Chapter 965: Dad

Chapter 965: Father

Hearing that Li Sui was truly willing to help her, Chen Zhaodi was overcome with sheer joy.

"Yes! Auntie, you are my savior!" Chen Zhaodi prostrated herself on the ground, kowtowing heavily to Li Sui before scrambling away toward the exit.

"Sigh..." Li Sui, letting out a weary breath, crawled back into the straw pile and whispered to the clay figurine in her hand, "Father, once we reach the county seat, I will find her a good home. It is the only way I can help."

Li Sui felt that with her current abilities, digging into someone's background should be a simple task.

In any case, whatever she chose would be better than that old man who had already buried five wives; at the very least, she would be married off into the county town.

Breathing in the scent of the straw, Li Sui gradually closed her eyes and drifted into a dream, having gone without sleep for far too long.

It felt like only a blink of an eye before she heard the door creak open again. "Auntie, I am here."

Li Sui said nothing, taking the hand of Chen Zhaodi, who carried a small bundle, and led her out into the darkness.

She could feel Chen Zhaodi’s heart racing; this was clearly the girl's first act of defiance against her parents' will, and she knew that being caught meant a brutal beating, perhaps even death.

"Woof! Woof, woof, woof!" The barking of a dog startled them both, but as Li Sui glared in its direction, the sound instantly dissolved into a submissive whimper.

After slipping out of the village under the cover of night, they fled south along the dirt road, not stopping until the sun began to rise and they reached the riverbank.

Chen Zhaodi cupped the cool water and splashed it onto her face; as she lifted her head, her once dull and vacant expression was now brimming with vitality and joy.

"Auntie, thank you! You saved my life! I will care for you in your old age and see you to your final rest!" The reborn girl threw herself at Li Sui, clutching her arm with fervent excitement.

Such a gesture left Li Sui feeling awkward; for years, everyone she encountered had harbored malicious intent toward her.

It was a warmth she had not felt since she had been separated from her father.

"Eat your rations. Once we finish, we must reach the county town as quickly as possible," Li Sui said, pulling some dried meat from her robes to share.

Along the way, Chen Zhaodi seemed to have opened a floodgate, chattering incessantly to Li Sui about her dreams for the future.

Slowly, the distance between them faded, and they began to laugh and talk; Li Sui felt as if she had returned to the days when she first met Mantou.

As they walked and talked, the county town appeared on the horizon, and Li Sui found herself feeling a strange reluctance. If only Chen Zhaodi could stay by her side, she wouldn't feel so terribly alone.

But thoughts remained thoughts, and Li Sui ultimately decided against it; some things could not be done for one's own sake alone.

Upon reaching the town, Li Sui began to frantically search for a husband for Chen Zhaodi, knowing that in such a populated place, every moment she lingered increased the risk of discovery.

She soon found a young man selling sticky rice cakes by the road; though a bit older, he was honest and hardworking, and his family owned a house passed down through generations.

Once she had a candidate, she spoke to Chen Zhaodi, but the girl’s reaction was entirely unexpected.

"Auntie, I don't want to marry. I want to learn your trade," Chen Zhaodi insisted, her resolve unshakable.

"Why throw away a good life to wander the world with me?" Li Sui could not fathom it.

"I don't trust anyone else, I only trust you," Chen Zhaodi said, throwing herself into Li Sui’s arms.

Feeling the embrace, Li Sui suddenly understood things she had never grasped before. She wanted to push the girl away, yet she found herself unable to let go.

"You want to follow me? Do you even know what I am? Are you truly willing?" Li Sui gently pulled away, and dense, writhing tentacles erupted from her body, sending Chen Zhaodi into a stifled scream of terror.

Yet, though she stood trembling and pale, Chen Zhaodi gritted her teeth and lunged back toward Li Sui. "I... I am not afraid! Even if you are a monster, I am not afraid! Even if you are a monster, you are a good one!"

Hearing this, Li Sui let out a long, heavy sigh. "Very well. Then you may stay with me. In the future, you can help me scout—"

Before she could finish, the paper window shattered, and a spinning blood-drop weapon sliced toward them.

"Look out!" Li Sui pulled Chen Zhaodi aside with all her might, but the girl still lost her left ear to the blade.

Seeing this, Li Sui was consumed by rage. As she rushed Chen Zhaodi out of the inn, she realized they were surrounded.

Over a dozen black blood-drop weapons hummed in the hands of their masters, while members of the Ministry of Supervision stood or crouched upon the rooftops.

It was clear she had stayed too long; the claws of Zuoqiu Yong had finally caught up.

"The evil Xinsu has committed countless crimes! Slaughtering the innocent! The Ministry of Supervision has decreed: take no prisoners!" Before Li Sui could speak, they charged.

Li Sui wrapped her tentacles around Chen Zhaodi, retreating under the onslaught, desperate to break through the encirclement.

But they were prepared, leaving her no opening to escape.

A Taoist in yellow robes performed a ritual, holding two yellow triangular flags, chanting as he pointed toward the sun.

"The body dissolves into the void, the colors fade to gray, the yellow path and purple palace divide! The sun and moon lose their alignment!"

In an instant, Li Sui’s body began to melt, revealing the tangled black tentacles beneath. It was not just her; Chen Zhaodi, too, began to dissolve.

Grief-stricken, Li Sui fought with every ounce of her strength, but no matter how she countered, they had a response.

Li Sui was adapting to this world, but the Ministry of Supervision was adapting to her.

In the end, this dear friend—the first person to show her kindness in years—melted into a pool of blood and mud right before her eyes.

"No! No!" Li Sui’s tentacles lashed out, wrapping around the still-quivering mass.

The blood was still moving; Chen Zhaodi had melted, but she was not yet dead.

Under the influence of the tentacles, Chen Zhaodi was assimilated, becoming a part of Li Sui.

Suddenly, Li Sui felt a change, but this time, it was for the better.

Though she had saved Chen Zhaodi, her own situation grew dire. Soon, she would follow in the girl's footsteps.

Her melting tentacles rose and fell, and Li Sui felt her consciousness slipping. "Am I going to die? I am not ready... Father..."

"I will not die... as long as I am in danger, my father will come to save me... my father will surely come..." she thought, her mind fading.

"What the hell are you doing!" A thunderous roar shattered the air, and the melting of Li Sui’s body ceased.

"Father?" Just as Li Sui picked up an eyeball from the pool of blood, she saw a flash of red dancing through the air, leaving a trail of carnage in its wake.

"Father!"