Mutated Tao

The thought that had just popped up in his head left him trembling.

After a while, he carefully touched every inch of his body and only sighed in relief only after confirming that there weren’t any additional jade pieces on his body.

“I was right; it really was a dream. All of that was just a dream,” Li Huowang mumbled.

“What’s wrong?” asked Bai Lingmiao groggily as she lit up the oil lamp in the room.

“Nothing. Nothing happened. Go back to sleep,” said Li Huowang.

When she saw that Li Huowang did not wish to answer her, Bai Lingmiao just closed her eyes. At the same time, her white hair gently lay on his shoulder as her small hands softly caressed his chest to calm him down.

Meanwhile, he held the hand on his chest and stared at the rafters above them. “Miaomiao …”

“Hm?” Bai Lingmiao answered, half asleep.

“Do you want to know about my past? And why am I having hallucinations?” asked Li Huowang.

Hearing this, Bai Lingmiao’s sleepiness was instantly dispelled. Her eyelids fluttered open in shock as she stared at the man beside her. This was the first time he had talked to her about his past.

Since she had spent more time with him than the others had, she knew that he was different from the others.

It wasn’t a difference of culture, country, or other things, but a difference that caused him to not be able to fit with them and the society. Something… otherworldly. She was not the only one who thought so—the others had thought about it too. It was just that none of them had said it before.

“I’m actually not from here,” said Li Huowang.

“Yeah, I know that you are not from the kingdom of Si Qi,” replied Bai Lingmiao.

Li Huowang shook his head. “I meant that I’m not someone from this world. I’m from another world.”

Under the dim light of the oil lamp, Li Huowang slowly talked to Bai Lingmiao about his past and current predicaments. The more he said, the better he felt. It was as if someone was bearing the weight in his heart along with him.

It was only when sunlight started to illuminate the room that he stopped. The room was completely silent.

“Is there anything you would like to ask?” asked Li Huowang.

“Yes.” Bai Lingmiao removed her hands from around him and held his hand, the one that was missing three of its fingernails. Her fingertips trembled as she touched the scab. “What’s the matter with the red bamboo slip?”

“Let me tell you something interesting. A person’s fingernails can regenerate, even after they have been pulled out.” Li Huowang tried to divert the topic while trying to pull his hand out from Bai Lingmiao’s grasp, but she held on to his hand even tighter. At the same time, ue saw Bai Lingmiao’s eyes becoming redder and redder as she stared at him.

“I don’t care where you come from nor do I care what happened within your hallucination. All I want to know is whether the injury on your abdomen was related to the bamboo slip,” said Bai Lingmiao firmly.

Li Huowang did not answer her, embracing her instead. He held her head close to his chest and slowly patted her.

“Senior Li, that thing is too dangerous. Please… please throw it away. If you continue on like this then you will eventually get killed by it,” After saying so, Bai Lingmiao stopped and pleaded with him. “If you end up dying, what will happen to me?”

Seeing her like this, Li Huowang sighed. While she looked soft and squishy, she was actually a really tough girl. Soft on the outside, harsh on the inside.

“Let me think about it,” said Li Huowang.

Li Huowang knew that the Profound Records represented a double-edged sword, one that could easily cut him up if he was not careful when using it.

But at the same time, it was a very valuable tool. He had no choice but to rely on it to survive in this bizarre world. If he threw it away and happened to encounter some other entity like the Eighteenth Lunar, then what would he do? After all, he couldn’t just rely on Dan Yangzi at all times.

He wanted to join a sect and grow stronger as well; however, doing so was extremely difficult.

Not only would he have to worry about whether his application would be accepted or not, he would even have to be wary of the others who knew that he was a Strayed One. Even if they accepted him, he might not have the guts to cultivate using whatever method they told him to.

Zephyr Temple, Righteous Monastery, and Benevolent Nunnery.

Ever since he came into contact with these sects, he had already given up on joining most of the sects. Each of them was more vile than the last.

And so, without a substitute weapon, he would never throw away the Profound Records. They were his strongest method of attack, despite the high price he had to pay for using it.

Amidst their conversation, there was some movement from the door; their comrades were preparing for breakfast.

Li Huowang sat up. Just as Bai Lingmiao was about to help him with his clothes, he realized something and said, “Wait.”

He carefully pressed down on his abdomen and realized that it didn’t hurt as much as before. He opened up the bandages and saw that his wound had almost completely healed up.

“How did I recover so fast?” Even Li Huowang was surprised.

Li Huowang had expected that it would take his body at least half a month to finish healing, but something had changed within his body.

He thought about it long and hard before thinking back to the very last moment when Ba-Hui had glanced at him during the final moments.

“I think this is a good thing?” muttered Li Huowang.

Li Huowang was both happy and worried. He knew far too little about the thing he had summoned by experiencing the peak of both mental and physical pain.

He didn’t know what this meant.

Does it want me to mutilate myself even more?

This was the only reason he could think of after half a day.

But compared to dealing with Dan Yangzi, this was a minor incident.

“Based on my speed of recovery, I should be completely healed by tomorrow. We will rest for today and depart tomorrow,” Li Huowang told Bai Lingmiao.

Bai Lingmiao wanted to say something, but stopped. In the end she nodded her head.

Hearing that they were about to leave soon, the others started to pack their things and move them up the carriage. At the same time, they took almost everything they found in the courtyard, including the two egg-laying hens.

When it was dinner time, Li Huowang took off his bandages and saw that his wound had practically completely healed up.

Not bad. At the very least there’s some kind of reward after going through so much.

Li Huowang was happy with his ability. At the very least, he wouldn’t die so easily.

Back in the dining hall, Li Huowang sat down and ate some rice. The table was filled with vegetables that they had picked from the fields.

Even though the meal consisted mostly of vegetables, they had used pork lard to stir-fry it. Thus the taste was quite decent.

Li Huowang picked up a piece of carrot and bit into it before furrowing his brows. “Who cooked today? Why is it still so salty?”

Even though he didn’t have high expectations from this food, he was not a livestock that could eat the same meal everyday.

Hearing his question, an assistant with a pale face stood up. “Senior Li, it was me.”

Meanwhile, Bai Lingmiao took the piece of carrot that Li Huowang had bitten and tasted it. “Senior Li, it’s not really very salty. It’s just nicely seasoned.”

“Really?” Hearing this, Li Huowang picked up another carrot and bit into it. However, he still felt that it was very salty.

“Nevermind then. Continue eating. I can just pair it with some more rice,” said Li Huowang.