Chapter 686: Kuocang City

Chapter 686: Guancai City

In the land of Later Shu, between the borders of Siqi and Qingqiu, the terrain was far more barren than either of those regions. Compared to the water-rich, lake-dotted lands of Siqi or the grasslands teeming with cattle and sheep that were Qingqiu, Later Shu appeared desolate and arid.

Endless stretches of jagged, grotesque rocks dominated the landscape, while the ground lay cracked and dried like a wasteland. Greenery existed, but sparingly—mostly in the form of drought-resistant plants that blended seamlessly with the desert-like terrain.

Yet Li Huowang had long since grown accustomed to this sight. After slaying the celestial being capable of summoning clouds and rain, they had been away from the seashore for quite some time.

At present, both Li Huowang and his companions had completely changed their appearance, donning the garb of ordinary refugees fleeing calamity. After all, war raged between Later Shu and the Daoist sects—any encounter could prove dangerous.

Still, even under such chaotic conditions, trouble followed them relentlessly.

“Ding ding! Chang!” The clash of two swords rang out sharply in midair. Li Huowang opened his mouth wide, and black, writhing tendrils shot forth, covering the mountain bandit’s face and tearing it clean off.

Beside him, Lü Xiucai raised his serrated sword and charged forward. Without hesitation, he plucked off two of his own fingernails using bamboo slips and hurled them at the enemy.

Arrows pierced his paper loincloth inscribed with incantations, yet they clanged like metal against stone.

Faced with these well-armed mountain bandits, Lü Xiucai showed no fear—only an unshakable hatred burning in his eyes.

If there was one person who had left the deepest impression on Li Huowang along their journey, it was Lü Xiucai. He truly yearned to avenge his family.

Whenever they encountered members of the Daoist sect, he would always charge ahead without hesitation.

As he watched several bandits at a distance smear black dog blood on their arrows and aim once more at Lü Xiucai, Li Huowang raised his rib bone sword and flung it with force. “Swish!” A rift flew through the air.

The rift not only split them in two but also spewed forth a strange liquid that glued them all together into one mass.

Though the rib bone sword could no longer serve as a key to Great Qi, in Li Huowang's hands, its destructive power remained unmatched when used for battle.

These were soldiers turned bandits—some former conscripts who had taken refuge in the mountains. Their ranks included not only the forces of Later Shu and the Daoist sects, but also unfortunate souls caught in the crossfire.

Regardless of their identities, none could stand before Li Huowang and his group.

Soon, the battle quieted. After clearing away the corpses, everyone resumed their march.

Their calm demeanor stemmed from familiarity—their kind of trouble was nothing new.

That there were still bandits outside the capital spoke volumes about how far the order of Later Shu had collapsed.

Li Huowang’s carriage had fewer people now, just as the White Lotus Sect led by Bai Lingmiao had also diminished. They had scattered across Later Shu to spread their faith.

“With our current pace, we should arrive in about three hours,” Li Huowang said, encouraging others weary from travel to push forward despite their exhaustion.

As they drew closer, hoofprints and animal dung became more frequent on the ground—but so did the dead.

Some rotting bones lay discarded like trash beside the path.

Bai Lingmiao wore a look of sorrow. She knew she couldn’t bury them all. This was a time of chaos; in such times, life held little value—whether it belonged to the people of Later Shu or those faithful to the Daoist sects.

“Thump thump thump~” The drumbeat was gently tapped by fingers adorned with long black nails. She sang a mournful tune.

“Holding a stick of incense, smoke rises to heaven... The gate hangs torn paper... The second gate flies white sails... Misty winds carry souls to the heavens...”

With each thump of the drum, a cool breeze swept through, causing the figures to sway slightly. The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.

“Om mani padme hum… Om mani padme hum…”

Listening to the monk’s chant for the departed, Li Huowang sighed softly. He sincerely wished ghosts existed.

If ghosts existed, those killed unjustly could seek revenge. If ghosts existed, one could appeal to the King of Hell. If ghosts existed, perhaps the world might still have order and cycles.

Many feared ghosts, but in truth, ghosts were merely the most beautiful lie in human society.

Bai Lingmiao never stopped singing, for the bones and corpses never ceased to pile up.

In her song, a massive stone city emerged before them. Built into the mountainside, it rose gradually from high to low, forming terraces that were easy to defend but hard to assault.

From Li Huowang’s perspective, a grand, imposing mountain city stood before him—the Guancai City of Later Shu, home to the Later Shu Celestial Observing Bureau.

Looking at the wooden barriers around the walls and the marks upon them, Li Huowang could tell the city had once been besieged.

Though the walls hadn’t fallen, the attackers had come so close that it proved the severity of the situation.

Displaying the official badge of the Great Li Celestial Observatory, Li Huowang and his party entered the great mountain city smoothly.

Li Huowang made no attempt to hide his identity. When he reappeared in his red Daoist robe, the officials of the Later Shu Celestial Observing Bureau quickly recognized him.

What surprised him was that the local officials ignored him entirely and instead approached Bai Lingmiao and her followers from the White Lotus Sect.

But soon, someone came to guide him—members of the Celestial Observing Bureau.

Like elsewhere, the Celestial Observing Bureau of Later Shu was located underground. But given the peculiar structure of Guancai City, Li Huowang found himself deep within the mountain.

“Xuan Pin?” Li Huowang asked Shangguan Yuting, who had traveled with him all the way. From what he’d seen, he now understood how dire the situation truly was.

“You wait here for a moment. I’ll go find her,” Shangguan Yuting replied, adjusting her skirt and walking toward a nearby stone wall.

Li Huowang sat on a stone bench, waiting anxiously while silently calculating the worst-case scenarios.

“You’ve arrived? Slightly later than I expected,” Xuan Pin said, sitting across from him at the stone table. She revealed a dark hole in her red robe, facing Li Huowang directly.

Li Huowang didn’t bother asking how she had gotten here. He simply said, “If you wanted speed, you should’ve brought me along when you first came to Later Shu.”

“You were busy with other matters. Even if I had called you, you wouldn’t have come.” Xuan Pin said, stepping aside to reveal a figure behind her.

It was a man wearing a bronze mask. The mask was dark yellow in color, but rather than being a simple face, it bore two grotesque faces pressed tightly together.

One with a curled mustache, sharp fangs, and fierce eyes; the other with a snarling expression, both contending for dominance over the same space.

On top of these two faces, like a hat, a ring of skull-shaped objects, roughly the size of eggs, encircled them.

(End of Chapter)