The Unruly Immortals

Mournful cries spread throughout Buddha Bone Temple, where monks and worshippers were rescuing those injured by the temple collapse.

More people acted spontaneously to clear the rubble of the Buddhist temple, in a flurry of activity pulling out the Flesh Bodhisattvas that were trapped underneath.

In the midst of the panicked crowd, no one noticed a black spindle that had rolled into a corner.

Two blood-stained awls reached down, picking up the ignored spindle like a pair of chopsticks.

Li Huowang studied the object with a slight frown, the item Zhuge Yuan had once given to him.

This spindle was made from an old bone that was thick at the ends and narrow in the middle, coated in beeswax yellow, with scratch marks indicating its age.

Intricate black threads densely wrapped around it formed a spool, making the spindle truly resemble a hammerhead without a handle.

"What is this thing?" The first question surfaced in Li Huowang's mind, quickly followed by a second, "Could this thing pose any hidden dangers?"

Thoughts of Zhuge Yuan's initial goodwill flashed through his mind again. If it was him who killed the man who struck it rich, then his strength must be far superior to his own, and if he had wanted to harm him, he would have stood no chance at all.

Li Huowang, with executioner's awls in hand, clutched the bone spindle as he sat on the steps, organizing his thoughts from the beginning. "Zhuge Yuan... Zhuge Yuan..."

"First of all, it's certain from the frightened reaction of that dead eunuch upon hearing Zhuge Yuan's name, that Zhuge Yuan must come from some other strong force, certainly stronger than Zhengde Temple and An Ci Nunnery before it."

"The incident began due to the struggle over Heart Turbidity by Oblivion Path, the Astrological Bureau, and Zhuge Yuan. Now we know the outcome: Zhuge Yuan killed the man who struck it rich, circumvented the Record of Appearance, and ultimately seized Heart Turbidity, emerging as the victor of this affair."

Having been in this ghostly place for so long, Li Huowang knew the weight of the Astrological Bureau; that such an existence would fear Zhuge Yuan—he could hardly imagine how powerful Zhuge Yuan must be.

Moreover, there were Zhuge Yuan's abilities. Although Zhuge Yuan was dressed like a scholar, could an ordinary scholar really have dealt with Sanyuan of Oblivion Path?

Li Huowang remembered the nonsensical question asked by the Record of Appearance before.

"Our house wants to ask you, when you went to the Buddha Bone Temple, did you notice anything peculiar? Were there any acts that seemed ridiculous yet made perfect sense?"

Those were his exact words, but Li Huowang couldn't figure out what "ridiculous yet perfectly sensible" meant. What did it have to do with Zhuge Yuan, and why did it terrify him so much?

Li Huowang closed his eyes, replaying everything that happened at the Buddha Bone Temple in his mind. If anything could be described as ridiculous yet perfectly sensible, it was when Xin Chi suddenly accused him of being from Oblivion Path.

Xin Chi might be petulant, but attacking him despite being at constant risk of Oblivion Path's ambushes seemed somewhat bizarre.

Plus, when the impersonator of Oblivion Path appeared, Xin Chi could have simply claimed that this Li Huowang was in league with the fake, suggesting that the two from Oblivion Path were putting on a charade.

However, he didn't say that. Instead, he acted like a naive youth, offering not a single defense, and just let it be.

Li Huowang, sitting on the steps, sifted through the details inch by inch, but the more he thought, the more doubts he had.

"Is this Zhuge Yuan's ability? Can he change a person's actions without them noticing? What kind of Divine Skill is this? A Heart Controlling Technique?" Li Huowang speculated wildly.

"Wait, if he can control others, then why didn't he use it on me before?"

If he really possessed such a special divine skill, there was no need for him to waste words with me. If he wanted to do something, he could just control me directly.

"Unless...." Li Huowang's pupils contracted slightly, and his heartbeat quickened. "Unless he has no particular purpose."

As this thought crossed Li Huowang's mind, he once again looked down at the spindle in front of him. "Then why on earth did he give me this? Could it be out of kindness? Did he see me in a pitiable state and wanted to help? That's impossible! It doesn't make sense! There are no such good people in this world! I don't believe it! He must have some ulterior motive!"

Just then, Monk Huan Jue, who had been standing by, walked over with an odd expression and said, "Taoist, we shouldn't speak so absolutely. Isn't becoming a monk about doing good deeds? And isn't Master Jingxin a good person?"

Upon hearing this, Li Huowang stood in place for a long time, thinking until his head swelled, and still he could not come to a conclusion.

Li Huowang shook his head vigorously, sighed deeply, and realized he had become so accustomed to malice that he now feared goodwill even more.

He would have preferred if Zhuge Yuan had simply made a move against him outright, like the others. Whether he ended up dead or alive, at least he would not be as tormented as he was now.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha, donor, this monk greets you with respect." Li Huowang looked up to see an old monk in a kasaya, standing before him with a face full of compassion.

"Donor, I understand that major undertakings may necessitate overlooking minor details, and I know the ambition of the Astrological Bureau is lofty, but I implore you not to further increase your karmic debt with killing. Because of your actions, five disciples of Buddhism have already passed away in our temple." The old monk with palms pressed together knelt before Li Huowang.

Looking at the nine scars on the monk's head, Li Huowang pushed himself to his feet and walked towards the Buddha Bone Temple's gate. "Another good person? Maybe, but I still can't trust him."

When he exited the Buddha Bone Temple, Li Huowang had already thought of his next move, "Instead of idly guessing here, it would be better to extract some information from the Record of Appearance. Zhuge Yuan's background must be known to that old eunuch!"

"Once I understand his background, then I can think about how to deal with this spindle!"

Li Huowang lowered his head and secured the spindle tightly within the cowhide bag used for storing torture tools, then mounted his horse.

"Clip-clop, clip-clop~" The horse's hooves, fitted with shoes, constantly rose and fell, flinging the muddy ground up and letting it fall.

The icy rain pattered against the horse's back, and also against Li Huowang's face.

Li Huowang lifted his head to glance at the gloomy sky overhead before focusing again on the increasingly muddy road ahead.

He had come by carriage before, when there was not a cloud in the sky despite the rain threat, yet now that he was riding back, the sky seemed to have sprung a leak, not stopping even for a moment.

It was deep into the night, and with rain pouring down, one should not normally ride, but standing still and getting drenched was even worse. Li Huowang needed to find a shelter from the rain as soon as possible.

When he saw a banner with the character for "Posthouse" swaying left and right under the onslaught of the rain, a glint appeared in Li Huowang's eyes. He pressed his left foot against the saddle, dismounted swiftly, and barged in.

The posthouse was a place within the Da Liang Kingdom used for transmitting military intelligence and providing food and lodging for officials on the road, as well as for changing horses.

When the yawning Posthouse Official, holding a lantern, opened the door, he was confronted with the Astrological Bureau waist tag right in his face.

The Posthouse Official, caught between sleep and wakefulness, instantly felt a jolt throughout his body and became fully awake.

Soon, the coachman awoke and led Li Huowang's horse away, caring for it as if it were his own child.

The cook also awoke, and every presentable dish from the posthouse was brought to Li Huowang's guest room.