Mutated Tao

Li Huowang interrupted the Lama and said, “Stop chanting!”

He continued, “Chanting your mantras is useless. Can you chant for Death to return? You’re a Lama from the Antrabhara Temple! You need to figure out a way to end this! I thought your Mahakala controlled Death. Do you not trust him? Can’t you figure out a way to bring back your Mahakala?”

With his face filled with wrinkles, the Lama bitterly shook his head before sitting down with his legs crossed. He stared at the black smoke from the fire and began chanting again while turning the prayer wheels in his hands.

“Fuck!” Li Huowang cursed under his breath as he left the crematorium. He walked towards the largest tent in the middle.

He walked into the tent and noticed that the messenger pigeons were all on a big table, each carrying different information. The generals and tacticians were reading the messages.

Li Huowang ignored them and approached an old eunuch.

The eunuch was very old and one of the most senior eunuchs in the palace. He had served Ji Man, the previous emperor of the Liang Kingdom, Ji Lin, who turned out to be a woman, and finally, Gao Zhijian.

“What did His Majesty say? Are we not attacking Nan Ping yet? How much longer must we wait?” Li Huowang asked. They had set up camp here after the ambush and had not moved since then.

The old eunuch bowed gracefully to Li Huowang. “Daoist Li, we are now experiencing a Natural Disaster. This is not a good omen. It's not a good time to wage war.”

“Don’t you think it’s possible for the Dharma Sect to be the one responsible for causing this Natural Disaster? Do you want them to obtain the Heavenly Dao of Death before we start moving again?”

“Daoist Li, please be at ease. The Surveillance Bureau will handle the Natural Disaster. We are certain that the Natural Disaster will end soon. Also, how can we fight if there is no death anymore?”

The eunuch's words were not comforting. While it was true that the Surveillance Bureau had handled the Natural Disasters in the past, this time was different. Xuan Pin and his group were dead. Furthermore, Li Huowang wasn’t sure they could have done anything even if they were alive.

The Natural Disasters in the past lasted a few divisions or two days at most, but the current Natural Disaster had been in effect for the past ten days. It was clear that the Natural Disaster this time was much more serious.

Li Huowang looked at the old eunuch one last time before leaving silently. He went straight towards the underground prison.

Despite the ongoing Natural Disaster and the numerous unforeseen circumstances, Li Huowang had to admit they had technically won this time.

They managed to capture many prisoners this time thanks to the disappearance of Death. Li Huowang wanted to interrogate them to obtain some information.

Li Huowang had just reached the prison when he saw an Ao Jing Sect member using a winch as if they were pulling a bucket of water out from a well.

But rather than a well, the winch was instead hooked on a wheel, and the wheel was pulling out the intestines of the woman with fish scale tattoos. She was a boat person, and her intestines were being pulled out from her belly button.

The Ao Jing Sect, the crazy bastards who mutilated themselves, were the ones that benefited the most from this Natural Disaster.

They could now ignore death and mutilate either themselves or others without worry. Under such conditions, their strength had increased tremendously.

Zu Yi let go of the wooden handle and welcomed Li Huowang. “Elder Li.”

“How is it? Are there any updates?”

Zu Yi shook his head. “No, but we should be getting some information soon enough. She cannot tolerate the pain much longer.”

Li Huowang saw the woman was still glaring at him. He approached her without hesitation.

“Talk. Tell me everything you know, including what you did to cause the Natural Disaster. I will give you some respite if you tell me. If you don’t, your suffering will never stop.”

Despite her fear, the woman spat a mouthful of blood onto Li Huowang from her toothless mouth.

“Hehe… You guys have lost! You guys will lose! This is just the start! The start!”

Li Huowang stood there motionlessly as the Ao Jing Sect people carried her and threw her into a pot of boiling oil.

It wasn’t over. They poured down bags of coarse salt to fry her.

After several cycles, the woman gave up and shouted as she lay on the side of the pot, “I will talk! It’s because of the Dragon King! The Dragon King is so strong that they took away Death!”

As she cried, her eyes glazed over in bewilderment temporarily before she continued shouting, “The Dragon King is the true dragon! The Dragon Veins are fake! They have no right to be compared to the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas! The Dragon Veins were nothing but tributes for the Dragon King!”

Dragon King of the Four Seas? What Heavenly Dao do they hold? Wait a minute…

Li Huowang pulled her out from the boiling pot of oil. “What did you say just now? Dragon Veins? You guys have Dragon Veins in your possession?”

Li Huowang placed her back into the pot when he saw that she was hesitating.

She talked once more when she was dipped back into the pot of oil.

“Yes! We do! We have An Xi’s Dragon Vein and the Luo Sha Kingdom’s Dragon Vein. They were all placed on the altar as a tribute for the Dragon King to absorb the Dragon Qi!”

Li Huowang’s original plan, which Gao Zhijian had denied, came into his mind again.

If Gao Zhijian doesn't help me, I can get the help of the other Dragon Veins!

Li Huowang threw her back into the pot of oil as he paced around. He wasn’t sure if it would be possible.

It would be difficult for me to go and take the Dragon Veins from the altar, especially since I don’t know what kind of entities the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas are. But I don’t have time to figure it out. The situation is dire now. Ji Zai also confirmed that the ribbon-like Siming was most likely on our side.

It doesn’t matter if the Siming who controlled the Heavenly Dao of Death disappeared or if the Heavenly Dao of Death itself disappeared. Whatever the case, it means that the Baiyu Capital is in danger. I need to find a way to help them.

Victory down here is irrelevant if the war is lost up there. I need to ensure that the Heavenly Dao of Death doesn’t fall into the wrong person’s hands.

Li Huowang rolled up his sleeves and picked up the boat people again from the pot of oil.

He needed to confirm the location in which the Dragon Veins were being offered as tributes, or even about the Dragon Veins themselves. He had to know that they were the truth.

After obtaining the same information from another person, Li Huowang set his goal on taking back the two Dragon Veins.

By taking back the two Dragon Veins, he could also weaken the strength of the Dragon King. There was no reason for him not to do so.

But do I have to go alone? Li Huowang thought that it would be too risky. He needed help.

As he pondered over whom to bring, his gaze fell upon the members of the Ao Jing Sect. The Natural Disaster had coincidentally powered them up.