Chapter 296: Xinsu

Chapter 296 Heart Essence

"Hahaha!!" Hong Zhong's laughter echoed endlessly beside Li Huowang, "Heart Essence!! Li Huowang, hahaha!!"

Li Huowang held a cup in his hand, sitting there in bewilderment, looking at the half corpse in Tuoba Danqing's hand beside him, looking at this dead man's head before him and the internal organs connected below it.

After pausing for quite a while, Li Huowang's eyes gradually widened, a shocked expression slowly surfacing on his face. "So this is... Heart Essence..."

At this moment, the fist beneath his table was clenched very tightly, yet nothing was shown on his face.

The drunk Tuoba Danqing was very satisfied seeing Li Huowang's surprised expression, speaking with a hint of pride: "How is it? Never seen one before? To be honest with you, brother me is also seeing a living Heart Essence for the first time!"

Li Huowang trembled as he reached out, using his fingertips to gently touch the Heart Essence's face.

This was a middle-aged man with a square face, appearing around forty years old, with a full beard.

If judging solely by appearance, it was completely an ordinary person's face, yet the features on this face were extremely distorted, the grief and anger and despair in the eyes frozen along with death.

Li Huowang understood physical and mental pain very well himself; he knew that only dying under extremely painful circumstances would result in such an expression. This person, whose identity was the same as his, had died miserably back then.

"Hey hey hey, enough, just touching it is enough. According to reason, you aren't qualified to see such a treasure. Letting you take a look is already an exception. This is a heavenly treasure destined for the national treasury."

Li Huowang mechanically raised his arm like a puppet, poured the wine from the cup into his mouth, and his expression and limbs gradually relaxed. "Brother Tuoba, why does this Heart Essence... only have a head and internal organs left?"

These words seemed to hit Tuoba Danqing right in the heart; he immediately slapped the table in regret.

"Sigh! Originally intended to keep it alive, a living Heart Essence is much more useful than a dead one, but can you guess what happened? When Brother Ji Xiang and I were nearing the border, we were actually intercepted! We exerted our utmost effort, finally managing to snatch this little bit. Truly a pity."

Li Huowang nodded, the heavy intoxication gradually covering up the shock on his face. "Sigh, Brother Tuoba, indeed a pity. If this Heart Essence were alive, it would be better. I heard the confusion within a Heart Essence's brain is very useful."

Tuoba Danqing continued to show off, saying: "Not just that! The Heart Essence's flesh is also a good treasure! Brother Er, the Heart Essence's meat and bones, and its heart and liver, are all rare materials!"

"Let me tell you, Lord Ji Xiang possesses a powerful magical artifact refined using a Heart Essence's Zhaicai, capable of making others' spiritual consciousness fall into confusion unexpectedly. I heard someone offered two hundred years of lifespan and they still wouldn't sell it!"

"Zhaicai?"

"Zhaicai means tongue, tongue means Zhaicai. You don't understand these elegant terms, Brother Er, you still have much to learn."

"Regarding Heart Essence, in the past I had only heard of them but never seen one. I didn't expect there to be so many intricacies. Brother Tuoba has truly broadened my horizons." Li Huowang raised his wine cup to toast Tuoba Danqing.

"Broadened your horizons, huh? Hehe, in the future as long as you go out with me more, there are plenty of places to broaden your horizons. Come, drink, drink!" Saying this, he casually stuffed the Heart Essence into a cloth bag and continued drinking.

This drinking session lasted from the second watch until dawn, continuing until Tuoba Danqing fell asleep, only then did the banquet disperse.

Li Huowang supported the muttering Tuoba Danqing to the guest room, helped him onto the bed, then picked up the yellow cloth bag containing the Heart Essence, shook it slightly, and placed it to the left of his ceramic pillow.

Accompanied by a creaking sound, after Li Huowang closed the door, Tuoba Danqing, who was lying on his back with his mouth open snoring, suddenly opened his eyes, not a trace of sleepiness remaining in them.

Propping up his head, he first glanced towards the direction of the door, then used his hand to feel the yellow cloth bag beside the pillow. A look of appreciation appeared on his face. "Not bad, not bad. This child saw the Heart Essence, yet not a shred of greed arose in his eyes. Hong Da brought in a much more reliable person this time compared to last time."

Li Huowang, reeking of alcohol, walked unsteadily down the street. Besides the two swords on his back, he was carrying a large bundle of things in his hand.

Under the morning sun, Li Huowang's face showed neither sorrow nor joy, he simply walked silently.

Others on the road smelled the pungent scent of alcohol on him, and seeing his strange attire, everyone couldn't help but cover their noses and move away.

"Where did this drunkard come from? Drinking early in the morning."

"Exactly, nowadays young people are really becoming more and more improper."

Accompanied by these voices, Li Huowang arrived at the inn where he stayed. As soon as he pushed the door open, Bai Lingmiao, who was pacing anxiously inside, immediately came forward.

"Senior Brother Li, why leave without saying a word? You scared me to death! Did you drink?"

Li Huowang opened the thing in his hand; inside were bamboo-woven food boxes. "Went out to eat with others tonight. Let everyone taste some. I packed it up. These things are very precious, try something new."

After speaking, he lay straight on the bed and let out a deep sigh.

Seeing Li Huowang was in low spirits, how could Bai Lingmiao care about eating anymore? She sat by the bedside, looking at Li Huowang's back. "Senior Brother Li, what exactly is wrong with you?"

Li Huowang sighed deeply again. "Nothing, just some things turned out differently than I thought. Miaomiao, I suddenly realized, in this damned place nothing can be relied upon. Rely on mountains and mountains collapse, rely on water and water flows away. Everything depends only on oneself."

Speaking of this, Li Huowang recalled that distorted face again. Besides Abbess's son, this was the third time Li Huowang had seen a Heart Essence. A Heart Essence torn apart into two halves by others in a struggle.

After seeing that face, Li Huowang instantly understood. This organization, the powerful and numerous Tianji Bureau, was not his backing, never could be. On the contrary, they could become his enemies at any time.

Wanting to fully throw oneself behind the Tianji Bureau and eventually establish footing in this dangerous world was simply a fool's dream.

These dangerous people, one could only utilize from afar forever, rather than approach with goodwill.

Just lift the mask, and the friend drinking with you the previous second might tie you up and sell you the next second.

Being a Heart Essence is original sin. As long as this identity follows oneself for a day, then oneself is that Tang Monk's flesh everyone wants to bite.

Bai Lingmiao seemed to sense Li Huowang's gloomy emotions. She prostrated herself, reached out her hand, and stroked his back repeatedly with her palm, wanting to make him feel more comfortable.

"Senior Brother Li, don't worry. No matter what, we are still here."

(End of Chapter)