The List

Li Huowang sat in darkness, listening to Liu Zongyuan’s words. His brow furrowed deeper.

“You’re saying that back in Shangjing, when the Supervisory Heavenly Office set up that Golden Palace Grand Formation, they were trying to deal with a Heavenly Calamity?”

Back then, he had been dragged into the whole mess, but his attention had been entirely consumed by North Wind. He never had the chance to think about what the Liang emperor and the Office were actually trying to do by working together.

He had guessed wildly afterward, assuming the Liang emperor was making such a grand show of force because he was trying to achieve immortality for himself.

Now it looked like the opposite was true. The Supervisory Heavenly Office and the Liang emperor had used the Divine Mountain Ghost Eye to fight against the Heaven-Devouring Dog Eclipse—a Heavenly Calamity.

For a brief moment, Li Huowang’s understanding of what was actually happening across the Great Liang sharpened. But then a pang of regret pricked at him.

In that whole affair in Shangjing, he had not exactly played the role of a hero.

But the Office had not given him a single hint. How was he supposed to know they were building that great formation to save the realm from a Heavenly Calamity?

Their usual way of doing things had never made him think in that direction.

“No, Brother Li. You are not at fault. This student is the one to blame.” Li Huowang tilted his head slightly, listening for Zhuge Yuan’s voice.

“From beginning to end, this is all my fault. I was deceived by the Zuowandao.” Zhuge Yuan’s voice was heavy with self-reproach and grief.

“From the moment I cut down Bai Ban, I suspect I was already caught in the Zuowandao’s trap. The walking-corpse puppet emperor of Great Qi holding the reins of power might also be the Great Qi Zuowandao’s doing. The two sides coordinated.”

“They did not do all this to avenge the dead Bai Ban. They wanted to use my status as a Heart-Pupil to bring the two branches of the Zuowandao together, then trick Doumu out of hiding and steal the Office’s Divine Mountain Ghost Eye.”

Hearing Liu Zongyuan’s news, Zhuge Yuan—who was at the heart of the matter—dug out far more information from it than Li Huowang could.

“Don’t take it too hard. You did everything you could. Blame the Zuowandao.” Li Huowang found himself offering comfort without thinking.

Before Zhuge Yuan could reply, Liu Zongyuan, who thought Li Huowang was speaking to him, jumped in.

“Brother Er is too kind. But I’m not upset. I never joined the Office in Shangjing to risk my neck. I got out of there and hid in Qingqiu long before that.”

Seizing the chance, Liu Zongyuan kept talking, unable to stop himself. “Ah, decades ago, we cleared out the Zuowandao once. Never thought they’d grow back so fast.”

“Those sons of bitches who’ll never have sons—they’re like maggots in a latrine. No matter how much you clean them out, they just keep coming.”

“Hey, Brother Er, don’t tell anyone I told you this. I heard the Zuowandao really pissed off the top brass this time. Once this Heavenly Calamity business is dealt with, they’re going to order every branch of the Supervisory Heavenly Office across the land to hunt them down completely.”

“After what happened in Shangjing, the Zuowandao were already dead and crippled. If they throw another big purge at them, those goddamn Zuowandao might finally be wiped out for good.”

Hearing this, Huowang sat up straight. He even clenched his fists in excitement. “That’s good news! I hate the Zuowandao more than anything! The Supervisory Heavenly Office should have done this long ago!”

“Right, Brother Er. I know you hate the Zuowandao to the bone, so I came specially to ask you to come along. But I never expected you to have gone blind. Ah.”

“Doesn’t matter.” Li Huowang said quickly. “A blind man can still kill. Let’s go right now!”

“Whoa, whoa, forget it, forget it. Brother Er, you should focus on healing. Don’t push yourself on this. The Office has plenty of capable people. They don’t really need you, and they won’t miss you.”

Li Huowang had expected Liu Zongyuan to refuse to accompany a blind man on an assignment. He was only doing this to maintain his old persona—just going through the motions.

He still had plenty of his own troubles. He had no real interest in getting mixed up in this.

After wrapping up business and exchanging pleasantries for a while, Liu Zongyuan’s attention inevitably landed on the alarming sight of Li Sui.

“Hey, Brother Er. In your Ao-Jing Sect, I get it with people. But why do you skin your dog too?”

Li Huowang reached out and touched Li Sui’s hard, skull-like head. “She’s not a dog. A spiritual beast I acquired by chance. Since I’m blind, I use her for protection for now. She might look terrifying, but sometimes she’s more reliable than people.”

“Is that so? That’s quite a lucky find. Most people wouldn’t dare keep something like this… spiritual beast! Are you selling it?”

Hearing this, a threatening growl rumbled from deep in Li Sui’s throat. She bared her dagger-like teeth at Liu Zongyuan.

“Quiet. Brother Liu is joking.” Li Huowang patted Li Sui’s neck, and her hostility toward Liu Zongyuan quickly receded.

Sensing Li Sui’s unusual reaction, Li Huowang felt a headache coming on. The old Li Sui had been so simple, just like a child. But now…

It seemed the mantou inside her body was infusing her personality with a beast’s nature.

“Alright, Brother Er. Since we’ve said all we need to say, I’ll be going now. Take your time healing. Don’t panic over anything.”

With that, Liu Zongyuan stood up to leave, but Li Huowang called him back.

“Brother Liu, wait. Since you’ve been around and know a lot, do you know which sect has techniques or magical tools that could let someone swap eyes? You know my situation now…”

“Hmm… You really don’t need to look for those people. You’d be a stranger in their territory and easy to cheat. We have a way from our own people.”

“You’ve completed quite a few assignments. You must have collected a decent amount of reward from the Office. Take the yang life pills the Office gave you and exchange them at the Shangjing treasury. They’re sure to have techniques or magical tools that can restore your eyesight.”

After saying this, Liu Zongyuan quickly left. Alone in the dim light, Li Huowang sat there, silently stroking the back of Li Sui’s neck.

Too much had happened recently. He needed to sort things out properly.

“Li Sui, get me some charcoal and a sheet of xuan paper.”

“Mm. Okay, Dad.”

Soon, a sheet of xuan paper was spread in front of Li Huowang, and a piece of charcoal was placed in his hand by a tentacle.

Holding the charcoal, Li Huowang used its sharp point to write from top to bottom on the paper, listing his current troubles one by one.

One: Bai Lingmiao’s eyes were nearly blind from too much sun exposure. And her frail body meant a short lifespan.

Two: The abnormality of the Heavenly Calamity. Since the Supervisory Heavenly Office’s plan had been sabotaged by the Zuowandao, there might be more of these calamities in the future. He was not afraid for himself, but how could he ensure Niuxin Village’s survival in such a volatile environment?

Three: His past had been altered by Yin-Yang Doumu. The fact that he was once part of Hong Zhong’s past was still a hidden threat. He would need to find a way to remove it.

Four: The cultivation path. He must persist in this without interruption. It was not only related to Zhuge Yuan’s resurrection and his own overall strength, but even to the true and false nature of the real world.