Chapter 285
Chapter 285
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 285
>Chapter Title: Departure
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
Li Huowang, who had stood in the stable all night, rubbed his somewhat sore neck and looked once more at the letter paper in his hand.
No matter what, his previous guess had been correct. There were indeed many things within the Surveillance Bureau that he didn't know about.
He had only just joined, and he was already getting so much information. Once his position in the Surveillance Bureau stabilized and rose higher, if he carefully searched around, he would surely find even more news about the North Wind.
Even if the North Wind lead didn't pan out, he might be able to use the Surveillance Bureau's massive organization to find a way to help Heart Elemental escape his bewilderment.
Moreover, joining the Surveillance Bureau meant he no longer had to wander aimlessly like a headless fly through this chaotic world.
Whenever he encountered something he didn't understand, he now had a place to ask.
With that thought, Li Huowang, who hadn't slept a wink all night, felt no fatigue whatsoever. Instead, he strode excitedly toward the house.
But those were matters for later. Right now, the priority was completing that Big-Head Doll's commission.
“Ganyuan Village... Ganyuan Village.”
Li Huowang sat at the marble round table, sliding his finger repeatedly over the paper map as he searched for the location written in the letter.
He found the place, but it wasn't on the same route as the direction to Bai Lingmiao's home. In fact, it required a detour even farther out of the way.
Now the problem was, he either had to deal with the Sit-Forget Dao next, or go home with Bai Lingmiao first and handle it later.
But if he chose the latter, Li Huowang didn't think the Sit-Forget Dao would wait for him. If he went too late, he'd probably end up with the same situation as in Pi County before.
That wouldn't look good explaining to the Big-Head Doll.
As Li Huowang furrowed his brows, racking his brain for a way to have the best of both worlds, Bai Lingmiao walked in holding a steamed bun wrapped in a lotus leaf with both hands.
The white steamed bun looked very soft, shaped like a red-eyed rabbit, both cute and appetizing.
She blew on it a couple of times before taking a small bite, savoring the sweet glutinous flavor in her mouth. A blissful expression immediately spread across Bai Lingmiao's face.
Seeing her like this, Li Huowang suddenly realized that Bai Lingmiao wasn't that old after all. She was still just a young girl.
“Senior Brother Li, want some? It's sweet and delicious.”
The smiling Bai Lingmiao placed the rabbit steamed bun, now missing one ear, in front of Li Huowang.
Li Huowang shook his head and pulled her hand to sit down.
“Miaomiao, I have some things to handle. Why don't you take the others home first? I'll finish up right away and—”
Li Huowang's words were cut off as Bai Lingmiao rejected him outright.
“No way!”
Bai Lingmiao was firm, not a hint of her usual willingness to compromise. Her expression was stubbornly resolute.
“No matter what you do, I'm going with you! Don't even think about leaving me behind again!”
Li Huowang chuckled helplessly.
“What are you saying? When have I ever left you behind?”
“You did! Back at Anci Nunnery, you used the exact same excuse—said you had things to handle and would catch up after. And what happened? By the time I saw you again, you were dead!”
“I buried you myself! Do you know how heartbroken I was back then?”
As she recalled the past, Bai Lingmiao's eyes reddened involuntarily.
Looking at the fragile girl before him, Li Huowang felt a pang in his heart.
“I just think you're almost home. There's no need to come along. Besides, this is just a small matter, not very dangerous.”
“If it's not dangerous, why not let me come? And what if we run into something you can't handle, but the immortals can? My sister and I can help!”
“Your sister? You call the Second Deity 'sister'?”
Hearing this, Li Huowang recalled how Li Zhi had called his Second Deity “wife.”
“Senior Brother Li, just let me come with you. If worst comes to worst, have them go ahead first. I'll go with you alone.”
Li Huowang gazed at the girl's face before him. Deep down, he knew those immortals weren't entirely reliable, but they had ways to deal with all sorts of things and could actually be helpful.
It was just that this time it was the Sit-Forget Dao, and with home so close, he didn't want Bai Lingmiao getting caught up in any more trouble.
As Li Huowang pondered these dilemmas, a knock suddenly came from the door.
“Master, are you in there?”
It was Lv Xiucai's voice.
“Come in.”
Li Huowang withdrew his hand from Bai Lingmiao's grasp and turned toward Lv Xiucai as he pushed the door open.
The once youthful boy was now covered in black charcoal smudges on his hands and clothes, with even more black marks on his face—from the color, it was definitely charcoal.
“Master, I finished writing what you asked me to the day before yesterday.”
The scholar straightened up and handed over the rice paper in his hands.
Li Huowang took it and scanned the contents, his brows furrowing deeper the more he read.
“Xiucai, I remember only teaching you to practice writing characters before. I didn't teach you how to draw talismans, did I?”
At those words, Lv Xiucai perked up instantly, his face lighting up with irrepressible joy.
“Master, are you finally going to teach me how to draw talismans? Thank you, Master!”
Li Huowang slapped the crumpled rice paper onto the table.
“Draw what talismans! I'm saying your handwriting looks like ghost scrawls! Can't you tell?”
“Is this supposed to be 'wood'? Why does the left stroke twist in the middle? And this 'mouth'—why is it round? I didn't even tell you to use a brush. Can't you draw a straight line with charcoal?”
“And how did you manage to get your face all black from writing?”
To distract Lv Xiucai, Li Huowang had truly poured out every bit of the scant knowledge he had in his belly.
Yet despite Lv Xiucai's extreme diligence and Li Huowang's earnest teaching, the results were still poor.
Looking at the dejected scholar before him, Li Huowang sighed and waved him off.
“Alright, go get your dad. I have some instructions for him.”
Bai Lingmiao could come along since she could handle herself, but this deadweight absolutely could not.
Not just him—the entire Lv Family Troupe, Little Child Yang, and all those women who hadn't left. None of them could come.
They were all burdens. They could split off first to avoid casualties when the fighting started.
This time was different from before. Previously, trouble had always come looking for him. This time, he was going looking for trouble, so of course he needed to prepare in advance.
Once Lv Zhuangyuan arrived in the room, Li Huowang instructed him to take the Lv Family Troupe and the non-combatant fellow disciples to Oxheart Mountain.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang himself would take Bai Lingmiao, Gao Zhijian, Xiaoman, and Gouwa to Ganyuan Village.
“Rest assured, young Daoist! This old man has traveled far and wide for years. A short trip like this? I'll deliver everyone safe and sound!”
At a busy fork in the road outside Silver Mausoleum City, Lv Zhuangyuan dragged the disheartened Xiucai along and vowed confidently to Li Huowang.
(End of chapter)