Li Huowang once again confirmed the stolen ingredients with the list on the paper. While he didn't know what the effect of the pill was, as a disciple of Dan Yangzi, he was sure that this was a pill recipe.
Is there another Dan Yangzi?
Thinking back upon the happenings at the Zephyr Temple, Li Huowang's eyes were gloomy.
After seeing Li Huowang's reaction, Magistrate Lou carefully asked, "My Lord? Did you discover something? Do you know where the babies are?"
"No, at least not yet. But I do have a clue," said Li Huowang as he kept the paper. "I don't know what they are trying to refine, but some of the methods will always remain the same. There are certain ingredients needed to refine pills and they still lack some of them. To complete the refinement, they will have to steal some fifty other ingredients. Go and take an inventory of those ingredients and guard them well! The culprit will definitely come to steal them again!"
Regardless of whether or not it was another Dan Yangzi, Li Huowang had to first find the culprit. As long as he did that, the rest of it would be much easier to deal with.
"Alright! As long as we can help the people to find their babies again, I will listen to you! I will go and contact all of the herb shop owners," answered Magistrate Lou.
"Wait." However, Li Huowang stopped him. "You might alert the culprit if you do it like this. I will handle this. You will aid me in putting on a show."
"A show?"
That evening, Magistrate Lou brought several people with him and sent off Li Huowang with a grand parade. As he sent Li Huowang off, Magistrate Lou held onto Li Huowang's hands tightly and made quite a few oaths to repay Li Huowang.
On this day, the people learned that it was Li Huowang who had caught the culprit that had been raping women left and right. Soon, the civilians also crowded around the parade. Many of the people were filled with gratitude and kept trying to put various gifts into Li Huowang's carriage, but all of them were stopped by him.
After they were five Lis away, Li Huowang told Magistrate Lou and his men to return. Thus, Magistrate Lou and the others reluctantly turned back.
Now that the rapist had been caught, there were no longer any cases of women getting raped. Even though they hadn't found the missing babies, at the very least no more babies were being stolen either. Thus, the anxious people of Cangshui County soon calmed down.
Several days later, on an empty street in the night, a hunchbacked timekeeper was yawning as he beat his bamboo drum. "The weather is hot and everything's flammable~ Be careful with fire~"
At first, nothing happened. Finally, something changed during the third section of the night.
As the hunchbacked timekeeper continued beating the bamboo drum, his shadow stood up and its limbs became long and narrow. Then, it slowly moved forward in tandem with the timekeeper.
The shadow was somehow being held upward by something, and there was something in the middle of the shadow.
The hunchbacked timekeeper used the wooden stick to once again hit his bamboo drum and shouted, "The weather is hot and everything's flammable~ Be careful with fire~"
As the hunchbacked timekeeper approached one of the apothecaries, some of the ingredients that were wrapped in oilcloth phased out through the wall of the apothecary and disappeared into the timekeeper's shadow. At the same time, the shadow grew slightly larger.
Meanwhile, the hunchbacked timekeeper kept beating his drum, "The weather is hot and everything's flammable~ Be careful with fire~"
As more and more ingredients vanished into the shadow of the timekeeper, the shadow became more and more engorged. Soon, it no longer even looked humanoid.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang observed everything that was happening.
He had asked the Magistrate to put on a show, faking the entire send-off. Li Huowang wanted the culprit to lower their guard and think that Li Huowang had left.
With his power of invisibility, Li Huowang had quickly discovered the places with the ingredients needed for the pill recipe.
After that, Li Huowang had been staking out on a nightly basis before finally catching the culprit. After all, refining pills also depended on the date and Li Huowang knew the culprit could not afford to delay it any longer.
"Daoist, since we've found the culprit, why are we still waiting here? We need to capture them immediately and stop them from stealing any more babies!" said Monk, somehow more anxious than Li Huowang himself.
"Calm down. We won't be able to get to the bottom of this by just catching the thief. We need to let the thief go back to the main base so that we can capture all of them at once," said Li Huowang while maintaining his invisible state as he stalked the hunchbacked timekeeper and the monstrous shadow.
Time slowly passed. By the time it was the fourth section of the night, the engorged shadow had grown to the size of a small house as it moved like a giant.
At that moment, a baby in a bamboo basket phased out from a wall and vanished into the shadow, causing Monk to start jumping out of anxiety.
On the other hand, upon sensing that it had gotten almost everything, the shadow detached itself from the hunchbacked timekeeper and flew into the skies.
"Daoist! It's running away! Chase it quickly!" shouted Monk, already on the verge of tears.
"Shut up!" Li Huowang ran onto the roof as he chased after the thing.
The shadow continued flying through the night sky as Li Huowang chased after it on the ground. Thankfully his sight was excellent or he would've long since lost the shadow in the night sky.
Chasing it, Li Huowang ran further and further away. Soon, he exited the Cangshui County and started running on a dirt path.
By this point, he was starting to pant from tiredness; on the other hand, the shadow monster was still flying further and further away.
Shit! I can't let it get away!
Coming to a decision, Li Huowang quickly brought out some talisman paper and started drawing with his blood. Then, he stuck both the talismans on his knees. Instantly, all his veins on his face bulged up. Now looking quite gnarly, Li Huowang's heart was quickly enveloped by an unpleasant heat.
But the price was worth it. His speed instantly increased drastically.
Thanks to his speed, Li Huowang managed to quickly catch up with the shadow monster.
As the sky slowly brightened and the first ray of sunlight appeared, the shadow burst with a pop. When the shadow burst open, all of the items that it had stolen fell into a large river.
When Li Huowang arrived at the riverbank, he saw several shadows moving the items that had fallen into the river. However, due to the river being murky, he couldn't see what they were. All he saw was the ingredients being transported to a hidden underwater cave nearby.
Li Huowang raised his head and saw that the cave was mostly submerged, leaving only the top part exposed to the air. "Is this their lair?"
The cave was situated at the base of a massive rocky mountain. The cave was like a massive mouth that swallowed the river.
After checking his location on the map, Li Huowang realized that the location he was at was at the center of where all the cases of missing babies in the numerous counties were reported.
"I don't know who they are, but they should be like Dan Yangzi if they are hiding in a remote place like this," muttered Li Huowang.
Having found the enemy's lair, Li Huowang should have been happy. However, all he could do was stare at the river and the water that was entering the cave.
"How do I get in?"
Chapter 321 - Water Son
Should I swim?
However, after giving it some thought, Li Huowang decided against it. After all, he couldn't use any of his techniques while underwater and thus would be quite helpless.
At the same time, as Li Huowang thought about his techniques, he realized that almost all of his techniques were incompatible to use underwater.
Should I go back and ask Magistrate Lou to send me a ship?
Just as Li Huowang was thinking about doing this, he suddenly heard the sound of an instrument from far away with his sharp hearing.
A Suona?
He hid in the bushes and looked toward the direction where the sound was coming from.
Soon, he saw a group of people parading while playing the instruments. The people playing the instruments were at the back while several people were carrying a wooden rowboat. Within the rowboat was an old lady. However, even though her hair was completely white and all of her teeth had fallen off, she still looked quite lively.
The old woman smiled as she looked at the joyous parade that everyone had made for her. The wooden boat was adorned with red and white cloths, making it look as if flowers had blossomed on the boat.
Li Huowang didn't know what the strange group of people was doing, and chose to continue observing.
The parade did not pass by Li Huowang but instead stopped by the riverside. Then, amidst the sounds of the drums and other instruments, they placed the wooden boat with the old woman onto the river and lightly pushed it toward the cave.
As all this happened, the people standing by the riverbank began to happily send the old woman off.
"Madam Liu, you led quite an amazing life. I don't think I will have the same luck as you."
"Yeah, Madam Liu, you are very lucky. Even though you don't have any children, the Water Son can still help take care of you until you die."
"Auntie Liu, please take care. I will drop by to visit you from time to time."
As he heard all this and saw what was happening, Li Huowang felt chills run down his spine.
They might've made it sound nice by saying that they were sending her off, but it was clear that these people intended to take over Madam Liu's assets.
There were no Water Sons. All they were trying to do was to send away an old person who didn't have a family and then take away her assets.
As Li Huowang saw the wooden boat gradually moving toward the cave, he suddenly had a great idea. He once again turned himself invisible and quickly leaped onto the boat.
His sudden jump into the boat made it rock, but the old woman didn't see anything when she looked back. She just tightened her grip on the cane in her hands as she bid her neighbors farewell.
Meanwhile, the invisible Li Huowang saw the cave getting closer and closer.
Water Sons? I want to see what you truly are!
As they got closer and closer to the cave, the sounds of musical instruments gradually faded away. Then, when the wooden boat entered the cave, everything turned silent. There were no other sounds except for the waves hitting on the wooden boat.
At the same time, there was very little light here, making the cave look dark and ominous.
Madam Liu was clearly spooked by the atmosphere but kept reassuring herself as she held onto her cane. "No, it's fine. That sister of mine would never lie to me. The Water Son will come and fetch me. He will take care of me and I will finally be able to have a son."
Li Huowang looked at the old woman's frail back and felt sympathy for her. It was clear that she was just lying to herself.
Hu~
At that moment, a small light suddenly appeared on the surface of the water, shocking Li Huowang. He squinted and saw that it was a white candle.
"Is that you, Water Son? I have the surname Liu but my deceased husband's surname was Hu. Will you take on his surname?" the old woman asked politely while turning toward the white candle; she wanted to show her good side without scaring the Water Son off.
But, the candle did not move. Instead, Li Huowang realized the boat was slowly floating toward the candle.
Li Huowang gripped the hilt of his sword and tensed up as he stared at the candle. He didn't know who or what the Water Son was, but since they stole the babies and were probably using them to refine pills, they were definitely not kind beings.
As the boat slowly floated toward the candle, the white candle also floated backward. But after a while, the candle finally stopped.
At that moment, Li Huowang lurched forward and realized that the boat had reached the bank.
The riverbank was uneven, causing the old woman to fall to the ground.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang stepped over the old woman who had fallen onto the ground and slowly walked toward the candle. He approached carefully and finally saw the being that was holding the candle.
It was a humanoid being with various defects.
Its hair was frighteningly long and covered its hunched-back. Its nails were even longer than its fingers and curled into spirals. Its teeth were growing messily in its mouth while its face was uneven and with lots of bumps. Li Huowang also saw some of the creature's hair grow into its eye sockets. It was blind!
"Li Huowang, be careful. That is a Human Xiao[1]," Hong Zhong finally spoke after being quiet for a long time.
Hearing this, Li Huowang looked at him with a puzzled expression.
After a moment, Hong Zhong continued explaining, "When a human is stricken by bad luck and can't die even though they are already very old, their white hair would eventually turn green, their teeth would grow long in their mouth, and they would no longer be able to speak human languages. Instead, they would only be able to converse in their language. From that point on, they are considered as evil beings that are half human and half ghost."
Just then, the Human Xiao placed the candle on the tip of its finger and moved it lightly, using it to lure the old woman deeper into the cave.
Li Huowang wanted to chase it but suddenly stopped. He just stood there and saw the candle disappear before whispering to Hong Zhong. "Are you telling the truth or just spouting some random bullshit?"
Hearing this, Hong Zhong scoffed, "You think that I would lie for something so trivial? Just to toy with you? I'm still one of the three leaders, Hong Zhong. If I wanted to trick you, then I would've made it so you would die for sure! Fine, since you don't believe me, I won't explain anything else about Human Xiao to you."
However, Li Huowang just stood there and stared at Hong Zhong.
Seeing Li Huowang's reaction, Hong Zhong suddenly felt confused. "Is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me? Are you here just to sit around or to find out what's happening?"
Li Huowang frowned and shook his head. "I just thought that something was fishy. You are an illusion of mine, so why do you know things that I don't?"
After that, Li Huowang turned around and looked at the other illusions around him. "If you guys are not illusions, then what are you?"
This time, it was Hong Zhong's turn to look at Li Huowang, smiling mischievously as he did so. "That, I don't know. You have to ask yourself."
1. A type of evil being in China. Don't really have a counterpart in English history. The closest you can get is an undead I think? ?
Chapter 322 - Human Xiao
Li Huowang looked at Hong Zhong silently before looking at Monk, Peng Longteng, and Jin Shanzhao.
Ever since all of them had appeared, they had been constantly following him. Thus, he had thought that it had something to do with his identity as a Strayed One.
But when Hong Zhong told him about Human Xiao, he instantly knew that something was not right.
Maybe Tuoba Danqing knew more about this, but Li Huowang dared not to ask. He was afraid that Tuoba Danqing would find out his identity.
If they are not illusions, then what are they? Why are they following me constantly?
This was the first time that he had thought about it seriously.
He then recalled Jiang Yingzi who had appeared abruptly and then disappeared just as abruptly.
She appeared when I felt ashamed, but then she disappeared on her own when she felt ashamed instead. Maybe...
Li Huowang felt like he had a clue, but the answer was still very far from him. It was as if his thoughts on the matter were shrouded in a veil that would not dissipate. The more he thought about it, the less he knew.
Hong Zhong smiled wider when he saw Li Huowang thinking about it. "You don't know? Maybe I can help you a little. Do you know about the story of the spirits that serve the tiger?[1] Legends says that people killed by the tigers would become ghostly slaves in their stomach, luring others to also be eaten by the tigers. Maybe you are something like that and we are the enslaved souls?"
"Enslaved souls?" Li Huowang looked at Hong Zhong in disbelief before continuing in a serious tone, "If you guys really are my enslaved souls, then you've brought me nothing but trouble. You guys are useless! The only thing you do is to make others think that I'm going crazy when I'm talking to you!"
Hearing this, Hong Zhong smiled and laughed. "Hey, maybe you really are going crazy. I've always thought that you were abnormal."
Li Huowang glared at Hong Zhong as if he wanted to bite Hong Zhong's head off. His veins pulsated on his forehead.
"Hohoho~ You are glaring at me again? What can you do if I keep scolding you and calling you a crazy person? My little Huowang~" Hong Zhong arched backward, his skinless face rippling as the flesh wiggled, revealing an absurd smile. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
With that taunt, Li Huowang suddenly felt his brain go numb. He immediately grabbed his sword and placed it against his own neck, the sharp edge piercing the skin. Then, he snarled, "Oh? Come on then! Let's fucking die together!"
Hong Zhong panicked when he saw the blood spraying in the air, "Hey hey hey, what are you doing?!"
However, before Hong Zhong could say anything else, a massive halberd pierced through him and lifted him up before smashing him onto the ground.
It was Peng Longteng's halberd. She was the one who swept her weapon filled with killing intent at Hong Zhong.
At the same time, Monk quickly ran over and tried to persuade Li Huowang. "You can't die, Daoist! You still haven't gotten rid of your status as a Strayed One. Didn't you want to go back and find your family? You can't give up."
Just then, a tentacle wriggled out from within Li Huowang's belly button and wrapped itself around his wrist tightly.
As more and more tentacles sprouted out to grab his arm, Li Huowang sat on the ground, panting.
Li Huowang didn't like this feeling. It felt like his internal organs were being moved around.
Seeing that Li Huowang had finally stopped, Monk ran over to Hong Zhong and scolded him, "Stop taunting him. The Daoist has nothing else to lose and would not hesitate to throw away his life. He's like a dry match that can light up instantly."
Hong Zhong glared at Li Huowang from afar and then scoffed before he sunk himself into the water, "What a crazy bastard."
Li Huowang cooled down after being stopped by the tentacles and Monk's persuasion. He removed the sword from his neck and the black tentacles quickly plugged the wound.
At that moment, Li Huowang realized that he was not who he was. Why did he become so irritable and why was he so easily taunted? Was that really him?
"Daoist, let's move quickly. They are using the babies to refine pills. Saving a person's life is much more noble than constructing numerous temples. You have to persevere in doing good deeds; after all, Buddha is watching. Maybe Buddha will come and help you if you save enough people," said Monk.
Monk's words made Li Huowang laugh out loud as he placed his sword back into its scabbard. Then, he stood up and started walking in the direction where the candle had gone.
"Monk, you are not my enslaved spirit. You were not killed by me, and I don't even know if you are still alive or dead yet," said Li Huowang.
Hearing this, Monk's illusion flickered lightly; however, this went unnoticed. At the same time, Monk's eyes opened wide as he muttered to himself, "I'm not dead? Then who am I?"
Li Huowang did not answer him as he navigated through the dark cave.
Li Huowang hadn't gone too far when another Human Xiao crawled over to where he was earlier. It licked Li Huowang's blood that was splattered on the ground before quickly receding into the darkness.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang remained invisible as he continued to look for the Human Xiao that had disappeared with the candle. Since he had found them, it was time to deal with them. Li Huowang was feeling quite pent up and needed a place to vent.
As he continued walking, Li Huowang heard a voice. The voice was chaotic, yet was rhythmic, as if it was chanting something.
Li Huowang followed the voice and saw something bone-chilling. A group of Human Xiao were sitting around and listening to another Human Xiao who was chanting something while wearing a tattered Daoist robe.
The Human Xiao with the Daoist robe had a black horse-tailed whisk stuck to the back of its neck. Based on how it was chanting something while reading from a paper, it was most likely the leader.
Even though the Human Xiao's four limbs were gangly, all of them still somehow managed to sit cross legged with their absurdly long toenails.
Li Huowang was surprised at the suspiciously familiar sight.
Is this a morning lecture? They are having a morning lecture?
The Human Xiaos were indeed having a morning lecture. Li Huowang remembered how he did the same back in Zephyr Temple. The same monsters and the same dreams to become Immortals.
When he realized the familiarity, Li Huowang wanted to puke. He suddenly felt extremely disgusted.
What kind of fucking monsters are cultivating to be Immortals?
Li Huowang gritted his teeth as he ran toward the leader.
"Wait, Daoist! We need to find the babies first! If the babies can't return home, then their mothers will be stricken with grief," called out Monk.
Li Huowang slowly came to a stop when he heard Monk's words. He hesitated for a bit before slowly walking back to the darkness.
However, just as Li Huowang was about to start searching for the babies, he saw another Human Xiao crawling swiftly on the ground as it approached the leader of the Human Xiaos and whispered something to it.
1. A folklore story where people killed by tigers would have their souls enslaved by it. The enslaved souls would then help the tiger to trick other victims. As an idiom, it means helping evil people do their bidding and luring victims ?
Chapter 323 - Method
Immediately, all of the Human Xiaos exploded into action. They quickly scattered at a blinding speed, disappearing in an instant.
What's going on? Did they find me?
Li Huowang felt his heartbeat suddenly quicken. The situation had changed much faster than he could have imagined.
As Li Huowang quickly weaved through the rooms to find the babies, he realized that not only did the things all of them do resemble the Zephyr Temple, but even the decorations and rooms here resembled it!
Li Huowang suddenly stood still while searching for the babies. In a dark environment like this, sound was the best method to determine directions. Thus, Li Huowang quickly removed the cotton from his ears.
Immediately, he was overwhelmed by the sound of the river, the crawling Human Xiaos, dripping water, and various other noises.
Amidst all the noise, he closed his eyes and did his best to discern the noises and their sources. Gradually, he managed to hear some words.
"Uncle?"
That noise...
As Li Huowang tried tracing the sources of the sounds, he suddenly heard crying noises.
I've found them!
He immediately ran towards the source of the voices. He ran through the caves, quickly going over uneven ground. In the end, he finally found a smaller cave with a light. The babies were inside there!
At this moment, there were several old people carefully using cinnabar to dot the foreheads of the babies. Even the old woman from before was here.
At this moment, she was holding a baby girl, but rather than joy, her face was filled with uneasiness.
There were still twenty to thirty babies that were alive, but he also saw several discarded baskets that were producing a rotting stench. He didn't want to see what was inside.
With Monk urging him, Li Huowang gradually revealed himself and whispered to the old people, "Don't worry. The caves are a bit chaotic now. Wait here and I will bring you out later."
Hearing his voice, the old people raised their heads and saw Li Huowang. Seeing him, some of their numb eyes gradually grew bright.
After a moment, one of them, who was around a hundred years old, slowly stood up with his cane and started shouting, "Water Sons! Water Sons! Someone has sneaked in here!"
His shout instantly caused a chain reaction and most of the other older people started shouting as well.
Seeing this, Li Huowang snarled and swept his sword at them, decapitating three of them in a single go.
But even if he killed all of them at this point, it would be useless. The Human Xiaos had heard their shouts.
In just a few moments, someone threw a handful of black glutinous rice at Li Huowang, black smoke trailing off them.
In that moment, Li Huowang shifted his body and the black glutinous rice phased right through his illusion before hitting an old woman instead. With a startled cry, her flesh started melting off and she soon became a smoldering corpse.
"Go!" shouted Li Huowang as he used his sword and shaved off all the freshly-grown nails on his left hand.
As he heard the Human Xiaos crying outside, he quickly hid his illusion underneath the ground and once again turned invisible.
However, just then, one of the old people stood up and warned the Human Xiaos, "My son! That man entered into the ground! He must know of a method to travel straight through it! Be careful!"
A strong killing intent instantly bloomed within Li Huowang's heart. He had never hated someone so much. The old people here were even worse than the Human Xiaos.
One of the Human Xiaos had heard the old person's warning and used its long fingernails to pick up two dried leaves. Then, it placed them on both of its eyes and wiped them. As it wailed, all of the other Human Xiao ran straight at Li Huowang, carrying black horse-tail whisks, Daoist bells, and cherry wood swords.
Seeing this, Li Huowang took out his bronze coin sword and started chanting. The sword instantly split apart and the various coins pierced through numerous Human Xiaos.
In an instant, the dark cave was lit up by metal sparks.
As Li Huowang was fighting against the Human Xiaos, one of them grabbed a purple talisman and placed it on an umbrella before trying to use it to stab Li Huowang from the back.
Li Huowang's ears moved slightly and he quickly turned around. When he saw the Human Xiao attempting to backstab him, he opened his mouth. At that moment, a bunch of black tentacles burst forth and covered the Human Xiao's face, ripping half of it apart.
At the same time, the red thread of the bronze coin sword also wrapped around several of the Human Xiao's necks.
With this, he pulled the bronze coin sword and decapitated all of their heads.
With Li Huowang's rampaging attack and self-mutilation, the number of Human Xiao's decreased rapidly. None of them could fight against Li Huowang.
Seeing that they were losing, the Human Xiao soon changed tactics.
An incense burner made with an old man's head was placed on the ground. Three white candles were placed in front of it and the Human Xiao that was conducting the morning lecture stood up from the ground. Then, it took out several wriggling pills and placed them in its mouth. It then took a stance with its mangled legs and suddenly drew its cherry wood sword. There was a black talisman stabbed into the sword.
Then, the Daoist Human Xiao started chanting in a non-human language. Even though it wasn't accurate, the rhythm and tone were still there.
At this moment, a monster with no eyes, twisted limbs, and sharp teeth was chanting to use a technique. This was both surreal and scary. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
But what was even scarier was that Li Huowang didn't know what technique it was using. All he knew was that he had to stop it.
Li Huowang quickly ran toward the Daoist Human Xiao while using his sword to cut at his own left hand. Without hesitation, he chopped off two of his fingers and immediately turned them into bone bullets that shot at the Daoist Human Xiao.
But, the bone bullets were blocked by two other Human Xiaos.
Meanwhile, the Daoist Human Xiao saw Li Huowang and quickly threw out two black flags, implanting them on both sides of Li Huowang. It then stabbed its smoking cherry wood sword into the ground.
Immediately, the black smoke drained into the ground and a ritual circle appeared with Li Huowang at the center. The circle was written in a curious language.
Chapter 324 - Monster
The Daoist Human Xiao saw Li Huowang and quickly threw out two black flags, implanting them on both sides of Li Huowang. It then stabbed its smoking cherry wood sword into the ground.
As the black smoke drained into the ground, a ritual circle appeared with Li Huowang at the center. The circle was written in a curious language.
As soon as he saw what was happening, Li Huowang knew that he needed to run. Thus, he instantly tried to escape from the circle.
When the Daoist Human Xiao saw what Li Huowang was doing, it instantly made a few seals with its hands. In response, the black flags beside Li Huowang shot upward and stabbed into his feet, pinning him onto the ground.
With this, Li Huowang felt as if his legs were welded to the ground. He could not escape no matter what he did. At the same time, he also realized that the black flags had also sealed away his power to shift his body.
Seeing that Li Huowang was trapped, the other Human Xiaos also unleashed their attacks. All of them threw various talismans, glutinous rice, and bronze coins toward Li Huowang.
Li Huowang did his best to block the incoming attacks with his sword, but his body was soon covered in wounds caused by the hail of objects.
Forced to the brink, Li Huowang fished out his flint and snarled as he tried to light up his skin.
Since this mission had been entrusted to Tuoba Danqing, he knew that it wouldn't be so simple. Thus, it was only natural for Li Huowang to be fighting against these dangerous enemies. Even though it was extremely painful to sacrifice his skin to Ba-Hui, he had no intention of backing down. He had already prepared himself for the possibility of death during this mission.
When the Daoist Human Xiao saw that Li Huowang wanted to do something, it quickly took the black horse-tail whisk from its neck and performed a finger seal on it. Immediately, the soft fibers of the horsetail whisk turned hard and became like a halberd. Then, the Daoist Human Xiao threw it toward Li Huowang.
Just as Li Huowang lit up his left hand, the sharp blade chopped his entire hand off.
The Daoist Human Xiao once again started chanting, causing the blade to fly back to it, this time with Li Huowang's left arm.
When it saw that Li Huowang no longer had the flint, the Daoist Human Xiao grinned and leaped upward as it slashed its blade down toward Li Huowang's head. At the same time, several purple talismans were attached to the blade, causing it to start smoking. In an instant, the blade exuded an incredible aura that could oppress anything and everything.
Li Huowang didn't know if he could take it, but given the situation, he had no choice but to try. Thus, he raised his bronze coin sword. At the critical moment, Li Huowang remembered the fragmented words of the Black Taisui and muttered, "What are you talking about?"
Seeing the blade closing on him, Li Huowang roared and used both hands to hold his bronze coin sword. The pain and the adrenaline from being so close to death made him look like a maniac.
"Open!"
Li Huowang directly cut his body in half, instantly himself similar to Jin Shanzhao's illusion.
Immediately, black tentacles burst forth from below his torso along with his blood. The tentacles tensed up for a moment before jumping upward, allowing Li Huowang to avoid the Daoist Human Xiao's blade altogether.
The blade then swept past his lower body and crashed heavily into the ground.
Bam!
The entire cave shook as stalactites started to fall from the ceiling. At the same time, black smoke spread everywhere, causing everything it touched to start decaying.
Thankfully Li Huowang managed to avoid it or he would've died.
Meanwhile, the Daoist Human Xiao stood up from the ground and looked at its ruined horse-tail whisk. Then, it snarled at the enemy that had dodged its attack with such a bizarre method.
At this moment, Li Huowang's body was cut in half, but black tentacles had sprouted from underneath his torso. The black tentacles were lifting him up, as if he was some half-human and half-octopus monstrosity.
The Daoist Human Xiao saw that Li Huowang's body was practically torn in half, but his internal organs did not fall out. Only blood flowed down through the tentacles. As it stared at the half-man and half-octopus monster, the Daoist Human Xiao realized that it had met a formidable foe.
After a moment, the Daoist Human Xiao quickly took a cherry wood sword from one of its disciples and swung it around before pointing it toward the ground and picking up a black talisman with the tip.
On one side was the half-man, half-octopus Li Huowang holding a bronze coin sword that was sewn together with red threads.
On the other side was the Daoist Human Xiao with its twisted limbs and elongated fingernails holding onto a cherry wood sword with a black talisman on its tip.
As they watched all this unfold, the remaining old people that were still alive felt as if their souls were about to leave their bodies. "What... what is this..."
Li Huowang glared at the Daoist Human Xiao with his bloodshot eyes. All of the problems, from the stolen babies to the other Human Xiaos, all originated from the Daoist Human Xiao. As long as he got rid of it, all the problems here would be solved for good.
"Forward!"
Hearing the command, the Black Taisui immediately started moving and rushed straight toward the Daoist Human Xiao.
The Daoist Human Xiao was also not afraid and directly ran toward Li Huowang with its disciples.
In such a fight where death was just a hair's breadth away, the Black Taisui dared not do anything on its own. After all, its life was tied to Li Huowang's life. If Li Huowang died, then it would die as well.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang chanted and transformed his bronze coin sword into a long whip which he used to restrain the Daoist Human Xiao's cherry wood sword.
Just as the bronze coin sword and the cherry wood sword came into contact with each other, a crackling sound rang out. It was as if both weapons were rejecting each other.
When he saw that the Daoist Human Xiao had its weapon neutralized, Li Huowang threw aside the bronze coin sword and used his steel sword to cut open his stomach, shaving off a massive piece of flesh and skin that had just regrown.
Then, he threw the piece of skin and flesh into the air. Instantly, it expanded and flew toward the group of Human Xiao like a net.
Meanwhile, the Daoist Human Xiao somehow seemed to know where Li Huowang's weakness was. It roared out some orders and the other Human Xiaos immediately scattered. Then, all of them surrounded Li Huowang.
Li Huowang was fighting alone while the Daoist Human Xiao had numbers on its side. Thus, it was an excellent strategy; Li Huowang couldn't possibly fight so many of them at once.
At that moment, a sword with the motif of Taichi was suddenly stabbed toward Li Huowang. However, instead of dodging it, he crashed right into the sword.
The sharp sword stabbed straight into his brain and popped out from the back of his head.
But, there was no blood!
What the sword had stabbed was Li Huowang's illusion! His real body was invisible and was three meters away!
Chapter 325 - Gift
The direction of battle changed in an instant.
When Li Huowang saw the opening generated by most of the Human Xiaos missing their attacks, he instantly seized it.
He had realized that while the Daoist Human Xiao was strong, it was also similar to a regular Daoist. It, too, had to either chant or do something as a condition to use its powers. As long as Li Huowang could force it into a melee fight, the Daoist Human Xiao would not be able to find the time needed to use the techniques.
"Jump!"
As Li Huowang commanded, seven to eight tentacles curled and then forcefully launched him into the air, bringing him even closer to the Daoist Human Xiao.
Clang!
The Daoist Human Xiao's cherry wood sword broke. The black-tassel sword that the Abbess had given him was extremely sharp, to the point that the Daoist Human Xiao's weapon was not able to win against his own.
Seeing that it was starting to lose, the Daoist Human Xiao used the force from Li Huowang's assault to retreat.
But how could Li Huowang allow it to escape? He kept chasing and attacking it left and right, forcing the Daoist Human Xiao to not have the time to use its special techniques.
Meanwhile, when they sensed that their Master was losing the battle, one of the Human Xiaos threw a white horse-tail whisk with a small black talisman on it toward the Daoist Human Xiao.
Seeing this, the Daoist Human Xiao quickly used its curled fingernails to grab the horse-tail whisk. Then, it used the horsetail whisk to whip at Li Huowang, using the white fiber to entangle his sword. It was using a gentle approach to deflect Li Huowang's strong attack. Even though Li Huowang's sword was sharp enough to cut through the fibers, it would still take a bit of time.
At this point, both of them were locked into a stalemate. If Li Huowang wanted to win, he needed to cut off all of the entangling fibers before the rest of the Human Xiao could chase him to where he was.
But, Li Huowang had another trick.
He smiled cruelly at the monster in front of him. "Since you used your disciples to surround me, don't blame me for using an underhanded tactic as well! Do it now!"
Following his command, several black tentacles moved and instantly grabbed numerous tools from within Li Huowang's satchel of torture tools. Then, the tentacles used those tools as they stabbed, mauled, sliced, crushed, and pulverized the Daoist Human Xiao's abdomen.
By the time the Daoist Human Xiao held its abdomen and fell to the ground, Li Huowang had managed to free his black-tassel sword from the white fibers and sliced it downward, instantly decapitating Daoist Human Xiao's head.
Then, Li Huowang turned around with blood staining his robes as he stared at the remaining Human Xiaos. Even though they were quite numerous, none of them attacked Li Huowang. They were all afraid.
"Go!"
However, Li Huowang was currently filled with murderous intent as he charged and roared, running straight toward the hundreds of Human Xiao with his black-tassel sword in hand.
Without a leader, the remaining Human Xiaos soon scattered. It was a complete massacre as they turned their backs toward Li Huowang and ran.
Four hours passed by and the entire cave was mostly purged. While some of the Human Xiaos did manage to escape, they were not likely to pose any threats.
After finishing all this, the black tentacles skittered like a spider as they pulled Li Huowang toward his lower body.
By now, Li Huowang was extremely fatigued, and was holding through sheer willpower. Once he reached his lower body, he grabbed it and pulled upward, almost as if he was wearing pants.
As the two halves of his body were placed together, the wriggling tentacles once again entered his flesh as they started stitching and reconnecting his nerves, bone, flesh, and sinews.
At first, Li Huowang couldn't feel anything in his lower body. But soon, he was able to feel his toes, and pain started radiating from where the black flags were stabbed into his feet.
Now that the circle on the ground had disappeared, Li Huowang bent over and pulled out the black flag.
Then, he stood up and looked at the chaotic scene all around. The entire floor of the cave was covered in mud and blood. It was almost impossible to find a dry spot.
Now that all the enemies were either dead or chased away, Li Huowang suddenly started laughing. At the same time, he realized that recently, he loved laughing more and more. He used to rarely laugh in the past.
After a while, he stopped laughing and touched his abdomen. "Thank you. Also, it seems that I have been underestimating you. You are much more useful than I thought."
In response, Li Huowang heard some fragmented sentences in his ear. Compared to the last time, the Black Taisui was now able to use some simple words to converse, albeit in an incomplete manner. This was all thanks to Li Huowang teaching it over a long period of time.
After this battle, Li Huowang decided to invest more time and energy into the Black Taisui.
He didn't know why the Black Taisui in his stomach was much more intelligent than the one outside. He wasn't sure whether it was caused by the Black Taisui absorbing something from his body and that caused changes to appear within it.
Maybe the flesh and blood of a Strayed One can help elevate the Black Taisui's intelligence?
Li Huowang was thinking about the various possibilities as he looked at his tattered body. At this point, there was barely any flesh left on him. Even though it hurt, he had gradually gotten used to it.
"Careful. The Black Taisui is not as kind as you think. It's probably trying to take over your body by entering your stomach."
Hong Zhong's sudden words made Li Huowang frown. "Who cares! I would rather it do that! Who asked for your advice?"
"Why are you so stubborn? You can't even differentiate good advice from lies." Seeing his attitude, Hong Zhong got irritated and once again disappeared under the ground.
Li Huowang just scoffed as he took out the Fiery Sutra and started to heal himself.
Afterward, he slowly hobbled back to the cave where the babies were. His steps made him look like someone who was learning to walk for the first time.
When he returned, the old people within the caves were still there. There wasn't much they could do. Escape was not an option for any of them.
"Grab the babies, We are leaving this place," Li Huowang ordered in a cold tone.
At this point, the remaining old people did as they were told. None of them dared to say anything as they saw the blood that was still dripping down from Li Huowang's body.
The reason they all sought the Water Son, even if they knew that they were being lied to, was because they didn't want to die.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang counted the babies and saw that only thirty-one of them had survived. There should have been more of them, but some of them were killed in the battle just now.
After counting the number of babies, Li Huowang carried one of them with one arm as he led the old people to slowly follow him toward the entrance of the cave.
However, just as they were about to exit the cave, the headless Daoist Human Xiao once again started to move.
Seeing this, Li Huowang instantly placed down the baby in his arm and pulled out the bronze coin sword, its tip aimed at the headless Daoist Human Xiao.
When he saw that the Daoist Human Xiao was trying to retrieve something from its clothes, Li Huowang directly cut off the arm in a single slash.
The arm flew into the air and fell, releasing the pouch in its grasp. At the same time, several lifespan pills wrapped in black talismans scattered into the semi-coagulated blood pool.
"Lifespan pills?" Li Huowang was surprised as he inspected some of them with his sword.
What was it trying to do? Was it trying to beg for mercy using the lifespan pills?
The headless Daoist Human Xiao once again started to move. This time, it raised its other arm and pushed the lifespan pills toward Li Huowang.
After it did that, its body stopped moving completely.
Li Huowang counted up and found that there were a total of seventy-nine lifespan pills. If one were to eat all of them, then they could probably live long enough to turn into a Human Xiao.
Chapter 326 - Good News
As Li Huowang looked at the seventy-nine lifespan pills, he felt his heart pounding uncontrollably.
Why did it give these pills to me?
Maybe it wanted him to eat the pills, or maybe it was trying to explain how it became a Human Xiao.
But at this point, the Daoist Human Xiao was dead and so this question would remain unanswered. After all, the dead couldn't be revived.[1]
After hesitating for a moment, Li Huowang decided to cut the Daoist Human Xiao's body into eight pieces to prevent it from moving, just to be safe.
Then, he picked up the lifespan pills and placed them all into his gourd.
Once he was done with all this, he turned toward the frightened old people and shouted, "Move! Don't stop moving!"
While these old people did look miserable, when he thought about how they were in cahoots with the Human Xiaos, Li Huowang had no intention of being kind to them. In fact, he would've killed all of them if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't carry so many babies out by himself.
They continued to move slowly before finally exiting the cave the babies were being held in.
After that, Li Huowang searched the entire cave system. He wanted to remove any and all possible threats.
If they are using babies to refine pills, then they must've had books, recipes, or some notes somewhere.
Li Huowang wouldn't be able to rest unless he destroyed those books, lest someone else find them and start learning from the same recipes once again.
Li Huowang searched the entire area and found something useful. It was a furnace the size of a watermelon that was placed beside a larger furnace.
There were several corpses of babies beside the furnaces. It was clear this was where the Human Xiaos refined their pills. But different from Dan Yangzi, they deboned the babies before refining the pills.
As he looked at the furnace, Li Huowang had an idea. He would finally be able to use the pill recipes he had learned from Dan Yangzi. With this, he would finally be able to replenish his stock of pills .
After searching for a while, Li Huowang then found several books written in a strange language.
Since Li Huowang could not decipher the language written by the Human Xiaos, he decided to directly burn all of them down without even trying to confirm if there were any recipes that were using babies written in them.
After that, he once again looked around, only to find a gray stone slab. Li Huowang was quite perplexed as he looked at the strange object.
"The sacred text? Why is it here? Where did it come from and why is it so proliferant?" Li Huowang grabbed the heavy stone slab as he thought about it.
"Did the Human Xiaos learn the recipe to refine pills using babies from reading the sacred text?" guessed Li Huowang.
He read through the text on the stone slab, and found that it was exactly the same as the one he had found back in Dan Yangzi's chambers. The contents were still asking the readers to be kind to others.
"Do you know anything about this?" Li Huowang turned around and asked Hong Zhong who had been hiding himself.
Faced with the sudden question, Hong Zhong smiled mysteriously and shook his head. "Hoho, I don't know. I don't know anything."
Hearing his reply, Li Huowang directly threw away the sacred text into the underground river, instantly causing Hong Zhong to start panicking.
"Hey! What are you doing? It might be something valuable! Quickly, pick it up!" said Hong Zhong anxiously.
"Since you think it's a treasure, you can go and pick it up yourself," said Li Huowang as he picked up the crying baby and approached the boat he had used to come in here.
The boat was quite small, and he had to row against the current. Due to this, it took him several trips before he was finally able to get everyone to the river bank.
When Li Huowang brought the group of old people and the babies back to Cangshui County, the entire town exploded in a flurry of activities.
While Li Huowang did look quite monstrous due to his wounds, none of them paid any attention to him. All their attention was focused on the babies on the ground. Among them, the families who had lost their babies were at the forefront.
The families who found their babies all kneeled in front of Li Huowang and thanked him profusely, while those who didn't see their babies started crying loudly on the ground.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Lou and the other officials all bowed to Li Huowang out of respect. "Thank you! Thank you, my Lord! You are the biggest benefactor of Cangshui County."
"Don't get too happy yet. We still have things to discuss," said Li Huowang as he told the man about the old people and their actions.
"What? You mean they were helping the evil beings?" asked Magistrate Lou.
Magistrate Lou was shocked. He had originally thought that Li Huowang had rescued them from the evil beings.
"What is their punishment according to the laws of the Liang Kingdom?" asked Li Huowang as he looked at the old people who stood there silently.
"Dismemberment!" replied Magistrate Lou, his eyes cold.
"Oh? Is the punishment that harsh? Since they are already so old, wouldn't it be better to just cut off their heads?" asked Li Huowang.
Hearing this, Magistrate Lou disagreed with him for the first time. "My Lord, we can't do that. A person's age and the crime they commit have no relation at all. If we spare them due to their age, won't the babies who were killed be even angrier down on the Yellow Spring Road[2]?"
Li Huowang thought about it for a moment and agreed. "You are right. Then I will leave it to you. It's time for me to go."
However, Magistrate Lou held him back. "My Lord, why are you in such a rush? Please give us a chance to serve you before sending you off."
When Li Huowang looked at his tattered and bloodstained clothes, he nodded. "Sure. I haven't slept in two days. I will go and rest first. Help me prepare some clothes."
Li Huowang fell asleep the moment he reached his inn. Even the pain he was experiencing was not enough to win against his fatigue.
He didn't know how long he passed out before finally waking up from hunger. He rubbed his eyes and saw that it was still sunny outside. He just wasn't sure what day it was.
"Daoist, you've been asleep for an entire day and night. Magistrate Lou came by to see you, but returned when he saw that you were still asleep," said Monk.
Li Huowang looked at the smiling Monk. "You seem to be happy."
"Of course! We did good deeds together, and it's very meritorious indeed! Shouldn't we be happy?" asked Monk.
"We should. We should," replied Li Huowang lazily as he endured the pain and sat up. Then, he changed out of his disgusting clothes and wore some new ones.
Magistrate Lou had placed quite some thought into it and prepared a set of clothes that was identical to the ones that Li Huowang was originally wearing. He even dyed the Daoist robe in the same dark red shade.
In fact, there were five new sets of Daoist Robes.
"Hoho, Magistrate Lou sure is generous," commented Li Huowang as he wore his clothes.
After wearing his clothes, Li Huowang left the inn through the back exit and went to the stables.
"Daoist, they wanted to treat you to a meal. Are you sure you don't want it?" asked Monk.
"No. It's a waste of time. Since the mission is over, we need to quickly head back to Yinling City now. It's a long journey." To Li Huowang, completing the mission was his priority.
However, when he entered the stable, he was shocked to see what had happened to his horse carriage.
At this moment, his carriage had been thoroughly cleaned. There was not even a speck of mud on the wheels. Even his horse had been groomed, its mane looking neat and tidy.
At the same time, various types of preserved meats and food had been placed all around the carriage. Bun was seated in the middle of all the food while munching on a bone.
"Woof woof!"
Bun excitedly greeted its master and wagged its tail. Li Huowang hadn't seen Bun in a few days and somehow had a feeling that the dog had grown fat.
Meanwhile, Monk smiled again and said, "Daoist, look. This is what I meant when I said that good people often have good karma."
1. except for MC apparently ?
2. In Chinese folklore, it's a passage where all the dead have to pass to reach the Gates of Hell. ?
Chapter 327 - Noodles
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The rhythmic sound of the horses galloping accompanied the departure of Li Huowang's horse carriage from Cangshui County.
In the carriage, alongside the Black Taisui were numerous dry goods. As they traveled, Li Huowang took out a dried date and savored it slowly.
"Is it sweet?" asked Monk as he leaned in.
"Yes," replied Li Huowang as he chewed on a cluster of walnuts that he took out. Then he asked, "Do you think they are happy now?"
"Surely they are. If they weren't, would they have bought all these things for you?" replied Monk.
"It's good that they're happy. This world is too painful. If you can be happy then you should just cherish that happiness."
Li Huowang muttered to himself as he acknowledged his own struggles between the pain and suppressing his hallucinations. Yet, the feeling of helping others escape from situations similar to his own didn't seem all that bad either.
Hearing something stir beside him, Li Huowang turned his head and saw Bun wagging its tail. The dog used its paws to pull at the basket, and then buried its entire head in to busily munch on something.
Li Huowang used his fingers to grab the loose skin on Bun's neck and tossed it onto the nearby dirt road. "Get down and start running. If you keep eating like this every day, then you will end up like a grown pig ready for slaughter!"
Bun let out a low whimper, expressing its discontent. However, seeing that Li Huowang didn't care for its opinion, it quickly moved its paws and started running alongside the carriage.
The dirt road seemed to stretch on endlessly. Thus, Li Huowang released his grip on the reins, letting the horse move forward on its own.
Unlike cars, horse carriage did not need to be watched all the time. Horses were smart creatures, and they knew how to avoid danger and stop at crossroads.
With his hands now free, Li Huowang took out an enlightenment book from his pocket. As he touched his stomach, the Black Taisui inside immediately stirred. Then, a black tentacle emerged from his belly button before entwining itself around his finger.
He bowed his head and watched the tentacle, all the while contemplating something. After his past few experiences, his aversion toward the Black Taisui had diminished quite a bit. The fact that it intervened when he was on the verge of self-destruction and extended a helping hand in critical moments made having such a thing around quite beneficial. Of course, it would be even better if it wasn't constantly trying to take over his body.
When his thoughts reached this point, Li Huowang paused and removed the earplug from his right ear. With this, the clattering sounds amidst the piercing noise instantly became clear.
"Earlier, eat, hungry, I help you."
"I know you helped me, so don't keep bringing it up all the time. Now, be quiet," said Li Huowang.
Just as Li Huowang finished speaking, the Black Taisui's voice softened, "Okay... Hungry? Eat."
"No eating. You should study and read. Your sentences are all so confusing. There is still lots for you to learn."
After that, Li Huowang held the enlightenment book in his hands, and began to read it word by word. He didn't know how much of it the Black Taisui in his stomach could absorb. However, the smoother their conversation flowed, the better it would likely be for him.
As he continued reading, a new tentacle extended from inside Li Huowang's belly button. A pair of eyeballs were entwined at the tip of this tentacle. The pair of eyes twisted and turned, looking at everything around it. It observed slowly, yet with intense focus. It was clear that it was brimming with curiosity.
Sensing the gaze from the two eyeballs, Li Huowang paused and reached out to grab them. As he carefully examined them, he pointed at one of them and asked, "Hong Zhong, isn't this your eyeball? Why wasn't it digested by the Black Taisui?"
Hong Zhong, who hadn't made an appearance in a long time, rose from beneath the turning wheel. "This thing is quite a treasure. I went to great lengths to deceive someone and acquire it back then."
"Another treasure? This wasn't your original eyeball?" asked Li Huowang.
"Of course not. Why don't you guess where I got this thing from?" asked Hong Zhong with a proud smile.
Li Huowang cast a brief glance at Hong Zhong, dismissing the matter entirely. Then, he nonchalantly placed the eyeball back into the Black Taisui's tentacle and continued reading.
Unaffected by Hong Zhong's enticements, Li Huowang chose to not delve any further into the conversation. Through their ongoing interactions, it seemed that he had learned how to navigate through the intricacies of the Sitting Oblivion Dao's tactics.
As he continued teaching, time gradually passed, and it was soon mid-day. Along the roadside, he found a makeshift stall that offered a place for weary travelers to rest. At this moment, several wooden tables were occupied by people who were ravenously devouring bowls of noodles.
Li Huowang pondered for a moment, and then pulled the reins to bring the carriage to a halt. He then walked over to the stall with Bun by his side.
"Sir, what can I get you?" The stall owner, a man with a small mustache, asked with a hint of caution when he caught a whiff of the extremely strong scent of blood coming from Li Huowang.
"What is there to eat? Just bring me something," asked Li Huowang. With readily available food, he had no need to use up his dry rations. Moreover, the taste of dry rations wouldn't quite measure up, since they were made to have an extended shelf life.
"Why don't you take a seat first and enjoy some herbal tea? I'll get your order ready right away!" The mustached stall owner made his way to the stove, deciding to assist his pregnant wife in the bustling kitchen.
Hearing this, Li Huowang sat down and grabbed the teapot filled with herbal tea and poured some over for Bun, who was sticking out its tongue beside him. After he saw the dog drinking the drink without any reaction, Li Huowang poured a bowl of tea for himself.
Although this place wasn't that far from Cangshui County, Li Huowang was still cautious. He could never be too careful, and he certainly didn't want any unpleasant surprises.
Now that I have a furnace, the next step is to find some ingredients. The pharmacies in Yinling City should have them. If not, then I can just ask Tuoba Danqing.
Just as Li Huowang was pondering over these matters, he saw the mustached man approaching him with a bowl of noodles in hand.
"Sir, your noodles are ready."
A steaming bowl was brought in front of Li Huowang, featuring a mixture of various animal parts, wild vegetables, and dried radishes. Combined together, these ingredients emitted a surprisingly delightful aroma.
After Bun had its share, Li Huowang too started devouring the meal. The stall served a blend of different types of wide noodles, giving the dish a hearty and satisfying chew.
With Li Huowang being the only customer, the stall owner didn't have much else to do. Thus, he supported his wife and sat down at a far corner. With his keen hearing, every detail of their conversation could be heard by Li Huowang quite clearly.
"Darling, you should take a break! Don't tire out our child."
"Er Lang, don't just worry about me. There aren't many customers right now, and so you should also go take a break and grab a bite to eat."
"Hehe, I'm not in a hurry. As long as I'm with our child, I don't feel the slightest bit hungry."
The stall owner crouched down and carefully caressed his wife's belly and softly whispered, "My child, can you hear me? I'm your daddy. Come on, be good, say 'daddy'."
In response, the pregnant lady displayed playful annoyance and gently pinched the stall owner's arm. "What nonsense are you talking about? Which child can speak before being born? Sometimes you are so silly."
"Don't interrupt me. I'm having a conversation with our child. The fortune teller said that chatting more with our kid now will set him up for a better future!"
With that, he crouched down, placed his ear against his wife's protruding belly, and spoke lovingly, "My child, can you hear me? I'm your daddy. Go ahead, say 'daddy'."
Just as the stall owner's words faded, a muffled voice, akin to distant thunder, echoed within Li Huowang's ears. "Daddy..."
Chapter 328 - Mid-Autumn
Whoosh!
Li Huowang was so frightened that he abruptly stood up, and then took a few steps back.
The sound of the stool being overturned immediately caught the attention of the stall owner, causing him to approach cautiously. "Dear customer, what's the matter? Were the noodles not tasty or was the soup not to your liking? Shall I get you another bowl?"
However, Li Huowang just glanced at him with an ugly expression, and then at his pregnant wife. Then, without a single word, he threw down a piece of silver and boarded his carriage before hastily leaving.
"Sir, you've paid too much. A bowl of noodles doesn't cost this much!" called out the stall owner.
However, the stall owner's voice only seemed to make the carriage leave even faster.
On the speeding carriage, Li Huowang had a strange look on his face as he clutched his stomach.
What's going on? Did Black Taisui just repeat that phrase by copying what that man was saying, or does it really think that I'm its father?
Previously, he had always believed that the Black Taisui, like Dan Yangzi from before, existed solely to take over other people's bodies.
However, recent events seemed to indicate that it was not like that.
"Daddy?"
The voice rang out again, only to be met with Li Huowang's immediate rebuttal. "Don't call me Daddy!"
"Why?"
Black Taisui's words momentarily left Li Huowang speechless. However, after some thought, he regained his composure.
Why couldn't it call him that? This matter might not necessarily be bad for him.
——————————————
The crowing of a rooster woke up Yang Xiaohai. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. He still found living alone in a room to be a bit challenging to adapt to.
In the first few days, he couldn't sleep well without the smell of his Senior Cao Cao's stinky feet.
Yang Xiaohai got up and started to stretch lazily before putting on his clothes.
At his age, as he grew day by day, and so the Daoist robes he wore before had obviously become too short for him to fit.
Faced with the cold morning wind, Yang Xiaohai, shrunk his neck downward and walked toward the kitchen.
Living in Cowheart Village was much better than staying outside. There was a well in the courtyard across from the kitchen, making it quite convenient for all of them to wash their clothes and dishes without having to fetch water early in the morning.
After heating up some water and putting the soaked rice on the stove, Yang Xiaohai started to cook porridge in a practiced fashion.
Although porridge was a simple dish, the way it was made mattered. If cooked slowly and carefully, then the rice oil would emerge from within and give the whole dish a unique flavor.
Yang Xiaohai opened the jar of pickled vegetables, and then picked some of them out with his chopsticks and began to cut them into strips on the cutting board.
The focused Yang Xiaohai was interrupted by a set of footsteps. He looked up and saw that it was the plump lady.
"Little fellow, you're up so early again today," said the plump woman as she held a new set of men's clothes in her arms.
"Bring out the leftover tofu from last night, and have it with the porridge," Yang Xiaohai told her. As said this, he couldn't help but feel emotional; their days were now so good that they even had leftovers.
"Okay," replied the woman as she obediently followed the instructions.
After the porridge and vegetables were prepared, the rest of them also came to the hall for their meal.
At this point, Li Huowang had been gone for a long time, and everyone here had already grown accustomed to it. Even so, all of them felt a little empty in their hearts; since they had nobody ordering them around, it was as though they had lost their backbone.
None of them bore a grudge against him for the hurtful words from before. After all, they had gone through life and death together, and their wills had grown stronger. Even if Li Huowang were to scold them for an entire night, they would just laugh and brush it off.
But they were not blind, and they all could tell that Li Huowang had left.
At the same time, Bai Lingmiao hadn't revealed a single smile ever since his departure, and her approachable aura had also waned considerably. It seemed like she had become a block of ice that repelled people.
Chun Xiaoman sighed, then picked up a piece of vegetable with her chopsticks and placed it into Bai Lingmiao's bowl. She had been accompanying her to sleep all this while, just in case she had any thoughts about trying to harm herself.
Bai Lingmiao picked up the piece of vegetable and gnawed on it.
"That, Miss Bai."
Lu Zhuangyuan's words caused Bai Lingmiao to look over as she blinked and asked, "Troupe Leader Lu, what's the matter?"
"You see, we've already rested here for such a long time. I feel that the Lu Family Troupe can begin to work now. Since the farmers finished harvesting during autumn, they will now be preparing for winter, and would thus be free to watch our show."
"Alright, but since it's the Mid-Autumn Festival now, how about we leave after that?" suggested Bai Lingmiao.
Hearing this, Troupe Leader Lu nodded awkwardly, "That's alright."
Originally, he had wanted to use this opportunity to bring his family out so that they could be exempted from having to awkwardly continue living in this village. However, since the other party had already stated so, they could only follow.
It had already been so long, and he had already made his inquiries. He knew that this girl's entire family had died, and that it wouldn't be a pleasant Mid-Autumn festival for her.
"I'll make the mooncakes!" Yang Xiaohai volunteered bravely. "Back then, that Baldy used to have us make mooncakes for every Mid-Autumn Festival. At that time, among the assistants, I was the one who made them the fastest and the best!"
Seeing Chun Xiaoman glance at him, Yang Xiaohai paused, and then quickly sat back down as he continued with his breakfast.
After the meal, Yang Xiaohai took out the mooncake mold. They could only get this thanks to the Bai Village having whatever they needed, otherwise it was not something that could be acquired so easily.
Meanwhile, Puppy pretended to peer out from the kitchen. "Xiaohai, do you need my help?"
"No, I can manage on my own."
"Alright, then I'll wait to eat it at night. In the meantime, I'll bring Gao Zhijian to tile up the kiln," said Puppy.
All of them hustled and bustled for the entire day. As night fell, the bright moon hung high in the sky. Pastries and snacks were bought from the traveling merchant, while mooncakes were stacked on the table.
Wine was definitely needed while appreciating the moon. Thus, a bottle of cellar wine was also brought out.
Bai Lingmiao was seated at the main seat as she raised her glass to toast the others. "A full moon, and a table full of people. May all things go well for us. I wish each and every one of you peace and prosperity!"
Everyone looked around and raised their glasses as they mumbled back unclearly.
After downing her wine, Bai Lingmiao's eyes were a little red as she said, "Come, don't just drink. Let's have some mooncakes too. Junior Yang's mooncakes look quite great. They must be very delicious!"
As she spoke, she picked up a piece of mooncake and started gnawing on it.
As she looked at their cautious expressions, Bai Lingmiao suddenly burst out laughing and said, "Look at how forgetful I am becoming. I didn't even change the offerings in the ancestral hall for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Everyone, please enjoy the food. I'll return shortly after changing them."
Then, she picked up a stack of mooncakes before heading toward the Bai Family's ancestral hall.
After she left, the rest were finally able to relax. Puppy even tugged at his sleeves and commented, "Ah, this is rather unbearable."
"You guys eat first. I'll go check on her," said Chun Xiaoman as she followed after her.
However, Gao Zhijian held her hand and shook his head slightly, "Let... let her... be alone... for a while!"
Meanwhile, Bai Lingmiao placed the mooncakes before the ancestral tablets and said, "Everyone, please have the mooncakes. These mooncakes that were made by Junior Yang are pretty good."
All these ancestral tablets were new and placed neatly quite neatly. All of them belonged to the various members of the Bai Village, be it male, female, young, or old. The white characters that marked the black tablets formed a massive black wall that bore down on the last descendant of the Bai family with a sense of oppression.
Chapter 329 - One Family
"Dad, this is the lotus seed paste mooncake. I remember that you love lotus seed paste the most," said Bai Lingmiao as she deliberately took a mooncake with a red seal atop, and tiptoed to place it before one specific ancestral tablet.
"Brother, you like red bean paste, right? We couldn't find any in the village, so try this sesame one instead. It tastes pretty good too."
After distributing some of the mooncakes, Bai Lingmiao once again lit three incense sticks. Then, she knelt on the ground and bowed toward the ancestral tablet before placing down the remaining mooncakes.
A faint scent of smoke drifted before the ancestral tablets as the scent of incense once again filled the Bai family's ancestral hall.
After that Bai Lingmiao looked up at the black wall, seemingly lost in thought. After a long time, a faint smile appeared on her face. "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. Let me accompany you all for tonight."
Then, she picked up a piece of mooncake from the plate and took two steps forward to sit on the steps of the ancestral hall. She gazed at the bright moon in the sky while nibbling on the mooncake.
As she was eating, a figure appeared beside her. Bai Lingmiao extended her hand, sending a piece of the mooncake inside the Second Deity's veil. Then, she gently leaned her head to the left, resting on her red silk robe.
Just like that, two women with identical heads silently leaned against each other on the steps outside the Bai family ancestral hall, eating the same mooncake and appreciating the same round moon in the sky.
Suddenly, a fire lit up in the distance. Bai Lingmiao stood up and looked at the makeshift earthen kiln that was built with tiles and stones.
The kiln was very tall, much taller than the other buildings in Cowheart Village. Soon, the flames soared and enveloped the kiln like a giant bonfire.
Puppy was standing on a roof nearby, while making strange noises and taking various old clothes before throwing them into the fire.
Mid-Autumn Festival often meant lighting up the earthen kiln. Bai Lingmiao recalled that every year was the same, and that it was usually only done by the males in the village, and the girls didn't particularly like it.
As Bai Lingmiao watched the roaring flames in the distance, she was reminded of her troublesome younger brother. As the elder sister, she had been responsible for taking care of him, especially since her parents were always busy. Thus, she had personally watched as the infant in the cradle slowly grew into an active, young boy.
However, one day, everything suddenly came to a halt.
As her longing for her family reached its peak, she trembled and reached toward the drum hanging at her waist, and then began to beat it.
Dong dong dong~
The rhythmic drum beats slowly echoed in the quiet village.
Bai Lingmiao hesitated for a moment, but then, with a trembling voice, started to sing. At the same time, the tears she had been holding back all night finally began to flow.
She used her deeply sorrowful voice to sing a tragic tune from the Bei Family. Even the surroundings seemed to be trembling with her singing.
"Cold wind ah~ smoke and soul~ Wu wu..."
At that moment, as she resonated with the lyrics, she finally realized the profound emotions required for one to sing this tune. Previously, she had just been following along under the coercion of the Immortal families, but now, she suddenly felt a deeper sense of understanding and connection.
Only when enough of one's family members had died, would one be able understand the feelings needed to sing this song.
As she sang, she found that her emotions had affected the Immortal families. This feeling was rather unique. It could even be said that in regard to this piece of the Bei Family, Bai Lingmiao was even more well versed than Li Zhi from back then.
However, this was a price that she didn't want to pay.
The drumbeats continued, followed by the rhythmic and desolate chants.
"Smoke and souls~ Three realms above ground for the living, wu wu wu... three cities in the underworld for the smoke and souls ah~"
"They say the heavens cover the treasure, and the earth turns into a pond~ People are like fish in the muddy waters of the three realms~ Wu wu..."
"Muddling through one moment leads to another, muddling through two moments leads to one less..."
This time, the Second Deity just watched Bai Lingmiao from the side. As she sang the tune to summon souls, gusts of cold wind blew past the Bai family's ancestral hall. It blew past the Second Diety's red veil, and then finally extinguished the lantern before beginning to revolve around Bai Lingmiao.
As though she had sensed something, Bai Lingmiao almost could not continue on anymore. But she finally gritted her teeth and firmly continued to beat the drum hanging on her waist.
"Hearing the smoke and the souls shed tears of sorrow~ The heart seems to taste the bitter yellow lotus~ Unjust grievances with nowhere to appeal, there's nowhere to cry out for such justice..." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
As the drum beats and the chanting continued, the cold winds slowly grew stronger, and the ancestral tablets inside the hall started to shake vigorously. The roof tiles also started to shake, making it look like the entire ancestral hall had come to life.
As the singing continued, a gust of wind gently blew past the hem of the Second Deity's skirt and into the blood-red veil.
At that moment, a sudden charred smell started emanating from the Second Deity as she shivered and raised both her hands before sluggishly leaning toward Bai Lingmiao. "Daughter.."
When she heard this voice, Bai Lingmiao's heart froze. Immediately, she reached out with both her hands and called out, "Mother!"
When she touched the Second Deity, Bai Lingmiao seemed to find her support again as she poured out everything that was accumulated in her heart. She closed her eyes and spoke for a long time, but received no response until she stopped.
When she finally opened her flushed-red eyes and looked toward the Second Deity's red veil, she only received a disappointing result; she realized that the moment she had stopped singing, her mother was already gone.
"Did my mother say anything before she left?" Bai Lingmiao asked gently.
The Second Deity stared at Bai Lingmiao through the red veil for a long time, and then finally said, "She... is not your mother."
"No, she is my mother! My father and grandfather also returned! They are all blaming me!" Bai Lingmiao denied loudly.
The Second Deity did not speak any further, and only spread her arms to embrace Bai Lingmiao. She lowered her body and picked Bai Lingmiao up as she gently swayed her.
Bai Lingmiao kept her eyes open as she swayed gently. She silently looked toward the roof of the ancestral hall, seemingly contemplating something.
By this point, the earthen kiln outside had already been extinguished. The two of them just continued silently sitting in the dark ancestral hall.
"If I leave, can you accompany Senior Li? He cannot have nobody around him," Bai Lingmiao suddenly said.
However, the Second Deity only continued to hold onto her and did not react.
"Sorry, but I really can't hold on anymore. I can't do anything, and I can't even avenge my family!" said Bai Lingmiao, tears streaming down her face. Then, she broke free of the Second Deity's embrace and took out a rope that she had prepared earlier.
She walked to the center of the ancestral hall, then threw the rope toward the roof beams and started to tie a knot.
Seeing this, the Second Deity stood up as well, walking up to Bai Lingmiao as she held her slender legs to assist her in completing the following steps.
When the Second Deity gently let go and took a step back, the rope tightened with a creaking sound, followed by the uncontrollable sounds of a person wheezing.
However, the Second Deity just ignored those sounds, and silently returned to sit at the steps in front of the ancestral hall as she continued to gaze at the full moon in the sky.
Behind the red veil were Bai Lingmiao's gently swaying white shoes. And behind those white shoes was a densely packed wall of pitch-black ancestral tablets for the deceased.