Chapter 416
Chapter 416
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 416
>Chapter Title: Red Middle
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Chapter 416: Red Middle
“This way you know why us eunuchs are so tight with those compassionate monks from Zhengde Temple, right? So you guys got the wrong people from the start. No dice, unless you can make us have sons too.”
With that said, the fat eunuch turned to climb back into the sedan. But just as he was about to bend down, something occurred to him, and he looked up at the people before him.
“Also, Godfather said that when you make your move, none of his people will get involved. But if you really have the skills to drag the Empress Dowager back to the rear palace, then Godfather will definitely join you.”
The eunuch departed, leaving behind the others with darkened expressions.
Li Huowang hadn’t wanted to get involved in Da Qi’s affairs, but after a moment’s thought, he couldn’t help walking over to Zhuge Yuan and asking in a low voice, “The enemy’s strength vastly outmatches ours. Feels like barely anyone in all of Youdu is on your side. It’s like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.”
“No need to panic. In this court, don’t see alliances as too rigid—who’s from the same hometown or who’s whose student? The relationships here are a tangled mess.”
Zhuge Yuan raised the folded fan in his hand. “And more importantly, the integrity of us scholars. They may outnumber us, but we hold the moral high ground.”
“The Empress Dowager’s rule defies heaven’s principles to begin with. Everyone in the court knows they’re in the wrong, so they won’t make trouble for us.”
Li Huowang nodded thoughtfully as he listened, seemingly pondering something.
Zhuge Yuan turned to Li Huowang, a hint of curiosity in his expression as he asked, “Brother Li, you alright? You’ve seemed out of sorts these past few days.”
“I’m fine, doing great.” Li Huowang answered quickly.
“If there’s anything a humble scholar can help with, don’t hesitate to ask. I can still lend a hand for small matters.”
Li Huowang glanced at the red window flower on the distant pane and shook his head. “No need. It’s nothing. Let’s settle Da Qi’s business first—yours is more urgent.”
“Clop clop clop~” The sound of hooves grew incessantly louder, like thousands of cavalry charging toward the Liang residence, the oppressive drumbeat of war pressing harder with each thundering beat.
“How are the Vanguard Assault Battalion in Youdu?! Weren’t those killers supposed to be guarding the border?!” The panicked shouts from outside turned the entire Liang residence’s atmosphere suffocatingly tense.
“No need to panic.” Zhuge Yuan’s light voice instantly quieted everyone. He grabbed a few scrolls of paintings and strode toward the door.
Seeing the distant window flower suddenly split into four pieces, with the Censor’s face flashing across it, Li Huowang’s brow furrowed slightly, and he immediately followed.
When Li Huowang reached the street outside, he saw the ranks of soldiers standing motionless like mountains before him.
The killing intent rolling off them had nearly solidified. All around were ordinary folk who hadn’t escaped in time, scared to death on the spot.
“Heh.” Zhuge Yuan sat cross-legged casually on the ground and unfurled the scroll in his hand, revealing an ink-black ancient zither before him.
“Twang~” Zhuge Yuan plucked a string on the zither lightly, the frenetic war drums gradually dissolving into the melody.
“Charge!!” With a low roar, the distant Vanguard Assault Battalion began advancing step by step, picking up speed faster and faster.
Just as their heaven-shaking killing aura peaked, a foul-smelling blood seeped up from underground, swiftly corroding Zhuge Yuan’s zither.
At the same moment, the buildings to the southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest shed their wooden frames and tiles, exposing four altars plastered with talismans.
Several Daoists in purple robes uniformly raised their swords and began the ritual.
At the same time, some low chant of Buddhist sutras arose from nowhere, enveloping the area like a dome.
“Brother Li, don’t you find this interesting?” Zhuge Yuan flipped his hand, and the tattered old almanac appeared in his grasp.
He took a wolf-hair brush and dotted it a few times toward the four distant altars. The four Daoists vanished instantly, and the tip of Zhuge Yuan’s brush was now stained, ready to write.
Just as Zhuge Yuan was about to put brush to paper, Li Huowang’s body shifted rapidly, his invisible right hand snatching away the old almanac.
The instant it was in hand, Li Huowang unleashed every trick he had, flipping and darting through the air toward the window flower.
“Li Huowang!!” Zhuge Yuan’s voice brimmed with endless fury, even the surrounding roof tiles beginning to tremble.
“Don’t just stand there! Hurry and help me hold him off!!” Li Huowang shouted loudly.
Agents of the Bureau of Celestial Surveillance emerged from all manner of hiding spots, swarming toward Zhuge Yuan.
But they were clearly no match for him. Meanwhile, mahjong faces emerged from the Vanguard Assault Battalion ranks, charging toward Zhuge Yuan amid the soaring killing intent.
In his mad flight for his life, Li Huowang couldn’t see what was happening behind him at all. The only thing he heard was the endless stream of agonized screams.
The closer those sounds got, the harder Li Huowang ran.
When he reached the house under the window flower, the Censor was already mounted on a tall steed, waiting.
By now, few remained at his side—they’d all been dispatched to block Zhuge Yuan.
“Quick, hand over the Six Yaoes Almanac!” The Censor extended a hand toward Li Huowang.
“Got it!” Li Huowang immediately passed over the old almanac in his grasp.
As a skinless hand exchanged with an aged one, a glint of cold steel shot from the almanac toward the Censor’s neck.
Before the Censor could react, the jade pendant at his waist flashed and shattered into pieces. White smoke burst from within, coiling around the arm clutching the dagger.
In a mere two breaths, Li Huowang’s sword hand had corroded down to half a broken bone.
But it wasn’t over. Li Huowang’s mouth opened, and several molars tumbled out, flying toward the Censor’s chest. Unexpectedly, they didn’t pierce through—his unassuming official robes offered astonishing defense.
“How dare you!!” The Censor’s eyes bulged in rage.
Li Huowang stomped the ground with one foot and leaped onto the Censor, jamming the jagged bone end viciously into his neck.
This time it pierced through. Crimson blood sprayed from his mouth and neck, staining the Censor’s goatee red.
Li Huowang leaned forward, pressing fully atop him, and whispered into his ear, “How dare I? I’m fucking Red Middle of the Sit-Forget Dao—did you really think I’d be bosom buddies with you Bureau of Celestial Surveillance bastards?”
He stabbed again viciously. The Censor’s head lolled to the side—he was deader than dead.
“Heh heh heh haha!! Fuck yes!!” Li Huowang spun around, raising his severed arm toward the Bureau agents near Zhuge Yuan.
“Hahaha!! You all got played by me! Never guessed I was Sit-Forget Dao, huh?”
Li Huowang ripped open the barely healed scar on his face, exposing his raw, bloody visage to everyone.
But it wasn’t done. Black tentacles writhed, burrowing beneath the flesh of his head.
Tentacles of all sizes bulged and stretched the skin, forcibly reshaping his head into a square.
Amid the crack of breaking bones, Li Huowang’s features began to distort.
“Dad.”
“Do what I taught you the other night! Hurry!!”
Li Sui obeyed. Li Huowang’s features twisted and pulled.
His two eyeballs were forcibly squeezed out, and on the square face, his features finally formed a massive character for “Middle”.
Seeing this, the Sit-Forget Daoists disguised as Vanguard Assault Battalion members whistled and cheered one after another.
“Hahaha! Boss Red Middle, you’re the man! I never guessed you’d disguise yourself as this kid!!”
“Boss Red Middle, that was a slick move!”
“Boss Red Middle! Invincible under heaven!!”
Li Huowang laughed maniacally at the cheers, swinging the Censor’s corpse toward them.
(End of chapter)