The Supervisory Heavenly Office

Chapter 377: The Supervisory Heavenly Office

Li Huowang saw the plea in Bai Lingmiao’s eyes, and he struggled, but in the end, his hand—shaking—released its grip.

He stood there, watching Bai Lingmiao’s hand close around the Purple-Tasseled Sword once more, watching the pain in her eyes be replaced by casual indifference and comfort.

The previous Bai Lingmiao had returned.

In that moment, a sudden understanding hit Li Huowang. The invasion of killing intent had never been the real problem. It had never been the problem. The real problem was always the unchangeable reality that had already happened: he had killed Bai Lingmiao’s entire family.

“Heh heh.” Bai Lingmiao laughed again. This time, the sound was filled with ease and freedom.

She bent down to dip the lead comb into a vinegar bowl, then continued combing her hair before the bronze mirror, looking in excellent spirits.

Watching her back, Li Huowang finally stopped resisting. His lips trembled slightly as he walked up behind her and gently wrapped his arms around her.

“Don’t worry. No matter what you become, you’ll always be my Miaomiao.”

The moment he finished speaking, Bai Lingmiao drove her elbow back, spun around, and shoved him away with force, glaring at him in fury.

“You don’t mind me? Well I mind you! Do you even remember what I told you before?! Do you like Bai Lingmiao the person, or do you just like a concubine who’s obedient in every way?”

With that, she stood up, hurled the lead comb to the floor, and stormed toward the door with a fierce expression.

“Where are you going?”

“What business is it of yours where I go? I’m going to find another man to marry! Make a home! Have children! You think I want to keep tangling myself up with a lunatic like you?”

The moment Bai Lingmiao left, a faint fragrance drifted in, and a soft body pressed against Li Huowang’s back. It was the Second Spirit.

“Don’t worry. She won’t.”

Li Huowang reached back, grabbed her hand, and gently kissed her sharp black fingernails. His voice was thick with deep frustration. “Go ahead. It’s better this way. You all wait for me at Niuxin Village. Once I’ve dealt with my problems, I’ll come back for you.”

The Second Spirit rubbed the soft fur of her cheek against the back of his neck, then slowly withdrew. When Li Huowang turned around again, the room was empty except for himself.

Li Huowang stood in a daze for a moment, then spun around and rushed out to the hall downstairs, shouting, “Waiter! A jar of strong liquor!”

The wine was brought to his room quickly. Without a word, Li Huowang grabbed the jar, tilted his head back, and poured it down his throat.

After surviving the Dung-Beetle Ascension several times, Li Huowang’s senses had become abnormally sharp. He couldn’t even remember when he finally got drunk.

The only thing he knew was that when he woke up again, the roosters were crowing outside.

Li Huowang pressed a hand to his splitting head and staggered to his feet. Just as he started walking toward the window—

His foot caught on something, and he pitched face-first toward the floor.

Li Huowang caught himself with a hard push, steadying his stance. It was then that he noticed black patterns appearing on the back of his hand.

He shook his head vigorously, and realized they weren’t patterns. It was Li Sui’s writhing tentacles.

“I’m running out of time.” If he didn’t obtain a way to dispel the hallucinations from Bei Feng before Li Sui completely took over his body, he would fall back into that state of utter disorientation.

Li Huowang would rather die than return to that state. The feeling of being caught between two worlds was too agonizing, too suffocating.

With a creak, Li Huowang pushed open the window, and the first rays of sunlight fell onto his face.

Clenching his teeth, Li Huowang shook his fist viciously at the sun.

“You want to torment me, don’t you? Well, I’m going to try defying fate anyway! Come on! Let’s see which one of us is the real madman!”

Li Huowang vaulted over the windowsill and strode directly toward the prison.

By the time the sky was fully bright, Li Huowang had already repaid the coffins and arrived at the gates of the Supervisory Heavenly Office.

Looking at the six-paneled doors flanked by two stone lions, and the stone-paved plaza beyond, he—reeking of alcohol—showed his identification token to the guards and stepped inside.

The Supervisory Heavenly Office was vast and eerily empty. A stone armillary sphere larger than a house sat in the center of the plaza.

Glancing around, Li Huowang headed for the low building to the south.

Just as he entered the ink-scented room, a man clutching a stack of scrolls bustled over.

“Hey, hey, hey—who are you? This is where the calendar records are compiled. Outsiders aren’t allowed in.”

When he saw Li Huowang’s token, he pointed across the way and said, “Another one who got lost. Your office is on the opposite side.”

“Wrong?” Li Huowang swept his gaze across the room. A line of characters on the wall caught his eye.

‘By imperial decree, the Bureau of Astronomy shall seal and print the calendar; private printing by the people is forbidden. Whosoever violates this order shall have their clan relocated three times.’

Li Huowang cupped his hands toward the man, turned around, and walked toward the quiet building across the way. A massive metal mask on the wall immediately drew his attention.

The mask, as large as two human bodies combined, was covered in green rust from wind and sun.

It looked nearly identical to the mask worn by the decapitated prisoner from before—except where the eyes should have been were two protruding pillars.

These two eye-pillars, jutting from the empty sockets, stared blankly at the cloudless sky.

Li Huowang averted his gaze and entered through the side door. Inside was cramped, no larger than a classroom.

Strangely, there was no furniture at all—just an empty, square room.

Just as Li Huowang began to feel puzzled, he sensed various gazes sweep over him. But the strange thing was, the positions those gazes came from were completely empty.

Seeing this, Li Huowang knew he was in the right place. He directly held up his identification token.

With a peculiar wooden clack, a hidden door slid open in the wall. A gaunt, middle-aged man walked out. On his shoulder perched a blind, black bird.

“First time here?” The bird spoke.

Li Huowang nodded. “I’ve been stationed in Yining before. This is my first day in the capital. Greetings, senior.”

“Come on. I’ll show you around.” The man turned and led the bird back into the hidden passage.

When Li Huowang followed, he found the passage inside wasn’t dark.

The oil lamps on the walls lit the corridor brightly. The entire hall echoed with a crisp tap-tap-tap sound.

Li Huowang studied the man’s back and decided it was better to be proactive. “My name is Erjiu, of the Ao-Jing Sect. Greetings, senior.”

“Sima Lan, Mohist family. Don’t be so stiff. Once you’re in the Supervisory Heavenly Office, you’re half a brother.” The black bird continued speaking.

“Mohist family?” Li Huowang’s pupils contracted sharply. It was the only familiar term he had heard, and it brought him a sense of closeness.

But Sima Lan seemed to have misinterpreted Li Huowang’s reaction. “Don’t be scared. I’m from the Qi branch of the Mohists, not that heretical Liang branch.”