Chapter 752: Helper

Chapter 752: A Helper

The sound of hoofbeats continued to ring out—Li Huowang rode his horse through the mountains, and from time to time, bones and corpses appeared around him, proving that this place was far from peaceful.

Both sides had turned this land into a battlefield, and the fate of the civilians living within it—whether they lived or died—now depended entirely on their own fortune.

Li Huowang was heading toward the location that Xuan Pin had mentioned. Though he had pressed some information out of her, he remained skeptical about everything she had said previously.

If he truly wanted to know what they were up to, he would have to confirm each detail himself—he could not be certain unless he verified it all for himself. It was true that he had forced her to speak, but what came out of her mouth was distorted, possibly even false.

Still, one thing Xuan Pin had been right about was that he must help. The plan of the Daoist sect had to be destroyed.

Suddenly, a dense throng of footsteps echoed ahead. A mass of Daoist followers, each carrying a black cloth over their shoulders, rushed toward him in great numbers.

Li Huowang glanced at them briefly before quickening his pace, galloping past them. But these Daoist believers seemed oblivious, continuing on their way as if they hadn’t seen him at all.

This wasn’t the first time he’d encountered members of the Daoist sect. Now, having returned to the area where both sides clashed, there was always the risk of being ambushed again.

Having experienced trouble once already, Li Huowang was now fully alert, not daring to let his guard down.

When he noticed that the red dot on the Xuan Guang Mirror aligned with his position, he stopped. He realized he had arrived at a battlefield littered with corpses. Dogs scavenging on the flesh, covered in ticks and pus-filled sores, alongside various vultures and ravens, and white maggots writhing in the air, all feasting on the dead. To humans, death meant an end—but to them, it meant life.

Animals ate without restraint, tearing apart the bodies, leaving the scene like a hellish inferno.

The stench was unbearable, yet Li Huowang paid no attention to it now.

He calmed his frightened horse and looked around, puzzled by why Xuan Pin had chosen such a place to meet.

As he waited patiently, the sky grew darker. There was no moonlight, and everything was shrouded in pitch-black night. The only sensation Li Huowang could feel in the darkness was the chilling crunching sound of something gnawing through bones, sucking out the marrow.

It was already late in the day, and he couldn’t tell exactly what time it was. But when the darkness above became deepest, he sensed footsteps coming from his left—someone was approaching.

From his pocket, Li Huowang pulled out a pale green glowing stone and tossed it in the direction of the sound. A strange figure suddenly appeared before him.

It was a man dressed in an odd manner—his skin pale, his expression effeminate. More striking still was the braid tied behind his watermelon hat. His demeanor reminded Li Huowang of eunuchs from the imperial court.

He wore nothing particularly notable—a common gray robe and a yellowish cloak that didn’t quite match.

But Li Huowang caught a hint from behind him. Normally, he would have heard the footsteps clearly, yet there were no traces on the ground behind him—like he had simply floated here.

“Zhao Jiabao, Minor Astronomer of the Later Shu Imperial Observatory, greets Master Li,” the strange man respectfully bowed. His posture confirmed to Li Huowang that he was indeed a eunuch. The royal family had sent someone too.

"Why choose such a place to meet?" Li Huowang frowned and asked.

"Because this place is already occupied by other things," replied a hoarse voice. "The Daoist sect’s people can't get through, and we're invisible to them, unheard by them."

Soon, three monks who looked like triplets approached from within the green glow. They clasped their hands together and bowed deeply to Li Huowang.

Their only difference from the monks of the Zhongyin Temple was that their wrinkled faces and hands were covered in densely inscribed Buddhist scriptures.

Seeing the gold and jade bone ornaments adorning their bodies, Li Huowang knew these three held high status in the Zhongyin sect. The mummified figures he had met there were similarly attired.

As they stepped forward, others gradually emerged from the shadows.

There weren’t many—only dozens—but Li Huowang could sense their strength. Clearly, Xuan Pin had spared no expense this time.

"Greetings, Master Li!" the varied group called out in unison.

Li Huowang studied the men and women of all ages before him. Except for the monks from Zhengde Temple, he recognized no one else—these were likely from sects he had never encountered.

"Xuan Pin told me you know where the Daoist sect performs its ritual to heaven," Li Huowang asked.

"Yes, Master Li," Zhao Jiabao took out a map and placed it before him.

Li Huowang glanced at the constantly shifting map and looked away.

"Now that everyone's here, Xuan Pin must have told you what we’re up against, correct?"

"I know your powers are extraordinary, but do you really think you can handle that thing?" Li Huowang asked again.

Even a fool could guess that, no matter how they played it, the Daoist sect’s main strike force would be heavily guarded.

"We may not compare to Master Li, but Grand Minister of the Astronomical Bureau said we only need to assist you wholeheartedly. With your vast powers, surely you’ll easily succeed in this mission."

That line had to have come from Xuan Pin. Only he would be so eager to flatter him.

"Enough talk. We’ll discuss more on the way. This isn’t the time for chit-chat." Li Huowang said, immediately mounting his horse.

Just as he tugged the reins, a plump woman with a mole on her lip presented him with a black-headed zongzi wrapped in red thread.

"Master Li, this will allow you to escape, preventing them from knowing our plans to ruin theirs."

Li Huowang picked it up, examining it as he fastened it to his waist. "Which sect are you from?"

"Oh my, little miss has no sect or lineage—I’m just a humble matchmaker, not worthy of mention," the woman said with a smile, her tone laced with flirtation.

"A matchmaker? A follower of the God of Weddings?" Li Huowang looked down and saw that her feet were indeed bound in small shoes—was it coincidence?

"You haven’t become a cursed spirit sealed in human form, have you?" Li Huowang joked half-seriously.

The plump-faced woman withdrew a red handkerchief from her sleeve, covering her mouth with one corner and laughing heartily.

"Heh heh heh~ Master Li, you really know how to make jokes. I thought all Taoists were dull and serious."

Li Huowang’s expression softened, and with a firm tug on the reins, his horse reared up and charged out of the stinking battlefield.

(End of Chapter)