Chapter 838: Acquaintance

Chapter 838: Acquaintance

Staring at the desolate grassland, everyone stood frozen in disbelief—no one, nothing to be seen.

Yet the immortal had spoken with absolute certainty that people were here. Could it be that the immortal was mistaken?

All eyes turned downward, seeking answers from Li Huo Wang buried beneath the earth.

Li Huo Wang, witnessing this scene, also felt confusion stirring within him. Strange? What’s going on? The Spine Sword was definitely here!

Just then, a sudden jolt struck his heart. “What is this? Sanqing isn’t even part of the Forgetful Dao—could he be lying too?”

But as he thought this, the center of the encirclement rapidly transformed. The surrounding grassland swiftly gave way to dense forests, which continued to spread outward.

From within those woods emerged several figures brandishing weapons. At their head stood a one-eyed man clutching Li Huo Wang's Spine Sword!

It wasn't that they didn’t exist—it was simply that they had arrived too early!

When Li Huo Wang’s hands suddenly burst from the soil and gripped the one-eyed man’s legs tightly, everyone rushed forward in an instant.

The once silent forest erupted into chaos—the battlefield was born in seconds.

With his body entombed underground, Li Huo Wang could think of nothing else but retrieving his own Spine Sword.

The ground softened instantly. With a sudden tug, he dragged the bearded one-eyed man deep into the earth.

Not long after both disappeared beneath the surface, the earth trembled violently. In the next moment, the entire ground exploded open.

From the fissure leapt the one-eyed man, veins bulging across his body, sword in hand, roaring toward Li Huo Wang like a beast.

Li Huo Wang did not dodge. He stamped his feet and lunged forward, gritting his teeth.

At the moment the Spine Sword pierced through his body, Li Huo Wang seized hold with both hands, halting his opponent momentarily.

Then, eyes blazing with fury, he roared at the one-eyed man, “Give me back my Spine Sword!”

“You give me your grandmother’s leg! I took it, so it’s mine!” the man kicked out, aiming for Li Huo Wang’s abdomen.

“Get out of my way!” With a roar, Li Huo Wang’s fist struck the one-eyed man’s skull, splitting it cleanly in two.

Even as the white brain matter mixed with translucent fluid spilled onto the ground, the man’s grip remained unyielding.

Their struggle caused the blade to slice through Li Huo Wang’s body repeatedly, blood and meat falling to the grass, staining it red.

“Whoosh!” Li Huo Wang gripped his Spine Sword tightly and slashed fiercely. The severed fingers of the decapitated corpse fell to the ground, finally granting him control over the weapon.

Standing with the Spine Sword embedded in his chest, Li Huo Wang reached to pull it out—but instead, the sword slid smoothly into his body with a hiss.

He realized immediately: it wasn’t the sword entering him, but someone pulling it from behind!

Turning around furiously, Li Huo Wang froze in shock. The one who had withdrawn the sword was none other than the one-eyed man.

Though headless and limbless, he still stood upright, moving with unnatural grace.

With a single hand, he flung the Spine Sword high into the air, then drove it down again, piercing directly into the wound at his neck, leaving only the hilt visible.

Seeing the head of Zhuge Yuan mounted upon the body, anger flared even hotter inside Li Huo Wang.

“You’re finished. You’re done!!” As Li Huo Wang raised both arms and tore forcefully, the one-eyed man’s body split apart just like his head.

But halfway through the split, it stopped—and began healing rapidly. Even the detached head jumped back onto his neck, covering the Spine Sword entirely.

The reanimated one-eyed man smiled cruelly, shifting slightly to reveal a woman standing before him.

She appeared about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, her skin as pale as snow, her features delicate as a painting. A truly stunning beauty.

She wore a green silk coat dyed with vivid hues, yet under her radiance, even the most vibrant garments looked dull.

The moment she caught his gaze, Li Huo Wang felt a vague sense of familiarity.

Though he had never seen her face before, there was something deeply familiar about her presence—he must have met her before.

But when she spoke softly, that feeling crystallized.

“Oh my, Red Leader, haven’t seen you in ages. Do you remember me?”

Li Huo Wang remembered her. One of the top archers from the Northern Wind Sect of the Forgetful Dao. He had assumed she was dead, but now she lived—and worked for the royal court!

“Beifeng?” Li Huo Wang barely managed to speak, only to find his voice had become unnaturally high-pitched. Before him stood a shy, feminine version of himself.

Quickly lowering his head, he saw himself clad in the green silk coat and gasped. “Oh no! Beifeng swapped bodies with me!”

A quick check confirmed it—this was a woman’s body, useless to him. He was trapped!

“If I kill Red Leader, I’ll become Red myself. Hahahaha,” the voice of Beifeng inside Li Huo Wang chuckled softly.

As soon as she spoke, the others around her turned in perfect synchronization, stabbing at various vital points in Li Huo Wang’s body. He was cornered.

Just as all hope seemed lost, memories from the Forgetful Dao flooded back. Suddenly, the woman’s face turned deathly pale.

“You fools! I never switched bodies with Li Huo Wang! Don’t you have brains? Just because someone says something, you believe it? Don’t let Red be fooled!”

The sharp blade halted just an inch from her skin. Everyone looked between Li Huo Wang and the woman, uncertain.

“Heheh~ Red Leader, haven’t seen you in a while. Your deception skills have improved greatly, haven’t you practiced a lot?”

“Heheh~ Red Leader, haven’t seen you in a while. Your deception skills have improved greatly, haven’t you practiced a lot?”

Both Li Huo Wang and Beifeng spoke these words almost simultaneously, leaving everyone more confused than ever. Who should they trust?

“Interesting. Very interesting,” the two exchanged smiles.

When both sides couldn’t distinguish who was who anymore, the real game of deception began.