Upon confirming that the technique hidden in Hong Zhong's memories was useful, Li Huowang did the same thing to the Second Deity.
The Second Deity immediately stopped laughing and eating.
"What's going on? They're fine not too long ago, but they've transformed into something vile!" Li Huowang's three faces said at the same time.
The technique that he had employed was from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, and Li Huowang could see that the two were fighting back against the technique's suppression; it was evidenced by their violent trembling.
Li Huowang knew that the technique wouldn't last long. He needed to attack the issue at its roots.
Zhuge Yuan shared his thoughts, saying, "Junior Li, the Immortal families have decent appearances, but they're still evil entities. The things that can affect evil entities would affect them, too. The sudden surge in the number of evil entities outside and the changes in the Immortal families have proven that the Natural Disaster is related to evil entities.
"In other words, the Natural Disaster is the source of this issue."
Zhuge Yuan's information was helpful, but he couldn't do anything about it. He wasn't strong enough to deal with a Natural Disaster by himself. In fact, he didn't even know how to disperse a Natural Disaster.
Li Huowang looked up at the dark skies with gritted teeth. "What is the Surveillance Bureau doing? Are they not going to do anything but watch as a myriad of lives are about to be sacrificed?!
"At this rate, everything is going to collapse!" Li Huowang popped his head out of the window with the bamboo slips that Liu Zongyuan had given him in hand. "Xiaohai, give me a homing pigeon!"
"Homing pigeons? We don't have any of that. However, I have a sparrow here that I'm going to grill later. Is that fine?"
"Yes!"
Li Huowang wanted to know what was going on with the Surveillance Bureau by asking Liu Zongyuan. He also wanted to know how long the Natural Disaster would last. Li Huowang swiftly composed his letter before tying it to the sparrow along with a bamboo slip engraved with a full moon.
The sparrow soon disappeared in the dark skies.
Li Huowang was still trying to catch his breath when he heard someone shouting in the yard. He rushed outside to find "something" peering over the walls from the outside. They barely looked human and were covered in dirt. Their figures were folded in half and distorted; they looked more like clumps of rotten meat.
However, they all had one thing in common: their smiling face. They looked just like the evil entity Li Huowang had fought earlier.
"Shit! They've become ghosts and are now trying to take Lady Bai's life! I told her to bury them farther away, but she insisted on burying them in the mountains behind the village!"
"Stop whining! Those corpses are being possessed by something. They're not scary at all! Also, ghosts do not exist!"
Bai Lingmiao and the Second Deity were wearing Li Huowang's face as they followed closely behind Li Huowang. Li Huowang whipped out his purple-tassel sword and the bronze coin sword before jumping onto the wall.
The three of them cut through the corpses as if the latter were vegetables. Ordinary evil entities were nothing before Li Huowang.
Soon, the situation was brought under control. Before Li Huowang could sigh in relief, however, he heard something snap in his heart—one of the two threads in his heart had snapped.
Li Huowang whipped around and saw that the face he had pressed onto the Second Deity's face had been torn in half for some reason.
"Hahahaha~!" The Second Deity laughed maniacally as she ran toward the ancestral hall of the Bai family on all fours.
"Senior Li, quick! Follow me!" exclaimed the Second Deity.
Li Huowang was anxious. There were still evil entities around the Bai Family Estate, and the Second Deity had just escaped, causing even more trouble.
While Li Huowang was pondering over what to do next, the Bai Family Estate's main gate was kicked open. Gao Zhijian emerged, sweeping his giant halberd around and spinning like a tornado. He killed almost all of the evil entities in one fell swoop!
Then, Gao Zhijian looked up at Li Huowang standing on the walls and roared, "Go!"
The immediate danger had been addressed, so Li Huowang grabbed Bai Lingmiao and chased after the Second Deity.
There were talismans on his knees, so he was lightning fast. In no time, he caught up to the Second Deity, who was running on foot.
Li Huowang lunged at the Second Deity, but the latter avoided it and jumped into the ancestral hall of the Bai Family through a hidden door.
Li Huowang walked into the hidden door, chasing after the Second Deity. He raced down the White Lotus Sect's hall before entering another secret room where the Second Deity had come to a halt.
The Second Deity was laughing as she stood frozen among the columns of books and scrolls. Tears spilled from her eyes the moment she saw Li Huowang. Then, she tried her best to suppress her laughter before shouting, "Haha—Senior Li! We're going to die soon! The Immortal families feel that the mortal world is their own, and they are using our bodies to descend into the mortal realm!
"Haha—we can't leave much for you except for these scrolls. These scrolls contain the techniques of the White Lotus Sect, and you might be able to use them once you're dead! Hahaha!"
The Second Deity's beast-like face was stuck in between sorrow and happiness. It was an eerie sight to see, but Li Huowang could see a "kindness" in that expression, and it was a kind desire to take care of Li Huowang.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! The Natural Disaster will pass, and you are not going to die! Come, just sleep for now," Li Huowang said. He tried to press his face onto the Second Deity.
"Junior Li, that technique is useless. You should take the Twelve Merit Jade Lotus and put it on her head. Then, ask her to sit with her legs crossed and tell her to make the lotus seal with both hands," Zhuge Yuan said.
Li Huowang obeyed and saw a jade lotus emanating a soft white glow.
"Junior Li, hurry up! It will be too late once the evil entity has taken over your wife's body!"
Li Huowang hesitated no longer and quickly placed the lotus on the head of the Second Deity. Her laughter grew softer and softer before eventually being replaced by crying.
"Stop crying! Make the lotus seal!"
The Second Deity obeyed and made the lotus seal with her hands. The seal was large and exaggerated due to her sharp fingernails. However, it was effective; the white glow from the jade lotus condensed and formed a lotus seat before melting into the Second Deity.
The soft energy was like spring water, cleansing her from the inside. Everything that belonged to the Immortal families was suppressed.
Soon, the Second Deity became more and more like Bai Lingmiao.
However, Li Huowang was soon anxious; the Second Deity was becoming transparent. Li Huowang snatched the jade lotus away from her head, and the Second Deity had become tangible once more.
Li Huowang sighed in relief. Clearly, the jade lotus was an incredible artifact, but it was going to be dangerous if the user had no idea how to use it correctly.
The Second Deity had returned to normal; Li Huowang proceeded to do the same thing to Bai Lingmiao and placed the jade lotus on her head.
The soft, white glow melted into her, and Li Huowang's faux face was the first thing that left her. The intertwined energy of the Immortal families followed suit, and in the end, the murderous aura in her heart was expelled as well.
Chapter 461 - Someone Stronger
Li Huowang removed the jade lotus upon seeing Bai Lingmiao returning to normal.
He then shook her vigorously, shouting, "Miaomiao! Miaomiao!"
Li Huowang only relaxed when Bai Lingmiao opened her eyes.
"Senior Li ..." Bai Lingmiao's pink irises revealed sadness and indignance.
"As long as you're fine... as long as you're fine..." Li Huowang hugged her tightly and patted her back. Li Huowang looked up, quietly thanking Zhuge Yuan.
If Zhuge Yuan hadn't told him what to do with the jade lotus, he could have lost Bai Lingmiao.
"Junior Li, no need to thank me. I decided to help because I can help. Anyway, I didn't expect that the Twelve Merits Jade Lotus have been here all this while. I've been looking for it for a very long time."
Li Huowang took a deep breath and slipped his arms behind Bai Lingmiao before carrying her out of the dark room. The Second Deity followed closely behind them.
Li Huowang lowered his head and took in the fragrance of her hair before whispering, "I know that you're upset, but right now, we need to deal with the urgent matters first. Let's talk after we've overcome the Natural Disaster, all right?"
Listening to Li Huowang's beating heart, Li Huowang burrowed her head deeper into the former's chest and nodded. Compared to her previous self, she had become much more quiet and meek.
The tunnels made by the White Lotus Sect weren't that long, so Li Huowang soon made it out, walking into the ancestral hall.
Once he was outside, Li Huowang immediately heard the sound of fighting coming from the entrance of the Bai Family Estate. Li Huowang picked up his pace and ran toward the noises to reinforce them.
Li Huowang had taken just a few steps when his expression froze, and he came to a screeching halt. He had picked up something with his keen senses; something was watching him.
Li Huowang shivered. He had no idea why, but his body was no longer under his control. His shivering became even more intense as time ticked by; soon, he trembled visibly.
"That's..." Li Huowang looked up while trembling, and his gaze pierced the dark skies.
The dark skies parted, revealing unknown horrors. Li Huowang saw the profound energy of the universe rolling around, the intertwining Heavenly Daos, and the shining capital filled with crimson mansions with the royal palace hidden at the top.
A bead of cold sweat slid down Li Huowang's face and landed on Bai Lingmiao's hand. Li Huowang looked up from his chest and saw Li Huowang staring at the skies without moving.
Bai Lingmiao looked up as well but saw nothing.
"Senior Li, what's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao asked, sounding uneasy.
She tugged lightly at his red robes, and that was when Li Huowang's mouth parted until it reached his ears. His lower jaw was dislocated with a crack, and an urgent scream escaped from the depths of his throat.
He sounded like a crane crowing loudly.
When his scream rang out, it pervaded and overwhelmed everything. Every noise nearby became Li Huowang's cry. Black tentacles surged from Li Huowang's shadow amidst his strange scream.
Bai Lingmiao felt something tugging on her shoes, and she cried out, "Senior Li!"
Bai Lingmiao cried loudly, and Li Huowang tried desperately to close his eyes to stop the entities up above in the Heavens from affecting him. However, he couldn't do it. He felt like he had lost all control over his eyes.
Just then, Li Huowang hoisted Bai Lingmiao over his shoulder before gouging his own eyes with his fingers, but it was useless! His bloody eyeballs were still staring at the entities hidden behind in the dark skies!
Li Huowang clenched both hands tightly and destroyed his eyeballs.
And that was when he finally stopped screaming—everything had returned to normal.
Li Huowang slumped to the ground with Bai Lingmiao in his arms.
The Second Deity and Bai Lingmiao hurriedly helped Li Huowang up.
Li Huowang looked haggard and was drenched in his own blood. His lower jaw was completely dislocated, so his mouth was agape. He panted deeply as both saliva and blood flowed out of his mouth.
Li Huowang looked incredibly weak as if his soul had been taken away from him.
Bai Lingmiao was about to beat the drums, but Li Huowang raised a hand to stop her. He forcefully set his jaw in position before saying, "Don't call upon the Immortal families! The evil entities in the world have gone crazy! The Immortal families might not listen to you anymore, and they might not leave you alone the moment you summon them here!"
Bai Lingmiao's tear-stricken face appeared before Li Huowang, and she reached out a trembling hand to touch Li Huowang's bloody eye socket.
"Senior Li, what's wrong with you? Why did you gouge out your eyeballs?" Bai Lingmiao asked, sobbing.
A tremor ran across Li Huowang at Bai Lingmiao's remark, and he opened his mouth wide once again.
Li Huowang covered his eye sockets with both hands and mumbled, "No, I'm not going to think about it. I'm not going to think about the suffering of the masses and the suffering of all living beings. Suffering cannot be born nor die; they are neither dirty nor clean, and they will remain eternal."
The scenes that Li Huowang had witnessed were threatening to reappear in his memories. He tried his best to calm down by chanting a mantra. He lowered his hands but found that the scabs had glued them to his face.
Li Huowang tugged at his arms, and blood sprayed out of his eye sockets. Li Huowang listened to his surroundings and endured the pain to ask, "Where are we?"
"Master, you're in the yard of the Bai Family Estate. Please get ready to endure the pain; I will scatter some medicine into your eye sockets."
Hearing Lu Xiucai's voice, Li Huowang tried to stand up and walk outside with his sword in hand.
"Master, you don't have to go anymore, as you are heavily injured. Miss Bai, Simpleton, and Xiaoman have killed most of the evil entities. If they need reinforcements, I can simply go there to help him."
Lu Xiucai's words had yet to finish echoing in the air when the others arrived to check on Li Huowang. They told him the same thing, allowing Li Huowang to know that they really weren't in danger.
Thus, Li Huowang sat down and took out the Fiery Scripture to heal himself.
The sizzling wax moved across his face and stopped the bleeding in his eye sockets.
Lu Zhuangyuan wrapped some bandages across his eyes, and Li Huowang sat quietly, listening to the situation outside with his keen ears while trying to come out with contingency plans.
Just then, his arm and face felt warm.
Before he could ask any questions, cheers erupted all around him.
"What's happening?!" Li Huowang held his sword tightly and stood up.
"Young Daoist, the sun is back! Hahaha! Looks like someone managed to scare the Heavenly Dog away with the gongs!"
Chapter 462 - Missing
Li Huowang sighed in relief when he heard Lu Zhuangyuan and his superstitious nonsense. He sat back down and muttered to himself, "Looks like the sun is back. It's a good thing that we've warded off that Natural Disaster."
Li Huowang's heart relaxed, and he lost consciousness the moment he lost all tension. When he woke up, he found his mouth filled with a warm liquid. The liquid was tasty—it was soup!
The familiar softness pressing against his nape, and the familiar fragrance told him that his head was on Bai Lingmiao's lap. "Miaomiao."
Bai Lingmiao said nothing; she was focused solely on feeding him chicken soup.
"I'm not disabled. I can do it myself. I'm just tired." Li Huowang sat up with much effort and drank the soup from the bowl in big gulps. Li Huowang didn't really suffer any severe injuries except for becoming blind. His exhaustion stemmed from his mind rather than his body.
Li Huowang felt like the cogs in his head had rusted. He tried thinking hard and long about something, but the back of his head throbbed in pain.
Li Huowang knew why this was happening.
It was because he had seen something he was not supposed to see.
The entity that had appeared out of the darkness during the Natural Disaster and the entities that couldn't be mentioned neither in words nor recollections—he had seen them all.
It seemed that the recent Natural Disaster involved the addition of something rather than deletion.
When Li Huowang stared at the entity, the entity stared back at him. There were no "lies" in the entity's figure, and it was like a massive bronze cauldron with inscriptions of all the major events that happened in the past.
Every recollection renders it invalid, and it changes every time it's forgotten. Every time it's mentioned, it'll move itself to the past while bringing its other self to the present.
Li Huowang knew what it meant at the time, but he had forgotten it.
The entity was not a Siming. Li Huowang had never seen it in the Baiyu Capital. In fact, Li Huowang didn't even know where it came from or just what exactly it was. Of course, Li Huowang had no intentions of learning more about it.
"Senior Li, what's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao asked, stroking Li Huowang's furrowed brows with her pale fingers in order to soothe him.
"No worries. I'm fine. I shouldn't be thinking about something like this; dealing with it is the Surveillance Bureau's job," Li Huowang said. His face was pale as he repeated his words again and again to stop thinking about it.
Li Huowang grabbed Bai Lingmiao's hand, and his voice had a hint of anticipation in it as he said, "Miaomiao, are you really okay? Do you really not need the murderous aura anymore?"
Without eyes, Li Huowang couldn't see her expression.
However, he could feel Bai Lingmiao's other hand covering the back of his hand.
Li Huowang's expression fell at Bai Lingmiao's silence. In the end, he decided to just enjoy the silence.
Perhaps I shouldn't talk about that anymore and forget about it. Maybe this is for the best.
"Did we lose anyone in the village?" Li Huowang asked.
"None, but someone's missing. However, I'm not sure whether he is 'someone.' or not."
"Hmm?"
"Li Sui is missing. Remember the thing that called you 'father' and crawled out of your belly button?"
"What?! Li Sui is missing?!" Li Huowang exclaimed. He jumped up instinctively and rushed toward the window before shouting, "Li Sui! Come back!"
Li Huowang shouted numerous times, but there wasn't any response.
He reckoned that something was wrong.
Li Sui was a naive creature. He'd always stick close to Li Huowang if he could help it, and it was the result of them living together for so long. In other words, there was no way Li Sui wouldn't respond to Li Huowang's shouts.
"Miaomiao, ask the villagers to look for Li Sui! Prioritize it!" Li Huowang ordered.
"All right," Bai Lingmiao responded and headed downstairs.
Left all alone, Li Huowang thought about the many different possibilities.
Li Sui wouldn't possibly leave his side for no reason.
"Senior Li, it's best if you think about the worst-case scenario. The Black Taisui is an evil entity as well, after all. The Natural Disaster must've affected him as well, and I don't know what happened to him."
Li Huowang's expression became sour at Zhuge Yuan's remark. Now that he thought about it, Li Sui had gone missing upon the Natural Disaster's appearance.
"Master! Master!" Lu Xiucai exclaimed.
Li Huowang stood up instantly and hurriedly turned to Lu Xiucai. "Did you find him?"
"No, I just came here to tell you that even Bun has disappeared."
Li Huowang gnashed his teeth and smashed the table with his fist.
The table and his fist split in half at the same time.
Caught off guard, Lu Xiucai retreated to the stairs and hoped that Li Huowang couldn't see him near the stairs.
"Go and keep searching for them! If you can't find them in the village, try searching around the village in a radius of ten Li!"[1]
"All right, I will pass down your orders!"
Time ticked by, and night soon fell.
Their chances of getting found were dwindling slowly as time went on. They continued their search until the second section of the night arrived. Li Huowang finally calmed down enough and told everyone to go back and rest.
A soft pair of hands placed a bowl of noodles on the cracked wooden table before Li Huowang. A pair of chopsticks was placed in Li Huowang's hands afterward.
"Go ahead and eat first. I don't really have the appetite., Li Huowang said in a sullen voice.
Two days ago, he thought everything was heading in a good direction, but the unfortunate news that he had been hearing these days was making Li Huowang feel that things weren't going swimmingly at all.
"Tsk. Look at you. You're acting as if you had really lost a son. He was an evil entity. Do you really think that he's your son, as he came out of your stomach? If I were in your shoes, I would be glad about his disappearance.
"After all, I've just gotten rid of a nuisance."
Li Huowang looked up at the faceless Sitting Oblivion Dao member, who had just taunted him. Li Huowang turned to an empty space and said, "Senior Zhuge, can you help me and give him a slap?"
Smack!
"Thanks."
Bai Lingmiao was instantly worried upon seeing Li Huowang talking to himself. She was heading to the bed when she walked back to the table, picked up the chopsticks there, and slowly fed Li Huowang.
"I'm not hungry. You should go and eat first." Li Huowang pushed it away, but Bai Lingmiao insisted.
The two argued for a while until Li Huowang finally opened his mouth and ate the noodles. Two figures—one eating and one feeding—sat quietly in the room.
Li Huowang was just about to obliterate the bowl of noodles when a familiar voice echoed from the window. "Father, were you looking for me?"
"Li Sui?!" Li Huowang stood up in surprise and rushed toward where the voice had come from.
However, the Second Deity stopped him, explaining, "Senior Li, that's not Li Sui. It's a dog that has been skinned and stripped of its flesh. It's baring its fangs at you while smiling."
1. One Li = 500m. So around 5km ☜
Chapter 463 - Li Sui
"A skinned dog? And it's smiling at me?"
Hearing Bai Lingmiao's words, Li Huowang imagined a horrible image in his mind.
After all, he couldn't see what was happening.
Li Huowang swallowed hard before he asked, "Bun?"
"Woof woof!" A familiar barking echoed.
Li Huowang had taken care of Bun for more than a year and would never mistake Bun's barking for someone else's barking. The barking had indeed come from Bun.
Bun's barking was filled with excitement rather than pain and fear.
Li Huowang frowned and focused his hearing in the same direction. "Li Sui?"
A voice superimposed on the barking echoed from the same direction. "Father, I'm here."
Li Sui tried to crawl in from the window when rapid drumbeats echoed, stopping him.
"Father! Mother won't let me in," Li Sui said, sounding emotionally distressed.
Li Huowang massaged his throbbing temples. He had no idea what to do. In fact, he didn't even know what to call the entity in front of him. What did Li Sui do during the Natural Disaster?
"Father, do you not want me anymore?" Li Sui asked, his voice filled with sadness and even resembled sobbing. Bun's howling echoed along with Li Sui's words.
Li Huowang patted the Second Deity's shoulder. "Don't worry. It can't harm me even if I was blind."
Li Huowang walked past the Second Deity and approached the noises.
He couldn't see, but he could still feel people's gazes. Soon, he stopped just a few meters away from Li Sui.
"Come inside. Don't stay outside the window."
Two dull thuds echoed as Li Sui stepped into the room.
Li Huowang caught a whiff of blood.
Li Sui—or Bun, was standing just in front of him.
The scent of blood did not belong to that of a human but a dog.
Li Huowang had an inkling of what had happened, and he extended his arms to touch the entity before him. The first sensation he felt was Bun's rough tongue extending out from behind its sharp fangs.
The tongue licked the scab off Li Huowang's hands. "Father, you're injured."
Li Huowang moved his hands upwards and felt the skinless face of the beast. There were still some tendons and muscles left, but the beast had become mostly bones from its injuries.
Li Huowang managed to find what remained of the veil and straw coat above the beast's head. It had been damaged so badly that it could no longer hide anything.
Li Huowang slowly moved his hands toward the body of the beast and started exploring every inch of its figure.
Li Huowang soon discovered a bloody, mangled mess, which was what remained of Bun. However, the entity was standing upright on two legs, unlike how a dog would walk.
Bun's fleshly body had become extremely unfamiliar to Li Huowang. There were tentacles pulsating beneath Bun's skin and flesh; it was supposed to have the body of a dog, but it had grown to an impossible size.
The joints had been dislocated, allowing the figure to contort, becoming like a large-framed figure wearing a skinny shirt.
Li Huowang knew what was underneath the skin—Li Sui's tentacles.
When Li Huowang caressed the back of the being, tentacles burst from its back and carefully wrapped themselves around his fingers. Some of the tentacles were exposed to the air as they burst out.
Bun's four limbs had grown as well, and they seemed capable of twisting at impossible angles. It was the reason Bun was slightly taller than Li Huowang at the moment.
Li Huowang slowly made a mental image of what he was touching, and he eventually saw a tentacled monster using the husk of a dog as its fleshly body.
Li Huowang sighed and asked, "What are you? Are you Bun or Li Sui?"
"Father, I'm Li Sui. Woof! Woof!" Li Sui's hot breath was filled with the stench of blood.
"What happened last night? Where did you go, and what happened to you?"
"Father, I don't know either. I was looking for Bun to play, but I don't know what happened next. I think I fell asleep. When I woke up, I couldn't find Bun anymore. Then, I heard you calling for me, so I ran over here."
Li Huowang took a deep breath and muttered in disbelief, "How could this be?"
He knew that the Black Taisui was capable of snatching bodies away, but Li Huowang had never really thought that this day would come so soon.
Was he staring at Li Sui or Bun? Was it both? How was he supposed to treat the entity before him?
Seemingly sensing Li Huowang's tumultuous emotions, the beast buried its face into Li Huowang's body. Its hard skull dug into his chest, and it licked Li Huowang's jaw.
The broken veil fell to the ground just then.
Li Huowang hugged it tightly; he could sense the beast's longing for him. He patted the mangled figure in front of him and said, "Fine, it is what it is, I guess. It's great that no one died, and I'm not going to ask for more than that." 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
An ordinary person would be afraid and horrified at the bloody creature in front of them, but not Li Huowang. He knew he was living in a bizarre, crazy world. Most importantly, he knew that he looked almost as bad as the current Li Sui.
Li Huowang turned around and looked at Bai Lingmiao.
"Miaomiao, she's our daughter now."
"Dau—Daughter? Her?"
"Yes. Li Sui is genderless, but Bun is female. We'll call her 'daughter' from now on, and I hope you're not going to hate her."
While Bai Lingmiao was hesitating, the Second Deity walked over and patted Li Sui's skull.
***
The Natural Disaster had passed; everyone was still having nightmares over the ordeal, but everyone knew that they still had lives to live, so they soon resumed their own tasks.
The intense discussions soon faded to peace as they worked on their own tasks.
"Dear, please wake up. It's time to wake up."
When Sir Wu woke up from his afternoon nap, he immediately saw his wife.
"What time is it?" Sir Wu sat up slowly and stretched both of his legs as if waiting for someone to put on his shoes.
"It's already the ninth division. Any later and you'd need a lantern to navigate. It's best to leave now so you won't waste your money on one." [1]
Upon getting hired to teach in Cowheart Village, Sir Wu found himself with two choices: either teach in the morning or teach in the evening.
However, his students needed to work in the fields during the day, so he had no choice but to start his lessons at night. Even Yang Xiaohai needed time to cook meals.
"All right! Time to change." Sir Wu stretched lazily.
"Aiya! I don't have time to serve you. I still need to put away the dried radishes on the roof. I've placed dinner on the table. Just eat and wash the plates in the kitchen."
Sir Wu glared at her and roared, "I'm a scholar! How can I work in the kitchen?!"
1. The ninth division corresponds to 7-9 pm ☜
Chapter 464 - Origin
Sir Wu's wife ignored him and walked outside. She carried a basket with her as she climbed up the bamboo ladders to collect the dried radishes on the roof.
Sir Wu changed clothes with a spiteful look and proceeded to eat his dinner. Upon seeing chicken in his noodles, Sir Wu's face beamed. He ate with relish and left the dishes on the table.
It was sunset, and the evening glow made his face look even yellower than usual.
A radish fell from the roof and slid into his back from his nape.
"Wash the dishes! What are you doing standing there?!"
"Ah..." Sir Wu hurriedly took out the radish from his shirt while running outside. Upon reaching the left yard of the Bai Family's Ancestral Hall, he glared at his residence and scoffed. "Hmph! The scholars of the past were right. Women are as hard to raise as mean-spirited people."
Sir Wu straightened his clothes and turned around before getting startled by a wrinkled face.
"Hehehe~ Sir Wu, are you heading to the lecture? Let's go together," Lu Zhuangyuan said, chuckling while holding his grandson.
Sir Wu looked down at Lu Zhuangyuan before heading to the classroom.
"Lecture? Hmph! You are overestimating them. I'm just trying to enlighten them! Each and every one of them is so stupid that I feel like I'm wasting my time here."
"Hehehe, that's true. They are already quite old, and it is past the prime time for them to study and become a scholar. However, our Tongsheng is different. This is the perfect time for him to study!" Lu Zhuangyuan happily raised his grandson up in the air.
"I've told you many times that a baby that's not even a year old will not be able to understand what I'm talking about! Don't bring him into the classroom!"
"Sigh, Sir Wu. This is the perfect time for the baby to learn how to speak by listening to its surroundings. It's not a bad thing for a baby to listen to lectures. What if he learns something?"
"Sigh. I really am wasting my time here; everyone's so dumb," Sir Wu said, shaking his head as he walked toward his classroom.
It turned out that everyone had already been waiting for him. Everyone went silent upon witnessing Sir Wu's arrival.
Sir Wu looked at the figure wearing the black veil standing in the corner of the classroom and frowned in dissatisfaction.
After the Natural Disaster, the person underneath the veil had grown considerably taller. They stood silently, but they somehow made Sir Wu feel oppressed. Sir Wu had long decided to steer clear of them.
Sir Wu was not a stupid man, after all. He had seen the techniques that the others in the village had used during the Natural Disaster.
Sir Wu didn't even dare to think about the identity of the individual beneath the black veil. The ancient scholars had said that scholars had to distance themselves from the supernatural.
Sir Wu actually wanted to leave but he didn't dare do so. He was afraid that something bad would happen to him if he didn't listen to them.
He was already old and had read a lot about people with supernatural powers through books. He knew that upon obtaining powers, they would do whatever they liked and treat normal people as insignificant beings.
Sir Wu trembled upon recalling the horrifying images drawn in that book.
He had no other choice but to do as he was told. Luckily, he was getting paid on time, and the villagers were treating him well. Sir Wu swept his gaze across the classroom and noticed something amiss.
"Hm? Why are there so few people here today?"
"Sir, Gao Zhijian is recruiting for a militia. He said that the chosen ones would receive candy, so most of the people here decided to go there. However, Gao Zhijian is very strict, so I'm sure most of them would fail and would return soon."
Looking at the smarter Zhao Wu, Sir Wu's tone became noticeably better. "Is that so? Why didn't you go then?"
Zhao Wu patted his legs out of bitterness. "Surely, you jest, sir. There's no way I can pass with this body of mine."
Sir Wu nodded and coughed lightly before starting his lecture.
People came and went during his lecture, and Sir Wu didn't really care whether they were bored or frustrated. All he cared about was doing his job.
Soon, it was midnight. Sir Wu looked at the yawning students and waved his hands, dismissing them. His mouth was feeling quite parched as well.
"We will stop here today. Remember to study what you've learned today so you'll memorize them. I will test you randomly tomorrow."
Sir Wu walked out of the classroom with a lantern in hand, which illuminated the path to his house. It was midnight, so the streets were empty. Sir Wu felt nervous, especially after what he had seen during the Natural Disaster.
However, he didn't dare to show his nervousness on his face. He didn't want his stupid students to see that he was terrified.
He walked and soon saw the Bai Family's Ancestral Hall. His footsteps unconsciously became lighter as he picked up the pace upon seeing the ancestral hall.
He had heard many rumors throughout the village about how many people had died in the ancestral hall.
I'm a scholar. I exude the aura of justice. Those of the supernatural will avoid me! Sir Wu walked carefully while reassuring himself repeatedly.
When he finally walked past the Bai Family's Ancestral Hall, Sir Wu sighed in relief. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
And that was when a wooden mask suddenly appeared in front of him in the dark.
Sir Wu yelped, but a wooden hand covered his mouth before his scream could echo in the air. "Don't make any noises. I don't want to kill you. I'm here to find someone. Do you know where Er Jiu is?"
Staring at the old man standing motionlessly like a log, Liu Zongyuan asked, "You don't know Er Jiu? He's always wearing his signature red Daoist robe, and he always has two swords on his back."
Sir Wu extended a trembling finger, pointing in a certain direction. Liu Zongyuan stared disdainfully at Sir Wu upon noticing that the latter had pissed himself. Then, he turned around to leave, rushing toward the direction Sir Wu had pointed out for him.
Liu Zongyuan had just arrived at a remarkable estate, but he immediately noticed that a window to the second floor of the estate was open.
"Brother Liu, I can't move much right now. Come in and talk."
Liu Zongyuan leaped up like a monkey and climbed up the window using his right arm before throwing himself into the room.
Liu Zongyuan saw the Daoist in red robes sitting like a king with a horrifying beast sitting quietly on his left. The beast had been skinned, and its empty eye sockets stared at Liu Zongyuan without moving.
"Brother Liu, are you okay?" Er Jiu asked.
Liu Zongyuan snapped out of it and realized that Er Jiu's eyes were covered in white bandages.
"What happened to your eyes?"
"Something happened during the Natural Disaster, and I ended up getting blinded. Don't worry; it's just a minor wound. Anyway, I'm surprised that you actually came here so fast."
"Of course. I rushed over here as fast as I could the moment I received your letter. You're hiding in a rural area, so I'm sure you have no idea what's happening, but it's chaotic outside."
"Yeah, I can see that. Do you have any information about the recent Natural Disaster? I think the fact that it's been happening every year over the past two years is a bad omen."
"Sigh." Liu Zongyuan sighed and sat beside the Daoist in red robes. "You don't have to mention that. Anyone with eyes would be able to see something strange. I heard that the Surveillance Bureau had known that the Natural Disaster would appear ahead of time."
"They knew that it'd appear ahead of time? Then, why didn't they stop it? Weren't they supposed to keep watch of it and deal with it? Or could it be that there's a limit to their power?"
Liu Zongyuan clenched his fists out of frustration. "Do you really think that they didn't want to stop it? Did you think that their expansive formation in Shangjing is just for show? Sigh. It's the Sitting Oblivion Dao's fault! They destroyed the formation, so the Surveillance Bureau lost a huge chunk of their power!"
Chapter 465 - List
Li Huowang wasn't exactly knowledgeable when it came to Natural Disasters, so he frowned upon hearing Liu Zongyuan's words. "You mean the Surveillance Bureau had laid out that massive golden formation in Shangjing as a means to combat the Natural Disaster?"
At the time, he was inside the golden formation, but he was too focused on Bei Feng to even think about why the emperor was working with the Surveillance Bureau. Once the dust settled, Li Huowang assumed that the emperor was trying to ascend and become an Immortal by recruiting the Surveillance Bureau.
However, it seemed that his assumption was wrong. The Surveillance Bureau and the Liang Kingdom's emperor had been planning to use the Sacred Mountain Ghost's Eye to combat the Natural Disaster of the Sun-Devouring Heavenly Dog.
Li Huowang finally had a clear picture of what was happening in the Liang Kingdom, and he couldn't help but feel a bit regretful about his actions. He hadn't played a righteous role during the incident at Shangjing.
However, he couldn't really be blamed, as he had no idea that the Surveillance Bureau was going to help the masses against Natural Disasters using the massive golden formation.
Of course, this was mostly because of the Surveillance Bureau's strict information control. However, Li Huowang wouldn't have thought that they were the good guys at the time, and it was all thanks to their actions.
"No, Junior Li, this is my fault, not yours," Zhuge Yuan said.
"The Sitting Oblivion Dao managed to deceive me," Zhuge Yuan added in a voice filled with sorrow and self-loathing. "It all started from the moment I killed Bai Ban. It was then that I fell into the Sitting Oblivion Dao's trap.
"Perhaps the Sitting Oblivion Dao of the Qi Kingdom was also responsible for pushing the undead emperor to rule the kingdom. The Sitting Oblivion Dao of the Qi Kingdom was working together with the Sitting Oblivion Dao of the Liang Kingdom.
"They did it not because they wanted to avenge the dead Bai Ban but to use my powers as the Twisted One to travel between two different timelines in order to trick Doulao and take away the Sacred Mountain Ghost Eye."
Liu Zongyuan's exposition taught Zhuge Yuan more than Li Huowang, and Zhuge Yuan realized that he had indeed gotten tricked by the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
"Don't worry about it too much. You've done your best. Blame the Sitting Oblivion Dao," Li Huowang said unconsciously.
Liu Zongyuan thought that Li Huowang was talking to him and responded, "Brother Er is too kind, but I'm not sad. After all, I deliberately did not assign myself to Shangjing. I'm not crazy enough to risk my life. I was hiding in Qing Qiu on that day."
Since they were already on the topic, Liu Zongyuan added, "Sigh. It's only been decades since we killed so many members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao, and I didn't expect that it would be time to do so again. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
"They really are like maggots; they'd pop out of nowhere and in such large numbers. It doesn't matter even if you kill one of them, as three of them would pop up the next time. Anyway, Brother Er, I hope you won't tell anyone what I'm going to tell you today.
"I've heard that the Sitting Oblivion Dao has truly angered our superior this time. I'm sure they'd issue a kill order for every single Sitting Oblivion Dao member once the Natural Disaster is over. Many members of the Sitting Oblivion Dao had perished in Shangjing, and I think they're finally going to kill all of them once and for all."
Li Huowang stood up and clenched his fists in excitement. "That's great news! I hate the Sitting Oblivion Dao! The Surveillance Bureau should have annihilated them long ago."
"Yeah. Brother Er, I know you hate the Sitting Oblivion Dao, so I came here to ask you to follow me to Shangjing. However, I didn't expect that you'd end up becoming blind."
"No worries," Li Huowang said decisively. "I'm already blind, but I can still kill! Let's go!"
"Ah, it's fine, Brother Er. It's best if you just stay here and recuperate. Don't force yourself. The Surveillance Bureau still has many people, and it's not like we'll become useless without you."
Li Huowang knew that Liu Zongyuan wouldn't let a blind man follow him on his missions. He was just putting up an act for the sake of Li Huowang's dignity. Li Huowang himself still had many issues to handle, so he wasn't really in the mood to go on missions.
The two enjoyed some small talk and exchanged pieces of information.
Eventually, Liu Zongyuan made remarks about the horrifying Li Sui.
"Erm, Brother Er, it's one thing for the members of the Ao Jing Sect to skin themselves, but why are you skinning dogs as well? Don't you think that's taking it a bit too far?"
Li Huowang stretched out his hand and patted Li Sui's tough skull. "She's not a dog but a spiritual beast. I'm blind, so she's here to defend me. She looks horrifying, but she's more dependable than a human."
"Is that so? I guess you had an auspicious meeting with it, then. People wouldn't even dare to attempt to rear a spiritual beast! Are you selling it?" Liu Zongyuan asked.
Li Sui growled deeply and flashed her white fangs.
"Quiet now. Brother Liu was just joking," Li Huowang said, patting Li Sui's neck.
Li Sui quickly calmed down and stopped growling at Liu Zongyuan.
Somehow, Li Sui had become more animalistic after taking over Bun's body.
"All right, then, I should take my leave now. You should recover and stop being so reckless in the meantime."
Liu Zongyuan stood up and turned around to leave.
"Brother Liu, wait a minute," said Li Huowang, stopping Liu Zongyuan from leaving. "Since you know many things, do you know of any sects capable of replacing someone's eyes so that they can regain their vision? I mean, as you can see..."
"Erm... there are some sects capable of doing so, but I don't think there's any reason for you to go and look for them. We're strangers to them, so they could easily trick us.
"Moreover, we have our own methods. You've completed so many missions for the the Surveillance Bureau, so you definitely have many rewards to be claimed.
"Just go to the headquarters and exchange your rewards, which are lifespan pills, for something that will restore your vision," said Liu Zongyuan. Then, he wasted no time and left.
Left all alone, Li Huowang sat quietly in the dark room and pondered over his next course of action while patting Li Sui's back. Too many things were happening at the same time, and Li Huowang knew that he needed to act now. "Li Sui, bring me a charcoal and a piece of paper."
"Okay, Father."
A piece of paper was soon laid in front of Li Huowang.
Li Sui then gave Li Huowang a piece of charcoal. Li Huowang took the charcoal and used its pointed end to write out all of the issues he had at the moment.
First of all, Bai Lingmiao is on the cusp of becoming blind, as the sunlight has burned off her retina. She's extremely weak at the moment, and her lifespan has become shorter than normal.
Secondly, the Natural Disasters are too unpredictable. The Surveillance Bureau's plan to deal with Natural Disasters was destroyed by the Sitting Oblivion Dao. I'm not afraid of Natural Disasters, but how can I ensure the survival of Cowheart Village in these chaotic times?
Thirdly, Doulao has changed my past. My memories as Hong Zhong are a hidden danger that I must remove once I get the opportunity to do so.
Lastly, I have to keep cultivating the "Truth." It concerns not just Zhuge Yuan's revival but my strength and even the reality of both worlds.
Chapter 466 - Bai Lingmiao
Li Huowang felt the tactile feedback of his own writing using his sensitive fingers, and he started brainstorming ways to tackle every single issue on his list.
First of all, I need to treat Bai Lingmiao's eyes. Her vision is getting worse, and I have to address that issue as soon as possible. Since Liu Zhongyuan said the Surveillance Bureau in Shangjing had the solution to issues related to the eyes, I should head there before going anywhere else.
He's right. I've completed a ton of missions for the Surveillance Bureau. Moreover, I was a spendthrifty. Aside from the bribe I gave to Hong Da so that I can kill Xinchi, the rest of my lifespan pills are in the gourd. It's a good time to exchange them right now. As for her lifespan... I'm not sure if the pills are going to be effective on her.
That said, where is she? I haven't seen her for the entire night.
"Li Sui, where is your mother?"
"She went to the room with black wooden slates."
Li Huowang's face fell. Bai Lingmiao was at the ancestral hall.
"It's fine, then. You should go ahead and sleep. It's late now."
Li Sui nodded and obediently left the room. Li Sui was wearing Li Huowang's veil, and she headed to the stable. The stable was her temporary residence, as it was mostly empty aside from the carriages and a few horses.
Li Sui walked towards the deepest part of the stable, where there was a thick pile of hay. Li Sui dove into the hay and stretched with satisfaction before curling up and sleeping. However, Li Sui didn't manage to sleep for a long time, as she was awakened by something. She walked outside and looked at the ancestral hall with curiosity before heading toward it.
Soon, Li Sui reached the ancestral hall and saw that the door to the hidden chamber was open. Li Sui pondered briefly before entering the hidden chamber, and she soon found herself in the hall of the White Lotus Sect.
Li Sui looked around with awe and curiosity; she sniffed around, taking in the scent of the white flags hanging from the ceiling as well as using her paws to scratch at the murals from time to time.
Li Sui eventually stopped looking around and turned toward a door that was slightly ajar. There was a familiar scent beyond that door. Li Sui hesitated before entering it. The room was dark, but the familiar scent had gotten thicker.
It was the scent of her mother.
Soon, Li Sui heard sobbing. It appeared that her mom was crying.
"We've been together for so long, and I know that Senior Li truly takes good care of me. I don't want to make him sad either, but... I don't know what to do.
"I can't stop having this nightmare about my parents cursing and scolding me for being so inconsiderate. I'd always have that nightmare as long as I'm with him. I really am tired of living.
"Should I just leave him? I can't... I'm torn; I just want to give up and die, but I can't even die thanks to the Immortal family. Oh Heavenly Mater, what do I do? Every single choice before me seems to be the wrong choice."
The sobbing stopped. Li Sui wanted to move closer to her but a red figure blocked her.
"Mother?" Li Sui asked, staring at the Second Deity in front of her. "Mother, it's already late. Why are you still awake? Father told me to sleep."
The Second Deity extended her right hand, which had razor-sharp nails. She took Li Sui's black tentacle and guided her gently toward the depths of the tunnel. Upon walking into another door, Li Sui saw a frail and pallid woman kneeling in front of a conjoined lotus. The woman was none other than her mother.
Bai Lingmiao was holding three incense sticks while staring at the conjoined lotus in front of the mural."Heavenly Mater... The books say that you exist, but do you really exist? Are you really almighty? If you do exist and you're almighty, then why did you not save the Bai Family members when Li Huowang was killing them?
"They've been worshiping you for so long; why did you not save them?"
Li Sui stood quietly, listening to Bai Lingmiao. It wasn't until when Li Sui finally felt sleepy that she saw her mother stand up with red eyes before bowing three times toward the conjoined lotus.
"Heavenly Mater, if you are as kind as the book has said, please help me escape my predicament. Grant me this request, and I will forge a statue out of gold in your motif. I will stay in the White Lotus Sect and serve you forever."
Bai Lingmiao raised her head and looked up at the conjoined lotus, but there weren't any changes. Bai Lingmiao knew that nothing would happen, but she was still disappointed. Finally, she turned around and saw Li Sui standing behind her along with the Second Deity.
Bai Lingmiao merely wiped her tears away and walked outside.
The Second Deity and Li Sui followed closely behind her.
Soon, they arrived at the door of the ancestral hall.
Bai Lingmiao abruptly stopped walking, but she did not even turn around as she asked, "Are you looking down on me? For praying to a false god?"
"If you're tired, let me swap in." An eerie voice echoed from the Second Deity's red veil.
Bai Lingmiao bit her lips and shook her head. "No. The murderous aura cannot enter me once again. Senior Li would be sad if that ended up happening."
The Second Deity extended her arms and covered Li Sui's tattered ears. "You don't even have the courage to keep living, so why do you even care about him? Bun is more human-like than you."
"You!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed.
The red veil slid down, revealing the snarling face of a beast.
"You're the type to give all of your heart to someone who's remotely kind to you. You deserve what you tolerate. Following the laws of the jungle, and if you want to be a filial daughter, then you should kill Li Huowang! He's your father's murderer, after all. However, I know that you are not going to do that. You do not have the guts to do that.
"You think Li Huowang's survival is more important than your family. You want to become an official couple with him and marry him, but you can't even get over the wound in your heart.
"Whenever something untoward happens, you place your hopes on the Heavenly Mater, which probably doesn't even exist, instead of thinking about ways to deal with the issue at hand.
"You pray for the gods to show up and fix your own issues for you instead of doing it yourself. You're weak—utterly useless. Wake up! You can wish for as many times as you want, but no one is going to make your wishes come true.
"You have to understand that only you can help yourself."
Bai Lingmiao couldn't argue against the Second Deity and turned around.
The Second Deity removed her hands from Li Sui's ears and continued, "You must not depend on Li Huowang every time you need help. Our lives are more important than his life. You should prioritize yourself before anyone else. I mean, look at yourself—you're going to become blind at this rate."
Bai Lingmiao placed both hands on her chest and sobbed. She walked slowly to the Bai Family Estate and muttered, "I just want to live happily ever after with the person I love. Is there anything wrong with that?"
Chapter 467 - Happiness
"Mom, is everything fine?" Li Huowang asked Sun Xiaoqin after swallowing the smooth egg soup.
"Everything is fine, and I'm going to be fine as long as you're fine," Sun Xiaoqin said, smiling while staring at Li Huowang.
However, Li Huowang noticed something amiss in her body language. Moreover, her smile was fake. Also, her words just now only served to console him and make sure that he wouldn't be worried about her.
"Mom, don't worry. The treatment is effective. I just need more time to recover."
"Aiya. I'm not worried at all. I know my son will get better," Sun Xiaoqin said, smiling.
Li Huowang sighed in his heart. Cultivating the "Truth" was much harder than he initially thought, and it was clear that he would have to spend more time on it if he wanted to escape the hospital.
Li Huowang had already waited for so long, so he didn't mind waiting for a bit longer.
Unfortunately, his mother's suffering would not stop until Li Huowang was no longer stuck in a hallucination.
Should I spend more time with her? Should I pretend that I'm getting better? Li Huowang thought about it before immediately scrapping that idea. It was a waste of time, and it would make his goal even more difficult to achieve. He ought to spend more time cultivating rather than in something else.
Realizing that his mother was forcing herself to be happy, Li Huowang thought about what he could say to cheer her up and said, "Mom, I want to play games once I'm discharged. I want to play for an entire year. Can I do that?"
Sun Xiaoqin's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "Of course! I will even cut some fruits for you to eat while you're playing! If you ever get bored playing by yourself, I will ask your father to play with you! He can play with you for as long as you like!"
Li Huowang smiled and nodded. "We should travel the world once I'm discharged and do things we never got to do, like bungee jumping or skydiving."
"Ah, I don't want to bungee jump. You can go with your father. I've seen videos of people going for a bungee jump, and I don't want to do it."
Li Huowang distracted her by talking about many different topics, and Sun Xiaoqin's mood improved as time ticked by. Eventually, her smile became natural as the two talked for a while.
Li Huowang sighed in relief upon seeing his mother's smile. He couldn't do much for her at the moment. The only thing he could do was use the Sitting Oblivion Dao's techniques to make her happy.
"Do you want to play games? Should I bring the console here for you?"
"No need, Mom. I can't play right now."
"Oh, that's true. What about anime? Didn't you like watching anime? I've heard there are some interesting ones these days. I can play them for you on my phone."
Li Huowang smiled bitterly when he saw his mom rummaging around her bag to find her phone. He was no longer the same high-schooler Li Huowang, and he was no longer interested in anime.
Li Huowang suddenly noticed something amiss. He was supposed to be just around eighteen years old, so how come he was already thinking like an adult? It seemed that he had gotten much more used to his mature body on the other side.
Is it because there's a missing two hours in the other world, and that is why my body over there is more mature? Wait, does this mean that both worlds are real? Li Huowang thought, frowning. Ultimately, he knew that a baseless thought was useless. Nevermind. There's no need for me to think too much about it. I just need to cultivate the "Truth" and transform this world into a real one.
Sun Xiaoqin had finally found her broken old phone and was in the middle of paying for a paid streaming service.
Li Huowang immediately stopped her, saying, "Mom, no need to subscribe to anything. It's just going to be a waste of money. I feel like I'm heading back there soon."
Sun Xiaoqin's smile disappeared. "You're heading back soon? You just ate lunch, and you're already about to lose yourself in your hallucination. Son, can you really control it now? Is this a sign that you're recovering?"
"Probably. I'll go back and eat dinner in three days. I'll accompany you by then."
Sun Xiaoqin placed her phone back into her bag and said, "All right, then. I will wait for you. Don't you forget to come back, okay?"
"I won't forget, Mom. Ah, one more thing. Do you have any news about Nana? Is she getting better?" Li Huowang asked upon recalling the cute girl who always smiled at him.
"Nana is doing well. She didn't get admitted to the hospital, and the doctor also prescribed some medicine for her. Sigh, if it weren't for your illness, I would be more than happy to have Nana as my daughter-in-law. I've always liked her."
"Mom, don't worry. Once I'm healed, I'll marry Nana and let her be your daughter-in-law!"
"Oh? To think my son can actually speak like that now. All right, then! I'll wait for you to marry her so we can have a great wedding dinner together!" Sun Xiaoqin exclaimed with a bright face.
The scenery slowly peeled away into darkness. It had been a while since he became blind, but he still hadn't gotten used to the pitch-black world before him.
"Li Sui?" Li Huowang extended his arms. Soon, he felt a thin, bony paw.
"Father, I'm here."
"Come, bring me back to the village." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
"Father, you picked up something on the ground just now and—"
"I was drinking egg soup!" Li Huowang interrupted her and repeated, "I was drinking egg soup!"
Li Sui thought about it and asked, "Is that so? Where is it? I want to eat, too."
"All right, let's go back to the village and let Yang Xiaohai make some for you. Mom, no need to look at me anymore. I have something to do, so I can't stay here. I'll be back in three days for dinner."
With Li Sui's help, Li Huowang managed to go down the mountain and return to the Bai Family Estate.
Upon returning to his room, Li Huowang sat carefully on a stool and turned to Li Sui, who was heading toward the kitchen, and shouted, "Come here and remove the bandages on my face! I want to know how my eyes are doing."
Li Sui gently removed the bandage on Li Huowang's face, and a ray of light vanquished the darkness in Li Huowang's pitch-black world. However, he was forced to close his eyes again—it was too bright.
A few moments later, he opened his eyes slowly and saw that he could see once again. He had recovered his vision. Li Huowang looked outside the window and stared at the black roof tiles before turning to look at Li Sui.
Li Sui proceeded to remove her veil and straw robe, allowing Li Huowang to finally take a good look at her for the first time ever since the Natural Disaster.
Chapter 468 - Solution
Li Sui looked much more terrifying than before. Her organs were not compressed, and there were multiple cavities inside her. To make matters worse, some of her organs were even hanging outside her body.
Clearly, Bun's body could not contain Li Sui. The broken parts were forcefully connected to each other by Li Sui's black tentacles. It was rude to say bad things about his daughter, but Li Sui truly looked horrifying.
Li Sui's chest was beating visibly as well, and Li Huowang saw a piece of paper protruding from the tiny gaps in her body. Li Huowang instantly identified the piece of paper, as it was the talisman that he had given to Li Sui.
"Father, what's wrong?" Li Sui asked. She had no idea why Li Huowang was staring at her like that.
"Nothing. I'm just looking at you." Li Huowang patted her head and said, "Go tell Yang Xiaohai to make you an egg soup for you. Also, call some of the guys over here."
After dinner was free time for everyone in the village, so Li Huowang managed to gather the people he needed in no time.
The tall Gao Zhijian, the hairy Chun Xiaoman, the asymmetrical-looking Zhao Wu, and Puppy suffering from vitiligo—they were the comrades who had risked their lives with him, and they had gathered at Li Huowang's call.
Yang Xiaohai, who was much shorter than the rest, had arrived as well.
Li Huowang stared at Yang Xiaohai, who was the cook of Cowheart Village, and said, "I didn't tell you to come here, so why are you here?"
"Hehe, I just got curious upon seeing everyone coming here, so I thought about checking it out. If you want me to leave, I can leave, though..." Yang Xiaohai scratched his head out of embarrassment. He was on more friendlier terms with them, as they had spent a lot of time together at this point. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to do something like this.
Li Huowang ignored Yang Xiaohai and stared at Gao Zhijian. "How's the militia recruitment going? How long will it take for you to form a group that can fend off external threats?"
Gao Zhijian scratched his nose and shook his head in disappointment. "A long time."
Gao Zhijian then told Li Huowang that the village only had a few people talented enough to become soldiers. If someone wasn't disabled, then they had a chronic illness.
Gao Zhijian screened quite a few people before picking out two people who were barely adequate. However, this wasn't really strange, as Bai Lingmiao had bought slaves that the slave trader couldn't quite sell.
However, it wasn't to Li Huowang's expectations, and he knew that he needed to speed things up.
"Zhao Wu, remember the gold that Sun Baolu's mom gave us in Qing Qiu? Take them and go buy a few qualified people with Gao Zhijian. You can spend some extra money as long as they'll be loyal to us.
"We need to form a militia as soon as possible so you guys can protect yourself the next time there's a Natural Disaster or whenever I'm not here."
"Yes, Senior Li." Zhao Wu nodded and asked, "Senior Li, are you heading out again?"
"Yeah, there's something I need to do outside. If everything goes well, I should be able to return soon," Li Huowang responded. Then, he looked at Chun Xiaoman and asked, "Are you trying to learn the techniques of the White Lotus Sect beneath the ancestral hall?"
"Yes, I am."
"Then, do it secretly. Don't let the others know about it. You can teach it to someone else, but make sure that they are loyal to us. Those techniques aren't as strong as the techniques in the military, but they are worth spending some time on.
"Unfortunately, the White Lotus Sect was once quite famous, so someone might recognize their techniques. Use those techniques sparingly, as we can't let the Surveillance Bureau know that we have access to the White Lotus Sect's techniques."
Li Huowang then proceeded to tell Chun Xiaoman more about the Surveillance Bureau and what had happened to Bai Lingmiao's family.
Chun Xiaoman felt as if she were carrying a massive weight on her shoulders once Li Huowang's explanation was over.
Li Huowang then looked at Puppy. The latter had become much quieter than his rowdy self before his daughter was born.
"Puppy, are you okay?" Li Huowang asked.
Puppy beamed and said, "It's fine. What else can I do? I'll just eat and sleep as usual. Senior Li, don't worry. The village is safe, as I will be protecting it."
Li Huowang nodded before pointing at the wishwood on the table. "That's yours from now on. It's an artifact capable of confounding people. You can use it with your needles."
It was the artifact that Ji Xiang had given to him, and a Strayed One's tongue was used to create this artifact, which was capable of confounding others. Li Huowang had never used it even once, so he decided to give it to Puppy.
"Ah! An artifact?! Senior Li, you're too kind! To think that you'd give me an artifact!" Puppy exclaimed. He took the artifact and admired it for a while.
"I also made a copy of a few pill recipes. This contains the recipes for Blood Nourishing Pills and Spirit Reinforcement Pills, along with a few other pill recipes that I had learned from Baldy back in Zephyr Temple.
"There are also instructions on how to draw talismans capable of healing others. We don't have a doctor here, so I want all of you to find someone who can read and let them practice these techniques. By then, we'll have a quasi-doctor, at the very least."
"Me, me, me! I know how to read! Sir Wu also said that I'm a fast learner! I can recognize thirty words now!" Yang Xiaohai exclaimed. He took the book to try and read it.
Li Huowang frowned. "You're holding it upside down."
"Oh..."
Li Huowang swept his gaze across the five people before him and said, "Everyone, we've survived a deadly disaster, and a peaceful life is ahead of us. However, the world outside is chaotic, and I feel unsafe to rely on others for our safety.
"In the end, we can only rely on ourselves."
"Haha, it will be fine. We still have you, Senior Li. You're extremely strong, so there's no way we're going to die under your protection," Puppy said, complimenting Li Huowang.
However, Puppy's compliment was met with Li Huowang's cold gaze.
"But what if I ended up dying? What if I went crazy? What would you do, then?"
Li Huowang's cold words made the air around them feel heavy. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Puppy's mouth fluttered open, but no words came out of it.
"I want everyone to leave except for Gao Zhijian."
The four glanced at Gao Zhijian before leaving with the items Li Huowang had given to them.
Li Huowang looked at the tall Gao Zhijian and said, "Zhijian, I know that you have a complicated past. They've been saying that you're dumb and slow-witted, but I feel like you are not what they say at all."
Gao Zhijian nodded.
"Do you want to return?" Li Huowang asked.
Gao Zhijian shook his head.
"Fine. Since you don't want to go back, I won't ask you about it anymore. From now on, this place is your home. Except for me and Bai Lingmiao, you are the strongest person in this village, so you must protect this place whenever I'm not here."
Li Huowang sliced open his stomach and took out a doll made out of human skin.
"Take this. It will take a lethal attack for you."
Gao Zhijian wanted to decline the offer after knowing its effects.
"I told you to take it, so just take it!" Li Huowang exclaimed, shoving the doll into Gao Zhijian's hands. Li Huowang also told Gao Zhijian that his skin would soon be fully healed.
Li Huowang patted Gao Zhijian's shoulder and said, "We're comrades, so don't be so distant."
Gao Zhijian put away the doll. Then, he reached into Li Huowang's bag of torture tools and took out a dagger. Gao Zhijian cut open his palm before doing the same for Li Huowang.
Afterward, he gripped Li Huowang's bloody palm.
Li Huowang stared at his palm, which was slowly being glued to Gao Zhijian's palm due to the coagulating blood.
"What kind of tradition is this?" Li Huowang asked.
However, Gao Zhijian did not reply and simply turned around to leave.
Li Huowang did not mind it and took out a piece of paper.
The piece of paper contained the list of issues that he had to tackle as soon as possible.
"This one is considered solved!" Li Huowang's trembling finger glided past the second paragraph on the list, and the paragraph disappeared.
Secondly, the Natural Disasters are too unpredictable. The Surveillance Bureau's plan to deal with Natural Disasters was destroyed by the Sitting Oblivion Dao. I'm not afraid of Natural Disasters, but how can I ensure the survival of Cowheart Village in these chaotic times?
Chapter 469 - Village
Creak, creak, creak~
The creaking wheels of the carriage left two narrow lines on the road. Li Huowang sat in front of the carriage with the reins in his hands. Li Sui was sitting next to him and was covered in a veil and straw robe.
Li Sui cast a curious gaze at the sparrows above the nearby trees.
Li Huowang knocked on the carriage behind him and said, "Miaomiao, you don't have to stay inside every day. Isn't it suffocating in there? It's already sunset, so you can come out now."
Bai Lingmiao opened the tarp and sat next to Li Huowang.
She removed the white cloth on her eyes and looked around.
Li Huowang looked at her face and saw that her eyes had changed.
Her eyes were pink, but they had become pinkish white.
Li Huowang knew what it meant.
Li Huowang squeezed her hands gently and said, "Don't worry. We're almost in Shangjing. We'll definitely find a way to heal your eyes."
Li Huowang had already resolved the issue concerning the village's security, and he was on his way to heal Bai Lingmiao's eyes. It was an urgent issue, but it was a good thing that it wasn't too hard.
The sights he had seen during the grand battle between the Surveillance Bureau and the Sitting Oblivion Dao convinced Li Huowang that getting another pair of eyes wasn't that hard in this crazy world.
"Senior Li, why do I need to follow you?" Bai Lingmiao asked weakly.
"Of course, you have to follow me so I can treat your eyes. How else can I do that?"
"Oh..." Bai Lingmiao muttered and lowered her head.
"Are you tired? There's a village in front of us. We can ask them and see if we can sleep in one of the houses there so we don't have to sleep in the carriage.
"Don't worry; we reach Shangjing by tomorrow night based on our speed. By then, not only would you be able to see the world clearly, but you'd be able to open your eyes even during the day."
"All right, Senior Li. I'll listen to you."
Li Huowang had already become familiar with the paths to Shangjing, as this wasn't his first time going to Shangjing. They finally reached the distant village just as the sun was about to disappear into the horizon.
However, Bai Lingmiao was getting more and more worried as they approached the village. "Senior Li, I think this village is the same as the other villages..."
The village looked fine from afar, but the houses were actually skewed and were on the verge of collapse. Weeds and spider webs had shrouded everything, which meant that it had been a while since someone stayed here.
Li Huowang's face was grim, but he knew this would happen. After all, this wasn't the first village he had encountered that had met the same horrible fate. The Natural Disaster lasted for only a short while, but many villages lost a ton of people.
Only a few villages were lucky enough to survive the ordeal. To make matters worse, there had to be more villages out there that had suffered the same feat. Li Huowang truly had no idea just how many people had perished during the Natural Disaster.
"Who are you looking for?" An aged voice echoed.
Li Huowang immediately gripped his sword. He let go of his sword upon seeing that the voice had come from an old man walking with a cane. The old man only had a few teeth left in his mouth, and there was a black cloth tied to his right wrist, which meant that someone in his family had passed away recently.
"Old man, it's me. Do you still remember me? I once asked for your help to stay in this village," Li Huowang said, showing his face to the old man.
The old man stared at him for a while before realizing that he was indeed the same young man whom he had encountered long ago. "Ah~ It's you! Come inside!
"There are many empty houses in this village, so you can stay as long as you want, wherever you want."
Bai Lingmiao walked up to Li Huowang and whispered, "Senior Li, have you really met him before?"
"No, that was just a trick. Old people have bad memories, you see."
The two walked deeper into the village.
Soon, Li Huowang finally saw the other villagers.
There were men and women holding large bowls while sitting or standing beneath a giant tree. It seemed that they had chosen to eat before nightfall.
They stared alternatingly between Li Huowang's carriage, Li Huowang, and the old man before asking, "Old Man Zhao, did your family come here?"
The villagers looked normal, but they all had a black cloth tied to their wrists.
This village had the most casualties among the villages that Li Huowang had seen so far.
In no time, Li Huowang found himself before a clean house. "This used to be my youngest son's house, but he passed away two years ago. You can stay here."
"Thank you, Sir Zhao. Sorry for the trouble."
"No need to say that. You're just going to stay here for the night, so don't worry about it."
Bai Lingmiao stared at the old man and found the latter's desolate back profile to be quite pitiful. "It seems that the Natural Disaster has claimed the lives of many people here."
Li Huowang looked at Zhuge Yuan's illusion at Bai Lingmiao's remark. Zhuge Yuan was in mid-air and had his back facing Li Huowang. Li Huowang felt like Zhuge Yuan was blaming himself for the villagers' death.
"It's fine. It's all in the past now. I'll go take some water so we can cook something to eat."
They were traveling again tomorrow, so they ate only a simple dinner and washed up before sleeping. Li Huowang thought that nothing would happen today, as it was already late in the night. However, he was proven wrong when Li Sui woke him up during the third division of the night.
Li Huowang glanced at Bai Lingmiao sleeping soundly beside him and turned to Li Sui, asking, "What's wrong?"
"Father, they're performing outside."
"Hm?" Li Huowang glanced at Bai Lingmiao one more before standing up. He pushed open the door and exited the house. He soon found himself near the large tree and saw the villagers holding their hands together in a large circle.
They were singing and dancing. The old man who served as Li Huowang's guide in the village was among those who were dancing.
"Father, what are they doing?"
"Shh, be quiet. I'm observing them," Li Huowang said, frowning. It had been a while since he encountered members of a sect.
However, Li Huowang was confused. He had checked the old man's Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings upon entering the village, and he saw that the old man held no ill will toward him.
Maybe they're barely considered as good guys like the Abbess? Li Huowang thought. In the end, he decided to observe them in the meantime.
Regardless of whether they had ill intentions toward Li Huowang or not, Li Huowang was not afraid of them.
Li Huowang was close enough to hear their chanting.
"We've suffered a misfortune all thanks to the carelessness of God Yu'er. Our money and food are gone, and God Yu'er has lost all of our belongings..."