Chapter 839: Meet

Chapter 839: Meeting

"Red Middle, stop struggling. They sent me to deal with you—they must know my abilities can target yours. You're done for," said Li Huo Wang, his face smug with pride as he spoke from within Bei Feng.

Faced with this situation, Li Huo Wang took the initiative to strike first. In such moments, it was essential to seize the initiative and control the narrative in order to stabilize the enemies around him.

"Red Middle, you're already losing your edge—how dare you steal my lines before I even finish speaking?"

Looking at the body that now housed Bei Feng, who was pretending to be so delicate and coquettish, Li Huo Wang's teeth clenched with fury.

Li Huo Wang raised his right hand and pointed toward Duyan Long beside him. "Give me the sword!"

Just as Duyan Long showed a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, the next moment his body was seized by Bei Feng, who leaped several zhang away, grinning maliciously.

But then, Li Huo Wang didn’t even glance at him. He snatched up a sword nearby and charged straight toward his own body.

"Hurry! I’ve taken control of Li Huo Wang! Kill him quickly! This man is a threat to Ji Zai Xin’s cultivation—it cannot be delayed! If he manages to cultivate, we’re all doomed!"

As soon as Li Huo Wang finished speaking, he thrust the sword into his own abdomen, slicing open his flesh and splitting his physical form in two.

Bei Feng, far away, was stunned, momentarily unable to comprehend what Li Huo Wang was doing.

In the next instant, Li Huo Wang grabbed his upper half, removed its eyes to prevent Bei Feng from switching bodies again, then lowered his head and dove into his own abdominal cavity, trying to reassemble his body.

However, such a task was not easy. The interior of his belly was filled with scattered organs and debris. Unlike Li Sui, he lacked the ability to move freely through tight spaces.

Hearing footsteps approaching rapidly outside, Li Huo Wang opened his mouth wide and devoured the internal organs and blood of Xin Su whole.

"I am Li Huo Wang! I am the true Li Huo Wang!!" Li Huo Wang screamed frantically in his mind.

Although he had no idea what Red Middle was up to, the Bei Feng inside Duyan Long still rushed forward to stop him.

But it was too late. As soon as he approached, there was a boom, and flames erupted skyward, burning everything around Li Huo Wang’s body.

"Fire!" The roar echoed, and the fire blazed even more fiercely, almost twisting every leaf in the forest.

Li Huo Wang clenched his fist and struck out toward the blazing Duyan Long beside him.

Under his blow, his body disintegrated like dust, his spine sword exposed and clutched tightly in his grip.

Yet this wasn’t enough to satisfy his rage. He reached into the cracks of his body and pulled out his own beating heart, tearing it from his chest and slamming it onto the *Great Thousand Records* on the ground. “Fire Heart!”

Once Li Huo Wang activated the Five Elements Ritual, the tide of battle turned decisively. Even though Bei Feng kept switching bodies, it was no use.

Finally, beneath the sound of burning trees collapsing, the battle came to an end.

Li Huo Wang fell, but as thin as a cicada’s wing, he rose again. As he absorbed his shadow, he returned to normal.

"Master Li, we’ve won!" Chan Du said, barely containing his excitement.

The Spine Sword was recovered, and Great Qi could continue receiving grain supplies. The people of Great Qi would no longer starve.

But Li Huo Wang had no mood for celebration. He looked around at the corpses surrounding him. "Bei Feng probably escaped."

"What? Escaped?"

"As long as she can communicate and make eye contact, she can switch bodies. If she truly wants to escape, none of you can stop her."

"What are we to do now!" Chan Du circled a few times before speaking to Li Huo Wang. "Master Li, don’t worry. The Qian family is still alive. As long as Bei Feng is in Great Qi, we’ll find her location!"

Li Huo Wang sighed deeply, his voice once again turning low. "It doesn’t matter anymore. What difference does killing her make? The real issue now is whoever’s behind her."

Li Huo Wang didn’t want to explain further to Chan Du. "Take the others back. I’ll go talk to him directly."

With that, Li Huo Wang swung his Spine Sword hard, passing through the rift and returning to Da Liang.

Upon returning to Great Qi, Li Huo Wang ignored the noisy surroundings and used his ability to shrink distance, heading straight for the capital city.

But when he arrived at the imperial palace, he was told His Majesty was not present. Today was the Beginning of Spring, and he had gone to perform the ritual of plowing the fields.

It was easy to find. The black soil enclosed by the city walls was where it happened. The spectacle was grand—both civil and military officials were present, along with concubines and princes.

The guards formed a protective circle around them. Even before Li Huo Wang approached, he noticed.

But upon seeing Li Huo Wang, they made no move. Only some elderly eunuchs, who were holding hoes, tightened their grip on their tools.

Li Huo Wang didn’t rush over immediately, instead standing aside to observe the scene.

Gao Zhijian, tall and robust, with his wife and children, was working the fields. As a former soldier, he clearly had no trouble with such labor.

His golden hoe gleamed under the sun, nearly leaving a blur as he swung it. When the concubine behind him complained of fatigue and rubbed her hands, he had already worked far ahead.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Just put on a show! Don’t exhaust your royal body!" The eunuchs hurried after him.

"This little work can exhaust me? Who do you think you’re insulting?" Gao Zhijian swung his hoe even harder.

He worked the entire field before finally stopping.

But the ceremony wasn’t over yet. After whipping the oxen with a colorful whip, he considered it complete.

Throwing the golden hoe to the eunuch, Gao Zhijian walked toward Li Huo Wang.

"Senior Brother Li, look." Gao Zhijian’s voice carried excitement as he pointed to the land before them.

"This is my land. Didn’t expect the Emperor to have land too. Just one mu, three fen."

"What’s this for?" Li Huo Wang asked indifferently.

"Encouraging farming and sericulture. It’s the Beginning of Spring. As Emperor, I must set an example and remind the people it’s time for spring planting."

"It’s already past the proper time. Are you sure the timing aligns?"

"The timing may not match exactly, but we can’t delay spring farming just because of that."

Gao Zhijian no longer cared about the dignity of the Emperor, sitting down carelessly on the ground. Outside, he seemed much more relaxed than inside.

"Sigh, it feels better to work hard than to stay cooped up indoors. My body would rot from being trapped in the house all day."

After chattering for a while, Gao Zhijian turned to Li Huo Wang with a puzzled expression. "Senior Brother Li, why aren’t you saying anything?"

Li Huo Wang smiled and sat beside Gao Zhijian, picking up a stone from the ground and tossing it casually.

"What should I say?"