Chapter 459
Chapter 459
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 459
>Chapter Title: Sudden Appearance
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Hearing this, the trace of worry in Li Huowang's heart vanished instantly without a trace. With such a massive problem, someone was taking responsibility. If Great Liang's Celestial Surveillance Division wasn't reliable, there was still Rear Shu's Celestial Surveillance Division, and Si Qi's Celestial Surveillance Division.
If the sky fell, tall folks would hold it up. It had nothing to do with him anyway.
Time ticked by, one minute at a time. As everyone realized that aside from the sky darkening a bit, there was no other danger, their attention was completely drawn to the aroma of beef. They crowded around the Bai family's kitchen, sealing it off tight.
"They're really serving beef? That's against the king's law. I'm a bit scared."
"Yeah, and killing a whole cow is such a waste. Think of how many acres it could plow in a lifetime."
"The cow's already dead, so quit yapping. Hey, I've never tasted beef in my life."
Soon, bowls of rice topped with hefty chunks of beef were passed to everyone. They compared whose bowl had the biggest piece and whose had the smallest, eating with great delight.
"Eat up. Don't overthink it. You think you're some immortal? Even heavenly calamities are your problem now?" A massive beef heart, stewed in rock sugar, was placed in front of Li Huowang.
"This thing's way too big." Li Huowang stared at the heart, which weighed at least four pounds, and said so. Good thing it was stewed; any other method and the center wouldn't have cooked through.
"You eat first. If you can't finish, give it to me. I've got a big appetite."
Bai Lingmiao picked up two chopsticks, scraped at the heart to dig out the gold ring buried inside, then pushed it toward Li Huowang.
"Why bury gold in a stewed beef heart?"
"My mom taught me. She said it's good for the body."
After all the morning's commotion, Li Huowang realized he was actually pretty hungry.
He stabbed two chopsticks straight in, lifted it up like a zongzi, and took a bite. It filled his mouth with fragrance, tender and chewy.
But just as Li Huowang was filling his belly, Gouwa arrived, looking utterly despondent as he cradled his daughter.
The man who used to obsess over food showed no interest in it now.
With a "thud," the grief-stricken Gouwa suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed three times hard to Li Huowang, who was chowing down.
Li Huowang stopped chewing and looked toward him and the infant in his arms.
Before Gouwa could even plead, Li Huowang spoke directly. "I can't help with this. Your daughter's not sick or afflicted. This is just how she was born. Even if you skinned her and let the flesh regrow, it'd be the same."
As for trying to use the innate qi in his own body, that wasn't even on Li Huowang's radar.
His cultivation had only just reached the Root Chakra. Forcing it could lead to who-knows-what irreversible consequences.
The Sitting Oblivion Dao had some illusion tricks via Red Middle, but those were useless beyond self-deception.
Hearing this, Gouwa's face turned ashen. He hugged his daughter and turned to leave. After just two steps, tears streaming down, he raised his hand and slapped his own face hard several times.
"Sigh, Gouwa really is pitiful. I wonder if his daughter will resent him when she grows up."
Bai Lingmiao's words made Li Huowang look up at her, his voice heavy as he asked, "He's pitiful. What about you?"
"What?" Bai Lingmiao's pupils shrank slightly, clearly startled.
"You think you can fool me? How long were you planning to hide it?" Li Huowang set his beef heart back in the bowl.
"Who told you!!" Bai Lingmiao started off furious, but as she met Li Huowang's gaze, her emotions gradually subsided.
"Don't worry. After all, I'm not blind yet. And as for my lifespan being shorter than normal, no need to spell it out. I'm not even twenty yet. Even if it's short, I've got over a decade left. It's too early to talk about that."
"There's more, isn't there?" Li Huowang's tone was flat, his eyes locked on her face, watching for the slightest change.
Irritation flickered across Bai Lingmiao's face. "The immortal families' affairs are none of your business. Worry about your own madness first."
"Who's the bigmouth spilling everything to you? Not many people even know! Was it Ershen?"
"Not her. It was you. You just told me yourself." Li Huowang picked up the beef heart and started eating again.
Bai Lingmiao froze for a moment, but quickly caught on. She slammed her right hand down, smacking the beef heart right out of Li Huowang's grasp onto the ground. "You tricked me! You dared trick me!!"
"If I didn't trick you, would you ever tell me? Were you planning to wait until your eyes went completely blind?" Li Huowang stared into Bai Lingmiao's pink eyes as he spoke.
He'd already noted Ershen's earlier distress. He knew Bai Lingmiao was hiding something from him.
He hadn't expected the bluff to uncover so much.
Hearing Li Huowang's words, Bai Lingmiao's voice pitched up sharply. "Fine, since it's out in the open! I hid things from you, but haven't you hidden from me? Your illness isn't cured at all! You sneak off to Beefheart Mountain every day to have your episodes! You think I'm blind?!"
Li Huowang drew a deep breath, about to explain, when a burst of frantic barking cut their argument short.
He recognized it—it was Mantou. Something was wrong with that bark. The dog had been with him long enough; it'd never barked so fiercely.
By the time Li Huowang reached the courtyard with Bai Lingmiao, he saw Mantou's back hairs fully bristled, fangs bared as it barked rapidly toward the gate.
The half-shut gate swayed back and forth, creaking slowly.
"Huh? What's going on? I know I locked that door. How'd it open?" Zhao Wu rushed up on his crutch.
An inexplicable chill ran through him. Everyone from Beefheart Village was gathered in the courtyard.
Li Huowang dashed to the courtyard wall with one foot, stomped his right foot against it, shifted quickly, and steadied himself atop the wall, scanning the surrounding rooftops.
As he surveyed the area, his gaze suddenly locked onto a shadowy corner. There stood a figure in a satin burial shroud—a man facing away, head topped with a watermelon hat.
From behind, the pear-shaped head took up half his body, enormous even with the hat. His legs were freakishly short, while his arms were freakishly long. The proportions were wildly mismatched.
In this world, Li Huowang had seen such grotesque disproportion on only one thing before: the small-footed, two-faced woman who could summon the Joy God. A malevolent spirit.
(End of chapter)