Chapter 542: Transaction

Chapter 542: A Deal

“Ding~!” Two wine cups clinked together, then quickly tilted, pouring their contents into the throats of Hong Da and Li Huowang.

The dishes on the table were in disarray—besides the contributions of the two men, Li Sui’s role was no less significant.

He had come with nothing but an appetite, just focus on eating.

“Ejiu, little brother, do you know why I’m helping you with this matter?” Hong Da, flushed red, raised his cup and leaned closer.

“Because we’re fellow soldiers of the Heavenly Observing Bureau,” Li Huowang raised his cup and tapped it against Hong Da's.

“Heh heh, back then we were even comrades with that delusional monk, what happened to us?”

“To be honest, when you left Heart Turmoil, I could see you were a sincere person. I, Hong Da, have made up my mind to be your friend. These days, people like you are rare.”

As Hong Da spoke, a trace of melancholy appeared in his eyes.

“But hey, Ejiu, since you’ve chosen the path of officialdom, we may find ourselves meeting less and less. If you ever rise high, don’t forget about me, your meat-and-drink buddy.”

Seeing the changes in his face—ten sorrows, eight hardships—Li Huowang said, “That’s not necessarily true. Once I finish here, I might still work in the Heavenly Observing Bureau.”

“Hm? You mean go back? Why?”

Li Huowang glanced at Qiu Baoshou, whose clothes were tattered beside him. “Well, after all, I’ll be idle anyway. My powers are useless if I don’t use them. It would be good to keep serving the common people.”

Li Huowang didn’t know whether the Liang Dynasty would repeat the fate of the Qi Dynasty. Whether for his own peace of mind or for other reasons, as long as his troubles were resolved, he wouldn’t mind becoming a true member of the Heavenly Observing Bureau.

“Heh heh, who knew you had such heart. I thought young men like you would prefer power and nobility, hence your alliance with the royal family.”

Looking at the tipsy Hong Da, Li Huowang casually asked while picking at his food, “Brother Hong, is the Director of Astronomical Affairs currently inside the bureau?”

Of course, he wasn’t asking randomly. Now that he had the location of the dice, he needed to find someone capable of dealing with it.

The Astronomical Bureau that had fought the dice in the palace was naturally his first target.

Time was tight; the sooner he dealt with the dice, the better. Every extra moment was torture.

Since Hong Da was nearby, Li Huowang naturally wanted to ask.

“Which Director of Astronomical Affairs? After the merger of the Four Qi Heavenly Observing Bureaus, don’t forget—we now have two of them.”

Hearing this, Li Huowang felt a glimmer of joy. Another potential ally for dealing with the dice had been added.

“The one from Liang.”

“What for? What do you want with such a big shot? I’ve only been in the capital for a short time. If you want information, ask that boy Liu Zongyuan instead.”

“Don’t underestimate him—he’s not here, but he has his specialties. He’s from the Moon Gate, so he’s more informed than we are.”

Li Huowang nodded in agreement. “Right, how could I forget that kid? Here, let me pour another cup for Brother Hong.”

That night, Li Huowang chatted late with Hong Da, thoroughly enjoying himself.

When dawn came, as Li Huowang walked home with Li Sui, he was still pondering the issue.

Just before reaching home, Li Huowang looked over at Zhuge Yuan beside him.

“Zhuge Brother, what do you think… should I use the secret of the Upper Extreme Gate to find Miao Miao? First get her, then worry about everything else?”

“I’m afraid that even if I ambush the dice and kill him, I still won’t find Miao Miao.”

Zhuge Yuan shook his head. “No, no, no. You can’t save her without killing the dice. Even if you manage to rescue her by luck, there’s no such thing as being safe forever. You can’t guard against thieves forever.”

“Besides, the dice has already set his sights on you. His strength far exceeds yours. If you don’t take this chance to eliminate him once and for all, the consequences will be endless.”

“Sigh… you're right.” With a creak, Li Huowang pushed open the door and entered with Li Sui.

The next day, although Hong Da merely said he’d try, his speed surprised Li Huowang beyond measure.

“Ten years,” Hong Da said, standing behind the cold-faced Fo Yu Lu with arms crossed.

“My heart-soul corpse can only exchange for ten years of use of the Sword of the Void? Are you kidding me?”

Frowning, Li Huowang slammed his palm against the large jar he had just dug out.

“What? Do you really think you can exchange a heart-soul corpse for a heart-pearl? Heart-pearls are far rarer than heart-souls. And don’t forget, that sword was taken from me! You have no right to bargain!”

“Heh heh, so what if I do bargain? Time, right? Fine, a hundred years.”

“You’re looking for death!” The golden Buddha, thumb-sized, kept emerging from Fo Yu Lu’s sleeve.

“Minister Ji, no need for that. Since we’re negotiating, let’s negotiate properly. There’s always a way to talk things through.”

Seeing the situation turning tense, Hong Da quickly stepped between the two, playing mediator.

Both sides gave Hong Da some respect, and although the atmosphere was tense, they didn’t end up fighting.

Under Hong Da’s mediation, both sides compromised. One heart-soul body exchanged for twenty years of use of the Spine Sword.

To prevent Li Huowang from cheating, the transaction was guaranteed by the Heavenly Observing Bureau.

Inside the screen on one side of the main hall of the Heavenly Observing Bureau, Li Huowang extended his thumb and pressed it into the red clay, leaving his fingerprint on several papers.

Seeing the faint smile on Fo Yu Lu’s lips, Li Huowang knew the other side must have gained more from this deal.

But he didn’t care. Twenty years, so be it. By then, his cultivation would be complete.

If he was still alive, he’d be retired anyway.

If not, he could always exchange the heart-soul corpse again after twenty years.

Taking the contract from the eunuch, Li Huowang bowed to Hong Da. “Brother Hong, until we meet again.”

Hong Da smiled bitterly and returned the gesture, then followed Fo Yu Lu out from behind the screen.

Once alone, Li Huowang took off the Spine Sword from his back and examined it carefully.

“It’s good that this problem is solved. Now I can openly use this sword in Liang without hiding it anymore.”

Just as he was about to remove the cloth wrapping, suddenly, his heart tightened—someone was there!

In the next instant, Li Huowang gripped the Spine Sword and smashed it to the left.

“Clang!” Two fingers, long and nail-clipped, like iron, firmly grasped the blade.

Seeing the owner of the fingers, Li Huowang frowned slightly. “Eunuch, how are you?”

The man was an old eunuch from the palace, a subordinate of Ji Lin.

Seeing that Li Huowang had spoken, the old eunuch released the sword. “Oh my, you’re now the emperor’s favorite. Where did you disappear to?”

“Where have you been these past few days? The Emperor searched for you multiple times but couldn’t find you.”

“Ji Lin called for me?”

———

Next chapter updates at 00:02

(End of Chapter)