Alive

The yellow-robed Daoist, fear still flickering in his eyes, looked once more at Lü Xiucai kneeling on the ground. Doubt crept into his mind—was this brat trying to trick him?

But in the end, he didn't dare take the risk. He formed a Vajra mudra with both hands, chanted a spell, and walked straight through the wall, vanishing from the courtyard.

Once the Daoist was gone, how could the evil he had raised stay behind? The empty black robe floated through the air, quickly following after him.

It was a long while before Gouwa finally reacted. He had actually escaped from that Daoist's clutches!

With disbelief still plastered across his face, Gouwa cupped his hands, walked over to the dumbstruck Lü Xiucai, and kicked him hard. "Hey! What did you just do? How did you scare him off?"

Lü Xiucai came back to his senses, dazed. He stared blankly at the White Lotus cloth on the ground and muttered, "I—I don't know either."

"How can you not know? You must have done something to make his sword explode like that."

"Sword?" That word jolted Lü Xiucai fully awake. He threw himself to the ground and, in the pitch dark, began picking up the copper coins scattered everywhere.

"You coward, get out of my way! These are all mine! By your mother, you ran off just now! Pah!"

"Are you blind? Didn't you see me strategizing from afar just now?" Gouwa bent down, wiped the rotten wooden ruyi on the ground, and tucked it into his bosom.

"Bullshit! Where did you even learn that word, showing off like that? You don't know what 'strategizing' means! You're just a coward who's afraid of dying!"

"So what if I'm afraid of dying? Say whatever you want, but my daughter can't lose her daddy! Ahh—damn it, my hand!"

Amid their squabbling, Lü Xiucai had gathered most of the coins. Just as he was squatting with his ass in the air, searching for any he'd missed, footsteps sounded from the front yard.

"Hurry! Hide! We can't let them think it was us!" The two quickly ducked behind a rockery, crouching in the shadows.

"Dad! Dad! What happened to you, Dad!" Hearing the footsteps heading toward the house, the two slipped back the way they came, moving furtively.

Their hearts were in their throats the whole way, but luckily the night was deep and quiet, and they didn't run into anyone else. They made it safely back to the Lü Troupe.

The troupe, exhausted after a long day, hadn't even taken off their makeup yet. They were gathered around a table the host family had prepared, eating away.

At the sight of the two bedraggled men, everyone looked baffled.

"Did you two get into a fight with a black bear in the woods?" asked Luo Juan, her mouth stuffed full.

Before Lü Xiucai and Gouwa could even catch their breath to explain, the shouting from the Zhang family compound started up again.

Lu Zhuangyuan, who had been gnawing on a chicken leg, pricked up his ears. A grin spread across his face.

He sucked the grease off his fingers, wiped them on his pants, and beamed. "Hey! A double blessing! More work!!"

Shangjing City was still as bustling as ever, so much so that the queue to enter the city gates stretched long.

Sitting in his carriage, Li Huowang looked up at the oppressive gatehouse tower.

When he had left last time, he thought he would never return to Shangjing. He hadn't expected to be back so soon.

"Travel permits out! What business do you have in Shangjing? Everyone off the carriage for inspection!" the gate guards barked arrogantly at Li Huowang.

But when they saw the medallion of the Supervisory Heavenly Office he produced, the guards all shrank back as one, snapping to attention. "Greetings, Your Excellency!"

Li Huowang didn't even glance at them. He urged the carriage forward, heading toward the imperial city at the very heart of Shangjing.

"Dad, why is First Mother gone? Was she really kidnapped by that bad man? But he seemed so nice—he helped you up, healed your wounds..."

"Li Sui, remember this. No matter what anyone else says later, you must believe me. If I come into conflict with someone, whatever I say is the truth. Got it?"

"Mm, I understand, Dad. I will definitely kill that bad man for you and bring First Mother back."

"You just be good. If you're a good girl, I'll bring First Mother back."

"And Second Mother, too."

"..."

The carriage rolled slowly along the wide streets, unhurriedly making its way to the imperial city gates.

Just as Li Huowang cleared his throat, ready to say something to the Imperial Guards, the heavy city gate groaned open.

The moment it opened, Li Huowang could feel countless gazes boring into him from behind.

"Looks like even before I've set foot in the palace, I've already been branded as Ji Lin's man."

He chuckled dryly, gave the reins a light flick, and drove the carriage into the imperial city.

Inside the vast, magnificent palace, eunuchs, maids, and guards all stood at their posts, as if none of them had noticed this incongruous carriage.

When the wheels reached the white marble steps, Li Huowang dismounted. Step by step, he climbed the stairs toward the magnificent hall above.

When both feet finally reached the top of the stairs, his expression grim, Li Huowang reached into his bosom and touched the scar that was throbbing with a dull ache.

Normally, Li Huowang's body had an astonishing ability to recover. Even if his guts were cut open, they would heal in no time. But things had changed.

His body still healed, yes, but now the scars stayed behind, refusing to vanish.

That had never happened before. It had started after his failed ascension when he fought the Dice last time.

It seemed to be related to Bashe. But for Li Huowang at this moment, this issue was far less important than shaking off the Dice's threat.

If the price was just some scars, and he could kill the Dice and bring Miao Miao back, he'd let a hundred scars cover him.

"Summon the Supervisory Heavenly Office's Seventh Banner, Er Jiu—"

"Summon the Supervisory Heavenly Office's Seventh Banner, Er Jiu~!"

"Summon the Supervisory Heavenly Office's Seventh Banner, Er Jiu~!!"

As the eunuchs' chanted summons echoed from near to far, Li Huowang withdrew his hand from his robe and strode forward.

The hall was enormous. It looked like the place where the emperor held morning court. But to Li Huowang's surprise, the entire hall was very dim.

The throne, carved from solid gold, sat half-hidden in the darkness. The Emperor of Great Liang, seated upon it, was only visible as a pair of legs.

"Er Jiu, have you had a change of heart? Wonderful! Hahaha!"

"Offering coal in a snowstorm is far better than adding flowers to brocade! That you would return to aid me in my hour of crisis—I will remember this, Er Jiu!"

Hearing this, Li Huowang's brow slowly furrowed. The voice was indeed Ji Lin's from back then, but the tone, the emotion in his voice—something was off.

Li Huowang took a step forward. Immediately, a eunuch's shrill rebuke rang out from the darkness: "How dare you! Why do you not kneel in the presence of the Emperor!"

"Ah! None of that formality! Er Jiu is exempt from kneeling from now on!"

Li Huowang listened, then took another step forward. And another.

When he was close enough, through the strings of pearls hanging from the imperial crown, Li Huowang saw Ji Lin's face—a face utterly different from the one he remembered.