Chapter 310: The Madman

Chapter 310: The Madman

After exiting from Niu Xinshan, Li Huowang walked in silence along the muddy path.

The paper-thin garments on his body and the skin beneath them gradually softened and fell apart under the rain’s relentless wash.

Beneath the cold downpour, his charred flesh began to reveal new flesh buds, torn and raw.

Each droplet of rain fell upon these tender growths. At that moment, Li Huowang understood what it meant to be torn apart by a thousand cuts—but he did not try to avoid it. He silently endured the storm.

As the rain lightened and dawn began to break, Li Huowang stopped at an abandoned temple. Having gone without sleep for days, he was utterly exhausted.

He looked up first at the half-destroyed plaque, then at the moss-covered couplets on either side. Though the characters had faded, one could still make them out with careful scrutiny.

Top line: “All things are possible through human effort; do not say everything is fate.”

Bottom line: “Circumstances arise from the mind; retreat one step and all will be well.”

Without a word, Li Huowang entered the temple. It was small, containing only a half-body clay statue, the rest having been taken away.

The roof leaked, and puddles on the floor were no less than those outside. Drenched to the bone, he stood in the only dry corner, staring blankly at the raindrops falling through the holes in the ceiling.

“Stupid? Now you’re alone in this world? I told you to listen to me. Ignorance leads to suffering,” Red Middle circled around Li Huowang, grinning with malicious joy.

The monk approached, eyebrows drooping as he tried to console him. “Brother Taoist, don’t take this so hard. It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t want to kill them. In the future, do more good deeds, chant Amitabha Buddha’s name, and the Buddha will forgive you.”

Li Huowang couldn’t understand the two hallucinations beside him. His mind was filled with visions of himself transformed into a beggar, and the icy gaze of Bai Lingmiao from yesterday.

His family had cast him aside, and he had caused Bai Lingmiao to lose hers too. He was a curse, a calamity that brought ruin to anyone who crossed his path.

“Clang!” The purple-sworded blade, brimming with sinister energy, was drawn from its sheath. Li Huowang stared intently at his own half-reflection on the gleaming blade.

Then a question echoed in his mind: *Why am I alive? If life is such torment, what’s the point of continuing?*

Suddenly, silence fell. Jinshan Zhao, Peng Longteng, the monk, Red Middle, formed four sides around Li Huowang.

“Hey hey hey! What are you doing, kid? Calm down!” Panic-stricken Red Middle rushed over. “Right, Taoist, if you feel life has no meaning, why not become a monk? Why go to such extremes?”

Peng Longteng, standing motionless, suddenly moved. Clad in armor, she made a scornful gesture with her body.

Jinshan Zhao, who had remained silent, closed his mouth and stared at Li Huowang’s profile with worry.

Li Huowang ignored them all, merely studying the sword before him, deep in thought. Never had he examined his life with such seriousness.

“Oh come on, it’s just a woman. A true man should not lack a wife. Even though you’ve lost them, we’re still here!” Red Middle grinned, poking his chest with a finger.

Hearing this, Li Huowang’s rigid face twisted into a grotesque snarl. With a sharp slash, the blade severed Red Middle’s form, splitting the clay statue behind him in two.

The gleam of the sword danced in the rain. In a frenzy, Li Huowang slashed wildly at Red Middle—faceless and eyeless, Peng Longteng—headless, Jinshan Zhao—bodyless, and the monk—evil-free.

Yet no matter how sharp the sword or how hard he swung, they remained untouched.

“You!! Because of you!! What are you?! Why do you follow me?!”

Li Huowang roared in fury within the temple.

“Why am I the one with heart-soul?! Why am I the one sick?! Why me?! What have I done wrong?! Why not someone else?! I just wanted to live peacefully! Why is it so hard?!”

After countless swings, Li Huowang staggered and fell to the ground. The sword flew several meters away.

Lying motionless, he was spent—truly spent.

But despite being utterly weary, he couldn’t fall asleep. His head throbbed incessantly.

Red Middle crouched beside him and said softly, “It’s okay. Just listen to me from now on. I’ll get you as many women as you want.”

Li Huowang gave no reaction. He lay there silently, eyes unmoving.

Suddenly, the world began to twist and shift. When Li Huowang came to, he found himself lying beneath a cold, damp bridge arch.

Looking at it all, Li Huowang opened his mouth and let out a silent, bitter laugh. Then, slowly, he began to chuckle. “Heh...”

As he laughed, he suddenly felt thirsty—thirsty beyond endurance. He stood up and walked toward the water.

Due to the rain, the water level had risen. Li Huowang knelt down, plunged his head in, and drank greedily.

Having quenched his thirst, he felt hungry again. He stood, wiped his face, and walked toward the exit of the bridge.

The sky had cleared after the rain. The air was fresh, and people were walking along the crosswalks.

When the ragged, dirty figure of Li Huowang emerged, his presence seemed to create a barrier—no one dared come within five meters.

“Here comes the madman again... What are the urban management officers doing? They don’t even care.”

“Shhh, don’t let him hear. That madman’s ears are sharp.”

“He’s pitiful, poor guy…”

Li Huowang paid no attention to their whispers. He wandered the streets, searching for something.

Eventually, he stopped beside a trash can. He opened the lid and lowered his head, carefully searching for food.

People nowadays wasted food easily. Soon, Li Huowang found two cups of unfinished milk tea and a partially eaten vegetarian bun.

“Click!” A flash appeared. A man with a cigarette in his mouth put down his phone and typed a message in his social media group: “Look at this! New version of the Sharp Brother!”

Finding a few cold skewers nearby, Li Huowang ate while heading back toward the bridge.

Just then, a group of teenagers ran past, pointing and laughing. One threw a stone at Li Huowang. “Haha! Madman! Come here, want a cigarette?”

Li Huowang suddenly grinned widely. “Haha!! That’s right! I’m mad! I’m the madman!! Haha!!”

(End of Chapter)