Chapter 340: Huanhuan

Chapter 340: Huanhuan

"Hehe, sir, what is it? Please give your orders," said the postmaster with a servile smile that reminded Li Huowang of his own superiors.

"Go to sleep. Don't come near my room unless there's something urgent."

"Well then, good night, sir. I'll take my leave now. Should anything happen, just shout 'Old Wu' and I'll be right there at your call."

With a creak, the door shut. Once Li Huowang had secured the latch, he took out the dry rations soaked by rain and began gnawing on them.

The steamed buns were gone, so he dared not eat anything from outside—caution was necessary. Even here in the Liang Kingdom's inn.

As he chewed, Li Huowang suddenly stopped, glancing at his healed hand. Something seemed to be moving beneath the scab.

Under the flickering candlelight, he noticed what appeared to be a slender black tentacle, writhing like a worm within his veins.

Li Sui’s tentacles had reached his wrist—something that hadn’t happened before.

"I told you so! Look, the signs are already showing. This is only the beginning—the Black Tai-Sui will gradually fill every meridian in your body! By then, you’ll be dead for sure. Not even the Great Immortal himself could save you!"

"Do as I say. Throw away the Black Tai-Sui immediately!"

Li Huowang chewed on the soggy bread, staring coldly at Hongzhong who spoke these words.

"Dad?" Li Sui’s voice rang again, tinged with hurt and uncertainty.

Li Huowang pulled his gaze back, placing the remaining food back into the bag. He extinguished the candle without washing up, lying down directly on the bed.

He was exhausted. As soon as his head touched the pillow, he fell into a deep slumber.

Listening to the pattering rain outside, Li Huowang slept peacefully for the first time in a long while.

In a daze, he was suddenly awakened by intense nausea.

"What's happening?" Li Huowang walked to his pack and grabbed the water gourd to drink.

But before he could pour the water, several tentacles emerged from his throat instead.

"What are you doing? Go back!" Li Huowang didn’t speak until then, but once he did, more tentacles burst forth.

"Li Sui! What are you doing!" he screamed mentally.

"Dad, you won't die!"

As Li Huowang bent over and vomited violently, the form of Li Sui—wrapped in slimy tentacles—spewed out along with the contents. She quickly wriggled under the bed.

After swallowing a mouthful of bloodied saliva, Li Huowang glared at Hongzhong in irritation. "Can’t you just stay quiet and die?"

With that, he turned toward the bed. But halfway there, he clutched his head in agony. Everything around him began to shift rapidly.

When he came to his senses again, he found himself lying on the cold concrete floor where he had stood moments before.

Li Huowang looked around in bewilderment. He was still under the bridge arch, though this place looked much dirtier than before.

"Back again..." He sighed helplessly, turned over, and lay flat on the ground, staring at the spider webs beneath the arch.

The only comfort was that his mother and Yang Na were no longer here. No need to worry about truth or illusion anymore—he could simply wait for time to pass.

"Li Sui is learning to read faster now. She can understand what Hongzhong says. Still, I must teach her—what people say isn’t always true." Dressed in tattered clothes, covered in grime, Li Huowang lay in the bridge cave, speaking to himself.

"Tock-tock-tock"—footsteps echoed from the entrance. He remembered that sound—it was Huanhuan.

Li Huowang turned his head and saw the cute little girl with her red schoolbag, holding steamed buns in both hands, standing anxiously. She seemed slightly taller now, her clothes changed, but her cherry hair clip remained unchanged.

"Huanhuan, no need to bring me food. I’m not starving to death. If I starved to death, that would be better."

Huanhuan widened her eyes upon hearing this. "Uncle, you recognized me! You haven’t seen me in a long time."

He smiled silently and stood, walking toward her. This time, Huanhuan didn’t run, instead looking up at him nervously.

Li Huowang accepted the five steamed buns from her bag and popped them into his mouth. "That day at kindergarten, I'm sorry. You know I have mental illness, sometimes I can’t tell things clearly."

Seeing him eat, Huanhuan smiled sweetly. Her twin braids swayed gently as she shook her head. "It's okay. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me."

Li Huowang raised his hand to pat her head, but seeing his grimy palm, he reconsidered.

"Thanks for the buns. Don’t bring me food anymore. When I go mad, I might hurt you." Just as he said that, he paused. Why was he talking nonsense? It was only a hallucination after all.

"Yeah! I get it! Goodbye, Uncle, I’m going home!" Huanhuan gave him a big hug before turning away.

Li Huowang walked to the edge of the bridge cave, standing in the shadows watching the small figure dash through sunlight. A hint of warmth flickered in his eyes.

The kindness he avoided so much in reality was abundant in this illusion. If given a choice, he truly wished this place were real.

Just as he prepared to turn back into the cave, a chubby man smoking at the corner, wearing a thick gold chain around his neck, made his expression stiffen.

His lecherous glances sent a chill through Li Huowang’s heart.

"What does he want with Huanhuan?" Li Huowang recalled a movie called *Soyoung*. His skin twitched.

Even in his hallucination, he wouldn’t allow such disgusting things to happen.

Looking around, he picked up a smooth pebble from the river nearby and approached the fat man.

The moment the man turned around and saw Li Huowang, the stone in his hand slammed down onto his skull.

By the time the bleeding man regained consciousness from the pain, he had been dragged deep into the dark bridge cave.

When he looked down and saw glass shards piercing his left palm, his cheeks trembled as he screamed in agony.

Li Huowang punched him in the chest, silencing his cries instantly. The man struggled for breath. “What are you yelling about?! I haven’t even started yet!”

Once the man recovered, Li Huowang stared coldly at him. “Tell me, what were you planning to do with that little girl?”

The man nearly cried. His face showed deep grievance. “I wasn’t looking at that girl! I was looking at YOU!”

(End of Chapter)