Li Huowang panted heavily, his breath causing the bulletproof glass to repeatedly fog up and then quickly dissipate.
The air in the culvert was stagnant. Li Huowang felt increasingly irritated, especially after walking for so long with nothing to show for it.
"That smell in the air is getting stronger. Qing Wanglai, what was that thing you mentioned earlier?"
Qing Wanglai didn't answer Li Huowang's question. He gripped his gun and stood behind Li Huowang as if he were a human shield.
"Shh... We're almost there..." Zhao Shuangdian walked past Li Huowang, deliberately lowering her voice as she spoke.
Her fingers rapidly moved across the keys of her laptop as if she were playing the piano. Only she could understand whatever was displayed on her screen.
After walking through the chilly tunnel for about twenty more minutes, Zhao Shuangdian abruptly extended her hand and snatched Zhao Lei's crossbow. She aimed the weapon into the darkness ahead.
The sound of metal tore through the air. There was no immediate movement, but Li Huowang knew something had died in the dark.
They approached slowly and illuminated the area with their flashlights, revealing a man lying beside the tunnel with a bolt through his neck. A large iron door protruded from the wall beside him.
This man had been guarding the door, but Zhao Shuangdian had taken him out before he could raise the alarm.
"Shh..." Li Huowang stepped forward and pulled the door open a crack.
Bright light poured out from the crack, making it hard for him to keep his eyes open after being in the dark for so long. Once his eyes adjusted, he was stunned by the sight of an empty factory within.
There was a factory beneath this desolate desert. This was something he hadn't expected.
The area had been completely hollowed out, creating a space approximately the size of half a soccer field. Various items were scattered haphazardly throughout, with bags of raw materials, jars, and freezers being the most numerous among them.
In the distance, there was a railway track with several minecarts parked on it, suggesting it had been used for transporting goods.
Li Huowang couldn't tell what this factory produced. However, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen a similar scene on television before.
He quickly pieced everything together. This place had been used to produce drugs, and these people were drug lords. It explained why the sentry outside was armed with an anti-material rifle.
The factory seemed to be closed. Black-masked workers frantically loaded goods onto the minecarts while armed men paced nervously and shouted orders.
It was evident that the earlier disturbance had alarmed them.
Li Huowang quickly counted the people and was startled to see at least one or two hundred of them. He knew that his group was no match for such a large number.
The others had also seen what was happening through the crack of the door. Without hesitation, Zhao Shuangdian said, "See that generator? That's their power source. On my count, fire at it."
Her tone was calm. It was as if she had anticipated this, even though the enemy outnumbered them ten to one.
"What's the point of charging in? We're sending ourselves to our deaths. Didn't you see their firepower?" Li Huowang whispered. He knew that they were outmatched in every way.
When Zhao Shuangdian mentioned a counter-attack, he initially thought the two sides would be somewhat evenly matched. But now, it was clear that the enemy far outclassed them.
With their current group, they could not win against so many Simings. To have a chance, they needed to bring reinforcements from the Simings in the Baiyu Capital.
"Remember what I said earlier? Let me ask you again." Zhao Shuangdian's chilling voice emerged from behind. "Are you refusing to follow my orders, Li Huowang?"
Li Huowang stared intently at Zhao Shuangdian, carefully studying her expression. He could tell that she was being sincere and not joking around.
Does she have some hidden trump card I don't know about? It made sense. While she may not value his life, she couldn't be reckless with her own.
Even more surprisingly, Qing Wanglai hadn't objected to such a crazy order.
"Fine, if you're willing to die, I'll be happy to dig the graves," Li Huowang muttered. He stepped aside to allow more guns to point through the door.
"4, 3, 2, 1!" A rapid burst of gunfire filled the air, causing the once vibrant light behind the door to dim instantly. Li Huowang quickly kicked the door open and charged in.
In the pitch-black darkness, Li Huowang couldn't tell friends from foes. Still, he knew that his allies were all behind him, which meant that anyone in front of him had to be an enemy.
Whenever he ran into someone in the dark, he decisively stabbed them in the heart.
Gunfire suddenly broke out from his left, and a series of bullets painfully struck his vest.
"Take action! What are you standing around for?!" Li Huowang shouted.
The gunfire intensified, surrounding him from all sides. He felt like he was in the middle of a storm of bullets.
At the moment, the darkness had become Li Huowang's shield, offering him some protection from the barrage of bullets flying all around.
Just as Li Huowang was wreaking havoc, a sharp pain exploded in his back, sending him stumbling to the ground.
He struggled to his feet and looked around at the chaotic scene. The darkness that protected him also concealed the enemy, and he had no idea what had hit him.
He gingerly touched his back and found a slight depression. It felt like he had been hit with a blunt weapon, which his bulletproof vest had been powerless to stop.
He cautiously touched his back and discovered a slight depression. It felt as if he had been struck by a blunt weapon, which his bulletproof vest failed to stop.
Since he couldn't see anything, he decided not to bother. If he couldn't see the enemy, they couldn't see him either.
He crouched down and slashed at any legs he encountered. Every time they screamed and fell, he'd follow up with a knife to silence them.
He wasn't attacked with any blunt weapons again, suggesting his strategy was working.
The battle had descended into chaos—everyone was killing blindly, unable to see or know who they were killing.
The sharp sound of glass shattering echoed. Moments later, Li Huowang's mind felt hazy. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
It wasn't just him. He could hear the sounds of people collapsing around him. Fortunately, his helmet slowed the effects.
He reached out and touched a broken test tube. He immediately realized that Qing Wanglai had thrown in some anesthetic gas.
He had thrown it in without waiting for Li Huowang to move out of the way, aiming to knock out as many people as possible.
"Damn!" Li Huowang fought to stay conscious. Li Huowang ripped off his helmet and drove his military knife into his shoulder blade, using the pain to stay awake.
Chapter 901 - Big
The intense pain jolted Li Huowang back to a state of partial consciousness, but it wasn't sufficient. As the anesthetic took hold, the pain slowly diminished.
He stumbled backward, faintly hearing Wu Qi's voice. Finally, his consciousness slipped away, and he collapsed to the ground.
Li Huowang had no idea how much time had passed, but he gradually regained awareness. The flickering lights on the ceiling made him realize he was still in the factory, and the quiet surroundings indicated that everything was over.
The pain in his head was so intense that Li Huowang could barely lift his hand to touch it, feeling as if his skull might crack open.
"Here, drink some water. Don't worry—this is just a side effect. It'll pass soon," Wu Qi said, helping him up.
"Is it over? Did we win?" Li Huowang turned to see corpses lying around in disarray.
"They escaped, but Zhao Shuangdian said we accomplished our objective. It's time to retreat."
"Retreat?" Li Huowang looked at the others. They were draining the engine oil from the machines and pouring it over everything in the factory. It seemed that they were preparing to set it all ablaze.
Li Huowang had many questions that he wanted to ask Zhao Shuangdian. However, now wasn't the time for questions. He probably wouldn't get any answers now.
With Wu Qi's help, he stood up and retreated into the dark culvert. "Since it's over, let's get out of here."
Li Huowang didn't fully understand what this place translated to. Based on his experience, this underground factory was likely similar to the Baiyu Capital, and the people they had encountered were the Simings in charge of this place.
However, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. God Yu'er is very powerful, so how come the Simings on its side were so weak? They couldn't even take down a small group like this.
Am I wrong? Could they have torn down the Baiyu Capital? Li Huowang pondered while they retreated further into the darker part of the canal.
Wu Qi propped Li Huowang against the wall and went to help the others.
Li Huowang shook his head violently and glared at Qing Wanglai, who was rummaging through a freezer.
Before he could release his anger, he heard a strange sound coming from the left side of the tunnel. Looking in that direction, he saw many eyes staring at him from the darkness.
Suddenly, a light flickered on. A flashlight rolled across the floor, stopping at Li Huowang's feet and illuminating him—just like what had happened to Chen Hongyu.
"Enemy ambush!" Li Huowang shouted with all his might and threw himself toward the door. At that exact moment, Ba Nanxu flicked a cigarette butt, igniting the factory in flames.
With enemies behind and fire ahead, Li Huowang and the others were trapped.
Li Huowang picked up a helmet, quickly putting it on as the enemies burst through the iron gate.
They were all black people dressed in camouflage uniforms. They erupted in fury at the sight of the burning factory, raising their guns and shouting in a language Li Huowang couldn't understand.
Gunfire erupted, and someone tossed ten grenades toward Li Huowang and his group.
Li Huowang's heart skipped a beat as he watched the black balls of death flying through the air toward him. He was sure he was done for.
Li Huowang lunged forward without hesitation, grabbing two of the grenades before sprinting toward the enemies.
They spotted him holding the grenades and panicked, shooting at him as they retreated toward the door.
Thump! The door slammed shut. Li Huowang looked down at the grenades in his hands and ran toward the door.
As he did, the grenades cracked open, revealing something yellow inside of them.
At that moment, everything came to a standstill. Li Huowang stared in disbelief at the mooncake in his hands, momentarily unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Eat it! This is the result of everyone's hard work," a nurse said, lightly patting Li Huowang on the back.
Li Huowang glanced around at the peaceful break room. Mooncake? White Tower Prison? I'm back here again? What's going on...
Suddenly, he recalled something. He took a bite of the purple yam mooncake and discovered another piece of paper inside. He unrolled the paper and saw the same words as before.
Smack! Li Huowang slapped himself hard across the face. The stinging pain confirmed that this wasn't a dream, and he began to understand something.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he swallowed the paper and headed to the restroom, where he once again saw a person disguised as himself.
Li Huowang found that everything that followed was exactly as he remembered. The rubber gloves were the same, and Yi Donglai questioned him again.
After Li Huowang used the access card to leave White Tower, he immediately got into Ba Nanxu's car. "Take me to Zhao Shuangdian! Hurry!"
"Oh? You in a rush? I thought you'd want to visit your little girlfriend first." Ba Nanxu kicked the driver's seat, making her brother speed up.
Before long, Li Huowang found Zhao Shuangdian at the Bloody Bonfire tattoo parlor again. "What's going on here? Why am I back again?!"
Zhao Shuangdian looked puzzled. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."
Li Huowang suppressed his unease and recounted everything that had happened. Only then could Zhao Shuangdian explain it all.
Zhao Shuangdian looked surprised. "I don't know how you found out, but I did want to recruit you for a counterattack. However, what you're describing doesn't make sense."
She continued, "The timing is off. We acted on February 6, not February 3. According to our calculations, we wouldn't need a flight to reach the other elephant. It's at sea—we would have taken a boat."
"How can this be?!" Li Huowang was utterly shocked. He stumbled back half a step. "No! Something's not right!"
The shock on Li Huowang's face turned into confusion. "This isn't the first time... There was the ship! The Abbess's son really exists! And... there was another time! What was the second time? I forgot! But there was definitely a second time! This is the third!"
His expression twisted into a mix of fury and struggle. He clenched his fists and began to pound his head, trying to force out the details he had missed.
"Big... big...[1]."
Zhao Shuangdian watched Li Huowang with great interest. "The elephant is formless?"
Li Huowang shook his head violently and rejected that idea. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"No! That's not it! It's not the formless elephant—it's the Grand Siming! There are no boundaries! I finally get it!
"There is no before or after! It's all happening at the same time! The reason you changed the plan now isn't because that place doesn't exist anymore—it's because we have already destroyed it in another timeline! That factory! That factory was the projection of the Siming!
"We destroyed the factory, so everything about it—its related time and history—has been erased! Everyone forgot, except for me! Just likChapter 901 - Big
The intense pain jolted Li Huowang back to a state of partial consciousness, but it wasn't sufficient. As the anesthetic took hold, the pain slowly diminished.
He stumbled backward, faintly hearing Wu Qi's voice. Finally, his consciousness slipped away, and he collapsed to the ground.
Li Huowang had no idea how much time had passed, but he gradually regained awareness. The flickering lights on the ceiling made him realize he was still in the factory, and the quiet surroundings indicated that everything was over.
The pain in his head was so intense that Li Huowang could barely lift his hand to touch it, feeling as if his skull might crack open.
"Here, drink some water. Don't worry—this is just a side effect. It'll pass soon," Wu Qi said, helping him up.
"Is it over? Did we win?" Li Huowang turned to see corpses lying around in disarray.
"They escaped, but Zhao Shuangdian said we accomplished our objective. It's time to retreat."
"Retreat?" Li Huowang looked at the others. They were draining the engine oil from the machines and pouring it over everything in the factory. It seemed that they were preparing to set it all ablaze.
Li Huowang had many questions that he wanted to ask Zhao Shuangdian. However, now wasn't the time for questions. He probably wouldn't get any answers now.
With Wu Qi's help, he stood up and retreated into the dark culvert. "Since it's over, let's get out of here."
Li Huowang didn't fully understand what this place translated to. Based on his experience, this underground factory was likely similar to the Baiyu Capital, and the people they had encountered were the Simings in charge of this place.
However, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made. God Yu'er is very powerful, so how come the Simings on its side were so weak? They couldn't even take down a small group like this.
Am I wrong? Could they have torn down the Baiyu Capital? Li Huowang pondered while they retreated further into the darker part of the canal.
Wu Qi propped Li Huowang against the wall and went to help the others.
Li Huowang shook his head violently and glared at Qing Wanglai, who was rummaging through a freezer.
Before he could release his anger, he heard a strange sound coming from the left side of the tunnel. Looking in that direction, he saw many eyes staring at him from the darkness.
Suddenly, a light flickered on. A flashlight rolled across the floor, stopping at Li Huowang's feet and illuminating him—just like what had happened to Chen Hongyu.
"Enemy ambush!" Li Huowang shouted with all his might and threw himself toward the door. At that exact moment, Ba Nanxu flicked a cigarette butt, igniting the factory in flames.
With enemies behind and fire ahead, Li Huowang and the others were trapped.
Li Huowang picked up a helmet, quickly putting it on as the enemies burst through the iron gate.
They were all black people dressed in camouflage uniforms. They erupted in fury at the sight of the burning factory, raising their guns and shouting in a language Li Huowang couldn't understand.
Gunfire erupted, and someone tossed ten grenades toward Li Huowang and his group.
Li Huowang's heart skipped a beat as he watched the black balls of death flying through the air toward him. He was sure he was done for.
Li Huowang lunged forward without hesitation, grabbing two of the grenades before sprinting toward the enemies.
They spotted him holding the grenades and panicked, shooting at him as they retreated toward the door.
Thump! The door slammed shut. Li Huowang looked down at the grenades in his hands and ran toward the door.
As he did, the grenades cracked open, revealing something yellow inside of them.
At that moment, everything came to a standstill. Li Huowang stared in disbelief at the mooncake in his hands, momentarily unable to comprehend what was happening.
"Eat it! This is the result of everyone's hard work," a nurse said, lightly patting Li Huowang on the back.
Li Huowang glanced around at the peaceful break room. Mooncake? White Tower Prison? I'm back here again? What's going on...
Suddenly, he recalled something. He took a bite of the purple yam mooncake and discovered another piece of paper inside. He unrolled the paper and saw the same words as before.
Smack! Li Huowang slapped himself hard across the face. The stinging pain confirmed that this wasn't a dream, and he began to understand something.
Forcing himself to stay calm, he swallowed the paper and headed to the restroom, where he once again saw a person disguised as himself.
Li Huowang found that everything that followed was exactly as he remembered. The rubber gloves were the same, and Yi Donglai questioned him again.
After Li Huowang used the access card to leave White Tower, he immediately got into Ba Nanxu's car. "Take me to Zhao Shuangdian! Hurry!"
"Oh? You in a rush? I thought you'd want to visit your little girlfriend first." Ba Nanxu kicked the driver's seat, making her brother speed up.
Before long, Li Huowang found Zhao Shuangdian at the Bloody Bonfire tattoo parlor again. "What's going on here? Why am I back again?!"
Zhao Shuangdian looked puzzled. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."
Li Huowang suppressed his unease and recounted everything that had happened. Only then could Zhao Shuangdian explain it all.
Zhao Shuangdian looked surprised. "I don't know how you found out, but I did want to recruit you for a counterattack. However, what you're describing doesn't make sense."
She continued, "The timing is off. We acted on February 6, not February 3. According to our calculations, we wouldn't need a flight to reach the other elephant. It's at sea—we would have taken a boat."
"How can this be?!" Li Huowang was utterly shocked. He stumbled back half a step. "No! Something's not right!"
The shock on Li Huowang's face turned into confusion. "This isn't the first time... There was the ship! The Abbess's son really exists! And... there was another time! What was the second time? I forgot! But there was definitely a second time! This is the third!"
His expression twisted into a mix of fury and struggle. He clenched his fists and began to pound his head, trying to force out the details he had missed.
"Big... big...[1]."
Zhao Shuangdian watched Li Huowang with great interest. "The elephant is formless?"
Li Huowang shook his head violently and rejected that idea. Then, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"No! That's not it! It's not the formless elephant—it's the Grand Siming! There are no boundaries! I finally get it!
"There is no before or after! It's all happening at the same time! The reason you changed the plan now isn't because that place doesn't exist anymore—it's because we have already destroyed it in another timeline! That factory! That factory was the projection of the Siming!
"We destroyed the factory, so everything about it—its related time and history—has been erased! Everyone forgot, except for me! Just like the last two times!"
Chapter 902 - Fake Skill
"Father, a little more to the left? Is it straight now?" Li Sui asked, extending a tentacle. She tilted her head and followed the instructions from behind while pasting the spring couplets on the wall.
The aroma of meat in the air and the distant crackling of firecrackers brought a joyful smile to Li Sui's face. She loved the lively atmosphere, and the New Year was the most exciting time of the year for her. Celebrating it brought her immense joy.
"Suisui, can you recognize all the characters in the couplet?"
She felt her mother gently stroke her head and nodded proudly. "Yes! I recognize all of them!"
"Really? That's impressive. Then tell me, what do the characters in the couplet say?"
"The upper line says: 'Wealth flourishes in a prosperous place.'
"The lower line says: 'Blessings shine upon the home, to bring fortune and glory!'"
"Very good. And what about the horizontal inscription?"
"The horizontal inscription says, 'May all wishes come true!'"
"You're amazing, Suisui." Li Sui squinted her eyes joyfully as her mother hugged her from behind.
"But Suisui, isn't the horizontal inscription a little crooked?"
"Is it crooked?" Li Sui took a few steps back and carefully examined the horizontal plaque beneath the inscription.
After observing it thoughtfully for a while, she still couldn't find any signs of the red inscription being crooked. "Mother, it's not crooked. Father, do you think it's crooked?"
However, there was no response.
"Father? Mother?" Li Sui called out in confusion, turning around to find no one behind her. Nobody was there, and at some point, the smell of meat and the sound of firecrackers had completely vanished.
She saw two figures, one dressed in white and the other in red, gradually walking away in the distance. Li Sui panicked and struggled to run toward them. "Father! Mother! Where are you going?"
However, no matter how fast Li Sui ran, the figures only seemed to get further away.
As Li Sui's desperation grew, her human form began to crumble. More than ten tentacles emerged as she transformed and rapidly moved towards them.
"Father! Mother! Please don't leave me! I promise I'll be good! I won't make you angry anymore!"
No matter how fast she ran, the figures in the distance stayed just out of reach, eventually disappearing at the far end of the road.
Li Sui finally collapsed. She stumbled to the ground, where she sat and sobbed uncontrollably.
As she cried, she slowly woke up and glanced tearfully around the cave. She realized it had all been a dream.
Several days had passed since she had fallen from the sky, and she still hadn't found the You Capital.
Li Sui couldn't hold back her sorrow and cried loudly once more.
However, crying wouldn't change anything, and she needed to complete her journey. Half an hour later, Li Sui emerged from the stone cave and continued along the path toward You Capital.
She wasn't sure if she was going the right way, as the road seemed to split off in many directions.
More importantly, a lot of time had passed. She wondered how her father was doing. Li Sui didn't know if he still needed Dragon Qi or if she would make it in time.
After several hours of walking, the small path gradually expanded into a wider road, and Li Sui continued on.
She caught wild animals in the forest to satisfy her hunger and quench her thirst. Two days later, she finally arrived in a town.
Li Sui looked around curiously at the bustling town. In the past, she would have run around excitedly and joined in the fun, but now her mind was occupied with other thoughts.
"I wonder how much farther I have to go. I need a map.
"Should I buy a cart like Father did? Walking is so tiring, but I don't have any money.
"Good thing I didn't throw away those animal pelts. I should be able to trade them for some money." Li Sui reached inside her skirt, where she had secured some animal pelts with several tentacles.
She wore the skin of a woman, allowing her to wear a skirt and carry more things.
Li Huowang had always been the one making decisions for her in the past, but it was time for Li Sui to take charge and make her own choices. She decided to follow his example.
As she walked, she noticed a crowd gathering ahead. She tiptoed to peek at the scene and saw a few shirtless men performing with spears and staffs.
A gong echoed as a boy around eleven circled the crowd. He banged the gong, flipping around and shouting.
"A little gong spins round and round! Friends from all around! From the south to the north, from the east to the west, we've wandered everywhere, and now we've come to Luoshan! Dear audience, it is said that mere talk is cheap, so today, we'll show you our true skills! Witness the feat of breaking a stone upon flesh!"
Soon, a long bench was placed in the center of the performance area. A strong man lay down on it while two others placed a large stone on his stomach. An old man raised a hammer and approached him eagerly.
"Hey-yah!" The hammer began crashing down onto the stone.
The shocking scene caused some young women in the crowd to close their eyes in fear.
The stone shattered with a crack, but the man underneath was unharmed. The crowd erupted in cheers.
Feeding off the crowd's excitement, the performers launched into their acts—breathing fire, swallowing swords, and walking on tightropes. Each feat drew a round of applause.
Li Sui had initially planned to leave, but she was still a child at heart. She became engrossed in the performances and forgot about everything else.
The performers worked tirelessly, putting on a performance that captivated the crowd. The bearded old man sensed the atmosphere was right and signaled to the young boy. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
The boy lay down reluctantly on the ground and turned his palm upward.
The old man stepped on his hand while the boy straightened his legs. He screamed as his hand was twisted and dislocated.
The boy ignored the pain, grabbing a bowl and begging for tips from the crowd while dragging his dislocated hand along.
Once the collection started, the crowd began to disperse quickly. Only a few compassionate souls remained and tossed a few coins into the bowl.
When the bowl reached Li Sui, she thought momentarily and placed a rabbit skin into it.
She lingered, hoping to ask the performers for directions. Their show had stirred memories of the Lu Family Troupe, making her feel oddly at home.
She remembered her father had once asked the Lu Family Troupe for directions. They were well-traveled and knowledgeable.
However, unlike the Lu Family Troupe, this group of performers did not include any women.
Chapter 903 - Same Path
Li Sui observed the performers closely, and they returned her gaze. Their eyes widened in astonishment—they had never encountered a girl of such striking beauty.
"What are you looking at? Never seen a woman?" The old man flicked each of them on the head.
After glancing at the bronze coins resting in the bowl, the old man grabbed the boy's shoulder, giving it a twist before reattaching his hand. "Let's step out of the city. Despite our efforts, we barely made enough for a meal."
They packed up their belongings and drove their cart out of the city gate, only to notice Li Sui following closely behind them.
The younger men in the group immediately became restless, wondering if the girl had taken a liking to one of them.
The old man kicked them swiftly and pushed them aside. He clasped his hands respectfully toward Li Sui. "Miss, you've seen the performance. It's getting late, so you should hurry back home before your family starts to worry." 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚
At the mention of family, Li Sui's expression dimmed slightly. "Grandpa, is this road the way to the You Capital?"
"Yes, it is. However, there are a few forks in the road along the way. It's not far, but it would take about ten days on foot. Miss, you're traveling empty-handed. I'm afraid you might not make it," Chen Bin said before continuing on with his apprentices.
But soon after, he saw the girl following them again. "Are you also heading to You Capital? Can I go with you? I'm afraid I'll take the wrong path."
"Sure, sure! We're going to You Capital too! It's on the way!" Several young men, around eighteen years old, responded eagerly.
"What do you mean' sure'? Are you the master now?" Chen Bin said, then solemnly clasped his hands again toward Li Sui. "Miss, it's improper for men and women to travel together. The road is long, and if you need to go to You Capital, it's better to travel with your family or hire guards for protection."
Chen Bin was not as lustful as his apprentices. It was too unusual for a pretty young girl to want to follow this group of men. There had to be a catch somewhere.
"But I can't find my family..." Li Sui's voice trailed off as she looked down. The young men felt their hearts ache, and they stumbled over their words as they rushed to comfort her.
Their sympathy was of no use. Chen Bin pushed them aside, grabbed the rabbit pelt she had given them earlier, and offered it to Li Sui with a bow. Without saying another word, he hurriedly led his apprentices away.
They ran for two hours straight and only stopped when the sky began to darken.
"Master, wasn't that a bit much?" Lin Qishan, the fourth apprentice, asked while wiping the sweat from his chin.
"Better safe than sorry. It's always best to be cautious. Something feels off with that girl. Anyway, start the fire and cook dinner."
Dinner wasn't much. There were just some coarse grain buns and a pot of wild vegetable soup. The only real flavor came from a small jar of vinegar, but even that was rationed carefully.
Each person was only allowed seven dips with their chopsticks. That was Chen Bin's rule.
They couldn't afford to let the boys eat too much. If they were allowed to eat freely, the vinegar wouldn't last a single day.
As they were eating, the youngest apprentice wandered to the edge of the forest to relieve himself, still chewing on his bun.
As soon as he reached the forest, he let out a bloodcurdling scream, much louder than when his hand had been dislocated earlier.
Everyone immediately dropped what they were doing. They grabbed their weapons and rushed over.
"What happened? What is it?" Chen Bin asked. The boy pointed a trembling finger toward the dark forest. Chen Bin threw his torch in that direction.
They all froze at the sight before them. The girl, who had asked for directions, now stood in the forest as she held a bloody lump of flesh in her hands. She gently squeezed it while she took small bites from it.
Li Sui's cheeks were puffed up. She wiped the blood at her lips with the back of her hand and pleaded, "I didn't mean to follow you, but I really do have something important to do in You Capital. It's safer to travel together. If we run into any demons on the road, I can help fight them off."
Chen Bin opened his mouth but was at a loss for words. His hands trembled as he reached into his pocket.
"Please?" Li Sui took a step forward. Seeing this, Chen Bin clenched his teeth and pulled out a string of something, raising it high in the air.
It was a string of bronze coins, a protective artifact passed down from his grandfather to ward off evil.
As Li Sui's gaze fell upon the bronze coins, memories of her father and the bronze coin sword he always carried on his back flooded her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes.
As she burst into sobs, Chen Bin and his apprentices collapsed to the ground in fear. Lin Qishan, the most quick-witted of them, threw himself flat on the ground and kowtowed. "Deity, please spare me! Don't eat me!"
After a while, under Li Sui's tearful pleading, Chen Bin readily agreed to let her travel with them.
He didn't even bother to pack up the pot or let anyone sleep. They hitched the horses and set off under the moonlight, trembling with fear as they led the way, with Li Sui following behind.
As daylight broke, they would have stopped to rest under normal circumstances, but Chen Bin didn't dare. The image of that bloody lump of flesh haunted his mind. He feared they might end up as the next meal she stuffed into her mouth.
"Master, we shouldn't go this way. Isn't this Kai Shanbao's territory? We could be robbed if we pass through here," the eldest apprentice said.
Chen Bin glared at him and then glanced back at the girl, who was staring intently at the protective artifact. He whispered, "That's exactly why we're going this way. Let the wolves fight the tigers. Remember, when they start fighting, we run for our lives!"
Silently cursing his grandfather for the useless artifact, Chen Bin continued on.
Three hours later, a large tree suddenly fell across the road and blocked their path. Several burly men with knives approached them. Chen Bin's heart leaped with hope—this might be their chance!
"This mountain is mine, and this tree I planted! If you want to pass, leave... Huh? This girl is quite something," the bandit leader said as groups of bandits appeared.
They eyed Li Sui with a lecherous grin, who was lost in her memories. When she snapped back to her senses, she saw the man in front of her starting to undress.
She blinked in confusion, then stepped back and waved her hands frantically. "Thank you, but I'm not hungry right now."
Chapter 904 - You Capital
Li Sui sat dejectedly on the belly of a dead horse. She lowered her head and pursed her lips, lost in thought. The corpses of the bandits were scattered haphazardly around her. They had died gruesome deaths.
Chen Bin stood with his troupe of street performers, frozen in terror. At this point, running away was out of the question. They didn't dare move a muscle.
He had miscalculated. The bandits weren't a match for this thing! They couldn't even harm a single strand of her hair. This girl was something otherworldly!
After venting her frustrations, Li Sui turned around and rummaged through the bandits' belongings, collecting any valuables she could find.
"Deity! Let us help you! We'll help!" Chen Bin had now fully surrendered to her power. He had no will left to resist and had completely submitted.
"Thank you."
"Our pleasure!" Chen Bin nervously waved his hands, hoping he and his disciples could be useful enough to avoid being eaten.
"Master, maybe this girl isn't some evil spirit. Why would a demon even need silvers?"
Everyone instinctively turned their eyes toward Li Sui. Just then, Li Sui lifted her skirt, and a few black, fur-covered tentacles slipped out.
The sight caused everyone's faces to pale, and they hurriedly began rummaging through the corpses, desperately searching for money. They were too terrified to think any further.
After a while, Chen Bin nervously held some silver and bronze coins in his trembling hands. He presented them to Li Sui, forcing a fawning smile onto his wrinkled face. "Deity, this is all we found. We wouldn't dare keep a single penny for ourselves. These bandits are here to rob people, so they wouldn't carry too much silver with them."
Li Sui pushed the silver back into Chen Bin's arms and furrowed her brows with determination. "Take me to the You Capital! I need to go there!"
Chen Bin did not dare to refuse and nodded repeatedly. "Of course! To the You Capital! We'll go to the You Capital right away!"
At Li Sui's command, everyone hurried to pack up and set off.
They rushed day and night, reducing a ten-day journey to just seven. Their sole purpose was to escape this deity as soon as possible.
"Deity, look! We've arrived," Chen Bin stammered, his lips pale as he pointed at the bustling city gate with trembling fingers.
LI Sui saw the familiar gates, and her spirits finally lifted. "Wonderful! I can finally see my father!"
After enduring so many grievances throughout this journey, she was determined to pour her heart out the moment she laid eyes on her parents.
"Oh, right! I need to find the Emperor of Great Qi! My father still needs Dragon Qi!" Li Sui shouted before dashing toward the city.
The You Capital was vast and bustling, with shops selling various goods lining both sides of the streets. Li Sui ignored these distractions and headed straight for the imperial city at the center.
Before Li Sui could even approach, a group of people blocked her path. Their clothing differed, but they all wore the badge from the Surveillance Bureau, which Li Sui recognized from playing with her father's badge.
She turned around and saw more people closing in behind her. They had surrounded her. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
A burly soldier stepped forward and spat on the ground before her. "You've got guts, coming to the You Capital in broad daylight like this! Do you think we're here just for show?"
Li Sui had been monitored the moment she entered You Capital.
She hurriedly explained, "Don't stop me! I have an urgent matter. Is Xuan Pin here? I need to see Xuan Pin."
"Who the hell is Xuan Pin? Never heard of him!"
Li Sui blinked in confusion for a moment. Xuan Pin was the chief of the Surveillance Bureau. How could they not know him?
She quickly realized her mistake. Xuan Pin belonged to the Surveillance Bureau of the Great Liang, and this was the Great Qi. It made sense that they didn't know him.
"Sorry, I misspoke. Let me try again. Is your Chief here? I have urgent business with him. It's about the Dharma Sect. My father is helping you fight against the Dharma Sect!"
They didn't care about her explanation. Their weapons and magic artifacts were already flying towards her.
"What are you doing?! I don't want to fight you! We're on the same side!" Li Sui cried and dodged the attacks, but she was overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. A silver vajra flew at her with lightning speed and pierced her left arm.
"You're all bullying me!" Li Sui cried out. Her human form began to split apart as she sobbed. A bloody, dog-like head emerged from beneath her skirt, accompanied by black tentacles that burst out from her clothes and flailed around in all directions.
"Don't kill her! Keep her alive! We need to find out who she's spying for!"
The Surveillance Bureau agents replied as they closed in from all sides. "Understood!"
A blind nun was the first to strike. Her whisk swept like a steel hook, instantly severing three of Li Sui's tentacles and spraying blood everywhere.
That was only the beginning. Two burly men dressed in tight-fitting outfits rapidly stretched a dripping black ink line into a massive net, which they then cast over Li Sui.
Li Sui refused to give up. She reached out with her remaining tentacles and attempted to draw symbols on turmeric paper. However, in the distance, a Daoist with a painted face made a hand gesture. All of her talismans burst into flames, reducing them to nothing but ashes.
Li Sui couldn't use her talismans without turmeric paper. She was no match against the soldiers in physical combat, and the situation became desperate in an instant.
The sharp-eyed Surveillance Bureau members sensed her growing weakness. They quickly tightened the encirclement, determined to finish her off.
Whoosh! Her tentacles were sliced off one after another and writhed on the ground.
The pain brought tears to Li Sui's eyes, but the attacks didn't stop even as her tears flowed.
Now that she had no tentacles left, the soldiers stepped forward and formed a Flying Dragon formation to charge at her.
Their killing intent wrapped around their gleaming sabers. They pierced Li Sui's heart, inflicting a chilling pain.
She saw the wall of blades coming toward her and cried desperately. "Get away from me! I want to go home!"
The next moment, something unexpected happened. It was as if the Flying Dragon formation had hit an invisible barrier—it completely broke down, and the soldiers were sent flying.
These were the imperial guards of the royal city. How could their formation be broken so easily?
"Be careful! This demon still has tricks up her sleeve! Don't let your guard down!"
Chapter 905 - Goodbye
Everyone around Li Sui grew tense. A horn rang out in the distance as more soldiers gathered toward them. Everyone started to prepare their trump cards.
A playful, androgynous voice cut in. "Oh, stop it, all of you."
The atmosphere gradually calmed down. The crowd parted, and Li Sui saw a man step forward. He had a round face, appeared to be in his thirties, and was dressed in green silk.
He looked at the injured Li Sui, twirling a strand of hair by his left temple with his finger. "A Black Taisui Strayed One? Oh my, how interesting. You speak so fluently. It's been a thousand years since I've seen something like this."
Although he looked like a man, there was something feminine about him. It reminded Li Sui of the eunuchs in the palace, but this person seemed even more feminine.
"Excuse me... are you a eunuch serving the Emperor? Do you know the Emperor?" Li Sui thought the Emperor of the Great Qi would surely know her father.
The person, who appeared to be neither entirely male nor female, snorted and replied, "Not all androgynous people are eunuchs. When I was six, I did want to enter the palace for work, but they didn't want me because I allegedly wasn't qualified. What could I do? People need to eat, so now I'm just serving as the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau."
"You're the Chief of Great Qi's Surveillance Bureau? Really?" Li Sui became excited. She felt she had finally found someone who could help.
"Please help my father! He's in danger!"
She quickly recounted the entire story to him. The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau hesitated for a moment and studied her closely. It all seemed too strange.
After some time, he glanced at the chaotic streets around him. He pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe away his nonexistent sweat, then turned down a side alley. "Come with me."
Li Sui quickly followed, trailing behind him through the bustling streets. Eventually, they arrived at a small courtyard. It wasn't large, with only a grape arbor, a rocking chair, and a stone table beneath it.
This place felt exceptionally quiet compared to the streets outside. The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau reclined on the rocking chair, crossed his legs, and squinted as he observed Li Sui carefully, trying to deduce what she truly was.
Could she be lying? How could a Black Taisui know about the Great Liang and speak so clearly about it? But if she was telling the truth, how could her father be helping the Simings? That's even more absurd!
"Can you send me back to Great Liang? Something urgent is happening there, and my father is waiting for me." Li Sui couldn't wait any longer.
"Hold on. You need to explain everything in detail before I can think of a way to help you. Start with the Dharma Sect. Did they really wipe out all of the Great Qi?"
During their brief interaction, the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau recognized Li Sui's na?ve nature. He took advantage of this and tried to gather as much information as possible.
"But my father..."
"Your father's in the heavens. What's there to worry about? As the saying goes, one day in heaven is ten years on earth. Relax, I guarantee your father's fine."
Li Sui felt a little more at ease and began to share everything she knew about the Great Qi, the Great Liang, and the Dharma Sect.
The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau couldn't remain calm. If this was all true, it was too bizarre. Yet, the more he asked, the more credible her answers seemed.
Suddenly, he raised his hands and interlaced his fingers. Two white threads appeared between them. He smiled and said, "Li Sui, your face is quite dirty. Let me fix it for you."
The two crisscrossed threads slid swiftly across Li Sui's bloodied dog-like face, slicing off tiny bits of flesh and scabs with precision. The blood-soaked threads were stained red when they were retracted.
The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau collected the threads and thought to himself. Not bad, at least she's not from the Sitting Oblivion Dao. His suspicion eased a little.
"Li Sui, tell me, when the Dharma Sect was causing trouble in Great Qi, what era was it?"
"Era? I don't know. My father never taught me that."
"Hmm... then surely you know the name of the Emperor at the time?"
"Yes, I know that. His name is Gao Zhijian."
"Gao Zhijian? Good name."
The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau began to calculate. After a while, he stopped and furrowed his brow. "Strange. Why can't I calculate anything? Could it be that the name wasn't based on the Eight Characters and Five Elements?"
Li Sui looked around at the serene environment, hesitating briefly. "Sir... may I ask something? The Great Qi was supposedly occupied by god Yu'er. Why is everything back to normal now?"
She had been wondering about this ever since she fell from the sky, but there hadn't anyone to ask until now. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
Now that the Great Qi's Chief was before her, she had to ask.
"As for that..." The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau was also a bit puzzled. How could the Great Qi have been destroyed? What kind of Natural Disaster could have caused that?
He continued, "Don't worry. I'll fetch the Imperial Preceptor of Great Qi to help save your father."
Li Sui didn't have to wait long before an elderly man, donning a Nuo Opera mask, was brought into the courtyard on a wicker chair. The man's hands were so frail that they resembled bones covered in skin, and his veins were nearly transparent.
Before Li Sui could react, the Imperial Preceptor of Great Qi grabbed her hand, and the Nuo Opera mask was placed over her dog-like face.
Li Sui struggled frantically. After some pulling at the mask, she finally managed to tear it off.
Once she pulled it off, she heard the Imperial Preceptor's voice. "She's telling the truth, but it's not now. It's three sexagenary cycles from now."
Li Sui shuddered upon hearing this. She understood what a sexagenary cycle was, having heard Lu Zhuangyuan explain it before. Three cycles equaled 180 years! She was now 180 years in the past...
She didn't know why or how this had happened. All she knew was that she might never see her father again.
Li Sui was dazed for a long time before slowly gathering herself. She trembled and tried to comfort herself. "It's fine... as long as my father is okay. I have time. I just need to wait 180 years to see him again."
As she spoke, tears kept flowing down her face, despite her constant efforts to wipe them off.
Li Sui stared blankly at Li Huowang. He was anxiously shouting at her as she recalled the memories she had nearly forgotten.
"Li Sui! Li Sui! I'm talking to you! Are you even listening?"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? The sky is practically falling, and you're spacing out!"
Chapter 906 - Intelligence
Li Huowang scratched his head in frustration. He stared at Xuan Pin before him. He had been explaining for a long time, but it seemed like it had all been for nothing. His temper would have flared long ago if this weren't his daughter.
"Suisui, focus! This is no time to be distracted! The leader of Fangxian Sect has already pried open Po Daer's skull!" He walked over and grabbed his daughter's shoulders, shaking her forcefully.
He had gone through all kinds of trouble to travel to the Tianchen Kingdom, and it was all for what was hidden inside Po Daer's skull.
"Is that so? That's great. Let's go then," Xuan Pin replied flatly, as if she were merely going out for a meal.
Xuan Pin had finally come to her senses. Li Huowang hurriedly led her out towards the Surveillance Bureau.
The Surveillance Bureau of the Liang Kingdom operated underground. On every previous visit, Li Huowang feared someone would uncover his true identity as a Strayed One. However, things were completely different now.
As Li Huowang led Li Sui through the streets, everyone they passed bowed their heads and made way for them.
The Surveillance Bureau's prison was located on the lowest level. When they arrived, everyone who needed to be there had already gathered, making the place very crowded.
All of the highest officials of the Great Liang were packed into this dark and damp prison. Their attention was fixed on the severed head of Po Daer, which lay in a vase on the table.
This was the work of the Righteous Monastery. Po Daer no longer needed his body—his head was enough.
An elderly Daoist with white hair and a scraggly beard stood opposite Po Daer's head. He recited incantations and gestured at the spot between Po Daer's eyebrows.
Li Sui glanced at Gao Zhijian before turning his attention to the Daoist dressed in purple robes. "Now that everyone's here, recap the situation again."
The Daoist nodded, turned around, and bowed to Gao Zhijian. "Your Majesty, the Tianchen Kingdom has many points of interest. Where would you like this humble servant to begin?"
Gao Zhijian sat on his dragon throne, thinking for a moment. "How many soldiers and generals does the Tianchen Kingdom have?"
"None."
"Hmm?" Gao Zhijian's eyes widened slightly.
"The Tianchen Kingdom doesn't even have a court, so naturally, there are no soldiers or generals," Li Huowang said.
"Their military forces are made up entirely of bandits, outlaws, and robbers. Don't underestimate them just because they're bandits. They're quite powerful. The group that tried to steal my sword last time were bandits."
"Their military forces consist solely of bandits, outlaws, and robbers. However, don't underestimate them—they're quite powerful. The people who tried to steal my sword were a group of bandits."
"No court? Does that mean the Tianchen Kingdom doesn't even have an emperor?" the Imperial Preceptor of the Liang Kingdom asked.
The person from the Fangxian Sect shook his head and continued, "There is no royal family, but the Tianchen Kingdom has a patron.
"From Po Daer's memories, I learned that this patron has absolute authority there. No one dares to defy him, and that patron was the one who proposed seeking revenge against Heavenly Mater."
"A patron? What's this person's name?" Gao Zhijian clenched his fists. He would finally know who his opponent was.
"He is called Zuoqiu Yong. Po Daer only caught a glimpse of him from afar. His status was too low to speak with the patron."
"Hmm. And how powerful is this patron?" Gao Zhijian asked.
"Uh..." The Daoist glanced at Po Daer's head. "Your Majesty, Po Daer doesn't know. From what he saw, the patron's strength is unfathomable. He has never shown his full abilities."
"He must be incredibly powerful. According to Po Daer's memories, the entire army of Unspeakable may be under his command. The patron might be a Tuan Huang noble who betrayed the Heavenly Mater."
Li Huowang's words made Gao Zhijian furrow his brows in confusion, "Senior Li, what is this army of Unspeakable you're talking about? And what do you mean by a Tian Huang noble?"
After giving a brief explanation, Li Huowang continued, "Zuoqiu Yong orchestrated everything that has happened. He and his people are the main force behind the current conflict. In fact, it could be said that the entire plan to deal with the Heavenly Mater was his idea.
"He may not be an emperor, but his authority in the Tianchen Kingdom surpasses that of any emperor."
Gao Zhijian's face darkened. His enemy this time was someone who could touch the Heavenly Daos. If they were to fight, there would be bloodshed on a massive scale, similar to the conflict with the Dharma Sect.
The weight of this realization hung heavily in the room, not only on Gao Zhijian. The atmosphere grew heavy.
Xuan Pin said, "Your Majesty, there's no need to panic. We haven't reached that point yet. They still haven't managed to steal Li Huowang's sword, so they can't cross over yet."
Gao Zhijian's expression lightened slightly, but Li Huowang's face grew darker.
He reached behind him and drew his spine sword. "Zhuge Yuan is not the only Twisted One in the Great Qi. While they are targeting me, they've also sent people to look for other ways in.
"Based on Po Daer's memories, even if they don't get my sword, it won't be long before they find another Twisted One."
Li Huowang's words were like a rock that weighed heavily on their minds. If they were watching from the sidelines before, they were now directly in the line of fire.
Li Sui finally understood why her father had been so anxious earlier, and what he had meant by the sky was falling.
Gao Zhijian frowned deeply, clinging to a sliver of hope as he asked, "Brother Li, you managed to hold off Tianchen's forces on your own in the Great Qi. As long as you're here, they surely won't be able to cross over so easily."
"Me? Just me?"
Gao Zhijian nodded. "Senior Li, whether it was Shai Zi or god Yu'er, they were no match for you. Surely you can handle them again."
Li Huowang had always reassured Gao Zhijian, whether during their travels or after he ascended to the throne. As long as Li Huowang was around, he felt at ease, regardless of how dire the situation was.
Li Huowang gave him an odd look. "What are you thinking? Have you forgotten what I just said? The Heavenly Mater was torn apart by the people from the Tianchen Kingdom!"
Li Huowang was not confident, having only gained a slight advantage with his Doulao incarnation. He understood very well the type of enemy he faced this time.
Li Huowang pointed to his chest. "Do you think the Heavenly Mater was stronger, or am I stronger? Don't forget, they still have the Heavenly Dao that belonged to the Heavenly Mater!"
Everyone fell silent as the atmosphere grew even heavier. Each person pondered how to break the deadlock.
After a long pause, the Liang Kingdom's Imperial Preceptor, Huangfu Tiangang, said, "There's no need for an all-out fight. They want to take down the White Lotus Sect, not destroy the world as the Dharma Sect did."
"If they want the White Lotus Sect, why don't we just hand it over to them?"
Whoosh! Xuan Pin swiftly appeared behind Li Huowang, spreading her wide red Daoist robe and tightly embracing him.
Chapter 907 - Motivation
When Li Sui hugged Li Huowang, he became intangible. He phased right through Xuan Pin's robes and then appeared before Huangfu Tiangang.
Everyone in the room instantly tensed up. However, Li Huowang didn't make a move this time. He stood less than three inches away, watching silently.
Although Huangfu Tiangang was blind, he could clearly sense Li Huowang's killing intent. His mustache trembled slightly, but he maintained his composure and said, "Li Huowang, think carefully. Which is more important: the White Lotus Sect or the lives of the people of the Great Qi and the Great Liang?
"The Great Qi only had a few deaths from starvation, which you found unacceptable. However, if a fight breaks out, at least half of the population of the Great Liang will die, no matter who wins. How is that any better?"
Li Huowang's murderous intent dissipated instantly. He looked at Huangfu Tiangang and enunciated each word. "Use your brain and think. Are they truly after the White Lotus Sect? No, they want the Heavenly Mater dead!
"Also, don't forget that they once stole the Heavenly Mater's Heavenly Dao! Have you forgotten what it was like when death ceased to exist? Do you want to experience that again?
"If they truly seize the Heavenly Mater's Heavenly Dao, it won't just be Death that disappears. Benevolence[1] will vanish too!"
The thought of a world devoid of death or benevolence filled Gao Zhijian with fear.
The Imperial Preceptor refused to relent. "If losing the Heavenly Dao of Death and the Heavenly Dao of Benevolence for a while means we can avoid half the casualties, it's worth it."
"How many believers are in the White Lotus Sect now? How is sending all of them to their deaths any different from losing half the population? You're putting your life in someone else's hands, hoping that they will spare you."
"Enough," Gao Zhijian said, breaking the heavy atmosphere in the room. "Send word to Hou Shu, Si Qi, Qing Qiu, Nanping, and An Xi. Inform their emperors and Surveillance Bureaus to prepare for a fight to the death."
He continued, "We can't avoid the calamity. If they want to take our very lifeblood, there's no point in further negotiations."
Li Huowang walked a few steps toward Gao Zhijian. "To be honest, these people aren't of much help. If you really want to assist, I need more Dragon Qi."
His best option was to go to the Baiyu Capital and approach the situation from the Simings' perspective.
Li Huowang's request made Gao Zhijian seem troubled. After a moment, he said, "Alright, I'll discuss it with the other Dragon Veins. Once they respond, I'll give you an answer."
"Do it quickly so we can minimize the deaths," Li Huowang said.
Without bothering to speculate on whether Gao Zhijian was being serious or simply making excuses, he turned to leave.
Li Huowang finally felt a sense of relief as he emerged from the suffocating atmosphere of the underground prison.
The information from Po Daer was valuable—he now knew much more about the Tianchen Kingdom. However, the more he learned, the less hopeful the chances of victory seemed, which was not a good sign.
"Fifteen," a familiar voice said from behind Li Huowang.
He turned and saw Xuan Pin standing there. Her tentacles were wrapped around the vase that held Po Daer's head. "What?"
"Tianchen Kingdom has fifteen divisions in a day."
In the past, this information would have piqued his interest. Now, it barely stirred any emotion.
"Got it. If we win, the Great Qi will have a solution to its lack of divisions. By the way, is Tianchen's Dragon Vein alive?"
"It is, but Po Daer never interacted with it. He only knew that the golden dragon is the Dragon Vein and serves as Zuoqiu Yong's mount."
"Heh, using the fifteen divisions of the day as a mount. That's quite a show of status."
"Father, what do you plan to do next?"
"What else? In their eyes, the Great Qi is full of vulnerabilities. They can come and go as they please. If we can't defend, then we have to attack. Hopefully, we can buy some time.
"If possible, persuade the other emperors to be less stingy. If the situation becomes critical, I won't be as accommodating as I am now."
"Father, don't you think something feels off?"
Li Huowang reviewed everything in his head but found nothing unusual. "Hmm? In what way?"
"It's too fast. The timing doesn't add up. According to Po Daer's memories, they began preparing as soon as the Heavenly Mater returned," Xuan Pin said, closely examining Po Daer's head.
"I don't think there's anything strange about that. Maybe they have a way to monitor the Heavenly Mater," Li Huowang replied.
Xuan Pin shook her head, and several tentacles emerged from her red robe to pull the head closer. "The Heavenly Mater must have been cautious. She possesses the Heavenly Dao of Death—if she wanted to fake her death, no one would be able to tell, and that's exactly what she did.
"Even if the Tianchen Kingdom has supernatural powers, it's impossible for them to have discovered it so quickly from two realms away."
Li Huowang realized Xuan Pin had a point. His focus had been entirely on the Tianchen Kingdom's strength, and he had overlooked this detail. "So you're saying we have a traitor feeding them information?"
Li Huowang's eyes suddenly narrowed. "Is it Shai Zi?!"
"It's not him. He's genuinely helping you now."
"True. It's not the Sitting Oblivion Dao's style to play such a boring game."
"Father, I don't think it's an insider, but another party giving the Tianchen Kingdom information," Xuan Pin said and briefly paused. "If they want the Tianchen Kingdom and the Great Qi to fight to the death, there must be something in it for them." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
This made the situation even more confusing. "Another party? Who else could it be besides the Great Qi and the Great Liang? Are you saying it's someone from another timeline?"
Li Huowang continued, "I'll keep that in mind. When I catch another informant of the Tianchen Kingdom, I'll interrogate them thoroughly."
He pulled out his spine sword and prepared to return to the Great Qi. As the rift opened, something red inside immediately set off alarm bells in Li Huowang's mind. "What's going on?"
Li Huowang stepped into the rift and was immediately struck by the sounds of battle.
The recently established city of the You Capital had completely fallen. It was currently engulfed in flames and blood.
Li Huowang quickly scaled the city walls and was met with a shocking sight: endless waves of bandits charging toward the city.
The Tianchen Kingdom had launched its attack. They intended to take over the Great Qi.
Li Huowang drew his spine sword and swung it back. "Li Sui! Get over here and help!"
A shadow darted from the rift, pulling Li Huowang's abdomen open and climbing in.
"Li Sui! This isn't enough! There are too many of them! Use your illusions to notify the others in the Great Liang! We need everyone's help!"
1. This was previously translated as the Heavenly Dao of Kindness, but Benevolence is more accurate. ☜
Chapter 908 - Fight
Li Huowang swung open a rift, slicing through a bandit on horseback and instantly cutting him into several pieces. His internal organs scattered on the ground as he screamed in agony.
Li Huowang roared, and the ground within dozens of meters around him instantly turned into a swamp, trapping the bandits.
Liquid sand and stone filled their mouths and noses, and the swampy land returned to its original form.
This was the You Capital of the Great Qi. The forces of the Tianchen Kingdom were launching a full-scale attack, and the entire area had become a battlefield.
It wasn't just Li Huowang fighting; Li Sui was also giving it her all. Tentacles emerged from Li Huowang's back and darted at odd angles. They went from bandit to bandit, entering through their left ears and exiting through their right ears.
Dozens of tentacles strung people together like a skewer. With a quick pull, all the bandits impaled by Li Sui's tentacles turned on their comrades, raising their weapons to attack them.
Dealing with these bandits was overkill for them. The bandits and thieves from the Tianchen Kingdom were no match for them.
The bodies kept piling up, with each fallen bandit being replaced by another—there was a seemingly endless number of them. The Tianchen Kingdom clearly intended to use them as cannon fodder.
They had to use a more efficient method to deal with them.
Li Huowang let out a resounding chant, igniting himself in an instant. The flames swiftly traveled along Li Sui's tentacles, creating a breathtaking and blinding spectacle—a human bonfire that emerged at the heart of the battlefield.
The flames he conjured at the cost of his own skin carved a massive, fiery trench across the You Capital.
Li Huowang charged forward amidst the chaos. The bandits spontaneously combusted wherever he went, experiencing the agony he had endured.
Seeing the flames engulf everyone around him, Li Huowang stomped his feet and leaped onto a catapult. "Launch me! Aim for the densest crowd outside the city! Let's see how many can burn!"
The taut rope was quickly cut with an axe.
Whoosh! The catapult launched Li Huowang high into the air. Li Sui's tentacles unfurled from his body mid-air, and Li Huowang spread like a blazing net while flying toward the crowd below.
As Li Huowang was about to land, a rift suddenly opened in the sky. Long, delicate, flowing sleeves emerged from within. They spun rapidly and stripped the flames from Li Huowang, gradually extinguishing them.
The flames and Li Huowang's intense pain were taken away. The army of Unspeakable, who could touch the Heavenly Daos, had arrived.
"You dare come again?" Li Huowang immediately crossed his legs and prepared the Heavenly Treasure of Deception[1].
However, it seemed the army of Unspeakable had found a way to counter him. The moment they saw him sitting down, the newly opened rifts closed, and the army of Unspeakable retreated to the Tianchen Kingdom.
Li Huowang stretched out his hands, ready to burn the endless hordes of bandits. However, the army of Unspeakable reappeared through the rifts and suppressed his attack. Their mastery of the Twisted One's abilities was flawless, and Li Huowang found himself unable to act.
"Father, the Surveillance Bureau and the military of the Great Liang have arrived. They're at the Altar of the Great Liang right now."
"Good! I'll go get them! Hold the line here. I'll be right back!" Li Huowang quickly pulled Li Sui out of his body, stomped hard, and shot toward the altar.
The army of Unspeakable was about to give chase, but the illusion of Shangguan Yuting got in their way, constantly multiplying and blocking their path.
By the time the illusions were dispelled, Li Huowang had already returned to the Great Liang through the rift.
Li Huowang descended from the sky and crashed heavily into the ground, causing the white jade tiles beneath him to shatter. A crowd had already gathered at the Altar of the Great Liang, with members from various sects and groups. Li Huowang recognized a few familiar faces.
It wasn't just the Chief present—palace guards and some elderly eunuchs holding whisks were also there. The Great Liang had quickly summoned all their available forces.
With their help, the You Capital wouldn't fall to the bandits and thieves, although dealing with the army of Unspeakable would still be tough.
As the Surveillance Bureau members bowed to him at the altar, Li Huowang said, "There's no time for formalities! Follow me!"
Just like when he was delivering grain, he sliced open a rift and quickly grabbed people by the arm before throwing them through. "Pay attention! Our enemies are soldiers from the Tianchen Kingdom, and they reek of death!"
Now that the Great Liang's Chief and the soldiers from Great Liang had arrived, the situation began to stabilize.
They quickly cleared the city of bandits and thieves. Then, they sealed the four gates once again.
However, the situation soon took a turn for the worse. The Tianchen Kingdom had a countermeasure. There were over a hundred faceless figures painted in theatrical makeup scattered throughout the You Capital, and they began to steal the Heavenly Daos from the Great Liang's Surveillance Bureau.
Soon, a Lama whose Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings had been completely extracted fell like a dried corpse.
This was just the beginning. The Surveillance Bureau was no match against the faceless enemies who could steal the Heavenly Daos.
They would be doomed if this situation continued. If the Surveillance Bureau were to be wiped out, they would lose before the real fight even began.
This is a trap! Their target isn't me! They are targeting the Surveillance Bureau! Li Huowang pressed his face against a nearby ally's, crossed his legs, and began to cast the Heavenly Treasure of Deception.
The faceless ones realized what was happening and quickly opened rifts to the Tianchen Kingdom to escape.
At that moment, Li Huowang suddenly stopped. He peeled off his face, revealing Li Sui's disguised face as Shangguan Yuting.
The one casting the Heavenly Treasure of Deception was a fake. The real Li Huowang had slipped into the crowd and followed one of the faceless ones back to the Tianchen Kingdom.
Li Huowang realized that passively reacting to the enemy wouldn't work. He needed to seize the initiative!
As the saying goes, capture the ringleader to win the fight. When dealing with the Tianchen Kingdom, neither the army of Unspeakable nor anything else truly mattered—the key was their Twisted One, who could open a path between the Tianchen Kingdom and the Great Qi.
Li Huowang scanned the area as soon as he arrived in the Tianchen Kingdom. His gaze locked onto a man in a red robe with a fox mask, walking on stilts in the distance. That person was the Twisted One.
1. The technique from the Sitting Oblivion Dao that he had used to summon Doulao. ☜
Chapter 909 - Zuoqiu Yong
In a clearing intentionally made in the forest of Tianchen Kingdom, Li Huowang stared intently at the man with the fox face standing on stilts in the distance.
Although the Tianchen Kingdom was powerful, it also had weaknesses. Li Huowang knew he still had a chance of victory. If he could take out this man, he could sever the connection between the Tianchen Kingdom and the Great Qi, thus averting the current crisis.
"It's him!" The man's eyelids twitched rapidly as various portals quickly opened and closed.
Li Huowang moved like lightning and dashed towards him. His movement set everything into motion. The faceless ones who had just returned and the guards around the fox-faced man all rushed to block his path. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
The clearer their anxiety became, the more Li Huowang understood how important this Twisted One was to them.
Li Huowang's expression turned cold. Without hesitation, he sat down cross-legged and began to chant loudly.
"Golden light shines, the sun and moon lose their brilliance, and the treasured staff rotates. Ghosts and gods tremble. Reveal your presence in the mortal realm. The holy court of Yanfu..."
If Li Huowang were to cast the Heavenly Treasure of Deception in the Great Qi, they would be able to escape to the Tianchen Kingdom. However, if he were to cast it in the Tianchen Kingdom, where could they possibly run to?
Another Li Huowang quickly formed from his spine as False Qi rapidly flowed out of him.
An abnormal phenomenon appeared in the sky, and Li Huowang could feel an otherworldly presence gazing at him. It was Doulao, who was about to arrive!
At that critical moment, a needle threaded with silk flew toward him at incredible speed. In just an instant, it sewed shut Li Huowang's eyes, nose, and mouth.
An ordinary silver needle had easily interrupted Li Huowang's ritual. The swirling clouds above quickly dissipated.
Li Huowang trembled with rage and strained his body, causing blood to splatter as he forcefully ripped his sewn mouth open. "Who is it?!"
He tore the stitches from his eyes, then finally saw who had done it.
The golden dragon he had faintly seen before was now being used like a beast of burden, pulling a carriage through the sky.
This was the first time Li Huowang had encountered someone who truly resembled an immortal in this bizarre world—someone who could genuinely ride the clouds and mist.
Li Huowang's sharp vision allowed him to finally spot the person who controlled the noble vehicle. He saw them through the pink veils billowing out of the carriage windows.
The figure was dressed in green silk and seemed strange, with a round face and rosy lips. They were holding a silver needle in a delicate gesture, and it was hard to tell whether they were male or female. However, their exaggeratedly effeminate demeanor reminded Li Huowang of the eunuchs in the palace.
Once he looked at the dragon pulling the carriage, their identity became clear—Zuoqiu Yong, the patron of the Tianchen Kingdom.
The carriage circled in the sky a few times before slowly descending. An effeminate voice came from inside. "Oh my, so the rumors were true! You really are Li Huowang, and quite the handsome fellow too!"
Li Huowang glanced at the army of Unspeakable surrounding him and the fox-faced man on stilts in the distance, who had stopped moving. "You've heard of me?"
"Mm-hmm, I've heard quite a bit about you," Zuoqiu Yong said. "But that was all long ago."
The carriage door opened, and Zuoqiu Yong stepped out while lightly embracing a stunning woman.
Zuoqiu Yong gave Li Huowang a sly smile. "Li Huowang~ I'd like to have a little chat with you."
Li Huowang sneered and glanced at the enemies surrounding him. "At this point, is there anything left to talk about?"
Though he appeared calm, Li Huowang could sense the disparity in strength between them.
His mind raced as he pondered how to escape back to the Great Liang, harness the Dragon Qi, and reach the Baiyu Capital again.
In this situation, he would have to rely on Ji Zai's abilities for any hope to turn the tide!
"Oh dear, let's not be so hasty. We're all reasonable people here, aren't we? Let's talk this out instead of fighting," Zuoqiu Yong said, pulling a pink handkerchief from his sleeve and dabbing imaginary sweat from his forehead.
"Tell you what, why don't you bring the Saintess of the White Lotus here? We can all sit down and have a nice chat."
Li Huowang nodded and agreed readily. "Fine, wait here a moment. I'll go get the Saintess of the White Lotus."
He pulled out his spine sword and slashed open a rift to return to Great Liang.
As he approached the rift to step through, the fox-faced man's left eyelid twitched, and another portal instantaneously replaced the rift to the Great Liang.
When Li Huowang stepped out, he found himself standing just inches away from Zuoqiu Yong.
"Oh, you're naughty~ Did you plan to get away?" Zuoqiu Yong lightly tapped Li Huowang's chest with the pink handkerchief. "That won't do~ If you go back, the Heavenly Mater won't come."
This time, Li Huowang intently studied the strange person before him. "Do you know who the White Lotus Saintess is to me?"
"I don't, actually. What, do you have a deep connection to her?"
"Yes, a very deep one—she's my wife. If you're targeting her, you're targeting me. There's no negotiating this."
Li Huowang paused and then looked directly at Zuoqiu Yong. "Another thing. I want to see if the renowned patron of the Tianchen Kingdom is as powerful as they say."
Before Zuoqiu Yong could react, Li Huowang's spine sword had already pierced through his chest.
Zuoqiu Yong could only watch as Li Huowang delivered a powerful kick to his side, forcefully retracting the sword.
Li Huowang took several steps back to catch his balance and looked up again. He was shocked to find there wasn't a single wound on Zuoqiu Yong's body—not even his[1] clothes were torn.
Zuoqiu Yong flicked the dust off his robe with a finger, his previously gentle smile gradually fading. "This is quite amusing.
"Li Huowang, don't be ungrateful. Since you've come to the Tianchen Kingdom, neither you nor your sword will be leaving."
Li Huowang surveyed the enemies around him and clenched his teeth, trying to figure out a way to break free from this predicament. "Come on, then!"
"Li Huowang, such big talk. Do you even know what Heavenly Dao the Heavenly Mater lost?" Zuoqiu Yong said, reaching out a hand toward Li Huowang's head.
Just before he made contact, he turned slightly to see a large twisted hole appear in the sky to his left. A young girl with a white lotus mark on her forehead emerged from the rift. "Senior Li, we're here to save you!"
Li Huowang's eyes shrank when he saw her. What kind of game is this Shai Zi trying to play?
1. The author uses both male and female pronouns for Zuoqiu Yong, and it's not entirely clear if it's intentional. We've standardized them to male pronouns for readability, but we may revise them depending on how future chapters go. ☜