Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 66
>Chapter Title: Good Person
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Chapter 66: Good Person
Hearing the noise behind him, Li Huowang covered his burning shoulder and turned back to look at the fallen Li Zhi. Was he... apologizing to me?
"You're about to die, and you're still putting on an act? Putting on a good face now—did someone else try to kill me just a moment ago?"
A bitter smile crept onto Li Zhi's face as it grew increasingly pale.
"I had no choice. I really had no choice—they forced me. You could run, but I really couldn't escape. From the day I came out as a shaman, I've never been able to run again."
Dark red blood gradually seeped from Li Zhi's body, staining the dirt beneath him. He didn't have much time left.
Li Huowang stood there with a complicated expression, watching this man whose words he couldn't tell were true or false.
"Actually... this isn't so bad. Finally, no more noise in my head." Li Zhi said with a sigh.
"Everything before was forced on you by the immortals?" Li Huowang asked again.
"Heh... Believe it or not, from the day I came out as a shaman, I became their puppet. I resisted, but it was no use. Mortals can't fight the immortals."
Li Huowang didn't bother trying to discern if the man's words were true or false. He walked straight over, grabbed the sword hilt, and tried to pull it out.
But with a hard yank, it wouldn't budge. He realized Li Zhi was gripping the blade tightly with the hand that had its fingers sliced off.
Blood trickled from the corner of Li Zhi's mouth as he chuckled. "Real Person Li, next time you meet someone like me, be more careful. Someone like you—a heart element—is like sweet steamed buns in others' eyes. They might have bad intentions."
Hearing this, Li Huowang's heart tightened. He hadn't expected any more information from Li Zhi, but the man had volunteered it himself.
Looking at the dying man before him, Li Huowang deliberately softened his tone. "What exactly is a heart element?"
"'Heart elements are those born from the primordial transformation, taking form with substance yet not a complete body. They are the inception of substance, not yet embodied.'"
"What?" Clearly, Li Huowang didn't understand what the man was saying.
"That's what the immortals told me. I'm an uneducated roughneck, so I don't fully get it, but it was the first time I saw them so delighted, so I figure... it must be something good."
Li Huowang raised his own hand and stared at it in shock.
Thinking back to those scheming monks at Zhengde Temple, it was proof enough that Li Zhi wasn't lying.
"In this world, I'm something extremely rare? But aside from being mentally ill, I'm no different from an ordinary person. What does being a heart element really mean?"
Li Huowang committed every word Li Zhi had just said to memory. He had a vague feeling this was extremely important.
Then he thought of his late master, Danyangzi.
Li Huowang realized there had been signs from the very beginning. His cheap master hadn't chosen a drug primer at random.
Since the others cultivated in the same bizarre way as Danyangzi, they likely needed someone like him as a primer too.
At that moment, Li Zhi's voice began to weaken, and his pupils started to dilate.
"Real Person Li, could you do me a small favor?"
Li Huowang turned back to the dying Li Zhi. "Speak."
"Next month on the twenty-second is Qingming Festival. When the time comes, could you burn some extra paper money for me? I've been poor all my life, Li Zhi. I don't want to be a poor ghost after death too."
By the end, Li Zhi smiled habitually again, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"In my next life, I wouldn't mind being reborn as an animal. Just... no more jumping the great god. It's too stifling, too... exhausting. Living like that is worse than a brothel procurer."
"Real Person Li, remember: do whatever you want in the future, but never jump the great god. That job isn't for humans. It's just too bitter, too stifling." Two clear tears slid from the corners of his eyes.
Li Huowang looked at him with a complicated expression.
Everything from the past flashed through his mind. He himself might be a good person, but what he did or didn't do wasn't up to him.
He was just another pitiful soul controlled by those immortals.
This cruel world had taught him that wielding those special powers didn't necessarily mean being a spell-casting expert like Xin Hui or Danyangzi. It could also mean being a slave to that power.
"Thank you for the guidance. It's very important to me, Brother Li Zhi."
By now, Li Zhi had only one last breath left. He took a deep inhale and used his final strength to say: "One more thing—that day you asked about exorcism, something was wrong, right? Head south. Find a group of nuns in black robes. They're... barely... considered... good people. They should... help you."
Li Huowang never expected this extra windfall. This involved the Danyangzi within him, so he urgently asked: "Nuns? What sect are they? Are they skilled at exorcising evil?"
Li Huowang kept asking, but no one responded. Only then did he realize Li Zhi's eyes had lost all luster. He was dead.
Looking at Li Zhi, who died with eyes wide open, Li Huowang felt a mix of emotions surging within him.
If he hadn't been a jumping shaman, the two of them might have become good friends.
Just then, the others approached from afar. "Senior Brother Li, as soon as the drumming stopped, that monster thing just froze. Oh? What's up with this guy?"
Gouwa, Xiaoman, and the others had tangled with the two spirits and looked utterly bedraggled. Everyone had injuries, but fortunately, they were minor.
Li Huowang sighed and pulled the sword from Li Zhi's stomach, sheathing it behind him. "Find a spot and bury these two. Don't let wolves or jackals tear them apart."
"Why, Senior Brother? He's a murderous villain!" Gouwa couldn't understand.
Li Huowang offered no explanation. He reached out and gently closed Li Zhi's eyes.
Li Huowang didn't leave a marker for Li Zhi. The man had no family or friends to pay respects, and leaving one might cause trouble.
After bustling around for half the day, by the time they returned to the village, the roosters were already crowing.
Just at the entrance, by the well, he spotted an unexpectedly gaunt silhouette. Bai Lingmiao, who had been bedridden and frail before, was now bent over drawing water.
"Senior Brother Li! Where did you all go? You're hurt? Nothing serious, right?" Bai Lingmiao asked with concern.
Li Huowang, his brows slightly furrowed, walked over and tossed aside her bucket. "You're still running a fever—why are you drawing water? Get back inside and lie down."
"I'm fine, I'm better. Here, feel."
When Li Huowang pressed his hand to her forehead and found the fever truly gone, he said in surprise: "The pills I refined don't have that kind of potency. You sure you're okay?"
Bai Lingmiao's expression froze for a moment, then she smiled again. "I'm fine. What could be wrong with me? I'm better now—isn't that good?"
"Even if you're fine, go lie down! You just recovered—don't touch water!"
(End of chapter)