"Why... why? Why are my powers useless here?"
Li Huowang persistently attempted to utilize his powers, both on the Simings and in the vacant space before him, yet nothing happened.
"Unless... Unless... Unless I don't have the Heavenly Dao of Truth and Heavenly Dao of Lies?" Li Huowang looked down and saw the vast arrays of mirrors with his reflection once more.
Ji Zai started searching the mirrors for clues to see if anything similar had happened before. He suddenly lifted his hands, and a specific mirror floated towards him.
The Li Huowang inside the mirror was different, with a lotus root as his head.
"Is that so? Do you really think that I'm fine? How would you explain Bei Feng's words, then? Why do I feel that you've instigated it?"
Ji Zai listened to Li Huowang and wasn't sure how to respond. He had said those exact same words once, but he had forgotten what Ji Zai had answered.
He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts before addressing Li Huowang in the mirror. "It's because something happened, and we need your help."
"Help? How may I help you? Why are you acting as if I were your Twisted One?"
Ji Zai wasn't sure what to feel about himself when he heard his past self. "There's no reason to differentiate between ourselves. I am you, and you are me. We have the same Heavenly Dao."
Li Huowang rubbed his temples; flesh had started growing on his lotus root head. "The denouement has come. Can't I even live in peace?"
Ji Zai looked up at the chaotic battlefield and said anxiously, "You chose this, and my choice is your choice, so you should not complain."
"Fine. Tell me what to do."
"The Sitting Oblivion Dao has been annihilated, so this is our golden opportunity. I need your help snatching away Yinyang Doulao's Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies."
Ji Zai needed them to join in the fight!
The Li Huowang in the mirror was outraged and almost laughed because of how absurd the suggestion was. "You need my help doing that? Pfft! I'm just an ordinary person. How can I snatch those away? How can I help you deal with a Siming with two Heavenly Daos? Also, aren't you responsible for the Heavenly Dao of Bewilderment? Are your hands not full just taking care of your own Heavenly Dao? Why do you need more Heavenly Daos to the extent that you've actually considered robbing a Siming for it? I'm tired... I'm really tired. Can't I rest for a few years?"
An intense pressure shot downwards. Even though Ji Zai was covered in the Dragon Qi, he was still thrown away from the impact.
Ji Zai, now currently upside down, quickly said to the mirror, "I'm not the one seeking trouble here; I am simply trying to protect myself. Don't forget that helping me equals helping yourself. If anything were to happen to me, what had happened would change."
"Protect?" Li Huowang was shocked. He stared at Ji Zai and asked nervously, "Did something happen at the Baiyu Capital? No, even if something had happened, how could that event be significant enough to harm you—a Siming?"
"You'll know the answer if you think about the reason why the Surveillance Bureau wanted the Sacred Mountain Ghost Eye. You should also think about why Shai Zi even came up with such a complicated plan to obtain the Dragon Vein. Something major is happening, and they can feel it. How about you? Don't tell me that you don't feel anything."
"Is it god Yu'er?" Li Huowang asked seriously.
Ji Zai smiled bitterly when he sensed the chaos above him. "If it were just god Yu'er, it would be easy to handle."
This was not about god Yu'er's singular Heavenly Dao—it was a war between Simings.
"Who could it be other than God Yu'er? Who are they, where did they come from, and what do they want?" Li Huowang repeatedly asked questions from the mirror, causing Ji Zai to grow increasingly irritated.
After conversing for a while, Ji Zai finally recalled what happened to the Li Huowang behind the mirror. This conversation took place when he had just defeated Shai Zi. At that time, his head had burst, and he had temporarily used a lotus root to substitute his head.
"I can't tell you that, as they'll immediately learn of your existence the moment you learn of their existence. In addition, even your future self did not tell your present self."
Li Huowang was confused—he had no idea what Ji Zai was talking about.
"You want me to help you snatch Doulao's Heavenly Daos, but you haven't told me how to do that. What do I need to do?"
"You can probably do it through Bei Feng. Find Bei Feng and Doulao's Twisted One. Kill them and leave the rest to me," said Ji Zai.
Ji Zai smashed the mirrors with both hands after having said that.
Moments later, the Li Huowang from the other side of the mirror shouted angrily.
"What?! You could have told me that earlier! The Surveillance Bureau just captured Bei Feng! They are never going to let me make contact with Bei Feng!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
Ji Zai slowly raised his head and felt the minute changes around him. He slowly felt that the beings above him weren't as large as previously thought. He felt his distance between them slowly becoming smaller.
"Truth and Lies... I've obtained both of the Heavenly Daos!" Ji Zai shouted out what was destined to happen as he raised both arms and pushed away the darkness in front of one of the Simings.
A lot of information flowed into him the moment he touched it. All of the Simings were currently connected by an umbilical cord and acted as one! Each of them shared each other's Heavenly Daos! That was how all of them could feel pain, truth, and falsehoods.
They were now one, and they were stuck together in the Baiyu Capital. The umbilical cord was the Dao of Fusion! The connected Simings acting as one were Da Nuo!
"Do you think this is better?" Yi Donglai frowned and observed the sand table.
Several figurines were tied together into a ball with white yarn. The ball of figurines was placed in the middle of the sand, and the little figurine representing Li Huowang was also placed in the ball.
There was another ball in front of this ball. Various monster figurines were tied together with a black yarn.
Yi Donglai pushed his glasses up and looked at the silent Li Huowang. "And then? What happened? Why do you think you are one of them?"
Li Huowang coughed gently and didn't answer. He used his right hand to pick up the ball of figurines tied together with the white yarn.
He pondered shortly before winding up his arm and throwing the ball towards the black ball on the sand table.
Both balls collided, and their yarns snapped. Various figurines and monster figurines flew high up into the air.
Chapter 811 - Siming
Li Huowang was dressed in a blue and white striped hospital gown. He sat on a bench in the exercise yard and stared silently at the barbed wire fence in the distance. He was waiting for Shai Zi to contact Doulao.
At that moment, someone next to him gently bumped into him and passed him a small piece of paper.
Li Huowang reached out and unfolded the crumpled note. He read the contents as a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Has it finally arrived?"
Just then, Li Huowang saw his black motorcycle flash by on the overpass in the distance.
"What are you looking at? Why can't I see it?" A bald patient leaned over and asked Li Huowang in confusion.
Li Huowang sneered. "Hmph! You're not a Siming, so of course you can't see it."
"Bed number 13! Come here! Dr. Yi is looking for you!"
Li Huowang stood up and walked toward the sandplay therapy room. Yi Donglai was already waiting there.
"Li Huowang, based on my observations of your mental state these past few days, I must say your issues are quite serious." Yi Donglai adjusted his glasses. "Have you really not experienced any hallucinations recently?"
"No." Li Huowang sat back down in front of the sand table.
"You should reconsider it. Did you take your medication today? Maybe you have experienced them but didn't realize it?"
Li Huowang looked at the empty sand table, searching for something. "Where's the little figurine?"
"No, today we're doing something different. Those figures don't represent you." Yi Donglai pointed his pen at the wall of models. "Today, you decide which model represents you. Whatever you choose will be you."
Li Huowang glanced at the door, walked over to the model cabinet, and began to choose.
First, he picked up a ferocious monster, then a human figure. He threaded a rope through them and bound them tightly, back to back.
Suddenly, he thought of something. He reached into the drawer on the left, then took out two magnets stuck together and tied them together.
The rope rose high and made Ji Zai fly off the ground. Fortunately, the other Simings pulled it back, preventing it from flying away.
"Get away!" Ji Zai changed his opponents' Truths and Falsehoods. However, no matter how many times he altered them to be falsehoods, they always returned with their bodies spread from various angles. Their Heavenly Dao let them metamorphose!
No contact was needed. Just knowing of its existence was enough to become part of it.
This Heavenly Dao was too strange, clearly not originating from the Baiyu Capital. It was from outside, and there were sixteen others like it.
Voices traveled through the rope into Li Huowang's ears. "You need eyes to see the Five Purities. Heaven and Earth are born together. Just stripping away their shells is useless. You need to see their hearts."
"Eyes? I'm blind now! How the hell am I supposed to have eyes?!" Li Huowang removed the extra metamorphosed parts of his body and shouted, "Who will give me eyes? I need to see them!"
"Eyes! The Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies are not enough! I still need eyes!" Li Huowang shouted with all his might.
"You have eyes! They're with you. Find them carefully!"
"I don't have them!" Li Huowang frantically searched for mirrors while he dodged the attacks. No matter how strange his reflections were, he never found the eyes he wanted.
"You do! Look closely, don't just focus on one side."
Li Huowang quickly altered reality and evaded the enemy's attacks. He suddenly lifted his body. "Give me eyes!"
His body shuddered, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. He saw them—the eyes had arrived.
Li Huowang put down the model he was holding. "I want to go to the bathroom,"
Yi Donglai nodded. "Alright. Go ahead."
At that moment, a phone call came in, which Yi Donglai quickly answered. Soon, a furious expression appeared on his face.
"What did you say? Transfer hospitals now? Do you have any idea how unwell this guy is right now?
"Don't tell me about these. His treatment has just started, so transferring is absolutely impossible.
"No matter who you send, it's not happening! Don't forget that the White Tower Hospital isn't private!"
After he hung up the phone, Yi Donglai sat back down at the sand table. He noticed a drop of blood on the ground.
He frowned, walked to the model cabinet, and looked at the chaotic model Li Huowang had assembled. A few drops of blood had stained the table.
"What's going on? Did Li Huowang cut himself on the model?" He used his pen to straighten the peculiar model.
Suddenly, on the back of the model, a terrifyingly bloodshot eyeball appeared and stared at Yi Donglai!
The eyeball had just been gouged out—it was Li Huowang's left eye! At that moment, Li Huowang's left eye was tightly bound to the model with a rope!
Just a moment ago, he had gouged out his own eye!
Yi Donglai felt a chill run down his spine. He immediately turned and rushed outside. "Orderlies!"
As he left, the eyeball on the model slowly slid down from the model to the edge of the table, then toward the ground. Upon reaching a lower point, numerous tendrils swiftly attached themselves to the flesh behind the eye, seamlessly intertwining them together.
"Father! Do you see it coming?" Amidst the chaos, Li Sui held up the eyeball and asked loudly.
"I... I can see! I can finally see!" Li Huowang gazed at them in the distance and made out even more details.
The lost divisions had not vanished. They were in their bodies, twisted into something more suited to them—their three souls and seven spirits!
With these divisions, they could come to the Baiyu Capital. Those missing divisions had been transformed into shells.
"Finally.....!" Li Huowang took a deep breath and raised his hands toward a division in the distance.
The missing divisions were returning to their rightful places. Li Huowang intended to forcibly take their three souls and seven spirits away!
Rip! One of their shells shattered. It vanished without its three souls and seven spirits, never to reappear in Baiyu Capital.
Li Huowang saw that it was effective, so he immediately seized the opportunity and continued his actions.
However, it was apparent that they did not plan to stand by and let Li Huowang attack. Some things overlapped with each other, and it would take Li Huowang a long time to remove their shells. The situation seemed to reach a stalemate once again.
Chapter 812 - Dragon Qi
This time, Ji Zai was not fighting alone. When the other Simings saw his movements, they immediately came to help.
The umbilical cords behind him pulsed continuously, which caused Li Huowang's body to grow larger and more deformed.
However, Li Huowang soon noticed a mirror appear out of nowhere before him. As he grew stronger, the mirror also grew stronger.
"What kind of Heavenly Dao is this?!"
As Li Huowang shouted, he saw his reflection in the mirror reach into its mouth and pull Li Sui out. Li Sui's tentacles twisted continuously, but it was useless.
"How dare you touch my daughter!" Li Huowang squeezed with both hands and caused the opponent's body to flicker like a faulty screen.
In the end, they still failed. The scales on Li Sui's body shone with a golden light, and the reflection of Li Huowang in the mirror released its grip.
The opponent's actions made Li Huowang realize their weakness. Their Heavenly Dao was ineffective against Dragon Qi!
Li Huowang charged forward without hesitation. With the Dragon Qi coursing through him, he slammed into them.
He watched the opponent's body fall apart from the impact, and a smile appeared on Li Huowang's face. The advantage was theirs, and they were going to win! The entanglement between different Heavenly Daos was not crucial—the key was the Dragon Qi from a mortal!
As Li Huowang thought this, the entire Baiyu Capital began to crack. Li Sui raised the eyeball high and moved it up and down to see what was outside the cracked Baiyu Capital.
Li Huowang could only see one side of it, but there was clearly more than just one side. He heard strange sounds. "Ancient moss is three feet thick, stepping on it feels like thin cotton... Stooping out from beneath it, touching the gas, mushrooms are fresh... The old sandalwood trees twist together in momentum... Ride a phoenix to pluck its flowers... your touch will turn into ancient smoke..."
Li Huowang suddenly understood what it was—a Greater Siming.
Li Huowang also finally understood that everything before was just a prelude to bring this thing into the Baiyu Capital. This thing was the key. It must not be allowed to come over!
Li Huowang rushed forward recklessly and pulled on either side with his hands, desperately trying to close the cracked Baiyu Capital.
However, no matter how hard Li Huowang tried, the crack continued to widen.
From behind, a mass of blackness rapidly approached him to try to stop him. However, some Simings on his side rushed over to block them.
Li Huowang's body was stretched longer and longer like a rope. No matter how long he stretched, he refused to let go.
"Dragon Qi!" A familiar voice sounded in his ear. It was Shai Zi, who drifted past Li Huowang's eyeball like a speck of dust.
The words Shai Zi was about to say appeared in Li Huowang's mind. Use Dragon Qi to sew it up! Use your Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies along with your flesh and blood to mend the sky!
Li Huowang's flesh rapidly stitched up the Baiyu Capital, and the crack was continuously healing. Just as it was about to fully recover, it stopped. The Dragon Qi was insufficient.
"Father, take this! It's from my body," A surge of Dragon Qi flowed into Li Huowang's body and helped the cracked Baiyu Capital to recover a little.
However, Li Sui's form began to waver as she gave away the Dragon Qi from her body. Everything about her was being torn apart by the Baiyu Capital, and she was about to die.
"Wait... wait!" Li Huowang cried out in despair. He wanted to push the Dragon Qi back, but Li Sui had already left his body.
"Father, I'm sorry. I've always been so useless. I could only help this little. If only I could've done more for you."
"Li Sui, come back!" Li Huowang shouted in agony while Li Sui's body gradually began to disintegrate. It finally collapsed powerlessly and fell downward.
"Ahhh!" The crack in the Baiyu Capital rapidly healed with Li Huowang's flesh and blood and stitched it together.
However, a slight pulse from the other side caused the healed gap to start to tear open again.
Li Huowang thought of his daughter and felt as if his heart was being gouged with knives. As his body cracked, extreme pain filled his entire being. The power of Ba-Hui surged through the umbilical cords and caused his body to swell even more.
And yet, it was still not enough. Mending the Baiyu Capital would require more Dragon Qi.
At this critical moment, Li Huowang sensed a dense Dragon Qi.
He looked down and saw a six-clawed golden dragon and a group of mutated dragon people emerge from the darkness. It was Xuan Pin!
They twisted and turned amidst the chaos, as though they were searching for something.
"I'm here!" Li Huowang shouted. Xuan Pin and the others found their direction and crashed directly into Li Huowang's body.
A massive influx of Dragon Qi poured into Li Huowang, and his Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies instantly had a medium. He quickly stitched the two sides together and pushed forcefully, which caused the cracked Baiyu Capital to instantly close up.
Once the Baiyu Capital was without cracks, Li Huowang's body fell along with everything inside him.
He did not disappear, but he saw that his eyes and Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies were all above him. That was Ji Zai, who was still fighting afterward.
Thump! Li Huowang slammed heavily into the cold seawater from a great height.
This might have been perilous for other mortals, but not for Li Huowang.
After some time, he emerged from the water and made his way to the shore. His mouth hung open as he let out a desperate, lifeless howl. Tears and saliva mixed together, cascading down and dripping continuously to the ground.
Li Sui was dead. The evil being that had followed him for so long was gone.
He had initially kept this being by his side to avoid obstacles. Somewhere along the way, they had developed a bond akin to family ties. Yet now, it was gone.
"Are you okay? What happened?" A hand reached over to help Li Huowang up.
Li Huowang heard the voice, looked up excitedly, and saw Xuan Pin's familiar face.
"Not bad at all, truly amazing. Because of you, we finally won this time."
"Perhaps... maybe...." Li Huowang suddenly pounced on Xuan Pin and forcefully tore off his red Daoist robes.
A handsome young man's face appeared before Li Huowang, one he had never seen before.
The young man looked at Li Huowang's emotional face with a hint of bitterness.
"Actually, I didn't want this body either. 160 years ago, when I fell from the sky, I accidentally crushed him to death."
As Xuan Pin spoke, his face began to change. It eventually returned to the cute girl's appearance from before, except her demeanor was now like that of a dignified lady rather than the young girl Li Sui once was.
Xuan Pin awkwardly reached out and patted Li Huowang on the shoulder, who stood there in a daze.
"It's been so long since I called you that, I suddenly find it hard to say. Uh... Father, are you okay?
"I wanted to find you when I fell from above, but I realized there was no sun or moon in the sky. Since I fell more than a hundred years ago, I had to wait for you to return.
"I actually wanted to reunite with you sooner, but then I remembered that you lacked Dragon Qi before I came down, so I thought of a way to send—"
Before Xuan Pin could finish speaking, Li Huowang pounced forward and hugged her tightly in his arms.
Chapter 813 - Death
Dong, dong, dong! The sound of war drums accompanied by howling wind kept resounding. With the drumbeats, the massive formation of soldiers advanced step by step.
As the drumbeats quickened, their speed also increased. Everyone exhaled and inhaled in unison as if tens of thousands of soldiers moved as one body.
Hundreds of followers of the Dharma Sect stood opposite them. They pulled gigantic statues of Buddha and waved towering soul banners as they surged toward them like wild beasts.
When the two sides clashed, the battlefield's center became a grinding stone of flesh and blood, continuously devouring everything and spitting out fragments and remains. Most importantly, these remains were still alive.
When battles no longer resulted in death, everything inevitably became more extreme.
The Dharma Sect followers with stone statues inserted in their heads chanted as they charged at rows of White Lotus followers.
Their bodies were already broken, but they stood up again and endured the pain through stitches and the purple talismans on their foreheads.
Their hands were gone, replaced by rusted blades tied to their bones. They had completely transformed into beasts and livestock.
The Grand Witch said that the enemy caused all their pain. As long as they killed them, Sir Arrogant Stone would mercifully grant everyone peace.
They didn't have much power, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. They would keep getting back up unless they were torn into pieces.
Amidst the blood and gore, the two sides fought for days and nights until they were completely drained of strength.
At that point, each person was filled with despair and numbness, moving purely on instinct.
Everyone dragged their exhausted bodies and slowly left the decaying battlefield. They forced themselves to make it back to their lines before finally succumbing to exhaustion, collapsing into a heap.
Bai Lingmiao, covered in blood and grime, staggered through the battlefield. They wouldn't die, and once they regained their strength, they would stand up again.
Bai Lingmiao had already exhausted all her tears two days ago. She was extremely tired and could only let the White Lotus followers, who still had a little strength, return to the halls to sleep.
Her mind was buzzing as if it was no longer her own. Everything felt too tragic.
She looked at the distant, pulsating ground of flesh. Her heart was devoid of any fluctuations now. She had experienced far too much during this time.
Just then, a group of people in black robes quietly walked through the crowd. They moved as silently as possible to avoid waking anyone. They crouched by each person and left a trace of red behind.
Soon, they reached Bai Lingmiao and placed the same red traces beside her and the people behind her. The teachings of Ao Jing shall endure, and pain shall persist.
Bai Lingmiao picked it in her hands and realized that the trace of red was the Profound Records.
The followers of Ao Jing Sect were attempting to distribute the Profound Records to everyone, in preparation for an even more ruthless battlefield.
Bai Lingmiao's lips trembled slightly. She wanted to say something but ultimately kept quiet.
If the pain-inducing Profound Records could bring an end to everything sooner, she had no right to stop what was happening.
A disheveled young man rushed from among the corpses to Bai Lingmiao, then knelt and continuously bowed to her. "Saintess, please help my grandfather! I'm begging you!"
Bai Lingmiao gently lifted him up and followed him to the nearby tents.
Many people lay in disorder inside the tents. They wore no armor and weren't soldiers. These were laborers who fell to the ground like logs.
Since they wouldn't die of sickness or cold now, they could sleep anywhere they wanted.
After walking a while, the young man suddenly turned and rushed toward a black humanoid mass by the gutter.
As the black mass buzzed and dispersed, Bai Lingmiao realized it was a living person who was previously covered by a thick layer of flies.
It was an old man covered in age spots. His head was sunken, his belly was leaking, and a hole in his temple had white maggots crawling within.
In ordinary times, he would've died long ago. Now, he remained alive and coughed with all his strength. The itch in his throat did not ease no matter how much he coughed.
The young man wiped his tears. "Saintess, please help my grandfather! He's so tired, but he can't sleep. He's so hungry, but he can't eat. Whatever he eats leaks out."
Bai Lingmiao looked at the intestines that had slipped into the gutter.
Bai Lingmiao realized she couldn't do anything now that death was gone, even if she wanted to. The old man was old, and he should have died of old age long ago.
This was his fate, and no divine power she wielded could reverse it.
Bai Lingmiao sat by the old man and watched his pain with compassion. She silently recited the White Lotus Sutra in her heart.
She knew it was useless, but it was the only thing she could do at this moment.
As Bai Lingmiao's heart filled with compassion, the suffering old man gradually stopped moving under everyone's shocked gazes.
Soon, black flies swarmed and crawled into the old man's mouth.
"Dead? Really dead? The Saintess can kill! The Heavenly Mater has manifested!"
"Really dead! Finally! I can die too!"
Hope gradually appeared in everyone's eyes and seemed to spread outwards.
The crowd began to gather around Bai Lingmiao, their eyes filled with anticipation and reverence as they kowtowed towards her.
"I..." Bai Lingmiao looked at her hands in shock. "Has the Heavenly Dao of Death returned?"
When she looked at the kneeling half-body before her, Bai Lingmiao quickly realized that the Heavenly Dao of Death had not returned. She had merely gained the power to grant death.
Bai Lingmiao understood what it meant. There was death on their side but not on the enemy's side, providing a massive boost in morale! Pain was no longer eternal—they could die whenever they wanted.
As the news of the White Lotus followers spread, everyone's spirits lifted despite their extreme exhaustion.
More people witnessed Bai Lingmiao granting the release of death to those who should have passed away long ago.
The once lifeless camp buzzed with vitality.
Without death, there was no life. Only death could bring life.
Chapter 814 - Perish
After a brief rest, the drum sounds resumed, and the flesh mill started turning once again. But this time, it was completely different from before.
On Bai Lingmiao's side, everyone was extremely excited, attempting to receive fatal injuries so they could die with the Saintess's blessing.
A group of chicken-feet men wearing veils on their faces noticed something was amiss. They attempted to surround Bai Lingmiao.
The White Lotus followers were not to be underestimated. They quickly formed an array with Bai Lingmiao at the center.
Meanwhile, on the other side, something began to bulge beneath the ground of flesh, stealthily moving toward Bai Lingmiao.
Before it could get closer, a streak of red descended from the sky and slammed into the bulge. Foul-smelling blood quickly seeped out of the soil with a squelch.
Li Huowang stepped forward and crushed a head beneath him. He wiped the blood off his face with his hand. "I made it in time!"
When they saw him, the nearby Dharma Sect followers roared in anger. They changed direction and rushed toward Li Huowang.
"Ha!" Li Huowang opened his arms and pushed outward. Within several meters centered around him, the Dharma Sect followers were crushed into an indistinguishable pulp of flesh and blood.
After clearing the area, Li Huowang found himself facing three Grand Witches. Above them, blood started dripping incessantly.
Li Huowang looked at them and laughed happily. "You are all finished!"
The next moment, Li Sui appeared behind them. The father and daughter simultaneously exerted their strength and charged toward the three Grand Witches.
Just as they collided, a low rumble of thunder echoed from the sky. Boom! Boom! Boom!
Li Huowang twisted his throttle sharply and rode his motorcycle high over a pile of debris. He landed heavily on Orange Isle's unfinished asphalt road.
Dark red blood seeped through the cracks in his helmet and dripped down his bulletproof vest to the ground.
Deep in Orange Isle, he heard gunshots and engine noises. Soon, he saw the enemy—the projections of the foreign Simings! They were engaged in combat!
Li Huowang pulled out a military knife and slashed it forcefully into the motorcycle's front. "It's time to cut off their retreat and beat them!"
His motorcycle hummed as its speed approached the limit of 320.
Someone emerged from the side and attempted to block him. Li Huowang twisted the throttle, making his motorcycle collide with them and directly rip them into two.
Amidst the rain of blood, he charged into the enemy like a bowling ball and caused a storm of flesh and blood.
The enemy clearly didn't expect Li Huowang to suddenly join the fray, causing chaos. They had assumed he was stuck in the psychiatric hospital.
Li Huowang braved the hail of bullets and broke through to Wu Qi's RV. He leaned against the vehicle. "I'm here to help you!"
"Cut the crap! The situation is dire! I don't know what's going on with these guys. They've gone mad!" Chen Hongyu replied grimly.
"Where's the Three Pure Ones?" Li Huowang wiped the blood off his helmet and asked the others.
"Who?"
"Qing Wanglai."
"He said he went to find you! But since you came back, who knows where he went!" Zhao Lei said with a grimace.
Li Huowang glanced at the encirclement in the distance and the enemies hiding behind the car cover, quickly making up his mind.
Without hesitation, Li Huowang climbed onto Wu Qi's RV and quickly turned the steering wheel to charge toward the encirclement ahead. He stepped firmly on the accelerator, though all the glass was shattered.
The vehicle was under constant fire, causing the tires to burst and the hood to smoke and catch fire.
Boom! The RV slammed into their black car and caused the vehicle to explode, sending flames soaring into the sky.
While everyone ran clear from the raging flames, Li Huowang, who was currently engulfed in the fire, charged out of the blaze with twin knives and directly sliced off an enemy's head.
Li Huowang was going to rush toward the next person, but a towering figure appeared before him.
He raised his foot and kicked hard at Li Huowang's stomach, causing him to slam against the charred car frame.
"What the heck kind of projection are you?!" Li Huowang yelled angrily. He endured the sharp pain in his abdomen and charged with his knife toward the figure.
The opponent sprayed Li Huowang's chest with a machine gun, and more blood seeped from the cracks of his helmet.
Li Huowang staggered and fell, but he flung the dagger forcefully, embedding it into the opponent's chest.
"Come on! Again!" Li Huowang struggled to stand and looked at the corpses on the ground. The others finally began to retreat, gradually fading into the darkness of the unfinished buildings.
"Hahaha! We won! You'll never take over our world!" Li Huowang laughed out loud.
"Yeah, yeah, you won, you won." Two burly orderlies, with a cigarette in each of their mouths, walked past the charred car frames and bullet-ridden walls. They carried a wheeled stretcher to Li Huowang's side.
"It's New Year's. Stop running around and make us search everywhere," they complained as they lifted Li Huowang onto the stretcher, firmly tied him, and then carried him toward the distant ambulance.
Li Huowang was momentarily stunned, but then he smiled.
As the Simings over there vanished, their segments of history vanished, just like Doulao did before.
This meant that his side had truly won this time!
"What did you win? If you mean pulling your eye out and scaring me, then you really won," Yi Donglai said helplessly.
"Li Huowang, that's your eye! Did you ever think about what that means? You'll only have one eye from now on. What were you thinking?!"
At this moment, Li Huowang was in good spirits. "Heh heh... you wouldn't understand."
He turned his gaze toward the sand table before him. The sand table was filled with people. Their voices annoyed Li Huowang.
"Shut up!" He waved his hand and toppled the models on the sand table.
Suddenly, the chaotic battlefield fell silent. All the Dharma Sect followers stopped in their tracks, looking confused.
The next moment, a gentle breeze blew by. All the Dharma Sect followers regardless of rank, from the Grand Witches to the lowest novices, simultaneously leaned back and fell straight to the ground.
In the entire Nanping, including An Xi, occupied by the Dharma Sect, all the followers lay flat on the ground silently.
The Li Kingdom had fallen.
Chapter 815 - Won
"We won?" Li Huowang stood in place and stared blankly at the Dharma Sect followers lying scattered on the ground.
He walked over and checked someone's pulse. He was shocked to find that the person wasn't breathing at all. They were all dead.
There was a loud clattering noise of earth crumbling. The enormous Buddha statue, which had been dragged to the center of the battlefield by the followers of the Dharma Sect, started to crack and eventually crumbled into scattered fragments.
"We won, we won!" Excited shouts spread endlessly like a tsunami that reached everyone's ears.
The cries of excitement echoed through the sky, filled with exhilaration. They lost themselves in ecstasy as they pounded the ground with their fists.
They had won. Their enemies had been defeated, and the fear of a dreadful destiny akin to that of the Great Qi no longer burdened their hearts.
Many people even tossed their weapons high into the sky. If death hadn't disappeared, that alone would have killed many people.
"We've won... finally won..." Li Huowang smiled as he glanced around, and his gaze finally settled on Xuan Pin.
"Li Sui, how did I do as a tall guy?"
Li Sui gently nodded, then approached Li Huowang, reached out to open his abdomen, and crawled inside as before. "Father, let's go home."
"Yeah! Go home!" Li Huowang nodded. He felt elated as he headed off the battlefield.
"It seems we really won up above. Only then could we win so easily down here!"
The corners of Li Huowang's mouth lifted slightly as he listened to the cheers around. "Li Sui, what do you think I should do next?"
Li Sui didn't answer. She just extended two tentacles from his navel, wrapping them around Li Huowang's left hand and gently shaking it.
Li Huowang approached a group of White Lotus believers, who were zealously kneeling on the ground and kowtowing toward Bai Lingmiao amidst the crowd. They were calling for the manifestation of the Heavenly Mater.
"Miaomiao! We won! Let's go home!" Li Huowang shouted.
Bai Lingmiao smiled and shook her head slightly among the dense crowd of White Lotus believers. She discreetly pointed at the believers around her.
"Okay!" Li Huowang smiled and nodded, then pointed towards Cowheart Village and strode towards that direction.
Just as he stepped off the battlefield, he saw Huangfu Tiangang, the Imperial Preceptor of Great Liang, flash by while he stepped on a sword in the sky. "Where is Xuan Pin?! His Majesty commands Xuan Pin to return to the Great Liang immediately!"
Li Huowang paused for a moment before finally reaching out to gently pat his abdomen. "Go on."
Suisui had grown up and now had her own matters to attend to. Li Huowang's abdomen slowly opened and her dense tentacles poured out.
Li Huowang took off his red Daoist robe and draped it over Li Sui's sticky body. Li Sui nodded at him, then quickly retracted her body into the earth and vanished completely.
Li Huowang looked at the ground where Li Sui had vanished, then smiled again. He happily turned his head to shout at the monk beside him. "Monk! Did you see that? We won! We really won!"
The monk also nodded vigorously. "Yes! Daoist! You won and saved many people, which is a great deed! You can become a Buddha now!"
Jin Shanzhao also dragged his broken body over and muttered excitedly to Li Huowang.
"We won! Hahaha!" Qiu Chibao held her rotten child and laughed hysterically as she circled Li Huowang.
"Hmph." Peng Longteng watched the farce unfold atop her horse as she slowly followed along.
Li Huowang left the bustling scene with the company of these illusions.
"Daoist? Is it really you? Daoist?" A voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar sounded behind Li Huowang.
Li Huowang paused. He slowly turned around and saw an old monk smiling at him.
It was the monk—the one who always wanted to do good deeds.
Li Huowang turned his head to look at the illusion beside him, which looked exactly like the old monk.
"Daoist, long time no see! I didn't expect you to come too. Did you come to help with the fight?" The monk held his prayer beads and asked Li Huowang curiously.
Li Huowang glanced between the two monks and finally stared wide-eyed at the real one. "You're not dead?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? Of course I'm not dead," the monk said matter-of-factly. The illusion of the monk began to flicker.
"Wasn't I working at Righteous Monastery before? After you left, I kept moving stones there, all the way until now."
"Then there was a war, and I heard I could do good deeds, so I came to help with the masters. I did a lot of work along the way, but I can't tell if they're considered good deeds."
"You're still alive?" Li Huowang slowly turned his head and looked at the illusion of the identical monk beside him. "If he's still alive, then who are you? Who are all of you?"
Li Huowang's mind was in chaos. He had always believed these illusions were the souls he kept around with the power of his Strayed One just before they died.
He had believed this for so long, yet now he realized that he was wrong.
The illusionary monk glanced at the real monk, who was identical to himself. He looked at Li Huowang with a complicated expression. "Daoist, if he's the real monk, then we're probably all fake." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Jin Shanzhao and Peng Longteng also began to flicker alongside him.
"Nonsense!" Peng Longteng jumped off her horse and approached Li Huowang. "Can't you see? We're not the original us. We're just parts of you! You're not cultivating the 'Truth.' You're just cultivating 'Lies'!"
These words struck Li Huowang like a thunderbolt. Peng Longteng, Jin Shanzhao, and the monk all quickly became transparent.
After seeing this many times, as if he knew his own ending, the illusionary monk walked up to Li Huowang. "Daoist, I'm sorry. I couldn't help you much during this time. I was only able to recite 'Amitabha.'
"Still, I think that even if it's not useful, you should always have a good heart. Otherwise, how can you become a Buddha?" The monk said, then completely vanished.
Next was Jin Shanzhao. He said nothing but reached out and gave Li Huowang a thumbs-up as he smiled happily.
Jin Shanzhao was about to say something, but Peng Longteng bumped into him and caused his body to scatter like smoke.
"Kid, you're a man. I tried to kill you before, but you ended up killing me, which is fair. Our debt is settled."
Li Huowang stood there in a daze as he watched the illusions around him disappear one by one. Finally, only Qiu Chibao remained as she danced crazily with her child.
"This...." Li Huowang looked at the empty surroundings while a flood of distress suddenly surged into his heart.
The self-deception that he had always believed in had finally crumbled.
Li Huowang staggered backward with a twisted expression. The monk hurried to support him, only to be pushed away by Li Huowang. "Shai Zi, what do you mean by this?!"
Somebody gently tapped on the sounder of the monk, and he immediately froze. The one who tapped him had an eighteen-sided die on his head.
"Nothing. I helped you, and so naturally, you should help me. I couldn't come down from above, so I used your deception to come down. You can't go back on your word."
"What the hell do you want!"
Li Huowang looked at Shai Zi with a gaze that could kill. As he stared, Shai Zi's body gradually shrank.
"For now, I want nothing. I just want to stay alive."
Shai Zi snapped his fingers, and he stopped shrinking.
"Li Huowang, honestly, you surprised me. I originally thought the sky would collapse, but you held it up.
"When I took the Dragon Vein, I had just been thinking of picking up the pieces after the sky cracked. As expected of Ji Zai's Twisted One, everything is uncertain with you around."
"Don't worry, you've already patched the sky, so I don't need to work against you. Isn't that right, Xuan Pin?"
The red-robed Xuan Pin walked between Li Huowang and Shai Zi. She glanced at Shai Zi and then reached out with six hands to embrace and support Li Huowang. She gently whispered to him as she slowly retreated.
Shai Zi turned around to look at Huangfu Tiangang, who had suddenly appeared. He reached into his bosom, pulled out a fortune mask, and handed it over.
Huangfu Tiangang harrumphed, his face ashen. He waved his sleeve and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Shai Zi reached for his eighteen-sided die head, took out a die with six sides, and offered it again to Huangfu Tiangang.
This time, Huangfu Tiangang didn't leave. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out to accept it.
It was the twelfth lunar month. On the 24th, they dusted and cleaned the house. On the 25th, they ground tofu, then slaughtered pigs and cut meat on the 26th. On the 27th, they slaughtered chickens and went to the market. On the 28th, they made rice cakes and steamed buns, then pasted window decorations.
With red paper decorations on the windows, the air filled with the sweet scent of snacks. After the heavy snow, the flavor of the New Year had arrived in Cowheart Village.
It wasn't just Cowheart Village. The Great Liang, Hou Shu, Qing Qiu, and Si Qi also tried to be as lively as possible. It was as though they wanted to wash away the past sorrows with the joy of the New Year.
Li Huowang stood on the second floor of the Bai family courtyard, watching smiling children run freely in the snow.
The room was cold, and the stove was not lit. He stood there as though waiting for something and stayed there until nightfall. The white snow in the air slowly fell and landed on his black hair, forming a thin layer.
Li Huowang caught sight of the dazzling fireworks illuminating the sky above the distant wall, while the White Lotus flags swayed gracefully between the houses. The corners of his mouth slowly lifted.
Chapter 816 - Li Sui
"Father! Father, where are you?" Li Sui shouted in panic as she looked around at the unfamiliar forest. The leaves were completely red. She had never come here with her father before, so she didn't know where she was.
This was the first time she had been genuinely separated from Li Huowang. Most of her tentacles were already broken, and her body had been torn apart. She was both afraid and in pain.
She looked down and saw that she was crushing a young man. The impact from her fall had crushed him, and he was vomiting blood. She had seen him before. It was the same young man who talked to her before she left.
Li Sui didn't have the time to ponder why he was here. In the end, she confirmed that he was dead and then ate his organs. Afterward, she wore his skin to recover her frail body.
She felt her body slowly getting better thanks to the nourishment from her food, but her situation was still perilous.
She looked up and saw the hole in the sky had been grafted over. She couldn't go back even if she wanted to. Without Dragon Qi, she would be dead when she flew up there.
She called for help, but no one came to her rescue. Li Sui had no choice but to cheer herself up. "It's alright. Father is busy up there. He will come down soon once he's done. I can wait for him here."
Li Sui pushed her eyeballs out of her eye sockets and raised them high in the air to look at the sky. She stared at the sky for an entire day, but she still didn't see Li Huowang falling from the sky.
Although she may have been naive, she was smart enough to realize that something was amiss.
"Unless..." As Li Sui worried, she remembered what Li Huowang was going through before she fell down.
Li Sui regained her motivation and started running down a dirt path. "My father said he needs Dragon Qi! I need to go and help him obtain some!"
"The big Emperor has Dragon Qi. I need to find him and ask him to send Dragon Qi to my father!" Li Sui said as several tentacles sprouted out from her body.
Li Huowang had never hidden anything from her, so she remembered what he had said even though she hadn't understood it.
Li Sui perked up upon seeing track marks of carriage wheels on the dirt path. She earnestly followed the tracks.
She noticed a carriage up ahead and quickly approached it. She jumped up and grabbed the reins, then turned to face the astonished carriage driver. "Where is the war? I want to go there!"
The driver stammered when he saw Li Sui. "There's... There's no war. I don't think there's a war here."
"Impossible! So many people died! Isn't this place Nan Ping?" Li Sui suddenly panicked. Somehow, the situation wasn't unfolding as she had remembered.
"Nan... Nan Ping? I never heard of that place. This is the Great Qi!"
The sound of footsteps snapped Li Sui out of her reminiscence. She looked out from the window and saw several children running excitedly in an alleyway.
One of the children had vitiligo. Despite her condition, she made an effort to keep pace with the others. She was holding a lit incense stick in her right hand.
They ran around and soon found their target at the entrance of the village: a fresh pile of cow poop.
"I don't think this is a good thing to do. My dad said we needed to take the cow poop home and plaster it onto the walls to make biscuits."[1].
"Who cares? Blasting them away is much more fun than collecting them! Everyone, stand back. I'm going to light it up!"
One of the older children placed a red firecracker into the poop before taking the incense stick from the younger child and lighting it up.
Sparks flew and everyone scattered. Those who didn't manage to run out of the blast radius in time would be peppered in cow poop.
Even so, there was an undeniable sense of excitement among all of them as they saw the cow poop getting blasted apart by the firecrackers. All of them laughed happily. A child's happiness was always so simple.
Li Huowang, who had been soaking in the sun's rays at the top of the roof, saw everything. "Why are there so many children in the village now? And of all things, why are they playing with cow poop?"
Li Huowang lifted his finger when he saw the children lighting one of the firecrackers up again. The firecracker, which was supposed to explode, became silent.
As the children took out another firecracker and circled around the cow poop, Li Huowang let his finger down. The previous firecracker exploded and covered all of the children in cow poop as they cried.
"Hehehe." Li Huowang chuckled gleefully when someone overshadowed him from the back.
"Want to sit down for a bit? Taking in the sun's rays during winter is pretty comfy." Li Huowang patted the spot to his left.
Li Sui, who was now wearing Xuan Pin's red robes, sat beside Li Huowang. "Father, there's something I need to do in the Surveillance Bureau. I have to go back now, so I won't be accompanying you and mother."
"Does the Surveillance Bureau not celebrate the New Year? At least go back after the Lantern Festival.[2]
Li Sui replied, "The Dharma Sect might've been eradicated, but the divisions haven't returned yet. The Surveillance Bureau in Nan Ping needs to be rebuilt too. Also..."
"Also?" Li Huowang looked at his daughter.
"The Sitting Oblivion Dao is back. We have a lot of work to do."
"Sitting Oblivion Dao!" Li Huowang's killing intent leaked out. "Leave it to me!"
"Father, there's no need to do that. The Sitting Oblivion Dao will never be exterminated as long as the Heavenly Dao of Lies exists. We just need to knock them down a peg if they go overboard."
"But they are the Sitting Oblivion Dao!"
"I don't think it's rational to destroy the Heavenly Dao of Truth and the Heavenly Dao of Lies just because we want to exterminate the Sitting Oblivion Dao. The Sitting Oblivion Dao will exist for as long as they exist."
Li Huowang frowned at those words. The Heavenly Dao must exist, including the most dangerous and useless ones. The world would be in chaos if even one of them were gone, especially since Li Huowang himself was controlling the Heavenly Daos of Truth and Lies.
Li Sui continued, "You are technically a Sitting Oblivion Dao member too. You can't kill yourself to remove the Sitting Oblivion Dao permanently, right?"
"You are talking about Shai Zi, not me." Li Huowang frowned when he recalled that unkillable pest. "I always wondered what his plan was, but I never thought he had a plan to use my 'Lies' to bring himself back to life."
Li Sui was surprisingly calm in the face of Li Huowang's reaction. "Father, the Sitting Oblivion Dao is indeed a hassle, but it's just a small issue." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
"Small issue? Don't forget that they almost stole the Liang Kingdom's Dragon Vein."
"They wouldn't be able to do so. They almost succeeded because I let them do it. If not, we wouldn't have Ji Zai. This is part of the Cause and Effect, after all."
Li Huowang looked at Li Sui with displeasure. "Sui Sui, why do I think that you are speaking out for him?"
1. Not the kind of biscuits they would eat. They plaster the poop onto the wall and use the sunlight to dry them. The dried poop biscuits can then be used as fuel to burn wood since they are rich in fiber. ☜
2. The fifteenth day of the new year, which is also the day signaling the end of the celebrations. ☜
Chapter 817 - Red Packet
Li Sui bent her body forward and snuggled against Li Huowang. "It's not like that. It's just that Shai Zi is very smart. He knows that causing trouble now would benefit no one. Also, he knows that it would be detrimental to him if anything were to happen to Da Nuo."
Li Huowang reflected on the name. "Da Nuo... is Da Nuo the name of this world?"
"Da Nuo is also our name. Everything in this world—the seas, the land, and every grain of sand, is part of Da Nuo."
"What about the Simings? Are the Simings part of Da Nuo?"
"Da Nuo is the Greater Siming."
"Greater Siming... A Greater Siming does not have the past and the future." Li Huowang sighed. "If we are part of Da Nuo, then what about them? What about god Yu'er? What are they?"
Li Huowang tried to recall the beings outside of Baiyu Capital. They had tried to tear Baiyu Capital in half, but no matter how hard he tried to remember, he could not come up with anything.
Suddenly, the skies almost split apart! The small crack in the sky trembled as it threatened to open. It was alive.
"Don't think about it! Just carry on!" A low shout snapped Li Huowang out of it. The voice sounded like him and Ji Zai at the same time.
Li Huowang smacked his head and looked around. Nothing had changed, as if it had been an illusion.
Li Sui explained, "I don't know what it's called on the other side, but the Surveillance Bureau called it Fu Shengtian."
"Why is it called Fu Shengtian? Is there any special reason?"[1]
"The name was passed down in the Surveillance Bureau. Those before me called it Fu Shengtian, so we continued to use that name."
Li Huowang then looked at Li Sui. "Since you already knew all that, why didn't you tell me? Why were you letting me guess what was happening?"
"Father, I didn't dare to tell you. I feared that revealing what was happening might alter the course of the future. We would've been in trouble if Ji Zai had disappeared because of that."
"Heh." Li Huowang wanted to make a snarky remark, but he stopped himself. Ji Zai was his past self. He would become Ji Zai if he entered the Baiyu Capital.
"Also, why did you give yourself the name Xuan Pin? Xuan is one thing, but what does Pin mean?"
"Father, Xuan is the color black. As for Pin, it holds the meaning of a female beast. For example, 'A Pin chicken doesn't call the dawn' means that a hen doesn't crow like a rooster does. There's no other meaning."
Li Huowang was embarrassed. He might've deduced Xuan Pin's identity if he had known the meaning of Xuan Pin's name.
Li Huowang sighed. "Sui Sui, you've grown a lot. You are now taller and wiser than me."
His daughter was now a hundred and sixty years old. Even though Li Sui had constantly been changing, he felt that she was very different now.
Li Huowang also felt empty now that Li Sui was not constantly by his side.
"Father, no matter how much I changed, you're still my father." Li Sui said, pointing at a faraway alley. Inside the alley was none other than Lu Xiucai pulling along his crazed father towards their home.
"Look. Even if Lu Zhuangyuan can't remember or recognize anyone, he will always be Lu Xiucai's father."
Li Huowang nodded and gently pulled on Li Sui's tentacles. "You've worked hard for the past hundred years. You have done a lot to ensure the peace of the world today. If you hadn't come in time, all of this might have ended differently."
Although Li Sui never mentioned it, Li Huowang was aware that she had patiently waited for a hundred and sixty years just to send him the Dragon Qi. He was fully conscious of how long that was and the excruciating pain that accompanied such a lengthy wait.
"Father, when I was young, I believed you were everything, but every child must eventually leave their home. In the past, whenever I encountered problems, I hid inside of you. I was certain that you could handle anything.
"However, when I ventured out into the real world, I began to truly grow up. I didn't merely wait for a hundred and sixty years—it was also an important part of my life. I matured and became Xuan Pin, Chief of the Liang Kingdom's Surveillance Bureau. As the Chief, it is my responsibility to protect Da Nuo."
When Li Huowang heard what Li Sui told him, he felt a complex feeling in his heart. His daughter had grown up, and he was also experiencing what it felt like to be a father, much like a father does when his daughter gets married.
Li Huowang glanced at the kitchen filled with smoke and turned to Li Sui, saying, "I know you're busy, but could you at least stay for lunch?"
"Alright, I will go and help my mother." Li Sui phased downwards from the roof.
It was the second day of the new year, and the warm meal was quickly finished.
Li Huowang held onto a de-feathered live chicken and snapped its neck before tearing it in half to present it to Li Sui. "Eat this. I know you like eating raw food. Eat something nice before you go."
Li Sui declined Li Huowang's offer. "Father, I don't need to eat that now. I can now easily control my nature as a Black Taisui."
"Then..." Li Huowang looked at his arm.
"Father, here, eat this." Li Sui stretched out two tentacles from her robe and grabbed some chopsticks. She then picked up the braised ribs and placed them in Li Huowang's bowl.
Li Huowang only gave up on tearing off his limb to feed Li Sui when Bai Lingmiao kicked his legs gently under the table.
"Here, eat this instead." Li Huowang picked up a large piece of duck meat and placed it in Li Sui's bowl.
Xuan Pin's large body slowly shrunk before the familiar little girl's body walked out from the robes.
The three of them sat and ate their meal. It was a rare occasion where they felt like a family.
While the three of them were savoring their meals, the courtyard door suddenly swung open. Puppy, who was now in new clothes, entered with his wife and their daughter in tow. Laughter filled the air as they made their way inside.
"Senior Li! Happy New Year! I'm here to visit you! May you be prosperous and have good luck in your endeavors!"
Puppy greeted Li Huowang and then gently picked up his daughter, placing her near Li Huowang. "Nan Nan, say hello to your Uncle Li."
"Hello, Uncle," she stammered, her voice fading into silence out of shyness. Puppy was also staring at Li Huowang without a word.
Bai Lingmiao took out some money wrapped in red cloth[2] out of her clothes and passed it to Nan Nan. "It's impressive how well your daughter can express herself at such a young age. She will grow into a fine young woman in the future."
Seeing that his mission had been accomplished, Puppy smiled with joy. He took his daughter and readied himself to visit the others. "Senior Li, now that times are peaceful again, you should hurry up and have children. If you don't, you'll only be handing out money during the New Year."
He turned to his daughter. "Nan Nan, let Daddy hold onto the red packet for you. I will return the money when you get married."
Just then, Li Sui blocked Puppy's path. "Uncle Puppy, I wish you a Happy New Year! I wish that your blessings will be as vast as the Eastern Seas and your lifespan as long as the Southern Mountains."
"Uncle... Puppy?"
Puppy was shocked and caught in a daze as Li Sui extended her arms and took back the red packet.
1. Fu Shengtian can be literally translated as "Prosperity Births the Heavens" ☜ 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
2. A red packet. It contains money in it. In folklore, red packet money is used to ward off evil beasts that devour children. Nowadays, it's a way for elders to pass on blessings to children. ☜
Chapter 818 - Story Teller
Li Huowang brought Bai Lingmiao along to send off Li Sui after their lunch. They were now at the entrance of Cowheart Village.
"If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to reach out to me using your illusions. I will rush there as soon as I can," Li Huowang said.
"Father, don't worry. I will always tell you if something requires your attention."
"Good. Then let me know if someone bullies you as well."
"Father, I don't think anyone in the Liang Kingdom could bully me now. I will leave first." Li Sui disappeared instantly like a popping bubble.
Li Huowang exhaled a white wisp of breath as he gazed at the village blanketed in snow. He held onto Bai Lingmiao's hands as they walked back. "I forgot to tell her to write to us once in a while."
"Senior Li, I think she would still write even if you didn't tell her. Next time, should we still call her Sui Sui? It feels very strange to call her Xuan Pin."
Li Huowang shook his head. "It's fine if we call her Sui Sui at home, but we should still refer to her as Xuan Pin outside. We can't embarrass her since she's the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau. Also, isn't my other name Xuan Yang? One's Yang and one Ying. I think the name Xuan Pin fits our daughter well."
"That's true." Bai Lingmiao nodded. "Senior Li, don't try to feed Sui Sui your flesh next time. She's no longer the same little child that we know of."
Li Huowang looked at the spot where Li Sui had disappeared. "She waited a hundred and sixty years just to fulfill her promise. I just wanted to find a way to thank her."
"We don't have to be this formal since we're a family. You would've done the same if you had been in the same situation."
Li Huowang nodded and held onto her hands.
The two of them walked silently in the snow-covered village.
They had almost reached their estate when Li Huowang asked, "You'll be leaving soon as well, won't you? As the Saintess of the White Lotus Sect, you're about as busy as Sui Sui, right?"
As Bai Lingmiao was going to say something, Li Huowang stopped her. "Go. Have a safe journey."
Li Huowang tried to let go of her hand, but Bai Lingmiao held on. After some time, she loosened her grip.
"Death is still missing. I have to perform a ceremony to pray for the Heavenly Mater's blessing and return Death to the world. I will come back once I'm done."
"Alright." Li Huowang wasn't worried about it. The Heavenly Mater had indeed obtained the Heavenly Dao of Death. The Natural Disaster would soon come to pass.
"There's so many devotees in the White Lotus Sect nowadays. Don't hesitate to bring Sui Sui and me into your business if someone tries to usurp your position. We will make sure that they think twice before they act."
"Don't worry. I was chosen by the Heavenly Mater. Trying to usurp my position would be equivalent to betraying the Heavenly Mater. Those who worship her would never do so."
Upon hearing that, Li Huowang suddenly raised his head and shouted into the skies. "You better be honest and don't pull off any tricks! I will smash your golden lotus if you dare to do so! I always honor my promises!"
Bai Lingmiao pushed his back lightly before quietly whispering for the Heavenly Mater to forgive his outburst.
Soon, the devotees of the White Lotus Sect with white donkeys tattooed on their backs carried a large palanquin into the village. Bai Lingmiao entered the palanquin before they left Cowheart Village.
Li Huowang entered his estate and saw that the busy estate was now empty. Even his numerous illusions had dwindled, leaving only Qiu Chibao behind.
"The others already left, so why are you still here? You should be fake too," Li Huowang asked Qiu Chibao.
However, Qiu Chibao ignored him and silently ran into the kitchen. She tried to pick up the leftover food on the plates.
Her dirty hands phased through the plates repeatedly, but she kept trying.
Seemingly out of nowhere, she managed to grab a large braised pig trotter. She was briefly shocked, but then she jumped with joy and quickly stuffed the trotter into her mouth, devouring it eagerly.
Li Huowang stood behind her, staring at the sad scene before him.
Qiu Chibao's belly gradually expanded as she indulged in the meal, yet she showed no signs of stopping. Li Huowang waved his hands, causing Qiu Chibao to once again transform into an illusion.
She then sat in a pot and held onto her rotten child as she cried. Li Huowang left her and walked away.
He had just taken two steps outside when he met Zhao Wu. "Happy New Year, Senior Li! Where are you going?"
"Heading out for a walk."
"It's the New Year. Don't you think it's inauspicious to carry that around you?" Zhao Wu pointed at Li Huowang's spine sword.
Li Huowang pondered a little before he removed it and passed it to Zhao Wu. "Help me put it back in my house."
As Zhao Wu barely opened his mouth to reply, Li Huowang walked past him toward the outside of the village.
With every step he took, the ground folded and slid under him. It was as if he took a hundred steps with a single step.
He walked for a brief moment before reaching the town beside Cowheart Village.
But Li Huowang had forgotten it was the second day of the New Year. At this time, almost everyone was visiting their family.
The streets were empty except for the place where the White Lotus Sect was recruiting devotees.
"Think about it carefully. Who is the Heavenly Mater? What is the Heavenly Mater? Heavenly means death.[1] Think carefully. How strong must the Heavenly Mater be to hold the reins of Death? Do you not believe us? You can also enjoy your afterlife in the Void Home after your death!"
Li Huowang walked past them and heard the storyteller's voice in one of the tea shops.
"The storytellers wish to advise everyone to choose the middle path! Everyone will face their karma, whether they are kind or evil, for such is the path of life. Today, please allow this young one to talk about the person with a majestic and regal appearance. He is above the Dharma and commands the Heavens, the Saints, and the Universe. He illuminates the Heavens and heeds the lessons of Heaven. He had the ability to create all things and saved countless lives! He is none other than the merciful Zhuge Yuan! Everyone, please listen to me closely!"
The storyteller threw a piece of wood onto the table to catch everyone's attention. The voices in the tea shop quieted down.
Li Huowang turned and entered the tea shop.
Li Huowang had just sat down when a waiter placed the teapot on his head and poured a cup of tea for Li Huowang from a meter away.
"Dear customer! You are just in time. We've just opened during the New Year, so there's a promotion going on. The boss says you can drink as much tea as you want for twenty coins. We would even throw in two plates of cakes for each customer!"
Another waiter appeared and served two plates of small cakes to Li Huowang.
1. The Chinese raws 无生 mean without life, i.e., dead. ☜
Chapter 819 - Qi Kingdom
"Dear customer, here are some pomegranates and begonia cake for you. Please enjoy the meal, and call us when you need more tea."
Li Huowang took a sip of tea and continued to listen to the storyteller.
"Saint Zhuge Yuan stood on the walls of You Capital and shook his bar mace! He glared, and the cowardly Dharma Sect members dropped like flies! All of them got scared to death!"
When they heard the story, the customers whistled and clapped. Some of the richer ones even threw some money onto the stage.
"Heh. This is interesting. To think that the storyteller would turn into a story itself."
Upon hearing that, Li Huowang turned to his left. He saw a middle-aged man with a black mustache sitting there. "Do you know Zhuge Yuan?"
"Sure, I'm from the Qi Kingdom," the man replied, lifting his empty tea cup and calling out to a waiter, "Excuse me, waiter!"
"Coming! Please hold still!"
A long teapot spout extended from the second floor and poured down a thin stream of tea from the top. The tea fell accurately into the customer's teacup and filled it perfectly.
"You know who Zhuge Yuan is, yet you can still stomach this story?"
"Sigh. I have nothing to do anyway. My family and relatives are all dead, and I don't have anyone to visit. I just came here to pass the time listening to stories. Look around you. I think many of the people here are from the Qi Kingdom."
Li Huowang looked at the customers and nodded. "Even though this guy is telling some rubbish story, it's still undeniable that Zhuge Yuan saved the Qi Kingdom."
"Heh, who knows if it's true? I believe the monks are embellishing the details to deceive others into giving them alms," the man remarked casually before lifting his cup and starting to drink his tea.
He almost choked on his hot tea as he coughed. His face was red from the choking.
Li Huowang ate a cake and slowly chewed on it. He savored the sweetness as he listened to the story.
The storyteller began to exaggerate his story, going as far as claiming that Zhuge Yuan carved out the heavens themselves. Li Huowang couldn't bear it anymore and decided to leave.
"Dear sir, please come and visit again soon! The price is right, and we serve the best of the best for just twenty coins!"
When Li Huowang heard the waiter say that, he reached into his pockets and placed twenty brand-new coins on the table before leaving.
He suddenly realized that the man from the Qi Kingdom beside him had disappeared. Li Huowang hadn't noticed the man's departure.
Li Huowang left as he pondered. He's probably not just someone ordinary. I wonder what kind of background he has.
He walked around the village and found that there was nothing he could do, so he decided to head back. I should just focus on cultivating.
The troubles were over, but it was still beneficial to become stronger.
Li Huowang returned to the village and entered the familiar cave at the back of the village. He closed his eyes and focused.
The more he cultivated, the more the difficulty spiked. Still, he wasn't in a rush. He took his time, gradually pushing the primordial breath within him with his inner sight.
He didn't know how long he was cultivating, but he saw that it was already nighttime when he opened his eyes.
Li Huowang was heading back to the Bai family estate when he walked past Puppy's house.
Puppy held onto a bowl as he walked out. "Senior Li, where have you been? We thought you ran away somewhere again."
"Hm? Did I leave for a long time?" Li Huowang was confused.
"Yeah. We last saw each other on the second day of the New Years. It's now the Lantern Festival.[1]" Puppy gave Li Huowang his bowl of glutinous rice balls. It bobbed around in the sweet soup.
"What?! I've been cultivating for so long?" An intense drowsiness overtook his mind, lasting only a short moment before being replaced by an intense feeling of hunger.
Without any hesitation, Li Huowang ate the bowl of glutinous rice balls. He ate and drank his fill before slipping onto the ground and falling asleep.
He slept for three nights before waking up again, and he felt that the world was spinning when he did.
The others who had been taking care of him circled around. Puppy said, "Senior Li, maybe you should... bring someone to accompany you when you go and cultivate. Next time, you could easily end up accidentally starving yourself."
"I would've been fine if you said nothing." Li Huowang kicked off his blanket and drank his tea.
He only looked at everyone after he finished his drink. The people around him were Puppy, Zhao Wu, Yang Xiaohai, and Lu Xiucai.
"Where's Xiaoman?"
"She's with the Saintess of the White Lotus Sect. Don't you know that?"
"Alright, fine. I understand now. You can go back now." Li Huowang needed to think up a plan to prevent something like this from happening again.
They didn't leave, confusing Li Huowang. "Is something wrong?"
"Something happened, but it's not anything major. Senior Li, do you remember how we accepted a group of refugees from the Qi Kingdom?"
"Yes, I still remember. What about them?"
"They are gone."
"Gone? What do you mean?"
"They just disappeared into thin air. Thankfully, none of our people are gone."
"Only the people from the Qi Kingdom disappeared? Since when?'
"Since the evening of the second day of the New Year."
Li Huowang frowned. He recalled the man who had abruptly disappeared right next to him in the tea shop. "Did only the people staying in the village disappear? What about the other places?"
"We asked the peddlers, and they told us that the people of the Qi Kingdom in other places were also gone. We sent a letter to Gao Zhijian, but we have no clue if he could do anything about it."
"How could they just disappear like that? What happened?" Li Huowang frowned and stared at the stars in the skies.
"Wait... Unless?" Li Huowang suddenly remembered something. He took the spine sword beside his bed and swung it. A single rift flew above Cowheart Village.
It was different this time. The strange liquid was gone! Li Huowang saw light from the other side of the rift!
"I knew it!" Li Huowang swung another rift and then jumped into it, propelling himself with his window.
He reached the Qi Kingdom and was shocked to find that it had been restored. The grass on the ground was already an inch long.
"Who's there?" Li Huowang suddenly turned around to find a shocked Qi Kingdom resident chewing on the grass.
1. Also the fifteenth day of the new year. ☜