"Senior Li, are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Bai Lingmiao said, her eyes covered by a white silk cloth. She hurried to Li Huowang's side, pulling on his sleeve with a face full of worry and concern.
Li Huowang opened his mouth to respond but was unsure what to say. He could tell that this wasn't the real Bai Lingmiao—it was a disguise by Shai Zi, a master of deception.
Shai Zi's performance was flawless in every aspect, except for its inability to capture Bai Lingmiao's profound grudge after the death of her entire family.
The act might deceive some people, but Li Huowang had already seen through it. Having dealt with the Sitting Oblivion Dao for such a long time, he was not easily fooled.
Shai Zi knew that Li Huowang had seen through the act but continued the charade nonetheless. Bai Lingmiao stepped forward and placed herself between Li Huowang and Zuoqiu Yong.
She angrily scolded Zuoqiu Yong with a frown and said, "If you want to hurt Senior Li, you'll have to step over my dead body!"
Zuoqiu Yong stared at Bai Lingmiao, momentarily lost in thought. Soon, a smile crept onto his lips, turning from a faint smirk into full-blown laughter.
He slapped his thigh and pointed at Bai Lingmiao as he laughed. "Hahaha! Double happiness! Isn't this just perfect? I was worried you'd be hiding somewhere hard to find, and here you are, delivering yourself right to me!"
The surrounding troops and bandits closed in on Li Huowang and Bai Lingmiao.
Li Huowang tightened his grip on his spine sword and glanced at the silver-haired Bai Lingmiao before him. He couldn't figure out Shai Zi's exact plan, but it seemed like he intended to help.
Otherwise, from a liar's perspective, why would he walk into a trap to die?
"Be careful, don't let your guard down. These people can extract everything from inside you, and Zuoqiu Yong might even be able to use the previous Heavenly Dao of the Heavenly Mater." Li Huowang's warning seemed like it was directed at Bai Lingmiao, but it was actually meant for Shai Zi.
"Don't worry, Senior Li. I'm aware. The Heavenly Mater has already issued a divine decree and revealed this villain's secrets."
Zuoqiu Yong's smile faded, slowly replaced by a touch of anger. "Tough talk. Let's see how long you can keep it up!"
He waved his pink handkerchief, which instantly dissolved into threads as thin as needles that flew toward Li Huowang.
Li Huowang stomped the ground, propelling himself forward toward Zuoqiu Yong. As he passed Bai Lingmiao, he whispered, "I'll hold him off. Hurry and do whatever you came to do!"
Before Bai Lingmiao could react, Li Huowang had already engaged with the thin threads.
Li Huowang swung his sword, creating a rift that collided with the incoming threads. To his surprise, rather than cutting through them, the lines rattled as if they were made of metal. This was a first for Li Huowang.
The threads fell like rain, but they didn't hinder Li Huowang in the slightest.
His body flickered as he approached Zuoqiu Yong. He had dodged, and only his afterimage had been pierced.
Just as they were about to clash, Li Huowang swiftly sank into the ground. His sword rose up from beneath the earth, targeting Zuoqiu Yong's legs.
The moment his sword struck, Li Huowang felt the familiar sensation of cutting through flesh.
Clang! A sudden force nearly disarmed him.
Li Huowang poked his head out of the ground and saw Zuoqiu Yong gently land nearby. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
He was certain he had severed Zuoqiu Yong's legs, yet he stood unharmed—just as he had after Li Huowang stabbed him in the chest.
"Wow, Li Huowang! Is this all you've got? I'm starting to look down on you," Zuoqiu Yong said.
Li Huowang cast a quick glance at Bai Lingmiao, who was currently locked in a chaotic battle with the surrounding army of Unspeakable. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "You filthy eunuch! Enough talk. Let's fight!"
Zuoqiu Yong remained unfazed by Li Huowang's insult and flashed a condescending smile. "Eunuch? So what? Eunuchs can be emperors and kings! You mortals need descendants because you're destined to die. I, however, won't need heirs once I achieve immortality."
He spoke with great pride, as if he were extremely pleased with his own status.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's get serious now." Zuoqiu Yong lifted his right hand, and only then did Li Huowang notice the white jade finger guards on three of Zuoqiu Yong's fingers. They were intricately carved in the shape of dragons and phoenixes, the kind that only noblewomen in the palace would wear.
Zuoqiu Yong raised his hand. Li Huowang swiftly dodged past the direction it pointed.
However, before Li Huowang could launch a counterattack, something strange happened. His body, which had been burned by fire earlier, was now rapidly healing.
Before he could feel relieved, his body began to change uncontrollably.
The hair on his chin, the hair on his head, and even his fingernails started to grow uncontrollably at a concerning speed.
"This... Is this the Heavenly Dao that the Heavenly Mater once controlled?!" Li Huowang exclaimed, watching as his nails twisted like vines, wrapping around his sword and becoming a nuisance.
"Pure Yin in solemnity, Pure Yang in grandeur. Solemnity emerges from the heavens. Grandeur arises from the earth. When the two harmonize, all things are born~" Zuoqiu Yong chanted proudly. He watched as Li Huowang's hair was dragged on the ground, confident he had won.
"Is this all you've got?" Li Huowang shouted with a burst of anger. Every strand of hair and every nail were severed at once, freeing him from their constraints.
Li Huowang lifted his sword and charged at Zuoqiu Yong again. However, after only a few steps, pain surged through his hands.
A quick glance revealed that his nails were now retracting into his fingers at an alarming rate, leaving his hands bloodied and raw.
It wasn't just his nails that were shrinking—everything that had grown out of his skin was shrinking into his body.
Old wounds reopened, and every bone that had ever been broken now seemed to snap back to its fractured state.Chapter 911 - Borrow
Everything happened too fast. Li Huowang had barely approached Zuoqiu Yong, yet he was already on the verge of death.
Li Huowang looked ghastly. There was no difference between him and a skeleton!
"This is... Growth! That bastard holds the Heavenly Dao of Growth!"
Li Huowang glared at Zuoqiu Yong with his one remaining eye.
I am... fine! I am fine! Li Huowang tried to use his "Truth" cultivation to turn himself back to normal, even if it was for a short period of time.
He succeeded. However, Zuoqiu Yong continually stripped away Li Huowang's cultivation of the "Truth," resulting in the abnormal growth of more tumors and flesh.
The strength gap between them was immense. Zuoqiu Yong stood out from the sects he had faced, as they merely relied on a fraction of the Heavenly Daos to acquire power. Zuoqiu Yong, on the other hand, used the Heavenly Dao itself. He was like a Siming that had descended upon the mortal realm.
Even when Li Huowang fought against the Dharma Sect's Siming, he didn't despair. This was the first time he felt so helpless—he couldn't escape or fight back and had no chance to flip the situation around.
Zuoqiu Yong wasn't in a rush. He looked at Li Huowang with interest.
"Li Huowang, you've caused a lot of trouble. I overlooked your actions in the past because I didn't care. However, that doesn't mean you can continue causing trouble for us without consequences."
"Senior Li, are you alright?"
As Bai Lingmiao escaped from the army of Unspeakable, she saw Li Huowang getting hurt.
She caught him before he could collapse. Then, while supporting his weight, she slapped a piece of Hong Zhong into the back of Li Huowang's skull.
A surge of information flowed through his mind, and Li Huowang stared at Bai Lingmiao in shock.
"Senior Li, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me."
Bai Lingmiao's tears drenched her eye covers, her face clouded by intense sadness.
"Hmph~" Zuoqiu Yong frowned when he saw them. "Don't worry—I'll send you both to hell together. You can start your next lives at the same time."
Li Huowang suddenly laughed despite his grievous injuries. His laughter was filled with arrogance and mockery.
"You think you've won? You think I fought this long just to die here?"
Zuoqiu Yong was surprised. "Hm?"
He eyed Li Huowang suspiciously. What could someone weaker than him possibly do? Where did such courage come from?
"You conspired against the Heavenly Mater in the past, and now you're openly trying to suppress her. Do you think the Heavenly Mater did not devise any plans to stop you? Don't you know what a diversion is? The fact you're here implies that you've left a certain place unsupervised."
Li Huowang smiled proudly and hugged Bai Lingmiao's waist.
Zuoqiu Yong's face froze. He swung his right arm, embedding several needles and threads into Li Huowang and pinning him down.
Zuoqiu Yong stared at Li Huowang and laughed. "I heard you had some connections to the Sitting Oblivion Dao, but I never thought you would try to trick me like this. Aren't you looking down on me? I'm much more experienced in this regard."
Li Huowang clutched his belly and burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Perfect! That's exactly what I needed you to believe. Now, I highly doubt you'll be able to do anything when the Siming takes action."
Just as Li Huowang spoke, the skies changed. Li Huowang felt the Pain in his body disappear, followed by Rot.
"Hahaha!" Li Huowang extended his arm and laughed at Zuoqiu Yong. "You damned eunuch! Do you believe me now? We've won this time!"
Zuoqiu Yong hesitated when another Heavenly Dao disappeared. This time, it was Kindness.
Zuoqiu Yong no longer hesitated. He yanked his arm, cutting Li Huowang into pieces with the threads.
He ignored Bai Lingmiao, the Twisted One of the Heavenly Mater—there was a more pressing matter at hand. Zuoqiu Yong leaped onto his golden dragon and flew towards the east.
When Zuogqiu Yong disappeared, combined with the changing skies, the others knew something huge was happening. The army of Unspeakables and the fox-faced Twisted One ran after Zuoqiu Yong.
Zuoqiu Yong's departure and the changing skies indicated that something major was going on. The army of Unspeakable and the fox-faced Twisted One raced after him.
Soon, only "Bai Lingmiao" and Li Huowang's corpse were left in the area.
A small doll emerged from Li Huowang's corpse, growing rapidly as it ate Li Huowang's shadow. Li Huowang revived once again.
Bai Lingmiao hugged her chest and looked at Li Huowang. "Look, they might be able to control the other Heavenly Daos, but they cannot do anything to the Heavenly Dao of Lies. Only the Sitting Oblivion Dao can use it freely! No matter how strong they are, they'll still fall for deception."
Li Huowang bent down and picked up his spine sword from the pool of blood. "We need to go. If Zuoqiu Yong realizes we tricked him with the Heavenly Dao of Lies, we'll be trapped here forever."
The Heavenly Mater didn't do anything at all—It was just a ruse to scare Zuoqiu Yong away. In fact, Li Huowang didn't know what Zuoqiu Yong was afraid of.
Li Huowang opened a rift to the Liang Kingdom, and the two of them returned.
Compared to the chaotic situation in the Tianchen and Qi Kingdoms, the Liang Kingdom was peaceful. They were back in the garden inside the royal palace. Some of the ladies were drinking tea and admiring the flowers with the other consorts and eunuchs.
The tranquility shattered when they spotted Li Huowang—completely naked. Shrieks of shock echoed through the garden.
Li Huowang tore off one of the eunuch's robes and wore it. He then looked at one of the women, who was wearing a crown. "Are you one of Gao Zhijian's wives? Where is he? Call him and tell him that the trouble has been temporarily averted."
The woman ran away in tears. Li Huowang sighed and collapsed onto the ground, feeling the rush of adrenaline leaving his body.
That battle had been too close. One wrong move, and he would've died.
"Yeah, though we only forced them back temporarily. They will come back." Bai Lingmiao said, sitting in front of a table as she drank some tea.
"Change your damn face! I'm getting irritated just by looking at it!"
"Bai Lingmiao" transformed her face into a twelve-sided die.
Li Huowang glared at him. "How did you know there was going to be a Natural Disaster?"
Shai Zi took a sip of tea and chuckled. "Don't worry about that. I have my connections."
Chapter 912 - Plan
"Connections?" Li Huowang stared at Shai Zi, feeling a strange irritation blossom in his heart.
"You're still hiding things from us despite the war? What's going on with the Natural Disaster? What else do you know?"
Shai Zi chuckled. "Hong Zhong, what good would it do to tell you? Do you even have the energy to handle it? I thought you were busy devising a plan to deal with that eunuch. You've seen how strong he is.
"For now, you've only managed to trick him temporarily. Once he sees through it, it won't be easy to fool him again."
Li Huowang frowned, remembering how helpless he had been against Zuoqiu Yong. He was a Siming that controlled flesh, so Li Huowang had to rely on Ji Zai's power to deal with him.
"Don't place your hopes on Ji Zai. He's very busy right now."
"So you've heard the news from Ji Zai?" Shai Zi's question made Li Huowang look up.
Shai Zi continued, "Oh, you have a sharp mind. See? There's no use in telling you right now—it wouldn't do you any good."
The number on Shai Zi's face turned to one.
Li Huowang grabbed onto Shai Zi's collar. "What else did I say? What's the key to killing Zuoqiu Yong? Tell me quickly!"
Shai Zi shrugged. "He never said anything about that. Maybe he didn't know who Zuoqiu Yong was."
"Stop lying to me! He's me from the future! How could he not know who Zuoqiu Yong is?"
"Wait." A look of joy spread across Li Huowang's face. "That means the future me is still alive. I'll survive this."
Shai Zi's words hit like cold water. "Don't be so sure. History can change at any moment. If you die now, Ji Zai will cease to exist."
Li Huowang pushed Shai Zi down out of anger. "What else can you do except talk? What else?! Are you here just to watch us fail?"
"Of course, I could be helpful in many ways. If it weren't for me, you would be dead. Your powers as a Strayed One are useless against that eunuch. Li Huowang, you owe me one."
As Li Huowang opened his mouth to speak, footsteps came to his left. He turned, expecting Gao Zhijian, but it was Li Sui.
Seeing that Li Huowang was wearing the robes of a eunuch from the palace, Li Sui removed her red robes and covered Li Huowang. "Father, what's wrong? What happened in the Tianchen Kingdom?"
It appeared that the siege on the Qi Kingdom stopped after Li Huowang scared Zuoqiu Yong away.
Li Huowang pulled on his sleeves tiredly and sighed. "It's a long story..."
He kept his explanation short. In the end, he said, "Who would've thought that there would be a Siming in the Tianchen Kingdom that controls flesh? I never thought I would fight against someone like that.
"Tell Gao Zhijian to stop preparing for war. Regular troops are useless against the Simings. I need another Siming to deal with him."
Shai Zi interrupted him, saying, "Don't look for Ji Zai right now. He's very busy and doesn't have time for this. You need to think of another way."
"Enough!" Li Huowang said. "I heard you the first time! I'm not deaf! Instead of repeating yourself, why don't you help me stop their plans?"
Shai Zi had indeed helped him this time, but he looked more like he was just here to watch their struggle than to help earnestly.
Shai Zi chuckled, and he shrunk before disappearing completely. As he did, his voice lingered in the air like smoke.
"Hong Zhong, you know better than this. We of the Sitting Oblivion Dao should stand together. Time marches on whether you're happy or not. Why exhaust yourself? You should find joy even when you're dying."
"Look at his damned attitude!" Li Huowang said, pointing at the empty space in front of him.
Li Sui didn't answer—she was trying to digest what Li Huowang had told her. She paced around the place before answering, "Father, I might have a plan to fight against Zuoqiu Yong. Maybe we can try something."
"What?" Li Huowang wanted to ask what the plan was, but he figured it out. "Do you mean stuffing the primordial breath and inner sight of other Strayed Ones into me? You want me to complete my cultivation?"
Li Sui nodded. "Yes. It was impossible last time because we had no one who could touch the Heavenly Daos directly, but now we do."
Several people appeared from the doorway. They were members of the army of Unspeakable. Li Sui's tentacles were embedded in their brains, making them look like walking kebabs when they approached Li Huowang.
Li Huowang stared at them with a complicated feeling in his heart. Li Sui had caught many people when he wasn't there.
"I don't know how strong I would be if I completed the final step. Can I fight against Zuoqiu Yong like this?"
Li Huowang had another concern, even with the path to becoming stronger lying right before him.
He still remembered how he couldn't differentiate between truth and lies, and that was back when he had only completed the second stage. If he completed the seventh stage, he might end up like how Li Sui had warned him before—unable to distinguish reality from delusions.
It was a strong power, but the side effects were detrimental too.
Li Huowang had to use Hong Zhong to barely balance his cultivation of "Truth" and "Lies." However, if he became stronger, the balance would be broken. Who knew what would happen then?
Still, if he didn't get stronger, he wouldn't be able to stop Zuoqiu Yong's massacre.
"How will we ever know if we don't give it a shot? It's not as if we have any other options. Father, please don't hesitate. Yes, he is a Siming, but you are too.
"I know what you're worried about, and I understand the possible side effects. To get around that, all we need to do is kill Shai Zi when the time is right. If we extract a portion of the Lies inside of him, we can put them inside of you and prevent the crisis."
Li Huowang stared at Li Sui with shock. The difference between the Li Sui he knew before and the Li Sui standing before him was massive. He was certain that the Li Sui who had lived in his stomach would've never said that.
"Suisui, are you hiding something from me? If so, you need to tell me everything."
Li Sui nodded lightly, her voice still as soft as before. "Alright, Father. So, do you want to try the plan?"
Li Huowang considered it briefly before agreeing. "Fine! It's not like we have a choice."
The memory of Zuoqiu Yong toying with him made Li Huowang's blood boil. Bloodlust leaked out of him.
"Come! Let's see who's stronger!"
Chapter 913 - Trust
Crunch! Chen Hongyu munched on a bag of chips loudly as she watched TV. She glanced to her side and noticed Qing Wanglai, Zhao Shuangdian, and Li Huowang talking incessantly.
"Why is he going crazy again?" she asked.
Zhao Lei had been furiously tapping on his phone, but he paused to look at Li Huowang. "He's saying that he can reset the flow of time and is trying to convince them."
"Hm?" Chen Hongyu was surprised. "I thought his special power was conjuring things out of nothing? When did he get an upgrade? How come I didn't know about it?"
Zhao Lei remained silent, his attention still fixed on his phone, though he couldn't help but hear Li Huowang's words.
"I'm telling the truth. I know it happened—I was there! Why don't you believe me? That factory is the Siming, and everything about it disappeared when we killed it, even your memories of it!"
Qing Wanglai whispered to Zhao Shuangdian when he noticed Li Huowang's excitement. Soon, Zhao Shuangdian nodded.
Even though they said nothing, Li Huowang could tell what they were thinking from the looks they were giving him. He'd seen them before.
"Are you thinking that I've gone crazy? I'm not ill!" Li Huowang paused. "Well, maybe I am, but they're just hallucinations! They can't erase everyone's memories of the Siming!"
Qing Wanglai raised his hands and patted Li Huowang. "Alright, Li Huowang, don't be hasty. We said nothing about your illness. It's just that this is very difficult for us to understand."
Li Huowang took two steps forward and glared at Qing Wanglai. "What's there to understand? The factory is a Siming's projection. Once the Siming perishes, everything about it disappears!
"A Siming has no past or future. They merely exist, and everything about them is erased once they cease to exist! It also explains what Zhuge Yuan had written on his fan!"
"Hmm... Who's Zhuge Yuan? Why is there a new character?" Wu Qi asked in confusion.
With a cigarette in her hand, Ba Nanxu looked at the excited Li Huowang, her face etched with irritation. "What's a Siming? Did you call us here to show off how crazy you are?"
"I understand. I think I know what he is trying to say," Qing Wanglai said, clearing his throat. "He's talking about his own world. It seems like he just grasped a very important rule within it."
"Tsk. Do we need you to explain that? Isn't it the same as him becoming crazy again?" Ba Nanxu said, exhaling her cigarette smoke toward Li Huowang.
Li Huowang replied, "Shut up! I'm doing my best to understand everyone's world, so you should try to understand mine too! This is important—it will change how we will fight our enemy!"
"You're right, but you did say time itself was reset. I think that's a bit too far-fetched even within our world." Zhao Shuangdian said, highlighting the inconsistency in Li Huowang's narrative. "I've studied the worlds of other people, and none of them have claimed that their timelines were reset."
"Is what you perceive the truth? This is not the first time I've experienced it—it's the third! I only realized what was happening after the third time!"
Li Huowang was still in the middle of explaining when Zhao Shuangdian cut him off. "Okay, we get it. No need to go into more detail. So, just to clarify, you're confirming that you'll be collaborating with us on the sixth of next month, right?"
"That's not the point! What I mean is—"
"Yes or no?"
"Yes."
Li Huowang felt that his words were ineffective. Even if he continued explaining, he was sure they wouldn't believe him.
"Fine, we will stop here today. I have a meeting later. Feel free to contact me on WeChat if there's anything else."
Zhao Shuangdian passed a smartphone to Li Huowang before exiting Qing Wanglai's mansion with the rest of them.
"Oh, you are leaving now? Are you not staying for a meal? Qing Wanglai is great at cooking," Wu Qi said.
Zhao Shuangdian reached for the door. "No need. I'm on a diet and don't eat lunch. We'll see each other next month."
"Wait!"
Zhao Shuangdian frowned and turned to Li Huowang. He had called out to her to stop her from leaving.
"Your... your weapon is a sniper rifle, isn't it?"
The hall fell into silence, save for the sound of the television.
Zhao Shuangdian froze, and Li Huowang smiled. The timeline had been deleted, resulting in a different outcome. None of them remembered anything except for Li Huowang, who still retained all memories from the deleted timeline.
Li Huowang smiled confidently. "You never told me about it before. Can you guess how I knew about it?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Zhao Shuangdian immediately turned to Qing Wanglai. "Did you tell him?"
Qing Wanglai's smile disappeared as he shook his head. "No, I never told him anything about you."
Just as Qing Wanglai finished speaking, Li Huowang revealed more information. "That's not all I know. I also know that you have a companion called Ling. She used a computer to lead us through a route. Her face occasionally twitched, which made me believe she was sick."
The words of Li Huowang shook Zhao Shuangdian's confidence while strengthening his own.
In a normal timeline, Li Huowang wouldn't have known any of this. Yet here he was, aware of things he shouldn't have known. This indicated that Li Huowang was telling the truth, and Zhao Shuangdian's actions proved it.
Li Huowang said resolutely, "I'm not lying! I experienced all of it—it actually happened!"
"Wait for me."
Zhao Shuangdian exited the mansion and returned after a while. This time, she had a laptop with her.
She turned on the laptop and quickly typed something on it. Li Huowang realized that she was serious and trusted him now.
Chapter 914 - Idealism
"Here, take a look at this."
After spending quite a while on her laptop, Zhao Shuangdian showed the screen to Li Huowang.
Li Huowang felt his head swimming when he saw a complex mathematical formula. "What is this? I don't understand any of it."
Zhao Shuangdian frowned and looked at Li Huowang. "Then, are you willing to learn from scratch? I can teach you. If what you're saying is real, there are only three explanations."
"Why should I adapt to your world? Is your world the truth? Why can't you adapt to mine? What if your world is fake?"
Zhao Shuangdian replied, "Our world is in conflict. My world is healed, but your world has many inconsistencies and contradictions. Shouldn't we start from your world?"
"I don't want to learn! This is the truth, and I've told you about the contradictions. Whether or not you trust me is up to you."
Ba Nanxu scoffed from the side. "You want us to adapt to your world? Are you trying to turn us all into crazy bastards?"
"Shut up." Zhao Shuangdian glared at Ba Nanxu, who shrugged and sat on the sofa to watch TV.
Zhao Shuangdian quickly opened a new notepad on her laptop. "Alright, Li Huowang, I trust you. Now, please tell me about your world in as much detail as possible."
Li Huowang sighed in relief after seeing that Zhao Shuangdian trusted him. He calmed down and started telling his story. "Alright. I'll have to talk about the Zephyr Temple first. Back then, I was still being treated in the hospital and thought it was fake..." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Li Huowang spent the next few hours telling her about everything he had experienced in the bizarre world. By the time he finished, it was already nighttime.
"Eat something before you continue. Your dishes are cold, but I saved you a portion," Ba Nanxu said, taking out a couple of beer bottles for Zhao Shuangdian.
"Shh, be quiet. I need time to think and sort this out."
Zhao Shuangdian was busy scrolling through Li Huowang's statement.
"Hey, did you leave food for me too? I'm hungry." Li Huowang stood up. He had calmed down now that a few hours had passed.
Ba Nanxu scoffed and wrinkled her nose when she looked at Li Huowang. "Hoh? The crazy bastard knows when it's time to eat?"
Ba Nanxu turned to leave, but Wu Qi gestured for Li Huowang instead. "Sit here. We left you a portion too."
"Li Huowang, I've sorted through your statement. While I trust you, I still find that your world has a lot of contradictions. In fact, it's even worse than the others. I also found a lot of instances where it's too idealistic."
Li Huowang replied as he munched on some chicken, "You still don't understand? That world is bizarre, and anything could happen. Also, is your so-called 'healed world' the truth? Maybe my world is real too. It's just that we haven't realized it yet."
Zhao Shuangdian paused to think carefully as she typed, appearing to perform a series of calculations.
Li Huowang was almost done with his meal when she stopped. "Alright. You've convinced me."
"Hm?!" Li Huowang was shocked. She's so easily convinced? That's out of my expectations. She's the first to believe me this easily ever since I left the Zephyr Temple.
Li Huowang had made preparations to refute her if she still didn't believe him.
"Uh... What do you mean? Does my world convince you? Is our world also the ideal world?"
"We don't have a macro world, but we have a lot of micro ones."
Zhao Shuangdian proceeded to shut down her laptop.
"Ideal?" Li Huowang stared at the chandelier above him. He looked at the leather sofa before staring at Zhao Shuangdian's pretty face. Nothing had changed.
"Don't worry. Even if it's ideal, we can still bravely develop a hypothesis. We just need to be careful when we gather evidence. Thank you for your help. It will help me a lot with my research."
Li Huowang continued eating his meal. "Don't worry about it. My main concern is the possibility of the timeline resetting again if we kill the Siming on the sixth of February. If that does happen, I would have to explain everything to you again."
"Don't worry. If that happens, you can just align with my other self again."
"Alright, as long as you are convinced later on."
Li Huowang put down his plate and thought carefully. "Since my world is real, we need to reconsider certain things, including your hypothesis about the elephant. Maybe the elephant isn't divided into separate parts but rather drawn on a single piece of paper.
"The tusk, legs, and nose could all exist on this one sheet along a single timeline. This would explain why we can resolve our crisis by jumping to another elephant's tusk. And if we want to deal with a problem on the nose of the elephant, we need to reset the timeline by going back to the original elephant."
"This is plausible and a reasonable hypothesis."
"But... is the elephant still alive by this point?" Li Huowang asked, shoving the rest of his meal into his mouth.
"It's still early to say that. We need more evidence, but no matter what, I have to thank you for your story," Zhao Shuangdian said and turned to leave.
However, Li Huowang stopped her again. "I don't care how many hypotheses there are. Just how much longer do we have to continue this? I'm exhausted."
"I can't answer that. We now have a new variable. If you want to end it quickly, you need to find a way to help us."
She turned to leave once more. This time, Li Huowang did not stop her.
Li Huowang had finished his meal, yet he remained seated at the table, his empty plate before him. He was lost in thought.
Although he understood that part of the world was real, it didn't help him. His situation was still as troublesome as ever. If Zhao Shuangdian was right, it meant that the Simings on the other elephant were still lurking around and staring at them.
If he couldn't deal with them once and for all, he would forever be labeled as a patient with a mental illness.
He didn't want that. He had finally learned more about the world, and he wanted to live normally.
Chapter 915 - Living Together
Even though Li Huowang had found answers to most of his questions, he was still in deep trouble. Still, he could now could see his issues in a different light.
Li Huowang swore to fight back to his last breath. Isn't it just God Yu'er and Sir Arrogant Stone? Come on, then! You succeeded last time, but don't you dare think your schemes will work again!
No matter how many Simings he had to kill or how many times the timeline reset, Li Huowang would persevere until he accomplished his goal. He had no fear of death, let alone failure.
Just then, a fresh bowl of food was placed in front of Li Huowang. It was a steaming bowl of white rice topped with fried eggs and tomatoes.
Looking up, he saw Wu Qi had brought it over. "Thank you, but one serving is enough for me."
"Who said it's for you? I need you to give it to someone else."
This left Li Huowang perplexed. He was sure everyone had eaten. Also, why was he the one who needed to deliver the food? "Who is it for?"
"Your girl. She's still upstairs right now. Did you forget that you have a girlfriend?"
"Yang Na?" Li Huowang realized that Yang Na was still at Qing Wanglai's house since the timeline had been reset. He had originally come here to bring her back.
"I meant to tell you earlier, but you were talking non-stop with Qing Wanglai and Zhao Shuangdian. I didn't even get a chance to interrupt you.
"I don't want to pry too much into your relationship, but your girlfriend seems off. She doesn't have an appetite. See if you can get her to eat the meal, or I might have to sustain her through IVF."
"Thank you, Wu Qi..."
Li Huowang felt a weight on his chest when he remembered how Yang Na had been acting. He took the bowl of food and walked up with a heavy heart.
Yang Na was still in the third room. Li Huowang opened the door and saw her in the bed at the corner of the room. She looked malnourished and disheveled.
"Nana, are you hungry? Let's eat first."
Li Huowang carefully lifted her up and set her down next to the table.
Yang Na held onto his wrist tightly, as if she was afraid that he would escape. "Huowang, is that you?"
She then noticed Li Huowang's empty eye socket. She touched his face gingerly. "Huowang, where is your eye? Why is it missing? I'm sorry, is it because of me? Did I cause it?"
"No."
Li Huowang carefully held her hands and checked her scarred wrists. "No, it's not because of you. Don't worry about it. You did not cause any harm to me. I'm the one who harmed you."
"I'm relieved to hear that. But seeing you with just one eye... it breaks my heart."
Yang Na suddenly smiled without any warning. "Huowang, I trust you. I really do. No matter what you say, I will trust you. I am the Heavenly Mater, and I'm a Siming, just like you."
Yang Na's words pierced Li Huowang's heart, causing a searing pain that he couldn't shake off, despite having gone through it before.
Li Huowang tried his best to conceal his expression. He didn't want her to think she was hurting him. He forced the most genuine smile he could. "That's good. That's good."
This time, Li Huowang decided not to send her back. Since the timeline would reset again, he wanted to make Yang Na as happy as possible.
He regarded it as a dream, one that he could wake up from at any moment. Unlike him, everyone else in his vicinity would soon forget what transpired.
Yang Na snuggled against Li Huowang's chest dreamily as she mumbled, "Huowang, I am the Heavenly Mater. I am a Siming. I can help you now. I won't drag you down anymore."
"You are not dragging me down. You can help me too. Nana is the best. Come now, let's eat first."
Li Huowang comforted her like a child as he took a spoonful of rice and placed it close to her mouth.
He slowly fed her and saw that she was slowly becoming better. Li Huowang was relieved to see that she was eating.
"Huowang, don't worry about me. It's not your fault. I feel much better, and I can move now."
She tried to push him away so she could stand up, but Li Huowang held onto her.
"That's fine. Let's just rest for tonight since it's already quite late. We can talk more tomorrow."
After finishing his meal and comforting Yang Na, Li Huowang took the empty bowl and left the room.
As he exited, he noticed Qing Wanglai standing before the door. He had been waiting for him.
Li Huowang clenched his fist upon seeing Qing Wanglai's smiling face. However, he ultimately released his grip.
"Do you want to stay here tonight? I've prepared your room."
As long as no one threatened his plans, Qing Wanglai remained as perfect as everyone thought him to be.
"No need. I will stay in the same room as her. I need to stay by her side."
Li Huowang walked past Qing Wanglai and went down the stairs.
"Yang Na is awake. This is good news. We now have one more ally."
Bam! In the end, Li Huowang still punched him. "I'm warning you—keep her out of this. If you don't, I will kill you."
Qing Wanglai chuckled and rubbed the bruise on his face. "Li Huowang, I don't think that's rational. Don't you think it would be a waste if she doesn't help us? She has the power to do so now.
"Besides, have you even bothered to ask for her permission? Maybe she doesn't want to squander her talent. Even if she refrains from killing, having another ally by our side would still be good."
Li Huowang smashed the bowl on the railings, and the broken pieces scattered on the stairs. Li Huowang picked up a sharp piece and pushed it against Qing Wanglai's neck. "I said no. Are you deaf?"
"I'm not, but what are you afraid of? You're the one who said that time would reset again as long as we kill another Siming. In that case, what's wrong with losing our lives? We don't have enough allies right now. Every single one matters."
Li Huowang's anger almost boiled over when he stopped and let go of the shrapnel.
"Alright, I will bring Yang Na to Zhao Shuangdian. I will let her join their alliance instead."
Qing Wanglai frowned. "Hm?"
Li Huowang chuckled and looked at Qing Wanglai playfully. "Didn't you say every single ally counts? I will let Yang Na ally herself with Zhao Shuangdian. That should fulfill your conditions, right?"
Seeing Qing Wanglai remain silent, Li Huowang walked down the stairs with pleasure.
He finally found a way to communicate with Qing Wanglai. A physical threat wouldn't work on him, but Wu Qi was right. As long as he understood what made Qing Wanglai tick, dealing with him was easy.
Chapter 916 - Medicine
"Huowang, you don't need to feed me anymore. I'm not paralyzed," Yang Na said, taking the spoon from Li Huowang's hand. She scooped up some porridge and brought it to her mouth.
After a couple of bites, she looked up at Li Huowang, who was sitting across from her. "Why are you just staring at me? You should eat too."
Li Huowang had been standing there in a daze. He smiled and nodded, then sat down to have breakfast as well.
"Hey, you're not bad at all. You're quite skilled at looking after people. I had my doubts initially, but it seems like I underestimated you a bit. Have you studied this before?" Wu Qi asked as she walked over.
Li Huowang shook his head and continued to eat. "No, I haven't. I just picked up a few things during my time in the hospital."
Yang Na looked noticeably healthier compared to before. She hadn't been blaming herself so much, and her emotions seemed a lot more stable. She appeared much better, at least to others.
Only Li Huowang knew the truth. She wasn't actually better—her condition was getting even worse. It was just that her logic had become more consistent with her beliefs, which made her appear normal.
Footsteps echoed as Qing Wanglai approached with a cup of coffee in one hand. "Doesn't she share the same worldview as you? If her condition is considered an illness, what would you call your condition?"
Li Huowang glared at him angrily. "Get lost!"
Li Huowang noticed the sorrow etched on Yang Na's face and the tears brimming in her eyes. Ignoring Qing Wanglai, he embraced Yang Na and gently carried her into the house.
After comforting Yang Na, Li Huowang walked back outside, where Qing Wanglai awaited. "I'm just trying to help you. You can't keep deceiving yourself like this.
"If you believe your worldview is real, then you should also believe she is the Heavenly Mater. You can't claim it's a battle of Simings when it involves you but dismiss it as mental illness when it involves your girlfriend. Isn't that a double standard?"
Li Huowang replied," None of this matters. Like I said before, don't expect her to get involved. Besides, If she really wanted to, she'd probably join Zhao Shuangdian's side!"
Regardless of whether Yang Na was the Heavenly Mater, Li Huowang didn't want her to get hurt any further. She had already suffered enough.
"Whatever," Qing Wanglai said, abruptly changing his tone. "Tomorrow is the day we take action. If she decides to join Zhao Shuangdian's faction, it would still increase our chances of winning."
It seemed he had realized that Li Huowang was trying to provoke him. This time, he didn't fall for it.
"She's depressed! How could she possibly help?"
"You never know. From what you said before, isn't the Heavenly Mater supposed to govern Benevolence and Death? If she's the goddess of death, she could be helpful."
Li Huowang recalled Chen Hongyu's tragic situation and knew all too well what Qing Wanglai meant by "helpful."
"So you know we're taking action tomorrow? Do you think antagonizing me right now is a good idea?" Li Huowang asked coldly as he stepped closer.
"Li Huowang, we're on the same side. I'm just trying to help you."
"Thanks, but there's no need! You've 'helped' me enough times already! I'm sick of having this conversation over and over again! If you're so bored, why don't you pay your respects at Qian Fu's grave!"
Li Huowang left the villa and headed to the underground garage. He got on his motorcycle and revved the engine a few times. However, it was out of gas.
He looked around and then set his sights on Qing Wanglai's luxury car.
Soon enough, he inserted a hose into the car's gas tank. He sucked hard with his mouth from the other end, and premium gasoline started flowing into his motorcycle's tank.
Li Huowang put on a full-face helmet and sped away from the villa.
He rode down the road, returning to the city from the outskirts. He stayed on high alert, knowing full well that people were tracking him.
Though the motorcycle was the same, he had changed the license plate and repainted the black bike with a red-and-white pattern, making it less conspicuous[1].
Li Huowang wasn't taking such a risk for a casual ride. He was out to get some medicine to treat his hallucinations.
The plan was set for tomorrow, and he had no way of knowing the kind of projection the Siming would throw at him. He had to find a way to deal with his hallucinations before the battle started, or they would be a huge problem during the fight.
Zhao Shuangdian had forgotten about the deal they had made before time was reversed, but she didn't go back on her word when Li Huowang reminded her. She said she'd figure something out.
In the pedestrian street, Li Huowang looked up at the Bloody Bonfire Tattoo Parlor run by the Ba siblings.
He pushed open the door and saw Ba Nanxu lounging on the sofa with her legs crossed. She was tattooing her own neck with a tattoo gun. The shop was dead quiet, and there was no business today.
"We're closed. No tattooing today."
"Where is the medicine?" Li Huowang asked, his lips pressed tightly together as he walked over. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"It's in that bag on the table. The label will tell you the dosage and how often to take it."
Li Huowang picked up the bag and opened it to check the bottles and jars inside.
Most of the medications were familiar since he had taken them before. His rough assessment suggested that Zhao Shuangdian hadn't tricked him.
"You're free, so why don't you just deliver it to me? Don't you know it's inconvenient for me to be out right now?"
Ba Nanxu scoffed. "You've got some nerve. Why would I deliver it to you? Have we slept together?"
Li Huowang paid no attention to her. He swiftly unscrewed the medicine bottles and peeled off the foil seals before taking the daily prescribed dose.
He couldn't stand the feeling that everything he saw could be a hallucination.
After taking the medication, Li Huowang was unsure if the hallucinations had stopped, but he did feel worse physically. He couldn't concentrate well, his reactions were sluggish, and sweat broke out across his skin.
"You alright? If you're gonna die, do it outside. Don't die in my shop."
Li Huowang shook his head forcefully, grabbed the bag, and then headed for the door. "I'm fine. Medications for mental illness always have side effects. I'll adapt."
Whether it was an overreaction or not, Li Huowang could clearly see figures walking past him, only to vanish just as quickly.
He took a seat on the steps outside and took a long rest. After some time, he started to feel more at ease and the after-images faded away. With that, he hopped back on his motorcycle and set off for home.
He kept his speed down since he didn't want to risk an accident. He made his way cautiously from the city to the outskirts.
Now that he had handled one of his problems, he felt a bit better. Life would be much simpler if all problems could be solved as easily as this one.
As he was nearing home, a car suddenly swerved into his path, sending cold sweat down his spine.
1. The raws describe it as less conspicuous, but we think it makes more sense as more conspicuous. ☜
Chapter 917 - Order
Li Huowang was furious at suddenly being stopped like this. "Are you trying to crash into me? Learn how to drive!"
Li Huowang saw the car door open and was shocked to see who the driver was—Doctor Yi Donglai from the White Tower Hospital!
He never expected to see his attending doctor in a place like this.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice someone snooping through your medical records?" Yi Donglai explained. It was clear that he had been secretly following him.
Li Huowang gripped the handlebars of his motorcycle and quickly scanned his surroundings, wary of any orderlies who might suddenly appear to drag him back.
"Stop looking around. It's just me today. I want to talk, Li Huowang. I'm genuinely curious—how did you escape from the White Tower Hospital? That's a maximum-security facility."
Yi Donglai was eager to learn how Li Huowang always managed to break free, no matter how tight the security was. This wasn't the first time he had escaped.
"How did I escape? I had help. How so? Because everything that happened was real! None of it was just a hallucination!"
"Dr. Yi, you're a good doctor, but you're wrong about this. Terribly wrong!" Li Huowang said with conviction.
Yi Donglai responded to Li Huowang's outburst with a simple smile, showing no signs of being bothered. His focus remained on bringing Li Huowang back, curing him, reclaiming his own reputation, and regaining what he believed he deserved.
"Do you truly believe that? Would you say the same in front of your mother?"
Yi Donglai raised his phone, and Sun Xiaoqin, Li Huowang's mother, appeared on the screen. She was crying and had visibly aged. "Huowang, where are you? Please come back. I beg you. Seeing your eye like this breaks my heart."
Li Huowang's headache intensified. His face contorted in agony as he gripped his head tightly.
Yi Donglai approached with the phone in hand, but the screen went black with a soft pop.
"Damn it! Why now?" Yi Donglai cursed and angrily tapped the phone.
When he noticed that Li Huowang had stopped struggling, he tossed the phone aside and composed himself. "Li Huowang, no matter what you've been through, remember one thing—you are ill.
"All your logic—all the bizarre things you've experienced—might just be your delusions."
"No! You're wrong! Terribly wrong!" Li Huowang shouted. "Come with me. I'll show you what's real! As absurd as it seems, it's the truth!"
He grabbed Yi Donglai and dragged him toward Qing Wanglai's villa. He wanted to prove that the people he had encountered were real.
As they hurried along, Li Huowang incoherently recounted everything he had experienced to Yi Donglai.
"Ha! You think killing Simings will let you reverse time? Does that even sound believable?" Yi Donglai's voice dripped with skepticism.
However, he was rational enough to not put up a fight, opting to continue walking alongside Li Huowang. "If you're saying that time can be reversed and that the world is purely idealistic, you might as well say the whole world is fake."
He continued, "Even in a world with magic, there has to be logic, right? Everything has to follow strict rules. If time and causality could be altered at will, the world would be so chaotic that it wouldn't function. It wouldn't hold together at all."
Yi Donglai's words hit Li Huowang like an electric shock. Fear flickered in his eyes as he stared at Yi Donglai. "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"I'm saying there are only two possibilities: either everything you've seen is fake and a result of your delusions, or you're right, and the entire world itself is fake.
"By your logic, you're not the one who's wrong—the entire world is.
"Li Huowang, which possibility do you think is more likely?"
Li Huowang clenched his teeth, and Yi Donglai adjusted his glasses with a confident smile.
Just as Yi Donglai was about to continue, a test tube dropped in front of him, shattering on the ground and spilling its contents.
The next moment, Yi Donglai blacked out.
Qing Wanglai stepped forward and stood over the unconscious Yi Donglai. "Don't let Order come near us. Their presence will destroy everything."
His expression was serious, devoid of his usual friendly smile. "I told you that Order won't help you. Even if you don't believe in me or Zhao Shuangdian, you need to believe in yourself."
Qing Wanglai knelt and searched Yi Donglai's belongings. He found a recording device and multiple tracking devices. Yi Donglai had clearly come prepared.
"We need to move up our plan. Order is closing in. Let's get through customs first."
Li Huowang glanced at Yi Donglai, propped him against a wall, then got on his motorcycle and sped away.
Perhaps due to Yi Donglai's earlier scare, Li Huowang felt more mentally stable than before. If nothing else, his headache had disappeared.
Leaving ahead of schedule wasn't a problem for Li Huowang, but he couldn't leave Yang Na alone—someone needed to take care of her.
Fortunately, Zhao Shuangdian stepped in to help. "I can have my nanny take care of your girlfriend for a while. Still, since you're bound to return to the same point in time sooner or later, what's the point of all this?"
Her words didn't stop Li Huowang from whispering to Yang Na. He eventually convinced her to let the Heavenly Mater help from a distance. With that, they prepared to leave.
"We don't need to rush. We could just kill that doctor and bury him somewhere," Ba Nanxu said. Her suggestion drew everyone's attention.
"No, temporarily cutting off Order won't help. It will only attract more of them. We need to go," Qing Wanglai said, making the final decision.
Everyone got into the car and went to the dock. Li Huowang was lost in thought, thinking about everything that had happened, including Yi Donglai's words.
Zhao Shuangdian's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Li Huowang, regarding what you said about reversing time, I have another theory. Have you heard of parallel worlds?
"Maybe you're not reversing time. Maybe the people you interacted with were in a different parallel world. Perhaps due to some event, maybe a Siming's death or something else, you were pushed into another parallel world. As such, you met new versions of ourselves and everything started over."
Chapter 918 - Accident
"Parallel worlds?" Li Huowang said, his expression filled with hesitation.
"Yes, parallel worlds," Zhao Shuangdian said, her bangs lifted by the salty sea breeze. "it's another self-consistent hypothesis."
"Where's the evidence? What makes you think this?"
"There is no evidence, which is why it's just a hypothesis—a bold guess."
Li Huowang looked down at the frothy waves stirred by the ship's propellers. "If this is just a hypothesis, what's the point of telling me? Are you expecting me to help you prove it?"
"No, I just want you to understand more. A person's knowledge is linked to their cognition. The more you know, the closer you might get to the truth."
"What are you implying? That I don't know enough? I might not know everything, but at least my worldview holds up! In contrast, what you're talking about is just a hypothesis!"
Zhao Shuangdian's brow furrowed slightly before relaxing, "Li Huowang, there's no need to be so defensive. You don't have to be so certain that your current worldview is the ultimate reality. Gaining a better understanding can be beneficial."
"So you're saying that even if I showed you evidence, you'd still believe my world isn't real?"
"Why does it have to be black and white? The world itself isn't necessarily divided so clearly between right and wrong. Can't you consider the possibility that the world we glimpse—the real world of the elephant—isn't singular but rather exists in a strange entangled state?" Zhao Shuangdian said, trying to reason with him.
"What are you really trying to say?"
Footsteps approached Li Huowang from behind. "What she means is that maybe the actual world that projects all of us resembles Schrödinger's cat, existing in a state of both being alive and dead until the box is opened."
Li Huowang turned to see Qing Wanglai speaking.
Li Huowang found the idea ridiculous. "So what? According to you, we're in this world, existing in a state of both being and not being?"
"No, that's not what I meant. Let me think about how to explain it," Qing Wanglai said and rubbed his nose.
"Forget it—no need to explain. You guys can keep thinking about it. Just don't drag me into it. It's just confusing me," Li Huowang said. He turned and walked away from the deck.
He didn't want to further complicate his worldview by listening to their nonsense, which only made his mind more chaotic.
"The Greater Siming has no future, no past. The heralds of the Simings come into existence as the Simings come into existence and get erased as the Simings are erased."
This was the secret that Zhuge Yuan had previously exchanged with Shangji Guankou. He already understood what it meant and had the evidence to back it up, so he was convinced that this was real and would help him achieve his goal. That was enough.
Since the death of the Simings could sever the cause and effect, it was better to have it continue to be severed. Once all the Simings were eliminated, he could finally heal himself and reintegrate into society.
His worldview was sufficient for now, and he didn't really care about what this world was really like.
Li Huowang began to search the ship while sorting his thoughts.
"What are you looking for?" Ba Shengqing asked as he watched Li Huowang lift a lifebuoy and glance at the floor.
"I need to check if Shai Zi has followed us."
Last time, Shai Zi had shown up unexpectedly. He wasn't sure if it would happen again.
"Shai Zi[1]? This isn't a gambling ship. Where would Shai Zi come from?"
"You wouldn't understand even if I explained. Instead of wasting time, why not help me look?"
This time was different from the last. Li Huowang couldn't find any dice anywhere on the ship.
Did it really not sneak along this time? Has Shai Zi backed off?
This thought crossed his mind briefly before he shook his head and headed toward the cargo hold.
He had searched the entire ship except for that. Li Huowang knew he needed to take Shai Zi seriously. This wasn't easy to deal with, and he must have his own agenda since he even dared to get involved in the battle of Simings.
If he wanted it to help him, he had to keep a firm grip on it. He needed to ensure he could find it anytime, anywhere, and take its life at any moment.
When he entered the cargo hold, Li Huowang was surprised to find cargo containers along with several cars tied down, which resembled an underground garage.
Could Shai Zi be hiding here? Li Huowang crouched down and carefully inspected every detail.
As he looked under one of the cars, he suddenly felt like someone was watching him. However, no one was there when he quickly stood up to check.
"Is someone there?" His voice echoed in the hold, but no one responded.
Then, he hesitantly asked, "Shai Zi? Is it you?"
Li Huowang took a few more steps forward, then stopped suddenly. He raised his head slightly and sniffed the air. His face darkened.
He quickly pulled out his phone and dialed for Zhao Shuangdian on the deck. "Hey, I'm in the cargo hold. You and Qing Wanglai need to come down. I have something to discuss with you."
After a short while, they arrived along with everyone else.
"What's going on?" Qing Wanglai asked.
"You're asking me? Shouldn't you first explain what you've done?"
Li Huowang turned his head and looked at the cargo containers secured to the floor. "Nana, come out. I know you're here."
After a few seconds, the front of a large container opened like a door. Yang Na was pouting and had her head down. She walked over to Li Huowang and grabbed his clenched fist.
"Care to explain? What's going on?" Li Huowang asked the two of them sternly. "I told you I didn't want her involved, yet you still went against me?"
He continued, "In that case, I might as well quit. You all do your thing, and I'll go by myself!"
His words made the others nervous. If it had been earlier, it wouldn't have mattered. However, now that they were certain Li Huowang could reverse time, his importance had been elevated.
"Huowang, it's not their fault," Yang Na anxiously said, pulling at his hand as she tried to explain. "I snuck aboard by myself because I wanted to help you."
She quickly noticed that Li Huowang wasn't listening. "Did you two knowingly let another Siming tag along? You expect me to believe you didn't notice? That's nonsense! I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid!"
"Ji Zai!" Yang Na suddenly raised her voice. "Ji Zai! As the Heavenly Mater, who governs Death and Benevolence, who are you to forbid me from joining the battle of the Simings?!"
1. die ☜
Chapter 919 - Festival
When Yang Na called Li Huowang Ji Zai, he froze as if struck by lightning.
At that moment, Zhao Shuangdian approached and whispered, "Honestly, she finally found something she wants to do. Just let her do it.
"You can see how much better she's doing now. Do you really want her to go back to how she was? Curled up at the foot of the bed, consumed by thoughts of ending her life?
"And don't worry about her safety. Since everything will eventually rewind, what's there to fear about her safety?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
Yang Na said, "You are a Siming, and I am a Siming too! I am not your object! I don't need your protection!
"This concerns the fate of all Simings in the Baiyu Capital! I can't run away from this! Look at me. I am a Siming who governs both Death and Benevolence!"
Yang Na's voice gradually softened. "Huowang, in the past, I wronged you. Let me be of some use, please. It's the only way I'll feel better."
"Otherwise, I'll always feel like I'm the one who caused you to end up like this. If I hadn't called the police then, you wouldn't have..." Yang Na choked with emotion.
Li Huowang embraced her, his hand softly smoothing her hair. His words got caught in his throat several times before he finally managed to speak with forced cheerfulness. "Okay! Ji Zai welcomes the return of the Heavenly Mater! With you on our side, the opposing Simings won't stand a chance!"
He continued to hold Yang Na and turned coldly toward Zhao Shuangdian and Qing Wanglai. Then, he took out his phone and sent both of them a message.
Fine, you guys win. You used Yang Na to achieve your goals. But don't forget, the initiative is no longer in your hands—it's in mine. Especially the next time the timeline rewinds and you guys know nothing.
Next time, I want to see if I can deceive you by mixing truth and lies when I tell you I can reverse time. Will you two be able to tell the difference?
***
"Here, does your father look like this? I made this clay figurine."
Li Sui's gaze remained fixed on a lantern nearby, her mind lost in thought. A lifelike clay figure was then presented to her, capturing her attention. The figure portrayed a person in red robes, whose face was concealed by a bronze coin mask. They also had a spine sword on their back.
"Yes! That's my father!" Li Sui excitedly grabbed the chopstick handle at the bottom of the figure, unable to let go. She missed her father terribly, and even a clay figure was enough to provide temporary comfort.
Zuoqiu Yong smiled and shook his head. "Ah, you're just like a child. That boy Li Huowang sure knows how to raise a kid."
"Remember, I'm called Zuoqiu Yong. From now on, just call me Auntie."
"I'll remember, Auntie. Weren't you going to take me to Great Qi?"
"Ah, you little kid," Zuoqiu Yong poked her forehead teasingly. "I heard you like festivals, so I brought you here to have some fun. There's no need to stay cooped up in the house all the time."
"What's the rush to go to Great Qi? We still have 180 years to wait. We can talk after the festival."
Li Sui nodded and laughed innocently, "You're right, Auntie. I have so many years before I can see my dad again."
After a brief pause, Li Sui seemed to think carefully and then shook her head. "Wait, no. I don't need 180 years. My dad looks like he's in his twenties. In 150 odd years, I can go find the newborn him!"
"I'd advise against it. If you interfere and your dad doesn't get captured by Dan Yangzi, he won't eat you to suppress his hallucinations. You could mess up the cause and effect, and you may not even learn how to speak again."
Li Sui was frightened by this and nodded quickly. "Mm! I won't go looking for him early! I won't mess things up."
"Ah~ Good girl. For today, stop thinking so much and just have fun."
Li Sui nodded once more, her gaze filled with longing as she looked at the clay figure cradled in her hands. "Auntie, now that I have my father, could you also make two mothers for me?"
"Sure! Come with me. The clay figurines shop is over here. By the way, you have two mothers? Your father sure is lucky."
"Really? But I don't think my father has been fortunate. He's had a hard life these past years."
When they arrived at the clay figure shop, the old man quickly molded two figures according to Li Sui's description. In no time, a white-haired girl with two torsos was crafted.
Lastly, Zuoqiu Yong had him make a figure of Li Sui herself, allowing the family of four to be together.
Once the figures were finished, Zuoqiu Yong took Li Sui to a temple fair. They solved lantern riddles and enjoyed the night market.
By late evening, Li Sui had played to her heart's content. She held onto Zuoqiu Yong's hand as they headed home.
She looked at the three lifelike clay figures in her hands, then carefully buried them in her tentacles. "Auntie, you're such a good person."
"Oh, what are you saying, kid? I'm a Chief, after all. Being a good person is a requirement for this job."
As she spoke, Zuoqiu Yong gently patted Li Sui's head. "Ah, you poor child. What an irresponsible father you have—abandoning you in this distant place, not even bothering to search for you.
"From now on, I'm your family. If you ever need anything, just look for me. I'll help you."
"Mm! In 180 years, I'll tell my father how good Auntie was to me! I'll let him know Auntie is a wonderful person!"
"Alright, I'd love to meet the guy who raised an evil spirit as his daughter."
The two continued to chat as they walked, and they eventually returned to the Surveillance Bureau in Great Qi.
Li Sui was sent back to her room to rest, while Zuoqiu Yong went to his residence.
Though the Surveillance Bureau were underground, his personal chambers as the Chief were lavish and grand.
He walked through the corridor, and entered his treasure room. He glanced at the treasures hanging from the beams, then kneeled at a low table, and tapped his finger on the brush holder thrice.
A small monkey, about the size of an infant's fist, crawled out, knelt by the inkstone, and quickly started to grind ink.
Once the ink was ready, it lifted a calligraphy brush with great effort, then offered it to Zuoqiu Yong.
Zuoqiu Yong expressionlessly took the brush and carefully recorded everything Li Sui had mentioned today.
After he finished, he tossed the brush to the little monkey, who was sneakily licking the ink. Then, he pulled out a few pages of notes he had written days before and began to organize them.
Anything that happened 180 years from now could contain vital information, and even the smallest detail could be valuable. At the very least, being able to foresee the future was an enormous advantage.