, I wouldn't have ended up like this!
In the end, Lu Xiucai bottled up his frustrations and stood up, pulling Tao'er toward the inn where Bai Lingmiao was staying.
Bai Lingmiao and Chun Xiaoman were preparing to leave when Lu Xiucai appeared in front of them.
Lu Xiucai was unwilling to submit to a woman, but he was even more unwilling to allow his wife to become someone else's concubine in exchange for money. Lu Xiucai gnashed his teeth and stuttered, "I-I'm sorry, Miss Bai. I-I made a mistake. Please let me go back to Cowheart Village."
"Is that how people are supposed to beg others for their help? How do you address Li Huowang? And how do you think you should address me?" Bai Lingmiao asked.
"I call Li Huowang 'Master,' so I should call you... Mistress!"
"That's right. Aside from your father, no one else has any obligation to treat you nicely in this world. If you need someone to help you, you need to be able to help them as well."
Lu Xiucai nodded profusely. "Yes, I understand!"
"Sure. You can follow us, then. Anyway, where did you get your wife?" Bai Lingmiao asked, peering over Lu Xiucai's shoulder.
"I bought her. Look, they're selling some over there, too." Lu Xiucai pointed out.
Bai Lingmiao followed Lu Xiucai's gaze and saw several skinny children standing on the streets. They had on collars made out of straws, and the adult standing before them was busy talking to what looked like a customer.
Chun Xiaoman frowned at the appalling sight.
Bai Lingmiao patted Chun Xiaoman's hand and asked, "How much silver for a person?"
"Depends. I bought Tao'er for five taels of silver."
Bai Lingmiao squinted. Cowheart Village needs manpower. We don't have enough people, and we definitely don't have enough talented people capable of cultivating the techniques that my family had left behind for me.
We need more people to become even stronger, so I'll recruit people, just like how my grandfather recruited people in his generation.
Recruiting outsiders was risky, as those outsiders could leak their secrets. However, those who had been sold by their families to become slaves had nowhere else to go, which meant it'd be easier to control them.
Bai Lingmiao had no idea what her family was doing when she was young, but she could still remember how she had never gone hungry. She had meat to eat every day, and she even frequently wore a golden anklet.
The Bai Family also managed to force Li Huowang to burn all his skin. In other words, the Bai Family was a pretty formidable family.
Bai Lingmiao walked over and started haggling with the seller. The seller grinned upon hearing that Bai Lingmiao was going to buy everyone, regardless of gender and looks.
"Are they my slaves now?" Bai Lingmiao asked the seller weighing silvers on a scale.
"Ai~! What are you talking about? We're not like the barbarians in Qing Qiu. The emperor has decreed that we cannot sell slaves within the Liang Kingdom!" the seller retorted with a chuckle.
"They're not your slaves. They're your stepchildren! Everyone, bow down to your stepmother!" the seller exclaimed.
The children had gone numb and obedient from hunger and exhaustion, so they knelt on the ground and greeted Bai Lingmiao as their stepmother.
"Hehe. Miss, take these. These documents prove that you've bought them. They're yours now," the seller said, chuckling in delight. He failed to notice the cold glint in Bai Lingmiao's eyes.
Dum-dum-da-da-dum~
Bai Lingmiao chanted under her breath as the Second Deity slowly slipped into a dark alleyway while beating a drum.
"I know you hate people like him, so don't worry. He won't live to see tomorrow," Bai Lingmiao said, patting Chun Xiaoman's hand.
"Thank you," Chun Xiaoman said, putting away the bell into her sleeve.
"No need to thank me," replied Bai Lingmiao. Then, she turned around and swept her gaze across the hungry children. They weren't exactly good-looking, and they were of bad health as well, with crooked teeth and swollen wounds here and there.
The stronger ones among them had already been sold. These children were the remaining weaker ones among the seller's recent batch of slaves. Thankfully, Bai Lingmiao didn't really care about their looks; she just needed people.
"Everyone, don't be scared. I've decided to buy you because my village has many plots of land, and I need more farmers to work for me. You just have to give me forty percent of the harvest; you can keep the sixty percent."
The children's eyes lit up. They were mere stepchildren, so they weren't supposed to be qualified to obtain even a tenth of a harvest, much less sixty percent. It seemed that they were lucky enough to stumble upon a kind stepmother.
"Let's go. Cowheart Mountain is far, so we still have a long journey ahead of us," Bai Lingmiao said, hopping onto the carriage directly. The children followed closely behind her.
One of the girls with a mole at the corner of her lips could no longer endure her hunger and said, "S-stepmother, can you provide us with some food before we continue? We only had a sip of porridge yesterday. We just need a bit of food—a small handful of rice will do."
The seller was truly unscrupulous and had provided them only with the minimum amount of food to save money.
"What do you mean 'a small handful of rice'? If you're going to eat, anyway, you'd best eat until you're full!" Bai Lingmiao replied, tossing a big bag of dry rations.
Chun Xiaoman smiled. Miaomiao had become fierce and hot-tempered, but she was still as kind as ever.
The children couldn't contain their excitement upon seeing the guokui and the meat inside the bag. They wasted no time and started eating with relish.
"Hey, move! Let me eat first!" Lu Xiucai exclaimed, squeezing in among the children and stuffing four guokuis into Tao'er's arms before grabbing a handful of meat jerky for himself.
While chewing his food, Lu Xiucai turned to Bai Lingmiao inside the carriage and said, "Mistress, these children are quite the unruly bunch. How about you let me teach them manners along the way?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Lu Xiucai had long gotten used to calling Bai Lingmiao "Mistress" after calling her that a few times earlier in the day.
Lu Xiucai had truly learned a valuable lesson from Bai Lingmiao. Without enough strength, there wasn't anything he could do. Lu Xiucai had learned to act weak whenever necessary to profit. It wasn't like he'd die if he pretended like he was weak.
"No, you're useless. You can't even hide your dissatisfaction toward me."
Lu Xiucai panicked and hurriedly said, "Mistress! How could I be dissatisfied with you? You're my master's wife as well, so there's no way I'd do anything untoward to you."
"Makes sense. Li Huowang will make you wish for death if you dare to do anything to me."
Lu Xiucai felt a shiver down his spine at Bai Lingmiao's remark, and the bloody scenes that popped up in his mind made it impossible for him to swallow the jerky in his mouth.
Bai Lingmiao leaned against the carriage window and looked down. "Are you content with staying useless forever? If not, then I have some techniques for you to learn. Do you want to give them a try?"
Lu Xiucai looked up at Bai Lingmiao and recalled the fateful night when that blind killed those men as if taking candy from a baby. Lu Xiucai soon found himself nodding profusely. Hmph! How dare she look down on me. She even called me "useless" not knowing that the reason I'm so weak is that I'm just unlucky. If given a chance, however, I can definitely become stronger than Li Huowang!
Chapter 422 - Conjoined Lotus
Bai Lingmiao's carriage arrived at the entrance of Cowheart Village. The villagers came out to greet her upon seeing her return. However, Bai Lingmiao's stepchildren soon attracted their attention.
"Well, this isn't that bad as well," Pupp said, supporting his pregnant wife. "We have too much land here, and we won't be able to work on them all, even if we had cows. At least, we now have farmers to handle the land."
"Hey, isn't that Lu Xiucai? Why is he—" Puppy was interrupted by someone shoving him aside. When he recovered his balance, he saw Lu Juren rolling up his sleeves and rushing at Lu Xiucai with fury in his face.
Lu Zhuangyuan rushed forward as well and slapped Lu Xiucai in the face twice.
The sight invigorated Puppy, and he exclaimed, "This is going to be entertaining!"
Lu Xiucai was soon tied to a tree at the entrance of the village.
Lu Zhuangyan smacked Lu Xiucai with his smoke pipe, and the father and son proceeded to exchange insults.
"How dare you steal my money and run away?! Our old Lu Family has been upright for generations, but a scoundrel like you actually appeared in this generation! I can't accept that—I can't! I'm going to beat you to death, you little bastard!"
"If I'm the little bastard, then you're the big bastard! If you dare to fight me, then release me! Release me, and I'll kill you!"
"Who are you calling a big bastard?! Say that again! Who are you calling a big bastard?!" Lu Zhuangyuan roared, swinging the smoke pipe at Lu Xiucai's mouth.
Bai Lingmiao cast a placid gaze at the father-and-son argument. She leaned out of the carriage, looked around, and turned to the tall Gao Zhijian, asking, "Zhijian, can you bring some paper and pens? We need to sign up some laborers for the village."
Gao Zhijian looked away from Chun Xiaoman and turned to the children behind the carriage.
"All right."
Soon, the desolate Bai Family's ancestral hall became lively. People were queueing up, stamping their contracts with their handprints. None of them could read, but the contracts remained fair.
"Miaomiao, what's going on?" Chun Xiaoman asked, looking at Gao Zhijian busy writing on the pieces of paper.
"We're making them sign contracts. Grandfather often hired workers, and he always made them sign contracts. These people are just the beginning; more and more people will come here later. With that in mind, we might as well make it systematic from the start," Bai Lingmiao replied, recalling how her grandfather once managed the village.
"You still want to recruit more people?"
"Of course, Cowheart Village is quite large. We need to fill it up at the very least," replied Bai Lingmiao. More people were necessary to revitalize Cowheart Village, especially when they still needed to weed out those who were dumber than average.
Once the stepchildren had signed their individual contracts, Bai Lingmiao stood up and walked up to them, saying, "You're calling me 'stepmother,' so we can be considered family. The trip here was exhausting, so tonight, we'll slaughter a pig and have a good meal." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
The children's anxiety upon arriving at a foreign place vanished instantly at the mention of meat. They started drooling; some of them had never tasted meat in their lives and had only heard that pork meat was delicious.
Yang Xiaohai worked hard for the sake of delivering a delicious dinner to everyone. A large black swine weighing over fifty kilos was slaughtered and transformed into a variety of dishes. Amazingly, no part of the pig was wasted.
Afterward, the children were assigned to the empty houses in the village, bringing life back to the quiet village.
The night deepened, and the village became quiet once more. Inside the ancestral hall of the Bai Family, Bai Lingmiao was holding a lantern, stroking the Bai Lian Sect's martial arts manuals with her fingers as her eyes sparkled with desire.
"What do you think? Can these help us resolve the issues we've been encountering from the Immortal families?" Bai Lingmiao asked the Second Deity standing quietly behind her.
The Second Deity recalled a familiar face. "Senior Brother Li said that we could seek out an evil being to use as leverage against the Immortal families."
"He did say that, but he said it so casually. How are we supposed to do that?"
Four lines of tears appeared on the Second Deity's red veil as an intense feeling of longing surged in her heart. "I miss him."
Bai Lingmiao snarled and chided, "How come you're always thinking about him?! Are you going to die without him? Why are you crying? This is exactly like when you tried to kill yourself back then. You're really pissing me off!"
The Second Deity sobbed and took out a jade pendant. The jade pendant was a gift from Li Huowang; they were planning on selling it, but she decided to keep it.
Bai Lingmiao said, "Have you not noticed that we can no longer intervene in his affairs? If you want to avenge our parents and settle the score, you can go ahead and be a burden to him—become an obstacle to him during his missions."
The Second Deity didn't reply, and Bai Lingmiao could feel her leaving. Soon, a faint sobbing echoed from the darkest corner of the ancestral hall.
Bai Lingmiao rolled her eyes and continued looking around the dark room. After looking around for a while, Bai Lingmiao ultimately fell to the temptation and casually picked up a book to read. Unfortunately, the characters were still a bit too complicated for her to read, and she struggled quite a bit.
As Bai Lingmiao frowned and pondered over the words on the manual, a faint glow from the side caught her attention. Bai Lingmiao turned and saw that the glow was coming from the giant lotus made from white jade on one of the cabinets.
However, the faint glow had become intermittent for some reason. She approached for a closer look, but she had no idea what was going on. Of course, she also had no idea why there was a giant lotus on one of the cabinets.
However, the fact that it was here meant that it was valuable.
Bai Lingmiao thought that it might be related to the so-called Heavenly Mater. From what she had learned, the supernatural powers of the Bai Lian Sect had been bestowed upon them by the Heavenly Mater.
Why is the light flashing? Is something wrong?
A hand landed on Bai Lingmiao's shoulder just then, startling her. She turned around and saw the Second Deity staring at a mural on the wall.
Bai Lingmiao looked up, and her eyes widened slightly. The lotus flower that was being carried by six white donkeys on the mural overlapped with the lotus' petals, and the petals had become so thick that the lotus looked more like a hollow onion rather than a lotus.
Just then, a strange chanting came from their left and inundated them.
"Great Thousand Nectar Realm, Qinghua Chang Le Gate, Eastern Extreme Wonderful Strict Palace. Within the ten million circles, on the nine-colored lotus seat, a hundred billion auspicious lights surround the Jade Pure Spirit Treasure, helping in the great calamity. Seven treasured horses in the forest responding to the origin of Xuan Yuan."
The chanting was a cacophonous din of a variety of voices including men, women, elderly, and youngsters. The voices overlapped incessantly, creating a jarring melody.
Bai Lingmiao trembled all over upon hearing the chanting, and the killing intent in her heart was on the verge of getting dispelled.
No, it's not just my killing intent... it's affecting my Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings! A variety of emotions suffused Bai Lingmiao's face as she struggled against the chanting.
Bai Lingmiao instinctively reached out to the lotus made from white jade, and she felt a bit better when the flickering light enveloped her.
Fortunately, the chanting soon disappeared. Bai Lingmiao looked back at the mural in shock and found that the lotus flower that was being carried by six white donkeys had become a conjoined lotus.
Chapter 423 - Returning To Shangjing
Li Sui popped out of Li Huowang's navel and looked around with his eyes. He was certain that he had heard voices just now, but no one was around.
"Dad, how come I can hear voices when there's no one around? Who is chanting?" Li Sui asked, but his question remained unanswered. He couldn't help but worry as he asked, "Dad, are you mad at me?"
Li Sui felt that he hadn't made any mistakes. After all, he couldn't have known that he'd have two fathers—a headless father and a father with a head. Upon hearing not even a single command from his headless father, Li Sui entered the navel of his father with a head.
Li Huowang had no time to pay any attention to Li Sui. He stared in the direction of the capital, as he could hear the strange chanting as well. At first, he thought it was just his hallucination, but he saw some civilians rolling on the floor in pain while holding their heads.
Li Huowang realized instantly that he wasn't hallucinating. The chanting was real, and he could hear it, even though it was coming from the distant capital. Li Huowang reckoned that a large-scale incident was happening.
Something major must be happening; I can't wait any longer. I must hurry back. Has the Surveillance Bureau surrounded the Sitting Oblivion Dao? Li Huowang moved as fast as possible, but he failed to reach the capital even after nightfall. It was inevitable, as he left empty-handed but was coming back with a heavy corpse.
His corpse had no head, but he hadn't forgotten that he was a Strayed One.
Li Huowang reckoned that his corpse would definitely be useful, so he drained the blood out of the corpse and filled it with coarse salt inside before covering it with the same salt on the outside.
Li Huowang took a deep breath and wiped away the sweat on his face as he stared at the night sky. Li Huowang eventually put the corpse down and decided to gather firewood to call it a night.
It hadn't been that long since the New Year's celebration, so the weather was still quite chilly. He had to sleep with a campfire, or he would end up getting sick,
While Li Huowang was cutting branches with the purple-tassel sword, snowflakes fell slowly from the sky. It was snowing, and it was Li Huowang's first snowfall in this world.
Li Huowang exhaled while staring at the moon hanging in the sky. Sensing that tonight would be an unusually cold night, Li Huowang decided to pick up the pace and gather more firewood.
Soon, sparks flew out when he used his flint, but the sparks failed to ignite the wood.
Li Huowang tried for a while, but he stopped upon recalling something. He rummaged through his pockets and took out an old almanac. Li Huowang used the flint a few times before the old almanac caught fire. Li Huowang then threw the old almanac into the pile of firewood, and that was it—the campfire was done.
Li Huowang immediately felt comfortable the moment the heat from the flames illuminated him. Li Huowang moved closer to the fire and closed his eyes while leaning on the back of his headless corpse.
"Hey Daoist, I have something I want to ask you," the old monk's illusion asked.
"I'm tired. I have many things to do in the capital tomorrow. Let's talk another day," Li Huowang replied.
"No, it's about that guy named Hong Zhong. Do you remember him? He told me that you can turn lies into truth. Is that true?" the old monk rubbed his hands in anticipation before asking, "What if... you can turn a few of us into real people?"
"What?" Li Huowang asked, sounding astonished. His drowsiness was no more as he sat up abruptly and swept his gaze across the illusions—Peng Longteng, Hong Zhong, Jinshan, and the old monk.
Li Huowang's eyes sharpened, focusing on Hong Zhong's skinless face. "Are you using the old monk to probe me? What do you want?"
"Hehe, nothing special. I'm just curious. Think about it, isn't it fun if you can turn me back into a real person, even though you've already killed me?" Hong Zhong asked, sounding excited.
"In your dreams—you can do everything in your dreams."
"How ruthless. We've endured so many hardships that we can already be considered family, you know? We should be able to help you if we have real bodies. Don't worry; I'm not going to harm you if you ever allow me to obtain a real body.
"I find you particularly interesting, actually. It was amazing how you disguised yourself as Hong Zhong. You instigated both parties so flawlessly—you were like a true Sitting Oblivion Dao member!" Hong Zhong exclaimed.
Li Huowang ignored Hong Zong and closed his eyes to sleep. Li Huowang felt both warm and cold. He had no idea when he fell asleep, but Li Huowang found himself buried in snow the next morning.
Li Huowang took a deep breath of the dry air and grabbed a handful of white snow to chew. Then, he dragged his stiff corpse and walked toward the capital, one step at a time.
The capital had many informants, and he'd instantly catch a ton of attention if he were to drag a corpse all the way into the capital. Moreover, he had no idea how to explain that to the Surveillance Bureau.
Li Huowang decided to dig a hole and bury his headless corpse on a hill. Fortunately, it was cold, and his corpse had been salted as well, so it wouldn't decay that quickly.
Li Huowang stared at the desolate city gate and took a deep breath before walking toward it. At first, Li Huowang thought that the peculiar chanting would cause chaos in the capital, but the capital was still business as usual.
The only strange thing was that the streets weren't as bustling as usual, but Li Huowang chalked it up to the heavy snow.
Li Huowang's assumption was correct. The capital was indeed sprawling with the Surveillance Bureau's informants. He had only taken a few steps into the capital, but the Surveillance Bureau had already surrounded him.
Li Huowang's expression was extremely solemn as he stared at Nangong. "Senior Nangong, the Sitting Oblivion Dao has deceived me."
Nangong looked at Li Huowang with a complicated expression and sighed. "Follow me. I'm sure you can't even imagine what the Sitting Oblivion Dao did with your identity."
Li Huowang returned to the Surveillance Bureau under Nangong's lead. They walked through the wooden corridors and soon arrived at a room. For some reason, the air in the room was dense and heavy.
However, Li Huowang soon found the answer to his question.
A head twisted into the appearance of Hong Zhong was on a table with three incense sticks in front of it. A Daoist clad in a yellow Daoist robe and wearing a hat with the Yin and Yang symbol embroidered on it was standing next to the head.
The yellow-robed Daoist brandished a bronze coin sword in a ritual.
"Lord Jian Zheng, Er Jiu has returned."
The yellow-robed Daoist looked up.
Li Huowang saw two Nascent Souls on the left side of the yellow-robed Daois's neck.
This Jian Zheng has two Nascent Souls. He must be a disciple of Luoism. Li Huowang instantly became wary.
Meanwhile, Daoist Jian Zheng stopped his ritual and examined Li Huowang from top to bottom. Then, he grabbed Hong Zhong's head and hurled it at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang examined the rectangular head and exclaimed, "What?! The Hong Zhong of the Sitting Oblivion Dao is a Strayed One?!"[1]
1. MC is an amazing actor lmao ☜
Chapter 424 - Task
Li Huowang held Hong Zhong's head while listening to Nangong's explanation.
"What's this Hong Zhong's origin? He managed to escape without his head?!" Li Huowang exclaimed in amazement.
Just then, Li Huowang paused slightly as if he had recalled something. "Lord Jian Zheng, I once saw a general in the Hou Shu with a similar ability to survive a beheading. Perhaps this Hong Zhong had learned it from there."
Jian Zheng gestured, and the head in Li Huowang's arms flew back to him.
Jian Zheng held it carefully and opened his mouth, revealing a set of uneven rotten teeth, which diffused a foul smell to the surroundings.
"He doesn't have to deceive away a technique from the military. A Strayed One running without his head isn't surprising at all. Strangely, his soul is not responding to me, even though he's already dead. Strange, is he still alive?"
Is that one of a Strayed One's abilities? I'll never die so long as I believe that I'm still alive? Li Huowang thought. However, he felt that such an ability was a bit useless. He'd instantly die upon getting reminded that he was dead, after all.
While Li Huowang was pondering over the burning questions in his mind, Daoist Jian Zheng waved his hand and said, "Forget it, he's already dead. Let's not bother whether he's a Strayed One or not. As for you, I want you to explain in detail just how Hong Zhong managed to deceive you."
Li Huowang immediately snapped back to reality at the remark, and he recounted the events with extreme focus, knowing that he needed to get the story right.
Fortunately, Li Huowang's story didn't need many lies. He simply changed a few details while explaining the method that a Sitting Oblivion Dao member had used on him while he was on Xing Island.
The only difference was that the Sitting Oblivion Dao member had succeeded rather than the opposite.
"So... the one who followed Zhuge Yuan was actually Hong Zhong?"
"Yes, that's correct. I got lost in the bamboo forest, and I couldn't figure out what Hong Zhong had told Zhuge Yuan, which allowed him to stay by his side," Li Huowang said, deliberately making the story longer with some half-truths.
Li Huowang realized just then that being a Sitting Oblivion Dao member was pretty useful.
Daoist Jian Zheng nodded slowly at the story. Meanwhile, the tiny head jutting out on his neck said, "Hehe, are you sure you're not trying to deceive us? What if you're also a Sitting Oblivion Dao member?"
Li Huowang's expression froze. Moments later, he pulled out a knife and cut open his jaw without any hesitation. Li Huowang revealed half of his face and displayed the layers of his skin, flesh, and bones underneath.
"All right, all right. We believe that you're not a member of the Sitting Oblivion Dao. Ah, disciples of the Ao Jing Sect are truly decisive," said the other Nascent Soul to defuse the tension.
"Enough, all of you be quiet!" Daoist Jian Zheng said sternly. The two Nascent Souls jutting out of his neck shrank into his body and became what looked like two red moles.
Daoist Jian Zheng approached Li Huowang with Hong Zhong's head in his hand.
Daoist Jian Zheng slowly walked around Li Huowang, and his voice softened slightly as he said, "Rest assured, Hong Zhong's head is here. The Surveillance Bureau isn't going to suspect that you're a Sitting Oblivion Dao member.
"However, since you've returned in one piece, I'll have to give you a task."
"Understood, Lord Jian Zheng! Please tell me what to do, and I will do my best!"
Daoist Jian Zheng placed the head on the table and said, "The Surveillance Bureau wants you to get close to Zhuge Yuan. We probed and found that Zhuge Yuan still has the Six Divinations Almanac.
"Fortunately, Hong Zhong ended up taking away a fake almanac. If the Sitting Oblivion Dao had obtained that item, it would have caused significant unrest."
"Understood, Lord Jian Zheng," Li Huowang said, "However, Hong Zhong stole Zhuge Yuan's almanac using my identity, so we could be considered enemies right now. At this point, I think I'll die if I approach him."
Li Huowang made it a point to tell them that he wasn't familiar with Zhuge Yuan at all.
After all, his story was that he didn't become friends with Zhuge Yuan.
"Hong Zhong has succeeded in using your identity, so you should be able to do the same."
"But..." Li Huowang trailed off. The turn of events was beyond his expectations. He thought the Surveillance Bureau would go and kill the Sitting Oblivion Dao members, so how come they wanted him to get close to Zhuge Yuan once again?
Li Huowang had to redirect the Surveillance Bureau's attention to the Sitting Oblivion Dao so that he could use them to find the right Bei Feng.
"Are you saying you don't want to go?" asked Daoist Jian Zheng in a cold tone of voice. The eyes of his two Nascent Souls opened slightly just then, emitting a dim black light.
"No, I dare not." Li Huowang lowered his head. Daoist Jian Zheng was just testing the waters, and he didn't care about Li Huowang's life at all.
"Go on, then. No matter what, it's better to try it out first before anything else. You're dismissed." Daoist Jian Zheng with rotten teeth sat on a stool and shooed Li Huowang away.
Li Huowang was stunned. Is that it? What about the aftermath of the Sitting Oblivion Dao member killing Jian Zheng? Why does it seem like Jian Zheng's death isn't that impactful?
However, Li Huowang knew that this wasn't the right time to ask questions, so he decisively left.
Walking down the silent wooden corridor, Li Huowang turned to Nangong next to him, and he sounded frustrated as he asked. "The Sitting Oblivion Dao has killed Lord Jian Zheng. How come it feels like the Surveillance Bureau isn't going to do anything about it?"
A long silence ensued. Just as Li Huowang was considering whether to fan the flames a bit more or not, Nangong responded, "It's not that simple. The Surveillance Bureau has already drawn personnel from the Six Divisions of Great Liang.
"Once everyone is here, we're planning on catching all of them in one fell swoop."
Nangong Yun's expression became cold just then as he added, "Hmph! Those scammers are actually thinking that they can do just about anything while the Imperial Preceptor is too busy in the palace.
"They're truly underestimating the Surveillance Bureau!"
Li Huowang was relieved upon hearing Nangong Yun's. Fortunately, his efforts weren't in vain. The Sitting Oblivion Dao had finally caught the eyes of the Surveillance Bureau.
Li Huowang needed this conflict to reap profits from the sidelines.
"Er Jiu, the Bureau wants you to approach Zhuge Yuan. I want you to think that it's not that troublesome of a task. After all, the Sitting Oblivion Dao had used your identity to kill Lord Jian Zheng," Nangong Yun warned.
"If we were to go by the rules of the Bureau, you'd be severely punished. However, we need manpower more than ever in the capital. Regardless of the result, the Bureau will let you go for now."
Li Huowang instantly understood what was going on, and it was all thanks to Nangong Yun's explanation.
"I see. Thank you for the explanation, Senior Nangong," Li Huowang said. Then, the two seemed to transition from strangers to acquaintances as they talked to each other in the winding, wooden corridors.
Chapter 425 - Friend
Under Nangong Yun's lead, Li Huowang soon arrived outside the Liang residence where Zhuge Yuan was located. Li Huowang's excellent vision allowed him to see Zhuge Yuan painting on the second floor. There was no sign of anyone from the Great Qi, and it seemed that they were either in the other rooms or outside.
"Senior Nangong, isn't Zhuge Yuan wanted by the Surveillance Bureau? Why was he still allowed to stay here? Why don't we just capture him and take his powerful artifact?" Li Huowang asked. It was one of his burning questions.
Nangong Yun furrowed his brows slightly and shook his head. "Now is not the time to provoke him. According to the imperial decree, the members of the Bureau at the first to fourth rank have to enter the palace.
"We're lacking in manpower, and dealing with Zhuge Yuan right now would be a huge headache to us. The Sitting Oblivion Dao might seize the opportunity to strike, too if we were to do that. We should deal with the Sitting Oblivion Dao first.
"Fortunately, the Storyteller won't help those liars."
Having finished his explanation, Nangong Yun turned around to leave. "Er Jiu, good luck. You'll probably make it out alive so long as you don't provoke Zhuge Yuan. As long as you don't show any hostility toward him, he shouldn't treat you badly. You must remember not to show even a hint of killing intent."
"Thank you, Senior Nangong!" Li Huowang said. Then, he turned around and started walking toward the Liang residence in the distance with a grim look. Just as Li Huowang passed through the large doors, the doors slammed shut behind him.
Li Huowang took a deep breath. Then, he walked across the courtyard with heavy steps. Soon, Li Huowang reached the mansion. Upon entering the mansion, the doors and the windows were slammed shut by Zhuge Yuan with a wave of his brush.
The two men looked at each other and smiled.
"How was it?" Zhuge Yuan asked while painting. He was painting a beautiful landscape.
"Thank you, Senior Zhuge. The mission is done. It won't be long before they start fighting. I'm just afraid that the Sitting Oblivion Dao will hear the news and leave the capital early."
"Rest assured, Junior Li. They aren't afraid of death, let alone something like this. They've already assembled here, so they won't leave unless something extraordinary happens."
"True." Li Huowang picked up the tea on the side and took a sip. He didn't care what the Sitting Oblivion Dao would do next. The Surveillance Bureau was behind him, so he would be fine as long as he wasn't their target.
"Senior Zhuge, the two of us might not meet again tomorrow. There are too many eyes in the city, and the Surveillance Bureau will start suspecting us as well."
"It doesn't matter. I can handle the issues in Great Qi by myself. How about you? Can you handle the Strayed One Bei Feng by yourself?"
"Don't worry; I'm not going to be fighting by myself. The Surveillance Bureau's main force will fight the Sitting Oblivion Dao. I just need to take advantage of Bei Feng's injuries to ambush and capture him."
"All right. Give me your hand, and I'll help you conceal your identity. It will be easier for you to move around then."
"Hmm? How will you conceal my identity?" Li Huowang asked, but he still raised his hand.
Zhuge Yuan pointed at Li Huowang's palm with his brush, and Li Huowang's name appeared on his hand written in black ink.
With a few quick strokes of the brush, Zhuge Yuan added a horizontal stroke to "Li," turning it into "Ji," and swiftly modified "Huo" into "Zai." [1]
Finally, Zhuge Yuan wiped away the character "Wang," removing it.
However, the ink simply landed on a piece of paper rather than vanishing.
"Done. Just keep your face covered, and no one will recognize you as Li Huowang."
Li Huowang was amazed. He had never seen such a technique.
Li Huowang stared at the character "Ji Zai" in his hand and nodded gratefully. "I won't forget this favor, Senior Zhuge. Rest assured, once I find Bei Feng, I will definitely come back to help you!"
Zhuge Yuan looked up and stared at Li Huowang. "Junior Li, my issues are not important. If you encounter any issues here in the capital, you can just use your divination to find me. I'll instantly discover if you've cast your divination on me, and I'll eventually find you as long as you're still alive."
Li Huowang stood still and looked at Zhuge Yuan with a complicated expression.
Then, Li Huowang sat down on the cushion and confessed, "Senior Zhuge, to be fair I actually do have an issue, but you don't have to do anything about it. I just want you to listen as a friend, and then you can help me analyze it."
"Oh?" Zhuge Yuan muttered in surprise. This was the first time Li Huowang had spoken to him in such a tone of voice.
Li Huowang clenched and unclenched his fist before sighing. "Senior Zhuge, what do you think of the world in my hallucination? Do you think it's real or not?"
Li Huowang then wasted no time, telling everything to Zhuge Yuan—the hallucination, his confusion, and how he had materialized gold in the world in his hallucination.
Li Huowang wanted to know what others thought of his hallucination.
Would they think of it as real?
Of course, Li Huowang didn't really expect Zhuge Yuan to say anything about it.
He just wanted to vent to a friend. He couldn't tell anyone about it, as everyone would think that Li Huowang was a lunatic.
However, Zhuge Yuan would never think that way.
Once Li Huowang was done recounting, a deafening silence descended upon the room.
Zhuge Yuan remained quiet for a long time, seemingly in deep contemplation. In the end, he eventually stared at Li Huowang and asked, "Junior Li, do you know that I have a really close female friend in the Liang Kingdom?
"However, she was just a lowly concubine in the Qi Kingdom. I tried to change myself and force myself to think that the Great Qi was false and the Liang Kingdom was real," Zhuge Yuan said with a trembling voice as his gaze landed on a painting that depicted a beautiful lady.
"However, it didn't work. In the end, she still left me behind. The Qi Kingdom is real, and there's no way the fake one can be the real one."
"But what if? What if it's real as well?" Li Huowang asked, clenching his fists tightly.
"I want the fish, and I want the bear paw, too. However, I cannot have both," Zhuge Yuan said. Then, he lifted his brush once more and continued with his drawing.
"Junior Li, as the scholars of the past have said, we cannot get everything. It applies to everyone. As for me, it's with the Great Qi and the Great Liang. As for you, it's your reality and your hallucination. It applies to the Siming up there as well.
"One cannot obtain everything without sacrificing something."
Li Huowang stood up and clasped his hands together. "Thank you, Senior Zhuge. Your words have made me feel better. I really found it frustrating that I had no choice but to bottle up my feelings until now."
Li Huowang then walked down the stairs and said, "Once everything is over, I really hope that we'll still be friends, Senior Zhuge. I'd really like to drink tea and play Go at your bamboo house again."
Zhuge Yuan's voice echoed from the second floor. "Tea is fine, but forget about Go. I think even calling you a bad player is a compliment."
1. From 李 to 季, and from 火 to 灾. It means seasonal disaster lmao ☜
Chapter 426 - Deputy Chief
Li Huowang soon found himself in the small courtyard of the house that Ji Xiang had decided to give to him. Having a house in Shangjing proved to be quite convenient, as he didn't have to stay in an inn. He could also allow Black Taisui to have fun in the courtyard, which was away from prying eyes.
Li Huowang stood by the window with his hands behind his back and furrowed brows. He was staring at the desolate snowy streets outside. There weren't many people on the streets, as the curfew in the capital was brought forward today.
Li Huowang remained silent by the window as if he was waiting for something.
Clip, clop, clop.
The sound of horse hooves echoed just then, and a group of large-framed men in fur coats rode their horses into the capital.
They were the third batch of people from the Surveillance Bureau that had arrived in the capital over the past few days. The badges at their waists made it clear that they were personnel from the Surveillance Bureau stationed throughout the Six Divisions of the Great Liang.
After receiving transfer orders, they all came to the capital. It was still dusk, but the overcast and snowy sky made it seem like it was already night. The desolate streets and the solemn atmosphere of the capital made it seem as though there was an approaching storm, which weighed heavily on Li Huowang's heart.
Just then, a black bird streaked across the air. It circled in the distance before gracefully landing on the windowsill in front of Li Huowang. Li Huowang instantly recognized the bird, and it belonged to Sima Lan from the Mo Family. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
A folded piece of paper was in between the bird's beak. Li Huowang opened the piece of paper and was delighted by the text inside of it. "At last, it's about to begin!"
Bun heard Li Huowang descending the stairs in a hurry. It perked up and crawled out beneath the chair. Bun then rushed toward Li Huowang downstairs, but the latter pushed it away, saying, "Stay here and guard the house! Regardless of what you hear later, I want you to stay here without taking a peek outside!"
Li Huowang hopped onto his in the courtyard and rushed in the direction of the Surveillance Bureau. He passed through the gate guarded by two stone lions, and then he soon arrived at the grand hall filled with screens.
However, the screens had been taken down, and there were people standing where the screens were supposed to be. Li Huowang was unsure whether it was intentional or not, but the oil lamps on the walls hadn't been ignited, which made the hall extremely dark.
Li Huowang had exceptional night vision, but he could only make out a few blurry figures in the darkness. He had to get close to them to get a clear view of their faces.
Li Huowang squeezed through the crowd, and he felt like he was standing inside a classroom rather than a grand hall. However, the crowd was markedly different from students, and they were also emitting an ominous aura that made Li Huowang feel uneasy. The majority of them were squatting on the floor as well.
The low and muffled whispers from the crowd coupled with the oppressive atmosphere in the grand hall made everyone present feel a little breathless.
Li Huowang wasn't familiar with the people of Shangjing's Surveillance Bureau. He looked around and saw Sima Lan. He walked over to Sima Lan and saw that the black bird that had delivered a message to him was perched on Sima Lan's shoulder.
The black bird was the reason Li Huowang had no issues spotting Sima Lan amidst the crowd.
"So you're finally here." The black bird turned around and nodded at Li Huowang.
"Brother Sima, are these people from the Six Divisions?" Li Huowang asked, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.
"Yes, but I heard that they borrowed some talents from the Qing Qiu Surveillance Bureau as well. Hehe, it seems that the Surveillance Bureau is truly going all out."
Qing Qiu? Li Huowang suddenly recalled the old Lama with a flock of black sheep. Li Huowang looked around and spotted a person in a Lama headdress in the distance, but he wasn't sure whether they were the same in Li Huowang's memories or not.
"Everyone is here, so what are we waiting for?" Li Huowang asked.
"We're waiting for the Deputy Chief of the Surveillance Bureau. He's in charge of all this."
"Oh? Are they the highest official in the Surveillance Bureau? My apologies. I've been outside for a long time, so I'm not quite clear on these matters."
"No problem. I was like you when I first arrived in the capital. It took me quite a while to figure it out. Anyway, there are five Deputy Chiefs, and none of them is the highest official. The highest official is the Chief[1]."
"The Chief..." Li Huowang muttered, memorizing the word. Afterward, Li Huowang asked, "Since we're going to deal with the entire Sitting Oblivion Dao, will the Chief and the other four Deputy Chiefs come here?"
"In theory, they should come here. However, they're all in the palace; I'm sure they're dealing with an urgent matter there."
Gong!
A gong echoed loudly just then, attracting everyone's attention. Everyone turned around and saw a majestic-looking chair being illuminated by a moonlight-like beam of light from somewhere.
An elderly man with a bed of white hair was seated in the chair. The wide sleeves of his robe slid down elegantly right beside his feet. His earlobes were also quite large, resembling earrings as they hung above his shoulders.
The elderly man was just sitting silently in his chair, but the commanding aura he exuded silenced the majority of the people in the grand hall.
Li Huowang's eyes narrowed into slits, and he managed to make out the row of people standing behind the majestic-looking chair. Unfortunately, it was too dark; he couldn't see their appearances.
"I believe there is no need for me to explain as to why the Surveillance Bureau has summoned everyone here," the Deputy Chief said. A terrifying aura seeped out of him, making everyone feel as if they were carrying an entire mountain on their shoulders.
The remaining murmurs vanished at once, and silence descended upon the grand hall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dull thuds echoed just then as some people in the crowd collapsed to the ground.
At first, Li Huowang thought that they fainted out of fear, but he was quickly proven incorrect when someone approached those who had fainted and lifted their skin with an iron hook. The mahjong patterns on the faces of those who had fainted confirmed their identities as members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
The people here had gathered to deal with the Sitting Oblivion Dao, but it turned out that five members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao had already infiltrated them. However, it didn't come as a surprise to everyone, as they knew that the Sitting Oblivion Dao would definitely attempt to infiltrate the ranks of the Surveillance Bureau.
The Deputy Chief swept a nonchalant gaze across the Sitting Oblivion Dao members.
"It is not that difficult to deal with the Sitting Oblivion Dao members. The challenge lies in these swindlers hiding among the common people. However, it doesn't matter. After all, Shangjing is our capital, not their capital.
"They think they're seamless, but they're simply lying to themselves. They even dared to openly assassinate an official of the Bureau! Hmph! Do they really think that we do not have the resources to deal with them?"
1. it's by rearranging the words of the Surveillance Bureau ☜
Chapter 427 - Rather Kill A Thousand By Mistake
The Deputy Chief waved his hand, and the people standing in a row behind him stepped forward, distributing a few pieces of paper to everyone.
Li Huowang skimmed through the pieces of paper and saw that it contained quite a few addresses.
"We suspect that the Sitting Oblivion Dao members are living at those addresses. I want you to bring them here, dead or alive. Verify their identity and you will receive fifty lifespan pills for each ordinary member, and you will be promoted by half a rank, too.
"Any of the three Officials or Four Joys are worth three hundred lifespan pills, and you will be promoted by three ranks! Those with the most kills will be rewarded personally by the Chief, and they'll receive three sexagenary-cycle pure lifespan pills[1]!"
The grand hall was instantly abuzz with discussions. It couldn't be helped. After all, the Surveillance Bureau had never offered such generous rewards before.
Three sexagenary cycles meant one hundred and eighty years! Who wouldn't want to live for an extra one hundred and eighty years? Moreover, the lifespan pills of the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau wouldn't transform them into Human Xiaos!
There were some who had been planning on hiding their strength, but they threw all caution to the wind upon hearing of the rewards. In fact, they could barely wait to start hunting down the Sitting Oblivion Dao members.
"Go, I wish you all swift success and promotion! Remember, the Sitting Oblivion Dao is evil, and they deserve to be eradicated. Your efforts in rounding up the Sitting Oblivion Dao is a heroic act for the sake of the people and the world! We'd rather kill a thousand by mistake than let one of them escape!"
Boom!
A thunderous boom echoed as the four city gates of Shangjing were slammed shut. The war drums were sounded, and soldiers clad in heavy armor ascended the city walls.
They stood ramrod straight atop the city walls, giving off a murderous aura.
Shangjing's walls were already formidable, but they became even more formidable and terrifying as the soldiers in heavy armor towered over everyone inside the city, preventing them from leaving Shangjing.
The giant crossbows and weapons atop the city walls turned slowly and faced the city rather than outside.
Snow fell incessantly from the heavens, blanketing the capital in a thin layer of snow.
A group of black dots that resembled ants spread gradually from the Surveillance Bureau. Li Huowang was one of those black dots, and he was frowning while riding his horse. He constantly swung the reins, guiding the horse to move toward the eastern part of the city. Five members of the Surveillance Bureau were behind him, and they were pieces of paper containing the same information as Li Huowang's papers.
A cacophony of shrill screams and cries echoed from the nearby houses. Li Huowang turned and saw a wooden door covered in talismans getting kicked open from the outside.
Soon, a frail-looking woman with a baby in her arms stumbled outside the house. A whistling noise pierced Li Huowang's ears, and he watched as a saber flew out of the house, rushing toward the woman.
Just then, the baby in the woman's arms smirked. A grotesque cracking noise echoed as the baby's bones contracted, and he slipped out of his swaddle. Then, he lifted his tiny feet and kicked his own mother toward the oncoming saber while somersaulting away from the woman's arms.
The saber pierced the woman's heart, and her warm blood melted the white snow, revealing the dark tiles underneath.
Moments later, a woman with two scars on her face rushed out of the house and pulled out the saber forcefully from the woman's chest. Then, she chased after the fleeing baby while shouting, "Damn it, Sitting Oblivion Dao! Face me if you have the guts!"
No one paid any attention to the woman's corpse on the snowy ground except for Li Huowang. Many people are going to die tonight.
Li Huowang's cheeks swelled as he gnashed his teeth. Bloody scenes unfolded throughout Shangjing Li as the Surveillance Bureau and the Sitting Oblivion Dao went all out, fighting each other with their lives on the line.
Shangjing soon became chaotic. There were people fighting one-on-one, and there were also those fighting the Sitting Oblivion Dao with the other members of the Surveillance Bureau.
The entire capital seemed to be on fire and was boiling from the inside out.
Li Huowang quietly observed the changes, and he unknowingly found himself at his destination. Wasting no time, Li Huowang jumped down his horse and crashed against the paper window of the house.
Li Huowang looked around and saw a family of three huddled together in fear. He raised his purple-tassel sword, but he couldn't bring himself to strike them down.
Swoosh!
A cold light shot into the house through the broken window.
Clang! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Sparks flew as Li Huowang smacked the object away with his sword.
"This is mine! Get the hell out of here!" Li Huowang shouted with bloodshot eyes. Then, he turned around and looked at the wife of the family. He put away his sword and took out a dagger from his bag of torture tools.
"Don't worry; I'm not going to kill you. However, I need to see what's beneath your face to make sure that you're not a Sitting Oblivion Dao member. I'm going to heal you afterward, so don't worry."
A heart-wrenching scream echoed. Afterward, Li Huowang put down a piece of silver on the table and stepped out of the house. There was both good news and bad news—the good news was that the woman wasn't a Sitting Oblivion Dao member, while the bad news was that the woman wasn't a Sitting Oblivion Dao member!
Wooden planks creaked as Li Huowang somersaulted onto a snow-covered roof. He soon found himself at the highest point of the roof, and he looked around, sweeping his gaze across the chaotic Shangjing.
If hell had eighteen levels, then the current Shangjing would be at the bottom of it. The members of the Surveillance Bureau and the members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao darting across the rooftops spared not even a glance at the commoners.
Why would they spare a glance to mere commoners when the latter were uninvolved in the fight? The commoners' actions wouldn't matter at this point, as whatever they would do or not do were predetermined.
Perhaps they were obstructing the way of both the Surveillance Bureau and Sitting Oblivion Dao members, but many civilians were losing their lives at the moment.
Li Huowang was supposed to look for the Strayed One Bei Feng, but his mind was abuzz from the heart-wrenching screams and scenes all over him, and he couldn't quite silence his mind.
Boom!
A towering building abruptly erupted into flames. It resembled a massive torch and had replaced the missing moon in the sky, illuminating everything around it.
"What is human life to you?! What exactly is human life to you?! Though civilians, they're all living humans!" Li Huowang roared while pointing at the capital. He thought he had become quite ruthless and indifferent to life, but he still couldn't quite turn a blind eye to the massacre before him.
Li Huowang cursed for quite a while before going silent. A deep sense of powerlessness overwhelmed his heart. He couldn't even control himself, so how could he dare to even attempt to control the actions of others?
"Sob...!" A sobbing noise echoed next to Li Huowang. He turned around and saw that the voice had come from Jin Shanzhao, who was missing half of his body. He was pointing with an indignant look at the massacre, and bloody tears were streaming down his face. His mouth fluttered open as well, saying indecipherable words.
Another sobbing noise rang out just then. Li Huowang turned and saw the monk crying with his hands clasped together while chanting "Amitabha."
"Hey! What are you doing, Boss Hong Zhong?! Time is of the essence! Forget about the rest; let's go find Boss Bei Feng!" Hong Zhong said.
Li Huowang cast a cold gaze upon Hong Zhong before casting his gaze on the headless Peng Longteng. Peng Longteng stood quietly like a statue while facing the city walls in the distance.
Li Huowang clenched his fists and punched himself twice to calm his tumultuous heart.
Swoosh!
Just then, three figures rushed toward Li Huowang. They were two women and a man, and their attire indicated that each of them was from different walks of life. Seven people were chasing after them, and their eyes gleamed upon seeing Li Huowang.
"Boss Hong Zhong, so you were here?! Hurry up and leave! We'll cover you from behind!"
The three Sitting Oblivion Dao members came to a screeching halt. Then, they turned around to glare at the oncoming Surveillance Bureau members with resolute expressions.
1. a period of sixty years ☜
Chapter 428 - Sitting Oblivion Dao
Li Huowang snapped back to reality and stared dumbstruck at the three figures. The next moment, blood surged to his brain, and he roared, "This is all your fault, you bastards!"
Clang!
Li Huowang gripped his sword with one hand and kicked off of the roof tiles to rush toward the three Sitting Oblivion Dao members with their backs facing him.
A whistling noise echoed from behind them, and the Sitting Oblivion Dao member that Li Huowng had chosen to attack dodged to his left by dividing his body into two, narrowly avoiding the attack.
He looked at Li Huowang in astonishment with his head upside-down. "Boss Hong Zhong, stop fooling around, will you?! They're not going to believe you anymore. Hurry up and leave! We'll cover you!"
The illusion Hong Zhong approached Li Huowang as well, and he sounded serious as he said, "He's right. This isn't the time for fooling around. It's more important for you to retreat."
"Yeah, right!" Li Huowang slashed out. The sharp sword streaked across the bloodied face of the Sitting Oblivion Dao member, which had no visible skin on it. However, nothing strange happened.
Just then, the members of the Surveillance Bureau finally caught up. A purple-robed Daoist took out two fist-sized triangular banners and inserted them into his neck. Then, his mouth fluttered open as he chanted an incantation.
He also drew a massive Bagua array in the air with his fingers. A wave of transparent ripple would spread outward every time the purple-robed Daoist's fingers stroked the air.
The purple-robed Daoist slapped the array on the roof tiles and exclaimed, "Raise your heads and witness! Bow down and listen! Above are the upper trigrams; below are the lower trigrams! The Three Pure Ones have vested me with authority to execute orders!"
Immediately afterward, loud cracking noises erupted as the tiles and the beams of the house where everyone was standing broke apart. Moments later, everyone fell down the house and landed on the ground.
A huge inky black Five Elements Bagua appeared beneath everyone, trapping the three Sitting Oblivion Dao members and Li Huowang. The masked members of the Surveillance Bureau appeared and stood around the array, staring at them vigilantly.
A Sitting Oblivion Dao member gnashed his teeth. He stomped and rushed toward Li Huowang. "Boss Hong Zhong! Leave quickly!"
Swoosh!
Li Huowang lifted his sword and severed his hands. Under the dumbstruck gaze of the Sitting Oblivion Dao member, a black tentacle wrapped around Li Huowang's bronze coin sword and chopped off his head.
The remaining two members landed right next to Li Huowang before they could do anything else. The Five Elements Bagua array sprang into action, rising like a net and trapping them inside of it.
Li Huowang was furious upon realizing that the Surveillance Bureau had trapped him along with the Sitting Oblivion Dao members. He couldn't help but chide them inwardly for being so incompetent.
"What the hell are you doing?! I said I'm not a Sitting Oblivion Dao member!" Li Huowang roared. He used his left fingernail and tore open his entire face by the chin.
Unfortunately, the Surveillance Bureau didn't believe Li Huowang's action to establish his innocence. Instead, the disturbed Surveillance Bureau members attacked Li Huowang with renewed vigor.
The purple-robed Daoist reached behind him and pulled out a yellow banner from his neck. Then, he hurled the yellow banner at Li Huowang. The pole grew longer in the air, and it moved as agilely as a snake as it pierced the three Sitting Oblivion Dao Members, stringing them together as if it were a skewer
A Surveillance Bureau member gestured, and several dark green talismans flew over and landed on the foreheads of the Sitting Oblivion Dao members, immobilizing them completely.
The seven members of the Surveillance Bureau relaxed at the sight. The Sitting Oblivion Dao members had finally been suppressed.
A hunchbacked Surveillance Bureau member holding a banner was about to speak, but the meatballs that had been strung together abruptly stirred.
"How many times must I repeat myself?! I'm not from the Sitting Oblivion Dao!" Li Huowang roared.
Under their astonished gazes, black and sticky tentacles burrowed out from Li Huowang and lifted them up. A breeze lifted the talisman on Li Huowang's forehead, revealing a bloodthirsty gaze underneath.
"Kill!" A surge of hot blood rushed from Li Huowang to Li Sui's tentacles, and Li Sui's tentacles swelled significantly in an instant. The meatball was raised up high, and it swept toward the Surveillance Bureau members.
The Surveillance Bureau members ran to retreat, but Li Sui shattered Li Huowang's rips and thrust them into the latter's lungs.
The Surveillance Bureau members clutched their chests, revealing agonized looks along with Li Huowang. Just as they were recovering from the excruciating pain, Li Sui flew toward the temples of two Surveillance Bureau members.
The purple-robed Daoist died instantly, and the Bagua on the ground dimmed.
Li Huowang could move once again. Li Huowang ignored the two people who had been strung up with him. He tore off the talisman on his forehead and glared murderously at the Surveillance Bureau members. He silently endured the intense pain and rushed toward them.
"How many times do I have to repeat myself?! I'm not from the damned Sitting Oblivion Dao!"
They weren't Li Huowang's match even without the Bagua, so without the Bagua, Li Huowang made quick work of the Surveillance Bureau members. Of course, Li Sui had contributed massively to that as well along with the Sitting Oblivion Dao members.
The hunchbacked Surveillance Bureau member staggered backward as the white banner in his hand split into a thousand pieces.
"A-All right! I believe you! You're not from the Sitting Oblivion Dao!" the hunchbacked Surveillance Bureau member exclaimed.
There was a flash of white light, and a sword pierced the hunchback's mouth. The sword emerged from his nape and pinned him to the wall behind him.
Li Huowang stared at the desperate eyes of the hunchback. He gripped the sword tightly and put all of his strength into the sword hilt before tearing open a hole in the wall. The hunchback's eyes glazed over, and he collapsed powerlessly to the ground while holding the hilt of Li Huowang's sword.
The Surveillance Bureau members had been annihilated by Li Huowang.
"Boss Hong Zhong is so powerful!"
"Of course, he would be powerful! Otherwise, why are we calling him 'Boss Hong Zhong,' while we're mere pawns?"
Li Huowang ignored the cheers behind him and pulled out his sword from the hunchback's mouth. Then, he sheathed the sword behind him. Afterward, he grabbed the banner sticking out of him and pulled it out slowly.
The remaining two Sitting Oblivion Dao members finally regained their freedom, and they took turns complimenting Li Huowang.
However, Li Huowang drew his sword once again and pointed it at them.
"Where is the Strayed One Bei Feng?!"
Chapter 429 - Bei Feng
"Ah? Strayed One Bei Feng? Boss Hong Zhong, why are you looking for him?" asked a Sitting Oblivion Dao member, who was dressed like a beggar.
"Where is Bei Feng right now?!" Li Huowang asked. The purple-tassel sword blurred briefly before approaching the neck of the beggar-looking Sitting Oblivion Dao member.
"Ah, we're all from the same family here; why resort to violence? Boss Hong Zhong, I can answer you. Bei Feng and the others should be at the eastern gate of the imperial palace. Their plan is to go and see what the Liang Kingdom's emperor is up to. The Three Officials and Four Joys are there as well."
The eastern gate of the imperial palace. Li Huowang thought. Then, he flicked his wrist, and the head of the beggar-like Sitting Oblivion Dao member fell to the ground. A dull thud echoed afterward as the headless corpse fell with a dull thud.
Li Huowang stared at the last remaining Sitting Oblivion Dao member among the three and asked, "I'll ask you one more time. Where is Bei Feng right now?"
The woman stared wide-eyed at her fallen comrade, and tears welled up in her eyes as she cried out, "Boss Hong Zhong, why are you doing this? We... had no intentions of harming you at all!"
Li Huowang grew furious upon seeing her tearful and pitiful visage. He kicked her down, and the sharp sword sliced open her face from her chin, revealing a bloody mess underneath that resembled an orchid flower[1].
"Ha, a flower tile? All right, let's see what tricks you have up your sleeve, Sitting Oblivion Dao! Let me ask you again—where is Bei Feng right now?!" Li Huowang roared and squeezed the woman's neck with both hands.
"Boss Bei Feng.. and the others.. are really at the eastern gate of the imperial palace. I..." Lan Hua stammered, gasping for air.
Li Huowang squeezed even harder, and Lan Hua struggled violently.
Her struggle eventually weakened, but she refused to beg for mercy. Just as she took her last breath, she brushed her head gently against the bulging veins on Li Huowang's hand.
Her grotesque face showed nary a trace of fear or despair. Instead, she seemed to admire Li Huowang. Lan Hua then used her final breath to mutter, "Mountains have trees, and trees have branches... My heart celebrates you, but you do not know..."
Lan Hua went limp, and her grotesque flower face withered gradually.
"Huff.. huff.. huff..." Li Huowang breathed in ragged pants. Li Sui's tentacles tore a fabric from the clothes of a nearby corpse to wipe away the blood from Li Huowang's face. The Sitting Oblivion Dao members are really annoying. Do they have to make me feel so disgusted, even in their final moments? They know how to perform a convincing act as well. It was so convincing that I... I-I almost wavered!
Li Huowang took a deep breath. He was still somewhat skeptical of Lan Hua's words. Still, he decided to see for himself whether the Strayed One Bei Feng was at the eastern gate of the imperial palace.
Things were getting chaotic outside, and he needed to pick up the pace. He had to reach the Strayed One Bei Feng before the latter escaped or was killed.
Li Huowang bent down to pick up a human face from the ground. He was planning on sticking it onto his face when he suddenly stopped. Hold on, is it even a good idea to keep wearing Er Jiu's face?
Li Huowang looked around. Then, he bent down and picked up Lan Hua's face. The next moment, he applied it over his face as if it were a face mask. Afterward, Li Huowang secured the edges with some nails from his bag of torture tools.
In the blink of an eye, Li Huowang's appearance changed into that of another person. Since he was going to act like someone else, then he had to do it thoroughly. Li Huowang burned his red Daoist robe and wore the clothes of a nearby corpse.
Li Huowang scavenged a total of six swords from the nearby corpses before pushing open the wooden door of the house. After getting his bearings, Li Huowang jumped onto a terrified horse on the street and led it toward the palace.
The emperor of Great Liang resides in the palace, so the palace is definitely the most heavily guarded place throughout the Liang Kingdom. Li Huowang captured two Sitting Oblivion Dao members while he was on his way to the palace. He asked them questions to confirm the information that he had obtained. One of the two was unwilling to speak, while the other confirmed the legitimacy of Li Huowang's information. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂
Once Li Huowang was close enough to the palace, he jumped onto a roof and observed the eastern gate in the distance. It seemed that a great battle had broken out over there, as there were people falling to the snowy ground.
Li Huowang approached cautiously with his head lowered. The people fighting in the distance varied in strength, but it was obvious that the ones inside the palace were the imperial guards, while those outside were the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
These Sitting Oblivion Dao members had different appearances and attires, making it difficult to differentiate them from each other, much less guess whether the Strayed One Bei Feng was among them or not.
The Sitting Oblivion Dao members sat down to chant an incantation, but an unbelievably accurate arrow struck them in the forehead, forcing the others to stand up and retreat.
Li Huowang remained calm in the face of the tense situation, and he swept his gaze across the Sitting Oblivion Dao, looking for his target.
Is it him? No, no... Li Huowang could still remember the information he had obtained from the Surveillance Bureau before. The Strayed One Bei Feng could swap bodies with someone else. With that in mind, Li Huowang shifted his gaze away from the Sitting Oblivion Dao and stared at the palace.
The imperial guards fought valiantly, and they were being assisted by figures wearing green masks. Overall, there wasn't anything unusual.
Li Huowang observed silently, waiting for any changes to the situation.
Soon, the gates of the palace swung open, and an imperial guard wearing a helmet emerged. He was waving at the Sitting Dao Oblivion members outside. The Sitting Oblivion Dao members were overjoyed at the sight, and they barged into the palace.
The situation quickly became even more chaotic.
Is that him? Is that the Strayed One Bei Feng? Li Huowang's heart pounded as he stared intently at the imperial guard, who had opened the palace gates and allowed the Sitting Oblivion Dao members entry into the palace grounds.
The imperial guard seemed to have sensed something, and he glanced in Li Huowang's direction before turning around and walking into the palace grounds.
Boom!
The snow around Li Huowang flew high into the air as he projected his illusion out of sight. Then, he stepped on the roof tiles and jumped roof after roof. Li Huowang eventually found himself at the eastern gates, and he discovered that the skirmish had ended in favor of the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
The ajar gate covered in blood was proof of the deadly battle.
Bei Feng is definitely inside! Li Huowang picked up the pace and made his way into the palace grounds. Many people had noticed the commotion here, and they'd rushed down the blood-stained path to reach the palace grounds. Unfortunately, it was impossible to tell whether they were from the Sitting Oblivion Dao or the Surveillance Bureau.
Li Huowang followed closely behind them and entered the palace. The palace had a complicated layout with many winding paths. However, Li Huowang didn't need a map, as the bloodstains and the signs of struggle on the ground guided him to the right path.
Li Huowang would sometimes stumble upon giant faces on the crimson walls of the corridor, and the faces were similar to those outside the palace. They seemed made out of bronze, and some of them were even adorned with verdigris[2].
The faces were square with hollowed eyes, triangular nose bridges, and large ears. The entire palace appeared particularly solemn and majestic beneath their solemn, quiet gazes.
Li Huowng discovered that the bloodstains, signs of struggle, and bloody footprints were becoming fewer and fewer as he went deeper into the palace. Soon, he caught a glimpse of a golden light shining in the distant corner up ahead.
Li Huowang cautiously turned the corner and was stupefied.
He saw nothing but gold. The distant hall was literally made out of gold. The bricks, the ceiling, the walls, the statue of beasts, the furniture, and even the ornaments were made out of gold.
1. a tile in mahjong ☜
2. a bright bluish-green encrustation formed by atmospheric oxidation ☜