Chapter 880: Disbelieve

Chapter 880: Unbelief

Li Huowang did not know the woman’s identity, but judging from her attire, she must hold a high position among Gao Zhijian's women.

She wore a robe embroidered with golden and silver threads in red and yellow, depicting phoenixes and birds of paradise. On either side of the sleeves bloomed large peonies, vivid and radiant. Her skirt, adorned with a robe-like design, bore an intricate pattern of silver phoenixes—exquisite beyond measure.

At the center of her towering hairdo, a phoenix’s beak held a pearl, from which delicate tassels cascaded down, casting a shimmering glow over her fox-like face—both enchanting and seductive.

Though her beauty was striking, once that cherry-red mouth opened, all the opulence of her garments could not conceal the deep malice beneath. “You’re Li Huowang, aren’t you? Speak up! Are you deaf?”

Li Huowang remained silent, standing motionless with furrowed brows fixed on the sly face before him.

“I know His Majesty has some poor relatives. Because of past ties, it’s only natural he treats you kindly. But you, a mere wandering Taoist, remember your place! Don’t push your luck!”

“Who is His Majesty? Who are you? You don’t even kneel before Him—how uneducated can you be?”

“From now on, remember this: when you meet the Emperor, you kneel first! Only after he grants you a seat may you sit!”

Hearing these words, Li Huowang finally spoke. “The dice?”

At once, everyone present froze in place. The sly girl reached out and pulled off the face like a mask, rolling it between her fingers like clay, shaping it into a six-pointed die. “Oh my, impressive indeed—Red Middle! You figured it out so quickly? Looks like you haven’t forgotten your cultivation.”

Li Huowang didn’t believe for a moment that this girl had come to chat. His hand instinctively moved toward his sword hilt.

Under his spiritual perception, the six dots on the die’s head began to coalesce into one point.

The die shuffled two steps forward, using a palace maid’s body as a shield to block Li Huowang’s view. “Don’t panic. Don’t forget I helped you back in Baiyujing. If not for me reminding you, how would you have thought to use dragon energy to mend the shattered Baiyujing?”

Li Huowang clenched his teeth until a crack appeared. From within came a voice, heavy with suppressed rage and killing intent. “What do you really want?”

“Has Tianchen invaded? Hehe.” The die peeked out from behind the maid, grinning mischievously.

“This looks like a crisis—but we both know, it’s more of an opportunity.”

“Both Great Liang and Great Qi, along with you, Li Huowang, can benefit from this. Why not add me in?”

“Does Tianchen have something you want? What is it?”

The die extended a finger and tapped her own eye socket. “Hehe, you needn’t worry about that. That thing won’t be useful to you anyway—it’s a matter between me and Doumu.”

“If you promise not to secretly plot my death again, I’ll contribute fully in dealing with Tianchen. Our chances will improve accordingly.”

“You? You can’t even make it to Great Qi—what help can you offer?”

“Who said I can’t? Don’t forget, among my eighteen-sided dice, there is one representing Great Qi.”

“I count as a citizen of Great Qi now. I just didn’t want to go before. But if I truly wished to, I could go.”

As she spoke, her graceful figure began to fade, becoming translucent, as though she might vanish entirely from the world of Great Liang.

“Don’t think that because you’re part of the Forgetful Dao, you can’t take things seriously. You’re part of it too—you should act properly when necessary. If Tianchen conquers both Great Liang and Great Qi, what will the Forgetful Dao deceive?”

“By the time they’re about to attack, it’s too late to talk about it. If you can’t win in direct confrontation, then the Forgetful Dao is useless! And your tricks won’t work—others can expose their own false lies directly.”

“That sounds harsh—you’re insulting yourself too. Fine, let’s stop talking nonsense. Let’s get to the point.”

With that, the die pretended to look around, then leaned in and whispered, “I know exactly what’s going on there. How about this—this alone should earn me a share in the victory?”

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang frowned, a sudden suspicion flashing through his mind. “Is Beifeng your spy?”

But the die’s expression became exaggerated. “Oh my goodness, Beifeng is still alive? My heavens!”

“Stop pretending. If you’re serious, stop stalling and just speak plainly.”

Li Huowang had no trust in a single word the die had spoken since the beginning.

Having learned from experience, he had already found a way to deal with the Forgetful Dao.

Even if the die’s words were lies, he wanted to hear them—he sometimes found truth hidden in falsehoods.

After all, given what he’d seen, it was highly likely that the surviving Beifeng was indeed the die’s secret agent. If Beifeng was now working for Tianchen, he might indeed possess valuable information.

“The people of Tianchen,” the die said, “they can touch Heaven and walk the Dao.”

“Do I need you to tell me that? Is this what you mean by knowing Tianchen’s secrets?”

“No, no, no. Red Middle, I mean everyone in Tianchen can do it. Some are strong enough to do it easily; others are dull or lack insight—they cannot learn.”

“Everyone? Even ordinary people in Tianchen?”

“Hehe, do you think such a Tianchen still has commoners? It’s nothing like our world. There are no fate-deciders or gods there. They rule themselves.”

Li Huowang stood silently, listening to the die continue.

“They believe in nothing else. They only believe in themselves.”

This was the worst kind of news for Li Huowang. How could one possibly confront such a Tianchen?

He didn’t know whether their power came from stealing it from the original Mother Wusheng, or from something else entirely.

If the die wasn’t lying, then things were going to get complicated.

Previously, he had considered relying on the Fate Deciders. Now, without seeking help from Ji Zai, there would be no hope of victory.

Still lost in thought, the die offered advice beside him. “Tianchen has many people. With just three or four scraps from Great Qi, it won’t be enough. You’ve been looking in the wrong direction. To untie a knot, you must find the one who tied it. If Tianchen caused trouble for someone, you should go after that person.”

“It’s not necessary to stubbornly resist being emperor. If you can’t hold out, selling out the White Lotus Sect isn’t impossible. But the White Lotus Sect itself can’t do anything. In this matter, they’ll fight to the death. By the way, Red Middle, I heard you have quite a few acquaintances in the White Lotus Sect, right?”

“Don’t call me Red Middle! I’m Li Huowang! Don’t expect Red Middle to connect you to anyone! I won’t let him come out!”

The die stared at him strangely. “What are you saying? Aren’t you Red Middle Li Huowang now?”

Hearing this, Li Huowang felt a chill run down his spine. He instinctively examined himself. “Am I now Red Middle of the Forgetful Dao?”

“What? Is there such a clear distinction between Red Middle Li Huowang and Li Huowang?”

Li Huowang slowly turned to look at the die, a smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

“Dice, almost got me again. But I’ve long since mastered the tricks of the Forgetful Dao—I don’t believe you.”