Chapter 426
Chapter 426
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 426
>Chapter Title: Friends
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In the lead of Nangong Yun, Li Huowang arrived outside the Liang Mansion where Zhuge Yuan resided. With his exceptional eyesight, Li Huowang could even spot Zhuge Yuan painting on the second floor. As for the other Great Qi folk, none were visible for the moment—not sure if they were in other rooms or out.
“Brother Nangong, isn’t this Zhuge Yuan a wanted fugitive of the Surveillance Division? Why let him stay here? Why not just wipe him out in one go and grab that powerful ritual artifact of his?”
Nangong Yun furrowed his brow slightly and shook his head gently.
“It’s not the time to provoke him right now. The authorities have issued an order—the bulk of the Surveillance Division’s A, B, C, and D teams have entered the palace. We’re already short-handed. If we move against Zhuge Yuan and the Sitting Oblivion Daoists seize the chance to strike from the flanks, we’d be in deep trouble.”
“But if we hit the Sitting Oblivion Daoists first, at least this storyteller won’t side with those heinous swindlers.”
With that said, Nangong prepared to leave.
“Erjiu, safe travels. Once you’re inside, just don’t provoke Zhuge Yuan too much, and you’ll make it out alive. Generally speaking, if you harbor no ill intent toward him, he won’t toward you either. Remember—don’t let even a hint of killing intent leak out.”
“Thanks, Brother Nangong!”
After thanking him for the advice, Li Huowang turned with a grave expression and headed toward the distant Liang Mansion.
The moment Li Huowang passed through the grand gates flanked by stone drums on either side, the doors behind him slammed shut with a bang.
Li Huowang swallowed hard with difficulty and trudged with heavy steps across the front courtyard, toward the building within.
As Zhuge Yuan’s brush flicked lightly while he painted, the doors and windows slammed shut with a boom. The two men exchanged a smile.
“How’d it go?”
Zhuge Yuan continued painting the lush green landscape on the table.
“Thanks to you, Brother Zhuge. It’s done. It won’t be long before they clash. The only worry now is if the Sitting Oblivion Daoists catch wind and flee the capital early.”
“Relax, Brother Li. They’re not even afraid of death—why would they fear this? With the entire Sitting Oblivion Dao gathered, they won’t leave without pulling off something earth-shattering.”
“True enough.”
Li Huowang picked up a cup of tea from beside him and took a sip. As for whatever the Sitting Oblivion Daoists did next, he couldn’t care less. If the sky fell, the Surveillance Division would hold it up. As long as it wasn’t aimed at him, it was fine.
“Brother Zhuge, I’ve pinned all the prior matters on the Sitting Oblivion Daoists. After today, I’m afraid we two won’t be able to meet again. Too many eyes in the city—the Surveillance Division will surely start piecing things together.”
“No matter. No matter. I can handle Great Qi’s affairs alone. It’s your side that concerns me. If you truly run into that heart elemental Beifeng, can you deal with him?”
“Rest easy. This time is different from before—I’m not fighting solo. The Surveillance Division will be the main force against the Sitting Oblivion Daoists. I just need to sneak in while he’s injured and snatch him away.”
“I see. Well then, extend your hand. I’ll mask it for you—make things easier when the time comes to act.”
“Hm? Mask it how?”
As Li Huowang raised his hand, Zhuge Yuan dotted the center of his palm with the brush. The black ink characters “Li Huowang” appeared.
With a flick of the brush tip, he added a stroke to the “Li,” turning it into “Ji.”
The tip then swiftly hooked across the “Huo,” adding a lid to turn the “fire” into “disaster.”
Finally, Zhuge Yuan wiped across the “Wang,” lifting it clean off and using it as a signature on the painting scroll on the table.
“There. Now, as long as you cover your face afterward, no one will spot you as Li Huowang.”
Li Huowang had never seen such a supernatural feat before and felt deeply astonished.
Looking at the “Ji Zai” on his palm, Li Huowang nodded.
“I won’t say thanks for such a great favor, Brother Zhuge. Rest assured—once I find Beifeng, I’ll come back to help you!”
Looking up at Li Huowang before him, Zhuge Yuan spoke.
“Brother Li, my matters truly aren’t urgent. If you run into trouble here in the capital, remember to divine a hexagram for me. I can assist with major or minor affairs alike. Just don’t die.”
Hearing this, Li Huowang froze in place. His expression gradually grew complicated as he thought it over, then sat down on the nearby meditation chair.
“Brother Zhuge, to be honest, I’ve indeed run into something here. But I don’t need you to act—just, as a friend, help me judge this matter. Tell me what I should do.”
“Oh?”
Zhuge Yuan set down his brush. This was truly a first.
Li Huowang’s hands clenched and unclenched. Finally, he let out a deep sigh and said,
“Brother Zhuge, tell me—could it be that the world over there... might actually be real?”
In a low voice, Li Huowang voiced the doubts buried deep in his heart, even sharing his suspicion that the gold might have been conjured by him.
Faced with the possibility that the other world was real, he wanted to hear how someone else judged it.
Or perhaps Li Huowang held no hope of real feedback from Zhuge Yuan. He just wanted to vent to a friend.
He couldn’t discuss this with anyone else—anyone hearing it would think he’d lost his mind. But not Zhuge Yuan, because Li Huowang knew they suffered the same affliction.
Once Li Huowang finished, the room fell silent. Zhuge Yuan didn’t reply immediately but pondered deeply before slowly speaking.
“Brother Li, did you know? I once had a beloved confidante—a beauty from Great Liang. Yet here in Great Qi, she was merely some landowner’s concubine.”
“I once deluded myself into trying to change, forcing myself to believe Great Qi was false and Great Liang true.”
Zhuge Yuan’s voice carried a tremor as his gaze drifted to a lady portrait on the nearby wall.
“But it was all in vain. In the end, she still left me. Because Great Qi is undeniably real. The real can’t be made false, nor the false real.”
“But what if? What if it really is?”
Li Huowang clenched his fists.
“The fish, I desire. The bear paw, I also desire. But the two cannot both be had.”
Zhuge Yuan resumed painting.
“Brother Li, as the sage once said: one cannot have both fish and bear’s paw. Not only between my Great Qi and Great Liang, or between your reality and illusion—from the Si Ming above the outer heavens down to the common folk below, all must face this.”
Li Huowang rose from the meditation chair and cupped his hands.
“Thanks, Brother Zhuge. Chatting with you has eased my heart some. Keeping it all bottled up alone was suffocating.”
With that, Li Huowang turned and headed downstairs.
“Brother Zhuge, if all goes well in the end, I hope we can go back to how things were—sipping tea and playing chess in your bamboo hut.”
As Li Huowang pushed open the door, Zhuge Yuan’s voice drifted down from upstairs.
“Tea’s fine. Chess? Forget it. Calling you a stinking chess player would be too kind.”
(End of chapter)