Li Huowang continued to listen to Bai Lingmiao as they cuddled near the bonfire.
"Hah, listen to yourself! Maybe I'm in the same situation as you. I was Bai Lingmiao in the past, and I'm still the same Bai Lingmiao in the present. In fact, I'm a better Bai Lingmiao now!" As she said this, her eyes shone with a mysterious light.
"Also, don't forget that you are the one that killed my entire family," added Bai Lingmiao.
As soon as he heard those words, Li Huowang felt his body go numb.
"I had always been struggling in the past, not being able to choose a side. I can't forgive you, but I couldn't let go of my family. However, I'm different now. Now that I know that they were from the White Lotus Sect, and what they were trying to do to you, I can only say that you did not kill them thoughtlessly. In that situation, it was either them killing you or you killing them. See, I can think much more clearly now. No more hesitations, no more pain!"
Li Huowang looked at the unfamiliar Bai Lingmiao, her words making him realize that she had become another person altogether.
If he had to compare her to someone, then she was definitely similar to Peng Longteng.
Bai Lingmiao's actions and choice of words were very similar to Peng Longteng's, and he didn't want that.
Just then, a soft body gently hugged him from behind as a forked tongue slid past his ears.
When he realized that it was the Second Deity, he immediately stood up, surprising both of them.
At the same time, Li Huowang's sudden actions attracted everyone's else's attention as well.
In the end, he forced a smile as he looked at them. "I'm going to the toilet."
Then, he looked at Ji Xiang and pointed at the dark forest to the side before walking into it.
Soon, Ji Xiang also entered the forest. When he looked at Li Huowang, he revealed a bright smile.
"Er Jiu, is something wrong? You can tell me and I will definitely help you if I can."
Li Huowang's actions just now had been very clear. If Ji Xiang couldn't even recognize such a simple message, then he might as well gouge his own eyes out.
After thinking about what Bai Lingmiao had said to him just now, Li Huowang carefully asked Ji Xiang, "Lord Ji Xiang, are there any methods to dispel the murderous aura that enters one body from a soldier's weapon?"
The current Bai Lingmiao was not the one from his memories. Even if he knew that she would never forgive him, he still needed to change her back.
"Murderous aura entering the body? You are going to need to ask the military for that. I'm not quite sure either," replied Ji Xiang.
After a moment of thought, Li Huowang asked a different question, "Lord Ji Xiang, do you know anyone from the military within the Liang Kingdom? Could you recommend me to someone?"
Ji Xiang glanced at the fireplace. "Sure, I can do that."
If it wasn't for Li Huowang, all of them would be dead. By comparison, this was a simple request.
Of course, he would just be referring Li Huowang to someone. As for why Li Huowang needed to find someone in the military, Ji Xiang avoided prying too much.
After agreeing to Li Huowang's request, Ji Xiang recalled the dangerous encounter just now. "Thankfully the mission is over for now. I will see if I can bribe my superiors so that I can be dispatched to a place that's not as dangerous. The missions within the Surveillance Bureau are inhumane."
"Thank you, Lord Ji Xiang." Li Huowang thanked him.
He didn't care about whether or not he would succeed, but Li Huowang would definitely work hard to restore Bai Lingmiao back to how she was.
"Alright, are there any other matters? If not, let's go back. We still need to travel tomorrow morning," asked Ju Xiang.
Just as Ji Xiang was just about to leave, both he and Li Huowang turned to look into the forest at the same time. "Someone's there!"
It was already night and they were in the wilderness. Thus, it was clearly unnatural to have someone looking at them.
Li Huowang immediately pulled out two talismans that he had drawn with his own blood and slapped them onto his knees before running toward the direction of the gaze.
On the other hand, Ji Xiang stood where he was for a moment, before running back to the bonfire. He needed to look after the dead Muddled One to make sure that no one tried to steal it.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang weaved through the darkness of the forest as he approached his target.
When he saw that the other person was still running, Li Huowang immediately chopped off one of his fingertips.
The bone in his fingertip exploded outward and shot toward that person.
Soon, the bone bullet landed a hit and Li Huowang managed to catch up, finally allowing him to see who it was.
It was similar to a human, but it was very skinny and short. The skin on the person seemed to be supported by its skeleton. Its eyes were large and fish-like, as if they could fall off at any moment. Its mouth was caved in and there were very few teeth left inside.
As he looked at it, Li Huowang wasn't sure if this being was a human or an evil being.
At the same time, the thing was not afraid of Li Huowang's weapon, and just stared at it with a stupid gaze.
Shit! Is this a distraction?
Li Huowang broke the limbs of the being before carrying it back to the bonfire.
When he arrived back at the bonfire and saw that everyone was still there, including the Muddled One's corpse, he sighed in relief.
"Lord Ji Xiang, do you recognize this thing? It was the being that was staring at us in the forest." Li Huowang raised the thing up.
"Oh?"
Just as Ji Xiang was about to inspect it, a blood-curdling cry came from behind him.
Li Huowang turned and saw that it was Hong Da.
Hong Da was staring at the being with extreme fear. "That thing... That's a human that was hidden by a Muddled One! If the Muddled One did not release it back to reality, then... that means..."
In the next moment, Hong Da suddenly grabbed some soil and munched on it, as if he was possessed. The fear in his eyes deepened.
"There's no taste! Nothing! I can't swallow it either! WE ARE TRAPPED IN A MUDDLED ONE'S KARMIC OBSTACLE! We have been hidden by it without us even realizing!"
Hearing this, everyone felt their heart drop as they looked toward the dark forest.
Suddenly, Ji Xiang ran up and shouted. "Stop spouting bullshit! The Muddled One we were trying to catch is dead! A dead Muddled One can't hide us! Or are you trying to tell me that there's another one?"
Hearing this, Li Huowang felt his heart skip a beat. "Lord Ji Xiang, there's indeed another one! The female Muddled One!"
"What are you talking about? A female Muddled One? Wasn't there only one?"
Everyone looked at Li Huowang and thought that he had remembered wrongly.
But when Li Huowang saw the words that were etched onto his arm, he shook his head. His memories were still intact. It was just that everyone had forgotten.
"No! We were here to capture the female Muddled One, not the male!" declared Li Huowang.
"Then where is the female Muddled One?" Ji Xiang's voice was shrill, cold sweat pouring down his face.
Li Huowang pointed at the corpse on the ground. "She's probably hidden within his karmic obstacle." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
Hearing this, Ji Xiang's face paled, the blood draining from his face. His legs went limp as he crumpled onto the ground.
"A dead and a live Muddled One touched each other. The dead one is hidden within the live, and the live one is hidden within the dead. We are fucked! It's over! We are done for!"
Chapter 361 - Yin and Yang
Li Huowang's face was unusually grim as he watched the collapsed Ji Xiang before him.
He remembered that Ji Xiang had mentioned that the male Muddled One was dead, but the female Muddled One was still alive. Even Zhuge Yuan couldn't possibly handle them together.
Li Huowang wasn't sure of Zhuge Yuan's true strength, but he knew one thing for sure: he was in deep trouble.
"Huowang, what happened to this eunuch?" Bai Lingmiao asked, looking around vigilantly, clearly unaware of the severity of their current situation.
Li Huowang took a deep breath and suppressed the strong unease in his heart. Whether he would live or die didn't matter to him; what mattered to him was that Bai Lingmiao couldn't get involved!
Li Huowang helped Ji Xiang up before saying with urgency, "Lord Ji Xiang! Do not be discouraged; we can still fix this! Just think about the fact that others in the bureau have survived something similar to our current situation!"
Ji Xiang looked back at Li Huowang with despair written on his face. "You don't understand. It's impossible to survive this!"
Just as Li Huowang was about to reply, gazes from all directions made him grip his sword tightly. A group of people emerged slowly from the woods, all with the exact same appearance as the creature Li Huowang had captured.
They were hunchbacks with large bellies swaying as they stared at Li Huowang and his group with their bulging fish-like eyes.
"There are newcomers again? Great!"
"That girl looks pretty, hehe..."
"Yes, and she has a pretty big butt."
Li Huowang's expression turned fierce at the hunchbacks' remarks. He brandished his bronze coin sword and tugged at the red threads, swinging it like a whip toward the hunchbacks. However, the hunchbacks didn't avoid Li Huowang's attack and chose to take it with their thin bodies. The sharp bronze coins sliced through the hunchbacks as if it were a hot knife slicing through butter.
The hunchbacks seemed indifferent to their injuries, squirming on the ground.
"We're in no rush, and we're not going to do anything. We're just going to wait."
"We'll wait one, two, or perhaps even three years until you become just like us."
Li Huowang felt a shiver down their spine at the hunchbacks' words. These hunchbacks were no longer humans. They had long forgotten themselves and became monsters themselves after the Muddled Ones had spirited them away.
Li Huowang cursed inwardly and ignored the hunchbacks to lift Ji Xiang off of the ground. "Lord Ji Xiang, this is nothing, really! We're trapped, but that's it! Anyway, just think about the people waiting for you to go back home!"
Ji Xiang's eyes stirred, seemingly recalling something.
The fear and despair in Ji Xiang's eyes vanished as he said, "Yes, she's still waiting for me at home! I'm going to bring her back to the village, and I'm going to resign!"
Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief. "Now that you've calmed down, Lord Ji Xiang. Can you start thinking of a way to get us out of here?"
Ji Xiang tried to stay composed by patting his cheeks vigorously while in deep contemplation. Moments later, Ji Xiang looked up and said, "One of the Muddled Ones is alive while the other is dead. The karmic obstacles in their bodies are coincidentally Yin and Yang. The Yin and Yang have blended, so we can't escape.
"We must find the living female Muddled One to escape!"
Ji Xiang became more and more composed and articulate as he continued, "Yes, that's right! We have to find the female Muddled One! We might be able to live if we kill her!"
At Ji Xiang's remark, everyone set everything aside and made a mad dash into the forest to find the so-called female Muddled One. The scenery around them peeled away as Li Huowang led Bai Lingmiao through the forest.
"Huowang, what's going on with this damned place? I've been beating the drum for quite a while now, but I still can't get any response from the Immortal families," Bai Lingmiao said, sounding frustrated.
Li Huowang wasn't surprised to hear Bai Lingmiao's remark. He knew those low-level Immortals wouldn't be helpful to them at all.
"This is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It seems that we have to use talismans and divination to aid us in our search," Li Huowang said, but he quickly realized that he had run out of yellow paper.
"Do you have any yellow paper on you?" Li Huowang asked Bai Lingmiao.
Bai Lingmiao pondered briefly before pulling out a tiny paper horse folded with yellow paper. "I use this as a Shaman. Try it out."
Li Huowang accepted the yellow paper and unfolded it. Then, he looked around and dashed toward a man peeking at them behind a tree. Soon, Li Huowang returned with a bloody skull, and he immediately started his divination.
Li Huowang swept his gaze across the divination symbols. Moments later, he tossed the skull away and continued his search. Divination was usually reliable, but it was ineffective this time. Li Huowang had tried his best, but he couldn't find any reliable information from the divination symbols.
Li Huowang continued the search with Bai Lingmiao until Tuoba Danqing found them a day later.
"Come here, quick! Hong Da has already found it!" Tuoba Danqing exclaimed. Li Huowang regrouped with Tuoba Danqing, and the three ignored their exhaustion to return to where they had come from.
Upon regrouping with the others, Tuoba Danqing immediately got to work as he ruthlessly twisted the female Muddled One's head and hurled it to the ground.
Li Huowang's heart tightened as he looked around; as always, he still couldn't see anything other than darkness. The group waited for quite a while but found no changes whatsoever. Those who had been spirited away were still here.
"What's going on?" Li Huowang asked incredulously.
Just then, the bloody head of the female Muddled One moved and rolled slowly toward its body. The female Muddle One's head remained glazed, clearly lifeless, but she was undeniably alive.
A peal of jeering laughter echoed from all around them.
"Hahaha! You actually tried to kill her? It seems that you people have no idea that no one can die here."
"Do you really think that we don't want to die? We want to die, too! Living forever like this is scarier than death!"
The hunchbacks' words sent a chill down everyone's spine.
They had to kill the female Muddled One for them to escape, but no one could die here!
Just then, Bai Lingmiao pulled out Li Huowang's purple-tassel sword and slashed out, targeting Hong Da's neck. Hong Da bled profusely, but he didn't look like he was going to die.
Everyone understood their predicament just then—they were in an unresolvable deadlock.
Ji Xiang became downcast. He opened his mouth to say something, but a fist struck him right in the face.
"This is all your fault, you damn eunuch! If you hadn't brought us here to catch a Muddled One, this wouldn't have happened to us!" Tuoba Danqing roared, abandoning his sunny demeanor as well as any respect he had for his superior as he rained down punches and kicks upon Ji Xiang.
Chapter 362 - Plan
Tuoba Danqing had a complete mental breakdown, and everyone else was in bad shape as well. Liu Zongyuan fell to the ground on all fours, pounding his fists in frustration. Hong Da stood frozen in place, staring blankly into space.
Despair enveloped everyone, and the incessant jeering laughter of those who could never die became a cacophonous din. It seemed that nothing would make a difference at this point, and even death was already a luxury they could only wish for.
However, Li Huowang was different. After experiencing a variety of hardships, he developed a will that was seldom defeated by any difficulties.
Li Huowang looked around, and his gaze landed on Bai Lingmiao, whose expression was particularly fierce. Li Huowang's voice was trembling as he said, "Don't worry, I'm here. No one can harm you with me around!"
The Second Deity approached Li Huowang from behind and leaned gently on Li Huowang's back. Surprisingly, Li Huowang didn't show any negative reaction.
"Do you have a plan?" the Second Deity asked.
Bai Lingmiao looked up at Li Huowang before her. Their situation was so dire that she found it hard to believe that Li Huowang could possibly have a plan.
However, Li Huowang nodded and stared at the pitch-black dome above them. He smiled bitterly, saying, "The Immortal families can't enter this place, but there's an entity that can definitely come here."
"Who?"
"Ba-Hui—Baiyu Capital's Ba-Hui!"
Li Huowang had been to Baiyu Capital before. Even a Muddled One that had blended life and death was paltry before an entity that others dared not even imagine. Li Huowang contemplated for a while before saying, "I'm going to use the Cang-Qiang Ascension and Ba-Hui's Shou San to break this deadlock."
Li Huowang's plan seemed to be the only plan with the highest chance of success.
Bai Lingmiao's heart skipped a beat; she could still remember Li Huowang's words.
"Isn't that..." Bai Lingmiao trailed off.
"Yes, that's right," said Li Huowang before turning to look at Tuoba Danqing, who was busy creating new holes in Ji Xiang. Li Huowang then led Bai Lingmiao toward the dense forest.
The others didn't even bother following Li Huowang; perhaps it was because they didn't care where he was going, or perhaps they no longer cared about everything.
"The Cang-Qiang Ascension requires the dual suffering of the mind and body. Extreme physical pain is easy, but it's going to be difficult to find extreme mental suffering—" Li Huowang stopped upon recalling something. His eyes showed a hint of hesitation that he immediately suppressed.
Bai Lingmiao saw that and trembled, but she sounded decisive as she said, "Tell me, what do you need me to do? I can endure everything."
Li Huowang shook his head, and his lips quivered as he said, "I don't need you to do anything. I just need you to keep an eye on me because... I have to enter the hallucination to find—"
Li Huowang's eyes glimmered in intense struggle, but it was soon replaced by the light of determination the moment his gaze landed on Bai Lingmiao.
Li Huowang wasn't an ordinary person. He was a Strayed One. If the Muddled Ones could use their abilities, then he could definitely use his own abilities as well.
It would be the same as his first Cang-Qiang Ascension. He just had to do something in the hallucination, and that side would definitely inflict the utmost mental agony on him.
Li Huowang examined the young woman before him carefully as the two of them stood in the depths of the dark, desolate, and dense forest.
"Don't worry; I'm going to save you from this predicament, just like back in Zephyr Temple."
"No! You have to think of another way!" exclaimed Bai Lingmiao, rejecting his plan.
However, Li Huowang had no intention of listening to her at all.
"Li Sui, come out. I want you to be obedient and stay with your mother. I'll be back soon," Li Huowang muttered, and black tentacles abruptly emerged from his chest before transforming into a squirming cluster of tentacles.
"Miaomiao, don't be afraid; this is my son," Li Huowang explained.
This was Bai Lingmiao's first time seeing Li Sui.
"What did you say?" Bai Lingmiao's eyes widened as she stared at the terrifying monster before her. "T-this is your son? Who's the mother?"
Li Huowang chuckled, but he didn't explain anything. He didn't have the luxury to explain as the surroundings were changing.
"Wait for me. Stand back a bit farther away, so you won't get hurt. We can't die here, but it's still going to hurt.
Li Huowang's surroundings were melting, but the ongoing changes had become much slower than before. Eventually, Li Huowang found himself in that dark and filthy cave under the bridge.
Li Huowang looked around and took in the familiar sight for a while. Then, he stood up and rushed to the nearby riverbank to wash his face. Li Huowang stared at himself on the water's surface.
Miaomiao is waiting for me. I need to use the hallucination to find the extreme mental suffering necessary to save her! Li Huowang thought, seemingly hypnotizing himself. Li Huowang repeated it thrice before standing up. Then, he started pondering how he could accomplish his goals. However, it didn't take Li Huowang that long to receive an answer to his question. He knew just what to achieve extreme mental suffering.
Just then, Li Huowang heard footsteps outside.
Huanhuan soon appeared in Li Huowang's line of sight; she was holding a basket of steamed buns.
Huanhuan grinned upon seeing Li Huowang. "Uncle, you're awake again?"
Extreme pain and extreme mental suffering. It doesn't matter. This is all fake. Everything here is just a hallucination. Li Huowang thought as he looked around. Then, he picked up a rope from the ground and started walking toward Huanhuan.
This must be fake. Otherwise, how could this kid appear so soon when I've just returned? Yes, this must be fake. There's no need for me to hesitate. Li Huowang loomed over Huanhuan, and his right hand holding the rope trembled violently.
"Uncle?" Huanhuan muttered fearfully, taking a step back. The uncle before her seemed to have become a bit different from before.
Just then, Li Huowang deflated like a balloon and slowly exhaled all the air from his lungs.
No, this is wrong. Li Huowang turned around; his teeth chattered as he gnashed them amidst his inner turmoil. She's not going to be enough. It hasn't been that long since I've met her, so even if I kill her, the mental suffering I'll experience will not be enough. More... I need so much more than her! 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
Li Huowang knelt and wrote two names on the ground—Yang Na and Sun Xiaoqin. Li Huowang's eyes filled with fear as he stared at the two names on the ground, and he even started trembling in trepidation.
This is just a hallucination—a hallucination! I transmigrated a long time ago! This isn't real!
Li Huowang raised his trembling hands, but he retracted them quickly as if he had been electrocuted. All of a sudden, Li Huowang grabbed a rock on the ground and slammed it on his own head.
Blood flowed from the wound on his head, but it wasn't enough. He smashed it on his head again and again until the blood, sweat, and tears created a grotesque mixture that made him appear extremely frightening to anyone's eyes.
This is fake—this is clearly fake! This is all a hallucination! Why the hell am I hesitating, then? Miaomiao is waiting for me—she's waiting for me to save her!
Chapter 363 - School
This is a hallucination; this is a hallucination; this is a hallucination! Li Huowang trembled and repeated to himself, seemingly trying to assert his own beliefs as he knelt on the muddy ground of the dark cave with his head covered in blood.
This scene frightened Huanhuan. The steamed buns in her hands fell to the ground as Huanhuan turned around and rushed out of the face.
Li Huowang knelt for a long time as the cave alternated between dim and bright. After three cycles of dim and bright, Li Huowang approached the nearby riverbank to wash the scabs off of his face.
Then, Li Huowang turned around and stepped out. He looked up and saw the cold light piercing between his fingers.
Meanwhile, one of the two names on the ground had been covered completely in blood, and only the words "Sun Xiaoqin" were legible.
Li Huowang could still remember where Yang Na's school was located. She had described to him the delicious street food she had eaten at the time, and they even promised to explore the streets together once Li Huowang got better.
Li Huowang's memories of Yang Na were vivid, including her mentions of events she had described only once to him.
Li Huowang cut off his own hair that had clotted together with his blood, revealing his head covered in scab. Li Huowang then took off his filthy old clothes and put on clean clothes that he had dried in the sun.
Li Huowang could finally walk among other people without anyone pointing fingers at him, as he looked like a completely ordinary individual. Li Huowang took advantage of the night and sneaked into the train station. He disguised himself as someone seeing a relative off with luggage.
The dazed Li Huowang ended up falling asleep on the train. When he woke up once again, he found himself in the city where Yang Na lived.
Li Huowang glanced at the sign hanging above the bus stop and walked slowly in the direction of the university. Li Huowang walked at a snail's pace as if he were walking on an endless road.
However, Li Huowang knew that he would one day arrive at his destination.
Li Huowang found himself sitting on a plastic stool in a barbecue shop, staring blankly at the campus gate in the distance. His unusual behavior attracted quite a few curious glances.
What are you waiting for? This is just a hallucination! Yang Na is fake! Get up and take action! I can't give up on reality to live in a hallucination! Do you really want Miaomiao to become one of them?! I've transmigrated long ago, so Yang Na is going to be fine; she's living a great life in that world! A lunatic can't obstruct her from achieving happiness!
What are you waiting for? Go on! You're the reason behind Miaomiao's plight. I thought you wanted to save her?
Li Huowang struggled against his inner turmoil. He truly wished that someone would help him overcome his dilemma so that he would no longer be so indecisive.
"Hey, student. Are you okay?" the chubby female boss asked. She had approached Li Huowang at some point. "You look rather pale."
Li Huowang remained indifferent, completely immersed in his own world.
The chubby lady boss shrugged and wiped the table in front of Li Huowang clean with a cloth. She turned around and was about to attend to her own business when a scream burst out from the distant campus.
The chubby lady boss turned and found students running out of the campus in a panic.
"Huh? What's going on?" asked the chubby lady boss.
However, the students ignored the chubby lady boss, prompting her to stand in the way of a male student, who was a frequent customer of her barbeque shop.
"What's going on, Fatty?" the chubby lady boss asked.
"Call the police, Sister Liu! Have you heard of the gang that recently robbed a bank? They're on our campus right now, and they barged into the female dorms! One of them even has a gun!"
Li Huowang turned slowly to the student and smiled. It can't get any faker than this. I guess this is really a hallucination. An incident like this is just a bit too rare. Li Huowang finally set aside his misgivings and stood up, walking toward the gate.
Li Huowang walked along the main road, sweeping his gaze across the fleeing female students in hopes of seeing a familiar face among them.
The tremors running through Li Huowang got even stronger the closer he got to the university. Li Huowang stopped and decided to attempt to address the trembling by turning to the blooming magnolia tree on his left, saying, "Miaomiao, I'll definitely attain the necessary extreme mental suffering.
"If I somehow became paralyzed from the mental suffering, then please help me inflict on me extreme physical pain. It's not going to be difficult. Do you still remember that person who dug his throat out? Just follow what he did and do it on me."
Li Huowang still felt a little worried, so he turned to the fallen bicycle next to him and said, "Li Sui, you better not stop Miaomiao if she has to do what I said, right? She's not going to hurt me. She just has to do it to help us escape from that damned place."
"No matter what appears, remember to keep following me. I'll save whoever I can from the Surveillance Bureau. If I can't save those who can still be saved, then forget it."
The university was huge, and Li Huowang was struggling to find Yang Na. When he reached the female dormitory, the university was already filled with police sirens.
Li Huowang looked up at the tall building before him and heard roars from inside the building. It seemed that hundreds of female students had been trapped in the upper floors of the building.
This is a hallucination—this is all a hallucination! Li Huowang exclaimed to himself as he stepped past the iron gates. The first and second floors were empty, as all the female students living on those floors had already escaped. Li Huowang walked up the stairs until he stumbled upon two men carrying a young woman downstairs.
Li Huowang nodded at them and stepped aside to make space for them to walk past him. Li Huowang was planning to go upstairs, so there was no need for him to stop here.
"Stop! I told you to stop! Don't come over here! Do you really think that I have no idea what you're up to? You're an undercover, aren't you? I could tell from a mile away!" one of the two men screamed. He was a bald man, and he pointed the dagger in his hand at the young woman's neck.
Despite the bravado, however, the bald man seemed extremely nervous. Li Huowang could tell from the bald man's irregular breathing.
"We want three SUVs with full tanks! And five million—No, ten million! Police officers and anyone related to them are not allowed to approach this building.
"You have one hour to prepare everything we need, and you better hurry up because we're going to kill one person every thirty minutes!"
Li Huowang ignored the bald man and turned to the disheveled young woman in the bald man's arms, asking, "Are you familiar with Yang Na? Which floor does she live on?"
The young woman was so scared of everything that was happening to her that she couldn't speak at all amidst her anguished and terrified sobbing.
Li Huowang didn't mind it and was about to continue his journey upstairs.
"Damn it, stay there!" someone screamed and pointed a rusty pistol from the bottom nose of the stairs directly above the landing. The rusty pistol was aimed at Li Huowang's head.
Li Huowang looked up and saw a tall, gloomy-looking man walking downstairs while pointing the same rusty pistol at Li Huowang.
"Can you not see what's in my hands? It's a gun!"
Chapter 364 - Suffering
Li Huowang chuckled and shook his head. Then, he turned to the wall next to him and said, "Miaomiao, take Li Sui a little farther away. You can't die here, but it's still better to be safe than sorry."
"Who the heck are you speaking to?! Are you wearing a Bluetooth earphone? Take it off!"
"Do you have any idea just how bad my mood is right now? I'm on the verge of exploding right now," Li Huowang said; his exhausted voice echoed in the spacious stairwell.
Li Huowang's words had yet to finish echoing when he flipped his hand, revealing a dagger. Li Huowang's expression became ferocious as he stomped his feet on the ground and rushed at the trio before him, akin to a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey.
Bang!
A gunshot echoed, wounding Li Huowang. Li Huowang's blood scatted haphazardly everywhere, but the pain only made Li Huowang feel excited rather than afraid.
A cold light flashed as the hand of the tall, gloomy-looking man flew away, along with his gun and fresh blood. The tall, gloomy-looking man let loose a piercing scream, but it was immediately silenced by Li Huowang lacerating his throat.
A gurgling noise soon followed as the tall, gloomy-looking man collapsed to the floor.
The scene scared the remaining two men out of their wits. They held the young woman firmly and roared, "Don't come over! We have a hostage!"
"That's only going to work on a real police officer! In this world of yours, I am nothing but a madman!" Li Huowang exclaimed.
The blood that had pooled on the floor soaked Li Huowang's feet, but Li Huowang remained undeterred. He ignored the two men and the young woman, proceeding to walk up the stairs with a dagger stuck in his chest.
Li Huowang's voice sounded hoarse, akin to a howling ghost, as he exclaimed, "I'm sorry, Yang Na! But I'm here... here to find you!"
Li Huowang searched every single room on each floor. Upon arriving on the fourth floor, he finally found the four remaining hostage takers.
Li Huowang tilted his head and swept his gaze across the necks of each of the four men while seemingly indifferent to the hole in his chest.
The four men were afraid of Li Huowang. Even with hostages and weapons in their hands, they felt like they were mere prey before the blood-soaked Li Huowang.
Just then, the weakest and most timid among the four men let go of the young woman in his arms and said, "Can we surrender? We really didn't do much! I wasn't even willing to rob that bank. Leopard forced me to do it, and he's the mastermind!"
Li Huowang pulled out the dagger sticking out of his chest and laughed maniacally.
Tears then streamed down his cheeks as he rushed toward the four men. There was a stark difference between murderers and those who had yet to kill people. Dark-red blood soon dripped down the stairs, flowing down every step of the staircase.
Li Huowang panted heavily as he sat on two corpses. He was injured, and pain radiated all over him. Li Huowang reckoned that either the nerve or the tendon of his right arm had been severed, as he was having issues lifting it.
"Huo... Huowang?"
Li Huowang shuddered upon hearing the familiar voice, and he suddenly felt like leaving and running away as far as possible. However, Li Huowang immediately suppressed the urge to run away by muttering to himself that he was in a hallucination. He couldn't falter here, as Bai Lingmiao had yet to escape the Muddled One's prison.
Having made up his mind, Li Huowang looked up and saw Yang Na.
Yang Na was wearing an exquisite jade earring on her right ear—it was a gift that Li Huowang had entrusted to his mother to give to Yang Na on her birthday.
"Sniff...! Huowang! What happened? How come you're seriously injured?!" Yang Na exclaimed, rushing over to Li Huowang's side with tears streaming down her face. She cast a helpless gaze upon Li Huowang's wounds. Then, she tried to stem the bleeding by putting pressure on the wounds with her hands, but it wasn't working at all.
This is fake, this is fake, this is fake... Li Huowang thought as he tightened his grip on the dagger in his left hand. He inhaled sharply and was about to raise the dagger when Yang Na screamed, "Why did you even come here to save me?! Are you crazy?! Why did you even come here?! How am I supposed to forget you now?"
Yang Na's words made Li Huowang feel as if the dagger in his hand weighed a ton, and Li Huowang almost gave up on his goal.
However, Li Huowang chose to remain true to his goal and used all of his willpower to resist the agonizing pain, all for the sake of thrusting the dagger in his hand toward Yang Na's chest.
"AAAHHHH!" Li Huowang exclaimed as the dagger pierced Yang Na's thick sweater and then her skin.
Yang Na blinked at the sharp pain, and her eyes quivered as she stared at Li Huowang.
However, her eyes shone not in fear, disappointment, or fury. Her gaze held nothing but deep grievances as she muttered, "Huowang, why?"
Yang Na's anguished gaze was like a sharp dagger that pierced Li Huowang's heart.
No, it was way more painful than a stab in the heart.
Li Huowang was about to put more strength into his hands when he suddenly felt a burning pain envelop his throat. The pain intensified rapidly, and the scenery around him distorted.
Clang!
The dagger in Li Huowang's hands fell to the floor as he trembled violently under the extreme pain.
Yang Na ignored her own wound and rushed over to pull the falling Li Huowang into her arms.
Boom!
The scenery peeled away, and Li Huowang found himself in a pitch-black forest. He was kneeling, and the red Profound Records were right in front of him. In addition, there seemed to be something nestled within the bamboo slips.
Just then, a tongue peeked out of the bamboo slips. The Profound Records came to life as the tongue started speaking, "A tongue to turn the wheel of reincarnation! An eyelash for the boundless universe! Words cannot describe the intricacies of the realm!
"The sinister Heavens reveal what was hidden! My Master, the highest authority! Who dares disturb it?!"
The Profound Records' voice made Li Huowang feel as if he was transcending the boundaries of human perception, allowing him to sense Ba-Hui's existence. Li Huowang also managed to confirm that the Profound Records was indeed alive.
Li Huowang touched the red bamboo slips, which had transformed into red wriggling worms. Li Huowang looked up and saw a rift in the pitch-black dome. A colossal eyeball that appeared to be larger than the sky itself peered inside through the rift.
The eyeball wasn't Ba-Hui. Li Huowang could feel Ba-Hui, but it was distant. Li Huowang estimated that Ba-Hui was still in the Baiyu Capital.
The eyeball soon vanished, allowing Li Huowang to sense Ba-Hui—no, see Ba-Hui.
Li Huowang saw Ba-Hui receiving a portion of his agony, and an extreme agonizing pain descended, interweaving with Li Huowang's agony before bursting out in all directions.
Soon, everything felt the extreme agonizing pain, including Bai Lingmiao and those hunchbacks. Eventually, the extreme agonizing pain pervaded the trees, the soil, and even the air, which trembled ever so slightly in pain.
Li Huowang lifted his hands, and the pain intensified. Every new wave of pain was under Li Huowang's control. Li Huowang's transcended perception smelt two eyeballs. One black, one white, intertwined in harmony. There were no boundaries between the two eyeballs, as their boundary canceled each other out.
Li Huowang was smack in the middle of the two eyeballs. Li Huowang raised his hands higher, peeling away all the pain from himself and poured all of it onto the two eyeballs.
Chapter 365 - Sky
Li Huowang stared blankly; he could sense everything around him, but he could no longer feel any pain. His transcended perception allowed him to feel that the fused Yin and Yang had split apart.
It wasn't because Yang was missing; it was all because the Yin had come alive. Only living beings could feel pain, so the dead Muddled One came alive and let out a heart-curdling scream, just like the screaming rocks and trees.
Li Huowang staggered when he tried to walk. He was utterly exhausted and could only stagger forward. Just then, several pitch-black tentacles reached out to support him before becoming pillars sticking out of the ground for Li Huowang to lean against.
"Dad..." Li Sui tore open the wound in Li Huowang's chest and burrowed inside of it.
Li Huowang's mouth fluttered open as he tried to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was blood; he couldn't make any noises at all. Li Huowang raised his right hand, which had been stripped off of its nail, and pointed south. He could feel a rift somewhere south.
Bai Lingmiao instantly understood what Li Huowang was trying to say. She picked up the Profound Records on the floor and carried Li Huowang to head south along with the Second Deity's help.
They had just taken a few steps when the world suddenly inverted, sending them plummeting straight toward the rift in the pitch-black dome below them. When they passed through the rift, the piercing sunlight made everyone squint.
The world inside the dome was pitch-black, but daybreak had fallen outside.
They were finally out!
The Second Deity spun upon realizing that they were getting closer and closer to the ground. She took Li Huowang and Bai Lingmiao in her arms and braced for impact.
Boom!
A deafening noise echoed as they landed harshly on the ground.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang's merged perception separated slowly as Ba-Hui averted its gaze on him. Li Huowang's sense of pain also returned.
"Huowang! Are you okay? Listen to me!"
Li Huowang heard a familiar voice. He opened his eyes and saw Bai Lingmiao, but Yang Na's face overlapped with Bai Lingmiao's face. Their faces overlapped as if they had become one person, and their mouths opened at the same time as they shouted at Li Huowag. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Li Huowang was so disoriented by the sight that he couldn't distinguish whether he was in reality or he was back in that hallucination.
"Huowang!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed, patting Li Huowang's cheeks lightly with her soft hand. However, Li Huowang didn't respond.
Bai Lingmiao held her whip and got ready to beat the drum on her waist to ask for Granny Bai's help.
However, Li Huowang grabbed Bai Lingmiao's hand and shook his head slightly. Li Huowang had finally distinguished that he was in reality.
Bai Lingmiao was standing before him, and Yang Na wasn't here. Bai Lingmiao turned and sprawled out on the ground. As he gasped heavily, some of his flesh and blood slid out from the hole in his mouth and onto the ground.
Li Huowang mustered all of his remaining energy to raise his head and look around. He saw the Profound Records lying in the distance, stained with mud, and then he started crawling toward it.
Bai Lingmiao quickly ran over to fetch the red bamboo slips still dripping with blood.
Li Huowang extended his hand and opened up the Profound Records. The bloody tongue and the throat appeared before him.
Li Huowang weakly raised his hand and opened his mouth wide before raising the Profound Records and dropping it directly into the horrifying hole in his mouth.
Soon afterward, the tentacles burrowed out from Li Huowang's mouth and wrapped around Li Huowang's tongue and organs. The tentacles rearranged and bound Li Huowang's organs into their rightful positions.
"It's good that you're fine. You really scared the hell out of me!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed as she embraced Li Huowang.
Li Huowang thought back to his experience in the hallucination and forced a smile. He reached out to hug Bai Lingmiao and controlled his icy tongue as he coughed. "Why.. did you... suddenly... do it?"
He had yet to kill Yang Na in the hallucination, but Bai Lingmiao had already taken the initiative to perform the Cang-Qiang Ascension.
"You told me to make a move once you could no longer take it? I saw that you were about to pass out, so I made a move. Did I do something wrong?"
Li Huowang shook his head. "No, It's fine..."
Yang Na was injured, but she was still alive.
"Thank you... Miaomiao..." Li Huowang kissed Bai Lingmiao on the neck. Her timely intervention had saved Yang Na. Otherwise, his attack would have pierced though, if things had gone according to his plan.
Li Huowang truly didn't understand why he cared so much about something that was clearly fake, but the thought that Yang Na was still alive made him happier than anything.
Li Huowang finally understood that Ba-Hui only wanted suffering, not death. The other Simings were a different story. Perhaps that giant white-boned Bodhisattva or something else would want death.
Yang Na's death wasn't necessary. The heart-wrenching pain that had inundated him when he decided to kill Yang Na was enough to perform the Cang-Qiang Ascension.
"Yang Na, I'm sorry.." Li Huowang muttered dazedly, "I scarred your chest. You should hurry and seek medical help..."
Bai Lingmiao frowned at Li Huowang's words, but she did not say anything. Bai Lingmiao struggled to help Li Huowang up, and the two started walking away. Their priority was to leave this eerie place.
Li Huowang finally managed to take a good look around. However, he couldn't see anything but soil, which was a completely different scenery from what he had been expecting.
"Where are we? Haven't we already escaped?!" Li Huowang exclaimed. He looked ahead and saw a dense forest up ahead. Unfortunately, the trees were extremely tall with thick canopies. They were on a distant cliff as well.
As far as Li Huowang could remember, there weren't supposed to be any cliffs or tall mountains here.
A cliff? Why is there a cliff here? Li Huowang looked around and noticed towering cliffs, but he soon realized that they weren't cliffs. They were at the bottom, while the surface was above them. In other words, they were in the middle of an expansive basin.
The moment the living and dead Muddled Ones made contact, they had actually not just spirited them away. They had also dug roughly a meter deep and spirited away everything in the vicinity for miles.
"Huowang, look! What's that in the sky?!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed.
Li Huowang looked up with great difficulty and found that the cloudless sky above seemed to be missing a piece for some reason. Li Huowang quickly realized that they had come from that missing piece, and it was a pitch-black dome at the time.
"Can this really be the doing of a Muddled One..." Li Huowang was stupefied, and he couldn't help but question, "What exactly is a Muddled One? How come when a living and a dead Muddled One make contact, they can spirit away even the sky?"
Chapter 366 - Carriage
Li Huowang finally understood what it meant to face trouble that even Zhuge Yuan would find difficult to handle.
What exactly were Muddled Ones? How could they affect both heaven and earth? Li Huowang thought. He could still remember Ji Xiang telling him that Muddled Ones and Strayed Ones were a troublesome bunch. In other words, Strayed Ones had an ability comparable to that of Muddled Ones.
What is my ability? Do I have the ability to change positions, or is it my ability to project my body's illusion? No, no, no... Li Huowang shook his head vigorously. His ability was insignificant compared to the Muddled Ones' ability to spirit away a chunk of the sky.
His ability was not even worthy of being compared to the Muddled Ones' ability.
However, Li Huowang believed that he had a latent ability as a Strayed One. Perhaps his latent ability was comparable to the Muddled Ones'.
Upon recalling the condition of the male and female Muddled Ones, however, Li Huowang felt complicated emotions. Was it really a good thing to have such a powerful ability?
Li Huowang had no idea, but one thing was for sure—he had never stumbled upon something good in this cruel world. Li Huowang also didn't really think that he would stumble upon something good without paying the price.
Perhaps he would live a life more miserable than living as a Muddled One the moment he awakened his latent ability.
"Huowang, someone falling over there! One of them looks like that old eunuch!"
Li Huowang turned and saw a few black dots falling from the torn sky.
The torn sky was also becoming more and more unstable as time went on.
Li Huowang and Bai Lingmiao found Ji Xiang in the middle of emaciated corpses. Ji Jixang held the corpse of the male Muddled One in his arms, unwilling to let go despite the injury to his head.
Li Huowang and Bai Lingmiao eventually found the others. Through the scars on his hands, Li Huowang found that one person was missing—Tuoba Danqing. It seemed that Tuoba Danqing had been thoroughly spirited away by either the male or the female Muddled One. In other words, he would never be able to return.
Li Huowang asked for an explanation, and he heard the same story from the others. Tuoba Danqing was too slow while they were escaping, and he was ultimately left behind.
Although Li Huowang was a bit skeptical, he chose to believe them, as they were together and Tuoba Danqing was the only one missing.
Soon, Li Huowang, Liu Zongyuan, Hong Da, and Bai Lingmiao found themselves at the relay station located in Yinling City. They bid farewell to Ji Xiang, who had decided to return to the capital.
"I'm leaving now. You guys should go back first. I'll send you guys a letter once I'm back in the capital. Don't worry; the rewards are definitely going to be satisfactory. I'll confront the management first before anyone else if they dare to short-change us! We almost died, so we're not going to let them short-change us!"
After saying those righteous words, Ji Xiang turned to Li Huowang holding Bai Lingmiao's hand. Ji Xiang thought briefly before reaching into his sleeve and pulling out the bronze coin veil. Then, Ji Xiang held it out to Li Huowang.
"Er Jiu, I believe this belongs to you. I saw it by chance when we were fleeing, so I picked it up for you," said Ji Xiang, sounding much more amiable than before.
Li Huowang had intentionally distanced himself from Ji Xiang and the others to perform the Cang-Qiang Ascension, so there was no way they would know what Li Huowang had done.
Despite that, Ji Xiang's attitude toward Li Huowang changed greatly for some reason, but it wasn't a sense of camaraderie that brought the two men closer. It was more like Ji Xiang regarded Li Huowang with respect and a hint of fear.
Ji Xiang took advantage of the opportunity and lowered his voice, saying, "Rest assured, I'll fulfill my promise to you. In ten days to half a month, I will send you what you want using a carrier pigeon."
"Farewell, Lord Ji Xiang," Li Huowang said, accepting the bronze coin veil and wearing it. He already had Zhuge Yuan's black spindle, which was much more useful than the bronze coin veil, but an extra layer of insurance wouldn't hurt.
"You saved our lives, and we owe you this favor. My position will become yours."
Li Huowang let go of Bai Lingmiao's hand and nudged her gently to the side before approaching Ji Xiang. Then, he leaned closer into Ji Xiang's ear, whispering, "Lord Ji Xiang, if you really want to repay me, then please introduce me to those military families. I'm in urgent need of such connections."
Returning Bai Lingmiao to her original state was even more important than getting rid of the Strayed One. Li Huowang's survival didn't matter, as he had treated her badly enough.
"Okay, okay, I understand," Ji Xiang beamed. He pulled out a red silk scarf from his sleeves and wiped away the dust on Li Huowang's robes. Then, he got onto the carriage.
The sound of horse hooves echoed and slowly faded away as Ji Xiang disappeared into the distance in the carriage, which was also carrying a Muddled One's corpse.
The remaining three exchanged glances.
Liu Zongyuan scratched his head and said, "I hear there's a new brothel on the eastern side of the city, so how about—"
The other two turned around and left before he could finish.
The severely injured Li Huowang sat in a carriage that was slowly making its way to an inn. Li Huowang took a slow breath as he sprawled out on the soft cotton bed. They had endured all kinds of hardships for a Muddled One, and it was great that they had completed their objective.
At this point, Li Huowang could only wait for Ji Xiang's carrier pigeon.
At last, Li Huowang had taken a big step forward in his plan. Moreover, Ji Xiang owed him a huge favor. After all, if it hadn't been for Li Huowang, Ji Xiang would have been doomed. Li Huowang knew that Ji Xiang's favor would be of huge help as long as he used it in the right way.
"Sniff, sniff!" Bun placed its head gently on Li Huowang's elbow. It seemed to have sensed that Li Huowang was seriously injured, and its ears seemed to droop in anguish.
Just then, two dark fingers grabbed Bun by its scruff and hurled it out the carriage.
"Huowang, why don't you throw away those bamboo slips? You get injured every time you use them. Aren't they painful to use? I can't believe you've been using them despite that," Bai Lingmiao said. She picked up a pillow from the side and placed it behind her head.
Li Huowang smiled lightly while staring at Bai Lingmiao's face, "Yes, I'm in pain. I'm in so much pain that I feel like dying. However, Miaomiao, don't you think that the Profound Records is the easiest to use? Just imagine cultivating one of those messy things."
Bai Lingmiao cast a contemptuous gaze at Li Huowang. "Why don't you give it a try? You won't know until you try. At this rate, I'm afraid you'll die if something goes wrong."
"Die..." Li Huowang muttered. He exhaled slowly, and his eyes showed no fear as he said, "There's nothing scary about death."
Bai Lingmiao seemed to have noticed Li Huowang's intentions to die, so she pounced on Li Huowang like a cheetah; her dark fingers grabbed Li Huowang's neck, and she stared into his eyes as if she were a wild beast.
"You still want to die? This always happens every time you use the Cang-Qiang Ascension! Do you still consider yourself a man? Why do you want to take the easy way out? Have you already forgotten how you killed my entire family?!
"You still have to pay me back for the rest of your life, so you are not allowed to die!"
Li Huowang nodded gently, and Bai Lingmiao leaned over, biting Li Huowang's shoulder. Moments later, she stood up, leaving a bloody row of teeth markings.
The atmosphere inside the carriage was oppressive.
Bun had stuck its head out of the window, but it immediately retreated.
"Miaomiao, I met a Shaman, and his name is Shen Tugang," said Li Huowang. Then, he told Bai Lingmiao about Shen Tugang's unique way of interacting with the Immortal families.
As their conversation went on, the atmosphere in the carriage warmed up slowly.
Chapter 367 - Shaman
A spacious carriage slowly rolled down the streets of Yinling City, heading to the inn where Li Huowang was staying.
Li Huowang covered in injuries was inside the carriage. He turned to Bai Lingmiao and calmly said, "If the Immortal families are going to follow you for your entire life, anyway, then you'd be better off using Shen Tugang's method rather than allowing them to use you as a mere laborer.
"However, his method is risky, and whether or not to use it depends on your situation."
Bai Lingmiao was currently not under any threat by the Immortal families, but Li Huowang couldn't help but worry about her upon recalling Li Zhi's words.
Bai Lingmiao stared at Li Huowang in surprise. "Does the man's lyrics really look down on the Immortal families? Just what are the lyrics?"
Li Huowang pondered briefly over Shen Tugang's words before saying, "Drive away the wolves and devour the tigers. The Immortal families are a bunch of creatures that bully the weak and fear the strong. Intimidate them, and you can negotiate with them."
"What did Shen Tugang do to intimidate the Immortal families?" asked Bai Lingmiao with a solemn expression.
"He decided to rear evil spirits," Li Huowang replied, "However, he didn't go into the specifics, but there's no way he would have told me about it, as it's a cultivation that is closely intertwined with his own life and death."
Bai Lingmiao silently repeated his words with a thoughtful look.
"Shen Tugang said it's like balancing something almost equally heavy on both sides. Neither can be too heavy or light. Both sides can be employed together if done properly, but if done improperly, it can be dangerous."
Li Huowang reached out and patted Bai Lingmiao's hand. "Don't worry, I'll come and help you once I'm done."
Li Huowang had to prioritize things, and he felt that returning Bai Lingmiao's personality back to her original personality was the top priority.
Bai Lingmiao's face showed a hint of distress upon seeing Li Huowang's torn right hand.
Bai Lingmiao pulled her hand away and said, "No need. It's useless for me. I'm fine now, and the Immortal families haven't really done much to me."
"Really?" Li Huowang stared at the black scar on Bai Lingmiao's fair neck.
"Why would I lie to you? You should be more concerned about yourself," said Bai Lingmiao, changing the topic.
The Immortal families were plotting against her, but she had no plans of telling Li Huowang about it. Li Huowang had suffered enough, and she believed that there was no need to make him go through even more suffering.
Bai Lingmiao believed that the method Li Huowang had mentioned was worthy of pondering over. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
"Don't say things like that. It's better to be prepared than sorry. I'll pay attention on your end. If the Immortal families cause you any trouble, I want you to let me know as soon as possible."
The carriage came to a stop just then, as they had arrived at the inn. The Second Deity bent down and carried Li Huowang off the carriage.
The two walked upstairs amidst the strange gazes of the people in the lobby. The Second Deity walked into the room and closed the door to the room.
"How about you come back to Cowheart Village with me? I'm sure everyone has been waiting for you," Bai Lingmiao said, looking down at Li Huowang on the bed.
Li Huowang thought about it, but he eventually shook his head and said, "No, I'm just going to wait here. I would miss Ji Xian's message if I were to go back to Cowheart Village."
In addition, Li Huowang had no intentions of getting involved with others. The best outcome for them was to live a peaceful life, and if Li Huowang were to get involved with them, they would never be able to live a peaceful life.
There were already enough people who had died by his side.
Bai Lingmiao's lips curved into a smile just then. She then took off her clothes and lowered her head to kiss Li Huowang.
"I'm still injured..." Li Huowang muttered, sounding in pain.
"Heh, that makes it even better. You can't die, after all. Also, you still haven't told me who Yang Na is!" Bai Lingmiao exclaimed.
Soon, the thin threads keeping Li Huowang's wounds together tore one by one. After a long time, Bai Lingmiao lay spread eagle on the bloodstained bed with her left foot on Li Huowang's chest. She was gasping for breath with a soft smile.
Li Huowang was about to say something when Bai Lingmiao lifted her slender left leg and smacked it down Li Huowang's chest, making the latter exhale sharply.
"Do you really think I don't know the matter between you and the Second Deity? Now there's Yang Na. You have too many women, Li Huowang," Bai Lingmiao said, sounding resentful. It seemed that she wanted to take revenge on Li Huowang.
Li Huowang noticed that Bai Lingmiao brimming with killing intent, and Bai Lingmiao with nary a trace of killing intent had markedly different reactions in the face of the same situation.
Li Huowang caressed Bai Lingmiao's leg without saying anything.
Li Huowang closed his eyes slowly and was about to drift off when Bai Lingmiao suddenly said, "The Second Deity is a part of me. If I die someday, you can treat the Second Deity as myself. However, that Yang Na nonsense is unacceptable!"
"If she dares to appear before you, then don't blame me for not showing any mercy!"
Li Huowang looked helpless as he said, "Yang Na exists solely in my hallucination. Are you jealous of a mere illusion?"
Just then, Li Huowang realized that Bai Lingmiao had become the Second Deity. The Second Deity wasn't wearing that red veil, and her peculiar appearance was completely exposed to Li Huowang.
Her slender mouth opened slightly, and a voice filled with grievances echoed soon afterward. "Senior Li..."
Li Huowang was stunned, and he felt as if the past Bai Lingmiao was right before him.
"Senior Li..." Tears flowed from the five eyes of the Second Deity, and she appeared like a puppy that had been bullied as she choked up in tears while in Li Huowang's embrace.
"Miaomiao? Is that really you?" Li Huowang muttered, but he felt a shiver down his spine upon coming up with a terrifying idea. Could it be that Bai Lingmiao had failed to absorb the killing intent and that she had been replaced by the Second Deity?
Was she forced to become the Second Deity?
While holding the Second Deity in his arms, Li Huowang cast a fierce gaze at the empty room and shouted, "Second Deity! Come out and tell me what's going on!"
Li Huowang realized just then that the hairy body of the Second Deity had become smooth and soft.
"Main Deity, Second Deity, is there any difference?" Bai Lingmiao asked. She was still in Li Huowang's embrace and was staring at Li Huowang seductively with her pink pupils. "Do you really care about who you use? You're not picky, anyway."
"Tell me... who are you?" Li Huowang asked with a solemn expression. Despite his injuries, he looked exceptionally intimidating.
Chapter 368 - Hope
Bai Lingmiao smiled upon seeing Li Huowang's terrified look. She shifted to a more comfortable position in his arms and rubbed her head gently against his chest.
"It's funny to see you so scared. Lie down, and I'll explain things to you," Bai Lingmiao said.
Li Huowang's body relaxed, but his heart was still pounding madly against his chest.
Was the Bai Lingmiao before him the Main Deity or the Second Deity?
He had to know before he could determine what to do next.
Bai Lingmiao squinted, and then she burst into laughter.
"Why are you laughing? Hurry and explain!"
"Well, I don't know how to explain it to you; it's difficult to put into words."
"Then, keep it as simple as possible. The simpler, the better."
Bai Lingmiao pondered briefly before asking, "Huowang, do you know what's inside the human body? hat are humans made of?"
Li Huowang frowned unconsciously. He couldn't understand what she was trying to explain with such a nonsensical question.
"Ah~ Huowang, guess~" Bai Lingmiao said coyly, which made Li Huowang feel uncomfortable. Bai Lingmiao had never been the type to behave like this.
"Are you talking about the physical mortal body?"
"Nooope," Bai Lingmiao shook her head and said, "How should I put it? Let's just say that humans are made of ten emotions and eight sufferings. The ten emotions are joy, anger, sorrow, greed, hatred, infatuation, fear, love, and evil[1], and the eight sufferings are birth, aging, sickness, death, resentment, separation from loved ones, unfulfilled desires, and the dominance of the five aggregates."
"Everyone has varying degrees of intensity of the ten emotions and eight sufferings, but they all exist. Your identity and your actions are spurred by those things."
Li Huowang's heart quivered. "Who told you that? The Immortal families?"
"Why are you in such a hurry? Let me finish," Bai Lingmiao said, glaring in displeasure at Li Huowang before continuing, "Those who are not making use of their ten emotions and eight sufferings still have those—they exist but are hidden."
"Ordinary people can hide them just fine, but Shamans are different. Most Shamans have two sides—a Main Deity and a Second Deity."
Li Huowang glanced at the two girls on his left and right and urged Bai Lingmiao to continue.
"Though we share the eight sufferings, the ten emotions are separate. Back then, the Immortal families used my hidden ten emotions and combined them with some of their scattered things to create the Second Deity."
"That means..."
"It means we're one person. Our memories are a bit different from each other, but we are indeed both Bai Lingmiao. The killing intent is making me make use of more joy, anger, hatred, evil, and greed, allowing her to have less of them."
"The Second Deity used them, as the past Bai Lingmiao wasn't really making use of her joy, anger, hatred, evil, and greed."
Li Huowang looked at the faces right before him. His mind was in a mess, as it was the first time he had heard of something like this.
"Who told you that? Was it the Immortal families? Don't trust them; they could be deceiving you for all we know!"
"The Immortal families aren't the Sitting Oblivion Dao. They're not going to have fun fooling you with knowledge that everyone probably knows," Hong Zhong said upon appearing out of nowhere.
Li Huowang instantly covered Bai Lingmiao with a blanket the moment he saw Hong Zhong before asking, "Are you aware of the so-called ten emotions and eight sufferings, too?"
"How cute, you're actually asking something that is common knowledge. Aren't you hiding in the Surveillance Bureau? Ask the people there, and you'll know whether I'm speaking the truth or not," Hong Zhong replied.
Li Huowang had spent so much time in this world, but it was his first time hearing the so-called ten emotions and eight sufferings.
I think Luoism had a Nascent Soul kid who liked talking about all these, but I wasn't really paying any attention. Li Huowang could still remember that the goal of cultivation was to escape from the ten emotions and eight sufferings.
"So, Huowang, do you finally understand? I have just a bit more joy, anger, hatred, evil, and greed. Bai Lingmiao is still Bai Lingmiao. I'm the freer and better Bai Lingmiao!"
"No, the original Bai Lingmiao is the only Bai Lingmiao that I know!"
Bai Lingmiao wasn't agitated at all, and she pointed at the Second Deity next to her before saying, "Then, that's your Bai Lingmiao right there. She's that obedient, indecisive, and weak Bai Lingmiao."
Li Huowang turned to look at the Second Deity. When he saw her pitiful beast eyes along with that familiar yet foreign gaze, Li Huowang unconsciously reached out to embrace her.
"All right, you two should go on. I'll give you some space," Bai Lingmiao said, putting on her belly band as well as revealing pants. She then pulled apart the curtain and left.
The cold snake scales prickled Li Huowang, but he didn't flinch as he pressed his face against it.
"Don't worry; I'm going to turn you back! I promise!" Li Huowang vowed.
Li Huowang gradually recovered under the care of Bai Lingmiao and the Second Deity.
However, Li Huowang became more and more restless with every passing day. He still hadn't heard anything from Ji Xiang, and Li Huowang was starting to get worried that something had happened to Ji Xiang.
Li Huowang woke up to another day. He sat up on the bed, and a foot kicked him almost immediately.
"You're getting really annoying! You woke me up again!"
Li Huowang didn't respond. He had gotten used to it long ago. He pulled apart the blanket, got up, and quickly covered the blanket again to make sure that the warmth wouldn't escape.
Li Huowang then opened the window and used it to climb onto the roof. He patted his abdomen to shake off the dust on his hands before taking out an enlightenment book.
A tentacle with a pair of eyes burrowed out of his navel and read the book with Li Huowang. Li Huowang listened quietly to the voice in his ears that had completely taken over his own reading. Li Huowang realized that the book was about to accomplish its task and that he would soon have to find something else to teach Li Sui.
The issue was what would he teach Li Sui. Li Huowang could only teach Li Sui using these enlightenment books, as advanced and obscure literature was beyond him.
Should I just forget it? It's not like I'm planning to let him take the imperial examination. He can speak clearly, and our relationship has become more harmonious. I've already achieved my previous goals.
"Dad, I want to learn this," Li Sui said, showing Li Huowang a piece of turmeric paper with his tentacle.
"You want to learn to draw talismans?" Li Huowang wasn't sure whether Li Sui could use them, but he found it strange to have a tentacle monster draw talismans for him.
While Li Huowang was hesitating, a black shadow fleeted across him from above.
Li Huowang looked up, and a stack of letters fell from the sky.
"Those are..." Li Huowang's heart thumped. He snatched them out of mid-air and opened them to see the greetings with the name Er Jiu at the start. Li Huowang's pupils constricted. This was what Ji Xiang had promised me!
Li Huowang read every single word, looking for the words "Bei Feng."
Li Huowang's eyes darted left and right, and his gaze soon came to an abrupt halt as his breathing turned into ragged pants. Li Huowang's sweat drenched the paper in his hand as he muttered, "It's been two months since we parted in Yinling, and today..."
The records of the Surveillance Bureau stated that Sitting Oblivion Dao's Bei Feng was just like Li Huowang—a Strayed One!"
It was precisely because he was a Strayed One that he managed to make use of the bewilderment in his heart to disperse the mounting obsession that came with age, allowing him to live 194 years old.
Based on Bei Feing's long relationship with the Surveillance Bureau, Li Huowang deduced that Bei Feng had a way to break free from the hallucinations!
Li Huowang's heart filled with excitement as tears streamed down his face. He had experienced so many hardships along the way—hardship that always made him feel despair, but today, he finally felt hope for the first time!
1. author only listed nine ?
Chapter 369 - Double Happiness
The rooster crowed, and Yinling City woke up once more; the quiet streets gradually became bustling, filled with pedestrians and donkeys.
Everyone was busy with their own affairs, and no one took notice of a visibly excited red-robed Daoist sitting on the roof tiles of an inn. Of course, no one could understand Li Huowang's mood.
"Dad?" Li Sui was rather surprised as he used two tentacles to touch Li Huowang's rapidly beating heart.
It had been two hours since all this started, but Li Huowang had yet to calm down. He was still reading the contents of the letter in his hands. No one could understand what this letter meant to him. However, it was a meaningful letter for Li Huowang. It meant that he wouldn't be trapped in pain and bewilderment forever, that his life wouldn't be filled with suffering and despair, and that he still had hope.
All the suffering he had to go through over these years would be worth it the moment he learned the method to dispel the hallucination from Bei Feng. By then, he would be able to live like an ordinary person and spend his life peacefully with the people he loved.
The desire to die in Li Huowang's heart vanished. Now, he only had one goal—live on and escape the Strayed One's bewilderment!
"Huowang, why are you on the roof?" Bai Lingmiao's familiar voice echoed.
Li Huowang snapped back to reality, and he jumped down to hug her tightly. Then, he took a good look at her delicate face and said excitedly, "There's a way, there's a way, there's a way!"
Li Huowang had just established a clear goal, and Bai Lingmiao's issue could finally be resolved. The happiness had just doubled, as Ji Xiang had said in his letter that he had some connections to military families who could get rid of Bai Lingmiao's killing intent!
"What's going on? Are you losing your mind?" Bai Lingmiao asked, sounding confused.
Li Huowang shook his head lightly, and then he gently pecked her pink lips before running away with a spring in his steps.
"Let's go! Pack up, and we're going to the capital!" Li Huowang exclaimed before disappearing.
Meanwhile, a group of adults with their children in tow had surrounded the Bai Family Hall in the Bai Family Village; they wore excited looks as they stared into the hall.
Lu Zhuangyuan's slick demeanor had vanished, and he emitted a solemn air as he sat on the master's chair. Five children of varying heights, each holding a cup of tea in their hands, were before Lu Zhuangyuan.
The tallest of the children spoke first, saying, "Disciple Zhan Yuansheng would like to join Trope Leader Lu Zhuangyuan to learn how to make a living. In the meantime, any silver I gain will belong to you, my master. In the case of any natural disasters or misfortunes, I will accept my fate. If I were to selfishly escape or become disobedient, then I would be beaten to death!"
The child then served the tea in his hands to Lu Zhuangyuan, who took a sip with a gleeful visage. The child then knelt down and kowtowed thrice before Lu Zhuangyuan, all the while calling him "Master."
The other children followed until all five had sworn allegiance to Lu Zhuangyuan.
Lu Zhuangyuan then put on airs and said seriously, "A scholar is produced every 3 years, but it takes 10 years to produce an actor! Though we are in the lower aspect of the 9 classes, there are still 360 trades, and each can produce a scholar!"
"Disciples, you must practice diligently and make sure not to slack off! I want you to become renowned figures that everyone will remember through the ages!" Lu Zhuangyuan exclaimed, painting his grand picture. Then, he cleared his throat and turned to his eldest disciple, saying, "Juren, take them to test their skills."
Juren and the children soon departed.
Left all alone, Lu Zhuangyuan jumped down from the master's chair and dropped his act, grinning like a fool.
Holding a handful of melon seeds, Puppy teased him, "Troupe Leader Lu, your Lu Family Troupe is thriving. I think it's about time you buy a theater in Yinling City!"
Although it was said in jest, Puppy's words resonated in Troupe Leader Lu's heart. Lu Zhuangyuan broke out into a smile. "Hehe, thank you for your good wishes!"
Zhao Wu leaning on a wooden crutch sounded confused as he asked, "Troupe Leader Lu, where did you find those children? Are their parents really willing to let their children act with you?"
People with land usually wouldn't send their children to act in a theater as people like them usually found it shameful to become actors.
"Hehe, of course, they must be willing first," said Lu Zhuangyuan. Then, he pulled out a tobacco pipe from his back, lit it, and took a few puffs with a triumphant look. "They were all little beggars whom I had encountered while traveling for performances. They couldn't refuse my offer when they heard about food and shelter.
"Ah, I hope you won't be surprised knowing that despite the Liang Kingdom's prosperity, there are still beggars out there."
"What's surprising about that? Unfortunate people are a dime a dozen. However, I want to know why they even bother becoming actors when there is so much land for the taking. Couldn't they simply become landlords?"
Lu Zhuangyuan recalled the fields surrounding Cowheart Village and felt a pang in his heart. In the end, he nodded, saying, "Well, becoming a landlord and an actor are not mutually exclusive."
Lu Zhuangyuan couldn't feel reassured. Those lands didn't belong to him. Without Li Huowang around as the master of the house, they would have no way of fighting back if they were driven away one day.
However, Lu Zhuangyan knew that building a theater meant that every brick and tile of that theater would belong to him. He would also be able to live with peace of mind by then.
Lu Zhuangyuan actually wanted to discuss it with Miss Bai, but her family had gone through something, and he hadn't been able to find the right time to talk about it with her.
Lu Zhuangyuan's plan was to wait for Miss Bai's recovery before sending his daughter-in-law to make inquiries. Unexpectedly, Miss Bai became like that young Daoist, and she disappeared without a trace.
"Puppy, do you perhaps know where Miss Bai went? When is she coming back?" Lu Zhuangyuan asked the shifty-eyed Puppy. After all, the entire Bai Family Village belonged to Miss Bai. She had to be here for anyone to discuss land ownership, tenantship, or even what crops to plant.
They seemed like immortals and could survive on dew, so they can afford not to get involved in the mundane world. However, they should have told me before leaving.
Puppy's face lit up with joy upon hearing Lu Zhuangyuan's question. "Ah, yes, my wife is pregnant. I'm going to be a father, but it'll be at least around the New Year or during the Qingming Festival."
Lu Zhuangyuan's face wrinkled with disdain. That's not my question; why is this guy even showing off to me? Does he not know that I'm already a grandfather while he's still about to become a father?
"What about Miss Chun? I haven't seen her around for quite a while now."
Puppy tossed a salted melon seed into his mouth and cracked the shell with his teeth before saying, "How would I know? She's not my wife, and there's no way she'll become my wife with that stinky temper of hers."
Lu Zhuangyuan chuckled at Puppy's defensive remark before leaving the hall.
Puppy spat out the melon seed shell and left the Bai Family Hall. He was well aware of who was an insider and an outsider. He could tell his fellow disciples what he had found in the cellar of the Bai Family Ancestral Hall, but he couldn't share that with the Lu Family Troupe.
Puppy wandered around the somewhat deserted Bai family village before walking toward the entrance of a high-walled courtyard in the eastern side of the village. Puppy grabbed the tiger-head door latch and knocked. "Simpleton, open the door. It's still daytime, so why did you even lock the door?"