Chapter 350: Wife

Chapter 350 My Better Half

The grand, oversized carriage, drawn by four vigorous steeds, hurtled furiously along the road ahead.

Yet the coachman remained unsatisfied, anxiously and repeatedly lashing his whip against the horses' rumps.

Li Huowang rested his arm upon the window frame, gazing out at the emerald sea of trees that rushed past.

"This place isn't far from Cowheart Mountain. I wonder how they are faring, though with Bai Lingmiao's Second God and Gao Zhijian present, ordinary bandits shouldn't be able to harm them."

Suddenly, Li Huowang sensed a gaze boring out from the woods, but when he turned his head to look, he found nothing there.

"Cough, cough—we are nearly upon the place, so this old servant shall make the rules of this assignment crystal clear to you all."

The Voice-Recorder's words pulled Li Huowang's drifting thoughts back, making him look toward the old eunuch who sat upright, cradling that decayed wooden ruyi in his arms as if it were a scrawny cat.

"Cough, cough. Since this old servant has summoned you, there is naturally a matter at hand. I know many of you have already guessed it. Indeed, this time we are to capture a Heart-Turbid. Alive or dead matters not."

No one spoke, continuing to listen to the Voice-Recorder.

"The abilities of a Heart-Turbid—I know not if you have heard of them in the past, but regardless, since we are free at the moment, this old servant shall repeat them here once more." Saying this, the Voice-Recorder deliberately cast a glance in Li Huowang's direction.

"The so-called Heart-Turbid, just like the Heart-Flawless and the Heart-Anchored, are living people whose hearts bear karmic hindrances. This word 'turbid', as the name implies, actually signifies that the human heart is murky and defiled."

"A Heart-Turbid not only possesses an impure heart themselves, but they can also use the karmic hindrances within their heart to defile everything in their surroundings."

The Voice-Recorder was interrupted directly halfway through his words, a sensation that made Li Huowang quite displeased. Entirely without surprise, the one speaking was still that spirit-medium.

"Feng Erniu, there is no need to speak of these things everyone already knows. Just tell us how to deal with it once we find it."

"Furthermore, let me make this clear beforehand: no matter what happens afterward, once this matter is concluded, the favor I owe you shall be considered fully repaid."

Hearing the other party call out his true name, the Voice-Recorder snorted in great displeasure, yet he seemed not quite daring to provoke the man, and could only suppress the anger in his heart as he spoke: "Shentu Gang, give us some face. There is no rush for this brief moment. We are idle anyway, so let us finish speaking first. If you dislike listening, you may rest for a while."

Seeing that spirit-medium, who sat with arms crossed, slowly close his eyes, the Voice-Recorder cleared his throat and continued: "Then this old servant shall keep it brief. This Heart-Turbid is the exact opposite of a Heart-Flawless. If a Heart-Flawless is like a bright spot in the night that can be seen from afar, then a Heart-Turbid is like a patch of black cloth in the night. For ordinary people to find them is harder than ascending to the heavens."

Hearing this, a tinge of bitterness welled up in Li Huowang. If he were a Heart-Turbid instead of a Heart-Flawless, perhaps there wouldn't be so many chaotic troubles.

At this moment, the Voice-Recorder was still continuing: "Moreover, this Heart-Turbid can not only use the karmic hindrances upon their own body to conceal themselves, but they can also use those karmic hindrances to hide other things, whether living or dead."

"Let us put it this way: when engaging in combat with a Heart-Turbid, as you fight on, you might suddenly forget where the weapon in your hand went, and then as you fight further, you will find the Heart-Turbid has vanished to places unknown."

Li Huowang silently committed these details to memory, and linking them to his own encounters, a question arose in his mind. "It sounds so formidable, but can this Heart-Turbid truly control their ability at will?"

"Be careful!" The Voice-Recorder's tone suddenly grew heavy.

"Do not for a moment think that a Heart-Turbid possesses only this meager capability. Otherwise, I would not have gathered you all and made such a grand disturbance. In terms of capability, among the great scourges of the Heart Character, it and the Heart-Flawless are the most difficult to deal with."

"Never stare too long into a Heart-Turbid's eyes. If your three souls and seven po are defiled by its karmic hindrance, then your entire person will be directly hidden away by it."

"Remember well, the hiding I speak of is the kind where no one can find you, the kind where you can never return for a lifetime!"

"Furthermore, many Heart-Turbid who have achieved significant power also possess different variables. You must adapt to circumstances when you encounter them. However, broadly speaking, what this Heart-Turbid employs is still the karmic hindrance within its heart, so even if it changes, it remains within this circle."

Looking at the solemn expressions of the others, Li Huowang sighed slightly in his heart. If even normal eye contact was forbidden, then this Heart-Turbid must have hidden away many of their own kin, right? He could not help but feel a flicker of pity once more for this unseen Heart-Turbid.

In terms of plight, a Heart-Turbid and a Heart-Flawless were likely not much different.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter." Hearing the hurried sound of horses' hooves outside gradually slow down, the Voice-Recorder's words also accelerated rapidly.

"Once we reach the boundary, Xiao Liuzi and Danqing shall surround this place to prevent the Heart-Turbid from fleeing. When that is done, Shentu Gang and I shall force her out. After that, Er Jiu, you all shall be responsible for beating the Heart-Turbid to death. In any case, the Fire-Worshipping Sect requires no weapons to kill, so the Heart-Turbid's karmic hindrance will be of no use against you. Let it be so, alight from the carriage!"

The carriage curtain and window curtain were violently flung open, and the six individuals quickly took their positions by the roadside. A highly peculiar village stockade appeared before everyone.

It looked just like the various village stockades Li Huowang had seen along the road in the past, except that this village stockade showed absolutely no tiles or walls; whether it was the tiles, the walls, or the ground, everything was covered by a layer of emerald-green ivy.

"Xiao Liuzi, go. Remember, this matter concerns this old servant's very head. You must not be careless in the slightest."

Liu Zongyuan, wearing his wooden mask, nodded. Digging his feet into the ground, he leapt into the bushes behind him like a monkey.

Before long, a thin mist began to rise, enveloping the entire vicinity, and the White Impermanence with its long red tongue loomed indistinctly within the light fog.

Before the Voice-Recorder could even give the word, the spirit-medium named Shentu Gang stepped directly inside ahead of them. The Voice-Recorder sighed helplessly, hoisted his golden abacus, and hurriedly followed.

Walking upon a expanse of emerald-green grass, Li Huowang warily observed everything around him.

This place was extraordinarily quiet; save for the clicking sound of the golden abacus being flicked, there was no sound at all, not even the chirping of birds or the buzzing of insects.

Just as they arrived at the head of the village, a field of flowers presented itself before them. It was evident that this field of flowers had undergone meticulous pruning, leaving not a single weed.

"Who is it! Come out!" A sharp shout caused the long sword in Li Huowang's hand to instantly unsheathe three inches, an आसमान-piercing murderous aura wrapping entirely around it.

Everyone drew their weapons, pointing toward a low wall.

Upon seeing a pair of embroidered shoes step out from within, Li Huowang immediately recalled the Voice-Recorder's words from before, and hastily lowered his head to avoid eye contact with the other party.

Yet when he saw that pair of boots fully reveal themselves before him, Li Huowang's heart froze. This pair of feet was inexplicably familiar.

"No! These are Miao Miao's feet!" Li Huowang snapped his head up, and surely enough, he beheld a familiar red bridal veil. And at that moment, a massive, rust-covered blade was hurtling toward her.