The Unruly Immortals

The limbs swayed, the pale sharp fangs trembling and retracting; these things moved in time with the ritual percussion and music.

From a distance, the three people performing the Nuoxi seemed, at that moment, to Li Huowang, not as humans, but as trees.

After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a kind of high-pitched singing came from behind their wooden masks.

"Wo shen qu gu~~"

This was a singing style that Li Huowang and the others could not understand, its pitch fluctuating with the music, carrying a unique charm.

Li Huowang and his companions did not understand, but the locals seemed to grasp it; they slightly closed their eyes, tapping out the rhythm on their thighs, and humming along.

"Zhuan wu zhou! San zi wu ang~, Wu er wei, Yi!! Gui yu shi yi sui..."

After listening for a while and still not making any sense of it, Li Huowang picked up his foot and walked on.

Strange or not, it didn't matter to him since he wasn't one for the opera; it was none of his concern.

He had only taken a few steps when he saw Top Scholar Lv still standing there without moving.

"No hurry, you all go ahead, hmph! I want to see what's so special about this local theater."

Perhaps because companions in travel can become the greatest adversaries, he seemed to hold a strong animosity toward those performing the Nuoxi.

"Dad, why not another day? We are strangers in these parts. It's not peaceful here."

Top Scholar Lv instantly glared, lifting his smoking pipe towards his eldest son.

"Oh, so now you're telling your father what to do? The streets are bustling with people; what could be unsafe about that?"

While they were bickering, Li Huowang led the others further ahead.

After walking for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, they finally settled into rooms at an inn marked by a sign with the character for liquor.

Inside an old bedroom, Li Huowang placed the objects he was carrying onto the table and heaved a sigh of relief.

Two swords, the Great Thousand Record, the Stone Tablet Celestial Book, and various torture devices – all these items together were not light in weight.

Pouring out a cup of water from the teapot and taking a sip, Li Huowang's brow suddenly furrowed.

Bai Lingmiao, who was tidying up the bedcovers, noticed this and came over. "What's wrong?"

"Taste this, is there a strange flavor in the water?" Li Huowang passed the cup of tea over.

After taking a sip with both hands, Bai Lingmiao nodded in surprise. "Indeed, there's a sort of earthy and fishy taste."

"I thought I was just being sensitive, but it seems that's not the case; the water quality in Huo Shu really isn't up to par."

Li Huowang walked over to the window and propped open the paper window with a wooden stick to ventilate the stale air inside the room.

"Tomorrow, have others go out and get some information about Huo Shu; a detailed map would be best, to avoid taking the wrong route."

"Alright, I will do as you say," Bai Lingmiao agreed, tidying up the bedspread before reaching to unfasten Li Huowang's Taoist robe.

"When I was leading the horses earlier, I saw a well nearby; now that we have some time, I'll go wash some clothes."

"Oh, Brother Li, I remember there was a Taoist Boy who died; his family is in this town, aren't we supposed to deliver his ashes?"

Li Huowang's heart stirred; he then recalled that he had indeed heard of this matter before.

"Who's keeping the ashes? I'll deliver them."

"Now? It's already so late; why not rest first and go tomorrow?"

Ultimately, Li Huowang still ended up carrying the ashes, along with mantou and the Yang kid, walking out of the inn. He couldn't be bothered with dragging out such a trivial matter.

The reason for bringing the Yang kid along was that he had gotten along well with the deceased Taoist Boy and knew where the boy's family lived.

Of course, there was another unspoken reason, which was the fear that Li Huowang might lose his mind on the way and have no one to look after him.

Li Huowang now couldn't afford to be without company, having the kid around meant someone could promptly return to inform the others if necessary.

The Yang kid, holding the urn, told Li Huowang the story of the deceased Taoist Boy.

"When we were at Qingfeng Taoist Temple, we used to call her 'Blowing Bull' because she loved to brag. She claimed her house was bigger than the entire Qingfeng Taoist Temple and that they raised over a hundred sheep."

"She also said that she was the only girl in her family, the most cherished. She could have as much mutton as she wanted, her dad would slaughter a sheep for her anytime."

Li Huowang glanced at the urn in surprise. "The Taoist Boy was a girl?"

"Yes, Brother Li, don't you remember?"

Li Huowang shook his head; those Taoist Boys hardly occupied any space in his heart, and he didn't pay much attention to these industrious children.

"Ah... what a poor soul, she nearly escaped from Qingfeng Taoist Temple only to be drowned." Instantly, Li Huowang felt a wave of regret.

"Hearing you say that, don't you find it disgusting yourself? What right do you have to say such a thing? Do you know how many you have personally strangled to death?"

Hearing Jiang Yingzi's words, Li Huowang immediately felt extremely irritable in his heart, "Shut up!"

This response startled the Yang kid next to him; though he and the others had seen Brother Li talking to himself many times, it was still somewhat unsettling.

Li Huowang, looking quite embarrassed, fell silent and continued to walk ahead.

Although Li Huowang tried his best to ignore these hallucinations, it wasn't an easy thing to do.

They wandered off the beaten path, gradually moving towards the edge of the small Gobi town.

The sky had darkened considerably, and there were fewer people on the road, with most hastening on their way.

Just as Li Huowang was about to ask if the Yang kid knew the way, a joyous shout rang out from behind them.

"Taoist! Taoist!! It's me!"

Li Huowang turned reflexively to look, and upon seeing who was calling, he was overjoyed.

It was the old monk who had been left behind at Zhengde Temple.

Compared to the clean appearance he had maintained inside the temple, the monk now looked scruffy and unkempt once more.

"Monk, how did you end up here? Weren't you supposed to be at Zhengde Temple?"

Upon hearing my question, the monk couldn't help but start complaining. "Don't even mention it. I was nearly suffocated staying there. Not only could I not do good deeds, but they also made me recite Buddhist scriptures."

"I couldn't stand it. In the end, I simply decided to leave. Oh yes, where are you headed?"

"Going... to deliver something. Since you're out of the temple, did the monks from Zhengde Temple give you a hard time?"

"Why should they trouble me? Not only did they not trouble me, but they also gave me a good sum of money. Monks are good people, no bad ones among them."

"Heh." Li Huowang laughed but didn't bother to argue.

An old acquaintance in a foreign land made Li Huowang's mood unexpectedly better. It was always so simple to get along with someone straightforward, and Li Huowang found himself chatting quite congenially with the monk.

Li Huowang deliberately brought up some past experiences, and the other party was able to keep up with the conversation.

Just when he was getting into the conversation, the voice of the Yang kid brought him back to reality. "Brother Li... we've arrived."