Mutated Tao

Bam! Chi Baishui’s head hit the ground and rolled over to Yang Xiaohai’s sister.

Her icy expression melted into shock and fear. She started crying. “Father!”

Her scream flipped a hidden switch as everyone exploded into action. Curses and harpoons flew towards Li Huowang.

The harpoons phased through Li Huowang without harming him. Li Huowang rushed forward with the purple-tasseled sword in his hand. He was busy and didn’t have time to talk to the people.

He also saw Yang Xiaohai being wounded and the old man taking the scepter. The girl from the Dharma Sect had solidified his suspicions, so there was no reason to hold back. It was faster to kill them all.

Li Huowang was alone while the young boat people used fishing tactics to take down Li Huowang. They moved in sync while encircling Li Huowang.

However, when Li Huowang became serious, he slaughtered them all without difficulty. The stench of blood filled the air.

The fish scale tattoos were useless here. Li Huowang’s sword cut through their bodies easily.

Zhao Xiumei and Yang Xiaohai stood on the side and saw the bodies piling up. The corpses were Yang Xiaohai’s relatives.

Yang Xiaohai wanted to shout at Li Huowang, but he didn’t know what to say.

The battle ended before it even began. The boat people’s anger quickly dissipated when they saw how fearsome Li Huowang was.

They immediately ran towards the sea, but this made them easy targets since Li Huowang would then attack them freely.

“Senior Li! Enough!” Yang Xiaohai finally shouted.

Li Huowang did not stop, but he didn’t continue his chase. Instead, he ran towards Yang Xiaohai’s eldest sister. She’s the only Dharma Sect member here.

Li Huowang raised his sword but then Yang Xiaohai stopped him. “Senior Li! No!”

Li Huowang changed his trajectory and cut off her left leg instead.

With blood on his sword, Li Huowang turned around and asked Yang Xiaohai, “Why? Do you know her?”

“I… I…” Yang Xiaohai looked at the decapitated Chi Baishui and the corpses of the boat people before his lips quivered. He hesitated while in pain. “I don’t know her.”

Li Huowang swung the sword, and Yang Xiaohai saw his sister get bisected vertically.

Yang Xiaohai slumped to the ground.

Did Senior Li do the wrong thing? No, he came to save me, but I don’t think this is the right answer…

“Father,” Li Sui said, appearing from the path in front of them. The carriages of the White Lotus Sect were following Li Sui.

Bai Lingmiao walked towards Yang Xiaohai with a complicated look on her face, as if she had heard what was happening. She looked at Yang Xiaohai, Li Huowang, and Chi Baishui’s corpse. The relic in her body sharpened her hearing, so she could hear sounds from farther away than others.

Is the Dharma Sect in Hou Shu this weak? Did they expand too fast? Li Huowang kicked the bloody foot of Yang Xiaohai’s sister as he pondered.

He had fought with the Dharma Sect before. They never ran away when only a few of them had died. Li Huowang wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it.

He approached Yang Xiaohai and frowned. He said, “What’s wrong with you? You knew that Hou Shu was being besieged by the Dharma Sect, so why are you here? Do you not value your life? You should’ve returned to Cowheart Village immediately and set out again after everything calmed down!”

Yang Xiaohai sniffled as he held his tears back. “Senior Li, why are you here?”

“I came here to deal with some business. I crossed paths with Sun Baolu and he told me you were coming here. Luckily, I knew where you were and ran as fast as I could. If I had arrived any later, you and your wife would’ve died.”

Li Huowang removed the harpoon from Yang Xiaohai’s hand and foot before he took out the Fiery Scripture to heal him. The bloody holes were cauterized, and Yang Xiaohai shouted amidst the sizzling sound. Once he was done, Bai Lingmiao came over and started bandaging Yang Xiaohai.

Li Huowang looked at the dark sky and sea before he frowned and said, “I’m worried about you returning right now, so just follow me. I will ask someone to escort you back once we reach the Surveillance Bureau of Hou Shu.”

Yang Xiaohai held his injured hands and nodded. “I understand.”

“What are those three?” Li Huowang then noticed the three monkey children.

Even though they were human children, they acted like monkeys. Their demeanor made Li Huowang think that they were evil entities instead.

“We rescued them while on our way here. They are as pitiful as us.” Yang XIaohai then explained their circumstances to Li Huowang. As he did, Yang Xiaohai slowly calmed down.

Even though his father was dead, he still couldn’t bring himself to mourn it since his father wanted to sell his wife.

Chi Baishui was not his father, nor were they his family. Senior Li and the others were his true family.

However, he was a little sad over the death of his sister and relatives. They did hurt him, but it didn’t warrant their death.

“Let’s go.” Li Huowang led the way to bring them away from there.

Since he had hurt his leg, Yang Xiaohai hobbled as he walked. It hurt a lot even though he was given first aid.

Li Huowang turned around and shouted at one of the carriages, “Xiucai! Carry Xiaohai onto the carriage.”

“Alright, Master!” Lu Xiucai picked Yang Xiaohai up to put him in the carriage.

Yang Xiaohai saw Lu Xiucai’s haggard face and remembered something. He hesitated and asked carefully, “Xiucai, is your brother alright?”