"Do we still need to thank each other? If it weren't for you, I would have died a long time ago. Your troubles are my troubles as well. Don't cry, and just wait for my updates," said Li Huowang as he gave Bai Lingmiao's hand a reassuring pat before gently letting go of it and leading her outside.
Li Huowang wasn't good at expressing affection, but he didn't want Bai Lingmiao to go through the same things that he had gone through. That feeling was too painful.
Bai Lingmiao quickly followed, her voice filled with concern as she asked, "Senior Li, do you know where my parents went?"
"I don't know," replied Li Huowang.
"So where do we even start looking?" asked Bai Lingmiao.
"Don't worry, I have some status now; there is bound to be a solution." Li Huowang took out his Surveillance Bureau badge and waved it in front of Bai Lingmiao.
Villagers disappearing overnight wasn't a small matter. The county magistrate who oversaw Cowheart Village must know something; for now, he could start investigating from there.
After deciding on the course of action, Li Huowang checked the map, led out a horse, and then mounted it. He wasn't an expert at riding horses, but that wasn't a problem for him. He'd figure it out after a few tumbles. He was completely unfazed, unlike the others who would be hurt.
After a day and a night of tumbling, Li Huowang finally reached the largest nearby county town right as dawn broke.
Glancing at the moderately-sized county town ahead, the dusty Li Huowang walked in, leading the horse by its reins.
Meanwhile, County Magistrate Wang woke up and gently kicked the covers with his eyes still closed. The concubine on the other side of the bed quickly got up, knelt on the floor with her forehead touching the ground, and said, "Master, please change into a fresh pair of clothes."
County Magistrate Wang slowly opened his eyes. With the gentle support of his concubine, he sat up. A peeled willow branch was already within his reach as he extended his hand. Gently dipping the willow branch into the fine salt held by the maid, he placed it in his mouth and started using it to brush his teeth. After he finished brushing his teeth, the maid promptly handed him the prepared sandalwood spittoon.
He took a sip of the warm water and puffed his cheeks before lowering his head and spat into the spittoon.
As County Magistrate Wang closed his eyes, the maid held a towel as she carefully and meticulously wiped his face. Then, she stepped back as another maid slowly approached him while holding the official attire.
After several maids helped dress him up, he finally strolled out from his bedroom, adorned in a navy-blue official uniform.
As soon as he stepped out, a wave of heat hit him. He looked up at the blazing sun, as a hint of displeasure crossed his face.
"Another scorching day. There's hardly been any cooling days lately," complained County Magistrate Wang as he walked forward, with two maids holding fans, hastening their steps to catch up to him.
He had walked only a few steps before reaching his usual large wooden desk. Here, his trusted assistant, Steward Hu, had been waiting for him for quite some time.
"Update me. Has anyone lodged any complaint or accusations recently?" asked County Magistrate Wang.
The mustached steward revealed a faint insincere smile. "Master, there's only one today. The informant handed over ten pieces of silver."
"Really?" County Magistrate Wang picked up the crystal-clear noodles and took a few bites while leisurely asking, "And who is the accused?"
"The accused is a horse dealer from Qing Qiu; he offered up one piece of gold," replied Steward Hu.
"Mmm~! The noodles are quite good today! Too bad there's not enough," commented County Magistrate Wang.
Hearing this, Steward Hu immediately grasped the situation. "Understood, Master. I will handle it privately with them."
Then, reaching into his pocket, he took out a piece of paper and began reading the written complaint.
While nodding and swaying as he listened to the written complaint, County Magistrate Wang suddenly noticed a man emerging from within the ground. Witnessing this bizarre scene, he was initially startled, and then his expression turned anxious. Finally, he abruptly stood up, causing the bowl of noodles in his hand to spill all over the table.
"Who... who are you? How dare you try to assassinate an Imperial Official! The Surveillance Bureau will not let this go unpunished!" shouted County Magistrate Wang.
Li Huowang looked at the trembling man before him, not bothering to engage in small talk. He directly took out the badge and displayed it to the man before him. "I have some questions for you."
Seeing the badge in Li Huowang's hand, County Magistrate Wang immediately emerged from behind his assistant, his face showing a fawning smile. "Ah~ A high-ranking official from the Surveillance Bureau! Sir, please, have a seat and enjoy some tea!"
"Enough with the formalities. Tell me, what happened to the people in Cowheart Village? It's been a while since anyone has seen any of them. You wouldn't happen to be clueless about it, would you?" asked Li Huowang.
The man was clearly taken aback when he heard this. He then whispered to Steward Hu, "What's going on in Cowheart Village?"
"Master, have you forgotten? The entire village disappeared, and you instructed Constable Cao to look into it. He wanted to discuss something with you earlier, but you were occupied and didn't have the time to listen," replied Steward Hu.
"Stop standing there! Go and get Cao Xin immediately!" ordered County Magistrate Wang.
"Constable Cao has gone out for patrol! I don't know where he is," said Steward Hu.
Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Wang gave Li Huowang an awkward smile. "Sir, shall I take you to find Constable Cao? He's responsible for handling such matters."
"Let's go. I don't have time to waste," said Li Huowang as he walked out.
Seeing Li Huowang heading out, County Magistrate Wang and Steward Hu quickly followed after him.
Clang~
At that moment, a sharp noise echoed.
"County~ Magistrate~ is~ heading~ out~"
Then, under the deliberately prolonged announcement, County Magistrate Wang, donned an official hat and took his seat in a blue sedan chair. Halfway through, he turned around and smiled at Li Huowang before suggesting, "Sir, why don't you take a seat?"
"Hurry up, and get on. I don't have time to waste," said Li Huowang.
"He he he." County Magistrate Wang sat in the sedan chair, smirking to himself. However, before he could get comfortable, Li Huowang's words sent shivers down his spine.
"With the disappearance of so many people, haven't you reported the situation to the Surveillance Bureau?" asked Li Huowang.
Hearing a hint of accusation in those words, County Magistrate Wang panicked. He quickly opened the curtain of his sedan chair and began to shift the blame. "Sir, we are still investigating the matter. Reporting without conclusive evidence could lead to mistakes. If I end up making a wrong report, it's just me who bears the consequences. I wouldn't want to waste your time on a wild goose chase. Ah, I sincerely apologize. It's all because of my incompetent subordinates taking their time. It's a shame that a person of your stature has to personally investigate. After sorting out this mess, I must invite you to the White Tower for a feast as an apology. I'll punish myself with three cups!"
Hearing his fawning, Li Huowang impatiently gestured forward. "Hurry up."
If not for Constable Cao's potential findings, he wouldn't have even bothered talking to such a talkative person.
The sedan chair swayed with a creaking sound as the bearers moved in unison. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
The town was relatively small, so finding the patrolling constable was not all that difficult. Soon, Li Huowang spotted him in green clothes, standing at the entrance of a brothel, flirting with the women inside.
When the constable and his subordinates spotted the County Magistrate's sedan, they promptly straightened their expressions, adjusted their hats, and continued their patrol along the streets with a purposeful stride.
"Ah, County Magistrate." Constable Cao bowed with clasped hands, acknowledging the presence of the sedan. "County Magistrate, you're out quite early, trying to understand the sentiments of the people. Please take care of yourself too, and don't exhaust yourself for the sake of the common folk."
"Ah, what's a little hardship for the sake of the people?" started County Magistrate Wang, but upon seeing Li Huowang's face darken, he quickly became serious and asked, "Constable Cao, have you found anything on the case of the missing villagers from Cowheart Village? Think carefully before you answer. This is a high-ranking lord from the Surveillance Bureau. He came personally to handle this matter!"
"Ah?" Constable Cao looked at Li Huowang in surprise. "But it was the Surveillance Bureau who took away the people of Cowheart Village."
Chapter 301 - Sounds within the Mist
"But it was the Surveillance Bureau who took the people of Cowheart Village away."
Constable Cao's words shocked Li Huowang.
How is that possible? Why would the Surveillance Bureau take away Bai Lingmiao's family?
But he recovered quite quickly.
Wait, maybe that wasn't the real Surveillance Bureau. Maybe someone was impersonating them!
But whether it was genuine or an impersonation, it was not good news for Bai Lingmiao's family.
Having witnessed this from Hong Da, Li Huowang knew that the Surveillance Bureau was quite ruthless and would not hesitate to take people's lives to accomplish their mission. But, if it was an impersonation, then it would be even more complicated. The only possible outcomes were bad and worse.
"Which way did they go?" Li Huowang asked Constable Cao with a serious expression. At this point, they could only try chasing after them. It was uncertain whether they could even catch up.
"From the looks of it, they were headed toward the capital. I don't know how far they've gone," replied Constable Cao.
Seeing Constable Cao pointing toward the west with his trembling hands, Li Huowang swiftly stepped onto the saddle with one foot, mounted his horse and galloped in that direction.
Watching Li Huowang's figure receding into the distance, County Magistrate Wang breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, his assistant approached him from the side.
"Master, I think there's something suspicious about this matter. Do you think that there might be some conflict between these two groups of people?" said Steward Hu.
County Magistrate Wang looked impatient as he replied, "If it's suspicious, then so be it. What do the Surveillance Bureau's matters have to do with the Magistrate's office? Let's head back!"
Clippity-clop.
Meanwhile, the sound of horse hooves echoed continuously as Li Huowang rode his horse to move in the direction pointed toward by Constable Cao. On the back of the horse, he swayed rhythmically, his mind a chaotic mess filled with various conjectures.
If it's not the Surveillance Bureau, then, could it be...
"Hehe... don't be so jumpy. From my perspective, this doesn't seem like the work of any other faction besides the Surveillance Bureau."
Hearing those words, Li Huowang immediately turned his head to look at Hong Zhong who was lying in mid-air, looking bored as he yawned. "From your perspective? Can I even trust half the things you say? With the way you put it, I'm even more inclined to suspect that the Surveillance Bureau is being impersonated by the Sitting Oblivion Dao."
"If you don't believe me, then so be it. But remember, the Sitting Oblivion Dao is known for pulling off their schemes openly. There's never been a notion of changing locations," said Hong Zhong as he sat up. Then, he stretched lazily, and chuckled before continuing, "Hehehe, besides, who says that we don't speak the truth? The art of lying requires one to mix a single truth with nine lies. If all we did was tell lies, then who would fall for it?"
In the end, Li Huowang chose to ignore him and focus on the road ahead, mentally preparing for whatever challenges might lie ahead.
Riding for several days straight took its toll on both the horse and on Li Huowang. Although Li Huowang could endure it given his resilient body, the horse still needed sufficient rest.
One evening, Li Huowang tied the horse to a tree and promptly climbed up before closing his eyes to rest.
Li Huowang wasn't sure how much time had passed when the whispers of the Black Taisui woke him up. When he opened his eyes again, the sky had already turned completely dark.
Shaking off the drowsiness, Li Huowang rolled down from the tree and gently patted the neck of the horse who was still sleeping. Soon, the sound of horse-hooves resumed, echoing through the empty dirt road and into the distance.
As Li Huowang was pondering how long he would be able to endure this life on the road and whether or not he would be able to find them, he noticed something.
Under the dim moonlight, Li Huowang crouched down by the roadside and studied the densely packed footprints on the ground. He observed the multitude of footprints that came in various sizes and instinctively felt that these must be the people he was looking for.
As Li Huowang noticed the specks of blood in some of these footprints, he pulled the reins and urged the horse forward. "Let's go!"
Perhaps because they were traveling in a large group, these folks weren't able to move all that fast. As Li Huowang relentlessly chased on horseback for an hour, the footprints on the ground became more and more pronounced.
At this point, Li Huowang decided to dismount from the horse to avoid arousing suspicion. He concealed his illusion in the soil before moving forward stealthily.
The pitch-black sky gradually gave way to a deep blue. Just as dawn was about to break, Li Huowang finally found a group of prisoners huddled together, dozing off in a nearby grove.
People of all ages and genders could be seen wearing wooden shackles around their necks, giving them the appearance of heinous criminals in custody.
Initially, Li Huowang hadn't been sure whether these really were the people he was searching for. However, when he spotted a pretty woman who shared a strong resemblance with Bai Lingmiao, he realized that he was on the right track.
Despite their worn-out appearance and ragged clothes, all of them appeared to be healthy, and with all their limbs intact. This fact finally allowed Li Huowang to ease up slightly.
As long as these people are still alive, there is still room for redemption.
Li Huowang didn't reveal himself immediately. Instead, he began to circle around these people, searching for those responsible for escorting them. If they were enemies, then he would confront them. If they were from the Surveillance Bureau, then negotiation was the way forward. Either way, Li Huowang was determined to rescue this group of people.
He circled around them for a while, but didn't catch sight of a single person of authority.
There's no way that nobody's keeping an eye on them. If that really were the case, then the Bai family would have long since made a run for it.
While he was still confused, he heard an incredibly peculiar clattering sound from behind him. It was like the sound of something swaying in a bamboo tube.
Li Huowang slowly turned around and noticed that a faint white morning mist was starting to rise up from within the dim forest. The clattering sound was coming from within this mist.
As the clattering sound drew near, and the slumbering Bai family members began to wake up. Upon hearing the sound, fear emerged in all their eyes, and some of the children instinctively started crying.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang could catch the whiff of a pungent odor, and he clearly sensed that something was stirring within the white mist. Yet, he couldn't quite make out what it was.
By now, Li Huowang no longer wanted to wait idly. Ignoring whether it was a blessing or a curse, he grabbed the hilt of his sword with one hand, and held his breath as he cautiously ventured into the white mist.
As he approached, the clattering sound slowly grew louder. Li Huowang slowly followed the sound to its source.
Clatter~ clatter~ clatter~
Along with this peculiar sound, a wooden figure, wearing a black watermelon hat with two rosy cheeks, swayed and floated out from within the thick and white morning mist.
Clatter~ clatter~
Each time the wooden figure's head swayed, the peculiar clattering sound emanated from inside its head.
The instant Li Huowang laid eyes on this thing, every hair on his body stood on end. However, when he noticed that it wasn't paying any attention to him, he didn't act immediately.
What on earth is this thing?
As the wooden head slowly floated closer, Li Huowang clenched his teeth, and remained on high alert. Soon, a powerful gaze descended from above and pressed down on him, making every breath feel difficult.
At this point, Li Huowang suddenly looked up and saw a devilish and pale face slowly descend from within the hazy mist, with a wide, bitter smile.
Li Huowang finally grasped what it was as it fully presented itself before him.
Chapter 302 - Impermanence
The face stretched out to several feet wide, and had a blood-red tongue that measured two or three feet in length hanging from its mouth. Beneath this terrifying face was a hunched figure that was over thirty feet tall. It was a grotesquely large White Impermanence!
That wooden head swaying in the air was just a pendant hanging from its chest!
Clatter~ clatter~
Accompanied by this strange sound, the White Impermanence crouched down, and then peered and sniffed in Li Huowang's direction, making humming and grumbling sounds as if it were searching for something.
While Li Huowang was currently invisible, this entity could still sense something. It was just a matter of time before he was discovered.
This thing is not easy to deal with!
Coming to this conclusion, Li Huowang didn't hesitate and unleashed his killer move. He faced the White Impermanence and lifted his right hand with his fingers spread open.
With a swift motion and a slicing sound, his left arm was cut off. Then, it flew out at an incredible speed, and pierced through the White Impermanence's[1] eyes.
Racked with pain, the White Impermanence opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang didn't hesitate and immediately leaped into action. With a single hand, he raised his sword and jumped straight toward its open mouth.
In response, the White Impermanence sent its sharp nails whistling toward Li Huowang. But because of its injured eyes, its aim seemed off; it only managed to leave a deep wound on Li Huowang's neck.
In the next instant, Li Huowang slid down its throat amidst the continuous sound of flesh being torn apart. Just as he was about to slide to the bottom, a wooden mask appeared from seemingly nowhere and covered Li Huowang's face.
In an instant, Li Huowang felt the world go dark; at the same time, he suddenly couldn't breathe.
Li Huowang vigorously shook his head as he tried to remove whatever was on his face. However, no matter what he did, the mask clung to his face without budging in the slightest.
Realizing his situation, Li Huowang didn't hesitate as he pulled out a thin willow-leaf knife and inserted it along the edge of his jaw. He nearly suffocated as he peeled off a substantial portion of the skin on his face. Then, he immediately tried to breathe, only to find himself unable to inhale anything.
What on earth is going on?!
Li Huowang quickly surveyed his surroundings in a state of panic. When he realized that he couldn't see Hong Zhong and Monk, alarm bells rang loudly in his mind.
But then, he suddenly snapped out of it.
In the next moment, there was no sign of the towering White Impermanence being around. At the same time, the mist-covered forest was now brightly lit.
The only thing that remained the same as before was that he still couldn't breathe.
His face soon turned a shade of purple as he reached for his neck and found a rope that had completely sunk into his flesh. After a moment, he grabbed the handle of his sword, and exerted pressure with his thumb as he tried to forcefully cut the rope.
Accompanied by a spine-chilling scream, foul-smelling blood started continuously spraying out of Li Huowang's neck. At the same time, the rope around his neck shrunk toward the forest, and Li Huowang fell from the air like a lifeless corpse.
"Daoist, are you okay?" asked Monk as he quickly approached Li Huowang and expressed his concern.
Holding his neck, Li Huowang shook his head and got up unsteadily. "I'm fine."
After answering Monk, Li Huowang immediately looked around.
Rays of sunlight seeped through the gaps in the leaves as they cast a pattern on the forest floor. The scene appeared so normal that it was as if everything that had just happened earlier was nothing more than an illusion.
Was it an illusion?
Li Huowang glanced at his perfectly intact left arm with a hint of confusion. However, when he touched the wound left behind by White Impermanence's nails, his gaze became more determined.
This was definitely not an illusion. I just don't know what method that thing used when we fought.
Luckily, the attack just now injured it. It shouldn't come back for a while.
"Oh no!" Suddenly, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something and rushed back.
When he rushed out of the woods and saw that the Bai family members were still huddled together, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as everyone is safe, that's all that matters.
As Li Huowang approached them, the Bai family members were visibly startled by his presence.
A Daoist with a bronze coin veil and blood dripping down his neck, approaching them while holding a sword. It was a sight that would instill fear in just about anyone.
Soon, a sharp crack rang out, and the thick wooden shackles were split open. Li Huowang wielded his sword and freed all of them from their restraints.
Gradually, the Bai family members grasped that the Daoist was here to rescue them. As the truth finally sank in, tears welled up in the eyes of some of the women.
The one with the greatest authority in a clan would usually always be the elderly, and Cowheart Village was no exception.
Soon, an elderly individual, with just a single lower front tooth remaining, led the others forward. He was about to kneel before Li Huowang. "Thank you, Sir, for rescuing our entire village."
However, Li Huowang quickly reached out to support the elderly person. "Elder, please don't kneel. I came here at the request of Miss Bai Lingmiao to rescue all of you."
As soon as he said that, several people in the crowd became incredibly excited. The middle-aged woman who bore a striking resemblance to Bai Lingmiao was overjoyed and tearful as she turned to the man beside her and exclaimed, "Our daughter is safe! She's alive! Our daughter is alive!"
In an instant, a hum of excitement filled the air as Li Huowang was surrounded by Bai Lingmiao's relatives. Questions flew at him from all directions, and he found himself unsure about which one to respond to amidst all the clamor.
"Enough!" At that moment, a loud and commanding voice silenced everyone. The voice came from a robust man who was supporting the elderly person with a single tooth. He had a look of composed confidence with a slight stubble on his chin.
"Don't you see that our benefactor is injured? Moreover, is this the appropriate place for questions?" asked the robust man.
With that, he clasped his hands together and bowed toward Li Huowang and said, "I am Bai Sai, the leader of the Bai family. Benefactor, what do you think about leaving this place for now?"
Li Huowang touched the wound on his neck and nodded. "Alright, let's leave."
Although he had driven that thing away, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't return with others of its kind to seek revenge.
With their wooden shackles removed, they gathered around Li Huowang as they left the area together. Along the way, it was clear that the others were eager to talk to Li Huowang, but were clearly hindered by the robust man's authority and dared not speak up.
However, unable to contain her emotions, Bai Lingmiao's mother walked over to Li Huowang and handed over her handkerchief. "Benefactor, your neck is still bleeding, use this to cover it for now."
Li Huowang expressed his gratitude and accepted the handkerchief.
Then, the woman couldn't help but ask, "Sir, how is my daughter? Has she grown taller? Has she lost weight? Is she facing any mistreatment outside?"
Her words were filled with deep concern.
Seeing her like this, Li Huowang was reminded of his mother. His mother was just like her, constantly worrying about the same things.
"She is doing well and hasn't faced much hardship. But she often mentions you," said Li Huowang.
Upon hearing Li Huowang's response, the beautiful woman couldn't help but burst into tears.
On the other hand, Li Huowang maintained his composure. He knew that without unraveling the cause and effect of this matter, it couldn't yet be considered resolved.
After thinking for a moment, Li Huowang shifted his gaze toward Bai Sai who was still supporting the elderly man, and asked, "Chief Bai, do you mind shedding some light on what exactly happened? Why were all of you captured? Also, what was it that I just fought with?"
As soon as Li Huowang posed his questions, the discussion around him instantly quieted down, and all eyes turned in his direction.
After a long sigh, Bai Sai replied, "Benefactor, to be honest, I don't know what is going on either. Ever since my son picked up that stone, strange things have been happening. One day out of the blue, we just found ourselves wearing wooden shackles and forced to move forward by the person wearing a wooden mask. Fortunately, you saved us. Otherwise, who knows where we would have been taken."
Li Huowang frowned. Despite the lengthy explanation, it felt like the other party hadn't really said anything at all.
"Heh, Li Huowang, be careful. He is trying to deceive you."
Li Huowang lifted his gaze, and looked toward Hong Zhong who uttered those words. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎
1. a deity in chinese folk religion that plays a role in guiding the deceased through the afterlife ?
Chapter 303 - Bai Family Members
"Heh, Li Huowang, be careful. He is trying to deceive you."
Li Huowang lifted his gaze, and looked toward Hong Zhong who uttered those words.
Hong Zhong, who had no facial skin or eyes, sat atop Peng Longteng's shoulder as he grinned to reveal his white teeth.
As he looked at this scene, Li Huowang's lips twitched slightly. He did not say anything as he looked around at the crowd.
He was still not composed enough. He couldn't remain completely calm in the face of this illusion's words.
After that, Li Huowang completely ignored the words spoken by Hong Zhong. He wouldn't even believe the punctuation marks of whatever came out of that fellow's mouth.
Li Huowang's gaze shifted from Hong Zhong to Bai Sai beside him. He wanted a more detailed explanation about what he had said previously. "Chief Bai, you mentioned that your son picked up a stone and then they came to cause trouble for you guys. Could you tell me more about the stone?"
Bai Sai tried to think back and then gestured with his hands to illustrate the size. "It was an orange-colored stone. It was about this big, and was warm to the touch. The kid picked it up from the fields and brought it home, planning to give it to his grandmother to help her warm her knees."
"Is the stone still around? Can I have a look?" asked Li Huowang.
Bai Sai sighed in frustration. "Our whole family was taken away, so that thing didn't manage to escape either. It was taken away long ago by that person with the wooden mask."
A fist-sized stone that generates its own heat?
If that stone was some kind of natural treasure, then this could just be a matter of someone impersonating the Surveillance Bureau to try and seize treasures for themselves. However, that didn't quite make sense to him either. Li Huowang tried to place himself in the shoes of the thief. If he were the thief, then he would either steal it or openly rob them, and then exterminate all these people.
It was simply not logical to keep all these people bound with wooden shackles and drag them on such a long journey toward the capital. There must have been some purpose behind these actions.
After consolidating his thoughts, Li Huowang faced Bai Sai once again and asked, "Chief Bai, how tall was the person with the wooden mask that you mentioned?"
He had a feeling that this person was the one responsible for the illusion of the White Impermanence that he had seen earlier.
"About the same as you. They had a young voice. Along the way, if someone didn't obey their instructions, that wretched thing just caused them to see terrifying things in their head," replied Bai Sai.
As they heard him, some of the people in the crowd showed a hint of fear. From the looks of it, they had previously been tormented by that masked man's ability.
Li Huowang nodded silently. It seemed that the White Impermanence he had seen earlier was fake, and something fabricated by that person through some method. However, calling it an illusory technique didn't seem right either. After all, ordinary illusory techniques shouldn't be able to deceive him now.
As it was, there was too little information available right now, and Li Huowang was still puzzled about what had happened earlier.
"Benefactor, since we've escaped, let's not care too much about it. For now, we should focus on leaving. If that person holds a grudge and comes back, then we'll be in big trouble," said Bai Sai, worried for the well-being of the entire Cowheart Village.
Li Huowang still wanted to continue questioning, but stopped upon hearing Bai Sai's words.
Anyway, these people were Bai Lingmiao's family, and he definitely had to save them.
Without the wooden shackles to bind them, everyone walked much more effortlessly. Now that they had survived their ordeal, their faces were much more relaxed.
Just like this, they walked all the way until noon; by then, the elderly and children among the crowd couldn't continue any longer, and so they decided to take a break.
"Mom, I'm hungry," said a child as he tugged on his mother's clothes.
The adults were hungry as well, just that they were not saying anything.
While Li Huowang did have some dry rations on his horse, with with so many people to divide it, that wouldn't even be enough to fill the spaces between their teeth.
As Li Huowang looked at their empty hands, it was obvious that they had no food. He thought about it for a moment, and then said, "We should be able to reach a village tomorrow and buy some food there. As for today..."
He paused for a moment as patted the slender neck of the horse before continuing, "...let's kill the horse first."
One horse would provide enough meat for quite a few people.
However, Bai Sai immediately shook his head. "Benefactor, there's no need to do something like that just to fill our stomachs a little. There's no need for Benefactor to kill your own steed."
After that, Bai Sai turned around and barked orders toward the crowd, "That... Liang Zi! Bring the members of the third and fourth houses with you to the forest and find something to eat. Hurry!"
"Yes!" replied a sturdy youth. Then, he led a few people toward the forest.
Li Huowang was about to go and help them, but was stopped by the others. "Benefactor, please sit down first. Let the juniors handle this. Feng, look at how much he is sweating. Go and grab some big leaves to fan him!"
Unable to push away their help, Li Huowang was forced to sit down as he was fanned by a plump lady.
Originally, Li Huowang had thought that Liang Zi's group had gone into the forest to find some wild fruits or vegetables. However, after an hour, when he heard the rustling of the leaves, he saw that they were actually carrying back two flower deers and several smaller roe deer.
When Bai Sai noticed Li Huowang's surprised look, he was very pleased as he said, "We rely on the mountains for sustenance. Our Bai Family is naturally good at hunting. Catching these wild animals is nothing astonishing."
After that, he immediately shouted for some people to start a fire. Soon, the best parts of the deer were served to Li Huowang on a flat stone.
As he looked at the expectant faces around him, Li Huowang felt a bit awkward; he had never been treated like this before.
The others only began to eat the reminder of the deer after they saw Li Huowang pick up his portion and stuff it into his mouth beneath the bronze coin veil.
That night, when he was on night guard, Li Huowang once again enjoyed special treatment.
"Benefactor, you can go and rest. Let the younger generation keep watch. They have a strong spirit, and the ordinary supernatural beings won't dare to approach them," said Bai Sai.
"Young people have a strong spirit?" Li Huowang glanced at the youths beside the fire and asked, "Chief Bai, what type of saying is that?"
"Ah... saying? There's nothing like that. My dad taught me this," replied Bai Sai. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Hearing this, Li Huowang sighed in disappointment. In the end, it turned out to be something he had just heard and was without any foundation.
Why are the people here all so superstitious?
When Li Huowang slowly closed his eyes, the surroundings gradually became quiet. Aside from the crackling sound of the burning wood, the breathing sounds of the people also became slower.
After some time, in a daze, Li Huowang suddenly felt something approaching him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a hazy mist. There was also no sign of Hong Zhong or Monk, allowing him to immediately realize that this was not a real place.
"Who?" shouted Li Huowang, his voice echoing within the misty world.
'Who?
'Who?'
Through the mist, he caught a glimpse of the giant White Impermanence he had seen earlier. It did not walk out, and was hung by a rope around its neck.
"Who are you?" a creepy voice rang out in response to Li Huowang's question, echoing through the mist, "Why did you ruin my plans?"
'Who are you?'
'Who are you?'
'Why did you ruin my plans?'
'Why did you ruin my plans?'
Chapter 304 - Deceived
Li Huowang stared at the White Impermanence shrouded in white mist, his expression solemn as he contemplated how to negotiate with this entity.
However, at that moment, he suddenly felt someone near him and woke up.
He quickly turned his head and saw a young boy who seemed to have just learned how to walk. The young boy was sitting on the ground in open-crotch pants, and out of curiosity was using his fingers to touch the bronze coins on his veil.
Li Huowang glanced around to see that the others were still sleeping. After a moment, he bent down to pick up the child, and then walked over before quickly handing him to a woman's embrace. Then, he stood up and quietly walked toward where Bai Sai was sleeping.
Before Li Huowang could even get close, Bai Sai had already woken up. They exchanged glances, and then he walked toward the surrounding forest.
Once there, Li Huowang swatted a mosquito on his neck before speaking in a solemn voice, "I dreamt of that person just now. He's still watching us and hasn't left."
"What?!" Bai Sai's face turned deathly white as he anxiously started pacing back and forth anxiously in the woods.
"Don't panic. I was just giving you a heads-up. No matter what that thing is, I've already promised Bai Lingmiao that I'll bring all of you back," assured Li Huowang.
Hearing this, Bai Sai's expression improved slightly. "That's good to hear. With your help, they won't dare cause trouble easily. But... what do you think that person is trying to do? Why are they still coming after us even after taking away that stone?"
Li Huowang shook his head; without having that thing before him, he couldn't really figure out why the other party was behaving like that.
"Let's go back. If something happens to the others, please inform me immediately," said Li Huowang as he turned to leave.
However, just as Li Huowang was about to leave the forest, Bai Sai's voice rang out once again, "Benefactor, do you have some relationship with the Second Niece?"
"What?"
"Oh, Second Niece is Lian's daughter, Bai Lingmiao. Based on seniority, she needs to address me as Second Uncle," explained Bai Sai.
When Bai Sai saw Li Huowang stunned in place, he walked over emotionally and started sizing up the young Daoist in front of him.
"Ah~ the Second Niece has found herself a good family. Very good." The more he looked at Li Huowang, the more fond he became of him.
After a while, Li Huowang said awkwardly, "Chief Bai, let's talk about this matter again after overcoming this difficulty together."
"Alright. Rest assured that I won't tell anything to Second Niece's parents. When you are ready, you can tell them yourself," said Bai Sai.
With this, Li Huowang could feel that the sense of distance between them had reduced by quite a bit.
"Alright! Let's work together and get through this calamity, and then we can enjoy ourselves at your wedding feast!" said Bai Sai.
After this conversation, Bai Sai's worries about the danger from before vanished without a trace.
The next day, everyone woke up and they resumed their journey. This time, they continued till they arrived at a village.
Once at the village, Li Huowang immediately took out some pieces of silver to buy all the livestock in the village.
When the single-toothed old man witnessed this, he wanted to dissuade Li Huowang. However, after Bai Sai whispered something in his ear, he just climbed onto a bullock-cart without saying a word.
Originally, due to the delay caused by the young and old, their progress hadn't been very fast. However, after they purchased the livestock, their speed instantly increased to another level.
During this period, Li Huowang was extremely nervous. Even while sleeping, he kept one eye open, wary of being on the receiving end of an unexpected attack.
However, strangely, nothing happened after that night. The gigantic White Impermanence never reappeared, not even in his dreams.
This won't do. How can we defend against the enemy from afar? Instead of waiting, we should find a way to pull him out of hiding.
Just as he was contemplating what to do, Li Huowang felt something amiss. "Chief Bai, I don't think this is the road back to Cowheart Mountain?"
Li Huowang arrived here by riding on the back of a horse, and now, his surroundings were clearly different. Even a dull person would notice that something was wrong.
Bai Sai wiped the sweat from his face and nodded as he explained, "Yes, we won't return to Cowheart Mountain just yet. I know of a place, and reaching there requires going through a winding path. Perhaps this will allow us to shake off the one following us."
"Oh? Is there such a place? Where is it?" asked Li Huowang, feeling curious.
"Actually, it's not too far ahead; in fact, we should reach there today," said Bai Sai as he pointed ahead.
Li Huowang looked forward, but all he saw was a dirt road without much else.
However, the environment soon changed. The ground became more muddy, and Li Huowang's boots were completely covered in black mud. Occasionally, they would also see pools of stale water emanating rotten stench and the countless black bugs wriggling within. The hot weather mixed with the foul odor made them feel even more dizzy.
As they continued to advance, the environment around them gradually transformed into a swamp.
Just as Li Huowang felt like asking Bai Sai whether they were going in the right direction, a vast golden reed marsh appeared in the distance. The reeds all towered a few meters tall, and they swayed gently in the wind.
"This is it. Once we enter here, even Immortals won't be able to find us there. With this, we should be able to shake off our pursuer!" said Bai Sai as he moved to lead everyone inside.
Just as wanted to lead the Bai family members into the reed marsh, Li Huowang stopped him and asked with a worried look on his face, "Chief Bai, entering might be easy. But will we be able to come out?"
No matter how Li Huowang looked at it, this place did not seem safe.
Bai Sai confidently patted Li Huowang's shoulder. "Relax. Since I dare to bring my family in, I naturally have a way out. Even my son and parents are inside. I should be more worried than you."
Li Huowang was surprised. He had a feeling that this Chief Bai had some cards that he did not know about.
Since the other party had spoken, Li Huowang did not try to stop him. Soon, the carts and mules started making their way into the reeds.
However, just as they stepped in, a thin mist began to pervade the surroundings.
Li Huowang was exceptionally familiar with this mist. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and decisively stood before them all. "Go ahead! I'll hold them off!"
At the same time, with Li Huowang's declaration, the ground began to shudder. That giant White Impermanence gradually revealed a part of itself through the mist. A wooden mask could be seen hanging on its chest.
Seeing that the Bai family was about to escape its pursuit, this thing could no longer restrain itself.
After a moment, the White Impermanence opened its mouth to reveal a long, red tongue. At the same time, a dense white mist spewed out and caused their surroundings to become even hazier.
Whoosh!
The black-tassel sword was unsheathed, and a dense killing intent enveloped Li Huowang as he stood there as though he was unmoveable.
Meanwhile, the White Impermanence continued to remain motionless within the mist.
Amidst the chaos, Li Huowang thought of what Tuoba Danqing had told him, and whipped out the badge on his waist. "The Surveillance Bureau is on official duty! If you don't want to die, then scram!"
Immediately, the swirling mist around them ceased moving.
"Ah, so you're from the Surveillance Bureau. Why didn't you say so earlier? Then this is just a misunderstanding between internal parties." This abrupt voice came from the giant White Impermanence's mouth.
"You're from the Surveillance Bureau? How can you be?" asked Li Huowang, feeling astonished as he looked up at the three-meter tall White Impermanence. Ever since the first time he had seen this thing, he had completely ruled out the possibility of it being related to the Surveillance Bureau.
"Hold on," said the giant White Impermanence as it sank into the white mist. Soon, a man with a wooden mask on his chest stepped out from within the mist. As he approached, he also brought out a badge which was quite similar to Li Huowang's. It was the Surveillance Bureau badge.
"See? I'm even one rank higher than you," said the man.
After confirming that the opponent's token was genuine, Li Huowang suddenly felt relieved, and his expression warmed up. "Since you're also from the Surveillance Bureau, that's easier to handle. There must be some sort of misunderstanding here."
However, the person with the wooden mask shook his head. "No, no, there's no misunderstanding. The White Lotus Sect is extremely wicked. They are a bunch of evil cultivators. My senior and I spent a great deal of effort to capture them. Yet, you barged in and broke through my senior's restraints."
"What? Impossible!" Li Huowang's mind buzzed as he looked at the reed marsh behind him.
By now, the last member from the Bai family, Bai Sai, had already stepped in. As he entered, he glanced at the badge in Li Huowang's hand, revealing an incomparably cold as he turned around and disappeared into the reed marsh.
"Brother, think about it. If they were not responsible for the deaths of too many, would the higher-ups send people from the Surveillance Bureau here? That too two of them together?"
Chapter 305 - Reed
When Li Huowang saw Bai Sai enter the thick reed marsh, he rushed after him, "Wait!"
However, at that moment, a giant hand, larger than his own body, suddenly grabbed onto Li Huowang. But when he lowered his head to see the assailant, he found that there was no claw around him. He abruptly turned his head and glared at where the Surveillance Bureau person with the wooden mask was. He had a feeling that this must be another one of his illusory techniques.
When the other party saw Li Huowang's hostility, he raised both his hands as he took a few steps back and said, "Brother, I'm just trying to help you. With everyone now being aware of your identity, going in alone like this is just asking for trouble."
However, Li Huowang just shook his head impatiently as he tried to recall the bits and pieces of information that Bai Lingmiao had described to him previously.
Based on what Bai Lingmiao had said, her family members were all kind and good-hearted people. It was completely different from the description given by this person.
Could it be that... Bai Lingmiao lied to me? No, she couldn't have!
Li Huowang's doubtful gaze soon turned confident.
His previous interactions with the Bai family did not match what this person said.
There must be some sort of misunderstanding. I need to clarify things with them in person!
After deciding that, Li Huowang left the masked person from the Surveillance Bureau behind and headed straight into the reed marsh.
As Li Huowang entered the reed marsh, the sky immediately darkened. The sausage-like reed stalks above seemed to cut off any and all connection with the outside world. He carefully examined the footprints on the ground and followed after them.
"Chief Bai! It's me! Come out and talk!" shouted Li Huowang.
However, in the end, Li Huowang received no response. He looked back at the vast field of yellow reeds behind him, and then spoke once more, "Don't worry. I am very close with Second Niece! If the Bai family is facing any undisclosed troubles, then I will undoubtedly offer my full assistance!"
Li Huowang's voice resonated through the reed marsh as he continued to shout, "I'm on your side! This is also my first time encountering that guy with the wooden mask. He won't dare to harm you guys as long as I'm around!"
After Li Huowang finished speaking, two young men from the Bai family emerged from the reed marsh and silently started observing him.
Upon seeing them, Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief and continued speaking, "I understand that you may doubt me due to my affiliation with the Surveillance Bureau. In reality, my connection with the organization is not as close as you might think. How about this? Let's return to Cowheart Village. Second Niece is already there. She can explain everything to you."
The two young men remained silent, widening their stance as they stripped off their clothes and assumed a defensive position.
Li Huowang couldn't understand what they were doing. It looked like some sort of martial arts stance, yet they were not clenching their fists. If it was some spell technique, then there were no distinct hand gestures.
As their hands moved through the air, the two men started chanting incantations, "Immortals bestow true divine skills, heavenly soldiers and generals reveal divine abilities. All Immortals, heed my command, swiftly enter my mortal body!"
In the next moment, Li Huowang saw as a tall and slender glowing shadow wrapped in black cloth emerged from the ground before drifting toward their bodies.
What kind of evil spirit is this?
Li Huowang quickly unsheathed his bronze coin sword, ready to ward off the evil entity.
However, before Li Huowang could approach, the two young men from the Bai family suddenly looked up and glared ominously at him.
A shocked expression appeared on Li Huowang's face as he came to a halt and observed the two individuals before him exhibiting an demeanor entirely different from before.
What... is this? Divine intervention? Have they been possessed by evil spirits?
If Li Huowang had previously had any doubts about the statements made by the member of the Surveillance Bureau, seeing these two individuals' demeanor had only solidified his doubts.
"Listen, I don't want to fight. Whatever you've done in the past is none of my concern. It's the Surveillance Bureau that is finding fault with you guys!" said Li Huowang.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, the two bare-chested youths suddenly lunged toward Li Huowang. There almost seemed to be a phantom image following behind them. They appeared to be possessed by some unknown evil spirit, with each part of their body seemingly existing independently.
As they approached, their fingers split apart in different ways, like the heads of slithering snakes, thrusting straight toward Li Huowang's neck.
These two individuals didn't appear to be all that strong, and so Li Huowang did not retaliate. He knew that all the techniques that he had learned were lethal moves. If he were to retaliate, then these two individuals would either end up dead or at least severely wounded, something that he did not want to do.
Thus, Li Huowang twisted and turned in the reed marsh, constantly dodging the two individual's blows.
While he did not know what kind of evil spirit had possessed them, their agility was beyond imagination. Li Huowang found himself in a very passive situation.
Snap!
When the two opponents directly pounced on him, Li Huowang was taken by surprise. Instead of attacking Li Huowang directly, they moved to snatch the bronze coin sword in his hand.
Li Huowang tightened his grip, but in the next instance, he suddenly felt something approaching him from behind. "Oh no!"
Clang!
Li Huowang turned his head, only to see a cold light flash as the sinister black-tassel sword stabbed fiercely toward his face. He wanted to block and retaliate, but both of his hands were restrained by the two Bai family youths.
In this critical moment, Li Huowang instantly shifted his position, forcefully moving his body a few inches to the left. At the same time, he muttered an incantation, and his bronze coin sword split apart. Immediately, a red radiance flashed and effortlessly cut through the fingers closing in on him. Then, he forcefully kicked the person in front of him, creating a distance between himself and the others.
As soon as Li Huowang met eyes with the person holding onto the black-tassel sword, the latter suddenly knelt. At the same time, the eerie look on the man's face quickly faded away, giving way to a twisted expression. The black-tassel sword in his hand fell weakly to the ground as he knelt there with a furious expression while letting out wild roars.
Li Huowang looked at the two young men and their sliced-off fingers, and then toward the other Bai family member who was possessed by the potent killing intent, and then sighed. "Did it have to come to this extent? Couldn't we have had a civilized conversation instead?"
Just as Li Huowang finished speaking, the reeds surrounding him started to shake. Soon, those men's sinister faces emerged and vanished amidst the yellow reeds.
As he looked at those lifeless faces, a chill ran down Li Huowang's spine. Almost half of the Bai family had been possessed by evil spirits, their faces cold and lifeless.
Amidst the crowd, a single-toothed old man, supported by Bai Sai, came forward and began to speak in a trembling voice. The old man chanted rhythmically, almost as if he was mimicking a song. Noxious black mud oozed out from the corner of his mouth.
As the familiar yet abnormal voice echoed in the surroundings, several familiar figures appeared in front of Li Huowang.
These were the Wandering Gods.
Although the figure of the Wandering Gods that was condensed was unusually blurry without the support of the bronze bell, Li Huowang could still recognize their appearance after having encountered them so many times.
As he stared at the elusive figures of the Wandering Gods in mid-air, Li Huowang recalled the things that Bai Lingmiao had told him about back when they were at Zephyr Temple.
Why did an ordinary girl like Bai Lingmiao know about evil spirits such as the Wandering Gods?
This scene finally made everything clear. This old man was probably the grandfather who used to tell her stories.
Chapter 306 - Punctured Stomach
Seeing the cold look in their eyes, Li Huowang sighed. There was nothing he could say to change things. If he continued to push on, then blood would definitely be spilled. He didn't want to hurt Bai Lingmiao's family.
Li Huowang knew more than anyone else just how much her family meant to Bai Lingmiao.
After a moment, Li Huowang turned around and walked into the dense reeds to try and find his way back.
If that masked man is still there, then I need to think of a way to hold him down and stall for time. The Bai family needs time to escape.
However, the more he walked, the more uncertain he grew. Based on the amount of time he had walked for, he should've already exited the field of reeds.
After a while, he suddenly remembered what Bai Sai had said before: it was quite easy to get lost within the reed fields.
Wait, am I lost here?
Li Huowang stood still and turned around as he tried to get his bearings by observing his surroundings.
Shua!
Suddenly, a flash of metal shot out from amongst the reeds, forcing Li Huowang to dodge it.
But in the next instant, he felt an excruciating pain from his waist.
Suffering from the pain, Li Huowang instinctively opened his mouth, only to see black tentacles as they trembled and tried to come out of his mouth.
Sensing the tentacles in his mouth, Li Huowang realized something terrible.
Oh no, they have punctured my stomach!
However, before he could even react to it, more and more arrows shot out from within the reeds. The rain of arrows completely covered Li Huowang.
When arrows finally stopped, Li Huowang walked out from within the pile of arrows while holding onto his bleeding abdomen. At the same time, he eyed the field of reeds around him warily, the warmth in his eyes gone completely.
Based on the number of arrows, it was clear that the Bai family had hidden weapons within the field of reeds. This meant that the reed field was their territory and that Bai Sai hadn't been truthful with him.
After a moment, Li Huowang carefully projected his illusion underneath the ground. After turning invisible, he slowly walked away.
I need to ask Bai Lingmiao what is going on!
Li Huowang moved slowly, his surroundings completely silent. He couldn't hear anything else.
After four hours, Li Huowang finally stopped, panting for breath. He released the grip he had on his abdomen and looked at the bloody mess with a worried look in his eyes.
While the Black Taisui is injured, it isn't dead. I just hope that it can still suppress the illusions.
Just as his thoughts reached this point, his surroundings suddenly started to shimmer, causing him to panic. He only sighed in relief after confirming that his surroundings hadn't changed.
Don't scare me like that. If I end up getting trapped in a hallucination right now, then I'm fucked!
At that moment, something suddenly burst out from the ground and phased through Li Huowang's abdomen.
Immediately, Li Huowang felt an agonizing pain; it was as if his intestines had been severed. Cold sweat instantly covered his body.
Then, at that moment, another Wandering God appeared from beneath the ground and attacked Li Huowang. When Li Huowang cut it down with his sword, it dissipated like the wind.
Meanwhile, the remaining Wandering Gods continued to hover over Li Huowang like spirits, waiting for an opportunity to attack.
"What is happening? I'm already invisible, so how did they find me?" muttered Li Huowang.
After a moment, he looked down and saw how.
Blood.
His blood that had been dripping onto the floor was the thing that revealed his location!
At that moment, as if sensing an opening, all of the Wandering Gods attacked together.
In the face of this furious assault, Li Huowang replaced his sword with the bronze coin sword. As he chanted, the bronze coin sword exploded and sent the Wandering Gods flying, killing them.
"What are you guys doing? Don't forget that I saved all of you!" shouted Li Huowang.
Li Huowang felt quite depressed. He had already done his best to not hurt them, so why were they attacking him relentlessly?
Suddenly, the earth beside Li Huowang bulged and exploded before a man leapt out and swung his blades down upon Li Huowang.
Finally, Li Huowang snarled and decided to fight back. Even if he killed someone, it would be better than him dying.
But just as he was about reach out for his torture tools, Li Huowang stopped his hands.
He saw the face of the man in front of him.
It was Bai Lingmiao's father!
"Stop!" Li Huowang instinctively raised his hands to guard himself, causing his palm to be cut in half.
Then, several spears shot out from within the reeds and stabbed Li Huowang, puncturing his abdomen and nailing him to the ground.
As if on cue, even more spears shot out and stabbed Li Huowang's limbs into the ground. Everything seems to be under the Bai family's control now.
Li Huowang looked at their cold faces and spoke up with difficulty, "Is there a need to do this? What did I ever do to you?"
In response, one of the ladies from the Bai family said hatefully to Li Huowang, "You have no idea just how much we hate the Emperor and his officials! Since you are a dog of the Emperor, we will do whatever we want to you!"
Li Huowang swallowed his saliva with difficulty. He felt that his head was heavy and that he was disoriented, but still forced a bitter smile. "Now that you've won, bring me back to Cowheart Village. Ask Bai Lingmiao what to do with me. I'm her husband after all."
Immediately, sounds of discussion erupted all around him.
After a moment, Bai Lingmiao's mother ran to the front and glared at Li Huowang. "The parents have the last say in who their child marries! We will decide who she gets married to; we will never let her marry one of the Emperor's dogs!"
On the other hand, Bai Lingmiao's father looked at Li Huowang and his sorry state. Then, he threw away his blade and pulled his wife back before whispering something to her; it looked like he had his own plans.
After that, he walked over and looked at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang looked back at him, only to see that the man looked like an orange. This caused Li Huowang to laugh out in pain.
But the more Li Huowang laughed, the more realistic it looked to him. The man's head slowly became a mushy and moldy orange.
"An orange?"
At that moment, a raindrop fell from the sky and splattered onto Li Huowang's face, causing him to wince from the pain.
Li Huowang suddenly found himself squatting beside a garbage can in the rain. He was shivering while holding onto the moldy orange in his hands.
As if he had been electrocuted, Li Huowang jumped out and threw away the orange, causing it to fall into the mud.
Then, he looked around and realized what had happened. "Shit! The Black Taisui in my stomach got attacked, and now it has lost its power to hold back my hallucinations!"
But, at the same time, a thought popped up in his mind.
But... why am I on the streets? Shouldn't I be locked up inside the mental hospital? What happened?
Li Huowang looked down and saw what he was wearing. He was wearing a dirty jacket over his body, while his cotton pants were completely soaked in water. He was wearing a shoe with a hole that was showing his left toe, and he only had a sock on his right.
Soaked in the rain, he looked completely like a beggar.
Unable to find an answer to his questions, he felt a sudden pain from his abdomen.
He was hungry.
He had never felt this hungry in his life; it was as if he hadn't eaten for ten days or more.
After a moment, Li Huowang squatted down beside the dirty water and picked up the moldy orange and started eating it.
Just then, a car ran past a puddle and splashed him. However, he didn't care.
Completely drenched, Li Huowang was soon shivering from the cold. He cuddled himself as he sat beside the green trash can while continuing to eat the moldy orange.
Chapter 307 - Cold
When he bit into the cold and rotten orange, Li Huowang not only tasted the mold, he also tasted the weird taste of the rotten fruit. But Li Huowang was too hungry to care. Right now, this moldy orange was even more delicious than an extravagant meal.
After eating the orange, Li Huowang stood up, feeling quite a bit better. Then, he shouted into the rain, "Chief Bai! Don't be afraid! It's my illness! I have an illness!"
At that moment, a man holding an umbrella saw Li Huowang and quickly pulled his wife before running away. At the same time, the others on the street did the same. Soon, the street that already had very few people due to the rain was completely deserted.
However, Li Huowang ignored whatever was happening around him. To him, the situation on the other side was more dire. After all, on the other side, he was practically bound and waiting to be executed. He had to do something to save himself!
Li Huowang continued to stand in the rain but felt like nothing had changed. This made him very annoyed. Based on his experience, the other side should also change according to what was happening here.
"Chief Bai! Where are you? Give me a sign! As I am now, I can't see you!"
As he shouted, Li Huowang saw several men holding an umbrella coming toward him, causing his eyes to light up.
Wearing his torn shoes and socks, Li Huowang ran toward them while stepping into the puddles and shouted, "Chief Bai!"
The man was visibly frightened by Li Huowang who suddenly approached him in the rain.
"Chief Bai! You have to remember that I was the one who saved all of you! Do you really want to hurt the person who saved you?" Li Huowang felt that this was not enough and said something more convincing, "Also, Bai Lingmiao is pregnant with my child! No matter what, I'm already half a step into the Bai family!"
"Where did this lunatic come from? Shit... he's scary." The man holding the black umbrella took two steps back and tried to go around Li Huowang.
However, Li Huowang would never let him go past. He took another step and blocked the man with his arms. "Chief Bai, if you don't believe me, then you can ask Bai Lingmiao herself!"
When the man saw Li Huowang blocking him again, he sighed. "Sir, please spare me. You are indeed pitiful, but so am I. I still have to go to work to pay off the mortgage."
"What are you talking about? Sorry Chief Bai, but now that I'm in a hallucination, your words are twisted into something else. Wait here for just a moment. I will return back to normal soon," said Li Huowang.
The man clearly didn't know what Li Huowang was saying. However, he was horrified when he realized that Li Huowang wanted to stay close to him.
"Shit! There's a crazy bastard here!" shouted the man as he ran away.
Li Huowang wanted to chase after him, but fell over after just a few steps; his body was too weak. He had been holding on purely because of adrenaline.
"Cold." Li Huowang's lips were purple and his teeth never stopped chattering. It was so cold that he couldn't even feel his fingers.
Li Huowang just lay there in the rain, his body completely limp. He didn't have any strength left.
He didn't know how long had passed before his will to survive kicked in. Then, he used whatever remaining strength he had to crawl toward the sidewalk where the rain would not reach him.
"Go away, you crazy bastard! I will hit you!"
"Eh! Aiya! You stepped on my store's rug!"
"Mom! Look! There's a lunatic in front of our house!"
Li Huowang shivered as he hobbled forward while sounds continued to swirl around him. Looking at his surroundings, he felt slightly at ease.
Since I'm not dead, my words from just now must have worked.
However, he soon started to feel terrible. His head started to swim; it was as if he had gotten a fever from the rain.
"If... if I die here, I would still be fine in reality... right?" Li Huowang's voice was weak and uncertain.
At that moment, he suddenly saw a place where he could hide from the rain. It was a small opening under a bridge. Gritting his teeth, he ran straight toward the opening. He almost got hit by a yellow school bus, the various faces inside staring at his back.
Finally, once he was under the bridge, all of the noises stopped. Li Huowang panted as he slid down against the wall.
However, even though he was out of the rain, Li Huowang's body was still in shambles. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
Why is it taking so long? Why have I not returned yet?
Just as Li Huowang was waiting for time to pass, he saw something on the ground. He slowly inched forward. Once there, he found some plastic straws, bottles, some aluminum foil, and a lighter with very little fuel left.
Li Huowang stretched his hands out, picking up the lighter. At the same time, he realized that he had lost his sense of touch.
He tried igniting the lighter but there was no fire. Just as his head was once again starting to become heavy, a small red fire lit up.
"It's lit." Li Huowang smiled, his smile as innocent as a child's.
He looked around and saw the plastic bottles. He carefully picked them up and placed them underneath the fire. The plastic straws lit up and slowly burned down toward the plastic bottle.
As the bottles started to burn and a small flame was made. Then, Li Huowang carefully placed his frostbitten hands close to it. The fumes were toxic and smelly, but it was warm.
When the warmth from the flame started spreading into his hands, he finally felt his body warming up. Soon, his body stopped shivering and his lips turned from black to purple.
"Who's there?!" At that moment, Li Huowang looked toward the entrance of the opening, and felt his scalp go numb.
There was a young child wearing boots standing there with an umbrella. She was a cute little girl, around eight years old with double ponytails and a cute cherry shaped red-colored hair clip.
Her large eyes were filled with curiosity. However, as soon as she saw Li Huowang, that curiosity turned into fear.
"Eighteenth Lunar?" Li Huowang stared at that child in disbelief. It was the very same child he had held hostage when he crashed into her kindergarten.
From her school bag, it was clear she had graduated from kindergarten and was now in her first year of primary school.
No, she's not the Eighteenth Lunar. She doesn't correspond with anything in the real world. There's no one within the field of reeds except for the Bai family, so she's probably one of them.
Li Huowang thought about it and slowly walked toward her. But just as he started moving, the child ran away shrieking.
Li Huowang reached the entrance and found a small piece of the chocolate that she had thrown down. After a moment, he picked it up and ate it. It was sweet and delicious. It reminded him of the chocolate Yang Na had given him on Valentine's Day.
Why am I homeless and on the streets? Was I abandoned by my family?
The bitterness Li Huowang felt in his heart was not undone by the sweetness of the chocolate.
After a while, Li Huowang sniffled and walked back to the small fire he had made. He squatted down and stared at the fire.
"It's just a hallucination. This is for the best... This is for the best..." He kept mumbling to himself.
Chapter 308 - Warmth
Time slowly passed. As he stared at the flames that were dying out, Li Huowang took off his punctured shoes. He wiped off the water before throwing them into the fire.
With the addition of new fuel, the fire grew stronger and the temperature rose a little. It was to the point that Li Huowang was forced to retreat a little from the flames.
However, even though he moved back, Li Huowang felt the temperature growing higher and higher instead. He, who had been on the verge of dying from hypothermia until just a moment ago, was now covered in sweat.
"Wait, why is it suddenly so hot?" Li Huowang removed his wet clothes and saw a plume of black smoke rising from his body.
Phew~
Li Huowang breathed out, only to see sparks coming out from his mouth.
"Hot! It's too hot!" shouted Li Huowang as he stood up and removed all of his clothes.
But in an instant, Li Huowang saw as the small fire grew large and enveloped him.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Li Huowang kneeled on the ground in pain. The pain was so intense that it almost caused him to faint.
"What is happening?" Li Huowang raised his head and saw that flames had covered everything around him. There were flames everywhere. The entire field of reeds was on fire. Not a single inch of it was left untouched.
Through the flames, Li Huowang saw the people around him running and crying until they could no longer move. Then, they fell onto the ground and became fuel for the fire.
At that moment, Li Huowang realized something—he was lighting up some plastic bottles in his hallucination, but in reality he had lit up his own body to conduct one of the rituals from the Profound Records!
"No! Nonononono!" Covered in flames, Li Huowang stood up and ran toward them in a panic.
Li Huowang got close, but in the process, the flames burning his body became even more intense. The closer he got, the faster the people around him burned up,
At that moment, Li Huowang saw a lady fall in front of him, her finger pointing toward the direction of Cowheart Mountain as she muttered, "My little girl..."
"Why is this happening? I had already suppressed it! So why?!" Li Huowang punched the ground with his blackened fist.
Li Huowang didn't know when the fire stopped. When he finally came back to his senses, everything around him had been burned to the ground while he just kneeled there motionlessly with white smoke coming off him.
His entire body was in immense pain, but it was nowhere near the pain in his heart.
He was the one who burned all of Bai Lingmiao's family, and now he had to tell her the truth himself.
"Tsk tsk tsk."
At that moment, the man with the wooden mask appeared and looked at the surroundings in awe. As he looked at Li Huowang's bronze coin veil that had been heated to the point of glowing red, the man with the wooden mask slowly approached and checked on Li Huowang. "Hey, are you still alive?"
Hearing his voice, Li Huowang raised his head slightly. Black ash fell from his neck.
Seeing that Li Huowang was still alive, the man with the wooden mask sighed in relief and quickly helped him up. Then, they slowly walked out from within the field of reeds that had been burned to the ground.
"Why are you risking your life? This was just a minor mission from the Surveillance Bureau. You must be new right? Let me tell you this: the next time you see a mission with very little reward, you don't have to go all out. Plus, they are just a group of people from a regular sect, the White Lotus Sect. Do you need to go all out like that? Are the people from the Ao Jing Sect all this irritable?" said the man.
However, Li Huowang didn't say anything and just continued walking.
"I'm Liu Zongyuan from Moongate. What is your name? Wait... are you practicing noble silence like the monks?" asked the man as he introduced himself.
At that moment, having walked out from the burnt field of reeds, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something and touched the wound on his stomach. He saw that the lance that had stabbed into his stomach had been burnt into charcoal and was embedded within his abdomen.
Li Huowang carefully pulled it out and saw a hole the size of a walnut in his abdomen. Then, he carefully placed his burnt finger into the hole.
"Yikes." Liu Zongyuan felt his scalp go numb when he saw what Li Huowang was doing.
Just as Li Huowang's finger was about to push into the hole, a dried tentacle trembling stretched out from the hole. Then, it coiled around Li Huowang's finger. At the same time, a bizarre eyeball could be seen within his stomach.
"Huh? You are quite weird. What's that thing inside your stomach? I've never heard of the Ao Jing Sect having something like this," said Liu Zongyuan.
Li Huowang looked at Liu Zongyuan and lied, "Nascent Soul."
"A Nascent Soul? Don't they usually place those on the neck? Why is it inside your stomach? Aren't you afraid of turning it into poop?" questioned Liu Zongyuan.
However, Li Huowang just ignored him and continued walking.
"Aiya, there's no need to be so cold. The mission is already over," called out Liu Zongyuan as he followed Li Huowang.
Hearing this, Li Huowang smiled bitterly. "Yeah. It's over. You are right."
"Are you feeling sad for them? You don't need to. Do you know why the other villages around Cowheart Mountain disappeared? It's because they killed all of them. They have killed many times more people than you ever have. So, you were actually enacting justice for the Heavens," said Liu Zongyuan. He thought that Li Huowang was feeling guilty about killing all of them.
At this point, Li Huowang removed his hands from Liu Zongyuan's shoulder. "You should go. We will go our separate ways from here."
"Go?" Liu Zongyuan stood there with a confused look on his face as he looked at the charred Li Huowang. "Where can you go looking like that? The bugs will directly eat a delicious chunk of barbecued meat like you."
"Don't worry. I can handle them. Just go," said Li Huowang as he sat down on the ground.
Liu Zongyuan scratched his head and turned toward a small forest. He took a few steps, but then sighed and approached Li Huowang once again. "Nevermind. I would rather help you out all the way. Close your eyes." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"What are you doing?" asked Li Huowang as he looked at the wooden mask.
"Just do as I say. Do you think I would hurt you? If I don't take care of you, then you will just die in a couple of days," said Liu Zongyuan.
Hearing this, Li Huowang raised his burnt hands and covered his eyes. His eyelids had also been burned off.
Shua shua shua~
His eyes closed, Li Huowang suddenly felt something moving on his body. He felt the soft fur and thought it resembled a brush.
Half an hour later, Liu Zongyuan's voice rang out once more, "Ok, you can take down your hands now."
Li Huowang put down his hands and saw that the skin that had been burned off had regrown. But on closer inspection, Li Huowang noticed that it wasn't his skin. It was a thin layer of pink paper. The color reminded him of the paper dolls that people burned for the dead.
At this point, Li Huowang not only had a layer of paper skin, but he was also wearing a paper shirt.
But for some reason, even though it looked cheap, all of the pain was completely gone; it was as if he was never burned.
"Don't touch water and don't get wet in rain or it will lose its effectiveness," said Liu Zongyuan.
"Which sect are you from? This is very special." Li Huowang looked at the person wearing the wooden mask.
"Didn't I tell you? I'm from Moongate. This is a special method that involves gluing. Other than that, we also specialize in arrangement, fusion, pass, moon, parting, pull, and open," replied Liu Zongyuan.
When Liu Zongyuan saw Li Huowang just sit there in a daze, he laughed. "You don't understand it? Hehe, that's a good thing. We intentionally explain it as such so the others wouldn't know the specifics of our powers. Oh, you haven't told me your name yet."
"Er Jiu."
"Alright, goodbye Er Jiu." Liu Zongyuan turned around and disappeared into the forest.
As he saw Liu Zongyuan disappear into the forest, Li Huowang inspected the skin made of paper. He found that the skin would easily puncture or break if he used too much force.
However, the pain couldn't do anything to Li Huowang. He just remained seated and stared in the direction of Cowheart Mountain.
His eyes were filled with despair.
"I have killed everyone within the Bai family. How am I going to tell her...?"
Chapter 309 - Return
"Cough."
With a light cough, Li Huowang instantly caught everyone's attention. All of them looked at Li Huowang with confidence as he continued speaking, "Everyone! We don't have to travel anymore! We will settle down within Cowheart Village. From now on, this will be our new home!"
"Senior Li, what about Yang Xiaohai? We still haven't sent him home," asked Puppy while patting the assistant's head.
Hearing his name suddenly being mentioned, Yang Xiaohai panicked. He had never thought that they would suddenly talk about him, causing him to stammer. "I ..."
However, he was interrupted by Li Huowang, "He's lying about his home. He never had one. He's a beggar."
At that moment, Li Huowang suddenly felt someone holding his arm and saw that it was Bai Lingmiao. He looked at her eyes and saw her expectant gaze. Seeing that gaze, Li Huowang felt his chest warm up as he turned toward everyone. "Since we are now here, I will tell you about everything. Everyone has seen how chaotic this world is. If all we cared about was having our own piece of land, then we wouldn't be all that different from the oxen in the fields. If we want to protect ourselves, then we cannot rely on others! From now on, I will teach everything that I can to everyone! I will also think of a method to have everyone know at least one technique or superpower."
Hearing this promise, everyone became excited as they started excitedly discussing what they would be able to do in the future.
On the other hand, as he looked at everyone, Li Huowang's eyes turned serious. He had come to understand that he couldn't rely on the other sects or the Surveillance Bureau. He could only rely on himself and the people in front of him. If all of them wanted to survive in this bizarre world, then they had to have their own strength! Only then would they be able to avoid suffering like him.
"Everyone, the first thing we are going to learn is to learn how to read and write!" announced Li Huowang.
"Read and write?"
"Yes! Read and write," said Li Huowang as he touched his abdomen, "That's right, all of us have to be literate first. After that, we can establish our own sect that would allow us to stand firm in this world! Everyone thinks that we are a bunch of freaks, but we will let them see that even we can survive on our own in this world! We will show them that we are not freaks! That no one can sell us off anymore! That no one can bully us anymore! That we too can get better and better as long as we work hard every day!"
"Yeah!"
"Hooray!"
"Yay!"
Everyone's cheers almost caused the entire village to shake. As he looked at everyone who had traveled with him for so long, Li Huowang revealed a happy smile.
——————————————
As rainwater splattered on his face, Li Huowang's smiling face and everyone's cheers suddenly disappeared.
The rain continued to fall as Li Huowang just stood there while holding a paper umbrella. He stood in front of Cowheart Village and stared at the white smoke rising from the village.
At this moment, there was no one else around him; he was the only one standing on the yellow dirt path.
All that from before had been nothing more than his memory.
Li Huowang stood there for an entire day and night. Due to the humidity, his paper skin soon started to get moldy. Even so, he did not care.
It was only when he saw Yang Xiaohai walk out of the village with a raincoat that he moved his almost immobile joints toward the village.
Seeing Li Huowang finally move, Hong Zhong, with half his body stuck in a tree, started chuckling. He nudged Monk and said, "Monk, hehehe, get ready for a good show."
As soon as Li Huowang approached the entrance of the village, Yang Xiaohai spotted him immediately and happily ran over to greet him, only to be horrified by the man's appearance.
"Yikes! Senior Li! Where is the skin on your face? Why are you wearing paper clothes?" asked Yang Xiaohai.
"Where is Miaomiao?" Li Huowang's hoarse voice was filled with the scent of blood.
"Senior Bai should be in the house. Senior Li... what's wrong? Do you have news about the Bai family?" asked Yang Xiaohai, concerned.
Li Huowang remained silent for a moment before walking toward Bai Lingmiao's house one step at a time. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Gradually, everyone saw that Li Huowang had returned and ran over to greet him. However, the cheerful atmosphere soon turned cold when they saw what he looked like.
Puppy carefully approached him and asked, "What's wrong, Senior Li? Looks like you couldn't find them? It's fine. None of us blame you."
Li Huowang gritted his teeth and pushed him away. Then, he started running.
When Li Huowang arrived at the main gate of Bai Lingmiao's house, he ran into the anxious-looking Bai Lingmiao.
As soon as Bai Lingmiao saw that Li Huowang had returned alone, she felt her heart drop. But when she saw just how terrible Li Huowang looked under the rain with his burnt skin, she felt a pang in her heart. She immediately grabbed his wrists and pulled him toward her room.
Once inside, Bai Lingmiao used a soft towel to carefully dab Li Huowang's body and pull away the moisture from his skin. She didn't dare to rub his body for fear that she would rub off his skin and flesh.
Bai Lingmiao had seen just how serious his wounds could be. She knew that Li Huowang must've encountered grave danger to force him to use a technique that would hurt himself to this extent.
As Bai Lingmiao washed the towel in a bronze basin, she said, "Senior Li, it's alright. I'm fine. There's no need to worry about me. After staying here for so many days, I've already come to terms with the fact that they are gone. Since they are missing, let's just wait here. I'm sure they will return one day."
However, Li Huowang just gritted his teeth, both his hands shaking continuously.
Just as he was about to tell Bai Lingmiao the truth, Hong Zhong suddenly appeared beside him and started gesturing excitedly. "Quick! Tell her that you didn't find them! Tell her that the Bai family most likely ran away to avoid some disasters!"
Hearing this, Li Huowang glared at the annoying Hong Zhong.
"Why are you glaring at me? I'm only saying this to help you! Look, the Bai family is already dead. There's nothing to be gained even if you tell her now. She would be completely devastated! She may even come to hate you, the one responsible for the deaths of her family members! But if you do as I say, then she won't be sad and would even be able to retain a sliver of hope!"