The Unruly Immortals

"You want me to lie to her!" Li Huowang's words squeezed through his teeth as he stared at Hong Zhong in front of him.

"Hey! What's wrong with lying? Who are you to look down on deceit? A lie can be used for evil as well as for good! If you do as I tell you now, it would be a white lie!"

Watching Hong Zhong become more excited as he spoke, the sighing monk beside them came over and pulled him away from Li Huowang.

"Brother Li...?" Noticing something was off with Li Huowang, Bai Lingmiao's voice also softened considerably.

She reached out with her soft, Fair hand, gently laying it on Li Huowang's charred, skeletal fingers.

"Brother Li, don't overthink, going on such a long trip, you must be exhausted, why don't you rest for a while? We can talk about anything else tomorrow."

Bai Lingmiao helped Li Huowang to her own bed, not at all disgusted by his now terrifying appearance, and let him lie down in her quilt.

Covered with the silky quilt and resting on the rustling rice husk pillow, Li Huowang took a gentle breath, filled with the familiar fragrance that belonged to Bai Lingmiao.

"Brother Li, you got caught in the rain. I'll go make you some ginger soup to chase away the cold," said Bai Lingmiao, as she stood up, ready to head to the kitchen.

Li Huowang raised his hand and caught Bai Lingmiao's wrist. "Miaomiao, can I ask you something? In your eyes, what kind of people are Bai family members?"

"My clan? Everyone is very nice, they help each other out on regular days, they're not like other places where people like to quarrel." Bai Lingmiao answered as though it were obvious.

"Brother Li, what's wrong? Why would you suddenly ask such a question?"

"Haven't you ever felt... something odd... something strange?"

"Not at all. Oh, right, Bai family members enter the Ancestral Temple more often than others. When I was little, I used to pester my grandfather to let me see what was inside, but he always said that as a girl, I couldn't enter the Ancestral Temple."

As she said this, Bai Lingmiao suddenly seemed to remember something, her mouth fell open in surprise, and she covered it instinctively with her hand.

"Brother Li, have you met them? Where are they now? Are my father and mother alright?"

Li Huowang tried to take a deep breath and forcefully exhaled, as if trying to blow out all the pent-up emotions inside, but it was to no avail.

He really wanted to do as Hong Zhong had said, so that nothing would change, but he just couldn't do it.

"Miaomiao, I'm sorry, they are all dead, I killed them." Bai Lingmiao sitting on the edge of the bed froze instantly, her body stiffening like a statue.

Li Huowang, lying on the bed, spoke slowly, recounting the events he had gone through. During this time, Bai Lingmiao didn't make a sound, only her hand holding Li Huowang's became colder and colder.

When Li Huowang had finished explaining everything, the room fell silent, with only the steady dripping of rain from outside continuing unabated.

As her long white eyelashes fluttered, tears trickled down from Bai Lingmiao's eyes, and her voice emerged trembling.

"Brother Li, did I do something wrong? Why would you kill everyone from my village?"

Bai Lingmiao, who had pawned off her gold bracelet for travel funds, who had cried like a storm-tossed pear blossom when she was hurt, who had dreamt aloud with him of their return home, all those images surged through Li Huowang's mind.

"I don't know why it turned out like this, it was too cold over there, I just wanted to warm up by the fire, I... I really just wanted to warm up by the fire, I really just wanted to warm up by the fire..." Li Huowang defended himself with a pale desperation.

Bai Lingmiao, fear slowly spreading across her face, violently pulled her hand from Li Huowang's and began to step backwards.

Just as she was retreating faster, about to rush out the door, Li Huowang grabbed her from behind in an embrace.

Bai Lingmiao's facial features, once as rigid as a puppet's, collapsed in an instant. She struggled desperately, her fists pummeling Li Huowang crazily as she let out a piercing scream from her wide-open mouth.

Eventually, she even pounced on Li Huowang, ferociously tearing and biting at him, ripping open the black scabs.

But when she saw the bleeding wounds on Li Huowang's body, she stopped biting, covered her face with her hands, and slowly squatted on the ground, sobbing quietly.

One was standing, and one was squatting, both frozen in place.

Li Huowang stood there, silently watching Bai Lingmiao's white hair. What he was thinking at that moment, only he knew.

This situation lasted for a long time, and the environment inside the room gradually darkened.

After a while, the sobbing Bai Lingmiao stood up, didn't even glance at Li Huowang, and walked towards the door.

Li Huowang stopped her again, "No, you don't have to go. This is Niuxin Village, this is your home. The one who should leave is me."

With that, Li Huowang turned and left. He made no attempt to retain anything.

"You've already figured it out a long time ago, haven't you? Once you open your mouth, I'm afraid your fate with Bai Lingmiao comes to an end. Why did you still do it?"

Li Huowang's expression was as stiff as wood, completely ignoring Huan Jue's words. "Do you regret it now, the so-called 'kind deception' I've talked about?"

"A lie is a lie! There's no good or evil in it! I'll suffer for the mistakes I've made! I have peace of mind!" Li Huowang's sudden roar startled the other disciples who were close to him.

"Brother Li, you're leaving just after you've returned? Miaomiao is really worried about you. Whatever you do, you should consider her feelings," Chun Xiaoman asked.

"Take good care of her for me. From now on, live peacefully here in the temple. It's a chaotic world out there; don't wander off."

As Li Huowang moved through Niuxin Village, more and more of his fellow disciples gathered by his side.

When Li Huowang reached the entrance of the village again, everyone else had arrived.

He didn't hesitate for a moment and charged straight into the pouring rain.

"Brother Li, where are you going? Let us come with you!"

"Everyone stop!! No one is allowed to follow!" Li Huowang's shout made everyone freeze in place.

In the torrential rain, absolutely drenched, Li Huowang turned around, took a few deep breaths, and suddenly burst into curses.

"Get lost! Go far away! The ashes have already been delivered! Even my last words for Qingfeng Taoist Temple have been sent out! I've fulfilled all my promises! What more do you want from me!"

"Look at these wounds all over me! Haven't I done enough for you!! I'm tired!! Do you bunch of disabled wretches want to drag me down for the rest of my life!"

Seeing their saddened faces, Li Huowang, his face streaming with water, abruptly turned and dashed out of Niuxin Village.

In fact, having experienced these events, Li Huowang had already made up his mind on the way back to leave everyone behind.

He really didn't dare let anyone stay by his side anymore. The closer they were, the more he feared that one day, just like he burnt the Bai Family to death, he would set them all ablaze in the same way.

A madman who doesn't know what he might do is scary, but a madman with mysterious and unfathomable powers is even more terrifying.