Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 265
>Chapter Title: Master
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“Old bones! Just you wait, one day you’ll be the one who can’t move.” Lv Xiucai, bent over picking up firewood, muttered viciously under his breath.
Gouwa sidled over and nudged him with his elbow. “Hey, you’ve got some guts, huh? Daring to steal Senior Brother Li’s sword.”
Lv Xiucai shot him a disdainful glance. “What’s the big deal about grabbing a sword? You scared?”
“Scared, scared. That sword reeks of blood. I feel sick just getting close.”
Hearing this, Lv Xiucai looked even more smug.
“Me, scared? Let me tell you, I pulled it out exactly because I saw how bloody it was. If I wanted to, I’d dare do it again right now!”
“Hey, impressive, impressive.”
As they chatted, they set down their bundles of firewood by the iron pot and turned to fetch water.
“Xiucai, come here.” Li Huowang, sitting on a tree stump alongside Lv Zhuangyuan, called out to the scrawny youth in the distance.
Under Gouwa’s gleeful, schadenfreude-filled gaze, Lv Xiucai hung his head and shuffled over.
Lv Xiucai glanced up at the one-eyed young man before him, his heart skipping a beat as he quickly dropped his gaze back to the straw sandals on his feet.
“Don’t look down. Look up at me.”
Hearing this, Lv Xiucai finally raised his head again.
“How’ve you been feeling lately? Still the same temperament?” Li Huowang asked calmly.
Lv Xiucai shook his head. “Much better. Pretty much back to how I was before touching the sword.”
Just then, the grinning Gouwa sidled up to Li Huowang and recounted their entire conversation word for word.
Hearing what his son had said, Lv Zhuangyuan sighed wearily, lifting his lit pipe and then lowering it again.
“You little shit! You—”
Lv Xiucai had just opened his mouth to curse at Gouwa when a slap landed across his face.
It was Li Huowang who struck him. Seeing Lv Xiucai glaring at him with murderous eyes, he turned to Lv Zhuangyuan. “Master Lv, it’s been days now, and he hasn’t changed at all. Looks like this effect will stick with him for life.”
“Daoist, there’s truly no way at all?” Lv Zhuangyuan asked unwillingly.
Though he’d always complained about his youngest son’s stupidity and cowardice, compared to this version, the old one was leagues better.
“If you’re afraid this brutal streak in Lv Xiucai will cause big trouble down the line, you could end it for good right now.”
At these words, not only Lv Xiucai jumped in fright—even Lv Zhuangyuan recoiled, terror flashing in both their eyes.
“No, no need for that. Really, no need.”
Lv Zhuangyuan forced a smile onto his face, grabbed his youngest son, and dragged him away from Li Huowang.
Though disgust flickered across Lv Xiucai’s face as his father drew near, the pipe in his other hand kept him from shaking free.
Just as they were about to leave, a voice called from behind, stopping them.
“Wait, I just thought of a method. Might turn Lv Xiucai back to normal—it’s just a matter of whether you’re willing to take the risk.”
As Lv Xiucai and Lv Zhuangyuan turned simultaneously, they saw Li Huowang holding several sheets of sheepskin paper covered in writing.
What Li Huowang held was none other than the technique he’d forced from Han Fu’s infant core to wield the copper coin sword: the Xiantu Grasping Seal.
If Li Huowang’s guess was right, every sect’s abilities were just ways of wielding certain things.
Since Lv Xiucai now had killing intent lodged in his body, he could use the Ro Teach cultivation method to flush it out.
No matter what the Ro Teach cultivated or absorbed afterward, as long as it replaced the killing intent in him now, it would do.
Plus, Lv Xiucai could test the technique for any tricks—one stone, two birds.
While Lv Zhuangyuan hesitated, the excited Lv Xiucai dropped straight to his knees before Li Huowang, slamming his forehead into the dirt three times with resounding thuds.
When Lv Xiucai lifted his head, red mud stamped on his forehead, his eyes burned with hunger for power.
“Master! Accept this disciple’s bow! I wish to learn the divine arts!!”
Li Huowang looked up at Lv Zhuangyuan, awaiting his answer.
Glancing at his son on the ground, Lv Zhuangyuan struggled for a moment before finally nodding.
With hope of his son returning to normal, Lv Zhuangyuan decided to gamble. The daoist had said the risk wasn’t high.
And if it worked, his worthless youngest might actually rise in the world.
“Alright, let’s give it a try. Might work, who knows.”
Under Lv Xiucai’s fervent gaze, Li Huowang handed him the sheepskin sheets.
The moment Lv Xiucai took them, he devoured the text hungrily.
But seeing this, Li Huowang sighed in deep disappointment, rubbing his throbbing brow with his fingers as he said helplessly, “Xiucai, didn’t you notice you’re holding them upside down?”
“Master, I can’t read.” Lv Xiucai clutched the stack of sheepskins, staring at Li Huowang in shock.
“Sigh, you really live up to your name.”
Li Huowang took back the sheepskins and translated them line by line.
It was grueling work, especially with an illiterate who couldn’t even write his own name.
But fortunately, Li Huowang had nothing pressing, and Lv Xiucai’s obsession with the divine arts kept him going no matter how tiring.
By the time they reached the county town, Lv Xiucai had just learned the opening.
Though Li Huowang’s group was large, plenty of other tenant farmers from the village were heading to town with goods to sell. The flat dirt road bustled.
Watching Lv Xiucai beside him reciting the incantation obsessively, Li Huowang asked, “You don’t want to kill me?”
“Master, what are you talking about? Why would I want to kill you?”
Lv Xiucai spoke candidly, and Li Huowang could tell he wasn’t lying—otherwise, with this kid’s scheming nature, it would’ve shown.
“I hit you before and even suggested your dad kill you off. With your personality now, I’m honestly surprised you’re not holding a grudge.”
“My temper’s just gotten bigger, not like I’ve gone mad. Besides, you’re teaching me divine arts now—that more than cancels it out.” Lv Xiucai’s words were utterly matter-of-fact.
Li Huowang nodded in understanding and slapped the ox’s rear as it pulled the cart.
“Moo~” The ox bellowed skyward and pulled toward the city gate.
Entering the city took some effort—the guards insisted on inspecting the cart with the Black Tai Sui—but the seasoned Lv Zhuangyuan slipped them some silver fragments, and they passed safely.
Stepping back onto the bluestone pavement, gazing at the lively market in town, everyone seemed to come alive again.
As usual, they found an inn, enjoyed a hearty meal, and once settled in, everyone got moving.
Local girl Bai Lingmiao took Chun Xiaoman to buy a map and inquire about Ox Heart Mountain’s location.
Gouwa, Zhao Wu, and Gao Zhijian went to sell the sheep and stock up on enough food.
As for Li Huowang, he set off to search the bustling county town for any traces of the Supervising Heaven Bureau.
(End of Chapter)