Mutated Tao

The sound of horse hooves never stopped as Li Huowang weaved past the mountains on horseback. Corpses were scattered everywhere, clearly indicating that it was a dangerous area.

Both sides were using Si Qi as their battleground. The situation left ordinary people in the middle, forcing them to rely on themselves for survival.

Li Huowang headed towards the place Xuan Pin had designated. He was still suspicious of Xuan Pin, but he had no choice. He needed to see things with his own eyes to confirm the truth.

Li Huowang was still wary even after having forced Xuan Pin to divulge some secrets. He might be telling me the truth, but he might also have hidden some of the details. Still, he’s right—I must handle this myself. The Dharma Sect must be destroyed!

Li Huowang suddenly heard footsteps coming from the front. A group of Dharma Sect members suddenly charged towards him! All of them had black cloths wrapped around their shoulders.

Li Huowang looked at them before he quickly galloped past them. The Dharma Sect member somehow ignored him as they continued to run.

This was not the first time Li Huowang had encountered people from the Dharma Sect. He was deep in enemy territory and one wrong move could cost him his life.

He was meticulous in concealing himself with his powers, paying attention and avoiding any mistakes.

Li Huowang continued his journey until he reached the red dot displayed by the Shimmer Mirror. He stopped and looked around to find that he was in a corpse-riddled battleground.

The maggots, dogs, vultures, and crows were having a feast here. The death of humans had given them life instead.

They tore apart the corpses and littered them everywhere, causing the place to look like hell.

The stench was overbearing, but Li Huowang endured it.

He calmed the frightened horse as he looked around. He was confused about why Xuan Pin set this area as the meeting place.

The day turned to night as Li Huowang waited. The moon wasn’t visible tonight and everything was dark. The only sound that reached Li Huowang's ears was the crunching of bones.

Even Li Huowang didn’t know how to keep track of the time now that a single day had lost a lot of divisions. By the time he heard footsteps approaching, he didn’t know what time it was, but he was certain it was during the darkest hour of the night.

He took out a glowing green stone and threw it towards the location of the sound. A strange figure appeared in front of him.

The man’s appearance was weird. His skin was pale and smooth, and a braid hung down from under his cap. Li Huowang thought that the man looked like an eunuch.

The mysterious man wasn’t wearing anything special either. Just a regular gray coat and a yellow robe.

But then Li Huowang noticed the strange part. He could hear footsteps, but the mysterious man left no footprints on the ground, as if he was floating.

The strange man bowed respectfully to Li Huowang. His posture gave him away as a eunuch. “Hou Shu’s Deputy Chief Zhao Jiabao greets Daoist Li.”

So even the royal family is sending their people here now?

“Why are we meeting here?” Li Huowang frowned.

“It’s because this place has been taken over by something else. The Dharma Sect cannot spy on us here. They can neither see nor hear us.” An ancient voice came from somewhere else.

Soon, three Lamas appeared from the stone's greenish glow. They resembled triplets and clasped their hands together to greet Li Huowang.

In contrast with the Lamas from the Antrabhara Temple, the Lamas in front of Li Huowang were covered in sutras. The sutras were written across their wrinkled skin.

Li Huowang looked at the various bone trinkets covered in gold and jewels before he realized that the three Lamas in front of him were most likely at the top of the hierarchy of the Antrabhara Temple. He recalled how the hanged Lamas were dressed similarly.

The other people slowly walked out from the darkness too.

There weren’t many, but Li Huowang sensed that all of them were strong in their own right. Xuan Pin was going all out this time.

All of them greeted him at the same time. “We greet Daoist Li!”

Li Huowang looked at their attire. Apart from the monks from the Righteous Monastery, he didn’t recognize any of the sects present here.

“Xuan Pin told me you know where the Dharma Sect is conducting their ritual. Is that true?” Li Huowang asked.

“Yes, Daoist Li.” Zhao Jiabao took out a map and showed it to Li Huowang.

Li Huowang glanced at the constantly shifting map before he looked at them again.

“Since you are already here, I assume that Xuan Pin has told you who we’re facing this time? I know each of you is very strong, but can you defeat our enemies?”

No one here was stupid. They knew how much security the Dharma Sect had prepared to defend their ritual site against intruders.

“We are naturally not as strong as Daoist Li, but the Chief had informed us to do our best to assist you. Your strength will naturally win us the war.”

Looks like Xuan Pin did tell them that. He really likes giving the credit to others.

“Alright. Let’s talk as we move. This is not the time to be sitting down.” Li Huowang jumped onto his horse.

Li Huowang was about to urge his horse to start running when a plump woman with a mole on her face approached him. She was holding onto a black glutinous rice dumpling tied by a red thread. “Daoist Li, this is an item that will help us stay hidden. That way, the Dharma Sect won’t know we are coming.”

Li Huowang inspected the item before keeping it on his waist. “Which sect are you from?”

The woman chuckled and flirted with him. “Oh dear~ I don’t belong to any sect. I’m just a weak, frail matchmaker. I don’t think I can call myself a herp.”

“Matchmaker? A devotee of God Ru?” Li Huowang looked down and saw that the matchmaker had small feet. He wasn’t sure if it was a coincidence or not.

“Are you an evil entity that became a human by asking someone and obtaining their karma?” Li Huowang joked.

The plump woman took out a red handkerchief and covered her mouth as she chuckled. “Oh, Daoist Li is such a joker. I thought all of the Daoists were boring.”

Li Huowang turned serious before urging his horse into the stench-filled battlefield.