Return

Chapter 650: Return

Li Huowang hadn’t felt it much back in the hospital, but now, walking outside, it hit him like a belated wave—a surge of pure, radiant joy spreading from deep inside.

He was free. He wasn’t a mental patient anymore. He could go back to school. Live a normal life.

“Come on, let’s take the car home. Your dad brought his beat-up taxi over, specially to pick you up.”

Sitting in the car, Li Huowang’s first move was to pull his mother’s phone out of her bag and log into his WeChat.

Holding the cracked-screen phone in his hand, he hesitated, thinking hard.

Finally, he tapped on the familiar rabbit icon. He started typing, writing three sentences, deleting two.

For half an hour, he wrote on and off. Staring at the few hundred characters on the screen, he hovered his thumb over the send button for a long time. Then, gritting his teeth, he deleted it all.

“I’m going to surprise Yang Na. Saying it over WeChat isn’t good enough. I’ll wait for her at her school gate!”

The scene had barely formed in his mind when his gaze landed on the “electronic watch” around his ankle.

“I’m going to surprise Yang Na. I’ll wait for her five hundred meters from her school!”

Having made up his mind, Li Huowang rolled down the car window and looked out at the unfamiliar scenery, a smile gradually spreading across his face.

Li Huowang was happy. In the past few years, he had never had a single day as happy as this one.

Passing through an intersection, he noticed a fruit vendor staring at him from the roadside. Li Huowang raised his hand and gave a little wave.

Kangning Hospital was very far from their home, but throughout the entire, bumpy ride, the smile never left Li Huowang’s face.

When he saw the gate of their old neighborhood again, it felt like a lifetime ago. “Shangjing. I’m finally back.”

Staring up at the oppressive city wall, Li Huowang gave a sharp tug on the reins. He let out a breath and charged through the barbican entrance.

Once inside the city, he slowed his horse, silently observing everything around him.

To his slight relief, the streets of Shangjing were still thronged with people, unchanged.

The bridal sedan chairs with their accompanying music and song proved that the city’s weddings and funerals were still going on as normal.

It seemed that despite the chaos caused by the Fa Sect outside, it had no effect whatsoever on the imperial capital.

He made a full circuit of the inner and outer city walls. Only after finding no trace of the Fa Sect did Li Huowang spur his horse to a gallop, heading straight for the Imperial Palace.

But when he was still ten yards from the palace gates, Li Huowang felt a sudden prickle in the center of his brow and a stabbing pain throughout his body.

He yanked the reins, and the black horse beneath him reared and came to a halt.

Li Huowang understood. If he had charged straight in just now, the guards inside the palace would likely have attacked him without a word.

“What’s going on! It’s me! Haven’t it been that long, don’t you recognize me?” Li Huowang shouted at the imperial guardsman at the gate.

In response to his shouts, the guards—both those inside the walls and those outside—stood like stone statues, not uttering a word.

“What the hell are you playing at?!”

Just as Li Huowang was figuring out how to get past these brutes, an old eunuch in a purple python robe floated out from the side gate, his white-sole shoes barely seeming to touch the ground. “An imperial edict from His Majesty. He requests that Lord Li enter the throne hall for an audience.”

A little annoyed, Li Huowang dismounted. He was about to follow the eunuch inside when he suddenly twisted his head around, his brow furrowed as he stared at the bustling street behind him, as if searching for something.

“Lord Li? Is something wrong?” The eunuch’s voice pulled him back. “Nothing. Let’s go.”

Li Huowang had been to the Imperial Palace many times before; there was nothing new to see. He quickened his pace to follow the eunuch to find Gao Zhijian.

During the walk, he could clearly feel different gazes watching him from all directions. There were many hidden and overt sentries, sealing the entire palace off completely.

The security was much tighter than before, a lingering effect of the Dice’s previous visit, no doubt.

“Lord Chancellor, it’s been a while,” Li Huowang called out to an old man in a nearby room.

But Huangfu Tiangang didn’t say a word. He just stood there, hands clasped behind his back, silently staring at Li Huowang.

“Dad, he doesn’t look happy,” Li Sui said from behind him.

“Don’t mind him. When is he ever happy?” Li Huowang took hold of the tentacle that Li Sui had extended from under her raincoat and kept walking.

Li Huowang finally saw Gao Zhijian again in the bedchamber of the imperial residence.

When he first saw him, Li Huowang was startled. He almost didn’t recognize him. The old Gao Zhijian had been a wall of solid muscle.

But this Gao Zhijian was light on his feet, with dark circles under his eyes and a pale, ashen face. He looked like he was on the verge of death.

“What happened to you? How did you end up like this? Did the Fa Sect send an assassin after you? Are you wounded?”

Gao Zhijian waved his hand dismissively and shook his head. “It’s nothing. It’s just that being an emperor isn’t as easy as it looks.”

Compared to his old, stumbling way of speaking, Gao Zhijian’s words were now much smoother. It seemed the entirety of Great Liang’s medical resources had been dedicated to treating his stutter.

“So what’s the real problem? Tell me clearly. You’re the ruler of a nation now. You can’t afford any mishaps.”

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Gao Zhijian’s face, as if he found it hard to say. Finally, he leaned in close and whispered into Li Huowang’s ear.

“Three in one day? That many?”

“Sigh.” Gao Zhijian let out a deep, weary sigh. He pulled Li Huowang over to the palace steps and sat down on the white marble. “Brother Li, I’m going to be a father. Sixteen of the consorts in the harem are with child.”

“Then the Dragon Vein will have its successor. You can take a break. Don’t run yourself ragged.” Seeing that Gao Zhijian was otherwise fine, Li Huowang felt a slight sense of relief.

Whatever the Fa Sect was planning to do to Gao Zhijian, at least he had caught up in time.

“Brother Li, is Niuxin Village doing well? Is everyone alright?” A flash of longing appeared in Gao Zhijian’s eyes.

“Good, everyone’s good. With all those valuable things you sent last time, Niuxin Village is probably richer than a small country by now.”

Sitting on the stone steps, Gao Zhijian stared out at the empty courtyard. “Is that so? That’s good. Sometimes I dream I’m back there. I’d like to go and see it again.”

“That won’t be possible now. The Fa Sect is causing more and more trouble.” Shifting back to serious matters, Li Huowang’s tone became firm. “Did you get the information I sent you?”

“Of course I did. But don’t worry. The Supervisory Heavenly Office will protect His Majesty absolutely. No one with ill intent will be allowed near him.”

Hearing the voice behind him, Li Huowang turned his head. He found the tall, imposing Chief Astrologer of the Great Liang, Xuanpin, standing right behind him. He hadn’t noticed when the man had arrived.