Chapter 1017

Leaning against the wall, Yi Donglai tremblingly picked up a cigarette, put it in his mouth, lit it with a lighter, and then took a deep drag. Perhaps because he hadn't smoked for years, Yi Donglai choked and began to cough violently. After coughing for a few seconds, his face extremely pale, he wiped his teary, smoke-stung eyes with his hand, then looked up at Li Huowang, who stood before him.

"No, I still don't believe what you're saying," he insisted. "It doesn't make sense. Not only does it not make sense here, but it also doesn't make sense in the world you describe! Your talk of time reversal is just your own speculation. Perhaps reality isn't what you think it is!"

Li Huowang, having exhausted himself trying to explain, was a bit tired. "Is logic really that important?" he asked. "Not every world is materialistic. Besides," he added, "what does it matter if it's real or not? I just want to solve this problem now! Do you want to be poisoned to death by Qingwanglai again? Huh?"

Hearing this, Yi Donglai seemed to recall his previous suffering. His expression gradually twisted, and he clutched his head with both hands, his voice strained. "Why is this happening... Why is this happening!"

Li Huowang sighed. He went to the door, opened it, and carefully checked around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. After relocking it, he returned to Yi Donglai and said, "Dr. Yi, you don't need to overthink this. It's fine if you find my worldview hard to grasp. You can follow your own ideas too. From my perspective, you are Da Nuo, and whether I am Ji Zai in your world doesn't really matter. The most important thing is that our enemy is the same right now."

Yi Donglai raised the cigarette to his mouth again and took a deep drag. This time, he didn't choke; instead, he inhaled directly and exhaled the smoke. The grayish-white smoke enveloped his face, making it appear somewhat ethereal.

Yi Donglai began to seriously consider Li Huowang's questions. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Have you experienced this kind of time reversal many times before?"

"Haven't you seen my medical records?" Li Huowang retorted. "You even wrote a paper about me. I thought you knew all about my condition."

"But it's different now," Yi Donglai replied. "In the past, you were sick! Now... I don't even know what you are!"

"I wasn't sick before either!" Li Huowang's voice rose sharply. "It's just that you people don't understand my world at all!"

Seeing Li Huowang's emotions spiraling out of control, Yi Donglai's instincts as a doctor kicked in, and he began to calm him. "Calm down, just calm down," he urged. "I didn't say I wouldn't help you; I'm trying to understand you. I don't want to keep experiencing time reversals like you."

Hearing this, Li Huowang let out a laugh. "You think time reversal is painful? You're wrong! Every time reversal is a result of my resistance. If we just let time run its course, Qingwanglai would have already killed us and completely absorbed the Heavenly Law!"

"I... I... I need more... I need more evidence..." Yi Donglai stammered, a cigarette still in his mouth. He clutched his hair tightly with both hands, pacing obsessively around the room.

Li Huowang grabbed him. "Fine! Go find your evidence; I'm not stopping you," he said. "But first, we need to act immediately! Don't forget, Fushangtian is still approaching! We're running out of time!"

Hearing this, Yi Donglai fell silent for a moment. He then lowered his hands and said with great difficulty, "Go find Zhao Shuangdian. Bring her here first!"

Given what he said, Li Huowang understood that regardless of Yi Donglai's thoughts, he had essentially agreed to help with Qingwanglai.

"I've already called her on the way; she's heading here," Li Huowang explained. "To deal with Qingwanglai, the Heavenly Law she controls is key. We absolutely cannot let him know in advance. We'll just shoot him in the head from a distance! This will prevent him from poisoning the Heavenly Law!" Having experienced previous reversals, Li Huowang not only knew Qingwanglai's intentions but also how many tricks the guy had up his sleeve.

"She believes it?" Yi Donglai asked.

"She doesn't believe it yet, but I have a way to make her believe!" Li Huowang asserted. "I didn't go through all those cycles for nothing!"

Then, Li Huowang looked at Yang Na, who was nearby. "Nana," he said, "you are now the Wusheng Laomu, controller of the Heavenly Law of Death. Your Heavenly Law is very important. Whatever happens next, I'll need your help!"

"Okay!" Yang Na, having recovered her spirits, nodded vigorously. When she agreed, her eyes seemed to shine. Although he didn't explain much, Li Huowang trusted her. Not for any particular reason, but simply because she was Yang Na.

After explaining everything to Yang Na, Li Huowang turned back to Yi Donglai, looking at him very seriously. He waited for Yi Donglai's stance, as the doctor had merely listened without expressing any opinion until then.

Yi Donglai also looked up at him. "If I am Da Nuo in your eyes," he asked, "then what should Da Nuo do next?"

Hearing this, Li Huowang smiled. "Come with me," he said, "and help me find a way to get well."

The two of them stood up simultaneously and went out with Yang Na. As the three walked out of the room, they saw everyone else continuing their usual activities, presenting a picture of calm.

Li Huowang didn't do anything special. He took Yi Donglai and Yang Na, and they sat down in the living room to watch TV with the others, just as normal as during previous time reversals.

As an episode of the TV show finished, the weather forecast music began to play on the TV.

"Hello everyone, and welcome to the midday weather forecast," the TV announcer began. "Typhoon Agate is expected to make landfall from the southeast. Coastal residents, please take precautions. Here is the typhoon's projected path..."

Chen Hongyu munched on slightly reddish potato chips, crunching them loudly. As she ate, she mumbled, "The typhoon is coming our way, huh..." Then she noticed Yang Na, who had recovered, sitting nearby. She scooped up a large handful of chips and offered them to her. "You should eat a lot when you're well," she said, "to recover faster."

Yang Na glanced at Li Huowang, who was intently staring at the door. She reached out, took a chip, and gently put it in her mouth. After a few soft chews, her eyes lit up immediately. "Wow," she exclaimed, "these tomato-flavored chips are delicious!" With that, she sat beside Chen Hongyu and started eating chips with her, one after another, seemingly unable to get enough.

"It's not that the chips are good," Wugi explained, emerging from the kitchen with a resigned expression. "It's that you haven't eaten properly for days and you're practically malnourished from hunger. Hey, you," Wugi called out, "aren't you her boyfriend? Your girlfriend is starving like this, aren't you going to do something?"

Li Huowang didn't respond. His gaze swept slowly and simply around the room. "Where's Qingwanglai?" he asked.

"He's cooking," someone replied. "Why? Are you going to help in the kitchen?"