Mutated Tao

“Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I am Li Huowang. Now, as for you guys who tried to ambush me previously, I have forgiven you for that. After all, being a Strayed One, it’s only natural that you would like to snatch me, coveted me just like a ginseng. This time around, I am here to discuss another matter. In a nutshell, I am very unfamiliar with this world, and would like to gain more knowledge about it through you. Of course, there’s another reason as well. You are aware that I’m a Strayed One, and I’m also looking for a way to get rid of this problem. If you know something and tell me about it, then I’ll truly appreciate it.”

Li Huowang sat on the chair as he spoke to Han Fu in a serious manner.

His conversation target was not the larger of those two blurry fleshy heads drooping before him, but the fist-sized head around Han Fu’s neck region.

The ability of the white tassels hadn’t been kind on him either, completely changing up his face. Though Li Huowang called it a head, it was more like a lump of flesh with twisted organs attached to it.

This being was extremely peculiar. Its main body had completely died, and yet, it was still alive and well. Li Huowang wondered how the disciples of Luoism cultivated such techniques.

“What’s your name? Also Han Fu?” questioned Li Huowang.

The small head simply sneered and did not reply.

There was a clattering sound as various shiny torture tools were laid out in a row before Li Huowang. Then, he picked out a half-spherical iron tool, and carefully brought it toward the small head.

“Ahh~!!” The sharp cries of the small head pierced through the air.

Meanwhile, Li Huowang opened the tent cover beside him and threw the small eyeball in his hand toward the Black Taisui.

“Still not willing to talk?” asked Li Huowang.

The small head used its one remaining eye to look at the assortment of various strange-looking torture tools before finally showing a hint of fear. However, that fear was soon replaced by determination once again.

“You Ao Jing madman! Will you let me off if I speak?!” asked the small head.

“I won’t. But dying directly and dying through slow torture are two different matters,” replied Li Huowang in a matter of fact manner. “Did you know? I was never really good at torture, but I have experienced a lot of pain and various kinds of tortures. Do you want me to make you live through everything I have ever experienced?”

Seeing Li Huowang wiping the blood on a nearby towel, and then picking up a barbed hook, the head began to struggle. But at this point, its four limbs were already completely broken; its resistance was simply futile.

“I don't know! I really don't know!! We just left the mountain not long ago!” screamed the small head.

“Really? If you just left the mountain not long ago, then, the nineteen lifespan pills were gifted to you by your master for your travel expenses?” asked Li Huowang.

At the same time, the barbed hook pierced through Han Fu’s flesh and slowly pulled out some things. Then, Li Huowang then picked up the coarse salt he had borrowed from Sun Baolu, and evenly applied it on the wound.

The small head twitched in pain, and foam mixed with blood began to spew from its mouth.

After a while, Li Huowang kept his torture tools away and took out the Fiery Scripture and began to recite the obscure incantations with a merciful expression.

Immediately the solidified white wax melted and turned into a pool of fire centipedes that climbed onto Han Fu’s body. Then, amidst the crackling and roasting sounds, the centipedes started healing the injuries caused earlier.

“Ahhh!!”

The screams echoed into the distance, frightening many of the Qing Qiu kids in the tents. They also unsettled the adults into keeping their distance.

After several rounds of torture and healing, the small head finally gave in. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk!”

“Alright, then let’s start with the simple questions first. Can this lifespan pill be used as currency?” asked Li Huowang as he took out a pill wrapped in yellow talismans.

When he saw the other party nodding numbly, Li Huowang directly stuffed the pill into the gourd and continued, “Is it very expensive? Is there any point of reference?”

“One lifespan pill can hire someone like Han Fu to help you one time,” replied the small head.

Li Huowang nodded in understanding. “How does one obtain lifespan pills?”

“By killing others; however, ordinary people won’t do. They need to have been born on a Yang day, in a Yang month of a Yang year. Do you want to know the refining method?”

“No need. Next question. Han Fu mentioned that you are a disciple of Luoism? Where is your temple located?”

“Liang Kingdom’s Snakebone Mountain.”

“How many people are there in your temple?”

“Fifty-seven.”

“How many heads?”

“Two hundred and twenty-four heads.”

“What are you?”

“I am Han Fu’s Nascent Soul.”

Li Huowang continued to ask various small questions to confirm the authenticity of the information. He already knew the answers to some of the questions, and just asked them to test if the other party was trying to deceive him.

Once he confirmed that the other party was not lying to him, Li Huowang began asking the more crucial questions, “What is a Strayed One? How is one formed? How many Strayed Ones are there in this world?”

“I really don't know about these things. The information about Strayed Ones was only something casually mentioned by my master in passing,” said the small head.

When the small head saw Li Huowang slowly reaching for the torture tools once again, it cried out in fear. Snot and tears flowed down from its face as it pleaded, “I really don't know! My master just told us that Strayed Ones are extremely rare treasures and that they are not to be missed if we encounter one of them!”

“Then, how do you confirm whether someone is a Strayed One?” asked Li Huowang. He had been thinking about this question for a long time—why could everyone he encountered immediately recognize his identity at just a glance?

“I don't know how the others identify them, but my master said that everyone has three fires on their shoulders. It's normal for these fires to be big or small, but only the fire of a Strayed One appears and vanishes intermittently,” replied the small head.

Li Huowang looked down toward his shoulder, but didn't see any so-called fire.

That’s enough, it’s time to ask the most important question.

Li Huowang looked at the small head, and after contemplating his words for a while, he spoke again, “Have you heard, either from your master or on your journey, the method to break free from the bewilderment and sense of doubt that the Strayed Ones suffer from?”

“No. You are the first Strayed One we’ve met.”

Li Huowang carefully examined the deformed head. This statement was likely to be true, since Han Fu was just a neophyte. Even if there was a method for one to break free of the bewilderment and sense of doubt that a Strayed One suffered from, he may not necessarily be aware of it.

“Then, what do you know about the Sitting Oblivion Dao?” asked Li Huowang.

“I know this. They are a group of scammers who love to deceive people.”

“What are their names?” continued Li Huowang.

“I heard that their names all represent the various mahjong tiles, like Ba Wan and San Bing. But I have heard that these names are just aliases. When one Ba Wan dies, another one replaces him.”

“Then, is there one called Bei Feng in the Sitting Oblivion Dao? Do you know anything? What’s his strength like?” asked Li Huowang.

This person was the Strayed One that had managed to break free from the bewilderment and sense of doubt that Strayed Ones suffered from. If Li Huowang wanted to completely break free from his own bewilderment and sense of doubt, then this person was very important to him.

“I don't know. I haven't dealt with the Sitting Oblivion Dao,” replied the small head.

Following that, Li Huowang asked some more questions about the Sitting Oblivion Dao, but the information known by the small head was very limited.

After a while, Li Huowang looked at the small head in front of him, and then stood up with both hands on his knees. The chair creaked as he stood.

“Very well, I've finished asking everything. Now, I need to confirm the truth of what you said,” said Li Huowang as he reached for the torture tools once again.

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