Boom!
The explosion shattered the window and rocked the entire room.
Though Li Huowang had managed to hurl the grenade away, it had detonated far too close. The force of the blast slammed into him, sending him flying backward until he crashed into the wall. His back, which had barely scabbed over, tore open again from the impact. He started bleeding profusely.
"Shit! What the fuck are they doing!"
A ringing filled Li Huowang's ears as he pushed himself up with his right arm.
His right arm didn't touch the ground. He stumbled and fell onto the ground again, realizing his body was different now.
When he glanced at his right hand, he discovered that all of his fingers had been completely blown off. Yet strangely, there was no pain, even as he stared at the bloody, mangled remains.
Li Huowang acted quickly. With his left hand, he loosened one shoelace and tightly tied it around his wrist to stem the bleeding, about three inches above the injury. Then, he untied his second shoelace and secured his knife to his left hand.
He was severely injured, but he was also very worried about the situation outside.
The battle outside was too bizarre. Although the Simings of Baiyu Capital had intercepted them, the Simings from Fu Shengtian had somehow managed to lob grenades into the house.
The situation was far worse than Li Huowang had anticipated. It wasn't just a skirmish—Fu Shengtian could be trying to wipe them out completely.
The best-case scenario was that Qing Wanglai and the others hadn't been quick enough to block the grenades. The worst-case scenario? That everyone outside was already dead.
Li Huowang assumed the latter. He'd lived long enough to always expect the worst.
Still, this reassured Li Huowang that their previous actions were steps in the right direction. Zhao Shuangdian's plans to destroy the drug factory and the forgotten Siming on the sea had indeed threatened them.
Li Huowang ran into Wu Qi's room and saw Yang Na. She was about to run out with a first-aid kit.
"Huowang, your hand—"
"Ignore it. Listen to me. I will rush outside in a moment. When you hear explosions, I want you to escape through the back window. Got it?"
Li Huowang recalled Yang Na's figure in the sea and shuddered. He didn't want it to happen again.
Li Huowang planted a kiss on her lips before mustering the strength to drag his battered body and sprint into the messy hall.
His hearing slowly came back, and he was soon able to hear the sounds of fighting up ahead.
He sighed in relief—his side hadn't been completely wiped out yet.
Fu Shengtian's Simings had attacked them in their own home. There was no point in overthinking the situation, so Li Huowang ran outside and hid in a bush.
He soon located the source of the sounds. Li Huowang noticed that most of the enemies were hidden in the bamboo forest, so he stealthily approached them from behind.
As he was about to attack one of them, his scalp tingled. He bent down and narrowly dodged a bullet.
There are hidden sentries!
Li Huowang rapidly located the shooter and ran toward him.
Before the shooter could fully reload, Li Huowang chopped off three of his fingers.
He stabbed mercilessly at the shooter's stomach, but the enemies had anticipated his attacks and prepared stab-proof vests. Li Huowang's knife didn't manage to wound the shooter.
Li Huowang and the shooter fought viciously in the bamboo forest. Li Huowang had lost an arm, while the shooter had lost three fingers.
The shooter tried to disarm Li Huowang, but Li Huowang had already tied the knife to his hand. Neither was able to harm the other.
Seeing an opening, Li Huowang swung at the shooter's exposed neck. But the Siming grabbed the blade with gloved hands, stopping it inches from their throat.
They grappled viciously until, suddenly, a knife pierced through the shooter's neck from behind.
The shooter looked down with shock before slumping and dying.
As the shooter fell to the ground, Li Huowang looked up and saw Yang Na covered in blood in front of him.
She was panting, her knife still dripping with blood. She had stabbed the Siming from the back and saved Li Huowang.
Yang Na steadied herself before smiling. "I am the Heavenly Mater. I cannot run. Without me, you cannot kill them."
She then looked at Li Huowang and said naturally, "Ji Zai, stop getting distracted. They are fighting so hard outside. You need to help them."
Li Huowang was indeed distracted. Yang Na's figure seemed to shift, blurring into a different entity.
Bam! The sound of a gunshot snapped him back to reality. He pulled Yang Na down onto the ground. "Follow me!"
"Alright!" Yang Na replied without a hint of fear. In fact, she was excited due to Li Huowang's apparent encouragement.
Li Huowang took note of everyone's location.
It was clear that their enemies came prepared. They were all in places that were easy to defend, and they coordinated well.
Fu Shengtian's retaliation was fierce. To destroy the Baiyu Capital, they used fifteen Simings in total.
However, the biggest problem was the two Simings situated on the roof of the mansion opposite Li Huowang.
They could just lie down on the roof and shoot continuously, so Qing Wanglai and Zhao Shuangdian struggled to return fire. Their predicament forced them to remain passive.
Li Huowang called Qing Wanglai again.
"It's me! Yang Na came out to help. This place isn't safe. I need you to create a diversion at ten o'clock. I'll try to deal with the snipers on the roof across us.
"Stop bullshitting me! Three Ancient Ones, let them destroy your home if you dare!"
Li Huowang hung up.
Chapter 961 - Exchange
Li Huowang lay low in the bamboo forest, using the stalks as cover while waiting for Qing Wanglai to make his move.
Time crept by, and the pain in Li Huowang's injured hand grew sharper and harder to ignore.
Yang Na, gripping the enemy's gun, noticed something was wrong with him. "What's wrong? Are you alright? I can bring you out of here for now."
Li Huowang shook his head and slammed his broken arm onto the ground. The intense pain shook him up.
"No, I can't trust them. If we lose now, the Baiyu Capital is finished. Where could we even escape to if it's destroyed?"
Li Huowang got closer to Yang Na to shield her a little. "Don't worry, it just hurts a little. I won't die as long as you're here."
Seeing her concern, he forced himself to reassure her, as if his wounds weren't serious. "Besides, my hand will return as long as we kill Fu Shengtian's Simings."
However, he wasn't truly confident. He wasn't sure which of Fu Shengtian's Simings had been responsible for the events leading to his broken arm.
Yang Na's face brightened. "And what about your eye? Will it grow back if we win?"
Li Huowang froze momentarily before touching his empty eye socket. "I don't know. Maybe."
Yang Na nodded happily. "Yes. It will return for sure!"
She clenched her fist, convincing herself to do whatever it took to restore his lost eye—an eye that represented Chaos.
Suddenly, they heard loud noises in the air. Three drones with blinking green lights flew past them, attracting everyone's attention.
Li Huowang felt a surge of joy. The Three Ancient Ones have made their move.
He quickly rolled on the ground while dialing them on his phone. He also directed Yang Na to run to the mansion's first-floor window.
"I'm moving now! Cover me. The Heavenly Dao of Death is with me! The people you kill won't die unless we are the ones who kill them!"
Gunshots whizzed past the sky and shot down the drones, but it was too late. Li Huowang and Yang Na already reached the mansion.
Li Huowang gripped his knife tightly before breaking the glass window and jumping into the darkness.
It was both dark and dirty. It appeared that renovation works had stopped halfway.
Li Huowang heard the sound of gunshots coming from above. He gripped his knife even more tightly as he slowly approached the stairs.
As adrenaline coursed through his veins, the pain in his body faded, and his senses sharpened.
They were about to reach the upper floors, but the sound of approaching police sirens suddenly cut through the air.
"We need to move faster! The Rules are here!"
He refused to accept that things would end right then and there.
Li Huowang made haste and found the attic. He climbed up and saw an open window. The two shooters had climbed through the window to reach the roof.
He steeled himself and slowly approached the window to launch a surprise attack on the two Simings.
He had just raised his head when he touched a strand of almost invisible line. It broke on contact, and he immediately shouted, "There's a trap!"
Just then, the sound of a gunshot rang out. The bullet shattered a part of Li Huowang's skul, and he flew backward from the impact.
Thankfully, Yang Na was there to grab him, stopping his fall.
"I'm... fine!" he said, his blood streaming from his forehead and obscuring his vision in a crimson haze.
"Damn it! They know we're here. We need to act now!"
Li Huowang took off his shirt and threw it out of the window.
Bullets rained down and tore his clothes to pieces. When the gunshot stopped momentarily, Li Huowang jumped out of the window.
Through his bloodied vision, he saw a blurry figure. Without hesitation, he drove his knife into their neck. Warm blood soaked the shoelace on his arm, and the shooter collapsed. He had finally killed one of them.
Li Huowang swiveled around to find the second person, but no one else was on the roof.
Just then, a wire suddenly looped around Li Huowang's neck. The other shooter was trying to choke him.
Struggling desperately, he heard a gunshot, and suddenly, the wire slackened. Yang Na had taken the shot.
Li Huowang sighed in relief now that the two shooters were dead. He pulled the wire off that had been partially embedded into his neck and started coughing.
The two shooters are dead now. Qing Wanglai and the others should be able to fight more easily now that the pressure is gone.
Li Huowang walked toward the edge of the roof. As he thought, Qing Wanglai and the others were having an easier time now that the shooters on the roof were gone.
The sirens were getting closer, but at the very least, the Simings from Fu Shengtian hadn't achieved any notable results. Their ambush had failed.
Li Huowang looked down, wiping the blood from his eyes. He was getting ready to help them below.
Suddenly, someone pushed him off the roof!
Li Huowang waved his arms around until he caught onto the drain pipe on the roof. If not, he would've fallen onto the ground.
"Nana, be careful! There's one more person!"
Just as Li Huowang shouted, he caught sight of the person above him. It was an old beggar with a rod.
Bam! The old beggar hit Li Huowang's hand, cutting it up with the sharp edges of the drain pipe.
Li Huowang refused to let go. The old beggar reached into his pockets to bring something out.
Li Huowang tried to climb up, but his other arm was broken. He didn't have the strength to pull himself up.
In the final moments, his blood once again obscured his eyes, casting his vision in a crimson hue.
Li Huowang saw Li Sui, dressed in red Daoist robes, standing between him and the old beggar.
Li Huowang shouted urgently, "Suisui, what are you doing? Go away! Run away!"
"The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau heeded the orders of Zhuanxu, commanding Nan Zhengzhong to oversee the Heavens and manage the Simings!"
Xuan Pin's red robes flew high in the air, revealing his true form. "The Surveillance Bureau was established for the sake of this very day!"
All of Xuan Pin's heads chanted in unison, "The standards of generals and ministers cannot be questioned when it is difficult to attain righteousness! It may be found among the Immortals and Simings, in the suffering of the mortal realm, or in the uprightness of those ascending to Immortality and Divinity!"
Xuan Pin raised two tentacles with tiger skulls high up into the air. An extreme amount of murderous aura poured down from the Heavens, enveloping Li Huowang.
The sound of thunderous war drums could be heard while soldiers came from all different directions. They were chanting and howling in unison with Xuan Pin.
"Grant me the sword of the Superior Divine Beings to guard the four corners of the Heavenly Jade Gate!"
Without anyone noticing, millions of soldiers equipped with armor and swords stepped into the Tianchen Kingdom, bringing an incredibly intense murderous aura.
Chapter 962 - Jiang Xiangshou
There were so many soldiers that they covered every inch of land around them. In addition to the soldiers of the Liang Kingdom, there were soldiers from Qing Qiu, Hou Shu, Si Qi, An Xi, and even the Qi Kingdom.
Each soldier raised a blade behind their head and severed their hair ties in unison, their long black hair cascading down like flowing capes.
The soldiers' eyes were cold and resolute as they faced the Simings. Although they were mortals, they had no fear.
Even the heads of Xuan Pin had their hair flowing in the wind.
"With the body standing tall and with black hair flowing in the wind, all the generals and ministers will come and greet me. The heavenly constellations and Taiyi shall follow around me! The twin souls of Jia and Gang shall follow me!
"I care not if they are Door Gods and the Gate Guardians. I care not if they are the various wicked evil entities and wicked gods. I care not if they are the mountain gods and the misfortuned souls. I care not if they are evil demons or evil deities!"
With the rhythm of the war drums, the soldiers' swords inched closer to their necks.
"Place your praise onto the altar! Sever the heads and turn the bodies to dust! I serve the people, not the master! The broken Heavenly Dao..."
The soldiers paused. Then, they shouted their final verse with all their strength, saying, "THE BROKEN HEAVENLY DAO SHALL BE MENDED BY US!"
Splatter! The millions of soldiers beheaded themselves, including Xuan Pin. Xuan Pin beheaded all of his heads at the same time.
A dense cloud of burning murderous aura and blood rose into the air. The huge plume rapidly condensed into a gigantic, roaring, chaotic head.
Li Huowang finally realized what the Siming was, as his own anger and bloodlust were affected. It was the Siming of the soldiers, Jiang Xiangshou!
Fu Shengtian's Simings and Jiang Xiangshou crashed into each other viciously. As they did, heaven and earth started to unravel along with the divisions. The rampaging Heavenly Daos were destroying the Tianchen Kingdom.
Although Jiang Xiangshou was injured in the clash with Fu Shengtian's Simings, its power did not diminish. As the Siming that controlled Massacre and War, its existence vastly differed from that of the other Simings.
It appeared anywhere strife and hatred existed.
The more intense the battle was, the stronger it was. Fights between Simings were one of the most intense clashes the universe had to offer.
Li Huowang's sanity couldn't contain his bloodlust. He swung his broken arm at the beggar's leg and managed to knock him down.
Li Huowang's veins bulged as he hoisted himself up with one hand, harnessing the power of his newfound strength.
"DIE!"
Li Huowang ignored the beggar shooting at him. He was shot in the abdomen many times, but that didn't stop him from carving the beggar into pieces.
Li Huowang only stopped when his knife broke on the beggar's bones. By then, he was already completely drenched in blood. He wasn't sure if it was his own blood.
The gunshots and sirens had entirely stopped, as if they had disappeared.
Snapping out of his frenzy, Li Huowang ignored his injuries and frantically began searching the piles of headless corpses.
There were too many headless soldiers. Their bodies became mountains, and their blood became rivers.
"Suisui! Suisui!" Li Huowang shouted while panicking. He dug around the mountain of corpses and the rivers of blood, holding onto the faint hope that he would be able to find his daughter. "Suisui, where are you?!"
At last, his fingers brushed a limp tentacle. He followed its trail, digging through the carnage until he unearthed a pile of tentacles with a pair of eyes nestled within.
Li Huowang jumped and hugged the pile of tentacles tightly. "Suisui, don't be afraid. Your father is here! Don't be scared!"
"Father?"
Joy washed over him, but Xuan Pin's calm voice shattered it. "Li Huowang, Li Sui is dead. How many times must I tell you?"
Li Huowang shook his head in denial. "It's alright! It's alright! As long as you're alive! I will find a way to turn you back. I just need to remove the things devouring you from the inside!"
"Li Huowang, there's no chance of saving me. I will die soon."
Xuan Pin's voice was very calm, without any hint of sadness or anxiety.
"Summoning Jiang Xiaoshou to help comes at a price—human lives. How could it be called a war if no one died? That would just be called an act."
Xuan Pin's tentacles started to shrivel, with fluid seeping out.
"No... No! Miaomiao, come quick! Suisui is dying! Take Death out of his body!"
Bai Lingmiao rushed over and placed her hands on Xuan Pin's body.
"No... It's no use... He doesn't have the Heavenly Dao of Death anymore..."
Bai Lingmiao's voice was trembling when she said this.
"It's useless. I now belong to Jiang Xiangshou and not the Heavenly Mater."
Xuan Pin's body gradually grew weaker, and his voice became quieter. "It's time to talk about official matters, Li Huowang.
"You might be Ji Zai's Twisted One, but I know you are different from the other Simings. Ji Zai is different from the other Simings because he doesn't even know what he is.
"Maybe he's different, just like Jiang Xiangshou. Perhaps he can help us navigate through these difficult times, but I fear that it's not enough. Fu Shengtian would never stop. I fear that the suffering our ancestors went through will occur again.
"If you don't want the people here to return to how they once were—incoherent, not knowing right from wrong, not knowing truth from lies—we must fight back hard.
"Do not trust the other Simings. They are not tied down to us. We alone can control our own lives. We let the people prosper and breed so that we can use their lives for ceremonies like these. Do not be afraid of sacrificing people. As long as some people survive and as long as the Heavenly Dao of Lust is still here, people will continue to give birth and multiply again."
But Li Huowang wasn't listening. He was holding onto Xuan Pin while mumbling something fervently.
"I don't have much time left. Once I die, go and find the Imperial Preceptor of the Liang Kingdom. He will tell you everything you don't know. Also, my advice is still... the same... We can... use Simings... but we cannot... we cannot..."
"Enough! Stop talking, Li Sui! You won't die! You won't die!"
Li Huowang shouted, persistently using his cultivation at the seventh stage to try to revive Li Sui. It wasn't working. Only his surroundings were being affected.
"I really... am not... Li Sui. Li Huowang... You cannot... fool yourself... The bonds between the child and the parent... are insignificant... You must... let go..."
Xuan Pin's body slowly crumbled. The pile of tentacles slowly withered and went limp. As it did, something appeared from the deepest part of the pile of tentacles.
They were the three clay figurines.
The clay figurines looked ancient. The color had faded and there were cracks on it, but Li Huowang could still make out the faces of the figurines.
They were the three clay figurines of Li Huowang, Bai Lingmiao, and Li Sui.
"I am not Li Sui... I am not... I am... not her..."
A single black tentacle hugged Li Huowang's clay figurine, struggling to pass it to Li Huowang with its final strength.
Li Huowang was about to accept it, but the tentacle went limp.
The cracked clay figurine fell onto the ground and shattered into pieces.
Chapter 963 - Escape
Rain poured from the sky, drenching the ground. Leaves bent under the downpour as the forest swayed violently in the wind.
The path was muddy from the rain, making it very difficult to traverse.
Even so, someone was running on the path.
The small figure was covered in a coat and a veiled hat. The person looked back occasionally, as though afraid that someone was chasing after them.
A wind blew past and parted the veil a little, revealing Shangguan Yuting's face. Her face was dripping with rainwater by this point.
Several black tentacles extended out from her clothes to wipe off the rain.
"Hahaha..."
Hearing the laughter behind her, Li Sui felt a surge of panic.
"Shit! Hahaha! After all these years of trying to be a scholar, luck finally smiles on me! To think I've stumbled upon a Strayed One!" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
The person's laughter was rough and dissonant, as if it could be seen through wood.
The sound of bell chimes could be heard as a strong wind blew past. A massive tree fell in front of Li Sui, blocking her path.
Li Sui turned around and saw the man chasing after her, his form covered with excess flesh. He chuckled. "It's useless. You've taken my drug—you can't use your techniques as a Strayed One."
The scars on his scalp betrayed his past as a monk, but the tufts of hair now sprouting from his head revealed he was no longer one.
More importantly, if he were a monk, he wouldn't be holding onto a butcher's blade right now.
"Damn, you have a good face! I never played with a Strayed One before."
"Go away! Don't come here!"
Li Sui's cries of panic only fueled the man's excitement.
With a flash of steel, he cut both of Li Sui's arms off. Blood flowed out as she cried in pain.
"Hahaha! Shout louder! The louder, the better!"
The man chuckled, grabbing Li Sui's legs and pulling them apart.
However, just as Li Sui's skirt parted ways, a dense layer of tentacles surged out and enveloped the man's face.
The man roared angrily as he tore off the tentacles, but Li Sui had a good hold on his face. All the man did in the end was tear his own flesh away.
After traveling alone for so long, Li Sui wasn't the same helpless girl she once was.
Although the man was grievously injured, he refused to fall. Murderous intent radiated from him as he raised his butcher's blade and swung it at Li Sui.
Li Sui swung a dark golden-colored rod to block the blade. As she did, she used another tentacle to paste a silver talisman onto the man's forehead.
The man's skull cracked open, and the silver talisman slipped into his skull. The man's bones became bloated, and his joints locked.
The man froze due to the talisman. He couldn't move a single joint in his body.
Li Sui quickly swung a dagger and cut down the man's ears.
She wasn't done. She revealed ten more tentacles, each holding onto a bladed object. She shaved the man down little by little.
She worked until nothing remained but a bloody skeleton. Finally, she drove a dagger into his heart, ending his life.
Li Sui nodded with satisfaction at her handiwork. She took a piece of the man's heart and ate it.
As she was savoring the taste, she saw her bloody surroundings and suddenly panicked. "No... This isn't me! This isn't me."
Li Sui spat out the heart and ran.
She ran for four divisions straight. By the end, the rain had stopped, and the blood on her coat had been washed clean.
Li Sui calmed down and continued to travel.
The more people she assimilated, the more she felt she was changing. Ever since she'd assimilated the first person, a lingering question haunted her: Would she lose herself completely?
Would she cease to be Li Sui?
Would her father still recognize her?
However, her safety was more important. She had to protect herself and had no choice but to assimilate people. The Surveillance Bureau of the Qi Kingdom had sent out warrants, and everyone was looking for her.
Zuoqiu Yong publicized the information that she was a Strayed One, enticing people to kill her.
This made it difficult for Li Sui to work with anyone. Now, anyone she encountered could be hunting her down. It wasn't just the Surveillance Bureau she had to be wary of anymore.
To stay alive, she had to grow stronger. Assimilation was her only path. By taking their memories, she could glean information about the Bureau's movements.
I wanted to head back to the Liang Kingdom, but it seems that's impossible for now. I need to find a way to hide my identity as a Strayed One, just like my father did. It's too annoying. But how? I don't have the bronze coin veil or the black spindle.
Li Sui was still trying to figure out how to proceed.
Her mind churned with ideas as she trudged forward. Eventually, she spotted a village through the morning fog.
She was tired. She used her techniques to scan the village and found nothing unusual. She braced herself and walked into the village carefully.
At the entrance, a boy was playing with a ball.
Li Sui changed her face from Shangguan Yuting's to a kind-looking middle-aged woman.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the boy asked, clutching his ball. "Are you a performer? Or... a kidnapper?"
"I'm neither. I'm just a facial hair trimmer[1]. I've been walking in the rain, and I'm cold. I'd like to rest in your village if I may."
Li Sui revealed a kind and welcoming expression with her new face.
This was one of her identities. She'd changed her identity multiple times and assimilated multiple abilities to evade her pursuers.
1. An ancient occupation. Someone who threads on a bride-to-be so that her facial hair is well groomed. ☜
Chapter 964 - Make-up
The child's eyes lit up with excitement upon hearing that Li Sui was a facial hair trimmer.
"Really? Can you do that? My sister's about to get married, and my mother has been searching for someone to help her. Can you do it? With that, my sister will finally get married, and I'll get to have some wedding candies!"
"Sure, but my price is expensive. I need at least half a Dou[1] for fresh rice."
Li Sui pretended to be very careful when it came to money.
"I have rice at home, and my future brother-in-law is a landowner! He has a lot of rice in his house! Come with me."
Still holding his ball, the child brought Li Sui to his house.
Li Sui tried to get some information from the child and learned more about the village. The child was called Chen Junyu, and the village was Chen's Family Village. The closest county was roughly a hundred Li away, so it was quite remote.
Based on what Li Sui had learned, she deduced that the Surveillance Bureau's spies hadn't reached this area yet. Knowing she was safe, she relaxed a bit.
"Little lady, sit on the stool. I need you to take a seat so I can help you clean your face."
Li Sui grumbled at the young lady in front of her.
A tanned lady pinched her daughter's arm. "She's calling you to sit over there. Are you deaf?"
Once the girl took her seat, Li Sui took out a small bundle from her robes, pulling out a wad of cotton and some fine powder. She dabbed the cotton lightly in the powder and tapped it against the girl's face.
Then, Li Sui took out a thin thread and crossed it, holding the ends with her thumb and index finger. She held one end with her left hand while biting the other end with her mouth.
As her right thumb moved, the threads glided lightly across the girl's face, neatly removing the fine hairs along with the powder. Soon, the girl's face looked bright and clean.
The mother's eyes sparkled with joy as she saw her daughter's transformation. "Wow! Your handiwork is amazing. Half a Dou of new rice isn't expensive at all!"
"Dear lady, could you give me an empty room to rest in? I'm tired from traveling and would like to stay here for a night. You can keep my rice payment as the young lady's bridal gift. "
"Alright!"
Overjoyed at not needing to pay, the mother cleaned one of the empty rooms. Letting a stranger stay for one night was far cheaper than forking out money to buy half a Dou of rice. It was a deal even an idiot wouldn't refuse.
After the woman left, Li Sui tried to gather some information from the young girl. Unfortunately, she was younger than her brother, so she didn't know much either.
Li Sui licked the threads and started to trim the young girl's eyebrows. "Little lady, what kind of brows would you like? Crescent brows or a consort's brows?"
"Anything is fine..." the girl murmured, her voice barely louder than a mosquito.
"Since you're going to get married, I will give you a consort's brow."
As she worked, Li Sui continued her gentle questioning. Although the girl didn't like talking and sometimes ignored Li Sui, the scraps of information she shared further reassured her that the Surveillance Bureau hadn't reached this remote village.
It was safe here, and she could finally rest before she started traveling again. Nearly two weeks had passed since she'd last had a good night's sleep. Fearing the Surveillance Bureau would track her down, she'd opted for several short naps rather than one long sleep.
After trimming the hair on the little girl's face, Li Sui did her hair too.
Like that, Li Sui finally earned a night of good rest in one of the empty rooms.
Li Sui opened the bedsheets and dug out the straws. She placed them in a pile before taking off her skin.
Li Sui slept in the middle of the straw pile while holding onto Li Huowang's clay figurine.
She didn't like beds. She preferred the feeling of being buried in warmth.
"Father, I am doing fine. I've lived here for three years. Another 177 years more before I can meet you again."
Li Sui stared at Li Huowang's clay figurine from inside the stack of straw.
She then took out a clay figurine of her mother and murmured her frustrations, "Mother, I've assimilated too many people. I can barely keep them under my skirt. What should I do if I can't hide them anymore?"
The figurines couldn't respond, but talking to them brought her some comfort.
She could only remind herself that she was Li Sui by talking with the clay figurines.
She was about to hug the clay figurines and go to sleep when the wooden door was slowly pushed open.
Li Sui quickly threw her clothes and skin into the straw pile and patiently waited to see what was happening.
She was already clutching her weapons in case of an ambush. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
A young girl cried in the dark room, saying, "Madam, please take me with you! I will learn how to trim facial hair from you! I don't need money. I just want some food when we travel together, that's all!"
Li Sui peeked out from her pile of straw. She saw that it was the young girl whose facial hair she had just trimmed off. Thankfully, it wasn't the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau.
The young girl was groveling on the ground with several bronze and silver pieces in her hands. She was offering them to Li Sui.
"Madam, please help me! I can't get married right now. If I do, I will die!"
Li Sui appeared out from the pile of straw after listening to the young girl. "Little lady, what are you doing? Tell me everything."
Li Sui consoled the young girl as she explained everything.
Her name was Chen Zhaodi. Her mother was trying to marry her off to an older man. However, it was more of a transaction than a marriage. The man had previously married five wives, but all of them died.
No one knew how they died, but the young girl was sure that if she married the man, she would also die soon.
Li Sui didn't know what to do after hearing the story. She couldn't even protect herself right now. It would slow her from escaping next time.
Just then, the girl's mother yelled from outside, "Where are you, stupid daughter of mine? The pigs in the sty are already calling. Can't you hear them? Quickly go and feed them!"
Li Sui didn't move, and the young girl's eyes died down as if her soul had been lost. She turned to leave the room.
"I'm sorry, Madam. I will hang myself soon."
Staring at her back, Li Sui couldn't bear to see someone so young die. "Wait, let me think about how I could help you."
In the end, Li Sui chose to help. While her situation wasn't ideal, she was sure her father would have helped the young girl.
"How about this..." Li Sui looked at Chen Zhaodi's eyes, filled with renewed hope. "Go and feed the pigs. Come find me again late at night."
1. A measurement unit for grains ☜
Chapter 965 - Father
Chen Zhaodi's face lit up with joy when she realized that Li Sui was willing to help her.
"Aunty! You are my savior!"
Dropping to her knees, Chen Zhaodi kowtowed to Li Sui several times before darting out.
"Sigh..."
Li Sui dove back into the straw pile before looking at the clay figurines in her tentacles. "Father, I will help her find a good family once we reach a county. I can do that much, I suppose."
Li Sui was confident in her ability to quickly do a simple background check on a family. No matter who she chose, they would be better than the old man with the five dead wives. At the very least, marrying someone from a county would increase her chances of surviving.
As Li Sui inhaled the scent of the straw, she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. It had been a long time since she had slept so peacefully.
Li Sui had only slept for a few hours when Chen Zhaodi quietly entered her room in the dark, carrying a sack filled with her personal belongings.
"Aunty, I'm here."
Li Sui said nothing. She gently held Chen Zhaodi's hands and walked out of the house at night.
Chen Zhaodi's heart raced—this was her first time disobeying her parents. If she were caught, she'd be punished.
A dog's sudden barking startled them. "Woof! Woof woof!"
Li Sui silenced the dog with a single glare. The dog whimpered and sulked.
Under the cloak of night, they left the village and headed south along a dirt path. They continued until dawn, finally resting by a river.
Chen Zhaodi splashed her face with cold water, a smile breaking across her lips. "Auntie, thank you so much for saving my life! I will take care of you when you are older!"
After being granted a second chance at life, Chen Zhaodi hugged Li Sui tightly and held onto her arms.
Li Sui felt uneasy. She hasn't felt genuine gratitude ever since she had been separated from her father. The people who approached her had always tried to kill her.
"Eat something first. Then we can head to the county." Li Sui took out some jerky and shared it with Chen Zhaodi.
Chen Zhaodi spoke a lot during their journey. She kept talking about her hopes for her future too.
Soon, Li Sui let her guard down and even laughed while talking with Chen Zhaodi. The feeling was strange, almost reminiscent of the first time she had met Bun.
They soon reached the county, but Li Sui was hesitant to let Chen Zhaodi go. Maybe she wouldn't be so lonely with Chen Zhaodi beside her during her journey.
However, Li Sui ultimately chose to leave Chen Zhaodi in the county. She had to make certain choices, no matter what.
Once there, Li Sui started finding a new husband for Chen Zhaodi as soon as possible. The county was crowded. Every second here increased the risk of her being discovered by the Surveillance Bureau.
Soon, Li Sui found an older merchant selling glutinous rice cakes on the street. The merchant was an honest man with a house inherited from his ancestors.
After finding a suitable candidate, Li Sui told Chen Zhaodi about the person. But Chen Zhaodi's reaction wasn't something she had expected.
"Aunty, I'm not getting married. I want to learn your craft from you."
Chen Zhaodi was adamant about following Li Sui around.
"You can live a good life here. Why do you want to travel and suffer with me?
"I can't trust anyone. I can only trust you."
Chen Zhaodi hugged Li Sui tightly.
On that day, Li Sui experienced new emotions and understood the truth behind certain past events. She attempted to push Chen Zhaodi away but found herself unable to do so.
"You wish to follow me? Do you know what I am?"
Li Sui let her go and revealed the tentacles in her own body. Chen Zhaodi screamed extremely loudly.
But even though her face was pale, she still braced herself and chose to hug Li Sui in the end.
"I'm... I'm not scared! Even if you are a monster, I won't be scared! You are a good monster!"
Li Sui sighed. "Very well. You can follow me, then. You should be able to help me find information..." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
Before she could finish her sentence, a chakram ripped through the paper window.
"Careful!"
Li Sui pushed Chen Zhaodi to the side, but the chakram still cut off Chen Zhaodi's left ear.
Rage surged through Li Sui as she ran out with Chen Zhaodi, only to find themselves surrounded.
Tens of people in black spun their chakrams as they surrounded the building. They stood on the roof while waiting for Li Sui.
Li Sui had overstayed and attracted the attention of Zuoqiu Yong's informants.
"You evil entity! You are a Strayed One that killed thousands of people! The Chief of the Surveillance Bureau has orders to kill you on sight!"
Without waiting for her response, they lunged.
Li Sui used her tentacles to hold onto Chen Zhaodi as she retreated. However, the people had come prepared and did not give her time to escape.
A Daoist in yellow robes stepped forward. He held onto two yellow flags and made seals with his hands before pointing at the sun above.
"Veiled in mist and haze lies the hue of blue and green. The yellow road and the purple palace shall stand apart! The crimson dawn and pure soul shall follow their doom!"
Li Sui's body started to melt, revealing the tentacles beneath her. Chen Zhaodi was also melting.
Li Sui unleashed all her techniques upon the people surrounding her, but they had a counter to her every move.
Just as Li Sui slowly adapted to this world, the Surveillance Bureau of the Qi Kingdom also slowly adapted to her.
In the end, the first friend she made, the first person who showed her kindness, slowly melted into a puddle before Li Sui.
"No! No!" Li Sui wrapped her tentacles around the wriggling blood puddle.
It was still moving. Chen Zhaodi had melted, but she was still alive.
In the end, Li Sui had to assimilate Chen Zhaodi and turn her into a part of herself.
Li Sui felt her body change, but it was in a good way this time.
Even though she saved Chen Zhaodi, the situation was still dire. It wasn't long before Li Sui melted too.
As her melted tentacles fell limply and her consciousness slowly faded, she murmured, "Am I dying...? I don't want to... Father... I can't die... When I am in danger, my father will come and save me... Father will definitely come and save me..."
Her consciousness threatened to fade forever.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" A thunderous shout rang out, stopping Li Sui from melting.
"Father?" Li Sui picked up an eyeball in the puddle and saw a streak of red circling around her. Everywhere it went, blood and viscera followed.
"Father!"
Chapter 966 - Ji Zai
"Father?"
Li Sui, already half-dissolved, raised her head to see Li Huowang standing amidst the bloodbath.
Through the haze of pain, she recognized the familiar bronze coin veil and blood-red Daoist robes. Tears streamed down her face. Her father was here. She was safe.
It was really him! Her father had come to save her! The pain coursing through her body confirmed it wasn't a dream—this was real!
Li Sui cried and shouted to Li Huowang, "Father! I missed you!"
Li Huowang consoled her while killing the people from the Surveillance Bureau, saying, "Don't worry! Suisui, I am here! No one can bully my daughter when I'm here!"
The enemies retreated. None of them could fight against Li Huowang.
Li Sui was on the brink of safety when one of the enemies suddenly detected something amiss. It dawned on him that Li Sui was employing her abilities as a Strayed One, so he attempted to interfere.
"You damned monster! That's not your father! He's fake! You conjured him! If he was your father, why didn't he help you years ago? Why is he appearing only today?"
Strayed Ones were strong and weak at the same time. It all depended on what they believed.
Li Sui froze up as she carefully thought about it.
It was a fatal mistake. Li Huowang slowly changed, and Li Sui's unease increased as she entertained the thought that the Li Huowang in front of her was fake.
Li Huowang slowly turned transparent.
She panicked and tried to convince herself. "No! He's my father! He's really here to save me! My father is real! He's not something I've conjured myself!"
It took Li Sui too long to realize what they were trying to do. She tried to convince herself repeatedly to ensure the Li Huowang in front of her was real. Even if her father were fake, it would be sufficient if he could help her this time.
However, all she could do in the end was lie to herself. A fake was a fake. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself, the Li Huowang in front of her ultimately disappeared.
The people from the Surveillance Bureau closed in, and they were angry. They had suffered losses, and now their vengeance was personal.
Li Sui was in danger again. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
One of them spat on Li Sui. "I hate Strayed Ones! Don't you have a good imagination? Don't you think you can escape? Go ahead! Try again."
A sharp blade flew past, severing several tentacles. "Aren't you able to conjure your saviors? Go on, then! Show us again!"
Pain wracked her body as they attacked relentlessly. Yet, this time, Li Sui didn't cry. She had realized that she had been ignoring one of her powers.
Her father was a Strayed One, and she was a Strayed One as well. He had used the powers of a Strayed One to save himself many times in the past. Now, she had the opportunity to do the same. This was her last chance to save herself.
She only needed to think about what she could do to rescue herself.
Still, self-deception was no easy task. The powers of a Strayed One relied on genuine belief, so she had to convince herself completely.
As her injuries worsened, her consciousness faded again. On the brink of collapsing, she suddenly recalled the reflection in the water she had once seen! It was a Siming, Ji Zai. It was the Siming that her father had constantly talked about.
"My father is Ji Zai! A Siming has no past nor future! As long as I believe that Ji Zai is real, my father will come and rescue me!"
It was both a lie and the truth. She didn't know which was which.
All she needed to do was believe. She needed to survive.
Li Sui murmured over and over. Her consciousness slowly turned blurry, but she didn't stop. The situation only changed when her life was on the brink of being snuffed out.
Nothing happened, but for some reason, everyone looked confused and dazed. It was as if everyone had forgotten what they were doing.
"Ji Zai! Ji Zai was real even one hundred and eighty years ago!"
Li Sui shot up in excitement. She was saved! She would survive until her father appeared again!
This was a perfect opportunity for her to escape, as everyone around her was still confused. Taking advantage of their distraction, Li Sui managed to drag her injured body away and flee.
She didn't know how long Ji Zai's powers would last, so she escaped desperately. After half a day, she finally stopped running and confirmed she was safe.
This time, she tried her best to avoid inhabited places.
She took over the cave of a bear as a temporary resting spot. The bear ended up becoming her dinner.
After feasting, Li Sui slept in the cave peacefully. She could finally rest here.
Once she had rested enough, Li Sui started to plan for the future again.
She suddenly recalled Ji Zai and ran out to pick up a log. She shaved it into a praying tablet using a small knife and carved several words on it.
"Ji Zai, the Siming of Bewilderment."
Li Sui placed the tablet inside the cave and lit up three pine needles before praying. She stuck the three lighted pine needles in front of the tablet.
Then she kowtowed and prayed.
"Since the others could pray and obtain the powers from their respective Simings, I shall pray to you from today onwards. I will be your disciple, Ji Zai.
"If I'm your disciple, will you impart some knowledge and techniques to me? I don't need anything strong for now. Just something to protect myself. I just need a technique to hide my identity as a Strayed One!"
Li Sui had just finished her prayer when she noticed the tablet softly flashing. It was then that she realized a technique had been bestowed upon her, its knowledge now embedded within her mind.
After checking it, she realized it was an illusory technique that could conceal her identity.
She felt warmth in her heart. Her father had not forgotten her. He was still helping her even though he had become a Siming. As long as her identity as a Strayed One wasn't discovered, she would no longer be hunted down on sight.
That meant she didn't have to assimilate the others constantly. She could finally wait for the day to reunite with her father again. She wouldn't have to turn into someone else.
Li Sui smiled happily. Her future finally seemed a little brighter.
Chapter 967 - Funeral
It felt weird to worship her father as a god.
Still, Li Sui didn't mind. She preferred it this way—it meant that her father was constantly watching over her.
"Father, wait for me! I will come back and meet you again as Li Sui! I swear!"
Li Sui's intelligence was growing from the people she had assimilated. She started planning for when things went wrong, and she was no longer overly optimistic.
But Li Sui hated it. She preferred to remain as she once was, where everything was simple.
Looking down at the clay figurine, she murmured sadly, "If only... If I weren't me... If I stop being myself in the future, I'll hide it from you, Father. That way, you won't have to be sad too."
***
"Li Sui! Come back! May your soul return!" Li Huowang shouted, dressed in mourning robes.
Li Huowang tossed white paper money[1] high into the air.
The paper money floated before falling onto the massive black coffin behind him.
Bai Lingmiao continued to cry. She held a red thread and followed the black coffin.
On the other end of the red thread was a piece of meat. It was the flesh of Li Huowang, Li Sui's favorite meal when she was still alive.
This was a custom of the Liang Kingdom. When people died, their loved ones tied a red thread to their favorite food or item while they were alive, carrying it until it was buried in the coffin.
Though the instruments played loudly behind the procession, Li Huowang remained unfazed. He was just walking in a daze, revealing no emotions. He continued scattering the paper money as they approached the mountain behind Cowheart City.
The grave had been dug prematurely, and the best Feng Shui master of the Liang Kingdom had decided on the burial site.
Everyone from Cowheart Village looked on solemnly as the coffin reached the grave. According to their customs, it would then be lowered down.
Bai Lingmiao, who had long regarded Suisui as her child after deciding not to have her own, collapsed in grief. Tears streaked her face as she cried. "Suisui!"
Bai Lingmiao tried to jump into the coffin, but Li Huowang held her back. He wanted her to stop from making a mess out of everything.
The Second Deity sprouted from Bai Lingmiao's back and scratched Li Huowang, leaving deep wounds on him.
Despite his wounds, he remained silent, his gaze fixed on the coffin as it was lowered.
"Are you mute? Speak!"
In the end, Bai Lingmiao stopped the Second Deity. She sat down on the ground and wept silently beside Li Sui's grave.
There was someone else crying aside from Bai Lingmiao. It was Qiu Chibao. She held onto her rotten baby as she repeatedly tried to drag Li Sui out of the coffin, but it was destined to fail.
The burial was completed—the coffin was lowered, the grave was filled, and the tombstone was set.
Li Sui could finally rest in peace.
Everyone returned to Cowheart Village. With the funeral over, the atmosphere relaxed a little.
Yang Xiaohai and the other chefs worked hard to serve a large banquet.
However, Li Huowang ate nothing. He sat at the main seat and continued to drink wine, cup after cup.
He used to have a low tolerance for alcohol, but now, regardless of how much he drank, he couldn't feel anything. He couldn't get drunk.
He drank a lot, but the wine in his pot never diminished. He could drink as much as he wanted. The more he drank, the more Qiu Chibao cried. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
He drank from evening until late at night. Even after the banquet, Li Huowang was still drinking.
As he was about to drink more, Bai Lingmiao took Li Huowang's cup and smashed it on the ground.
"Stop drinking!"
Li Huowang nodded. "You're right. We shouldn't drink anymore. It's time to deal with the official matters."
Li Huowang stood up and took one step forward. He shortened the distance and instantly appeared in Shangjing.
He stepped into the palace and saw the Liang Kingdom's Imperial Preceptor, Huangfu Tiangang, playing chess with Gao Zhijian. Huangfu Tiangang was still blind.
Li Huowang sat between the two of them.
"Xuan Pin is dead."
Huangfu Tiangang nodded. He picked up a black piece with two of his fingernails and placed it on the chessboard. "I know. The funeral is very grand."
"She told me that you know something and requested me to ask you about it."
Gao Zhijian noticed Li Huowang seemed different, placing a white piece down.
"Senior Li, are you alright?"
Li Huowang ignored Gao Zhijian and stared at the blind Huangfu Tiangang.
"It's nothing major," Huangfu Tiangang said. "Xuan Pin wanted to remind you that as long as there's a Chief for the Surveillance Bureau, we can hold our ground. If Fu Shengtian's Simings invade again, we'll repel them, just as we did the day before yesterday."
"Almost every soldier is dead," Li Huowang said.
"No." Huangfu Tiangang shook his head. "What do you think a soldier is?"
Huangfu Tiangang stroked his beard. "As things stand right now, we must sacrifice a lot to survive whenever the world is thrown into chaos due to the Simings.
"No matter how strong the soldiers are, they are still humans. All humans can be turned into soldiers. All we'd need to do is expose them to murderous aura. Then, everyone in the world could become a soldier."
Li Huowang's breathing changed when he heard that. He never thought that was one of their plans. "Then everyone would die."
"Yes." Gao Zhijian nodded before placing his white chess piece onto the board. "Senior LI, I know you are kind, but some people have to die. Even the royal family dies."
A bulky young child laughed and ran over to them. Gao Zhijian grabbed the boy easily.
"This is my son. I chose him to be my successor. I have many sons, but only one can live. The rest must die."
Gao Zhijian's tone was so cold that it was as if he wasn't talking about his son.
"Fu Shengtian's Simings... The Baiyu Capital Simings... We cannot trust any of them. To survive, we can only trust ourselves. This is how the world works. Human lives are worthless. Everyone can die, and we can give birth to more people as long as we don't go extinct."
"Human lives... are worthless...? Do you know what this means to them?
Li Huowang recalled many faces: Abbess Jing Xin, the Lu family, Zhuge Yuan, Suisui... Their faces flashed past his mind.
Li Huowang's face twisted as his teeth cracked under the force of his bite.
"Enough! I've had enough! Why?! Tell me why!"
Li Huowang punched the chess board and shattered it.
1. Fake money used for ceremonies ☜
Chapter 968 - Conversation
The black and white chess pieces within the palace scattered across the ground. The only sound that remained was Li Huowang's laborious breathing.
Li Huowang's anger slowly intensified, causing everything around him to change. The scenery shifted, and the people changed.
Li Huowang suddenly raised his head and looked at the empty skies. He shouted at the sky, "Da Nuo! What do you want me to do? I've requested nothing but for them to continue living! I just want them alive! Why must everybody die? What do you want me to do?"
As Li Huowang shouted, a faint thunderclap could be heard from the faraway clouds.
Li Huowang continued to shout at the sky, but soon, his angry shouts turned into sadness and despair.
The weight of reality pressed down on him. He was caught in a daze while Li Sui's funeral was ongoing, but it wasn't until now that he truly understood that Li Sui was gone. His daughter was gone forever.
"Was it not enough? What did I fail to do? Tell me! Why do they die no matter what I try? I can't save them... I can't stop them from dying... What did I do wrong?"
Li Sui reached into his robes and took a palmful of dust. Under his gaze, the dust quickly gathered into a clay figurine. It was the one Li Sui had given him before her death.
Li Huowang cried, and his tears dropped to the ground. A tentacle reached over and wiped the tears off his face.
Li Huowang trembled and looked up to find Li Sui smiling at him, carefully holding three clay figurines. She pointed at them one by one. "Father, look. This is you. This is Mother. And this small one is me."
Li Huowang knew that the Li Sui before him was fake, yet he couldn't suppress his emotions and hugged her tightly.
When he let go, he saw nothing in his embrace.
When he saw what was happening, Gao Zhijian sighed and stood up. He steadied Li Huowang and carefully plopped him down onto a chair before consoling him.
"Senior Li, you did nothing wrong. This isn't your fault. It's how the world works. Think about our master, Dan Yangzi. Was he born evil? No, he was driven to evil to survive. The world is much more evil."
Gao Zhijian sighed. "What can we do? Crying is the first thing we do when we are born. Humans are destined to suffer in this world. Everyone is suffering. Even an emperor like me cannot escape this fate."
Li Huowang shook his head. "I hate Dan Yangzi, but I hate this world even more."
He crushed the clay figurine in his palm. "Disgusting! This world is disgusting."
"Still, what can you do? This is how the world works."
"No! This is wrong. The world isn't supposed to be like this! The world is wrong!"
Li Huowang looked up. This time, rather than sadness, he only had a strong sense of unwillingness.
"You want me to give up, but it will never be that easy! Nothing will stop me until I'm dead! I will turn this world into what I wish for it to be!
"Not only will I become a Siming, I will become a Grand Siming, one without a past or future. I will save everyone!"
It sounded ridiculous, but Li Huowang was resolute. He would believe it forever.
Qiu Chibao cried, tightly embracing her child when she heard Li Huowang's words.
She cried and shouted and jumped and danced until she smiled. She laughed, then slowly turned transparent before disappearing. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Li Huowang was finally alone. He no longer had any illusions beside him.
As his emotions settled, he looked around. Qiu Chibao and the Shimmer Mirror were gone. Ever since Li Sui's death, everything strange in his life had faded away.
Gao Zhijian frowned at his words. "Senior Li, I don't care what you think, but we must first deal with Fu Shengtian's Simings."
He knew that Li Huowang's condition wasn't the best today, but some things couldn't wait, especially if they involved the lives of everyone in the world.
"I know! I know!" Li Huowang snapped, his eyes blazing with hatred. Even without Gao Zhijian's reminder, he had already vowed to destroy Fu Shengtian and its Simings. They were responsible for Suisui's death.
"They tried to ambush us and even used spies. They even tried an all-out attack to kill all of us, but there's nothing to be afraid of! They should be the ones to be afraid! They've suffered even more than us this time. We've hit them hard!"
Both Gao Zhijian and Huangfu Tiangang were confused by Li Huowang's words. They had no idea what he was talking about.
"Senior Li? I thought... I thought your illness was cured. Why is it..."
"I'm not ill!"
Li Huowang shouted, "I'm Ji Zai! Ji Zai is me! I am at the sixth stage just because it's convenient! I can connect to Ji Zai whenever I believe I'm at the seventh stage, and I can know what's happening in the Baiyu Capital!
"Wait! That's incorrect! That's not the Baiyu Capital! That's a projection of the Baiyu Capital! Through the projection, I can know what's happening there!"
Li Huowang then shared what he had learned with Gao Zhijian and Huangfu Tiangang. They didn't have to understand—simply being exposed to the information would suffice.
"Are you sure?"
Gao Zhijian was surprised. Knowing what the Simings of Baiyu Capital were doing would greatly benefit them.
However, Gao Zhijian still doubted him. "Senior Li, are you certain about this? Is that the truth? Or is that something you've learned because you are ill?"
Chapter 969 - Murderous Aura Command
At this point, Li Huowang's anger flared from Gao Zhijian's continued skepticism. "How many times must I say that I'm not ill!"
Li Huowang stood abruptly, his voice ringing through the room. "Do you trust me or not? If you don't, I'll handle it myself!"
"I trust you," Gao Zhijian said, trying to calm Li Huowang down. "Still, this is an important matter that must be shared with the others. The Saintess of the White Lotus, the other Dragon Veins, and the other Chiefs of the Surveillance Bureau must learn about it too."
Li Huowang couldn't argue with that. This was valuable information that could benefit everyone. It was important for the others to know as well.
If he could rally their support, their combined strength would be more reliable than what Zhao Shuangdian or Qing Wanglai could offer.
They were scattered across the world, and gathering them in Shangjing would ordinarily take ages. However, Li Huowang could solve that.
The necessary people were gathered at Shangjing at a moment's notice.
Bai Lingmiao wasn't the only one who came. There were also the other Dragon Veins, the Righteous Monastery, the Mo family, the Minglun Hall, the Ao Jing Sect, and the Luo Sect.
Everyone had gathered. The only exceptions were those who were caught in exceptional trouble.
The main hall where Gao Zhijian usually held his morning meetings was filled to the brim.
Jiang Xiangshou's appearance wasn't exactly low profile, so almost everyone knew what had happened.
Before Gao Zhijian could say anything, murmurs filled the air, with many casting glances at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang did nothing to hide his status as a Strayed One. He revealed it to everyone.
Still, no one dared to do anything. His standing was now higher than theirs.
Gao Zhijian lifted his arm, and an old eunuch waved a golden horse-tail whisk in the air. "Silence."
The hall became quiet. Everyone looked at Gao Zhijian and the other emperors on the thrones. The atmosphere was solemn.
"I have summoned everyone here for one reason," Gao Zhijian said. "I trust you understand this concerns our survival."
Everyone in the hall quietly listened to Gao Zhijian.
Gao Zhijian stopped his speech momentarily. He waited for the eunuchs to hand him a golden decree and started writing on it. "Nearly all our soldiers have given their lives to shield us, yet the enemy is still on the offensive.
"To protect our world, I, Gao Zhijian, Emperor of the Liang Kingdom, hereby use my authority to declare the activation of the Murderous Aura Command."
With those words, he stamped the decree with the Liang Kingdom's jade stamp.
The other Dragon Veins didn't object. They stood up simultaneously and stamped the golden decree with their respective kingdoms' jade stamps.
But it wasn't over. The emperors even dripped their own blood onto the decrees.
Most of the people in the hall didn't fully comprehend the severity of the ceremony, but some of the oldest knew about the Murderous Aura Command.
An old crone walked forward with a cane shaped like a phoenix's head. Her body was covered in tattoos depicting cracks seen on a porcelain vase. Her voice trembled. "Your Majesty, is the situation that dire? We didn't even use it when the Dharma Sect almost invaded us."
"The Dharma Sect? They didn't even get past Qing Qiu. The situation today is not the same. The peace we enjoyed last time was earned from the sacrifices of Senior Li and the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau.
"Since the situation is so dire now, I will not hide it further. The Dharma Sect was nothing but a scout from our enemies!"
Everyone felt the crushing weight of Gao Zhijian's words. They still recalled how fierce their battle had been with the Dharma Sect.
If the Dharma Sect was only the scout, just how strong was the main force of their enemies?
Unrest spread amongst the people. Li Huowang stood forward to calm them down.
"Do not panic. We can win! They are not as strong as you think. If we unite and give it our all, we will prevail!"
"Daoist Li, who are you to speak to us like this?" The Ao Jing Sect's grand elder, Yan Jianxi, spoke up.
"Me? Who am I?" Li Huowang showed him the identity plate on his waist. "I am the Chief of the Liang Kingdom's Surveillance Bureau! What about it? Do I not have the right to talk here?"
Gao Zhijian didn't know about this. He and the others looked at the identity plate in Li Huowang's hand with shock.
The plate had been Xuan Pin's. Li Huowang took it from his corpse.
Li Huowang's voice rang with conviction. "There is no need to fear them! Their elephant is roughly the same size as ours! Use every technique, every hidden weapon, every treasure! Together, we will annihilate them!"
His words didn't resonate with the others, but with the emperors' guarantee, they had no choice but to admit that Li Huowang was the Chief of the Liang Kingdom's Surveillance Bureau.
It was clear to everyone what those words meant, as all the emperors had summoned them here.
It was do or die now.
Once the royal decree had been passed, the ministers and officials started working hard for the sake of the Murderous Aura Command.
While some evil sects chose not to help, they were sensible enough not to cause any trouble for the time being.
Li Huowang turned to Gao Zhijian. "Do you intend to expose everyone in this world to the murderous aura?"
"Everyone." Gao Zhijian's voice allowed no room for doubt as he sat on his throne.
Li Huowang's voice trembled. "Including our juniors at Cowheart Village?"
The faces of Puppy, Yang Xiaohai, Zhao Wu, Sun Baolu, Lu Xiucai, and Chun Xiaoman flashed in Gao Zhijian's mind. However, as a good emperor, he still chose the most logical path. "Everyone."
Bai Lingmiao and Lu Xiucai had both been exposed to murderous aura before, so Gao Zhijian knew what would happen.
If everyone in the world were exposed to the murderous aura, it would become a man-made disaster.
Li Huowang's didn't want that to happen, but he could not say anything. The world was in danger right now, so he had to use every method at his disposal. He could argue about it later.
Li Huowang whispered, "Don't use it right away. Use it only at the last possible moment to summon Jiang Xiangshou."
He had finally acquired some helpers, which should have been good news for him. However, the price to be paid was too high.
"Of course. They are all my people. They are my mountains and my fields. I love them more than you."
Li Huowang wanted to rebuke Gao Zhijian, but a woman's voice interjected, saying, "We won't be relying only on the people!"