Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 113
>Chapter Title: On the Road
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> “Heavenly Book, Dao bell, gourd.” Inside Peaceful Mercy Nunnery, Li Huowang took stock of the items he had previously left in the nuns’ care.
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>> Since he was going to seek out the Ao Jing cult, he naturally couldn’t leave these things and his suicide note here. They might come in handy on the road.
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>> At this moment, Li Huowang truly felt like he was in a dream. There was actually a way to deal with Danyangzi, even if that method was probably extremely slim.
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>> Just as he was about to pick up these items and leave, Li Huowang noticed some changes in his belongings.
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>> “These are… tooth marks?” Li Huowang ran his hand along one corner of the Heavenly Book and looked puzzled at Miaoxin beside him.
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>> The fat nun, who had been gorging herself, immediately looked guilty and glanced obliquely up at the rafters.
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>> “Master Miaoxin, you’ve even gnawed tooth marks into it. Did you figure out what this Heavenly Book is? Honestly, if you help me make sense of it, I’ll have to thank you.”
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>> “No, it wasn’t me who gnawed it. The tooth marks were already there. We at Peaceful Mercy Nunnery have helped you so much—don’t you go falsely accusing good people.”
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>> Seeing her clumsy attempt at lying, Li Huowang shook his head helplessly.
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>> Next, he picked up the gourd and shook it. It was empty inside—the yangshou pill that had been in there was gone. Li Huowang glanced once more at the fat nun beside him.
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>> At that moment, she buried her head even deeper into the food and shoveled it into her mouth with big bites.
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>> For some unknown reason, even though his things had been stolen, Li Huowang felt not the slightest bit of surprise.
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>> He really shouldn’t have thought to entrust his belongings to these nuns steeped in greed. He should have expected an outcome like this.
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>> Li Huowang slung the three items onto his back. With a trace of helplessness on his face, he patted the fat nun’s fleshy shoulder.
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>> “Master Miaoxin, farewell until fate brings us together again.”
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>> He turned and headed for the door. But just as he reached it, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the nun behind him.
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>> The moment he turned, he caught the nun—who had been sneaking peeks at him—shoving her head into the food.
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>> Seeing Li Huowang slowly walk up to her as if to speak, Miaoguo spoke first, her tone utterly frank.
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>> “I ate that thing. Didn’t taste great. If you’ve got the guts, go tattle on me to the Abbess!”
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>> Looking at the nun before him, utterly shameless like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, Li Huowang smiled.
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>> “Don’t think I’m that petty. I came back to ask you something. Do you know about the Ao Jing cult?”
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>> She chewed the remnants of food in her mouth. Miaoxin’s expression grew puzzled.
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>> “Didn’t I tell you the Ao Jing cult’s Cross Temples are all in the big mountains to the west? I gave you every last detail on the area—just go find them yourself.”
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>> Li Huowang shook his head.
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>> “I’m not asking about the location. I want to know what kind of cult the Ao Jing cult is. What’s their background? What kind of people are they?”
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>> Hearing this, the round-faced Miaoyin scrunched up her features, looking for all the world like a steamed bun.
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>> “You’ve even got the Great Thousand Records, and you don’t know what those freaks are? Put simply, they’re a bunch of weirdos.”
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>> “Weirdos? Weirder than you lot? Hahaha.” At this, Li Huowang couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
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>> A trace of displeasure crossed Miaoxin’s face.
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>> “I’m not joking with you! Those guys are freaky weird. You’ve used the Great Thousand Records, so you must know a bit about their cultivation techniques.”
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>> “Those guys don’t sit in meditation or chant sutras. They don’t cultivate techniques like others do. They like to torment themselves—they say it pleases their Ox God.”
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>> “Ox God? Isn’t it Ba Hui? Or does the thing have two names?” Li Huowang was surprised by the name of what she called their god.
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>> “Call it whatever. Anyway, those people like wearing tall hats and big robes—all to hide the wounds on their bodies. Last time, I saw one who didn’t even have any skin left.”
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>> “Though the Abbess gave you a letter written on her own skin, they might not give her any face. Watch yourself—we’ve got bad blood with them.”
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>> Li Huowang had only asked offhand, never expecting to actually learn some details.
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>> “What bad blood?”
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>> “Isn’t it on account of the Abbess’s son? They like grabbing purehearts too—don’t know what for. Anyway, after the Abbess got her son back from them, he went completely insane.”
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>> After saying this, Miaoxin looked Li Huowang up and down, shaking her head and clucking her tongue in pity.
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>> “Tsk tsk tsk. Almost forgot for a second—you’re a pureheart too. It’s dangerous for you to go there.”
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>> “Sister, you think I want to? Problem is, I don’t have a choice.”
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>> With a trace of emotion in his voice, Li Huowang finished speaking and turned toward Peaceful Mercy Nunnery’s mountain gate.
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>> After Li Huowang left, Miaoyin sat there continuing to wolf down her food, muttering to herself as she ate.
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>> “He was full of suicidal intent when he wrote that suicide note. How’d he flip so fast and rush off to find the Ao Jing cult? Did one of you pluck his heartstrings?”
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>> “I’m too lazy to pluck a pureheart’s strings—don’t go driving yourself mad. Bet it was Abbess Jingxin’s doing.”
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>> “Oh~ So that’s how it is.” Various different voices rose and fell in Miaoxin’s head.
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>> ——————————————
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>> Lv Zhuangyuan led the Lv Family Troupe along the road, his cheeks hugely swollen. Gray-headed and dirt-faced didn’t do justice to their current state—ragged and tattered fit better. Everyone’s faces looked awful.
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>> Lv Zhuangyuan’s wife on the carriage hugged her daughter tight at that moment, sprawled over a wooden chest and sobbing her heart out.
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>> The polished-bright tobacco pipe sliced forcefully through an arc in the air.
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>> “Cry! All you know how to do is cry! How many days you been crying? Told you to smear soot on your face, but no! Those big-headed soldiers looted all my silver! Did I cry? Huh? All that silver of mine ain’t as important as your purity?”
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>> “Dad, I beg you, stop!” Lv Juren’s eyes were red, his face full of pent-up grievance, anger with nowhere to vent.
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>> Seeing his son like this, Lv Zhuangyuan let out a deep sigh.
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>> “Don’t worry, they didn’t get all the money. This old man ain’t good for much, but hiding cash is my specialty. Those soldiers found at most two spots—three more they missed.”
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>> As Lv Zhuangyuan spoke, he pulled the copper key from his waist and unlocked the large wooden chest on the carriage once more.
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>> His hands, thick with calluses, groped around before fishing out several pieces of silver of varying sizes from a hidden compartment.
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>> He selected a chunk of broken silver a bit bigger than a soybean and tossed it reluctantly onto his daughter-in-law.
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>> “The Lv family’s done you wrong. Take it. When we hit the market town, buy whatever you want.”
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>> Luo Jinhua, who’d just been weeping pitifully, beamed with joy the moment she touched the silver. She carefully slipped it into her little pouch.
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>> “It’s not for me to use. I’m saving it as dowry for Xiuer.”
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>> Lv Zhuangyuan saw it all but said nothing. Every time his daughter-in-law felt wronged, she pulled this act—wouldn’t quit till she wheedled something out of it. He’d seen it all before.
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>> (End of chapter)