Chapter 992: Sanqing

Chapter 992: The Three Pure Ones

Li Huowang, his hair veiling his wounded eye, sat on a stone block by the doorway, brow furrowed as he stared into the dense woods in the distance. His only good eye was unfocused, clearly lost in thought.

As for what exactly occupied his mind, he alone knew.

"Here." A can of soda was held out before him. Li Huowang reached out to take it, surprised to find it still chilled.

"Where did you buy this?" After cracking it open and taking a long gulp, he handed it back to Yang Na.

"At the convenience store. Who would have thought? There’s actually a shop in this countryside. It looks humble, but it has all sorts of little things." A proud Yang Na held it with both hands and took a small sip.

She tilted her head slightly to look at the grim-faced Li Huowang, whispering comfortingly, "Don't worry, we can win. After all, we are all Siling who govern the Heavenly Dao now."

"The Siling of Fusheng Heaven sent so many people last time and still suffered a loss at our hands; this proves they are likely no match for us."

"We aren't at such a disadvantage. They've lost so many Siling, while we've barely lost anyone. Who wins and who loses is far from certain."

Ever since she embraced Li Huowang's worldview, Yang Na had shown no signs of depression; her mental state seemed much lighter, and she was happy every day.

Though Yang Na was trying to comfort him, his mood remained heavy, especially as he recalled the words Qing Wanglai had spoken before leaving.

One could not fully trust the words of the Ziwangdao, yet one could not fully dismiss them either. That speech was likely a mixture of truth and lies, and his task now was to discern which was which.

Beyond that, with enemies lurking on all sides, what the Three Pure Ones might do next was even more headache-inducing.

He was essentially an enemy already; enemies were not terrifying, but an enemy who knew you was far worse, for he knew where your weaknesses lay.

"Stop thinking about it, come inside and eat. No matter what troubles we face later, you need a full stomach to handle them. I'm telling you, this local free-range chicken is delicious; I snuck a few pieces while helping in the kitchen."

Yang Na pulled Li Huowang into the house, where an eight-immortal table set for eight was laden with home-cooked dishes, the centerpiece being a pot of stewed chicken with mushrooms.

The rich aroma drifting from it made Chen Hongyu swallow hard.

Yang Na was right; the stewed chicken was truly excellent. Picking up a piece with chopsticks and putting it in his mouth, the meat was tender yet chewy, the sweet juices soaked deep, and even the bones were fragrant—a far cry from the frozen, mass-produced chickens in supermarkets.

Swallowing the meat, Li Huowang picked up the chilled soda and took a deep drink.

Feeling the tingling sensation of the icy bubbles bursting in his mouth, Li Huowang scanned the others at the table, only to find someone very important missing. "Where is Dr. Yi?"

Ba Nanxu plucked a piece of chicken neck with skin, shoving it into his mouth to chew meat and bone alike. "Still in the warehouse, hypnotizing himself. Come to think of it, we really should thank him. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be eating such good food."

Regarding Yi Donglai’s extreme reaction, Li Huowang sighed inwardly. He didn't want it to be this way, but there was truly no time left. Facing Fusheng Heaven, he dared not be the least bit careless.

"Save a portion for him. I'll take it to him later and have a good talk." Li Huowang reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a slice of bamboo shoot.

Although Yi Donglai had treated him once and he hadn't switched since, neither the doctor nor he, the patient, could be certain if he was truly cured.

He loathed this sense of instability; he had to be one hundred percent certain that Yi Donglai had healed him.

"He's a prisoner; just give him the other dishes. This chicken isn't even enough for us." Chen Hongyu said, picking up the pot and pouring the fragrant, rich chicken broth into her rice bowl, planning to mix it with the white rice—the most delicious way to eat.

With everyone reaching in, only a few pieces of chicken remained in the pot, and it was about to be empty.

Yang Na stood up, snatched the last wing with her chopsticks, and placed it in Li Huowang's bowl.

Yet, just as she sat back down and took a few bites, she noticed Li Huowang staring blankly, his chopsticks not moving toward the wing.

"Huowang, why aren't you eating? Isn't this your favorite?" Yang Na asked, biting her chopsticks.

"If you aren't eating it, give it to me." Chen Hongyu reached out excitedly toward his bowl.

But at that moment, Yang Na saw Li Huowang's blank expression turn to shock, then to terror, his body recoiling.

"The Three Pure Ones!" Li Huowang suddenly sat up, shouting in agitation.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Zhao Lei reached out and swiped the chicken wing.

"Qing Wanglai! What exactly are you trying to do!" Li Huowang's roar echoed through the room.

"Ugh, so noisy! We're eating! Go outside if you want to yell!" An annoyed Chen Hongyu muttered, head buried in her bowl of broth-soaked rice.

Li Huowang lunged up, drawing the military knife from his waist, his expression turning ghastly. "You've returned to White Jade Capital? We are all here! How dare you return to White Jade Capital!"

With that, he raised his blade, slashing repeatedly at the empty air before him.

"Li Huowang, there's nothing in front of you," Wuji asked, holding her bowl in confusion.

"Of course there's nothing! That which cannot be seen is called 'Yi'; that which cannot be heard is called 'Xi'; that which cannot be grasped is called 'Wei'! Didn't I tell you all before? The Three Pure Ones themselves are invisible!!" Having said this, Li Huowang immediately rolled away.

Watching the others at the table, Li Huowang felt a fire rising in his chest. They couldn't help; they couldn't perceive what was happening on the other side.

The only ones who could influence that world were himself and Qing Wanglai.

Li Huowang never expected that bastard Qing Wanglai to be so insidious; seeing he couldn't win here, he intended to strike from over there!!

Although his experiences on both sides proved Yi Donglai's treatment had been effective, he could find no joy in this development.

If his self on the other side were truly seized by the Three Pure Ones, it would mean a part of Ji Zai's body had been stolen, and that would be a disaster!

With a hideous expression, Li Huowang stared at the empty White Jade Capital, and just as he prepared to fight to the death, Yang Na set down her chopsticks, drew her pistol, and without a moment's hesitation, fired a shot into the empty air before Li Huowang.

Apologies, dear readers, I finished the outline yesterday but failed to save it, and my mental state collapsed, so I didn't update. I am truly sorry.