Chapter 449: Hospital

Chapter 449: Hospital

In the bitter cold, Gao Zhijian, dressed in his light attire, approached Li Huowang with steam rising from his head. Excitedly, he pointed at the military treatise and said, “Practice.”

Li Huowang understood what he meant. This fellow was suggesting that he cultivate this martial art. He gave a slight shake of his head. “No need. You go ahead and practice on your own. I don’t need it now.”

If he had just left Qingfeng Monastery, and if he could have obtained such a thing, he would have treasured it like a treasure.

But compared to the cultivation methods he was currently practicing and the forgotten Daoist powers within Hongzhong, this martial technique seemed rather trivial.

As for the ability to live without a head—well, he himself could already achieve that, as long as no one discovered his head had been severed.

“But still,” Li Huowang asked, recalling Peng Longteng’s personality, “won’t practicing this method change your character?”

“No.” Although Gao Zhijian answered quickly, Li Huowang sensed a change in him. After all, he had once done something foolish—like eating wild rice with a monk atop someone else’s grave.

Back then, Gao Zhijian had seemed simple-minded; now, he radiated a kind of strength.

“Alright, then go ahead and practice well. It’ll be good for you.”

At least, from what he could see, the martial aura of this school might make one more outgoing, but it wasn’t necessarily that serious.

After chatting casually with Gao Zhijian, Li Huowang prepared to return to the Bai family compound for dinner.

Just as he reached the door, he suddenly recalled something and turned back toward Gao Zhijian. “This kind of body-enhancing martial skill is not very effective when practiced alone. It's designed for thousands upon thousands of soldiers. There are plenty of tenant farmers in the village, right? Try teaching them, and select those with some aptitude.”

If the Bai Village had a small group of martial guards, he wouldn’t have to worry about anything happening in the rear while traveling.

Gao Zhijian, who had looked somewhat dejected due to not accepting the martial art, suddenly brightened up. He gripped the manual tightly and nodded vigorously.

When Li Huowang returned to the Bai family compound and mentioned this to Bai Lingmiao, she said, “That’s even better. During farming off-seasons, they’ll have something to do.”

“Pay them a bit more, even though they’re our private servants, we still need to win their hearts.”

With her ceramic bowl in hand, Bai Lingmiao glanced at him sideways. “What nonsense are you talking about? They’re our adopted sons. How could I mistreat them?”

She stood up and carried the bowl to serve herself some rice.

“What happened to your foot?” Li Huowang noticed her unusual gait.

“Nothing. I tripped over a hole in the ground.”

“When your eyes are covered by a bandage, don’t run around outside,” Li Huowang said, ladling half a bowl of soup into his mouth and drinking it down to soothe his throat before standing up and heading out.

“Hey! Li Huowang! Why are you going out so late? Can’t you just stay put for a while?” Bai Lingmiao called after him.

“No need to wait for me. Just leave a window open for me tonight.”

Li Huowang leaped and bounded across the tiles, racing toward the tall Niuxin Mountain behind the village.

Passing by an empty house, he shouted below, “Li Sui, follow!”

“Okay.” Li Sui’s tentacles quickly dropped the struggling steamed bun and followed.

They walked along the path until halfway up the mountain, where Li Huowang stopped in surprise, staring at the dense rows of graves before him. “Why did so many people die here?”

The mountainside was packed with burial mounds, with green ghost flames flickering faintly between them. In the dim light, the scene was deeply unsettling.

But Li Huowang didn’t care. He had been to this eerie place for so long that he’d seen everything. He simply hadn’t encountered a ghost yet.

Looking around, he entered a wide open space. It seemed to have been used for burials, but was now empty, probably because it had been filled.

He turned to Li Sui beside him. “I’m going over there. Keep watch. If anyone unfamiliar or dangerous comes near, burrow into my belly and wake me up.”

Things were temporarily stable here, but the real world was full of troubles.

“Okay.” Li Sui raised the two eyeballs on his arms and spoke, his slippery body revealing a mouth.

Taking a deep breath, Li Huowang sat cross-legged on the open ground and gently revealed a strand of the primordial energy wrapped in his divine light.

As the surroundings twisted and collapsed, his pupils gradually lost focus, and he calmly observed the area.

Meanwhile, Li Sui, diligently doing its job among the bushes, suddenly sensed footsteps approaching.

But when it saw the figure with its eye, it relaxed its guard.

“Mom, why haven’t you gone to sleep yet at this hour?” Li Huowang whispered to a wooden tombstone in front of him.

A pale, jade-like hand slowly reached out, gently stroking his cheek.

“Li Huowang, Li Huowang, is this the ‘cure’ you mentioned?” Bai Lingmiao knelt before him, looking into his face with a tone of helplessness.

“Mom, it’s clean enough. Don’t scrub anymore,” Li Huowang began, only to have a damp towel placed over his face again.

“What’s wrong with washing it a few times? Can you peel off a layer of skin? Since you're awake now, brush your teeth too.”

A soft plastic tube of toothpaste was shoved into his mouth.

Though this brought another round of complaints from Li Huowang, both their faces couldn’t help but show smiles.

Looking at Sun Xiaoqin wiping his hands, Li Huowang thought for a moment and said, “Mom, what did the doctor say? When can I finally leave this place?”

Although this place was called a hospital, in truth, it was a prison—specifically for mental patients. Here, he had no personal freedom, and even moving a finger was difficult.

Since he had decided to make this place real, he naturally had to act accordingly.

If he wanted to do anything here, the first step was to get out—even if it meant being sent back to a civilian hospital.

“Do you feel cramped here?” Sun Xiaoqin looked up at him.

“No, it’s not that. I’m just worried about Yang Na. I wonder how she’s doing now.”

Without saying anything, Sun Xiaoqin took the towel and picked up the basin, walking toward the door.

The ward was quiet at night, so much so that even the quarrel between mother and someone else could be heard clearly.

“Comrade, you’re joking, aren’t you?”

“You see, my son’s illness has improved. He can be transferred to a better environment. You... keeping prisoners isn’t auspicious.”

As footsteps approached, their voices grew louder and more intense.

“If you won’t let my son go, I won’t pay anymore! Let you keep him!”

“You speak like that? This prison is public, funded by the state. Whether you pay or not doesn’t affect me. Even if you refuse to pay, we won’t let him leave!”

The man softened his tone. “You should think of others too. Your son doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s made of iron—he doesn’t feel pain. He’s stronger than most people. If he went crazy on the street, what would happen?”

“If your son can kill seven robbers, he can kill seven students!”

“My son wouldn’t do that!”

A large hand reached through the window from the doorway. “Wouldn’t do it? Look at him now—can he tell the difference? Your son is mentally ill!”

His words silenced the ward.

On the bed, Li Huowang pondered for a moment and asked, “Then what should I do to leave here openly and legally?”

But the large hand ignored his question and, together with Sun Xiaoqin, walked toward the exit. Their voices grew softer as they moved away.

“Click,” all the ward lights went out.

Frowning slightly, Li Huowang stared at the blinking night vision camera in the corner, thinking about how to escape this predicament.

(End of Chapter)