Chapter 382: Candy

Chapter 382: Candy

After settling his debts, Li Huowang entered an inn. The journey had been long and tiring; he needed to recover his strength before boarding the ship again.

"Sir, your meal is ready," said the waiter as he turned to leave after placing the dishes down. But Li Huowang caught him by the arm.

"Hold on—these fish and shrimp are still alive? How am I supposed to eat them?"

"Heh, you're new to Huating City, aren't you? These aren’t actually alive—they’re called “raw pickled seafood.” You see, other guests eat it this way too. Give it a try; if you don’t like it, we won’t charge you."

Li Huowang glanced at what others were eating, then wrapped a cloth around his right hand and waved it outward, sending the waiter away.

Perhaps due to its coastal location, the cuisine here was quite different from elsewhere, with most dishes centered around sea ingredients.

Though initially unfamiliar, one had to admit that everything tasted incredibly fresh. The raw pickled meat was sweet and carried a unique flavor all its own.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Li Huowang collapsed into bed and slept straight through until late morning. Shaking off the drowsiness, he rolled out of bed. "Time to board the ship!"

Finding the vessel bound for Xing Island was easy enough. It was a medium-sized treasure ship with a flat bottom, capable of carrying dozens without breaking a sweat.

Just as Li Huowang was about to climb aboard, he was stopped by a bearded, disheveled shipmaster.

"Wait! What’s your surname?"

"Ear."

"Don’t give me that nonsense! No such surname exists. If you don’t tell the truth, get off the boat now—I’ve no patience for games."

"White."

The old man studied him up and down, then waved his hand dismissively. "That's more like it. Next person—what’s yours?"

An incense stick later, watching the harbor slowly shrink in the distance, Li Huowang exhaled deeply. Soon he would see Zhuge Yuan again. His emotions were complex.

Suspicion? Excitement? Joy? Curiosity? Perhaps a little bit of each.

He touched his stomach, feeling slightly reassured. He wasn’t the same Li Huowang who had just left Qingfeng Monastery. Whatever came next, he’d be ready.

"Heh, aren’t you going to come inside and sit down? It’s cold outside with the sea breeze blowing," came a voice from behind.

Li Huowang turned his head to see a young man leaning against him, sporting a dogskin plaster on his forehead, grinning broadly.

Frowning slightly, Li Huowang ignored the overly familiar stranger and shifted his body aside.

"Sitting on the same ship is fate, you know. It’ll take six days to reach Xing Island. Come inside and play leaf cards with us—we’re short one player."

"I don’t know how." Li Huowang replied coldly, walking quickly toward the opposite side of the deck.

Seeing his attitude, the man gave up trying to make conversation and turned to walk toward the cabin himself.

At that moment, the sky suddenly darkened, and everyone looked up in unison. A massive ship passed by beside them.

It was enormous, like a small mountain. Even just passing by blocked out all sunlight on the deck. Alongside its hull hung rows of copper lion heads, each about the size of a banquet table.

The lions’ mouths were wide open, revealing something glowing faintly within—a sharp gleam like the teeth of a bronze lion.

Clearly a warship, signs of recent battle marred its sides.

Everyone instantly dropped to their knees, trembling like leaves in the wind.

"A ship from Great Liang? Who are they fighting?" While Li Huowang pondered this question, the imposing warship slowly sailed toward the harbor.

Only when the sun returned to shine upon the deck did the others finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

"You really have guts—you didn’t kneel! If those soldiers got angry, you'd be dead!" The man with the dogskin plaster walked over to Li Huowang and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Where did they come back from?" Li Huowang asked him.

"I don’t know, but everyone in town says they went overseas searching for something."

"So much effort just to find something?"

Li Huowang immediately recalled the Heart Turbidity he had sought with Ji Xiang. That was also about finding something.

"Could it be that Heart Turbidity is only one of many things they seek? What exactly do they want so many celestial treasures for?"

Li Huowang sensed that something significant was happening somewhere, yet he couldn’t grasp any clue.

Shaking his head slightly, he pushed these irrelevant thoughts aside and turned toward the cabin.

Over the following few days, nothing much happened—everything remained calm and normal. Yet for Li Huowang, sitting aboard the ship gradually approaching Xing Island, time dragged on like years.

"Jade Kirin"

"Six hundred children,"

"Ten thousand coins, baldy, can you hurry up with the card game? You always drag it out like some weakling."

"Hey! Wait a minute—I won! Pay up, pay up!"

Li Huowang leaned against the ship’s rail, silently watching others play leaf cards to pass the time. After several days, he understood the rules. Essentially, leaf cards were like mahjong—but fewer tiles. Mahjong had over a hundred tiles, while leaf cards had only dozens. The game was fast-paced, and wins or losses came quickly.

Not only had he learned the rules, but he also began recognizing people. The man with the dogskin plaster liked cheating, but the bearded bald guy had the best poker skills, winning the most rounds.

Others weren’t the only ones watching. Several bored passengers gathered around to enjoy the game.

"Damn it! You little bastard, you cheated! I knew why I kept losing!" Soon, the game devolved into a fight, but that didn’t stop anyone from enjoying themselves.

"Ahhhh!" A four-year-old girl wearing open-crotch pants ran over to Li Huowang, tugging at his trousers.

Seeing him look at her, she smiled and offered him half a piece of chewed candy.

Looking into her eyes, Li Huowang saw pure innocence. She simply wanted to share the sweet treat with someone else—like that foolish elder sister who used to give candy in Qingfeng Monastery.

"Waaah..." A small figure emerged from the corner, sticking its head out.

The girl, seeing the big dog, became delighted and handed the candy to the little bun.

Just as the bun carefully opened its mouth to take the candy, a black tentacle shot out and snatched it away.

Seeing the slimy black appendage retreat into Li Huowang’s red robe, the girl burst into laughter, completely unaware of what had happened.

As she stood on tiptoes, shouting wildly toward where the tentacle disappeared, a pale-faced woman rushed over and scooped her daughter into her arms.

Holding her struggling child, she bowed deeply to Li Huowang before heading toward the cabin where the women stayed.

The bun looked at its motionless master, then pressed its head against him, licking the sticky handprint on his robe—it carried a hint of sweetness.

Happy Children's Day to all grown-ups! Today no knives, just candy!

(End of Chapter)