Zuowandao

With a clang, the metal and stone clashed! The Purple Tassel Sword in Li Huowang's hand slammed heavily against the rusted blade in Hong Da's grip.

With a cracking sound, the rusted sword shattered inch by inch, and the fragmented pieces flipped their edges, flying straight toward Li Huowang's face.

Facing an attack lethal enough to kill him, Li Huowang had no intention of defending. He tightened his grip on the sword hilt and drove it forward with all his might, ready to trade life for life—to cut Hong Da's head clean off.

But just then, a gust of wind swept in. Xin Chi had arrived. He raised his enormous right foot and stamped down toward Li Huowang.

Fast as thought, a black shadow shot out from beneath Li Huowang's Daoist robe, drew the Bronze Coin Sword, and stabbed straight up at the sole of Xin Chi's foot.

It was Li Sui's tentacle. It was watching for Xin Chi's sneak attack.

Li Sui and Li Huowang shared one body for two uses; for a short time, they barely held their own against these two opponents.

But there were three enemies. Two uses were clearly not enough.

With a dull, heavy thud, Li Huowang—his face now bristling with embedded blade fragments—vomited a mouthful of blood. A tremendous force slammed him into the rubble, kicking up clouds of dust.

Shaking, Li Huowang rose, feeling as though his internal organs had all been knocked out of place. He found himself once again surrounded by the three men.

It was at this moment that Tuoba Danqing, who had just ambushed him, spoke up. “Don’t hit his back. That Zuowandao is wearing armor under his robe—it’s tough.”

Li Huowang swallowed a mouthful of bloody saliva and shouted indignantly at Tuoba Danqing: “Brother Tuoba! Look at the tentacles on me right now! Ask yourself! Do you really think a Zuowandao could fake something like this?”

Tuoba Danqing eyed the black, slimy tentacle coiled around the Bronze Coin Sword, protruding from Li Huowang’s belly. For a moment, hesitation flickered in his eyes.

But after a brief deliberation, he instead lifted his head and said to Hong Da, “Lend me a blade.”

Hong Da, dressed like a beggar, opened his coat and picked the longest knife from among the gleaming blades inside, tossing it over.

The implication was clear. He didn't trust Li Huowang. There was no point in saying more.

“What’s there to explain! Kill them all! Kill! Kill! Kill!” A fierce, commanding woman’s voice suddenly exploded in the air.

A surge of heat rushed into Li Huowang’s head. He stamped his feet into the ground and charged straight at Tuoba Danqing, who was about to catch the blade.

If he couldn't afford to be surrounded and killed, then he had to break their encirclement first. Tuoba Danqing, who hadn't yet armed himself, was the weak point!

Xin Chi the monk tried to rush over and intervene, but Li Huowang—eyes now bloodshot—raised the Purple Tassel Sword, shoved it into his own mouth, and wrenched it sideways. Half his dental arch, teeth and all, along with a chunk of his cheek flesh, was pried clean off.

Through the split flesh of his torn face, Li Huowang’s bloody, gaping oral cavity was exposed to open air.

He drew in a deep breath and spat hard toward the monk. The bloodied teeth flew from the gap in his cheek, scattering like a celestial maiden flinging blossoms, straight at Xin Chi.

Having driven Xin Chi back with his teeth, Li Huowang raised his Purple Tassel Sword, and Li Sui raised the Bronze Coin Sword. Together, they slashed straight down at Tuoba Danqing.

Tuoba Danqing crossed his arms and blocked. The silk on his sleeves tore inch by inch, revealing a string of bright red walnut prayer beads beneath.

A piercing screech rang out as the Purple Tassel Sword slammed hard against the walnuts.

Amazingly, the sword—sharp enough to slice through iron like mud—was actually caught tight by those walnuts. These were no ordinary objects.

The walnut string trembled faintly, as if something was hiding inside. Dozens of venomous, shadowy stares shot out from it, boring into Li Huowang’s skull.

“Don’t close with him! This bastard raises Gu!” Hong Zhong, who had been absent for a long time, suddenly popped out and shouted a warning to Li Huowang.

In that critical moment, Li Huowang said silently in his heart: “Li Sui, now!”

The black tentacle, wrapped around the Bronze Coin Sword, stabbed straight for Tuoba Danqing’s exposed chest.

With a crisp ding, the Bronze Coin Sword stopped at his chest. It couldn't penetrate.

The clothes tore open, revealing a gleaming golden longevity lock beneath.

The moment they were locked in a stalemate, Li Huowang’s ears twitched. He heard the thundering approach of Xin Chi charging up from behind.

“Hahaha, Zuowandao, how about that? Didn't see that coming, did you?”

Looking at Tuoba Danqing’s smug face right in front of him, Li Huowang opened his mouth and spat the two teeth he had deliberately held back, straight into the man's face.

The hard teeth burst instantly. Shattered shards, wrapped in blood, plastered half of Tuoba Danqing’s body and face.

“AHHH!!!”

A kick to his chest, and Li Huowang finally broke free from the three-man encirclement.

Just as he was catching his breath and escaping the collapsed temple, he collided head-on with someone.

It was Li Huowang.

Staring at the face that was an exact mirror of his own, both Li Huowangs froze for a split second.

“Er Jiu! Kill the one in front of you! That’s a Zuowandao impostor!”

Hearing this, Li Huowang saw the expression on his own face twist into utter disgust. The doppelganger pulled out a Bronze Coin Sword from behind his back, his face contorted with hatred as he charged.

“Zuowandao!! You goddamn liars dare to impersonate me?! Die!!”

Suddenly freed from one predicament, Li Huowang was instantly caught in a pincer.

Xin Chi rushed over. His enormous foot came down like Mount Tai, stamping onto Li Huowang’s body.

But strangely, the Li Huowang standing in place simply passed through the bottom of his foot and re-emerged.

Xin Chi was taken aback for a moment. The Li Huowang beneath his foot slowly sank into the dirt.

It was only an illusion. The real Li Huowang had already slipped away, invisible, without a trace.

Having shaken everyone off, Li Huowang was now hiding on a roof beam of the adjacent Buddhist temple. His face dark, he watched the four people below.

“Damn it! That Zuowandao actually knows earth-escape!” He saw the distant Li Huowang saying this with great frustration.

Right then, Xin Chi, his eyes wary, walked over. Looking at the Li Huowang before him, his voice sounded in the ears of the other two.

“Be careful. This man is a Zuowandao!”

As soon as these words came out, before the other two could react, the Li Huowang standing there immediately widened his eyes.

“Master Xin Chi, what do you mean by that? If I’m a Zuowandao, then that other guy was the real one? Since he’s real, why did you frame him?”

“So you want to kill him no matter if he’s real or fake? All because I talked back to you once? That’s pretty petty. Are you even up to it? Or did you just misidentify me again?”

“Li Huowang” took a half-step back, watching Xin Chi with extreme wariness.

His words immediately made Tuoba Danqing and Hong Da, who were about to strike, stop and turn their eyes toward Xin Chi the monk.

Xin Chi’s expression flickered, as if he didn't know how to explain himself on the spot.

From his perch on the roof beam, Li Huowang watched this scene with a cold sneer. He never would have imagined that the Zuowandao—his sworn mortal enemy—could actually end up helping him.