Chapter 666: Li Sui

Chapter 666: Li Sui

In the darkness before dawn, a gray wild rabbit was swiftly leaping through the undergrowth of the forest. The dim light, combined with its dull fur, made it appear as though it were invisible—impossible to spot if one sought it.

Yet now, the rabbit seemed agitated. At one point, it panicked so much that it nearly crashed into a tree. The tremors beneath its feet confirmed that something was chasing it.

Not long after the rabbit had run past, the leaves behind it were suddenly torn apart. A massive bear-pig burst out, foam dripping from its mouth as it pursued the rabbit with frenzied intensity.

Just as the rabbit appeared about to be caught, several tentacles with barbed edges suddenly shot out from the nearby bushes, wrapping around it like a net and securing it tightly.

The sudden emergence of these writhing appendages startled the pursuing bear-pig, which immediately veered away in panic.

As the tentacles retracted slowly, the red-eyed gray rabbit was pulled to Li Sui’s feet.

At this moment, Li Sui’s entire attention was focused on the rabbit. She didn’t even glance at the bear-pig fleeing in the distance.

Li Sui reached out calmly and grasped the rabbit. The tentacles slowly withdrew beneath her skirt.

She gently stroked the fluffy head of the rabbit and opened her small cherry lips, stuffing the upper half of the rabbit whole into her mouth.

With her cheeks bulging and chewing rhythmically, Li Sui smiled happily. She liked meat with lots of bones—it was juicy and delicious.

The only minor inconvenience was having to spit out some fur before swallowing.

But after eating half the rabbit, Li Sui didn’t continue with the rest. Overjoyed, she held the rabbit close and ran toward the dirt path beside the forest.

"Mom, here, it's really good," Li Sui said, offering the half-eaten rabbit to Bai Lingmiao, who was using a fire steel to start a flame.

"A rabbit? Did Sui-sui catch it? Sui-sui is such a good girl." Bai Lingmiao took it and quickly peeled off the skin and let the blood drain.

She had grown very close to Li Sui. Like a child, she would stay happy for hours if praised. If treated sincerely, Li Sui would truly see her as a mother.

"Mom, why don't you eat it? It's really delicious, and it's not easy to catch."

Bai Lingmiao smiled faintly and shook her head. Then she began slicing the rabbit meat into small cubes, preparing to add them to the white porridge later. "It’s almost daylight. I’ll cook it for your father."

"Oh." Li Sui nodded and turned, jumping back into the woods. "I’ll go check if Dad has returned. I’ll go meet him."

"Wait." Bai Lingmiao grabbed her hand and gently touched her waist, where the fabric had worn thin, threads protruding. "Look, your clothes are torn. You’re practically a beggar now. Change into mine."

After being pulled into the carriage for a while, as the sky began to lighten, Li Sui, dressed in moon-white, leaped out and dashed into the nearby woods. "Sui-sui, don’t get too close! Your father is cultivating—he’s dangerous!"

"I know. I’ll just watch from afar." In an instant, Li Sui’s figure vanished.

Returning to the forest, Li Sui no longer needed to be cautious. Various tentacles emerged from her clothing, replacing her legs and moving swiftly.

Just as she neared, she heard movement from the nearby trees. Carefully, she approached.

Soon, she saw the source of the sound—it was Master Lü. He stood over a red bamboo scroll spread on the ground, his thumb trembling as he raised it.

Master Lü gritted his teeth and thrust three long needles into his fingernails. Then, raising his thumb, he pressed hard against the ground. "Aaaahhh!!"

"What are you doing?" Li Sui asked curiously, stepping forward and observing.

Master Lü, holding a sword in one hand, relaxed upon seeing who had come. He knew this person—she was the demon nurtured by his master.

The sharp pain in his fingers made him gasp, but he forced himself to speak. "I wanted to test how this works first, so I won’t panic when I actually need it."

"Hurts?" Li Sui asked.

"Not at all! Compared to going mad like my father or my older brother dying, this pain means nothing!" Master Lü clenched his teeth and answered fiercely.

"Oh, then keep going. I’m leaving." Confused, Li Sui turned and left Master Lü behind, disappearing once again into the forest.

Li Huowang’s place of cultivation was easy to identify—after all, few places in the world had trees flying through the air.

Li Sui climbed to the top of a great tree and looked down at her father, who sat cross-legged upside-down, his head buried in a stone. His body, along with everything else around him, moved in chaotic patterns.

Soon, Li Huowang’s head floated out of the stone and crashed head-on into a flying tree. That tree shattered like foam, as if all rules of the world ceased to exist near him.

Li Sui watched quietly, observing her father’s strange cultivation.

Though her father rarely spoke to her, by silently watching, she gradually understood things.

He wanted to become stronger. A stronger father could protect them, keep them safe.

Master Lü was the same—he also wanted to become powerful.

Li Sui thought of the opponents she had seen fight with her father. If he wasn’t strong enough, he might die at their hands.

Thinking of this, Li Sui grew anxious. She didn’t want him to die. Her mind began to churn with ideas. “They all want to become strong. How can I help Dad?”

Usually, she simply entered his belly to act as an extra arm, but she hadn’t been very useful. She wanted to help more.

This question was complex. Li Sui pondered for a long time but still couldn’t find a way to help.

She had only been born a short while ago—now just one and a half years old. During this time, she had never seen anyone become powerful.

Her father was the closest example, but even his method of becoming strong was hard to understand.

Seeing Li Huowang’s shadow rise with others from the ground, Li Sui quickly descended from the treetop and ran toward the carriage. She needed to ask someone else.

"You want to become powerful? Why?" Bai Lingmiao asked, stirring the porridge with a spoon, somewhat surprised.

"I want to help my dad. I want to protect him. I want to help him."

Bai Lingmiao tilted her head and thought carefully, then shook her head gently. "Sui-sui, I don’t know either. You’re a demon, not human. Maybe... you should follow them and worship Mother Wusheng? She is very compassionate. If you have a connection with her, perhaps she will take you in."

Hearing this, Li Sui turned to look at the White Lotus sect believers gathered in the carriage. They knelt in a circle, praying to a white jade double lotus glowing softly amid the incense smoke.

(End of Chapter)