NOVEL SIMPLE
Chapter 548 - Great Qi
“Brother Li!”
Li Huowang had just lifted his sword and was about to use it when Zhuge Yuan’s unusually solemn voice gave him pause.
“Don’t look at me, and don’t talk to me! There’s something wrong with the woman by your side! You can’t let her know that you have an illusion beside you!”
Li Huowang asked Zhuge Yuan in his mind, “Brother Zhuge, what are you talking about? Isn’t she Shangguan Yuting?”
“Think about it again. During this period, where did you ever encounter Shangguan Yuting? She’s fake!” Zhuge Yuan said.
The old monk and the Sitting Oblivion Dao chimed in.
“Daoist, this woman suddenly appeared out of nowhere; there were no signs of her before.”
“Hehe, Boss Hong Zhong, I really can’t respect you if you’re getting fooled so easily.”
“Elder Er, what’s wrong? Aren’t we supposed to go to the Great Qi?” Shangguan Yuting asked, tilting her head in confusion. Her shiny hairpin swayed slightly as she looked at Li Huowang.
Li Huowang caught a whiff of her familiar fragrance as she carefully scrutinized his familiar-looking confidante.
He recalled everything clearly about this girl, especially when not reminded about it. However, when his other illusions prompted him, Li Huowang instantly realized the woman was full of flaws.
Moreover, she had Princess Anping's face, but he hadn’t found it strange until now.
Is this the technique of the Chief of the Surveillance Bureau? Being able to transform one person into another before someone’s eyes without them noticing it? Li Huowang had never expected that he would one day feel lucky as a Strayed One. If it hadn't been for his illusions, he would have fallen to the Chief’s techniques. He added another layer of caution against the young woman. Now what? Everything was going well, so why did the Chief suddenly place her next to me?
“Li Sui, what’s wrong with your father? Does he often daydream like this?” Shangguan Yuting asked Li Sui softly.
Li Huowang stepped forward and blocked Li Sui.
He didn’t think continuing to conceal the truth would benefit him, so he decided to be direct. “Why are you doing this, Chief? Do you not trust me at all?”
Shangguan Yuting seemed unashamed and calmly asked, “Senior Er, what are you talking about? Didn’t you say you need enough secrets to trade with Shangji Guankou?”
Shangguan Yuting pinched her dress and turned toward Li Huowang with a smile. “I’m the secret.”
“You?!”
“Yes, after all, Elder Er may not have enough secrets to exchange, right? It'd be a pointless trip if I'm not there," Shangguan Yuting said in a matter-of-factly way. She made it sound like Li Huowang was overreacting.
However, Li Huowang understood that if he hadn’t seen through the young woman’s identity, he would have no idea what she would have done. She would have been able to twist her words as she pleased, after all.
If Li Huowang's strange behavior allowed her to deduce his true identity as a Strayed One, the consequences would be disastrous.
These people are all cunning old foxes. Dealing with them requires the utmost vigilance. Once distracted, we can fall easily into their traps.
“Elder Er, let’s hurry to Great Qi. Let’s finish the task for the Chief as soon as possible,” Shangguan Yuting urged.
Li Huowang nodded silently and opened his mouth toward Li Sui.
Shangguan Yuting was shocked upon seeing Li Sui burrowing into Li Huowang’s body.
“Try to keep up; I won’t wait for you!” Li Huowang gripped his sword tightly.
“Elder Er, what are you saying? I’ll be wherever you are. Look, I don’t even leave footprints.”
Shangguan Yuting said. She walked past him without leaving a trace. Li Huowang could not figure out exactly what she was and how the Chief managed to do something like this.
Forget it. I’ll consider it a deal with the Chief. I’ll help them exchange a secret for Shangji Guankou, and they’ll help me deal with Shai Zi.
Li Huowang did not hesitate. He gripped his sword, activated the talismans on his legs, and dashed into the darkness.
The sky darkened the moment he entered the Great Qi. It was so dark that Li Huowang couldn’t even see where he was right now. Why is it so dark in Great Qi?
He was about to look up when Zhuge Yuan exclaimed, “Don’t look up! This darkness isn't because of the absence of light. It’s because of a Natural Disaster! It’s a solar eclipse!”
Li Huowang forced himself to stop looking up.
He was just about to repeat the same mistake as last time and would have had to gouge out his eyes.
Suddenly, a giant claw swiftly emerged from the left and swung toward Li Huowang.
Swoosh!
Li Huowang forcefully severed the giant claw, and a strange scream echoed in the darkness. The claw was then retracted.
Li Huowang didn’t let his guard down, as he could feel many eyes staring at him from the dark.
The Natural Disaster had transformed the Great Qi into a world of evil spirits. The reason they weren't attacking was that Li Huowang had sufficiently intimidated them.
“Elder Er, what’s going on with Great Qi? Should we go back to Great Liang and wait for the Natural Disaster to pass?”
Li Huowang gripped his spine sword as he stood still for a while, then spoke, “There’s no need. It won’t hinder me from finding Shangji Guankou. These evil spirits are not worth mentioning. How long is this Natural Disaster going to last? I can’t wait for it to end!”
Li Huowang gripped his sword and sprinted through the dark world. He cut down any evil spirits that dared to stand in his way.
Rest was not optimal in this place, as there were dangers everywhere. Fortunately, Li Huowang could return to Great Liang for meals and to rest.
Days ticked by, but the Natural Disaster remained strong.
Li Huowang realized just than that this Natural Disaster in Great Qi was different from the recent Natural Disaster in Great Liang.
More and more evil spirits appeared in the Great Qi, and they weren't weak.
“Die!” Li Huowang’s eyes were closed as he gripped his purple-tasseled sword and swung it forward.
He felt a slippery feedback. He thrust his left hand into the creature's body and severed his own left hand without any hesitation.
The next moment, the bone spikes burst out of the severed hand, killing the creature.
Li Huowang breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the heavy sound of something collapsing in the darkness. He had no idea what he had just encountered. He had also realized that some evil spirits were forbidden to look at. Li Huowang looked at one of them once, and his Ten Emotions and Eight Sufferings became tumultuous, exacerbating his internal conflict. The world had become extremely bizarre, and it was all thanks to the Natural Disaster.
Just as Li Huowang felt Li Sui picking up his severed hand with her tentacles, his expression stiffened. He sprawled out on the ground and pressed his ear to the ground.