The Dispersal of Gifts

The appearance of Li Sui was largely as Li Huowang had imagined, with the only difference being that she seemed far more terrifying and monstrous than he had pictured.

Her body wasn’t very solid; some parts were even hollow, leaving certain organs exposed to the open air.

Mantou’s body clearly wasn’t structurally sufficient to support Li Sui. Everywhere bones had broken, black tentacles had coiled around to hold the pieces together.

It wasn’t good to speak this way about his own daughter, but right now, she was truly frightening.

Li Sui’s chest was pulsating. With each beat, through the cracks in her flesh, he could see a book nestled within the blood and muscle.

Li Huowang remembered it. That was the Compendium of Talismans he had given to Li Sui.

“Dad? What’s wrong?” Li Sui didn’t understand why her father was staring at her like that.

“Nothing. Just looking.” Li Huowang reached out his hand and patted her on the head. “Go on. Go find the younger kids and have some egg custard. While you’re at it, call a few people over here for me.”

In Niuxin Village, after the evening meal, everyone was resting. No one wandered around aimlessly. So the people Li Huowang needed to see all arrived in short order.

Gao Zhijian, towering and tall. Chun Xiaoman, covered in thick hair. Zhao Wu, leaning on a crutch, one shoulder higher than the other. And Gouwa, his face a patchwork of white and purple. These were his fellow disciples, brothers and sisters who had braved life and death alongside him.

Besides these four, there was also Yang Xiao Hai, whose head was noticeably shorter than everyone else’s.

Li Huowang turned his gaze toward the Niuxin Village cook. “I didn’t call you. What are you doing here?”

“Heh heh, I saw everyone else coming, so I figured I’d come take a look. Well, if that’s the case, should I head back now, Senior Brother Li?” Yang Xiao Hai scratched the back of his head, grinning apologetically.

After all this time together, they had clearly grown familiar with one another. In the old days, he wouldn’t have dared to act this way.

Li Huowang couldn’t be bothered with him. He shifted his attention to Gao Zhijian. “How’s the village militia recruitment going? How long before they’re combat-ready?”

Gao Zhijian sniffed, shaking his head with visible displeasure. “Long.”

Li Huowang quickly learned from Gao Zhijian that hardly any of the villagers were suitable for martial training. Some were physically disabled; others had poor bone structure. After picking and choosing for ages, they had only found two who were barely acceptable.

Still, this was to be expected. These people were all the “broken goods” Bai Lingmiao had picked up from the slave traders.

But this didn’t meet Li Huowang’s expectations. He needed to accelerate this process.

“Zhao Wu, remember the gold Sun Baolu’s mother gave us back in Qingqiu? Break it up and use the money to help Gao Zhijian buy more qualified private slaves. Even if it costs extra, make sure you pick ones who are loyal.”

“We need to form a village militia as quickly as possible. Even when I’m not here, if another Heavenly Calamity strikes, you all need to be able to protect yourselves.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Li.” Zhao Wu, who handled the money, nodded in agreement. “Senior Brother Li, are you going out again?”

“Mm. There’s something I need to take care of. If everything goes smoothly, this time shouldn’t take too long.”

He then turned to Chun Xiaoman. “I heard you’re practicing the White Lotus techniques that were kept under the ancestral hall?”

“Mm. I am.”

“You need to be discreet about this kind of thing. You can teach others, but make sure you only teach people you can trust.”

“It’s not like the military path. That Spirit-Possessed Medium technique looks kind of interesting, but the White Lotus Sect is a well-known organization. Their techniques and divine abilities are probably very recognizable. Too much attention, and the Supervisory Heavenly Office will be on your tail.”

After Li Huowang gave a detailed explanation of the Supervisory Heavenly Office and what had happened to the Bai family, Xiaoman nodded with a grave expression. She could already feel the heavy weight on her shoulders.

Finally, Li Huowang looked at Gouwa, the last one there. In the past, he’d been loud and boastful, but ever since his daughter was born, he had grown much quieter.

“Gouwa, you alright?” When Li Huowang asked, Gouwa immediately broke into his trademark grin.

“Ah, I’m fine, perfectly fine. What could I possibly have to worry about? I eat when I should, drink when I should. Senior Brother Li, don’t you worry. Niuxin Village has me here to hold the fort. Nothing’s going to fall apart.”

Li Huowang nodded. Then he pointed at the rotten wooden ruyi on the table. “This Dharma artifact is yours now. It can disturb a person’s mind. It should pair well with your White-Haired Needles.”

This had been a gift from the eunuch Chief Recorder back then. It was a specialty artifact refined from a Heart-Element’s tongue, capable of filling a person’s heart with bewilderment.

Li Huowang had never once used the thing since he got it. He might as well just give it to Gouwa.

“Oh, my my! This is a divine artifact! Senior Brother Li, you’re far too generous, just handing it over to me like this!” Gouwa’s face lit up as he took the object, turning it over in his hands, clicking his tongue in admiration.

“And here’s a copy of the alchemy formulas. I transcribed a copy myself. It includes the Moistening Blood Pill and the Root-Nourishing Foundation Pill, along with some other pill-refining methods. This is what Baldy taught me back in Qingfeng Temple.”

“There are also some talisman drawings for medical practice tucked in there. The village doesn’t have a doctor. Find someone who can read, and they can manage as a half-baked physician for now.”

“Me! I can read! The tutor praises my comprehension all the time! I already know thirty whole characters!”

Yang Xiao Hai eagerly stepped forward, picked up the alchemy manual, and flipped through it, examining it closely.

Li Huowang frowned at him. “You’re holding it upside down.”

“Oh… right, right…”

Li Huowang took a fresh look at the five people before him. “All of you have been through life and death with me. I have a feeling this world isn’t stable. If something really happens, mountains will fall, rivers will dry up. There’s nothing to rely on in the end except yourselves.”

“Hey, it’s fine. We’ve still got you, Senior Brother Li! You’re incredibly powerful. Who would dare not give you face?”

Gouwa’s flattery only earned him an icy stare from Li Huowang.

“What if I die one day? What if I go mad again? What will you do then?”

The moment these words left Li Huowang’s mouth, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy and oppressive.

Gouwa opened his mouth as if to lighten the mood, but in the end, he said nothing.

“Alright. Everyone except Gao Zhijian, you can head out now.”

The other four all cast a glance at the towering Gao Zhijian before taking the items Li Huowang had given them and leaving.

Li Huowang studied the massive man before him. After a moment’s thought, he spoke. “Zhijian, you definitely weren’t anyone ordinary in your past, were you? They all say you’re simple-minded, but I think you’re the kind of wise that looks like foolishness.”

Gao Zhijian silently nodded.

“Want to go back?” Gao Zhijian shook his head.

“Alright. Since you don’t want to go back, I won’t ask. This is your home from now on. Besides Miao Miao and myself, you’re the strongest. When I’m not here, help me guard this home.”

Li Huowang slit open his belly with a knife, reached inside, and pulled out a blood-soaked human-skin artifact.

“Take this. It can save your life once, when things get critical.”

As if he understood the immense value of the object, Gao Zhijian sucked in a sharp breath and waved his hands repeatedly in refusal.

“I told you to take it, so take it!” Li Huowang shoved it firmly into his hands. The words I’m growing new skin hovered in his throat for a moment before he swallowed them back down.

He patted Gao Zhijian on the shoulder. “We’re brothers who have crossed life and death together. Being this polite just makes things distant.”

Gao Zhijian looked down at the human-skin artifact in his palm and carefully tucked it away.

Then he reached down, pulled a dagger from the torture-implement pouch hanging at Li Huowang’s waist, and slashed his own palm. Then he slashed Li Huowang’s palm as well.

He pressed his bleeding hand firmly against Li Huowang’s.

Li Huowang looked down at the wound gradually clotting on his palm and let out a quiet laugh. “Now, where’s that custom from?”

After Gao Zhijian left, Li Huowang pulled a sheet of rice paper from his pocket. It was something he had written back when he was blind. On it were four lines detailing his current troubles.

“This trouble doesn’t exist.”

As his trembling finger slowly traced across the second line, the characters on the page vanished in an instant.

Two: The abnormality of the Heavenly Calamity. Since the Supervisory Heavenly Office’s plan was ruined by the Zuowandao, it’s possible more calamities will follow. I’m not afraid for myself, but how do I keep Niuxin Villag—