Chapter 453: Trouble

Chapter 453: Trouble

"Mm, too much noise in bustling places, so I thought I'd find a secluded spot to settle down."

"It's no trouble at all. What kind of relationship do we have? Don't worry. Since you've taken control of this territory, when I go back and speak of it, this village will belong to you. No one will be able to argue with that."

"That's right. Back then, those whole bunch of White Lotus Cultists were all burned to death by you. Since they were killed by you, their land naturally belongs to you."

Though Liu Zongyuan seemed to be trying to save Li Huo Wang's face, these words sounded rather sharp in his ears.

Liu Zongyuan glanced cautiously at the entrance, leaning slightly toward Li Huo Wang, speaking in a deliberately low voice: "Hey, did you hear about what happened in Shangjing? The people in the Ministry are really unsettled now."

"Yeah, I heard. It seems like the Dao of Forgetfulness tricked us."

"Not just that. They say there was a three-day-and-night battle inside the palace! Our emperor was seriously injured by the Dao of Forgetfulness and nearly died. The mausoleum construction might not even make it on schedule. But the Dao of Forgetfulness didn't fare well either—they lost most of their members, including someone called Dice!"

"Huh? Is that reliable information?"

"What kind of question is that? Are you looking down on me? Have you forgotten I'm from the Moon Gate? Who in the Jiangnan region has better intelligence than me?"

Li Huo Wang frowned slightly, as if since he left Shangjing, both sides hadn't given up but instead fought to the death.

Seeing the change in Li Huo Wang’s expression, Liu Zongyuan quickly comforted him: "Don’t worry. Nothing serious. Just an emperor dying. The crown prince is already waiting. As soon as he dies, they’ll replace him immediately. We can continue as before."

"Liu Brother misunderstood. I’m not worried about those big shots. Whether they live or die doesn’t concern us. I’m just worried about how chaotic this world has become." Li Huo Wang said while taking another sip from his teacup.

"Yes, it's chaotic indeed. All caused by people stirring things up. What do these big shots think? Can't they just live peacefully? One word from above and legs run ragged below. If I weren't greedy for some things in the Celestial Observation Bureau, I’d have quit long ago."

"Eryou, you really have a way of thinking. You just hide away in this remote village, refuse jobs, and don’t even light a candle. The new record keeper thinks you don’t exist."

After quickly turning over several ideas in his mind, Li Huo Wang realized this man from the Celestial Observation Bureau needed to be cultivated. Having such a friend within the bureau would bring more benefits than harm; who knows when this line might come in handy.

"Liu Brother, hearing about so many casualties among the Dao of Forgetfulness makes me feel relieved. Don’t go yet—let me treat you. We won’t leave until we’re drunk!"

"Fine, my stomach is growling! I wasn’t planning to be polite anyway—I’ve been waiting for your invitation."

Upon hearing Li Huo Wang’s command, Yang Xiaohai spared no effort, bringing out the famous ZHUANGYUAN HONG wine. By the end of the meal, Liu Zongyuan had enjoyed himself thoroughly.

At the end of the banquet, tipsy, he leaned against Li Huo Wang, acting like he wanted to kill a chicken and burn paper to swear brotherhood.

But Li Huo Wang noticed that the sorrow and pain on Liu Zongyuan’s face didn’t match his outward appearance.

The Dao of Forgetfulness always believed that everyone had multiple faces, some activated, others dormant.

As for Liu Zongyuan’s inconsistency, Li Huo Wang didn’t care—he himself wasn’t any different.

After a heavy drinking session, Liu Zongyuan woke early and came to bid farewell to Li Huo Wang, who had gone out of his way to see him off.

"Eryou, I'll only walk you this far. You should head back first. Are you really giving up job assignments? Not taking them for too long will lower your status on your badge."

Li Huo Wang shook his head slightly. "Think about how many people have died recently. The outside world is extremely chaotic. Let’s stay out of sight for now. Liu Brother, I want to give you one piece of advice: don’t push yourself too hard. Life is yours alone. Once it’s gone, nothing remains."

Hearing this, Liu Zongyuan thought deeply, then respectfully bowed to Li Huo Wang and took out several curved pieces of bamboo inscribed with crescent moons to full moons from his sleeve.

"Eryou, keep these carefully. If you need to contact me, tie them to a messenger pigeon—it will definitely find me. The fuller the moon, the faster it goes."

"Alright, I’ll be staying in this village for a while. If you want to reach me, just come directly."

Watching Liu Zongyuan jump into the woods and vanish without a trace, Li Huo Wang took out his Celestial Observation Bureau badge again and looked at it.

This identity still proved useful; otherwise, today’s matter wouldn’t have been resolved so easily.

"The Great Li Emperor died again? This must be the second time, right? How often does he get replaced."

A fleeting image of the unnamed Great Li Emperor flashed through Li Huo Wang’s mind. He had appeared so noble and powerful, yet died so quickly.

But the thought vanished swiftly. Li Huo Wang turned toward Niuxin Mountain.

For the deaths of others in this world, he cared little. He simply wanted to protect his small patch of land in this mad world and live peacefully.

Even the immortality everyone yearned for held no appeal for him. Although as a Heart Essence, he could consume longevity pills without limit.

Yet if eternal suffering and torment awaited, what difference would immortality make compared to the ninth circle of hell?

If he lived while those he cared about perished, that scenario would be more terrifying than death itself.

Not long after Li Huo Wang departed, Bai Lingmiao emerged from a house with Er Shen, sighing with relief: "Thank goodness Li Huo Wang was here. If he hadn’t been, the Celestial Observation Bureau probably wouldn’t have let us off so easily."

"But it looks like he has quite a lot of influence within the bureau. Should we tell him about the threat posed by the Immortal Sect? Perhaps through him, we can find a solution. What do you think?"

Hearing Bai Lingmiao’s words, Er Shen’s red veil swayed left and right as she shook her head.

"What? Still finding him troublesome? When things blow up big, we’ll tell him then—that’ll be truly troublesome! Some things don’t need hiding."

"What about your eyes?"

Er Shen’s words made Bai Lingmiao pause. She gently raised her hand, gazing with her pale blue-white pupils at her fair, jade-like palm.

In her vision, only three fingers were visible—the rest were blocked by a white, fluffy mist.

Bai Lingmiao spoke calmly. "My parents once asked others about people like me with white hair and aura. They said one day, both eyes would go blind, and our lives would be short."

"My parents tried many remedies, but none worked. Maybe it's just my fate. Who else could help if my luck runs bad?"

(End of Chapter)