Chapter 444: Niuxin Village

Chapter 444: Cattle Heart Village

Liu Huowang stood by the roadside, hat in hand, leading his horse in silence, gazing at the distant Cattle Heart Village.

A few months prior, he had been standing at this very spot, contemplating how to explain to Bai Lingmiao that he had killed her entire family.

Today, he was once again at this same location, pondering how to account for all the experiences he had endured during his absence from the village.

His goal had been achieved—he no longer suffered from hallucinations. He was about to see them again, yet for some reason, his heart felt deeply uneasy.

Compared to the cold stillness of winter, spring brought a noticeable vibrancy to Cattle Heart Village. The fields surrounding the village were filled with farmers and oxen at work.

These people looked young, clumsy in their movements, but they worked earnestly. Yet for some reason, their appearances were unremarkable.

"Woof woof!" The barking of Mantou pulled Li Huowang's gaze away from the horizon, turning to look at the large yellow dog behind him. It crouched low, mouth agape, barking fiercely at the woods where Li Sui stood.

Though Li Huowang had scolded it many times, Mantou seemed stubbornly set on its hostility toward Li Sui, never wavering in its animosity.

"Dad, why is it barking at me? I like playing with it, but it doesn't like playing with me."

Li Huowang turned to look at Li Sui, whose writhing tentacles were completely wrapped in a loose straw raincoat, while its head was covered by a wide bamboo hat adorned with black cloth.

To those unfamiliar with the truth, Li Sui appeared as a short, unusually plump figure, a fat man of imposing bulk.

"Since it doesn't want to play with you, then go play somewhere else. Don't provoke it."

Previously, Li Sui needed to be restrained to suppress its hallucinations, but now that wasn't necessary anymore. For Li Sui, Li Huowang found himself at a loss for what to do.

Should he let it fend for itself? Li Huowang couldn't bring himself to say it. From the moment it gained consciousness, he had taught it every word, one by one. To claim there was no affection would be a lie—no matter how terrifying its appearance.

Despite its frightening looks, its heart was surprisingly simple, too easily deceived. In this world, Heitaishui was even considered a medicinal ingredient. If released, it might be taken away within days.

For now, the only option was to raise it like raising Mantou. Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to care for, nor a burden.

"When we enter the village, don't take off your raincoat, and don't let your tentacles out. You might scare others."

"Dad, I know," Li Sui replied obediently.

As its tentacles continued to writhe, it followed Li Huowang toward the village entrance, leaving behind a trail of sticky residue beneath its raincoat.

The two men led a horse, accompanied by a dog. Their appearance clearly wasn’t that of traveling peddlers, immediately drawing attention from the field workers.

"Senior Brother Li! Senior Brother Li, you're back!" A tall boy named Yang Xiaohai rushed out from the fields, followed by a round-faced woman who looked curious.

Seeing his long-lost acquaintance, Mantou wagged its tail and ran over, leaping onto Yang Xiaohai.

Yang Xiaohai embraced Mantou and eagerly asked Li Huowang, "Senior Brother Li, where have you been these days? We all missed you so much! Are you okay?"

As he spoke, more people gathered around Li Huowang. By the time he returned to the gate of the Bai family compound, nearly the whole village had come out to welcome him.

Gao Zhijian looked taller than before, standing among the crowd like a crane among chickens. He opened his mouth hesitantly, as if wanting to speak, but was interrupted by Goudawa.

"Senior Brother Li! Look! This is my wife. And look at her belly—she's about to give birth! I'm going to be a father!! Hahaha!"

Goudawa’s joy didn’t last long before Chun Xiaoman pushed him aside. "Senior Brother Li, you’re finally back. During your absence, Lingmiao often talked about you, worried sick about you."

Zhao Wu leaned on a wooden crutch, excitedly saying, "Senior Brother Li, when you weren’t here, I kept an eye on the village finances for you. Not only did we not run out, we actually made quite a bit of money!"

Everyone happily shared various news, completely forgetting the words Li Huowang had spoken before leaving.

Surrounded by these people, Li Huowang felt an inexplicable sense of relief. His tight string of tension finally relaxed.

"Perhaps this is what home feels like," he thought to himself.

"Hehehe~ hehehe~ Little Lord, you’ve finally returned. Come come, after such a long journey, step through the fire basin to ward off evil spirits," Lü ZHUANGYUAN said cheerfully, holding a fire basin at the entrance.

Of course he was happy. With this person here, his heart felt much more at ease. Moreover, he was his employer, so living in the village now felt legitimate.

Once Li Huowang stepped through the fire basin into the Bai family compound, he saw Bai Lingmiao leaning against the second-floor window, smiling faintly at him, as if she hadn’t just left in anger.

"You're back? Kid, go fetch a sheep and a pig from the yard and kill them. Tonight we’ll have a feast."

"Got it!" Yang Xiaohai immediately agreed, setting down Mantou in his arms and rushing toward the kitchen.

Under the enthusiastic urging of the perceptive Lü ZHUANGYUAN, others came forward to help. Some slaughtered pigs, others watched the slaughter. The vast Bai family courtyard suddenly grew quiet.

"Is this the red-haired beauty of Brother Li? Should we step aside?" Zhuge Yuan, watching Li Huowang ascend the stairs, kindly suggested.

"Step aside for what?! You're new here, you have no idea what happened between them. Things are about to get interesting. I've been waiting for this moment!" Hongzhong excitedly started to follow, but Zhuge Yuan stopped him.

"Brother Zuo Wang Dao, perhaps not. This isn’t the way of a gentleman," Zhuge Yuan blocked him.

"I’m not a gentleman anyway—I’m a Zuo Wang Dao, a fraud!"

No matter how he protested, Zhuge Yuan wouldn’t let him approach.

When Li Huowang reached the second floor, Bai Lingmiao gracefully descended, truly acting like a wife, removing his weapons and heavy shackles.

But just as she was about to speak, she frowned at the short figure behind him, thinking inwardly, "Who is this guy? Why did he follow me into the bedroom? He has no sense of propriety at all."

"This is Li Sui. Li Sui, call me mother."

"Mother."

"Mother?"

Bai Lingmiao’s words were cut short by Li Sui’s strange name, her eyes widening in shock as she looked up at the strange figure in the raincoat.

"Explain yourself! How could such a big kid come from nowhere?! Did that little whore Yang Na give birth to you?!"

(End of Chapter)