Chapter 401: Heart Coil

Chapter 401: Heart Coiled

"Here, take these," Zhuge Yuan said, offering ten pills to Li Huowang, who was gnawing on dry rations.

"What are these?" Li Huowang asked as he accepted them.

"Brother Li, aren't you skilled in alchemy? How can you not recognize pill of fasting? These things serve as food and will greatly reduce your need to relieve yourself—perfect for travel."

Li Huowang picked up one and examined it closely under the sun. It looked like a dark brown pill, about the size of a fingernail, with a strong scent of medicinal herbs.

"Zhuge Brother, let's hold off on the Xiao Zuowang Dao for now. We'll use the long line to catch the big fish," Li Huowang murmured softly while studying the pill.

Though he didn't understand what was happening now, it didn't affect his goal—dealing with Beifeng.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Li Huowang released his grip, and the pill rolled to the edge of the cart wheel. In an instant, the steamed bun rushed over.

But after licking the surface of the pill, it showed no interest in eating it. Instead, it crouched down and tilted its head, watching Li Huowang's dry rations.

After putting the remaining pills into his chest, Li Huowang's expression became serious. He asked Zhuge Yuan earnestly, "Zhuge Brother, do you have time now? There's something that's been bothering me for a long time."

Zhuge Yuan showed no surprise at Li Huowang's words. He had already guessed what question would come, but there were others present, so it wasn't convenient to ask before.

"I guess you're wondering whether we're currently in Great Li or Great Qi," he said.

Li Huowang nodded slightly. When he had checked Zhuge Yuan's information at the Celestial Observation Bureau, nothing had been explained clearly, which surprised him.

With a snap, Zhuge Yuan opened his white folding fan and spoke with a hint of emotion, "These matters involve higher authorities. For your safety, I dare not tell you too much. But what I want to say is that Great Qi has always existed; Great Li is false."

"Great Li is false? Everything I experienced in Great Li was false?"

Li Huowang couldn't help but smile strangely. Then what were all the hardships he'd endured across this vast land? Were they also illusions like those from the phantom realm? Did killing Bai Lingmiao's entire family really happen? If everything was false, then perhaps it would be better.

Li Huowang patiently said, "Zhuge Brother, since you've traveled everywhere, you must have seen people from Great Li, including that corpse of yours that was stolen from Great Li's Celestial Observation Bureau. Why do you claim Great Li is false?"

"Oh, Brother Li, this kind of falsity isn't the same. Take that noodle vendor elder earlier—he appears to you as a citizen of Great Li, but to me, he's a citizen of Great Qi. What if neither of us looks at him? Do you think he's a citizen of which country?"

"But he's definitely a citizen of Great Li! He's not even a citizen of Great Qi!"

"How do you know?"

"Because he was born in Great Li, grew up in Great Li, and will grow old in Great Li, so he qualifies as a citizen of Great Li."

"No, according to my view, he was born in Great Qi, grew up in Great Qi, and will grow old in Great Qi, so he qualifies as a citizen of Great Qi."

"Zhuge Brother, are you saying everything you see is Great Qi? But why only you can see Great Qi while others see Great Li? You must have thought about this, right?"

"No, in my eyes, everyone else sees Great Qi too. I know what you see, but what you see is wrong. This error must be corrected."

"Ugh, why can't I convince you? This is clearly—" Looking into Zhuge Yuan's eyes, Li Huowang slowly held back what he was about to say. He suddenly felt arguing with him was a waste of time.

"Fine, the noodle vendor is a citizen of Great Qi. You win."

"Oh, you still don't trust me? Fine, I won't argue with you anymore. Just watch. Once you see enough, you'll know whether the Great Qi I speak of is real or fake."

Zhuge Yuan left. His mood seemed low, disappointed that Li Huowang didn't believe in the existence of Great Qi.

But Li Huowang frowned, thinking about various possibilities in the current situation.

Heart Pure, Heart Coiled, Heart Turbid—none of them were simple people. No matter what the Heart Coiled had gained from that so-called Three Bodies Old, this strange transformation was certainly caused by Zhuge Yuan.

As for how exactly this happened, he still couldn't figure it out.

"Could it be that Zhuge Yuan brought the Great Qi from a thousand years ago together with the Great Li from a thousand years later? But that doesn't make sense either. Could there really be two noodle stalls in the same place, one from a thousand years ago and another from a thousand years later?"

The noodle vendor had changed faces three times in total, as if there were always two different noodle stands. Yet Li Huowang stood right beside him and was certain the vendor hadn't changed.

It was as if the whole world was performing a play, using two completely different scripts—one for normal people like himself, another for Zhuge Yuan.

Thinking about these matters, Li Huowang recalled what Ji Xiang had told him at the Buddha Bone Temple.

"Is this the strange yet reasonable thing he mentioned? Does such a thing occur frequently around Heart Coiled?"

"The Master's Life Command governs decay, Ba Hui governs pain. Then what does this dogshit Three Bodies Old govern? Why does it cause such strange changes in Zhuge Yuan?"

Li Huowang knew it was best not to think about such matters to avoid trouble. But when such things appeared before him, he couldn't help but wonder.

"Never mind, never mind," Li Huowang shook his dizzy head. He would just believe what Zhuge Yuan said. After all, it concerned him nothing.

His sole purpose was to catch Beifeng.

Zhuge Yuan had killed Fa Cai, so the Seat of Forgetfulness Sect wouldn't let it go easily. As long as he stayed close to Zhuge Yuan, there was a high chance of catching Beifeng.

The sound of footsteps "tap-tap-tap" echoed. Li Huowang looked toward the source and saw a young man dressed in a white robe. From him, Li Huowang could smell a faint trace of blood.

"Servant Xia Risheng greets Minister Li."

"Any business?" Li Huowang asked. He remembered this man was a member of Great Qi's Celestial Observation Bureau, though he wasn't sure whether he came to gather intelligence or for some other reason.

"Minister Li, I am also a follower of Aojing Sect, just like you!" The youth excitedly pulled open his clothes, revealing a body covered in barbed hooks.

"If you have no other business, return. The road ahead is long," Li Huowang said. He wasn't actually a true follower of Aojing Sect and feared talking too much might give away his cover.

"From what I heard from Master Zhuge, you've already performed the Three Ascensions of the Blue Beetle three times? May I ask if this is true?" The youth looked at Li Huowang with full admiration.

(End of Chapter)