Chapter 337: Getting Rich

Chapter 337: Wealth

Confronted by the retort of the Zuo Wang Dao, Xin Chi seemed to be stammering out some sort of defense.

But Li Huowang was not listening; Xin Chi’s attempt to settle a private grievance had ultimately backfired upon himself, and Li Huowang could already foresee how the Zuo Wang Dao would exploit his own identity to play them all for fools.

Yet rather than gloat over the other’s misfortune, the most pressing matter now was what his own next move should be.

After pondering carefully, Li Huowang determined his course of action.

"This assignment is far too perilous; both my own allies and the enemy are scheming against me. In a situation like this, rather than remaining entangled, it is better to step aside for the moment."

"I will wait until they tear each other apart, and then I shall emerge to reap the spoils. In this wretched place, not a single soul can be trusted! The only one I can rely on is myself—at least I will not deceive myself."

Casting one last glance at the distant quartet who had gathered once more and were gradually walking away, the invisible Li Huowang gripped the roof tiles, flipped down from the beam, and trailed stealthily behind them.

He observed that the other three had ceased their bickering with the version of himself simulated by the Zuo Wang Dao; Xin Chi had clearly swallowed a bitter pill and was forced to accept that the Zuo Wang Dao was the genuine article.

However, judging by Xin Chi’s wary movements, he remained perpetually on guard against this Zuo Wang Dao.

With the suspicion of identity temporarily shelved, the four of them now seemed to be searching for something.

Li Huowang knew exactly what they sought; they were looking for Ji Xiang. Ever since the Buddhist hall collapsed, that Ji Xiang with the golden abacus had vanished, which was profoundly abnormal.

"Since the object they desire is gone, where could Ji Xiang have gone now?" Seeing the four move toward a side hall, Li Huowang quickened his pace to keep up.

Yet just as Li Huowang was about to slip inside, a hand clapped down upon his shoulder.

In an instant, cold sweat drenched Li Huowang’s skin; he was clearly invisible, yet someone could actually see him!

Grip on his sword, he spun around immediately, only to find a man dressed as a scholar standing behind him.

"Swish—" The scholar unfurled a folding fan in his hand, upon which four cursive brush strokes were elegantly flourished: Born Possessing Talent.

"You are called Er Jiu, correct? How utterly bizarre. In your Five Elements, Fire and Metal remain, yet why have the other three vanished?"

Li Huowang’s brow furrowed tightly as he stared at this man of unknown origin, the alertness in his heart rising to its absolute peak.

In this eerie place, there were far too many possibilities for this man’s identity, the most likely being that a Zuo Wang Dao was playing tricks.

Or perhaps even worse, this person was that very Zuo Wang Dao whose presence was felt but whose name was unknown. He resolved that the moment this man made a suspicious move, he would unleash a devastating blow.

"Doesn't it hurt with those blades thrust into your face? Why not pull them out? Besides, those belong to the Blade-Lender; since you have borrowed his blades, he will strip away your fortune."

With a casual wave of the scholar’s fan, the rusted blades embedded in Li Huowang’s face pulled themselves out one by one. Then, with another wave, the wounds upon Li Huowang’s face swiftly knitted back together.

The moment the scholar moved, the fire-striker in Li Huowang’s hand was already pressed against his own skin.

"Who exactly are you?" Li Huowang demanded, staring at him, pronouncing each word deliberately.

Beholding the deep-seated vigilance in Li Huowang’s eyes, the scholar sighed and ceased his actions, seemingly lost in thought.

After a few breaths, the scholar spoke once more. "Very well."

"This humble scholar has some business to attend to, so I shall take my leave. Since you have joined the Directorate of Celestial Inspection, you must take care to stay alive; sometimes, ignorance is a form of bliss."

Saying this, the scholar crouched down, drew a black spindle from his robes, and placed it upon the ground. "Let this humble scholar leave you a little token. This item is far more useful than the mask upon your face."

Having laid it down, the scholar did nothing else; he nodded appreciatively toward Li Huowang, turned, and walked toward the exit of the Buddhist Bone Temple.

"Until we meet again, Er Jiu. This humble scholar is Zhuge Yuan. If you encounter troubles you cannot resolve, remember to seek me out at Apricot Island in the West Sea. Though my abilities are limited, I shall render what aid I can."

The scholar departed, leaving Li Huowang standing rooted to the spot. This scholar gave him a peculiar sensation; only after contemplating it deeply for a long while did he realize in hindsight that it was a manifestation of goodwill—a rarity in this world.

This kind of directly expressed kindness was a first; he had only ever felt it on the side of his hallucinations.

Not even Abbess Jing Xin had shown such a thing, for the Abbess always kept her kindness buried deep within her heart.

After a brief moment of bewilderment, Li Huowang shook his head violently, his gaze turning resolute once more.

"No! There is definitely something wrong with that scholar! I cannot let myself be led astray by him. I have suffered enough losses; I absolutely cannot fall into the same pit twice."

Li Huowang glanced at the spindle wound with black thread on the ground, then turned and walked toward the adjacent side hall.

Today’s assignment, the events that had transpired, and the people he had met all made Li Huowang feel intensely uneasy.

Yet he could not articulate exactly where the awkwardness lay; it was like admiring flowers through a fog, forever obscured by an impenetrable layer.

When Li Huowang stepped into the side hall once more, he froze instantly.

The four individuals from moments ago had now become six; beside them stood another Monk Xin Chi and another Hong Da.

Watching them stand there, arguing vehemently over something, Li Huowang smiled. "How interesting."

Li Huowang patted the dust from his clothes, straightened his Daoist robes, sheathed his sword, and lifted his foot across the threshold of the side hall to join them.

Seeing Li Huowang enter, the Li Huowang inside widened his eyes and slapped his own forehead. "Splendid, another one arrives!"

"This man is the true Er Jiu,"

"This man is a fake; he is a Zuo Wang Dao."

The two Monks Xin Chi simultaneously delivered two completely contradictory answers through Mind Telepathy.

Li Huowang sized up the two Monks Xin Chi; for a moment, he could not distinguish which one was the Zuo Wang Dao in disguise and which was the genuine monk who had framed him.

Instantly, the hall erupted into chaos. With an extra Xin Chi present, the ability to discern truth from falsehood became entirely useless, and no one could tell who was real and who was a fake.

Several times matters teetered on the brink of violence, but under the mediation of the others, it ultimately did not come to blows.

Li Huowang, by contrast, was the most indifferent among them; he had no need to distinguish the true from the false, for he had merely come to watch the spectacle.

Only when they fought it out and emerged with a victor would it be his turn to strike.

Beholding the chaotic mess before him, the corners of Li Huowang’s mouth curled slightly upward; he could somewhat understand the mindset of the Zuo Wang Dao now.

When matters had nothing to do with oneself, such a scene was truly amusing.

"Enough!" A furious, rasping voice silenced everyone, causing them to turn their heads toward the entrance of the hall.

It was Ji Xiang, who walked in clutching a shriveled head that had shrunk to half its original size.

His sparse eyebrows twitched with rage, and his expression was exceedingly grim.

He stepped before the crowd, sizing up the two identical Li Huowangs, the two identical Hong Das, and the two identical Monks Xin Chi.

Staring at them, Ji Xiang raised the human head in his hand and slowly opened his mouth to speak: "What games are you still playing! This is the head of Wealth! Wealth has been dead for a long time!"

These words instantly plunged everyone present into a cavern of ice. Wealth, one of the Three Primes, Wealth was dead just like that—just how powerful was the one who killed him?