Chapter 408
Chapter 408
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 408
>Chapter Title: Visitors
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Chapter 408 Visitors
With a swift gallop, Li Huowang quickly spotted the group on the street—those so-called Da Qi folks blending seamlessly among the Da Liang crowd, without a hint of incongruity. The people around them hadn't noticed any change at all.
When he caught up again and rejoined those Da Qi people, looking once more at the others murmuring in low voices, Li Huowang felt an extraordinarily strange sensation.
It was as if the people before him were all actors, merely playing house around Zhuge Yuan.
“Brother Li, where did you wander off to this time?” Zhuge Yuan asked curiously, then couldn't help but warn him worriedly. “This place is full of people and loose tongues. You need to be careful. Who knows, any one of them might turn out to be a Sitting Oblivion Daoist.”
“Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I've been dealing with Sitting Oblivion Daoists for more than a day or two. Brother Zhuge, where are we headed?”
In the biting cold, Zhuge Yuan kept fanning himself with a folded fan. “First, we'll head to Lord Liang's residence. Tonight, Old Qin’s disciples and the others from the Jiangnan faction will gather. Once we've discussed and reached a plan, we'll decide on the next steps.”
Li Huowang nodded in understanding, looking at Zhuge Yuan with a trace of pity in his eyes. Zhuge Yuan seemed so powerful, yet when it came to his own issues, he was just as deluded as Li Huowang himself had been before—unable to see clearly.
Li Huowang knew there was nothing he could do as an outsider. Unless Zhuge Yuan figured it out himself, no amount of talking would help.
The carriage followed the main road toward the city center, stopping just short of the imperial palace in front of an imposing residence flanked by two black stone lions. The plaque above bore two large characters in gold leaf: Liang Residence.
A middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, dressed in official robes with a small tuft of black mustache under his chin, had been waiting there with some attendants for quite some time.
Spotting the arrivals, he immediately bowed deeply to Zhuge Yuan, his eyes brimming with excited tears. “Mr. Zhuge! I never imagined you would come too!”
“I'm just a commoner; I can't accept such a grand salute. Lord Liang, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go inside.”
The so-called Lord Liang then approached Old Qin, called him “teacher,” and helped him toward the grand residence, while Li Huowang standing to the side looked entirely like an onlooker.
The group passed through the gatehouse, crossed the courtyard, and finally reached the reception hall. Without even touching their tea, they dove into heated discussions.
The core of the debate was nothing more than comparing the strength of enemies and allies, and how to turn Da Qi's perilous situation around.
But none of it had anything to do with Li Huowang. With nothing to do, he stared at Lord Liang's profile, his thoughts wandering freely.
“What's this Lord Liang's status in Da Liang? If I step away from Zhuge Yuan's range now, will they mistake me for an assassin? Wait, could this guy be a Sitting Oblivion Daoist?”
Amid Li Huowang's wild speculations, the sun overhead gradually shifted westward. Officials in robes began streaming in from sedans and carriages, hurrying toward the meeting hall.
By the end, the place was so packed no one could stand comfortably. Li Huowang stopped listening altogether and simply stepped outside for some fresh air.
“Dad, what are they saying? I don't understand.” Li Sui's voice rang in Li Huowang's ear.
“It's fine if you don't understand; it has nothing to do with us anyway.” Li Huowang noticed Li Sui was becoming more active lately. Not only had she started acting spoiled to get him to buy things, but now she was even asking questions about things she didn't understand.
“Dad, you're hungry.” Li Sui's tentacles wrapped around Li Huowang's shrunken stomach. She'd been hiding inside it before, but now she'd emerged, spreading throughout his body.
Hearing this, Li Huowang added another thought: Now she's even starting to care about people.
Though his heart warmed, Li Huowang knew this wasn't good. It meant she was maturing.
At that thought, his mood soured. If he couldn't find North Wind before Li Sui fully matured and force him to reveal a way out of the hallucinations, he'd be trapped in them again.
He had never imagined he'd one day yearn so desperately for a Sitting Oblivion Daoist to show up.
The clip-clop of footsteps approached. Li Huowang turned to see an elderly man with a square lantern in hand walking up beside him. Li Huowang recognized him—he seemed to be this Lord Liang's steward.
“Lord Li, dinner is ready. Please follow me.” Listening closely, Li Huowang realized the previously lively room inside had gone quiet. They'd all left while he was lost in thought.
“They're on the verge of rebellion, and they still have time for dinner?” Li Huowang stood and followed him through a side door.
Soon, Li Huowang sat before a table of exquisite dishes. In his foul mood, he ignored Old Qin's toast, grabbed his chopsticks, and started devouring the food.
This so-called Old Qin had such prestige in the court—why risk his life at the Bureau of Astronomy? Talk about having too much time on his hands.
The others at the table glared at Li Huowang's rude behavior, but that was all they did.
As the formalities ended, everyone else raised their cups and began eating. By then, Li Huowang had nearly finished.
Li Huowang stood, walked to Zhuge Yuan's side, and asked: “How'd your discussion with them go? When do we make our move? Who do we kill?”
Perhaps the Sitting Oblivion Daoists were lurking in the shadows. Creating some big commotion might lure them out.
Zhuge Yuan covered the lower half of his face with his long sleeve, then tilted his head back to down the wine from his cup.
After leisurely lowering his sleeve, Zhuge Yuan spoke softly: “No rush, Brother Li. Something this big won't resolve quickly. Many unyielding officials have been thrown in prison, and plenty more demoted to remote outposts.”
“Besides, those eunuch dogs have turned the entire Youdu into a cesspool of corruption. Plenty of people are already fed up. We need to take more time, pull in some fence-sitters. They're all Da Qi subjects—better to spare lives where we can.”
“What good are pulling in fence-sitters?” Li Huowang's face darkened as he furrowed his brow tightly. Ever since learning the truth, he couldn't muster any interest in Da Qi's affairs.
“Among those fence-sitters are plenty of military generals. You tell me if that's useful?”
After saying this, as if sensing Li Huowang's mood, Zhuge Yuan continued softly: “Rest assured, Brother Li. I've got your matter on my mind. Once this is settled, I'll step in and have Da Qi help you find that cultivation method.”
As the two exchanged quiet words, a duck-like voice suddenly called from the distant entrance: “The Emperor arrives～”
“The Emperor?” Li Huowang's expression turned as shocked as everyone else's around him. If he hadn't misheard earlier, Da Qi's young emperor should be a walking corpse.
(End of chapter)