Chapter 1017: Sanqing

Chapter 1017: The Three Pure Ones

Yet Qing Wanglai seemed to know everything; his body contorted in a grotesque, unnatural manner, sacrificing only an ear to evade the perilously close sniper shot.

Just as Qing Wanglai’s shattered spectacles tumbled toward the ground, a cold glint flashed across a broken lens—it was Li Huowang’s military knife.

The moment Qing Wanglai was ambushed, Li Huowang had already begun his follow-up; this was nothing less than a trap set for Qing Wanglai by Li Huowang and Zhao Shuangdian.

With a sharp metallic clang, Qing Wanglai used the watch on his wrist to desperately parry the blade Li Huowang had swung at him.

But immediately after, with a sickening squelch, Qing Wanglai watched in disbelief as the other knife in Li Huowang’s left hand buried itself into his neck.

He could not fathom it—he had not even begun to act, yet this man had suddenly launched a sneak attack. Why?

Blood sprayed, yet Qing Wanglai remained unnervingly calm, instantly seeking an opening to counterattack. As he gripped Li Huowang’s wrist, he turned his head and shouted to the other Siling nearby: "Help me! Li Huowang has completely lost his mind!"

At these words, the other Siling snapped to their senses and prepared to intervene, but Yi Donglai and Yang Na stepped forward to block them. "Qing Wanglai is lying to you! Li Huowang isn't crazy! He is using all of you!"

At that very moment, another gunshot rang out, but Qing Wanglai, as if possessing foresight, dodged it once again.

Li Huowang roared, pouring more strength into his hands in an attempt to cleave Qing Wanglai’s head off, but Qing Wanglai’s strength was immense, and he held firm.

"Bang!" Qing Wanglai kicked Li Huowang hard in the stomach, the sheer force displacing his internal organs. "Brother Li! What are you doing!"

But to Qing Wanglai’s great surprise, this tactic no longer worked on Li Huowang.

"This is all your fault!!" Li Huowang braced his feet, his mouth snapping open as he lunged to bite at Qing Wanglai’s face.

Just as Qing Wanglai prepared to dodge, the red laser sight once again locked onto the back of his head. Forced to choose the lesser of two evils, he dodged the bullet, but Li Huowang’s teeth had already clamped onto his cheek.

With bloodshot eyes, Li Huowang used every ounce of his strength to bite down and tear, ripping a large patch of skin from Qing Wanglai’s face.

Feeling the searing pain in his face and the lethal wound in his neck, Qing Wanglai pushed with both hands against Li Huowang’s wrists, shoving him away and briefly halting the assault.

Clutching his neck, he looked at Li Huowang and let out a soft, mocking laugh. "It seems you’ve found some special way to learn the truth, and it appears you don't approve of my plan?"

Even now, Li Huowang had no desire to converse; clutching his knife, his mind was entirely consumed by how to finish off the wounded Qing Wanglai.

Seeing Li Huowang’s refusal to talk, Qing Wanglai turned to the conflicted Wu Qi. "Sister Wu, come over and help me bandage this."

Holding her medical kit, Wu Qi looked left and right, unsure of what to do.

"Wu Qi! Come here!!" At Qing Wanglai’s roar, Wu Qi pulled out a scalpel, forced back the obstructing Yi Donglai, and rushed to Qing Wanglai’s side to quickly stitch his wounds.

"Oh dear! What are you all doing? If there’s an issue, can’t you just sit down and talk it out?"

As the fine thread wove through flesh to stem the bleeding, Qing Wanglai used Wu Qi’s body as a shield, keeping her positioned directly in the line of fire.

He then looked at the others and spoke. "Well? You don't actually believe Li Huowang, do you? Heaven is my witness, I haven't harmed him; from start to finish, I have only been helping him."

"Of course, I won't play along with a madman, but shouldn't we restrain him now? If we let him continue this frenzy, things will become difficult."

No sooner had he finished than Li Huowang retorted, "Is that so? Then explain what is inside the three test tubes behind you! Who do you intend to use those against!!"

With that, Li Huowang stomped his feet, gripped his knife, and gritted his teeth as he charged at the injured Qing Wanglai.

Just as Li Huowang was forced to reach out to steady Wu Qi, who had been knocked into him, he saw Qing Wanglai seize the opportunity to turn and flee!

"Zhao Shuangdian! He’s running! Chase him!!" Li Huowang shoved Wu Qi aside and gave chase without hesitation.

He was wounded; he could not let him escape. If he got away now, the advantage Li Huowang had fought so hard to seize through backtracking would be lost!

The mountain forest was dense and difficult to navigate, but fortunately, the red trail of blood dripping from the Three Pure Ones allowed Li Huowang to track Qing Wanglai’s movements.

After a rapid pursuit, Li Huowang caught sight of Qing Wanglai’s back again. He raised his arm, exerted all his force, and hurled his military knife—a hit!

Li Huowang pushed aside the branches blocking his path and saw Qing Wanglai lying beneath a paulownia tree, the knife buried deep in his thigh, blood flowing unabated.

Gripping his remaining knife, Li Huowang stared at Qing Wanglai, his teeth gritted, no longer needing to hide his emotions. "Have you decided on your last words?"

"Hehehe... what do you intend to do next?" Qing Wanglai raised his right hand, missing a pinky finger, and adjusted his blood-stained glasses.

Even in this situation, there was not a hint of fear in his eyes.

Li Huowang slowly bared his teeth in a grimace. "I am going to devour your Heavenly Dao!"

Just then, footsteps sounded from behind; Li Huowang recognized them as Zhao Shuangdian’s.

"Li Huowang, must you really have an internal conflict at a time like this? Don't forget, our enemy is right before us." Qing Wanglai reached out, pointing toward the dark clouds gathering on the horizon.

"Cut the crap! You think I’ll believe you again? I already know what you’re planning from the last backtrack! Your act is over!"

"Hehehe..." Qing Wanglai laughed. If Li Huowang remembered correctly, this was the first time he had ever heard him laugh like that. The atmosphere in the woods grew oppressive, and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

"Heh, do you really think I’m afraid of you? I know you have some tricks, you lunatic, but do you really think a sneak attack is enough to deal with me?"

A click echoed—the sound of a pistol safety being disengaged. Qing Wanglai raised the gun from his pocket, aiming it at the center of Li Huowang’s forehead.

"You’ve miscalculated. Even wounded, I am not someone you can handle."

In Li Huowang’s eyes, Qing Wanglai’s body began to swell and split into strands of transparent thread. Standing in the chaotic void of the White Jade Capital, Li Huowang looked at the Three Pure Ones he had struggled so hard to find, his expression hysterical as he let out a soul-piercing roar: "Three Pure Ones!!"