Li Sui was wearing her human skin while sitting on the mossy stairs of the Bai Family Estate.
A child was in front of her, and Li Sui's gaze was on the lard candy in the child's hands.
"Is that delicious?" Li Sui asked, sounding intrigued.
The child was wearing a hat and shoes resembling a tiger. Li Sui wasn't familiar with the child nor his parents, but she could see that the child was interested in her based on how he seemed transfixed on her pretty face.
After a while, the child snapped back to reality and nodded. Then, he pulled Li Sui toward his house.
He brought Li Sui into the kitchen and imitated his mother. He used a pair of chopsticks to scoop out a glob of lard before tossing the lard into the jar of coarse sugar.
He rolled the lard around and coated it with a thick layer of sugar.
And just like that, a lard candy was made...
The child handed it over to Li Sui.
"Is it delicious?" Li Sui swallowed it whole and savored it before nodding. "Not bad. It has a porky flavor. I love pork, but I prefer bones with blood and flesh on them, especially those bones covered in white stuff.[1]Those are very chewy. Second Mother actually loves to eat it, too."
Just then, Li Sui's ears perked up. "Sorry, my father is calling me, and I need to go back. Thank you for the candy. I will treat you to some bloody bones next time."
The tentacles under Li Sui's skirt moved swiftly, propelling her toward the Bai Family Estate.
"Father, did you call me?" Li Sui asked.
Li Huowang was busy organizing talisman papers when he heard Li Sui's voice.
"Yes, let's go. We are going to be busy," Li Huowang said. Then, he placed all of his three swords on his back.
"Where are we going?" Li Sui asked. She took off the human skin on her and placed it in a jar full of salt.
"We need to find someone called Taishan Shi. He's very annoying, and we need to kill him," Li Huowang replied. He then opened his mouth, and Li Sui shoved herself into Li Huowang through the latter's mouth.
Her tentacles made Li Huowang's neck bulge, but Li Huowang didn't mind it. He walked out of the door and saw Bai Lingmiao.
"Tell your people to protect the village while I'm not here. Be careful of people luring you out so that they can attack the village."
Bai Lingmiao nodded quietly.
Li Huowang hugged her gently before exiting the village.
Li Huowang had just left when a pair of white shoes appeared at the doorstep. "Saintess."
"Alright. I was just about to leave for Shangjing. Anyway, I want you to protect this place properly."
There were nine people hunting Taishan Shi—Li Huowang, the Abbot, two other monks, Fo Yulu, and her four subordinates.
Once they were ready for the hunt, Fo Yulu said, "Don't act rashly once we find Taishan Shi. We need to observe him first. We can also retreat and request backup if we think he's too strong for us to defeat."
Li Huowang heard that and frowned. He wasn't a fan of Fo Yulu's conservative approach.
"Stop talking nonsense. Let's just find him first. Have you heard anything from the informants of the Surveillance Bureau?" Li Huowang asked. He clearly favored a more direct approach.
The Surveillance Bureau, the Righteous Monastery, and he were hunting down just one person. Li Huowang thought that they could easily defeat Taishan Shi with their numbers. It didn't matter how strong Taishan Shi was, as they were in the Liang Kingdom rather than the Qi Kingdom. Moreover, Taishan Shi didn't have that many members of the Dharma Sect here.
Fo Yulu hated Li Huowang's rashness, and she glared at him to express that.
"We'll go to Li County, which is fifty Li away from here. The informant told me that the members of the Dharma Sect are in the middle of gathering there. We should interrogate some of them to find Taishan Shi's whereabouts."
Everyone hopped onto their horses and made a beeline for Li County. They wanted to waste no time.
Fo Yulu approached Li Huowang's flank and asked, "Er Jiu! How's my ancient sword? Is it powerful?"
"Why? Do you want to take it back?" Li Huowang asked. He didn't even look at her, as he had nothing to say to her.
"No, but since you have an incredibly powerful ancient sword, you're not going to be a coward and stand at the rear once we find Taishan Shi, right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Hehe, nothing. If you don't want to be one of the vanguards, then return my sword to me. I'll let you hide at the back of the group so you can just watch us fight," Fo Yulu said, smiling.
Li Huowang made his horse approach Fo Yulu's horse. He got extremely close to Fo Yulu before saying, "Fo Yulu, I don't care about what you're trying to do here, but don't forget that I have a connection with His Majesty. Do something stupid here, and I will make sure that you will regret it in the future."
Fo Yulu scowled and went silent. She didn't expect that Li Huowang would use that card against her.
Sensing something amiss, the Abbot approached them and said, "Benefactors, I am willing to go up first and fight Taishan Shi as one of the vanguard the moment we find him. I'm willing to do that for the sake of the world."
The Abbot clearly didn't want internal strife, so Fo Yulu steered away from Li Huowang and got closer to the Abbot.
"May I know your name? We're all following the teachings of Buddha, so I don't think it's good to keep calling you 'Abbot.' I also don't want you to keep calling us 'benefactors'."
"This humble monk's given name is Chan Du."
"I greet Master Chan Du. My given name is Yu Se."
Li Huowang guided his horse close to Liu Zongyuan. "How's the new Ji Xiang? Is she good?"
"Brother Er Jiu, you can relax. She knows where to draw the line, so she's not going to do anything stupid."
Li Huowang lowered his guard slightly as they continued on their journey.
Fifty Li sounded far, but they were fast on horseback. Soon, they reached the entrance of Li County's main city.
Li Huowang pulled his reins, and his horse raised its front legs high up in the air. A large pile of metal pots was blocking their path into the city.
Li Sui's swept across the pots, sending them flying.
Metal pots, boiling water, and rocks took to the sky.
Li Huowang immediately unsheathed his sword upon seeing the steam rising from the rocks.
No one would be stupid enough to cook stones and drink its soup except for the members of the Qi Kingdom's Dharma Sect.
"Careful! There are probably traps here. I'll search the perimeter!"
Fo Yulu stared deeply at the empty city. Moments later, her figure trembled, and several thumb-sized golden Buddhas jumped over the big pile of metal pots to enter the city.
Fifteen minutes passed by in a flash. Li Huowang wanted to take matters into his own hands when Fo Yulu took out red prayer beads and made a seal with the prayer beads between her palms. Then, she started chanting a strange sutra.
"Prince Vipassi witnessed the passing of the person with great wisdom, the one foremost among men; there were eighty thousand of such individuals. They followed Prince Vipassi to renounce their worldly desires and practice the Brahman. The honored one, Prince Vipassi, preached the Dharma in the Deer Park at Isipatana, and they all came to the presence of the Buddha."
1. Cartilage, but Li Sui doesn't know the word for it. ☜
Chapter 621 - Dharma Sect
Fo Yulu was chanting Buddhist scriptures outside the deserted county town.
As time ticked by amidst Fo Yulu's chanting, a cacophony of noises soon pervaded the county town, shattering its silence.
The Abbot of the Righteous Monastery and the two other monks took out a wooden fish. They started tapping it and singing with the beat. Soon, the chanting of the Buddhist scriptures sounded like there was something else mixed into it.
As the chanting of the Buddhist scriptures continued, Li Huowang felt every cell inside of him pulsate as if they were about to leave him at any moment.
Fo Yulu's clothes squirmed, and many different tiny Buddhas fell out of her clothes. They all sat cross-legged on the ground and chanted along with Fo Yulu and the monks.
When the chanting reached its peak, the ground abruptly cracked open.
A tall figure wearing a witch's hood jumped out of the crack with two obsidian daggers in both hands. The tall figure was clearly here to ambush Fo Yulu, who was chanting the Buddhist scriptures.
However, Hong Da was prepared for any sudden turn of events. He promptly leaped from his horse and blocked the attacker.
Hong Da's rusty knife pierced the tall figure's chest, but the tall figure's arms holding the two obsidian daggers split into two and made a beeline for Fo Yulu.
It turned out that the tall figure wasn't a living person. The two dwarves disguised as arms were the real people.
Just as one of the dwarves thought that he'd hit his target, a Daoist priest in a red robe stood in his way.
The dwarf's eyes were focused on the Daoist's bronze coin sword when the Daoist opened his mouth, releasing black tentacles that instantly engulfed the dwarf's face.
The suction cups of the black tentacles clung tightly to the dwarf's skin. At first, it was painful, and then he no longer felt anything.
Having made quick work of the dwarf, Li Huowang turned toward the other dwarf; the bloody tentacles hanging from his chin swayed as he moved.
Peng Longteng had grabbed the other dwarf and was squeezing the latter until the dwarf collapsed into a ball. Peng Longteng then raised the dwarf above her head and exerted force. Crimson blood spurted and flowed down Peng Longteng's stump.
At first, Li Huowang thought that the matter was resolved, but it seemed that things were only getting started as a slender black sword pierced Peng Longteng's heavy armor.
Soon, commoners wearing white scarves emerged from the county town, charging at Li Huowang and the others.
The Buddhist scriptures seemed effective against the commoners as parts of themselves—like their eyes, ears, etc—would abruptly fall to the ground from time to time.
However, the commoners' zeal seemed unending despite losing so many parts of them in the process.
There were skinny people from the Great Qi among them, but the majority of them were the people of the Great Liang.
The propagation of the Dharma Sect's teaching was much faster than Li Huowang had imagined.
These zealots weren't afraid of death, but the difference in strength between the two factions was still too great. They weren't Li Huowang nor Peng Longteng's match. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
The tall Peng Longteng plowed through the crowd, carving open a bloody path. She seemed to be enjoying the slaughter, and her figure was trembling incessantly as she used two corpses as her weapons.
"Don't kill them all! Leave some of them alive! I want to interrogate them!"
The slaughter continued, and Liu Zongyuan's white mist soon enveloped the entire county town. Once the county town was thoroughly enveloped by Liu Zongyuan's white mist, the battle quickly came to an end.
Thump!
The last remaining dwarf fell weakly to the ground and took his final breath.
"This place must be their temporary base. It seems that they really don't know the whereabouts of Taishan Shi," Li Huowang said as he put away the bloody torture tools into his bag.
They were still facing the same problem as earlier. Even if they could defeat Taishan Shi, it was useless if they couldn't find the latter.
If the Dharma Sect were allowed to absorb the masses, the people of Great Liang would eventually become their enemy.
Fo Yulu emerged from her contemplation just then and said, "Let's go. Let's go to Yinling City. There's an expert there that can figure out Taishan Shi's location."
"Lord Ji Xiang, who are they? Can they really do that? Taishan Shi is from the Great Qi, after all," Hong Da reminded.
"His name is Blind Chen. And if he can't do it, then no one else can."
Li Huowang was surprised to hear a familiar name. "The Blind Chen with a stall outside the City God Temple?"
"Do you know him?"
"I guess so; we've encountered each other before. However, that guy isn't really that great. He was even deceived by the Sitting Oblivion Dao."
Back then, Li Huowang had made a deal with Blind Chen about a complete talisman collection.
"Fortune tellers can't tell their own fortune. He may not be able to do much else, but he's better at fortune-telling than the majority of the people in the Surveillance Bureau. If he can't do it, then what he worships can definitely do it," Fo Yulu said, mounting her horse.
What he worships? Is there a Siming in charge of fortune telling? The past and future are changing constantly. Can that guy still figure out what's going on? Li Huowang pondered.
Soon, everyone left the corpse-littered town.
The crows and vultures in the air eventually gathered to enjoy the unexpected feast.
A crow opened its beak and repeatedly pecked at an eyeball when a bare foot stepped on it; the crow let out an agonized shriek as it vomited its entrails to the ground.
"What did I say? Taishan, this isn't the right time to cause chaos. The Surveillance Bureau will instantly come sniffing around like a dog looking for shit to eat at the tiniest commotion."
A man wearing a robe adorned with colored cloth strips was strolling leisurely amidst the corpses.
A jet-black cloth was draped over his left shoulder.
The man named Taishan was a short, ugly guy with ears covered in black hair. He looked brutish, but he was wearing an exceptionally elegant white robe. The white headscarf on his head complemented the black cloth on the man's shoulder.
"Hmm... Indeed. However, the Dharma Sect doesn't have enough followers yet. If we lay low, wouldn't the descent of our divine army be delayed?"
"Calm down. I'm more familiar with this place than you are. Although you and I both believe in different aspects of God Yu'er, we still are fellow witches. Why would I, He Xinlai, harm you? Anyway, tell your people to lie low and disguise themselves as refugees from the Great Qi. Then, tell them to scatter and gather the other followers."
"The Great Liang is the strongest kingdom in the world. Our Dharma Sect just has to take down the Great Liang, and it will be much easier for us to take control over the other regions."
The witch Taishan came to a halt and nodded. "All right, you have more people than me, so I'll follow your lead. Before that, I need our people to team up and steal that guy's sword."
"Whose sword?"
"The bone sword of that brat in the red Daoist robe. He's wielding the spine of one of the Three Pure Ones' Twisted Ones. It will prove immensely useful to me."
"All right, it seems like they're looking for you as well. You'll be the bait, and we'll set a trap to ambush them."
"We can't be careless about this; there's something wrong with him. Also, I think it's best if we hide our identity as members of the Dharma Sect; that way, we will be able to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"Don't worry, I'll bring in a few experts. In fact, our Dharma Sect isn't universally despised in the Great Liang. We have quite a few like-minded friends."
Chapter 622 - Buddha
"Something has gone extremely wrong! I'm about to be discharged from the hospital, but then something like that happened!" A phone was pressed to Li Huowang's ear as he paced anxiously in the empty corridor. "Don't talk to me about fragmented thoughts and perception. I'm not autistic; my thoughts and perception aren't fragmented! I'm not having hallucinations, either. I was cured a long time ago!"
Li Huowang sighed as he heard the reply, and then his voice instantly became much calmer as he said, "I do want to be discharged. I really don't want to be considered mentally ill for the rest of my life, but..."
A look of struggle and pain suffused Li Huowang's face. "Everything that happened on that ship was too real as if I had really experienced it! I did indeed get the bronze coin sword! I did indeed have one arm bitten off by the opponent's dog! But they all... they all disappeared!"
At the end of the corridor, several people from Li Huowang's group secretly peeked at him.
"You see, this guy still claims he's not sick. I've seen plenty of this in the hospital. This is a typical case of schizophrenia," a young guard with a buzz cut speculated.
"It doesn't seem like it. Look at how he talks in circles. People with schizophrenia don't take their medication, and their minds aren't that sharp. I feel like it's more like a personality disorder; I had a neighbor with that disorder."
Many people were curious about Li Huowang's illness, and some even secretly bet their snacks on it. Li Huowang's presence provided a bit of relief from the boredom of the monotonous hospital.
"Doctor Yi, I'm really afraid that everything that had happened before will become meaningless. I-I'm really confused right now; I don't know whether it's real or not, and it's making me hesitate."
"Okay, then, come over when you have the time. Thank you," Li Huowang said. He ended the call and frowned while pacing back and forth in the corridor.
At first, Li Huowang thought that everything going smoothly, but the inexplicable experience at sea was truly bewildering to him.
If it were fake, then wouldn't that mean that what he had experienced at sea was just a hallucination produced by his fragmented thoughts and perception?
If that were the case, what kind of mental illness was he suffering from? Was there even any cure for it?
If it was real... Li Huowang hesitated, sensing that he was in big trouble and that he had to handle it properly.
It had to be handled properly, as making the wrong choice meant that he'd end up digging a bigger hole in the ground for himself.
Li Huowang felt hopeless. He truly had no idea what to do a this point.
Dak, dak, dak~
A strange noise echoed from outside the window. Li Huowang walked over and saw the vast army of the Great Liang beyond the window.
The cacophony of hooves and the overwhelming aura from the soldiers made Li Huowang feel extremely tense.
The sight was the exact meaning of the word "endless."
The powerful officials were with the troops as well, which added to the intimidating scene.
"Where are these soldiers going?" Li Huowang asked in a low voice.
"They're not going anywhere. The followers of the Dharma Sect will not dare to rebel as long as they are intimidated."
"Hehe, we don't have to be afraid of their rebellion. The Flying Leopard troops can completely annihilate such sects," Liu Zongyuan said with a hint of pride.
"Don't worry; it seems that the higher-ups also attach importance to the changes in the Great Qi. The spies and paws of the Surveillance Bureau are here along with the higher-ups, so we should be safe."
Li Huowang finally understood the reason behind the army's presence here, and he finally had a clear understanding of Gao Zhijian's capability.
The Emperor of Great Liang was the type of person to keep his word.
A general sensed Li Huowang and the others' gazes; he looked over but immediately looked away upon seeing the badges attached to Li Huowang and the others' waists.
Once the soldiers of the Great Liang had passed by them, Li Huowang turned to Fo Yulu beside him and said, "Don't worry about them. Let's just focus on our task at hand."
The Great Qi's Dharma Sect had to be handled properly. Otherwise, the entire Great Liang would become chaotic once again.
Everyone mounted their horses and galloped toward Yinling City; they were going to contribute to the resistance against the Great Qi's Dharma Sect.
They had spent just a few days on the road, but the three monks from the Righteous Monastery had already changed drastically.
When Li Huowang first met them, the Abbot of Righteous Monastery, Chan Du, was as thin as a skeleton. After a few days of vegetarian meals, Chan Du's flesh and skin had returned to normal.
The incredible sight made Li Huowang look at the divine powers of the Righteous Monastery in a different light.
"Abbot, what other divine powers did your Buddha grant you in addition to the ability to transform into a thousand-arm Buddha? You should tell me because we're working together against the Dharma Sect."
Chan Du released the reins with both hands and clasped them together. "Amitabha, this humble monk has been meditating for sixty years and has already transcended the realm of heavenly freedom."
Li Huowang was completely puzzled. What did it mean to transcend the realm of heavenly freedom?
"Abbot, can you keep it simple? I'm a bit confused—"
A black vulture swooped down from the sky before Li Huowang could finish his sentence. When Li Huowang's gaze met with the vulture, he saw a black-robed Lama through the vulture's eyes.
Then, Li Huowang saw the Lama point his finger toward his own forehead with his right hand, which was covered with age spots and was holding a vajra.
"Respected one, reveal your true nature!"
Li Huowang's heart went numb, and he felt empty as if he had lost something important.
However, he didn't feel anything abnormal, which was contrary to his expectations.
Swoosh!
Li Huowang slashed out with his purple-tasseled sword, splitting the vulture in half.
"An ambush!" Li Huowang exclaimed.
And that was when a rain of vultures plummeted toward the others.
The Abbot of the Righteous Monastery put his hands together, and his figure phased through the saddle, merging with the horse.
It didn't end there. When the three monks were finally merged with their horses, their flesh and blood began to merge with each other as well.
Finally, a fleshy creature that resembled a Buddha appeared before everyone.
It was a Buddha that Li Huowang had seen in the Righteous Monastery.
The Buddha had roughly eight pairs of arms. Each hand was holding a different seal—the vajra, lotus, or lion seal. Soon, more than ten mouths chanted sutras at the same time.
"In the heavens, the true Dharma was preached. Abandon the heavenly palace; descend from the mother's womb. Born from the right side of the body, walk as a Buddha; open the gate of Dharma, cleanse impurities..."
The sutras were in different volumes, but they were in harmony with each other, which made the sutras sound extremely sacred and solemn.
As the Buddha's voice pervaded the air, the vultures' wings abruptly stuck to their bodies, and their eyes were eventually stuck to their eyelids as well. Then, they fell from the sky like rocks thrown into the ocean.
Li Huowang looked up at the Buddha—no, at the compassionate face of the abbot. It was then that he finally understood the meaning of the realm of heavenly freedom.
Chapter 623 - Chess
"These birds... I seem to have seen them somewhere before..." Li Huowang muttered with furrowed brows while staring at the vultures on the ground. He was trying his best to remember where he had seen these vultures.
Li Huowang's expression froze. A few years ago, he had encountered a Lama with a vulture just as he left Qing Qiu.
Is it them? Those Lamas from Qing Qiu infamous for conducting sacrificial rituals? Why would they want to ambush the Surveillance Bureau?
Li Huowang suddenly noticed something amiss. He reached behind him, and his heart sank. His spine sword was missing! These vultures were here to serve as a distraction, and their target was his spine sword!
"My sword is missing!" Li Huowang exclaimed. Peng Longteng appeared next to Li Huowang, and she hurled the latter into the air.
Having been thrown into the air, Li Huowang now had a bird's eye view of everything around him. He looked around frantically, scanning his surroundings.
He wouldn't have been so angry if the other party had come to ambush him, but they had actually come to steal his spine sword.
Li Huowang swore to crush them to dust!
"Daoist! Look, your sword's there!" The old monk behind Li Huowang exclaimed, pointing at somewhere in the distance.
The next moment, the old monk's figure solidified. Li Huowang grabbed the old monk's robes, and the two headed into the distance.
When they got close enough, Li Huowang saw a mandrill wearing a Buddha mask. The mandrill was holding his spine sword and was running frantically through the forest.
The mandrill seemed to have mastered a movement technique that allowed it to move so swiftly through the forest.
"Stop running!" Li Huowang exclaimed. He gouged out his left eye and crushed it. The monkey was instantly enveloped in a strange light, and its movement became as slow as a snail.
Li Sui's tentacles then reached out to retrieve the spine sword, but a cold light flashed, severing those tentacles.
A strange drumming rhythm echoed immediately afterward. Then, an old Lama wearing a black sheepskin stood between Li Huowang and the spine sword.
He was beating the bone drum at his waist, and there was a bone sutra in his hand.
"The Venerable Uruvilva-Kasyapa, Venerable Gaya Kasyapa, Venerable Nadi Kasyapa, Venerable Mahakasyapa, Venerable Sariputra, Venerable Maudgalyayana..." the old Lama chanted.
Strange cries pervaded the air as he chanted, and the vultures gathered at their location, orbiting the skies above them.
"There is no enmity between us, so why are you doing this to me?! Do you really think I haven't changed at all?!" Li Huowang roared at the old Lama as blood streamed down his eye socket.
The vultures in the air swooped down toward Li Huowang.
"Horse jumps, eat your cannon[1]."
Li Huowang was sitting on a plastic red stool and was dressed in blue and white clothes. His brows were furrowed as he stared at the chessboard placed before him.
He was playing chess against his attending physician Wu Cheng. He was playing chess while listening to something with his Bluetooth earpiece.
Li Huowang picked up his left chariot with two fingers and slammed it down on his opponent's pawn.
Smack!
Li Huowang's bronze coin sword struck the old Lama, shattering the latter's bone drum.
The spine sword was in Li Huowang's hands once again, and he breathed a sigh of relief at its familiar coldness.
Li Huowang looked up, and he found that he was surrounded by people.
In addition to the old Lama wearing clothes made of black sheepskin, people wearing white headscarves and black armbands stood around Li Huowang as well. Their outfit told Li Huowang everything he had to know, and he became certain of it as well. These people were followers of the Dharma Sect!
"We're not wearing any disguise. Won't this kid recognize us?"
"We're going to kill him, so it doesn't matter. Let's wrap this up."
"General[2]."
Li Huowang looked up slowly at Wu Cheng, who was smiling slightly.
"Are you secretly using a grandmaster-level AI to cheat against me? I heard people can do that." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
"Calm down, Little Li. It's just a game of chess. You don't need to worry about winning or losing, and losing isn't that big of a deal."
"I really can't figure out how playing chess is related to my condition."
"Don't burden yourself with so many thoughts. Just think about it as me finding someone to play chess with because I like playing chess."
Li Huowang took a deep breath and continued with the game. He struggled as hard as he could to make a comeback.
"Take the horse." Li Sui's bloody burrowed out of Li Huowang's abdomen and gouged out his opponent's intestines.
"Advisor." Li Huowang's last eye was covered in a black layer.
"Hey! They're playing chess here!" someone exclaimed. The nearby patients heard that, and they crowded around Li Huowang out of curiosity as well as to help him against Wu Cheng.
"Er Jiu! We're here to help you!"
Li Huowang was annoyed at the cacophony of voices around him.
"Shut up!!" Li Huowang roared.
The patients immediately went silent. Li Huowangs' roar had reminded them of his identity, and they dared not speak against him.
Li Huowang continued with the game, even though it was getting more and more difficult to stand his ground.
If Wu Cheng hadn't been going easy on him, he would have lost long ago.
Li Huowang's temper grew as he looked at the chessboard before him. He suddenly grabbed the chessboard and was about to flip it out of fury, but Wu Cheng grabbed his hand and pushed it down firmly.
"Little Li, you should stop flipping the table whenever you're losing. Some things can be resolved through flipping the table, but there are many things that cannot be resolved through that alone."
Li Huowang stared deeply at Wu Cheng.
Just then, a hand reached out from behind Li Huowang's shoulder, and the hand's five fingers grabbed a chariot before moving it forward three squares.
Li Huowang tilted his head slightly and was surprised to see that the autistic chubby boy was the one who had made the move.
The autistic chubby boy was drooling, but his eyes were transfixed on the chessboard.
Li Huowang let go of the chessboard and allowed the chubby boy to fight Wu Cheng.
The chubby boy's play was incredibly slow, but it was incredibly effective against Wu Cheng's moves.
As time went on, the chubby boy was capturing more and more of Wu Cheng's pieces. It started with just the pawns, but things escalated slowly until the tides were starting to reverse in the chubby boy's favor.
Li Huowang forcefully tore off the old man's loose skin on his face and looked daggers at the old Lama, who was the perpetrator behind all this.
The old Lama had transformed, and he was sporting heads and six arms. Each head represented a unique death—drowning, hanging, and stabbing.
Just as the old Lama's bone sutra was about to start spinning, Li Huowang pulled out his spine sword and thrust himself into Great Qi.
He located the old Lama's position within the Great Qi and carved open another spacetime rift. However, Li Huowang wasn't planning on returning to the Great Liang to ambush the old Lama through this spacetime rift. Instead, he opened the spacetime rift directly on top of the old Lama so the spacetime rift would sever the old Lama's figure into two.
When Wu Cheng moved his final advisor, Li Huowang's lips curled slightly upward. He moved his general and blocked the opponent's general.
"General versus general!"
The old Lama's bizarre and aged figure swelled up. The next moment, tentacles of a variety of sizes emerged from his every orifice, and they writhed as they streaked through the air.
Bang!
The old Lama exploded into a bloody mess of flesh and tentacles.
Li Huowang emerged from the old Lama and turned to the Dharma Sect members, shouting, "General! Checkmate!"
1. Chinese chess terms. A few phrases later on that refer to chess as well ☜
2. If it's not obvious yet, this is Chess in Chinese ☜
Chapter 624 - Ambush
"Wu Cheng! Again!"
Smack!
"Pawn retreat!"
Smack!
"Elephant takes cannon!"
Smack!
"Pawn advances!"
Clang!
The purple-tasseled sword collided with a black obsidian dagger. Sparks flew as the tip of the dagger was severed. It spun like a top in mid-air before piercing the bloody ground.
The Dharma Sect witch hurriedly twisted his hand to avoid making any contact with the purple-tasseled sword. Then, he viciously thrust the broken dagger into Li Huowang's left chest.
It seemed like a great move, but he had unknowingly put himself in danger, as getting so close to Li Huowang was a death sentence.
The next moment, the Dharma Sect witch felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw something covered in tentacles protruding from Li Huowang's chest. Shockingly, it had burrowed into his own abdomen!
"No, no, no!" The Dharma Sect witch frantically clawed at his stomach and fearfully scoured his messy insides.
"Yu...er..." The Dharma Sect witch muttered before his neck jerked upward; the tentacles inside of him had stirred his brain until it became mush.
The man was dead, but his corpse was still standing. Moments later, he grabbed his broken dagger and charged at a Dharma Sect disciple attempting to ambush Li Huowang.
Li Sui had taken complete control over his body.
Li Huowang stood still, panting heavily as he surveyed the battlefield. The old Lama had been dealt with, but the situation was far from over. He still had to deal with these Dharma Sect followers. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
However, he wasn't too worried about losing, as Fo Yulu and the Abbot of the Righteous Monastery were there to help him.
He was more concerned about the Great Liang, as his assumption ended up being correct! The Dharma Sect of the Great Liang and the Dharma Sect of the Great Qi had somehow created an alliance in such a short period of time.
The Dharma Sect of the Great Liang was strong enough to throw the Great Liang into chaos, and with the addition of the Great Qi's Dharma Sect, the consequences were unpredictable.
Unbeknownst to Li Huowang, quite a few people were staring at him from the shadows.
"Taishan! We have to retreat now! The military families will catch up to us if we wait any further!" He Xinlai exclaimed at the Great Qi witch.
"All right!" Taishan Shi grunted and nodded. The Dharma Sect followers didn't hesitate to take out round stones and swallow them whole. Their eyes then turned red, and they charged forward to cover Taishan Shi and He Xinlai's retreat.
"Trying to escape? Li Sui, chase them!"
Li Huowang took out two pieces of turmeric paper and drew two talismans using his own blood. He then pressed them firmly on his leg before chasing after the retreating pair. He moved so fast that he left a trail of afterimages.
The others were surrounded, but Li Huowang encountered little to no resistance.
"He's really chasing us."
"I know," He Xinlai replied with a smile.
The scenery rapidly peeled away as Li Huowang chased after He Xinlai and Taishan Shi.
Just then, the surroundings brightened, and a field beyond the forest was revealed. Stacks of yellow rice straw were piled between the fields, and smoke was rising from the distant village just beyond the fields.
"You're not getting away!" Li Huowang sliced off a large piece of his own flesh and hurled it toward the fleeing pair.
The tattered piece of flesh spun rapidly in the air as if it was sentient, and it headed straight for Taishan Shi's back.
Taishan Shi was struck, and Li Huowang's flesh inundated his back. He collapsed to the ground and squirmed violently.
Li Huowang kicked off of the ground and jumped high into the air before bringing down his purple-tasseled sword toward the wriggling figure on the ground.
The feedback was unexpectedly light, and it wasn't the familiar sensation of cutting through flesh.
All of a sudden, a pair of calloused hands emerged from the earth and grabbed Li Huowang's ankles before yanking him downward.
He can burrow into the ground?! Just as the thought flashed through Li Huowang's mind, he was dragged neck-deep into the soil.
It wasn't over yet. Intense pain erupted from Li Huowang's chest and back as something seemed to burrow inside of him.
Li Sui was desperately trying to stop the intrusion with her tentacles.
Li Huowang gnashed his teeth and closed his lone eye. I'm underwater! I'm underwater! I have to hold my breath!
The soil immobilized Li Huowang, and he was starting to suffocate.
Just then, he could feel icy cold water permeating his exposed wounds; the water was so cold that its coldness pierced his bones.
Li Huowang shivered as he struggled to draw out the spine sword. He swung it ahead and behind him, and the pain immediately vanished.
Li Huowang raised both hands and swam upward with all his might. He was powerless in the water. He had to get back to land as soon as possible!
Just as he was about to emerge from the waters, Li Huowang pushed his both hands against the soil and pulled himself out as if he were a radish being harvested from the ground.
He gasped for air and opened his eyes to look around, but all he saw was darkness.
Li Huowang trembled and reached out to touch his right eye socket. Three thorns were sticking out of his right eye socket. It seemed that the enemy had blinded him.
Li Huowang thought that they would take advantage of his blindness, but he couldn't hear anything at all. It seemed like there was no one around him.
He Xinlai was several yards away from Li Huowang. A wooden sword was in his hand as he walked toward Taishan Shi, who had just emerged from the ground.
"What do we do now? That kid is blind. Are you not going to deal with him?" He Xinlai asked.
Despite the fact that Li Huowang was blind, Taishan Shi's cautious face showed no signs of joy. As a witch under Arrogant Stone, he had discerned some strange clues.
"Something's wrong with this kid. I think he still has some cards up his sleeve. I need to consult Sir Arrogant Stone," Taishan Shi said. He took out two crescent-shaped stones and knelt down before hugging them close. He shook them in his arms and tossed them to the ground.
"What did God Yu'er say?" He Xinlai asked while staring at the stones on the ground.
"Kill! He must die! And we must take his sword away, too!" Taishan Shi roared, and his figure burrowed into the soil once more.
He Xinlai's face changed drastically. He had been a witch for a long time, but he had never expected God Yu'er to issue such a straightforward oracle.
Of course, He Xinlai was going to follow the oracle without any hesitation. He had to show his loyalty to God Yu'er, who was about to descend to the mortal realm.
He Xinlai formed seals with one hand, and then he bit his fingertip to smear his own blood on the black cloth draped over his shoulder.
He then used the black blood on his hand to draw peach talismans on his wooden sword.
"Since it has been decided, then we're going for the kill!" He Xinlai charged at Li Huowang with the black sword in hand.
All of a sudden, two hands emerged from the ground and grabbed Li Huowang's ankles before yanking him downward.
However, something strange happened just then. Taishan Shi's hands phased through Li Huowang's ankles, and he ended up grabbing nothing but air.
The next moment, Li Huowang thrust his sword toward his left, which had no enemies.
He Xinlai was on Li Huowang's right, but he felt a sharp pain radiating from his back.
Chapter 625 - Join
For some reason, He Xinlai's back was hurting.
He Xinlai felt something amiss. He turned to look behind him but found nothing.
Taishan Shi was sitting cross-legged in the soil, and his hands were clasped tightly together.
Dust billowed out from the ground around him.
The outline of an invisible figure was in the swirling dust; the figure belonged to Li Huowang, who had just projected his image.
The ground trembled slightly as a bulky fleshy figure emerged from the nearby forest. It resembled a bloated flesh-and-blood Buddha with limbs.
"Amitabha! Two benefactors! In the boundless sea of suffering! Return to the shore!"
"Quick! His reinforcements are here! Stop hiding! Take advantage of his blindness and kill him now!"
He Xinlai reached to his shoulder and removed the black cloth on his sleeve. He threw it forcefully toward the sun in the sky.
The black cloth blotted out the sunlight, and the massive area was instantly shrouded in darkness.
Just like that, a tiny Natural Disaster was formed.
"Divine soldiers, ah!" Taishan Shi exclaimed.
Li Huowang suddenly felt a million gazes all over him, and then he could feel Li Sui writhing inside of him.
"Father, I... I feel so happy!" Li Sui's tentacles rapidly propagated inside Li Huowang. Li Sui was trying to assimilate him.
This issue had to be resolved immediately, or Li Huowang would end up like Bun and be assimilated by Li Sui!
Thump!
The towering Peng Longteng stood on Li Huowang's left side as the latter inwardly roared, "Suisui! Hang in there! Don't yield to your instincts! We're about to get out!"
The ground sank as Li Huowang plummeted into the depths of the earth. Some entities hiding in the darkness within made their move; their swaying figures closing in on Li Huowang looked both illusory and real.
Li Huowang brandished the bronze coin sword and purple-tasseled sword to protect himself.
Meanwhile, He Xinlai was waiting for the right moment to strike.
It didn't take him long to find an opportunity, as Li Huowang was blind. He used a sword technique and charged at Li Huowang as soon as the latter stepped on his own shadow on the ground.
Right as his sword was about to pierce Li Huowang's throat, He Xinlai's vision blurred. Then, Li Huowang reached out and accurately grabbed the blade of his sword.
"Huh?!" He Xinlai was stupefied.
Li Huowang looked up just then. Li Huowang's eyeballs were supposed to be on the ground as they had been gouged out. However, a strange eyeball with double pupils was in one of his empty eye sockets.
"Who did you say was blind?" Li Huowang asked. It was true that he was blind, but he could borrow his daughter's eyeball.
He hadn't revealed that fact earlier to deceive his enemies. Fortunately, it worked.
He Xinlai's heart sank, and then he decisively let go of the weapon in his hand before retreating into the darkness behind him.
Unfortunately, he was so close to Li Huowang that there was no way he could escape.
Peng Longteng's towering figure stood before him while Li Huowang's tentacles surged from behind him, appearing like a tidal wave.
"Taishan! Taishan Shi!" He Xinlai shouted, asking for his ally's help, but nothing happened.
Taishan Shi had decided to run away upon sensing that there was something amiss.
When the black cloth in the sky was slashed into pieces by Hong Da's flying knife, everything returned to normal.
Unfortunately, Taishan Shi had escaped.
Everyone surrounded He Xinlai, who was being held down by Li Huowang.
Li Huowang looked at He Xinlai. He had just given He Xinlai a taste of his knuckle sandwiches, so the latter's teeth were missing, and his face was black and blue.
However, Li Huowang wasn't done just yet as he whipped out his bag of torture tools and said, "My turn."
"Wait!" Fo Yulu chimed in, "Capturing a Grand Witch of the Dharma Sect is incredibly difficult. What if you end up killing him accidentally? I need to take him back to the Bureau and have someone interrogate him."
"Heh, are you looking down on me? I'm from the Ao Jing Sect!"
"Everything must be done according to the rules."
"Stop the nonsense! When did the Surveillance Bureau ever care about rules? Aren't you just after the reward of lifespan pills? I used to work in the Bureau! You shouldn't have let Taishan escape just for the sake of such a small profit!"
Li Huowang wanted to act tough, but he discovered that even Hong Da and Liu Zongyuan were on Fo Yulu's side.
"Brother Er, you can't be like this. The Dharma Sect of the Great Qi has just arrived here. We wouldn't have been able to obtain much information from him. However, this guy is different. We can dig out some important information about the Dharma Sect from his brain, and then we might be able to annihilate the Dharma Sect in one fell swoop."
"Er Jiu, I know the methods of the Ao Jing Sect are terrifying. However, the Bureau has people that are better than you when it comes to interrogation."
Li Huowang frowned as he scanned their faces. It seemed that He Xinlai had a high bounty in the Surveillance Bureau.
In other words, it was highly unlikely that he'd get to interrogate He Xinlai unless he killed all of them.
"It seems that it was my mistake when I thought that I'd be able to save Great Liang with you guys. You people are the same—prioritizing your own profits!" Li Huowang was enraged.
He bent down and placed his head in the soil to look for traces of Taishan Shi. After a while, Li Huowang managed to find some clues. He ignored the members of the Surveillance Bureau and meticulously felt the minute changes in the soil to chase after Taishan Shi. However, he had no choice but to stop, as a towering mountain was standing before him. It seemed that Taishan Shi knew that someone would follow him, so he decided to burrow into a mountain as a precaution. There was nothing Li Huowang could do about it unless he could somehow move the mountain aside.
"Brother Er, don't be angry, okay? Hehehe~" Li Huowang heard the laughter behind him.
However, he didn't even turn his head and simply said, "If you have something to say, then spit it out."
"We've known each other for so long. Do you really have to treat me like this?? Do you still remember how we went through life and death together against that Muddled One back then?" Liu Zongyuan asked, smiling as he walked up to Li Huowang while wearing a wooden mask. "This turn of events is great for us, so why do you look so unhappy? We managed to capture a Grand Witch alive. This is a major blow to the Dharma Sect! There aren't many Grand Witches in the Dharma Sect, after all."
At that, Li Huowang's face lightened up.
Liu Zongyuan added, "Don't be in a hurry~ We have to take things one step at a time. We'll definitely annihilate the Dharma Sect in due time. Anyway, can you stop being mad at Lord Ji Xiang? Just treat it as giving me some face."
Li Huowang took a deep breath and exhaled. "Did you know? If it weren't for the fact that I'd waste time, I really wanted to kill you guys."
"Hahaha~ Brother Er really knows how to crack jokes," Liu Zongyuan said, laughing. He was about to put his arm around Li Huowang's shoulder, but the tentacles blocked him. "Brother Er, shouldn't you withdraw your supernatural powers?"
"Suisui, retract your tentacles."
"..."
"Suisui?"
"I can't retract them, Father. It's been like this since the sun was blotted out earlier..." Li Sui sounded aggrieved.
Chapter 626 - Treatment
In a dense forest, a tentacle with spikes and suction cups burst out of Li Huowang's left arm and hooked around a tree. Moments later, another tentacle burst out of his right abdomen and hooked around another tree.
"Hold tight!" Li Huowang took out a short knife and placed it at the base of the tentacles. After a moment of silence, he slashed at the tentacles, withstanding the pain as blood spurted out haphazardly into the air.
He dared not get distracted as sweat ran down his face. He wanted to free himself from Li Sui.
The Natural Disaster at the time had made Li Sui assimilate Bun. Li Huowang knew that it could happen, but he was still caught off guard by the fact that it happened to him.
Li Sui was so smart and obedient that Li Huowang had completely forgotten that she was an evil entity capable of robbing someone else's body—a Black Taisui!
Li Huowang could not let her stay inside of him for too long, or she could instinctively devour him and take over his body.
"Urgh... "Li Huowang trembled. The pain was akin to being sliced by a thousand blades at once.
Li Sui had completely fused to him. Not only were there tentacles outside him, but there were tentacles around his organs as well.
To make matters worse, he'd have to shave his bones as well.
"Father, are you in pain? Do you want to stop?" Li Sui's voice echoed from inside his mind.
"No need!" Li Huowang shook his head and continued. Bai-Hui's blessing of increased regeneration rate was working against him. He had to gouge out his flesh in one go, or it would regenerate before he could remove it.
"Sorry, Father... It's all my fault!" Li Sui exclaimed, blaming herself.
"No, this isn't your fault! Don't say something like that. Now wrap your tentacles tighter! This is just a small issue, and I'm not going to stumble over this. We can easily solve this!"
Unfortunately, Li Huowang was attempting something similar to separating a conjoined twin, which was an incredibly difficult feat.
"Amitabha. Benefactor, what are you doing?" the Abbot asked upon seeing the bizarre scene in the forest.
An unfriendly-looking Daoist was hanging between trees using his tentacles and was gouging out his own flesh using a knife. It was a bizarre sight indeed.
The blood flowing down Li Huowang dyed the ground red.
After learning about Li Huowang's predicament, the Abbot placed his hands together and bowed slightly to him. "Amitabha. Benefactor Er, you should've told me earlier. I can help you with this."
Li Huowang stopped cutting off his flesh and stared at the old monk. "You? Really? Do you even know what kind of trouble I'm having here?"
"Amitabha. Ratnasambhava from ?rimat of the Southern Pure Land enlightens the masses. The flesh on their body is limitless, signifying their unbounded kindness. Our body is just a vessel, and since our benefactor is a kind person, Ratnasambhava will bless and protect you."
"Ratnasambhava?" Li Huowang frowned. He didn't trust the Abbot completely, but he still said, "Are you thinking of making me give birth to Li Sui like the eunuchs?"
"Ah~ We won't. Benefactor, please wear your clothes and follow me," Chan Du said.
Li Huowang wore his clothes and allowed Chan Du to guide the way for him.
They met up with the two other monks, and Chan Du discussed the problem with them. Chan Du then asked Li Huowang to sit on the ground. Afterward, the three monks orbited Li Huowang while playing the wooden fish at a specific speed.
"Xi luo seng he mu ke ye du lu du lu fa she ye de... yi xi li..." As the three chanted a bizarre and complicated mantra, Li Huowang felt his scalp becoming itchy.
He scratched his head and was surprised to find that he had scratched off a chunk of his scalp! Moreover, he could feel himself sloughing away slowly.
He looked down at himself and finally understood how those girls in vases were made.
Li Huowang and Li Sui were separating slowly. At the sight, Chan Du took off the prayer beads around his neck and hurled them to the mass of flesh composed of both Li Huowang and Li Sui.
A reverse swastika made out of golden light appeared on Li Huowang.
Li Sui rapidly separated from Li Huowang until she was out! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
The chanting slowed down, and Li Huowang soon found himself in his original body. However, Li Sui was no longer inside of him.
The blind Li Huowang looked around with his empty eye sockets. "Suisui, give me an eyeball!"
Li Sui obliged.
Li Huowang accepted the eyeball and shoved it into his eye socket. He could finally see again.
He looked down at himself once again and saw that he was unharmed.
It seems that the techniques of the Righteous Monastery can be incredibly useful, Li Huowang thought before saying, "Thank you. I owe you one."
"Amitabha, no need to thank us. We are simply repaying your kindness in kindness. You gave us alms, so think of this as repaying what you gave us last time."
Li Huowang approached Li Sui and looked down at the skinless dog sporting some tentacles. "Are you okay? Do you feel anything missing from you?"
"Father, I'm fine!" Li Sui hugged Li Huowang and smiled happily.
"Benefactor Er, is this the evil entity that you're rearing? It's a meritorious deed. Back in the Righteous Monastery, we have many evil entities following the Buddha's teachings."
"They're following the Buddha's teachings?" Li Huowang asked, frowning. "Do they become like those pigs and cows that helped your monks cultivate?"
Chan Du wasn't angry at Li Huowang's provocation. He merely smiled and rotated the prayer beads in his hands. "Your body is still unstable. Try not to move around too much these days."
"I understand." Li Huowang picked up his belongings and left the forest. Chan Du and the two monks followed suit. Since they were willing to help him, Li Huowang was now looking at them in a brand-new light. "Abbot, I apologize for my rudeness. There's another Righteous Monastery here in the Liang Kingdom, and I had a fight with them last time, so I don't really have a good impression of the Righteous Monastery."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"I had a Strayed One friend, but the monks wanted to stop my friend from leaving with his life. They were really despicable—much more despicable than you."
Chan Du shook his head lightly and said, "Benefactor, you're wrong. I'd do the same if I were in their shoes."
Li Huowang's expression froze. "Why? Aren't Strayed Ones human beings as well? Why kill them without any hesitation?"
"Amitabha. A Strayed One is a human being, but they have to be removed for the sake of the world, or they'd harm many people. Also, a Strayed One's body is a natural treasure. We can refine them into artifacts or weapons that we can either use or exchange for other goods that will allow us to save even more people. Benefactor Er, what do you think? Isn't that a kind deed?"
Li Huowang wordlessly stared at Chan Du before looking away and walking away.
Chapter 627 - Strike Tree Flowers
The sunset was so red that it was like a fire that had set the skies ablaze.
It was so red that it made Li Sui appear as if she were blushing.
She was sitting on horseback just behind her father, and she was examining her new body. She was in another woman's body, and it was a slightly older and uglier body than the body she usually wore.
The black cloth on her shoulder indicated that the deceased woman was a Dharma Sect follower. She was one of Li Huowang's ambushers.
Li Sui chose this body, as the body had a skirt that she could use to hide her true form, which was a skinless dog.
Li Sui could have just traveled while staying inside Li Huowang, but she had become afraid of staying inside her father for an extended period of time, especially after what had transpired last time. She didn't want her father to go through that procedure again, as she didn't want to hurt him.
The horse stopped just then, prompting Li Sui to peek out from her father's back.
There were many houses ahead of them.
"It's getting dark. Let's rest at this station. We can travel tomorrow to Yinling City!"[1]
Fo Yulu showed her identity plate to the station master and his subordinate, and they immediately snapped to attention. They made sure to give Fo Yulu the hospitality they deserved as members of the Surveillance Bureau.
The Surveillance Bureau was even more important than regular soldiers around here.
Night fell, and they brought out food for Fo Yulu and her group to eat. They even made vegetarian meals for the monks.
Li Sui was sitting on a bench with a pair of chopsticks in hand. She swept her gaze across the others to try and imitate how they were using two wooden sticks to grab food.
Li Sui had never really bothered attempting to learn how to use a chopstick, as she'd either use her tentacles to eat her food or simply use her mouth.
"Here, eat the egg. You don't need the chopsticks for it," Li Huowang said. He drank a mouthful of the lamb soup and tore off the black cloth on Li Sui's shoulder.
Li Sui nodded and took the bowl with eggs in it. Beneath the shocked gaze of the station master, Li Sui devoured the eggs with their shells. She devoured tens of eggs in one go as if she were a snake.
Li Sui disliked the eggs, as she thought they were tasteless. After filling up her stomach, she stood up and looked around curiously like a child, but nothing attracted her attention.
She walked around and approached the window.
Looking out the window, she saw the city next to the station. She also saw people walking down the streets, and she became curious about what they were doing.
The city was evidently lively with many people going about on their own business.
She looked back and saw her father talking to the bald woman. At the sight, Li Sui secretly made up her mind.
Since her father was going to sleep here, she decided to visit the city and return back before her father woke up.
Li Sui soon made her way into the city, and the city's lively atmosphere made her feel excited and happy. She loved the excitement here.
"Is it going to be the New Year soon? I love the New Year."
"The New Year celebrations have just ended, so this is just a regular festival," a pedestrian chimed in.
"Festival? Festivals are fun too!" Li Sui exclaimed. She walked with the crowd and took in the scenery.
There were many people at night, as there were performances all over the place.
Li Sui saw people standing on high stilts while others were spitting fire out of their mouths.
Li Sui followed the crowd until everyone stopped right in front of the city walls. Li Sui looked around and saw that the people seemed to be waiting for something.
"What's happening?" Li Sui asked.
"Shhh... they're about to strike the tree flowers. Be quiet."
While Li Sui was wondering about what was about to happen, she saw an old man walking toward the edge of the city wall.
The old man was frowning and was wearing a straw hat with an overall made from lamb fur. He was holding a hot bucket filled with molten metal.
The old man scooped a small portion of the molten metal and threw it forcefully at the city walls. Drops of red and orange exploded upon impact, showering the sky with sparks.
The molten metal emitted a yellow and orange light as it splattered into the air. It looked like a canopy of flowers had appeared in the sky.
The old man hurled the molten metal nonstop, so the dazzling shower was nonstop.[2]
"Wow... It's so pretty!" Li Sui exclaimed with her eyes glued to the beautiful scene, just like everyone else.
The beautiful flowers appeared again and again in the night sky, and Li Sui enjoyed it a lot.
She had never seen anything so pretty before.
When the performance was over, the people sighed and left the city wall.
"Striking Tree Flowers is pretty, but it's a shame that they don't have any music and performers to go along with it. Its true beauty will only appear by then. The fiery sparks lit up the dark skies~ The scent of molten steel~ The instruments going along with the beat~ The performers singing and aligning the chorus with the flowers~" a scholar lamented while shaking his head. Then, he sighed and walked past Li Sui.
Li Sui didn't care what the scholar was talking about, as she only cared about one thing—learning it. She wanted to learn it to show it to her father and mother. Li Sui was sure that they had never seen something like that before.
"Can you tell me how to Strike Tree Flowers? I want to show it to my father!" Li Sui exclaimed, rushing at the old man to stop him from leaving.
However, the old man didn't even look at her. "We don't teach girls!"
The old man walked past Li Sui, but she stopped him again, asking, "Why? Why can't you teach me?"
"Because you're a girl! You—" the old man stopped upon seeing Li Sui's face, which was finally illuminated by the faint moonlight.
"Ni'er? Ni'er?!" the old man exclaimed. His trembling hands covered in scars and boils grabbed Li Sui's shoulders.
"Teach me. It was so pretty. My father will definitely like it."
The old man cried, seemingly unable to hold back his tears.
The old man nodded vigorously, and his voice was trembling as he said, "Sure! I'll teach you! I will teach you everything!"
"Really? That's great! How do I learn it? Do I need to read books to learn it?" Li Sui asked.
"Come! Come here! Follow me!" the old man exclaimed, pulling Li Sui to his house.
Li Sui soon arrived at the old man's house, which was made out of clay. The old man excitedly pushed the door open and shouted, "My wife! My dear wife! Look who's back!"
An old woman inside the house was painstakingly trying to thread a needle under the weak flames of a small candle. Upon hearing the old man's words, she licked the needle and placed it in between her black-and-white hair. "Who is it?"
The old woman turned around and was stunned upon seeing Li Sui's face. She even rubbed her eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was staring at.
Li Sui smiled and nodded. "I'm here to learn how to Strike Tree Flowers."
The old woman smacked her knees and cried out loud before hugging Li Sui tightly. Her chest heaved strongly as she sobbed and cried, "Sob! My Ni'er~ Sob! You must've had a hard life!"
Li Sui had no idea what she was talking about, but she found the old woman's actions to be quite similar to the Lu Family's performance.
With that, Li Sui turned around and stared at the crying old man. "Do we have to do this to learn Strike Tree Flowers?"
1. A station in ancient times was a place where officials could exchange horses and rest for the night. Kinda like motels with a petrol station in modern times ☜
2. Striking Tree Flowers is a performance where molten iron was flung against city walls to create a shower of sparks; a pseudo fireworks in a sense ☜
Chapter 628 - Ni'er
"Ni'er, come. Sit near the stove. Let's drink some sugar water and eat some dried persimmons. You loved eating sweet things when you were younger, so we made sure that sweets were always available for you."
"Maybe you want to eat meat instead? Didn't you like eating meat? Let me go get some for you; your mother will cook it for you."
The old man and old woman orbited Li Sui, frantically taking care of her. The smile on their lips never once disappeared as they offered anything they could offer.
"Wait, Ni'er, how did you manage to come back here? I heard that beast sold you—"
"We're having a festival here," the old man lightly kicked the old woman, interrupting her. "Don't even mention that beast today! We can just talk about it tomorrow."
Li Sui had no idea what the two were talking about, so she was starting to become impatient. "Didn't you say that you were going to teach me how to Strike Tree Flowers? I want to learn it."
"Of course! Come, I'll teach you now!" the old man said, nodding furiously. Then, he led Li Sui deeper into the house. He pulled open a curtain riddled with burnt holes and showed the back half of the house to Li Sui.
Li Sui was surprised to see that the back half of the house was a smithy. Clearly, the couple was only living in the front part of the house.
"Ni'er, only us blacksmiths can Strike Tree Flowers. Do you know why? It's because only we can have enough molten metal to do so."
The old man threw several charcoal biscuits into the forge, which was emitting a dim red color. Then, he took out the forge blower and used it to raise the temperature of the forge.
The charcoal gradually turned red beneath the wind, and the heat increased steadily. The old man turned to Li Sui while fanning the flames, saying, "Ni'er, we cannot charge less than two hundred coins to perform the Strike Tree Flower once. Molten metal is expensive. You must remember to charge at least two hundred coins for each performance."
When the old man sensed that the temperature was right, he placed a crucible into the burning charcoal. A variety of metals was in the crucible, such as discarded horseshoes and rusted knives.
"We need to charge them for the metal we use, too. Of course, you can just grab some scrap metal instead of buying decent ones. That way, you'll be able to save a lot of money."
Li Sui's gaze was fixed on the burning furnace, and she looked like she couldn't hear the old man's explanation.
The old man happily took off his lamb fur coat and smiled upon seeing that his daughter was seriously trying to learn how to Strike Tree Flowers. She's looking at me just like how she did in the past. Back then, she'd always sit there and watch me work throughout the entire day.
However, the old woman noticed something amiss and approached the old man. "Husband, what's going on? I feel like something is weird. I feel like Ni'er has become a different person."
The old man glared at the old woman while fanning the flames. He glanced at Li Sui and whispered, "What do you mean 'weird'? It's already a miracle that she made it back alive in one piece. What else can we even wish for? Anyway, be quiet!"
The old man grabbed some good-quality charcoal and crushed it before tossing it into the crucible. "Ni'er, you need to remember to put some charcoal into the crucible. The metal will melt faster that way."
"I understand," Li Sui said, sounding serious.
The metals inside the crucible turned red before melting altogether. Soon, Li Sui saw the same bucket of molten metal from the performance earlier.
"Move aside. I'll pour the molten metal into that bucket. This isn't a lot, but it's surprisingly heavy." The old man gritted his teeth and used two hands to carry the bucket of molten metal toward the city walls.
"Ni'er, you must toss it high up into the air, and you need to use a lot of force. Otherwise, the molten metal will fall on your head."
The dazzling display of the Strike Tree Flowers appeared once more.
Li Sui's eyes lit up in excitement at the sight. "It's so pretty."
The old man was energized upon seeing Li Sui's excitement. He tossed goblet after goblet of molten metal toward the city wall.
Once the bucket no longer contained any molten metal, the panting old man walked up to Li Sui, asking, "Ni'er, how was it? Did you learn anything? I can do it again for you to see." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"Yay! Do it again!" Li Sui happily nodded. She felt like she could watch it forever.
"All right! Then, let's go back and melt another bucket of metal!" the old man exclaimed and led Li Sui back to his home.
However, he had just taken a few steps when a thug with a tattoo on his arm stood in their way. "Father-in-law, I saw you Striking Tree Flower from afar. It seems that you've profited quite a lot during this festival."
The old man stood in front of Li Sui upon seeing the tattooed thug. Then, he raised the metal bucket up high and scolded, "You rascal! You already sold Ni'er once. Are you not satisfied yet?!"
The old man's words made the tattooed thug realize the identity of the woman standing next to the former.
The tattooed thug's eyes lit up when he saw Li Sui. "You actually managed to come back? Ni'er, did you come back here because you've been missing your husband?"
"Scram!" the old man roared and threw the metal bucket toward the tattooed thug. The latter retreated and avoided getting hit by it.
"How dare you attack me, old man!" The tattooed thug was furious. He rolled up his sleeves and started beating up the old man. "You better listen to what I'm about to say, old man! Ni'er is married to me, so she's no longer a part of your family! I can sell or pawn her off anytime I want! I have the right to do so, and it doesn't matter even if the guards have already captured me once!"
"Ni'er! Run! Run back to the house!" the old man shouted at Li Sui while defending himself against the tattooed thug.
However, Li Sui remained unmoving. She cast a puzzled gaze at the scene as she tried to understand what was going on.
Her father had never taught her anything like this, so she had no idea what was going on.
A dull thud echoed as the old man collapsed to the ground.
Li Sui saw that and stepped forward. "Why are you beating him? He taught me how to Strike Tree Flowers. Stop beating him."
The tattooed thug turned to Li Sui and replied, "Oh? So you've matured a bit after getting sold? Back then, you wouldn't even say anything while I was beating you up, but you've actually become daring enough to fight back?"
Smack!
The tattooed thug slapped Li Sui in the face. "What's up with that look? Do you want to get beaten up, too?"
Li Sui stared alternatingly between the injured old man and the tattooed thug. An unfamiliar feeling filled her chest; it was her first time experiencing this kind of emotion.
Smack!
The tattooed thug slapped her again and roared, "What are you doing standing here, you bitch! Go back home and wash my clothes! I want you to clean the house, too!"
Chapter 629 - Death
The two slaps made Li Sui's head jerk to the side, but she was in no pain because the head didn't belong to her.
Li Sui had no idea what was going on, but one thing was for sure. There was a brand-new emotion pervading her chest—anger.
Li Sui slowly raised her hand and mimicked the tattooed thug, giving him a slap.
The tattooed thug's lower jaw was dislocated, and his left cheek ballooned rapidly.
The tattooed thug held one of his cheeks in disbelief. Ni'er had not only gotten even stronger, but she could even fight back now!
"I'll kill you," Li Sui said, slapping him again. The tattooed thug's head started buzzing at the slap.
The next moment, he snapped back to reality and held his dislocated jaw in place before running away.
Li Sui didn't chase after the tattooed thug. She bent down and helped the old man up.
The old man ignored his wounds and looked at Li Sui. "Ni'er, are you alright? Is your face fine?"
Li Sui could now sense emotions, so she could sense the worry behind the old man's voice.
However, Li Sui was confused upon hearing the old man's words. "Who's Ni'er? My name is Li Sui, not Ni'er."
"Nonono! You are Ni'er! You are my daughter!" The old man shook his head furiously and pulled Li Sui toward his home.
Li Sui looked down at her clothes and realized what was happening. The old man had mistaken her for his deceased daughter.
Li Sui wanted to explain, but for some reason, she felt like she wasn't supposed to explain anything.
Soon, they returned to the smithy part of the old man's house.
Li Sui sat near the furnace and stared at the old couple taking care of her.
She felt comfortable, but she didn't know what to do. This place was indeed familiar to her.
As she stared at the talking couple, a scene flashed by Li Sui's mind. It was a scene from the memories of the late Ni'er!
Li Sui felt like she had become Ni'er.
As the hustle and bustle of the streets disappeared, Li Sui knew that it was about time for her to leave, or Li Huowang would be worried sick.
However, Li Sui was feeling conflicted. Something rose in her heart, and it tried to stop her from leaving, but she knew that she had to go.
After all, she was Li Sui, not Ni'er.
Li Sui put down the bowl of sugar water and said, "I'm not Ni'er. Ni'er is dead. I'm sorry."
The elderly couple froze.
The old man frantically said, "Ni'er, don't say such inauspicious words! Did you hit your head on the way here? I'll go and find a doctor for you!"
Realizing that the old couple still wouldn't believe her, Li Sui lifted her skirt, revealing a writhing mass of black tentacles and Li Sui's skinless dog skull.
The next moment, "Ni'er" parted open like a flower, revealing Li Sui's true body.
Li Sui opened her mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth to the couple. "I'm not Ni'er. I'm Li Sui. The real Ni'er is dead."
The elderly couple seemed frozen and was staring at Li Sui in disbelief.
"What's wrong?" Li Sui extended her tentacles to touch them. To her surprise, the two fell backward to the ground.
Just then, Li Sui suddenly felt like she had made a mistake, and a torrent of fear inundated her heart. It was an emotion that she didn't want to feel, as she couldn't accept that she had made a mistake so easily.
Li Sui's expression changed into a helpless one as she stood frozen before the fallen elderly couple. She had seen many corpses before, but she had never been afraid of them like she was tonight.
The fear in her heart forced her to move. She smashed the door open and ran toward the station where Li Huowang was located.
Before she could travel far, she saw Li Huowang waiting for her at a corner.
Li Sui was crying tears of blood as she hugged Li Huowang tightly. Then, she opened up a slit in Li Huowang's abdomen and snuck inside. Afterward, she closed her eyes and refused to think or listen to anything.
Li Huowang said nothing. He pushed his hands slowly into his abdomen and patted Li Sui's head.
The emotionless Li Sui was no longer emotionless, and the fact made Li Huowang realize that she had truly matured.
"Come, let's go back," Li Huowang said. He turned around and walked toward the station.
After taking a few steps, he came to a halt and returned to the heart of the city. He had just remembered that he had something to do.
He followed a set of footprints and soon made his way to an old wooden house.
He kicked the wooden door open without even knocking.
"Fuck! Which bastard—" The tattooed thug exclaimed and slapped the table in fury. He was in the middle of applying medicine on himself, but Li Huowang's intrusion had interrupted him.
However, he dared not speak upon seeing Li Huowang's appearance.
Clanging noises echoed as Li Huowang revealed his bag of torture tools. "Choose one, or do you want me to choose for you? What's wrong? You don't like these? That's fine, too."
Li Huowang put away his bag of torture tools and pounced on the tattooed thug.
The tattooed thug let out an agonized scream as Li Huowang bit his ear and tore it apart.
"How dare you bully my daughter, you fucking scoundrel! Die!"
***
When Li Huowang opened his eyes in the station, it was already the next morning. He groped around and noticed that Li Sui had emerged from his abdomen.
He turned around and saw Li Sui sitting like a dog, staring at the sky outside.
"Are you alright?" Li Huowang asked as he stood up. He washed up at the copper basin in the corner.
However, Li Sui ignored him, which was quite rare. She sat still like a statue in the corner of the room.
After placing the towel on the rack, Li Huowang walked up to Li Sui and stared at her face.
He picked off a scab from his body and shook it in front of her.
However, Li Sui didn't eat it.
Li Huowang then realized that last night's event had left a deep impression on Li Sui.
She was no longer the clueless Li Sui who had no idea that Li Huowang would die without a head.
Li Huowang sat on the chair and was about to say something to console her when he saw her looking at him.
"Father, don't die, okay?"
"Hm?" Li Huowang had no idea what she was talking about, but he still nodded after seeing her determined face.
"All right. I promise you that I won't die."
Li Sui hugged Li Huowang tightly using her two paws and tentacles.
"Father. I think I finally know what death means. I don't want you to die, and I don't want Mother and Second Mother to die, too. I will do my best to protect everyone!" Li Sui exclaimed, sounding emotional.
"Don't worry. We've been through a lot. I'm not going to die so easily."
Just then, Liu Zongyuan opened the door and entered.
However, he froze upon seeing that Li Huowang was wrapped in tentacles.
"What is it? Speak quickly."
"It's morning. Ji Xiang told us to move out now," Liu Zongyuan said and immediately left the room.
Li Huowang's expression turned solemn as he squeezed himself out of Li Sui's embrace.
"Li Sui, follow me. We should be able to reach Yinling City by today!"
Li Sui hurried to follow him, but she also picked up the scab on the ground and ate it.
Her tentacles quivered and changed ever so slightly as she chewed on the scab.