Chapter 231: Baolu's Secret

"It's dangerous inside. None of you should follow; I'll go by myself," Li Huowang said, turning to Bai Lingmiao and the others. He then walked in alone.

But this time, the others weren't happy. Gouwa spoke up, "Brother Li, that won't do. If you run into trouble, we can help you."

"What help can you be?" Li Huowang said impatiently, scrutinizing Gouwa's scrawny frame. "You're not even as useful as a steamed bun! If you come in, I'll have to waste time looking after you!"

Gouwa lowered his head, a little self-conscious. "How can you say that about me? It took me a lot of courage to even speak up! Besides, I practice with a knife. At the very least, if you have another episode, I can help tie you up."

"Brother Li, Gouwa might be useless, but we're not. You can go in, but we *must* follow!" Bai Lingmiao's expression was uncharacteristically serious as she held a whip in one hand and a drum in the other.

While Bai Lingmiao always appeared gentle and delicate, she was strong-willed beneath her soft exterior and always had her own clear ideas on certain matters.

At the same time, Gao Zhijian also stepped forward. The simple-minded giant remained silent, but his clenched fists clearly conveyed his resolve.

"Brother Li, if the Black Grand Incarnation can help you overcome your hysteria, then we'd be happy to help. There's safety in numbers. And we're not like Gouwa," Chun Xiaoman explained logically, holding a Taoist bell.

Li Huowang's heart warmed slightly as he looked at their earnest faces. "Alright, then let's be careful. If anything feels off, we'll pull out immediately."

With that, he led the others toward the cave. However, Sun Baolu once again blocked his path.

"Are you going to stop or not? Move," Li Huowang said, his face turning cold.

Sun Baolu, eyes wide with emotion, stood trembling as he loosened his waistband and began unbuttoning his shirt. "Brother Li, I've been in there. If you don't mind becoming like *this*, then I won't stop you again!"

"Brother Li, you asked before why everyone was acting so strangely, and why I had to hide things. It's because I'm different from all of you! No matter what, you are all still human! But I... I'm a complete monster!"

As he unbuttoned a corner of his shirt, Li Huowang saw a small, thumb-sized indentation below his neck.

"What is that? It looks a bit like a belly button. Wait, it *is* a belly button. But why is Sun Baolu's belly button below his neck?"

With a tearing sound, Sun Baolu pulled open his clothes, revealing himself completely to Li Huowang.

Except for Chun Xiaoman and Bai Lingmiao, who turned away out of modesty, everyone else who saw Sun Baolu's body collectively gasped in horror.

"Old Sun, what... why are you so disfigured?" Gouwa stammered, wide-eyed.

Staring at Sun Baolu's body beneath his clothes, Li Huowang finally understood why he always hid from them to relieve himself or bathe. Sun Baolu's body was a complete mess, with organs growing in disarray.

His buttocks were where his navel should have been, while his navel was on his neck. Even his hair grew haphazardly in places it shouldn't.

His body looked exactly like a defective clay figure, carelessly molded by a child.

As he watched their horrified expressions, a mix of shame, suppressed grief, and sadness weighed heavily on Sun Baolu's heart.

He had dreamed countless times of his deformities being discovered, which was why he had always hidden them so meticulously. Yet, unexpectedly, he had now willingly exposed them.

Li Huowang let out a breath, limped over, and helped Sun Baolu pull up his pants and fix his clothes.

"How did this happen?" Li Huowang whispered into his ear.

"Something touched me inside the cave, and I became like this. It was too dark; I couldn't see what it was. I just felt it was like a very large brush."

Recalling the past, a look of lingering fear crossed Sun Baolu's face, and his trembling hands instinctively clutched his shoulders.

"I was only seven years old that day. While we were grazing, a few sheep ran inside. Even though the adults said it was dangerous, I followed four other children, thinking we'd be fine just looking around outside. But out of the five of us, only I made it out alive."

After speaking, a terrified Sun Baolu looked pleadingly at Li Huowang once more.

"Brother Li, you saved my life and brought me home. I owe you. I can't just stand by and watch you walk into danger!"

Even at this point, Sun Baolu was still trying to dissuade him.

Li Huowang sighed softly, sensing Sun Baolu's concern. "Do you know? There's very likely a Black Grand Incarnation in there. Do you know what the Black Grand Incarnation means to me right now?"

He calmly explained to Sun Baolu his reasons for entering the cave. "That's why I have to go in. Otherwise, I'll truly be driven mad by these hallucinations. It's my only medicine."

"I know you've gone to great lengths for me, and I appreciate it deeply. But Baolu, if you truly want what's best for someone, don't force your good intentions on them. Let them choose for themselves."

"And thank you for the information; it's incredibly useful."

Li Huowang patted his shoulder, then, leaning on his crutch, walked toward the cave entrance, a hint of grim determination in his eyes.

After exchanging glances, the others quickly followed.

Sun Baolu watched their figures gradually vanish into the dark cave entrance. He struggled to control his trembling legs, his expression wavering between hesitation and inner turmoil. Finally, he gritted his teeth and followed them directly.

"Since you're determined to go, I'll go with you! I've been in there before; I can guide you!"

As they each carried a glowing stone and entered the circular cave one by one, everything around them instantly fell silent.

The sounds of the wind in Qingqiu and the warm sunlight from above completely vanished.

"Whoosh~" White mist streamed from Li Huowang's mouth as he softly exhaled.

"Baolu, has it always been this cold in here?" Li Huowang's voice startled the highly tense Sun Baolu.

He nodded rapidly. "Yes, it was this cold last time too. The deeper we go, the warmer it gets."

With that, he quickly moved to the front of the group. "I'll lead the way. You must stay close. It's not far ahead; that's where one of my playmates suddenly disappeared."

Sun Baolu's words made everyone tense, and they all gripped their weapons.

The cave was silent, save for the sound of their footsteps.

The cave wasn't a karst cave but some form of rock cavern. The entrance sloped gradually downward, taking them further from the surface with every step. They were heading steadily deeper.