The Unruly Immortals

"Hmm... this divinatory symbol..." Li Huowang's brows furrowed slightly as he examined the crack on the skull, comparing it with the Talisman Manual in hand.

"Qian for heaven, auspicious wind over heaven, hunting across the mountains" — this was the divination Li Huowang had cast.

However, what was strange was that the book did not record how to interpret the divination. It just noted that one should burn the talisman paper back into ash and then swallow it down.

Glancing at County Magistrate Lou, who was waiting on the side, Li Huowang pondered for a moment, then took out the Fire Sickle from his bosom and rubbed vigorously on one corner of the Yellow Talisman.

When the talisman caught fire with an eerie green flame, Li Huowang suddenly stretched his neck uncomfortably.

Right after, he heard a slight voice speaking, but when he listened carefully, there was nothing to be heard.

The talisman was burning, and the remaining ashes did not scatter but instead slowly twisted, forming something that looked like a black, wrinkled-skin infant.

Looking at the thing in his hand, Li Huowang hesitated for a moment before tossing it into the nearby tea water and then promptly picked it up and downed it in one gulp.

Afterward, Li Huowang stood there quietly waiting for something to happen, yet nothing occurred.

At that moment, a rooster crowed outside, while Li Huowang and County Magistrate Lou stood inside, gaping at each other.

"Does this Talisman Manual actually work or not? Isn't it for divination? Where's the divination?" Li Huowang looked at the item in his hand, beginning to feel a hint of doubt.

Sensing Li Huowang's frustration, County Magistrate Lou promptly spoke with empathy, "Sir, you've been busy all day; perhaps you should rest a bit?"

Li Huowang, caught up in his zeal, was not inclined to rest and continued to furrow his brows, flipping through the Talisman Manual.

Just then, a delicate-looking young girl walked out from the doorway, gently tugging on County Magistrate Lou's clothes. "Daddy... why haven't you slept yet?"

Facing his daughter, County Magistrate Lou could not put up a stern face. He hastily mollified her with a pleasant tone. "Oh, my dear girl, go have breakfast with your mother first, I will join you shortly."

"Hmm~ I won't accept that. You said the same thing yesterday," the girl coquettishly complained to County Magistrate Lou, when suddenly, a low shout startled both father and daughter, causing them to shiver.

Seeing Li Huowang approaching, County Magistrate Lou's face instantly turned pale, and he quickly shielded his daughter behind him.

"Sir... this is my daughter," he stammered.

Li Huowang pushed him aside and rushed to the girl. Under her startled gaze, he snatched a colorful little cloth pouch from her waist.

He stared at the pattern on the pouch and demanded, "Who made this?"

The pattern on the little cloth pouch surprisingly matched a portion of the previously seen divinatory symbols.

County Magistrate Lou's daughter was evidently frightened by the aggressive man. She glanced at her father, saw that he did not come to her aid, and then spoke with a trembling voice, "It was made for me by my Embroidery Girl."

"Embroidery Girl? Bring her here!" There couldn't possibly be such a coincidence in this world. Perhaps the talisman truly had an effect; this was the interpretation Li Huowang sought!

Soon, the so-called Embroidery Girl was brought before Li Huowang, subdued by the arrest officer and the constable. She appeared older than County Magistrate Lou's daughter, but her delicate and frail demeanor seemed as though a gust of wind could knock her over.

"Did you make this sachet?" Li Huowang held the item and questioned the woman.

"Hmm..." The Embroidery Girl replied in a soft voice, demurely looking down, not daring to lift her eyes.

"Why does the bird on this sachet have such a pattern?"

"It represents mandarin ducks..."

"I'm asking why you embroidered such a pattern!!" Li Huowang's roar frightened everyone present and made them jump.

The Embroidery Girl seemed about to cry from fear, with tears swirling in her eyes. "Mandarin ducks... they are all... embroidered like this..."

Li Huowang stood up and walked toward the Embroidery Girl; as his footsteps sounded, the friction between the sword blade and the Sword Sheath could also be heard.

When the Purple Tassel Sword was drawn, Li Huowang, imbued with Evil Qi, became a terrifying sight to everyone in the room.

Li Huowang stood in front of the Embroidery Girl, and the pressure emanating from him almost physically crushed her in an instant.

"I don't know! My grandma just taught me to embroider like this! Mandarin ducks have always been embroidered this way," the Embroidery Girl sobbed on the ground, tears streaming down her face like rain.

But immediately afterward, the room fell silent. Whether it was the arrest officer gripping the handle of his knife or the Counselor stroking his beard, they all widened their eyes in astonishment at the Embroidery Girl.

The voice that had started out femininely, had somehow transitioned into that of a man's in the latter half!

The arrest officer beside her reacted instantly, charging forward and groping the Embroidery Girl's chest forcefully; then he turned to the County Magistrate with a shocked face and said, "My Lord! This woman's got a secret!"

On hearing this, the County Magistrate was immediately struck with horror and looked towards his own daughter without delay.

Li Huowang took hold of his neck and slowly lifted the cross-dressed Embroidery Man up, "County Magistrate Lou, it seems we've found the villain who defiled the woman!"

"Lock.. lock him in the dungeon, interrogate him!! Interrogate him fiercely!!" At this moment, County Magistrate Lou's voice changed with rage, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

Having finally found a clue, Li Huowang naturally would not let it go; he followed the Embroidery Man being escorted by an arrest officer towards the jail.

Not long after, the pitiful wails of the Embroidery Man echoed through the prison of Cangshui County.

"Speak up! Who are your accomplices! Where are they hiding now! Why are you stealing infants!!"

Looking at the red hot iron making hissing noises against the skin and the whip soaking in the saltwater bucket, Li Huowang couldn't help frowning.

"Alright, stand down, everyone," he said as he stood up and walked over to the disfigured Embroidery Man.

Completely ignoring the branding iron that the Records Officer handed him with both hands, Li Huowang walked up to him and took off the hat from his own head.

His injuries were healing quickly, with much of the skin on his face already improving significantly; but this look made Li Huowang seem even more terrifying.

The Embroidery Man, exhausted from the brutal torture, seemed to regain some energy at the sight of Li Huowang and desperately leaned back as if he was utterly terrified of being devoured by Li Huowang.

"Clang clang~" With the sound of metal clashing, various items from Li Huowang's Torture Tool Bag slowly opened at the hem of his garment. "Speak."

"I really don't know! It was me who defiled the women, I confess! But I definitely didn't steal any infants!" the Embroidery Man peed his pants out of fear, yet his words remained unchanged.

"Is that so?" Li Huowang picked out a small saw and pressed the Embroidery Man's head against the wall; then he placed the saw on it and started sawing back and forth.

If the prior sounds coming from the Embroidery Man were screams of a human, then for the next while, his voice utterly transformed into ghostly howls.

An hour later, Li Huowang, reciting the Fire Coat True Scripture, began to heal the Embroidery Man, who was at death's door.

"Strange, why is this? Does this lad truly not know anything?" Li Huowang was certain the man was telling the truth; after such an ordeal, even he might not have held on.

"Could it be... that the defiling of the women and the stealing of infants were actually done by two different groups? Perhaps, because they occurred at the same time, they were mistakenly perceived as being related events?"

The moment he considered this possibility, Li Huowang's mood turned very sour, as the lead had gone cold once again.

Li Huowang felt this thorny issue for the first time; regardless of the strength of his opponent, what was truly irritating was that they kept hiding from him.

He was now realizing that the work at the Astrological Bureau wasn't quite what he had imagined previously.

At that moment, Li Huowang's stomach growled; he hadn't eaten in three meals and feared he would harm his health if he didn't eat soon.

After another glance at the disfigured Embroidery Man, Li Huowang turned and walked towards the outside of the prison.

The Records Officer, who had been dumbfounded by the proceedings, saw Li Huowang departing. Instead of going with him, he violently kicked a jailer in the buttocks.

The jailer, looking panicked, had no choice but to force a smile as he went to see Li Huowang off.

"Take care, my Lord, please visit us often, and... your hands are truly skillful!"