Chapter 133: Found

Chapter 133: Found

"What is it?" Bai Lingmiao was just about to lean toward Er Shen when Xiaoman pulled her back.

"Careful, don't go."

Glancing at Er Shen at the edge of the forest, Bai Lingmiao pulled her hand free. "It's fine, there shouldn't be any danger now."

Seeing Bai Lingmiao walk over just like that, the others felt uneasy and followed with their torches.

When they reached Er Shen's side, they finally realized where those sounds had come from.

By the flickering light of the torches, they watched the madman dancing wildly in the woods.

"Mother, I'll eat it, I really don't need you to feed me. It's fine even if I have an IV in my hand."

Covered in dust, Li Huowang sat on the ground littered with dead leaves, smiling at a spiderweb on a tree.

He held a long strip of stone, gnawing on it continuously, making crunching sounds, not stopping even as his mouth filled with blood.

"Mother, I swallowed it, I really did. I'm not a child anymore, you don't need to worry I'm being picky. Hehe."

"Whimper~" Mantou circled Li Huowang, wagging its tail incessantly; it was the one making that whimpering sound just now.

"Senior Brother Li!" Seeing him in such a miserable state, a tearful Bai Lingmiao couldn't help but cry out.

She involuntarily took a few steps forward, then forced herself to stop.

"Quick! Go get a rope and tie up Senior Brother Li! He'll be fine in a moment!"

After an unknown amount of time, when Li Huowang opened his eyes again, the first thing that met his gaze was a familiar face bathed in tears.

He flashed an extremely exhausted smile. "You're here? How did you find me?"

Sobbing, Bai Lingmiao used all her strength to pull Li Huowang's head tightly into her embrace.

She said nothing, yet her profound emotions were conveyed through their physical contact.

A warmth spread through Li Huowang's heart, and a somewhat unfamiliar emotion surged within him. "Is this... joy? It's been so long since I've felt it..."

Patting the other's back, Li Huowang pondered for a moment before speaking somewhat vaguely, "I... I went to clear up a few things and dealt with some troubles. Why are you all here?"

Li Huowang didn't want the others to know what he had experienced, nor did he want them to know what his past self had done.

After a warm exchange, everyone gradually fell silent.

Beside the bonfire on the pitch-black forest path, Li Huowang held a bowl of hot soup and took a gentle sip; besides warming his stomach, it also cleared the bloody taste from his mouth.

The flesh inside his mouth was all worn and torn, but Li Huowang knew such wounds would heal in the blink of an eye.

Gently squeezing Bai Lingmiao's smooth right hand, Li Huowang offered her comfort once more.

"It's over now, the troubles are all resolved, we can continue on our way home."

As he spoke, Li Huowang looked at everyone gathered around him, seeing the concern in their eyes.

He knew that in this world, there were still quite a few people who truly cared for him.

He cupped his fists toward the others. "You have all worked hard, Li Mou expresses his gratitude here."

He didn't specify what he was thanking them for; some things only needed to be kept in the heart, with no need to voice everything.

At this moment, Lu Zhuangyuan, sitting to the right of Danyangzi, spoke up, a flattering smile on his face. "Oh, oh, what are you saying, it's only right, only right."

"What happened to the Young Daoist Master just now? Did you encounter an evil spirit? Why were you eating stones? What kind of fiend is so powerful?"

Li Huowang had long known the reason for the Lu Family Troupe's arrival; for such trivial matters, he simply didn't care.

Li Huowang shook his head, pointing at his own head with a bitter smile.

"I have a little problem with my head, don't worry, it's nothing serious."

At this moment, Gouwa, squatting beside Jiang Yingzi, widened his eyes and spoke, "Senior Brother Li, are you really alright? You won't ever crawl into someone's belly and eat them from the inside out again, will you?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than, seeing the faces of Lu Zhuangyuan and the others turn pale with fright, Zhao Wu punched him hard in the ribs and quickly smoothed things over.

"In front of outsiders, what kind of talk is that? When has our Senior Brother Li ever eaten people? That was when he was having an episode, just pretending he thought he'd eaten someone."

"Ah~ Yes, yes, yes, oh, my pig brain, why do I always remember things wrong." Realizing his slip of the tongue, Gouwa quickly chimed in to agree.

However, this did little to soothe Lu Zhuangyuan; the smile on his face clearly stiffened, and his youngest son beside him was even worse, beginning to shiver uncontrollably.

"Enough, stop acting. Some things are done, and there's no need to cover them up." Li Huowang broke the false atmosphere the others had put on.

"Troupe Master Lu, a straightforward man doesn't speak in riddles. In the past, I indeed did quite a few scoundrelly things. I don't want to explain; I can only say it was not my will."

"If Troupe Master Lu feels it might harm your family, then let us part on good terms. If you feel it's fine, you can follow us for as long as you like. As friends, Li Mou will naturally protect your safety."

"Oh, oh, what is the Young Daoist Master doing? Is this old man such a snob? I trust the Young Daoist Master's character; there must be a bitter reason behind it." With a face full of smiles, Lu Zhuangyuan quickly picked up a bowl of hot soup.

"This old man uses tea instead of wine to apologize to the Young Daoist Master. Who said we're leaving? Whoever leaves is a son of a turtle!"

Li Huowang raised his bowl, gave a slight nod to Lu Zhuangyuan, and took a sip.

Whether they stayed or left was actually a minor matter in Li Huowang's mind; what he needed to consider now was what he should do next.

Pondering again, Li Huowang spoke to everyone before him, "We've been delayed by these matters for too long. Fortunately, the problems are all resolved. Tomorrow we will continue on our journey and leave Siqi."

As long as he safely sent these people home, a great burden would be lifted from his shoulders, making everything he did afterward much more convenient.

"Senior Brother Li, we can't leave yet. The Abbess said that if we found you, we must remember to have you go back and report our safety." Bai Lingmiao conveyed this unexpected information to Li Huowang.

"There's no need to make a special trip just to report safety; writing a letter and sending it via the postal relay is enough."

Since the problem was resolved, there was really no need to make another trip back. The Ance Nunnery wasn't far, but it wasn't close either.

"No, the Abbess said you must make a special trip back; it seems she has something to instruct you in person."

"Instruct in person?" Li Huowang frowned in thought. "It doesn't sound as simple as just reporting safety. Does the Abbess have some matter?"

After some consideration, Li Huowang stuffed the bowl in his hand into Bai Lingmiao's hands.

"Fine, then let's make another trip to Henghua Mountain. It's also a good opportunity to sort out the overall situation of this world."

Ever since coming to this wretched place, he had been chased and hunted, with no time to sort out what on earth was going on here.

How many factions there were, how vast their spheres of influence, and what taboos existed in dealing with them.

Since he was going to move forward from now on, he definitely needed to understand these matters thoroughly.