The Unruly Immortals

In the bustling street, as Li Huowang gazed intently at the plump woman on the third floor, a presentable waiter dashed out from the restaurant to the front of the carriage and said with an apologetic smile, "Esteemed sir, someone has arranged a grand banquet on the third floor of our establishment to invite you, please see..."

Fortune or misfortune is predestined, and if it's misfortune, it can't be avoided. Since the other party was seeking him out so openly, Li Huowang didn't plan to hide any longer.

By the time he, along with Li Sui, ascended the wooden staircase to the third floor of the restaurant, the plump woman had already been standing by a table filled with a lavish banquet, waiting for them.

It wasn't just her on the entire third floor; other diners were also present.

"Come, come, come, let me toast to you, youth is to be revered, indeed, youth is to be revered!" The plump woman raised her cup and tilted it towards her mouth.

Li Huowang and Li Sui carelessly took their seats, and as they both took off their bamboo hats simultaneously,

a shockingly charred head and a skinless dog writhing with tentacles startlingly appeared before the other guests.

Such a terrifying scene instantly brought the other diners to a halt. After a few short breaths, screams of terror rang out, and soon, all of them had fled without exception.

Li Huowang did this, of course, to demonstrate his power to the other side.

The plump woman certainly felt Li Huowang's hostility and immediately started to explain. "Oh, my child, I'm old enough to be your mother; how could I possibly harm you? I just want to discuss something with you."

"The one in the mountains before, I know, you can't put your mind at ease no matter what I say, afraid that I might harbor ill intentions. Right?"

"Now that we're here, you should feel safe, look, the Government Office is right opposite us. One shout from you, and the Astrological Bureau from within the city will come rushing over."

Li Sui had just picked up a pig's trotter but was stopped by Li Huowang who slapped it out of his hand. He stared at the plump woman in front of him and said in an even tone, "You're pestering me because you want the immaculate Yangshou, right? I'll say it again, I'm not selling."

Who knew that as soon as Li Huowang said this, the plump woman's face instantly turned sorrowful, and she began to lament her hardships to him.

"It's not been easy for your aunty here, I've been without a father since I was young, and my poor mother, oh, she struggled so much to raise me. I wanted to give her a comfortable life, alas, who knew that her Yangshou would come to an end so suddenly, ah... Thinking back to the years of drought with nothing to eat or drink, if it hadn't been for my mother feeding me with her blood so that I could survive..."

Hearing her words, Li Huowang's face showed a trace of annoyance. He could have just walked away, but the woman's display of the Ten Emotions and Eight Miseries seemed genuine; at least the sentiment of her sorrow was real.

"I sympathize deeply with what happened to your mother, but I'm sorry, I too have someone in need of life extension."

Seeing that Li Huowang was about to leave, the plump woman became urgent. "Aunty has things I can trade with you! Just say what you're lacking! As long as you give me that five years of immaculate Yangshou, anything will do!"

Li Huowang stood up, "I don't need anything at the moment, I'm sorry, but please stop bothering me."

"If you keep following me, something might happen again, and that wouldn't be good for either of us!"

As Li Huowang steadily stepped towards the staircase, the plump woman suddenly uttered a sentence that stopped Li Huowang's hand, which was reaching for the handrail, in mid-air.

"The young lady in your carriage is a spirit medium, right? Being a spirit medium is a suffering life! Just give aunty those five years of immaculate Yangshou and I will help you remove the Immortal Sects' influence from her!"

Li Huowang immediately turned around and stared seriously at the woman in front of him. Her display of the Ten Emotions and Eight Miseries indicated that she wasn't lying; she truly had a way to rid the Immortal Sects' influence.

When they were on the road, Bai Lingmiao got entangled by the Immortal Sects to become a spirit medium, which had always been a lingering issue of no small concern.

Granting Bai Lingmiao an additional five years of Yangshou and getting rid of the Immortal Sects was a very difficult choice to make.

Just as Li Huowang hesitated, Second God suddenly came up from the bottom of the staircase and whispered something into his ear.

"What did you say?!" The words burst out of Li Huowang in an instant. "Why didn't you tell me about such an important matter earlier!"

He looked at the fat woman before him again, his expression no longer indifferent, "Deal! Once we reach the Capital City, we'll swap the five years of pure Yangshou from the reward to remove the Immortal Sects from Miaomiao!"

The Immortal Sects had actually started threatening Bai Lingmiao and even compelled her to perform as a spirit medium. Such an important matter, and yet they had kept it from him for so long.

If it hadn't been for the opportunity that arose today, who knows how much longer they would have kept it a secret.

Upon hearing this, the fat woman's face bloomed with joy, fearfully she might be refused; she quickly agreed. "Alright! It's settled then!"

Li Huowang had thought she would set off first and wait for him in the Capital City, but she seemed to fear he might flee, and surprisingly, she followed him all the way.

This left Li Huowang unable to sleep peacefully during the journey, but fortunately, there were no mishaps along the way, and they all returned safely to the Capital City.

The journey wasn't without its benefits; at least Li Huowang's injuries had healed considerably, and by looking at his face, one could recognize him as Li Huowang.

"I'll put the carriage at home; you go wait for me at the entrance of the Government Office." Having spent a considerable amount of time together, Li Huowang had learned her name, Lian Zhibei.

"It's fine, it's fine. I'll go with you. I don't know my way around the Capital City anyway. I'll need you to lead the way," Lian Zhibei insisted, fearing that Li Huowang might escape, she stuck to him like a shadow.

Li Huowang didn't bother to entertain her flimsy excuse and turning to Bai Lingmiao and Li Sui, he said, "You two go home first, I'll be back shortly."

With that, the four of them divided into two groups, splitting into two different directions.

When Li Huowang entered the grand hall of the Astrological Bureau with the wooden box containing the spirit plague, Nan Gong spotted Li Huowang and Lian Zhibei from a distance. "Oh? Are the two of you teaming up?"

"Barely," Li Huowang replied bluntly, pushing the box in his hands towards Nan Gong. "Here's the item, let's settle the reward."

But Lian Zhibei hastily pulled it into her embrace and said to Nan Gong, "Wait a minute, this is a task for the palace, and we must personally hand it over to the Eunuch."

"Putting it with me is the same, I'll hand it over to the palace Eunuchs. Once they've given the reward, I'll directly transfer it to you, although it will take some time."

Lian Zhibei said belligerently, "Don't try that with me! Who doesn't know that it will go through you first then the Eunuchs? Who knows how much will be skimmed off!"

After saying this, she turned to Li Huowang and advised, "You listen to me, it's safer to hand it directly to the palace. Otherwise, the pure Yangshou you get might be tampered with, and you might not receive the full five years worth."

Seeing that Nan Gong had no rebuttal and appeared resigned, Li Huowang knew that she was probably telling the truth. He immediately reached out and snatched back the wooden box. "Alright, then we'll take it directly to the palace."

As long as he could resolve the troubles the Immortal Sects were causing Bai Lingmiao, nothing else really mattered.