Chapter 305
Chapter 305
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 305
>Chapter Title: Deception
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Chapter 305: Deception
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> As he stared at the White Impermanence shrouded in thin mist, Li Huowang pondered how to negotiate with this thing, only to suddenly snap awake.
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> The moment he woke up, Li Huowang instantly sensed someone beside him.
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> He whipped his head around and saw a toddler who looked like he had just learned to walk.
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> Wearing open-crotch pants, the child sat on the ground, curiously picking at the copper coins covering his face with his fingers.
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> Li Huowang glanced at the others still sleeping around him, bent down to pick up the child, and quickly handed him to a woman’s arms a few steps away.
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> He then stood up and quietly headed toward where Bai Sai was sleeping.
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> Before Li Huowang even got close, Bai Sai woke up. After exchanging a glance with him, he walked toward the surrounding woods.
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> Slapping the mosquito on his neck dead, Li Huowang said gravely to Bai Sai,
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> “I just dreamed of that guy again. He’s still watching us—he hasn’t left.”
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> “What?!”
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> Bai Sai’s face drained of color instantly. He paced anxiously in the woods, hands behind his back.
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> “Don’t panic. I’m just giving you a heads-up. No matter what that thing is, since I promised Bai Lingmiao, I’ll definitely get you all back safely.”
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> Hearing this, Bai Sai’s expression eased somewhat.
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> “That’s good, that’s good. As long as we have your protection, they won’t dare act rashly. But what do you think that guy wants? He already took the stone—why keep tailing us?”
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> Li Huowang shook his head. Without the thing in front of him, who knew why it was doing this?
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> “Let’s head back. If anything happens to the others, please let me know right away.”
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> Just as Li Huowang stepped out of the woods, Bai Sai’s voice called from behind.
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> “Um, benefactor, do you have something going on with the second girl?”
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> “What?”
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> “Oh, the second girl is Lotus’s daughter, Bai Lingmiao. By seniority, she should call me Second Granddad.”
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> Seeing Li Huowang frozen in place, Bai Sai walked over with a wistful look and sized up the young Daoist in front of him again.
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> “Good, good. The second girl found herself a fine match—excellent!”
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> He eyed Li Huowang as if growing fonder with every glance.
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> Li Huowang replied with a hint of awkwardness on his face,
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> “Clan Leader Bai, let’s talk about these things after we get through this ordeal.”
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> “Alright, alright. Don’t worry, I won’t tell the second girl’s parents. Whenever you’re ready, you tell them yourself.”
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> With that paper lantern pierced, Li Huowang clearly felt Bai Sai’s respect toward him diminish, replaced by a familial closeness.
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> “Good! Once we all pull together and get through this, we’ll drink at your wedding feast!”
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> After this interruption, Bai Sai’s earlier worries about the danger vanished without a trace.
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> Everyone who had woken up set off as usual. This time, they reached a village.
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> Li Huowang immediately pulled out silver and nearly bought up every animal in the village.
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> The oldest one-toothed elder seemed about to protest the extravagance, but after Bai Sai whispered something in his ear, he climbed onto an ox cart without another word.
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> They had been traveling slowly due to the elderly and children holding them back.
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> But after acquiring these beasts, their speed jumped up a level.
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> During this time, Li Huowang stayed on high alert—even when sleeping, he kept one eye open, fearing a sudden attack.
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> Yet for some reason, things remained eerily quiet afterward. The White Impermanence never reappeared, not even in his dreams.
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> “This won’t do. Who ever heard of guarding against a thief for a thousand miles? Instead of waiting, better to draw him out.”
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> Li Huowang thought to himself as they traveled.
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> Just then, he noticed something off.
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> “Clan Leader Bai, this isn’t the road back to Oxheart Mountain, is it?”
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> Though he had come by horse, the surroundings were clearly different now—even someone dense would notice.
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> Bai Sai wiped the sweat from his face and nodded.
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> “Yeah, we’re not heading back to Oxheart Mountain first. I know a spot—it’s a real maze. One loop through, and we might shake the tail behind us.”
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> “Oh? A place like that? Where?”
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> Li Huowang couldn’t help but feel curious.
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> “Just up ahead—not far. We should reach it by today.”
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> Bai Sai, face slick with sweat, pointed forward.
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> Li Huowang looked into the distance but saw only the dirt road stretching on, nothing else.
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> Soon, though, the surroundings changed. The ground turned muddy, black silt coating Li Huowang’s boots completely.
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> Stinking pools of stagnant water appeared now and then, filled with wriggling black insects.
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> The weather was sweltering hot, and the rotten stench steamed up by the heat made him dizzy.
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> As the environment fully turned to marshland, just as Li Huowang was about to ask Bai Sai if they’d taken a wrong turn, a vast expanse of yellowish reed marshes appeared in the muddy distance.
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> Reeds several meters tall swayed gently in the wind, connected in a vast field.
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> “This is it! Go in here, and even immortals would lose their way—guaranteed to lose that guy!”
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> Bai Sai moved to lead the Bai family into the reeds, but Li Huowang suddenly blocked him, voice laced with concern.
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> “Clan Leader Bai, getting in might be easy, but can we get out afterward?”
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> This place didn’t look safe at all.
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> Bai Sai confidently patted Li Huowang’s shoulder.
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> “Relax. If I’m leading the clan in, I’ve got a way out—my son and parents are in there too. If anyone’s worried, it’s me more than you.”
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> Li Huowang felt a twinge of surprise. It seemed Clan Leader Bai had something up his sleeve he didn’t know about.
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> Since the man said so, Li Huowang no longer objected. The ox carts and mules slowly entered the reed marsh.
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> But right at the entrance, a thin mist began to spread around them.
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> Li Huowang recognized this mist all too well. Without hesitation, he gripped his sword hilt with one hand and positioned himself in front of everyone.
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> “You all go first! I’ll cover the rear!”
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> No sooner had Li Huowang spoken than the ground trembled. The massive White Impermanence slowly revealed a hazy outline in the mist, its wooden mask swaying on its chest.
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> Seeing the Bai family about to slip away from his pursuit, the thing could no longer hold back.
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> Its mouth, with its long red tongue, opened wide, spewing thick white fog that made the surroundings even hazier.
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> “Shing!”
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> The purple-tasseled sword left its sheath. Li Huowang, cloaked in murderous intent, stood there like a divine needle stabilizing the sea.
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> Seeing the White Impermanence in the fog unmoved, Li Huowang recalled what Tuoba Danqing had told him before and immediately pulled out his badge.
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> “The Surveillance Bureau is handling official business! If you don’t want to die, get lost!”
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> The surging mist around them halted instantly at his shout.
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> “Hey, turns out you’re from the Surveillance Bureau too? You should’ve said so earlier—what’s this, a case of friends fighting by mistake?”
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> This abrupt voice came from the massive White Impermanence’s mouth.
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> “You’re from the Surveillance Bureau? How are you from the Surveillance Bureau?”
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> A shocked Li Huowang looked up at the three-zhang-tall giant before him.
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> From the first sight of this thing, Li Huowang had completely ruled out the Surveillance Bureau as a possibility.
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> “Wait a sec.”
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> The massive White Impermanence slowly faded into the white mist. Moments later, a man emerged from the fog, wearing the wooden mask from its chest.
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> The man pulled a badge from his robes—identical to Li Huowang’s. It was also a Surveillance Bureau badge.
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> “Take a look—what’s this? I outrank you, even.”
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> After confirming the man’s badge was genuine, Li Huowang let out a long breath, his expression softening considerably.
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> “Since you’re Surveillance Bureau too, that simplifies things. There must be some misunderstanding here.”
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> At Li Huowang’s words, the wooden-masked head shook hurriedly.
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> “No, no, no misunderstanding. The White Lotus Cult is utterly heinous, a bunch of evil cultivators colluding with sinister entities. My senior brother and I went to great lengths to catch them, only for you to come along and shatter his restraint.”
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> “What? That’s impossible!”
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> Li Huowang’s mind buzzed as he turned to look at the reed marsh behind him. The last of the Bai family—Bai Sai—had already entered.
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> Bai Sai glanced at the badge in Li Huowang’s hand, his eyes turning ice-cold, before spinning around and vanishing into the reeds.
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> “Brother, think about it—if they hadn’t killed so many people, would the higher-ups send Surveillance Bureau? And two of us at that?”
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>(End of chapter)