Chapter 182: Great Venerable

Li Huowang's sudden movement instantly jolted Granny Cui awake.

"Oh dear, what's going on? Weren't you divining with rice? Why are you fighting now?" Her voice was flustered, as if she genuinely didn't know what had happened.

Li Huowang, who had been ready to strike, stopped. He looked at the surprised Granny Cui, his expression uncertain.

He wasn't sure if she was pretending or truly bewildered. Logically, if they were genuinely interested in his Xin Su, they shouldn't be acting like this.

"Are you going to ask or not? If not, I'm leaving." With that, Granny Cui picked up her basket, preparing to depart.

Seeing this, Li Huowang changed his mind. He dragged a wooden stool over, sat down confidently with his sword, and said, "I want to continue asking. Summon that 'Heavenly Venerable' for me."

Granny Cui hesitated for a moment, then finally put her basket down and relit the incense.

Following a similar ritual, the man's voice reappeared.

Upon learning that Li Huowang lacked the Five Elements, he offered a very strange solution: "Change your name! If you lack the Five Elements, supplement them!"

After saying this, he casually grabbed a handful of rice from the basket and scattered it on the ground in front of Li Huowang.

"Jin Zao Mu." These three characters appeared before him.

Change his name? Li Huowang looked at his new name on the ground, completely baffled. Could simply having the Five Elements in a name actually supplement them? Was this person trying to trick him?

After some thought, Li Huowang decided to test the entity's abilities again.

Li Huowang then turned to Granny Cui, who was drinking tea, and asked again, "Thank you for clearing up my confusion. I have one more question, can you answer it?"

"Ask!"

"Why do all things in the world not decay recently?" If this entity, whatever its origin, could truly answer, Li Huowang would change his name on the spot.

The disappearance of decay was certainly linked to the Master's death. Li Huowang was deeply bothered by her passing and wanted to know what had truly happened.

"The Bodhisattva, out of compassion, pities the heavenly beings suffering from decay."

"You fraud! You've been exposed! There are no Bodhisattvas or Buddhas at all! Beyond the heavens, there are only those... those..."

Li Huowang, his eyes gradually showing fear, couldn't continue. He didn't know how to describe those things.

Those things he had been deliberately avoiding thinking about ever since he woke up.

He thought that by simply not thinking about them, he could pretend they didn't exist – beings far greater and more powerful than mortals, beings who could easily kill everyone if they wished!

As he thought of them again, Li Huowang could no longer ignore them. His expression turned painful, his breathing became more rapid, and inexplicable sounds began to emerge in his ears.

"Senior Brother! Don't think about it! Don't think about it!" Bai Lingmiao's anxious voice pulled Li Huowang's consciousness back.

Looking at her worried, delicate face, Li Huowang took a deep breath and nodded. "That's right, I won't think about it, I won't think about it…"

"Yes, that's right. No matter what those things are, no matter if what she said is true or false, this world is already crazy. There's nothing I can do. I just need to live my life in peace."

After continuous comfort from Bai Lingmiao and himself, Li Huowang gradually calmed down, pushing those unwelcome thoughts out of his mind.

Li Huowang, now calm again, looked at Granny Cui. His trust in her had significantly diminished.

"I have one more question for you: What exactly is Xin Su?"

Li Huowang's question made the entity pause. It looked at him with its milky-white eyes, and Li Huowang could feel eight pairs of gazes through its blind eyes.

"This Venerable One certainly knows, but if I were to tell you, you would surely die on the spot." This statement frightened Bai Lingmiao, who tugged frantically at Li Huowang's sleeve.

"Hmph!" Li Huowang sneered. There was no trace of trust left in his gaze towards Granny Cui.

"Are you trying to be mysterious with me? The Sitting-Forgetfulness Dao taught me one truth: don't follow other people's paths."

He raised his sharp, murderous longsword, pointing its tip directly at Granny Cui's head. "Get out! Whatever you are, whatever your purpose, get out! Do you hear me?"

"A mere Xin Su, how laughable, how laughable! In that case, this Venerable One shall tell you what Xin Su is— *hiccup*."

Before it could utter another word, with a *crack*, the black cauldron, the rice basket, and the bronze mirror were all sliced in half. The sword blade was already pressed against Granny Cui's neck.

"Oh my, what are you doing!" Granny Cui's voice returned to normal.

"You're back to normal? Your trickery was quite good. I'll say it again! Get out!!"

Granny Cui was visibly terrified by Li Huowang's murderous aura. Her face full of panic, she scrambled to pick up the scattered items and stumbled out, running away.

*Clang!* The sword slid into its sheath, and peace gradually returned to the room.

"Let's go. Go to sleep. Get some good rest while we have a bed." Li Huowang said cleanly, then walked into the inner room and put the copper coin mask on his face.

Feeling its heavy texture, Li Huowang sighed in relief. "I still need to wear this from now on. My identity as a Xin Su is just too tempting for others."

"Husband, what if... what she said was true?"

"Precisely because of that 'what if', my sword didn't strike her just now. Otherwise, there's no way I would have let her leave this door. And stop calling me 'husband'!"

That night, Li Huowang barely slept, constantly fearing a nighttime ambush.

Even though nothing happened throughout the night, Li Huowang still hastily gathered everyone to pack their belongings and leave that troublesome place as soon as possible.

It wasn't until they reached a bustling street in the border town of Siji that Li Huowang finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that nothing untoward had occurred.

Compared to before, the atmosphere here was noticeably more relaxed. It seemed as though the war had truly ended.

After resting in this town, Li Huowang and his companions prepared to re-enter Hou Shu. However, there was one more thing they needed to do first.

At the Tiger Head Escort Agency, the burly Chief Escort Master examined the letter of recommendation in his hand while scrutinizing the peculiar Taoist priest dressed in red, wearing a copper coin mask, and carrying two swords on his back.

After a long deliberation, he put the letter back. "Alright, since Escort Master Zhao vouches for you, I'll trust you! However, I must clarify beforehand: if you're escorting a consignment, we'll take a twenty percent cut from each order, as we are signing the guarantee. Do you agree to this?"

"Yes," Li Huowang replied. Of course, he agreed. This escort job was merely a convenient detour, essentially found money.

"If the consignment is lost, I won't trouble you; the guarantor will compensate for it. Since you just mentioned Escort Master Zhao is your friend, I hope you won't disappoint him."