Chapter 736: Siming

Chapter 736: The Keeper of Life

Hongzhong looked at Li Huo Wang and continued, “So I think it's true that the fusion of truth and falsehood can cure your demonic infatuation. That part is genuine—and this very likely is the sweet bait that the dice lured you into.”

“What’s terrifying is that the dice knew all along you would eventually reach this point. He planted a mine behind the scenes, waiting for you to fuse truth with falsehood so he could trigger it.”

Listening to what the other had just said, Li Huo Wang couldn’t help but think deeply.

“This guy’s already dead—why set up such a trap? Does he still want me to revive him?” Li Huo Wang asked.

Now that the True and False Dao was in Ji Zai’s hands, there was no way he could ask his future self for divine powers. Even if Ji Zai was useless, he wouldn’t do something as foolish as aiding an enemy.

He only controlled the Dao of Confusion—not the Dao of Idiocy.

As long as he lacked divine power, even if the dice were resurrected, he’d just be a cunning old swindler.

Li Huo Wang had seen firsthand how miserable the White Lotus Sect had become after the Mother of Eternal Birth lost all her Dharma.

“Don’t assume their motives are always selfish. It’s not always about personal gain. The Way of Forgetfulness doesn’t need many reasons to play tricks—it sometimes just wants to mess with you.”

Hongzhong rested his chin on his hand, his expression nearly identical to Li Huo Wang’s—brow furrowed in deep thought.

They stood in silence for a long time, still unable to fathom what the dice was up to.

After a while, Li Huo Wang spoke, “No matter what the dice is planning, we have to practice the false. Otherwise, I’ll blow up before the dice’s mine explodes.”

“And since we now know there might be a mine, things aren’t too bad. We’ll swallow the sweet coating and send the bomb back.”

A trace of irritation crossed Hongzhong’s face. “Is the dice’s sweet coating really that delicious? You know, why did you ever start cultivating in the first place? Didn’t Zhuge Yuan say not to practice such things before death?”

“Stop bringing him up! If I hadn’t cultivated, where would my strength come from to fight the growing sects? Relying on the Great Thousand Records? Do you think Ba Hui is more reliable?”

At that moment, Li Huo Wang felt the chanting by his ear grow fainter. He knew his time was running out.

“I won’t last much longer in this damn place—let’s get out first!”

Hongzhong pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. “Once we’re out, find a way to restore my cultivation. Let me become like a monk, staying by your side.”

“I’ll keep watch for you. If the dice’s mine goes off, I’ll warn you in advance.”

Li Huo Wang looked at the red figure before him and suddenly had a thought.

“Is he doing this for some hidden agenda? Could it be that the dice isn’t the one in trouble? It’s him instead?”

“What are you thinking? Didn’t you say there’s no time? Hurry up!” Hongzhong sounded anxious now.

“Let’s go,” Li Huo Wang said, running toward the direction of the chanting. Hongzhong quickly followed.

“During the time I’m gone, are things okay?” Hongzhong suddenly asked.

“Fine. After Gao Zhijian became emperor, everyone’s living better. But the Lü Family is gone.”

“I know—I saw Scholar Lü myself.”

They walked quickly, and as time passed, the voice by Li Huo Wang’s ear grew fainter.

As the chanting faded, Li Huo Wang clearly felt his body growing heavier. His steps no longer floated but became laborious.

“Hurry!” Hongzhong held out his hand.

“You only care now? Why were you chatting with me earlier?” Li Huo Wang grasped his arm.

The two moved faster—one in front, one behind.

Just when Li Huo Wang thought nothing would happen, the black mist to his left began to churn.

He had seen this kind of movement once before. “Kuilou is coming!”

Li Huo Wang tried to close his eyes, but this time, Kuilou’s form emerged abruptly from the black fog.

It looked like a shapeless mass, its edges filled with pale, abyssal holes of black void.

Surrounded by an eerie pale glow, Li Huo Wang struggled to describe what Kuilou looked like—it was something beyond terror and anomaly, something shocking.

At that moment, the whirring sound of the revolving wheel snapped him back to reality. In that brief instant, he realized his body was almost completely melting, and parts of himself were being pulled away from his flesh, drifting toward the distant Kuilou.

Li Huo Wang closed his eyes instantly, crouched to the ground, and dragged Hongzhong toward the Temple of the Intermediate Yin.

Clearly, he couldn’t move as fast as Kuilou. Li Huo Wang felt that familiar trembling again, as if something heavy pressed down from above.

He stopped moving and stayed firmly grounded, following Hongzhong’s lead, enduring the slow, crushing wait.

A cup of tea passed. Half a stick of incense. A full stick of incense. Yet the pressure remained like a mountain crushing down.

“What the hell… is going on?” Li Huo Wang strained open one eye to look at the ground.

In the next moment, his body froze. Everything around him turned pitch dark. It was a shadow—the shadow of Kuilou.

Whether it was part of Kuilou or Kuilou itself, it lay motionless above him.

“It… found me?” Li Huo Wang felt his body plunge into an icy abyss, his whole being freezing.

This Keeper of Death, even without acting, posed an immense danger to Li Huo Wang at this moment.

Time ticked on. Li Huo Wang felt his body melting further, his inner essence instinctively drawn upward by Kuilou.

“I can’t let this go on! Even if it’s a gamble, I can’t let this continue!” Li Huo Wang gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He started moving, dragging Hongzhong toward the Temple of the Intermediate Yin, crawling forward. “You can’t see me! You can’t see me!”

“Hongzhong! Don’t stand there! Use your Way of Forgetfulness! Don’t worry if it works—just use it!”

But after speaking for a while, he noticed no response. Instead, Hongzhong pulled his hand away.

Li Huo Wang looked down and saw Hongzhong crawling on the ground in the opposite direction. “Hongzhong! What are you doing?”

Hongzhong turned, revealing his mahjong face.

Even beneath the shadow of the Keeper of Death, his face was full of mockery. “Oh look who it is—it’s Li Huo Wang. A rare guest indeed.”

“Damn it! An hour has passed!”