Mutated Tao

All four of them held their umbrellas as they stuck to each other as close as possible. If the person in front didn’t raise their feet in time, the rest would’ve fallen back.

Their strange movements and the four broken black umbrellas made them look like a single entity. It was as if they were tied together by a thread, and their heads resembled mushrooms.

This was the first time Li Huowang had seen someone like that in the Dharma Sect. Something was off, and his senses were warning him of the danger. What was even more concerning was that he didn't sense any gazes from the four people.

As Li Huowang was thinking about what the four of them were about to do to him, the shadows of the Dharma Sect members quickly converged together and gathered around him. They formed a massive, smoking black edict.[1]

The moment the edict appeared, the skies turned black, and dark clouds rolled in. It swiftly became nighttime.

Li Huowang knew this would be a difficult battle after seeing how tense the atmosphere was. The Dharma Sect had painstakingly laid out plan after plan to ambush him.

Li Huowang feared that the Dharma Sect had designated him as the highest-ranking threat ever since he took away Taishan Shi.

Li Huowang took a deep breath as he materialized Peng Longteng behind him.

Just as everything was on the brink of descending into chaos, Xuan Pin suddenly floated out from the ground.

“Don’t move. I will take you away from here,” Xuan Pin whispered as he revealed six bony arms from under his robes.

He then made seals and chanted, “μλ%Oγ∨U划类ψ豸&≤λδΦ≯yπ8θ$9.”

Li Huowang had no idea what Xuan Pin was chanting, nor did he recognize any of the seals Xuan Pin was making.

Li Huowang suddenly noticed a forest rapidly emerging in his peripheral vision. Before he knew it, he found himself in a new location—a forest.

The skies were bright again, and everything was peaceful. Li Huowang had been saved!

Li Huowang looked at Xuan Pin with shock. Xuan Pin proved himself useful this time, Li Huowang finally felt a sense of camaraderie with him.

Li Huowang asked, “What technique is that? That’s so convenient! You can escape from anything anytime you want! But why did you need to chant this time? You didn’t need to do so last time.”

Xuan Pin turned and looked at Li Huowang with a “complicated” expression. “I can’t tell you that. You already said I’m a secretive person. Did you think I would teach you that?”

Li Huowang frowned. His image of Xuan Pin had just shattered a bit. He’s so shameless.

Still, he refrained from voicing his thoughts since Xuan Pin had indeed saved him.

“Who were those guys with umbrellas? They look tough.”

Xuan Pin calculated with his fingers. “I don’t know. I can’t divine anything from them.”

Li Huowang frowned. “Even you don’t know?”

He understood that only people with certain levels of strength could make Xuan Pin fail his divinations. More importantly, they were targeting him.

Now that he knew the Dharma Sect was actively hunting him down, he had no choice but to be more covert next time. But this was a bad plan. Passively defending against ambushes would be much harder.

Xuan Pin said, “Don’t worry about their ambush. I have a mission for you. If you succeed, everyone in the Dharma Sect of Si Qi will be destroyed.”

Li Huowang gestured for Xuan Pin to continue.

“The informants are all dead, but the Lamas from the Antrabhara Temple recalled their souls to obtain the information. Taishan Shi was right—the Dharma Sect is planning something big. They want to gather all of us in one location before killing us with whatever they are summoning.”

“Hmph! I want to see them try.”

“Since we know their plans now, we can devise ways to disrupt them. Might as well as go along with their plan for now.”

“Why should we go along with their plan?”

“I can’t tell you that. First, we follow their plan, but then I will cause a massive disruption. While they are distracted by me, I need you to bring some elite fighters to infiltrate and destroy their plans.”

“Oh? Is that why you saved me?” Li Huowang asked, pointing at his chest.

“Why? Do you not want to go? I thought you were someone who would risk his life to save the citizens.”

“Of course I do, but why do I think that you are using me as a chess piece?”

Li Huowang frowned, sensing that Xuan Pin was hiding something from him. This was not the first time it had happened.

Xuan Pin retracted his six arms. “What do you mean chess piece? We’re all fighting the Dharma Sect to protect the Liang Kingdom.”

“Really? Then tell me, what are you planning to do to deal with them? Why do I have to be the one to go? Why can’t you?”

“Because I’m not as strong as you. I’m old and withered.”

“Bullshit. You are still hiding something. Fine, I won’t do it. You can find someone else.”

Li Huowang turned and was about to leave the forest.

However, Xuan Pin called him back in a grave tone. “Wait.”

Li Huowang stopped.

Xuan Pin said, “Do you really not know why I’m not telling you? Do you think I should tell you?”

“Why shouldn’t you?”

“It’s one thing to let the others know about my plan, but it’s another to let you know about my plan.”

“Is it because I’m Ji Zai’s Twisted One? Or is it because I have the power to use ‘Truth’?” Li Huowang asked.

His questions were left unanswered.

He continued, “Tell me! Give me a vague reason! I don’t want to keep doubting all of you! I hate it when I’m fighting for my life while having to suspect you people are trying to kill me too!”

Xuan Pin hesitated before replying, “We are helping.”

“Helping what? Who?”

“Just as we are fighting at the bottom, they are fighting at the top too. Do you remember what I said before? About dealing with the problems at the root?”

Li Huowang realized what Xuan Pin was talking about. “You can enter the Baiyu Capital? You can talk to the Simings and get them to help us?!”

1. This is the symbol drawn on Daoist talismans. ☜