Chapter 304 - Deceived
Li Huowang stared at the White Impermanence shrouded in white mist, his expression solemn as he contemplated how to negotiate with this entity.
However, at that moment, he suddenly felt someone near him and woke up.
He quickly turned his head and saw a young boy who seemed to have just learned how to walk. The young boy was sitting on the ground in open-crotch pants, and out of curiosity was using his fingers to touch the bronze coins on his veil.
Li Huowang glanced around to see that the others were still sleeping. After a moment, he bent down to pick up the child, and then walked over before quickly handing him to a woman’s embrace. Then, he stood up and quietly walked toward where Bai Sai was sleeping.
Before Li Huowang could even get close, Bai Sai had already woken up. They exchanged glances, and then he walked toward the surrounding forest.
Once there, Li Huowang swatted a mosquito on his neck before speaking in a solemn voice, “I dreamt of that person just now. He’s still watching us and hasn’t left.”
“What?!” Bai Sai’s face turned deathly white as he anxiously started pacing back and forth anxiously in the woods.
“Don’t panic. I was just giving you a heads-up. No matter what that thing is, I’ve already promised Bai Lingmiao that I’ll bring all of you back,” assured Li Huowang.
Hearing this, Bai Sai’s expression improved slightly. “That’s good to hear. With your help, they won’t dare cause trouble easily. But... what do you think that person is trying to do? Why are they still coming after us even after taking away that stone?”
Li Huowang shook his head; without having that thing before him, he couldn’t really figure out why the other party was behaving like that.
“Let’s go back. If something happens to the others, please inform me immediately,” said Li Huowang as he turned to leave.
However, just as Li Huowang was about to leave the forest, Bai Sai’s voice rang out once again, “Benefactor, do you have some relationship with the Second Niece?”
“What?”
“Oh, Second Niece is Lian’s daughter, Bai Lingmiao. Based on seniority, she needs to address me as Second Uncle,” explained Bai Sai.
When Bai Sai saw Li Huowang stunned in place, he walked over emotionally and started sizing up the young Daoist in front of him.
“Ah~ the Second Niece has found herself a good family. Very good.” The more he looked at Li Huowang, the more fond he became of him.
After a while, Li Huowang said awkwardly, “Chief Bai, let’s talk about this matter again after overcoming this difficulty together.”
“Alright. Rest assured that I won’t tell anything to Second Niece’s parents. When you are ready, you can tell them yourself,” said Bai Sai.
With this, Li Huowang could feel that the sense of distance between them had reduced by quite a bit.
“Alright! Let’s work together and get through this calamity, and then we can enjoy ourselves at your wedding feast!” said Bai Sai.
After this conversation, Bai Sai’s worries about the danger from before vanished without a trace.
The next day, everyone woke up and they resumed their journey. This time, they continued till they arrived at a village.
Once at the village, Li Huowang immediately took out some pieces of silver to buy all the livestock in the village.
When the single-toothed old man witnessed this, he wanted to dissuade Li Huowang. However, after Bai Sai whispered something in his ear, he just climbed onto a bullock-cart without saying a word.
Originally, due to the delay caused by the young and old, their progress hadn’t been very fast. However, after they purchased the livestock, their speed instantly increased to another level.
During this period, Li Huowang was extremely nervous. Even while sleeping, he kept one eye open, wary of being on the receiving end of an unexpected attack.
However, strangely, nothing happened after that night. The gigantic White Impermanence never reappeared, not even in his dreams.
This won't do. How can we defend against the enemy from afar? Instead of waiting, we should find a way to pull him out of hiding.
Just as he was contemplating what to do, Li Huowang felt something amiss. “Chief Bai, I don’t think this is the road back to Cowheart Mountain?”
Li Huowang arrived here by riding on the back of a horse, and now, his surroundings were clearly different. Even a dull person would notice that something was wrong.
Bai Sai wiped the sweat from his face and nodded as he explained, “Yes, we won’t return to Cowheart Mountain just yet. I know of a place, and reaching there requires going through a winding path. Perhaps this will allow us to shake off the one following us.”
“Oh? Is there such a place? Where is it?” asked Li Huowang, feeling curious.
“Actually, it’s not too far ahead; in fact, we should reach there today,” said Bai Sai as he pointed ahead.
Li Huowang looked forward, but all he saw was a dirt road without much else.
However, the environment soon changed. The ground became more muddy, and Li Huowang's boots were completely covered in black mud. Occasionally, they would also see pools of stale water emanating rotten stench and the countless black bugs wriggling within. The hot weather mixed with the foul odor made them feel even more dizzy.
As they continued to advance, the environment around them gradually transformed into a swamp.
Just as Li Huowang felt like asking Bai Sai whether they were going in the right direction, a vast golden reed marsh appeared in the distance. The reeds all towered a few meters tall, and they swayed gently in the wind.
“This is it. Once we enter here, even Immortals won't be able to find us there. With this, we should be able to shake off our pursuer!” said Bai Sai as he moved to lead everyone inside.
Just as wanted to lead the Bai family members into the reed marsh, Li Huowang stopped him and asked with a worried look on his face, “Chief Bai, entering might be easy. But will we be able to come out?”
No matter how Li Huowang looked at it, this place did not seem safe.
Bai Sai confidently patted Li Huowang’s shoulder. “Relax. Since I dare to bring my family in, I naturally have a way out. Even my son and parents are inside. I should be more worried than you.”
Li Huowang was surprised. He had a feeling that this Chief Bai had some cards that he did not know about.
Since the other party had spoken, Li Huowang did not try to stop him. Soon, the carts and mules started making their way into the reeds.
However, just as they stepped in, a thin mist began to pervade the surroundings.
Li Huowang was exceptionally familiar with this mist. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and decisively stood before them all. “Go ahead! I'll hold them off!”
At the same time, with Li Huowang’s declaration, the ground began to shudder. That giant White Impermanence gradually revealed a part of itself through the mist. A wooden mask could be seen hanging on its chest.
Seeing that the Bai family was about to escape its pursuit, this thing could no longer restrain itself.
After a moment, the White Impermanence opened its mouth to reveal a long, red tongue. At the same time, a dense white mist spewed out and caused their surroundings to become even hazier.
Whoosh!
The black-tassel sword was unsheathed, and a dense killing intent enveloped Li Huowang as he stood there as though he was unmoveable.
Meanwhile, the White Impermanence continued to remain motionless within the mist.
Amidst the chaos, Li Huowang thought of what Tuoba Danqing had told him, and whipped out the badge on his waist. “The Surveillance Bureau is on official duty! If you don’t want to die, then scram!”
Immediately, the swirling mist around them ceased moving.
“Ah, so you’re from the Surveillance Bureau. Why didn’t you say so earlier? Then this is just a misunderstanding between internal parties.” This abrupt voice came from the giant White Impermanence’s mouth.
“You’re from the Surveillance Bureau? How can you be?” asked Li Huowang, feeling astonished as he looked up at the three-meter tall White Impermanence. Ever since the first time he had seen this thing, he had completely ruled out the possibility of it being related to the Surveillance Bureau.
“Hold on,” said the giant White Impermanence as it sank into the white mist. Soon, a man with a wooden mask on his chest stepped out from within the mist. As he approached, he also brought out a badge which was quite similar to Li Huowang’s. It was the Surveillance Bureau badge.
“See? I’m even one rank higher than you,” said the man.
After confirming that the opponent’s token was genuine, Li Huowang suddenly felt relieved, and his expression warmed up. “Since you’re also from the Surveillance Bureau, that’s easier to handle. There must be some sort of misunderstanding here.”
However, the person with the wooden mask shook his head. “No, no, there’s no misunderstanding. The White Lotus Sect is extremely wicked. They are a bunch of evil cultivators. My senior and I spent a great deal of effort to capture them. Yet, you barged in and broke through my senior’s restraints.”
“What? Impossible!” Li Huowang’s mind buzzed as he looked at the reed marsh behind him.
By now, the last member from the Bai family, Bai Sai, had already stepped in. As he entered, he glanced at the badge in Li Huowang’s hand, revealing an incomparably cold as he turned around and disappeared into the reed marsh.
“Brother, think about it. If they were not responsible for the deaths of too many, would the higher-ups send people from the Surveillance Bureau here? That too two of them together?”
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