Chapter 668
Chapter 668
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 668
>Chapter Title: Hitting the Road
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The atmosphere in the room was just perfect, but right as Li Huowang leaned in to kiss further downward, Yang Na suddenly let out a little "pfft" of laughter.
"What're you laughing at?" Li Huowang asked, puzzled.
"I'm just so happy, Huowang. The thought of you finally getting discharged makes me thrilled to my core—I really can't hold back the laughter."
Yang Na planted a solid kiss on Li Huowang's cheek. Seeing the look on his face, she cleared her throat and quickly straightened up her expression, her eyes fluttering shut.
"Alright, alright, enough chit-chat. Let's start over—pretend that last bit never happened."
Gazing at Yang Na's delicate features, Li Huowang drew closer ever so gently. But right then, he sensed a stare from outside the window.
When he whipped his head around to check, there was Aunt Qi, gripping a pair of binoculars in both hands and peering right at them.
That old face staring back killed any mood Li Huowang had left. "Aunt Qi! Enjoying the show? Wanna join in? I won't mind!"
Yang Na, fighting back a grin, gave his chest a light smack before stepping over to the window and drawing the starry curtains shut.
"She's up in years—how can you tease her like that?"
"If she weren't, I'd be laying into her with every curse in the book. She's got me pinned down so tight, I can't even leave the neighborhood." Li Huowang hiked up his pant legs, exposing the electronic monitors clamped around both ankles.
"But didn't they discharge you after you recovered? Why all these restrictions still?" Yang Na crouched down beside him, peering curiously at the device.
"It's all because of what went down before." Li Huowang slumped onto a nearby stool and, with a hint of irritation, laid out everything that had happened.
"I handed over clear evidence—those two severed fingers had to be the kidnappers'. But they claimed all the blood on me was mine, there was no DNA match on the fingers, and no victims stepping forward to claim them, so they still wouldn't buy my story outright."
"My illness is cured—the doctors even signed off on it—but they won't trust it. They still think I might just be losing it."
Yang Na propped herself up on the bed with both hands behind her, listening patiently as Li Huowang vented.
"You saw the thing on my ankle. They dress it up as 'protection' to keep anyone from snatching me again. Truth is, I know it's their double safety net."
"Huowang, did someone really try to kidnap you? Who were they?" Yang Na tilted her head, concern creasing her face as she tried viewing it from his angle.
Her words dragged Li Huowang's mind back to that rambling lunatic Qian Fu in the mental hospital, draping a shadow over his heart.
"How should I know? God knows what possessed those freaks to target a guy like me. Heh, maybe my kind's a rare breed." Li Huowang brushed it off casually.
Whether it tied back to Qian Fu or those bizarre Leo aliens he'd blabbered about, Li Huowang had no intention of dragging Yang Na into it—especially after her own bout with illness. Things could spiral too far and trigger a relapse; that'd be the last thing he wanted.
Once he shook off a few more restrictions, he'd grill Qian Fu himself.
Yang Na hooked a stray lock of hair behind her ear with her pinky finger, revealing a pair of exquisite green earrings. "Huowang, if that's how it is, just hole up at home for a bit. At least you'll be safe."
"Not planning on going anywhere anyway. I've been grinding through online classes to catch up on the basics, but damn, it's brutal."
"Online classes? Wh—"
Her eyes misted over mid-sentence. Even after all this time, he still remembered that promise they'd made up on the rooftop—to get into the same university together.
"Huowang, I like you so, so much." Overcome, Yang Na wrapped her arms around him again, pressing softly against him as they savored the fleeting warmth.
It didn't last. Li Huowang's voice cut in soon enough. "Nana, did your folks know you were coming over?"
"They'd never have let me if they did." Yang Na's face fell at that.
But she bounced back quick. "Whatever, forget that. You're doing online classes? Let this straight-A student give you a hand!"
"You? You sure you can hack it? I read online that college makes you forget high school stuff twice as fast—just handing it right back to the teachers."
"Don't sell me short. So, where'd you leave off?"
Yang Na snatched up Li Huowang's phone, punched in her birthday on the lock screen with practiced ease, and tapped open the new tutoring apps. Lecture videos sprang to life one after another.
With her guidance, it beat fumbling solo by miles—no more slog like storming a fortress.
Li Huowang drew in a deep breath, shutting down his senses as he willed his mind toward the divine light in his eyes, slowly enfolding as much of his innate one qi as he could.
Laboriously, he then nudged the bundled qi toward the navel wheel in his gut.
The cultivation art had seven layers total; he'd mastered the first two and was now pressing into the third.
Sure, this so-called cultivation art came from the Great Matron's implanted memories, and its origins felt off.
But Li Huowang didn't care. With true and false heavenly dao now fused into Ji Zai, whatever the art had been before, it was real now.
Beads of cold sweat popped on his forehead as he strained to steer the wrapped qi.
It was brutal—every inch felt like shoving against a thousand pounds.
Push after endless push, until he was spent. Then Li Huowang released it all at once and cracked his eyes open.
So close. But better than last time—progress every moment. He wouldn't be long breaking the third wheel.
As his eyes opened, the odds and ends hovering in midair rained down to the ground. Dawn was just breaking.
Qingqiu was nearly in reach. With Ji Zai out of the picture, the stronger he grew, the better his odds against the Fa Cult.
It wasn't long before Li Huowang spotted a caravan up ahead. Most of the travelers bore a red double lotus mark scrawled on their foreheads with ink, and patches of exposed skin sported tattoos—though clothes hid the details.
Ignoring their stares, Li Huowang strode straight into the largest carriage, the one drawn by four horses.
Bai Lingmiao was there in a flash, handing over a steaming bowl of food.
As Li Huowang shoveled it down, she slipped off his shoes and socks, fetched a basin of warm water, and washed his feet.
He wolfed it quick, mopped his face with a towel, and flopped down to rest.
He'd been sticking to nights on the move lately; the cultivation quirks made daytime dicey. Only these nightly stops en route to Qingqiu let him slip off for secluded practice.
"Nana, thanks—you really helped me out big time," Li Huowang murmured, eyes shut.
"Senior Brother Li, no need for thanks between us."
(End of chapter)