Li Huowang didn't know who the woman was, but based on her clothes, she appeared to be someone highly ranked, even among the consorts chosen by Gao Zhijian.
The woman donned a delicately embroidered red and yellow robe. The robe depicted celestial birds, brought to life by gold and silver threads. Her sleeves were embroidered with large peonies, and her skirt trailed the ground, its fabric adorned with silver clouds.
Her hair was held up with a hairpin shaped like a divine bird. In the bird's beak was a single pearl adorned with threads that hung down, further emphasizing her beautiful face.
While she might have looked prettier than the others, her beautiful clothes could not conceal her hatred towards Li Huowang. "Are you Li Huowang? Speak up! Did you perhaps become mute?"
Li Huowang remained silent as he continued to meet her gaze.
"I know my lord has several poor relatives. He treated you all with kindness because of your past, but you are just a damned Daoist! Remember your place and don't overstep your boundaries! Who do you think my Lord is? Who are you to not kneel down to greet him? How dare you be so mannerless? Remember to kneel next time you see him! It's up to him whether to let you sit or not!"
After hearing her out, Li Huowang finally said, "Shai Zi?"
Everyone froze upon hearing him. The woman ripped off her face and squished it like clay, turning it into a six-sided die.
"Not bad, Hong Zhong. It's hard to believe you recognized me so quickly this time. It seems that you did not abandon your cultivation!"
Li Huowang didn't think that Shai Zi was here to talk with him. Li Huowang's hand was already on the hilt of his sword.
Using his cultivation of the "Truth," Shai Zi's face slowly turned from the number six to the number one.
Shai Zi moved to the side and used one of the consorts as a shield to block Li Huowang's gaze. "Don't be rash. Have you forgotten that I helped you in the Baiyu Capital last time? If I hadn't reminded you, you would've never remembered to use the Dragon Qi to mend the sundered Baiyu Capital."
Li Huowang gritted his teeth, his voice filled with anger and bloodlust. "What do you want?"
Shai Zi cheekily poked his head out from the back of the consort. "The Tianchen Kingdom is coming over? Hehehe. Although it may appear to be a crisis, deep down we both understand that this is actually an opportunity. The Liang Kingdom, the Qi Kingdom, and even you would benefit from this. I also want in."
"Is there something you want in the Tianchen Kingdom? What is it?"
Shai Zi pushed his finger into one of the indentations of his head and poked it around. "You don't have to worry about that. You can't use it anyway. It's just something between me and Doulao. If you agree, I can help you win against the Tianchen Kingdom. Why don't you stop trying to kill me for once?"
"You? You can't even go to the Qi Kingdom. How can you help?"
"Who says that I can't go there? Have you forgotten that there are Shai Zis in the Qi Kingdom too? One of the eighteen-sided Shai Zi is with me. I'm technically part of the Qi Kingdom right now. I could go back anytime I want, but I don't want to."
Shai Zi became transparent, as if he could disappear whenever he wanted.
"Don't think that the Sitting Oblivion Dao only deceives people. We could also put in some serious work. You are part of us, so you should know that too. If the Tianchen Kingdom destroyed both the Liang Kingdom and the Qi Kingdom, who else could we deceive?"
"They are already going to attack us, and now you're saying you can help us? You guys are useless in frontal assaults! Also, your tricks are worthless—they can just pull your Lies out of their bodies."
"Hey, that's harsh. Don't scold yourself. Alright, let's keep the pleasantries aside and talk about something worthwhile."
Shai Zi looked around and whispered, "I know about the Tianchen Kingdom and their situation. Don't you think letting me help you win is worthwhile?"
Li Huowang frowned as a strange thought filled his head. "Is Bei Feng your spy?"
Shai Zi acted exaggeratedly when he heard that. "What?! Is Bei Feng still alive? Oh my!"
"Stop playing tricks! Just tell me the information if you want to show your sincerity."
Li Huowang didn't trust any of Shai Zi's words. Li Huowang had faced the Sitting Oblivion Dao so many times that he had his own way of dealing with them.
However, regardless of whether they were lies or not, Li Huowang still had to listen to Shai Zi because his lies were interspersed with truths.
Based on their conversation, Bei Feng being Shai Zi's spy was very likely. In that role, Bei Feng could obtain information about the Tianchen Kingdom more quickly.
Shai Zi finally revealed some information. "Everyone from the Tianchen Kingdom can touch the Heavenly Daos."
"We already know that. Don't tell me that's all you found out?"
"No, no, Hong Zhong, what I meant was that everyone in the Tianchen Kingdom has the ability to do it. However, only the really talented ones can do it easily. Those who dumbere can't do so because they haven't learned how to do it."
"Everyone? Everyone in the kingdom could potentially do so?"
"Hehehe, do you think there are regular people in the Tianchen Kingdom? They are different from us. There are no Simings or gods over there. They are the ones in control of everything."
Li Huowang stood still and waited for Shai Zi to continue his explanation.
"They trust in nothing but themselves."
This was bad news. How could Li Huowang defeat the Tianchen Kingdom?
Li Huowang didn't know if the powers of the people from the Tianchen Kingdom came from the Heavenly Mater or from something else.
If Shai Zi was telling the truth, Li Huowang would be stuck in a difficult battle.
Li Huowang had considered that they might need to call the Simings for help, but now he was convinced that unless he called upon Ji Zai, their entire group would be wiped out.
Li Huowang was still thinking about how to deal with it when Shai Zi gave a suggestion. "There's a lot of people in the Tianchen Kingdom. You can't just rely on the limited people from the Qi Kingdom. Trying to unite the people in the Qi Kingdom is a mistake. You need to go for the person in the Tianchen Kingdom responsible for this mess.
"As the Emperor, you do not need to hold them back forcefully. You can always use the White Lotus Sect, though I doubt that they would be of much use. Wait, Hong Zhong, I've heard you have many friends in the White Lotus Sect, don't you?"
"Stop calling me Hong Zhong! I'm Li Huowang! Don't think that Hong Zhong will help you! I will never let him out!"
Shai Zi looked at Li Huowang with confusion. "What are you talking about? Aren't you Hong Zhong Li Huowang?"
Li Huowang's heart skipped a beat as he looked at himself. "Am I the Sitting Oblivion Dao's Hong Zhong?"
"What? Hong Zhong Li Huowang and regular Li Huowang. Do you... differentiate between yourselves?"
Li Huowang turned and saw Shai Zi grinning.
"Shai Zi, I almost fell for your tricks. Unfortunately for you, I already know the tricks of the SItting Oblivion Dao. I don't believe you."
Chapter 881 - Conversation
Outside of the palace, the eunuchs and the consorts surrounded both Shai Zi and Li Huowang.
"What's there not to believe? Hong Zhong, what are you talking about? I don't understand you."
Shai Zi looked at Li Huowang puzzledly.
"You know what I'm talking about. Stop trying to beat around the bush and tell me the details. What else do you know about the Tianchen Kingdom? Say... a golden dragon?"
Li Huowang still remembered what he had seen.
"A golden dragon?" Shai Zi appeared shocked. "Is there something like that in the Tianchen Kingdom? Could it be the Dragon Vein? I have never heard of it before."
"A Dragon Vein...?"
If it was true, then every Dragon Vein in history was made using humans. The people of the Tianchen Kingdom weren't just weird—even their Dragon Veins were weird, completely different from the others.
The Qi Kingdom, the Liang Kingdom, and the Tianchen Kingdom... I wonder how strange the other two worlds are. Thankfully, I don't have to get in contact with them.
Li Huowang shook his head. "No. Your information is useless. I could also check it out on my own. If you want to help us, bring us something tangible and useful, such as the method to enter the TIanchen Kingdom."
Li Huowang still didn't believe Shai Zi, despite the latter talking a lot. Rather than relying on mere words, Li Huowang preferred the cold, hard truth that he could see with his own eyes.
If Shai Zi could provide information about how to enter the Tianchen Kingdom, Li Huowang wouldn't mind working with him. Learning how to enter it would allow Li Huowang to be more proactive rather than passive and defensive.
He might be able to kill some of the people from the Tianchen Kingdom if he could catch them off guard.
If they could not avoid any fighting this time, then Li Huowang would rather move the battlefield into the Tianchen Kingdom.
Shai Zi was confused. "Why do you think I have the method to enter the Tianchen Kingdom?"
Li Huowang's words left Shai Zi with no room to back down. "How else could you have obtained your information? Did you make it up, then?"
Shai Zi raised his head and laughed. "Hong Zhong, you are becoming smarter. Fine, I will tell you. Come to my place in three days."
"Why three days? Can't you tell me now? What do you intend to do?"
"Hong Zhong, stop thinking that I'm the villain. I can't freely enter the Tianchen Kingdom—they're the ones in control of that. The people from the Tianchen Kingdom can touch both the Heavenly Daos and the Twisted Ones."
Li Huowang did not ask anything. He waited for Shai Zi to continue explaining.
"What I mean is that they can also take out the things inside a Twisted One's body and stuff it into a single person. That person becomes the bridge that connects the Tianchen Kingdom to the Qi Kingdom. I can't control them, but I know when they will reactivate the bridge."
Although Li Huowang could barely imagine what the "things" inside several Twisted Ones looked like, he now understood why Zhuge Yuan couldn't control the bridge between worlds on his own, all while the people from the Tianchen Kingdom could come and go as they pleased.
The hands of the Unspeakable army could knead everything under the heavens.
"They will come in three days. You can use this chance to check the Tianchen Kingdom secretly. Now, is this much enough to let me join you?"
"You should've said this from the start if you were sincere."
Li Huowang ignored Shai Zi and passed the frozen consort and eunuchs before he left.
He had just walked out from the crowd when he saw the Imperial Preceptor looking at him coldly while leaning on a pillar.
Li Huowang ignored the Imperial Preceptor and walked past him. He slowly walked out of the palace.
After leaving the palace, Li Huowang didn't immediately go back to the Qi Kingdom. Instead, he walked towards the Surveillance Bureau.
Whether Shai Zi was telling the truth or not, his presence inside the palace posed a threat. It was not a matter to be taken lightly, so he needed to let Suisui know to develop countermeasures.
One needed to be highly vigilant when Shai Zi was there.
"I know, and His Majesty knows too."
Li Huowang almost stumbled when he heard Li Sui's answer. "What? You guys know?"
Xuan Pin explained, "Yes. His Majesty is collaborating with Shai Zi. To be fair, Shai Zi is technically part of the Surveillance Bureau right now. The Imperial Preceptor was the one who established this connection."
"Why didn't you tell me something about this major?"
"Father, you're always at the Qi Kingdom, and I couldn't find you. Also, this is between the Sitting Oblivion Dao and the palace. It doesn't concern you."
"Gao Zhijian is crazy! He still wants to cooperate with the Sitting Oblivion Dao despite almost losing the Dragon Vein to them?"
"Father, didn't you cooperate with Shai Zi too?"
"I'm just testing him!"
"Father, don't worry. The Sitting Oblivion Dao wouldn't be able to do anything today. Doulao hated them a lot. If they angered us, they wouldn't be able to do anything here later on.'
"Have we not suffered enough in their hands?"
"That's why I'm hoping to ease the tension a bit. Regardless of the circumstances, we can still make use of them, just like you did, Father."
"Nevermind. I don't want to care anymore. Once everything is over, just hook him up and kill him."
"Alright, but even if you kill Shai Zi, a brand new Sitting Oblivion Dao will appear with a new Shai Zi."
"That's fine. At least I won't have a grudge with the new Shai Zi. In any case, ignore him for now. I need something else from you today."
Li Huowang pondered before asking, "How much do you know about the Dragon Veins? Tell me everything, no matter how unbelievable it is."
"Hm? Father, why are you asking this?"
Li Sui was surprised that her father would ask about this. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"Because I need to learn more about the five worlds. I have come to realize that I barely know anything about this world.
"Also, I've learned that no matter how ridiculous a story may sound, whether it be the story of the betrayal faced by the Heavenly Mater or how the Five Dhyani Buddhas guarded the world, each story holds a kernel of truth.
"Well, maybe not all of them are useful, but there must be some truth to the stories."
Chapter 882 - Dragon Vein
Li Huowang didn't care about the stories before because they were often exaggerated and didn't match reality. However, he now considered them surprisingly helpful even though they were heavily distorted.
At the moment, he could ignore everything else and focus on the Dragon Veins, knowing that he would soon be infiltrating the Tianchen Kingdom.
The Dragon Veins dictated the number of divisions in a day, and its Dragon Qi could insulate everything else from the influence of the Simings, including the Dragon Veins themselves.
After seeing the Tianchen Kingdom's Dragon Vein, Li Huowang wondered what kind of existence the Dragon Veins were.
He had the peculiar feeling that the gold dragon he had seen wasn't simple.
"I know just about as much as you do, Father."
Li Sui poured a cup of tea for Li Huowang.
"Every Dragon Vein corresponds to a single division. Every time one dies, the corresponding division disappears too."
"No, I don't need to know about this."
Li Huowang put his cup down and asked, "I wanted to know where the Dragon Vein comes from. Why do they correspond with a single division? Every sect has its legends. Even Qing Qiu has a legend about the Immortal Heaven. Does the Dragon Vein not have an origin story? That shouldn't be right."
Xuan Pin patted Li Huowang's head. "Father, they don't have one. The Dragon Veins are time itself, and that has always been the case. Has a division ever existed as it is, without a corresponding Dragon Vein?"
"Are you sure that this has always been the case? Also, who said time is tied to the Dragon Veins? Time should exist as an independent force...'
Li Huowang suddenly realized something.
"Father, what are you trying to say? Regular people may be unaware of the truth, but you yourself have witnessed how the divisions disappeared after the death of a Dragon Vein. Furthermore..."
"Wait, wait a minute!"
Li Huowang grabbed his hair as he tried to recall something important. "Wait a minute, I think I'm remembering something."
However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not recall it. Li Sui tried to help him by scratching his head, but it was useless.
Li Huowang finally let his hands down in defeat. "Damn it! I just thought of something important but I can't recall it now."
"Father, we are getting off track. I thought we were talking about the Dragon Veins?"
"Hmm. You are right. The Dragon Veins."
Li Huowang sat down again. "I'm trying to ask what the Dragon Veins are. As their name implies, the Dragon Veins should be dragons, so why are they humans?"
After telling Li Sui about the golden dragon he had seen in the Tianchen Kingdom, Li Huowang continued, "Shai Zi told me that it was most likely the Dragon Vein of the Tianchen Kingdom, but I think that the dragon is related to the grandchildren of Heavenly Mater.
"I'm don't know how strong the the Tianchen Kingdom is, but I do know that since they can manipulate the Heavenly Daos so easily, they might be able to do the same with Dragon Qi. If that's the case, they will probably be formidable foes."
"Father, I'm not lying to you. There are really no legends about the Dragon Vein. Any speculation and dissemination about the origins of the Emperor is punishable by death."
Li Huowang frowned and crossed his arms. Although he had finally obtained some data about his enemy, there was no further information or leads. It would be difficult for him to fight like this.
There were only three days left. He didn't want to enter the Tianchen Kingdom blindly.
Li Huowang was still thinking about a solution when Li Sui stood up and pulled on Li Huowang's sleeves to bring him outside.
Li Huowang trusted Li Sui, so he followed her.
Under her guidance, they went to the oppressive palace. They walked in circles until they reached the temple within the palace.
Li Huowang had been here more than once and knew the significance of the temple.
"Father, if you have questions about the Dragon Veins' origins, I fear this is the only place where you could find answers."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."
Both of them entered the temple.
There were still people inside, mostly elderly eunuchs. They were dusting the ancestral plates displayed on a shelf, though the plates were already spotless.
The eunuchs were guarding the tombs of the dead emperors with great care. It was very likely that this would also be their own eternal resting place.
Li Huowang knew that the outside was just a smokescreen. He walked past them, heading toward a wall with a yellow tapestry.
He pulled it open, and a set of double doors fashioned out of black stones appeared. Nine sprawling golden dragons could be seen on the doors.
Li Huowang pulled the massive doors open, and a cold gust blew past his face.
Past the doors, there was a pit-like place. The sides were tall, while the center was low, like a Roman arena. The place was adorned by many jewels and gold.
In the center stood a colossal golden coffin, its size resembling that of a house. Nine sprawling dragons coiled around the chains that suspended the coffin by tying themselves around the surrounding pillars.
The Liang Kingdom's most precious asset was inside the golden coffin—the Dragon Vein.
The Dragon Vein was made of a chain of the previous emperors, with the emperor who died most recently being the head. They linked up and formed a dragon-like body that drifted into the darkness of the coffin.
The interior of the coffin was completely black. The emperors were hung in the middle of the coffin like a straight line of corpses.
When Li Huowang stared at the Dragon Vein, the emperors at the top responded and looked at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang said, "You think it's a good idea to ask them about the golden dragon?"
"I doubt that they would know anything about it. We need to find the oldest Emperor."
Li Sui brought Li Huowang towards the edge of the coffin before jumping down.
The coffin was very deep, but thankfully, Li Huowang could embed part of his body into the walls, so it wasn't that bad. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮
Li Huowang could see nothing in the darkness. He could barely make out the gold in the black shadows.
"Fire."
Li Huowang raised his hand, igniting it with fire, allowing him to see the deepest part of the Dragon Vein.
Still, the fire wasn't as bright as he had thought. Everything shimmered around him. It appeared that the place where the Dragon Vein resided could affect its surroundings.
An ancient voice came from above. "Brat, you're Li Huowang, right? Do you need something?"
Li Huowang did not even look up. "I'm not looking for you."
He looked down and found the last Emperor at the tail end of the Dragon Vein. The first Emperor who had become the Dragon Vein had a face that was half-human and half-dragon. Even his golden robes were melded with his flesh.
Chapter 883 - Fate
Li Huowang extended his burning hand towards the tail of the Dragon Vein to see the last emperor more clearly.
He saw that the emperor's face was utterly inhuman. It was a half-dragon, but it wasn't entirely accurate either. The dragon-like face was distorted a lot.
The dragon's whiskers were like threads, snaking past the gaps in its golden scales and causing them to look messy.
The emperor had seven dragon claws with reverse joints. The number of his fingers also varied.
Li Sui explained to Li Huowang, "The Dragon Veins are segmented, with each emperor representing an era. If we want to know something about a particular age, we need to seek out the corresponding emperor on the Dragon Vein."
Li Huowang nodded. The emperors that made up the Dragon Vein weren't merely advisors for the current emperor—they were also people who had lived at a certain age and knew about the history of their era.
Shua! The dragon claw swung so fast that Li Huowang failed to react. The claws streaked past his face instantly.
The sound of tearing flesh could be heard, and half of Li Huowang's face slowly slid down, revealing his skull.
Li Huowang raised his right hand and pushed his face back with a snap.
Li Huowang lowered his hands and asked, "Senior, are you the first emperor of the Liang Kingdom?"
The old emperor roared. His roar reverberated inside the coffin.
The Dragon Qi exuding outwards affected the surroundings. Even Li Huowang was affected, and dragon scales appeared and disappeared on his body.
"He's deaf and crazy. You won't be able to get any answers from him."
Li Huowang looked up and saw a man with a disheveled face in the middle of the Dragon Vein.
He was unsure whether the golden threads were his beard or hair, but they completely veiled the emperor's face, making it impossible for even Li Huowang to recognize his true identity.
The emperor shook his head and saw Li Sui's identity plate.
"Chief of the Surveillance Bureau? I can't believe the Chief would escort you to meet us here. You are not someone ordinary..."
Just as the emperor with long hair finished speaking, another voice came from above. "I remember him! It was when Shai Zi stole the Dragon Vein. The boy in red robes is the one who killed Shai Zi and returned us to our rightful place."
"Doesn't that mean he did the Liang Kingdom a great service?"
"Indeed! He has done a great service to us!"
"But he's Ji Lin's sword! He killed a lot of people from the royal family!"
"I don't have the surname Ji, so I don't care."
More and more voices joined in on the conversation. Li Huowang had to raise his voice and shout, "Seniors!"
The ruckus gradually stopped, and Li Huowang finally asked, "This junior has come to find you to ask about the legends of the Dragon Veins."
He quickly added another sentence to highlight his desperation, saying, "I'm sure you know that the Liang Kingdom has lost several divisions already. For the Liang Kingdom's sake, I sincerely hope you will lend me your assistance."
The murmur of discussion filled the coffins briefly and stopped shortly after—they had reached a decision.
"You have done a great service to the Liang Kingdom, and the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau brought you here. Therefore, we will tell you."
Li Huowang wasn't surprised. He was their ally, so they had no reason to withhold such information.
The long-haired emperor explained to Li Huowang while the other emperors remained silent.
"When the Qi Kingdom was destroyed and left without an emperor, we from the Ji family were one of the largest noble households in the capital—there were thousands of us.
"However, for the sake of becoming the emperor, we killed our own kin—daughters, grandparents, grandchildren, and brothers. The conflict persisted until there was only one survivor left. He was the first emperor of the Liang Kingdom."
Li Huowang glanced at the last emperor, who was the tail of the Dragon Vein. "Seniors, I know about this. That's not what I wanted to know. I need to know where the Dragon Vein came from. A thousand years ago, the Qi Kingdom preceded the Liang Kingdom, but where did the Dragon Vein of the Qi Kingdom come from?"
"Oh, in that case, we must start from the very beginning. Long ago, humans were raised as livestock by the Witch. We survived by eating excrement, much like pigs. However, our ancestors desired a better life for us.
"Despite devising a plan to break free and escape, simply escaping was not enough, as the Witch would eventually discover us. As such, the ancestors sought a way to create a world of their own. The destiny tied to the Dragon Vein was the very essence that sustained this world."
Li Huowang recalled the veiled members of the Dharma Sect and asked, "Witch? Are they related to the Dharma Sect?"
"No. It's different. There was no Dharma Sect in ancient times."
"Then what is the Witch? Is it... Simings?"
Li Huowang's words sent out a massive ripple.
"No. They are not Simings. The Simings don't exist!"
"Indeed! There are no Simings. They're fake."
"This is the Imperial Temple! Do not utter those words!"
Li Huowang's next question silenced them. "Then what is the Witch?"
After some time, the long-haired emperor said, "We are the emperors of the Liang Kingdom. Before us, there was the Qi Kingdom, and even further in the past, the Beiyan Three Kingdoms. Lastly, there was the Great Chen Kingdom. Our ancestors passed down this knowledge to us.
"Everything about the ancient times was passed down to us by our ancestors. We don't know what the Witch is, but I'm certain that the Witch is powerful. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to enslave everyone."
Li Huowang realized that this was important information. There was once a Great Chen Kingdom!
"Is the Tianchen Kingdom involved in this? Is the Tianchen Kingdom the history from a timeline where the Great Chen Kingdom remained intact?"
Li Huowang thought that was possible and asked about it.
"We don't know. There are several Dragon Veins in this world. Ask the Dragon Vein from Qing Qiu. I think some emperors from the Beiyan Three Kingdoms are in that Dragon Vein."
"Li Sui, I don't have time right now. Can you send some men to check for me in Qing Qiu? See if it's related to the Great Chen Kingdom?"
"Alright, Father. However, I don't think it would make much of a difference. Even if the Tianchen Kingdom were once the Great Chen, they would still be our enemies."
"Let's just check and see what we can find. We might get some surprising information."
Li Huowang then turned to look at the Dragon Veins. "Senior, can you explain to us what Fate is? How did the first Dragon Vein come to be?"
"The first emperor took the fate from one of the Witches. Thanks to it, they could sustain a single world for themselves. This person was the first emperor."
Chapter 884 - Fate
"Fate was taken from a Witch?"
Li Huowang ruminated on those words.
According to the Emperor, they could sustain the world because of Fate. However, he didn't know what the Witch was, so Li Huowang was confused too.
Still, Li Huowang didn't dismiss the Emperor's words. He knew there was truth to them and needed to consider the matter carefully. Legends like these were often heavily distorted, leaving only fragments of truth.
After considering it, Li Huowang concluded that Fate was most likely Time. Without Time, the world would teeter on the brink of destruction, just like the Qi Kingdom.
Li Huowang was still partially embedded in the wall as he looked at Xuan Pin. "They claim there is no Siming, but don't you think there could be a Siming who controls Time? Wouldn't that be plausible?"
Xuan Pin nodded silently.
"Seniors... do you know what the Witch looks like? Is it like a golden dragon?"
Li Huowang stared at the golden scales and asked his question.
If the golden dragon in the Tianchen Kingdom was indeed the Dragon Vein, then the Tianchen Kingdom was truly unique. It was hard to believe that their Dragon Vein wasn't formed by emperors.
"A golden dragon? I don't know."
"We are the sons of dragons! We are the dragons!"
"Lingyang is a dragon, though not a golden one."
The more they discussed, the more plausible Li Huowang thought it was. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
If that were the case, Li Huowang would have a good understanding of what had happened in ancient times.
Back then, humans were livestock. To escape, they stole the Heavenly Dao of Time from the Siming that controlled it. Since a regular person could not handle it, they split it into sixteen Dragon Veins. That was why the Liang Kingdom originally had sixteen divisions.
However, the more Li Huowang pondered, the more nonsensical it seemed. This wasn't just limited to the Liang Kingdom—there were five different histories.
All five histories had time, which was also called the Fate of the Witch. If he were right, it would mean the people in all five histories had managed to snag and split the Heavenly Dao of Time from the Siming who controlled it.
At the start of every history, there were sixteen Dragon Veins. Since there were five histories, that also meant that there were 80 Dragon Veins now!
Li Huowang thought about the Heavenly Mater's past. The people in the Tianchen Kingdom had stolen her Heavenly Dao and distributed it.
He thought the Tianchen Kingdom was weird, but it appeared that something similar had happened in all five histories.
Everyone took it for granted due to how much time had passed.
"Father, if the golden dragon is indeed a Dragon Vein, you need to count how many divisions the Tianchen Kingdom has in a single day when you go there."
Li Huowang understood what she meant and nodded. The number of divisions represented the number of Dragon Veins in the Tianchen Kingdom.
Since they could touch and neutralize the Heavenly Daos so easily, it was possible they could also easily neutralize the Dragon Veins of the Liang Kingdom.
If that were the case, then even tens of Dragon Veins would be unable to do anything, even if they pooled their Dragon Qi together.
Moreover, with so much Dragon Qi, the Tianchen Kingdom could easily create a group of elites immune to the Heavenly Daos by cloaking them with Dragon Qi.
If they could do something like that, Li Huowang was sure that even Doulao would be useless in the fight against the Tianchen Kingdom.
Li Huowang considered many things, but in the end, he decided to take things one at a time because he could do nothing with the information at hand.
Li Huowang contemplated various factors but ultimately chose to proceed step by step, as he could do anything with the information at hand.
Since the TIanchen Kingdom hadn't done so yet, Li Huowang thought that there might be some restrictions stopping them.
"Seniors, thank you for the help." Li Huowang bowed and climbed up the coffin.
"Father, was their information helpful? I don't think it will help us much right now."
Li Huowang nodded at Li Sui's question.
"It's erratic but still useful. There might be a day when it helps us, even if it doesn't amount to anything right now. We don't know what we will face in the future. At the very least, we won't be completely clueless."
Li Huowang raised his head and looked at the starry night. "Also, I learned something through our conversation just now."
"What is it?"
"Have you not realized that the world is not fixed? Our history and Heavenly Daos can be easily changed. Do you know what this means?"
Li Huowang raised his hands and covered the skies. He then clenched his fists, and his eyes lit up. "It means that if we work hard enough and are strong enough, we can shape the world as we please."
Li Sui looked up at the stars as well. "Father, what kind of world do you want this to be? Don't you think it's nice now?"
"It's not that it's bad—I just don't like it. Remember Dan Yangzi?"
Li Huowang and Li Sui left the palace quickly as they talked.
"I do. I remember you told me that he didn't even blink when he killed someone. He was also an illiterate idiot."
Li Sui was floating closely behind Li Huowang.
"Back in the Zephyr Temple, I hated him a lot. I wanted to kill him and even risked my life to do it. However, now that I've gone through so many things, I can understand why he became so evil. He wasn't always evil—this crazy world forced him to become evil. Otherwise, he would've died very early on. He simply made the best choices he could to survive."
After exiting the palace, Li Huowang and Li Sui walked along the large streets. They arrived at a crossroads and saw many people drawing circles on the ground while burning paper money and paper ingots for the deceased. It was the Qingming Festival once more.
The Liang Kingdom had suffered numerous disasters, resulting in the loss of many lives. As such, there were a lot of people burning offerings for the deceased.
They crouched down by the fire, burning their paper offerings and whispering the words they wished their deceased loved ones could hear. Li Huowang, with his keen hearing, could catch every word.
Most of them were asking their family members what the underworld was like. They also asked them to contact them through dreams if they needed anything.
"Suisui, don't you think that this world is wrong? Those who harm others can live until they're old, while honest and good people die young. They don't deserve it."
Li Huowang approached one of the stalls that sold paper ingots and paper money. He bought some for himself.
Chapter 885 - Change
Li Sui trailed behind Li Huowang as they approached the crossroads, keeping a tight hold on the paper money and ingots.
Li Huowang drew two circles onto the crossroads with his spine sword and then threw the paper money into the cicles. The paper burned up without needing a match.
Li Sui didn't ask who he was burning the paper money for. As she quietly assisted him in the burning process, she heard a silent chuckle from him.
"Suisui, if only there were an underworld. At least then, the two types of people wouldn't die for nothing," Li Huowang murmured, his gaze fixated on the flickering flames dancing in the center of the circle, their reflections reflected in his eyes.
He continued, "In the underworld, the king would have the power to judge every ghost, giving them appropriate rewards or punishments. Evil people would suffer in the eighteen levels of Hell, tormented by minor demons who would gouge their eyes, cut their tongues, or even deep-fry them.
"On the other hand, individuals who performed good deeds in their lives would be rewarded by being allowed to reincarnate into wealthy households. There, they would enjoy pleasant lives and reach the age of one hundred without experiencing any illnesses."
Li Sui raised a tentacle and threw a bunch of paper ingots into the fire. The paper ingots twisted and turned black from being burned. "Father, do you want every world to be like that?"
Li Huowang threw more paper money into the circle to keep the fire alive. "Don't you think a world like that would be much better than this completely crazy world?"
Just as he finished speaking, a gust of wind blew past them. The ashes from the burned paper twirled and danced in the air.
***
Li Huowang swung his spine sword and returned to the Qi Kingdom.
He had just entered the Qi Kingdom when the surging False Qi almost suffocated him. There was too much of it.
Li Huowang looked up and saw a statue several stories tall. It was a depiction of him!
The large statue was tied by thick ropes. Many laborers were struggling to pull it upright.
As Li Huowang stared at the statue and then at the citizens chanting and praying, he finally understood where the False Qi was coming from.
There weren't a lot of people who could organize something like this. It was most likely Chan Du's doing, and Li Huowang had no intention of stopping it.
He was going to fight against the Tianchen Kingdom soon, so the more False Qi he had, the better.
He needed a lot of it because the techniques of the Sitting Oblivion Dao required the use of False Qi.
One of the soldiers saw that Li Huowang was back and greeted him. Li Huowang replied, "Call for Chan Du, the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau, and the generals. I need them to come and meet with me."
An ancient voice came from behind Li Huowang. "Benefactor Li, I am here."
Li Huowang turned around and saw Chan Du sitting on a straw mat while twirling his prayer beads.
"You still have time to chant your sutras? The Tianchen Kingdom is going to invade in three days."
Li Huowang approached Chan Du. By the time the others arrived—Chief of the Surveillance Bureau Liang Yuxuan and General Chen Yurong—Li Huowang had already finished explaining.
"We finally obtained some information, so we need to use it to overcome our challenges. How many more people do we have in the Qi Kingdom that we can still utilize?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
The three of them frowned. A lot of men had died during the clash with the army of Unspeakable. The men that they had painstakingly gathered were gone again.
"Gather as many as you can. This concerns the survival of the Qi Kingdom. Chan Du, there's a Buddha in the Righteous Monastery, right? Use it too."
Chan Du's hands trembled as he held onto his prayer beads. "Benefactor Li, that's the root of the Righteous Monastery. We cannot sully it."
"If the Tianchen Kingdom destroys the Qi Kingdom, or if we fail to get a Dragon Vein, then the Righteous Monastery will also be destroyed!"
Chen Yurong helped out by suggesting a plan. "Daoist, since this is an ambush, we can just distract and buy time with a smaller force. There's no need to go all out."
Li Huowang pondered before ultimately shaking his head. "No. Even if the information is accurate, with my understanding of Shai Zi, he could've sold the information to the Tianchen Kingdom too.
"We cannot be lax when dealing with the Tianchen Kingdom. We need the power to confront them directly—only then can your plan to distract them succeed."
This time, Chan Du advised Li Huowang and said, "Benefactor Li, the Qi Kingdom is yours. We will naturally sacrifice ourselves if needed, but you must think carefully. We are all that's left in the Qi Kingdom. If we sacrifice everything here, the Qi Kingdom would turn into a sitting duck."
Li Huowang replied, "In that case, we don't have to spend all our strength fighting them. My goal is to create a distraction before infiltrating the Tianchen Kingdom. I need information because what we need to win."
"But Benefactor Li, how will you return after heading there?"
Li Huowang patted the spine sword on his back. "I have this. I can come back at any time."
"With that? Isn't that sword..."
Chan Du was suddenly interrupted by someone. "You are right. You can return with that sword."
Li Huowang turned and saw that it was Xuan Pin. He pinched her robes and discovered it was Xuan Pin herself, not a fake or an illusion.
Li Huowang was worried about his daughter's safety. "Why are you here? Go back. It's dangerous here."
"I know it's dangerous. That's why I'm here to help you. I feel uneasy with you heading there alone."
"No, go back! Please be obedient and go back."
"What's obedient?"
Li Huowang was about to say something, but dense tentacles shot out from the red robes the moment Li Huowang opened his mouth. The tentacles quickly entered Li Huowang's body.
Li Huowang was about to open up his abdomen when a tentacle sprouted out from his belly button and wrapped around Li Huowang's wrist.
"Father, I'm not going there just to help you. This concerns the entire Liang Kingdom. Don't forget that I'm the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau. I can help you a lot—don't try to shoulder everything on your own."
Sensing that Li Huowang's strength was slowly diminishing, Li Sui released her tentacles before patting Li Huowang's hand. She then slithered back into his abdomen.
Li Huowang said, "I just didn't want you to risk your life too."
"Father, don't think that your life is cheap. I will be sad if you die."
Li Sui extended her tentacles and touched Li Huowang's beating heart.
Feeling the familiar presence in his body, Li Huowang thought that Xuan Pin was indeed powerful. He begrudgingly nodded.
He decided that this time, he would just infiltrate and get as much information as he could. He didn't want to risk confronting the people from the Tianchen Kingdom with Li Sui in his body.
He bent down to pick up Li Sui's red robes when he saw the three people from the Qi Kingdom staring at him dumbfoundedly.
"What are you looking at? Go!"
Chapter 886 - Contact
In the Qi Kingdom, five hundred Li northeast of the You Capital, there was a lowland area with grass as tall as half a meter. The entire place was green, just like Qing Qiu.
No one would've expected that the elites of the Qi Kingdom were already waiting for the people from the Tianchen Kingdom to appear here.
Li Huowang lay on the ground while frowning, relying on his sharp hearing to detect any subtle changes in his surroundings. He had been in this spot for a full day, determined to find out if Shai Zi had been lying or not.
"Are you alright inside there? Do you need to come out for some fresh air?"
"Father, they are here."
Li Huowang became tense, and his heartbeat quickened the moment he heard her.
He soon heard the sound of heavy footsteps and the chirping of birds. However, there were no birds in the Qi Kingdom—the birds were from the Tianchen Kingdom!
Li Huowang slowly liquefied the ground beneath him, sliding down.
Li Huowang looked through the grass and saw the people from the Tianchen Kingdom dressed like those from the Qi Kingdom.
Li Huowang sighed in relief. "Thank goodness it's not the army of Unspeakable. They are sending in spies, so I guess they are trying to set up another ploy."
There were hundreds of them.
Li Huowang didn't know why they were sent here, but he didn't care. Since they had seen the spies appear, the Tianchen Kingdom's plan was destined to fail.
Without warning, several large shadows flew through the air towards the people from the Tianchen Kingdom.
As the shadows drew near, everyone realized they were—the Buddhas of the Righteous Monastery. They opened their twisted mouths, chanting in unison with the monks embedded within their bodies. "Jie di jie. Di bo luo jie. Di bo luo jie. Jie di pu ti sa po he."
The Buddhas crashed heavily onto the group of people and exploded like a watermelon falling onto the ground.
Those touched by the flesh of the Buddhas all shouted in pain as their flesh twisted and merged together.
There were many spies, yet all of them dispersed the moment the Buddhas of the Righteous Monastery attacked.
Still, they reacted swiftly. The sound of an instrument rang out, and black, rotting rice surged out from the rift and enveloped the Buddhas.
The fight in the lowlands was intense and vicious. However, no one from the Qi Kingdom had died yet.
We cannot keep this up! I need to head in there and cut off their roots!
Li Huowang swiftly approached the circular rift and looked through it. He saw a dense forest with many people in it.
The Tianchen Kingdom had prepared a lot of spies this time, though most of them looked burly and fierce.
Thankfully, Li Huowang noticed that the Unspeakable army and the golden dragon weren't in the rift.
At the very least, it didn't look like a trap, so Shai Zi wasn't setting up a trap for him.
Li Huowang saw the rift was becoming smaller and quickly projected his body to enter it.
As he arrived at the Tianchen Kingdom, he noticed something he had overlooked before. There was a sizable stage behind the group of men. On that stage, an elderly man stood on stilts, his face adorned in makeup that made him look like a fox.
The old man's forehead had a red dot highlighted with a red blush. His hands and feet were balanced on the wooden stilts, and yet he could still move nimbly without any hint of instability.
Li Huowang immediately realized that the old man had to be the Twisted One connecting the Tianchen Kingdom to the Qi Kingdom. Every time the old man's eyelids twitched, a circular rift connecting the Qi Kingdom would appear near his body. They would then send people from the Tianchen Kingdom into the rift.
The entire place was a forest, with only the troops dispatched to the Qi Kingdom and tens of Unspeakable in the vicinity.
Li Huowang was even more confident after seeing the Unspeakable guarding the fox-faced old man closely.
"Go!" Several tentacles shot out from his body and forcefully struck the ground. Li Huowang curled his body up and shot forward like a cannonball, thrusting his spine sword towards the elderly man.
Just as the sword was about to reach the old man, a rift appeared in front of Li Huowang. There, he saw Chan Du using the scar on his forehead to eat the enemies.
Li Huowang understood that the rift connected to the Qi Kingdom. The old man was using his powers as a Twisted One to attack Li Huowang!
That wasn't the end of it. Another rift appeared above Li Huowang. The old man was trying to bisect Li Huowang in half with the two rifts!
Several more rifts appeared around Li Huowang. At this point, Li Huowang realized that the Twisted One was very good at using his powers.
Li Huowang didn't even wait for the rifts to hit him. He charged and entered the first rift before the second rift could hit him. The moment he entered the first rift, he jumped high and quickly turned his body in the air.
He watched as the two rifts completely missed him. Then, he swiftly dove into another circular rift.
This time, he appeared somewhere different. By the time he entered the Tianchen Kingdom again, the old man had hidden himself and the tens of Unspeakable had surrounded Li Huowang.
They raised their jade hands and charged towards Li Huowang.
Li Huowang's Pain, Death, or even Rot would be stripped away if they touched him even one bit.
At the last moment, Li Huowang's red Daoist robes expanded, and he split himself into hundreds of himself.
His clones charged around like wasps leaving the nest as they surrounded the Unspeakable.
The jade hands swiped around furiously. Many of the clones managed to dodge the hands, but the few that were touched by the jade hands disappeared like smoke.
Li Huowang's tactic was to use clones to keep them busy. Since he already knew what kind of techniques they had, he used a different method to counter them.
Li Huowang had already escaped their encirclement by the time the Unspeakable had cleared up the clones.
Li Huowang stood at the crown of a tree and looked down. Everyone in the surrounding area ignored the Qi Kingdom and surrounded the tree.
They even fired flares into the sky, but Li Huowang couldn't even catch a glimpse of the trailing smoke before it vanished. He was confident that their reinforcements would arrive there shortly.
Chapter 887 - Tianchen Kingdom
The people from Tianchen Kingdom surrounded Li Huowang, but he did not run away. He sat calmly on the crown of the tree instead.
Another Li Huowang popped out from his back, and the two chanted simultaneously. "In the shining light, the sun and moon conceal themselves. When the treasures activate, the spirits shall tremble in fear. Manifesting in the mortal world, guarding the chariot in the realm of Hell..."
When the people from the Tianchen Kingdom heard him chanting, they were filled with immense shock. According to the Unspeakable army that had invaded previously, the Daoist in red could summon Doulao to fight for him!
While they vastly outnumbered Li Huowang, they could not fight against Doulao. Using their various techniques, they quickly escaped and vanished in front of Li Huowang.
Li Huowang completed his chant just as they disappeared. However, nothing happened.
Li Huowang chuckled and stood up. The Li Huowang on his back trembled and turned into a beautiful woman. It wasn't something from Li Huowang's "Truth" cultivation—it was Li Sui.
Li Huowang did not intend to summon Doulao, so he altered the chant. There was no need to summon Doulao against them when he could trick them and save his energy.
Despite the people in the Qi Kingdom continuously giving him False Qi through their prayers, the amount of False Qi needed to summon Doulao was still massive. There was no need to waste it on a minor skirmish like this.
The crisis had been averted, and the Qi Kingdom was temporarily safe. Li Huowang looked around the dense forest and prepared to leave.
He was sure that the people in Tianchen Kingdom had been notified of his arrival. He had to gather as much information as possible before they caught him.
Li Huowang knew very little about the place. All he knew was that they held a grudge against the Heavenly Mater.
He needed to know how strong the people in the Tianchen Kingdom were and what price they were willing to pay to bring down the Heavenly Mater again.
The forest was dense, but thankfully, Li Huowang's sharp senses helped him spot fresh shoe prints on the ground.
Through the shoe prints, Li Huowang found several traps meant to catch wild beasts. Li Huowang deduced that the shoe prints belonged to a hunter. All he needed to do was follow the tracks to locate some kind of settlement.
However, the sky was slowly turning dark, and Li Huowang had yet to find the owner of the shoe prints.
When he saw the setting sun, Li Huowang remembered something important. "Suisui, help me count the time and see how many Dragon Veins are here."
"Alright."
Suisui nodded, and an hourglass appeared beside Li Huowang. The sand slowly fell to the bottom of the hourglass.
The hourglass represented a single division in time. A single cycle meant that a single division had passed. With the hourglass, Li Huowang would know how many Dragon Veins were in the Tianchen Kingdom.
By the time half of the sand had fallen, Li Huowang finally found a settlement in the dense forest. He saw a small village with several lit bonfires in the dark forest.
Li Huowang observed the village for a long time, taking his time until he was satisfied there was nothing suspicious about it.
"Let's see if we can get information about the Tianchen Kingdom from the regular people here."
Li Huowang wiped his face and transformed his appearance into Yang Xiaohai's. He proceeded to make his way towards the village.
Li Sui's tentacles sprouted from Li Huowang's back. They then grew and transformed into a big rucksack.
As Li Huowang approached, he smelled the aroma of bamboo leaves being used as a spice. He quickly calculated the time and realized that it was dinner time.
Li Huowang had just entered the village when a woman confronted him. They locked eyes, both shocked by the unexpected encounter. The woman was surprised to see a stranger, while Li Huowang was taken aback by her appearance.
She had a humanoid figure and was adorned in a large shirt paired with a pleated skirt. Additionally, she had a deep blue apron with intricate embroidery depicting birds and fish.
However, her most striking feature was her elongated neck covered in silver hoops—it was twice as long as a regular person's!
The slightly intimidating sight of someone with such a long neck on a dark village path surprised Li Huowang.
"Father, she's not an evil entity."
"I can see that."
Li Huowang cleared his throat and imitated Yang Xiaohai's voice. "Uhm... Excuse me, miss... May I know where this place is?"
The woman answered honestly, perhaps because she suspected nothing or because Yang Xiaohai appeared young and innocent. "This is Yixiong Village. Little boy, where did you come from? Why are you here?"
Her voice was normal. Aside from her long neck, she looked and sounded like a regular person.
"Yixiong Village? That means I've come to the wrong place. Where is the closest county?"
The woman pointed. "It's in that direction, though you probably shouldn't go there now. You need to pass several mountains and walk for at least two days."
Their voices caught the attention of the other villagers, causing them to gather around. Li Huowang took notice of them just as they took notice of him. All of the villagers wore silver hoops on their long necks.
More importantly, most of them were women. The few remaining men were children.
"Miss, I'm an outsider, so can I ask you a question? Why do you wear those silver hoops?"
"Because it looks good."
Li Huowang paused—the answer was too bizarre. Did the Sitting Oblivion Dao trick them?
He wanted to ask more questions, but an old woman gave him two pieces of bamboo before he could. He stood still in confusion as the woman split open the bamboo, revealing the fragrant rice hidden inside it. They were asking him to eat.
"Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, thank you! I haven't eaten today!"
Li Huowang took the bamboo and ate the rice. He wasn't afraid of them poisoning his meal—poison wouldn't work on him.
As he ate, he realized that the meal was not only ordinary but also delicious. The fragrance of the bamboo and rice paired well, leaving a delightful fragrance in his mouth after he finished.
Chapter 888 - Reward
The women of the village stared at Li Huowang until he finished his meal.
Li Huowang used the bamboo leaf like a spoon to eat the rice.
As he ate, Li Huowang secretly used telepathy to converse with Li Sui. Suisui, what do you think?
Nothing much. They are just the regular people of Tianchen Kingdom. I doubt they would know much about this place.
After finishing his meal, Li Huowang wiped his mouth and returned the bamboo to the woman before him. "Thank you for the meal. If it's possible, may I stay a night here? Of course, I will pay for it."
Li Huowang reached into his sleeves and took out several broken pieces of silver. "It's alright. You're just staying for a night, so there's no need to pay us."
The woman seemed surprisingly excited as she led Li Huowang to a hut.
Is everyone in the Tianchen Kingdom so kind?
It was hard to imagine the Tianchen Kingdom betraying the Heavenly Mater and stripping away her Heavenly Dao if they were all so kind.
"Miss, it's quite remote here."
Li Huowang looked around at the surrounding short huts and realized they were either built from wood or bamboo.
"It is remote, but that's fine. Our food is ours, and no one will come and take it from us." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"Yours? Don't you need to submit the food as tax to the palace?"
Li Huowang started to shift the conversation towards the direction he wanted.
"Palace? What is that place?"
Li Huowang learned there was no palace or royal family in the Tianchen Kingdom, which meant there were no emperors. In that case, the golden dragon being the Dragon Vein was even more believable now.
Looking at the woman's confused face, Li Huowang quickly answered, "Oh, it's nothing. It's just a normal thing where I'm from."
Li Huowang looked at the woman's back as they continued to walk. "Miss, when I was walking here, I saw someone wearing the robes of an Opera actor and walking on stilts. I saw that person running past the roofs."
The woman turned back in surprise. "What? What did you see?"
Li Huowang looked at her Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings to see if anything was out of the ordinary.
"What are you talking about? Don't lie to me. There are no such beings in this world."
However, Li Huowang was disappointed upon realizing that the woman didn't know who the Unspeakable Army was.
Li Huowang asked more simple questions but didn't get a single satisfactory answer.
Is it because it's too remote here? Do the people here lack information? Maybe I should ask something they might know.
Li Huowang decided to ask about the general geography of the Tianchen Kingdom. It turned out that the TIanchen Kingdom was huge.
From her explanation, Li Huowang determined that the Tianchen Kingdom was larger than the Liang Kingdom, though neither of them knew the exact size of the Tianchen Kingdom.
To the woman, the village she was born and raised in was her entire world.
She didn't know the different regional names of the Tianchen Kingdom. Almost the entire northern half of the kingdom was flatlands with many rivers, and those who lived there were called northerners.
The southern half of the Tianchen Kingdom was covered in trees and forest, and the inhabitants were called southerners.
She knew almost nothing else. She knew nothing about the army of Unspeakable or the golden dragon. She had just been living peacefully in the village throughout her life.
If nothing were to change, she would spend her entire life within a hundred Li of her village.
Shai Zi tricked me! Li Huowang whispered in his heart to Li Sui, There's no way they could touch the Heavenly Dao. I doubt that they can even read.
To his understanding, the people of the Tianchen Kingdom weren't as fearsome as what Shai Zi had described, where anyone living in the Tianchen Kingdom could strip the Heavenly Daos away.
The people of the Tianchen Kingdom were no different from those in the Liang Kingdom. Only a handful would cultivate and learn techniques, while the majority lived in ignorance, simply being born, growing old, and eventually passing away.
Li Huowang sighed in relief. A small part of his stress was relieved just like that.
Father, Shai Zi did not lie. She could learn how to do so—she just hasn't.
Isn't that the same as not being able to do it? She couldn't do it even if she were to start learning now. Shh... be quiet. We are arriving soon. Once she leaves, we will escape into the darkness and head towards the county she mentioned.
Since there wasn't much that he could obtain from the small village, there was no reason for him to stay here either.
Li Huowang needed to find some kind of scholar to learn more about the Tianchen Kingdom.
Even if there wasn't a palace or an emperor, there should be some kind of organization that controlled and managed the Tianchen Kingdom, possibly under a different name than "palace."
They weaved around the village and soon reached a small wooden hut propped up by branches.
"You stay here tonight. I hope you don't mind how old it is."
Seeing that the woman was climbing up the wooden ladder, Li Huowang quickly followed her and prepared himself to knock her unconscious.
However, when he reached the top, he was stunned by what he saw—the woman had taken off her top.
She gestured and pulled Li Huowang inside. "Here, lie down."
Li Huowang quickly shook off his arm and realized why there wasn't a single man in the village during the day and why they welcomed him. He had to pay a price!
"What's wrong? Do you think I'm too old? Let me call for my daughter, then."
"No need."
Li Huowang wiped his hand on the woman's face, and she froze.
"Father, am I interfering? Don't worry, I won't tell mother."
Li Huowang frowned. "You still have the energy to joke? Don't forget what we came here for."
He never thought the culture of the Tianchen Kingdom would be so bizarre.
"Father, it's not healthy to suppress yourself like this every day. You should smile and laugh when you can. You will snap one day if you continue this."
"Alright, that's enough. You don't have to teach me about it. Let's go."
"Father, are you really not moved by her offer? She doesn't look ugly."
Li Huowang felt his skin crawling. He never thought his own daughter would say something like that.
He previously thought Li Sui was very inexperienced, but the current Li Sui was too bright!
"Stop saying nonsense before I throw you back into the Qi Kingdom."
Li Sui stopped talking when she saw Li Huowang reaching for the spine sword.
Snapping branches could be heard as Li Huowang continued to walk into the dark forest.
By the time the hourglass flipped again, Li Huowang reached an opening. A county appeared in front of him.
Chapter 889 - Bandits
Li Huowang found the county, but he was surprised to see that the city didn't have a wall. There was just a single white lantern swinging on the old gate.
"Keep your guard up. There might be someone who can see us."
Li Huowang sunk his projection into the ground, turning invisible as he walked towards the county.
Li Huowang thought the place was too rundown. There were abandoned houses everywhere, the roads were full of potholes, and litter was scattered all around.
If it hadn't been for the candlelight coming from some of the windows, Li Huowang would've thought that this was a mass grave instead.
Just then, Li Sui said, "Father, someone in the Tianchen Kingdom is trying to use divination to locate us."
They had acted quickly. Rather than sending people to find Li Huowang, they used divination.
Li Huowang felt his scalp go numb. "Did they manage to locate us?"
"No, I'm blocking them," Li Sui replied. "However, I can't sustain it for long."
"Block them as long as you can. We need to leave before they find us."
Li Huowang walked to the center of the county.
The center of the county was more lively. Even late at night, numerous shops were still open.
The options were somewhat limited, though. They were all either gambling dens, brothels, or theaters.
Li Huowang chose the theater with the highest chance of a scholar being present. He entered the place and realized that they were putting on a pink show.
This particular pink show was much more daring than the Lu family's. The singer on the stage was wearing nothing but a translucent shawl. The entire theater was rowdy as the customers drank wine, fought, and gambled while the singer performed on top.
Suddenly, one of the customers ripped off his shirt to reveal his hairy chest and jumped on the stage. He pushed down the singer, and they fornicated.
Li Huowang ignored the crowd's cheers and instead focused on the murderous aura they exuded. They were all the same.
They are... soldiers? Are they the soldiers of the Tianchen Kingdom?
Li Huowang stared at the diverse crowd. Many of them sported messy beards and dirty clothes.
Li Huowang knew that the Tianchen Kingdom had soldiers because they were the ones who had ambushed him the last time.
They were strong, and their incredible cooperation had almost made Li Huowang lose his spine sword.
Li Huowang looked around swiftly before looking at the second floor's center seat. There was a huge man with a large scar on his face seated there. He was holding onto two topless women while playing cards with the other men.
The huge man's murderous aura was the most intense. Li Huowang was confident that the man was their leader.
Li Huowang approached the man and tore off his face to plaster it onto the back of the man's head.
However, just before he did, he stopped.
Someone was speaking to the huge man.
"Deputy, are the faceless really asking us to hunt some francolins[1]?"
Li Huowang realized that the men were speaking in codes! They weren't soldiers—they were bandits!
Li Huowang recalled how the people who had ambushed him didn't say "kill" but instead "stab."
Li Huowang was right. They were indeed bandits—or rather, soldiers of the Tianchen Kingdom.
Father, there's no emperor here, so there's no soldiers. Instead, the soldiers all became bandits. It's a reasonable explanation.
Li Huowang nodded and continued to eavesdrop.
The huge man said, "It's not good news. The faceless invited people aside from ourselves. The old man that takes money from corpses and the razor clams that take the corpse's money were also called to help, but they didn't come back."
Li Huowang understood those codes. Both "the old man that takes the money of corpses" and "the razor clams that take the corpse's money" were the codenames for different groups of bandits.
They naturally didn't return because Li Huowang had burned all of them to death.
As for what "faceless" meant, Li Huowang had no idea for now. But according to what he had learned, "faceless" usually meant something along the lines of monsters or evil entities.
"The faceless must've encountered some tough thorns this time. Old Qian mentioned losing many men too. They're likely doing something serious if they're inviting all thirty-six caves to fight for them."
This wasn't good news for Li Huowang. If the soldiers of the Tianchen Kingdom were bandits, that meant that the "faceless' were recruiting every single one to go to the Qi Kingdom.
"Deputy, this is a touchy mission. Should we take it?"
"Of course. If we don't give them face, then we will really become faceless."
The deputy's voice suddenly became silent as he glanced at the theater below him before whispering to the man, "I've heard that the mission this time is related to 'Moon Threads.' We should go and see what it is about first."
Someone suddenly shouted from below, "Deputy! Keep it short! An eagle just plunged into the oven!"
The doors to the theater slammed shut the moment everyone heard that.
Seeing that he had been discovered, Li Huowang chose not to hide anymore. He was certain the huge man knew something, so he decided to interrogate him.
The man threw the cards to the table and stared at Li Huowang, who was wearing Yang Xiaohai's face. "Shoulders together, toss me a vine?"
Li Huowang blinked. "I'm tossing your fat ass!"
He instinctively reached for his sword but realized he needed to keep the man alive. Li Huowang smashed an hourglass onto the man's head.
The hourglass warped from the impact, causing the man's head to bleed. He stumbled for a moment before ultimately falling onto the ground.
"Stab him!" the man shouted.
A murderous aura filled the theater, and the angry bandits howled in anger as they ran towards Li Huowang.
"Allow me," Li Sui said, causing the theater to shift randomly.
The ground and bandits warped uncontrollably, turning from tall to short and from long to narrow in different intervals.
The murderous aura that filled the area broke apart like wet noodles.
Sensing how strong Li Huowang was with Li Sui's help, the huge man knelt on the ground and begged for mercy.
"Get up! We need to change locations!" Li Huowang told the man, kicking him and then trying to drag him away.
"Father, be careful!"
Just as Li Sui warned Li Huowang, a shriveled hand burst out from his chest. Li Huowang ignored his injury, instead focusing on the thing in the palm of the shriveled hand.
The palm held a dark yellow object. Li Huowang instinctively knew that it was his primordial breath. Someone had pushed it out of him!
1. A type of bird ☜