Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 209
>Chapter Title: Danger
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When that jar doll saw Li Huowang standing before it like a mountain, a mix of surprise and fear twisted across its face smeared with white powder.
“You know fear after all!”
With a sharp “clang,” the longsword unsheathed, slashing down amid surging killing intent.
Amid the sound of shattering ceramic, the two dolls were instantly decapitated.
What splattered from their pale insides was not blood, but some kind of grayish-brown powder.
Mixed in were shards of white bone—bone ashes. These two dolls had been molded from bone ashes!
“Something’s off. These don’t look like wild evil beings.”
Li Huowang eyed the clear finger marks on the ceramic jars inside, thinking to himself.
“Shh~” The sound of bamboo leaves rustling against paper jolted Li Huowang to his feet.
His face turned ghastly in an instant. This time, it wasn’t just two gazes.
Countless gazes shot toward him from all directions. He was surrounded.
Soon, Li Huowang spotted them—things draped in paper burial clothes.
They had no faces, just white porcelain jars atop their heads.
Strips of red paper with writing clung to the pallid jars, staring at Li Huowang like eyes.
Their forms flickered in and out amid the dark bamboo grove.
They were moving, though Li Huowang saw no motion.
Yet they were indeed closing in, somehow imperceptibly.
With a “whoosh,” the *Great Thousand Record* unfurled rapidly on the ground as Li Huowang gripped his pliers, ready to jam them into his mouth.
Just then, something red swayed into view, blocking Li Huowang’s sight.
The red thing resembled a yellow talisman from a zombie flick, now stuck to Li Huowang’s forehead.
Li Huowang yanked it off and stared in shock at the wide red paper strip. Written on it: *Deceased Husband: Position of Li Huowang*.
As he read the words, Li Huowang’s mind flooded with chaotic information.
“They’re assimilating me? Am I turning into one of them? Who are they? No! I think I heard about them back at Clear Wind Temple.”
In a flash, a name surfaced in his mind. “Great Matron! They’re Great Matrons!”
Almost instantly, Li Huowang raised the pliers again. But this time, he aimed not at his teeth, but his left eye.
With a “pop,” the eyeball burst, and an eerie glow enveloped the surroundings. The Great Matrons nearby were outlined in a sticky, hazy aura.
All the gazes vanished in that moment.
Seizing the chance, Li Huowang charged forward, back to the roadside.
The others by the road clearly hadn’t grasped what happened, standing around yawning boredly.
“Run! Get out of this bamboo grove! It’s dangerous here!”
Perhaps due to the intimidation of Li Huowang’s mangled, bleeding left eye, no one questioned him. Dragging their weary bodies, they all bolted.
They ran without stopping. After bursting from the bamboo, grassland stretched ahead.
On the open plain, everyone fled for their lives until the distant horizon paled with dawn before halting.
Soaked in sweat, Jinshan Xun staggered and dumped his bamboo basket on the ground.
He collapsed, gasping huge breaths.
He grabbed a handful of tender grass, eyed it, then let it drop limply. Panting heavily, he said: “Ha... ha... Qing... We’re almost... ha... ha... We’re almost at Qingqiu... ha...”
Now, Li Huowang once more stood atop the ox-cart roof.
The vast openness gave him a distant view. His brow furrowed, his one good eye scanning everything.
If those mysterious Great Matrons could still catch up in terrain like this, Li Huowang would truly have to gamble everything against them.
Fortunately, as the sun climbed higher, its warm rays chased the chill from Li Huowang. No more gazes came.
And back in that bamboo grove, the Great Matrons were gone. Then a rock spoke.
“What now? This kid’s tough. Even the Great Matrons we lured couldn’t stop him. Should we head back to headquarters and call for backup?”
No sooner had the rock spoken than a nearby bamboo shoot replied: “Why bother? Peng Longteng’s looking for him anyway. Just tip her off, and we save ourselves the hassle.”
“True. If it goes wrong, pin it on her. If there’s credit, we three split it.”
After that, the rock and bamboo shoot fell silent.
That day, Li Huowang and the others rested there the whole time.
They had no choice—people aren’t made of iron.
Thankfully, nothing untoward happened during that stretch, aside from a few passersby on the road.
Bai Lingmiao sat curled on the ground, gazing tenderly at the sleeping Li Huowang.
Even in sleep, he wasn’t at peace, twisting his head slightly while muttering under his breath.
Her pale fingers reached toward the horrific bloody socket on his face. “Must hurt so much...”
With a “boom,” Li Huowang exploded awake from his dream, hands clamped around Bai Lingmiao’s slender neck, squeezing tight.
The sudden move scared cold sweats out of everyone, Li Huowang included.
Terrified, he released her at once, checked her over carefully, and found she wasn’t harmed. Only then did he pull her into his arms, hugging and kissing her.
“Senior Brother Li... Everyone’s watching...”
Li Huowang paused, still shaken. “From now on, stay away from me when I’m sleeping.”
“But... we’ve always slept together.”
“Listen, be good. I’m on edge lately. We’ll talk after this passes.”
“Alright. Oh, Senior Brother Li, your... eye.”
“It’s fine. Better this way—bigger change from before, easier to hide.”
After that, Li Huowang and the others trekked three days across the vast grassland. At noon on the third, they finally spotted the pass.
Calling it a pass was generous—just a low wall enclosing the place, with scant border troops slouched lazily against it.
“No surprise. Qingqiu and Later Shu are allied nations; they don’t guard so heavily against each other.”
Seeing Li Huowang’s puzzled look, Jinshan Xun kindly explained.
“Allies? Then those thief garrison troops won’t raid into Qingqiu?”
Li Huowang eyed the bustling street ahead as he asked.
“Impossible. Later Shu troops entering Qingqiu would be tantamount to mutual declaration of war—far graver than killing a few thousand.”
Hearing this eased Li Huowang’s mind somewhat.
A thought struck him, and he looked anew at the old man. “You’re heading back home now?”
Jinshan Xun smiled and cupped his hands toward Li Huowang. “Immortal, until we meet again. I’ll never forget your life-saving grace.”
“Should I one day enter court as an official, I shall repay you tenfold.”
Li Huowang chuckled. “Can you even? Don’t bother if it’s nothing. Just retire somewhere.”
At those words, Jinshan Xun’s expression turned uncharacteristically solemn.
“A gentleman must cultivate himself, manage his family, pacify the realm! I’ve studied the arts of diplomacy for decades—how could I not use them?”
“I shall realize my ambitions, banish strife between nations, and restore a clear sky to this world!!”
In that moment, light gleamed in Jinshan Xun’s somewhat cloudy eyes.
Truth be told, Li Huowang was genuinely moved by him.
This seemingly timid old man harbored such grand ideals.
And from his look, he meant every word.
Li Huowang formally bowed to Jinshan Xun. “Then I wish you swift success and grand achievements.”
The smiling Jinshan Xun returned the bow. “Thank you, Immortal. Farewell, then.”
“Whoosh~” A howling wind erupted.
With a “rip,” the smiling Jinshan Xun was bisected at the waist by a giant halberd that hurtled from nowhere.
Right before Li Huowang’s eyes, he was cleaved clean in two.
(End of chapter)