Chapter 250: Inquiry

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce myself: I am Li Huowang."

"Regarding your previous attempt to ambush me, I've actually gotten over it. After all, I'm a 'Xinsu,' like a long-legged ginseng fruit; it's only natural for you to want to steal me."

"I've come to find you this time for something else. To put it simply, I'm very unfamiliar with this world and want to gain more knowledge through you."

"Of course, there's another reason. As you know, I'm a Xinsu, and I'm also looking for a way to escape this state. If you know how and tell me, I'll be truly grateful."

Li Huowang spoke earnestly from his chair, looking at Han Fu.

The two bloodied, mangled heads hanging in front of him weren't Li Huowang's target for conversation. He was speaking to the fist-sized head at Han Fu's neck.

Bai Sui's ability hadn't spared it either; its face was completely disfigured. It was less a head and more a fleshy tumor with twisted features.

This thing was truly peculiar: the main body was completely dead, yet it was still perfectly alive. It made him wonder how the Luo Sect cultivated their techniques.

"What's your name? Are you also called Han Fu?"

In response to Li Huowang's question, the small head laughed mockingly, saying nothing.

With a clang, a dazzling array of polished torture instruments was laid out before it.

Li Huowang picked out an iron hemisphere from the collection, carefully cradled the small head, and extended the instrument towards it.

"Ahhh!!!" The sharp, piercing scream was extremely jarring.

Pushing aside the adjacent tent flap, Li Huowang tossed the small eyeball in his hand onto the Black Tai Sui.

"Still won't talk?"

The small head's single eye scanned the rows of bizarre torture instruments, a flicker of fear appearing before being swiftly replaced by a look of resolve.

"You Ao Jing lunatic! Even if I tell you, will you let me go?"

"I won't let you go, but dying instantly and being slowly tortured to death are two entirely different matters."

"Do you know? I'm not particularly skilled at torture, but I've experienced a great deal of pain, all kinds of different torments. Do you want me to recreate everything I've been through on you?"

Seeing Li Huowang wipe blood from his hands with a nearby towel and pick up a barbed hook again, the small head struggled desperately. But with its limbs completely broken, its efforts were futile.

"I don't know! I truly don't know anything! We really haven't been out of the mountains for long!"

"Really? If you've only just come out of the mountains, then those nineteen Yangshou Pills—were they travel money your master gave you for coming down the mountain?"

The long barbed hook plunged into the flesh, slowly pulling something out. Immediately after, Li Huowang took the coarse salt he'd borrowed from Sun Baolu and spread it evenly over the wound.

The small head convulsed uncontrollably from the pain, and bloody foam began to pour from its mouth.

Li Huowang put away the torture instruments, pulled out the "Huanao True Scripture" from his robe, and with a look of pity, began to recite the obscure and difficult-to-understand incantation.

The solidified white wax ignited, transforming into a pool of writhing fire larvae that crawled onto Han Fu's body. Accompanied by crackling and sizzling sounds, they began to heal the previously inflicted wounds.

"Ahhh!!!"

The screams carried far, frightening many Qingqiu children in the tent to tears and causing the already shaken adults to move even further away.

After several repetitions, it finally broke. "I'll talk, I'll talk!"

"Good. Let's start with some minor questions. I'll ask, and you'll answer."

"Can these Yangshou Pills be used as currency or provisions to buy things?"

Li Huowang pulled out a pill wrapped in a yellow talisman and asked.

Seeing the other party nod numbly, Li Huowang tucked the pill into a gourd. "Is it very valuable? What's its standard worth?"

"One Yangshou Pill can secure the help of someone like Han Fu once."

Li Huowang nodded in understanding. This was much clearer and more straightforward.

"How are Yangshou Pills obtained?"

"By killing people, but not just anyone. They must be born in a Yang year, Yang month, and Yang day. If you wish, I can tell you the refining method."

"No, that's enough. Next question: Han Fu mentioned you're from the Luo Sect. Where is your temple located?"

"Snake Bone Mountain in Liang Kingdom."

"How many people are in your temple?"

"Fifty-seven people."

"How many heads?"

"Two hundred twenty-four heads."

"What are you?"

"I am Han Fu's Nascent Soul."

Li Huowang continued to pepper the entity with various minor questions, some of which he already knew the answers to, simply to test if it was trying to deceive him.

Once he confirmed the entity wasn't lying, Li Huowang began to ask the crucial questions.

"What exactly is a Xinsu? How are they formed? And how many Xinsu are left in this world?"

"I truly don't know these things. Whatever I know about Xinsu is just a few words my master casually mentioned."

When he saw Li Huowang's hand slowly reaching for the torture instruments, he cried out in terror.

Snot and tears immediately streamed down the small head's face. "I really don't know! My master only told us that Xinsu are extremely rare heavenly treasures! He said we mustn't miss them if we ever encountered one!"

"Then how do you identify a Xinsu?" Li Huowang had been pondering this question for a long time, why everyone he met could instantly recognize his identity.

"I don't know how others identify them, but our master said that everyone has three fires on their shoulders. While it's normal for these fires to vary in size, only a Xinsu's fire flickers, appearing and disappearing."

Li Huowang looked down at his own shoulders, but he saw no such fire.

"That's enough. It's time to ask the most crucial question." Li Huowang looked at the small entity, his brow furrowed as he carefully weighed his words before speaking again.

"Have you, either during your travels or from your master, ever heard of a Xinsu who has managed to overcome their delusion?"

"No, you are the first Xinsu we've ever encountered."

Li Huowang carefully scrutinized the deformed small head. He could believe about ninety percent of that statement; Han Fu was clearly a greenhorn. Even if there truly were Xinsu who had overcome their delusion, he likely wouldn't know.

"What do you know about the Zuowang Dao?"

"I know about them. They're a bunch of con artists, particularly fond of deceiving people."

"What are their names?"

"I've heard their names are all Mahjong tile names, such as 'Eight of Characters' or 'Three of Dots.' However, I also heard these names are merely code names; if one 'Eight of Characters' dies, another 'Eight of Characters' will take their place."

"Among the Zuowang Dao, there's someone named Beifeng. Do you know anything about him? What's his strength like?"

This individual is the Xinsu who can overcome delusion. If I want to completely free myself from it, he is critically important.

"I don't know; I haven't had any dealings with the Zuowang Dao."

Li Huowang then continued to ask the small head some questions about the Zuowang Dao, but the information he obtained from it was very limited.

Looking at the small head before him, Li Huowang placed his hands on his knees and stood up, the stool creaking under him.

"Very good, I'm finished with my questions. Now, to verify the truth of what you've said, I need to confirm it one more time."

As he spoke, Li Huowang's hand once again reached for the torture instruments.