The Unruly Immortals

"Alright, Yingzi, let me ask you another question,"

"Does the Ao Jing Sect have any other Cultivation Technique Divine Abilities besides the self-mutilating rituals of the 'Great Thousand Record'?"

Hearing Li Huowang's words, a look of difficulty crossed Yingzi's face.

"There are, but my benefactor, to teach them to you right now is simply impossible,"

"they are just like the 'Great Thousand Record', requiring certain items to be utilized."

"Elder Shou San definitely won't give them to you."

"Every ability requires a book to be effective? What kind of strange sect is this?" Li Huowang thought to himself.

"Then let me ask you, who wrote these books?"

"It's said that they were written by the Elders in the mountain caves; all the books come from their hands."

Elders...?

Seeing the confusion on Li Huowang's face, Yingzi added another comment, "Other people need the books, but I've heard that the Elders don't need them; they can perform any Divine Skills with ease, although I have never seen it myself."

"Oh... I see," Li Huowang nodded.

It seemed that Shou San was not the leader of the Ao Jing Sect. Within the Sect, he was at best a mid-level member.

"Do the Elders usually make an appearance?"

"They don't. They usually pay no mind to worldly affairs. I've only seen them once in four years."

"Wait, if the Elders don't need the 'Great Thousand Record' to perform rituals, doesn't that mean they could borrow Bahu's power at any time?"

No sooner had Li Huowang thought of this than he shook his head immediately, "No, summoning Bahu requires a price, and a very painful one at that. It's only interested in extreme pain; it's not so easy to borrow its power."

Yingzi looked uneasily at Li Huowang, who was deep in thought. "Benefactor, why do you ask about this?"

Li Huowang's heart tightened all of a sudden, then he pretended to speak calmly, "You know I'm trading with them. This is my first time dealing with the Ao Jing Sect, so I want to understand more to avoid being cheated."

Although he had already decided to use Yingzi to gather information about the Ao Jing Sect, Li Huowang did not share his true thoughts with this girl he had known for less than half a day.

It appeared this girl had been persecuted by the Ao Jing Sect for a full four years, and this time, she was directly used as cannon fodder to be sent to her death.

Logically, she should not be on the same side as the Ao Jing Sect, and it seemed unlikely she would betray herself.

But Li Huowang did not want to gamble on such matters, not even risking the slightest possibility. Losing such a bet could cost him his life.

Telling her directly that he planned to cause trouble within the Ao Jing Sect was too risky; if she decided to save herself by turning around and revealing his plan to Elder Shou San, he would be completely ruined.

"Benefactor, are you really going to trade with them? They... are not good people."

Li Huowang nodded, "Of course, I know they are not good people, and they are very dangerous, but that doesn't mean they are useless. Their trades seem fair, so I have no reason to refuse."

Li Huowang wasn't lying to her; he planned to pursue a two-pronged approach, on one hand seeking a way to create the ultimate inner pain, and on the other attempting to steal the Ao Jing Sect's methods for healing himself.

Be it cooperation or theft, as long as he could remove the influence of Master Danyang from his body, any method would do.

That night, Li Huowang and Yingzi talked about a lot, chatting into the wee hours.

From her words, Li Huowang learned many things about the Ao Jing Sect and gained a rough understanding of the religion.

These people seldom interacted with the outside world. Their highest doctrine was to find any means to steal Bahu's power, ultimately to replace their god in the same manner.

Furthermore, according to her, although the Ao Jing Sect was cruel and bloodthirsty, they were extremely rule-abiding.

Even after using the self-harm implements, they had to be cleaned and neatly arranged.

Belief in the principle that without rules there is no square or circle, breaking the rules within the Ao Jing Sect was a major taboo.

Li Huowang also learned that the Ao Jing Sect was a large sect; they were different from Zhengde Temple and An Ci Nunnery. This stronghold was just one of them.

They had five such locations, each in a different place.

Each year on the thirteenth of the sixth lunar month, they would gather to share their experiences with each other.

Late at night, with a deeply furrowed brow, Li Huowang reflected; the news from Yingzi gave him a more comprehensive understanding of the Ao Jing Sect and also made him realize the magnitude of the difficulties he was facing.

"Neither of these two methods seems easy to execute..." Li Huowang muttered to himself.

"Which two methods?" Yingzi asked, puzzled.

Compared to the trepidation from before and the subsequent emotional collapse, she now seemed much more stable.

"It's nothing, let's sleep." Li Huowang stood up and walked towards the stone bed to the side.

Yingzi didn't say a word, silently following him.

In this dangerous place, Li Huowang had no time to consider such trivial matters.

Moreover, having the other person lie on the same bed with him also served as a sort of test.

The thoroughly despised Master Danyang at this moment acted like a fuse.

That night, amidst a heavy slumber, Li Huowang was awakened by the intense barking of dogs.

When he quickly lit the oil lamp, he saw Mantou at the side of the bed, barking furiously at the bed.

Seeing that Li Huowang was awake, Mantou immediately stopped and began wagging his tail while looking at him, whimpering "Wu~"

Li Huowang glanced at Yingzi beside him, who sat up groggily. "Dad, what's happening? Why is our dog barking?"

Once she became alert, she realized she had misspoken and a tinge of embarrassment appeared on her face. "I just dreamt that I was celebrating the New Year at home."

Her expression was incredibly genuine, as if she indeed had just woken up.

Li Huowang looked at her, then surveyed the cold interior of the cave. He reached out with his right hand and, using two crooked fingers, pinched the skin on the back of Mantou's neck, lifting him onto the bed.

"Go to sleep. It's nothing," Li Huowang said as he brought the dog into his embrace and closed his eyes again.

"Mm..." Yingzi murmured softly in agreement and lay down again beside Li Huowang.

Darkness returned to the room as Li Huowang listened to the steady breathing beside him.

"For a young lady to lie down with me, are you really okay with that?"

No sooner had Li Huowang finished speaking than he heard the sound of fabric being taken off beside him.

"I can't even count as a woman now; what does it matter if I lie with you, Benefactor? If you don't mind, do as you wish."

The light from the oil lamp illuminated everything within the room as Li Huowang looked in shock at Yingzi's bare body.

The features that should belong to a woman were no longer visible on her body; only two bowl-sized, ferocious scars remained.

Apart from that, her youthful body was covered with wounds of various kinds, some of which were still oozing pus.