The peach forest was filled with the smell of charcoal. Li Huowang did not dare to walk too fast. The flesh around his waist was still moving, and it seemed like it would fall to the ground at any moment.
The chubby woman's face couldn't help but become anxious as Li Huowang got farther and farther away from her.
"Hey, young man, I'm not going to ask you for anything else except for the five-year pure lifespan! Name your price! I'll buy it from you!"
"Not selling!" Li Huowang decisively refused. Pure lifespan had no side effects, and he was planning on using it to prolong Bai Lingmiao's life.
The chubby woman seemed rather unwilling to give up, and she followed Li Huowang from a certain distance away. However, she stopped in her tracks when Li Sui appeared and growled at her with her pearly whites.
"S-Senior Li?" Bai Lingmiao's gentle voice was tinged with hesitation. Bai Lingmiao stared at the blurry black mess in the distance. Bai Lingmiao was certain that Li Huowang's figure was red, so how come he had become scorched black?
Li Huowang mounted his horse while enduring the intense pain. He urged the horse forward and exclaimed, "I'll explain later! Someone is watching us, so we have to leave now."
The carriage rushed down the dirt road in the dead of night. The horse ran until noon the next day, and Li Huowang only made the horse stop when it started foaming at the mouth.
Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that nobody was behind them. Regardless of whether that woman was avoiding him or not, at least she hadn't decided to actually follow them.
Li Huowang felt all the tension inside of him go, and he collapsed behind the curtain.
"Miaomiao, I'll rest for a while. Don't touch the bronze coin sword," Li Huowang said. He fell asleep the moment his nape touched his soft pillow.
Li Huowang slept for a long time. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Bai Lingmiao brushing something on his charred body. Li Huowang sniffed lightly, and the unique smell of the liquid told him that it was badger oil.
"How long was I asleep?" Li Huowang asked.
Bai Lingmiao finally noticed that he was awake.
"Senior Li, you've been sleeping for three days. I stitched up the wounds on your chest and waist," Bai Lingmiao responded.
"Ah." Li Huowang recalled something and sat up abruptly. He ignored the pain coming from his wounds and reached for the bronze coin sword beside him. His heart sank when he saw that it was no longer emitting a plume of black smoke.
"Senior Li, are you looking for that invisible thing? I bought a wooden box from a passing peddler and put it in there for you."
Li Huowang opened the box and used the other end of his chopsticks to prod inside of it. Upon sensing something pressing on his chopsticks, Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief. The spiritual sin was still there.
"Senior Li, are you hungry? I'm going to get some broth for you," Bai Lingmiao said. She lifted the curtain and turned around to leave.
"No, I'll go and take it myself," Li Huowang said, stopping Bai Lingmiao in her tracks. "You should avoid working on anything that involves hot temperatures, or you might get into an accident again."
When Li Huowang got off the carriage, his scabbed wounds opened and oozed blood. It was painful, but Li Huowang had been through so many hardships that he had long gotten used to extreme pain.
It was dark outside, and Li Sui was squatted by the campfire. Li Sui was drawing something in the air with a book beneath one of her paws.
"Dad? You're finally awake?" Li Sui asked, looking up at Li Huowang.
"Learning to draw talismans? Not bad, keep it up." Li Huowang reached out and patted Li Sui's head gently. Then, he picked up a bowl from the side to scoop out some broth from the pot.
Just as he was about to ladle out a bowl of broth for himself, Li Sui stuck her tongue over and devoured the broth.
"What was that?" Li Huowang curled his scorched fingers and flicked Li Sui's forehead.
"Dad, can't I have some? I always ate first, you know."
Li Sui's words made Li Huowang do a double take at her. It seemed that Bun's memories and thoughts had been assimilated by Li Sui.
"It's okay, go ahead and eat," Li Huowang said, placing a bowl of broth before Li Sui.
Li Huowang watched as Li Sui devoured the hot broth."Li Sui, I'm severely injured, and your mother can barely see. You must help us out on the road up ahead."
"All right, what can I do?"
"Help us wash clothes and wash dishes. Help us start fires as well, and if you can't do that, then collect some firewood for us instead."
"Second Mom is already doing those, though. Won't Second Mom have nothing to do if I take over those tasks?"
"Second Mom?"
"Yeah, she likes to wear a red hat. I like her, and we often chat. We even go out to catch some games. We caught a big piece of game once, and we split it in half."
Is she talking about the Second Deity? When did they become so close? Li Huowang thought it through, and he realized that it wasn't a bad thing at all.
"All right, just help her out in her tasks, then."
"All right."
Li Huowang looked at Li Sui's gaping maw and her black tentacle tongue. Li Huowang smiled knowingly, and then he reached out with his left arm to pull Li Sui into his arms.
Then, he patted Li Sui's head and said, "Thank you for your help back in the peach forest. If it hadn't been for you, things would have gotten a bit dangerous."
Before Li Sui could respond, she caught a whiff of Li Huowang's familiar scent. She stuck her tongue out and licked Li Huowang's charred figure.
"Sui Sui, is there anything you want to do?" Li Huowang asked softly.
"I want to stay by Dad's side forever."
"You can't always be by my side. You're my daughter, after all, not a pet."
"I'm sure there are things that you'll want to do in the future. Take your time and think about it thoroughly, and then don't forget to let me know if there's anything I can help you with."
"Dad, I don't understand what you're talking about."
"You'll understand in the future. For now, let's take a bowl of broth to your mother. Then, we'll continue eating and rest afterward. We still have a journey to continue tomorrow."
The night was uneventful, and when Li Huowang woke up amidst the swaying, he realized that he had overslept. He pushed Li Sui off of his chest, and then he lifted the carriage curtain to peek outside. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
It turned out that they were in the middle of a bustling market.
So we've entered a city. Where are we? Li Huowang pulled out a map and found that they were in a place called Linzhang. It was not as grand as the capital or the You Capital, but it was still rather large. At our current speed, we should reach the capital in ten days.
Li Huowang used his charred finger to draw a faint black line on the map.
"Senior Li, you're awake? You're quite tired, so why don't we rest here for a couple of days?" Bai Lingmiao suggested.
Li Huowang shook his head as he stared into her eyes, which had almost become completely white, "Forget it. We can just rest at Cowheart Village once we've found a new pair of eyes for you. It's better to rush so we don't stumble upon unnecessary trouble,' Li Huowang said.
Li Huowang's words had yet to finish echoing in the air when trouble found him.
The gaze was so blatant that Li Huowang found it hard to ignore, and when he looked up, he saw the plump woman whom he had encountered in the peach forest. She was standing on the third floor of a grand tavern while waving at Li Huowang.
I guess I did not manage to shake her off.
Chapter 481 - Irresistible Offer
Li Huowang stared at the plump woman on the third floor while walking on the busy street. A well-kept waiter ran out of the restaurant and stopped in front of the carriage. The waiter smiled politely, "Dear sir, someone has been expecting you on the third floor. This way, please."
I will cross that bridge when it comes to it, Li Huowang thought. There was no avoiding it. Since the plump woman was looking for him so blatantly, Li Huowang had no plans of hiding from her as well.
Li Huowang took Li Sui with him to the third floor where the plump woman was already waiting for him with a table full of food. Of course, the third floor had other customers as well.
"Come, let me give you a toast! You're incredible!" the chubby woman exclaimed and downed a cup of wine.
Li Huowang and Li Sui sat on the stool and removed their veil at the same time. Li Huowang's burnt skull and a skinned dog with wriggling tentacles were a shocking sight everywhere, and the other customers definitely thought the same, as they stopped eating upon seeing the two.
After a few moments of silence, they all shrieked in fright and ran away. Soon, the third floor was devoid of people except for Li Huowang and the chubby woman. Li Huowang's actions were a display of his stance. He wanted to let the chubby woman know that he wasn't someone to be trifled with.
The chubby woman sensed Li Huowang's hostility and explained, "Come on, you're such a precious young man. I'm old enough to be your mother, so I would never hurt you. I just want to negotiate.
"I know that you don't trust me, as we had just met in that forest, but I hope that you can relax a bit here. The city guards' office is just across the restaurant. All you need to do is shout, and they'll run over here immediately."
Li Sui picked up a pork trotter, but Li Huowang slapped it away. Then, glared at the chubby woman and muttered, "You want the pure lifespan, right? Didn't I tell you that I have no plans of selling it?"
Despite Li Huowang's words, the chubby woman did not give up.
"I've been living a tough life. I've never had a father, and my mother had a hard life raising me. Still, she raised me without any complaints, and I've finally become independent enough to let her retire in peace, but her lifespan is nearing its end!
"I could still remember how she fed me her own blood just to save me from death during that famine..."
Rather than touched, Li Huowang was annoyed. He wanted to walk away, but he saw that her ten emotions and eight sufferings weren't lying. The chubby woman was actually telling the truth—no, at least her sadness was true.
"I pity your mother, but I'm also going to use the pure lifespan to save someone," Li Huowang said and stood up.
The chubby woman panicked when she saw that Li Huowang was going to leave. "I can exchange something for those pure lifespan! You can just tell me what you need! As long as you can give me the pure lifespan, I'll give you anything that you want!"
"I don't need anything. Sorry, but please do not bother me anymore. Things are going to get ugly for the both of us if you keep on following me!"
Li Huowang turned around and started walking toward the stairs.
"Your wife is a shaman, am I right?" the chubby woman said.
Li Huowang came to halt.
"Those who were forced to become shamans are doomed to live terrible lives. If you give me the five pure lifespan, I can get rid of the Immortal families that are in a contract with her!"
Li Huowang turned around and stared solemnly at the chubby woman. Again, her ten emotions and eight sufferings weren't lying. It seemed that she did have a method to get rid of the Immortal families.
Since Bai Lingmiao was forced to become a shaman during one of their journeys, the Immortal families had always been a threat to them.
Five pure lifespans, or getting rid of the Immortal families. It was a difficult choice.
While Li Huowang was hesitating, the Second Deity suddenly walked up the stairs and approached Li Huowang. Then, she whispered something into Li Huowang's ears. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
"What did you say?!" Li Huowang was shocked. "That's important. Why did you only tell me that now?"
Li Huowang then cast his gaze upon the plump woman, and his face was no longer as solemn as earlier. "Fine! Once we get to Shangjing, I will give you the five pure lifespan in exchange for you getting rid of the Immortal families!"
Li Huowang had never thought that they would hide something so important from him, which was the fact that the Immortal families had threatened Bai Lingmiao and forced her to work.
Li Huowang was certain that Bai Lingmiao wouldn't have told him if it hadn't been for the plump woman's proposal.
The plump woman was delighted, and she immediately nodded as if she was afraid that he would back out of the deal. "All right! Let's do it!"
Li Huowang told the chubby woman to go to Shangjing first, but she refused and insisted on following him, saying that she was afraid that Li Huowang might run away.
Li Huowang didn't manage to get even a single good night's sleep on the continuation of their journey. Fortunately, the remainder of the journey remained uneventful, and they arrived safely at Shangjing.
By the time they made it to Shangjing, Li Huowang's wounds had healed to the extent that people could now recognize him.
"I'll bring my carriage to my house first. Wait for me at the gate," Li Huowang said. He learned of the chubby woman's name during their journey to Shangjing, and her name was Lian Zhibei.
"No worries. I'll go there with you. I'm not really familiar with the roads here, so I need you to bring me around, too," Lian Zhibei said. She was still afraid that he'd run away and refused to part from him.
Li Huowang knew that she was lying, but he couldn't care less. He turned around and faced Bai Lingmiao, saying, "You guys should go ahead and head back first. I'll return soon."
And just like that, the team was split into two.
Li Huowang carried the wooden box containing the corpse of the spiritual sin into the halls of the Surveillance Bureau. Nangong saw them walking in together and asked, "Oh, did the both of you take it down together?"
"Nope." Li Huowang handed over the box to Nangong and said, "This is the mission objective. Give me the rewards now."
"Wait," Lian Zhibei said. She took the box away and explained, "The mission was from the palace. We will give it directly to the mission giver."
"It's the same thing. If you give it to me, I will pass it to them. I will then pass the reward to you once they've given the rewards to me. Of course, it's going to take a while."
"Don't even bother explaining yourself," Lian Zhibei exclaimed, "I know that you and eunuchs here are pilfering lifespan pills from us mission takers!"
"You have to listen to me," Lian Zhibei said, turning to Li Huowang, "It's better if you hand this over to the palace yourself. Otherwise, the eunuchs here would take a part of your reward as a service fee. Perhaps you'd get less than five pure lifespan!"
Nangon didn't even attempt to defend himself against the allegations. When Li Huowang saw Nangong's silence, he realized that Lian Zhibei wasn't lying. With that, he took the box back from Lian Zhibei and said, "Fine, let's go to the palace, then."
Five pure lifespan was a small price to pay in exchange for the Immortal families' disappearance.
Chapter 482 - New Emperor
An hour later, Li Huowang finally arrived at the palace. As always, the towering red walls and the guards stationed on them were still exuding an oppressive aura.
Li Huowang hated the place, so he picked up the pace. He just wanted to get his rewards as soon as possible.
A eunuch guided them into the palace. Li Huowang had already come here once, but he still couldn't memorize the winding paths. It was as confusing as a maze, and he took so many turns that he felt dizzy.
This time, Li Huowang didn't see a golden palace. In other words, he was not heading into the middle of the palace but somewhere on its flank. Li Huowang recalled Liu Zongyuan's words. He said that the emperor was dying at the time, so the emperor must be deep in the ground by now.
While Li Huowang was thinking idly, the eunuch stopped in front of an arched gate.
"We're here. The director is here," said the eunuch in a feminine voice.
"The director used to be part of the Surveillance Bureau, so it shouldn't be that difficult to talk to him," Lian Zhibei said. Clearly, she was familiar with the director.
The two walked through the arched gate, and Lian Zhibei took the initiative to show Li Huowang the path. She appeared to be very familiar with the place. Soon, they reached the treasury and found the director of eunuchs.
"Oh, why are you guys so late? Has the Surveillance Bureau actually become this incompetent? It's been three months since the mission was posted. A spiritual sin is the final material that we need, and the Imperial Preceptor has been waiting for it for a while now. He's been urging us to find it every day!"
"Sir Zao, you used to work in the Surveillance Bureau, and I'm sure you know that a spiritual sin isn't that easy to obtain. We had to work very hard just to track it down. Here, look at how fresh it is," Lian Zhibei said. She was a social butterfly, so the eunuch with the surname Zao was soon smiling from ear to ear.
Soon, a piece of paper with a red stamp was handed over to them. Lian Zhibei accepted it with shaking hands.
"You know where to claim the rewards, right? I hope you don't need me to explain it," said the eunuch before ignoring them outright. He wrote something and burned it inside a bronze urn.
The smoke rose and drifted out of the window. Sir Zao's face relaxed greatly afterward. Sir Zao then ordered the rest of the eunuchs to retrieve a jade plate encrusted with agate. Then, he ordered them to place the spiritual sin's carcass on the jade plate.
"We will leave you to your matters now." Lian Zhibei smiled and took away the piece of paper with a red stamp.
"We're not going to retrieve the rewards here?"
"No. We have to go to the vault to exchange for it. Let's go. Did you bring some silver? It's easier to deal with the higher-ups than the little ghosts[1] whose greed is infinite."
"Why is it so tedious to do business here?" Li Huowang asked, frowning.
Lian Zhibei was about to retort when someone abruptly shouted, "The emperor is here~!"
Lian Zhibei's face paled. She ran toward a corner of the wall and knelt with her forehead pressed firmly against the ground.
However, Li Huowang did not bother kneeling for the new emperor. He stood next to Lian Zhiben and sunk his body image into the ground, becoming invisible.
"Long live the emperor~!"
"Long live the emperor~!"
"Long live the emperor~!"
After the three chants, Li Huowang finally saw the emperor. The emperor was wearing black royal robes and a golden crown with veils. Numerous courtesans and eunuchs walked down slowly behind him.
Li Huowang narrowed his eyes and was surprised to see the emperor's face. He had seen the emperor before, and he was none other than the boy who had approached Bai Lingmiao during that festival. As far as Li Huowang could remember, the boy had bought a fake jade cat at the time.
The emperor walked slowly past Li Huowang, allowing the latter to confirm that the boy he had seen at the time was indeed the new emperor.
He's the new emperor?! Li Huowang thought. He truly could have never expected that the new emperor would be that boy who had courted ladies nonstop during that festival. Well, it's normal behavior for a boy, I guess.
Li Huowang was acquainted with the new emperor, but he had no intentions of befriending the latter. The emperor seat of the Liang Kingdom had changed owners three times in just a few months, so Li Huowang was convinced that it was the most dangerous job in the world.
Li Huowang was still invisible as he stared at the procession walking past him. Just as he thought nothing could go wrong, an old man walking beside the emperor suddenly glared in Li Huowang's direction. "Who's there?!"
The emperor was immediately surrounded by the courtesans and eunuchs. Then, several guards appeared out of nowhere and surrounded Li Huowang.
The guards were about to thrust their weapons in Li Huowang's direction when he emerged and raised the Surveillance Bureau's identity plate.
Everyone came to a screeching halt, but a tense atmosphere shrouded them. The guards had no idea what to do, as Li Huowang didn't seem like someone who was trying to assassinate the emperor. If he wanted to assassinate the emperor, why was he invisible and staring at the emperor?
The guards turned to the Imperial Preceptor.
"Who are you? Why are you here?!" the Imperial Preceptor roared. He was strong, so a mere sentence made Li Huowang feel suffocated, and he could hardly move. Li Huowang could swear that he had never felt this way since he became a fake Hong Zhong.
Li Huowang looked up at the old man and recognized him. The old man before him had been fighting alongside the previous emperor with a special sword in hand.
Lian Zhibei finally made a move and showed them the paper in her hand before explaining, "We're here on behalf of the Surveillance Bureau, but we should be executed for scaring the emperor!"
Everyone sighed after learning that it was all a misunderstanding. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
The Imperial Preceptor looked at an old eunuch with dissatisfaction. "Is this how you do things? How can the official members of the Surveillance Bureau be allowed to enter the palace—"
"It's you!" someone exclaimed, interrupting the Imperial Preceptor.
The new emperor walked out from the crowd and walked up to Li Huowang, but two old eunuchs stopped him before he could even walk two steps toward Li Huowang.
1. Referring to the people working as admins or lower positions where they usually take bribes ☜
Chapter 483 - Dragon
Even after getting intercepted by the eunuchs, the emperor looked up and waved at Li Huowang. "Were you surprised? You couldn't have known that I was the emperor, could you?"
"I greet the emperor," Li Huowang said with a bow. He retreated, but the emperor clearly didn't want Li Huowang to leave his side.
"Hey, I really need to thank you. They would have tricked me successfully if it hadn't been for you! Anyway, just let me know what official post you would like to have."
"Preposterous! This is nonsense!" the Imperial Preceptor scolded.
The emperor grimaced, and he became much more docile. He was the emperor, but it was clear that there were some things that he couldn't influence.
"My lord, do you remember what day it is today?" asked the Imperial Preceptor.
The emperor stood up straight and answered, "The tributes have been prepared, and we are heading to the imperial temple to pray to the previous emperor."
"Correct." The Imperial Preceptor closed his heavy eyelids and said nothing else.
The emperor was not someone who'd throw a tantrum after getting scolded by the Imperial Preceptor. Moreover, he was pleased with Li Huowang's appearance. "You can follow me. Let's talk about what I said to you just now once we're done."
The Imperial Preceptor's lips quivered, but he said nothing. However, he was planning on telling the Empress Dowager about the emperor's bad behavior.
Li Huowang wanted to decline, but the eunuchs had surrounded him. He couldn't leave at all. He glanced at the Imperial Preceptor's back and decided that it was unwise to fight back. He did not expect this to happen, but it wasn't a bad thing to become the emperor's friend. Of course, this wasn't the best time to become one.
Li Huowang followed the procession and walked around the palace.
The emperor turned around from time to time, as he was curious about Li Huowang, especially after the latter's help to the emperor during that festival. However, Li Huowang clearly looked like he couldn't wait to leave the emperor's side.
After all, Bai Lingmiao was still waiting for him outside.
Li Huowang initially thought that they would go straight to the imperial temple, but they headed straight to the treasury instead!
Sir Zao was already waiting with the eunuchs under his care, and they all greeted the emperor upon his arrival at the treasury.
A grand table was before them, and seven jade plates the size of a basin were placed neatly in a row on the table. The plates contained many different items.
There was a translucent jade-like flower bud, a pulsating white chicken egg, and a scepter made out of flesh. The final jade plate was unique, as it was empty, but there were wisps of black smoke would appear on it from time to time.
Li Huowang instantly identified what was on the plate. The final plate contained the carcass of the spiritual sin that he had killed! To think that the evil entity he had worked hard to track and kill would end up being used to pray to a dead emperor!
Li Huowang suddenly felt like his efforts had been in vain. No wonder the emperor arrived the moment he submitted the corpse of the spiritual sin. The emperor had been waiting for it.
"Take everything." A row of eunuchs bent down and took the jade plates. Then, they raised the plates high above their heads and followed the procession toward the imperial temple.
Ten minutes later, Li Huowang caught a whiff of incense sticks. They'd soon arrive at the imperial temple. Aside from the fact that it was more majestic than the ordinary temples outside, the imperial temple didn't really look special.
However, the emperor's expression became solemn when they reached the imperial temple. He bowed ceremoniously toward the temple before walking into it with procession behind him.
The temple was big and had rows of candles inside of it, which made its temperature higher than the outside world. There were a few old eunuchs at the corner of the walls, and they were both blind and deaf. They chanted sutras and were hitting a wooden fish incessantly day and night.
The emperor kneeled on the cushion facing the rows of ancestral tablets housed in the temple, but he was pulled back by one of the older eunuchs.
"Hm? Are we not praying here today?" the emperor asked.
The emperor's reaction made Li Huowang realize that the emperor had no idea what was going on.
The old eunuch whispered something into the emperor's ears, and the emperor stood up unwillingly. Then, he brought the group of people behind him toward the back of the altar.
The yellow drapes behind the altar were pulled open, and a regal door made from black stone with nine massive dragons engraved on it appeared before everyone.
The eunuchs pushed the door open, and a cold sensation ran down everyone's spine.
The courtesans stopped walking, and only the men walked into the door.
Even Lian Zhibei couldn't enter and had to wait outside.
Are we inside the true ancestral hall of the Liang Kingdom's imperial family? Li Huowang finally understood what was happening. However, he still had many burning questions in his mind as he walked into the chamber. The chamber was massive, and the sound of everyone's footsteps echoed loudly inside of it.
The space was shaped like a funnel; the walls were tall, while the floor was narrow.
The treasures of the imperial family were within the chamber, and everything was golden—from the massive coffin at the center of the space to the nine golden dragons at the summit of everything.
A chain was tied to each of the nine golden dragons, and they were suspending a golden coffin in the middle of the chamber.
Li Huowang was speechless.
The nine dragons pulling the coffin?[1] Li Huowang surmised. However, he felt something amiss. Rather than pulling the coffin, it was more like the dragons were trying to pull it apart.
"This is such a massive place," the emperor said, looking around with wonder. He had just started his sightseeing when an old eunuch guided him on what to do next. He placed the seven plates of tributes on the floor before bowing three times and kneeling nine times toward the coffin.
Li Huowang thought that he had to do the same, but he realized that everyone wasn't moving. Maybe we're not qualified to pray?
"The late emperor is buried here. Why is he not buried in the imperial tomb?" The Sitting Oblivion Dao's illusion was curious as well.
Li Huowang was staring at the luxurious coffin when he noticed something amiss.
While the Liang emperor was praying, the golden coffin started moving, and the coffin lid moved slowly, seemingly opening up!
"Father?" The emperor was shocked. The coffin was lower than the floor, so everyone could see what was inside of it. "Father!"
The emperor ran toward the coffin, but a few old eunuchs stopped him. "What are you guys doing? My father is still alive! Why have you imprisoned him?!"
"My lord, this is the Dragon Vein! It's the foundation of our kingdom! We must not defile it!"
Li Huowang finally saw it. The previous emperor, who had fought the Sitting Oblivion Dao, was bound by chains engraved with dragons. The previous emperor was wearing royal robes, but the robes couldn't hide his strange appearance.
Li Huowang saw the previous emperor's dark gold scales and dragon whiskers. More importantly, Li Huowang realized that the old emperor was not alone. He was on top of someone else, and the individual behind him was also on top of someone else behind them. Their fleshly bodies had been fused together to create a bizarre human chain. The corpses in the coffin were the corpses of the previous emperors!
The coffin was dark and deep, seemingly unending. The previous emperors were suspended in the empty space by chains. The chain of emperors was in mid-air rather than on the floor.
Just then, Li Huowang noticed that the chain of human corpses was moving. They were struggling and moving as if they wanted to break free from their restraints. They all looked like dragons yearning to escape their bondage.
1. An idiom that means the unyielding will of someone who refuses to surrender even to the passage of time. It would always return even after getting buried. ☜
Chapter 484 - Ji Lin
Li Huowang's hair stood on end, feeling that he had seen something he was not supposed to see.
Will the imperial family kill me to protect this secret? Li Huowang thought about the worst-case scenario. He raised his guard, and the cogs in his mind churned rapidly, thinking of what could happen to him.
Fortunately, Zhuge Yuan spoke just in time, stopping him from doing anything rash by saying, "Junior Li, don't worry. Everyone knows that the imperial family has a dragon vein, but I didn't think that the Dragon Vein of the Liang Kingdom would look like this. Maybe this was why the fake Liang Kingdom was capable of destroying the Qi Kingdom."
In the end, nothing happened to Li Huowang, and he was still in the chamber filled with a golden light.
The only change was the expression of the Emperor of the Liang Kingdom, and he even roared, "Are you all deaf? Save my father! I am the emperor, and you will not defy my orders!"
However, the old eunuchs merely trembled on the ground without heeding his words.
"Cough, cough. Lin'er ..." A voice filled with fatigue and pain made the current emperor stare at the first body of the Dragon Vein. "Lin'er, don't be too harsh on them. I was the one who told them to do this. Cough cough..."
Li Huowang finally knew the name of the current emperor. Since the imperial family of the Liang Kingdom went by the surname Ji, the current emperor's name had to be Ji Lin.
Li Huowang could still remember the name of the previous emperor, and he had heard it from the individual he had escorted to the execution grounds long ago. The previous emperor's name was Ji Song.
"But, Father, why?! You're still alive!" Ji Lin exclaimed. As the chains sunk deeper into his father's flesh, Ji Lin felt as if he were experiencing the same pain as his father, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Ji Song's voice became weak as if he didn't want the others to listen to him talking, but Li Huowang heard it clearly with his keen ears.
"This is the only way to protect the Liang Kingdom's luck. You'll come to learn about this once you've become as old as me."
"Father, but ..." Ji Lin was in a daze. He didn't know what to say.
"I died, but the Dragon Qi brought me back to life. It's only when I'm dead that you can ascend to the throne. You should be happy about this."
Ji Song pulled on one of the chains and moved to the side of the coffin. Then, he extended his hands covered in scales and had claws for nails to pull Ji Lin close to him. Ji Song's voice was stern as he said, "Do you want to know why I handed over the throne to you rather than to the eldest prince?"
"I do not know." Ji Lin sobbed.
"Because you're ruthless! To win my affection, you were actually ruthless enough to poison your own brother! The other princes can never be as ruthless as you! But you're not ruthless enough... if I were you, I would have used a stronger poison." Ji Song's voice became cold as he said, "Once you're out of here, you must kill all of your brothers."
"What?!" Ji Lin's face became pale. If it weren't for his father tugging at his robes, he would have slumped to the ground.
"Of course, you can choose to do nothing, but you should blame yourself when the others start making their moves to acquire the throne. After all, they have many loyal officers by their side.
"You're the emperor, but the official ceremony has yet to be conducted. Everything can still change. Remember—if you want to become the supreme ruler, then you must be ruthless enough to kill even your brothers!"
It sounds like the previous emperor is trying to raise a Gu. Li Huowang frowned. The most ruthless individual would become the next emperor. Would a ruthless emperor truly be able to lead their subjects to prosperity?
"I want you to remember this, Lin'er. The ruler is always alone. If you want to become a ruler, you must not trust anyone else, even your own mother."
Ji Song let go of Ji Lin's robes and sank slowly into the coffin. The golden coffin lid then closed with a deep rumble. The mausoleum became solemn and silent once again. Everyone could hear Ji Lin's rapid breathing amidst the silence.
The chamber was cold, but he was sweating nonstop.
"We welcome the gods! And we shall give space!" one of the old eunuchs shouted, and the rest moved busily. They all faced the coffin being pulled by the nine golden dragons and started performing a complicated ritual.
Li Huowang stood at the side, staring at what was happening.
Soon the ritual was over, and the eunuchs left in a row. They didn't even wait for the emperor to stand up.
Li Huowang watched as Ji Lin slowly stood back up before following the last of the eunuchs out.
He's probably going to make many difficult decisions soon, and he probably won't have the time to bother with me. Once Li Huowang made it back to the warm temple filled with candles, he truly felt like he had just come back from the land of the dead.
Li Huowang was about to regroup with Lian Zhibei when a fierce voice echoed behind him. "Ji Zai!"
Ji Zai? Li Huowang froze and looked at Zhuge Yuan before remembering that "Ji Zai" was the name that Zhuge Yuan had bestowed upon him long ago. Someone's calling me?
"Don't worry, Junior Li. The Imperial Preceptor will never be able to peer over my spell, so there's no way he can peek at your past through divination."
Li Huowang cast a thankful look at Zhuge Yuan before turning around. He walked towards the Imperial Preceptor with confidence.
"Ji Zai greets the Imperial Preceptor!" Li Huowang bowed seriously to the Imperial Preceptor.
"Since you're a Seventh Banner of the Surveillance Bureau, you should know that some things are left unsaid, right?" the Imperial Preceptor asked. Then, he gestured with his fingers, trying to divine Li Huowang's past.
"Yes," Li Huowang replied curtly. He stood ramrod straight, and he wasn't surprised that the Imperial Preceptor was thinking of a way to make him not talk about what he had seen today. Li Huowang would have found it suspicious otherwise.
"Ji Zai, you're from the Ao Jing Sect, so why did you join the Surveillance Bureau? I thought you idiots had isolated yourself from society to pursue your dreams of becoming an Immortal?"
At the question, Li Huowang used the same excuse he had used last time. Of course, Li Huowang had no intentions of lying to the Imperial Preceptor, and he also believed wholeheartedly that his goal was to avenge the elders of the Ao Jing Sect by killing their killers from the Sitting Oblivion Dao.
Chapter 485 - Relic
"Hm ..." The Imperial Preceptor nodded and stroked his white beard at Li Huowang's response.
Li Huowang wasn't sure whether the Imperial Preceptor believed him or not. All he knew was that he was certain he couldn't run away since the Imperial Preceptor was much stronger than him.
He was thinking of a way to say goodbye, so he could leave as soon as possible, but the Imperial Preceptor said, "The emperor regards you highly, so you should consider yourself lucky. Make sure to seize the chance properly."
"Yes!" Li Huowang wasn't really sure whether he was lucky or not. He wasn't even sure if Ji Lin could successfully ascend the throne, as the other princes were making a move behind the scenes.
"Go and work diligently. The Liang Kingdom needs people like you." The Imperial Preceptor patted Li Huowang's shoulder.
Li Huowang felt something sharp entering his shoulder before rushing to the base of his tongue. He instantly deduced that it was some kind of seal to prevent him from talking about what he had seen today. It seems that the Imperial Preceptor still doesn't trust me despite threatening me.
However, he didn't mind it. He never wanted to talk about it, to begin with. If he were to do so, he'd find himself in a quagmire of endless trouble.
"Yes. I understand. I'm leaving, then." Li Huowang bowed and exited the imperial temple. It was only when he left the red-colored palace wall with Lian Zhibei and the lifespan pills that he sighed in relief.
He looked back at the oppressive palace and was convinced that he truly hated them—both the palace and the city. It was as if the entire city was eating people constantly behind the scenes.
It took quite a while, but they still managed to obtain what they needed.
Knowing that the princes were going to scheme against each other soon, Li Huowang was certain that Shangjing would become chaotic pretty soon. He decided to finish his tasks and leave Shangjing as soon as possible.
Li Huowang didn't even consider helping Ji Lin to secure the throne. While Ji Lin was kind to him and appeared to be suitable to befriend, there was no way Li Huowang would risk his life for him. They had only met once, and Ji Lin didn't seem like someone suitable to be the emperor.
"Time to honor your words." Li Huowang looked at Lian Zhibei, who was holding the jade plate with excitement.
Pure lifespan couldn't be made into lifespan pills, and someone had to infuse it directly into the recipient. The jade plate was proof that the holder was entitled to pure lifespan.
"Of course! I'll keep my word!" Lian Zhibei exclaimed. Then, she turned around to leave.
"Where are you going?" Li Huowang asked, stopping her.
"Of course, I'm going to bring my mother here so that he'll get her pure lifespan. Wasn't that what we had agreed upon?"
Li Huowang took back the jade plate and explained, "Bring your mother here and find me. Be quick; if you don't come here in a month, I will give the jade plate to my wife."
"No, wait, you still don't trust me even though we are at Shangjing? Do I need to give my identity plate to you as collateral?" Lian Zhibei begged.
But Li Huowang didn't even bother negotiating with her. He shook the jade plate in front of her before walking towards the Surveillance Bureau.
There was no way he was going to fall for that.
Back in the vault, Li Huowang spared no time to talk to the eunuch with coins for eyes. He poured out four hundred lifespan pills without any hesitation and said, "I want you to exchange these for the relic we talked about last time! Be quick!"
The relic was inside a seven-layer pagoda. The eunuch opened the pagodas one by one until they reached the final layer, which contained a glimmering box made from agate. The box was translucent, and Li Huowang immediately saw the relic filled with holy light. It was a small piece of human bone, which glimmered strangely like a gem.
"A relic is a human bone? You need to eat a human bone to get the mind's eye?" Li Huowang asked, casting a doubtful look at the eunuch. Eating a human bone did not seem like a holy thing to do.
"Please be at ease, esteemed customer. This is the last remaining. The first six have been redeemed by others, and they all said that it was fine. But I need to remind you again that only the kind can use it!"
"Fine, I get it. You didn't have to say that again. You're getting pretty annoying," Li Huowang said. He was busy thinking about how he could persuade Bai Lingmiao to swallow the bone.
Bai Lingmiao was still traumatized by her experience in the Zephyr Temple, and she refused to eat anything human to the point that she wouldn't even take "normal" pills.
Li Huowang carried with him the box with the relic and two roasted geese before returning home. He was relieved to see that Bai Lingmiao was feeling her way in the darkness. In other words, she had become completely blind and couldn't see that the relic was a human bone.
"Senior Li, you're back?" Bai Lingmiao looked tired as she walked slowly toward Li Huowang.
"How did you know it was me?" Li Huowang asked, placing the roasted geese wrapped in lotus leaves on the table.
"I could hear you, and I recognize your footsteps too. Senior Li, I discovered that my hearing has become so much better when I lost my vision."
Li Huowang approached her and gently guided her to a chair. "Miaomiao, don't worry. I have a way of letting you see again."
Li Huowang took out the agate box as well as a gourd full of water. "Come, open your mouth."
"Senior Li, what kind of miraculous pill are you going to make me eat? To think it can let me see again," Bai Lingmiao said. She was curious and was looking forward to it, so she immediately opened her mouth.
Li Huowang did not answer as he placed the relic on the base of her tongue. "Don't chew. Swallow it whole and take it with rainwater."
Once the rainwater entered Bai Lingmiao's mouth, she coughed out of surprise. Li Huowang patted her back in a hurry. Amidst their panicking, neither of them noticed the golden swastika flashing on Bai Lingmiao's chest.
Eventually, Bai Lingmiao felt better and frowned. "Senior Li, what was—"
Bai Lingmiao stopped mid-sentence as she realized that she could see once again. To be more precise, she couldn't see with her eyes, but she could see everyone's Qi, allowing her to see the outline of the chair, stool, Li Sui, and the outlines of the two short trees in the courtyard.
It was a profound feeling that she couldn't quite describe. She felt like everything within a certain radius had been carved in her heart.
"Senior Li?"
Bai Lingmiao stared at the weird humanoid blob before her, and the humanoid blob was the only different "thing" in her "vision." The humanoid blob flickered in and out of existence and was quivering violently. Moreover, there were afterimages that converged and diverged from time to time around the blob[1].
1. She can see his illusions! ☜
Chapter 486 - Arrival
"Senior Li, is that you?" Bai Lingmiao reached out to touch the blob before her, and the blob coalesced into that familiar face. Bai Lingmiao smiled at the sight. It seemed she still needed to get used to this ability.
"Miaomiao, can you see now? Can you really see me?!" Li Huowang exclaimed, staring into her eyes.
"I don't know if this counts as seeing, but... at least I can do the things that I could do before. At least I'm not a burden anymore," Bai Lingmiao said. She stood up and spun around to savor the miracle.
In addition to seeing the external appearances of everything around her, she could even see inside some of them. Her vision was especially clear whenever she focused on living organisms. For example, she could clearly "see" the bugs and ants on the short trees outside the courtyard.
Bai Lingmiao soon reveled in this new-found feeling. Her "vision" was strange, but it was much better than being blind.
"Senior Li, I can see, I really can see! Thank you so much!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed with a joyful look.
When Li Huowang saw her smile, he felt that all the hardships that he had gone through so far were worth it. Through his efforts, the conditions of the people around him were improving gradually.
"All right, rest," Li Huowang said while staring at Bai Lingmiao, who was still turning around like a white butterfly."You're going to feel dizzy if you keep spinning."
Li Huowang opened the two roast geese wrapped in lotus leaves on the table. "Come! Let's celebrate your healed eyes with roast goose today! I heard that they roast their geese here with lychee wood; the taste is apparently great, too.
"It's one of the specialty dishes of the capital."
"Dad, I want some, too."
"Sure, go get yourself a bowl and chopsticks."
The family of three ate with relish until they were interrupted by knocking on the door.
"Are you there, Er Jiu? It's me, Lian Zhibei."
Li Huowang frowned upon hearing the familiar voice. Wasn't she supposed to pick up her mother and bring her here? What is she trying to do?
Li Huowang pushed open the door, and the middle-aged plump woman wasted no time, immediately going to the point. "I was actually just hesitant earlier. Actually, it's not necessary for me to bring my mother over here. I can break the connection between your wife and the Immortal families here. Give me that jade plate and consider it done."
Li Huowang was about to say something when he heard footsteps behind him.
"Senior Li, she's actually here? How about inviting her to eat roast goose with us?" Bai Lingmiao said in a good-natured way.
Meanwhile, the Second Deity whispered something into her ears.
"Why do you want me to go in? Isn't she a guest?" asked Bai Lingmiao.
"Miaomiao, you go in first. It's definitely not something bad," Li Huowang said.
Since Li Huowang had said the same thing as the Second Deity, Bai Lingmiao could only nod and turn around to leave.
"You're done talking with them? If so, let's get started!" Lian Zhibei exclaimed. She raised her foot and was about to walk into the house but was stopped by Li Huowang's hand. Li Huowang stared quietly at the Second Deity. After a long time, he asked, "You know what this means to you, right?"
"I know. I'll be able to merge with Miaomiao as soon as the connection between her and the Immortal families is severed." The Second Deity's voice echoed from under the red veil.
The Second Deity was not lying, but Li Huowang's feelings toward the Second Deity were complicated.
Should I treat her as her own individual or as a part of Bai Lingmiao? If I do the former, wouldn't allowing her to merge with Bai Lingmiao be the same as killing her? Li Huowang thought.
Just then, the Second Deity spoke once again. "If her connection with the Immortal families is not severed, wouldn't it be like harboring a danger that might erupt at any moment? Would you want to live like that?
"I'm sure Miaomiao would disagree, but I'll persuade her, so don't worry."
"Come on, let's do it. How do you want it to happen? Hey, respond. You're driving me crazy!" Lian Zhibei chimed in, sounding worried that Li Huowang would change his mind.
"Let's go. This way," the Second Deity said, allowing Lian Zhibei into the house.
"All right. Hey, just wait here. I'll make sure your wife is ready," Lian Zhibei said, following the Second Deity into the house.
The oil lamp in the room was lit, and the light illuminated Bai Lingmiao's nervous face. It was her first time seeing Lian Zhibei, but she still felt uncomfortable being alone with a stranger.
"Miss, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and take off your clothes."
"Ah? I... have to... take my clothes off?" Bai Lingmiao muttered hesitantly. Li Huowang had told her to follow Lian Zhibei's instructions, but she still felt hesitant to show her birthday suit to a stranger.
"Of course, don't be embarrassed. We're all women here. Hurry up."
"Oh..." Bai Lingmiao muttered. Then, she started unbuttoning her clothes. And that was when Lian Zhibei rushed to her side and leaned closer to her ear, whispering, "The curtain toward the jade peak hides the night snow behind the curtain. The blue water grows the long autumn moss..."
Bai Lingmiao was startled by Lian Zhibei's whisper, and she took several steps backward, muttering, "What... what was that?"
"You don't know? Really?" Lian Zhibei asked excitedly.
"Know what?" Li Huowang's voice echoed from behind Lian Zhibei, and the latter's heart trembled upon hearing it. The next moment, she turned around and cast an impatient look at Li Huowang. "Did I not tell you to wait outside? Why did you follow us here? We're still in the middle of preparations."
"She's my wife, so is there something wrong with me helping her undress? Why must I avoid her?" LI Huowang retorted.
"She's fine, but I need to undress, too. What, am I your wife?" Lian Zhibei asked, taking off her shirt, which revealed her bulging belly wrapped in yellow inner wear.
Li Huowang stared deeply at Lian Zhibei and enunciated every single word as he said, "You. Better. Not. Cause. Any. Unnecessary. Trouble!"
With that, Li Huowang turned to the shy Bai Lingmiao and said, "I'll be outside. I can hear everything that happens inside, so just call out my name if there are any issues."
"Okay.."
Li Huowang opened the door and pulled Li Sui into the room. "Keep an eye on that chubby woman. Bite her if she does anything strange!"
"Yes, Dad."
Li Huowang finally left the room. Lian Zhibei's ambiguous words just now definitely weren't part of the so-called "preparations." Judging from her tone and demeanor earlier, those words seemed more like some kind of code.
It seemed that Lian Zhibei had ulterior motives. If it weren't for the fact that she actually had a way to help Bai Lingmiao get rid of the Immortal families, he wouldn't have allowed her to have much contact with Bai Lingmiao.
Li Huowang waited for quite a while before the two finally emerged from the room. Lian Zhibei was carrying a big bundle of something in her arms, and Li Huowang had no idea where she had stashed that earlier.
Of course, Li Huowang couldn't care less, as his full attention was on Bai Lingmiao. Bai Lingmiao was wearing nothing except for a yellow paper inner wear.
Bai Lingmiao's figure was as white as a mutton tallow, and many different crooked and twisted characters were drawn with red cinnabar on her figure. The white and red colors intertwined, creating a bizarre but strangely enchanting image.
Chapter 487 - Change
Li Huowang had seen many things in this crazy world, but Li Huowang had no idea what Lian Zhibei was going to use to sever Bai Lingmiao's connection with the Immortal families.
Bai Lingmiao seemed particularly shy about her attire to the point where her ears even turned red. Her hands covered her front, but they couldn't conceal her back at the same time.
"Miss, why are you shrinking? Stand up straight," Lian Zhibei urged.
Bai Lingmiao stood up straight. Lian Zhibei took out three incense sticks and inserted them into the door frame. She then knelt down on both knees and kowtowed toward the door several times.
Afterward, she lit one of the incense sticks and bowed three times toward the door before raising the smoking incense and thrusting it toward her own cheeks.
An incessant crackling noise echoed as the dark red incense pierced her left cheek and emerged from the right side of her face. Lian Zhibei's voice became coarse as she exclaimed. "Tiger God, arise!"
Lian Zhibei lifted a hook-shaped tool, and it emitted a cold gleam in her hand as she pierced her upper and lower lips. Drops of bright red blood fell and landed on the paper talisman covering her belly.
Li Huowang frowned deeply at the sight. Lian Zhibei's self harm seemed somewhat similar to the practices of the Ao Jing Sect. Could she be a member of one of Ao Jing Sect's branchs?
While Li Huowang was deep in thought, Lian Zhibei pulled out a row of large red firecrackers from her large bundle. She lit one of the firecrackers with the incense from her cheekbone, and crackling noises filled the room.
The white smoke from the incense intertwined with the murky smoke from the firecrackers, covering the entire room in a murky mist. Lian Zhibei then grabbed a piece of wood from her bundle and raised it up high into the air before slamming it forcefully on the ground, "The sound of battle resounds through the rivers and seas! The divine light bursts forth, and the Tiger God shall accept this explosion!"
A deep roar akin to a tiger's roar echoed, and the murky mist quickly rolled toward Lian Zhibei's open mouth.
Soon, the firecrackers vanished, and Lian Zhibei's eyes became completely white as she collapsed to the ground. Her plump figure contorted into positions that a normal person couldn't possibly do.
Li Huowang instinctively drew his purple-tassel sword at the sight, and his expression was exceptionally serious. Lian Zhibei had a nonchalant attitude to everything, and she seemed like a greenhorn, but her strength could not be underestimated at all.
After all, she was daring enough to confront such spiritual beings by herself. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Lian Zhibei opened her bleeding mouth, revealing the hook-shaped tool from earlier. The next moment, she emitted a growl, which sounded similar to a tiger's growl.
"Senior Li? Why is there a tiger in our house?" Bai Lingmiao asked, trembling as she watched Lian Zhibei on the ground.
Just then, Lian Zhibei whipped around and stared at the patterns on Bai Lingmiao's figure with her white eyes. Then, she bent her legs and pounced on Bai Lingmiao.
"What?!"
Li Huowang's bronze coin sword and Li Sui's tentacles flew to protect Bai Lingmiao, but they stopped halfway upon seeing that Lian Zhibei had flown over Bai Lingmiao's head rather than on her.
Crack!
Lian Zhibei opened her mouth wide enough that it seemed like it was going to tear apart before gnawing at something on the ground.
Bai Lingmiao grabbed her head in pain, and the cinnabar patterns on her figure trembled violently before shrinking rapidly. Li Huowang's keen hearing then caught distant screams, and he felt relieved at what he was wearing. The screams were coming from the Immortal families!
"Miaomiao, hold on!"
Whoosh!
Lian Zhibei leaped over Bai Lingmiao's head once again, viciously biting at the air. The screams of unknown origin grew louder. As Lian Zhibei passed over Bai Lingmiao's head for the fifth time, the blindfolded Bai Lingmiao sensed something amiss.
Bai Lingmiao's newfound ability had allowed her to notice that the Second Deity, who was standing in the courtyard, was becoming more and more transparent. Her special "eyes" pierced the red veil, and she shuddered at what she saw beyond the red veil.
The beastly features that belonged to the Immortal families had almost been gnawed away into nothingness. As Lian Zhibei bit and chewed, the scales, fur, and feathers vanished rapidly.
The Second Deity's face started quivering amidst everything.
"She wants to remove the Immortal families from my body! But the Second Deity will cease to exist without them!"
"Stop! Senior Li, make her stop! The Second Deity is about to vanish!" Bai Lingmiao shouted as tears streamed down her face.
"Miaomiao, don't worry. Hold on a little longer!"
Li Huowang steeled his heart before turning around and walking into the courtyard. He saw the Second Deity staring silently at a short tree. Li Huowang walked up to the Second Deity and lifted her red veil to see that half of her face was missing.
"You..." Li Huowang glanced at Bai Lingmiao inside the house, and then he turned to the vanishing Second Deity.
Lian Zhibei tugged violently at the Second Deity, which made her stagger. The Second Deity looked at him, and her only eye radiated a strong light of reluctance. "Live well, and do not let her down. Also, stop acting like a weakling in the future."
Something seemed to be vanishing from deep inside the Second Deity, and her aura gradually became similar to Bai Lingmiao's aura.
"Senior Li! She won't be able to come back! Once the Immortal families are gone, the Second Deity will suffer a true death!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed. Her words had yet to finish echoing in mid-air when the Second Deity fell to the ground.
"Lian Zhibei, wait!" Li Huowang exclaimed, turning to Lian Zhibei. "Something's wrong!"
However, Lian Zhibei seemed to have gone mad and did not respond to him.
When Li Huowang saw Lian Zhibei leaping over Bai Lingmiao's head once again, his expression turned fierce as he dashed toward Lian Zhibei. He kicked Lian Zhibei's waist, sending her crashing onto the wall.
A furious roar resounded, and the white-eyed Lian Zhibei glared at Li Huowang. The oppressive aura that she was radiating made it difficult for Li Huowang to breathe.
"Sorry, there's something wrong! Wake up!" Li Huowang exclaimed to no avail.
Lian Zhibei stomped powerfully before charging at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang inserted his sword into his own mouth and bit down. The next moment, Li Huowang pulled out the sword and swung it toward Lian Zhibei. The sword carried with it Li Huowang's bloody teeth and the teeth flew toward Lian Zhibei's head.
Li Huowang gripped the purple-tassel sword and followed closely behind the teeth.
The room instantly became chaotic, and it became even more chaotic when Li Sui joined the battle. Soon, the battle was uncontrollable, but it was eventually under control as Li Huowang's sword pierced Lian Zhibei's chest, while Lian Zhibei's sharp teeth stripped Li Huowang's arms off of its skin.
The incense stick in Lian Zhibei's cheeks extinguished slowly, allowing Lian Zhibei to recover her sanity.
"What's going on? What's happening?" Lian Zhibei asked. She looked down at the sword sticking out of her chest, and she cast a bewildered look at Li Huowang, especially after sensing the extreme pain radiating from her wound.
Chapter 488 - Past
Li Huowang examined Lian Zhibei's injuries and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't expect it to go wrong. It's my fault. Don't move. I'll treat your injuries for you, and then I'll compensate you with a few lifespan pills."
Li Huowang supported Lian Zhibei and sat her down on a meditation chair. Then, he started preparing the Fiery Scripture.
"No, no, no, I can't withstand that," Lian Zhibei said. She pinched a talisman and used it to hold Li Huowang's sword, which the latter was about to pull out.
"We had an agreement, but you violated it. You should just give me that jade plate, and we'll be even," Lian Zhibei said amidst gritted teeth due to the extreme pain. Despite her plight, she was still more concerned about the pure lifespan rather than herself.
When Li Huowang handed her the jade plate that could be exchanged for pure lifespan, Lian Zhibei smiled despite the pain. She couldn't care less about anything else aside from the jade plate. She glanced at Bai Lingmiao before covering her wound with one hand and stumbling out.
Li Huowang looked up to see someone standing before him. It was Bai Lingmiao, and her expression was filled with sadness and concern as she stared at Li Huowang. She then walked to Li Huowang's side and opened her arms to embrace him gently.
Li Huowang trembled as he looked toward the ground. He saw only a pair of blood-red embroidered shoes and a red veil stained with blood.
"Senior Li, my connection to the Immortal families is gone, but the Second Deity is gone as well. I was too late..," Bai Lingmiao muttered. Then, she sobbed as she hugged Li Huowang.
Late at night, Li Huowang sprawled out in bed, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. He had achieved his goals. The Immortal families could no longer control Bai Lingmiao, but he felt inexplicably downtrodden despite the great result.
"Senior Li, are you asleep?" Bai Lingmiao's soft voice echoed.
Li Huowang took a deep breath and sighed.
"Senior Li, I'm missing the Second Deity... no matter what painful things happened in the past, she had always shared some of my burdens. She was like a sister to me..."
Li Huowang couldn't help but feel doubtful about the decision he had made. Did I do something wrong? But if I hadn't dealt with the Immortal families, who knows what would have happened to Bai Lingmiao?
If he had known that getting rid of the Immortal families would make the Second Deity disappear, what would he have done?
As dawn approached, Li Huowang realized that there were right and wrong in important matters. For example, the Sitting Oblivion Dao had seized the Sacred Mountain Ghost's eye and had caused a calamity to the world, which was wrong. It was right for the Surveillance Bureau to dispatch people to eradicate the Sitting Oblivion Dao—it was a "right" endeavor, as they were doing it for the sake of the world.
However, the boundary between right and wrong was ambiguous when it came to personal feelings. There were only appropriate choices rather than absolute "right" and "wrong."
Soon, the roosters crowed. Li Huowang had stayed up all night, and Bai Lingmiao also did not manage to get any sleep.
He got up from the bed and put on his Daoist robes, and then he started walking toward the main hall. As soon as he stepped out of his room, he saw Li Sui squatting in the center of the hall, staring at the drizzle in the courtyard outside.
"Dad."
Li Huowang walked up to Li Sui and sat down. He looked down at the bloody wild-looking dog before Li Sui and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm waiting for Second Mom. I caught this last night, and I've already eaten half of it. The other half is hers," Li Sui replied.
Li Huowang's heart felt a pang of sharp pain at Li Sui's words. He reached out and patted Li Sui before muttering, "Stop waiting for her; she's gone and will never come back."
"I know. Mom also said that Second Mom's gone. I'm waiting for her to come back. Second Mom really loves eating this," Li Sui nudged the bloody dog with his nose.
Li Huowang's lips trembled slightly. "Did you not see her disappear? She... she's gone!"
"Yeah, I saw her disappear, but Second Mom has always been like that. She comes and goes as she pleases. Don't worry about it, Dad. she'll be back soon!"
Li Huowang did not reply. He opened his arms and hugged Li Sui tightly for a long time before standing up and heading back indoors.
***
Steam was rising from Gao Zhijian's shirtless figure as he swung his colossal halberd up and down. His muscles were flushed red, seemingly as tough as iron, and were full of vigor.
Gao Zhijian swung his colossal halberd horizontally, kicking up a gust of wind that blew away the row of villages wielding wooden halberds before him. The villagers squinted and struggled to stand.
The colossal halberd pierced the ground. Gao Zhijian took a moment to catch his breath for a moment before exclaiming, "Practice!"
The dozen or so villagers looked at each other with puzzled looks. A short but stout man turned to the person next to him and asked, "How do we practice? Is what he's doing even humanly possible?"
"Just practice. He's been insisting on it, so just treat it as payment for the noodles that we are going to eat for lunch."
With that, the villagers waved the wooden halberds in their hands in groups. The halberds were freshly made, and the moisture within the wood made them heavy. They trained until they could no longer lift their halberds.
However, Gao Zhijian didn't care, and his calloused hands would teach those daring enough to be lazy a harsh lesson that they would never forget. The villagers waited painstakingly and worked hard until it was high noon, signaling the end of their training.
Yang Xiaohai's call for lunch sounded like music to their ears. They rushed to the dining hall and directly went for the coveted steamed buns, which they immediately stuffed into their mouths. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
They couldn't hold their bowls steadily, but they ate with relish. They grunted nonstop as they ate, so the dining hall seemed like it was full of pigs fighting for food rather than hungry people.
Meanwhile, the disciples were busy discussing the issue of food supply somewhere in the Bai Family Estate.
"Senior Zhao Wu, we need to buy some grain soon. Senior Gao Zhijian said that we need at least a hundred soldiers. However, we're all going to run out of grain to feed them at this rate."
"I know, but now is not the time to buy grain. The prices are too high due to the Natural Disaster. Let's wait for the autumn harvest; it'll be cheaper by then."
Yang Xiaohai muttered, "But we'd have to hold out until then..."
"How about we... reduce their numbers? So many of us can use supernatural powers, so who would dare to provoke us?" Puppy suggested.
"No!" Gao Zhijian shook his head vigorously. "Se... Se.. Senior Li said... said... said, want... want—"
"Alright, alright, I give in, don't finish it. It'll be dinner by the time you finish your sentence," Puppy interrupted.
Gao Zhijian frowned and glared at Puppy before lowering his head to eat his meal before him.
"Let's do that for now and stop quarreling about this issue. Senior Li has also left some gold for us to use. I'll exchange some of it for silver later," Chun Xiaoman said. Just like that, everyone ate with relish once more, as the matter was resolved so easily.
However, someone noticed Chun Xiaoman's annoyed look throughout the meal.
After the meal, Chun Xiaoman decided to go to the shrine, but Gao Zhijian appeared before her and stammered, "I-I-I have money... if... if the... the... the... village... village... village... is short... short... short of money... look... look for... me!"
"You have money? Where did you get it?" Chun Xiaoman asked, looking surprised.
"I-I-I... in the past..."
"You used to be a rich man?" Chun Xiaoman asked.
Gao Zhijian's face turned red out of embarrassment. He had no idea how to explain it through words, so he squatted and started drawing on the ground.
Chapter 489 - Gao Zhijian's Background
Gao Zhijian effortlessly parted the compact soil with his iron-like fingers, leaving behind traces as though they were plowed.
"What are you drawing?" Chun Xiaoman frowned at Gao Zhijian squatting on the ground. "Why don't you write? I've been learning some characters in secret."
Gao Zhijian glanced at her before shaking his head.
"Hey! What do you mean? Are you looking down on me?" Chun Xiaoman shoved Gao Zhijian.
However, Gao Zhijian merely smiled and shook his head.
"Is this a snake? Did you use to sell snake medicine?"
"Dragon..." Gao Zhijian said in a low voice. As Gao Zhijian's fingers moved, a huge coiled dragon appeared before Chun Xiaoman. Gao Zhijian then drew a person sitting beneath the dragon.
"Emperor!" Gao Zhijian pointed at the person, and then he drew piles of gold ingots next to the so-called emperor. Afterward, he drew a few tiny figures next to the emperor. He drew a figure at the end and patted himself. "Me!"
"You're the emperor's son?!" Chun Xiaoman asked with wide eyes.
Gao Zhijian nodded, and then he shook his head vigorously. "No... no... I don't... know!"
"How come you don't know? What's going on here?"
"Maybe... maybe... maybe... it's... it's fake!"
"Are you not drawing your past here? How can your fast be fake? Did you tell Senior Li about these? What did he say?"
"No."
"Why did you not tell him?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
Gao Zhijian hesitated for a moment and glanced at Chun Xiaoman. Then, he drew an adult figure beside the figure that represented himself. The face of the adult was obscured, and three swords were strapped to his back.
Gao Zhijian pricked his finger and smeared blood all over the figure's clothes. Chun Xiaoman instantly understood what he was trying to say.
"This is Senior Li?" Chun Xiaoman recognized Li Huowang, as he was one of the few figures whom Chun Xiaoman knew had a penchant for wearing red robes.
Gao Zhijian nodded vigorously before drawing a large "five" on his own forehead.
"I recognize this character. It's the simplest character from one to five[1], which means you were five years old that year?"
Gao Zhijian nodded, and then he pointed to the sword on Li Huowang's back. He drew a line and struck off the figure representing himself.
"Uh... Senior Li killed you? When you were at the age of five?" Chun Xiaoman muttered hesitantly.
"Yeah." Gao Zhijian nodded.
Chun Xiaoman felt her head spinning. "How come you're still alive, then? And he even killed you when you were still a child?"
"Maybe... maybe... maybe... fake!" Gao Zhijian drew another figure representing himself. This time, he drew an armored figure and a carriage. Afterward, he drew a group of people thrusting spears at him.
"You... died again? Why can't I understand anymore?"
"Messy..." Gao Zhijian slapped his head hard. "Messy!"
Gao Zhijian's actions became rougher as he drew several figures of himself dying in a variety of ways. He died by drowning, burning, and even hanging. Eventually, he stopped drawing figures and took out a piece of charcoal to sketch black circles.
Fear appeared in his eyes as he looked at the black circles on the ground, and the fear in his eyes intensified as he drew more and more black circles. In the end, Gao Zhijian's sturdy arm drew a large black circle that enveloped everything, and he seemed to be fearful of what he had drawn. He abruptly stood and took several steps backward.
"Gao Zhijian... are you okay? Do you want me to help you go to the doctor?"
Gao Zhijian wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead, smudging his face. He then shook his head and walked over cautiously. He picked up a clump of soil and hurled it on the black circle before stomping on it, trampling down on the circle.
Then, he drew a figure representing himself on the back of his hand using a chunk of charcoal. Afterward, he dug into the trampled soil with the same hand, pushing aside the black circles to reveal the piles of gold ingots he had drawn earlier. "Money!"
He drew a line from the pile of gold ingots and connected it to Chun Xiaoman's feet.
"Take it!"
"No, no, no, give me a moment here. This isn't just about money. You need to be a bit more detailed with your drawing. I'm so confused..." Chun Xiaoman muttered, feeling her head spinning from Gao Zhijian's drawing.
"The message is unmistakable." A voice echoed from the door. The two turned to see Zhao Wu leaning on a crutch. It seemed that he had seen everything Gao Zhijian had drawn so far.
Zhao Wu walked up to the two and looked at the indescribable drawings. After a moment of thought, he said, "Gao Zhijian must have been a high-ranking official in the past, so his family must have been quite wealthy."
"The deaths he had suffered represent the risks associated with that status. If worse comes to worst, he says he's willing to take the risk and use his past status to find a way out for us."
Zhao Wu turned to look at Gao Zhijian with a serious expression.
"I think that's what you're trying to express, right?" Zhao Wu asked.
Gao Zhijian was stunned, and then he shook his head decisively without even pretending that Zhao Wu was right.
"I... I... I am... the... em... emperor!"
Zhao Wu looked helpless as he muttered, "You're the emperor? Then Senior Li killed the five-year-old you? And then you were reborn before dying again and again until you were finally captured by Dan Yangzi?
"The Great Liang never had a five-year-old emperor. You should try to come up with a more plausible background. Moreover, you never told Senior Li anything about this in the past. There's also a continuity error; if you were five at the time, then how old was Senior Li back then? He's not much older than you, after all."
Gao Zhijian revealed a pained look at Zhao Wu's words. He pounded his head forcefully, and his hands curled into fists as he clenched them. "Messy.. messy...!"
"Hey, stop that, Gao Zhijian!" Chun Xiaoman grabbed Gao Zhijian and said, "The Lu Family Troupe has many ways to make some money, and they can be done once this disaster is over. You don't need to worry about money!"
Gao Zhijian eventually calmed down. He stared alternatingly at the two and realized that they did not believe him at all. The next moment, he clenched his fists and walked away.
"What are you going to do about his crazy story? Are you going to tell Senior Li about it?" Zhao Wu asked, leaning on his crutch.
Chun Xiaoman nodded quietly, and her expression was complicated as she stared at Gao Zhijian's departing figure.
"I think it's better to tell him. He's a veteran and has seen more bizarre things than us, so he perhaps he might know something about Gao Zhijian's background."
1. one to five is written in an alternative form from the usual ☜