Chapter 527: Great Qi

Chapter 527: The Great Qi

The crack in the Spine Sword was not static—it moved like sword qi, flying forward.

If Li Huowang wished to enter, he had to match its speed or surpass it, but now he was just barely short.

“I can go faster! I can go even faster!!”

As Li Huowang roared, his speed indeed increased, and he plunged headlong into the shrinking fissure.

Just as he entered Great Qi, Li Huowang lunged to the left with all his might. Behind him, the fissure tore through his cloak before vanishing swiftly.

Li Huowang exhaled deeply, finally able to take in his surroundings.

This place, in Great Liang, had been the prince's sleeping chamber; in Great Qi, it seemed no different. The room was vast and empty.

Yet broken tiles overhead, wild grass by the walls, and dusty furniture proved that this splendor existed only in the past.

“It looks like this place has been abandoned for quite some time,” Li Huowang’s voice echoed within the room as he stood up.

“Father, where are we?” Li Sui poked his eyes out from Li Huowang’s navel and looked curiously around the ruined surroundings.

“Doesn’t matter where we are—our business isn’t settled yet,” Li Huowang gripped his sword tightly and charged toward the direction where Ren Wang had fled.

Inside, it was decayed; outside, it was much the same. It appeared that this entire complex had long since fallen into ruin.

Li Huowang chased after Ren Wang across Great Qi for nearly two cups of tea, then pulled out the Spine Sword once more.

He had to admit, at least with some effort, this weapon forged with heart and will was truly useful.

It could kill enemies and save lives. Li Huowang was grateful he hadn’t buried the blade in a hole back then.

“We’ve escaped their encirclement. Let’s go back and see,” Li Huowang said, slicing open another fissure in Great Qi and repeating his previous tactic.

When he returned to Great Qi, he found himself standing on a rooftop, and in the courtyard far below, Ren Wang’s high-lift sedan was fleeing rapidly eastward.

“Got him!” Li Huowang leaped off the talisman-covered legs, soaring through the air like an eagle toward the sedan.

Just as Li Huowang was about to succeed, a woman with a black cloth covering her face appeared on his back, somehow.

She raised her obsidian dagger to stab into his neck, but Li Sui’s tentacles intervened in time.

When Li Huowang saw the large character “Wu” written on the cloth covering her face, his pupils shrank to nothing, filled with shock.

“No! This is a member of the Cult Sect! Ren Wang actually has ties with the Cult Sect!”

This was far worse than a succession struggle. It wasn’t something a mere evil cultivator could be dismissed as. The Cult Sect worshiped the gods of calamity and disaster.

Thinking of this, Li Huowang made a decision mid-air.

“Bang!” He kicked the woman and, instead of chasing Ren Wang further, used the recoil to plummet toward the left roof.

“Father, the sedan is leaving. Should we chase?” Li Sui asked, watching the sedan grow smaller in the distance.

“No need to chase anymore. In this game of breeding insects, Ren Wang has crossed the line. We just need to report this to the Heavenly Observing Bureau.”

Someone in Great Liang who had a shot at the throne had help from the Cult Sect. It was hard to imagine what consequences would follow if such a person ever became emperor.

Even in a struggle for the throne, the Cult Sect—a group born to rebel—would never be allowed to participate. While the Heavenly Observing Bureau might watch from the sidelines on other matters, they would never stand idle on this one.

Since the bureau would inevitably get involved, Li Huowang realized he didn’t need to go to such extremes to risk his life chasing Ren Wang. At least those two Celestial Gods of Literature and Wealth had proven difficult to deal with.

Hearing the familiar sound of gongs ring again, Li Huowang immediately understood—the pursuers from the Ren Wang residence had caught up. Without hesitation, he slashed open another fissure in Great Qi and dove in once more.

The courtyard was covered in fallen leaves, spider webs clung to branches and rafters, and silence reigned so complete that even the wind seemed absent.

Li Huowang raised his head to gaze at the half-moon obscured by dark clouds above. The sudden shift from extreme motion to absolute stillness left him slightly disoriented.

“Let’s go,” he muttered, quickly orienting himself in the four directions, then heading toward the Heavenly Observing Bureau.

Once he reached the bureau and reported the incident to Great Liang, the matter would be concluded.

He was willing to risk everything for this task—but Li Huowang wasn’t foolish enough to ignore external assistance.

“Father, your sword was also sent here. We should go get it back.”

“Oh right, almost forgot,” Li Huowang turned and walked toward where he had fought the Wealth God.

“Brother Zhuge, tell me, what part of Great Qi is this place?” Li Huowang asked Zhuge Yuan, who hovered in midair.

“Hmm… probably the Cold Palace,” Zhuge Yuan replied with a frown, his expression heavy.

“This Cold Palace is too cold. Not even a single shadow. Has something happened in Great Qi?”

This time, when faced with Li Huowang’s question, Zhuge Yuan tightly gripped his folding fan and fell silent, lost in thought.

With no one blocking him, Li Huowang soon found the copper coin sword stuck in a broken water jar. He picked it up and slung it back onto his back, preparing to return the way he came.

But the next moment, his eyes snapped wide open—the sword tip pointed straight toward a distant dilapidated ear room. “Who’s there? Come out!”

“Ahh... ahh…”

In the middle of the night, within the empty, decaying palace, a faint, intermittent scream echoed—truly unsettling.

But clearly, Li Huowang wasn’t intimidated. He raised his sword and charged forward.

When large sections of the wall were torn into Great Liang, Li Huowang saw the source of the sound.

A bald eunuch lay on a bamboo mat, completely naked, clutching his distended belly and screaming in agony.

His massive belly was covered in bulging veins, twitching occasionally, its edges cracked and bleeding blood and amniotic fluid.

“What kind of evil spirit has possessed him?” When Li Huowang realized he was in Great Qi, he instantly understood what was happening.

Not long ago, in Great Qi, the monks of Zhengde Temple could make barren eunuchs give birth. Based on current circumstances, this man was about to deliver.

Understanding the situation, a glimmer of comprehension lit Li Huowang’s eyes, and he turned to leave.

“Save me! Kind sir, save me! I’m having a difficult labor!” The screaming eunuch noticed Li Huowang.

“Nonsense. Do you have a hole down there? Who else would have a hard time giving birth?” But as Li Huowang quickened his pace, a desperate monk blocked his path.

“Master Taoist, help him! This could end in death for both of them!”

“Easy to say. First, let’s consider whether this guy is lying to us. Then think—what do I know that could help with childbirth? And when did I ever learn how to assist in deliveries? Especially for a man?”

(End of Chapter)