It's Over

Chapter 361: It's Over

By the flickering firelight, Li Huowang listened to Bai Lingmiao in his arms as she continued speaking.

“Judging others by myself, it’s the same. The old Bai Lingmiao was Bai Lingmiao, and the current Bai Lingmiao is still Bai Lingmiao, just a better Bai Lingmiao!”

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to shine.

“And don’t forget, you killed my entire family.” That sentence made Li Huowang’s whole body go numb.

“I used to struggle and agonize over it, unable to let go of either side. I couldn’t forgive you, but I also couldn't let go of the family I lost.”

“But I’m different now. I already know they were White Lotus, and I understand what they wanted to do to you. So I can only say that you were right to kill them. In that situation, if you hadn’t killed them, you’d be the one who died.”

“See? I think so clearly now. Not a moment of hesitation, not a moment of pain!”

Hearing this, Li Huowang suddenly felt that the Bai Lingmiao before him was incredibly foreign, as if she had become a different person. If he had to compare her to anyone, it would be Peng Longteng without a doubt.

The Bai Lingmiao right now, in both her tone and her demeanor, was drawing closer to Peng Longteng. He didn’t want this.

Just then, another soft body pressed against him from behind, lightly embracing his back. A slender, forked tongue slid across Li Huowang’s ear.

The moment he felt the Second Spirit, Li Huowang’s body jerked, and he quickly stood up from their embrace, looking down at the two figures on the ground with some alarm.

His sudden movement naturally drew the attention of the others. He forced a strained smile onto his face. “I’m going to take a piss.”

When he saw the Chief Recorder looking his way, Li Huowang cast a glance toward the pitch-black woods and stepped into them first.

Before long, the Chief Recorder walked into the grove as expected, smiling genially at Li Huowang. “Er Jiu? Is something the matter? If there’s anything, just tell us! We’ll help however we can.”

Li Huowang’s signal had been so obvious that if the Chief Recorder hadn’t noticed, he’d have to be blind. Recalling what Bai Lingmiao had told him earlier, he weighed his words and then asked, “Chief Recorder, is there a way to dispel the killing intent of the military path once it has invaded a person’s body?”

The Bai Lingmiao now was not the same person. Even if she never forgave him, he had to find a way to save her.

“Killing intent invading the body? You’d need to ask a military cultivator about that. We don’t really understand it.”

Li Huowang’s pupils contracted slightly. He pressed further, “Chief Recorder, do you have any connections among the military cultivators of the Great Liang Empire? If it’s convenient, could you introduce me to one?”

The Chief Recorder glanced toward the campfire. “Sure, that’s hardly a big deal.” If it weren’t for Li Huowang today, they might have all been done for. This small favor was the least he could do.

Of course, he only said he would make the introduction. What Li Huowang did with the military cultivator afterward was none of his concern, and he wouldn't waste his own favors on it.

After saying this, the Chief Recorder shuddered, remembering what had just happened. “Thank goodness this mess is finally over. Now I just need to see if I can send a gift to my godfather and get transferred to another department. This Supervisory Heavenly Office is no job for a human being.”

“Thank you very much, Chief Recorder,” Li Huowang said gratefully. Whether it worked or not, he had to try. He had to bring Bai Lingmiao back to normal.

“Alright, anything else? If not, let’s head back. We still have to travel tomorrow.” The Chief Recorder was about to leave when both he and Li Huowang suddenly turned to look at the woods beside them. “Someone’s there!”

Out here in the wilderness, late at night, a sudden gaze that could be felt was a clear sign of trouble.

Li Huowang pulled out two sheets of turmeric paper, quickly drew talismans with his own blood, and slapped them onto his knees. His body blurred as he shot toward the direction of the stare.

The Chief Recorder’s expression shifted rapidly, but he quickly returned to the campfire, watching the Heart-Turbid corpse carefully to ensure it wasn’t a feint.

Li Huowang moved swiftly through the trees, closing in on the figure. Seeing that the figure still wasn’t stopping, he swung his blade and sliced off one of his own fingers.

The flying finger rapidly sprouted bone spurs, hurtling toward the distant figure. It hit its mark without fail. When Li Huowang finally reached him, he got a clear look at the thing’s appearance.

Li Huowang’s pupils shrank. It looked like a person, but its body was abnormally thin and small. The thin layer of skin over it was stretched taut by nothing more than a skeleton. Its two large, bulging eyes looked like those of a fish, seeming as if they might pop out at any moment. Its mouth was sunken inward, with barely any teeth left, and the few remaining grew in a chaotic mess.

For a moment, Li Huowang couldn’t tell if this thing was a person or some kind of evil spirit. Facing Li Huowang’s weapon, the creature’s eyes held no fear; it just grinned stupidly.

“Could this be a diversion?” Worried, Li Huowang didn’t hesitate. He broke the thing’s limbs and dragged it back toward the campfire.

When he got back, he saw that everyone was still there and the Heart-Turbid corpse was untouched. He breathed a sigh of relief.

“Chief Recorder, do you know what this is? It was watching us from the woods,” Li Huowang said, dragging the thing in front of him.

“Oh?” The Chief Recorder stepped forward curiously to examine it when suddenly, a terrified cry came from behind them.

Li Huowang turned to look and saw that it was Hong Da.

Hong Da was staring at the creature with utter horror in his eyes. “This… this is a person that Heart-Turbid hid! If the Heart-Turbid didn't release them…”

The next moment, as if possessed, he fell to the ground and began eating the mud beneath him, the fear in his eyes deepening. “No taste! Nothing at all! Can’t swallow it! We’ve been inside for a long time! We’ve been hidden by that Heart-Turbid for who knows how long!”

These words sent a chill down everyone’s spine. They all looked around at the dark, wooded surroundings.

The Chief Recorder rushed over and shouted, “Nonsense! The Heart-Turbid we caught is dead! A dead Heart-Turbid can’t hide all of us! Unless there’s another one?”

Hearing this, Li Huowang’s heart trembled. “Chief Recorder, there is indeed another Heart-Turbid that isn’t dead. The female Heart-Turbid from the beginning.”

“What? What female Heart-Turbid? Wasn’t there only one?”

Now everyone was staring at Li Huowang, making him doubt his own guess. But looking at the scar on his own arm, he shook his head firmly. His memory was fine. Their memories of that part had been hidden.

“No! We came here to catch the female Heart-Turbid, not this man.”

“Then where is the female Heart-Turbid?” The Chief Recorder’s voice became incredibly sharp, cold sweat slowly trickling down his cheek.

Li Huowang pointed at the male Heart-Turbid’s corpse on the ground. “Hidden inside his karmic obstacles.”

The moment Li Huowang said this, the color drained from the Chief Recorder’s face. His legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground. “A living and a dead Heart-Turbid meeting… The dead one is hidden inside the living, and the living inside the dead… It’s over, it’s over. We’re all finished.”