Chapter 557: Huangfu Tiangang

Chapter 557: Huangfu Tiangang

Five li beyond the suburbs of Shangjing, Li Huo Wang and Li Sui fled through the forest with all their might. Behind them, shadows darted among the trees, appearing to form a formidable pursuit.

Just as the pursuers seemed about to close in, a black-robed Arhat wielding a Demon-Suppressing Ring suddenly burst from a nearby trunk. The ring, inscribed with Buddhist scriptures, crashed down heavily upon the two men.

A dark glow flared, and the ring struck them with devastating force. In an instant, their bodies crumbled like rotten wood.

Soon, a group surrounded them, staring at the head of Li Huo Wang in the Arhat's hand.

“Something’s off!” A man dressed as a Taoist priest flicked his hands, sending two leaves fluttering across his eyes.

In the next moment, when he tore away the skin covering Li Huo Wang’s face, he discovered that beneath it lay a dead man’s face adorned with a talisman.

“It’s a trick! Chase them quickly!” The crowd scattered instantly.

On a hillside far away, Li Huo Wang watched the scene unfold from afar. “The Zuo Wang Dao’s tricks are more useful than I imagined. Buy me some time by keeping them occupied.”

“Dad, how much longer will we be chased?” Li Sui lay sprawled on the ground in a cross, legs and arms wide.

“It’s not up to us—it depends on when the Astronomical Bureau returns,” Li Huo Wang said without hesitation, pulling out a rib bone from his pocket and beginning to draw a hexagram.

His target was naturally the still-absent Astronomical Bureau. Of course, Li Huo Wang knew he couldn’t divine the fate of the mighty bureau itself.

But if he cast a hexagram for them, they would surely sense it. That was exactly what Li Huo Wang wanted—to alert them that his mission had succeeded.

After completing the divination, he pushed the cracked rib back into his flesh and turned to Guan Shuying. “Now that things have come to this, can you tell me where the Astronomical Minister has gone?”

Guan Shuying, whose head was entirely covered in eyeballs, showed no sign of panic. “I don’t know. He didn’t tell me either. If he decided to delay, there must be a reason.”

Faced with such a being—whether living or not—Li Huo Wang could not even get angry.

Fortunately, Ji Lin had found a skilled warrior. Though the group’s tracking and divining abilities were formidable, Li Huo Wang wasn’t unprepared. His spine sword was his greatest asset.

He always managed to escape just before being cornered, retreating to another timeline within Great Qi to evade capture.

No matter how powerful these people were or how strange their powers, none could effectively pursue him once he escaped to another history.

Still, this constant running, poor sleep, and lack of proper meals were taking a toll.

Li Huo Wang pulled out a steamed bun from his sleeve and handed it to Li Sui. “Eat quickly. Once done, move to another place. One of those guys has a compass that can pinpoint locations.”

Li Sui sat up, took the bun and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing vigorously while puffing out his cheeks. “Dad, I don’t want to eat a bun. Can I go find some meat in the woods? I saw lots of meat there.”

“Not now. Don’t waste time hunting. That’ll only tell them we’re here. Take this instead.” Li Huo Wang reached into his red robe and pulled out a thick bandage, covered in dried blood and scabs.

Li Sui accepted it, crunching it happily, his eyes narrowing in delight. “Thanks, Dad. I love this. It tastes better than meat!”

Watching the young girl gnawing on his own blood crust, Li Huo Wang felt oddly unsettled. Ever since Li Sui had taken human form, he’d never quite gotten used to it.

It was as if she truly was human now.

Once they escaped this mess, he’d make her strip off her skin and flesh.

Just as he reached toward her head, a sudden chill ran through him. He immediately frowned and gripped his spine sword tightly.

“Li Sui, come here! Someone’s coming!” Li Sui quickly shoved the rest of the crust into his mouth and leaped onto Li Huo Wang’s back.

As the rustle of clothing brushing against leaves echoed, Li Huo Wang slashed open a rift with his spine sword without hesitation.

But just as he was about to charge through, the sky darkened abruptly—the rift between timelines severed mid-way.

It wasn’t disappearing on its own—it was cut cleanly in half!

“Who in all of Great Liang could do such a thing?” The question barely formed in Li Huo Wang’s mind when the answer emerged from the forest. It was the National Master of Great Liang!

Unlike the old man seated on a green ox with a fishing rod, this time Huangfu Tiangang wore a solemn Taoist robe and held a star-constellation sword, stepping slowly from the woods. “Ji Zai, what are you doing here?”

Li Huo Wang firmly placed Li Sui behind him. “Protecting my master, of course! Birds choose their trees wisely—do you also meddle in matters of state?”

“You think that trick can fool me? Anping is already dead! Her body contains the demon you raised!” Huangfu Tiangang bluntly revealed Li Sui’s true identity.

“The Emperor has won. He is the Emperor. Who are you to interfere in such affairs? Treasonous acts shall be punished with death!”

Upon hearing those words, Li Huo Wang felt as though a mountain pressed down on him, leaving him utterly immobile.

As the National Master, eyes wide with fury, approached with sword drawn, ready to strike him down, Li Huo Wang spoke rapidly: “Hold! Since you possess such great power, haven’t you noticed the illusion of the Astronomical Minister beside me? This matter is connected to the Astronomical Minister!”

The moment he spoke, the atmosphere froze. Seeing the sword hadn’t yet fallen, he knew his words had taken effect.

Li Huo Wang had always known that even if the National Master and the Astronomical Minister were allies, they wouldn’t consult each other on everything.

Huangfu Tiangang held a mysterious Taoist gesture he had never seen before, pointing sharply at the ground. His gaze shifted to Guan Shuying, who was bowing respectfully nearby.

Seeing her head full of eyes, the National Master was startled. “There really is such a thing? Wait... Could it be that the Astronomical Minister intends to...”

Taking advantage of the pause, Li Huo Wang explained his plan involving the dice.

Yet the National Master’s reaction was nearly identical to that of the Astronomical Minister—he remained calm even after hearing of the dice conspiracy, instead focusing intently on the eyes atop Guan Shuying’s head.

As he furrowed his brow, deep in thought, footsteps echoed again around them. Ji Lin’s subordinates had arrived.

Dozens of men surrounded them, but none attacked directly—they had seen Huangfu Tiangang standing there.

After a short wait, a fat man carrying a golden ingot stepped forward cautiously. “National Master, this child…”

“Step back.”

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Next chapter updates at 00:02

(End of Chapter)