Chapter 125: Why

"Fire Robe True Sutra?" Li Huowang, greatly surprised, reached out and took the strange book, which was encased in translucent wax. Through the solidified wax, he clearly saw the title.

He immediately realized he had misheard; Yingzi had said "Proverbial Scripture," not "True Sutra." The book's title was *The Fire Robe Proverbial Scripture*. Although the healing process had been extremely painful, Li Huowang also understood the book's immense value.

"Why are you giving this to me?" Li Huowang asked, puzzled.

"I thought you would want it, Benefactor, so I specifically brought it for you," she replied. "This book isn't easy to master, though. You'll need to learn an unusual script."

As Yingzi extended her hand, the wax casing on the book cracked open, revealing its contents.

"This is..." Li Huowang's brows slowly furrowed. It was a script made of various circles—large circles enclosing smaller ones, with small dots inside the smaller circles. Each circle had distinct variations. He couldn't understand any of it; it was a writing system he had never encountered before.

"Benefactor, to understand this scripture, you'll need to start learning from scratch," she explained. "Only by mastering the *gong, shang, jiao, zhi, yu* of the Skyfire Script can you properly utilize it." With that, she pulled out a handwritten, illustrated book. "This is a comparison between the Skyfire Script and common vernacular," she said. "You can take a look, Benefactor."

Li Huowang quickly opened it and found that it was recorded in great detail. The handwriting was delicate and neat, looking as though Yingzi had written it herself. Given how far she had gone, Li Huowang no longer refused. Honestly, he truly needed this right now. He didn't have time to examine it now, but he would study it slowly once he got out of this dreadful place.

After putting away the two books, Li Huowang asked Yingzi, "You've given me these without permission. Won't you get into trouble if they find out?"

Yingzi lowered her head and gently shook it, saying nothing.

Li Huowang nodded, understanding her unspoken reply, and looked at her with a serious gaze. "You have your reasons, and I won't press you," he said. "If others show me an inch of respect, I'll return a yard. My word is my bond. As long as you help me wholeheartedly, I can still help you escape from this hellhole."

"Mm-hmm!" Yingzi couldn't help but nod with suppressed delight upon hearing this.

"Benefactor, what do you need me to do? I can help you with anything," Yingzi asked, a hint of urgency on her face.

After cautiously glancing around, Li Huowang lowered his voice. "Yingzi, since our goals are the same, you're one of us," he continued. "And I genuinely need your help right now." With that, Li Huowang leaned close to her ear and whispered something, to which Yingzi nodded occasionally in acknowledgment.

About fifteen minutes later, the two walked out of the cave, one following the other.

For the next two days, with Yingzi accompanying him, Li Huowang explored the entire cave, leaving no hidden place unchecked. Hand San did not break his word; during this time, no one came to bother Li Huowang. Even if they met on the path, they would at most stare or simply pass by. By the third day of his exploration, Li Huowang had thoroughly memorized the entire layout of the cave.

"Benefactor, you've memorized everything," Yingzi, who had been silently following him, asked softly. "What should we do next?"

Li Huowang, with a determined expression, stared at the cave entrance for a while, then turned and walked back the way they came. "Let's go," he said. "We'll talk once we're back. Be careful, walls have ears."

Yingzi followed silently behind Li Huowang, like a loyal page. As he walked, Li Huowang was visibly worried, his expression shifting from solemn to grim, as if deep in thought.

Halfway back, he was stopped by none other than Hand San, whose body was scorched black. As a chilling grin spread across his face, tiny flakes of charred skin flaked off and fell to the ground.

"Little friend Xuanyang," he rasped, "It's already the third day. Do you have any ideas yet? Do you need this old man's help? If you think the previous method wasn't effective enough, to be frank, I've thought of another one today."

Before Hand San could finish, Li Huowang immediately cut him off, fearing his words would defile his ears. "I don't need it!" Li Huowang declared. "I told you! I'll find a way myself!"

Li Huowang took Yingzi's hand and strode towards their dwelling. Hand San didn't stop them. He stood still, watching their retreating figures with flickering eyes.

When the flimsy wooden door closed again, blocking out everything outside, Li Huowang finally breathed a sigh of relief. Living in this perilous den was truly tormenting, like dancing on the edge of a predator's jaws.

"Benefactor, what do we do next?"

Hearing Yingzi's words from behind him, Li Huowang took a deep breath, about to speak, when his expression instantly froze.

"Damn it, not again!" Li Huowang slowly slid down to the ground, leaning against the wooden door behind him.

"Benefactor? Benefactor, are you alright?" Yingzi quickly and cautiously approached him.

At this moment, Li Huowang stared blankly at the girl in front of him, his expression subtly struggling before he whispered, "Mom? You're here? I don't want an orange; can you please leave for a bit? I have some things to handle." He continued, seemingly to himself, "I know, I understand, that's an illusion over there. Don't worry about my illness. I'm a bit thirsty; can you get me some water from the boiler room? I don't want the water from the thermos; I want freshly boiled water."

"Benefactor...?" Yingzi asked hesitantly, watching the delirious Li Huowang.

A moment later, Li Huowang, who had just been smiling, suddenly looked very solemn. His unfocused eyes gazed around. "Yingzi, quick, tie me up! Tie me to the bed!" he urged. "I'll explain once I'm clearheaded again!" No sooner had he finished speaking than his expression rapidly changed again. "Dad, why are you here too? Don't you have to work today?"

Yingzi stood rooted to the spot, watching the red-robed Taoist babble to the air, but she did not follow his instructions to tie him up.

"Mom, thank you, don't feed me; I can drink by myself," Li Huowang said, raising his hands as if holding a cup and miming pouring something into his mouth.

Watching Li Huowang's wide-open mouth, Yingzi's trembling right hand reached inside her robe and pulled out a bundle of iron thorns, formed by various rusted iron nails wrapped together. Yingzi looked at Li Huowang, hesitated for a moment, then put the iron thorns back.

"Alright, alright, I'll peel the oranges myself. You don't need to come."

When Yingzi withdrew her single arm from her robe again, a bottle of medicine appeared in her hand. The rusty iron thorns were thrown into the bottle, corroding with a hissing sound. Soon, this corroding iron thorn, continuously emitting black smoke, was brought by Yingzi to Li Huowang.

"Woof woof," Mantou ran over curiously, looking confusedly at the incomprehensible scene before him. "Thud!" Yingzi suddenly kicked out with her right foot, sending Mantou flying. Spitting blood, Mantou struggled to stand and swayed a few times, then stumbled and fell to the ground again.

"Mom, stop peeling. I've had enough oranges." Li Huowang reached out and took the smoking iron thorn.

At this moment, Yingzi stood rooted to the spot, her body trembling uncontrollably with excitement. The iron thorn moved closer and closer to Li Huowang's mouth, but just as it was about to make contact, it suddenly stopped. The three bloody, corroded fingers holding the iron thorn slightly loosened their grip. The object brushed past Li Huowang's cheek, fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and then stopped.

At this moment, Li Huowang showed no sign of madness. He stared at the one-armed girl in front of him with an intensely cold gaze. "Why?"