Chapter 591
Chapter 591
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 591
>Chapter Title: Trouble
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
A cluster of colorful fake mountains stood in the midst of the garden. Li Huowang, who had been speaking calmly just moments before, suddenly threw his head back, his expression grave as he stared at the sky. The relaxed atmosphere around him vanished in an instant.
Li Age gazed at Li Huowang, whose behavior and mannerisms seemed perfectly normal, and cautiously asked, “Dad, what’s wrong?”
Bai Lingmiao, standing nearby, also asked carefully, “Senior Brother Li, are you okay?”
At that moment, they were in the imperial garden of Great Liang. Though it was winter, the eunuchs tending the flowers had used some unknown method to keep the blooms vibrant and competing for attention.
The eunuchs and palace maids tending the garden knelt at a distance, trembling in fear at Li Huowang’s arrival.
They had been admiring the beautiful scenery until Li Huowang suddenly acted this way, turning the atmosphere tense in an instant.
Hearing the voices around him, Li Huowang calmly withdrew his gaze and said in an even tone, “It’s nothing. I just think the weather’s pretty nice today.”
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief at his words, especially Gouwa, who patted his chest after the false alarm. “Whew, Senior Brother Li, you startled me there. I thought you were about to have another episode.”
“I’m cured now. What episode? I heard the Lv Troupe came to the capital with you all?”
“Yeah, the Fool even gave them a huge theater. Lv Zhuangyuan’s probably over the moon, bubbles practically coming out his nose.”
They didn’t find Li Huowang’s current lotus-root head as strange as Bai Lingmiao had imagined. They accepted it quite naturally.
After all, they’d seen plenty of it back on the road. The palace eunuchs, maids, and guards, however, clearly weren’t as accustomed to it.
“Really? That’s great. He’s finally achieved the dream of a lifetime.” Li Huowang reached out and gently stroked Li Age’s head on his knee.
Tentacles writhed around him, holding various flowers and gradually filling his head with them one by one. Li Huowang took a flower and tucked it behind Li Age’s ear.
Seeing that Li Huowang was fine, the simple-minded Li Age didn’t think too much of it and happily nuzzled into his embrace.
“With a theater that big, the Lv Troupe’s powder plays are gonna be epic. I’ll definitely go cheer them on when they start performing.”
“They’re still doing powder plays? What a waste of a place like that.”
“Hey~! What’s wrong with powder plays? Who doesn’t love watching them?”
Under Gouwa’s rambling chatter, the brief interlude passed quickly, and they continued strolling through the imperial garden.
After a while, they discovered greenhouses inside the garden specially for growing winter vegetables. Everyone got excited and jumped in to pick some, planning to save them for making dumplings over the New Year.
Fresh greens in the dead of winter were a rarity. As for politeness, they didn’t care—these belonged to Gao Zhijian, which naturally made them theirs too.
After touring the entire imperial garden, the group returned satisfied, as if they’d been out for a spring outing in the courtyard.
Li Huowang needed plenty of rest in his current state, so the others didn’t want to disturb him. They saw him back to his room door and prepared to leave.
Once the others had gone, Bai Lingmiao pushed Li Huowang’s rattan chair into the room.
“Senior Brother Li, are you really okay?” Bai Lingmiao had swallowed the relic, leaving her blind, but her other senses were extraordinarily sharp. The look Li Huowang had given earlier definitely wasn’t just at the weather.
“It’s nothing, just a small matter. A small matter.”
Just as they were about to enter the room, Li Huowang suddenly spoke up. “Miaomiao, have the Celestial Supervisor come see me later. I have some questions that need clearing up.”
Bai Lingmiao’s face registered slight surprise, but she nodded soon after. “Mm, alright, got it.”
As she left, she also took Li Age, who was clinging to Li Huowang. It had been a while since they’d seen each other, and Li Age was quite reluctant to part.
“Auntie, let me stay with Dad. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him.” Li Age said reluctantly. Though her appearance was that of a stunning young woman, her speech and demeanor were utterly childlike.
“No, your dad’s head is fragile right now. What if you accidentally knock it off? Come with me!”
At Bai Lingmiao’s stern tone, Li Age immediately softened and let herself be led away by the hand, looking back every few steps.
Once they were gone, the room fell deathly quiet. Li Huowang slowly closed his eyes.
His right hand tapped on the taut leather, while his left tapped on the smooth rattan chair. In the pitch-black darkness, the scent of disinfectant mingled with a faint floral aroma.
“Li Huowang, I hear you wanted to see me?”
Li Huowang slowly opened his eyes at the voice and saw the Celestial Supervisor standing before him.
The tall man wore an expansive red robe, filling Li Huowang’s entire field of vision with an overwhelming presence.
Li Huowang looked at him calmly and, after a pause, slowly said, “There are still some loose ends that haven’t been tied up, aren’t there?”
“Who told you?” The Celestial Supervisor seemed somewhat surprised at Li Huowang’s sudden realization.
“No one. I just sensed it myself.” In Li Huowang’s mind flashed the gaze from deep within the hospital corridor.
The Celestial Supervisor nodded slowly. “Indeed, but these are minor matters. The Bureau of Celestial Observation will handle them. You just focus on recovering.”
“What exactly is going on?” Li Huowang pressed again. He didn’t believe anything involving Great Liang’s dragon vein could be minor.
But in response to Li Huowang’s question, the Celestial Supervisor said nothing and turned to leave.
“You don’t trust me?” Li Huowang’s words halted the man’s steps. “I helped you deal with Dice, and you still don’t trust me?”
“Put yourself in my shoes. Would you?”
At those words, Li Huowang had no intention of explaining further. Without Dice as a common enemy, their relationship wasn’t as close as imagined.
“If you need my help, feel free to ask. I live in Great Liang too, and I don’t want to see it fall.”
The Celestial Supervisor turned back, his red robe’s black shadows fixing on Li Huowang. “I know that’s what you think, but do I know what the one behind you is planning? You’re no longer you.”
“The schemes of the Sages have never aligned with us mortals. Bureau of Celestial Observation—its purpose is to observe the heavens.”
With that, the towering figure faded from the room, leaving it silent once more.
Li Huowang sank into thought. The Celestial Supervisor trusted him, but not his future self.
Yet did he truly trust the Celestial Supervisor?
Since the man wouldn’t reveal anything, Li Huowang would have to find another way to resolve it.
With trouble already at his door, he couldn’t just sit idly by.