Mutated Tao

“Ah? Strayed One Bei Feng? Boss Hong Zhong, why are you looking for him?” asked a Sitting Oblivion Dao member, who was dressed like a beggar.

“Where is Bei Feng right now?!” Li Huowang asked. The purple-tassel sword blurred briefly before approaching the neck of the beggar-looking Sitting Oblivion Dao member.

“Ah, we’re all from the same family here; why resort to violence? Boss Hong Zhong, I can answer you. Bei Feng and the others should be at the eastern gate of the imperial palace. Their plan is to go and see what the Liang Kingdom’s emperor is up to. The Three Officials and Four Joys are there as well.”

The eastern gate of the imperial palace. Li Huowang thought. Then, he flicked his wrist, and the head of the beggar-like Sitting Oblivion Dao member fell to the ground. A dull thud echoed afterward as the headless corpse fell with a dull thud.

Li Huowang stared at the last remaining Sitting Oblivion Dao member among the three and asked, “I’ll ask you one more time. Where is Bei Feng right now?”

The woman stared wide-eyed at her fallen comrade, and tears welled up in her eyes as she cried out, “Boss Hong Zhong, why are you doing this? We… had no intentions of harming you at all!”

Li Huowang grew furious upon seeing her tearful and pitiful visage. He kicked her down, and the sharp sword sliced open her face from her chin, revealing a bloody mess underneath that resembled an orchid flower[1].

“Ha, a flower tile? All right, let’s see what tricks you have up your sleeve, Sitting Oblivion Dao! Let me ask you again—where is Bei Feng right now?!” Li Huowang roared and squeezed the woman's neck with both hands.

“Boss Bei Feng.. and the others.. are really at the eastern gate of the imperial palace. I…” Lan Hua stammered, gasping for air.

Her struggle eventually weakened, but she refused to beg for mercy. Just as she took her last breath, she brushed her head gently against the bulging veins on Li Huowang’s hand.

Her grotesque face showed nary a trace of fear or despair. Instead, she seemed to admire Li Huowang. Lan Hua then used her final breath to mutter, “Mountains have trees, and trees have branches... My heart celebrates you, but you do not know…”

Lan Hua went limp, and her grotesque flower face withered gradually.

"Huff.. huff.. huff…" Li Huowang breathed in ragged pants. Li Sui’s tentacles tore a fabric from the clothes of a nearby corpse to wipe away the blood from Li Huowang’s face. The Sitting Oblivion Dao members are really annoying. Do they have to make me feel so disgusted, even in their final moments? They know how to perform a convincing act as well. It was so convincing that I… I-I almost wavered!

Li Huowang took a deep breath. He was still somewhat skeptical of Lan Hua's words. Still, he decided to see for himself whether the Strayed One Bei Feng was at the eastern gate of the imperial palace.

Things were getting chaotic outside, and he needed to pick up the pace. He had to reach the Strayed One Bei Feng before the latter escaped or was killed.

Li Huowang bent down to pick up a human face from the ground. He was planning on sticking it onto his face when he suddenly stopped. Hold on, is it even a good idea to keep wearing Er Jiu’s face?

Li Huowang looked around. Then, he bent down and picked up Lan Hua's face. The next moment, he applied it over his face as if it were a face mask. Afterward, Li Huowang secured the edges with some nails from his bag of torture tools.

In the blink of an eye, Li Huowang’s appearance changed into that of another person. Since he was going to act like someone else, then he had to do it thoroughly. Li Huowang burned his red Daoist robe and wore the clothes of a nearby corpse.

Li Huowang scavenged a total of six swords from the nearby corpses before pushing open the wooden door of the house. After getting his bearings, Li Huowang jumped onto a terrified horse on the street and led it toward the palace.

The emperor of Great Liang resides in the palace, so the palace is definitely the most heavily guarded place throughout the Liang Kingdom. Li Huowang captured two Sitting Oblivion Dao members while he was on his way to the palace. He asked them questions to confirm the information that he had obtained. One of the two was unwilling to speak, while the other confirmed the legitimacy of Li Huowang's information.

Once Li Huowang was close enough to the palace, he jumped onto a roof and observed the eastern gate in the distance. It seemed that a great battle had broken out over there, as there were people falling to the snowy ground.

Li Huowang approached cautiously with his head lowered. The people fighting in the distance varied in strength, but it was obvious that the ones inside the palace were the imperial guards, while those outside were the Sitting Oblivion Dao.

These Sitting Oblivion Dao members had different appearances and attires, making it difficult to differentiate them from each other, much less guess whether the Strayed One Bei Feng was among them or not.

The Sitting Oblivion Dao members sat down to chant an incantation, but an unbelievably accurate arrow struck them in the forehead, forcing the others to stand up and retreat.

Li Huowang remained calm in the face of the tense situation, and he swept his gaze across the Sitting Oblivion Dao, looking for his target.

Is it him? No, no… Li Huowang could still remember the information he had obtained from the Surveillance Bureau before. The Strayed One Bei Feng could swap bodies with someone else. With that in mind, Li Huowang shifted his gaze away from the Sitting Oblivion Dao and stared at the palace.

The imperial guards fought valiantly, and they were being assisted by figures wearing green masks. Overall, there wasn't anything unusual.

Li Huowang observed silently, waiting for any changes to the situation.

Soon, the gates of the palace swung open, and an imperial guard wearing a helmet emerged. He was waving at the Sitting Dao Oblivion members outside. The Sitting Oblivion Dao members were overjoyed at the sight, and they barged into the palace.

The situation quickly became even more chaotic.

Is that him? Is that the Strayed One Bei Feng? Li Huowang’s heart pounded as he stared intently at the imperial guard, who had opened the palace gates and allowed the Sitting Oblivion Dao members entry into the palace grounds.

The imperial guard seemed to have sensed something, and he glanced in Li Huowang’s direction before turning around and walking into the palace grounds.

Boom!

The snow around Li Huowang flew high into the air as he projected his illusion out of sight. Then, he stepped on the roof tiles and jumped roof after roof. Li Huowang eventually found himself at the eastern gates, and he discovered that the skirmish had ended in favor of the Sitting Oblivion Dao.

The ajar gate covered in blood was proof of the deadly battle.

Bei Feng is definitely inside! Li Huowang picked up the pace and made his way into the palace grounds. Many people had noticed the commotion here, and they'd rushed down the blood-stained path to reach the palace grounds. Unfortunately, it was impossible to tell whether they were from the Sitting Oblivion Dao or the Surveillance Bureau.

Li Huowang followed closely behind them and entered the palace. The palace had a complicated layout with many winding paths. However, Li Huowang didn’t need a map, as the bloodstains and the signs of struggle on the ground guided him to the right path.

Li Huowang would sometimes stumble upon giant faces on the crimson walls of the corridor, and the faces were similar to those outside the palace. They seemed made out of bronze, and some of them were even adorned with verdigris[2].

The faces were square with hollowed eyes, triangular nose bridges, and large ears. The entire palace appeared particularly solemn and majestic beneath their solemn, quiet gazes.

Li Huowng discovered that the bloodstains, signs of struggle, and bloody footprints were becoming fewer and fewer as he went deeper into the palace. Soon, he caught a glimpse of a golden light shining in the distant corner up ahead.

Li Huowang cautiously turned the corner and was stupefied.

He saw nothing but gold. The distant hall was literally made out of gold. The bricks, the ceiling, the walls, the statue of beasts, the furniture, and even the ornaments were made out of gold.

1. a tile in mahjong ☜

2. a bright bluish-green encrustation formed by atmospheric oxidation ☜

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