Chapter 526: Beheading

Chapter 526: Severance

Observing everything below from the rafters, Li Huowang silently reached out and plucked the two eyeballs entangled by Li Sui’s tendrils from their sockets. “This Ren Wang really plays it up.”

At this moment, the face of Ren Wang—already lacking in yang energy—was already painted with the theatrical makeup of a young male role, performing an intense duet with the female lead, though they were currently lying in bed, moving and singing at once.

Listening to their melodious yet vulgar words, Li Huowang's right hand, clenched too tightly, had turned pale. If he hadn’t been unable to locate Li Sui’s ears, he would have torn them off as well.

Li Huowang was always ready, always prepared to strike when his opponent let their guard down. “Ah～～my love～～～my heart～～～my precious flesh～～～”

Just as the tone of their performance rose higher, a flash of killing intent appeared in Li Huowang’s eyes. His feet instantly exerted force, and he lunged downward with his sword drawn.

The Spine Bone Sword in his hand left behind a ghostly afterimage, slicing forcefully down at Ren Wang on the bed.

The rift that represented the Great Qi sliced through the air, accompanied by a piercing tearing sound. A thin, transparent mosquito net woven from metallic threads suddenly materialized, blocking the path between Li Huowang and Ren Wang.

It was clearly Ren Wang’s contingency plan against assassins, but no matter what use this contraption might serve, it was utterly useless before the rift—it was effortlessly severed.

The female lead, who was lying in bed, saw the anomaly above her faster than the crawling Ren Wang. Her face, painted with theatrical makeup, immediately turned pale with terror. “Eh～～lord～～!”

She began to sing a tragic melody, pushing Ren Wang off the bed with both hands. However, Li Huowang had anticipated this move and deliberately extended the rift.

There was no sound. The female lead and Ren Wang, who had fallen from the bed, were instantly severed in two, blood gradually covering the ground around them.

“So soon? Was it really that simple?” Just as Li Huowang thought the matter was settled, a yellow puppet the size of a palm emerged from Ren Wang’s hair.

It didn’t even wait to grow larger, swaying its light body as it rushed outward. “There’s something like this hidden within Ren Wang!!” With gritted teeth, Li Huowang drew his sword and chased after it.

But just as his weapon was about to strike the fleeing Ren Wang, a horde of shadow puppets burst from under the bed, grabbing hold of Li Huowang’s shadow with seven arms and legs, leaving him momentarily immobile.

When Li Sui’s tentacles swiftly flicked and extinguished the candles on both sides, the shadow puppets vanished, and Li Huowang regained his freedom.

Yet in that brief moment, the palm-sized Ren Wang had already grown to normal size—but his body remained only a thin sheet.

With the rapid beating of gongs, white smoke quickly spread in from the wooden windows, concealing Ren Wang’s fragile form.

“Die!!” Li Huowang swung his Spine Bone Sword toward where Ren Wang had disappeared, slicing through the white smoke.

But to his disappointment, the smoke parted not to reveal Ren Wang’s body, but instead showed a strange figure holding a massive golden ingot, wearing a white mask with black beard.

The large copper coin official hat atop his head wobbled, and his legs, seemingly jointless, swayed rhythmically to the beat of the gong, advancing toward him.

Seeing the two copper coins embedded in the mask’s eye sockets, Li Huowang knew exactly who this person was. “You’re the Jumping God of Wealth, aren’t you?”

Gritting his teeth, Li Huowang gripped his Spine Bone Sword tightly and charged straight at the masked god of wealth without hesitation.

Since the surprise attack had failed, there was no choice but to clash head-on. He had to eliminate Ren Wang before reinforcements from the Ren Wang’s palace arrived.

As the two drew closer, Li Sui struck first—a tendril the width of a bowl emerged from Li Huowang’s left neck, wrapping around the copper coin sword on his back and swinging it toward the god of wealth.

“Brother Li, quickly sheathe that sword! There are coins all over it!”

Zhuge Yuan’s warning was cut short mid-sentence. “Shu-lah!” The coins, guided by red threads, rapidly elongated like whips and lashed toward the opponent.

At the moment the coins struck the massive golden ingot, the coins on the entire sword trembled violently and instantly broke free from Li Sui’s control.

Like being magnetically attracted, the scattered coins all adhered to the golden ingot.

Then, with a sudden mighty lift of the golden ingot, the coins reassembled into a sword and flew toward Li Huowang.

Li Huowang, who had used this copper coin sword for so long, was now controlled by it in an instant.

“Swish!” Li Huowang slashed his Spine Bone Sword again, severing the copper coin sword and sending it flying into the Great Qi.

In the next moment, a warning bell rang loudly in Li Huowang’s mind. Instinctively turning around, he raised his Spine Bone Sword above his head.

“Bang!” The floor beneath his feet exploded, dust flying high into the air. Eight of Li Sui’s tentacles also stabbed into the ground, barely managing to withstand the immense pressure.

A giant silver mace composed of various sizes of silver fragments pressed down like a mountain upon the Spine Bone Sword.

“Li Sui! Catch the sword!”

The black tentacles wrapped around the hilt of the Spine Bone Sword the moment Li Huowang freed his hand. With his other hand, he drew the Purple Ear Sword and slashed his own left arm off cleanly.

His arm shattered into claws and lunged forward at the enemy ahead.

Taking advantage of this moment, Li Huowang retrieved the Spine Bone Sword and created distance from his opponent.

Having escaped danger, Li Huowang looked at the one who had tried to ambush him. This man wore the same mask as the previous Jumping God of Wealth, but his attire was vastly different.

This tall man, eight feet in height, rode a roaring leopard, clad in armor adorned with copper coins, wielding a heavy silver mace, and carried four yellow banners inscribed with the word "wealth" on his back.

“The Martial God of Wealth? The Literary God of Wealth?” Li Huowang scanned the two enemies shrouded in white smoke.

While speaking, the two gods of wealth—one martial, one literary—began circling Li Huowang from either side, the sharp, urgent gong beats still ringing in his ears.

“This won’t do. Even if I can handle these two, Ren Wang will have long since vanished.”

Li Huowang worriedly thought, various ideas flashing through his mind only to vanish again.

When he saw several dark silhouettes appear within the white smoke, Li Huowang gripped the hilt of his Spine Bone Sword tightly and swung it forward with all his strength.

This time, the rift was wide enough for a person to crawl through. “Li Sui! Go in!”

Li Huowang quickly shifted his position to the edge of the rift. The Great Qi’s gap was close at hand—he could even see what lay inside.

This was the idea that suddenly came to him: using the Great Qi as a springboard to break free from the encirclement of these great Liang men.

When Li Sui pulled out two talismans and pasted them onto Li Huowang’s legs, Li Huowang gave his utmost effort, bringing himself closer to the rift. But it still wasn’t enough!

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