Chapter 650: Death

Chapter 650: Death

Within the opera house belonging to the Lü family, the entire structure was made entirely of wood—a most excellent kindling.

The crimson flames blazed fiercely, devouring everything within the courtyard with crackling sounds and the acrid stench of smoke drifting into Li Huowang’s nostrils.

The lunatic Lü ZHUANGYUAN paid no heed to his surroundings, still standing on the stage, singing loudly, accompanying his son and daughter-in-law in their final performance.

This distant scene was deeply etched into Li Huowang's mind, stirring up a complex mixture of emotions within him.

"Hahaha!! Die well, die well!" Laughter came from Li Huowang’s left—it was Qiu Baochi.

Holding half of an infant’s decaying corpse, she seemed to be triggered by something, jumping excitedly as she watched bodies ignited by fire dancing in the flames around her.

“Waaah…” A cry came from Li Huowang’s right—Jinshan Zhao, who had no lower body, lay face-down on the ground, weeping bitterly.

At that moment when the monk’s chanting for the soul’s release began, Li Huowang walked over and rescued the Lü ZHUANGYUAN.

As soon as Li Huowang had just pulled the Lü ZHUANGYUAN out, the whole opera house collapsed completely.

Li Huowang looked down at the deranged Lü ZHUANGYUAN in his arms, then glanced toward the Lü JUREN disappearing into the inferno.

To be honest, he wasn’t particularly close to the Lü family; he knew they had treated him like a bodyguard throughout their journey, but he never said anything about it.

Yet seeing this scene unfold before him now, a heavy weight settled in his chest.

"Lü Master! Hang on! Your granddaughter is still alive!! Don't give up!"

Li Huowang brought the Lü ZHUANGYUAN to the foot of the imperial city. He had no other choice—the entire Great Liang was in chaos, and only here was safe.

The imperial city clearly had reacted. Outside its brick-red walls, a crowd of soldiers, eyes gleaming with predatory intent, surrounded it from all sides—this was merely outside the wall; who could say how many guards were inside?

"Keep watch over them!!" Suppressing his anger, Li Huowang pushed the old man and boy forward.

"If I return and one hair of theirs is missing, I’ll kill you both!!"

Just as Li Huowang finished speaking, Peng Longteng’s towering figure suddenly appeared behind him, grabbing one of Li Huowang’s tentacles and throwing him high into the sky.

In the howling wind, the entire Shangjing City spread beneath him. He could see that even the largest city in the Great Liang had fallen into complete disorder.

Outside the city gates, countless followers of the Faith Sect surged like ants toward every wall.

Inside the city walls, too, rebellion raged everywhere, with people rising up under the call of the Faith Sect.

They shouted words they themselves didn’t understand, unleashing the malice hidden deep within their hearts.

At this moment, the city guards and the Astronomical Bureau had mobilized fully, clashing with each other in endless rounds, turning the entire Shangjing City into a chaotic mess.

Li Huowang had always known the Faith Sect was a plague. If allowed to expand unchecked, it might topple the entire world.

Deep in his heart, he had always viewed fighting the Faith Sect as self-preservation, as duty—not really caring much for the sect itself.

But just now, his attitude toward the Faith Sect had changed—he now felt anger and hatred mixed in.

The Faith Sect wouldn’t just destroy the entire world of Great Liang—it would bring suffering and despair to countless people.

It wanted to share the torment he once endured with everyone in the world!

Li Huowang didn’t want that. He knew how painful that feeling was—let one Li Huowang suffer enough.

"Ji Zai! Do something! The Faith Sect is attacking the city!! So many dead, are you blind?!"

Shouting toward the sun above, Li Huowang called out from mid-air—but received no response.

Seeing no reaction, Li Huowang gritted his teeth in frustration.

Depend on mountains, they crumble; depend on water, it flows. Now, there was only himself to rely on.

Peng Longteng reappeared beside Li Huowang, grabbing him and hurling him straight into the most chaotic part of Shangjing City.

When Li Huowang crashed heavily into the earth, he thrust his tentacles into the mud and sprang up like a spring.

Armed with various weapons and filled with rage, he charged headlong into the Faith Sect believers who were burning, killing, and looting.

He needed to vent all his fury or else he’d go completely mad.

Wherever Li Huowang went, bloodshed followed.

Ordinary Faith Sect believers couldn’t match him, nor could the hidden shaman priests among them.

Now, Li Huowang moved through the city like a ghost, cutting his way through from one end to another.

All he thought about now was eradicating every last member of the Faith Sect.

The more of them there were, the more tragedies like the Lü family’s would occur!

When Li Huowang’s body was soaked through with blood, the purple-sworded blade in his hand was wrapped in nearly solid aura, emitting dragon roars.

Like a living thing, the sword pulsed constantly, sending waves of heat restoring his strength.

With a mighty swing, a red sword aura slashed out, cleaving a distant wooden house and its occupant in two.

Seeing this, Li Huowang suddenly realized—his Purple-Sword had always been buried beneath him. He hadn’t killed enough people before.

Li Huowang wielded the sword from morning until dusk, from dusk until nightfall, his eyes covered in blood membranes from the slaughter.

When even his tired tentacles dragged on the ground, he finally saw no more Faith Sect believers.

The city gradually quietened. Guards from the Astronomical Bureau stood atop rooftops, like birds of prey scanning the area.

Each carried a fierce glint in their eyes—any Faith Sect member who dared show their face would be ruthlessly crushed.

Li Huowang stood motionless, looking down at his robe soaked in blood.

Surrounded by corpses lying in all directions, he felt like he had won—but no joy stirred in his heart. Only profound exhaustion remained.

"Dad, I’m hungry. Can I eat some of your meat?"

Li Huowang nodded, pulling over a three-legged stool and sitting down. "Yeah, go ahead."

"Thank you, Dad."

"Ji Zai," Li Huowang called out again to his shadow, but again, no reply.

Looking toward the distant palace, Li Huowang noticed Xuan Pin, Zheng Boqiao, and the Grand Preceptor hadn’t shown up—apparently, they had gone to protect the emperor. That meant Gao Zhijian should be safe.

"Why did they do this?" Li Huowang pondered, staring at the corpses of the Faith Sect members.

Though the scene was horrific, the dead were all ordinary people. Neither the royal family, the military, nor the Astronomical Bureau had suffered much damage.

Looking back, these Faith Sect believers almost seemed to have volunteered for suicide.