The old woman took out a stone and used it to carefully tear open the monkey skin on the children.
Soon, the children were no longer wearing monkey skin.
Yang Xiaohai's eyes went wide in shock. The skinny old lady that loved sucking on stones had turned out to be an expert!
"Husband! He's dead! He's really dead! His brain is oozing out of his skull!" Zhao Xiumei exclaimed, hiding behind Yang Xiaohai in fear.
She had witnessed many deaths at the hands of that red-robed Daoist during their journey at the time, but she still couldn't get used to witnessing death.
"Don't worry. I think that old lady only kills evil people," Yang Xiaohai said, consoling his wife.
The old woman's action told him that they were not in danger. It wouldn't make sense for someone like the old woman to attack regular people. After all, she seemed to be out here to punish evil people.
Moreover, Yang Xiaohai even gave her a bowl of spicy wonton for free. She hadn't eaten it, but Yang Xiaohai believed that she'd acknowledge his kindness.
The others were visibly afraid of the old woman, which was in stark contrast to Yang Xiaohai's calm and composed demeanor.
They ran away in fear upon realizing that they had just witnessed the death of a human being. The old Daoist, who looked like a sage, ran the fastest along with his disciples.
However, the three monkeysโno, the three children weren't afraid of the old woman at all. "Mother! Jiji... Mother, Mother! Motheeer!"
The remaining two children still had their monkey skin, but they were jumping and dancing around the old woman in joy. ๐๐๐ฆโฏ๐ธ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ทโฏ๐.๐๐๐
"Come now. Don't move. Let me take a look."
Yang Xiaohai then saw the old woman tearing off the monkey skin on the children using just the stones in her hands.
"There really is a real, living child beneath the monkey skin!"
"Senior Bai has told me about them before. People would capture children and wrap them in monkey skin to perform tricks for them. Compared to real monkeys, children are easier to train. I thought she was lying, but I didn't expect to actually encounter one today. Anyway, let's go and help her," Yang Xiaohai remarked. He wasn't brave enough to face dangers head-on, but he was more than happy to help once the danger had passed.
They took a pot of hot water and drenched some towels in the hot water. They cooled the towels down a bit before using them to wipe away the blood and pus from the children's skin.
The wounds of the children looked painful, but they would survive such injuries. Thankfully, it hadn't been that long since they were kidnapped and wrapped in monkey skin.
Yang Xiaohai also grabbed some of his spare clothes and made the children wear them.
The three children looked just like normal people now that they were clean and were wearing normal clothes.
However, they were still acting like monkeys. It was highly likely that the man had conditioned them to act like monkeys for a very long time, so it would take some time for the children to start living like humans again.
The old woman wrapped a white cloth around the children's heads.
Yang Xiaohai's curiosity was piqued, so he asked, "What are you doing?"
"Once this cloth is wrapped around their head, they'll become as robust and hard as a stone. No one would dare to bully them anymore."
Yang Xiaohai nodded and thought that it was just a tradition from some random village. It was similar to how others would place a dot of cinnabar on a child's head to ward off evil. He used to believe it, but he was no longer a child.
He knew that a dot of cinnabar couldn't ward off evil. The only one capable of doing so was someone like Senior Li.
"Hehehe.ย Young man, you are very kind. You will be rewarded for your kindness."
The old woman patted Yang Xiaohai's head before bringing away the three children.
Staring at their departing figures, Yang Xiaohai came up with a plan and proceeded to follow them with his carriage. "It looks like they're going in the same direction as us, so we should just bring them along with us."
"I don't think that's a wise decision. She seems weird," Zhao Xiumei said, sounding hesitant.
"Don't worry. She definitely has a few screws loose, but she's still a kind person. Also, I think it's safer for us to have an expert by our side."
He could still remember how Troupe Leader Lu had used Senior Li as his bodyguard. He was simply imitating Lu Zhuangyuan.
Yang Xiaohai was also convinced that the old woman wasn't evil. After all, she had saved three children and even peeled off their monkey skin to return them to normal.
"Madam, come sit in our carriage. It must be hard walking around with a cane. Since it looks like we're going in the same direction, we can just travel together."
At first, the old woman refused the offer, but Yang Xiaohai insisted again and again until she relented and hopped into the carriage.
The carriage now had four additional occupants, but all of them combined were still lighter than Gao Zhijian.
After all, the four additional occupants were just three children and a skinny old woman.
"Young man, how old are you?" the old woman asked, staring at Yang Xiaohai's back from inside the carriage.
"Me? I don't know. No one told me my age when I was young, so I have no idea how old I am. I'm probably thirteen or fourteen, though."
The old woman seemed to reminisce about the past as she muttered, "Ah... If my grandchildren were still alive, they'd be around your age."
"What happened to them?"
"My granddaughter was sold off for two pieces of bread, while my grandson was cooked and served as food. Ah... my poor grandson!" the old woman cried upon recalling the horrifying incident.
"Mother? Mother?" The children tried to wipe away her tears, and she spread her arms to hug them all.
"Sigh.ย Husband, she's been through many hardships," Zhao Xiumei whispered. She then entered the carriage and shared her hardships with the old woman.
The three children and Zhao Xiumei consoled the old woman, and she eventually stopped crying. Wiping away her tears, she said, "Don't worry. I now have the blessing of Sir Arrogant Stone. He allowed me to see my grandchildren in a dream, and I saw that they were safe and sound. I'll be able to see them again in the afterlife, and all of us will reincarnate into a rich family."
Zhao Xiumei was surprised. "Is Sir Arrogant Stone that strong? What Bodhisattva is he? Can he give me a son? I should really start praying to him."
The old woman was thrilled upon realizing that Zhao Xiumei was interested in Sir Arrogant Stone. She then proceeded to talk about Sir Arrogant Stone's greatness as well as the benefits of praying to him.
Yang Xiaohai merely listened to the old man. He didn't believe her at all.
The couple was still full from the wontons earlier, so they traveled nonstop for roughly four hours.
Fortunately, they managed to reach a county town before nightfall, which meant that they didn't have to camp outside tonight.
"Husband, what do you think about this?"
Yang Xiaohai turned and saw a white cloth wrapped around his wife's head.
Chapter 641 - Yamen
"How ugly! There's nobody dead in the family, so why are you wearing white?" Yang Xiaohai recalled that people would only wear white cloths on their heads when there was a death in the family.
"You don't understand. The old woman said that as long as we wear this, the Arrogant Stone Buddha will protect us. You should put on one too."
" The Buddha will protect you just because you wrapped a piece of white cloth around your head? If it were that easy, there wouldn't be any poor people in the world," Yang Xiaohai said with a sigh. Sometimes, he really didn't know who was the older one between the two of them.
Yang Xiaohai saw five people inside the carriage that also had white cloths wrapped around their heads. He then said, "Get off. We'll stay at this inn for the night and set off tomorrow morning."
An ordinary inn was to the left of their carriage, with tables and stools that appeared to be covered in a layer of starch. This was exactly what Yang Xiaohai wanted. They would avoid drawing unwanted attention by staying somewhere that wasn't ostentatious.
The five of them sat around an eight-immortal table. When the meat and vegetable dishes were served, Yang Xiaohai and the monkey children ate heartily. Despite that, the old woman continued to suck on a stone.
"Auntie, have some food. You can't fill up on that," Zhao Xiumei urged.
The old woman replied, "You go ahead and eat your stuff. Mine is good stuff."
Zhao Xiumei wanted to say more, but Yang Xiaohai kicked her under the table.
Yang Xiaohai had previously witnessed the old woman effortlessly smash someone's head with a stone. He figured it eating stones might be a method of cultivation, similar to Senior Li's method of cultivation.
Such personal matters were best left unspoken to avoid crossing any boundaries.
Yang Xiaohai quickly changed the subject. "Madam, where are you going? Perhaps we are headed the same way?"
"Where am I going? My intention was to come here. After finishing my business, who knows where I'll go. I'll take it one step at a time," the old woman replied as she looked around the inn, seemingly in search of something.
As they continued eating, the sound of someone sobbing rang out by the inn's entrance. Everyone looked up to see a long-haired woman in wooden shackles being paraded by several constables.
She cried pitifully, "Why? I was violated in broad daylight, yet the scoundrel counter-sued me! Oh heavens, open your eyes!"
As the woman passed by the inn, everyone, including the waiters and other patrons, turned away and sighed.
Their indignant conversations reached the ears of Yang Xiaohai and his companions.
"How could she win? That scoundrel is the county magistrate's son. So many people witnessed it, but no one dares to say a word."
"That greedy and chubby official is so detestable. He bullies both men and women and twists right from wrong!"
"I heard he bribed higher-ups and is about to be promoted. No wonder he's in a hurry to grab everything he can."
Yang Xiaohai and his group stopped eating and looked at the old woman in ragged clothes.
The old woman picked up a stone with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth and then another, until she had eaten all the stones in the pot. And yet, her cheeks were still sunken, as if she hadn't eaten anything at all.
She then said, "Mmm, I'm full. Kid, help me put this pot away."
The old woman stood up, grabbed her staff, and started to walk out of the inn.
Yang Xiaohai and Zhao Xiumei exchanged glances. The sound of blades being drawn and screams outside compelled them to follow her quickly.
When they got outside, they saw the constables who had been escorting the woman lying on the ground. Blood seeped from their heads and soaked the earth.
The old woman was holding the hand of the woman in shackles as they headed towards the yamen[1].
This scene drew a lot of attention. Soon after, many curious townsfolk followed them too.
Bang!
The old woman threw a stone, and it shattered the latch of the yamen's gate. Then the entire gate collapsed together with the plaque above it.
"Great! Destroy it!"
"Finally, someone can stand up to them!"
The commotion quickly drew out everyone from inside the yamen, but it was all in vain. The old woman threw stone after stone at their heads until only a few people were left standing. She had killed everyone except the plump magistrate and his equally chubby son.
The father and son knelt and begged for their lives.
This time, the old woman turned to the crowd outside the yamen. "I'll take charge here today. If you have a grudge, take revenge. If you have a complaint, seek amends!"
"Kill the corrupt official! Kill the corrupt official!" someone yelled.
Their powerful rallying voice led the crowd, getting everyone excited.
Under the old woman's orders, people found stones of various sizes and hurled them while cursing at the two men.
A sharp-edged stone flew over and struck the magistrate's mouth. Before his broken teeth even fell out, another stone flew over and smashed into his forehead.
No one could withstand such an assault. Shortly after, the two men were stoned to death.
The two corpses were battered and bloody, but this did little to appease the enraged mob.
Yang Xiaohai turned pale and swallowed hard. "Isn't killing a county magistrate a major capital offense?"
"Corrupt official! I'll eat your flesh and drink your blood! My daughter was only sixteen, and you turned her into a wax human!" yelled a single-legged old man with white hair.
He lunged forward and bit the official's corpse with his remaining teeth.
This set off a chain reaction. Anyone with a deep grudge against the official rushed forward and gnawed on the bodies. The people fought fiercely, as if being a little too late meant someone else would eat their share.
Though the magistrate and his son were meaty, they couldn't withstand such a cannibalistic rampage. Soon after, only two bloody skeletons were left on the ground, surrounded by over a hundred commoners with red eyes and mouths filled with blood.
"This isn't enough! Why should that corrupt official keep all our things? We should take them back!" someone yelled from amid the crowd.
"Yes, let's take them back! We deserve our dues!"
"Right! And the official's seven wives too! Why should he have seven when I have none?"
With this instigation, the crowd stormed into the yamen and started looting anything of value.
Greed overtook their hearts when they saw the chests of silver being carried out. Even the dog's bowls were made of gold, which caused their eyes to redden and their breathing to hasten.
"Ahhh!!" a beautiful woman screamed as she was dragged out.
The men quickly stripped her naked and violated her.
The woman in shackles stood in the hall and watched the chaos unfold. She saw the official's family suffer a fate worse than hers. However, she didn't look happy at all; she just stood there dispiritedly as if she had lost her soul.
1. the administrative office of a local bureaucrat โ
Chapter 642 - Escape
Inside the county's yamen, the angry screams, shouts, and cries of agony continued relentlessly. The place had descended into utter chaos.
Everyone had forgotten the initial purpose they had gone there for. They were now charging inside one after another, behaving like beasts beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
"Grain! Grain! It's all white flour! No coarse grains!" someone shouted from the west wing.
Then the crowd surged in that direction.
The old man who had been the first to eat the magistrate's flesh also tried to follow, but he stumbled and fell to the ground.
He struggled to get up, but someone stomped on his raised right hand. There was a crunching sound, and an agonizing scream left his bloodstained mouth.
Yet, that scream was insignificant amid the surrounding clamor. More people trampled over the old man, bringing an end to his scream.
Those stepping over him just felt there was something a bit soft beneath their feet, and they paid no further attention to it.
Yang Xiaohai and his wife Zhao Xiumei had gotten caught in the crowd. They did not want to be there, but the crowd pushed them in.
He wanted to leave, but there were simply too many people everywhere, making it seemingly impossible for him and his wife to get out.
His face was very pale as he held tightly to Zhao Xiumei's hand and tried to break free from the crowd.
Yang Xiaohai told Zhao Xiumei, "Hold onto my hand tightly! Don't let go, or we won't be able to find each other!" ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐๐๐
After several attempts to get out, Yang Xiaohai suddenly remembered something. He pulled out the scepter that Senior Li had given him, which bore a human tongue.
He raised the scepter and waved it at those on his left. The previously frenzied crowd suddenly froze in place. Their eyes filled with confusion, as though they had forgotten what they were about to do.
"Follow me! Let's go this way," Yang Xiaohai said to Zhao Xiumei.
He maneuvered through the crowd, taking Zhao Xiumei towards the wall.
Yang Xiaohai struggled but managed to get himself and his wife out of the crowd thanks to the scepter.
Still shaken, he glanced at the chaotic scene before him and pulled Zhao Xiumei towards the inn.
"Xiaohai, what's going on? How did it turn out like this?" Zhao Xiumei asked, clearly frightened by the chaos.
An act of justice against a corrupt official had unexpectedly turned into utter mayhem.
"I don't know either. Let's just get out of here! It's too dangerous!"
Despite what he said, Yang Xiaohai, who had quite a lot of life experience, suspected that the old woman was behind it all. Without her, none of this would have happened.
Nevertheless, he didn't think that she had done anything wrong. She was indeed helping the oppressed and doing a good deed by seeking justice for them.
Yang Xiaohai wasn't much of an intellectual and could not figure out why things ended up this way. He just wanted to take his people away from this troubled place.
When Yang Xiaohai rushed back to the inn, he saw the three monkey children squatting on the benches. They were guarding the old woman's ceramic jar.
"Quick, let's go! Follow me!" Yang Xiaohai shouted urgently and headed towards the stable at the back of the inn.
"Auntie?"
"Forget about her! She's powerful; she won't die! If we don't run now, we'll be dragged into this mess!"
They quickly got the horse-drawn carriage ready, and Yang Xiaohai led it back the way they came.
This isn't a peaceful place. I'll take a detour to avoid going through this town,ย he thought to himself.
Just as his carriage was about to leave the county, he saw a group of oddly-dressed people blocking the road with their horses.
Yang Xiaohai had initially assumed they were travelers like himself, but he saw the badges on their waists, and his face turned pale. Those badges indicated they were from the Surveillance Bureau.
He had learnt about the Surveillance Bureau and their way of doing things from Senior Li.
"I need to t-turn around!"
Yang Xiaohai quickly turned the carriage and frantically whipped the horses to escape in the opposite direction.
However, when he returned to the yamen's gate, he almost cried at the sight before him.
The people who had been looting had now come out and gathered in a large circle. They seemed to be listening to someone inside and shouted in agreement occasionally.
It was alright if they were just talking, but they happened to also be blocking the main road to the other exit.
"Sir Arrogant Stone! We are your personal servants and guards! We will follow you every step of the way and never leave your side!"
The crowd echoed this powerful shout. They then pulled out white cloths and tied them around their heads.
Yang Xiaohai looked angrily at the white cloths on their heads, then at the one on his wife's head. He tore the cloth off her head in frustration.
He now understood that everything was probably part of the old woman's scheme. He had blindly followed her, as he had assumed she was a good person.
Hmph, just as I thought. The more remote the place, the more trouble caused by the Dharma Sect!
Yang Xiaohai turned his head as he heard a sound on the other side. He saw a sinister-looking man on the ridge of a roof, crouching like a roof ornament.
Yang Xiaohai recognized him as one of the Surveillance Bureau members from earlier.
He watched the man reach into his robe and pull out the dried corpse of a child dressed in a red dudou[1]. The corpse had a red dot on its forehead and was tied to a red string.
The man threw the corpse off the roof.
In midair, the corpse moved its hand and moved with the pull of the string. The white-clothed people then started to move towards Yang Xiaohai, terrifying him
"Get off the carriage! We need to leave!"
Before the fighting could start, Yang Xiaohai led his group decisively into a nearby alley. He knew from his days as a beggar that nothing was more important than his life.
The sounds of fighting and shouting continued behind them as Yang Xiaohai led his group through the alleys.
After they scaled a wall to get into someone's yard, the noise finally diminished significantly.
"We'll stay here until the fighting stops outside," Yang Xiaohai whispered to the others.
The three monkey children blinked, and one of them suddenly said, "Auntie."
"Shh! No more Auntie talk! It's because of her that we're in this mess!"
Yang Xiaohai anxiously wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He felt the temperature around them rising, though he wasn't sure if it was due to his anxiety.
1. Ancient Chinese underwear for kids and women. It's a diamond-shaped cloth that's tied at the back. โ
Chapter 643 - Goodwill
Why is it so hot?
As Yang Xiaohai pondered this, he smelled a familiar scent of burning wood. He was a cook, so he was very familiar with this smell thanks to his daily cooking.
His heart sank as the smell of burning wood grew stronger, mixed with the scent of roasting meat.
Using his wife as a step stool, he climbed up by stepping on his wife's thighs and peeked cautiously over the wall. He immediately felt the heat on his face, and his pupils dilated.
The distant inn and nearby shops were all engulfed in flames, collapsing and spreading the fire even further. Fire was being used as a weapon!
Regardless of who started the fire, it was a disaster for Yang Xiaohai and his companions, who were trapped inside the town.
If they didn't escape, they would be burned alive. If they ran, they would get caught in the battle.
Yang Xiaohai frantically paced in circles. "Senior Li, what should I do? Senior Li..."
Then he realized that Senior Li, who could do almost anything, wasn't here with him. He had to figure it out on his own.
Yang Xiaohai looked back at the high wall that he couldn't climb while he repeatedly relaxed and tightened his grip on the scepter.
He took out some painstakingly refined pills, counted them, and then drew several talismans. These were his only means of survival if he encountered enemies.
Seeing the fire approach, Yang Xiaohai steeled himself and said to Zhao Xiumei, "We need to get out. If I get held back, make sure you get out of the county."
The original route was blocked by fire, so they had to climb past walls and go through doors from the sides.
Fortunately, the three monkey children proved very useful. They were small, so they could crawl through small holes and open gates for the group to get into more yards.
After scrambling around for a while, the five of them were covered in dust and ash. The smell of burning wood had become less intense, which brought Yang Xiaohai a sense of relief. It seemed they had moved away from the center of the battle.
"They must be too busy fighting to notice us. Keep going!" Yang Xiaohai urged the others.
They climbed over a third yard and arrived at the edge of a field.
Yang Xiaohai suddenly sensed something looming over him from behind. He turned and saw a man with yellow hair on his chest, fish-scale tattoos on his neck, and a blood-stained wugou[1] in his hand.
This man had his gaze locked on Yang Xiaohai.
Yang Xiaohai froze, his mind turning blank. He was like a deer caught in the headlights; he completely forgot to defend himself.
The man glanced at the white scarves on the monkey children's heads. He showed a look of disdain as he raised his wugou.
He said, "Another bunch of Dharma Sect cultists. Why do you always perform these villainous deeds?"
Seeing the wugou's blade reflect the light of the fire, Yang Xiaohai snapped back to reality.
Yang Xiaohai exclaimed, "We're not with them! My... my senior is the Liang Kingdom's emperor!"
"Hahaha, the emperor's junior dressed so poorly? Then I'm the Jade Emperor!"
The man swung his wugou at Yang Xiaohai's neck.
"My other senior is Liโ"
Before Yang Xiaohai could finish, he saw the blade coming at his neck. He closed his eyes and curled up instinctively as he braced for death.
However, Yang Xiaohai felt no pain. He opened his eyes and saw a shriveled figure standing before him. The attacker had been forced back three feet.
"Auntie!" the monkey children shouted excitedly.
It was the same old woman who had just caused an upheaval and gotten them into that situation, yet Yang Xiaohai thought she seemed different now.
"Kids, go quickly. I'll hold him off," she said calmly while facing the man.
Hearing that, Yang Xiaohai came to his senses. He glanced at the old woman again before grabbing the others and running towards the rice fields.
"Sir Arrogant Stone, please protect the children. May they survive and live well," the old woman cried out.
Yang Xiaohai and the others ran desperately. They dared not stop, for fear that the man with the wugou would pursue them and catch up.
After fleeing for an hour, they finally collapsed by the roadside and gasped for breath. By that time, night had fallen, and the moon could be seen high in the sky.
As Yang Xiaohai lay there and gathered his thoughts, he heard the sound of hooves. He looked up in the direction of the sound and saw his carriage.
There were two people driving the carriage. One was the man with the wugou on his backโthe one who had tried to kill him earlier. Yang Xiaohai recognized the second man too. They were both from the Surveillance Bureau. They had caught up with Yang Xiaohai's group.
At that moment, Yang Xiaohai saw a wealthy-looking plump man who looked to be in his mid-thirties. The man was wearing a flowered headscarf and a purple-flowered robe. He jumped down from the carriage and walked towards them.
Yang Xiaohai was filled with desperation. He pulled out the scepter, aimed it towards them, and then shouted, "Xiumei! Run as far as you can!"
"I won't leave without you!" Zhao Xiumei cried out, her eyes red.
"Don't be silly! They'll kill you! I'm a man, and I must protect my wife!" ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ธ๐๐๐.๐๐๐
Despite his brave words, tears streamed from Yang Xiaohai's eyes.
As the plump man neared, Yang Xiaohai threw the scepter at him, but the plump man dodged it easily. He walked over to Yang Xiaohai, grabbed his hands, and shook them forcefully.
The plump man said, "Hehehe, young friend, sorry about earlier. My junior is uncivilized. I heard your senior is the Liang Kingdom's emperor? And you have another senior...?"
Yang Xiaohai was at a loss about how to react to the man's words.
The plump man continued, "I also heard your other senior is surnamed Li. May I ask what sect he's from? How does he dress?"
Yang Xiaohai watched the plump man's smile dissipate very slightly from his eyes, revealing the icy snake-like pupils within them.
This movement caused Yang Xiaohai to shudder. He quickly nodded and replied, "Yes! My senior is the Great Liang's emperor, Gao Zhijian. My other senior is Li Huowang. He... he's powerful! He wears red Daoist robes and carries three swords on his back. Do you know him?"
The stout man paused and then smiled broadly. His icy snake pupils were once again concealed within his smile.
"Ah, so it's Senior Li! Of course I know him. His father used to bring him to visit us during holidays."
1. a curved type of sword โ
Chapter 644 - Good Person
Yang Xiaohai was bewildered.ย Does this guy know Senior Li or not?
If he doesn't, why did he speak so decisively? If he does know Senior Li, then what he said sounds very out of character for Senior Li. He didn't seem like the type who enjoyed visiting others.
Before Yang Xiaohai could react, the plump man became even more enthusiastic. "Come. We must have frightened you earlier, my junior. Please, accept this as a small token of friendship."
A dense, heavy gold brick that had a blood-stained corner slipped from the man's sleeve and landed heavily in Yang Xiaohai's hand, hurting him.
"My junior, as soon as I saw you, I knew you must be related to Senior Li. Look, I even brought your carriage here. It's yours, right?"
The plump man had his companion bring over the carriage. He helped Zhao Xiumei and the three monkey children into it. He even straightened a white head scarf on one of the children.
Yang Xiaohai's lips trembled slightly. He wanted to ask if the plump man really knew Senior Li. Something seemed off to him.
In the end, he wisely kept his mouth shut. It didn't matter whether the plump man knew Senior Li as long as he was willing to let them go.
"Th-thank you," Yang Xiaohai said.
"Hehehe, no need to thank me. Safe travels, junior. I have my duties and can't see you off. When you see Senior Li, do give him my regards."
As the carriage disappeared into the night, the smile fell off the plump man's face. His eyes revealed their cold, snake-like pupils again.
"Serpent Lord, do you really believe them?" the man with fish-scale tattoos and the wugou asked with his arms crossed.
The plump man, the Serpent Lord, replied, "Why not? The boy seemed sincere. Besides, I've heard of a formidable fellow who likes to wear red Daoist robes. I thought his name was Er Jiu, though."
"Does sincere mean it's true? Can't it be a lie? Could it be a trick from the Sitting Oblivion Dao?"
"The Sitting Oblivion Dao is long gone. Besides, what do you gain from killing him? If he's fake, we just let a few Dharma Sect cultists escape."
"But if he's real, we have earned ourselves a big favor. Why not take the chance?"
A look of understanding appeared on the face of the tattooed man. "No wonder you've survived two sexagenary cycles. You don't take any risks."
The Serpent Lord didn't mind the words of the tattooed man. He just said, "Let's go. We've already eliminated four Dharma Sect cultists, which is a great boon. These rats have been harder to find since they went into hiding."
"I don't understand why these people come to such remote places to preach," the tattooed man yawned.
While they talked, one of their other companions from the Surveillance Bureau hurried over with a scroll.
He told them anxiously, "We must go! The Chief has ordered everyone in Hedong to gather! Dharma Sect is making a move!"
In the moonlight, Yang Xiaohai drove the carriage forward. His breath was visible in the cold air, his eyes staring blankly at the road.
He didn't know how long he had been in this state. Everything had happened so fast, and his mind was still buzzing and chaotic.
Even after a while, Zhao Xiumei remained visibly shaken. Still, she gently wiped the dried sweat from Yang Xiaohai's forehead with a towel.
She glanced at the monkey children sleeping with a bag of guokuis and hesitantly asked, "Do you think that old woman was killed?"
Yang Xiaohai shook his head mechanically. "I don't know, perhaps."
"Those people are so hateful. She was such a good person."
"A good person..."
After wiping his sweat, Zhao Xiumei sat beside him for a while before she spoke again. "Who do you think are the good people and who are the bad ones?"
Yang Xiaohai was silent for a long time. Then he answered, "I don't know. I'm not smart enough to know. "
Zhao Xiumei folded the towel in her hands and said, "I think that old woman wasn't a truly bad person. I can tell she genuinely liked the children. I wouldn't mistake genuine love."
"Maybe no one thinks they're the bad guys. They all probably believe they're the good ones," Yang Xiaohai turned to look at Zhao Xiumei's profile.
What he learned from this incident was that he nearly got his wife hurt. He wasn't strong enough to protect her. He had underestimated the situation back when he was still in Cowheart Village. He needed to get stronger.
The morning sun broke through the fog and brightened the dark landscape.
"Xiaohai, look. We're back in Qing Qiu."
Yang Xiaohai saw patches of grass before them and remarked, "Why is the grass in Qing Qiu turning yellow?"
โโโโโโโ
Li Huowang was in red robes by a pond as he paced under Li Sui's gaze. He looked as though he was waiting for something. He occasionally bit his fingers with a rather nervous expression.
Two hours passed. Just as his patience wore thin, he saw his reflection in the pond turn to face him.
"Yi Donglai, you've finally shown up," Li Huowang said with a hint of irritation.
"I have my own matters. I'm your future, not your nanny," Ji Zai replied.
"Cut the crap. Time is short. I don't care if you know what's happening, but I need your help!" Li Huowang demanded while he frowned.
"Help you? Why?"
"Don't tell me you, a Siming, didn't know about the Dharma Sect taking over the Si Qi Kingdom!"
"I really didn't know," Ji Zai said frankly.
"Say that again! The entire Si Qi Kingdom was taken over by the Dharma Sect! The god Yu'er's power has spread so widely, and you didn't know?!"
"I'm in charge of bewilderment. You are confused, and I am even more so. It's understandable for something like this to happen."
"F*ck!" Li Huowang cursed.
Chapter 645 - Help
Every conversation Li Huowang had with Ji Zai made him feel that his flames of anger could never be extinguished.
"I don't care if you did or didn't know! We can't let the Great Liang repeat the fate of the Great Qi! I need your help! Don't forget that when you asked for my help, I didn't say any nonsense!" Li Huowang yelled.
"How should I help you, then?" Ji Zai asked.
Li Huowang clenched his fists. "Aren't you a Siming? Make me stronger. Use your power to keep me in the elevated state of the Ba-Hui's Cang-Qiang Ascension. This is all to deal with the god Yu'er!"
"I can't do that. After all, I control bewilderment. You may not be aware of it, but I have helped you."
"Helped me? Bullshit! How have you helped me? How come I'm not aware?"
"Exactly."
"What do you mean! I'm asking how you helped!"
Li Huowang's anger flared at Ji Zai's nonsensical replies. "I should have chosen to be Ba-Hui's Twisted One instead of yours!"
"Ba-Hui? That wouldn't be good. Being her Twisted One is very painful," Ji Zai said, remaining calm.
Li Huowang calmed down and glared at his reflection.
"Ji Zai, you claim to be my future self, but your actions and words make me doubt if your goals are the same as mine."
"Would you believe me if I said otherwise? Ever since Zhuge Yuan deceived you, have you trusted anyone?" Ji Zai said, sighing lightly.
"Don't mention Zhuge Yuan! Aren't you a Siming? If you have the power, bring Zhuge Yuan back to life!"
"I can't. In this world, the dead can't be brought back to life. There's no such Heavenly Dao in the Baiyu Capital."
"..."
A long silence ensued between them.
After a while, Li Huowang took a deep breath and said, "You can't do this, you can't do that. Fine. Then tell me, how are the others in the future? The people of Cowheart Village? The Great Liang? Have I really managed to protect them in the future?"
"The future depends on your present actions. You know this world is alive and constantly changing."
Li Huowang looked seriously at Ji Zai. "Stop with the vague talk. I have no other demands. I've sacrificed myself to protect those I care about so that they can survive in this abnormal world. Can you promise me that you will protect them?"
Sensing the seriousness in Li Huowang's words, Ji Zai nodded with certainty. "I can promise you that much, as long as you're my Twisted One."
Li Huowang finally relaxed a bit. If Ji Zai couldn't guarantee anything, he would have to reconsider his options.
"Alright, enough of that. Let's talk about the current problem. The crisis caused by the god Yu'er is imminent. I need to increase my strength. There were risks with cultivating the 'Truth' previously because the 'Truth' and 'Lies' Heavenly Daos were controlled by Doulao. Now that you're in charge, can I continue my 'Truth' cultivation safely?"
"You don't need to ask me about such things. If you think you can, then you can."
Li Huowang's heart sank. He suddenly felt like his thoughts were being manipulated by Ji Zai.
As he hesitated and prepared to ask something else, an eagle swooped down from the sky and dropped a scroll in front of him.
Li Huowang's pupils trembled as he opened the scroll. Across the Great Liang's six divisions, the Dharma Sect was instigating numerous uprisings in large cities and small villages. The Dharma Sect had rebelled.
"God Yu'er is using his power to cause chaos! You're a Siming too. Stop talking nonsense and do something!" Li Huowang said, urging Ji Zai to help.
"I have. I influenced things."
"What exactly have you done?!"
"Early on, I sent people to hunt down the Dharma Sect. I also informed my Twisted One that the Dharma Sect's actions are a diversion. Their real target is Shangjing."
Li Huowang's pupils dilated in alarm. "What?! Their target is Gao Zhijian?"
He rushed to his horse. On the way, he quickly contacted Liu Zongyuan, urging him to relay the message to Shangjing.
As Li Huowang rode off, Ji Zai's wavering inverted image in the water remained and watched Li Huowang leave. Ji Zai looked a little dazed as if he had recalled something.
Soon after, Shangjing contacted Li Huowang.
A black-feathered crow with one leg stood on Li Huowang's horse and said, "Lord Er, His Majesty is aware and assures you that everything will be handled properly."
"Forget His Majesty. Does the Surveillance Bureau know?" Li Huowang asked the crow.
Gao Zhijian said that things would be handled properly, but Li Huowang was uncertain about this. After all, Gao Zhijian had only been emperor for less than half a year, and it was doubtful how much power he actually held in the court.
"They do. Both the Imperial Preceptor and the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau are aware. They will be on guard."
Li Huowang felt slightly relieved.
If the other party wanted to cause a diversion, the biggest fear would be falling into their trap. Since the enemy's plan was exposed, their scheme had already faced setbacks.
This was the first time Li Huowang had received help ever since becoming Ji Zai's Twisted One.
"Tell them to be vigilant. I'll head there myself to ensure everything is secure."
The crow replied, "No need, Lord Er. Please return. The Surveillance Bureau definitely won't allow a repeat of what happened last time."
"You know nothing. Get lost!"
Li Huowang waved the crow away and spurred his horse towards Shangjing.
After learning of the Dharma Sect's high-level plans from Ji Zai, Li Huowang decided he had to oversee the protection of Gao Zhijian himself. This was more important than dealing with the scattered remnants of the Dharma Sect.
He had to go even if it could be a wasted trip. The Great Liang couldn't end up like the Great Qi. The victims from the Great Qi could come over to the Great Liang, but there was nowhere those from the Great Liang could head to.
The one-legged crow circled overhead and repeated this message. "Lord Er, you really don't need to. Please return."
Li Huowang was lying on his ward bed as he shouted at the voice outside the window. "Enough! Get Lost!"
However, it didn't stop speaking.
"What is mental illness? Who defines it, and who gave them that right? I believe this label is wrong. Mental illness doesn't exist. It's a false label defined by external politics, economics, or culture! It's just a means to maintain the existing social order!"
Chapter 646 - Psychiatric Patient
Upon hearing the chatter outside the door, Li Huowang sprang up, angrily tearing off his blanket and striding towards the door.
As soon as he opened it, he saw two men in hospital gowns leaning against the wall and eating snacks while they debated about something.
One of them was tall, wore plastic-framed glasses, and had his hair swept back in a scholarly look. This man was the source of the nonsensical rambling that Li Huowang had heard from his room.
Li Huowang didn't care too much about it; he just felt that that newcomer's incessant chatter was very annoying.
Li Huowang snapped, "Get out of here! It's only seven in the morning. Why are you so noisy??"
"Hey! Young man, don't interrupt me! Do you know what I'm doing? I'm fighting for our special group's essential rights!" the bespectacled man replied.
Just as he was about to continue arguing, his companion noticed the handcuffs on Li Huowang's wrists and quickly pulled him away.
Although the people had left, Li Huowang was now wide awake. He sighed, went back inside, and put on his shoes.
Being a sane person enclosed together with these psychiatric patients was torture. He couldn't even vent his frustration on them without the doctors thinking he was having an episode, which would further delay his discharge.
Li Huowang had nothing else to do in his empty room, so he decided to head to the cafeteria for breakfast.
"Suisui, are you hungry?" he asked.
There were no surprises in the psychiatric hospital's breakfast, just steamed buns and porridge.
Li Huowang took his tray to a corner and started to eat.
He pondered how much longer he had to stay there for before getting discharged.ย The man with mania has already been discharged. I should be the next in line.
Then, just as Li Huowang was about to resume eating his breakfast, he felt a chill run down his spine. He turned around to see Qian Fu, a schizophrenic patient looking at him from a distance.
Nevertheless, Qian Fu was just watching him, so Li Huowang ignored Qian Fu and continued eating.
Encounters like this were common in the psychiatric hospital, so Li Huowang just had to stay calm. With surveillance everywhere, he doubted Qian Fu would do anything extreme. ๐ณ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ผ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐๐๐ฆ
As for the conservation he had earlier, Li Huowang did not take them to heart. He could not be bothered with the ramblings of a stranger who was also a psychiatric patient.
After breakfast, it was time for the patients' support group. Li Huowang doubted that this was effective in any way. If mutual encouragement could cure mental illnesses, medication would be unnecessary.
The plastic stool to Li Huowang's left was empty, which didn't surprise him since the guy who used to sit there had previously mentioned his imminent discharge. However, the schizophrenic Wang Wangsu's stool was also empty, which puzzled Li Huowang.
"Where did Sister Wang go? Is she cured too?" he asked the depressed girl next to him.
Zhao Ting's face looked pale as she shook her head. "No, she's not cured. Her husband didn't pay the bill, so she was discharged."
"We shared a room and her condition was improving. But the doctor said the hospital isn't a charityโthere's no treatment without money."
Li Huowang sighed.
Outsiders thought psychiatric patients would eagerly escape if given the chance to. But in reality, those with some rationality knew they were sick and wanted to be cured. Some even checked in alone voluntarily without telling their families.
Only people who were completely out of control, like those in television series, needed to be forcibly admitted. Psychiatric patients were just like any other patients. The illness was just affecting a different part of their body. Most preferred to be fully cured before leaving, just like a normal person walking out of a hospital healthily.
Nonetheless, reality was cruel. Hospitals needed to make money too, especially private ones. Even if the doctors knew a patient's condition was not optimistic, the patient would be emotionlessly asked to leave.
This often led patients into a vicious cycle where they couldn't get better without money. They couldn't earn money while they were sick, so that would eventually lead to a downward spiral that worsened their condition. Then, they would transition into disabled people or lunatics.
Li Huowang did not want to add to the psychological burden of this depressed patient, so he comforted her. "Sister Wang's condition was mild. As long as she keeps taking her medication, she should stabilize. Don't worry about her."
While they talked, Li Huowang noticed Wu Cheng bringing two new patients over. One was the bespectacled newcomer from earlier, and the other was an emaciated old man.
Wu Cheng greeted the group. "Good morning, everyone. We have two new members in our group today. This gentleman here is Yuan Heping, and this is Wang Gang. Let's give them a warm welcome."
The applause was sparse. Li Huowang didn't bother joining in. Instead, he thought about how to pass the time.
When the two new members were seated, Li Huowang noticed the bespectacled man looking at him. When he looked up, the person quickly averted his gaze.
Wu Cheng said, "Alright, how about the two of you introduce yourselves?"
The session dragged on slowly, tormenting Li Huowang as time passed. After what seemed like an entire year, the long support group session finally came to an end.
Nothing in the session had helped Li Huowang. His only takeaway was a glimpse into the illnesses of these two newcomers. The old man had an obsessive-compulsive disorder, while the bespectacled man had schizophrenia, which was nothing strange there.
The other people stood up separately and left with their stools.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang let out a deep breath, relieved that the tedious morning was over. He then headed to the cafeteria for lunch.
On the way there, Gao Jingyun, the simple-minded man he had helped in the past, approached him.
"Brother, for you. It's nice," Gao Jingyun said, holding out the small steamed bun in his hand.
Just as Li Huowang was about to thank Gao Jingyun, a figure brushed past and whispered urgently to Li Huowang, "Be careful! They're coming! Danger is approaching us!"
The figure quickly vanished.
Li Huowang had only seen the back of that person's head, but he recognized that person as Qian Fuโthe schizophrenic man who had been staring at him.
Li Huowang frowned and pondered briefly about what Qian Fu had said. Then, he shook his head and walked to the cafeteria.
Chapter 647 - Needle
The lunch served at Kangning Hospital's cafeteria was decent. There was one meat dish, one vegetable dish, and soup. It wasn't bad even though it was cooked in large portions instead of single serves.
However, Li Huowang was rather distracted while eating.
Just a moment ago, Qian Fu had approached him again with more nonsensical words.
Initially, Li Huowang thought Qian Fu was just approaching him on a whim, but now it seemed like Qian Fu was focused on him specifically.
Since Qian Fu was not giving up, Li Huowang had to think of how to get rid of this fellow. ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐ท๐๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐ธ๐ถ
They were under surveillance everywhere, so he definitely could not kill Qian Fu here. Giving Qian Fu a violent beating to deter him was not an option either.
As Li Huowang continuously pondered on this problem, he picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks and bit into them forcefully.
He felt a sudden sharp pain and tasted blood in his mouth, causing his muscles to tense up. He opened his mouth and placed his finger inside tremblingly. Amidst the pain, he quickly found several needles embedded in his tongue.
A nearby nurse noticed Li Huowang's distress and walked towards him.
The nurse asked, "Are you okay?"
Seeing Li Huowang pull needles from his mouth, the nurse's face turned pale with shock as he grasped the severity of the situation. He immediately shouted for the patients around to stop eating.
The discovery of needles in the food of the psychiatric hospital caused an uproar, and the entire hospital quickly descended into chaos. However, their inspection revealed that only Li Huowang's food was contaminated.
Such a serious safety breach couldn't be ignored. The hospital director and a team began to review the surveillance footage, while all patients were sent back to their rooms.
In his room, Li Huowang considered the suspicious aspects of the incident. He was more concerned about the meaning of this act than the pain, which was secondary.
Who did this? I haven't offended anyone here.ย Could it be...ย Li Huowang thought, recalling the cryptic warnings Qian Fu had given him.
At that moment, Wu Cheng entered Li Huowang's room alone. "How are you? This was clearly our hospital's fault. We will waive part of your hospital fees to express our apologies.
"Also, since you are an adult, can we refrain from informing your mother about this small incident?"
"Wait, does that mean you guys found the culprit?" Li Huowang asked in surprise.
"Yes, we did. The culprit's method wasn't very sophisticated. Here is the cafeteria's surveillance footage."
Wu Cheng placed his phone before Li Huowang and softly tapped it to play the video on the screen. Li Huowang quickly found out who had placed needles in his dish.
"Qian Fu? It's actually him?!"
"Yes," Wu Cheng said, confirming Qian Fu as the culprit. He then put his phone away. "From the surveillance footage, I noticed that he's been approaching you frequently lately. Have you had any conflicts with him?"
"What conflicts would I have with him!? Where is he now? I need to confront him!"
Li Huowang was genuinely angry.ย Qian Fu has gone too far. He actually fed me needles to try to make me believe his crazy talk.
There were no Leotians[1]ย that were a threat to me. In the entire psychiatric hospital, it was likely Qian Fu's the biggest threat to me!
"Come on, Little Li. We need your help. Ask Qian Fu where he got those needles. Such items shouldn't have been brought into the hospital."
Li Huowang was brought to the intensive restraint unit, where Qian Fu was bound in a straitjacket.
Li Huowang stepped on the soft floor and looked coldly at Qian Fu's excited face. "Why did you do this? How did I offend you?"
Qian Fu shouted, "No! I wasn't trying to hurt you! It's them! The Leotians!"
An orderly replied sternly, "The surveillance footage clearly shows you doing it! Now, tell us where you got those needles!"
Qian Fu ignored the orderly and stared intensely at Li Huowang. "Don't believe them! The footage was altered! Their technology is advanced, so they can edit it! It wasn't me, really!
"Do you know why they're doing this? They want to sow discord among us! They want us to kill each other so they can pick us off one by one! They've infiltrated us like the lizard people!"
Li Huowang felt insane for trying to get a lunatic to speak logically.
"Forget it. Just keep him restrained. Don't let him out to harm anyone else," Li Huowang said to Wu Cheng and turned to leave.
Qian Fu called out desperately, "Little Li, do you understand? Only you can understand me! The Leo aliens are here! Danger is imminent! Hiding won't solve anything! We must strike first!"
Li Huowang ignored Qian Fu and headed back to his room. Since Qian Fu was now restrained, Li Huowang hoped for some peace.
He did not want anything else to happen; he just wanted to be discharged without complications. That way, he could leave with the status of a normal person.
As Li Huowang had been unable to have his meal, Wu Cheng arranged a roast duck takeaway for Li Huowang, in what seemed like an attempt to placate him.
Li Huowang grabbed a few green onion and cucumber strips and dipped them in the sweet sauce. Then he spread them on the bun and covered the bun with a few slices of the roast duck. Finally, he rolled it all up and took a big bite.
The taste was a welcome change from the usual hospital fare.
While Li Huowang was enjoying the meal alone, he suddenly felt someone watching him. He looked up sharply to find no one.
Li Huowang frowned.ย Is someone spying on me?
After a few minutes, two people carefully peeked through the window. However, Li Huowang was sitting by that window and noticed them straight away.
They jumped in fright and quickly backed away.
Li Huowang recognized the two people as the newcomers. They were the bespectacled Wang Gang and the old man Yuan Heping!
Seeing Li Huowang look at them unkindly, Wang Gang muttered indignantly to the older guy, "This is ridiculous. Why does he get roast duck?"
"Come on, don't make trouble. Maybe he has connections with the hospital."
"Unbelievable, using connections in a psychiatric hospital to get special treatment."
1. Previously "Leo aliens". Refers to the aliens from the Leo Constellation โ
Chapter 648 - Discharge
The commotion at Kangning Hospital soon subsided. Qian Fu was locked up, and Li Huowang didn't find any needles in his food again. This pretty much confirmed that Qian Fu was the one who had put them there.
Life in the psychiatric hospital consisted of eating meals, taking medication, watching TV, support groups, therapy, outdoor time, and sleeping. Two months passed in the blink of an eye. Aside from feeling bored sometimes, everything was normal for Li Huowang.
During this time, his mother and Yang Na visited him, and they were both delighted to learn that he hadn't had any more episodes.
One morning, Li Huowang was sitting in his room as he waited for his cup noodles to soften. The psychiatric hospital didn't provide braised beef cup noodles, but Yang Na had brought a carton of them on her following visit after Li Huowang mentioned he wanted to eat them.
Li Huowang waited three minutes for the noodles to cook. Just as he was about to open the lid, a familiar face appeared at the door.
"Yi Donglai, you're finally here," Li Huowang said.
"I have a lot of things to deal with. I'm your former attending physician, not your nanny. Besides, I keep in touch with Junior Wu, so I'm regularly updated on your condition," Yi Donglai replied. "Looks like you're recovering well."
He sat on the bed and watched Li Huowang eat his noodles with a folding fork.
Li Huowang sipped some soup before saying, "I'm alright. I've been here for three months now and have gotten used to things."
"You sounded rather anxious on the phone before. How about now? Are you not anxious anymore?"
Li Huowang swallowed his noodles and pondered for a moment. Then he said with some hesitation, "Those memories are becoming blurry as time goes by. I'm not sure if those were delusions or real events."
He had clearly done those things, but they hadn't happened in reality. The only possible explanation seemed to be that the problem lay within himself.
Yet, Li Huowang knew he wasn't ill.
Yi Donglai nodded approvingly. "Since you started the new medication, have those incidents occurred again?"
"No."
Li Huowang continued to eat his noodles.
Since it had only happened once, Li Huowang decided to monitor the situation first. If it never happened again, he would consider it a bizarre dream.
At that moment, Wu Cheng walked in and whispered something to Yi Donglai. Then, they both stepped outside for a detailed conversation.
They talked for half an hour and made several phone calls.
When Yi Donglai returned, he held out a tablet to Li Huowang. "Here, Huowang. Please complete these questions."
"Questions?"
Li Huowang took the tablet and saw multiple-choice questions.
[I always insist that others follow my ideas and get very angry when they don't.
Yes? No? ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐.๐๐ผ๐บ
I never trust others to handle things and prefer to do them myself.
Yes? No?
I am often troubled by intrusive thoughts.
Yes? No?]
After reading through the questions, Li Huowang looked at Yi Donglai and asked excitedly, "Is this the Minnesota Personality Inventory? Or SCL-90[1]? Does this mean I can be discharged if all the results are normal?"
Yi Donglai was surprised. "You know quite a bit about this. Just complete it first. It's just the first test."
Li Huowang gathered his focus and began to answer the questions seriously. His fingers even trembled slightly in anticipation. He was finally going to be discharged!
Once Li Huowangwas done with the questions, the hospital staff conducted various tests on him. They even hooked him up to a few machines to have his brain activity monitored for any abnormalities.
After all the procedures, they asked Li Huowang to wait in his room. The wait felt extraordinarily long, and Li Huowang finally understood how slowly time could crawl.
Finally, when Wu Cheng came to remove Li Huowang's restraints, Li Huowang was so overwhelmed that he almost cried. He was really going to be discharged.
As soon as the restraints were removed, Wu Cheng locked a black device that resembled an electronic watch around his left ankle.
"What's this?" Li Huowang asked, feeling a little less happy.
Yi Donglai said, "Given your past actions, you're lucky to only have electronic monitoring for a year."
"Will this thing constantly track my location?"
"This device not only tracks your location but also restricts you. It's fully connected to the internet and meant to keep you at least 500 meters away from all schoolsโbe it a kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, or high school," Yi Donglai explained. "If you stay near one of those for more than five seconds, it will alert the nearest station. No doctor's clearance can change that."
He continued, "This device can't be removed. If it's damaged or doesn't detect your pulse, it will trigger an alarm. After you go home, don't wander around. Technically, you still need two months of home treatment to stabilize your condition."
Li Huowang nodded in understanding. It seemed like all these restrictions were because of his past actions.
He would still face restrictions after being discharged, but he didn't mind them as long as he could leave with the identity of a normal person.
"Li Huowang, remember to take your medication regularly after your discharge. You mustn't stop taking it. You can go now. Your parents are waiting for you in the hall," Yi Donglai said.
"Yang Na didn't come?"
"We only notify immediate family for patient discharges. Hurry up, they're already here."
Li Huowang was accompanied by Yi Donglai and Wu Cheng. He changed out of his blue and white patient clothing into normal clothes.
Sun Xiaoqin wept with joy upon seeing Li Huowang in regular clothes for the first time in a very long time.
Beside her, Li Jiancheng was carrying Li Huowang's belongings. He struggled to control his emotions, as his trembling hands betrayed his inner turmoil.
Overcome with gratitude, Sun Xiaoqin tried to kneel before Yi Donglai, but Yi Donglai and Wu Cheng quickly stopped her.
"Ms. Sun, there's no need for this. Please stand up. I simply did my duty by helping your son," Yi Donglai said.
After the hectic discharge process, Li Huowang finally left the hospital.
He stepped outside and looked up at the sky. Li Huowang appreciated the beauty of the white clouds and the freshness of the air like never before.
1. the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL90) is a 90-item questionnaire used to assess psychological problems โ
Chapter 649 - Return
Li Huowang hadn't felt much before he stepped out of the hospital. However, the moment he walked outside, a belated sense of joy suddenly spread from within and washed over him.
He was free; he was no longer a psychiatric patient. He could go back to school and live a normal life!
Sun Xiaoqin said, "Come on, let's ride home. Your dad brought his old taxi just to pick you up."
Once in the car, the first thing Li Huowang did was take his mother's phone from her bag and log into his WeChat[1] account.
Then he hesitated for a moment as he held the phone with the cracked screen, seemingly lost in thought. Eventually, he opened the chat with the familiar rabbit avatar. He typed words and then deleted them, repeating this loop for half an hour.
Li Huowang looked at the hundreds of words he'd typed out and hovered his thumb over the send button for a long time before ultimately deleting all of them.
I want to surprise Yang Na. Telling her over WeChat won't do. I'll wait for her outside her school!
As he imagined the scene, his gaze fell on the "smartwatch" on his ankle.
I'll wait for her 500 meters from the school gate!
Li Huowang had made up his mind.
He rolled down the car window, and a smile gradually spread across his face as he looked at the unfamiliar scenery outside. He felt incredibly happy, happier than he had been in years.
As they passed an intersection, a fruit vendor on the roadside stared at Li Huowang, and Li Huowang waved gently at him.
Throughout the long journey from Kangning Hospital back to his home, Li Huowang never stopped smiling.
It felt surreal to finally see the gate of his neighborhood again.
"Shangjing, I'm finally back."
Li Huowang looked up at the imposing city walls, took a deep breath, and pulled on the reins.
Once inside, he slowed the horse's pace and silently observed everything within the city. He was relieved to see that the bustling crowds and everyday life remained the same.
There was a bridal procession with music and fanfare nearby. It proved that people were still going through life events, celebrating as well as mourning.
Though the Dharma Sect caused great turmoil outside, it seemed it hadn't affected the imperial city.
Li Huowang circled the inner and outer cities of Shangjing, finding no traces of the Dharma Sect. Then, he finally galloped towards the imperial palace.
Around ten meters from the palace, he felt a numbness between his brows and a sharp tingling sensation all over his body. He pulled on the reins sharply, causing the black horse beneath him to rear up before stopping.
Li Huowang realized that the palace guards might have attacked him if he had charged straight in.
"What's going on!? It's me! Have I been gone for so long you don't recognize me?" Li Huowang shouted at the palace guards.
The guards, both inside and outside the walls, remained silent like statues.
"What kind of game are you guys playing!?"
As Li Huowang pondered how to bypass these brutes, an old eunuch wearing a purple robe and white shoes glided out from a side gate.
The eunuch said, "Lord Li, the emperor has summoned you to see him in the palace."
Li Huowang was rather irritated as he dismounted. He was about to follow the eunuch when he glanced back at the bustling street, as if searching for something.
"Lord Li? What's the matter?" the eunuch asked.
The eunuch's voice caused Li Huowang to turn back. "Nothing, let's go."
Li Huowang had been to the imperial palace many times and had nothing more to say. He quickened his pace and followed the eunuch to see Gao Zhijian.
As Li Huowang walked, he could feel numerous gazes on him, from both obvious and hidden sources. It appeared that the security had been heightened since his last visit, perhaps due to the aftermath of Shai Zi's incident.
"Imperial Preceptor, long time no see," Li Huowang shouted to an old man inside the imperial palace.
Huangfu Tiangang did not say anything. He just stood there with hands behind his back and stared silently at Li Huowang. ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐.๐ฌ๐ค๐ถ
"Father, he doesn't look happy," Li Sui said from behind Li Huowang.
"Ignore him. He's never happy," Li Huowang replied, holding onto Li Sui's tentacle while they walked.
In the imperial bedchamber, Li Huowang was startled by Gao Zhijian's appearance.
Gao Zhijian used to be a burly man who had been as sturdy as a wall. But now, he looked frail and pale, as though he was on the verge of death.
"What happened to you? Did the Dharma Sect send assassins to ambush you? Are you hurt?" Li Huowang asked.
Gao Zhijian waved off Li Huowang's concern. "It's nothing. Being emperor isn't easy."
Unlike before, Gao Zhijian spoke more fluently. He had made significant progress in overcoming his stutter.
"What's going on? Give me more details. You're the emperor now; you can't afford any mishaps."
Gao Zhijian's face flushed with embarrassment, seemingly finding it difficult to speak. Eventually, he approached Li Huowang and whispered into his ear.
"Three a day? That many?" Li Huowang uttered in surprise.
With a sigh, Gao Zhijian pulled Li Huowang to the front of the hall and sat on the jade-white stairs.
"Senior Li, I'm going to be a father. Sixteen concubines are pregnant."
After finding out that Gao Zhijian was fine, Li Huowang let out a sigh of relief. "Then that means there's an heir to the Dragon Vein. You can rest a bit; you don't need to overexert yourself."
He had made it in time to prevent any threats the Dharma Sect would pose to Gao Zhijian.
"Senior Li, how is Cowheart Village? Is everyone alright?" Gao Zhijian asked wistfully.
"Everyone is fine. Thanks to your generous gifts, the village is now very wealthy."
"That's good to hear. Sometimes, I dream of returning to the village," Gao Zhijian said as he stared at the empty courtyard.
"It's not possible now, with the Dharma Sect causing so much trouble," Li Huowang stated seriously. "Did you get my message from before?"
A voice came from behind. "Of course, but don't worry. The Surveillance Bureau will protect the emperor from those with ill intentions."
Li Huowang turned to see Xuan Pin, the towering Chief of the Surveillance Bureau, behind them.
1. a mobile messaging and social media app that is very popular in China โ