Chapter 389: Li Huowang (Extra chapter! Thanks to the alliance leader 'Sen no Kuroyama' for the tip!)

Chapter 389: Li Huowang (Bonus Chapter! Thank you, Leader of the Forest's Black Goat Alliance, for your generous gift!)

Before him stood an utterly bizarre figure of the Forgetful Dao, and Li Huowang had no idea how to proceed.

He feared that if he continued to stay with this Forgetful Daoist, his remaining abilities would also be gradually stolen from him one by one.

If he truly wanted to resolve this matter once and for all, then the only remaining option was to ascend to the level of Cang Qian. But the enemy was right before him—how could he possibly find time to seek out the ultimate pain within himself?

“No, under such uncertain circumstances, I must retreat first! Find Zhuge Yuan!”

Once Li Huowang made up his mind, he immediately cut off both of his ears and threw them behind him as a distraction, then turned and fled from the encircling building.

When he re-entered the bamboo grove, the morning mist outside had already begun to dissipate. Stiffening his will, Li Huowang rushed forward, running at full speed. As he ran, gritting his teeth, he pulled out the broken bone again and performed another divination.

Whether this divination would lead him to Zhuge Yuan, or whether Zhuge Yuan would sense someone divining for him, either scenario could help him escape the current predicament.

As long as he could kill the Zhuge Yuan who brought fortune, this crisis would finally end!

Running and running, a donkey cart appeared ahead on the street. It was a very old donkey, though ancient, it effortlessly pulled a light carriage carrying two women and a child.

"Benefactor!?" The pale-faced woman widened her eyes in shock, staring at the disheveled Li Huowang before her.

"Someone is chasing me! Help me avoid danger!" Li Huowang spoke quickly, not waiting for her consent, and jumped directly into the cart.

Just as the pale-faced woman was still trying to understand what was happening, she saw another identical benefactor rushing toward her from the front.

"Have you seen anyone who looks exactly like me!?"

Seeing the second benefactor ask this question, while the woman hesitated about how to respond, the child in her arms pointed toward the nearby bamboo grove.

"I see you running anywhere!"

Watching the second benefactor dash into the bamboo grove and disappear, the woman quickly grabbed her child and pulled back the curtain.

Li Huowang, nursing his abdominal wound, felt slightly relieved seeing the faces of the two figures before him.

"Thank you for your help. I'll remember this kindness."

Li Huowang never imagined that a small act of kindness he had done earlier would save his life.

The woman shook her head hurriedly. "Benefactor, you saved my daughter on the boat. Helping you is only natural. You've lost so much blood. Go to the village and find a doctor."

Li Huowang shook his head, pulling out the *Fire Robe True Scripture* to heal himself. "You go your way. Pretend I never existed."

The woman nodded with her daughter, covered the curtain, and urged the old donkey to move faster.

Just as Li Huowang had used the burn to cover his wounds, he sensed the cart come to a stop beneath him. His heart skipped a beat.

He pulled back the curtain and saw a face identical to his own, far away.

In his hand was a cracked human bone. At some point, the other had stolen his divination ability and now used it to track him.

Li Huowang took a deep breath, leaped from the cart, and blocked the path in front of the donkey cart. He said firmly to the two women behind him, "You run! Run as far as you can!"

The pale-faced woman looked at the two identical men, then at her crying daughter, and without even thinking, abandoned the newly bought donkey cart. She grabbed her daughter and her luggage, rushing into the bamboo grove.

Li Huowang slowly exhaled, watching the other man open his mouth to speak. Just as he did, both men suddenly turned their heads toward a side path.

Seeing the arrival, Li Huowang’s face lit up with excitement—it was Zhuge Yuan!

Dressed like a scholar, Zhuge Yuan held a folding fan and watched the two Li Huowangs with interest.

Before Li Huowang could speak, he heard the other say, “Brother Zhuge! I am Li Huowang! This person is the Forgetful Daoist!”

Li Huowang nearly spat out blood. But he didn’t intend to repeat the words. He looked seriously at Zhuge Yuan.

"Brother Zhuge, you can slay the Fortune-bringer. Surely you can see through this Forgetful Daoist's tricks, right?"

Hearing the conversation, Zhuge Yuan thought for a moment and asked with curiosity, "Do you still have the turbid hair I gave you years ago?"

"Of course! Here it is!" Li Huowang slashed open his belly and pulled out the black spindle.

If not for today’s words from Zhuge Yuan, Li Huowang wouldn’t have known that the spindle was wrapped with turbid hair.

Looking at the black spindle in his hands, and seeing the other man’s fluctuating expression as he clutched his stomach, Li Huowang smiled. It seemed the other hadn’t guessed there was something else hidden inside him.

Li Huowang put the spindle back into his chest and turned to Zhuge Yuan. "Brother Zhuge, be careful. This Forgetful Daoist is not ordinary—he steals others’ powers."

"You don’t need to say more. I already know," Zhuge Yuan said, putting away his fan and drawing out a judge’s brush from his sleeve.

Li Huowang stared intently. He really wanted to know just how powerful this Zhuge Yuan, who could kill the Fortune-bringer, truly was.

Seeing the Forgetful Daoist take half a step back, Li Huowang sneered inwardly. Now he's afraid? Where were you when it mattered? Still daring to impersonate me?

Then, Li Huowang saw Zhuge Yuan bow his hands together in greeting, raising the judge’s brush and pointing it at his left leg.

Li Huowang instantly lost sensation in his left leg and staggered to the ground.

Stunned, Li Huowang looked at Zhuge Yuan before him, thinking he must have mistaken what he saw.

But when Zhuge Yuan raised the brush again, he realized he hadn’t been mistaken. Zhuge Yuan was indeed attacking him!

"What are you doing?! That man is the Forgetful Daoist!!" Li Huowang shouted in anguish.

Zhuge Yuan’s brush touched again, and Li Huowang’s entire lower body went numb.

Filled with bitter resentment, Li Huowang screamed wildly at Zhuge Yuan, "You’re lying! All the kindness you showed me was a lie! You're working with the Forgetful Daoist!"

Facing Li Huowang’s accusations, Zhuge Yuan smiled, not saying a word. His brush pointed at Li Huowang’s neck.

"I can't die! They're still waiting for me! I’ve gone through so much hardship—I absolutely cannot die humbly here!"

Li Huowang struggled in desperation. When the brush circled around his head, his body stiffened, and he was no more.

"Thud!" Li Huowang’s corpse fell heavily to the ground. The black spindle rolled from his hand and slowly reached Zhuge Yuan’s feet.

He took out a white handkerchief to pick up the bloodied spindle and handed it to the other Li Huowang.

This Li Huowang stuffed the spindle into his own belly, walked over to the corpse, and used a knife to peel back its skin.

After flipping through several layers, he found the bearded bald man who had been the best card player on the ship and died at sea.

"Brother Zhuge, it seems the Forgetful Daoist truly believed he was me."

Thanks to the ten thousand Qidian coins gifted by the leader of the Forest's Black Goat Alliance!

(End of Chapter)