Chapter 503
Chapter 503
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 503
>Chapter Title: Dreamt Of
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> “Is that so? It’s that good?”
> Hearing Li Huowang say this, Bai Lingmiao carefully took it with both hands and curiously stroked the ink marks on it with her fingertips.
> Just as Li Huowang was about to help her with some of the harder parts, he saw Bai Lingmiao’s eyes suddenly widen. “Senior Brother Li, there are voices from the east. It sounds like something’s coming.”
> Li Huowang glanced at her and pulled back the curtain to step out.
> After passing through a patch of woods, Li Huowang soon spotted the source of the voices: two carriages fleeing in panic.
> They seemed to be trying to drive the carriages into the woods to hide from something.
> But clearly, they were overthinking it. They hadn’t gone far before the carriages got snagged by vines and branches.
> Right then, their pursuers arrived—a group of ragged, emaciated men.
> They might’ve been bandits, but Li Huowang didn’t quite think so. They looked more like refugees. “Hold on... these guys aren’t from the Sitting Oblivion Dao putting on a show for me, are they?”
> The invisible Li Huowang stood silently in place, pondering this. Even if they weren’t from the Sitting Oblivion Dao, as long as they were people, they could be pawns eaten by Dice. He had to be cautious.
> When he saw those ragged bandits drag the wailing women and even a little girl from the carriages and start groping them, he finally decided to act.
> But to avoid falling into Dice’s trap, Li Huowang had no intention of doing it himself. “Li Sui!”
> Li Sui beside him took off his bamboo hat, revealing that skinned dog face.
> He gripped the copper coin sword in hand. The tip of a tentacle swiftly sliced open, and the black mucus seeping from it danced wildly across the turmeric paper in a wild cursive script.
> “Insight pierces through the cavern of wisdom, the Five Qi surge and billow! Golden light hasten forth—envelop and protect this altar court! Urgent, urgent, as the law decrees!”
> Li Sui raised the copper coin sword through the drawn talisman. His body covered in tentacles burst from the loose raincoat, scuttling toward them like a spider with countless legs.
> Upon seeing Li Sui’s current form, whether the victims or the bandits, all screamed in terror and scattered in all directions.
> On his first real fight, Li Sui was clearly thrilled and eagerly chased after them, while Li Huowang watched silently from behind.
> He observed every detail of their movements, every subtle shift in the terrified expressions on their faces. “They shouldn’t be from the Sitting Oblivion Dao. If they were ordinary strip biscuits or wanzi, I’d have noticed something off.”
> Half an hour later, Li Sui returned, satisfied. “Dad, they said they’re not bad people and begged me not to kill them.”
> “They also said they were forced into this by some dharma cult. The cult destroyed their homes, and since they don’t believe in the Child God, they had to rob for money to buy food.”
> Li Huowang handed over the raincoat and hat. “Forced by a dharma cult? Are the cults making this much noise now? Even refugees are showing up.”
> Glancing at Li Sui before him, Li Huowang spoke as if imparting a lesson. “You can’t believe everything they say. Maybe they were driven to banditry by a cult, sure, but from the way they acted earlier, it wasn’t just about robbing money.”
> Taking the opportunity, Li Huowang thoroughly explained to Li Sui what it meant for human hearts to be treacherous, lest he get deceived later.
> When Li Huowang and Li Sui returned to the carriage, they saw Bai Lingmiao quietly sitting there, holding the book.
> “You’re not curious what happened over there?” Li Huowang sat beside her and said.
> “No need. I heard everything from here.” Bai Lingmiao’s words made Li Huowang nod in understanding. He hadn’t expected her perception to surpass his own now.
> “Let’s keep going. It was nothing major. Not the Sitting Oblivion Dao—Dice wouldn’t use such a small ploy if he were making a move.”
> The carriage slowly continued along the road, and gradually, night fell.
> They lit a campfire and hastily ate some softened dry rations. Li Huowang seized this rare free time to cultivate his true cultivation technique.
> When he finished cultivating, dawn was nearly breaking.
> Li Huowang leaned on Bai Lingmiao’s legs and slowly closed his eyes. Only quiet nights allowed him to cultivate properly, while during the day on the road, he usually napped in the carriage.
> It wasn’t that he couldn’t cultivate in the carriage, but if he really did, he couldn’t be sure what uncontrollable state the innate one qi would twist the carriage—and Li Sui and Miao Miao—into.
> As the carriage began to jostle gently, Li Huowang gradually drifted into slumber.
> In a hazy daze, Li Huowang seemed to be back in elementary school, taking an exam. But his mind was completely blank; he couldn’t remember a thing.
> “Huowang... Huowang!”
> He saw Yang Na winking at him from the side, sliding her completed test paper toward him.
> Li Huowang pressed his hands together in thanks and stealthily bowed to her before picking up his pen to copy.
> As the pen tip touched the blank paper, ripples spread across the surface. Then, amid the ripples, Li Huowang’s own reflection appeared.
> It started as blurry black and white, gradually sharpening into color.
> The sound of pouring rain rang out. The downpour shattered the reflection into fragments. The drenched Li Huowang hurriedly crouched down, shielding the puddle bearing his reflection with his body.
> As the ripples on the water slowly faded, Li Huowang smiled contentedly at his reflection.
> “Li Huowang.” Hearing his reflection call his name, Li Huowang nodded and responded. “Yeah, I’m here.”
> “Li Huowang.” “Yeah, I’m here.”
> “Li Huowang.” “I’m here.”
> “Li Huowang.” “I’m here!”
> As Li Huowang’s responses grew more frantic, the entire world instantly turned restless. Stacks of restless shadows shifted rapidly.
> They moved with blinding speed, constantly closing in on him, yet never quite reaching. He seemed doomed to forever endure this tangle of fear and agitation.
> “Stop saying it! I’m here!” The frenzied Li Huowang clasped his fists and smashed down hard on the reflection.
> With the crash of shattering glass, the reflection and the ground beneath cracked entirely. Li Huowang plummeted downward amid the fragments.
> The intense falling sensation made Li Huowang instinctively curl up like an infant, quietly awaiting the moment of impact.
> Suddenly, a large hand reached down from above and yanked Li Huowang to a stop.
> When Li Huowang opened his eyes, up and down flipped instantly. He found himself sprawled on a cliff, gripping a hand for dear life—Zhuge Yuan’s hand.
> “Brother Li! Help me!” Zhuge Yuan shouted at Li Huowang, his face contorted in extreme agony.
> “Don’t let go! Don’t let go no matter what! I’ll pull you up right now!”
> Li Huowang gripped with both hands, exerting every ounce of strength. But to his despair, Zhuge Yuan’s body grew heavier and heavier.
> Finally, under the immense force, Zhuge Yuan plunged toward the endless abyss. “Brother Li! Help me! It hurts so much!”
> “Hah!” Li Huowang jolted upright with a sharp gasp, panting heavily in lingering shock.
> After a while, he finally heard the pattering outside the carriage window. It was raining.
(End of chapter)