Tao: The Uncanny Immortal

"Fifth Brother, hurry in! Where have you been these days? Sixth Sister and I were so worried about you. We even feared the worst had happened!"

Seeing the bare - chested boy supporting Zhao Wu walking inside, Li Huowang followed them, sensing that things were far from simple.

"Why are you back?" The man calculating on the abacus spoke indifferently. Li Huowang knew his suspicion was justified.

The excitement on Zhao Wu's face faded. He said, voice trembling, "Father, I was kidnapped. They put a sack over my head and took me far away. It was these friends of mine who brought me back."

Glancing at the several black - hooded figures at the door, Zhao Wu's father waved his hand impatiently. "Scram, all of you! You're blocking the door. How can we do business like this?"

Li Huowang was thoroughly annoyed by the man's attitude. What did the rift between father and son have to do with outsiders like them?

He snatched the long sword from Zhao Wu's hand, raised it high. With a flash of cold light, the sharp blade hacked straight down onto the wooden counter, nearly splitting it in two.

"What do you think you're doing? The constable in town is my relative!" Zhao Wu's father stepped back in fear.

Li Huowang took out a tael of silver from his right pocket. Slowly, he shaved off a small piece along the shining blade right in front of the man, then pushed the silver fragment in front of him. "I'm here to buy rice!"

In the small backyard of the rice shop, Zhao Wu was pouring tea for Li Huowang. "Brother Li, calm down. My father is just like that. In fact, he's not a bad person at heart."

Li Huowang picked up the teacup and downed the tea in one gulp. He didn't care whether the man was good or not. It was other people's family business, and he didn't want to get involved. He didn't come here just to send Zhao Wu back.

"These notes with last words are from inside the country. Since you're familiar with Jianye City, find a reliable escort agency and send them there." Li Huowang pushed seven or eight notes in front of Zhao Wu.

Zhao Wu took them with both hands and nodded seriously. "Brother Li, don't worry. I guarantee I'll get this done!"

"Okay, that's it. Stay at home well. We're leaving." With that, Li Huowang stood up.

"Are you leaving so soon? How about having lunch at my place? I owe my life to all of you."

Zhao Wu was clearly reluctant. This farewell might mean they'd never see each other again.

"Forget it. Don't go to any trouble." Li Huowang patted Zhao Wu on the shoulder. Considering his father's attitude just now, the meal would probably be uncomfortable.

"Remember the characters I taught you these days, especially your name. Being able to write your own name means you're not completely illiterate."

Just as Li Huowang was giving this last piece of advice, a female medicine guide covered in hair suddenly rushed forward, leaned close to his ear, and whispered very softly, "When you get home, check it out. Maybe you weren't kidnapped, but sold by your father!"

These words left everyone speechless. When Zhao Wu's third brother carried the rice over, Li Huowang waved his hand, told the fool to carry the rice, and then led the others away.

On the bustling street, Li Huowang and the others were looking for an inn to stay in.

"Why do you think Zhao Wu was sold by his father?" Li Huowang turned back and asked the woman who had said that last sentence to Zhao Wu.

This hirsute woman had been extremely silent all the way. She hardly talked to others on normal days. Her sudden words really took Li Huowang by surprise.

"Even a tiger won't eat its own cubs. He may not be that bad."

As soon as Li Huowang said this, the woman's body trembled inexplicably. With a sorrowful voice, she said, "A tiger won't eat its cubs, but humans can be far more vicious than tigers! Because I was sold by my parents!"

These words made everyone stop. They all stared at her in shock.

"Just two taels of silver! Just two taels of silver! He sold me like livestock without even looking back!"

Feeling the pain in the woman's heart, Bai Lingmiao walked over, gently hugged her, and patted her on the back to comfort her.

Li Huowang thought for a while and then asked again. "He sold you. Are you still going back?"

"I'm going back!" the woman growled through gritted teeth.

Looking at her heaving chest due to excitement and the extreme hatred in her voice, Li Huowang could immediately guess that her purpose of going back was probably different from Bai Lingmiao and the others.

"Let's stay at the Donglai Inn today." Li Huowang pointed to the plaque on the left side of the street and walked in first.

"Welcome, sir. Are you here for a meal or to stay?"

"To stay. How much is a room?"

"We have three types: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Class A rooms cost 90 wen and include meals. Class B rooms cost 60 wen and don't include meals. Class C rooms cost 20 wen, but you have to share with others."

"Sir, there are a total of seven adults and five children, twelve people in all. You can choose four Class B rooms. Our inn has spacious rooms. Three people can sleep in one room. It's also safer for two adults to sleep with a child."

"Okay, that's settled."

"Coming up! Twelve honored guests ~ Four Class B rooms ~ Upstairs, please ~ Watch your step."

At night, Li Huowang leaned against the window, gazing at the ancient people walking on the street outside.

After all the days of traveling, he finally had time to sit down and carefully observe this world that was so utterly different from his past.

There were strong men leading horses, scholars holding fans, children carrying lanterns, and hunched peddlers carrying food on shoulder poles.

Everything here was so real, yet so out of place for him.

Different faces flashed before his eyes. As he was looking, Li Huowang suddenly felt a moment of dizziness. The next second, his muscles tensed up instantly. He saw Yang Na on the street!

That delicate face was now streaked with tears. She looked so heart - broken that she could hardly catch her breath. "Huowang, wake up quickly!"

"Ah!" Li Huowang, frightened into a cold sweat, quickly took a step back, then rushed back to the window and looked down.

He found that it wasn't his childhood sweetheart Yang Na, but just a young girl who vaguely resembled her.

"Right. I've grown up so much. If Yang Na really existed, how could she still be a young girl..."

Li Huowang slid down slowly along the wall, staring blankly at the wooden beams above. "Are the hallucinations about to start again?"

"Knock, knock, knock." Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in. The door isn't locked." Li Huowang thought it would be Gouwa, who shared the room with him, but it turned out to be Bai Lingmiao.

Smiling, she held a lotus - leaf packet in both hands and offered it to Li Huowang. When the lotus leaf was opened, there were several steaming big buns inside. "Brother Li, are you hungry? Have some buns."

Li Huowang reached out, grabbed one, and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing it vigorously.

Bai Lingmiao held the buns and squatted on Li Huowang's left side, quietly watching him. As soon as he finished one, she immediately handed him a new one attentively.

"This place is quite special. There are still buns for sale at night." Li Huowang said.

"Aren't there usually buns for sale at night? If there's something special, it's the fool. He actually dips his buns in vinegar when eating them!"

"Hehe. I wonder where he's from. What an unusual way of eating."

While chatting with Bai Lingmiao, Li Huowang suddenly remembered something. "I didn't give you any money. Where did you get the money to buy the buns?"

Bai Lingmiao averted his gaze. But first, she put the remaining buns on her lap, then took out a few pieces of silver from her pocket and held them out to Li Huowang.

"Brother Li, I pawned my ankle bracelet. You've been working so hard alone. I can't do much else. This is the least I can do to help you."